Chandigarh, December 18
Vehicles of the Haryana Government will have to affix new high security registration plates (HSRPs) by January 31.

Haryana Transport Commissioner Sumita Misra said the HSRPs should be affixed on all government vehicles after obtaining the authorisation slips from the respective registering authority.

To set the ball rolling, the government has decided to organise special camps on December 21 and 27 for the vehicles registered in the Transport Commissioner’s office.

The new HSRPs will go a long way in checking theft of vehicles and preventing their misuse besides bringing about a uniform pattern of displaying the registration marks across the state.

The state government initiated the process for installation of the new registration plates on about 40 lakh vehicles in the state earlier this year by finalising Delhi-based Link Utsav Registration Plate Private Limited for implementing the project. The vehicle owners were to take the authorisation slip from the office of the registration authority concerned and deposit the cost of registration plate with the said agency.

While the price for affixation of the registration plate on a motorcycle and tractor was fixed at Rs 121, for scooter it was Rs 140. The new registration plate would cost Rs 161 to the owners of the three-wheelers.

For light motor vehicle, the rate was fixed at Rs 364 and for commercial vehicles, it was Rs 280.

The Supreme Court had imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the state government for disobeying its directions for the implementation of the HSRPs in October last year.

Chandigarh, December 18
Nearly 27 years after 23 members of the Sikh community were "brutally killed" in “horrific incidents of communal violence” in Haud Chillar village in Rewari district, the State of Haryana has extended the scope of Justice Garg Commission for probing similar incidents in Gurgaon and Pataudi.

The decision was communicated to the Punjab and Haryana High Court nearly eight months after a Division Bench directed that the claims regarding “Gurgaon district, including Pataudi” are also considered by the commission.

As a petition filed by New York registered Sikhs for Justice and another petitioners came up for hearing, Haryana Additional Advocate-General Anil Rathee informed the Bench of Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain that “decision has been taken on December 12 to include the areas of Pataudi and Gurgaon also within the ambit of terms of reference”. Taking on record the assertion, the Bench disposed of the petition.

In April this year, the high court ruled: “The ends of justice would meet if area of reference made to Justice TP Garg is expanded and instead of carrying it to the area of Haud Chillar, the claim in respect of Gurgaon district, including Pataudi, is also considered by the commission.

The high court had earlier dismissed a bunch of petitions seeking probe by a retired high court judge with the assistance of the CBI.

The dismissal order came after the State of Haryana told the high court sometimes in March that one-man commission, appointed to look into the matter, would submit its report in six months.

The state had, in fact, told the Bench that retired judge from Allahabad High Court, Justice TP Garg, has already been appointed to probe the Haud Chillar massacre.

In their petition against the State of Haryana, Rewari Superintendent and another respondent, the petitioners had earlier sought a probe by a retired high court judge.

CBI assistance for the retired high court judge was also sought. The petitioners had asserted the victims’ belongings were burnt and even a gurdwara was reduced to ashes.

Chandigarh December 18
Dheera Khandelwal, Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development Department, said today that the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development had invited nominations to confer six national awards known as ‘Stree Shakti Puraskar’. Each award carries Rs 3 lakh in cash and a citation.

Khandelwal said these awards were given every year in the name of eminent women personalities in Indian history, namely Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar, Kannagi, Mata Jija Bai, Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang, Rani Lakshmi Bai and Rani Rudramma Devi.

She said the first four awards were given to the women who had done work in the field of support and rehabilitation of women and children in difficult circumstances like destitute women and children, widows, victims of atrocities and conflicts, disabled women and children and aged women, education and training, promoting self help groups, support to women in agriculture and rural industry, environment protection, empowerment of women for community and political participation, health performance, creating awareness and consciousness on women’s issues through the arts, media including electronic and mass media and community-based programmes.

The Rani Lakshmibai award was given to recognise the spirit of courage and personal achievement of a woman in difficult circumstances. The Government of India had also added the sixth sub category of Stree Shakti Puraskar in the name of Rani Rudramma Devi, which would be awarded to individual men or women for their outstanding administrative skill, leadership quality and courage.

The last date for submission of applications was January 10, 2013. 

