Ladwa, November 2
Assistant sub-inspector of police Tejpal Singh posted in Kurukshetra sadar police station has been booked by the Ladwa police on charges of attempt to murder, criminal trespass and violence resulting in injuries.

Three other persons — Satbir Singh, Dharambir and Baldeep, alias Bunty — have also been booked in this case on similar charges.

Police sources said the incident took place after a minor scuffle between two groups on the issue of overtaking of their vehicle on the Ladwa road. Tejpal and the other accused allegedly beat the victims with rods and threatened him with a gun.

“Following a complaint to the police, barricades were put on the road to Ladwa. But the accused did not stop the car and hit the barriers, injuring two Home Guards posted there,” said Kamal Deep, in charge of Ladwa police station.

“The acussed were chased and arrested in Ladwa. The two Home Guards — Manoj and Ved Praksah — were taken to the Civil Hospital in Ladwa and discharged after first aid. A case has been registered on the complaint of the Home Guards,” added Kamal Deep.

Rewari, November 2
A 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a youth at a Gujjar colony near Jarthal village yesterday. On a complaint filed by the victim’s father, the Kasaula police of the district has registered a case of rape against the accused, Dinesh Gujjar.

A senior police official said the medical examination of the girl conducted here last evening did not confirm sexual assault and the matter had been entrusted to DSP Rajpal Singh for investigation. — OC

Chandigarh, November 2
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the state of Haryana to justify the number of Information Commissioners appointed vis-a-vis the number of appeals filed. The Chief Secretary has been asked to file an affidavit to justify the appointment of State Information Commissioners.

The court observed "the number of cases filed and pending before the commission prima facie does not justify the number of Commissioners appointed".

The observations came on a petition filed by Devender Singh. The petitioner had approached the court with a grievance that he had filed an appeal before the State Information Commission way back in April 2012, but the date of hearing given was January 14, 2013.

After the court issued notices to the state, the Haryana law officer submitted that the date of hearing in the petitioner’s case had been advanced and the same was being decided finally.

Jind, November 2
The reported comment and suggestion made by JDU leader Sharad Yadav regarding the role and work of khap panchayats in Haryana has not gone down well with the leaders of the khap bodies.

The Sarvajatiya Sarvakhap Mahapanchayat has condemned the observations made by Yadav at the INLD rally held at Rewari on Thursday.

The mahapanchayat has asked political leaders to refrain from passing remarks on the khaps without getting proper knowledge of such bodies.

Describing the reported remarks made by the JDU leader as unwarranted and unnecessary, the spokesperson of the mahapanchayat, Sube Singh Binain, claimed that such irresponsible remarks damaged the image of the khaps, which he said, had suffered at the hands of a section of the media and the urban lot which sees them in a prejudiced manner and creates an image of a villain.

He said the khaps had always played a positive role in helping rural people resolve their personal and social matters and thus helped them avoid getting into legal tangles.

He claimed that Yadav had perhaps no knowledge of the functioning of the khaps in Haryana or the neighbouring states and had passed the comments to remain in news.

Yadav had asked the khaps to work for the welfare of weaker sections instead of taking up the issues of only the dominant class and taking absurd decisions.

Kuldeep Singh Dhanda, another khap leader, said it was wrong to assume or say that khaps represented only the dominant or influential community and had no representation of the Dalits or weaker sections.

He said though every sub-caste had its khap body, the Sarvajatiya Sarvakhap Mahapanchayat was the platform where representatives of nearly all the communities were members and were welcome to speak and express their views on any social issue and this body always stood behind those who were the victims or exploited in any form.

He said the mahapanchayat had taken up the matter of recent incidents of rape in the state and had demanded strict actions against the culprits.

He said the khaps were working silently to resolve issues at local levels without financial or legal support from anywhere. 

Chandigarh, November 2
The Haryana Congress has taken strong exception to the assertions made by Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal at a public meeting in Rewari yesterday which reflected that a nexus existed between the INLD and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which torpedoes the interests of Haryana.

