Nilokheri (Karnal), May 16
With a view to achieving the goal of “Nirmal Rural Haryana” by the end of 2011-12, the government is embarking upon relaunching the total sanitation campaign (TSC) in mission mode, upscaling and sustainability of sanitation.

A conference of additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) of the state was organised at the Haryana Institute of Rural Development, Nilokheri, by Communication and Capacity Development Unit of the Development and Panchayats Department to achieve the targets.

Addressing the participants, P Raghavendra Rao, financial commissioner and principal secretary, informed that under the total sanitation campaign, the achievement of targets in respect of individual household latrines for BPL families had been 91 per cent while the achievement of school and anganwadi toilets was 91 and 89 per cent, respectively.

Raghavendra Rao lauded the efforts of the state in the implementation of the campaign and impressed upon the ADCs to focus on villages through interpersonal communication to access the masses to achieve the goal of “Nirmal Rural Haryana” by March 31, 2012.

Anand Mohan Sharan, director, panchayats, while, reviewing the performance of the campaign, exhorted the participants to achieve the remaining targets of the first phase by September 30.

Vijay Mittal, director, CRSP, Union Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, made a presentation on nirmal gram puruskar and sustainable sanitation.

The guidelines for Nirmal Gram Puraskar have been revised and now instead of providing latrine in all households, schools and anganwadis, the entire village has to be open defecation free.

Further, the gram panchayats should ban open defecation within their area and must pass a resolution providing for imposing suitable penalty on the offenders and a system for monitoring to prevent open defecation.

Gram panchayats, intermediate panchayats and district panchayats are eligible to apply for the puraskar if all households in the PRI area have access to and all members are using individual toilets or community complexes.

All government, private aided and unaided schools and anganwadis must have functional and clean toilets and urinals and all co-educational schools above primary level must have separate urinals and toilet blocks for boys and girls. In addition, the PRI must have a functional mechanism for household garbage disposal and functional drainage system for maintaining cleanliness in the inhabited areas.

Chief parliamentary secretary Dharambir Singh asked the ADCs to make all out efforts to achieve the status of open defecation free rural Haryana and management of solid and liquid waste in the villages.

Jhajjar, May 16
Children of labourers studying in brick-kiln schools in the state would now get mid-day meal on the pattern of children studying in government schools.

By providing mid-day meal in brick-kiln schools here, the decision was recently implemented from Jhajjar where the concept of brick-kiln school was first introduced in 2006 as a pilot project.

“Now in the first phase, as many as 88 brick-kiln schools will be covered under the mid-day meal scheme in the district, benefitting 1,800 children of workers studying in these schools,” said Jhajjar ADC Atul Kumar, adding that under the scheme, nutritious food was provided to children in the age group of six to 14 years studying in classes I to VIII.

The meals to be provided to the children studying in brick-kiln schools would be prepared in nearby government schools as per recipe. Some officials have also been deputed to ensure adequate supply of the meals in brick-kiln schools, he added.

“The officials concerned have also been directed to keep a record so as to sort out any problem in time if occurred during the process of provided mid-day meals. Besides, some senior officials, including district education officer (DEO), DEEO, DDEO and BEOs, have also been asked to keep surveillance over the functioning of the schools to execute the decision efficiently”.

The ADC maintained that surprise checks would also be carried out time to time to make sure the arrangements.

Jind, May 16
The cold-blooded murder of three women, including two minor girls, at Khokri village in the district on May 10 last year, has perhaps been one of the few cases that continue to mock at the investigation skills of the state police and other authorities.

It is also a cause of agony and resentment for the kin of the victim. The government has perhaps no answer if the case would ever be solved as its request to the CBI to takeover the matter has failed. The investigation has been left in the lurch as one year has passed after the incident that left residents of the village shocked.

After the district police and the crime branch of the state police failed to make any breakthrough, it was decided to hand over the case to the CBI. Three female members of a family, identified as Mukesh Kumari (29) and her nieces Seema (16) and Tannu (10), were lynched to death while they were sleeping on the terrace of their house on the intervening night of May 9 and May 10 last year.

