Chandigarh, April 20
The stay on construction by the Supreme Court in the Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex project has spread panic among HUDA and other realty giants in the area.

While HUDA is yet to launch its residential and commercial projects in the urban complex, big realtors, including DLF and Ireo, have already come up with integrated townships spread over about 200 acres each. “We are in a catch-22 situation as investors’ confidence is likely to be affected in the recession-hit real estate market,” a senior executive of a real estate company said.

Conceding that the SC stay on construction is a “setback” to the real estate sector in the region and the Haryana Government’s efforts to “decongest” Panchkula, a senior official said the future course of action would be chalked out after a copy of the judgement was received. Currently, final touches were being given to the layout plans for three sectors in the region.

However, more than HUDA, private players like DLF and Ireo would be hit hard by the “uncertainty” created by the SC order. “We have invested crore of rupees on the launching of new projects and the SC stay would discourage investors and end-users from investing in the area ,” the senior executive rued.

HUDA was to develop 31 sectors in the 476-acre urban complex on both sides of the NH-22 between Pinjore and Kalka. HUDA was the first to announce its intention to develop the area about four years ago. However, the project ran into rough weather with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests raising objections.

The strategic location on the Zirakpur-Shimla highway, and the sylvan environs have been the major USP of the area for big realtors. It is being looked as one of the major residential markets in the area with Baddi, a hub of over 3,000 industries. Currently, a major section of the working population in Baddi commutes daily from Panchkula and Kalka, realtors said.

This, coupled with the completion of four-laning of the Zirakpur-Parawanoo highway and the Pinjore bypass would ease traffic flow on the NH-22. 

Chandigarh, April 20
Admonishing HUDA for adopting a commercial rather than developmental approach, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has minced no words to say that the authority is working as a profit-making organisation and oustees have been left at the mercy of bureaucrats.

The high court also called upon HUDA and other authorities to specifically float allotment scheme for oustees before offering plots to the general public. Justice Satish Kumar Mittal and Justice Paramjeet Singh also ruled: “If the plots are not available in the sector for which the land has been acquired, special efforts be made to settle oustees in other nearby sectors and also specifically enforce the oustee policies to avoid unnecessary future litigation.”

The significant judgment came on six petitions by Ved Pal and other farmers. Their land was acquired in 1989 for Sector 55 and Sector 56 in Gurgaon. More than two decades have passed, petitioners are unable to get a plot under the Oustee's Quota Policy. It appears that the state machinery is ill-equipped to do justice to such persons.

Fatehabad, April 20
Early sowing of paddy will invite penal action in Haryana this summer.

Under the Haryana Preservation of Sub-Soil Water Act, 2009, there is a complete ban on preparing paddy nurseries before May 15 and planting paddy before June 15 in Haryana.

“Those violating this law are liable to pay Rs 10,000 per hectare per month as fine under the Act,” said Anoop Singh, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Fatehabad.

“This is to conserve water as paddy planted before June 15 required 5,000 litres of water per kilogram of the rice produced against 2,000 litres needed for paddy planted after this date,” he added.

Anoop Singh appealed to farmers to follow the dates given in the Act as it was not only in their own interest but also in the national interest.

The move is a part of a series of efforts made by the agriculture authorities to prevent early sowing of paddy, including the “saathi” variety, which was once popular among farmers.

Chandigarh, April 20
The quest for “best parliamentary practices” today brought a nine-member Ethiopian delegation led by its Union Minister of State, Ato Getachew Bedane, to Haryana .

In their interaction with Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, members of the delegation not only learnt how to carry forward democracy with all its handicaps of coalition governments but also learnt what it takes for a state to go ahead in development and stay on top.

Despite India’s lessons and all similarities between the parliamentary procedures being followed in the two nations, India could well emulate Ethiopian parliamentary practices given the “adjustable” sittings of assembly or parliamentary sessions .

Parliamentarian Ashene Stin said that the Ethiopian Parliament meets for two days in a week all year through to discuss and debate issues of public relevance. “Since the two days are a must, our Parliament is always in session and we are forever ready to take up any matter that may require urgent deliberations,” he explained.

