Karnal, February 13
While the Panipat-Jalandhar National Highway (NH-1) project is running 16 months behind schedule, the Karnal toll plaza which has been shifted from Karan Lake to Samanabahu village is earning an average revenue of Rs 35 to Rs 37 lakh per day.

The total revenue earned from the toll plaza from 2002 to 2011-12 is about Rs 753 crore and it is consistently increasing due to an upward revision of toll charges and an increase in the number of vehicles. The revenue which was a meagre Rs 38.92 crore in 2002-03 jumped to Rs 134.55 crore in 2011-12, thanks to the hike in toll tax.

The six-laning project from Panipat to Jalandhar commenced on May 11, 2009 and it was scheduled for completion in 30 months, ending November 11, 2011 at TPC (total project cost) of Rs 2747.55 crore. But it has missed four deadlines and the new deadline of March 31, 2013 has been fixed.

The project cost has escalated and as per information procured through the RTI, the expenditure on the project was Rs 3,280 crore by end of October 2012 and about 30 per cent work was still to be completed.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had planned to finish 25 per cent of the work by May 2010, 65 per cent by May 2011 and the entire project by November 2011, but only 70 per cent work was completed by end of August 2012 and most of the flyovers and underpasses were under construction.

In a bid to speed up the completion of highway projects running behind schedule, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed that if the concessionaire of the 291-km six-laning project of the Panipat-Jalandhar highway failed to complete it before March 2013, it would be liable to pay a fine of Rs 60 crore.

Similarly, the 10-km long Panipat flyover was constructed at a cost of Rs 421.50 crore, but the revenue from toll tax from July 16 2008 to October 2012 was Rs 167.45 crore and progressively increasing, and the cost of the flyover is expected to be recovered in four or five years, but the concession period is to expire on January 26, 2026.

Further, the total expenditure on the maintenance of the flyover was a meagre Rs 6.99 crore and the concessionaire would make huge profits.

RTI activist Rajesh Sharma said charging toll tax after the cost of the project had been recovered was unjustified as roads are a basic facility and concessionaires should not be allowed to make huge profits at the cost of the common people. 

Chandigarh, February 13
Close on the heels of bringing the functioning of the state government and feudal khaps under a scanner, a parliamentary committee has trained its guns on the Haryana Police for its failure to prevent and investigate cases of atrocities on Scheduled Castes (SCs), particularly rape cases.

The Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which visited the state against the backdrop of a sudden spurt in crime, particularly rape cases against SC women last year, asserted that the sudden spurt in rape cases “reflected a complete failure of the law enforcement agency, which failed to prevent crime and act according to the duties entrusted to it in the worsening situation”.

“The committee feels that irresponsible behaviour of the police force to prevent atrocities/heinous crime against women and particularly SC women defeats the basic purpose for which Parliament has enacted the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, to safeguard the interests of weaker sections of society,” the committee, in its report, said.

The committee, which was on an on-the-spot assessment of atrocities on SC women in the state recently, especially during sudden spurt in rape cases from September 1, 2012 to October 12, 2012, rued that in all cases either investigation was in progress or the FIR had been cancelled. “The committee does not find a single case where the investigation has been completed and after due process followed by court, the accused is convicted under the SC/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,” the report asserted.

With a view to protecting the Dalits in Haryana, the committee recommended “stringent and exemplary punishment no less than life imprisonment to rapists so that it serves as a deterrent to others.”

Chandigarh, February 13
Nearly three weeks after the Haryana government granted 10 per cent reservation to the Jats and four other castes besides another 10 per cent to economically backward classes, it is yet to convey the directions for the same to the field.

This is in stark contrast to tearing hurry the government was in, to receive the report from the Haryana Backward Classes Commission and table it in the Haryana Cabinet. The report on recommendations advocating 10 per cent reservation to the Jats, Bishnois, Rors, Tyagis and Jat Sikhs under the “Special Backward Classes” category was received a couple of hours before the Cabinet meeting on December 12 last year.

Similarly, the government received the report recommending 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward classes in the general category a few hours before the Cabinet met.

