Chandigarh, July 11
At a time when there is power shortage sparking off widespread protests across the state, electricity consumers will have to shell out more for power from July 1 onwards.

With the the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) imposing the fuel surcharge adjustment (FSA) ranging from 12 paise to 28 paise per unit on a petition filed by power distribution companies, the power consumers will have to pay the enchanced amount for a period of two years. Domestic, commercial and industrial consumers in the state will be primarily hit by the HERC order while consumers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors have been spared, sources said.

The commission headed by former IAS officer RN Prashar also imposed additional FSA between 18 and 28 paise per unit on bulk supply consumers such as group housing societies, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, railways and public water works.

Earlier, the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) had petitioned the HERC to impose the FSA with a view to recover Rs 1,087 crore on account of additional liability incurred by them on short-term power purchases during the 2010-11 financial year.

Under the new formula, the power consumer in the domestic category will have to pay 12 paise more per unit for consumption up to 40 units per month, 19 paise per unit (41-250 units), 23 paise per unit (251-400 units), and 24 paise per unit for consumption above 401 units per month.

Similarly, non-domestic consumers will have to pay 24 paise more per unit. Besides, the power rates have gone up by 25 paise per unit for low-tension (LT) supply and 27 paise per unit for high-tension (HT) supply to the industry.

Fatehabad, July 11
With the day of public hearing on the environment impact assessment (EIA) of the upcoming Gorakhpur Atomic Power Plant (GAPP) and award of compensation for land acquired for the project drawing closer, the authorities have taken a series of steps for smooth conduct of the proceedings.

The authorities have directed all Gorakhpur villagers to deposit their weapons with the Bhuna police station by July 12.

Although the orders were issued two days ago, merely five or six out of the 84-odd arms holders have deposited their weapons so far, a source said.

The authorities plan to deploy strong police force on the day of public hearing and on subsequent days when the authorities tale possession of land to prevent any obstruction from farmers. “We have sent requisition for 20 companies of the paramilitary forces and 10 companies of the Haryana police,” said the SP Satinder Kumar Gupta. A three-tier security would be put in place in Gorakhpur and surrounding areas, he added.

Besides, the police arrangements, a team of scientists from Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), officials of the Haryana Information and Public Relation Department and members of the Nehru Yuva Kendras has been deputed to create an atmosphere in favour of the nuclear power project in Gorakhpur and its surrounding villages.

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board is holding public hearing on July 17 to answer queries on the application filed by the NPCIL seeking environment clearance for its proposed 2,800 MW nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur.

The public hearing to be chaired by the Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik will be held at the site of the GAPP and the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti opposing the project has threatened to disrupt the proceedings.

The authorities have announced that the award for the compensation for over 1,500 acres of land acquired for the project would be announced on the spot and the revenue department would start taking physical possession of the land from the next day.

Rohtak, July 11
The future of runaway couples, who marry against the wishes of their parents and flee from their homes, appears to be at stake as there is no permanent shelter or protection home for them.

Two couples have been lodged at the Bal Bhawan here under police protection during the past 24 hours and the bhawan has been turned into a makeshift protection home for runaway couples after the closure of the infamous Apna Ghar, which was used to provide shelter to such couples earlier.

While the officials concerned could not reveal the total number of such couples in the district who have been provided police protection at present but the Bal Bhawan run by the Social Welfare Department has only two rooms for the purpose.

The two couples, who have been provided police protection and lodged in a temporary protection house, have been identified as Somvir and Sangeeta, Amit and Manju. They fled from their homes and married against the wishes of their parents.

Somvir, hailing from Chiri village of the district, had married Sangeeta of Sonandi village of Jhajjar a few days ago while Amit of Kheri Sadh had married Manju of Dadwari village of Panipat on July 6.

“We lodge such couples initially for 10 days but the duration can be extended if the case is serious and the couple faces a threat to their life,” claimed an official of the Police Department.

He said food would be supplied from the police lines mess until they stay at the protection house.

“The average number of couples seeking police protection during the past some months has been four to five,” he added.

