Chandigarh, March 23
The Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission (HARC) seems to have delivered little in terms of making suggestions on improving the working of various departments while inviting a lot of flak on its working.

One of its former members, DR Chaudhary, submitted a report to Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati just before the commission’s term ended on March 12. Sources maintain that while he submitted a report on the education sector, Chaudhary, in a letter to Gulati, has blamed the inability of the commission to deliver on the “indifference” of its acting chairman.

The letter maintains that after the first chairman, Karan Dalal, resigned to contest the assembly election in 2009, a part-time member of the commission was appointed acting chairman. He alleged that the new chairman was not doing justice to his assignment. He was not residing in Haryana and was occupied with the work of a trust. This did not leave him with any time for any “worthwhile” work in the commission.

Chaudhary’s letter goes on to state that he had single-handedly compiled two reports, one on school education and another on health services. Maintaining that his interest was limited to submitting one of the two reports before the expiry of the commission’s term in March this year, Chaudhary said that the chairman had turned down his report.

Submitting his report to the Chief Secretary, Chaudhary claimed that the chairman had tried to “scuttle his report” and urged the government to ensure that the commission functioned in a manner that helped improve governance.

The commission, which was initially constituted in 2008 for a period of two years, was given two extensions. Sources in the Chief Secretary’s office confirmed that Chaudhary had submitted a report on school education along with a letter. The acting chairman was not available for comment. 

Sirsa, March 23
Upset at the hearing of criminal cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the CBI Special Court, a follower allegedly shot himself in the temple outside the courts here this evening. The incident occurred shortly after the dera chief left at about 3.30 pm after appearing before the CBI Court in Ambala through video-conferencing.

The police found Vinod (28), a local resident, dead in a Maruti 800 car parked outside the courts. The car had a “press”sticker on the windscreen.The police recovered a pistol and a suicide note from the vehicle.

The note said that he was upset at the hearing of cases against the “Guruji” on a daily basis, said DSP Pooran Chand Panwar.

The dera followers have raised a tent outside the courts. Those accompanying the dera chief’s cavalcade wait for him under this tent.

The entry of comman people inside the court complex is barred once the dera chief arrives there and remains so till he leaves.

The dera chief is facing trial in the Ram Chandra Chhattarpati murder case, former dera follower Ranjit Singh’s murder case and a case regarding the alleged exploitation of a former dera sadhvi.The court began hearing the cases on a daily basis from January 5 this year. The decision triggered opposition from the dera followers who started holding angry protests outside the court.

The CBI court, on an application filed on behalf of the dera chief, exempted him from personal appearance for six days on January 25.

Today, the prosecution had to provide evidence in the Chhatarpati murder case. However, the case was adjourned to March 28 as Jai Pal, a policeman who was to depose before the court, had to appear before another court today. 

Rewari, March 23
Naresh Yadav, former legislator and president of the Haryana Yuva Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, has expressed concern at the “pernicious” rail blockade by Jat protesters.

Addressing a crowded press conference at Narnaul today, he took pains to explain that he was in no way opposed to the Jat community or any other community’s demand for reservation, but was of the firm opinion that no protester could be allowed to block rail tracks or highways to pressurise the government into accepting their demands.

Blaming the state government as well as the Opposition for the sorry state of affairs, Yadav lamented that the rail blockade was causing acute inconvenience to thousands of hapless commuters.

He said with thousands of passengers facing hardship and the Railways suffering huge losses daily, the Railway Minister’s approach in the matter was worrisome.

Flaying the MLAs and the MPs of the Ahirwal region for their “indifference,” Yadav warned that if the rail tracks were not immediately cleared, they would convene a mahapanchayat to chalk out the next course of action

Chandigarh, March 23
Finance Minister Ajay Singh Yadav has denied that he had used his influence to help his sister Nirmal Yadav, who was a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and her relatives buy about 3 acres of land in Solan district in Himachal Pradesh on August 14, 2008.

Speaking for the first time after some Opposition parties demanded his resignation in the wake of his alleged indictment by a three-judge committee appointed by the Supreme Court, Ajay Singh said the allegation against him was “concocted and aimed at tarnishing his image.”

The HJC and the BSP had alleged that the committee had said in its report that Ajay Singh, who was Revenue Minister at that time, had put pressure on the Panchkula tehsildar to issue residence certificates to Justice Yadav and others without proper documentation.

Ajay Singh said he was not a co-sharer in the land, as reported in a section of the press.

