Chandigarh, April 14
For decades, around 4,000 residents of 776 households in the backward Morni hills of the Shivalik region have been living in darkness. However, an ambitious scheme of the Central Government and the the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) has lighted up these households through solar lighting.

Under the ambitious scheme of the Ministry of New Renewable Energy (MNRE) for the electrification of un-electrified hamlets with renewable energy technologies, 286 hamlets in the Morni region of the state have been electrified, official sources informed.

Since electrification with the conventional grid electricity is not technically and economically feasible due to the hilly terrain and a fewer number of houses in each hamlet, the solar energy seems to be the best bet for these scattered tiny villages. All these tiny villages have scattered households numbering over a dozen with a few people living in them.

The sources said the ministry had provided financial assistance at the rate of 90 per cent of the benchmark cost of the project with the remaining cost borne by the nodal agency concerned and village panchayats. From March 2005 to February 2012, an amount of Rs 1.93 crore has been received as central financial assistance for electrifying these un-electrified hamlets, the sources said.

Under the scheme, while the hamlet is provided with four solar photovoltaic (SPV) lighting system, the individual households are provided with three light points of 11 watt CFL and a fan.

“In the absence of electricity, we faced numerous problems in the past. However, the solar lighting is proving to be a boon for us as it is affordable,” says Ram Kumar, a resident of Dhani Dudhla.

Vijay Bansal, Chairman of the Shivalik Vikas Manch, an organisation fighting for the rights of the residents of the Shivalik region, urged the Haryana Government to electricity the remaining hamlets with a view to provide basic amenities to the residents. A special package for the Shivalik region is the need of the hour to bring this backward region on a par with other areas of the state, he said.

Jind, April 14
The Narwana-Jind-Rohtak highway will soon be widened to make it four- laned from the border with Punjab up to Rohtak town. The project will cost around Rs 750 crore and open new vistas of development in the region which is otherwise considered one of the backward regions of the state in the matter of overall progress.

This was stated by Deepender Singh Hooda, MP from Rohtak, while addressing a public meeting at Narwana town in the district to mark the Ambedkar Jayanti today.

Talking about development of infrastructure, including wide and smooth roads as engines of speedy growth of all sectors, he said the work on the widening of the highway was likely to be started from August 1 and it was likely to be over within the next 24 to 30 months. The work of widening would start right from Data Singhwala village near the border with Punjab and would go up to Rohtak, from where the road up to Delhi was already about to be converted to six lanes. The total length of this project would be around 120 km. The traveling time to the national capital from Narwana was likely to be reduced considerably and it would not only help in the movement of the people but also in the transportation of industrial and agricultural produce to far-off areas, resulting in fuelling the growth in this region.

He said while several new schemes and projects were likely to be started in the district in near future, bypasses would be constructed for Jind, Julana and Lakhanmajra towns to provide easy access and decongest the traffic movement in these towns. He said Jind would also be connected with Gohana with a rail line and the state government would be bearing half of the cost of the project.

Deepender Singh said the state government would take measures to develop a HUDA sector in Narwana and would upgrade all government schools in this subdivision. Earlier describing Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar as an icon in the constitutional history of the nation, he said the foundation laid for the democratic set up in the country could well be attributed to him and it was due to the work and efforts of such leaders that the country had one of the largest and best democratic framework in the world. He asked the people to emulate the thinking of leaders like Dr Ambedkar. The MP from Sirsa, Ashok Tanwar, also addressed the meeting.

Jhajjar, April 14
In a broad daylight incident, a youth (23) was gunned down by a group of assailants in wheat fields near Sector 9 at Bahadurgarh town, located on the border of Delhi and Haryana here today. The deceased has been identified as Dinesh, alias Gabshu, of Mandhothi village here and he was an accused in a murder case.

Old enmity is believed to be the reason behind the killing while the Bahadurgarh police has started an investigation after registering a case of murder against two youths — Vikas of Lagarpur village and Dheerpal of Redhuvaas village here — on the complaint of the deceased’s father, Ramdhan.

The incident took place about 8 am, when Dinesh along with a girl was going in a Santro car. The girl was driving the car while Dinesh was sitting beside her. As they reached near Sector 9 turn, a group of assailants opened fire on them from another car that was chasing them, said the police.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, Dinesh ran towards the nearby fields to protect his life after disembarking from the car. The assailants also got down from their vehicle and caught hold of Dinesh after chasing him, said the police.

Thereafter, the assailants reportedly fired several rounds on Dinesh who died instantly. While the assailants sped away in the same car without threatening and hurting the girl who was watching the murder incident from her Santro car.

On getting information, the Bahadurgarh DSP, Rajeev Deswal, along with a police force, rushed to the spot and sent the body to the Civil Hospital for postmortem after taking stock of the situation. A team of forensic experts also visited the scene and took some blood samples from the spot for forensic investigation.

“Dinesh was the main accused in the Badli murder case wherein a youth, Satte, was shot dead by a group of assailants some years ago. Dinesh was on bail and had been residing at Nanda Enclave in Najafgarh town of Delhi,” said Deswal, adding that the girl was being interrogated to get clues about the crime.

Kurukshetra, April 14
On the 121st birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar, the INLD state president and local MLA Ashok Arora besides INLD workers paid floral tributes to Dr Ambedkar by garlanding his statue at Ambedkar Chowk here today.

Addressing the workers, Arora said Baba Saheb was a symbol of equality and brotherhood. He not only restored the rights to the Dalits and OBCs but also provided a powerful Constitution to our country.

Baba Saheb had also advised the people to get educated and united and they should follow the path shown by him, Arora added.

Sirsa: Rich tributes were paid to Dr BR Ambedkar on his 121st birth anniversary in several functions held in Sirsa and Fatehabad on Saturday.

