The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Vodafone, Micromax Gurgaon rapid metro’s two stations to bear corporate names Sumedha Sharma Tribune News Service Gurgaon, November 26 Creating a ‘branding’ history of sorts, the two stations of privately owned Gurgaon rapid metro will be the first set of stations with corporate names. Located on the 5-km long Gurgaon Metro Rail line, the two metro stations, Belvedere Towers and Moulsari Avenue, have gone to the telecom companies, Vodafone and Micromax, and are expected to be known as Vodafone Belvedere Towers and Micromax Moulsari Avenue. Elaborating on the unique branding initiative, Pritam Kumar, senior vice-president, Rapid Metro Gurgaon Limited (RMGL), says, "These companies will design the stations creatively and also decide the essential aesthetics. While the inside will be the companies’ canvas, the front shall be normal with just the name of the brand." The RMGL, a special purpose vehicle of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), has entered into a five-year agreement with the two companies and decided to charge a monthly rent of Rs 3 lakh from them. Both Micromax and Vodafone will be given 20-25 per cent of the station's space for branding along with 1,000 sq ft space for the retail activities. Regular advertising, newspaper and coffee kiosks will also be included in the arrangement. The RMGL has hired technicians and experts to design the roofing, lighting and other aspects of the Metro stations for a more aesthetic look. The RMGL began scouting for advertisers a year ago by organising road shows and conferences to promote its project. The RMGL is in talks with several other companies for branding other stations of its metro line. It is also on the lookout for advertisers for train wrapping and is in talks with several banks, though nothing has been finalised yet. As of today, the 5-km RMGL line has six stations and is expected to be operational by March 2013. The RMGL also plans to commission another 7 km to it, making it a 12-km line connecting Golf Course to Sikanderpur Metro station of the Delhi Metro line. One lakh commuters are expected to use this rail service on a daily basis.
	Renuka compares Kuldeep Bishnoi to Narendera Modi Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Fatehabad, November 26 As a convoy of vehicles arrives in the main chowk of Bhirdana after jostling past the dusty roads, she emerges from a vehicle with folded hands amidst slogans. In less than a year of her election to the state Assembly, the Adampur MLA, Renuka Bishnoi, is again in the rough and tumble of politics. Entrusted with the duty to mobilise support for the December 2 Sirsa rally of the Haryana Janhit Congress, headed by her MP husband Kuldeep Bishnoi, the young Adampur MLA has been campaigning from dawn to dusk in the dusty lanes of Fatehabad villages. In politics by a sheer chance of being the wife of the scion of a political family, Renuka seems to have learnt the nuances of the game very well as she knows how to strike an emotional chord with villagers, particularly in Fatehabad, the ancestral area of his late father-in-law Bhajan Lal, whose native village, Mohammadpur Rohi, falls in this district. She spoke in fluent English while answering questions of this reporter, but she could immediately switch over to chaste Bagri dialect when she addressed the villagers. In her speeches, she speaks at length on Haryana politics, the state government’s fiasco on the SEZs, regional disparity by the present government and cases of disproportionate assets against Om Prakash Chautala and his two sons. Comparing Kuldeep Bishnoi in dynamism and integrity with Narendera Modi, Renuka tells people that the success of December 2 rally at Sirsa would catapult him to a position from where it would not be difficult for him to come to power in the coming elections.
	‘Stunted ambitions’ in adolescence affect girls’ careers Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Fatehabad, November 26 College girls think that the manner in which their ambitions were suppressed in their adolescence and they were advised to stay indoors most of the time in the name family honour, it created hindrances in their endeavour to make a career of their own. Some others feel that since childhood they were taught that as girls, patience was like an ornament to them and later people took benefit of their habit of endurance. These were some of the facts that emerged at a three-day workshop on “Sexual Violence against Women” that concluded in the Government Post Graduate College for Women at Bhodia Khera in Fatehabad recently. Dr Shubha, a former college Principal, was the key speaker in the valedictory session of the workshop while Fatehabad City Magistrate Shalini Chetal was the chief guest. Speaking on this occasion, Shubha said adolescence was a tough time for girls, as all efforts were made to suppress their individuality in the name of family honour. “As a college teacher in the Haryana hinterland, I have been noticing young girls covering their heads with heavy duppattas even in their class rooms. Girls are married and made mothers at quite a young age, sometimes in their first year in the college, closing all doors of development for them,” she said. She, however, said the time had started changing and a positive wave had started blowing in Haryana too. “More and more girls are getting higher education and doing lucrative jobs in big cities like Gurgaon by staying in paying guest accommodations,” she said. She added that the recent phenomenon of girls excelling in fields like academics, sports and other activities was a positive sign for society. She also mentioned the recent incident of a girl riding a horse in her marriage as a step in the direction of liberation of women from age-old stereotypes. While condemning the Mumbai incident, where two young girls were arrested by the police for their comments on the social website Facebook after Thackeray’s demise, Shubha said even in this case people must have noticed that only young girls had the guts to express what they felt was wrong at a time when all Mumbaikars were keeping silent. The City Magistrate, Shalini Chetal, said women should change their habit of enduring silently and should start resisting when they felt they were being wronged. She said by keeping quiet, they encouraged the wrong-doers. Dr Meet, in charge of the women wing of the college, said the motive of holding such workshops was that though they had seen their time, they could make the times brighter for the coming generations of women. Principal RK Sharma said the college organised such workshops from time to time to provide exposure to the students. Earlier, Hindi litterateurs Har Bhagwan Chawla and Manoj Chhabra delivered their discourses at the inaugural session of the workshop.