New Delhi, December 18
A Delhi court will on January 16 pronounce its verdict in the case of alleged illegal recruitment of over 3,000 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in which former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and others are facing trial.

Special CBI Judge Vinod Kumar reserved his order in the case after conclusion of final arguments from the CBI as well as the defence counsel.

"The judgement in this case will be announced on January 16, 2013. All the accused persons shall remain present on that date," the judge said.

The court, after hearing the final arguments, also asked all the accused to file their written submissions relating to the case, if they want, by January 4 next year.

The court had earlier found prima facie evidence against Chautala, his son Ajay and 54 others, including IAS officers Vidya Dhar and Sanjiv Kumar, who too was made accused by the CBI after he exposed the JBT recruitment scam. The court had framed charges against them under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CBI had on June 6, 2008, chargesheeted the Chautalas and others in connection with the scam relating to appointment of 3,206 JBT teachers in the state during 1999-2000. Sanjiv Kumar and Chautala's former Officer on Special Duty Vidya Dhar were the two civil servants named in the CBI chargesheet in which it was alleged that the father-son duo had used forged documents to appoint 3,206 teachers. — PTI 

Chandigarh, December 18
Haryana power distribution utilities will give another opportunity to villagers and farmers under the Bill Waiver Scheme following a decision of the Cabinet on December 12.

A press note stated that a consumer must have pending electricity bills as on June 16, 2005, to take all benefits under the scheme. The beneficiary will pay only the capital amount of bills with effect from June 17, 2005. The benefit could be availed up to March 31, 2013.

The decision will benefit those rural domestic and tubewell consumers, who could not opt for the scheme by March 31,2007, or those who had joined the scheme but could not make payment of their bills for 20 months regularly. As a result their defaulting amount on June 16, 2005, could not be waived.

Chandigarh, December 18
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said the Chattha Committee, which examined the possibility of setting up a separate Sikh body in Haryana on the lines of the SGPC, had submitted its report to the government.

The office of the Advocate-General was examining the report, he told reporters here. — PTI 

Fatehabad, December 18
Most of the welfare schemes started by the government fail to percolate down to the poorest of the poor because of lack of awareness among the masses.

With that in mind, a three-day awareness campaign ‘Bharat Nirman Jan Soochna Abhiyan’ was launched at Dharsul Kalan in this district today.

Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik inaugurated the campaign.

He said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting organised such campaigns to ensure that the targeted classes for various welfare schemes were able to get the benefits they deserved.

The programme coordinator for the Jan Soochna Abhiyan, Sapna, said that over 30 government departments would provide information about various welfare schemes of the government during this campaign.

She said the campaign would be theme-based, with its first day dedicated to rural development, second day to right to education, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, social welfare and welfare and the third day to health, women and child development, banking and insurance.

Welcoming the guests, Kapil Pradhan, assistant director of the PIB at Chandigarh, said the campaign would provide people an insight into schemes like MNREGA, National Rural Health Mission and others.

Haryana Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh will be the chief guest of the concluding ceremony December 20. 

Chandigarh, December 18
The Irrigation Department has issued rotational programme for running channels of the tail BML system for rabi 2012-13 from December 11, 2012, to April 25, 2013.

A spokesman of the Irrigation Department said the rotational programme would be based on three groups of eight days each. The three group channels consist of the Bhakra Main Line, Bhakra Main Branch and Fatehabad branch system. The group C-3 includes the Bhakra Main Branch system and Fatehabad branch system, group A-3 includes the Bhakra Main Line, Bhakra Main Branch and Fatehabad branch systems whereas group B-3 includes the Bhakra Main Line system and Fatehabad branch system channels. — TNS

Sirsa, December 18
Colleges affiliated to Chaudhary Devi Lal University in Sirsa and Fatehabad districts are piqued with Kurukshetra University for asking them to deposit youth welfare fees of their students with them.

The Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs of Kurukshetra University, which has been sending letters to Fatehabad and Sirsa collages, has shot its seventh reminder this month.

“We have nothing to do with Kurukshetra University as far as student welfare activities are concerned, but the university has been sending repeated letters asking us to deposit the fees immediately and threatening action in case of default,” alleged Shamim Sharma, principal of Mata Harki Devi College, Odhan in Sirsa.

