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HARYANA BUDGET SESSION
Graft in Land Deal
Registration
Haryana’s shame
Minor’s rapist gets 7-year jail
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Rajiv Gandhi Trust row haunts Cong again
BJP legislators protest at the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Manoj Mahajan
CM rejects Oppn suggestion to dissolve House
Jat samiti faction begins dharna in Hisar
JBT scam: TV serial politically motivated, Chautala tells SC
Realtors want transparency in Estate Office work
Swine flu: MLAs take on govt
Two medical stores sealed in Sirsa
Woman crushed by bus
Protest over rickshaw-puller’s thrashing by policemen
A rickshaw-puller’s family members protest against his thrashing by the police in Sirsa on Tuesday. Tribune photo
National Law University to be set up in Sonepat
Auto driver held for murder
Truck crushes 3 youths to death
School board gears up for exams from March 11
Farmers seek relief for damaged crops
School bus hits truck
Man booked for abetting wife’s suicide Ex-MP, Satya Dev Tyagi join HJC
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Finance Minister dispels Oppn doubts
Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 6 Replying to the debate on the budget in the Assembly, Chattha emphasised that any budget that provided for the poor could not qualify as “directionless” by any standards. “We are going to provide two lakh homes under an ambitious housing scheme for the rural areas. We have given 100 sq yard plots to BPL families and are committed to the cause of upliftment of the poor,” he said. INLD’s Rampal Majra pointed out that he too had given plots to the poor as a sarpanch, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala to say that those plots, too, were given during Congress rule at the Centre. “Plots were given to the poor twice before when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. This was once in 1972 and then again in 1982. For the third time, the Congress government in Haryana gave plots to BPL families in 2005, after coming to power,” Surjewala said. Chattha said the Opposition had no moral ground to challenge the “pro-farmer” claims of the Congress government . “In its tenure, the INLD hiked the sugarcane rates after lots of protests merely by Rs 7. They did so just before elections in the state. We came and fulfilled the promise they had made. We pay more than Punjab. Even though UP has a higher price for cane, delayed payments are a norm if they are made at all,” he said. While he credited Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for “protecting the interests” of the farming community, the latter said that his government had given a hike of Rs 159 per quintal in cane prices alone. On the issue of “irregular and insufficient power” raised by the Opposition , the minister said that unlike previous governments, the Hooda government had set up power plants and increased the generation capacity substantially and ensured an eight-hour supply to farmers in the summer. “If you have a I-still-don’t-agree attitude to everything the government has done, we can’t help you,” he contended. Admitting a shortfall in the number of doctors, he said that specialists were unwilling to go to rural areas while junior doctors usually proceeded for higher studies if posted away from cities. “This is of serious concern and I will welcome suggestions from you to address this issue,” he said. Making it clear that the government has no intention of burdening the people with taxes , Chattha said an “emergency” could never be ruled out. “As far as the apprehension about rising debts goes, I don’t consider taking loans as a bad option. Without it, we can do little but the important point is to use these loans constructively,” he said after which the budget was passed.
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Graft in Land Deal
Registration Pradeep Sharma Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 6 As soon as Sumita Singh alleged corruption in the registration of land deals during question hour, INLD members “supported” her by the thumping of desks to put the government in a tight spot. While the Karnal Congress MLA alleged widespread corruption in the registration of land deals, Mehendra Pratap Singh, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, had a tough time in “convincing” the House that all the Congress member wanted was transparency in land registrations. Sumita Singh wanted to know whether the government had any plans to put registries at the tehsil level online to check corruption in the Revenue Department. However, the minister said there was no such plan at present. Ashok Arora (INLD) alleged that while there was a ban on registries in the state, a large number of registries had been taking place in the state defying government orders and then went on demand an inquiry into “illegal” registries in the state. The minister clarified that there was no ban on the registries. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered that no registries on plots in the illegal colonies should be done and the state government was complying with the orders . The minister assured the House that an inquiry would be conducted and the guility punished in case any irregularities were found in the registration of land deals.
