Chandigarh, December 23
In view of the recent Supreme Court judgement banning property transactions through general power of attorney (GPA), the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has made the law governing the transfer of ancestral immovable property to the legal heirs after the death of the allottee more stringent.

Under the new rules, which are expected to significantly bring down litigation regarding ownership of ancestral property, probate from court is mandatory in case of unregistered wills within six months for the transfer of ownership.

However, in case of registered wills, the Estate Officer concerned will allow transfer of ownership after verification of its genuineness by way of publication of a public notice or through other procedure.

Now a decree of declaration under Section 9 of the Civil Procedure Code by a competent court declaring the applicant as a legal heir and owner of the property is a must in case there was no will — registered or otherwise.

Currently, the registration of wills is not mandatory for the transfer of ownership rights. The co-sharers in the property could also transfer their share in the name of a legal heir through an affidavit.

These led to legal complications after the transfer of property in case of suppression of facts in the affidavits. In case of multiple wills or forged wills by the legal heir or other relatives of the deceased, the property disputes normally landed in courts.

Saying that the new system would bring in more transparency in the transfer of share to the legal heirs after the death of the allottee, officials said it would reduce litigation among the legal heirs since a proper procedure had to be followed for the transfer of property now.

“Though slightly time-consuming, the new system would check frauds related to the transfer of property to the legal heirs in the long run,” said BK Sanghi, president of the Haryana Group Housing Federation.

Dabwali, December 23
Political parties vied with one another to “shed tears” for the victims when a devastating fire killed 442 persons and scarred the lives of 150 others on December 23, 1995, during the annual function of a local school.

It is a story of broken promises for the victims 16 years after the dreadful incident. Political parties, it seems, have forgotten them as no political leader was present at the annual ritual held at the accident site today in memory of the victims .

DK Bahera, ADC, and Munish Nagpal, SDM, Dabwali, however, represented the district administration.

The somber occasion that included all religion prayers was organised at a memorial built at Rajiv Marriage Palace, where the worst fire tragedy took place. The victims alleged the political parties had done nothing except for shedding crocodile tears.

Vinod Bansal, general secretary of the Dabwali Fire Victims Association, alleged that the state government’s assurances of a 100-bed hospital, a burn centre, a physiotherapy centre have all proved empty promises. Burn victims still had to go to far-off places like Ludhiana for treatment as the town still had the old community health centre which lacked facilities. Governments after governments promised several facilities, including jobs for the victims, but nothing had been done on the ground, they alleged.

The victims alleged that the state government had rubbed salt on their wounds by nominating MP Bidlan as a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission.

MP Bidlan, the then DC of Sirsa, who was the chief guest at the school function on that day, had drawn the ire of local people due to his alleged act of cowardice in the face of duty. The IAS officer had allegedly fled the scene along with his security staff rather than performing his primary duty of starting rescue operations.

The officer was indicted in probes and the state government had even recommended his removal from services in 2002 though he got away with minor punishment.

Amidst all these miseries, the only redeeming feature for the victims is that they have finally got almost 50 per cent of the compensation announced by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

However, the compensation for the dead - Rs 3.5 lakh each in the 0-10 age group, Rs 4.25 lakh in the 11-15 age group and Rs 5.25 lakh in the 16-22 age group - is too little .

The compensation between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 33 lakh for the injured too does not heal the scars the devastating fire gave them for life.

Chandigarh, December 23
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia today reportedly told a joint delegation of the HJC and the BJP that once he got a certified copy of the judgement of the Punjab and Haryana High Court declaring five former HJC MLAs as unattached, he would ensure that there was no violation of the Constitution.

The delegation led by HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi and Haryana BJP chief Krishan Pal Gurjar met Pahadia to demand the dismissal of the Hooda government, which, it said, had lost the majority support in the Vidhan Sabha following the HC judgement. The HJC and BJP leaders also wanted that fresh elections should be called for after the dismissal of the Hooda government.

The delegation also told the Governor that though the High Court had ordered that the former HJC MLAs would not hold any office till the decision of the disqualification petitions against them by the Speaker, the Chief Minister had not taken any step to implement the court orders.

Anil Vij, Leader of the BJP Legislature Party, said the Governor had assured the delegation that he would act according to the Constitution after studying the certified copy of the judgement.

Bishnoi said the alliance would wait till December 26. If the Chief Minister did not remove the former HJC MLAs from his ministry, he would file a contempt petition in the HC against Bhupinder Singh Hooda. He also said he had filed a caveat in the SC against the possible appeal against the HC judgement.

Meanwhile, Phool Chand Mullana, Haryana Congress president, described the Opposition’s demand for sacking of the Hooda government as “ridiculous and without substance”, being made to mislead the people of the state

He said the Hooda government enjoyed an overwhelming support of 54 MLAs in the house of 90. The INLD-SAD had only 31 MLAs while the BJP-HJC alliance had only five MLAs. Even the combined strength of the two alliances was merely 36, 10 short of the required majority of 46. It proved that the opposition was just trying to mislead people through their “sinister and misinformation” campaign.

Ridiculing the INLD, Mullana said the people of the state were very well aware how in 1999 the INLD had managed to form the government by managing large-scale defections.

Chandigarh, December 23
The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) and the Indian Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (IIFTEM) will soon come up in Sonepat.

While the IIIT will be set up at Kilrod village, the IIFTEM will come up at Kundli, an official spokesman said.

He said a proposal for setting up a National Institute of Fashion Technology was under consideration by the Centre.

He said the Centre had also approved an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Sunaria village and classes had started in the temporary campus at MDU, Rohtak. — PTI

Chandigarh, December 23
The Haryana Board of School Education, Bhiwani, will declare the results of the first semester examination conducted in September for all regular students of senior secondary tomorrow. The results of all private and reappear candidates would also be declared on the same day, an official spokesman said here today. — PTI

Chandigarh, December 23
The state government has decided to introduce a new scheme of issuing electronic smart cards to farmers.

An official spokesman said the cards would be made available to each farmer by the market committee concerned.

These cards would have all details, such as the name of farmer, his village, age, description of his land and crops grown by him.

The cards would also have details of the sale of the agriculture produce of farmers and payments made to him for his produce.

With the issuance of this cards, the farmers would not need to keep a separate record of his yields and income, he added. — PTI