The initial rush to accept the report and get the Cabinet’s nod without any delay was aimed at appeasing the members of the Jat community, on a warpath, seeking OBC status and threatening to launch an agitation.

The government was in as much a hurry the second time over because it had linked the issuing of a notification for reservation to the five communities with the reservation to the backward classes of the general category.

Immediately afterwards, the Backward Classes Welfare Department, sent the file pertaining to the issuing of instructions to the General Administration Department which is yet to send these out in the field where some inquiries about making of the OBC certificates have started trickling in with the district administration.

Several Deputy Commissioners confirmed that they were yet to receive instructions about making of the OBC certificates for the recently added castes and class. “The existing schedule available with us does not include the newly added castes and that is why, no certificates have been issued so far.

Rajbir Singh, secretary, General Administration, who yesterday committed to getting back on the status of instructions to be issued was "too busy" to take any calls.

Chandigarh, February 13
The first major reshuffle in the Haryana Police after SN Vashisht took over as its Director-General last year is more need-based than to send out any message to the force. The reshuffle involved about 40 officers, ranging from Director-General rank officers to the level of SPs. Almost half of these officers had to be shifted because they had been promoted and had to be given suitable postings in consonance with their new ranks.

Out of the four Commissioners of Police (CP), KK Sharma (Ambala-Panchkula) and KK Sindhu (Gurgaon) had been promoted as Additional Director-General (ADG). The post of CP is equivalent to an IG. Rajbir Deswal, who had been in line for the post for quite some time, has as CP, Ambala-Panchkula. Alok Mittal, IG, Rohtak range, considered a 'cool officer', has been given charge of the sensitive Gurgaon police commissionerate. Mittal is otherwise also believed to be in the good books of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Anil Kumar Rao, also considered close to Hooda, has replaced Mittal in Rohtak, the Chief Minister's home district , after he was promoted as IG. A bit surprising is the shifting of Sharad Kumar from the post of Director, State Vigilance Bureau. He was posted to the Vigilance Bureau after he was piped by Vashisht to the post of Director-General of Haryana Police. Sharad Kumar has been moved as Director, Prisons, in the latest reshuffle.

It is not known if in such a short time he had stepped on somebody's toes to deserve the marching orders. The official line is that he has been moved to a cadre post from a non-cadre post. The state has two cadre posts in the rank of Director-General---Director-General, Police (DGP) and Director, Prisons. Against two cadre posts, the state can have two non-cadre posts. The posts of Director, Vigilance, and Commandant-General, Home Guards, are the two non-cadre posts of Director-General rank. Official sources say Sharad Kumar has been posted against a cadre post.

The reshuffle has upset the officers belonging to the Scheduled Castes. They point out that out of about 30 field posts none has been given to a Scheduled Caste officer. Bharti Arora, SP, Rewari, was the lone SC officer having a field post. For reasons not known, she has been shifted despite being popular in Rewari.

Hisar, February 13
The Haryana Roadways Workers Joint Action Committees call to paralyse bus services in the state today fizzled out as the police arrested several leaders of the workers in the morning.

The authorities had taken preventive measures in view of the proposed strike and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code had been promulgated in the vicinity of the bus stand.

The police arrested roadways workers' leaders Dalbir Kirmara and Anoop Saharan in a midnight swoop.

Some other leaders were arrested in the morning today.

The policemen and the duty magistrates present at the bus stand ensured the uninterrupted exit of the first bus of the day towards Chandigarh at 3.40 am and then other buses also ran as per schedule.

Fatehabad: The police took several leaders of the Haryana Roadways Workers Joint Action Committee in custody for violation of prohibitory orders imposed on and around Fatehabad bus stand.

A heavy police force had been deployed outside the bus stand, where some leaders of the roadways workers had also assembled to paralyse the bus service.

The police acted as soon as the roadways workers tried to stop a bus.

Later in the day, very little effect of the strike was noticed.

The district authorities had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC to deter roadways workers from disrupting bus services.

Sirsa: The police arrested more than a dozen activists of the Haryana Roadways Workers Joint Action Committee from the Sirsa bus stand in the morning.

