Chandigarh, August 22
With the Opposition geared up to take on the Treasury Benches in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on the issue of land deals, the ruling Congress seems to have realised the virtue of offence being the best form of defence.

Sources said the Congress planned an offensive against the INLD not only to put the party and its leaders on the back foot but also to take the wind out of their sails in the House which meets tomorrow after a three-day break .

Congress MLA Raghubir Singh Kadian has sent a calling-attention notice to Speaker Kuldeep Sharma on the CBI chargesheet against the Chautalas in the disproportionate assets case and the JBT scam.

Sources said that the notice had been sent with the 300-page CBI chargesheet against Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala and his sons, Ajay Singh Chautala and Abhay Singh Chautala, both MLAs.

The motion maintains that since the CBI has framed charges against the Chautalas, it is morally improper for them to continue as public representatives till they are absolved of the charges. The motion holds that the three should resign till they are acquitted .

Congress MLA Sampat Singh, in a separate call-attention motion, has sought implementation of the amendment made in 2008 to the Punjab Village Common Land (regulation) Act, 1964, whereby panchayats are given 5 per cent of the collector rate for use of their land.

Seeking that it should be implemented from retrospective effect, this, too, aims at targeting the INLD which has got land in the name of gift for no or nominal charges. The motion adds that this amendment should be applicable to all panchayat land since the creation of Haryana so that they can become a source of income.

Sources said this had been clubbed with the INLD motion in which its MLAs have claimed that “very costly land” of Ullawas village was given away to the Rajiv Gandhi Trust in an irregular manner.

Though the session is slated to meet for two days, sources said that it might be extended by a day depending on the business transacted in the two sittings. However, given the issues, the Treasury Benches and the Opposition are headed for a showdown.

Rohtak, August 22
On a call given by social activist Anna Hazare to stage a protest outside the MPs’ houses in their respective areas, the residents here staged a dharna-cum- demonstration outside the house of the Rajya Sabha MP of the ruling Congress, Shadi Lal Batra, at DLF colony here today. The MP, who came out to receive the memorandum, assured the agitators that he would take up their demand. The dharna continued for more than two hours.

According to Loveleen Tuteja, one of the organisers of the protest, the demonstration was in response to the appeal made by Anna on Sunday, in which he had asked the people to demonstrate outside the MPs’ houses of their area. He said the protest was totally apolitical.

The support to the agitation continued in various forms in the region. While the members of the Nagrik Samaj continued with their fast and dharna, several activists held a Ragini (folk music) programme to condemn the government stand on the matter and to support the agitation. They announced to hold a candlelight march later in the evening.

FARIDABAD: The youth, holding National Flags and photos of Anna Hazare on Monday, held a demonstration outside the office of the local Congress MP, Avtar Singh Bhadana, here.

The agitators were raising slogans demanding that the MP came clear on his stand on the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by Team Anna. They also shouted slogans against corruption.

The youth, including college students, left the venue after about an hour’s solganeering with threats of coming back again to get a clear-cut stand of the MP on the Jan Lokpal Bill issue. They made it known that the MP would have to choose either between his party or the movement against corruption launched by Hazare.

Hisar: Hundreds of Anna supporters on Monday staged angry demonstrations outside the local residences of Union Minister Selja, Naveen Jindal, Congress MP from Kurukshetra, and his mother Congress MLA Savtri Jindal. The protesters chanted slogans and sang bhajans at Selja’s home for a long time. Later, they proceeded to Jindal House on Delhi Road where they staged a similar protest. However, neither Selja nor the Jindals were present inside their homes. Supporters of the anti-graft movement had gheraoed Jindal House last night as well . A big candle march was taken out this evening to show solidarity with the fasting crusader.

Sonepat: After holding a protest in front of MP Jitender Singh Malik’s office here on Sunday evening, volunteers of the Sarv Jatiya Ekta Manch led by Arun Kaushik on Monday staged a dharna for almost three hours in front of the MP’s residence and raised slogans against the UPA government.

After receiving information that the MP was not present at his residence, the protesters left the spot and took out a march in the town.

Activists of Mission Shaheed Bhagat Singh also organised a march here in support of Anna Hazare. They extended their support to volunteers of different organisations, who have been observing an indefinite hunger strike here at Shubhash Chowk and Gandhi Chowk.

Meanwhile, Sat Pal Ahlawat, president, Sai Jan Sewa Samiti, and an another protester, Narender Bhutani, was shifted to a hospital when their health deteriorated owing to an indefinite fast.

Sirsa: Anna Hazare’s supporters held a demonstration in front of MP Ashok Tanwar’s residence here. Tanwar was not in the town as he left for Delhi yesterday.

The agitators raised slogans against Tanwar and the UPA government.

The agitators gheraoed Tanwar’s house for some time and then sat on dharna there.

Youths organised a motorcycle rally in support of Anna Hazare in the town

Kurukshetra: A large number of people demonstrated and sat in dharna in front of MP Naveen Jindal’s residence — Jindal House — here on Monday.

They constituted “Team Anna, Kurukshetra” under the leadership of which people drawn from surrounding rural and urban areas expressed their solidarity with Anna Hazare .

