Kaithal, June 26
As much as 61 mm of continuous rainfall for four hours in Kaithal and other parts of the district disrupted normal life this morning. The power supply in major parts of the town remained disrupted for 10 hours as rainwater entered the UHBVN Pehowa Chowk powerhouse.

Due to power supply disruption, the water supply was also affected. The rainwater entered the basement of a newly constructed Rajeev Gandhi Shakti Bhawan adjoining the powerhouse. It also entered the DC’s house and camp office on Karnal road, PWD Colony, including a resthouse, and other areas in the town on Ambala road.

The administration swung into action and dewatering operations began soon thereafter. Amneet P Kumar, DC, accompanied by KK Verma, XEN, public health; RK Latka, XEN, irrigation; RS More, XEN, UHBVN; Jai Bhagwan Sharma, Naib Tehsildar; and other officials went around the town and directed officials to install pumps, wherever necessary.

Meanwhile, residents claimed that only 15 to 20 per cent of the town’s drains had been desilted by the Municipal Council. The choking of sewer lines led to accumulation of water whenever it rained, they complained. 

Sonepat, June 26
A case of cheating on the promise of arranging jobs in the Railways has been registered against five persons of Delhi and Ghaziabad here.

Ram Diya of Sant Garib Dass Nagar here has lodged a complaint with the police that his daughter was married in Bankner village of Delhi.

He came in contact with Raj Pal residing in the neighbourhood of his daughter’s in-laws. Raj Pal assured him that he could arrange jobs in the Railways with the help of Kalu Ram of his village, and Devender Tomar, Inder and Ishwar of Ghaziabad.

Ram Diya claimed that he paid about Rs 10 lakh to Raj Pal for arranging jobs in the Railways for his sons in 2009. One day, he was shown on computer the names of his sons in a selection list and assured that the selection letters would reach soon.

Later, he paid Rs 20 lakh more to Raj Pal for the selection of four other youths.

However, no selection letter was received even after several months.

On inquiry, it was found that he had been cheated. When Ram Diya demanded his money back from Raj Pal, the latter refused and threatened him with dire consequences. 

Ambala, June 26
The land acquisition policy of the Hooda Government has been assailed by leaders of different political parties, including those of the Congress .

Several senior Congress leaders have averred that the state’s land acquisition policy was weakening the party in Haryana. All opposition parties, including the BJP, INLD, Haryana Janhit Congress, BSP, SAD and the Youth Congress have condemned the acquisition of agriculture land in the state

Kumari Selja, Union Minister and local MP, yesterday met 400 farmers sitting in dharna outside the SDM office for the past 35 days in protest against the acquisition of their land for developing an IMT at Ambala.

Expressing resentment over the acquisition of farmers’ land, Selja promised them to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha during the coming monsoon session and request UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, to review the matter sympathetically and withdraw notices served on farmers under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act.

Selja said she was not against developing the IMT at Ambala, but was not in favour of acquisition of agriculture land when the country is already facing scarcity of foodgrains due to the fast-depleting crop area in the country. A delegation of farmers belonging to Kaula village and Jandli, whose 375 acres of agriculture land had been forcibly acquired to develop a residential sector, also met her last evening.

Among others present were Bhupinder Beniwal, state general secretary, Youth Congress; Himmat Singh, Narender Pal Shera, district Congress president; and Manish Rana. 

Gurgaon, June 26
TK Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, Gurgaon, has directed the radiologists to take consent of the patient in the language he or she understands before performing ultrasound examination on him or her and a copy of the consent letter should also be given to the patient. This is mandatory as per the law.

Addressing a seminar on pre-natal diagnostics techniques (PNDT) Act organised by the Health Department here, Sharma told them to maintain records of the patients on whom they conduct ultrasound examination as per law. He equated female foeticide to “supari” killing, asserting that the doctor engaged for aborting the female foetus was no less than a contract killer.

The Divisional Commissioner exhorted the radiologists not to indulge in silent killing of the girlchild. He maintained that the Health Department would organise more such seminars to generate awareness on the sensitive issue.

RS Virk, District and Sessions Judge, who was a guest of honour at the seminar, reminded the doctors of the Hippocratic Oath they take at the beginning of their medical practice. He maintained that the doctors found indulging in female foeticide should also be shunted out by the medical fraternity.

He warned the radiologists and medical practitioners against committing the heinous sin and crime like female foeticide for the lure of money as those doing so would have to face grave repercussions not only under the country’s law, but also by way of divine justice. He maintained that everybody knew the law regarding female foeticide and hoped that with the participation of the radiologists, the implementation of the law would improve.