The striking workers did not allow the first bus of the Sirsa depot of the Haryana Roadways to set out for its journey at 2.30 in the morniong.

At this, the police arrested nearly 12 workers from the bus stand and bus services functioned as per their normal schedule thereafter.

Karnal: The strike call given by All India Roadways Workers Joint Action Committee evoked lukewarm response in Karnal with buses plying on most of the routes. Karnal depot general manager Jai Pal Rana said the police was deployed at the bus stand to prevent any untoward incident and a majority of the buses plied on their routes today.

Rohtak: Despite the strike call, buses in the district today plied as usual on their routes and without any break. A handful of employees owing allegiance to one of the unions staged a dharna at the local bus stand, but did not disturb the functioning of the depot.

Kaithal: Members of the Joint Action Committee today claimed to have paralysed the bus service in the district. They said of the 130 buses only 30 could move on to their destined routes. On the other hand, Kaithal depot general manager Ashwani Dogra said over 90 buses plied on their normal routes and the strike had a very limited impact on the bus services.

Fatehabad, February 13
An inquiry committee constituted for probing the reasons for the collapse of a building of Maharaja Agarsen Senior Secondary School at Tohana (Fatehabad) on February 5 night has held the management committee responsible for the accident.

A committee of experts constituted to probe the accident has handed over its report to Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik, who, in turn gave the report to City Magistrate Shalini Chetal for action.

The report holds the school management guilty of negligence as it says that there were some glaring technical shortcomings in the construction of the building.

The report said that the school management flouted rules while constructing the building and the municipal committee, which was responsible for checking the violations, failed in the performance of its duty.

The report said the school management while constructing a building took no technical advice. The last inspection of the building was made nearly 13 years back.

Karnal, February 13
Cracking down on illegal mobile towers falling under the jurisdiction of the Improvement Trust, the Karnal administration today sealed 16 of the 19 illegal towers.

Subdivisional magistrate Garish Arora said the towers were sealed as they had been installed without permission and in many cases, license fee Rs 1.5 lakh was not paid.

Most of the towers have been erected on rooftops in congested areas of Mughal Canal, Sabzi Mandi, Janta Mandi and Ramesh Nagar. The local authorities had served notices to the owners of the plot and houses and mobile companies owning and operating the illegal towers.

Mobile towers emit electromagnetic radiations which have harmful thermal and non-thermal health effects on cells, genes and the DNA. Mobile towers in the residential areas pose health problems like headache, sleep disturbance, body pain, memory problems and joint pains. 

Chandigarh,February 13
Taking exception to Kumari Selja's statements about lopsided development, Hooda loyalist and HPCC chief Phool Chand Mullana told The Tribune here today that the state unit had already apprised general secretary in charge BK Hariprasad about the union minister's "activities" ."Since Selja is an MP and AICC member, any action in the matter has to be taken by the party high command?," he asserted.

Kumari Selja, a known Hooda detractor, had recently shot off a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi raising certain valid points on "extreme disparity" with Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts (part of her Ambala parliamentary constituency) regarding development works.

"Your(Sonia's) directive for inclusive growth had been given a go-by in the state government," Kumari Selja had alleged quoting media reports to substantiate her claims.

The letter based on RTI information procured from the Chief Minister's Office(CMO) had said 1,237 announcements were made in Rohtak district during 2005-2012. While work on 1,082 projects had been completed, work on 58 development works was in progress in the district, the reports claimed. However, out of 47 and 43 announcements made by the Chief Minister for Panchkula and Yamunanagar, respectively, only 16 and 27 works were completed in the two 
districts.

The reports informed that 1,082 works had been completed in Rohtak district alone while the remaining 20 districts had to contend with 3,289 works.

Ambala: After Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja wrote to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi alleging ‘extreme disparity’ in the allocation of development projects for Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts (which are a part of her Ambala constituency), leader of the BJP legislature party Anil Vij has accused the government of subjecting Ambala to step-motherly treatment. Anil Vij said even though developmental projects had been announced for the district, most of these remained only on paper. Providing documented evidence in support of his claim, the BJP legislator said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's claims of uniform development had all been proved false in Ambala. 

