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Consumer disputes redressal system
Fake X-ray Report Racket
Stray dog menace: Animal Husbandry Dept directed to take remedial steps
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NCPCR summons three Haryana secys
3 girls missing from Rohtak shelter
Order on ‘decent’ dress code for staff withdrawn
Youth survives suicide bid due to power cut
Plea in SC over membership row
Lecturers allege harassment at counselling session
Nine IAS officers shifted
Two killed in mishap
New power schedule
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Consumer disputes redressal system
Chandigarh, May 9 In fact, Haryana has the dubious distinction of having the fourth largest number of pending cases (17,738) in the consumer forums. While neighbouring Punjab has only 5,392 pending cases, three bigger states - Uttar Pradesh (77,504), Rajasthan (25,683) and Maharashtra (18,345) are the only states which have a record worse than Haryana at the national level, latest figures updated on the website of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission revealed. The vacancy position in Haryana is the worst in the North Indian states. On the national map, only three states having a worse position than Haryana. Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with 42, 32 and 31 vacancies, respectively, fared badly on the filling up of vacant posts at the consumer forums. Among the district consumer forums in the state which have no presidents are Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar, Mewat, Kaithal and Palwal. The districts where the consumer disputes forums are “non-functional” are Panchkula and Bhiwani - having one member each. This is despite the fact that Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act prescribes that two of the three members would constitute quorum for the meeting. The shortage of members in the consumer forums is adversely affecting the disposal of cases and there is little or no relief for the aggrieved consumers, alleged Pankaj Chandgothia, president of the Consumer Courts Bar Association.
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Fake X-ray Report Racket
Panipat, May 9 Dr Randhawa had marked an inquiry, which had brought to the fore the fake X-ray report racket being operated from the Panipat Civil Hospital. It was learnt that the Health Department had advertised around 36 posts of various employees, including that of anganwari workers, drivers and computer operators, on December 5, 2011. The selection process was completed in January by a committee of doctors and the final results were out by May 3. However, after Dr Randhawa received his marching orders, he issued appointment letters to the selected candidates, which did not go down well with some of doctors at the Civil Hospital. They reported the matter to the senior authorities alleging that there was something wrong in the manner in which the appointment letters were being issued. The Health Department not only withheld the appointments made by the committee but also ordered a probe against the Civil Surgeon, which was entrusted to Dr Pardeep Kumar, director of the National Health Rural Mission. The director reached the Panipat Civil Hospital and took into possession all records related to the appointments. The director said by issuing appointment letters after getting his transfer orders, the Civil Surgeon had provoked suspicion and the department intended to ascertain that there were no violations of any sort. Ruling out that the Civil Surgeon had overstepped his brief, the director said a final verdict could only be given after scrutinising the complete records. Meanwhile, Dr Randhawa said the said posts had been advertised on December 5, 2011, and the selection process was completed in January by a committee duly appointed by the authorities. He said the final results of all appointments had already been released on May 3 and by issuing the appointment letters he had merely completed a formality. He claimed that there had been no violation of norms as all modalities had been completed by the selection panel. Dr Randhawa had recently ordered an inquiry into the fake X-ray report racket, which had indicted the radiographer of the Civil Hospital who hails from the home district of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Following this, he had been handed over his marching orders on May 5. The inquiry, which was conducted by a panel of four doctors had brought to the fore the fact that out of a total 5610 MLC X-rays conducted at the Civil Hospital, 2,732 X-rays were signed by doctors concerned while there were no signatures of doctors on 1,197 X-rays. The remaining 1,681 X-rays reports carried neither any signatures nor were reported to any of doctors at the hospital. The panel had also found several other irregularities in the working of the radiographer. The sources at the Civil Hospital had confided with The Tribune that senior officials of the Health Department had been mounting pressure on Dr Randhawa to forego the inquiry report against the radiographer, who had been posted at the Panipat Civil Hospital since 2005.