	Traders, transporters evade sales tax Excise dept suffers heavy losses Shekhar Singh Tribune news service Kurukshetra, November 26 The Haryana Excise and Taxation Department has been suffering a huge loss allegedly due to a racket, in which traders, shopkeepers, smugglers and transporters evade sales tax. This tax evasion is allegedly the result of a collusion between the staff of the department deployed at the barriers and some transport companies. Unscrupulous traders are alleged to have swindled huge amounts by evading sales tax. According to sources, traders in alliance with transport companies prepare fake bills showing non-taxable articles. It is also alleged that taxable goods are camouflaged under non-taxable goods while transporting these from Delhi to Kurukshetra or from Chandigarh to Kurukshetra and other towns of the state. The checking staff, posted at the sales-tax barriers, gives clearance to the transporters after seeing the fake bills. According to an estimate, nearly 20,000 persons commute daily between Kurukshetra and Delhi or Chandigarh and Kurukshetra for jobs or business. On their return, most of the commuters bring electric goods, radio and TV parts, photo reels, medicines, watches and other goods of general merchandise in their bags or in small briefcases. These goods are brought for shopkeepers on a small commission. Neither the goods are taken into account nor any sales tax is paid on their sale. According to trade circles here, more than 80 per cent sales tax amount is being evaded by shopkeepers and traders this way and the authorities concerned have failed to check the practice. Also, livestock dealers in connivance with the barrier staff are evading tax by showing less number of cattle exported from the state.
	SSGI holds programme on technical innovation Tribune News Service Yamunanagar, November 26 The Shree Siddhivinayak Group of Institutions (SSGI) organised a Technical Innovation Programme Competition “TECHASTRA-2012” in which students from all engineering departments participated in a big way and presented 51 innovative projects on various latest subjects depicting their innovations and research. While speaking on the occasion, the Chairman and the CEO, Dr MK Sehgal, exhorted the students to not only concentrate on studies but also indulge in extra-curricular activists to become all-rounders in every field. He said it was necessary to maintain a balance between studies and research activities in order to secure a better future. The present age was of technology and innovations where a new idea or invention could take you to greater heights of success. The Director-General, Dr Rajni, while speaking on the occasion, said these types of competitions generate self-confidence in the students and the success of these programmes lay in patience and a calm attitude. To be successful in life, one must learn from the success stories of eminent people who might have faced many failures to achieve success. Ravi Shanker and his team from mechanical engineering presented a working model of Waste Energy Harnessing in which the vehicular traffic passing on roads and bridges wastes a lot of energy due to friction that can be converted to electricity and produce light on the flyovers. To guard our country’s vast boundaries an Ultrasonic Tracking System working model was presented by Electrical Engineeringg students. Kumud and a team from the CSE presented online placement aptitude test software, Manisha and team presented ailine reservation website, Megha and team offline chat server, Neha and team college record software in PHP, Pooja and team kick starter, Parampreet and team discussion website, Astha and team presented college website in HTML and the judges were impressed by these innovative softwares. First year students, Shivek Tyagi and team, presented a conceptual model to harness tidal waves for electricity production. Rohit and team demonstrated a control system through cellphone for domestic appliances. Uma and team demonstrated robotics. Misri and team presented rain-water harvesting and a purification system. These efforts by students clearly indicate the opportunities and facilitation available in the college which enables them for all-round development. Top three projects were awarded with cash prizes of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.