All degree colleges and those providing education in the B Ed course falling in Sirsa and Fatehabad districts were disaffiliated from Kurukshetra University after the state government decided to affiliate these colleges to Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, last year.

Initially, only first year classes of the three-year degree courses were affiliated to the CDLU, while the second and final year were to be shifted in phases -- one class in one year.

The government had clarified that for all other purposes, including youth, cultural affairs and sporting activities, all students of colleges falling in Sirsa and Fatehabad would be deemed to be affiliated with the Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa.

The principals maintained that they had already submitted the fees collected from the students to CDLU and how could they demand the fees again from the students.

Anoop Lather, Director, Youth and Cultural Affairs, Kurukshetra University, said his department has to pass through an audit process and as the students of final year of different degree courses were still affiliated with them, the department would have to answer audit queries on this aspect.

“If the registrars of the two universities settle the issue and we get a letter on their decision, we will never demand any fees from these colleges,” Lather said. 

Hisar, December 18
Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi today said the state government was misleading people on the issue of reservation.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, Bishnoi said that there was a clear guideline of the Supreme Court that quota in jobs could not exceed 50 per cent.

But the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, he said, was trying to mislead Jats and other castes by promising them reservation in jobs even as 47 per cent of the posts were already reserved for various categories.

Bishnoi said he was against caste-based reservation of posts and said the quota should, instead, be given to people depending upon their economic status.

He said that unless the financial status of the beneficiaries was taken into account, the real needy persons would never get the benefit of reservation policies.

Anticipating mid-term polls to Parliament and the state assembly, Bishnoi said the UPA government was experiencing instability at every step and elections could be announced any moment.

He said he was confident that the NDA at the centre and the HJC-BJP alliance in Haryana would win the elections and form the next governments.

Bishnoi reiterated that Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma would have to announce a decision on the fate of five HJC MLAs positively by January 13 or else face contempt proceedings for disobeying the orders of the Supreme Court.

Commenting on the politics of the Indian Olympic Association in the country, he said Abhey Singh Chautala should resign from his post if he had any concern for sportspersons. He alleged that the future of sportspersons had been jeopardised by Chautala and he had no right to stay in the office.

Kurukshetra, December 18
The first night stay of officers of the district administration at Santhokpura village ended this morning with cleaning of streets by Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Brar and other officers. It was aimed at creating awareness among the villagers towards cleanliness and maintaining hygienic conditions in their surroundings.

The DC interacted with village women and listened to their demands and complaints. He said it was a matter of satisfaction that the residents of this village were awakened about imparting education to their children, specially girls.

Cautioning the youth against driving without helmets, he said road accidents were a major cause of worry and could be avoided if traffic rules were followed.

The villagers were administered oath to work against foeticide. Earlier, a skit on the evil of foeticide was played at the initiative of the district child protection officer.

Additional deputy commissioner Sumedha Kataria said the time had come for the parents to change their attitude towards girls and ensure better education for them.

She urged the villagers to do something novel so that their village could get recognition. The camp concluded with a cleanliness campaign in the village.

Conceding the demands of villagers, the deputy commissioner issued directions for the brick-lining of streets, inclusion of PBL families in the list and an improvement in the bus service and power supply. He assured them that he would forward the case for the upgradation of school.

The DC said the night camp gave an opportunity to the villagers to list their demands and grievances on a platform provided at their door-step. It saved the villagers’ time and money and provided an opportunity to the officers to assess the demands raised by the villagers, he added. 

Jhajjar, December 18
Notwithstanding several incidents of fire in factories in the past few months in Bahadurgarh town, neither the factory owners nor the district authorities seem to be serious about preventing such incidents.

Though most industrialists have installed firefighting systems in their factories just to meet legal requirements, they hardly bother about their maintenance, leading to failure in dealing with the situation whenever fire breaks out there.

A three-storeyed shoes manufacturing unit located in the Modern Industrial Area (MIA) in Bahadurgarh caught fire yesterday in which four labourers sustained serious burns while property and raw material worth lakhs were destroyed. Owing to a large stock of plastic and rubber in the factory, the firefighters had a difficult time in controlling the flames.