In a statement issued by Congress leaders, including HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana, Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav and political adviser to the Chief Minister Virender Singh here today, they pointed out that while addressing the public meeting Badal had clearly stated “the INLD has played a vital role in making me the Chief Minister of Punjab”.Badal had further added “ the elections to the Lok Sabha are expected any time and he is keen to see Haryana being ruled by Om Prakash Chautala”.

This, they pointed out, showed their strong bonds and selfish motives that delayed resolution of the inter-state issues of Haryana and also for creating hindrances in the development of the State.

The leaders claimed that Chandigarh belonged to Haryana and the Congress and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had made Haryana Government’s stand on Chandigarh very clear at several fora.

Fatehabad, November 2
The police in Fatehabad is conducting a probe after an ancient mosque at Bhirdana village of the district was allegedly vandalised and a complaint in this regard was lodged by the Haryana Wakf Board in Sadar police Station.

This historical mosque is mentioned in The Gazette of India dated October 17, 1970, as per the complaint.

Though no obeisance takes place in the building alleged to have been vandalised, the mosque comes under the Haryana Wakf Board.

Wakf Board Trustee Mohammad Usman Khan said they got information that a resident of Bhirdana village and his two aides had vandalised the village mosque and their act had disturbed religious harmony in the region.

He added that when he and rent collector Azad Mohammad reached the spot and tried to restrain them they were abused by the attackers.

“According to Section 2 of the Place of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991, enacted by the Government of India with reference to holy places, the religious character of any place must be the same as it was on August 15, 1947,” said Mohammad Usman Khan, who has lodged the complaint.

Om Prakash, in charge of the Sadar police station, said the police was verifying the facts. He said there were no differences among the villagers over this issue. 

Rohtak, November 2
The family of the acutely ailing Virender Malik (50), a professor in MD University here, is in a state of shock and distress following the move by the university to give him voluntary retirement from service.

Crying foul against the decision, his wife Vandana has lodged a complaint with the police against the Vice-Chancellor and some other officials for allegedly forging the application. She has demanded supernumerary benefit allowed to a 100 per cent disabled employee and action against the authorities concerned.

Vandana said Dr Malik has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a non-curable and deadly disease, and declared 100 per cent disabled in view of his being incapacitated physically.

She said he had been victimised by the university by giving him VRS recently in a forcible manner.

Claiming that while her husband had submitted an application for the provision of supernumerary benefit, the authorities played smart by announcing VRS on the basis of an application which was allegedly prepared by the officials concerned just a couple of days before the meeting of the Executive Council of the university recently.

She claimed that her husband, who is unable to move even his limbs and has been bedridden for the past few months, had never applied for VRS but had submitted an application for salary benefits till the age of retirement or superannuation, which was legal and allowed to a victim of 100 per cent disability under the Disability Act, 1995.

The move to make him retire all of sudden had left them shocked. She said while her husband could neither write nor give a thumb impression, four employees of the university led by an official holding the post of OSD (Est.) entered her house in her absence and took her husband’s thumb impression on papers to prepare application for the VRS.

Describing it as false and fabricated in the application to the senior superintendent of police, she has stated that this development had caused loss and mental agony to the family. She quoted Section 47 of the Disabilities Act, 1995, she said no establishment shall dispense with or reduce in rank an employee who acquires disability during service, may be kept in supernumerary post until a suitable post was available or attains the age of superannuation, whichever earlier.

She claimed that the application submitted by her husband to the university on July 10 had not been decided so far, while he was given VRS all of sudden against the university rules which require a notice not less than three months in writing by the applicant.

Dr Malik joined the university on October 3, 1998 was declared 100 per cent disabled on May 23 this year. A certificate by the office of the Civil Surgeon here was issued in this regard. The Registrar of the university issued a letter on October 18 to Dr Malik, saying that on basis of declaration made by him in the presence of the committee set by the VC, the EC vide its resolution number 56, dated October 12, 2012 had accepted his VRS application and he stood retired on October 18, 2012.

The VC, Dr Ramphal Hooda, claimed that VRS had been provided on the application of Dr Malik. He added that an enquiry had been set up to probe the issue after the objection and complaint lodged by Mrs Vandana Malik.

