Hisar, October 11
Campaigning for the Hisar Lok Sabha byelection came to an end this evening with the INLD organising a big rally here at which several speakers, including former Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and CPI leader AB Bardhan hinted at the possible emergence of a third front at the national level in the near future.

Even INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala gave such indications in his speech. He said time had come to end the era of bad governance under the Congress-led UPA government which had made life unbearable for the common man. Should the INLD nominee win from Hisar, it would mark the beginning of a political change, he said.

Chautala said India was today a nation of the young but the UPA government’s functioning had jeopardised their future. “We want to ensure a bright future for the youth”, he added.

He said the nation was yet to reap the fruits of real freedom as the white rulers had been replaced by dark rulers. As a result the country continued to reel under shortage of water and power. Agriculture was in bad shape and the common man remained deprived of basic necessities.

He said the Congress and HJC-BJP nominees were trying to give a caste colour to the byelection and warned voters against falling in this trap. He said his party did not believe in caste distinctions. “As many as 22 of our 32 legislators are non-Jats. What more can I say ?”, he added.

Chautala said the Hooda government was planning to limit the benefit of old age pension to persons earning less than Rs 50,000 a year. This, he said, was an insult to senior citizens. Old age pension was introduced by his father, the late Devi Lal, but successive Congress governments had failed to ensure timely payment of pension in a respectable manner.

He said the byelection was an important event as a victory for the INLD would mark the beginning of the end of Congress rule in Haryana.

Naidu said the Hisar byelection could prove to be a historical political event as it would prove to be a turning point in the country’s polity. He wanted the voters to ensure the victory of the INLD nominee and send a strong message to the UPA government that people would not tolerate corruption and bad governance. The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said both the BJP and the Congress were equally corrupt. Tracing the ties with the Chautala clan, he said NT Rama Rao and the late Devi Lal had changed the political scene in the country when they got together. It was time to repeat the feat, he added.

He said the UPA government was an abysmal failure. It had failed to check corruption and inflation. The minimum support prices of various crops were not commensurate with the production cost, rendering farming a losing preposition.

Bardhan said it was time to establish a credible political alternative to the Congress and the BJP. Both had been tried and now it was time to forge another front with people like Naidu and Chautala getting together.

Fatehabad, October 11
Despite the Election Commission of India’s (EC’s) constant vigil on expenditure incurred by candidates in the run-up to the Hisar parliamentary byelection, political parties, it seems, have found ways to circumvent norms.

At least on two occasions, helicopters carrying senior leaders of two political parties visiting Hisar, have taken unusual routes. This has ostensibly been done so that the expenditure on hiring helicopters is not reflected in the candidate’s account. On both these occasions, the choppers carrying these leaders landed in Fatehabad, a district adjacent to Hisar.

The first such instance occurred on October 9, when BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Navjot Singh Sidhu, who visited Hisar to address an election rally for HJC-BJP nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi, were flown from Delhi to Kharakheri in Fatehabad instead of Hisar. The chopper carrying these political leaders landed in the agriculture fields of Bishnoi’s supporter, Raja Ram, from where the BJP leaders drove in a car to Hisar.

Earlier, while seeking permission for landing at Kharakheri, HJC workers said BJP president Nitin Gadkari was coming by the chopper. However, he eventually landed at Hisar while Swaraj and Sidhu landed at Kharakheri.

HJC workers did not assign any reason for landing chopper outside the Hisar constituency, political observers said it could be a ploy to escape expenditure incurred on hiring it to be added into Bishnoi’s election expenditure.

Similarly, Raj Babbar, who visited Hisar for a rally in the support of Congress candidate Jai Parkash, first landed his chopper at Fatehabad. Karnal MP Arvind Sharma, a star campaigner for the Congress nominee, waited for him here.

Sharma had came specially from Hisar by road and while his driver drove back his SUV, the MP flew towards Hisar with the former actor.

Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, Sumita Mishra said the Hisar district administration was monitoring the expenditure closely. The money spent on chopper journeys of politicians not designated as ‘star campaigners’ would be included in the accounts of respective candidates, whatever the route adopted by them, once it came to the notice of the EC, she added.

Fatehabad, October 11
After Team Anna’s campaign against the Congress in the Hisar parliamentary poll, organisations opposing the Gorakhpur atomic power project have appealed to the voters to vote for only those candidates, who commit to opposing the project.

Speaking to mediapersons, Dr Banwari Lal Sharma, founder of the the Azadi Bachao Andolan; Dr Sunilam, national convener of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and a member of the 26-member core team of social activist Anna Hazare; and Hans Raj Siwach, president of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti of Gorakhpur farmers, said the Congress government in Haryana was bent upon setting up a nuclear plant in Gorakhpur against the wishes of the people.