Gopal Kanda, the Haryana Minister for Urban Local Bodies, presided over a function organised by the Ambedkar Mahasabha in Sirsa.

The minister donated a sum of Rs 11 lakh for the construction of Rama Bai Ambedkar Hall in the town.

He said the state government had started several schemes for the welfare of Dalits and Rs 2462.24 crore would be spent for them in the current year.

Fatehabad: Addressing a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar at Bhuna on Saturday, the Sirsa MP, Ashok Tanwar, exhorted Dalits to provide the best of education to their children.

He said Ambedkar’s dream of ameliorating the lot of Dalits would be translated into reality only if they were able to stand on their own two feet through education.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera inaugurated a library started by the Ambedkar Sabha and donated Rs 1.25 lakh for it.

Jarnail Singh, MLA from Ratia, also donated Rs 1 lakh for the library.

The BJP, the BSP and the BJP also paid tributes to BR Ambedkar at separate functions held on this occasion.

FARIDABAD: Responding to a demand for construction of an Ambedkar Bhawan at Ballabgarh, near here, Congress MP from Faridabad Avtar Singh Bhadana on Saturday assured the public on the birth anniversary of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar to take up the issue with the Chief Minister.

Bhadana lauded Ambedkar as a “visionary” of his time. The Congress government in Haryana was following the ideals of the great leader. It was working for the uplift of the Scheduled Castes and the downtrodden, he added.

April 14, Hisar
A local court yesterday dismissed the anticipatory bail petition of an RTI activist and recipient of a national award last year, Manoj Kumar Karvasa, who has been accused of using a "fake" BPL card to seek information from the authorities for free.

On the complaint of BS Rana, president of St.Sophia School Education Society, the police had registered a case against Karwasra under Sections 419, 420 and 120-B for using a bogus BPL card of Jeet Ram to seek information from the authorities because BPL card holders can seek information free of cost. Jeet Ram had alleged that Karwasra had used his BPL card for seeking information.

In July 2003, Karwasra was appointed Physical Education Teacher on contract basis at St. Sophia School. However, his services were terminated on August 31, 2005 as he could not produce his academic and vocational certificates. He challenged his termination in the court which upheld his termination on August 26,2010. Thereafter, Karwasra started seeking information from the school under RTI Act and even succeeded in getting orders of resumption of site of the school issued by the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

Counsel of Karwasra pleaded that the police in connivance with the school has fabricated a case against him because he is a whistleblower. The plea was dismissed. — PTI

Chandigarh, April 14
A son can be allowed parole if his landowner father cannot cultivate the fields due to physical infirmities, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has held in a significant judgement while finding fault with the orders of Gurgaon Commissioner.

He had turned down the parole plea for “agricultural purpose” on the ground that the convicted son’s father was the landowner — an action now held “illegal” and “unreasonable” by a Division Bench of the high court.

The noteworthy ruling by the Division Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice AN Jindal came on a petition filed by Dinesh Rathi against the State of Haryana and other respondents.

He had challenged in the petition the order dated November 22, 2011, passed by the Commissioner, Gurgaon division, rejecting his claim for parole for the reason that his father Balwan Singh was the landowner.

After hearing the rival contentions, the Bench asserted, “We do not find that the reasoning given by the Commissioner is justified. The petitioner has sought parole for agricultural operations keeping in view the fact that the father of the petitioner is not well, which is mentioned in the recommendations of the panchayat.

In its detailed order, the Bench added, “We find that when the father of the petitioner, who is the owner of the agricultural land, is not in a position to cultivate it, the petitioner is required to cultivate it. Therefore, the reasoning given by the Commissioner declining the parole is wholly illegal and unreasonable.”

Before parting with the order, the Bench added, “The petition is allowed. The petitioner is directed to be released on parole to the satisfaction of the competent authority.”

Kurukshetra, April 14
"Dr Ambedkar’s philosophy aims at giving life to those who are disowned, elevating those who are suppressed, ennobling those who are downtrodden and granting liberty, equality and justice to all irrespective of their caste,” said Lt Gen Dr DDS Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, in his presidential address at a two-day seminar on “Relevance of Dr BR Ambedkar’s Vision and Mission: Present Scenario” organised by Dr BR Ambedkar Studies Centre, KU, in its Senate Hall here on Saturday.

Dr Sandhu said Baba Saheb was a great scholar who made outstanding contributions as an economist, sociologist, legal luminary, educationist, journalist, parliamentarian and, above all, as a social reformer and a champion of human rights. Baba Saheb united and inspired the underprivileged sections in India to use political means effectively towards achieving their goal of social equality, he added.

The chief guest, Prof Sham Lal, former Vice-Chancellor, Patna University, said Baba Saheb wanted to bring social transformation in Indian society by having a holistic approach as his ultimate vision was to establish a casteless and a classless society. Dr Ambedkar’s vision addressed social, economic, political, cultural, ideological and spiritual aspects of Indian society, he added.

Fatehabad, April 14
The wildlife officials today booked two migrant youths for killing of a partridge (teetar) after some members of the Bishnoi community caught him with four birds. One of these birds was dead, while three others were alive. Wildlife Protection Inspector Dwarka Prasad said a case under Section 39 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, had been registered against the two youths, Gunni and Aprna, both Andhra Pradesh residents. He said the body of the bird had been sent for a postmortem examination.

Two Bishnoi youths of Dhangar village noticed the Andhra youths, who had come here to sell some household items, with partridges on the national highway. Upon quizzing them, the Andhra youths could not give any satisfactory answer.

Soon, other members of the Bishnoi community reached there and handed over the youths to the wildlife officials.

The accused said they had found the bird struggling for life.