New Delhi, January 11
Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan today sought details from officials of her ministry after it was advised by the Central Vigilance Commission to launch a CBI probe against politicians and bureaucrats in Haryana, allegedly involved in a multi-crore forest scam.

Sources said the officials have been asked to brief the minister about the communication of the CVC and its advice to the ministry to ask the Haryana government to file an FIR after which the case could be transferred to the CBI.

In response to the CVC query following a request by the Environment Ministry, the CBI had conveyed its opinion to the CVC saying that the scam could be probed as the investigative agency has found the charges "worthy" of an independent probe.

The ministry had referred the matter to the CVC after an in-house inquiry found merit in allegations levelled by IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi that there was corruption in the setting up of a herbal park on private land of a legislator under pressure from a state Cabinet minister.

He also alleged financial irregularities like siphoning off of funds to the tune of crores of rupees in plantation at the park in 2007 and 2008.

The Haryana-cadre IFS officer was frequently transferred and suspended for exposing the scam and he complained of harassment to President Pratibha Patil, who referred the complaint to the Cabinet Secretariat.

Acting on the directions of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Environment Ministry in 2010 constituted a two-member panel headed by Inspector General of Forests A K Srivastava which confirmed the harassment of Chaturvedi and recommended quashing of the chargesheet and referring the matter immediately to the CBI for impartial investigation.

The chargesheet was quashed by the President on January 19. Haryana had rejected the findings of the inquiry panel and asked the Union Ministry to have a fresh look at the case. The Centre had rejected the demand. — PTI

Jhajjar, January 11
Demanding police action against the guilty officials of the Power Department besides compensation of Rs 25 lakh along with a government job to the next kin of 25-year-old-youth, Surender, who was electrocuted to death yesterday, a large number of residents of Khanpur village blocked the Matanhale-Bahujhollari road here today for over 11 hours.

Though the district administrative officials tried to persuade protesters to lift the blockade by assuring that adequate compensation would be awarded to the next kin of the deceased but the protesters did not relent. They wanted Jhajjar Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi to take a firm decision over their demands after listening them carefully. The blocakade continued till the filling of this news as the DC could not reach the spot late evening whereas a large number of police personnel were deputed on the spot to prevent any untoward incident.

The Jhajjar SDM along with the Power Department officials and the police rushed to the spot and urged the protesters to lift the blockade but to no avail.

Commuters had to face a tough time as their vehicles got stuck in serpentine queues. The long queues can be seen both sides of the road due to the blockade.

The protesters said action should be taken against those Power Department officials responsible for the death of Surender, who ordered to restore the power supply while Surender had not finished his work of rectifing an electric fault in the transformer.

Surender was working as a lineman with the Power Department on the DC rates. He had climbed on an electricity pole for rectifying a fault developed in a transformer at Khanpur village. Surender fell on the ground from the pole after being electrocuted due to restoration of power supply in the lines suddenly. He reportedly died after sometime.

Meanwhile, the DC said maximum compensation as per the government policies would be awarded to the next kin of the deceased. Besides, a temporary job would also be given to the kin of the deceased as per qualification, he added.

Chandigarh, January 11
Notwithstanding the setback in the Ratia Assembly byelection, in which its candidate finished third, the BJP is going ahead with its alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) of Kuldeep Bishnoi.

The two parties will hold a one-day meeting of their coordination committee here on January 24 to find out ways and measures to strengthen the alliance further. The meeting will also chalk out a strategy to raise public issues and highlight the failures of the Hooda government.

The coordination committee of the two parties has 10 members, five from each party. While the HJC group is led by former MP Dharam Pal Malik, that of the BJP will be led by veteran leader Ram Bilas Sharma. The decision to make Sharma convener of the BJP group in the coordination committee was taken at a two-day meeting of the state executive committee held in Jind from January 7. The other members in the BJP group include Anil Vij, Leader of the BJP legislature party, and former minister Ganeshi Lal.

