Chandigarh, March 13
Strange are the ways of the Haryana government. An amount of Rs 60 crore has been spent by the government for buying a fungicide to treat wheat seed against Karnal bunt. However, the fungicide is not even registered to cure the disease.

The government has been buying this fungicide from a multi-national company and selling this fungicide-treated wheat seeds to farmers on the assurance that it would keep their crop safe from loose smut, flag smut and karnal bunt. However, the fungicide - tebucanozol -- is not registered as a molecule for treating Karnal bunt. As per the Insecticides Act, 1968, no fungicide can be sold for the treatment of a disease not registered with the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC).

Tebucanozol is registered only for treatment of two diseases - flag smut and loose smut. Following queries by the Haryana Seeds Development Corporation (HSDC) on its efficacy to control Karnal bunt, Dr B S Phogat, secretary CIBRC, Union Ministry of Agriculture, wrote a letter on March 6 to say that tebucanozol has not been approved by the registration committee for controlling Karnal bunt.

The Haryana Agriculture Department has mandated the compulsory use of Raxil 2 per cent DS (the brand name of tebucanozol supplied by Bayer Crop Sciences) for treatment of wheat seeds, as a pre-condition to their certification since 2010-11. The cost of Raxil is reimbursed out of public funds to certified wheat seeds produced and sold in Haryana. The state is estimated to have reimbursed Rs 60 crore out of public money in the last three years.

“The state government paid for 150 tonnes of Raxil for three years, constituting more than 80 per cent of the total countrywide sales of Raxil,” says Dr Ashok Khemka, managing director of the HSDC.

In response to the queries put forth by The Tribune to the managing director of Bayer Crop Sciences, Joerg Rehbein, the company’s official spokesman has maintained that Raxil 2 per cent DS has a label claim for use on wheat as seed treatment to control loose smut and flag smut. When asked if the company had made it clear to the Haryana government that Raxil could not be used as a cure for Karnal bunt, the company spokesman said they provided recommendations in line with the registered usage of the product. "We are aware that Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), Hisar, and the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, have tested this product against Karnal bunt and found it to be successful,” said Aloke Pradhan, vice president, corporate communications, Bayer Group in India.

However, Khemka, in a letter to the Financial Commissioner, Agriculture, has expressed his apprehension over the usage of this fungicide for treatment of Karnal bunt. “Even after the use of Raxil on 15 lakh hectares of wheat crop in the state for three consecutive years, the CCS HAU or Bayer Crop Science have not obtained registration of Raxil for treatment of Karnal bunt, on the basis of field results. The use of public money for purchase of this weedicide for treatment of Karnal bunt, too, is an offence under Section 29 of the Insecticides Act, 1968,” he said. He added that while deciding on use of this fungicide, the efficacy of other fungicides for treatment of wheat seeds was also not considered.

Since the CCS HAU had recommended the usage of Raxil for treatment of Karnal bunt, along with loose smut and flag smut, Khemka has also sought a reply from the university Vice-Chancellor in this regard. Dr K S Khokhar, vice-chancellor, in his reply to the managing director, said the decision to mandate the use of Raxil was taken by the principal secretary, agriculture, during a meeting held in October 2010. In spite of repeated attempts to contact the Vice-Chancellor, CCS HAU over the past two days, he was not available for comments. However, the director, extension services, HAU, Dr J S Dhankar, told The Tribune that the university was within its rights to publicise the usage of Raxil as a cure for Karnal bunt in the package of practices published by it for farmers, based on the field trials. He was evasive on why the university recommended a particular brand of fungicide when alternatives were available in the market, or if any attempt had been made by the university to get this molecule registered as a cure for Karnal bunt.

Chandigarh, March 13
Describing as unfortunate the failure of the state government and its departments to pay salaries on time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Haryana Chief Secretary to take corrective steps.

A Single Bench has also made it clear that the low-paid staff would not be at the receiving end. If at all the salaries are required to be withheld due to paucity of funds, the top brass will suffer.

Taking up a petition by Puran Chand and other employees of the Nuh Municipal Committee, Justice Rajesh Bindal rapped the state before making it clear that “certain strict actions” were required to be taken. Justice Bindal asserted the department head would ensure payment to employees before drawing his own salary.

Even in the case of a financial difficulty resulting in the withholding of salary or pension, the “low-paid” employees would not suffer. To begin with, the senior-most employee’s salary would not be disbursed. It would be transferred to the account from where the salary or pension is handed out to the lowest paid serving or retired employee.

