Chandigarh, August 23
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that depot holders won't be allowed “to commit mischief”. It has directed the Haryana Special Secretary-cum-Director-General of Food and Supplies Department to continue with the process of monitoring the supply of foodgrains to BPL card holders.

A Division Bench asserted the measure was imperative “so that the depot holders may not commit mischief, as has been done in the past”. Taking up a “court on its own motion” case, the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain also empowered the residents to bring irregularities to the notice of the authorities concerned.

“In case any irregularity comes to the notice of any individual of the State, he may intimate the authorities forthwith,” the Bench ruled.

The directions came after the Bench was informed that the “police has registered six cases against defaulters in Kaithal district and licences of some depot holders have also been cancelled.”

As the case came up for hearing, the Bench was told that a mechanism has been adopted to ensure the supply of good quality foodgrains to the poor section of society. In an affidavit, the Special Secretary added, “so far as the other districts are concerned, action has also been taken against the defaulters, for controlling such activities.” The affidavit added strict action would be taken, if any depot holder committed any irregularity in the distribution of targeted public distribution items in future or violated the provisions of the Control Order, 2009.

The affidavit by Rajbir Singh added that a special committee has been constituted by the Food and Supplies Department to ensure supply of good quality foodgrains from the storage points. The committees would take samples of foodgrains before lifting from the storage points.

He added vigilance committees have also been constituted at the depot level to ensure proper distribution of targeted public distribution system items. The month’s supply was released to the depot holder only after the receipt of satisfactory supply certificate from the vigilance committee concerned. Besides, godowns have been constructed to store the foodgrains to prevent wastage and spoiling.

Panipat, August 23
Punishment to a student who was made to crouch and sit like a cock (murga) at a function organised to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Government Senior Secondary School, Bapauli (Panipat), has landed the local police station in charge, Deputy Superintendent of Police Tanya Surjewala, in trouble.

Surjewala, who was chief guest at the function, allegedly asked a Class VII student, Bhimsen, who was allegedly not listening to her speech and making funny faces, to become a ‘murga’ and the child was allowed to go only after he tendered an apology.

Taking serious note of the incident, RTI activist PP Kapoor filed a complaint with the chairperson of the National Child Rights Protection Commission, Prof Shanta Sinha, alleging that Bhimsen was subjected to “torture and humiliated” by the DSP and the only fault of the child was that he was smiling during her speech.

The DSP, however, denied the reports, saying that a minor incident was being blown out of proportion by a section of the media as it was just a minor punishment to discipline the student.

Caned 40 times, boy hospitalised

Gharonda (TNS)
Failure to reply to a question became a nightmare for a Class X student of a private school in Gharonda as he was subjected to corporal punishment and caned 40 times by his teacher.

Shubham Dhiman (15), a Class X student of Rishikul Senior Secondary School, faced the wrath of the teacher when he could not answer a question. His condition was so bad that he could neither stand nor sit and had to be taken to a hospital. When the family was informed about the gruesome act, it reported the matter to the police.

Neelam, the victim’s mother, said her son was in a pathetic condition when he reached home and had to be rushed to a hospital. Dr Namarta, who is treating Shubham, confirmed that the child has marks of cane-thrashing on his buttocks. The school authorities could not be contacted for their version.

Rewari, August 23
Lal Singh along with his wife, Narayani Devi, and other family members threw acid on his daughter, Hem Lata (26), her acquaintance, Prakash (35), and his wife, Samoora Devi (33), on the Civil Hospital premises here today.

All three have been admitted to the local trauma centre where they were stated to be out of danger.

On Hem Lata’s statement, the police has registered a case of rioting and causing hurt by means of corrosive substance under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323 and 324 of the IPC against Lal Singh, Narayani Devi, his son Roopesh, his wife Ganga Devi and their relative Bir Singh, residents of a local colony, near Gokalgarh village.

Lal Singh has complained that Hem Lata was abducted some time ago by Prakash who then kept Hem Lata with him. While refuting her father’s allegations, Hem Lata said she had been living in Gurgaon and working as a teacher in a school there.

A police official said while efforts were on to arrest Lal Singh and others, they were also investing what relation Prakash had developed with Hem Lata.

Chandigarh, August 23
Announcing a promotion to athlete Seema Antil and boxer Jai Bhagwan to the rank of Inspector in the Haryana Police, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Police Department would give Rs 51 lakh to wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, who has won a bronze medal in the recent Olympic Games and Rs 11 lakh to each of the other six players of the Police Department.

