Fatehabad, July 9
Angry over erratic power supply, farmers from Rosanwali, Bahmanwala and some surrounding villages today created ruckus at the Ratia powerhouse. They also blocked traffic on the Budhlada road and thrashed some Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) officials forcing them to disrupt power supply to other villages.

The angry farmers reached the Ratia powerhouse this morning and blocked the Budhlada road by parking their tractor trolleys there. A JE and an assistant lineman of the DHBVN were allegedly manhandled by the agitated farmers.

Sources said the farmers forced the DHBVN officials to stand under the sun for over three hours. Sube Singh Siwach, DHBVN Executive Engineer, said his staff was trying to identify the rioters so that a police complaint could be lodged against them.

“For the past three days, we have been getting power for hardly one hour in a day while some farmers have been running motors without authorised connection in connivance with the DHBVN officials. When we brought this to the notice of the authorities, a junior engineer (JE) started harassing us by finding faults in our motors rather than checking illicit connections,” alleged farmers. They included Kartar Singh, Swaroop Singh, Santa Singh, Jassa Singh, Buta Singh and Karnail Singh.

Though the police had arrived on the spot after the farmers started the rampage, they allegedly remained a mute spectator to all this. Several DHBVN officials have expressed their inability to work under such circumstances. Siwach said a police complaint would be lodged against the protesters. 

Panipat, July 9
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice of motion to the Haryana Government along with the managements of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and the three power utilities of the state following a petition filed by the power engineers against the extension granted to Chief Engineer, Transmission, of the BBMB.

The order of the Haryana Government and the Uttar Haryana Vidyut Vitran Nigam (UHBVN ) granting one year's extension after superannuation to VK Gupta, Chief Engineer, BBMB, was challenged by the Haryana Power Engineers' Association.

The petitioner requested the high court for quashing the order of the Government of Haryana and the UHBVN for extending the services of the Chief Engineer beyond superannuation.

After admitting the plea, vacation judge of the high court issued notice of motion to the Haryana Government, the Chairman of BBMB along with Managing Directors of the three power utilities, including Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHVBN), Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam (HVPN) and Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited, seeking a reply as to why a stay should not be granted in the case.

The power utilities had forwarded the names of two serving Chief Engineers, RS Kaushal and RK Goel, to BBMB for the post of the Chief Engineer, Transmission, but finally the authorities gave extension to VK Gupta, which did not go down well with state power engineers who said such measures marred their prospects of getting elevated to senior posts.

Rohtak, July 9
Traffic on the highway connecting Rohtak and Bhiwani remained suspended for around 19 hours as the residents of Kalanaur town set up a blockade on the road last night which was lifted this evening.

The protesters squatted on the main road with the body of a Dalit youth who died under mysterious circumstances on Saturday night. The blockade was lifted only after the authorities concerned negotiated with the protesters. The body of the victim was cremated later.

This, however, resulted in the disruption of traffic movement on this stretch which had to be diverted via Meham town. The protest started last night when the kin of the victim Prakash (35) and other residents of Kalanaur town gathered on the highway around 7.30 pm. Prakash was found hanging from a tree in Karontha village on Sunday morning. Alleging murder, the villagers demanded compensation and a job to the kin of the victim. They said the family ought to be given adequate financial compensation as the victim was the only bread earner in the family.

Sources said the victim’s family received a phone call on Friday night wherein they were informed that his life was under threat as he had a dispute with the person who had hired him for construction work at Karontha village. The police officials, on the other hand, said the cause of death was still to be ascertained. Sources revealed the police arrested the person named as an accused in the case but the situation turned tense after the administration failed to accept their demand for Rs 25,000 as compensation and a government job to the victim’s kin.

Dabwali (Sirsa), July 9
With a view to curbing uninhibited sale of intoxicating substances at chemist stores, several social organisations in Dabwali town are up in arms to save the local youth from drug addiction. A meeting of several social and religious organisations, NGOs and prominent citizens was held at Regar Dharamshala where they condemned the authorities for their failure to check the sale of such intoxicants.

Among those present on the occasion were president of the Dabwali Jansahara Sewa Samiti RK Neena, state vice-president of the Vyapar Mandal Bakhtawar Mal Dardi, Dev Kumar Sharma, member of national executive of the BJP Kisan Morcha Vinod Bansal and municipal councilor Surender Singla.

“Intoxicating substances sold at chemist shops are ruining the lives of the youth in our area. Hardly a week passes when the police does not recover a body of someone having died after consuming some intoxicants,” RK Neena said.