	Award instituted to improve educational facilities in schools Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 26 With a view to further improving educational and other facilities in schools and maintaining sanitation, the Haryana Government has instituted “Chief Minister School Beautification Incentive Awards”. While stating this here, an official spokesman said that these awards would be given to two schools each bagging first position at block, district and state levels. Out of these schools, one would be a primary school and the other a secondary school. He said that at the block level, these primary and secondary schools would be given cash prizes of Rs 50,000 each; at district level, they would be given Rs 1 lakh each and at the state level, they would be given cash prizes of Rs 5 lakh each. He said under this scheme, cash prizes amounting to Rs 1.71 crore would be distributed. He said under this scheme, the Selection Committee for state-level awards would be headed by Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Haryana School Education Department. He said that Director, School Education, Director, Elementary Education, and Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and district education officers concerned would be the other members of the committee. He said the District-Level Selection Committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Deputy Commissioner whereas the District Education Officer concerned would be its Member Secretary. He said that District Forest Officer, Programme Officer, Women and Child Development Department and District Elementary Education Officer would be the other members of this committee. He said the Block-Level Selection Committee would be constituted under the chairmanship of Subdivisional Officer (Civil) and the Block Education Officer would be its Member Secretary. He said that Child Development Project Officer and two senior principals or headmasters would be its other members. He said the schools getting first position at the block level would participate in the district-level competition and those bagging the first position at the district level would participate for state level awards.
	Spic Macay convention Our Correspondent Ambala, November 26 Famous kathak dancer Padamshri Shovana Narayan will inaugurate the first Spic Macay Haryana state convention 2012. The programme will be organised from 14 to 16 December at DAV Girls College, Yamunanagar. The participants will get an opportunity to interact with famous santoor vadak Bhajan Sopori, classical vocalist Sulochana Brahspati, Carnatak flute player Sashank Subrahmanayam and Manipuri dancer Charu Sija Mathur and Singhjeet Singh. A workshop on dance, music, craft and folk culture will be organised during the convention, said national treasurer, Spic Macay, Riki. Principal Shusma Arya said the culture which made us Indian was on the verge of extinction. The main objective of Spic Macay was to awaken the youth about Indian culture.
	CONSOLIDATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE 213 government schools get Rs 2 crore Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 26 The Haryana School Education Department has released over Rs 1.71 crore to strengthen and consolidate infrastructure and provide other facilities in 213 government senior secondary schools in the state. While giving this information here, a spokesman of the department said out of the total amount released, Rs 68.16 lakh has been released for two schools in Karnal district. These schools are Government Girls Senior Secondary School (GGSSS), Karnal, and Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Nilokheri. Similarly, over Rs 27.85 lakh has been released for four schools in Panchkula district namely GSSS, Barwala, Government Model Senior Secondary School Panchkula (Sarthak Model, Sector-12A), Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School (GMSSSS), Sector-20, Panchkula, and GSSS, Raipur Rani. He said that Rs 47,000 had been released for GMSSSS, Barara, in Ambala district and Rs 3.7 lakh for GGSSS, Fatehabad, for strengthening of infrastructure and construction works. He said Rs 7.97 lakh had been released for GSSS, Harigarh Bhorakh, and GSSS Ismailabad, Rs 23.29 lakh for four schools of district Mewat namely GSSS, Ferozpur Jhirka, GSSS, Nagina, GSSS, Punhana and GSSS Taoru. He said that Rs 1.12 lakh have been released for GMSSSS, Dhatir(Palwal), Rs. 16.61 lakh for GSSS Bawal, GSSS Khori, GGSSS Kosli, GSSS Kosli, GGSSS Dharuhera and GSSS Rewari, Rs. 10.53 lakh for GSSS Gohana (Sonepat) , Rs 59.05 lakh for GSSS, Yamunanagar and Rs 6.41 lakh for the construction of two indoor sports halls in Jind.
	Railway Overbridge at Ambala City Slow pace of construction irks residents Suman Bhatnagar Ambala, November 26 The construction of a railway overbridge at Ambala City was expected to be complete by the end of this year, but it seems it will take another five months to complete. A few years ago, an under bridge was also planned on this rail track, but railway engineers ‘disapproved’ of it on some technical grounds. The slow pace of construction has been causing inconvenience to the residents of the nearby localities. An old overbridge on the Ambala-Hisar Highway, close to the new overbridge, is in a pitiable condition and it needs reduction in traffic load. After the construction of the new overbridge, the local traffic will be diverted and the load on the main overbridge will be decreased involuntarily. The Public Works Department had claimed that around 80 per cent construction of the overbridge had been completed and it would start functioning by February 28. Around Rs 28 crore will be spent on its construction, out of which Rs 20 crore will be given by the state government, while the rest will be borne by the Railway Department. Around 540 m-long overbridge will have 17 spans and the breadth of the road will be around seven-and-a-half metre. The construction work of the overbridge has been delayed due to a paucity of funds for the past several years. Later, local MLA Venod Sharma took up the matter with the state government and the Railway Department.
