Panipat, September 9
While politicians, bureaucrats, public servants and members of the judiciary have been declaring their assets, members of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) are not willing to part with information about their assets and deem it “personal”.

RTI activist PP Kapoor filed an application with the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) of the HSSC on December 7, 2011, and sought information about the qualification of members and their assets along with assets of their family members.

The SPIO denied the information and maintained that “it is personal and cannot be furnished” and added that the relevant information would be available with the office of the Chief Secretary (CS).

The First Appellate Authority (FAA) of the commission also did not help in getting the information and Kapoor filed an appeal with the State Information Commission which issued notice to the SPIO and the FAA to appear before the bench of Prem Vir Singh and also directed the respondents to file their comments in writing by September 10 with a copy to the applicant so that he could file the rejoinder by September 17.

Kapoor said the SPIO, in his reply, said the information was available in the office of the CS as he was the appointing authority and referred the application to the office of the CS, which returned the application with a note “information is with the commission”.

The SPIO did not furnish the information and told the applicant that “it is personal and cannot be furnished as it has no relation with any public activity and the same will cause unwarranted invasion into privacy of the individual exempted under Section 8(1) (j) of the RTI Act, 2005.”

However, the exemption under the section is not absolute and the Act also provides that any information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a state legislature shall not be denied by this exemption.

He filed an appeal with the First Appellate Authority on January 21, 2012, but the information was not supplied. Finally, he appealed to the SIC on April 13, 2012, which issued notices to the parties concerned for hearing of the case on October 9, 2012. Kapoor had also asked for the bio-data of the members and the same was provided by the SPIO.

Jhajjar, September 9
A woman of Parnala village delivered a baby near the main gate of the Civil Hospital in Bahadurgarh town yesterday.

Sources said Shashi was brought to the Civil Hospital from the village in an ambulance for a medical checkup when she experienced labour pains. Shashi’s kin did not find any stretcher at the doorstep of the hospital to take her inside. Though they searched inside the hospital, yet they failed to get any stretcher.

In the meantime, Shashi delivered a girl child at the hospital’s entrance while waiting for a stretcher.

Dr Vandana along with other staff members, immediately rushed to the main gate after she learnt about the incident. Taking swift action, she not only took the woman and the newborn to the labour room but also conducted a full medical checkup of the mother and the child. Later, the doctor informed the woman’s kin that both were fine and responding well, sources added.

Dr Inderjeet Singh, senior medical officer (SMO), while talking to mediapersons, denied any laxity on the part of doctors in providing treatment to the woman. “It happened so quickly that no one got any opportunity to do something. Suddenly, the labour pains of the woman reached an extreme level. Consequently she delivered the baby there itself. In this situation, you cannot hold anyone responsible. The woman and the newborn are healthy,” said the SMO, adding that stretchers were being used by other patients at the time of the incident.

Rohtak, September 9
The Maharshi Dayanand University campus here appears to be on the boil following continuing protests by girl hostellers and tussle among various student groups following a violent clash recently. While girl hostellers have announced to observe a strike tomorrow to seek Sabarmati Girls Hostel warden’s sacking, the authorities have shifted the accused warden and assured the girl students that their demands would be looked into.

“The 800-odd inmates of Sabarmati Girls Hostel were angry over the treatment meted to some of the hostellers who had dared to protest against the substandard facilities and unjustified diet rate’’, one of the hostellers said. She said the shifting out of one of the protesters by the authorities after she was allegedly administered something suspicious had made them protest as they feared that this could happen to them as well.

She claimed that as all hostellers suspected the warden’s active role in this episode, they had been demanding her sacking .

The girl hostellers laid a siege to the Vice-Chancellor’s residence last evening.

However, Sunit Mukherjee, Director, Public Relations, MDU, claimed that the warden had been replaced and the girl hostellers had been assured of proper action within three days to resolve other grievances. He described the demand for the hostel warden’s removal from service as improper as there was nothing concrete in the allegations levelled against her.

About the clash and violence between two groups of students recently, he said a committee headed by a senior official had started investigating the matter and further action would be based on its report. Admitting that security had been tightened, Mukherjee said the police had been asked to deploy gypsies near all hostels. Around 3,000 students reside in 15 hostels, including six for girls. 

Sirsa, September 9
The ghost of auto market that has been rocking the local politics since early eighties has resurfaced yet again with local residents moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the issue of allotment of plots.

On the petition of Karanjit Singh and 129 others, the high court has issued the notice of motion to the Haryana Government to submit its reply before September 17.

The petitioners have alleged that former minister Gopal Kanda persuaded them to withdraw their earlier petitions in the high court promising plots after he came to power in 2009, but they have not been given any plots till date.

The local municipal council had carved out the auto market on 52 acres of land in 1982 for allotting 1,255 plots of shops to auto dealers and mechanic on no profit no loss basis.

