Chandigarh, April 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that a government employee cannot be deprived of maternity benefits for the birth of a third child.

The significant judgment came on a petition filed by Ruksana, a multipurpose health worker in the state of Haryana. She had questioned the validity of the Punjab Civil Services Rules as these restricted the “grant of benefit of maternity leave to the birth of two living children”.

She was expecting from her second marriage in March 2011. However, her application for the grant of maternity leave was denied on the grounds that she was already having two children.

The Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia asserted: “The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, nowhere restricts the benefit of payment of maternity benefits to the birth of two children.

“In other words, the provisions of the Act entitle the woman employee to maternity benefits for the birth of a third child too.

“We are conscious that by Note 4 to Rule 8.127 of the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume I, Part I, the state government intended to achieve a laudable object, but such an object cannot be given effect to till the establishments of the government are amenable to the Act.

“Unless an amendment is carried out to the Act, the government cannot restrict beneficial provisions of the Act to a woman employee for the birth of a third child. Such a restriction imposed under the rules is contrary to Section 27 of the Act and cannot sustain in the eyes of law”.

The Bench added: “We are of the opinion that Note 4 to Rule 8.127 of the Punjab Civil Services Rules, Volume I, Part I, is not in consonance with the provisions of the Act and this cannot be given effect to and the petitioner cannot be deprived of the maternity benefit for the birth of a third child.

The Bench, at the same time, upheld the distinction made by the government between women with two children and the ones with more than two.

“Such a classification, being reasonable, is having intelligible differentia to achieve the object of family planning…. Family planning is part of the National Public Policy and the state, in order to achieve this object, can grant incentives and also put restrictions upon the benefits which have to flow to the employees”.

The Bench concluded: “We allow the present writ petition and hold that she is entitled to the payment of salary as maternity leave benefit…”

Jhajjar, April 23
Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal has said efforts are being made to set up a national-level “instructor training institute” in the state. Also, all ITIs in the state will be modernised to keep pace with the new advancements and an exercise is under way to restructure the ITI courses.

She was interacting with mediapersons here today. She also inspected a training project on terracotta art being run by Chanderkala, a state awardee. She said a state-level exhibition of products produced by ITI students would be organised at Ambala on May 25.

Speaking at a prize distribution function of Navodaya Vidyalaya at Kiloi village here, Bhukkal said Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas had contributed significantly to education by tapping rural potential. She said the Right to Education (RTE) Act was being effectively implemented in the state so that no child remained deprived of education.

Chandigarh, April 23
Unless the ban on a highly potent pesticide, diclofenac, is implemented in letter and spirit, the population of vultures, nature’s scavengers, will continue to decline. The pesticide enters the body of animals and it remains in their carcass. These poisonous carcasses are one of the main reasons behind the fast depletion of vultures.

This was one of the recommendations of a three-day workshop on “Conservation breeding programme for vultures”, that concluded at Pinjore, near here, yesterday.

The workshop was attended by researchers and biologists, who were also provided practical training in handling, feeding and veterinary care of vultures in captivity. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Wardens of many states also attended the workshop.

The workshop felt that at present the vulture conservation studies were restricted to only three vulture species - white backed, slender billed and long billed. However, other species of vultures like red headed and cinereous vultures (monk vulture) were also showing a decline in their population. Therefore, these vulture species should also be covered under the conservation breeding programme.

It also recommended that apart from conservation of vultures in captivity, steps should be taken for the conservation of vultures in forests also. Trees like barr and peepal, which are used by the vultures for nesting and resting, should be conserved and planted wherever possible.

According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Haryana, Parvez Ahmed, the Pinjore Vulture Centre, the lead centre of its kind, would prepare a manual for handling and care of the vultures in captivity.

The manual would be uniformly followed by all states, which would also prepare and implement action plans for the recovery of vultures in their respective areas.

The workshop also recommended that the states should earmark sufficient funds for taking up vulture conservation activities.

The experts also felt that the experience of an international organisation like the Condor Foundation of America should be used for further successful conservation breeding of vultures in the country.