Neena added that many ‘unidentified’ bodies were cremated as addicts come from Rajasthan and Punjab villages here. Dabwali Jansahara Sewa Samiti is an NGO that runs a free ambulance to bring addicts found lying anywhere in the town to the Dabwali General Hospital.

Dabwali SDM Subhash Sheoran said the authorities would take stern action against the erring chemists. When contacted, GL Singal, Drug Controller-cum-Joint Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Haryana said the department had sealed 12 medical stores in a recent crackdown and two of them were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Chandigarh, July 9
State Health Minister Rao Narender Singh was injured along with eight others in a collision between three vehicles near Haryana Raj Bhawan here today. The mishap occurred when the minister was headed towards the Haryana Secretariat in his official car which was hit by a CRPF truck. The CRPF truck then rammed into a scooter, injuring Pawan and Ashish, residents of Burail.

Three CRPF personnel, besides the driver, personal security officer (PSO) and the minister’s PA were among those injured in the accident.

The minister sustained a fracture in his right arm and was rushed to the PGI. His Toyota Camry car was badly damaged. The police has booked CRPF truck driver Deepak Kumar Yadav for rash and negligent driving.

Karnal, July 9
Finally, the Haryana Government has come to the rescue of an AIDS victim Om Prakash, who has lost his three kids to the dreaded disease and is fighting to save his nine-and-a-half-year old daughter.

Om Prakash of Suraj Singh Dera in Raipur Jatan, Gharonda, who has been running from pillar to post for financial assistance, has finally received a cheque of Rs 20,000 from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The Tribune had highlighted Om Prakash’s miserable plight.

Om Prakash was not even registered with the state AIDS Control Society or any health organisation. He did not even get a proper treatment at any government hospital. The society started searching for him only after The Tribune highlighted his plight. Om Prakash exhausted all his earnings on the treatment of his three AIDS-infected kids and was under a debt of Rs 1.50 lakh. He had already sold his small piece of land for saving the fourth child.

How long Rs 20,000 will help Om Prakash sustain his family and continue AIDS treatment is a big question. “Doctors told me to give nutritious food to my daughter but how could I afford it?” says Om Prakash, who received Rs 5,000 from the District Red Cross Society in 2008 when his 10-year-old daughter, Muskan, was suffering from AIDS. The AIDS Society did not provide any financial help to him at that time.

The blood count of all Om Prakash’s family members had come down to 300, but he was not in a position to undergo the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). However, the much-needed relief was given to him by the PGIMS, Rohtak, where he was administered ART for one month and he would now get the requisite medicines in Karnal hospital itself.

The district administration had only opened a bank account in his name and issued an appeal to public to help out the needy victim by depositing money in his account no. - 1716000102077990 at the Gharaunda branch of Punjab National Bank. Not a single rupee has been deposited in the account till date.

Panipat, July 9
Following revelations of irregularities in the appointment of building inspectors in the civic bodies across the state by the State Urban Local Bodies Department (SULBD), the state Lokayukta has asked the Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry and submit a report within 45 days.

The orders came after RTI activist PP Kapoor filed a complaint with the Lokayukta along with the information collected through the RTI, which revealed that the appointed building inspectors did not meet the minimum qualification requirements notified by the state government.

Information collected using the RTI Act had revealed that last year, the SULBD had planned to appoint 75 building inspectors for the civic bodies across the state. In an advertisement, the department had sought three-year diploma holders in civil or mechanical streams for the posts. The selection process was conducted by the State Staff Selection Commission (SSSC), which after preparing the merit list, submitted it to the department.

However, in the meantime, the state government came up with a clear cut notification on September 24, last year (a copy of which is available with The Tribune), in which it was stated that only civil diploma holders could be appointed as building inspectors.

However, despite the notification in September, the department went on to appoint diploma holders in mechanical and even in stream of production engineering to the posts of building inspector in November and December.

The partial information provided to Kapoor revealed the details of only 20 out of 75 building inspectors appointed by the department. It came to light that 18 of these building inspectors held three-year diploma in mechanical, while two held diploma in production engineering.

Kapoor stated that though, the details of other 55 building inspectors was still being withheld by the department, but from the merit list prepared by the SSSC, it was clear that baring a few, all other appointed building inspectors held diplomas in streams other than civil engineering.

He contended how a diploma holder in mechanical or production engineering could know anything about the buildings.