However, legal wrangles bogged the project from the beginning. It was alleged that the municipal council flouted rules and allotted plots to persons, who were not entitled.

Among those who were allotted the plots were some women, 12 municipal councillors or former councillors and 11 journalists.

In all subsequent elections after 1982, the issue of development of the auto market remained a key issue, but it remained a knotty problem for all the successive governments. In 1995, an inquiry conducted by an SDM found several irregularities in the allotment, but no action was taken on the inquiry report.

In 1997, peeved at the alleged favouritism in the allotment, some local residents filed a public interest litigation in the high court. The court stayed the allotment.

However, Kanda brothers, former Haryana Home Minister Gopal Kanda and HPCC delegate Gobind Kanda, succeeded in resolving the issue after mutual compromise and persuaded the petitioners to withdraw their cases from the high court.

Kanda assured those, who could not get plots in the initial allotment that they would be adjusted in the plots left out with the authorities and announced that 300 more plots would be carved out soon.

Since, Sirsa Municipal Council was under the control of the Indian National Lok Dal, the state government transferred the rights of development of the market from the municipal council to the Improvement Trust in October 2010.

Now, many of the original beneficiaries have already sold their plots and nearly 15 to 20 per cent of the market has received its occupants nearly three decades after it was originally carved out.

Sonepat, September 9
Three youths- Suresh (25), Deepak (24) and Sachin (18)-- of Khewra village under Rai police station drowned in the Yamuna near Garh Mirakpur ghat this afternoon after they entered the river to take a bath.

However, two other youths- Sandeep and Sagar-- were lucky to swim back to safety.

They raised an alarm and informed the victims’ family members. People working in adjoining fields also reached the spot to join the rescue efforts.

On receiving information, naib tehsildar Fateh Singh reached the spot with divers and boats and started a search operation. Some divers have reportedly been requisitioned from Rohtak and other places as well.

It may be mentioned here that Shiv Kumar, Jitender and Ankit of Jakholi village and Ravi and Virender of Baroli village were swept away in the river on August 3. Similarly, two teenagers, Anul and Ankit of Taazour village, drowned in the river on August 11.

Jundla, September 9
HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi today lashed out at the Hooda government for turning a blind eye to atrocities being perpetrated on women and children. He alleged that it was shielding and providing shelter to leaders like Gopal Kanda, Ramkrishan Fauji, Jile Ram Sharma, Om Prakash Jain, BB Batra and Anand Dangi booked in criminal cases.

Addressing a rally at Anaj Mandi, Jundla (Assandh), Bishnoi alleged the Hooda government had become synonymous with corruption, murders, terrorism. People of the state, fed up with the INLD and Congress governments, were eyeing the BJP-HJC alliance as their saviour.

Targeting the INLD, he said former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala was facing a CBI inquiry into the disproportionate assets

case. Charges had been framed against Chautala in the case and he was sure to be convicted, Bishnoi said .

State BJP president Krishan Pal Gurjar said the BJP-HJC alliance’s growing strength could be gauged from the fact that leaders of major political parties were targeting it. “The BJP-HJC alliance was working hard to become the instrument of change in the state,” Gurjar added.

Gurgaon, September 9
Following specific directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on disposing of the pending cases of violation of traffic rules, the local authorities have pulled up their socks to clear the backlog.

Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Bharti Arora said special courts would be held to settle the pending cases of challans for violation of traffic rules till September 15, including Sundays. She appealed to the persons whose cases pertaining to violation of traffic rules were pending to appear before the special courts, pay the fine and get the matter settled within the stipulated period. “The violators who still do not turn up for the settlement of their pending challan cases will be sent summons and subsequently arrest warrants,” warned Arora.

Gurgaon tops the entire state of Haryana with nearly 27,000 cases of traffic-rules violations pending in the district courts. The high number of pending cases also stems from the strict challaning regime in the city.

Official sources said as many as 3 lakh persons were challaned for violation of traffic rules during the past year. However, many persons who had been issued challans do not turn up to pay the fine, which leads to piling up of such cases.

'will apprise HC of Kherki Daula toll plaza '

After taking up the issue of massive traffic congestion at the Sirhaul toll plaza located on the Delhi-Gurgaon border with the Punjab and Haryana High Court effectively, the Gurgaon Traffic Police has now decided to apprise the high court of the similar concerns at the Kherki Daula toll plaza in Gurgaon. "The local residents and commuters have been facing grave inconvenience due to the regular traffic jams at the Kherki Daula toll plaza as well and we will apprise the high court about their plight on the next date of hearing," said the DCP (Traffic).

Karnal, September 9
More than 1,900 suspected cases of malaria have been reported in the district since January this year.

Civil Surgeon Shiv Kumar said 1,950 suspected cases of malaria had been reported and 42 cases of PF (plasmodium falciparum) had been identified. “All precautionary measures have been taken and slides of blood samples of 164 persons have been prepared,” he said.

