Chandigarh, March 15
Is it the end of the road for nearly 15,000 guest teachers in Haryana? For, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today turned down an application filed by the State of Haryana seeking six months’ extension for them.

The orders, by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia, were pronounced in the open court today.

The ruling comes just about 15 days before the expiring of deadline for the discontinuation of guest teachers.

The high court in March last year had ruled, “While it will be open to the State to extend the tenure of the guest teachers, at all levels, such extensions shall not be beyond March 31, 2012.

“In fact, on the expiry of the said date, the services of all the guest teachers shall be understood to have lapsed in terms of the present order and it will not be open for the State to continue any such guest teacher in service.”

The Bench had added, “There will be no further appointment of guest teachers during the next academic year starting from April 1, 2011, and the shortfall, if any, in the number of teachers will have to be met with by the State by undertaking a precise and accurate exercise of posting and re-posting of teachers according to the needs of each school….”

Going into the background of the issue, the high court had also observed, “To tide over the huge shortage of teachers, at different levels, in the schools of Haryana, a policy decision was taken by the State on December 17, 2005, for the appointment of guest teachers.

“In terms of the policy, appointments were to be made, at the first instance, from retired teachers who belong to the same village. Such guest teachers were to be allocated limited duties by specifying the number of classes that they would be required to hold. Remuneration was to be paid to them, on the basis of classes held, at specified rates for each class or lecture. Under the policy, the guest teachers were to continue till the end of academic year i.e. March 31, 2006….”

Sonepat, March 15
Important files pertaining to the no-objection certificates (NOCs) and other land records were destroyed in a fire that broke out under suspicious circumstances in the record room of the local municipal council today.

The fire was put out by the fire tender stationed within the council premises. However, the incident evoked sharp reactions from the BJP legislator, Kavita Jain, and a number of other municipal councillors, who alleged a conspiracy of the council’s employees and the land mafia behind the fire incident and the burning of the rcords.

Executive Officer of the Council Arvind Bishnoi said the incident would be probed by a committee of the councillors and council officers.

In a press statement, Jain alleged that the council’s senior employees, involved in land scams, had conspired to destroy the land record in the fire incident. The demand for regularisation of the unauthorised colonies had been lying pending for the past many years, she said, adding that the land mafia was interested in getting the vacant land near such colonies included in the colony area for regularisation.

Saying that in a similar incident of fire about three years ago, important records of the council were destroyed in the fire, Jain demanded a Vigilance inquiry into the incident. She threatened that if a Vigilance inquiry was not ordered, the BJP would be forced to start an agitation against the authorities and the state government.

According to the reported statement of the council authorities, the fire reportedly broke out due to short-circuit between 11 am to 11.30 am today. On the other hand, according to the Bijli Vitran Nigam officials, the power supply remained suspended from 10.35 am to 2.55 pm in the area.

Chandigarh, March 15
A latest data from the Census 2011 of Haryana, released by the Registrar General of India recently, presents a study in contrast. While about 83 per cent of the population has access to radio/TV and 79 per cent to telephone, including mobile phones, just 69 per cent of the total households have access to basic civic amenity as a toilet.

In a virtual slap on the face of the Hooda government, which claims from the rooftops that Haryana was marching ahead on the development front, the houselisting data showed that out of the 47.18 lakh households only about 69 per cent had toilets within the premises. While nearly 30 per cent people defecated in the open, about one per cent households depend on public toilets.

In contrast, 83 per cent of the households have TVs and radios, including 68 per cent having TVs. In a clear indicator to the mobile revolution, nearly 67 per cent of the households have a mobile connection with 4.5 per cent having a landline connection and eight per cent households having both connections. About 13 per cent of the population has computer/laptop with eight per cent having it without the Internet and rest with the Internet.

Regarding the availability of the drinking water facility, 12 per cent of the households still have to fetch water from faraway places. While over 65 per cent households had the drinking water facility inside their premises, 21 per cent households have it near their premises.

As far as the source of lighting was concerned, around 90 per cent of the households were lighted through electricity. While primitive kerosene still lighted eight per cent of the households, there are still about 0.5 per cent of the households that have no source of lighting.