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Abducted girl returns, alleges gang rape
Our Correspondent
Rewari, March 6 The victim informed her parents who arranged for her return to Dharuhera. Last evening, her mother filed a complaint following which the Dharuhera police registered a case of abduction, administration of a sedative and gang rape against Vinay of Garhi village and Narender of Maheshwari village, The police agot the girl medically examined at the PGIMS, Rohtak, where she is getting treatment. A police official said efforts were on to apprehend the accused who had absconded.
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Minor’s rapist gets 7-year jail
Sonepat, March 6 The court also sentenced him to four years' imprisonment for enticing the girl and eloping with her. Both the sentences will run simultaneously. A complaint was lodged by the girl’s father, originally from Siwan in Bihar and at present residing in Badmalik, in Rai police station on April 13, 2012 that the accused had enticed and eloped with his minor daughter. The accused was arrested on May 1 and the girl handed over to her family members. Both were medically examined in the local civil hospital and after confirmation of rape, a case was registered against the accused. |
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Woman carries husband’s body to Gurgaon police stations, but FIR not lodged
Gurgaon, March 6 Sunita, whose husband died today after a prolonged illness, held his employers responsible for his death and went to the police to register a complaint. She carried along the body of her husband for a postmortem, if required. However, as she went from one police station to another from morning to evening, carrying the body, no official entertained her, claiming that the matter was not in their jurisdiction. And when, after the commissioner’s intervention, the police tried to take up the issue, Sunita had cremated her husband. “Anil used to work in a local factory and was covered under the ESIC scheme. Around 20 days back, he fell ill and I took him to the local ESIC hospital. He was discharged after some time, but the illness relapsed and I took him there again where he died. The doctors told me that despite being entitled to, the company had not submitted his due amount in the ESIC account and, thus, he was not given apt treatment. I wanted the police to investigate the matter and even took my husband's body to them, but they didn’t do anything and kept sending me from one station to another. Nobody is ready to hear us poor,” alleged Sunita. As per the code in such circumstances, the police should take the body into custody immediately, irrespective of jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the Commissioner has marked an inquiry into matter, promising action against. |
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Rajiv Gandhi Trust row haunts Cong again
Chandigarh, March 6 Raising the demand in Zero Hour during the budget session, the INLD and the BJP sought a discussion in the light of the CAG “indicting” the Haryana government for wrongly leasing out land to the trust. They also demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of the high court into the case and protested against the non-tabling of the CAG report, saying the government was deliberately withholding the report. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala countered the demand for an inquiry by stating that the controversy had long been “laid to rest”. “The high court disposed of a petition in this regard and there is no appeal pending in any court of law,” he said. Attributing motives to the Opposition’s attempt to open a closed chapter, Surjewala said the truth was that the INLD was worried about a House committee’s report on panchayat land “gifted” to the Ch Devi Lal and Harki Devi Trust during the INLD rule. “It is apprehending trouble once the findings of the House committee are tabled. They want to rake this up and hide behind it,” Surjewala explained, even as the Opposition continued with its protest. The INLD and BJP staged a walkout when the Speaker took up the calling attention motion on swine flu. Later, the Opposition, separately, reiterated its demand for an inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the matter. The INLD also sought an inquiry into all the Change of Land Use (CLU) licences given by the government. INLD’s Abhay Chautala maintained that it was probably for the first time that the CAG report had not been tabled even after the budget had been presented. “They don’t want the Opposition to seek answers to what the CAG will expose,” he claimed. INLD legislator Rampal Majra said they wanted a short-term discussion on the Uhlawas panchayat land, but the Speaker paid no heed. “We wanted to discuss the granting of CLUs and an adjournment motion on the DLF-Vadra nexus. These were rejected because the government has nothing to say,” he said. The BJP’s Legislature Party leader, Anil Vij, too demanded an inquiry into the leasing of the land. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Uhlawas land had been given on a no-profit-no-loss basis to the hospital which would provide free treatment to BPL persons. “Everything is as per the norms. This land had been given at Rs 500 per acre per year to an individual while we gave it at Rs 3 lakh per acre per year,” he stated. |
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CM rejects Oppn suggestion to dissolve House