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Stray dog menace: Animal Husbandry Dept directed to take remedial steps
Fatehabad, May 9 He directed the Animal Husbandry Department to take immediate measures to check the increasing population of stray dogs in Fatehabad. According to conservative estimates, there are over 15,000 stray dogs in Fatehabad and nearly 23,000 in Sirsa. “The village panchayats have powers to deal with the situation at their own level and they have been directed to take measures to rid people of the canine menace,” Kaushik said. He appealed to those living in ‘Dhanis’ in the agriculture fields to keep their domesticated dogs chained so that they did not attack villagers. He said it was the duty of the authorities to save wildlife from canine attacks and all possible measures would be taken in this direction. Several incidents of canine attack have been reported in Sirsa and Fatehabad during the past one month. A 10-year old girl lost her life, a schoolgoing boy lost his ear, a woman and a boy sustained injuries and over a dozen black bucks have been killed in these attacks. |
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NCPCR summons three Haryana secys
New Delhi, May 9 In another development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognisance of The Tribune reports on rape of minors in the Gurgaon shelter home Superna ka Angan. The Commission admitted for consideration The Tribune reports on the matter which Punjab MP Avinash Rai Khanna filed to its chairperson in the form of a complaint of human rights violation. Meanwhile, the NCPCR while issuing summons to Principal Secretaries, Health, Child Welfare and Education, Haryana, also directed the state Chief Secretary to set up in Gurgaon a child care institution to shelter children in distress. “As discussed in the project approval board meet of the state at the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Haryana Government must set up a Child Care Institution in Gurgaon because the average cases of child rights violations reported from this city have been progressively increasing in the past couple of years. This proposal should reach the ministry within three months through Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development, Haryana,” the NCPCR said in its orders to the Chief Secretary, Haryana, today. The Commission further directed the state for mapping all Child Care Institutions in Gurgaon on “a war footing”. “Ensure registration of such institutions under Section 34(3) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, within three months.” The Commission has also directed the state to conduct Social Investigation Report (SIRs) of each child in Superna Ka Angan and get home visits undertaken for each child who lives there.
3 girls missing from Rohtak shelter
The NCPCR on Wednesday dispatched a team to the Rohtak-based children’s shelter home registered under the JJ Act. This was done after the Commission learnt that three girls had gone missing from here after they were lodged by the Haryana Government in Rohtak following their rescue from the Drone Foundation-run shelter home in Gurgaon four months ago. These three girls were sexually abused by the owner of the home who passed over his HIV infection to them.
“We will conduct a check of the home tonight and profile each of the 150 girls lodged here in person. We have found that the three girls of Haryana lodged here for protection following the Drone Foundation case have since run away because they were being routinely beaten up. This is a disgrace,” Vinod Tikoo, NCPCR member, told TNS. |
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Order on ‘decent’ dress code for staff withdrawn
Chandigarh, May 9 A day after The Tribune highlighted the order of the Department, which virtually banned wearing of jeans and T-shirts to office in the name of “decent dressing”, and defined a “decent” dress code like saree/salwar-kameez with dupatta for women and a pant-shirt combination for men, the WCD minister, Geeta Bhukkal, admitted that there was nothing “indecent” about wearing jeans. “Though it was not brought to my notice since such orders are generally passed at the level of the Director, we are withdrawing that order. Of course, there is nothing indecent about jeans,” she said. Bhukkal added that while they were withdrawing the earlier order, the only idea behind the circular was to urge the employees to dress up formally to office. “The staff has to go to villages and be out in the field most of the time. The intention was to urge them to be formally dressed during such field visits to convey a message that they are not casual about their work. However, stating that jeans are ‘indecent’ while a saree or a salwar-kameez with a dupatta is decent was uncalled for,” she justified. The ICDS supervisors’ welfare association president, Savita Malik, condemned the Department for laying down a dress code and maintained that it infringed upon the right of the individuals. “We had heard that the Department was in the process of issuing such an order but I never believed the officials could ever be so foolish. The order must be withdrawn unconditionally failing which we will be forced to protest,” Malik said. She further said dressing up in jeans and T-shirt was in no way interfering in the discharge of duty by the staff. “If that is so, why should the Department lay down a dress code for us. And, anyway, who will decide the definition of ‘decent dressing’ and in what capacity. This is indicative of a very narrow and backward mindset,” she emphasised.