Chandigarh, July 9
The state government has decided to issue individual health cards to each inmate of child care institutions (CCIs) within a month to ensure that they get health services and formal education, said Chief Secretary PK Chaudhery after presiding over a meeting here to review the welfare steps taken by various departments on the recommendations of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

Chaudhery said individual health cards would ensure regular health check-ups of the inmates

He said the government would ensure the safety, health and welfare of inmates residing in CCIs. The Police Department had already appointed child welfare officers in each police station. Comprehensive training to sensitise these child welfare officers regarding problems of children and laws in this regard would also be organised with the coordination of the Women and Child Development Department within one month, he added.

The state government had also decided that the Women and Child Development Department would organise workshops for all NGOs and their staff who are running child care institutions to educate them about parameters for safety, health and welfare 
of children.

The Chief Secretary said the government had also directed all DCs to ensure registration and regular inspection of all CCIs under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000 and the Orphanages and Other Charitable Homes Act, 1960.

Karnal, July 9
The police is probing the role of Panipat refinery officials in Kohand blast case as it was pointed out during the investigations that the container that left from Meerut for Panipat refinery entered the refinery but was not emptied.

Karnal SP Shashank Anand said the container was carrying Propane gas used for cleaning machines and should have been emptied in the refinery but surprisingly it was loaded when it came out of the refinery, raising suspicion about the alleged role of people of refinery in siphoning of gas.

At least six persons were feared injured in the powerful serial blasts of LPG cylinders in the wee hours on June 1 at Kohand, 25 km from here, when a fire broke out while siphoning of the LPG into empty cylinders leading to serial blasts and the LPG tanker also exploded.

One of the accused, Pramod (40), died at a private hospital on June 25, he was admitted to the hospital on June 1 with 70 per cent burn injuries. The police teams traced four more injured persons undergoing treatment at various private hospitals and are keeping a vigil on them but the injured with more than 60 per cent burn injuries are not in a condition to interrogate. We have directed doctors not to discharge them, SP added.

Manager of company Sukhwinder Singh said the police made a number of raids at Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh to know the whereabouts of the driver, Gulab, and his assistance but the duo was still absconding.

Fatehabad, July 9
Local divers fished out the body of Ram Gopal (50) of Dhingsara, a lineman of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), after 40 hours of his accidental fall into the Fatehabad Branch canal near Bhattu Kalan in Fatehabad.

The lineman’s body was taken out from Mehuwala Head of the canal, 12 km from the accident site. The victim was returning to his village after his duty at 9 pm on Saturday when he fell into the canal.

Jagat Pal, a farmer living nearby came to his rescue after hearing his cries for help, but the victim was swept away by the strong currents before he could extend any help. His motorcycle was found hanging from the stairs on a side of the canal.

As the divers worked hard to find the body, the victim’s kin and workers of the DHBVN expressed resentment over the alleged indifference of the local authorities. “Not to speak of helping us to find Ram Gopal’s body, the authorities did not even reduce the flow of water,” alleged the kin, who blocked the Fatehabad-Bhattu Kalan road. — TNS

Chandigarh, July 9
Acting on a bunch of petitions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board to initiate action against Gurgaon units not maintaining the standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board.

The directions came on the petitions filed by the Resident Welfare Association, Gurgaon, and other petitioners against the State of Haryana and other respondents.

In their petitions placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, the petitioners had objected to the odour by 
industries and other establishments, including poultry farms.

They had contended that the state should be directed to initiate necessary steps to prevent air pollution as it was virtually impossible to reside in the vicinity of such units. In its reply, the state and other respondents initially claimed that the rules had not been framed for ambient air quality either by the Central Pollution Control Board or the Haryana State Pollution Control Board.

Taking up the matter, the Bench observed: “This writ is pending since 2008. On December 10, 2008, the court formed a view to refer the matter for consideration to the Law Commission of India for making suitable recommendations to cover this grey area so that necessary steps can be taken to prevent emission of stink from the industrial units and other establishments.”

“However, in the meantime, it came on the record that the Union of India has issued a notification dated March 15, 2011, prescribing norms/parameters/standards of ambient air quality emitted by such industries and poultry farms.”

The Bench added that the Central Pollution Control Board had also issued guidelines for good poultry management practices to prevent stink from the poultry farms and other establishments. The Pollution Control Board has already accepted the guidelines.

The authorities of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board are directed to take action against the units not maintaining the standards laid down in the notification issued by the Central Pollution 
Control Board.

If the petitioners find that these guidelines are not being followed by the poultry farms or other industrial units, they will be at liberty to complain it to the chairman, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, who shall take stern action forthwith, as 
per law.