The Chandigarh meeting will also be attended by Krishan Pal Gurjar and Bishnoi, presidents of the Haryana BJP and the HJC, respectively. National Secretary of the BJP in charge of Haryana affairs Harsh Vardhan will also be present in the meeting. Both parties have asked presidents of their district units also to attend the meeting so that there is greater coordination between the two parties at the grassroots level also.

The elevation of Ram Bilas Sharma as the convener of the BJP group in the coordination committee is being viewed among party circles as a sort of rehabilitation of the veteran leader. Sharma is, no doubt, the tallest Brahmin leader in the party, both literally as well as figuratively. Perhaps it is for the first time that he has been given such a responsibility after he ceased to be president of the Haryana BJP in the nineties.

One reason behind Sharma’s elevation as the convener of the BJP group in the coordination committee can be that, given his stature and seniority, he can negotiate better with the HJC.

Karnal, January 11
Lying low after crushing defeat in the SGPC elections in September last year, leaders of both factions of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) have decided to campaign for the Punjab Assembly elections and oppose candidates of the SAD-BJP combine.

“SAD has been opposing the demand of the separate Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Haryana and now its the time to pay back by working for defeat of the SAD candidates,” leaders of rival factions said.

A meeting of the executive committee of the rival factions of the HSGPC (ad hoc) headed by Didar Singh Nalvi today unanimously decided to oppose the SAD candidates and resolved that the party leaders would start a campaign from Patiala, Rajpura and Samana in the first phase after January 16 and take a tactical stand to support candidates capable of defeating the SAD candidates.

Replying to a question, Nalvi said it was true that none of the parties in the fray in Punjab had supported their demand and he considered SAD as main culprit for obstructing formation of the separate SGPC in Haryana.

Jagdish Singh Jhinda, president of HSGPC (Jhinda faction), has also taken a similar stand and decided to ensure defeat of the SAD candidates. Jhinda said SAD had always opposed their demand and its ministers campaigned in Haryana during the SGPC elections and we firmly believe that the defeat of SAD would weaken the control of Akalis on the SGPC.

Sirsa, January 11
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that a Congress government in Punjab after the January 30 poll was a foregone conclusion as a wave in favour of the Congress had begun across the country.

Addressing party workers at Congress Bhawan here today, Hooda claimed that the victory of the party in Ratia in the last bypoll had shown the way for Congress victory in Punjab in particular and the five states going to the polls in general.

Hooda claimed that all areas of Haryana had witnessed unprecedented development during the past seven years of his government.

Hooda claimed that the Congress would not only form the next government in Haryana but also win in all five states in the coming elections.

Exhorting Congress workers to work for the victory of party candidates in neighbouring Punjab, Hooda said that hard work of Sirsa workers had paid dividends in the Ratia byelection too.

The Congress workers presented a sword and a mace to Hooda on this occasion.

Sirsa, January 11
After former Haryana minister Jagdish Nehra’s diatribes against the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government for “lopsided development” and “neglect of old and loyal Congress workers”, several Congress leaders of Sirsa have rallied behind the Chief Minister.

Without naming Nehra, the District Congress president, Malkiat Singh Khosa, said certain disgruntled leaders, who could not be accommodated by the government, have been levelling baseless allegations against Hooda.

Khosa was with Nehra during his tour of Mallekan, Poharka, Khari Surera, Meethi Surera and Kishanpura villages of Ellenabad Assembly seat today for motivating Congress workers for the Punjab poll.

While Nehra eulogised the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for bringing in schemes like MNREGA and Food Security Bills, which have directly benefited the poor, he maintained silence on the performance of the Haryana Government.

Khosa, however, lauded the Hooda government for setting new records of development all over the state.

Gobind Kanda, an executive member of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, maintained that Nehra’s allegations of “lopsided development” against Hooda were unfounded, as Sirsa, he said, had witnessed unprecedented development during the present regime.