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Youth survives suicide bid due to power cut
Fatehabad, May 9 “I have knocked every door in the power utilities to shift the high-voltage power line passing above my house, which is a constant threat for my family. However, my requests have fallen on deaf ears of the authorities,” Raj Kumar said after the police and officials of the power utilities rushed to the site and persuaded him to come down. |
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Plea in SC over membership row
New Delhi, May 9 The petition has been filed by Ajay Singh and three others through their counsel Sushil Balwada, challenging their removal from the voters’ list of the society. They have also questioned the authority of Jhajjar Commissioner Chander Prakash, appointed by the HC as the Returning Officer (RO) for conducting the society’s election, for allegedly deleting as many as 33,500 lifetime members from the list. The RO was appointed only for holding the election and not for revising the voters’ list, they contended. On April 27, 2012, the HC had dismissed their plea asking them to file an election petition or resort to some other remedy as the court was not in a position to interfere in the matter in view of the fact that the poll process had begun. The appeal in the SC has been filed challenging this ruling. The petitioners will now have to wait till the case comes up for hearing before another Bench. |
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Lecturers allege harassment at counselling session
Panchkula, May 9 More than 150 candidates who had come from Mahendragarh, Kaithal and Hisar districts had to remain without water and food as they did not know as to when the counselling would start at the Diet building in Sector 2. While some of candidates had found seats in the air-conditioned conference room in the building the other could be seen waiting in the passage on the first floor or under the trees in the complex. Even though the Joint Director, Secondary Education, was present in the conference he refused to divulge any details about the counselling. He said he could not say when the counselling would start as Sameer Pal, Director, was busy in some important meetings since morning. A candidate said they had been waiting since morning as the counselling was to start at 9 am. He said as they were new to the city they did not know the exact location of the market. He said some of the other candidates who had relatives in the town had arranged for water and other items for some of their colleagues. The Director, School Education, could not be contacted. Citing political interference in the selection of candidates, they said earlier also the counselling had been postponed twice in April and added that they don’t know whether the counseling would be held today or not. He had no officials was coming forward to provide any information in this regard.
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Nine IAS officers shifted
Chandigarh, May 9 Shrikant Walgad, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Haryana and Administrator, CADA, Panchkula has been posted as Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana and Commissioner and Secretary, Elections Department. Arun Kumar Gupta, Director General and Special Secretary, Food and Supplies, Haryana, Department and Managing Director, CONFED has been posted as Director General and Special Secretary, Development and Panchayats and Rural Development CR Rana, Special Secretary, Haryana, Health Department and Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission, Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Haryana and Managing Director, Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited, has been posted as Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Haryana. Rajbir Singh, Special Secretary, Secretariat Establishment and Monitoring and Coordination Departments, has been posted as Director General and Special Secretary Food and Supplies, Haryana and Managing Director, CONFED. Rakesh Gupta, Joint Secretary, Planning Department and Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad, has been posted as Joint Secretary, Haryana, Health Department and Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission and Commissioner, Food & Drugs Administration, Haryana. Nitin Kumar Yadav, (awaiting order of posting) has been posted as Director, Supplies & Disposals, Haryana. Balraj Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat (Designate) has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad. A.Sreenivas, Deputy Secretary, General Administration Department, has been posted as Deputy Secretary Secretariat Establishment and Monitoring and Coordination Departments, in addition to his own duties. Pankaj Agarwal will continue as Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat. |
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Ambala, May 9 The bus driver, Balwinder Singh, died on the way to the Civil Hospital, Ambala, while the truck driver, Kashmir Singh, died on the spot. Four of the injured, Gauri Shankar (42), Harvinder Kaur (65), Jasbir Singh (35) and Saroj Bala (28) who were rushed to the Civil Hospital were later referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. — OC
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New power schedule
Hisar, May 9 Group one will now get supply from 4.30 am to 6.30 am, from 11.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 7.00 pm to 3.00 am (next day). While group two will get supply from 5.00 am to 7.00 am, 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm and from 7.30 pm to 3.00 am (next day). The timing of supply to both groups will rotate on daily basis. |
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