Earlier, Dr Praveen Garg, civil surgeon, Gurgaon, welcomed the participants. Dr VK Singhal, deputy civil surgeon, gave a presentation on the sex ratio scene. Dr BK Rajoura, principal medical officer, radiologists and owners of hospitals having ultrasound centres in Gurgaon district also attended the seminar.

Panipat, June 26
Even as local industrialists have finally started shifting their dyeing units to part II of Sector 29 after a "prolonged disagreement" with the authorities, getting the city rid of all pollution-causing dyeing units still seems to be a distant dream.

The new sector, which was specially craved out to shift the dyeing units to save the city from pollution, can accommodate only 509 units while there are more than 1,000 units in the city.

The failure to shift the units to the new industrial sector has been creating many troubles for the city, which is already facing an acute problem of pollution.

Industrialists rue that the new sector lacks basic infrastructure, while the authorities claim that the sector is fully equipped with power, sewer lines, water, roads and a treatment plant to support manufacturing operations.

After the authorities finally managed to convince some industrialists that the required amenities had been made available in Sector 29, around 250 dyeing units shifted to the new sector during the past couple of months.

Yashpal Malik, president of the dyers association, said there were over 1,000 dyeing units in the city and it would not be possible to shift all units to the new sector. He said the government might have to come up with more sectors so that all units could be shifted out of the city limits.

Deputy Commissioner JS Ahlawat said the administration was aware of the issue and efforts were on to find a solution. Shifting of 509 dyeing units outside the city limits would definitely bring some respite from the ever-increasing pollution, he said.

Meanwhile, the power utility has stated that a total of 680 connections have been released to industrialists in the new sector. The collective water treatment plant that had been brought up with an investment of over Rs 16 crore has also become operational. Besides, 16 cusecs of canal water has also been made available in the new sector.

Yashpal Malik said more units were keen on shifting their base to the new sector provided the authorities waived the interest on the payment of instalments of plots.

Karnal, June 26
Giving a miss to the felicitation function organised by Ranbir Bhumbak of the Valimiki community at Hansi Road cost dearly to speaker Kuldeep Sharma as he had to face wrath of the community members who not only burnt his posters and hoardings but also announced their decision to join the INLD.

Bhumbak said he had sent an invitation to Kuldeep Sharma two weeks ago and made all the arrangements in spite of heavy rain but he did not turn up. “As there was no communication from him about his programme, we went to his residence but security personnel did not allow us to enter,” he alleged.

Ranbir Bhumbak, a former district president of HJC SC cell, had joined the Congress along with his wife, Geeta Bhumbak, last month. Finding it insulting, members of the Valmiki community joined the INLD in the presence of former MLA Rakesh Kamboj.

Kuldeep Sharma said there was a communication gap as he was informed that the programme had been cancelled due to heavy rain. However, he accused Bhumbak of playing gimmicks, saying that the entire show appeared to be pre-planned otherwise how could INLD leaders reach there in time.

Hisar, June 26
On persistent demands of farmers, the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to release a record 21,000 tubewell connections by January next year.

Mohammed Shayin, Managing Director, DHBVN, said the nigam had decided to give three options for seeking tubewell connections. The three options included the old system of four or more connections per transformer where the consumers paid Rs 20,000 and Rs 7,000 per span; choice of three connections per transformer where the consumer paid Rs 30,000 and Rs 7,000 per span and the system of single connection per transformer where consumers met the full cost of the transformer in addition to the cost of spans.

Shayin said with the introduction of the new policy, the applicant would have to give his option under the three-tier approach at the time of submission of the application and agreement form. All those who had already applied, irrespective of the fact whether the demand notice had been issued or not, were required to give fresh options within 15 days. The applicants would be given time-bound notices, seeking fresh options.

The MD said the dedicated transformer as in full HVDS would be permitted under self-execution track where the consumer paid the full cost of distribution transformer as well as the spans. The length of low-tension line required for the release of the connection should not be more than 1,200 ft for options A and B and each span of high-tension or low-tension lines should not be of more than 70 metres. The length of the service connection cable should not be more than 20 metres.

He said the maximum load on a transformer would not be permitted beyond 80 per cent of its capacity and the capacity of any transformer would not be more than 100 kVA. All connections would be released on metered supply.

He said a voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) had already been launched to declare unauthorised extension of load without paying any penalty.