Fatehabad, April 23
Justice Pritam Pal (retd), the Haryana Lokayukta, today urged people to constitute groups of NGOs, zila parishad members and mediapersons to fight corruption in government offices.

The Lokayukta, who was here to create awareness about the institution and to educate them on how to forward their complaints to him, said the constitution of vigilance committees in every town and city could go a long way in eliminating corruption in offices.

The groups of people or the vigilance committees could also help poor and illiterate bring their complaints to the Lokayukta, he said.

He said ever since he has assumed office in January this year, 96 complaints had come to him, out of which he had already disposed of 94 and sent his recommendations to the government.

“Acting upon those recommendations, the state government has suspended or chargesheeted some officers, ordered inquiries against others and initiated criminal proceedings against some others,” the Lokayukta said.

Karnal, April 23
The first intermediate reference laboratory for multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis patients was inaugurated today by the Director-General, Heath Services, Narveer Singh at the Civil Hospital here.

A First The laboratory, the first accredited one in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal, has come as a blessing for MDR tuberculosis patients on whom the first line of treatment does not work

Though the laboratory was opened in 2006, it was not functional as the accreditation was received only on April 1 this year. The laboratory, the first accredited one in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal, was formally inaugurated today.

Narveer Singh said a lot of cases had come to light in which the patients did not respond to the medicines. The samples of these patients were sent to Delhi and in many cases, it took six months for the reports to come.

The laboratory has come as a blessing for 110 MDR tuberculosis patients on whom the first line of treatment did not work. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Vandana Bhatia said, “Some patients who discontinue medicines in between treatment become drug resistant and moreover the ones who are infected from tuberculosis drug-resistant patients do not respond to the first line of treatment.”

“In such cases the growth of the bacteria is observed by culturing the sputum, which takes two months, and if the patient is found drug resistant, the second line of treatment is started,” she added.

With the inauguration of this laboratory, reports would be available in two months’ time, the CMO said, adding that after the success of this laboratory, liquid culture would also be started soon which would further reduce the time gap in getting reports by one month. A workshop on tuberculosis for all district and state TB officers was also organised.

Karnal, April 23
Taking immediate cognisance of reports of colossal damage caused to the standing wheat crop by hailstorm in Assandh area of the district, Karnal Deputy Commissioner Neelam Pradeep Kasani today ordered a special girdawari to assess the loss.

The Deputy Commissioner visited the affected areas and talked to farmers in Assandh, which was worst hit by the recent hailstorm.

Assandh SDM RK Singh said crops on 3,336 acres in 13 villages were affected. The loss due to damage was 1 to 25 per cent in 200 acres, 26 to 50 per cent in 1,346 acres, 51 to 75 per cent in 1,213 acres and 75 to 100 per cent in 277 acres. At some places, the crop was still standing, waiting to be harvested.

The DC said the farmers would be given compensation on the basis of loss in percentage as announced by the government. She said Pakka Khera, Shekhpura, Manchuri, Ghimri Khera, Kol Khera, Ganga Tehri Popra, Ardana, Bal Rangdan, Joli Khera, Pabana, Hasanpur, Para and Kurlan villages were affected the most.

The DC also visited Katalheri, Aungad and Pyot villages and the adjoining areas, where the damage ranged between 26 and 75 per cent. She also made surprise checks on buses and other vehicles and warned the drivers and conductors to immediately remove the deficiencies and adhere to the rules and traffic norms.

Karnal, April 23
Joint Secretary of the Agriculture Department RK Tewari started the trial run of computerised weigh and touch screen in the new grain market here today.

He said the computerised weighing bridge would enable the farmers to know the actual weight of their goods at the gate of the mandis and stated that the move would bring transparency in the system of marketing, Moreover, the computerised touch screen would help the farmers in knowing the information regarding rates, training, programmes and other related issues.

Tiwari distributed cheques to farmers, who suffered losses, and distributed moong and dhencha (green manure) amongst farmers. — TNS