These six players are boxers Vijender Singh, Vikas Krishan and Jai Bhagwan, hockey players Sardara Singh and Sandeep Singh and athlete Seema Antil. These cash rewards would be in addition to those to be given by the state government.

Hooda, who was speaking at a function organised by the Haryana Police to honour its seven players who had participated in the London Olympics, said cars would also be gifted to all these players at a special function in Gohana on August 26. He said the players of Haryana had brought laurels not only to the state but also to the country with their scintillating performances in the recently concluded London Olympic Games.

Pointing towards the number of medals won by the country in the Olympic Games, Hooda said though Haryana had just about 2 per cent of the total population of the country, it had sent 18 players in the Indian contingent of 81 players. Of these 18, seven were from the Haryana Police.

Setting a target of 12 medals, Hooda said in the 2004 Olympics, players of Haryana did not win any medal, but in 2008 India won three medals out of which two were won by players from the state. Now in 2012, India bagged six medals and four of these had been won by players of Haryana. “A healthy sports culture is indicative of a developed state,” he said.

He said the state government had also included ‘Padak Lao Pad Pao’ in its sports policy to ensure a secure future for sportspersons. By ensuring a secure future for players, we could develop the world’s best player, he added.

New Delhi, August 23
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has given a fresh deadline till September to the Haryana Government to pay a compensation of Rs 72 lakh to 288 students, who fell ill after having mid-day meals in Kurukshetra last year.

In a statement, the NHRC said it had recommended to the Haryana Government to pay Rs 25,000 each to 288 students of government schools in Kurukshetra who fell sick after taking mid-day meal provided by ISKON, Kurukshetra, in July 2011.

The NHRC has also asked the Haryana Health Department to take action against the errant public servants in the matter. “However, despite a reminder, the state government is yet to send its action-taken report along with the proof of payment as recommended by the commission... Giving six weeks time to the Haryana Government, the NHRC has asked it to submit a compliance report by June 4, 2012.

“However, on receiving no response from the state government, the NHRC on August 6, 2012, issued a reminder giving four weeks time to the Haryana Chief Secretary for a compliance report, which is still awaited,” an NHRC spokesperson said.

The NHRC had last year in July took up this case suo motu following media reports that on July 14 and 16 students fell ill after having mid-day meals. — PTI 

Karnal/Panipat, August 23
The decks have been cleared for the reunion of two minor tribal girls allegedly exploited by placement agencies on the pretext of giving them jobs.

Saraswati, hailing from Bawla Patna in Bengal, and Sushanti from Nentwara in Jharkhand were spotted in miserable conditions at Model Town, Panipat, and Samalkha, respectively, and sent to Mata Sahib Rani Seva Sansthan in Panipat from where they were shifted to MDD Bal Bhavan, Karnal.

However, the authorities concerned allegedly neither made any effort to trace their families nor filed any missing report of the girls.

An NGO, Pravasi Suraksha Vahini, came to the help of hapless girls and traced their addresses. Its president Raj Singh Chaudhry talked to Jharkhand government officials who assured him that the girl would be rehabilitated and directed the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, an NGO, to do the necessary ground work.

Meanwhile, the Panipat administration initiated the process of verifying the credentials of the Jharkhand-based NGO and received a letter (No 1298) from the Jharkhand government on August 2, confirming its bona fides.

Consequently, the administration issued the mandatory release orders today and the girl left for Jharkhand with the representatives of the NGO. The parents of Sushanti could not come as they are too poor to bear the expenses of a long journey.

Similar correspondence is in progress with the West Bengal government for the release of Saraswati, said an official.

Saraswati’s mother is camping here for the past 10 days and has brought necessary proof of identity and residence but her release was getting delayed due to procedural wrangles.

Chandigarh, August 23
The Apna Ghar sex scandal, Maruti arson, Gopal Kanda case, drought and water and power blues may have been some of Haryana’s unfolding stories since the budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha early this year, but it is unlikely that any of these will witness a “healthy” debate at the session that gets under way tomorrow.

The Haryana Government has realised that it is up against a lot and is likely to restrict the session to a “measly” three-sittings as it has become a norm over the past many years, ensuring it is over even before the Opposition can blink.

