Fatehabad, August 20
With the authorities initiating the process for determining the compensation payable to the farmers for the acquisition of their land for the proposed Gorakhpur Atomic Power Project, farmers opposed to the nuclear plant have renewed their efforts.

A meeting of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti constituted for opposing the plant was held today in Gorakhpur village, where farmers from the neighbouring villages also participated.

Hans Raj Siwach, president of the samiti, said that farmers’ representatives from 10 villages had resolved to oppose the proposed project in today’s meeting.

Ram Swaroop Bishnoi, president, and Mohinder Singh Godara, general secretary, of the Federation of Kisan Unions also addressed the meeting.

Godara said the farmers opposed to the plant had decided to take up a door-to-door campaign to desist farmers from parting with their land for the plant.

Godara alleged that the nuclear plants were fraught with perils for human health and it was most unfortunate that the state government had decided to go ahead with the project despite the nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan).

Meanwhile, the SDM, Baljit Singh, has submitted his report on the collector rates of the Gorakhpur land to the Deputy Commissioner, Vijay Singh Dahiya.

The SDM had earlier visited the village for determining the collector rates of the various categories of land notified for acquisition for the project.

Confirming this, the SDM said that he could not share his report with the media due to official secrecy.

A committee headed by the Commissioner, Hisar Division, will give its report on the compensation payable to the farmers based on the reports given by the local authorities. 

Sirsa, August 20
Irked at the erratic supply of power, villagers from Dhudianwali, Matuwala and Sadewala locked the 33-KV powerhouse at Keharwala village today and sat on a dharna.

The angry villagers had threatened to uproot the inauguration stone of the 132-KV powerhouse at Dhudianwali, in case they failed to get assurance of round-the- clock supply by 7 am today.

The Power Minister, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, had inaugurated the 132-KV powerhouse at Dhudianwali on August 14.

However, the villagers relented after the intervention of the SDM, Roshan Lal, and INLD MLA from Rania Krishan Kamboj and gave the authorities time till Tuesday to improve the power situation.

The farmers lifted their day-long dharna at 6pm.

“While starting the 132-KV powerhouse in our village, the DHBVN authorities had assured us that our villages will start getting uninterrupted power supply. However, the conditions have turned from bad to worse and now, we have been facing scheduled and unscheduled cuts for several hours in a day,” alleged Ramesh Bhambu, a farmer from Dhudianwali.

The agitating farmers alleged that earlier, they had been receiving much better power supply from Keharwala, but now the things have deteriorated.

Farmers alleged that the authorities had gone ahead with the inauguration of the 132-KV power plant from the minister, though it was not yet functional.

They warned that they would uproot the inauguration stone if they failed to get a satisfactory answer from the authorities by Tuesday.

Refuting claims of the farmers, the Executive Engineer of the DHBVN, Om Parkash Saharan, said that there was no provision of 24-hour supply of domestic power to villages. He said the DHBVN authorities had been supplying power for 13 hours a day to the villagers.

The SDM, Roshan Lal, said after the lifting of the dharna that the authorities would look into the complaints of scheduled and unscheduled cuts of the agitating farmers and ensure better power supply to them. He said the demand of electricity for the agriculture sector had decreased considerably now and hence the DHBVN authorities would be able to provide better power in future.

The SDM hoped that the 33-KV power sub- station at Dhuduanwali would become functional by the next summer, thereby improving the situation further.

Panipat, August 20
After a number of social organisations coming out in support for Anna Hazare, the Jat reservation struggle committee also joined the pro-Anna chorus today with its representatives sitting on fast outside the mini-secretariat.

Besides, the other organisations, which had been continually supporting Hazare and his anti-corruption campaign, stayed put with the demonstrations and also took out rallies in various parts of the district.

Students of various schools also participated in the protests held. A team of members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union went to Delhi to participate in the demonstration being held at the Ramlila grounds there.

HISAR: The dharna by members of the district Bar Association in support of Anna Hazare’s stir against corruption entered its third day on Saturday.

The association will decide its future strategy on the issue at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the fast and dharna by local residents at the main protest venue at Old Government College grounds continued for the fifth day. The candle marches which have become a daily routine are also continuing. The protesters have changed the route of the candle march from today to cover more residential areas of the city.