Fire tenders from Rohtak, Sonepat, Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh took several hours to douse the flames.

Notably, around 3,000 factories are being run in Bahadurgarh but most of these do not pay any heed to maintenance of fire safety systems.

Though factory owners are supposed to maintain firefighting systems at regular intervals and impart training to their employees, most of them do not do it.

The district authorities too wake up only after an incident takes place. The authorities subsequently launch a drive to beef up safety measures in factories but it fizzles out soon and the owners again start violating the rules.

Nar Hari Bangar,SDM, Jhajjar, said most of the fire incidents occurred due to negligence of labourers who smoke in the factory premises knowing full well that raw material was inflammable and could catch fire.

“We carry out raids at regular intervals and challan factories found lacking safety measures,” added Bangar. 

Chandigarh, December 18
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has expressed deep sorrow and grief over thedemise of freedom fighter Sardar Balkar Singh in Karnal today. He was 92.

In a condolence message issued here today, Hooda described him as a great patriot who took part in various movements during the freedom struggle of the country. The Chief Minister conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Balkar Singh’s last rites were performed with state honours as the police jawans reversed their arms and fired in the air.

The pyre was lit by his son, Harcharan Singh.

A number of people of the area attended the cremation. 

Faridabad, December 18
A teenaged girl alleged here today that she was repeatedly raped by her landlord, who was aided in the act by her mother.

In her complaint, the 17-year-old alleged that the accused first raped her in Bijnor district of UP early this year when she had gone to attend a marriage function, SHO (Faridabad Old) Vijay Kumar said.

She told the police that the landlord, who had accompanied the family to Bijnor, raped her in the presence of her mother after giving sedative-laced food, Kumar said.

He then repeated the act several times in Faridabad by threatening that a video clip of the act had been made and he would post it on Internet if she revealed the matter to anyone, Kumar said.

She also told the police that her mother was into illicit relationship with the landlord and thus, aided him in the act, Kumar said, adding that the girl told the matter to her maternal uncle after the landlord started targeting her younger sister also.

"We have informed the Bijnor police as the crime was first committed there. We our investigating the matter at our level also, and will register statements of all those concerned with the case, besides conducting the girl's medical examination," SHO Kumar said. — PTI 

Rohtak, December 18
A student of a local college was injured after he was allegedly shot at by youths in Model Town here this morning.

He has been admitted to the PGIMS hospital where his condition is reported to be stable.

A case has been registered.

The incident took place near Double Park locality in Model Town around 9.30 am today when Sumit Kumar( 19), a BA part II student at the local Government College, was waiting for someone near a shop.

Three youths, including Neeraj, a student at Jat School here, came on a motorcycle and opened fire after an altercation, injuring Sumit in his leg and abdomen, said the police.

Sumit was rushed to the PGIMS hospital by local residents.

He was operated upon this evening. The victim’s condition is stable, said Dr Ashok Chauhan, Medical Superintendent of the PGIMS.

The spot where the crime took place is located around 100 metres from the police post and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s residence.

Though the police said the immediate cause of the firing was not known. Sources said that the incident could have been a result of personal or group rivalry. 

Gurgaon, December 18
Dr. Ajay Sharma, an ophthalmologist and director of Sheetla Hospital, was allegedly duped of Rs 10 lakh by a man posing as a BSNL General Manager .

A person named Rajiv called Dr Sharma almost a month ago and offered to include his hospital on the BSNL panel for subsidised treatment of its class IV employees.

The imposter reportedly met the hospital authorities many times to work out modalities and took Rs 10 lakh in this regard.

“The complainants waited for him to take the matter further but when he failed to return they made inquires and found out that no such offer had been made by BSNL and that an imposter had duped them. We have registered a case of cheating and fraud ,” said Rajender Singh, SHO, City.

Rewari, December 18
On a tip-off, the Rampura police raided a house in Shastri Nagar here last night and arrested a villager and the house owner’s wife, who were found in a compromising position. The house owner was reportedly away at that time.

The police registered a case. They were today produced in a local court which remanded the man in 14-day judicial custody while the woman, who submitted an application with an affidavit, stating that her father had died the same night, was granted bail.