Chandigarh, March 6 Addressing mediapersons in the Vidhan Sabha, Hooda, accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, said: “The INLD leaders have been indicted by the courts. If they have been punished, why should I dissolve the House? Let them submit their resignations and the state will automatically go to the polls,” he said. Clearly displeased over the INLD’s strategy to “play politics over sportspersons”, Hooda said that every sportsperson who was born in Haryana belongs to Haryana. “We will honour all such players,” he said, going on to explain how and why Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang and Sushil Kumar could not be labelled “outsiders” for having a residence outside Haryana. The Chief Minister also rejected Himachal Pradesh’s argument that Haryana had anything to do with the withdrawal of a tax-holiday package to the state. “All we said was that the benefit should be extended to the Shivalik belt in our state as well,” he claimed. Earlier, the INLD in the House and then at a press conference addressed by Abhay Singh Chautala, Ashok Arora and Rampal Majra, accepted Hooda’s challenge of resigning as legislators if the Congress MLAs, too, did so. “The Congress seems rather confident about itself. The Chief Minister should dissolve the House and hold elections. This is the most ideal time for elections since our leaders are in jail. We are ready when they are,” Chautala said. The INLD legislators also raised the issue of Haryana government honouring sportspersons who did not belong to the state sportspersons. BJP legislature party’s leader Anil Vij said the BJP was “absolutely ready” for elections if the Chief Minister decided to dissolve the House. |
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Jat samiti faction begins dharna in Hisar
Hisar, March 6 Though Yashpal Malik, national president of the ABJASS, did not turn up for today’s rally, Dharampal Chhot, president of the state samiti, said the Jats would sit on a seven-day dharna from today. Malik will address a meeting here on March 12 to announce the future course of action. The authorities had made elaborate police arrangements. The call for the rally was given for paying tributes to three Jat activists who lost their lives in the past three years - Sandeep Karwasra this day last year at Mayyar, Vijay Karwasra on March 23, 2011, at Mehuwala in Fatehabad and Sunil Sheoran at Mayyar on September 13, 2010. While Sandeep and Sunil had died in police firing at Mayyar, Vijay Karwasra, an elderly person, had died due to a heart attack when he was sitting on a railway track with protesters at Mehuwala. Samiti spokesman Ram Bhagat Malik said that the manner in which the Haryana government had announced reservation was not acceptable as it was not feasible. “If the government is really interested, it should allow us reservation within the 27 per cent fixed for the OBCs,” Malik said. Meanwhile, the faction led by Hawa Singh Sangwan held a meeting to pay tributes to the three diseased activists in the local Jat Dharamshala. Sangwan said the Jats did not have any confrontation with the government after Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s announcement of reservation for them.
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JBT scam: TV serial politically motivated, Chautala tells SC
New Delhi, March 6 “The serial has political overtones when the Assembly elections are round the corner,” Chautala’s senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi argued before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas
Kabir. On January 22, a CBI court in Delhi sentenced Chautala, his son Ajay, and seven others to 10 years in jail for their role in the recruitment of 3,032 junior basic trained
(JBT) teachers in 1999-2000 when Chautala was the Chief Minister. Chautala has challenged the verdict in the Delhi High Court and has also sought his release on bail from Tihar Jail here on health
grounds. Rohatgi said his client’s fundamental right to have a fair hearing of his appeal in the Delhi HC would be prejudiced if the dramatised version of the scam was aired. While the trial court verdict had clearly said there was no evidence to show that bribe was paid or received, the serial had scenes showing money transactions, he contended. Appearing for the TV channel, senior counsel Harish Salve said his client was ready to drop all the scenes “alluding” to bribe and also clarify during the telecast of the serial that Chautala had challenged the trial court verdict in the HC. The arguments will continue tomorrow. A single Judge Bench of the Punjab and Haryana HC had stayed the telecast of the serial, but a division Bench set aside this, forcing the INLD chief to approach the SC. |
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Realtors want transparency in Estate Office work
Faridabad, March 6 The realtors met the Faridabad Estate Officer, HUDA, BS Kaliraman, under the aegis of the Faridabad Estate Welfare Association (FEWA), and registered their protest. FEWA president Baljit Singh said the realtors wanted Kaliraman to be transparent and ensure speedy clearance of cases. He said the realtors were not impressed with the officer's reasoning. The latter, however, assured to look into their grievances, Singh added. Neither Kaliraman nor Faridabad Administrator, HUDA, NK Solanki, were accessible for their versions. When contacted, Faridabad Deputy Commissioner Balraj Singh said he would look into the matter. The realtors allege that the public is often harassed by the estate office. There are inordinate delays in clearance of files. A large number of them, along with some common people, had held a demonstration against the Estate Officer outside his office yesterday. They had heated verbal exchanges with him on the occasion. They said the flashpoint for yesterday's demonstration was the officer leaving his office when they went to meet him. He, however, returned in the midst of their public protest against him.