Malaria is fast spreading its tentacles in areas along the Yamuna belt and Indri and Gharaunda have reported the maximum number of cases of high fever in the district.

As many as 335 cases of malaria have been reported in Karnal, 151 in Gharaunda, 159 in Nilokheri and a dozen in Assandh.

Gharaunda resident Akram, who was suspected to be suffering from malaria, was referred to PGI, Chandigarh, but he died on Friday. On medical examination, it was found that his sons, Naushad and Sahil, were also suffering from malaria. Over a dozen more people in the neighborhood were tested positive for malaria, said a villager.

Kaithal, September 9
With a view to creating awareness amongst youth about their rights and to groom them as responsible citizens, the Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HSLSA) will establish Legal Literacy Clubs in all schools, colleges, medical and polytechnic institutes of the state. Also, lessons of law would be introduced in all schools and colleges from the next academic session.

This was stated by Justice Satish Kumar Mittal, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and executive chairman of the HSLSA, while laying the foundation stone of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centre in Kaithal .

He said a tower of justice would be built in Gurgaon for 50 courts. In order to improve alternative dispute resolution mechanism, the HSLSA would set up district ADR centres in all judicial districts of the state.

Justice MS Suller, Inspecting Judge of the Kaithal Session Division, DS Sheoran, District and Sessions Judge, Chander Shekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Kuldip Singh Yadav, Superintendent of Police, local judicial officers and advocates were present on the occasion.

Justice Mittal said legal clubs had already been opened by the HSLSA in 1,544 schools and 171 colleges of the state and steps were being taken to open such clubs in all private schools, colleges, technical, educational and medical institutions.

He said that 812 advocates were on the panel of the DLSAs and the Sub-Divisional Legal Services Committees (SDLSCs) and there were 2,833 para legal volunteers (PLVs) out of which about 20 per cent were women in Haryana.

He said in order to reach senior citizens, missing children, single women, differently-abled persons, unorganised and migrant labourers, trafficked children and child labour, about 10 legal aid clinics in the urban areas of each district were being established in old age homes, hospitals, Nari Niketans, offices of resident welfare association, slum areas, industrial areas and labour colonies. Besides this, 530 legal aid clinics had been established in villages, primary health centres, protection officer’s office, jails, courts and law colleges in the state.

Justice Mittal accompanied by Justice Sullar also inaugurated a legal aid clinic on the SD Sabha premises and visited old age home in the adjoining building.

Judges also addressed members of the District Bar Association.

Later, Justice Suller inspected the local jail, office of the district women protection officer and construction work of the judicial complex in Guhla, 28-km from here.

Reflecting the judiciary's thrust in the state on speedy justice and to make the legal system and justice available even to the uncounted ones in the polity, Justice SK Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana on Saturday inaugurated a legal aid clinic in a slum area in Faridabad. With the launch of the clinic, the total number of legal aid clinics in the district has increased to 30. The clinics function under the District Legal Service Authority. Each of the clinics is manned by an empanelled advocate and two paralegals. The philosophical underpinning behind the clinics was to empower the common man with knowledge of his legal rights and to enable him to seek justice even if bugged by penury and social isolation.

Kurukshetra, September 9
The Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (HFUCTO) today organised a seminar on "Challenges of Higher Education" on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO).

Inaugurating the seminar, Dr Ram Prakash, a Rajya Sabha member, asked the teaching community and teachers’ organisations to recognise the need for resisting trivialisation of education at various levels. Dr Ram Prakash called upon the teachers’ orgnisations to play an active role in broadening the role of teachers in building social, moral and cultural values in society.

“The ruling classes of India were in league with the corporate world to push the system of higher education towards privatisation. The emphasis on 'quality education' by the policy makers is hypocritical as the essential conditions are neglected grossly. With faculty crunch at the national level and without proper infrastructural facilities, 'quality education' is a distant possibility.

The teachers’ bodies should challenge commercialisation of higher education,” said Dr A James Williams, a former president of the AIFUCTO.

Several veteran leaders of KUTA, MDUTA, HCTA and HGCTA were honoured, besides 25 veteran teachers.

Fatehabad, September 9
To allay people’s fear on safety aspects of the upcoming Gorakhpur Atomic Power Project (GAPP), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has planned to arrange a visit of farmers and others to its existing project at Narora in Uttar Pradesh.NPCIL has requested the district authorities to nominate farmers, government officials, prominent persons of the area and mediapersons, who could be ferried to Uttar Pradesh for a visit to its Narora Atomic Power Station in Bulandshahar district.

“Those who have any doubts regarding safety aspects or other issues concerning the nuclear power projects should see with their own eyes as to how safe the projects are and how our existing projects have contributed in the development of the areas concerned,” said Sanjay Gumasta, chief project manager of the NPCIL for GAPP.