	Increasing Employment Staffing solution firm to open centre in Jhajjar Ravinder Saini Jhajjar, November 26 With a view to increasing the employability quotient of educated youths of Jhajjar and its nearby areas through proper training (skilling) and access to quality jobs, Team Lease Services, one of the prominent staffing solution companies in India, has decided to establish a training centre here in association with the District Rural Development Authority (DRDA). This was announced by Neeti Sharma, Vice-President, Team Lease Services, during a mega job fair organised at Government Polytechnic Institute here recently. The fair was inaugurated by Member of Parliament (MP), Deepender Hooda, and presided over by Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal. Neeti said special training regarding skill development would be imparted to educated unemployed youths in the training centre so that they would be able to make their carrier according to their interest and requirement in public and private sector. The vice-president said, “Skilled employees are a big challenge in India. Hence we believe in creating a synergy between employees and employers and the job fair is an extension of this vision.” Talking about the job fair, Neeti said it was the first-of-its-kind mega job fair in Jhajjar wherein around 20 companies were evaluating candidates and trying to fill around 4,000-5,000 openings. “The job fair will provide candidates a platform that will give them right career guidance and job access in varied sectors. For corporates, it will help them with the much-needed talent as well,” said the Vice-President, adding that the job fair which aimed at connecting job seekers with employers was open for any candidate with the minimum qualification of matriculation and above. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Deepender Hooda said the state government was making all efforts to generate employment opportunities for the youths hence various reputed and big business houses were being invited to Haryana for setting up of their manufacturing units here so that youths of the state could easily grab the jobs of their interest. Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the Congress government was giving a fillip to technical education in the state so as to meet the rising industrial requirements besides developing technical skills of the youths.
	Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram remembered Our Correspondent Sonepat, November 26 Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram was the only Indian politician, who was still being regarded by the people of Pakistan as the champion of farmers. This was stated by Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Sharma while delivering a memorial lecture on Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram at a programme organised by the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Chair of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, recently. He said Chhotu Ram tried to create a non-sectarian peasant group consciousness and formed a cross-communal alliance of agriculturists committed to land alienation. He said as a revenue minister, he brought in changes in the law to stop the practice of usury (charging interest on interest) and also propagated the idea of peasant brotherhood. He said while following the teachings of Deen Bandhu Chhotu Ram, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was committed to the welfare of the peasantry and poor sections of society. Vice-Chancellor of the University HS Chahal said Chhotu Ram used to set aside a substantial portion of his salary for scholarships and stipends for economically weaker students when he was a minister. Dr Jagbir Singh, chairman of the Chair, listed the activities being undertaken by the Chair and said the DCR Chair was established to work for sustainable development in various fields and at every level. On the occasion, the Speaker released a CD of songs and a book on DCR and university’s newsletter. In his message, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda paid tributes to Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram and said the state government had initiated a number of schemes for the welfare of farmers and other weaker sections of society. A Farmers Commission had also been constituted in the state to look after the welfare of the farmers and for redressal of their grievances, the CM added.
