Chandigarh, December 31
The ambitious project of the Haryana Police and Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation (Hartron) to intall CCTVs in various cities to tackle crime and improve traffic management seems to have run into rough weather.

Against the backdrop of allegations of serious irregularities in the award of the Rs 59-crore tender to Level One Communications for the installation of surveillance equipment in Gurgaon and Faridabad the tendering process for other cities may be delayed.

The case of alleged irregularities in the award of tender for the installation of surveillance equipment in Gurgaon and Faridabad hit the headlines recently. While suspending Hartron general manager Sandeep Kapoor, who was allegedly responsible for the purchase of equipment, the Haryana Government had recently ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the award of Rs 59-crore tender to the company.

In fact, it is surprising that the tender was awarded to the company, which claimed itself to be a subsidiary of the German company M/s Level One Communication. The German firm reportedly said that it did not have any Indian subsidiary.

The alleged connivance of Hartron and police officials with the company was apparent as is clear from circumstances leading to award of tender to the company. In fact, the firm had already started preliminary work on the installation of the high-resolution cameras to keep track of anti-social elements and better traffic management system.

Sources said the company might have forged documents to bid for the project. It is now alleged the company did not fulfil certain conditions to be eligible for the tendering process, yet it secured the tender which resulted in a complaint against the company.

Even as the credentials of the company were under a cloud following a complaint against it, Haryana Police DGP RS Dalal reportedly wrote to the Hartron chairman YS Malik to allow the company to continue with the work.

Meanwhile, the formal Vigilance probe is yet to begin. Till the completion of the inquiry, work on the surveillance system will be on hold, the sources said.

To keep an eye on the anti-social elements, the state government had okayed the surveillance project in major cities, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Panipat, Rohtak, Karnal and Panchkula.

Chandigarh, December 31
President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) Phool Chand Mullana today demanded an investigation into the “benami” properties of the Chautala family in the country and abroad.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mullana claimed that the decision of Kullu District Collector about a “benani” propery owned by the Chautala family was just the tip of an iceberg.

Meanwhile, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, who was also present at the press conference, announced that the Haryana Government would observe the year 2012 as the “Year for Youth” with a view to work for the overall development of the youth.

The state government will focus on skill development of the youth so that they become employable. Besides focusing on the youth, the state government would also lay stress on educating the people on making the optimum utilisation of power.

Expressing satisfaction at the overall development in the state, he claimed that Haryana was among three states in the country which had achieved over 11 per cent growth rate in the past five years.

Crediting the Ratia bypoll win on development, Chief Minister Hooda said the people of the state had defeated those who believed in casteism, regionalism and corrupt practices. Congress candidates have won in six Assembly elections out of the total eight Assembly byelections held during the past seven years, he added.

Chandigarh, December 31
The year 2011 was a year of ups and downs for various political parties in Haryana. If in the first half of the year, the ruling party virtually had no challenge from the Opposition, the situation underwent a sea change in the third quarter of the year when the Congress had to suffer a humiliating defeat in the Hisar Lok Sabha byelection. Its candidate ended up a poor third, forfeiting even his deposit.

Kuldeep Sharma

The Hisar defeat brought Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the firing line of not only the main Opposition party, the INLD, but also that of the dissidents within the Congress. But within a few weeks of the Hisar debacle, the Congress was able to turn the tables on the INLD, when the former snatched the Ratia Assembly seat from the latter after 29 years.

In its last fortnight, the year, however, delivered a judicial punch, which floored the ruling party. The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions filed by HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi against five MLAs, who had defected to the Congress, on or before April 30, 2012. The court ordered that meanwhile these MLAs would be treated as “unattached”, meaning thereby that they would not be bound by the Congress whip inside the Assembly.

The court judgement reduced the Hooda government from “sure” majority in the house to “doubtful” majority. With 46 MLAs of its own, the Congress was sure of its majority. But now the party government survives on the support of seven Independents. Though the five former HJC MLAs have no option but to support the government, yet, theoretically speaking, they are not bound to vote in favour of the Congress.

The year-end promised an eventful 2012 with the stage set for a confrontation between the judiciary and the Haryana Assembly. Speaker Kuldeep Sharma has not minced words in saying that he had no intention of complying with the directions of the high court, which, he says, is an intervention in the authority vested in him by the Constitution.