Chandigarh, March 15
To check the menace of female foeticide in Haryana, the state government has launched a tracking system in Sirsa district on a pilot basis.

All 45 ultrasound centres would be equipped with the tracking system in Sirsa and a control room would be set up at a cost of Rs 10 lakh to monitor this system so as to check the killing of girl child, a spokesperson said.

Earlier, the system was also adopted in Jhajjar district. "The system was first introduced in Kolhapur in Maharashtra and was thereafter successfully adopted in Jhajjar district," a spokesman of the Sirsa district administration said.

The tracking system would maintain a record of the ultrasound centres in addition to the health reports of pregnant women. Owners of the ultrasound centres would have to get the tracking system installed within one month, he said. The system would facilitate the team concerned of the district administration in keeping an eye on the ultrasound centres.

The control of the tracking system would be set up in the office of the Chief Medical Officer. The step was taken in Jhajjar after the last census figures (2010) showed the district to be having the worst sex ratio in the country. — PTI

Yamunanagar, March 15
The bodies of Amit and Rajbir Rana, students of ITI, Sadhora, were found on rail tracks this morning near Jhaad Chandan village in Yamunanagar district.

The deceased were residents of Shivpuri Colony, Yamunanagar. While the police suspects suicide, the deceased’s relatives are alleging foul play. However, no suicide note was recovered from the site.

Some passersby, who noticed the bodies, informed the police. A team of the Railway Police rushed there. The police identified the bodies from the deceased’s identity cards. Later, relatives of the deceased confirmed their identity.

Amit and Rajbir had gone somewhere on a motorbike on Wednesday.While their bodies were found on the rail tracks, the motorbike was found lying 1 km away.

Amit’s brother, Jagdev Sharma, said his brother was quite bold and he could not commit suicide. He demanded an inquiry into the matter.

Rajbir Rana’s father, who is employed in the Delhi police, reached here this evening.

The postmortem of the bodies could not be conducted today. Hospital sources said this would now be conducted tomorrow. Harnaik Singh of GRP, Jagadhari, said it seemed to be a case of suicide but if the deceased’parents suspected any foul play, the police would investigate the case from that angle as well. 

Hisar, March 15
Farmers thronging the HAU kisan mela here were greatly disappointed to find that the university had not put guar seed on sale.

The demand for guar seed has skyrocketed this year because of a spurt in the prices of guar during the past year. While guar cost Rs 1,600 a quintal last year, the prevailing price is Rs 23,000 per quintal.

Because of the spurt in prices, farmers are keen to sow guar. But the seed is not available in the market. Gaje Singh, a farmer from Rajasthan, said he had come to the HAU mela hoping that he would be able to find guar seed. “My queries were not entertained by varsity officials”, he added.

Guar is used to extract gum which is exported globally. Guar gum is used in food, cosmetic, dyeing and natural gas industries.

University officials said today that guar seed was undergoing tests in laboratories. It would be sold to farmers after the tests were complete. He said it would be given in limited quantities.

Meanwhile, the two-day mela concluded today. Over 23,000 farmers from Haryana and the adjoining states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and UP thronged the mela and acquainted themselves with the latest techniques of farming.

Dr JS Dhankhar, Director of Extension Education and vonvener of the mela, said farmers purchased certified seeds of various kharif crops like cotton, bajra, pulses and vegetables as well as fruit saplings worth Rs 21 lakh during the mela. A seed sale counter was set up at the mela venue by the university in collaboration with various government seed agencies, including the Haryana Seed Development Corporation, the National Seed Corporation and the Central State Farm. He said that farm literature worth Rs 75,000 and biofertilizers worth Rs 15,000 were also sold in the mela.

Dr Dhankhar said farmers who visited the mela were taken on guided visits to the research farm of the university and shown bumper crops. They were also given demonstrations of the technology applied by the varsity in raising these crops.

The unprecedented change in the fortunes of the humble guar crop has, in turn, changed the financial fortunes of at least two guar gum manufacturers and exporters in the area. Since they had a stock of about one lakh quintals, they turned billionaires after the guar prices began skyrocketing a few months ago These guar gum pioneers in the area are now set to turn builders.

