Chandgarh, July 4
Three years after promising regularisation of unauthorised colonies, the government is finally close to approving construction in 540-odd colonies in the state shortly.

Sources in the Urban Local Bodies Department said only 542 of the 1,300 such colonies seem to have fulfilled the norms set for the purpose. This implies that construction in only 542 colonies would be regularised.

Setting a cut-off date of June 30, 2009, the regularisation would be considered only of colonies with adequate development works where construction has taken place on more than 50 per cent of the plots. The vacant plots falling in the internal areas of these colonies would be considered a part of such colonies.

Sources said the department had picked up colonies to be regularised on the basis of satellite imagery which provided the exact situation on ground. The colonies to be approved were cleared by a special committee which examined each case, which was also sent to the respective Divisional Commissioners.

While the colonies per se cannot be regularised, the government has decided to approve individual constructions in these pockets. Sources said while the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department had decided to grant exemption to the construction under the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Area Act, 1963, and the Haryana Development and Regulation of the Urban Areas Act, 1975, the Urban Local Bodies Department will issue orders regularising the construction subsequently.

Though the Chief Minister’s announcement on regularisation had come during the Assembly session in February, 2009, the process hit a roadblock afterwards when the TCP Department pointed out that the colonies could not be regularised since it amounted to the violation of the very Acts it regulated.

While the Controlled Area Act, 1963, bars violations committed without permission of the department, the Urban Areas Act prohibits carving out of illegal colonies. The TCP and the Urban Local Bodies Department resolved the issue of violations towards the end of last year, with the latter agreeing to grant exemption under the two Acts to individuals and not to colonies.

While Ambala has a maximum of 95 such colonies to be regularised, Faridabad, Hisar and Gurgaon have 66, 53 and 45 colonies, respectively. As many as 34 colonies will be regularised in Rohtak and 27 in Karnal. The number of such colonies in other districts ranges between four and 20.

Virender

Gurgaon, July 4
Notorious criminal Virender, alias Kala, was killed in an encounter here today, the police said. Virender carried a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head and was wanted in 20 cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and extortion.

The police said Kala belonged to Mandi village in Jind district. He was killed in an encounter with the police near Dhankot village, the police said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), Gurgaon, Vikas Dhankhar, told mediapersons that the police received information about Virender’s visit to Gurgaon from Farrukhnagar.

The police then set up a barrier near Dhankot village on the Farrukhnagar-Gurgaon road. When the police personnel deployed at the barrier asked two motorcycle-borne men to stop, they tried to flee. Virender, who was riding pillion, allegedly opened fire at the police party.

Dhankar said Virender was killed on the spot, while his accomplice fled the spot. A pistol and some bullets were seized from his possession.

Hisar, July 4
INLD supporters today staged a demonstration outside the Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant at Khedar village, near here. The demonstrators also gheraoed the plant.

Addressing the demonstrators, INLD secretary-general Ajay Singh Chautala alleged that the Hooda government had squandered away Rs 17,000 crores on establishing the thermal power plants at Khedar, Jhajjar and Yamunanagar but none of these plants was actually working because of sub-standard machinery imported from China installed by private companies.

He said the Khedar plant was inaugurated even before the plant was properly connected by rail for bringing coal and water for generating steam. This was done to benefit the private company entrusted with setting up the plant at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore.

Warning the Hooda government of a statewide stir if the power situation did not improve soon, Chautala said a government that could not arrange adequate supply of water and power had no right to continue in office.

Meanwhile, the state continues to reel under massive power cuts.

Official sources said a delayed monsoon and ongoing paddy sowing had worsened the power position, with the daily shortfall touching 400 lakh units.

With the forced closure of four thermal units, coupled with tripping of two units, the state’s own generation is around 1,776 MW. The power supplied in the state is 1,268 lakh units.

Sirsa, July 4
Surjit and Indira, a newly-wedded couple allegedly committed suicide by jumping into Indira Gandhi Canal near Jandwala Bishnoian village here today.

Surjit married Indira nine months ago. He left his home in Goriwala village with his wife Indira at nine in the morning to drop her at her paternal house in Ghukkiwali village.

Eyewitnesses said Surjit stopped his motorcycle at the canal in Janwala Bishnoian village, where the couple sat for more than an hour talking to each other. Later, they jumped into the canal. — TNS

Sonepat, July 4
Kamal (23) and his mother, Bimla, of Digrota village in Mahendragarh district died on the spot while five others were injured seriously when their car collided with a truck on the Panipat-Gohana-Rohtak national highway near Sainipura village around 1.30 am today .

The injured- Anil, Raj Kumar, Seetu, Jai Singh and Rajinder of the same village — were referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

The police has booked the truck driver who escaped after abandoning the vehicle.

The victims, reported to be members of a single family, were on their way to Haridwar for a holy dip. The bodies were handed over to their family members after a postmortem examination.

Chandigarh, July 4
The state government has granted the rank of Additional Chief Secretary to Harbaksh Singh, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Renewable Energy.

Meanwhile, Amit Jha has been appointed Transport Commissioner and Special Secretary, Transport, relieving Satwanti Ahlawat.

Sunita Varma, Secretary, MC. Faridabad, will be new ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Panipat, against a vacant post. Mukesh Kumar, under transfer as SDM-cum-Additional Collector, Barwala, now becomes Secretary, MC, Faridabad. Ashima Sangwan becomes Estate Officer, HUDA II, Gurgaon.