“In case there is still deficit, the salary of the next senior-most employee shall not be disbursed… The provident fund amount either deducted from the salaries of the employee or as contribution of the employer shall always be deposited regularly in their accounts. Similar is the position with regard to the contribution towards the pension fund,” Justice Bindal asserted.

Chandigarh, March 13
The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) has challenged the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) with regard to the valuation of 350 acres of land in Gurgaon. The HSIIDC Chairman, Tarun Bajaj, has said the CAG report is not based on facts and the observations are misplaced.

Bajaj said the valuation taken by CAG, in all probability, is based on the final value of the land after it is fully developed. Situated in Wazirabad village (Gurgaon), the HSIIDC has transferred the land in favour of DLF which is yet to be developed as a “Recreation and Leisure Project”.

A decision was taken to invite bids from the private sector through international competitive bidding. The consultant (M/s IL&FS IDC Limited) was appointed for carrying out valuation of the project land that based it on market prices and valued the project land at Rs 1,683.58 crore.

He said the pricing of raw land cannot be compared with the developed residential plots. Three factors are important: (i) the statutory charges (e.g. CLU, License fee, EDC and IDC etc.) payable to the government (ii) the cost incurred on development of infrastructure (roads, water supply, electricity, sewage, drainage, open spaces and all other related services and infrastructure), and (iii) the net plotted area which becomes available for sale.

However, the CAG has taken all the above factors and added them to the raw cost, thereby suggesting that the land has been given away at a price far below the actual. The contention of the CAG is wrong and the matter would be taken up with the Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU), Bajaj said.

Bajaj said for comparing the price of developed plots with the land sold in the instant case, various cost components (i.e. CLU/ License fee/ EDC/ IDC etc. and land for compensatory afforestation) are to be added to the bid amount. It is only then that the value/cost of land sold in the instant case can be compared with the market value of similarly located plots/land. In the said case, the value realisable by the Haryana Government/ HSIIDC/ HUDA from the bidder comes to Rs 2,572.06 crore (bid amount Rs 1,703.26 crore + statutory charges Rs 800 crore + cost of land for compensatory afforestation Rs 68.80 crore) which is considerably more than the value calculated (Rs 2,142.11 crore) by the audit.

Gurgaon, March 13
From now on, only computer-generated copies of jamabandis (land record) will be given to residents in 73 villages of Gurgaon district

After reviewing the progress in computerisation of land records in the district, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner PC Meena said there was no pendency of mutation in these villages.

District Informatics Officer Anjali Dhingra informed the meeting that the jamabandis of all villages in the district could be viewed on http://jamabandi.nic.in, the official website of Haryana land records.

Revenue officials have been directed to integrate the Haryana Registration Information System (HARIS) with the Haryana Land Record Information System (HALRIS) pertaining to land records of all villages in the district as early as possible.

This will help in checking fraud in sale of land in the district because the registration of sale deed of any immovable property or piece of land will be automatically reflected in the jamabandi. After this, incorporating the names of the buyers in the mutation register would be simplified. Presently, the buyers of land usually do not go for entry of mutations of that land in their names after the registration of sale deeds.

It is for the first time in Gurgaon that land record has been successfully integrated with the computerised registration system.

The 73 villages where HALRIS has been integrated with HARIS include 14 villages of Gurgaon Tehsil, 19 villages of Manesar Tehsil, 20 villages of Farukhnagar Tehsil, 7 of Sohna Tehsil and 13 villages of Pataudi Tehsil.

The villages are Samaspur, Baskusla, Hamirpur, Aklimpur, Sarhol, Bashariya, Bindapur, Dharampur, Kanhai, Dhana, Shahpur, Fatehpur, Adampur and Tikampur of Tehsil Gurgaon and Rajupur, Faridpur, Garhi Nathekhan, Sarbasirpur, Bakainka, Shekhpur Majri, Dhanawas, Jhund Sarai Viran, Tajnagar, Mokalwas, Daboda, Palri, Joniawas, Mushedpur, Fakarpur, Gugana, Jarou, Birhera, Allimuddinpur and Jarola village of Farukhnagar tehsil.

Similarly, the land record of Naurangpur, Sahrawan, Rathiwas, Bilaspur, Bhora Khurd, Noorpur Bhora, Parasoli, Bhonkarka, Hasanpur, Darbaripur, Pathredi, Udaypuri, Langra, Chandla Dungarwas, Fazalwas, Gwaliar, Kherki, Sihi and Naharpur Kasan villages in Manesar tehsil has been integrated with HARIS.