	FARMER-POLICE CLASHES IN JULY Sangharsh samiti members meet Justice Iqbal Singh Nawal Kishore Rastogi Rewari, November 26 Justice Iqbal Singh (retd), Chairman of a Judicial Commission instituted by the Haryana Government in the last week of July 2012, visited Rewari for the second time in the past over three months on Friday (November 23). Justice Iqbal Singh, a retired Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was appointed chairman of the Judicial Commission that was instituted by the state government to probe the incidents of violence which erupted during skirmishes between the agitating farmers and the police administration here on July 16 as well as at Asalwas village, 12 km from Rewari, on July 22. It is noteworthy that when owners of agricultural land in Asalwas, Patuhera, Kheda Murar, Banipur, Mangleshwar, Deodhayee, Garhi, Bolni, Bagthala, Kasaula, Kasauli, Bakhapur, Lodhana, Peethanwas and two other villages of Bawal tehsil in the district received notices under section 6 for the acquisition of their 3,700 acres of land for the purpose of an industrial estate that was to be developed there by the HSIIDC as well as the farmers of Jhanjhanwas , Peevara, Kalaka, Mandhiya and Konsiwas villages of Rewari tehsil for the acquisition of their 400 acres of land where HUDA was to develop residential colonies, the farmers of the above 21 villages, under the banner of the Bhoomi Adhigrahan Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, launched a vigorous agitation against the acquisition of their fertile land. Ram Kishan Mahlawat, president, Comrade Rajender Singh, Ajay Yadav, Col Shiv Yadav (retd), Gur Dayal Nambardar, Mahant Adityanath, Bane Singh, Ram Chander Tikla, all senior members of the Sangharsh Samiti and over 20 other members of the samiti met the Chairman of the Judicial Commission here. While affidavits earlier submitted to the commission by senior police and civil officials of the district were handed over to senior functionaries of the samiti, the Chairman of the commission asked them to go through the affidavits and then present to him a list of the affidavit-giving officials whom they would like to cross examine in respect of the contents contained therein. Similarly with the presentation of the samiti functionaries’ affidavits to senior officials of the district, they, too, were asked to make their option in regard to the cross examinees known to the commission Thus while senior functionaries of the samiti made it known to the commission that they would like to cross examine the Deputy Commissioner CG Rajini Kaanthan, then SP Abhihek Garg, District Town Planner and three others in the context of the above affidavits, senior officials sought a week’s time to finalise the list of the samiti functionaries to be cross examined by them. A senior functionary of the samiti also said that if things moved smoothly, the commission could be expected to submit its report to the state government by the end of December 2012.
	DEFYING BAN Sale of gutka, pan masala goes on unabated Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service Kurukshetra, November 26 Despite a ban on the sale, storage and manufacturing of gutka and pan masala in the state, the sale of these products is going on unabated in the city. The difference is that while earlier vendors used to display these products in their stalls, now they keep them hidden and sell these on the black market. Roadside vendors and shopkeepers in the town are still selling these products as people are willing to pay extra money. Ramesh, an auto driver who was ferrying passengers from Gate No.3, Kurukshetra University to Pipli, stopped his auto at two places to buy gutka. A migrant boy was selling ‘beedi’ and cigarettes near the bus stand. The auto stopped there and the boy brought two pouches of gutka from a bag hidden somewhere and sold these to the auto driver for Rs 12. The auto driver said, "Who says gutka has been banned? It is available everywhere. The only thing is that you have to pay Rs 6 for a pouch instead of Rs 2, which was the actual price." The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Vandana Bhatia, said the Health Department had conducted a few raids and seized tobacco products. “We have formed teams to check the sale of gutka. We will conduct raids to check this practice. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty," said Dr Bhatia.
	Varsities, teachers crucial for transforming society: VC BS Malik Sonepat, November 26 Universities, teachers and students have an important role in transforming society. This was stated by the Vice-Chancellor of BPS Women University, Khanpur Kalan, Dr Pankaj Mittal, in a seminar on the “Role of Universities in Societal Development” held recently at Haryana Pavilion at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi in India International Trade Fair-2012. Dr Mittal highlighted the social activities undertaken by the university, saying that the university had established a Centre for Society-University Interface and Research. The centre had started certificate courses in three fields — Integrated Energy Resource Management, Microfinance Practices and Folk Medicine Study. “Students, as part of their studies are encouraged to adopt five families each to motivate the rural people for sending their children to school, maintain cleanliness and make them health conscious,” she said, adding that under the NSS Scheme, students present ‘nukkar nataks’ to motivate people for eradicating social evils. Dr Mittal said the students had developed utility machines for rural people like Upla-Making Machine and a washing machine, which is run without electricity, just by cycling. While one keeps fit with cycling, the machine washes clothes. Students also do a chemicalanalysis of the soil and suggest use of proper fertilisers. Water is also tested to suggest about removal of impurities. Dr Mittal said starting with just three students at Gurukul initially, it has now developed into a university with 7,000 students and is running courses from KG to PhD level. The university has MOUs with various universities and about 200 foreign students visit the university every year. Visiting Professor at the university, Prof Kapil Kapoor said “villages mainly have three problems of energy, cleanliness and employment and the university tries to find solutions through the Centre for Society-University Interface and Research.” The Registrar of the university, Prof Asha Kadyan, said the university aimed at nurturing multi-skilled youth with the ability to communicate to enhance the prospects of their employability.