SSP Vivek Sharma claimed that the matter was under investigation as a team headed by an inspector had started the enquiry into the case.

VRS Given
Claiming that while her husband had submitted an application for the provision of supernumerary benefit, the authorities played smart by announcing VRS on the basis of an application which was allegedly prepared by university officials.

Faridabad, November 2
The dharna by employees of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) to press for transparency in the functioning of the Accounts Department of the civic body entered its 12th day today.

Rattan Rohilla, general secretary of the Faridabad Municipal Corporation Employees Federation, while addressing the employees said the dharna would continue till the demand was accepted.

The federation has alleged that department officials are corrupt and inefficient.

Its leaders alleged that the department had not done “bank reconciliation” of faulty cheques submitted by taxpayers for the past 15 years.

The department did not pursue the anomalous cases either with the bank or the guilty taxpayers. On the contrary, official records suggested that many of them had cleared their dues, it added.

The federation also alleged bungling of employees’ GPF. The department had not completed the process of “reconciliation” in connection with the GPF accounts since 2008, it added.

Sonepat, November 2
The police claimed to have arrested the main accused, Manoj of Begampur in Delhi, involved in cheating Vasu Dev Madaan of Rs 9.70 lakh by supplying fake silver. He was remanded in two-day police custody for the recovery of the cheated amount.

The police has already arrested Chander Prakash of local Tara Nagar in this case.

Vasu Dev lodged a complaint on October 8, stating that he used to purchase silver at the rates lower than those in the market.

In June, he purchased silver valued Rs 9.70 lakh from the alleged accused but it was later found fake. 

Chandigarh, November 2
The Hooda government is set to take a U-turn on the 25 per cent quota for the poor under Rule 134-A of the Haryana School Education Rules which made education free of cost to 25 per cent children belonging to BPL families in private schools mandatory.

Against the backdrop of opposition from over 9,000 privately-managed schools, the government is mulling an amendment to the rules and exploring the possibility of scaling down the reservation to 10 per cent, besides restricting the quota for the below poverty line (BPL) families only.

This assurance was given to a delegation of private school operators who met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda last night.

Since the amendment involves a major policy decision, the state Cabinet would take a final call on the issue after examining the legal aspects. In a talk with reporters at Panchkula today, Hooda confirmed that the matter would be taken up at the forthcoming meeting of the Cabinet

Thousands of private schools across the state downed shutters for three days starting October 29 in protest against Rule 134-A, which they alleged, would force the closure of many private schools in the state. It was not possible to pass over the financial burden accruing from this move to the remaining three-fourth students as these institutions had not been getting any grant or financial help from any source, including the state or the union governments, the private schools claimed.

Sources said since the matter was under the scanner of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government was moving cautiously on the issue of providing relief to the private schools by bringing down reservation from 25 per cent to10 per cent.

Coordinator of Sanjha Morcha of the privately-managed school Jatinder Lather told The Tribune that besides 10 per cent reservation for the poor students, the association was also assured of limiting the reservation to BPL families only.

Earlier this year, on a petition filed by advocate Satyaveer Hooda, the HC had asked all private schools in Haryana to provide education free of cost from classes I to VIII to children of parents earning below Rs 2 lakh per annum. Earlier, only children belonging to BPL families could get this benefit in select schools.

Recently, Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal had warned the private schools in the state to provide free education to the 25 per cent BPL children enrolled in the school or face stern action.

Changing quota Rule 134-A

* Hooda government proposes to reduce quota for poor from 25% to 10% under Rule 134-A

* Government assures private schools that quota would be limited to BPL families

* State Cabinet to take up the issue

* The proposed decision may run counter to the spirit of the RTE Act.

Chandigarh, November 2
Devender Singh, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitan Nigam (UHBVN) and the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has appreciated Gagan Pandey, SDO, and two junior engineers (JEs) for detecting theft of electricity in the face of manhandling by the consumer and “fabricated” charges of molestation.

A UHBVN spokesman said while four persons, including defaulter Lakhvinder Singh, had been arrested on account of manhandling and interfering in discharge of duty by the public servants, the CMD would give appreciation letters to the officials for their dedication to duty.

