Chandigarh, September 25
It’s free for all for another four days on the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway. For, the brakes applied on the collection of toll on the expressway by the Punjab and Haryana High Court will continue at least till Friday when the matter comes up for hearing again.

While commercial vehicles plying between Delhi and Gurgaon will have to pay the toll as ordered earlier, private vehicles travelling on the expressway will steer clear of it as hearing on the matter was deferred this morning.

As the matter came up for hearing, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri referred the case to another Bench. It is now expected to come up for hearing before the Special Bench of Justice Jasbir Singh, which has been hearing the matter till now.

As the case was adjourned without effective hearing, the report submitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s former Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal could not come up for consideration. Justice Mudgal had submitted a detailed report, including his findings on the issue, pursuant to the High Court directions issued on September 20.

Justice Mudgal has recommended that widening of the road from Udyog Vihar must be accorded top priority. As the land abutting Udyog Vihar Marg belongs to the Haryana government, he has also suggested that the high court may consider issuing appropriate directions to the HSIIDC and Haryana Tourism in this regard. At present, the land is not being utilised.

Justice Mudgal has also recommended that the hand-held devices should be replaced by handy apparatus, which could be integrated to the server already recording the number of vehicles passing through the area.

Regarding the opening of two cash lanes on either sides of the toll plaza leading to six toll booths at mark-C in Gurgaon and seven toll booths at mark B in Delhi, Justice Mudgal has recommended that the temporary lanes should be made permanent on an urgent basis.

“An alternative route to the Ambience Mall/ residences/ Leela Kempenski Hotel could be given a trial to observe whether it leads to reduction of congestion at the toll plaza,” he has further recommended.

“It will also be necessary to observe how traffic functions under the new arrangement if and when the Bench chooses to permit the reopening of the toll plaza,” Justice Mudgal has concluded.

Next Hearing in Case on Friday

Mudgal’s steps for decongestion

• Justice Mudgal has recommended that widening of the road from Udyog Vihar must be accorded top priority.
• Hand-held devices should be replaced by handy apparatus, which could be integrated to the server
• Temporary lanes should be made permanent
• An alternative route to the Ambience Mall/ residences/ Leela Kempenski Hotel could be given a trial

Gurgaon, September 25
Relatives of a patient ransacked a local private hospital and blocked vehicular traffic, alleging that the patient had died due to negligence of doctors. Two doctors, including the managing director of the hospital, have been booked for causing death due to negligence.

Family members of Satbir Dahiya, 35, took him to Shri Krishna Hospital at Dhankot village located on the outskirts of the city in the morning after he complained of pain in the throat.

Satbir's brother Jai Bhagwan later told the police that when his condition started deteriorating, they urged the hospital authorities to shift him to some well-equipped hospital, but they ignored their requests.

After some time, Satbir died, which infuriated his relatives. They ransacked the hospital, damaged equipment and set the furniture on fire.

They also placed Satbir's body on the main road and blocked vehicular traffic in the area for some time.

They staged a demonstration and raised slogans against the hospital authorities.

However, sensing trouble, the doctors present at the hospital fled the scene while the protest was on.

Hospital MD Dr RK Mishra and Dr YS Gautam were later booked under Section 304 of the IPC on a complaint lodged by the victim’s brother .

Gurgaon, September 25
Dr Praveen Kumar, Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon, raked up a controversy by supporting unauthorised guesthouses in housing societies/residential areas. While the residents' bodies have been opposing the practice, the HUDA Administrator defended the guesthouses , stating that these provided affordable accommodation to patients and their relatives coming from different parts of the world.

The issue was taken up at the monthly meeting of the District Grievances Committee chaired by Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillakhera here today.

When Gillakhera asked the local HUDA authorities and Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies to find out an amicable solution to the issue within a month, Dr Praveen Kumar maintained that a large number of patients and their relatives came for treatment at local hospitals from all over the country and abroad.

"These guesthouses provide them accommodation at affordable rates so it is not advisable to close these down," the Administrator asserted.

The local residents welfare associations (RWAs) have decried the stance of the local HUDA Administrator.