In Sohna tehsil, the land record of Khatrika, Chuharpur, Mohammadpur Gujjar, Pullawas, Hariyahera, Bhogpur and Khuntpuri villages has gone online. In Pataudi tehsil, Beer Khurd, Haliaki, Brahamanwas, Khalilpur, Gagli, Bapas, Safeda Nagar, Dadawas, Mujphara, Baraheri Rahanwa, Baijpura, Mubarikpur and Lohaka villages are now online.

Fatehabad, March 13
Sudesh, Santosh and Kamal, three nurses of Community Health Centre at Ratia in Fatehabad, have been booked for causing death by negligence after a woman and her newborn baby died after delivery last evening.

The police today registered a case after the victim's kinblocked vehicular traffic outside the health centre today.

Hundreds of residents from Mirana, the victim’s village, held angry protests on the Fatehabad - Budhlada road outside the hospital for several hours. They were demanding arrest of a doctor and the nurses .

The villagers alleged that the hospital authorities did not care to assist Pasho Devi’s delivery for nearly three hours even as the hapless woman cried in labour pain in the hospital on Tuesday evening.

Eventually, three nurses assisted as no doctor came to the woman's rescue.

The woman started bleeding profusely after the delivery and the nurses allegedly asked her kin to shift her to Fatehabad without even trying to stop the bleeding.

After relatives reached Fatehabad with the victim, the doctors declared her as well as her newborn baby brought dead.

Dr VK Jain, SMO of the CHC, Ratia, said he was away to Fatehabad to attend a meeting called by the Deputy Commissioner when the victim was brought to the hospital. As there was no woman medical officer in the CHC, nurses had to assist in deliveries. 

Chandigarh, March 13
Special CBI judge Vimal Kumar today acquitted Haryana IAS officer Sanjeev Kumar in the LCD projector scam. He was booked in the LCD projector scam on February 16, 2005. The IAS officer, who had been facing six CBI cases for corruption during his tenure as the project director of the Haryana Prathmik Shiksha Yojana Parishad (HPSPP), is now relieved of all cases as he has been acquitted earlier in the other cases. The court had earlier discharged him in four cases, including the textbook scam, last year.

The officer was brought to the court from Tihar jail today where he is serving a 10-year jail term along with former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in the JBT teachers' recruitment scam.

The court also acquitted co-accused Kiran Mishra, then District Project Coordinator, Jind.

Another accused, Raj Kumar, had turned approver in the case and told the CBI that he had made wrong quotations for a projector system and an LCD television in connivance with Sanjeev Kumar, causing a loss of lakhs to the state exchequer.

The LCD scam came to light during investigations into the textbook scam when it was found that Kumar, along with 13 others, had allegedly floated irregular tenders for the printing of textbooks during his tenure as project director of the HPSPP. The CBI disclosed that Sanjeev Kumar had sanctioned Rs 3,51,900 for the purchase of a LCD projector in gross violation of the norms. He was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Panipat, March 13
The mysterious death of two children--Sagar (7) and Raman (4 ) at Pardhana village in Panipat after taking mid-day meals in an anganwari yesterday took a curious turn as police investigations revealed that the children were allegedly given “rat poison” in samosas by their tai (aunt) due to personal enmity.

Police investigation revealed that a relative whom the children addressed as tai had allegedly mixed “rat poison” in samosas served to children after the mid-day meal.

During intensive interrogation, Sumitra confessed to the crime and admitted that she had mixed “rat poison” which resulted in the death of innocent children.

The police also raided her house and seized “rat poison” from a box.

A case of murder has been registered against the accused who has been arrested in the case.

Ambala, March 13
With the Punjab police allegedly recovering 26 kg heroin from Anoop Singh Kahlon's residence, the investigation into the alleged drug trade has spread to the neighbouring areas. The Ambala police has stepped up vigil to ascertain if Kahlon has any connection with local drug peddlers.

Investigations by The Tribune show that the trade of narcotic substances is going on unabated in the district and has even spread tentacles across the villages of the district, which had transformed into hotbeds of the drug trade.

It is learnt that a nexus between the kingpins of this illicit trade and police officials, who allegedly delay action against the culprits, had been helping the trade to flourish in the district.

Even youngsters are caught in its grip as they are still unaware of the consequences of being involved in this practice.