The farmers could declare the extended load of motors of their tubewell connections by submitting an "Application and Agreement" (A&A) form along with an advance consumption deposit (VDS). They need not submit any terms and conditions forms or affidavits. The consumers are not required to submit any fresh test reports also. They may submit a self-declaration form. Their load shall be regularised without any penalty .

Shayin said in case the owner of a tubewell was not alive, the user of the connection could extend the load after furnishing an affidavit that the A&A form had been submitted only for the extension of load and no claim whatsoever in any manner shall be lodged by the user regarding the change of name of the connection.

The consumers who have extended existing electricity supply to new bores in case of bore failure should also intimate the offices of the AGM/Operation concerned voluntarily. In such cases no case of unauthorised use of electricity or theft of electricity shall be framed against them and the supply to the new bore shall be regularised.

However, the benefit of the scheme shall be permitted only to the consumers who were not defaulters or who had made the entire payment of their all outstanding dues. 

Naraingarh, June 26
A scam has been detected in the office of the Sub Registrar, Cooperative Society, Naraingarh, where urea and DAP fertiliser bags have gone missing from a godown.

Investigations ordered by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Haryana, have detected embezzlement of stocks valued at over Rs 52 lakh in the office of the Sub Registrar, Naraingarh.

As many as 13 persons, including the then Sub Registrar, Shamsher Singh, and another employee, Naib Singh, were alleged involved in embezzlement since 1994.

According to information, when the audit department detected embezzlement in the stock, the alleged accused deposited about Rs 14.27 lakh in the society’s bank account in March this year with a view to covering up their role in the scam.

MR Nehra, Sub Registrar, Cooperative Society, Naraingarh, has sent a complaint to the Registrar, Panchkula against 13 persons, recommending strict action against them.

Samalkha (Panipat), June 26
A feud over a trivial issue led to the killing of two brothers by two notorious criminals at Didwari village in this district here today.

Ashok (24) and his elder brother, Narinder (33), were returning home from their fields when they spotted Sharan Singh and Jai Singh drinking in the open. As the two brothers objected to their drinking in the open, it led to a confrontation.

Soon the confrontation took an ugly turn as Sharan Singh and Jai Singh pulled out revolvers and opened fireat the two brothers. Three bullets each hit Ashok and Narinder, killing them.

Soon after the incident, villagers rushed the two brothers were rushed to the local hospital where they were declared brought dead. The bodies were shifted to the mortuary of the civil hospital for a postmortem examination.

While Narinder, a farmer, was married, Ashok, a teacher at the ITI, had recently been engaged.

Sham Lal Sharma, DSP, Samalkha, said it appeared that the bullets were fired from close range. After committing the crime, Sharan Singh and Jai Singh fled from the spot, leaving their motorcycle which was confiscated by the police.

He said the two went to the village bus stand and hijacked an auto-rickshaw. The auto-rickshaw was later recovered from Mathlauda village, the DSP said. He said the police had registered a case against the two accused. 

Fatehabad, June 26
The police has arrested a woman’s father, two brothers and a cousin after they beat up the woman, her husband and mother-in-law because they were against her inter-caste marriage.

The accused, Shiv Kumar, his sons, Saurabh and Monu, and his nephew, Dinesh, were booked under Sections 323 and 506 of the IPC and they were produced in a local court, which released them on bail.

The woman, Gayatri Devi, had married Raj Kumar, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh, in February, 2009. The couple shifted to Kanpur after their marriage out of fear of retribution by Gayatri’s family, but returned to Fatehabad 10 days back in the hope that her family members might have reconciled to their marriage after their baby’s birth.

However, Shiv Kumar, Saurabh, Monu and Dinesh attacked them with sticks and sharp-edged weapons on Friday night. The police, who initially took action under Sections 107 and 151 of the CPrC, registered an FIR under Sections 323 and 506 of the IPC, after the couple appeared before Vivek Sharma, SP, and gave a written complaint against the city police station.

The couple apprehends threat to their lives and has sought protection from the police. 

Sirsa, June 26
The police raided a house in the auto market area here last night and arrested two cricket bookies, when they were involved in betting on the T-20 cricket match being played between England and Sri Lanka in Bristol.

The police has identified the alleged bookies as Anil Kumar, a resident of Shiv Chowk and Vinesh Kumar, a resident of Rania Road.

The police has seized seven mobile phones, a television set, a laptop, cash and the accounts of bets booked from their “clients” during the course of the match. Both accused were produced in a local court, which released them on bail.