"It is unfortunate that even senior government officials function as per their own convenience and not in accordance with the legal framework and residents' expectations," lamented RS .Rathee, President of the Gurgaon Citizens Council.

Representatives of several other residents' bodies also condemned the official's apathy towards their grievances and demanded strict action against those running such guesthouses.

Meanwhile, on receiving a complaint about dereliction of duty, Gillakhera ordered the suspension of a revenue official (girdawar) of Pataudi, Amar Chand, as he had allegedly refused to carry out demarcation of a resident’s land at Lokra village despite repeated requests. Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner PC Meena issued the girdawar’s suspension orderson the spot.

In another complaint regarding violation of the layout plan and illegal nomination of more members to the BSF Co-operative Group Housing Society, the CPS ordered an inquiry by Capt Manoj, SDM, Gurgaon (South).

Reacting to a complaint regarding running guesthouses in HEWO Apartments of Sector 56, Gillakhera asked Dr Satender Duhan, SDM, Gurgaon (North), to visit the society and present the factual position at the next meeting.

Chandigarh,September 25
Continuing with its drive against the builders not developing residential projects in the state years after they were given licences, the Haryana government has cancelled the licence of a New Delhi-based builder for its failure to develop a group housing project in Sector 24 of Dharuhera, Rewari.

T.C.Gupta, Director-General, Town and Country Planning, Haryana, cancelled the licence of Dwarkadhis Estate Private Limited, New Delhi, for its failure to abide by the terms and conditions of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, including defaulting on government dues amounting to over Rs 12 crore. This had resulted in no development work being carried out on the ground even after five years of the grant of the licence.

The Haryana government had issued a licence to the developer for setting up a residential project on 7.7 acres in 2007. Although building plans were approved at a meeting of the Building Plan Approval Committee on January 11, 2008, the same had not been released due to non-payment of external development charges (EDC). Similarly, the mandatory no-objection certificate issued by competent authority according to the notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, was not submitted.

Vikram Kumar Singhal, authorised representative of the company, in his written representation before the Director-General, has claimed that the company had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Green City Buildtech Private Limited on November 24, 2006, for the development of the project and payment of dues.

Singhal blamed Green City for “non-fulfilment of the terms and conditions of the MoU.”

However, Gupta asserted that it was the primary responsibility of the licencee to fulfil the terms and conditions of the licence. “You have entered into an MoU with Green City on November 24, 2006, — even before the grant of the licence, which virtually amounts to a transfer of the licence without even getting it. This action on your part is not permissible under the provisions of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975,” the order said, while cancelling the licence.

When Badal wanted to be a doctor!

Sirsa: Had Parkash Singh Badal concentrated on his studies during his college days, he would have been a doctor today.

Badal revealed this at a public meeting held in the Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Vidyapeeth after inaugurating a super-specialty hospital here today.

“I wanted to become a doctor and sought admission to the FSc (medical) in Lahore. When other students played in the evening, we used to dissect frogs in the laboratories. I found the studies too tough to pursue and opted for the arts, leaving medical midway,” he told the gathering, many of them doctors and nurses.

He said later he pursued law, but had to leave it too as he was sent to jail in connection with his political activities.

“Then I requested Giani Kartar Singh, who was a minister at that time, to nominate me to the Punjab Civil Services (PCS officers were nominated at that time, he said). When I went to him with a box of sweets after my nomination, he advised me against joining the job. He asked me to continue working hard in politics and said one day I would be in a position to offer such jobs to others,” the Chief Minister said.

“With the grace of Waheguru, I served as the youngest Chief Minister of the country and now, I am the oldest Chief Minister of India too,” Badal added.

Kaithal, September 25
On the birth anniversary celebrations of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal today, marriages of 18 Balmiki couples were solemnised at a function held here.

The function was organised by Dr Mehar Singh Saini, former chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission, under the aegis of the Maharishi Balmiki Seva Samiti.

Tributes were paid to Devi Lal at functions in Hisar, Kurukshetra, Rewari and Sonepat.

Karnal, September 25
Drinking and dancing on the banks of the Western Yamuna Canal, near the Karna Lake, cost dear to two youths today. Their car plunged into the canal as, being in an in inebreiated condition, they could not control it. While the two were rescued by people, their car sank in the lake.