The year saw a new political formation in the HJC-BJP alliance, which is being projected by its supporters as a viable alternative to the Congress as well as the INLD. Though the alliance was able to win the Hisar Lok Sabha seat and the Adampur Assembly seat, yet it will be too early to say that the alliance is a viable alternative.

Fatehabad, December 31
Streets of as many as 32 villages of Fatehabad are lit by solar streetlights during the nights these days.

Under a scheme, the Haryana Renewable Development Authority (HAREDA) has set up 1,284 solar streetlights in these 32 villages, said the Deputy Commissioner, ML Kaushik.

He said as many as 1,268 solar lanterns had also been distributed in the district to promote the use of renewable energy.

As another step towards promoting renewable energy, the authorities would distribute 724 solar “Shiksha Deep Lamps” to girls securing first positions in the V, VIII and X class of their respective schools.

Similar lamps, 416 in number, would be distributed to students belonging to scheduled castes, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Kaushik said besides the solar streetlights, the authorities have so far installed 14 solar water pumps, 680 solar home lighting systems, 90 box type solar cookers, 70 dish type solar cookers, 773 Shiksha Deeps, 708 LED Home Lights, 24 solar torches, 385 solar LED lanterns and one power plant by providing subsidy on these to the users.

Rohtak, December 31
The business of conducting ultrasound in an illegal manner is going on unabated despite the claims made by the Health Department that it is adopting measures to ensure the implementation of the PNDT Act, which prevents unauthorised use of such facility by the clinics and diagnostic centres. At least two machines found functional in an illegal manner have been sealed by the authorities on Thursday. Four such machines had been sealed in Jhajjar district recently.

Though the office of the Civil Surgeon maintains the list of the clinics or centres, which had been providing such facility in an authorised manner and each of such spot was required to submit form number - F especially when conducting ultrasound test on pregnant women, the accused diagnostic centre located at HUDA Complex here had not been submitting the above stated details to the office for the past six months. A team of officials, including the Deputy CMO and the Senior Drug Inspector, raided the premises and put the two ultrasound machines, accessories and the registration under the seal for the alleged violation of the Act. The centre had been issued a notice by the department earlier on December 21 but had failed to submit the required details to the office, it is claimed. Four ultrasound machines had been sealed by Health Department officials in Jhajjar district a few days back.

It was claimed that the centres or clinics where these had been installed had not been following the directions required to be observed and had been violating the provisions of the Act. It may be recalled that a district-level body under the headship of the CMO provides registration and permission to the clinics or diagnostic centres providing ultrasound facilities. The committee has been responsible for keeping a tab on the functioning of such centres and was expected to conduct raids to detect any malfunctioning or functioning of any machine in an illegal manner.

According to Dr Amarjit Rathi, Deputy CMO, actions against four centres in the district had been taken during this year, which include cancellation and suspension of the registration of the accused centres. He said a new surveillance system known, as silent observer device would soon be installed at all registered ultrasound machines in the district to keep a tab on the tests conducted by the centres. The sex ratio in district, which has been 804 in January last has gone up to 816 in November this year.

Rohtak, December 31
The security at some of the public places, including the railway station and the bus stand here, appears to be on God’s mercy. With no Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs) in place at important spots visited by a large number of persons daily, the security of the common man is at stake especially on the eve of the New Year when the security aspect assumed a special importance.

A visit to the local railway station, the bus stand and the mini-secretariat found the security apparatus missing. The DFMD at the railway station has been placed in a corner near a ticket counter, this apparatus was still to be installed at the mini-secretariat, the bus stand and the PGIMS, where a large number of people visit in connection with the routine services or work.

There has been no checking of passengers entering the railway station, claimed Sandeep a commuter who claimed that he had not seen the DFMD at the entry point for the past several weeks. May be it was used for special occasions, he added.

Kanwar Singh of the RPF claimed that the DFMD was in working condition but said it was installed on the special occasions especially when there was a security threat or during VIP visit. He admitted that it had been placed on side till the demand of the occasion. He said the overall security system at the railway station was well in place and there was no reason on any panic. The bus stand and the PGIMS thronged by hundreds of people at any given time has also no DFMD at present.