Earlier, hundreds of people took out a protest march from Jat Dharamshala and organised a yajna near Devi Lal Chowk for the success of Anna Hazare’s movement. They took out a procession which terminated in front of Jindal House, where they set fire to effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Minister Kapil Sibal.

Sonepat, August 22
A small four-seater helicopter carrying former Punjab legislator Arvind Khanna from Delhi to Chandigarh had to make an emergency landing in the fields of Akbarpur Brota village near OP Jindal Global University, here today after it developed some technical snag.

The helicopter belonging to Trans Bharat Aviations, a private firm, had been hired by the former Congress legislator from Sangrur to fly him to Chandigarh. However, soon after it took off from Delhi, it had to make a forced landing at 12:30 pm in the field between Akbarpur Brota and Saiyabad villages. According to engineer Chetan, who was on board the chopper along with the legislator and the pilot, the landing had to be made after the emergency indication light in the cockpit started blinking and the pilot decided to land it immediately.

Chetan, who was present on the spot where it landed, said a team of technical experts from Delhi had been sent for and only after they examine the machine, the real cause of malfunctioning could be ascertained.

The chopper made a safe landing, after which the former legislator was escorted to the guest house of the global university, while pilot Pradeep Srivastava went to Delhi. Later, the legislator left for Chandigarh by road.

Soon after the matter was reported at the district headquarters, a team led by Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal and district police chief KK Rao rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. The Deputy Commissioner said the chopper had made a perfectly safe landing and no damage of any kind was reported.

Meanwhile, aviation experts said that an emergency landing had to be made due to factors that were beyond the pilot's control. They said the chopper could have suffered a component failure which might have affected the whole system and only a thorough inspection of the machine could reveal the exact problem.

Karnal, August 22
At least five persons were burnt alive and many others received serious burn injuries in two explosions that occurred in quick succession in a cracker factory, reportedly triggered by short-circuiting at Mougal Majara village, 7 km from here, this evening.

The bodies of four persons who died on the spot were brought to the trauma centre while one person succumbed to burn injuries in a private hospital. The condition of two injured persons who were admitted to a private hospital is stated to be critical.

About 50 to 60 workers were inside the Bharti Fireworks Factory when deafening noise of the blasts shook the area around 7 pm and wailing workers ran for safety. The fire instantly spread to all the three improvised godowns in the open sheds, which were reduced to ashes within no time.

Sky high flames with bursting of crackers and thick smoke engulfing the area was witnessed from long distances and bodies of several persons were dismembered due to blasts. Heart-rending scenes were witnessed as people tried to search for the bodies of their beloved ones under the heaps of ashes with fire still smouldering.

The bodies were charred beyond recognition and efforts were being made to identify the bodies with the help of local people and other factory workers. The deceased included two women workers at the factory.

The factory was gutted within no time and stocks of crackers and other articles were reduced to ashes. A local villager, Vijay, who was first to reach the spot after hearing the noise of the blasts, said he himself extracted four bodies and suspected that the toll could rise.

The injured workers were being taken to the trauma centre and other private hospitals and the loss was yet to be ascertained as the owners of the factory could not be immediately contacted.

The rescue operations are in full swing and the debris was being searched with the help of fire brigade, police and local people.

Chandigarh, August 22
The Haryana Government is contemplating making changes in its mining policy so that the objective of sustained development along with protection of environment can be achieved.

The mining in the state has been virtually on a standstill mode for the past over one year following the court orders. Development works have been one of the major casualties of the ban on mining. The Public Works Department is not able to undertake repair of roads in a big way due to the lack of construction material. Even the private construction industry is not able to cope up with the exorbitant rates of sand and gravel. The ban on mining has also badly affected the employment of those engaged in quarries and stone crushers.

Last week a Cabinet subcommittee headed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda gave in principle approval to certain changes in the Haryana Mineral Concession Rules.

According to the proposed changes, stone quarries will now be auctioned for 10 years. The duration of the lease period is being increased so that tangible and effective environment protection measures can be taken. All over the world, the rights to quarries are leased for long durations so that the lease holder could quarry the minerals in a scientific manner.

For extraction of sand from river beds, the rights would be auctioned for five years.

In both cases, the lease holder would himself get the environment management plan (EMP) approved from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF). Earlier, the state was trying to prepare the EMPs of various mining areas itself. However, the Central Empowered Committee had expressed its inability to approve such EMPs because it wanted that EMPs must contain the details of the methods to be employed by the lease holder to quarry the minerals. This was possible only after the area was leased out.

The lease holders would be given a reasonable time to get the EMPs approved. Earlier, the government had auctioned the mining rights in Panipat and Sonepat districts, giving one year time to the lease holders to get the EMPs approved. The same practice is likely to be incorporated in the new policy.

Hisar, August 22
CRPF jawan Virender Saini, who was martyred in Jharkhand forests while fighting Naxalites, was cremated with full state honours here today.

He was recruited in the 209 Cobra battalion in 2007 and was posted in Jharkhand for quite some time in the Naxal-infested areas. He was killed in an encounter on Friday. He hailed from Hisar Cantonment.