ROHTAK: The protests and demonstrations in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill continued on the fifth day on Saturday. Members of the Nagrik Samaj, Rohtak, announced that a group of five women would fast on Sunday in support of the Hazare’s agitation.

Members of the samaj formed a human chain on the MD University campus.

The chain began from the Central Library of the varsity. Students of the university too have been observing fasts since the movement began on August 16.

Meanwhile, the BSNL’s Sanchar Nigam Executive Association here has extended its support to the Anna’s movement. Members of the association observed a fast today to express their solidarity, claimed Arvind Dahiya, secretary of the union.

JIND: Students and staff of schools and private institutions joined the protest on the issue and sought the acceptance of the demand raised by social activist Anna Hazare. They took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the authorities concerned. Members of various organisations observed fast and sat on dharna in the district.

KAITHAL: Showing support to Anna Hazare, as many as 200-250 youths from Nouch village, 12 km from here, marched to the mini-secretariat here on Saturday. They carried banners with Anna’s photos and placards with slogans decrying corruption.

FATEHABAD: Exhibiting solidarity with Anna Hazare, as many as 15 persons, including a woman, observed fast at the local Ambedkar Chowk here on Saturday. Satya Vidyarthi, former president of the Backward Classes cell of the Congress, was among those who observed a day’s fast along with 14 others.

Sirsa, August 20
The Haryana Government will soon fill vacant posts of doctor in government hospitals in urban and rural areas of the state.

Health Minister Rao Narender Singh said while talking to mediapersons after inspection of the General Hospital at Dabwali in the district today that the government had recently appointed 373 new doctors out of which over 200 had joined duties.

The minister said the government was committed to providing healthcare facilities to people at their doorsteps and with that aim in mind 102 Ambulance Referral Service had been started, which was available at a phone call.

He claimed that with the efforts of the government, people’s faith in the health services had increased and over 20 per cent hike in the number of patients in the out patient departments (OPDs) had been witnessed. He said the state government would spend Rs 1443.61 crore on health services in the state in 2011-12.

Rao Narender Singh said that along with improving the health services in the state, the Haryana Government had also been laying emphasis on quality medical education.

The government, he said, was in the process of opening three new medical colleges in Haryana, which would help improve medical education as well as healthcare services.

The minister said the state government was in the process of coming out with a new nursing policy for Haryana.

The policy, he said, would aim at opening new nursing colleges for providing quality education in this field.

Hodal (Palwal), August 20
The police has failed to crack recent cases relating to demand for extortion money from businessmen in the town.

Telephonic calls for money have been made to three local businessmen in the past 10 days.

The district police chief, Palwal, Anil Dhawan, said several teams had been constituted to crack the cases. He hoped that a breakthrough would be made shortly.

The business community here is apprehensive about its security and is concerned over the development. Three incidents of demand for extortion money in quick succession have occurred here after a long time. However, the demand made a long time ago was for a small sum. The demand for a big sum of money by criminals in the recent incidents has rung alarm bells in the business circles here.

An owner of “Passi ready made garments” shop, located in Hodal market, allegedly received a call for payment of Rs 1 lakh as

extortion money on August 10. According to Raj Kapoor, former president of the local Aggarwal Sabha, the owner of the garment shop reached a compromise with the caller-criminal and paid Rs 25,000 to him.

On August 12, an owner of Bajaj Scooter agency, Subodh, received a call to shell out Rs 5 lakh. He reported the matter to the police, following which an FIR was registered.

On the following day, a son of Raj Kapoor received a call for Rs 1 lakh.

The caller also threatened him of dire consequences if the money was not paid. Raj Kapoor, who also runs a shop in Hodal market, said the matter was reported to the police the same evening.

Chandigarh, August 20
Censuring the state of Haryana for its failure to check needless litigations, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the secretary-level officers to “apply their mind” to prevent the wastage of court hours.

Issuing a stern warning to the officers concerned, Justice Ranjit Singh also made it clear that the government needs to identify the issues covered by cases already decided by the high court and take decisions at its own level.

The significant directions came on a bunch of petitions filed by Mahender Singh and other petitioners for grant of technical pay, “despite the issue having been adjudicated by the court on more than one occasion”.

Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The court would wish to express its earnest desire that the state should take a fair stand to lessen the burden of uncalled-for litigations.