Another member of the delegation, Dr Yebeltale Biyadege, explained that unlike Indian politicians who are expected to visit their constituencies frequently, their Ethopian counterparts follow a different pattern. “We have to visit and stay in the constituencies twice in a year. This actually means that every six months, for one whole month, we have to stay amongst the people we represent and redress their grievances, get a feedback on their expectations ,” he maintained.

Demitu Hmblssa, Speaker of the Oromia Region Assembly, said politics was a challenging job and not many women were interested in contesting elections.

Sharma and Surjewala took the delegation for a complete tour of the Punjab and Haryana Vidhan Sabhas and gave the delegation an insight into the rules and working of the Assembly. 

Gurgaon, April 20
Anna Hazare and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev have announced a fresh campaign against corruption in their joint endeavour to press for a strong Lokpal. While Hazare will tour Maharashtra from May 1, Ramdev will start from Chhattisgarh and visit other parts of the country to awaken people as part of their nationwide campaign.

“We have decided to join hands to put up a united fight for the sake of our country,” the duo said here today.

“We all know what the ground realities are…out of one rupee of welfare funds, even 10 paise do not reach the grassroots beneficiaries for whom it has been meant…,” said Hazare, adding that their motive was not to topple the (Union) government, but warned that it could fall due to the movement.

Ramdev maintained that Hazare and he would observe a symbolic fast along with others in Delhi on June 3 to mark the completion of one year of the beginning of his movement to bring black money stashed in foreign banks back to the country.

It was on the intervening night of June 4 and 5 last year that the Delhi Police cracked down on Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

“Our economy will improve if black money is brought back to the country… Corruption must stop and for that, a strong Lokpal is a must,” said Ramdev.

Observing that Lokayuktas in all states were a must to root out the cancer of corruption, the duo said they would travel across the country to mobilise public support for their campaign.

Karnal, April 20
Tension gripped Karnal town as the body of Vijay Kumar of Rajeev Colony, a second year student of Vidyawati Polytechnic, who had been missing since April 17 evening, was recovered from the Bhakra canal today.

Enraged over the failure of the police to arrest two friends of Vijay, who had taken him with them, the protestors took out a march and later blocked traffic near Hospital Chowk, demanding the arrest of Navin and Himansu, who were allegedly involved in the murder.

Santosh, mother of the deceased, had been repeatedly alleging that her son was pushed into the canal, allegedly by Himanshu but the police refused to arrest him as Vijay’s body had not been recovered.

The victim’s family said Vijay was asked to come to his house by his friend, Navin, where the latter called another friend, Himanshu.

Later, Himanshu and Vijay went to the Bhakra canal, where Himanshu allegedly pushed the latter into the canal, Naveen reportedly told the police. 

Gurgaon, April 20
A motorcycle mechanic allegedly hanged himself to death after killing his wife and two daughters at their house in Surat Nagar here.

The matter came to light today after Anand’s neighbours informed the police that a foul smell was coming from the house.

Following this, a police party broke open the door of the house and found the body of Anand hanging from a ceiling fan. The wife’s body was lying on the floor while those of the two daughters on the bed.

The incident seems to have taken place nearly four days ago. The bodies of Anand’s wife and daughters were too decayed to ascertain the cause of death.

However, circumstantial evidence indicates that Anand first killed his wife and daughters and then hanged himself from the ceiling fan. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination .

The police said Anand had gone to attend a marriage ceremony along with his family on Sunday. On the following day, a tenant living in their house also left. Since then, the house had been lying closed. Anand’s shop had also been lying shut. A case has been registered. 

Panipat, April 20
A woman was found murdered in a drain at Babel village in the district on April 16. As her husband has been reportedly missing since then, the police suspects that it might be a case of honour killing as the two belonged to different castes and had married only three months back.

The police recovered the body of 22-year-old Manju Mukejha of Panipat from the drain. The victim’s family told the police that her husband, Parveen, had been missing since April 15, the day both had left home to see a local doctor. — TNS

Hisar, April 20
Two officers of the Agriculture Department were killed when their motorcycle collided with a Rajasthan Roadways bus at Badwa village, near here, last evening.

The victims, Satpal Duhan and Ram Swaroop, were posted at Siwani,a sub divisional town of the district.

They were coming from Siwani to Hisar. As they neared Badwa village, their motorcycle collided with a bus coming from the opposite direction. They were run over and killed on the spot. The driver of the bus has been booked for rash and negligent driving. — TNS