Suresh Mehta, a former president of the District Bar Association, and Kuldeep Gadrana, a former chairman of the Block Samiti, also dismissed the allegations of a “regional bias” in the matter of development and “neglect of workers”.

“Some elements in the Congress, who were active for long, were silenced by the Congress victory at Ratia. But now, they are again trying to raise their heads again,” Mehta and Gandrana said.

Kaithal, January 11
Abhey Singh Chautala, Ellanabad MLA, has predicted that the Congress would face a massive defeat in the five states going to the polls in the coming weeks.

Addressing a press conference here late last evening, he said people should remain ready for a mid-term Lok Sabha poll. He said the ruling party at the Centre would face the electorate amidst grave charges of corruption against some of its leaders. Moreover, inflation had become a national issue and the people wanted to teach the Congress a lesson.

Abhey said the UPA was on the verge of disintegration as there was every possibility of some of its constituents deserting the coalition shortly. "The Manmohan Singh Government would not stay long enough to present this year's Union Budget," he predicted.

The INLD leader said that the Congress was on its way out in Haryana too. "Look at the contradictory statements being made by leaders like Rao Inderjit Singh, Jagdish Nehra, Kiran Chaudhary and Selja to see where the Congress stands today," he said.

He said the INLD would canvass for the Akali Dal in Punjab areas bordering Haryana in the forthcoming assembly elections in the neighbouring state.

Fatehabad, January 11
The 325-day-old dharna by residents of Ekta Colony ended today after the authorities released their houses from the land acquired for a sector of the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

Ashok Garg, ADC, visited the dharna site today and offered ladoos to the agitators, announcing the release of their land.

As many as 18 poor families from Ekta Colony had been sitting in dharna outside the Mini Secretariat since February last year to save their houses from acquisition.

They had been maintaining that while HUDA had released constructions belonging to rich and influential persons from the acquisition, their constructed houses had been included for acquisition for carving out a sector.

Chandigarh, January 11
Coming to the rescue of agriculturists, whose land was acquired for development of a residential and commercial area in Karnal, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed HUDA to consider the oustees’ pleas after advertising plots in Sector 32 and 33.

A Division Bench also set a six-month deadline for HUDA to complete the exercise of advertising the plots.

more than 25 petitions were filed before the high court on the issue by Karnal-based agriculturists.

Taking up the petitions, the Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and AN Jindal asserted: “The petitioners are the erstwhile landowners, whose land was acquired by HUDA for development of a residential and commercial area in Sectors 32 and 33, Urban Estate, Karnal.”

“The petitioners claim that they are entitled to residential plots being oustees consequent upon the acquisition of their land. Counsel for the respondents does not dispute the right of the agriculturists, such as the petitioners, whose land has been acquired for the purpose of development of an urban area, for allotment of plots in terms of the policies formulated by HUDA.

“Counsel for the respondents has placed on record a communication dated January 4, received from the Chief Administrator, HUDA. He states that within six months, HUDA shall advertise plots in Sector 32 and Sector 33, Karnal, including those for the oustees.

“The petitioners can submit their applications in response to the advertisement to be issued and such applications shall be considered in accordance with law”.

Taking on record the assertion, the Bench added: In view of the statement, we dispose of the present writ petitions with a direction to the respondents to advertise the plots, including plots for the oustees, in Sector 32 and 33, Karnal, within six months, not later than July 31, 2012”.

Before parting with the orders, the Bench added: “The respondents shall consider the applications of the oustees as per their entitlement and eligibility in accordance with law”.

Chandigarh, January 11
The Haryana Government has transferred two IAS and one HCS officers with immediate effect.

Pradeep Kasni, Joint Secretary, Health, has been posted as OSD, Planning Board, against a vacant post. Vikas Yadav, MD, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation, has been given additional charge as Deputy Secretary, Health.