He said Rameshwar Sharma, Joint Secretary, Revenue, Himachal Pradesh, had categorically stated in his fact-finding report that there appeared to be no procedural irregularity at any level for according permission to the purchase of land. The report also said there was no evasion of stamp duty and registration fee. Sharma had pointed out in his report that permission for purchase of land in Himchal Pradesh by a non-Himachali was granted on merit and the file for permission would go to the Chief Minister through the Revenue Minister.

Ajay Singh said the fact-finding inquiry was ordered by the BJP-led government in Himachal Pradesh.

Therefore, it was clear that no influence was used for purchasing the land. 

Bhiwani, March 23
For the smooth conduct of the semester examinations, as many as 343 flying squads have been formed by the Board of School Education, Haryana. Examination duty has been made compulsory and no changes will be allowed in this regard. The examinations will commence from March 25.

Board secretary Shekhar Vidyarthi said 1,610 examination centres had been set up in the state for 9,22,279 candidates.

He said as many as 4,74,109 candidates of the secondary and 3,55,073 candidates of the senior secondary level; 8,8710 candidates of Haryana Open School, besides 4,387 re-appear candidates of the middle school level would be appearing in the examinations. He said 16,685 supervisors and 1,610 centre superintendents had been deputed on examination duty. Police personnel would also be deputed outside the examination centres during examinations. He said the flying squads formed would thwart any attempt to use unfair means. He also added that examination centres had been divided into 95 sectors which would be under the control of 95 officers of the district administration concerned.

For this 95 squads of sector officers had also been formed. Five control rooms had been set up at Rohtak, Gurgaon, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Bhiwani for effective monitoring during the conduct of examinations. 

Gurgaon, March 23
The local administrative as well as police authorities have decided to take more stringent steps to check new constructions within a 900-metre radius of the ammunition depot here to effectively implement the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s orders in this regard.

Now, temporary power connections released for construction activities in the area will be disconnected and bore-wells being operated in under-construction houses will be sealed.

These decisions were taken at a meeting of top district officials, including Deputy Commissioner PC Meena, Municipal Commissioner Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner of Police Maheshwar Dayal, City Magistrate KK Gupta, MCG Chief Engineer BS Singroha, DTP (Enforcement) BK Saini and Superintending Engineer of the power utilities Subhash Deswal, held here today.

Municipal Commissioner Sudhir Rajpal said the construction work in the restricted area could be stopped by checking the entry of trucks carrying construction material.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the authorities of the power utilities to disconnect the temporary electricity connections issued to the under-construction houses in the restricted area and ensure that no new power connections were released in this area.

He also ordered the officials concerned to devise a surveillance mechanism in their respective areas of jurisdiction to stop new constructions in the unauthorised areas and seal as well as dismantle the bore-wells found operational there.

Meena asserted that if any illegal construction was found to be going on, the official(s) concerned should get it demolished promptly instead of just issuing notices.

He pointed out that the registration of sales deeds in unauthorised colonies had already been banned by the district administration. Meena warned that if any construction activity was detected during surprise inspection, strict action would be taken against the official concerned.

DCP (Gurgaon-west) Maheshwar Dayal informed the meeting that the police administration would soon constitute a special team to ensure the compliance of High Court’s orders in the area around the ammunition depot. 

Fatehabad, March 23
An activist of the Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti died on a railway track at Mehuwala in Fatehabad, where he was sitting on dharna with others. Vijay Karwasra (65), a resident of Mehuwala village, was on fast since March 14 and was sitting on the railway track since then.

He died on the track at about 8.45 pm today.

Activists of the samiti said Karwasra had complained of uneasiness in the morning.

A strong police force has been dispatched to Mehuwala in apprehension of any trouble. 

Sirsa, March 23
A 24-year old girl was found murdered outside her college at Bhawdin village this morning. The body of the victim, Priyanka, a resident of Hisar, was found in the fields near a polytechnic institute, where she was pursuing a diploma course in mechanical engineering. The girl was strangled to death.

The police has booked Balwan Singh, a man from Saniana village in Fatehabad district, for the murder.

The victim’s father, Raghubir Singh, has informed the police in his complaint that Balwan, who was married, had been harassing his daughter for long.

The victim was living as a paying guest on the local Barnala Road.

Priyanka’s father has alleged that Balwan Singh was allegedly pressuring his daughter to marry him.

The police said the accused accosted the victim outside her college and killed her after taking her towards the nearby fields.