Chotu, son of Gurvinder Singh, and his brother-in-law Gulab Singh had gone to the canal and parked their car (Beat) on the kutcha road along the banks of the lake. After partying, they came back to the car and started it. They could not control the vehicle which went into reverse gear and started moving backward on the slope and fell into the canal.

Hearing their cries, some local people came to their rescue and saved them from drowning, but their car could not be recovered from the swirling waters.

The police reached the spot and requisitioned the services of the divers to fish out the car, but it was yet to be recovered.

The duo quietly left the place and did not lodge any first information report.

The station house officer, Shri Dutt, said both the occupants of the car were rescued, but they fled, fearing that their medical examination would expose that they were in a drunken state.

A large number of people had gathered on the spot.

Rajesh Kumar, who saved the two, said they were drunk and could not control the car that plunged into the canal. 

Jind, September 25
In a move that could point to the growing menace of human trafficking, the police and volunteers of an NGO rescued a 24-year-old woman hailing from North Dinajpur district of West Bengal from Sudkain Kalan village of Narwana subdivision of the district today.

The victim was allegedly sold for Rs 50,000 to a resident of the village about four weeks back. This is the second such incident in the past 24 hours in the state in which a trafficked girl has been rescued.

The girl was brought from her village in North Dinajpur by some persons known to the family on some pretext and allegedly sold to a person identified as Veera in New Delhi recently from where she was brought to this village. Veera hails from Sudkain Kalan. He bought her after she was reportedly presented to three customers by a trafficker identified as Raju.

“She has been in illegal confinement at the village for the past over 20 days and the matter came to light after she managed to contact her family on the telephone recently,” said a spokesperson of Shakti Vahini and KuttiTola, the NGOs which coordinated the rescue operation.

The family of the girl had no clue about her whereabouts. She was traced after the NGO contacted the West Bengal police and the anti-human trafficking cell of the Haryana police and raided the village after her location was revealed with the help of the call she made to her family.

Manzar Alam, brother of the victim, said she had gone missing about a month back and was traced recently when she called them a few days ago. He said her location was traced with the help of the mobile company.

The girl was produced in the court at Narwana this evening for custody on the application submitted by her brother.

A 15-year-old girl was rescued from Gurgaon on Monday by the police and an NGO. She was brought and sold under similar circumstances by human traffickers. The girl hailed from Malda village of West Bengal. 

Rohtak, September 25
Rainwater is still occupying vacant plots and parks in HUDA sectors in the city due to carelessness on the part of the authorities concerned. With already five cases of dengue reported, the district and the city appear to be in the grip of viral and malaria fever these days.

“Rainwater has been stagnating in vacant plots and parks for the past several weeks,’’ said Yoginder Dahiya, a resident of HUDA’s Sector 2 here. He said though there had been no rain during the past fortnight, the authorities had failed to take measures to drain out water from the parks and vacant plots. He said warerlogging was common in HUDA sectors. Some residents had got water drained out in one of the parks recently after the officials concerned failed to take any steps, he added.

“The waterlogging has exposed the quality of the civic infrastructure provided by HUDA, which charges hefty amounts from customers at the time of allotments and construction of houses here,’’ said Sanjay of Sector 3. He said HUDA was to be blamed for the sorry state of affairs as it was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of civic amenities.

Stagnating water was not only polluting environment but had also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. It has led to the outbreak of viral diseases. Over 45 plots in various HUDA sectors were waterlogged at present.

Amarjeet Maan, Estate Officer, HUDA, claimed that there was no water in parks and vacant plots in Sector 14. He, however, said steps would be taken to drain out water in other sectors. Hundreds of malaria cases, besides dengue, have already surfaced in the city this year, mainly due to waterlogging and unhygienic conditions prevailing since the last rainfall.

Sirsa, July 25
Brick-kiln owners in Haryana are in a tizzy over the orders of the Mines and Geology Department asking them to obtain environment clearance before lifting earth for manufacturing bricks.