“It is, however, a matter of concern that the police authorities have failed to set up a protection centre for runaway couples till date in the district, despite the directions of the high court, which had instructed the state government to set up such centres on a permanent basis in the police lines,” observed Jagmati Sangwan, a social activist here.

New Delhi, July 11
The National Human Rights Commission today issued a notice to the Haryana Government to explain the rising instances of abandonment of infant girls across the state.

The commission, in a notice to the state Chief Secretary, asked him to submit a report on the allegations that the incidents of abandoned infant girls had shot up in the state.

In April and May, 2012, in a span of 10 days, four abandoned baby girls were admitted to the Post Graduate Institution of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, in a critical condition. The commission has given the government four weeks time for response.

The commission has directed the Chief Secretary to clarify the following points in the wake of low sex ratio in the country, whether any steps have been taken by the state in the past for sensitising the people in this respect; what remedial measures like setting up of cradles outside the destitute woman homes/nursing homes/hospitals have been taken to save the abandoned newborns.

Chandigarh, July 11
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today set a week’s deadline for the Union Home Ministry to decide on the Haryana Government's recommendations for a CBI probe into the Apna Ghar case.

Acting on a petition filed in public interest by advocate Utsav Bains, the high court also made it clear that the Bench may direct a CBI probe, if the Union Home Ministry failed to take a decision on the issue. The case will now come up on July 19 for the Home Ministry to communicate its decision on the CBI probe to the high court. The assertion came during the resumed hearing on the PIL, soon after the four advocates’ committee, appointed earlier by the high court, expressed apprehension that evidence may be destroyed if the CBI did not take over the probe.

The committee said Apna Ghar head Jaswanti Devi was well connected; and this could be established from the video recording of her daughter’s marriage in January. But the Special Investigative Team, earlier constituted to look into the matter, had not even obtained the CD or marriage photographs to establish her contacts with influential persons from political and police circles.

The advocates’ committee also strongly recommended forensic examination of mobile phones, laptops and cameras of Jaswanti Devi and other members.

The SIT members said they had not been able to lay their hands on the CD; and had got only two or three photographs of the marriage. The SIT also informed the Bench that two laptops and a mobile phone of Jaswanti Devi had been sent for forensic investigation.

The SIT, however, fumbled when asked about the information about Jaswanti Devi's call details to influential persons. It said the call details were being investigated. The Bench, on this, expressed its annoyance on the slow pace of investigation in the case. A report was also submitted by the SIT in a sealed cover.

When a member of advocates’ committee said the inmates had been sent to different shelter homes and were being addressed as children from Rohtak and were being discriminated against, the Bench directed Haryana’s Woman and Child Development Department to formulate rehabilitation plans for them.

Hisar, July 11
Work in the courts remained suspended as the lawyers went on a two-day strike on a call given by the Bar Council of India.

President of the Hisar Bar Association, Surinder Dhull, said the Higher Education and Research Bill as well as a plethora of other bills, including the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010, the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and operation) Bill, 2010, and the National Law School Bill, 2011, were aimed to favour foreign universities and weaken institutions like the Bar Council and the state bar councils.

He said the entry of foreign universities would weaken Indian culture and ethos. The sole purpose of these institutions would be to extort money from poor students. He said the lawyers would not to allow the government to pass these bills. The lawyers also burnt effigies symbolising these bills.

Meanwhile, several litigants who were unaware of the strike had to go back disappointed. Most litigants regretted the money spent by them in travel got wasted.

Faridabad: Visitors to the district courts here faced great inconvenience because of the strike by the lawyers. President, District Bar Association, Sanjeev Chaudhary, justified the strike saying the lawyers merely responded to the call given by the Bar Council of India.

Sirsa/Fatehabad: Members of the District Bar Associations at Sirsa and Fatehabad abstained from work in view of the nationwide call given by the Bar Council of India against the Higher Educational and Research Bill 2010, the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill and the National Law Schools Bill.

Daljit Singh Sra, president of the District Bar Association, Sirsa, and Sushil Bishnoi, president of the District Bar Association, Fatehabad, said the union government wants to pass these bills in the monsoon session of the parliament. They said certain powers of the statutory bodies of lawyers would be taken away with these bills and would go in few hands.