	School hosts RTI Act convention Rewari, November 26 In furtherance of his ongoing programme of broadening the conceptual gamut of school students, Rajeev Rustagi, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Khandewla village, in the Farukh Nagar area of Gurgaon district, held a convention on RTI Act in the school complex recently. The village elders also participated in it along with the school staff and students. The gathering was addressed by Vijay Singh Yadav, a senior functionary of the Haryana Soochna Adhikar Manch, a voluntary organisation of the state. Highlighting the vital aspects of the RTI Act, Yadav said citizens, including the students, could now seek crucial information from the head of any government office or department or a private institution by paying the prescribed fee of Rs 50. He said the authorities concerned were bound by the provisions of the Act to provide the required information to the applicant, within a period of 30 days. He cited instances of several achievers who had succeeded in securing employment for themselves from the heads of various departments, who had ‘arbitrarily’ rejected their selection for appointment initially. While a school lecturer, Rekha Sharma, conducted the proceedings, school management committee chairperson Sarla Rathee thanked Yadav as well as the guests. Appreciating the usefulness of the programme, the village elders expressed the desire to have more such functions for the benefit of the villagers. — OC
	Political rallies galore for coming poll Sushil Manav Tribune News Service Sirsa, November 26 The season of political rallies in Haryana, it appears, has finally arrived now with the INLD’s rally in Rewari that was held on November 1, the Congress rally in Delhi that was held on November 4 and now, the HJC rally in Sirsa on December 2. With nearly one-and-a-half year remaining for the parliamentary poll and that, too, if these are not advanced, the season of political rallies is here to ‘stay’ for the next two years, as the state Assembly poll are to follow soon after the parliamentary poll. Though the Congress rally in Delhi on November 4 was not entirely of the Haryana Congress, but of national character, the onus of mobilising support was on Haryana and in fact, a major chunk of the crowd went from this state. If the Congress rally was on the call of the party’s central leadership for a specific purpose of garnering support for the UPA government’s policies, especially the introduction of the FDI in retail sector, the INLD rally at Rewari and the proposed HJC rally at Sirsa are both part of the annual exercise by these parties. While the November 1 rally by the INLD was to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, the HJC rally is to celebrate the foundation day of the party. Though Devi Lal’s birth anniversary falls on September 25, the INLD leadership, from the last year, had taken a decision to celebrate his anniversary on Haryana Day, which falls on November 1. While the centre of attack at the INLD’s rally was the UPA government at the Centre and the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana, the verbal attack at the Delhi rally of the Congress remained on the opposition parties, particularly the BJP. In his recent speeches in meetings to mobilise people for the rally, Bishnoi has been mentioning both Hooda and Chautala as two sides of the same coin. Since senior BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj are also expected to address the December 2 rally, the UPA government at the Centre and its recent economic policies are also likely to remain the focus of speeches.
	Declamation contest on gender inequality Our Correspondent Rewari, November 26 Besides functionaries of the ABVP and distinguished citizens, staff and students of schools and colleges of the region participated in a special function held under the auspices of the Rewari unit of the Women’s wing of the ABVP to mark Women’s Prowess Day at the conclusion of a week-long celebrations of Maharani Laxmi Bai Jayanti at Maharaja Agrasen Public School Complex here recently. While Dr Ravi Ranjan, director, H-Way Hospital, was the chief guest, Amit Yadav, director, Madhu Sudan Public School, presided over its proceedings. While Mamta Yadav, national vice-president of the women’s wing of the ABVP, also present at the samaroh, Dr Jitender Bhardwaj, a senior functionary of the ABVP, was the main speaker. Dr Ranjan expressed concern at the growing menace of gender inequality in society while urging youths to take up cudgels against the menace. Yadav urged the youth to make efforts to achieve their goal in life. Noted lyricist Vipin Suneja highlighted the history-cum-significance of the National Song “Vande Matram”. Yadav hoped that the programme would infuse positive thinking among the youths. The students presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion. A group song competition and a declamation contest on “Gender Inequality- its Cause, Effect and Corrective” were held in which 250 students of the region participated.
	Women told to fight foeticide, illiteracy Satish Seth Kaithal, November 26 Women should shed hesitation in this male-dominated society and join hands to work for the betterment of the society. This was stated by Sarita, sarpanch of Sakra village, during a day-night camp at the village recently. She urged women to prepare themselves to fight social evils like female foeticide and illiteracy. She asked them not to leave studies even after marriage and gave her own example that she completed MA in Hindi and then Parbhakar after marriage. Earlier last month, Seema, sarpanch of Chousala village in Kalayat block of the district, was in the news when she mustered courage to shed “ghoonghat” during a day-night camp presided over by Deputy Commissioner Chander Shekhar. She showed her resolve to mobilise women to raise their voice against ‘purdah’ system, female foeticide and other social evils. Now, the women in the district have started coming forward to work for the eradication of social evils and motivate women to complete their education even after marriage. Not only this, the women sarpanch and panches have also started taking interest in the functioning of the village panchayat and other institutions. Though efforts were on for the past few years to ensure empowerment of women, the campaign got an impetus during the past few months when the district administration started day-night camps. The Deputy Commissioner expressed satisfaction over the response of the villagers to day-night camps and urged them to work for the betterment of people living in rural areas.