The failure of the police to crack the case has not only left the kin upset but also left a sense of insecurity among residents of the village, claimed a member of the Brahmin Samaj, which had staged a demonstration at the district headquarters here and submitted a memorandum to the authorities.

The Kandela Khap Panchayat had also taken up the issue with the local administration and had blocked the road here, besides staging a sit-in to seek the arrest of the accused. Though the police kept its investigation on for about two months, the matter was later handed over to the Crime Branch Wing of the state police. But the Special Investigation Team of the Crime Cell also failed to make a breakthrough and ultimately, the case was submitted to the state government to hand it over to the CBI, said sources.

Though some persons were detained on the basis of suspicion and polygraphic test were conducted on them, officials could not get any clue about the culprits involved in this ghastly murder, said the police sources.

Ambala, May 16
Manav Rachna International University (MRIU), Faridabad, recently organised a career guidance seminar at Panchayat Bhawan, Ambala City, to provide information about career options available to youth through special counselling sessions by experts from the field of the educational industry.

As many as 450 students, including their parents, attended the seminar, which aimed at solving their career-related queries. Exclusive talk shows and rapid Q and A sessions were organised for students with a focus on career-development options and opportunities.

During the seminar, the experts explained that parents should not be complacent about admitting their children in college and should monitor their performance closely. They also highlighted the need for industry-ready courses and guided students about the growing importance of enhancing their skill sets.

The experts provided insights into the admission processes, courses and career opportunities with the leading institutions and industries in the field of training, management, aviation, medical, paramedical, IT, animation, hotel and hospitality, education and in other skills.

While thanking the MRIU for organising the seminar, Aditya Vaid, a final-year student of BCA from Ambala, said it really helped me to develop my career plan by opening great opportunities and providing useful information on higher education in the country and abroad.

Around 450 aspiring undergraduates, who were looking for career-related information in their respective fields of interest, took the great advantage, said Dr Anil Sareen, Dean, Faculty of Management Studies, MRIU.

Students asked various questions related to future prospects of the courses at MRIU, academic skills required before entering the programme, academic assistance programmes available, etc. Dr Anil said: “Our motto behind organising the seminar was to provide the best information and career guidance to the students and provide an overview of the education and job sector to the parents as well,” he further added.

Kurukshetra May 16
Students of B Tech (printing, graphics and packaging) of the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Technology (IMCMT) of Kurukshetra University have performed well during the campus placement. There has been almost 100 per cent placement of the students this year even before the completion of their final degree course.

According to Lt Gen (Retd) Dr DDS Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, 18 students out of the total 26 have already received appointment letters from different reputed industrial houses while the remaining eight have also been shortlisted by various printing and packaging companies for employment. However, some of them are thinking to pursue higher studies in this field.

Dr Sandhu congratulated IMCMT Director Prof Rajbir Singh, faculty members and the students for the achievement. He said the placement had been possible because of the quality education and training given to the students. It is for the first time that nearly 100 per cent placement has been achieved by any institute. Last year also, 60 per cent students of this course got placement in various reputed companies, he added.

The VC said, “It is a quantum jump from the last year.” He added that the efforts and planning of the institute was to provide excellent training with the requirements of the industry in the market to the students. Dr Sandhu disclosed that both infrastructure and training programmes of different courses of the Institute were being further strengthened and modernised so as to enable them to compete in the international market arena.

Dr Sandhu, further disclosed that the university was also planning to establish a radio station of its own in the institute to provide practical training to the students and to enlighten the society with the latest educational techniques and teaching available in the institute as well as the university. He also announced that two new courses namely, M Sc in Grahics & Animation and M Sc in Multimedia, were being started by the institute from the ensuing academic year. The institute is already running B Sc in Graphics, Animation & Gaming and B Sc in Multimedia from the last three years. The start of these new courses will add to the employment avenues available to the students and enable them to compete in the international job market, he said.

Yamunanagar, May 16
Students of the Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management and Technology, Jagadhri, have brought laurels to the institute in MBA second semester (May-2010) examinations in Kurukshetra University.

Manisha Goel stood first in the university securing 83.7 per cent marks, Shampy Kamboj stood third securing 82.6 per cent marks, Dolly Sethi stood fifth securing 81.6 per cent marks and Sarabhjot Kaur stood ninth securing 81 per cent marks in their MBA second semester examinations.