Surajkund, February 13
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today visited the International Crafts Mela here along with his wife Asha.

The couple visited several stalls at the mela ground and evinced interest in the handicrafts exhibited by craftsmen from various states and foreign countries.

Hooda was welcomed at Dasara Gate by Director of Karnataka Tourism Department MS Satyawati. He was presented a pagri as mark of honour. He interacted briefly with craftsmen from Pakistan and inquired about the artefacts made of onyx stone. He also urged them to share their skills with craftsmen of India.

Hooda and his wife visited stalls relating to Afghanistan where a wide array of handwoven carpets are at display.

At Sri Lankan stalls, Hooda inquired from the craftsmen about the traditional dress of the country. They visited the stalls of Nepal, Namibia and Congo. Asha Hooda showed interest in the embroidered suits at a stall of Punjab.

Chandigarh, February 13
Two years after the judicial officers working in the State of Haryana were denied benefit of cash payment in lieu of leave travel concession in a “block of four years”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has held the action of the state government as “discriminatory, irrational and arbitrary”.

The ruling came on a petition filed by the Haryana Judges Association against the State of Haryana and another respondent. In its petition placed before the Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Ritu Bahri, the association had earlier challenged the instructions in this regard issued on December 28, 2010.

The association had contended that the benefit has been granted to the other employees of the state government. Going into the background, it said the State of Haryana framed Leave Travel Concession Scheme on February 5, 2009, for all state government employees, including members of the Haryana Civil Service (Executive) Branch officers. As per the said scheme, a month’s salary was admissible to state government employees not availing leave travel concession facility in the block of four years. But a circular was issued on December 28, 2010. As per clause four, the benefit of leave travel concession was restricted to judicial officers working in Haryana State once in four years to any place in India. It was specifically provided that the judicial officers would not be entitled to cash payment in lieu of leave travel concession.

It is argued that “the judicial officers were employees of the State of Haryana and were entitled to be treated at par with other employees and could not be treated as separate class so as to deny the benefit of cash payment in lieu of the scheme applicable to all employees of the State of Haryana”.

Allowing the petition, the Bench asserted: “We have heard learned counsel for the parties and find that the action of the state government is discriminatory, irrational and arbitrary”. All the employees of the state have to be treated at par in the matter of grant of benefits such as leave travel concession, which has been granted to all other employees of the state irrespective of their rank and status. “Consequently, we find that the clause 4 of the circular dated December 28, 2010, is wholly illegal and violative of equality in the matter of benefits to the state employees”.

Chandigarh, February 13
Sadhika Jalan, a Chandigarh-based girl, has topped the Delhi Judicial Services (DJS) Examination among women candidates. Sadhika is a daughter of Haryana IAS officer KK Jalan.

The result was declared today. Her overall rank is second. Sadhika, who was 38th after the preliminary examination, secured the third rank in the main examination. Sadhika completed her LLB Hons from NALSAR, Hyderabad, in 2011. — TNS

Chandigarh, February 13
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced to exempt wheat given to the beneficiaries of the Antodya Anna Yojana (AAY) under the Targeted Public Distribution System from Value Added Tax (VAT).

The Chief Minister said the decision would benefit such beneficiaries to the tune of about Rs 1.50 crore in a year. — TNS

Jhajjar, February 13
Five persons, including a woman, were killed in three road mishaps in the district.

A car rammed into a truck near a railway crossing on the Jhajjar-Gwalison road last evening. All three occupants of the car, Surender(40), Praveen (32), both residents of Pahluvaas village in Bhiwani district, and Jogender(28) of Neemrana (Rajasthan), reportedly died on the spot. The three were going back to their village after attending a wedding function at Kutani village here.

The police has sent the bodies for a postmortem examination.

Khusi(22) of Najafgarh (Delhi) was killed while Manish sustained injuries when their vehicle hit stones lying on the road near Jakhoda village in Bahadurgarh subdivision here. The two was going to Jind from Najafgarh .

A motorcyclist was crushed by a truck at Chhuchhakvaas Chowk on the Jhajjar-Dadri road here.