And the Opposition itself will “forgo” the opportunity of nailing the government down. In what has become a familiar pattern, the Opposition demands a discussion on “controversial issues” but the government rather believes they never happened and this triggers protests. These protests snowball into a ruckus as members of the Opposition troop into the well of the House.

The debate on critical issues is lost in the dim while members of the treasury benches are all by themselves to hear all replies to the call attention motions.

This session promises to be no different because the Speaker is unlikely to allow a discussion on the Apna Ghar sex scandal which rocked Haryana in May this year on grounds that the matter is sub-judice.

Further, any hopes of the Opposition to discuss the recent Gopal Kanda episode, too, are likely to be dashed. The likely plea of the treasury benches will be that these are jurisdiction issues and that everything “happened” outside Haryana which will be as unpalatable to the Opposition.

Sources said that while at least 14 Bills will be tabled in the House this session, the Speaker’s office has received eight calling attention motions on subjects as varied as the Apna Ghar scandal to Haryana’s poor health of medical facilities, deficit monsoon and ban on plastic bags.

The leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislators, Anil Vij, has sought an adjournment motion on the Gopal Kanda case.

New Delhi, August 23
The government said today that the owners of over 70 per cent of the land acquired for setting up an atomic energy plant in Gorakhpur have “consented” for the acquisition.

Replying to a query on whether farmers of the area had given their land to the government voluntarily , V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the PMO, told the Rajya Sabha: “The owners of over 70 per cent of the land acquired have already consented for the acquisition and over 50 per cent of these owners have also collected their compensation cheques voluntarily till date” The site at Gorakhpur was accorded “in principal” approval in October, 2009, for locating four nuclear reactors of 700 MW each.

However, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) project has failed to impress villagers, who fear a Fukushima-type disaster. Apart from this, the government agencies are also under fire for mishandling the acquisition of land.

Farmers say that it is irrigated and multi-crop land whereas the proposed Land Bill clearly say that irrigated, multi-crop land should comprise only 5 per cent of the acquisition.

Fatehabad: Hans Raj Siwach, president of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, who has been spearheading the agitation against the acquisition of land for the plant, said: “Come what may, we are not going to part with our land”

Chandigarh, August 23
Haryana has instructed police personnel not to interfere in the collection of fee at the Gurgaon toll plaza though a sufficient number of them have now been deployed for ensuring smooth flow of traffic.

This assertion came during the hearing of a petition filed by Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited through senior advocate ML Sarin.

As the case came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Haryana’s Additional Advocate-General BS Rana stated: “Sufficient directions have been issued to the police personnel not to interfere in the collection of toll at the toll plaza in Gurgaon”.

He also told the Bench that a “sufficient number of police officials have been deputed to manage the traffic”.

Satisfied with the measures, Sarin told the court that the petitioner’s grievance stood redressed in view of the statement, and the writ petition may be disposed of as having become infructuous. Taking a note of Sarin’s assertion, the court disposed of the writ petition as infructuous.

Panipat, August 23
In yet other incident exposing the lack of adequate security in the court complex, an undertrial involved in a number of criminal cases was shot at in the court premises here and rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Some unidentified persons fired at Shravan (33), who was produced in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in a case. One of the bullets pierced through his back. Panic spread in the complex as the assailants opened fire.

The undertrial was lodged in the Karnal jail in connection with a murder case for the past one and a half years and was brought to Panipat for hearing around 10.35 am when the incident took place.

The police nabbed one of the assailants identified as Pawan, a resident of Tehsil Camp, Panipat. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the others.

Meanwhile, Shravan who hails from Shiva village in Panipat district is in a critical condition at Prem Hospital. Security in the court was beefed up after two witnesses were shot at in the court premises on April 27 and 28 this year.

Sirsa, August 23
Students of Mata Harki Devi College for Women at Odhan, an institute running in a rural area of Sirsa, today took a pledge that they would not allow girls to be killed in the mothers’ wombs in their families. Haryana, it may be mentioned, is at the bottom in the entire country as far as the sex ratio is concerned.

The girls said they will launch a drive against the evil in their respective villages by educating women on this issue.

Mander Singh, a father of two daughters, who is also a member of the college governing body, presided over the function organised by the women’s wing of the college.

“Girls have the equal right to come in this world and achieve their goals in life. No one has the right to deny their right to live,” said Renu Bansal, a college student.

Manju Arora, another student, said the parents should provide their daughters with best education.

