Kurukshetra, April 14
Governor Jagannath Pahadia today gave a clarion call to all sections of society to make India literate for launching a joint struggle to root out the evil of casteism.

Addressing a function to celebrate the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar at Dr BR Ambedkar College of Education, Kheri Markanda, 3 km from here, Pahadia said Dr Ambedkar’s dream of saving society from social evils like casteism could not be fulfilled until and unless the society became literate.

Pahadia said Baba Saheb had declared a war against untouchabilty because he was of the view that division on the basis of religion, caste and community would not be in nation’s interest.

Dr Ambedkar had framed such a constitution that comprised democracy, socialism, secularism and social equality. He announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh to Dr BR Ambedkar College of Education, Kheri Markanda.

Kumari Selja, Union Minister of Housing, Urban Poverty Alleviation and Minister of Culture, urged the youth to learn from Dr Ambedkar’s life and contribute to the development of the country.

SONEPAT: PWD Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Thursday that Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was a champion not only of social and political reforms but also a staunch supporter of economic reforms.

Addressing a public meeting after unveiling the statue of Dr Ambedkar near the local bus stand, Surjewala said he worked for the uplift of the downtrodden of the society. “Being an economist, it was the dream of Dr Ambedkar to see the rural India on the path of progress and prosperity,” Surjewala said.

REWARI: A state-level function was held to commemorate the 120th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar here Thursday.

Paying rich tributes to Dr Ambedkar, the Haryana Finance, Irrigation, Forest and Environment Minister, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, said the government was sincerely implementing his ideals for the betterment of the downtrodden and underprivileged sections of society.

SIRSA: Rich tributes were paid to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar, on his birth anniversary here on Thursday.

Ashok Tanwar, MP and secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, offered floral tributes to Ambedkar at a function held here. He also laid the foundation stone of a hall named after Ambedkar’s mother Rama Devi. Tanwar announced a grant of Rs 21 lakh for the Ambedkar Sabha.

FATEHABAD: Haryana Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh presided over a function organised at Tohana to mark the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar. 

Gurgaon, April 14
It’s now an open secret that the managements of many “public” schools across the state have been flouting the rules regarding the reservation of 25 per cent seats for meritorious students belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS).

Most “reputed” private schools have not sent a report on students admitted under the EWS category sought by the state Education Department under the Right To Education (RTE) Act within the stipulated time.

Yet, the state Police Department has joined hands with the managements of certain high-end private schools and is even facilitating them by providing expensive land and infrastructure to ensure quality education for children of police officials.

Under the arrangement, the state police authorities provide land and infrastructure while the course curriculum teaching faculty and required expertise is provided by the school managements.

The state police has already tied up with the DAV School management at Panipat and Shri Ram Foundation at Gurgaon. The state government has also pitched in with grants to the tune of Rs 5 crore for the purpose.

Announcing the launch of Shri Ram Police-Public School at a joint news conference here yesterday, Haryana DGP RS Dalal and Shri Ram School chairperson Manju Bharat Ram said an MoU had been signed between the state Police Department and Shri Ram Foundation in this regard.

Dalal said the school had been constructed on the campus of the Centre for Police Training and Research (CPT&R) at Bhondsi in the district. The DGP as well as the school chairperson, however, parried queries on the provision of concessional fees for the students of the EWS category at the police-public school.

On being asked whether the government-run schools were not good enough for the wards of police personnel, Dalal said they wanted to provide quality education to the children of policemen at schools located in their vicinity.

Gurgaon, April 14
The state unit of the BJP will hold rallies in all parliamentary constituencies of the state to mobilise the masses against the alleged land scams and other corrupt practices of the Congress regime in the state.

Disclosing this at a news conference here today, Haryana BJP president Krishan Pal Gurjar said the top party leaders, including BJP president Nitin Gadkari and other senior leaders like LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu, would address the rallies.

He said a committee had been formed to prepare a chargesheet mentioning the alleged irregularities committed by the state government.

“Our party workers will first take the chargesheet to the people of Haryana and then hand it over to the Governor,” he said, and added that BJP secretaries Bhupender Yadav and Capt Abhimanyu, state general secretary Vir Kumar Yadav, state BJP Legislative Party chief Anil Vij and media wing in charge Rajiv Jain were on the committee.

In response to a query, the state BJP chief said the party had decided to contest the elections of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon on party symbol. 

Karnal, April 14
Two more girls, Apoorva Kadiyan and Ria Tripathi of Tagore Bal Niketan Senior School, have been selected by the NASA to represent India at the 15-day “Summer session of the International Summer Space School Foundation”. They will participate in the summer school from July 24 to August 8.

The NASA invites students from all countries for a two-week astronaut’s camp every year and these two students will be the 27th and 28th students of the 14th batch to represent India.

As many as 40 students from 15 countries will participate in the summer programme and present a glimpse of their cultural heritage through dance or plays.

Thirteen batches of two school students each are being sent to the NASA for the summer camp since 1998. Indo-American astronaut Kalpana Chawla and alumnus of this school was one of them.

A function was held in the school yesterday in which Deputy Commissioner Neelam Pradeep felicitated the students and congratulated them for bringing laurels to the country.

