Gurgaon, January 25
A local residents’ association has alleged that wrongful acquisition of land by HUDA authorities for the construction of roads in new sectors of Gurgaon had resulted in losses of Rs 8,000 crore to state exchequer and farmers.

Addressing a press conference here, representatives of the Gurgaon Citizens Council maintained that the HUDA authorities had acquired land for the construction of roads in the new sectors being developed by private builders.

In a letter written to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the council has maintained that over the past few years, the HUDA authorities had acquired land under the Haryana Urban Development Act, 1977, for the construction of sector roads in the new sectors of Gurgaon being developed by private builders in the licenced areas.

The communiqué points out that ever since the private builders began developing real estate in Gurgaon since 1970s, it has been an established principle that these private builders acquire land directly under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, and then handover land free of cost to HUDA, along with the external development charges (EDC) collected from property buyers, under Section 19(c) of the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963. This is how Sectors 1 to 57 have been developed in these decades. “We are now shocked to learn that in the new Sectors 58 to 115, for which licences have been given to private builders, the HUDA authorities acquired land directly from farmers, and has been constructing sector roads on it,” said the council office-bearers.

They said it not only absolved the private builders from their responsibility of acquiring land directly and then handing it over free of cost to HUDA along with the EDC, but also sabotaged the interests of the farmers who had got much lower prices from HUDA than what they would have got from private builders. “While the private builders had benefited from HUDA move, the exchequer, farmers and the property buyers had been at the receiving end,” the councilmen asserted, adding that the move had caused losses to the tune of ` 8,000 crore to the state exchequer and farmers.

GCC president RS Rathee said they had been pointing out serious flaws in Gurgaon-Manesar Masterplan-2021, which, he said, was in favour of real estate developers and builders. “We sent representations dated March 14, 2006; May 15, 2006; May 29, 2006; July 14, 2006; July 31, 2006; February 11, 2007; and July 26, 2010, expressing our concerns in this regard,” he maintained.

The council has urged the Chief Minister to order a thorough inquiry into the entire matter to fix responsibility and punish the guilty. Dr Praveen Kumar, Gurgaon HUDA Administrator, could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts.

Sirsa, January 25
The Dera Sacha Sauda has established four new world records during a health camp on heart diseases organised here from January 23 to January 24.

By virtue of these records, the dera’s name has been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records. Jack Brookbank, adjudicator of the Guinness Book of World Records handed over the certificates to this effect to Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh during the annual ‘bhandara’ of the dera to mark the birth anniversary of its second Guru, Shah Satnam Singh last night.

“Records were established by conducting echocardiography tests on 525 patients in 12 hours, checking blood pressure of 14,910 patients in 24 hours, performing diabetes tests on 6,562 patients in 24 hours and testing cholesterol level of 6,562 patients in 24 hours,” said Pawan Insan, a dera spokesperson.

While the first two records were set up on January 23, the second two were set up on January 24, said Insan. Prior to this, there was no world record for echocardiography tests, 7,607 blood pressure tests in 24 hours, 1,220 diabetes tests in 24 hours and 747 cholesterol tests in 24 hours. The spokesperson claimed that with these four records, 10 world records have been marked in the name of the Dera.

Gurgaon, January 25
The voices of protest against the two toll plazas in Gurgaon are getting louder. Local residents as well as commuters have been suffering grave inconvenience due to the nagging traffic jams at the toll plazas and ever-increasing toll.

After holding a series of demonstrations to seek removal of the toll plazas, the “Toll Hatao Sangharsh Samiti” formed by representatives of various bodies of local residents has now decided to remove the toll plazas themselves.

RS Rathee, convener of the samiti, said here today that as per the statutory provisions, there should be at least 60-km distance between two toll plazas whereas the Delhi-Gurgaon Toll Plaza and the Kherki Daula Toll Plaza within Gurgaon city did not meet this norm.

“Apart from this, there should be no toll plaza within the municipal limits of a municipal corporation. Then, the agreement with the concessionaire also states that if more than 1,70,000 passenger cars pass a toll plaza, it should be removed within six months. But these norms are also being flouted ,” he maintained.

Rathee asserted that the concessionaire had also got three other Gurgaon roads leading to Delhi in order to force all commuters to pass through the toll plaza.

Gurgaon DCP(Traffic) Bharti Arora admitted that the commuters had to face inconvenience due to inefficient management of the toll plazas.

She said three options -- having staggered toll-collection points, mobile ticketing service and double toll windows-- had been given to the concessionaire operating the toll plazas.

On being questioned about the concessionaire claiming monetary compensation for letting traffic pass without paying the toll on certain dates, the DCP maintained that it had been done in the larger public interest.

In view of the threat by the Toll Hatao Sangharsh Samiti of removing both toll plazas in Gurgaon on January 29, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has convened a meeting of all parties concerned for January 27.

Hisar, January 25
The administration has directed all schools in the district to get roadworthiness certificates for all buses used to ferry students by February 15 lest these should be impounded.