Dr Shamim Sharma, principal of the college, whose contribution on the issue has been immense as she authored a book “Aajanmi Beti Ki Maa Ke Naam Chithi,” administered the oath against female foeticide.

Sonepat, August 23
Two girls, Sania (6) and Pooja (8), of a locality of snake charmers in Vikas Nagar here reportedly died of diarrhoea last night. Three other children, Sahil (12), Samir (6) and Rohit (5), of the same locality were today admitted to a private hospital at Murthal Chowk on the GT Road with the same condition.

Dr Manoj Rai of the hospital said children were suffering from diarrhoea 
as they had vomitings and dysentery.

He held parents of the girls responsible for their death as they got the girls discharged after three hours of treatment yesterday, saying that the girls were suffering from some ‘opra-paraya’ (effect of evil spirit).

The girls were admitted to the hospital yesterday after night-long vomitings and dysentery. After the girls started recovering, they were got discharged from the hospital by their family members to get them treated for ‘opra-paraya’.

However, they reportedly died at night.

Meantime, Sahil, Samir and Rohit were admitted to the same hospital this morning. The doctor said they were recovering and out of danger.

There were unconfirmed reports of three cases of diarrhoea in Murthal village also.

After receiving information of the incident, the district epidemiologist, Dr Shyam Lal, visited the locality and the private hospital. He said a rapid response team of specialists had reached the area to carry out a door-to-door survey.

Besides, providing treatment to any infected person and taking precautionary measures to check an outbreak of this epidemic, the team would examine the causes of diarrhoea, including supply of drinking water, hygienic conditions etc.

Sirsa, August 23
The Geetika Sharma suicide case that has witnessed former minister Gopal Kanda’s nosedive from a position of power to the lock-up of the Delhi police has also marred the ruling party’s plans to hold a rally in Sirsa, the stronghold of former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala.

The former minister’s younger brother Gobind Kanda revealed today that two days after the suicide, his brother Gopal Kanda and Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar were scheduled to hold a press conference on August 7 to announce a rally to be addressed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at Sirsa on August 19.

Gobind Kanda made these revelations to rebuff a statement attributed to him published in a Hindi newspaper, which held Tanwar responsible for his elder brother’s plight in the Geetika Sharma case.

Kanda maintained that he never made this statement. “The proof of cordial relations between Gopal Kanda and Ashok Tanwar is that had the Geetika Sharma suicide not happened on August 5, my brother and the Sirsa MP would have held a joint press conference ,” he said. 

Karnal, August 23
The Jhinda faction of the HSGPC (ad hoc) today decided to revive the agitation for a separate SGPC for Haryana and warned the Congress government of dire consequences in case a Bill for the separate SGPC was not passed during the coming monsoon session Vidhan sabha.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Sikh Sangat convened by the president of the HSGPC (ad hoc), Jagdish Singh Jhinda, who threatened to take any extreme step to get the demand accepted.

The decision came after all office-bearers and sangat unanimously resolved to revive the agitation for the separate SGPC to its logical end and all speakers lashed out at the government for relegating the issue.

Jhinda said the Haryana Government was trying to wriggle out of the situation and not taking any positive action inspite of the fact that 81 out of 90 MLAs, including Congress, BSP and Independent members had supported the demand in 2008.

Referring to discrimination allegedly being meted out to Haryana Sikhs at Golden Temple, Jhinda said he had received some complaints in this regard and would take up the issue of accommodation with Akal Takht soon.

Rewari, August 23
District and Sessions Judge Sneh Parashar has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the murder of a teenager Pramod here in September, 2011. Besides, the judge has also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the convict.

According to the prosecution, the incident took place when the accused, Murli Dhar, a migrant mason of Madhya Pradesh, was engaged in the construction of a house of the victim’s relative in a colony here on September 15, 2011.

Pramod, who visited the site, had an altercation with Murli Dhar over some issue following which he was done to death by Murli Dhar and then his body was buried in a pit there.

Hisar, August 23
All main markets in Hansi, about 25 km from here, remained closed today in response to a call for a bandh given by several organisations.

The call for the bandh was provoked by recent instances of several businessmen getting threatening calls from gangsters demanding a ransom.

Lawyers also backed the bandh call and suspended work. A large number of residents gathered in the main market and staged a demonstration demanding security. They said Hansi had become the crime capital of Haryana over the past few years and the police had failed to curb crime in the historic town.