Chandigarh, June 26
The much-publicised austerity measures announced by the fund-starved Bhupinder Singh Hooda government have gone for a toss. Close on the heels of the MLAs getting a go ahead to fly business class instead of the economy class, senior bureaucrats have also been extended the same previlege by the state government.

The new orders of the Finance Department, which are a mockery of the state government’s austerity measures, banning all its officers from purchasing luxury items such as new cars, air-conditioners and expensive sofas and from flying business class, will benefit at least 37 senior IAS officers in the rank of Financial Commissioner-cum-Principal Secretary in the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) of Rs 67,000-79,000.

However, the Chief Secretary and other officers drawing pay in the grade of Chief Secretary have been extended a special privilege of travelling First Class out of the country besides Business Class inside the country.

In fact, the new orders run counter to the May 10 orders of the Finance Department which while banning all “luxuries” in government offices asked the ministers to cut their expenses on travelling by official vehicle as a part of austerity measures. The Finance Department had also put a "complete ban" on purchase of new cars and vehicles except for replacement.

The department has also directed all heads of departments to effect a mandatory five per cent cut in non-plan expenditure in domestic and foreign travel, publications, professional services, advertising and publicity office and administrative expenses.

However, cocking a snook at Finance Department’s directives, the Haryana Cabinet on June 1 approved a proposal to allow MLAs to travel by air in business class instead of economy class by amending the Haryana Legislative Assembly (Allowances of Members) Rules, 1976.

While the new orders will naturally come in criticism from a cross section of society, a senior bureaucrat defended the decision claiming that the new orders will set the anomaly created by the permission to MLAs to travel Business Class right. Protocol demanded that the MLAs and senior bureaucrats should be on a par as far as flying facilities were concerned, he reasoned.

Meanwhile, the new rules also allowed officers in the Grade Pay of Rs 10,000 to travel by Premium Economy Class out of India.

Gurgaon, June 26
Pulling up its socks in the wake of Maahi’s tragic death, the Gurgaon district administration has directed the departments concerned and all teams constituted for monitoring borewells to ensure strict compliance with the Supreme Court’s orders regarding the sealing and dismantling of the abandoned and illegal borewells.

In orders issued here today, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner PC Meena has directed the department heads and team leaders to send the action-taken reports (ATRs) along with affidavits within 10 days. Subsequent reports in this regard should be submitted by the third day of every month, the orders maintain.

The orders stated that the officials and departments concerned, including the BDPOs, Deputy Director (Agriculture), Deputy Director (Horticulture), District Soil Conservation Officer, Assistant Agriculture Engineer, SE (Public Health), SE (Irrigation), GM (HSIIDC), Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon, GM (DIC), Administrator (HUDA), Joint Director (Industrial Safety and Health), village sarpanches and the SHOs, would ensure that all abandoned and open borewells and tubewells are filled up with clay, sand, boulders, pebbles and other appropriate material. They have also been asked to ensure that such borewells are sealed immediately. “A report in this regard, along with an affidavit mentioning that the given taks has been accomplished, should reach the Deputy Commissioner’s office within 10 days,” say the orders.

Guidelines issued by the SC for prevention of fatal accidents of children falling into abandoned borewells and tubewells in February, 2010, have also been sent to the departments and officials concerned to ensure strict compliance.

Sonepat, June 26
Just six hours after his marriage with Kashish of Fazilpur village under police protection, Radhe Shyam of the Gandhi Nagar Colony in Gannaur town was shot dead last night outside his residence by Kuldeep of Makroli village in Rohtak and his two accomplices.

It is learnt that Kuldeep was the nephew of the bride’s elder sister’s husband and came to Fazilpur village on June 23 to attend the marriage scheduled to be solemnised on June 25. Kuldeep had allegedly attempted to molest Kashish on June 24 evening. After Kashish slapped him in retaliation, he threatened to eliminate her husband. Taking his threat seriously, the police was informed and the marriage was solemnised at Fazilpur village under police protection. Later, when the couple reached Gannaur town, Radhe Shyam was asked by Kuldeep and his accomplices to come out of the house. As soon as Radhe Shyam came out, the accused fired at him and escaped.

Angry family members and other relatives of the victim blocked the road near the flyover in Gannaur and demanded immediate arrest of the accused. Gannaur DSP Rajinder with a police team reached the spot and persuaded the family members to lift the blockade while assuring that the accused would be arrested soon.

On the complaint of Radhe Shyam’s father, Mangal Sein, a case of murder has been registered against Kuldeep and two others.