	Faridabad scores in development projects: MP Tribune News Service Faridabad, November 26 Congress MP Avtar Singh Bhadana has claimed that Faridabad is ahead of other parliamentary constituencies in the country in terms of development projects accomplished in the past eight years. He was addressing a public meeting at Mandhauli after inaugurating an entrance gate at the village, which was constructed in the memory of noted freedom fighter of INA from the area Roop Singh Gujar. The Congress leader claimed he was instrumental in getting Rs 3,200 crore from the Centre for development projects in the district under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Bhadana praised Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for being “liberal” towards Faridabad with regard to projects by the state government. He cited the proposed linking of Faridabad with Delhi Metro rail services, completion of Badarpur flyover, medical college, Industrial Model Township (IMT) and the expansion of National Highway No-2 as some of the projects undertaken in Faridabad during the Congress rule. He lauded the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) and its general secretary Rahul Gandhi, for galvanising youths in favour of the party. He also urged the public to maintain brotherhood among all sections of society. His appeal was in the context of some miscreants vandalising the entrance gate constructed in the memory of the freedom fighter on the eve of its inauguration. The gate has been constructed from the MP’s Area Development Fund at the initiative of the Yuva Vikas Shakti, a voluntary organisation, headed by Hari Singh of Mandhauli. Spokesman of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Khazan Singh lauded Bhupinder Singh Hooda for ‘equitable development’ of the state.
	Management development programme starts Ambala, November 26 A five-day management development programme, organised by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME), was started at the E-Max Group of Institutions. MK Verma, Assistant Director, MSME, was the chief guest. After inaugurating the programme, Verma introduced the programme and its objectives to the students. He advised the participants to acquire multifarious skills to face the highly competitive world. He said in the programme, experts would brief the students on topics like marketing mix and planning, understanding customer, customer relationship management, types and techniques of sales promotion, power of optimism marketing, planogramming and effective interpersonal scales in marketing. — OC
	Hoteliers’ cooperation sought Rewari, November 26 Deputy Superintendent of Police, Anoop Singh Dahiya convened a meeting of hotel owners here to check unlawful activities. This follows the recent apprehension of eight persons consuming liquor at a hotel here, which reportedly possessed no valid licence for it.Seeking the hoteliers’ cooperation in curbing activities of criminals in the city, the DSP wanted them to inform the police whenever they suspected a person of questionable credentials —OC
	Modern School win u-19 cricket tourney BS Malik Sonepat, November 26 The Modern Public School, Delhi, lifted the All-India Public School Under-19 Cricket Championship by defeating the host, Motilal Nehru School of Sports (MNSS), by 65 runs in the final of the seven-day championship, which concluded on Sunday evening. The event saw participation of 13 teams from all over the country. After winning the toss, Modern School decided to bat first and scored 128 runs for the loss of some wickets in the stipulated 30 overs. While chasing the victory target of 129 runs, MNSS lost all wickets at regular intervals and was all out within 20 overs. Leg spinner Sukh Pal of MNSS was adjudged the man of the series for his all round performance as he scored 160 runs and captured 12 wickets. Himmat of Modern School scored 170 runs in three matches and Pawan of MNSS, who claimed 16 wickets was declared the best batsman and the best bowler of the championship respectively. While giving away prizes among the winners, Principal and Director of MNSS, Rai, VK Verma said sportspersons should not be disheartened with defeat as it guides them to overcome shortcomings. “A win inspires the winners to bring further improvement in their performance,” he said and added that sport should be a part of life of the youths.
	‘Acrobatic Boys’ fail to win title Tribune News Service Sirsa, November 26 Sirsa’s “Acrobatic Boys” are back in Sirsa after their creditable performance in “India’s Got Talent”, a reality show on Colors TV. The “Acrobatic Boys”, a team of nine daredevil boys from very poor families of Sirsa, gave breathtaking performances in gymnastics during their run-up to the finals and received standing ovation from the three judges - Kirron Kher, Farah Khan and Karan Johar. However, the team failed to win the title and finished in the last six teams, said the team captain, Amit Kumar. He said “Acrobatic Boys” was the only group in the last six teams - rest all being solo performers or doubles. A dancing duo comprising children, Sonali and Somanth, trained by Bivash Academy of Dance (BAD SALSA), won the title, Amit revealed. On their way to Sirsa, the “Acrobatic Boys” met Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar, who took them to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for a meeting.