The directive said the school buses must comply with the 15 conditions prescribed by the apex court for such vehicles. It added that many schools had hired vehicles for transporting students but these vehicles did not fulfil the criteria prescribed for school buses. Such vehicles would not be allowed to ply. Meanwhile, the administration has also prescribed norms for auto-rickshaws carrying schoolchildren. The auto-rickshaws with 3+1 configuration will be allowed to carry five children only. Those with 6+1 configuration will be allowed to carry up to 10 students .

Faridabad: The district administration on Wednesday threatened the managements of private schools with strict action if they failed to ensure safety norms in buses used in transportation of children. Jeetender Dahiya, Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Faridabad, said the 15 safety guidelines mandated by the Supreme Court had already been made known to all schools. As many as 38 buses had already been challaned for violating the rules.

Sirsa, January 25
The liquor vends and hotels, restaurants, clubs and other establishments selling or serving liquor and situated within 3 km of the Punjab border shall not sell or serve liquor from January 28 to January 30 and then again on March 6.

The step has been taken in view of the general elections in Punjab on January 30 and counting of votes on March 6.

NK Ranga, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, said as per the orders of the Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Haryana, all liquor vends situated in Haryana within 3 km of the Punjab boundary would remain closed on these days.

Chandigarh, January 25
Lakshyadeep of Rewari district and Paramjeet of Narnaul district would be honoured with bravery awards by Governor Jagannath Pahadia at the state-level Republic Day function to be organized at Ambala tomorrow.

An official spokesman said here today that others who would be awarded included Commandant of Army Hospital, Ambala Cantt.

Painter Amit Kumar in the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police would be awarded for meritorious services and SSO Dinesh Kumar Dalal, SI Ajaib Singh, Assistant Superintendent Krishan, Mohanjeet, constables Suresh Pal, Raghubir Singh and Jasbir Singh, Jagdish Kumar, Vikram Singh, Satbir Singh, Deepak Kumar and Charanjeet would be awarded for disposal of explosives planted by terrorists at Ambala Cantt.

Meanwhile, 10 police personnel of Haryana, including one posthumously, are recipients of the Police Medal for Gallantry, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and Police Medal for Meritorious Service on the occasion of Republic Day.

Those who have been awarded the Police Medal for Gallantry are ASI Mahal Singh and constable Suresh Kumar (posthumously).

ADGP(CID) Surjeet Singh Deswal has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.

The seven recipients of the Police Medal for Meritorious Service are Mohinder Singh Mann, ADGP, HR and Litigation, Panchkula ; Sat Parkash Ranga, DIG, Madhuban; Sajjan Kumar, DSP, State Vigilance Bureau, Rohtak; Maha Singh, SHO(City), Dabwali ; Anil Kumar, Sub- Inspector IT Cell, Police Headquarters ; Jai Bhagwan, ASI (ORP), Rohtak, and Jitender Singh, ASI (ORP), CID.

Rohtak, January 25
The authorities have hit upon the idea of taking out a parade of tableaux displaying achievements and various social welfare schemes in the city on the Republic Day tomorrow. The main parade will be held at the Police Lines ground. This will be the first time that tableaux will be parading on the main roads on pattern of such a display done in the national capital on this day.

Announcing this a senior district official said there would be around 16 tableaux of various departments, these tableaux would start their parade from the All-India Radio building and would culiminate at Ambedkar Chowk.

FARIDABAD: The Deputy Commissioner and the Police Commissioner inspected the Sports Stadium where a Republic Day parade will be held. Meanwhile, the police said security arrangements had already been put in place. No trucks would be allowed to enter Delhi from Faridabad on Wednesday. Also, they would not be allowed to enter this city from Palwal.

Jind, January 25
Two schoolgirls’ death in an accident on January 19 seems to have caught the police on the wrong foot. The alleged inaction of the police to conduct a probe to the satisfaction of the victims’ kin has made political and social organisations join the protest, seeking a fair probe into the allegation regarding the role of two youths in the accident.

Leaders and activists of various political parties have condemned the alleged failure of the police to resolve the matter and to arrest the culprits named by the deceased’s family members .

INLD leaders, including former MLA Surajbhan Kajal and leader of the INLD youth wing Pradip Gill met police officials on Monday to seek registration of a case and arrest of the two youths, who had allegedly misbehaved with the girls, leading to the accident.

Gill, who is also a maternal uncle of one of the victims, alleged the police had been trying to shield the culprits as one of the them was a serving police official’s son. He asked if the youths who had been riding side by side of the girls had not been responsible why they fled the spot after the accident.

Savita, state secretary of the Akhil Bhartiya Janwadi Mahila Samiti, met the Deputy Commissioner here today and submitted a memorandum seeking arrest of the accused youths. She claimed that the incident had led to a panic among girls who moved on two wheelers in the city. Minakshi Lekhi, national vice-president of the BJP women’s cell, also demanded action against the youths .

Sukhbir Farmana, a former MLA, has also condemned the police for not arresting the accused named by the girls’ kin.