Chandigarh, June 26
There is good news for employees of 204 private schools in the state, which get financial aid from the Haryana Government. The state government plans to take over their services. Otherwise also, a large portion of their salaries is paid by the government.

The number of such employees, teaching as well as non-teaching is 2,262. But there is one catch the employees will be liable for transfer to any of the government schools.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Education, Rao Dan Singh, said a proposal to this effect had been forwarded to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and he would discuss the issue with him.

He said 34 schools in Ambala district, seven in Bhiwani district, five in Faridabad district, eight in Gurgaon, 14 in Hisar, four in Jhajjar, eight in Jind, three in Kaithal, 13 each in Karnal and Kurukshetra, three each in Mahendergarh and Mewat, two in Palwal, five in Panchkula, seven in Panipat, six in Rewari, 18 in Rohtak, nine in Sirsa, 19 in Sonepat and 23 in Yamunanagar district would be covered under the proposal.

After the approval of the proposal, these schools would be de-aided and the management of these schools would have to run these schools as non-aided schools for next 33 years under their statutory obligations.

Chandigarh, June 26
The queued up “would-be” supporters holding garlands of marigold and shouting slogans of “KD Singh zindabad, TMC zindabad” at Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28, must have enthused the Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament of the All-India Trinmool Congress (AITMC), KD Singh, at least once.

It was another one of the “party-joining” functions organised to mark the merger of the Pichda Varg Ekta Manch (Haryana) led by Anil Saini into the AITMC. The enthusiasm of those who came to pledge their allegiance to KD Singh was palpable as the Rajya Sabha MP alighted from his black Audi and the venue hall ended up packing more than the expected numbers.

The merger generated so much interest among members of the Manch that everybody jumped on to vehicles to be a part of the function. At least that’s the idea that was sold by Saini after he donned the AITMC colours.

He couldn’t have been more off tangent with those that made the “crowd” unable to explain why they were present, which party they were joining and who the leader was. All queries drew a blank. They were there because they had been ferried to Chandigarh for a “rally” which never was. Those waving party flags, too, couldn’t name the party they were there for.

Usha and Kanta from Jind only smiled on being asked while Sushil of Ratta Khera said they came for a party function. He neither knew the name of the party nor of the leader. Similarly placed was Prem Saini of Kond village in Gharaundaand Desraj of Barwala.

However, what was even more interesting was that the members of the Manch, too, were not unanimous about joining. While Saini first claimed everybody had joined the AITMC, the district president of the women’s cell, Kiran Saini, said she was present on the stage, supported the AITMC but “had not yet left the Congress”. There were others like her who seemed to be sailing with their feet in two boats. They seemed to want to test the waters though Anil Saini later justified that a formal joining of the Manch members would be organised shortly. “However, if their leader has joined, they, too, have joined,” he said.

The official press release claimed that “the AITMC received a shot in the arm with 3,000 activists of the Manch” merging into the party while KD Singh announced that his party would ensure 27 per cent reservation for the Backward Classes.

Hisar, June 26
The Vigilance Department has booked five persons, including three officials, in two cases of sale of land belonging to the Irrigation Department.

The officers include an Executive Engineer, a Subdivisional Officer and a tehsildar. The remaining two are farmers.

Vigilance officials said a farmer bought land belonging to the Irrigation Department for Rs 18.40 lakh in 2003 through auction.

At the time of getting the land sale registered, the SDO got even the building and the trees registered in the name of the buyer. The buyer sold this land to another farmer. The SDO allegedly extracted Rs 1.10 lakh from the farmer in the name of cost of building and trees. However, this money was not deposited with the government. The Chief Engineer ordered a probe and also ordered that Rs 3.68 lakh be recovered from the SDO concerned to make up for the loss to the exchequer.

In another case, the department sold land, building and trees to a farmer for Rs 8.15 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 8.10 lakh. However, the Executive Engineer opted for mutation instead of a registered sale deed thus causing loss to the government. — TNS

Hisar, June 26
Thieves decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs 26 lakh by breaking into two houses at Hansi yesterday.

Both owners of the burgled houses were out of town to attend marriages. The thieves broke into a house of an industrialist in the Ganja Bagh area when the family was away to Kanpur. There were two servants in the house who were sleeping in another portion.

In another incident, thieves stole 43-tola gold, 1-kg silver and Rs 85,000 from a house at Aggarsen Colony. The family had gone to Delhi. — TNS