Ashok Kumar Bishnoi, Joint Director, HIPA, Gurgaon, has been made ADC-cum-Chief Executive Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Sonepat, vice Pushpender Singh, whose posting orders will be issued later.

Sirsa, January 11
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Om Prakash Chautala were among prominent persons to pay homage to Baba Pritam Singh at his bhog ceremony held at Gurdwara Chilla Sahib here today.

Baba Pritam Singh, better known as Kar Sewawale Baba in the area, died at the age of 92 on January 2.

Among others who attended the bhog ceremony were Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar, ministers Harmohinder Singh Chatha and Gopal Kanda, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera, former minister Ranjit Singh, Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Balwinder Singh Bhunder, president of the SAD youth wing in Delhi Manjinder Singh Sirsa and several others.

Baba Pritam Singh, had performed kar sewa in a number of gurdwaras and educational institutions in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Speaking on this occasion, Hooda said the state government had already named the road going from Sirsa towards Rania after Guru Gobind Singh as the 10th Sikh Guru had used this route for his journey towards Nander. Kanda announced a donation of Rs 11 lakh for the construction of a gate in memory of Baba Pritam Singh in the gurdwara.

Fatehabad, January 11
Two young lovers from Haroli village, near Ratia, ended their lives by consuming celphos tablets on the banks of the Ghaggar river in Kanwalgarh village last night. The police recovered their bodies early this morning.

Malka and Amandeep Kaur had been in love for the past few years and wanted to marry each other.

However, the victims’ families were against their marriage.

Amandeep Kaur’s family took her away to her maternal uncle’s home in Kanwalgarh to marry her off to another boy on January 19.

However, Amandeep called Malka to Kanwalgarh and the two eloped last evening.

The police said proceedings under section 174, CrPC, had been completed since it was a case of suicide.

Hisar, January 11
A team of officers of the Drug Controller’s office raided several chemist shops and wholesale chemists in the city and sealed seven establishments on detection of irregularities.

An official spokesman said here today that the team collected samples of drugs from nine firms and sent these for chemical examination. These included antibiotics, analgesics and drugs claiming to provide nutrition.

He said irregularities were detected in the maintenance of record of purchase and sale of drugs in several cases. Those sealed included two chemist shops run inside nursing homes and five wholesale chemists.

Kaithal, January 11
The district police has busted an inter-state gang of criminals who used to steal coils from electric transformers.

The police has also recovered bundles of stolen coils and seized other equipments used in the crime from the accused who were produced in a court today, which sent them in police remand till January 18 for further investigation.

DSP Nripjit Singh said a police party got a tip-off that four youths who had stolen copper coils from transformers in the Pundri area were going towards Karnal in a vehicle with stolen articles. The alert police team stopped a Santro car at “T” point near Rasina village on Tuesday night. Four persons sitting in the vehicle when questioned were found hesitant to reveal their identity. The police searched the car and found 12 bundles of wire weighing 167 kg.

Faridabad, January 11
A constable, Om Prakash (51), committed suicide last night at the Sports Complex in Sector 12.

His body was found hanging by a rope with a ladder at the Sports Complex this morning. He had apparently strangulated himself to death.

Kuldip Singh, ACP, Central, said the deceased was mentally disturbed.

The police rushed at the spot this morning after being informed about the incident.

A native of Sonepat district, Om Prakash was posted in guard duties at the Sports Complex.

Jhajjar, January 11
A man was killed and four persons were injured in a head-on collision between a motorcycle and a jeep near Bahujhholari village here today. The deceased has been identified as Rambeer of Nausava village.

The incident took place this morning when Rambeer was going to the Jharli thermal plant on his motorcycle from Nausava village. As he reached near a petrol pump adjacent to Bahujhholari village, a jeep coming from the opposite direction hit the motorcycle. Rambeer got injured seriously while four other occupants of the jeep sustained injuries as the jeep overturned on the road due to the collision.