They submitted a memorandum, addressed to Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, to Deputy Commissioner J. Ganesan, asking the government to “save their business from closure.”

“Hundreds of brick-kiln owners in the state will have to close their business as obtaining environment clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is a cumbersome process requiring more than a year,” alleged Bhim Jhunthra, president of the Sirsa District Brick Kiln Owners Association, while talking to mediapersons.

“We use earth for the manufacture of bricks and no minerals are used in our trade,” he added.

The brick-kiln owners urged the state government to file a review petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Faridabad, September 25
Former Chief Minister and INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala today said if his party was voted to power in the state, it would drive away the foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail from the state.

Chautala, who inaugurated his party’s district office here, said the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre was working against the interests of domestic investors.

A large number of shopkeepers and traders would lose their livelihood on account of the FDI, the former Chief Minister added.

Chautala’s categorical outbursts against the FDI assume significance as Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has publicly welcomed the FDI in the retail sector.

Chandigarh, September 25
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear to the Haryana Government that public building should not be constructed in the state without ramps, toilets for wheelchair users, and auditory signals in elevators.

The directions by Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain came on a petition filed in public interest by Manoj Mudgal against the State of Haryana and other respondents.

He was seeking issuance of directions to the respondents to make necessary arrangement for providing lifts, ramps or “some support” such as railing for the physically challenged at public places. This, he contended, was necessary “so that persons with disabilities may move freely and reach those places without difficulty”.

After issuance of notice of motion, the high court on April 18 directed the Haryana Chief Secretary to file an affidavit indicating steps taken by the state to comply with Section 46 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

The section says: “The appropriate governments and the local authorities shall, within the limits of their economic capacity and development provide for- ramps in public buildings; adaptation of toilets for wheelchair users; braille symbols and auditory signals in elevators or lifts: and ramps in hospitals, primary health centres and other medical care and rehabilitation institutions.

After the requisite information was not supplied to the court, the high court on July 5 directed that “the state government or any establishment wholly or substantially financed by the government or any local authority shall not raise any construction unless it conforms to the parameters laid down in Section 46”.

The Bench observed pursuant to the order, the Chief Secretary has filed an affidavit enumerating steps initiated by the state for complying with the provisions of Section 46. Disposing of the petition, the Bench asserted: “We are satisfied that necessary steps have been taken by the state government to provide the facilities to the persons with disabilities, as envisaged under Section 46. 

Gharonda, September 25
Unidentified assailants allegedly fired at Balkar Singh, husband of the Sarpanch of Gagsina village, near Nagar Palika Gharonda and seriously injured him today.

Sarpanch Shashikala’s husband Balkar Singh had come to Gharonda to place an order of sweets for the village games scheduled for September 28 and 29. When he was returning, eight or nine persons in a Scorpio vehicle allegedly pumped bullets into him body. He received injuries in his chest and stomach.

His driver Joginder was also injured. They were admitted at the Trauma Centre in Karnal. Balkar Singh’s cousin Pradeep, who was also travelling with him in the Alto car, escaped unhurt.

Balkar was referred to the PGI, Rohtak. He named former sarpanch Karam Singh as one of the assailants.

A case under Section 307 of the IPC has been registered, Karnal superintendent of police Shashank Anand said. Old enmity due to village politics seems to be the reason behind the attack, he added.

Balkar’s brother Mahinder also said the shooting was the fallout of old enmity with the former sarpanch and demanded action against the culprits.

Sensing tension, the hospital authorities informed the police that some armed persons had entered the hospital premises as a large number of villagers came to the hospital. 

Chandigarh, September 25
Five major roads will be upgraded and four-laned at an investment of Rs 635 crore .

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries on Infrastructure here .

The roads to be upgraded were the Meerut-Sonepat road up to Bahalgarh Chowk, the Panipat-Sanoli road, the Palwal-Aligarh road up to the Haryana-UP border, the Karnal-Meerut road up to the Haryana-UP border and the Kond-Munak-Salwan-Assandh road.

The work to improve these roads would be carried out by Public Works (Building and Roads) Department in the public-private partnership mode.

As traffic had increased substantially in the past few years, the road infrastructure was required to be further strengthened.