Dr Raj Kumar, director of Maharaja Agrasen Institute, congratulated the students, their parents and faculty members for the outstanding performance. He said: “Because of the hard work of the students and proper guidance and tips given by the faculty members, our students have achieved this tremendous success”.

Dr Raj Kumar said the institute was consistently showing good performance in academics as well as in placements and had been ranked 20th by the Business World-2010.

Adarsh Aggarwal, Head, MBA Department, also congratulated the students and said this was a matter of pride not only for the students, parents and the institute, but also for the entire district.Des Raj Goel, chairman of the institute, and Shushil Gupta, general secretary, also congratulated the students for this achievement.

Kalka, May 16
Resentment prevails among residents of the Shiwalik area towards the state government for its apathetic attitude towards the Shiwalik Vikas Board, which was formulated 16 years back by the then Congress government to provide funds for irrigation, drinking water, tubewells and for the construction of link roads to intensify the development in three districts of Ambala, Panchkula and Yamunanagar of the Shiwalik area.

The residents alleged that due to negligent attitude of the state government, the Shiwalik Vikas Board has almost lost its existence. They alleged that the state government, since 2001 has not nominated the non-government members of the board. They also resented that on August 19, 2008, in the meeting of the board, the state government had banned issuing of budget of the board for the above said development projects.

Subsequently, work on the various projects could not be commenced till date for which the board had already sanctioned an amount. For example, the board had sanctioned Rs 45 lakh in 2007-08 for the construction of buildings of five sub-health centres in Bhorian village, Chikken, Nandpur and Kedarpur of the Raitan area of the Pinjore Block, but the construction work could not be started till date.

Advocate Vijay Bansal, president Shiwalik Vikas Manch, and the INLD leader have severely condemned the state government and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh for their negligent attitude towards the board, as the area have been deprived of various development projects. He said, “Several villages of Pinjore and the Morni area are even without link roads facilities today.” He further alleged that some of the higher government officials were misusing the funds of the board on their personal projects.

Sirsa, May 16
The recent hike in the prices of petrol has fuelled anger and protests among people across the state. While activists of the political parties have expressed their anger through demonstrations and burning of effigies of the UPA government, common people are incensed at the manner in which the government hiked the prices of petrol immediately after the Assembly poll in five states.

The state secretariat of CPI (M) has made a sharp criticism of the steep hike in the prices of petrol. Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPI (M), has described the step as a worst kind of deceit meted out to the people just after the result of Assembly poll.

He said an increase of Rs 5 per litre in a single stroke was the ever-highest hike. Such backbreaking step was bound to have more compounding impact on the already high inflationary situation of essential commodities.

The party has expressed apprehension that the deregulation of diesel and LPG prices too was on the UPA government’s agenda, which would prove more detrimental for the people.

The party has urged upon mass organisations and all sections of the people to raise their strong voice of protest demanding rollback of enhanced petrol prices.

The INLD and the BJP have also criticised the hike and have demanded a rollback. Ashok Arora, state president of the INLD, alleged that the petrol prices had been raised for the eighth time in the past nine months and maintained that 60 per cent hike in the prices had been witnessed in the past one year.

“When the price of crude oil was $145 per barrel in the international market, the price of petrol in India was Rs 40 per litre, but now when the price of crude oil is $90 per barrel, the government has hiked petrol prices to Rs 65 per litre,” he alleged.

The hike in petrol has hit common people very badly. Dr Devender Kaushik, principal of Manohar Memorial Postgraduate College, Fatehabad, said the hike would hit the common people hard.

“The prices have been raised several times in the past one year putting a heavy burden of our pockets,” he said.

Dinesh Mehta, a trader from Sirsa said the present hike of Rs 5 per litre was perhaps the highest in the recent times.

He said the hike would put heavy burden on the family budget of middle-class families.

Nimish, a student, said the price hike would hit students like him very hard as they would have to cut their other expenses to cope with the hike.

Jind, May 16
The arrival and procurement of the main Rabi crop of wheat in the district has perhaps been going as per the expectation of the Agriculture Department, which had predicted a bumper crop and an increase of about 20 per cent in the total arrival this time in comparison to the last season.