The SDO and two JEs raided Lakhvinder Singh’s house in Siwan in Kaithal district recently. During the checking, the owner of the house and a few other persons manhandled the SDO and the accompanying staff. As the consumer was found stealing electricity, a penalty of Rs 49,700 was imposed on him

However, a false complaint was also lodged by Lakhvinder Singh alleging that the checking party had tried to outrage his daughter’s modesty and an FIR was registered against the SDO and JEs. The district administration has agreed to cancel the false FIR against the power officials. at Devender Singh’s intervention after getting true facts.

DHBVN revenue up

Meanwhile, owing to the ongoing efforts for recovery of defaulting amount and checking theft of electricity, the DHBVN received the highest-ever monthly revenue of Rs 553.27 crore during October.

A DHBVN spokesman said here today that the nigam received Rs 582 crore as remittance in banks (RIB) last month, out of which Rs. 553.27 crore was the revenue against sale of power, Rs. 6.21 crore more than the revenue received during September.

Power schedule changed

Hisar: The DHBVN has changed the schedule of power supply for rural domestic consumers and agriculture tubewells.

A DHBVN spokesman said here that tubewells would run for eight hours a day in three groups. Group I would be given power supply for eight hours from 8 am, group II from 10 pm to 5 am and from 3 pm to 4 pm daily and group III from 11 pm to 6am and from 3 pm to 4 pm daily.

The consumers would get supply for 11 hours, however, they would get supply in the evening earlier by one hour. The rural domestic consumers would get supply in two groups. Group I will be given supply from 6 am to 7a.m., from 11 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm. to 1am. Group II will get power supply from 7am to 8am, from 1 pm to 3 pm and from 5.30 pm. to 1.30 am.

Fatehabad, November 2
Agitated farmers today blocked the Kulan-Jakhal road in Fatehabad for over four hours against tardy procurement of paddy and the alleged fleecing of farmers in grain markets by a nexus among millers, government procurement agencies and officials responsible for the purchase operations.

The farmers blocked the road that connected Fatehabad, Ratia and Kulan with Chandigarh and some other towns of Punjab through Jakhal around 10 am and continued their dharna on the road till senior officials from Tohana reached there and assured them of smooth procurement in future.

“Many of us have been sitting with our crop for the past 15 days. Representatives of the purchase agencies have been adopting dilatory tactics so that farmers are forced to sell their crops in distress at lower rates. Against the MSP of Rs 1280 per quintals, farmers are getting RS 1100 to 1150 for their crop,” alleged Kaur Singh, a farmer.

Farmers alleged that the millers, who purchased paddy on behalf of the procurement agencies, had also been imposing a cut of 2 kilograms against the purchase of every quintal of paddy.

Vijender Bhardwaj, tehsildar from Tohana, who went to persuade the farmers along with officials of the government procurement agencies and the market committee, maintained that the purchase operations would be streamlined.

About the cut imposed by the millers, Bhardwaj said he would recommend suitable action in the matter.

“Sometimes, farmers themselves strike a deal with the millers because their paddy contains moisture more than the limit of 17 per cent prescribed by the government,” Bhardwaj added. 

Karnal, November 2
A hapless man whose wife was murdered and minor daughter was raped is running from pillar to post for justice but to no avail.

Dharampal wants the guilty police personnel punished, whose 15-year-old daughter was allegedly raped by some youths of dominant community and his wife, who raised the voice for getting justice for her daughter went missing on September 3 and her body was recovered from the Sirsa branch two days later.

Dharampal, who met Karnal Deputy Commissioner Renu S Phuliya, said he got a routine reply that investigations were in progress and said no deterrent action had been taken against the police personnel responsible for not taking prompt action on his complaint.

Though erring policemen were transferred, Dharampal seeks strict action and a case registered against them for “criminal neglect of duty” that led to his wife’s murder.

Narrating his tale of woes to a team of the National Scheduled Caste Commission who visited him two weeks ago, Dharampal said, “Had the police chowki in charge, Ram Prakash, and SHO Sanjeev Malik had not been “insensitive” and had immediately registered the complaint, my wife would have been alive today.”