Karnal, March 15
District health officials and policemen raided a nursing home in the local Prem Nagar area last night and registered a case against Dr Kamlesh and the nursing home under the MTP Act, 1971, on a written complaint of Dr Shiv Kumar, Civil Surgeon.

On a tip-off that abortions were being done at Khullar Nursing Home, a team of doctors and other officials raided the nursing home and found two women, who aborted illegally under medication. Preliminary investigations revealed that the ultrasound test was conducted somewhere else.

The team seized the register in which the patients’ consent for abortion was recorded and found that the said BMS doctor had allegedly handled 157 MTP cases during the past two years.

The team also seized the medical instruments and two OPD slips. Dr Kamlesh said, “The two patients came to the clinic for abortion on their own and we did not conduct any ultrasound test.”

The patients, who went in for MTP, were identified as Rani Devi, wife of Jagdeep, a resident of Karnal, and Chanda, wife of Munish, a resident of Nangloi, Delhi.

CMO Shiv Kumar said the hospital was carrying on illegal practices for the past seven years. The clinic was not registered for performing MTP, he added.

Chandigarh, March 15
A high drama prevailed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as a father seeking the release of his two children continued to disturb the court proceedings.

Taking cognizance of his repeated refusal to be seated during the proceedings, the high court initiated contempt proceedings against him. Describing action as “contemptuous”, the high court directed the issuance of notice to him for explaining why contempt proceedings not be initiated against him.

Taking up a habeas corpus petition filed by Jaswant Singh of Fatehabad against the state of Haryana and other respondents for the release of his two children, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The petitioner has been told to remain seated. Defying the directions issued by the court, he again stood up and wanted to make submissions.”

Fixing March 30 as the next date of hearing, Justice Ranjit Singh added: “He was apprised to take his seat so long his counsel is arguing the matter. Rather, he starts making allegations that he is not being given justice and wants to make submission. This is contemptuous in nature.”

The boy is currently staying at the State Aftercare Home at Sonepat, while the daughter is staying with her mother. The directions came soon after the petitioner was put on notice by the high court on the issue of making arrangements for upbringing the children.

The Justice on the previous date of hearing, had observed in his order that both children, present in the court, have categorically stated that they wanted to stay with their mother. “They have also disclosed that the father used to beat them and thus, they are not willing to go and live with their father”.

He had also observed: “The mother is finding it difficult to maintain both children with meager resources. For the welfare of the children, some arrangement may have to be worked out.”

Faridabad, March 15
The two-day “job fair” organised here by the government ended today with 876 job seekers from various parts of the state finding on-the-spot placements with industrial firms after interviews.

Official sources said more firms took part on the concluding day of the fair, their number going up to 69. The combined vacancies for various posts listed by the participating firms, for which they conducted interviews, was 3,126.

Also, the rush of job seekers increased on the second day. As many as 23,000 applicants registered themselves during the fair for various posts. A functionary of the ITI (NIT-5), which hosted the event on its campus, said other than those who got placements, 300 applicants were short-listed by various firms for further tests.

Sheela Yadav, divisional employment officer (Gurgaon), said the fair was a success. The authorities today decided to hold another fair sometime in August.

Karnal, March 15
Three persons were arrested today in connection with the murder of Arvind (31) on the occasion of Holi. Arvind had succumbed to his injuries on his way to the PGI, Chandigarh, after being attacked in Sector 36 here by three assailants.

Among the accused are Sunny Kumar of Pundri in Kaithal, putting up in Kanika Vihar here.

A knife used in the crime had also been recovered.

The deceased, a resident of Pandri village in UP, was working as a labourer.

A case has beeen registered against unidentified persons under Sections 302 and 34 of the IPC. 

Karnal, March 15
Two persons are feared to have been washed away after their Alto car plunged into Awardhan Canal, near Madhuban, this morning.

Sources said the car carrying five persons was on its way from Gurgaon to Karnal when it hit a truck and fell into the canal. Some eyewitness jumped into the canal and saved three of the five persons. However, the other two persons could not be rescued and feared to have been washed away.

Search operations are in full swing to locate the missing persons. — TNS