Wreaths were placed on behalf of the CRPF and the Haryana Police. Senior police officers of the two forces were present at the cremation.

The DIG, CRPF, Gurgaon, presented a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to his widow on behalf of the Director-General of the the force.

Faridabad,Ausgust 22
The Sarva Karamchari Sangh,Haryana, is firm on gheraoing the Haryana Vidhan Sabha next Wednesday, the last day of the ongoing monsoon session.

Sangh leaders have fanned out in various parts of the state for mass mobilisation in favour of the proposed gherao.

Naresh Kumar Shastri, vice-president of the sangh, said here today that the employees had been forced to resort to the extreme step as protests resorted to in the past for acceptance of their demands had not evoked a positive response from the government. He alleged that the government had also backed out from its commitments made to the sangh.

Shastri said 104 employees’ organisations in various departments, boards, municipalities, corporations in the state were affiliated to the sangh.

The demands of the sangh include abolition of the private-public-participation (PPP) model of development, regularisation of ad hoc and other employees, rectification of the pay anomalies and parity in wages and other facilities to state employees with their counterparts in the central government as per the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission.

Gurgaon, August 22
Local Congress MP and former Union minister Rao Inderjeet Singh has stated that he supported all well-meaning campaigns against corruption, including the one launched by noted social activist Anna Hazare and his team.

In a statement issued through DCC (Urban) leader GL Sharma here today, Rao Inderjeet Singh, maintained that he had always raised his voice against the people’s grievances, including corruption, within the party as well as outside and would continue to do so.

He stated that people were frustrated as they had to face corruption in government offices in their day-to-day life, but maintained that the government was taking concrete steps to weed out graft.

Rao Inderjeet affirmed that the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill had already been presented before the standing committee of Parliament by Praveen Singh Airon, Congress MP from Bareli.

“I feel that the Lokpal Bill should be strong enough to rein in rampant corruption but as Team Anna’s Bill has already been put up before the standing committee, it was not appropriate to seek its re-presentation,” he asserted.

Jind, August 22
In a shocking incident, Ankush (8) was allegedly “kicked” to death by his father at Senthli village in the district on Saturday.

The victim was buried without a post-mortem examination and in the absence of his mother, who was away to her parents’ house at that time. The police has registered a case but no arrest has been made so far. The incident came to light when Naresh Devi, the complainant and the mother of the victim, came back to her house yesterday after she came to know about the death of Ankush.

She told the police that she was away to her parents’ house after a quarrel with her husband, Ramesh, a few days back. According to the complainant, she was earlier told that Ankush had died after a stomachache but she claimed that cremation without a post-mortem examination led to suspicion over the circumstances presented to her. She added that her elder son, Jivan (10), who was present in the house, later told her the truth behind the incident. Ankush had died after Ramesh had kicked him in his abdomen when the victim asked him for food.

The police has been asked to conduct a probe into the matter. The body should be exhumed under the supervision of a duty magistrate.

Fatehabad, August 22
A 35-year-old woman was today thrashed brutally by the owner of the house and some others, where she was living with her children in a rented accommodation, in Bhatia Colony of this town.

The woman, a widow, was beaten up till she fell unconscious on the ground.

The police rushed the hapless woman to the local General Hospital when some neighbours reported the matter to the police station after noticing her lying unconscious on the ground outside her house. The police is yet to register a case in this connection.

Onlookers said that the house owner, his brother, some friends and women members of their house suddenly attacked the woman in her house and started throwing her household items on the street.

The attackers beat up the woman mercilessly when she resisted and the thrashing continued even after she fell unconscious on the street with her children crying by her side. Incidentally, the woman had lodged a complaint with the police on August 20 alleging that the house owner had kidnapped her teenaged daughter.

However, no FIR was registered in that case.

Madan Lal, SHO of the City Police Station, said the police was recording statements and the woman was still to give her statement.

The SHO said the house owner had alleged that the woman had been indulging in immoral activities.

The SHO admitted that though the woman had given a complaint against her house owner on August 20, the police, he maintained, did not find any truth in her allegations.

“It was an exercise to blackmail the house owner and the woman’s daughter is now in the hospital to look after her mother,” claimed Madan Lal.

Jhajjar, August 22
A Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) driver reportedly ended his life by hanging himself after stabbing his wife at Lambi Gali in Bahadurgarh town last evening. The deceased, Sumit (35), hailed from Samad Puthi village in Hisar district.

The woman, who has been undergoing medical treatment at the PGIMS, Rohtak, is stated to be out of danger. Domestic feud is believed to be the reason behind this extreme step. The police has registered a case in this connection.

Following an oral duel over a domestic issue, Sumit reportedly assaulted his wife with a sharp-edged-weapon.

Thinking that Sushma had died, Sumit ended his life by hanging himself from a ceiling fan. The incident was noticed when a neighbourer found Sumit hanging and his wife lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

He immediately informed the police which rushed to the spot and sent Sumit’s body to the Civil Hospital, Bahadurgarh, for a postmortem examination.