Chandigarh, September 25
In a development that would go a long way in rehabilitating slumdwellers and providing them with decent housing, three major industrial towns of Haryana — Faridabad, Gurgaon and Panipat — are set to be slum-free.

With the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation sanctioning Rs 16.86 crore for the demand survey of these cities under its flagship Rajiv Awas Yojana for the rehabilitation of the slumdwellers, the process for making these cities, inhabitated by several lakhs of migrant labourers, has been set in motion.

At a high-level review meeting of the Urban Local Bodies department
here, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda directed officials to speed up the survey of the cities to make the proposal a concrete reality.

Ram Niwas, Principal Secretary, Urban Local Bodies Department, told The Tribune that a biometric demand-driven survey had been initiated following which a Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be sent to the Government of India.The process to rehabilitate the eligible beneficiaries in these three towns would be completed in five years, he added.

Official sources said the rehabilitaition of slumdwellers would prove to be beneficial in two ways. One, prime commercial public land encroached upon by illegal squatters would be freed and put to some productive use. Two, these slumdwellers, who have been living in nightmarish conditions with hardly any civic amenities, would be provided with minimum basic amenities as part of the social responsibility of the state and central governments.

Against the backdrop of the rapid industrialisation of several cities, the influx of migrant labour from the other states, particularly Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, has increased in Haryana in the recent years. With the industry failing to provide housing to them, a majority of these industrial workers occupy government land worth thousands of crores of rupees.

Sirsa, September 25
Eight teachers of Chaudhary Devi Lal Memorial Government Engineering College (CDLMGEC), Panniwala Mota, who were shown the door by former Director-cum-Principal Devender Singh Mor on the day he himself was removed from the post, will get back their jobs now.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) J Ganesan, who assumed the additional charge of Director-cum-Principal of the college today, said he had decided to take them back.

Mor had removed Satveer, Karanbeer Singh, Ravi Kumar, Avtar Singh, Mukesh Bansal, Varun Makani, Avish Kumar and Ashok Kumar from their jobs yesterday, accusing them of instigating students against him.

Students were on strike for more than 10 days demanding removal of Mor and most of the faculty members also supported the strike.

Ganesan said as informed by students and faculty members, practically no activities was being held in the college for years, though funds running in several crore were lying unutilised.

Students’ complaints of poor food in hostel mess and insufficient water were ignored. “I have constituted a committee for running mess on the cooperative basis and another committee for holding sports activities in the college from the next month, as more Rs 1.5 crore is lying unutilised in the sports fund,” Ganesan said.

The college has approximately Rs 40 crore in its accounts.

However, Mor ignored several important projects, including a computer hall and a library hall, whose foundation stone was laid by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in April 2010.

Meanwhile, it is not the first time that Mor has been removed from a post following complaints from students and teachers.

In March 2008, Mor was terminated by the Rajasthan Government from an engineering college in Bharatpur where he was working as principal.

Interestingly, the complaints levelled by the staff of Bharatpur college against him were almost identical with those levelled by the faculty members at Panniwala Mota now.

The complaints included refusing legitimate leaves, too much of interference in personal lives of faculty members, particularly of opposite gender, calling staff members unnecessarily and then making them to wait for hours, threats of removal from job and a state of inertia, where no development works and grievance redressal were held. 

Sonepat, September 25
The police has arrested a notorious criminal, Rakesh, alias Lamboo, of Siwah village. Carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, he is allegedly involved in a number of cases of murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, loot etc in Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Jind, Hisar and Fatehabad districts.

He was nabbed at a police naka near Rathdhana by a joint team of the local Sadar police station, SIT and Bahalgarh police chowki led by deputy superintendent of police (probationer) Usha while he was going on a bike on the Sonepat-Narela road last evening.

He allegedly fired at the police team before he was overpowered.

The deputy superintendent of police said Rakesh was involved in 13 criminal cases, including three of murder, and the Jind police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for his arrest. He was produced in the court today and remanded in police custody.

Rakesh allegedly shot dead a person in Kot Kalan in Hisar district in July and Subhash, a resident of Fatehabad, on April 17.