Karnal: Members of the Karnal Bar Association today suspended work in the courts to protest against the proposed Higher Education and Research Bill 2011 and warned that the adamant attitude of the government to go ahead with passage of the Bill.

Rohtak: Hearing in several cases was deferred on the first day of the two-day nationwide strike of lawyers today. Fresh dates were awarded for hearing in 250 cases and approximately 75 cases of evidence had to be deferred to the next date due to the strike as the lawyers were not present due to the nationwide strike of lawyers here today. The overall impact of the strike was, however, partial.

Panipat: Lawyers today abstained from work on the two-day strike call given by the Bar Council of India. The district courts wore a deserted look. DBA president Umed Singh said the issue of automony of the Bar Council is a nationwide issue and will adversely affect the functioning of lawyers.

The strike affected the working of the courts as cases pending in various courts could not be taken up for hearing. Most of the litigants suferred as they were not aware of the lawyers' strike remained the harried lot.

Chandigarh, July 11
As many as 66 hookah bars in the state have been closed, Commissioner Food and Drug Administration Rakesh Gupta said today. The decision to close down the bars was taken after raids were conducted at hookah bars and 100 samples were taken, out of which 90 were found nicotine positive, a release stated.

He said court cases have been filed against the owners of 22 hookah bars and more than 100 cases have been filed against illegal sale of intoxicants. Besides, 50 chemist shops have been sealed over the past six months. Licences of 40 chemist shops have been cancelled and four owners have been booked under the NDPS Act. He said strict action would be taken against chemists selling medicines above the MRP or tampering with the original MRP. — PTI

Chandigarh, July 11
The All-India Trinamool Congress will hold public rallies in Rohtak, Panipat and Kurukshetra areas of Haryana soon, which would be addressed by the party’s northern region in charge and Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh.

AITMC Haryana unit convener Anil Saini said his party would soon launch a mass movement against the “corrupt” government of the state. — TNS

Sirsa, July 11
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Haryana, today revoked the license of Shiv Shakti Blood Bank, Sirsa.

However, the blood bank will not hold blood donation camps in the area till the Haryana State Blood Transfusion Society (HSBTS) issues permission for this purpose.

Shiv Shakti Blood Bank has been in the eye of a storm ever since it refused blood to an accident victim, who died subsequently for want of blood.

GL Singal, State Drug Controller-cum-Joint Commissioner (Drug), FDA, Haryana, said the licence suspended by his office in June this year has been revoked on certain conditions.

The order revoking the licence said the blood bank would not waste any unit of blood in future and manage its affairs well by shifting the stocks nearing expiry to some other blood banks.

“The FDA had sent a report of the unusually high incidents of wastage of blood by Shiv Shakti Blood Bank to the Drug Controller General of India, who sought the opinion of Dr Kavita Chatterjee, Faculty In charge, Main Blood Bank, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. She has opined that the wastage of a single unit of blood is criminal,” said Singal.

During their inspections, the FDA officials had found that the Shiv Shakti Bank threw away over 750 units of blood due to expiry in 2011-12 and had already wasted over 250 units in the first quarter of the current year.

The HSBTS had barred Shiv Shakti Blood Bank from holding blood banks after 82-odd blood filled bags of expiry date belonging to this bank were found dumped on the roadside in gross violation of the rules regarding disposal of bio medical wastes in December 2010.

However, the blood bank continued holding blood banks with an explanation that they had sought permission from the local authorities.

Singal said the HSBTS was the only competent body to allow holding of blood donation camps and no other authorities could have granted this permission. 

Sirsa, July 11
A team of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized a huge cache of drugs during a raid conducted at a chemist shop in Dabwali town today. This is the third big seizure by the authorities over the past two days.

Vijaya Raje, Drug Control Officer, Sirsa, conducted a raid at Sharma Medical Agencies on the Bus Stand road of Dabwali today and seized a huge quantity of intoxicants concealed in the basement. The drugs were covered with ply boards.

“Our team has already sent a vehicle load of drugs to the police station and the raids will continue till late in the night,” said GL Singal, State Drug Controller -cum -Joint Commissioner, FDA, Haryana.