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Swine flu: MLAs take on govt
Chandigarh, March 6 Against the backdrop of 38 deaths due to the deadly disease, four MLAs - Sampat Singh (Congress), Rampal
Majra, Raghubir Singh (INLD) and Anil Vij (BJP) -- moved the calling attention motion in the ongoing session of the Haryana Assembly took potshots at the state government for its failure to control the deadly disease. Picking up holes in the state government’s claims of making elaborate arrangements for the treatment of swine flu patients, Sampat Singh alleged that no efforts were being made to treat the patients in the hospital and there were no isolated wards for the patients. In fact, the acute shortage of paramedical staff was taking its toll on the treatment of the swine flu patients, he asserted. Rubbishing government’s claims of the state-of-the art healthcare infrastructure, Majra alleged that while 70 per cent of the hospitals had no lady doctors and nearly 37 per cent hospitals had no arrangements of beds for the patients. Echoing similar sentiments, Vij alleged that swine flu was spreading it tentacles due to the government’s apathy though there was adequate budgetary provision with the Health Department. However, putting up a brave front, Health Minister Narinder Singh underlined the steps for control and prevention of swine flu. |
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Two medical stores sealed in Sirsa
Sirsa, March 6 GL Singal, Joint Commissioner of the FDA in Haryana, said a team comprising two drug control officers -- Suresh Chaudhary from Fatehabad and Rajnish Dhaliwal from Hisar -- checked two medical stores at
Kalanwali. The team did not find any contravention at Bansal Medical Hall, while drugs used for a kick were seized from Shivam Medical
Hall. Naripen Goyal, Senior Drug Control Officer, Hisar, said the FDA officials found 18 different types of drugs from Shivam Medical Hall for which the drug store owner did not have any purchase records. Some intoxicating drugs were also recovered from his shop. Even the qualified pharmacist of the drug store was also not present in the shop when sales of medicines were in progress. The FDA officials sealed the
shop. Naripen Goyal said the authorities had also sealed Ajay Medical Store at Surtia village in the district. The authorities had suspended the licence of the shop for a month on February 14 and Goyal said the authorities had a report that the shop was being
opened during the suspension period. When the officials of the FDA raided the shop today, it was found open, but its owner escaped after seeing the team. “Our team has sealed the shop,”
Goyal said. Recently, Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan had written to the higher authorities seeking strict disciplinary action against Goyal as well as the DCO posted at
Sirsa, Vijaya Raje. During a probe conducted by Ellenabad SDM Prabhjot Singh on Ganesan’s directions, the role of two officials had come under a scanner. They were found taking selective action against different chemists for similar contravention and allowing them to run their shops during the periods when their licences were suspended for
contravention. |
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Woman crushed by bus
Fatehabad, March 6 Jai Ram, an employee of a private company at Ratia, said he was going to a private hospital in the town for the treatment of his wife. When his motorcycle reached near HDFC Bank on the national highway, a private bus hit his motorbike from the rear. Amita, who was holding her son in her lap, fell in front of the bus and was killed as the bus tyre ran over her. Amita attempted to save herself from coming under the moving bus and managed to push Lakshya away. The accident has once again brought to fore the menace of private buses as the district has witnessed several mishaps involving these buses recently. Most of these buses are driven by lowly paid and partially trained drivers. They are seen driving vehicles with scant regard to the traffic rules and often at very high speed.