Hisar, February 13
The police today arrested Bhura Ram, a head constable of the Haryana Police, for the alleged rape of a married woman from Gaibipur village of Hisar last month.

The woman had lodged an FIR against the head constable yesterday.

Earlier, the woman's mother had lodged a missing report on January 24.

The victim's mother had alleged that her daughter sat in a bus from her paternal village Gaibipur for going to her husband's village, Kulana, on January 22.

The 30-year-old woman lodged a complaint yesterday, alleging that as she alighted from the bus at Barwala bus stand on January 22, the accused offered her lift in his car. The accused offered her juice laced with intoxicants and took her to Chandigarh, where he allegedly raped her in a factory. She alleged Bhura's accomplice too raped her.

Sirsa, February 13
A day a police constable was manhandled by an angry relative of two teenaged gang rape victims, Raj Shri Singh, SSP, today visited the victims' Farwai Kalan village and assured villagers that the rapists would not be spared. She met the two rape victims and their parents and assured them that the police would apprehend the accused soon. Raj Shri Singh also met prominent persons of the village .

Meanwhile, the police took the two sisters to the local General Hospital again today for their medical examination.

The SSP later said that one of them would be taken to the PGIMS, Rohtak for her medical examination as local doctors did not have the expertise to hold some tests .The police also produced the two teenaged sisters before a local court, where their statements were recorded under Section 164, Cr PC. — TNS

Jhajjar, February 13
A 25-year-old constable of the Delhi Police was gunned down by car-borne assailants near Mehrana village here today. The deceased has been identified as Vijay Kumar of Sivana village .

Old enmity is believed to be the cause behind the murder. The police has booked a co-villager, Karamveer, and three others on the complaint of the deceased’s uncle.

The police said the incident took place around 11 am when Vijay Kumar and his uncle, Satyaveer, were going to Najafgarh (Delhi) on a motorbike. “As they crossed a railway crossing outside Mehrana village, a Maruti Ritz car coming intercepted them. Some armed youths got down from the car and opened fire at Vijay fromclose range. Vijay died on the spot and the killers sped away in the same car,” said the police.

Fatehabad, February 13
Additional District and Sessions Judge LN Jindal, who heads a special court for the trial of crime against women in the district, today sentenced a youth to seven-year imprisonment for kidnapping and rape of a minor girl at Musakhera village in the district. The court has also sentenced another youth to imprisonment for five years for helping the accused in kidnapping of the girl.

Deepak, a resident of Hindalwala and Gurpinder, a resident of Musakhera, had allegedly kidnapped the girl from Musakhera village on May 19, 2012.

Later, the former had allegedly raped the girl.

Medical examination of the victim confirmed that she was raped.

Gurgaon, February 13
A resident of Narhera in tye district today accused his his elder brother and his wife of kidnapping his seven-year-old daughter.

In a complaint to the police, Ashok Kumar alleged that his elder brother Vijay Kumar, an alcoholic, came to visit him and took away his daughter.

“Vijay and his wife Renu came to my house. My daughter was playing at that time. I went out for some work and when I returned, I found that duo had left and my daughter was missing. I had strained relations with Vijay and he has taken my daughter to take revenge," alleged Ashok.

The police has registered a case against the couple and investigating the matter.

Ambala, February 13
The Naraingarh police today arrested Aman Kumar Nagra, a former Member of Parliament from Ambala, who had been declared a proclaimed offender in a case of rioting registered against him in 2000.

On May 15, 2000, the Naraingarh police had registered a case against Nagar under Sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (voluntary causing hurt), 283 (obstruction of public way), 341 (wrongful restrain), 188 (disobedience of order of public servant) of the IPC after he along with his supporters blocked the state highway at Sahazadpur.

After eluding arrest, he was declared a proclaimed offender by a local court in 2001. He was produced before a court which sent him in police custody and fixed February 15 as the next date of hearing.

Nagra was elected to Parliament in 1998 when he won the election as an alliance candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD.

He later joined the Congress and resigned from the party in May 2004 in protest against denial of a party ticket to him. In May, 2008, he had again joined the INLD.