The leaders opposed to the nuclear plant said the Gorakhpur project was not only perilous for the health and the safety of the local people, it was also against the government’s own policies on land acquisition and selection of sites for such projects.

Dr Banwari Lal Sharma said though there were several issues like rising prices, corruption and unemployment, but the biggest issue before the people here was the nuclear plant that the government wanted to set up at Gorakhpur.

He said since the 423 days old agitation by Gorakhpur farmers had failed to move the state government. They had decided to take their battle to the election field in Hisar, where people were being educated through street plays and ‘nukkad’ meetings.

Gurgaon, October 11
The Haryana Government will intervene to end the five-day deadlock between the management and workers of the Manesar plants of Maruti, if a solution was not found through mutual understanding by tomorrow.

Haryana Labour Minister Shiv Charan Sharma said the two sides have sought time till tomorrow to resolve the impasse. Officials of the labour department tried to intervene, but both sides requested them to allow time. The two sides were in touch with each other, he said, and added: “The situation cannot be allowed to drift for long.”

Leaders of Maruti Suzuki Employees Union, spearheading the agitation, however, denied that they were in touch with the management. Sunil Dutt, a member of the union, asserted that the workers would continue with the tools down strike till their demands were met. The management was not available for comment.

The workers allege that, in a latest move, the management has suspended 10 and dismissed 15 workers, including five on training

A number of workers’ unions of industrial units in Gurgaon, Dharuhera and Bawal in Rewari district in a joint meeting today decided to urge the managements of their respective organisations to resolve the issue in Maruti’s plants. Expressing solidarity with Maruti workers they have decided to send their representatives to sit on dharna with them on Thursday.

A leader of the Maruti Suzuki Employees Union said the main demand was that all the workers (including the ‘casual’ category) must be allowed to resume duties. False cases against the workers must also be withdrawn.

A visit to the Maruti’s plants at Manesar, about 20 km from here, showed that the boundary wall is being strengthened to increase security.

Indri (Karnal), October 11
While Anna Hazare has demanded action against “toll mafias” in Maharashtra, such mafias fleecing people with impunity, are active even in non-descript villages in the state. Information procured by an RTI activist from Indri, Anuj Verma, regarding the tax being charged by contractors for crossing the Yamuna at various ‘ghats’ exposed the contractor-panchayat nexus, fleecing people crossing the river.

The ghats have been auctioned by the panchayat samiti and rates have been fixed but the contractors are not adhering to the prescribed rates and charging exorbitant tax from people.

Anuj who ventured to cross the Yamuna on his motorcycle was charged Rs 40 and given two receipts of Rs 20 each, showing it as Haryana and UP tax. He chose the RTI path to get information from the panchayat. He was shocked to know that the rate fixed by the panchayat was just Rs 2 to Rs 4 for motorcycle riders, Rs 5 for tractor-trolleys loaded with sand, Rs 25 for loading sand on boats and Rs 10 to Rs 20 for bullock-carts.

This is happening under the nose of the officials concerned but the nexus is so strong that no action has been taken yet. Anuj has now written to the Chief Secretary demanding a high-level probe into the entire matter.

The contractors are allegedly charging tax in the name of two governments and not keeping up-to-date record of the vehicles crossing the Yamuna and the tax charged from them.

This corruption is also posing threat to security as there is no record of the criminals escaping to the adjoining state of UP after committing crime in the state and also facilitating illegal extraction of sand from river beds.

Panipat, October 11
With the losses of the Haryana discoms crossing over Rs 7,100 crore and the outstanding loan of Rs 15,268 crore, the financial health of the power utilities has started causing worry to the power engineers of the state.

The Haryana Power Engineers Association said it was due to the lack of political will that the defaulting amount from rural areas had crossed Rs 2,100 crore while that of the urban areas had also run into crores of rupees.

RS Dahiya, president of the association, said the sincere officers were being hounded by authorities at the behest of influential people and even as the engineers had been talking of bringing down the losses, they were not being allowed to do because of constant political interference.

He said perturbed over the prevailing circumstances, the power engineers had decided to convene a general house meeting in Panipat soon.

Besides holding discussions over the remedial measures, which can be taken to improve the financial health of the power utilities, the engineers would also take up the issue of their long-pending demands.

The engineers had been struggling to bring parity in pay scales of the engineers working in discoms, restructuring of discoms and filling of vacant posts of directors in the power utilities.

Dahiya said the Power Minister at the previous meeting, held with the representatives of the association, had assured them of solving all these issues but till date nothing had been done to redress their grievances.

Fatehabad, October 11
The district police has amended its earlier decision on withdrawing police protection provided to runaway couples in the district.

The police, has now clarified that the runaway couples, who have been enjoying police protection on the court orders, would continue to get security cover for their safety.