According to officials concerned, the total arrival has been recorded at 6,23,423 metric tonnes till Wednesday evening against the figure of 6,17,108 metric tonnes last year on the same date. This was expected to increase further in the coming days as the work of arrival and procurement had been going on and was likely to go up to for a week or so, claimed Anita Kharab, the District Food and Supply Controller (DFSC).

She said Jind grain market had been leading in the matter of overall arrival as it had recorded a figure of 77,684 metric tonnes so far. The grain markets of Safidon and Narwana towns had been maintaining second and third spot, respectively, with an arrival 68,034 and 64,983 metric tonnes till Wedenesday.

Of the total procurement done HAFED has purchased about 1,97,911 metric tonnes, while the Food and Supply Department has procured about 1,58,488 metric tonnes till Wednesday. The Haryana Warehousing Corporation had purchased 1,13,510 metric tonnes and the Haryana Agro has procured about 69,491 metric tonnes. While the state government owned Confed has bought about 52,009 metric tonnes, FCI, the leading agency of the Union Government has procured just 30,777 metric tonnes. While it is reported that the process of lifting and transporting has already been in process, the various agencies had been faced with shortage of covered storage space for keeping the procured food grain and have resorted to store the wheat bags in open.

Chandigarh, May 16
More often than not at the receiving end, the advocates have been patted on their back by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.Justice Ranjit Singh has asserted: “The advocates are meant to assist the courts and, thus, are trained and known to be fair in dealing with the proceedings in courts. Advocates are expected to maintain ethics, which majority of them do maintain”.

The appreciation came on a petition filed by Pawan Kumar against the Haryana State Legal Services Authority and other respondents.

Working as a clerk in the office of district attorney-cum-member secretary, district level legal service and advice committee at Fatehabad, he was accused of demanding Rs 200 while issuing a cheque of Rs 1,000 to an advocate.

Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “On a complaint made by advocate Inder Singh Sihag, the petitioner was proceeded against for this misconduct and dismissed from service. The petitioner has challenged his dismissal after having remained unsuccessful before the appellate authority.

Justice Ranjit Singh added: “In the reply, it is stated that the petitioner has no cause to invoke the writ jurisdiction of this court. A proper enquiry was conducted as per the rules applicable under the Haryana Civil Service and Punishment Appeal Rules, 1987.

“A judicial officer has conducted an enquiry giving him fair opportunity to defend. Even before passing the dismissal order, the petitioner was afforded personal hearing. His appeal was heard by the Administrative Judge and dismissed by passing a speaking order. “It is highlighted that the charge against the petitioner is for demanding illegal gratification from a practicing advocate for passing his professional fee bill. It is stated that this misconduct would fall in the category of gravest act of misconduct and so appropriate deserving punishment has been rightly imposed on the petitioner”.

Justice Ranjit Singh added: The petitioner was working in the Haryana State Legal Service Authority, which is meant for the need of needy and to help the poor people. Any violations in such institutions have to be viewed with concern. The person with impeccable character would be needed in such like institutions.

“The petitioner has not alleged any motive on part of the advocate to make any false complaint against him. What interest an advocate would have to make such allegations against the petitioner, can really not be appreciated…. There is no valid ground to interfere in the impugned order, which is just, fair and proper. The writ petition is, therefore, dismissed”.

Sonepat, May 16
Cash prizes to the tune of Rs 35.69 lakh were distributed among as many as 139 sportspersons of the district for their outstanding performance in the National Games by deputy commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal at a prize-distribution function organised by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department here recently.

Addressing the sportspersons, the deputy commissioner said as a result of the new sports policy of the state government, sportspersons from the state created a record of wins in the recently held Commonwealth Games. The promotion of sports in the rural areas was one of the priorities of the Sports Department and it was being executed by the construction of new stadiums in villages and the appointment of trainers, he added.

“Even a delegation of the Commonwealth Games Federation, which visited MNSS, Rai, during the trials under the Sports Physical Aptitude Test (SPAT) Scheme of the government, praised the sports policy of the government,” he said and added that as many as 554 young sportspersons from the district qualified to avail the benefits of the SPAT, popularly known as “talent hunt” in sports circles.