“All cases where the issues are settled should be decided at the level of the government and it would be appropriate if the officers at the level of the secretary are asked to apply their mind at the time of filing reply so that such type of avoidable litigation is brought to an end.”

Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “Invariably, an opposing stand is taken even against the settled position and sometimes the state counsel even continue to stick to the stand leading to an impasse.”

Referring to the case in hand, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “If the secretary of the department concerned or the chief secretary had spared sometime to apply themselves to the issues raised, a majority of the petitions could have been decided without contest and this time, perhaps, could have been used better.

“It is hoped that the state will keep this is mind at least for the future so that the courts are able to put this time to better use.”

Justice Ranjit Singh concluded: “Day may not be far off when the courts may be compelled to take action against officers for not complying with the directions of the court, once the issues are finally settled, so as to end this uncalled for and unwarranted litigation. This court can express a hope that the observations would have some effect on the functioning of the state.” 

Sirsa, August 20
The police has booked a sarpanch for fraud and misappropriating the old-age pension funds by withdrawing pensions of those, who are dead already.

A case under Sections 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471, IPC, has been registered against Ram Murti Beniwal, sarpanch of Jamal village in the Chopta police station.

Prahlad Singh, a villager, collected information about the disbursement of old-age pensions under the RTI and lodged a complaint with the police.

Upon inquiry, it was found that the sarpanch continued drawing pension of as many as nine persons, though they had already died. 

Gurgaon, August 20
In a major detection of Income-Tax evasion in the region, the department authorities have nailed a couple of real estate giants, who had concealed income to the tune of Rs 50 crore.

According to department sources, a survey conducted on SCR Realtech Private Limited at Faridabad and incriminating documents recovered therein led to unearthing concealed income of Rs 30 crore, on which the company management has agreed to pay the due taxes. Sources said the company management had been filing the tax returns of income outside Faridabad, the assigned jurisdiction, on the basis of some misleading address mentioned in the PAN card.

A survey operation conducted in Gurgaon earlier this month on the premises of Suman Villas of the Parnami group and their other concerns, including a finance company and a jeweller, had detected tax evasion on income of Rs 20 crore. Income Tax Commissioner (Faridabad) RK Bajaj and Additional Income Tax Commissioner (Gurgaon) DS Kalyan said it had been noticed that in a bid to avoid “visibility” and manipulate taxable income, certain taxpayers got PAN cards made on the basis of fabricated proof of residence and then “choose” a tax jurisdiction away from their area of operations for filing the return of income.

“The taxpayers do so without realising that filing fake or fabricated documents is an offence under the Income Tax Act, 1961, as well under the criminal law of the country,” they maintained.

The Income Tax officials asserted that the Income Tax Department was determined to pursue all cases where PAN card had been obtained through improper documents and file return at some other tax jurisdiction to avoid the payment of due taxes. 

Rohtak, August 20
The police has arrested a person for cheating a family from Bharan village in the district of Rs 4.58 lakh. The accused, hailing from Meerut, was arrested from there by a police team after a raid. He had taken the money from two brothers for getting them employment in the court complex there.

According to the complaint lodged by Deepak and Sandeep, both residents of Bharan village, the accused identified as Kaushal Sharma from Meerut had demanded an amount of Rs 5 lakh for ensuring their employment at the district court of Meerut and they had paid about Rs 4.58 lakh after he had handed them over an appointment letter but this document turned out to be fake when they went there to join work.

When they tried to contact the middleman, he neither took their call nor was available in Meerut despite several attempts to talk or meet him. At last they lodged a complaint with the police to get the money back.

The police that raided the house of the accused several times could arrest him on Friday after a raid conducted on a tip-off. It is learnt that he had taken the money through a bank transaction but fled from his house for several days after getting the cash withdrawn from the account.

Though this is perhaps the first case when a person has been arrested for cheating two youths in the name of providing government jobs, touts seem to have surfaced to ‘help’ the candidates to clear the Haryana Teachers Eligibility Test (HTET) proposed to be conducted on September 24.

According to a candidate, who does not want to be identified, a person had told him that a payment of about Rs 1.5 lakh could ensure clearance of the test that is required as a main condition for applying for a teacher’s post in the government schools in the state. Over one lakh candidates were likely to appear in this test.