	KU wins inter-varsity hockey trophy Kurukshetra, November 26 Kurukshetra University won the North Zone Inter-University Hockey (Men) Championship 2012-13 organised by the Kurukshetra University Sports Council (KUSC) which concluded at the University Sports Complex here recently. GND University, Amritsar, was runner-up, while Panjab University, Chandigarh, secured the third position. In the last league match, Kurukshetra University defeated, GND University, Amritsar, 4-1. From Kurukshetra University, Surender scored two goals, whereas Parveen and Amrit scored one goal each. From GND University, Amritsar, the lone goal was scored by Manjinder Singh. Earlier in the morning, match between MD University, Rohtak and Panjab University, Chandigarh, ended in a draw with 0-0 score. The final results: 1. Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra 2. GND University, Amritsar 3.Panjab University, Chandigarh 4. MD University, Rohtak Sandeep Singh, an Arjuna awardee was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. In his address, he said the level of hockey could only be raised if players worked hard. Dr Gurdeep Singh, deputy secretary (Sports), Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi, was the guest of honour. — OC
	Delhi University girls win basketball championship BS Malik Sonepat, November 26 Delhi University girls lifted the title of the North Zone Inter-University Women Basketball Championship by defeating the defending champion, Kurukshetra University, by 73-60 and Punjabi University, Patiala, by 71-60 in league matches. Kurukshetra was placed at the second position and the third position was bagged by Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar. The nine-day championship concluded on Monday evening at the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, and 22 teams from different universities of the zone participated. The state president of the Haryana Basketball Association, Ravinder Singh Hooda, who is also OSD (Residence) to Haryana Chief Minister, gave away prizes to the winners. Speaking on the occasion, Ravinder Singh Hooda said Haryana had emerged as a leading state in sports activities in the country and it was acknowledged by the performance of sports persons from the state in Commonwealth and Asian games and in London Olympics. The Sports Physical Aptitude Test (SPAT) programme of the new sports policy had attracted the budding youth from the rural areas in sports activities, he added. The university’s registrar, RK Arora, said sports activity was necessary for keeping a person physically and mentally fit and fresh and it should be adopted by every youth. Murthal university under the guidance of the Vice-Chancellor, HS Chahal, had taken every care to create sports facilities on the university premises, he added.
	Traffic campaign in Gurgaon to cope with fog Sumedha Sharma/TNS Gurgaon, November 26 With foggy weather setting in, Gurgaon police’s traffic wing has introduced a special traffic campaign and a plan to ensure safe driving during this weather. Emphasising the need to be forewarned, officials have sent letters to all authorities, including those of Expressway, asking them to get lane divisions re-painted and highlighted. The traffic police department has also asked HUDA to repair all streetlights and fog lights on all major roads, including Expressway. “We just wish to ensure safe and smooth driving during the coming foggy season and have, therefore, initiated this special plan. All departments have been asked to ensure enhancement of visibility in advance and the Expressway operator has been asked specifically to get the lights repaired or installed, if required,” said DCP Maheshwar Dayal. The traffic police also plans to reach out to drivers to counsel them on driving safe during fog. A special meeting was also held with representatives and drivers of heavy vehicles and commercial vehicles. Special directives were issued to them, including intallation of fog lights and reflectors. “We shall be starting a special challan drive soon where vehicles lacking fog equipment will be challaned. Drivers were called and we counselled them on the need to abide by speed limits and lane-driving to avoid accidents and causalities,” added a senior official of the department. The department has also issued warning letters to school bus operators, informing them about the laid norms for school buses and asking them to abide by them.
	Motorcyclist killed in mishap Tribune News Service Gurgaon, November 26 A motorcyclist was killed as an iron part of an under-construction Rapid Metro flyover reportedly fell on him here on Saturday. Vikas Kumar, 21, a resident of Delhi, was going towards DLF Phase-I in Gurgaon via Shankar Chowk on a motorcycle. He was near Cyber City when an iron pole from the under-construction flyover reportedly fell on him. Vikas lost his balance and the bike hit a pillar. He was taken to a private hospital were he was declared brought dead. Vikas was an engineer by profession and worked for a private company. The police has registered a case of death due to negligence under Section 304-A of the IPC against the construction contractor. On the other hand, a Rapid Metro spokesperson has denied that the iron pole had fallen from the flyover. The spokesperson said as per their information, the victim hit the pole which was being carried by labourers.