Earlier, the police had summoned 15 couples enjoying police protection to the SP office here on Saturday and told them that their security was being withdrawn as a temporary measure in view of the Hisar parliamentary byelection. Fatehabad has a constabulary strength of 1,101 personnel and the district police was to send many of these to Hisar for election duties.

The Tribune had carried a report “Runaway couples’ security withdrawn for now” in these columns on Sunday.

The Tribune reported that some of these couples faced a serious threat to their lives even after months of their marriage. The district police has now decided against withdrawing security provided to these couples, except one couple, who have given in writing that they do not need any security now.

Jind, October 11
Bajra growers in the district are not finding buyers of the produce even at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced by the government. Government agencies have failed to procure the crop, slowing down the process. The district unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) has asked the government to intervene and to ensure that the crop is purchased at the MSP.

On its part, the state government has announced that the procurement of the crop has started. The lot that has arrived in the local grain market has failed to fetch the MSP of Rs 980 per quintal as buyers are quoting a rate between Rs 850 and Rs 865 per quintal.

“I had to sell my produce Rs 855 per quintal in the local market as no agency came forward to buy it at the MSP,” says a farmer Om Singh. He claimed it had resulted in a loss of about Rs 125 per quintal.

Total crop arrival in the local Mandi has been over 2,550 quintals. However, officials said that the procurement would be done by Haryana Agro and Haryana Warehousing Corporation and will continue till March.

There seems to be another reason for the delayed procurement. Haryana Agro and commission agents have been locked in a dispute over the commission amount.

“Due to this, agents avoid selling the crop to this agency,” claimed Sandeep Kumar, a commission agent. Alleging that the state government had never been serious about the procurement of Bajra, growers had been feeling helpless, claimed Baljit, another farmer. Bajra is used as a feed in the poultries and hatcheries in the district.

Panipat, October 11
With the Union government setting October 15 as the deadline for the release of crop loans and kisan cards, the district administration has asked bankers to expedite the process.

Deputy Commissioner JS Ahlawat said the Kisan Credit Card Scheme (KCC) aimed at providing adequate and timely support to farmers for their short-term credit needs for cultivation of crops. This helped farmers for purchase of agricultural inputs during the sowing season.

He said the scheme also simplified disbursement procedures and farmers were not required to apply for a loan for every crop. The scheme also assured availability of credit at any time making finances available to the cultivators when needed.

The scheme also provided the KCC holders insurance of Rs 50,000 against death or permanent disability the annual premium of which was Rs 15 out of which Rs 10 is paid by the bank and Rs 5 by a farmer, the DC said. Ahlawat said banks in the district had been asked to speed up the process of issuing crop loans and kisan cards.

Yamunanagar, October 11
There is an acute shortage of medical officers and specialist doctors in Yamunanagar district. Of the 90 sanctioned posts, 18 are lying vacant.

The post of radiologist in the Civil Hospital here has been vacant for the past many months. Patients going for radio diagnostic tests are forced to go to private practitioners.

Sources in the Health Department said that despite substantial increase in population, there had been no increase in the number of PHCs and CHCs.

Civil Surgeon VK Sharma said he had been writing to the Health Department about the shortage of doctors in the PHCs and CHCs but no recruitment had been made.

Posts of doctor were vacant in Buria, Chhachhrauli, Khijrabad, Haibatpur, Harnauli, Kharwan, Kot Mustarka, Mustafabad, Sadhaura and Bilaspur, sources added.

Sharma said there were five vacant posts of medical officer in the Civil Hospital at Yamunanagar.

Rohtak, October 11
The Sarva Karamchari Sangh, Haryana (SKS), the main federation of the government employees, will join the national-level stir against the Centre’s proposal to amend the PF and pension rules, said sangh spokesperson Subhash Lamba. SKS members would also take part in the gherao of Parliament House on November 25 on the issue.

A memorandum signed by one crore employees would also be submitted to the Prime Minister in this connection.

Lamba said the employees in the state and other parts of the country would oppose the move to abolish the present pension scheme for government employees.

He said if the proposed Bills in this connection were adopted, millions of employees would lose their right to get pension after retirement and could also be a victim of lower PF benefits as the government wanted to reduce its financial burden through such means.

Rohtak, October 11
The director and students of a leading private educational institution here have landed in a soup following the registration of a case against them for blocking the Rohtak-Delhi National Highway for almost three hours recently.

Though a delegation of teachers and students have submitted a memorandum to the district authorities for withdrawal of the case, the police plans to prosecute the offenders as per law.

The death of a girl student of Baba Mastnath Nursing College here in a road mishap on October 7 night had resulted in hundreds of students and staff of this institute coming out on the main highway and blocking vehicular movement next day, the police said. A case has been filed against 16 persons, including Dr Markanday Ahuja, director of the insitution, in this regard.

The SSP said the police had information that Dr Ahuja had instigated the students.