NPCIL plans to take four three-day trips of 40 people each.

The visitors will stay at Narora for two nights and visit all important places in the plant.

Faridabad, September 9
Employees of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) have urged Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Sharda Rathore to intervene with the state government for regularisation of more than 1,000 daily wagers.

In a memorandum to Rathore, the emoployees, who have launched an agitation under the banner of the Municipal Corporation Employees’ Federation to press for their demand, said the daily wagers had been employed with the Municipal Corporation Faridabad for a period between 17 and 30 years.

Rathore assured them to take up the issue along with other MLAs and ministers from Faridabad with the government.

Federation president Dhan Singh Atri lamented the government’s "negative" stand on the issue, which was based on a Supreme Court’s order in a case related to the state of Karnataka.

He said the apex court, however, overreached the order in its subsequent ruling in a different case. Hence, the government’s stand was unjustified, he added.

In consonance with the apex court’s order relating to Karnataka, the Haryana government amended its policy according to which services of only those employed through laid down procedure could be regularised.

The federation said the daily wagers were appointed decades ago by the MC and the government as per the then norms and practices, and thus were not at fault and should not be penalised now.

The employees met Rathore as part of their ongoing agitation on the regularisation issue. At a recently held convention, the federation decided to call on the elected representatives from Faridabad cutting across party lines to solicit their support.

Chandigarh, September 9
Contrary to allegations of the BJP, the Congress is trying to ‘maintrack’ the issue of coal blocks allotment by pressing for a discussion and going to the public with facts. In fact, the BJP, worried about being exposed, is the one sidetracking the issue by going to town with a CAG report without going into the merits of the case, said Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot here today.

If the BJP wanted to take the fight to the streets, the Congress was game too, he added. “The monsoon session of Parliament was a complete washout. That was the only place where the report should have been discussed. However, the BJP disrupted proceedings in both Houses. This was to evade answers to letters by the BJP and non-Congress Chief Ministers who had opposed a switch to auction of coal mines,” Pilot said.

Instead of demanding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation, the BJP should ask its Chief Ministers to quit for leasing out the coal blocks in question, he asserted.

Terming the CAG report as “flawed and erroneous”, Pilot contended that the audit was co-terminus with the Congress coming to power in 2004 while the CAG seemed to have conveniently overlooked the goings-on before that. He rued that the BJP was “misguiding” the nation with a report that was not even final and had not been taken up by PAC.

“We are ready to battle it out with the BJP and the mandate of the 2014 elections will decide the right and the wrong. However, through such disruptions of Parliament, we are putting India's economic and GDP growth under a question mark. Investments will not come if there is political uncertainty inside Parliament," he said.

Maintaining that the Inter-Ministerial Group on coal blocks allocation will submit its report to the Coal Ministry by September 15 and the CBI is already carrying out its own investigation, Pilot said strict action would be initiated against those who had misused the policy.

Hariprasad also raised the issue of the Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh allegedly allocating a coal block to BJP MP Ajay Sancheti's firm even though it did not fulfil the criteria for conducting commercial mining.

Chandigarh, September 9
The Haryana Haj Committee has decided to organise immunisation camps from September 11 to 18 for those going on Haj.

A spokesman said a camp would be organised at the Civil Hospital in Nuh (Mewat) on September 11 for those going on Haj from Nuh, Taoru and Sohna tehsils. Similarly, another camp would be held at Al-Afia Hospital in Mandi Khera to facilitate the pilgrims of Nagina and Ferozpur Jhirka tehsils.The pilgrims of Punhana tehsil can avail themselve of the benefit of this camp at Civil Hospital, Punhana, on September 13.

He said camps would be organised at Islami Madrasa in Hathin on September 15 for the pilgrims of Palwal and at Civil Hospital, Panipat, for the pilgrims of Panipat, Karnal and Sonepat districts.

A camp would be held at Eidgah, Sector 6, Faridabad, on Septemer 16 for the vaccination of pilgrims. A camp would be held at Islami Madrasa, Budia in Yamunanagar district, on September 16 for the pilgrims of Ambala and Yamunanagar districts.

Sirsa, September 9
After an altercation over their ancestral land, a man along with his son first beat up his younger brother and then pushed him into a pond at Singhpura village in the district last evening.

Villagers fished out the victim from the pond after half an hour, but by that time he had died.

The police has booked Teja Singh (49) and son Sukhlinder Singh for murder.

Sources said Teja and his younger brother, Balbir Singh (45), had a quarrel near the village pond over partition of their 34 kanals of agricultural land. The two brothers were tilling 17 kanals each, but they often quarreled over the partition.

Eyewitnesses said Teja and his son thrashed Balbir with sticks and then pushed him into the pond. On seeing some villagers rushing towards the pond, they escaped from the spot.