DSP Puran Chand Panwar said two cases under the NDPS Act have been registered in connection with the drugs seized from a chemist on the Bathinda road and a local transporter yesterday.

He said the police was waiting for a complete report from the FDA before it registering a case against the owners of Sharma Medical Agencies.

Rohtak, July 11
The monsoon has almost arrived in the region but measures to tackle flood-like situations are utterly lacking. Owing to the indifference of the authorities concerned, weeds have grown and garbage has accumulated in all major drains of the town, obstructing the waste flow.

Expressing concern about the municipality’s preparations, a local resident Suresh said that low-lying areas could face floods as the most important drainage number 8 that carries excess water during such emergencies was full of dirt and weeds.

“Failure to tackle excess water during a flood- like situation may lead to submergence of most of the areas in the town, as it happened during the 1995 floods,” he asserted.

“The condition of several other outlets is also the same as they are awaiting cleansing despite the fact that the municipal corporation had been allocated funds during the previous years to handle the menace, but the work has been done only on paper,” another local resident, Raj Singh, said.

Similarly, the drain adjoining the main bus stand and the other one near the sectors on the eastern side of the town are lying choked with waste material though they serve some of the important parts of the city.

Taking stock of the situation, the municipal corporation has been asked to submit a detailed report regarding the preparations to check floods in the ongoing monsoon season.

But officials maintained that all measures were in place to meet any emergency.

Faridabad, July 11
The administration has failed to stop illegal sand mining in the district. The police is yet to reach the real players.

Denying the allegations, Vinod Kaushik, DCP, Headquarters, said, “The police has come hard on the culprits, and the crime is now under control,” he said.

Last week alleged members of the sand mafia along with the residents of Khedi Kalan village confronted a police team and forcibly took away a JCB machine and a tractor-trolley loaded with sand from them. The police team had conducted a raid at the village after which a JCB machine and a tractor trolley were seized. A group of about hundred persons allegedly manhandled members of the police team, and allegedly tried to run over the members of the police team with the JCB machine and the tractor-trolley.

According to the in-charge of the police station concerned, Pankhuri Kumar, after re-inforcement arrived the police team conducted another raid and took eight dumpers from the village into custody. A stock of sand was also recovered during the raid.

The police has booked Mahesh, Bhopal, Minto, Joginder, Satbir and Singh Raj of Khedi Kalan in the case. The accused are absconding.

In another incident two days ago, the police arrested four persons in two separate incidents along with two tractor-trolleys loaded with sand in Ballabgarh area. The accused are absconding.

The police and the administration have proved ineffective as the ncidents rpove how they are being challenged openly by members of the sand mafia. This belies claims that the law enforcement machinery has got a hold over the sand mafia.

Chandigarh, July 11
The power supply to the industrial sector in Haryana, which had been at the receiving end because of the unscheduled power cuts, is set to be streamlined. The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) is implementing a new system to supply powe to the industry.

Under the new system, which was approved at a recent high-level meeting here, the industrial and non-domestic power consumers will be supplied power from the urban, mixed and industrial feeders instead of the rural feeders. “The new system will go a long way to improve power supply to the industrial sector,” a senior official said.

Currently, a large number of industrial units located in the suburbs of the cities are being fed from the rural feeders and follow the schedule of the rural feeders. In many cases, the schedule of the power supply for the rural feeders does not suit the entrepreneurs putting them to inconvenience. Against the backdrop of these problems, the shifting of the industrial power connections to urban and industrial feeders had been gaining ground particularly in the areas where the urban feeders are in the vicinity of the industrial units.In fact, a number of entrepreneurs applying for new connections have also requested the power department to release connections from the urban feeders.

Officials said the under the new system the power connections in can be shifted from one feeder to the other so that category wise segregation was achieved.The shifting of loads less than 250 KW will be allowed on already existing urban feeders, they highlighted.

The entire cost of shifting will be borne by the beneficiary. Besides, the consumer will not be allowed to shift the connection from rural to urban mode if the system conditions do not permit. Meanwhile, the shifting of the connections will be allowed only after the clearance of the pending dues, the officials added.