Principal of the school Rajan Lamba claimed that students from his school only get a chance to go to NASA. The kids were selected strictly on the basis of merit after they submit a project, he added.

Chandigarh, April 14
The state government will import from Israel citrus fruits that are suitable for cultivation in the state. It will also try to boost the stagnant yield of mango in the state with the help of Israeli experts. These steps will be part of the proposed expansion of the Indo-Israeli cooperation in the agriculture sector.

This was stated by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda when he visited orchards of citrus fruits, mango and olive in Israel today. Israeli experts accompanied him.

Hooda visited a citrus orchard at Kibbutz Ramat in Isreal along with AuerbachYossef, a citrus expert, and was impressed by the high-yielding varieties. The orchard, owned by Kibbutz Ramat Hakovesh, in 100 hectares grows different varieties and is getting the highest yield of 120 MT/ha with an average yield of 80 MT/ha (in India it is 10-16 MT/ha) with an income of $ 40,000/Ha. Hooda was informed that the reason for the higher yield was good high-yielding varieties and management practices. Hooda asked Haryana’s Director-General of Horticulture Satyavir Singh, who is accompanying him, to import all such varieties that were suitable for the state.

After visiting a citrus pack house at Mohave Bnei Dror, Hooda asked Satyavir Singh to send a proposal to set up such a project in the statet. The capacity of the Israeli project is 100 MT per 8 hr/day which is exporting 2,50,000 MT of citrus fruits per year.

Accompanied by Cliff Lahav, a mango expert, Hooda visited a mango orchard, which had an average yield of about 30-35 MT/ha as compared to Haryana’s 8-12 MT/ha. Cliff Lahav, a visiting expert to Haryana under an Indo-Israel project, suggested to Hooda to promote mango and litchi cultivation in Yamunagar district.

Chandigarh, April 14
Sixty-six years after Captain Chatter Singh was awarded the Military Cross for “gallant action” displayed in an operation in Italy, Haryana has finally recognised his gallantry and released pension to his wife with effect from 2005.

Chatter Singh’s wife, Chirya, was initially granted pension from 2009, even though the Haryana Government framed a policy to honour brave soldiers in 2005.

The offer to release the pension from 2005 came during the hearing of her petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court after Justice Ranjit Singh held the state’s action of granting pension from July 2009 not justified.

The Military Cross is considered “third-level military decoration” and is awarded to officers of the British Armed Forces. Formerly, it was also awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. It is granted in recognition of “an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy”.

Taking up Chirya’s petition filed through counsel Chanderhas Yadav, Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “The wife of the recipient of the Military Cross for gallantry action shown in operation in Italy in 1944-45 has been made to approach the court for release of pension in terms of the policy formulated by the respondent - state.

“The petitioner is aggrieved against the action of the respondents in releasing the pension with effect from July 1, 2009, whereas she is entitled to the same with effect from December 16, 2005.”

Going into the background, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted that: “The petitioner’s husband was enrolled in the Jat Regiment…. The respondent-government has now framed a policy to honour the brave soldiers.

“Even the widows of such soldiers, who have taken part in operation or wars before Independence, have been allowed pension. The petitioner being widow has accordingly filed this claim, but was allowed pension with effect from July 1, 2009.

“Once the policy is framed, the pension would be payable from the date when the policy has become effective and accordingly action of the respondents in granting pension with effect from July 2009 was not justified. “The counsel on the basis of written instructions has submitted that pension has been released to the petitioner with effect from December 16, 2005. Thus, the claim made in the writ petition has been conceded. 

Fatehabad, April 14
Irked at the erratic supply of Bt cottonseed, farmers held a protest in front of the outlet of the Haryana Seed Development Corporation (HSDC) here today.

The farmers had heated exchange of words with the officials of the corporation and the Agriculture Department and raised slogans against the authorities.

Deputy Director, Agriculture, BS Dalal and his officers tried to persuade the agitated farmers, but to no avail. SDM Baljit Singh also reached there to intervene.

The authorities assured the angry farmers that every farmer would get two packs of Rashi 134 Bollguard 1 (BG1) seeds, which was being sold today.

“I have been visiting the outlet of the HSDC for the past 10 days, but have to return empty-handed every day,” alleged Rajender, a farmer from Bhirdana.

Trilok Singh, another farmer, alleged that he had been standing in the queue for the past four days and before his turn came, he was told that the stocks had exhausted.

“It is all due to the connivance of the agriculture authorities, as a 450 gm pack of seeds, which is priced at Rs 825, is being sold for Rs 1,700 to Rs 1,800 on the black market,” he alleged.

Satnam Singh, another farmer, alleged that the agriculture authorities wanted him to sow the seeds that cost him dearly last year, as the average yield of cotton fell drastically.

“Had the prices of raw cotton not improved, we would have suffered huge losses due to these varieties,” he added. BS Dalal, Deputy Director (Agriculture), however, denied the allegations.

“Farmers make allegations, but when we ask them to help us catch any such trader selling seeds on the black market, they back out,” he claimed.

Dalal said there was no real shortage of cottonseed in the market, but the problem had surfaced because all farmers wanted to sow some particular brands of Bt cotton.