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Protest over rickshaw-puller’s thrashing by policemen
Sirsa, March 6 The profusely bleeding rickshaw-puller Jena Singh was rushed to a local hospital with injuries on his head and other parts of the body. Family members alleged that Jena Singh had gone towards the green belt at HUDA Chowk to comfort a relative, Kahan Singh, who had gone out of home expressing displeasure on some issue. Some policemen on patrol duty allegedly shouted at him for venturing out at night and then started thrashing him before he could give any reply. A policeman allegedly hit on his head with a baton. The victim was then taken to the police post where he was again thrashed. The victim’s family members alleged that when they went to the police post, they too were abused . Sultan Singh,
DSP, and Suresh Pal, SHO, went to Sangwan Chowk and pacified the rickshaw-puller’s angry kin, assuring them justice. |
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Question Hour Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 6 In reply to a supplementary question raised
by Panchkula MLA Water pollution
The Haryana Government has taken up the matter of pollution of water flowing into Gurgaon canal with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Central Pollution Control Board, Government of NCT and UP Government at various levels. Haryana Environment Minister Ajay Singh Yadav gave this information in the Vidhan Sabha today. |
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Auto driver held for murder
Sonepat, March 6 During interrogation, the accused said the victim boarded the auto from his office in Model Town for his residence in Sector 15. On the way, they picked up a quarrel over the payment of Rs 50 as fare for going to Sector 15. The auto driver stopped his vehicle in front of Anand Cinema and hit the victim on the head with an iron rod. After pushing the victim out of the auto, the accused sped away from the spot. The victim died on the spot. The CCTV footage collected from shops near Anand Cinema helped
the police in nabbing the accused. |
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Truck crushes 3 youths to death
Rewari, March 6 Their motor cycle was completely damaged in the accident. The deceased have been identified as Lakhpat Singh Chowkan (24), a nephew of the Bawal municipal committee chairman Chanderpal Chowkan, Ravinder Saini ( 34) and Dharmender Swami ( 27). All three worked as TV cable operators in Bawal. Hundreds of citizens attended their last rites today. All shopkeepers observed a total shutdown expressing grief and sorrow . The police has booked the truck driver for causing death by negligence. The truck driver sped towards Jaipur after the accident. |
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School board gears up for exams from March 11
Bhiwani, March 6 Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meena, who is also the secretary of the board, said examination duties assigned to the staff were mandatory and there would be no change in these now. Meena said 9,60,129 students would appear in this year’s examinations. Of these, 5,61,462 would appear in secondary examinations and 4,98,667 in the senior secondary examinations. Meena said the board had appointed 15,340 supervisors and 1,534 centre superintendents for the smooth conduct of these examinations. He said five control rooms had been set up at Rohtak, Gurgaon, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Bhiwani head office to monitor the examination process.
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Farmers seek relief for damaged crops
Sonepat, March 6 The Deputy Commissioner said special girdawari of the damaged crops was being conducted on the directions of the state government to assess the damages. Removing of water from about 10,000 acres of waterlogged areas in Gohana subdivision was being done, he said. Addressing the farmers, Promila said the crops had been damaged due to waterlogging after heavy rain in February and in many fields, damages were up to 90 per cent. She demanded a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre. |
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School bus hits truck
Rohtak, March 6 The bus collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction at 6.45 am. As the truck was at slow speed, bus driver, conductor and a female teacher, who was also travelling in the bus, escaped unhurt. The bus driver, who was driving on the wrong side of the road, failed to notice the truck coming from the opposite direction due to foggy weather conditions, said a police official. |
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Chandigarh, March 6
Chandigarh, March 6
Family members of a rickshaw-puller created ruckus joined by some local residents after policemen on patrol duty allegedly thrashed him at HUDA Chowk in Sirsa town last night.
The profusely bleeding rickshaw-puller Jena Singh was rushed to a local hospital with injuries on his head and other parts of the body.