Sources in the police said the department was focusing on Ugala, Kesri, Mullana, Sambhalkha, Bihta, Saha, Barara and Shahzadpur villages which were being reckoned as ‘centres’ of the drug trade.

The sources said that smack or heroin was easily available and the drug mafia was riding high on easy money, taking advantage of its political connections. The mafia is allegedly using some dhabas on NH1 as sales points for narcotics.

Interestingly, junior-rung police officials are keen on getting news related to drug peddling published in newspapers as it allegedly provides them with an easy excuse to ‘charge’ more from the drug peddlers for foregoing action against them.

Speaking to The Tribune, the commissioner said the department was aware of certain elements involved in the illicit trade and they were under surveillance. "It is a matter of extreme gravity and the department is taking a serious note of the issue”, Desraj said. 

Chandigarh, March 13
The Haryana Government has launched a scheme Priyadarshani Awaas Yojna (PAY) to provide housing facility to the weaker sections of society.

Ram Niwas, Principal Secretary, Haryana Rural Development and Panchayat Department, said this after reviewing the progress made under various schemes of the department in a meeting with the Ambala Divisional Commissioner and other officers of the division today.

He said the Priyadarshani Awaas Yojna was aimed at facilitating delivery of houses in the rural areas to the eligible families under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) and other families who had been allotted plots of 100 square yards each under the Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojna, having no house or kutcha house. Financial assistance would be provided to each identified family in a phased manner. Initially, about 2 lakh families were envisaged to be covered in a project of two years span that is 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 at a cost of Rs 1,350 crore.

He said the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) would identify the beneficiaries and each of the beneficiaries would be given financial assistance of Rs 81,000 by the Haryana Rural Development Authority (HRDA) for the construction of a new house. In addition, assistance of Rs 9,100 would be provided to each of the beneficiary for the construction of toilets in convergence with the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA). Besides, each of the beneficiaries being assisted under the IAY would also be supplemented by providing financial assistance of Rs 11,000 over and above the financial assistance provided under the IAY in order to maintain parity with the PAY, he added. 

Sirsa, March 13
Exhibiting insensitivity towards children’s rights, the Sirsa police today took into custody a boy and a girl, both students of class IX of a local private school, without valid reason and took them to the HUDA police post.

The boy and the girl, both aged 14, were classmates. They were roaming outside their school before the school hours when a police party picked them up “on suspicion.”

The police humiliated the young children, both in school uniforms, and took them to the HUDA police post, where they were quizzed as to why they were roaming together outside the school.

Later, the parents of both children rushed to the police post, pleading innocence of their children.

Meanwhile, news spread among other children in the school as also the residential areas of the two children and several people assembled near the police post to find out what had happened.

Later, after “negotiations” with the parents, the police let the parents take their children.

“We had taken then into custody on suspicion. They were later let off as they were found innocent,” said Pradeep Kumar, officiating in charge of the HUDA police post.

He, however, failed to elaborate what kind of suspicion the police had and how it reached the conclusion that they were innocent, when they were let off.

The Senior Superintendent of Police, Raj Shri Singh, did not attend to the calls made on her mobile.

Rewari, March 13
With the murder of Dalit woman Todi Devi (70) at Asalwas village last night allegedly by Hukam Singh Gujjar ( 40) and his younger brother, Satish Gujjar ( 23), the victim's Dalit family is facing harassment by the Gujjar family.

Dhani Ram Gujjar (26), a younger brother of Hukam Singh Gujjar (40), who had allegedly made a bid to outrage the modesty of a 40-year old Dalit widow, Todi Devi's daughter-in-law , at Asalwas village late on Saturday night, was later arrested and remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a local court yesterday.

Hukam Singh , who too is an accused in the above case, along with his younger brother, Satish, went to the Dalit widow’s house last night and allegedly forced them to withdraw the case .

But when they reportedly refused to oblige , Todi Devi was allegedly thrown violently by the duo on the ground which resulted in her death. Subsequently the 40-year old Dalit widow made a statement following which the Kasaula police registered a case of murder against Hukam Singh and Satish. Efforts were on to nab the duo.

Hisar, March 13
The condition of six Jat protestors on fast has worsened as their indefinite has entered the seventh day today at Mayyar in Hisar.

“Kitab Singh (66) has lost 5.5 kg of weight in these seven days. Prem Singh (62) 4 kg, Chanda Singh (76) 3.5 kg, Phool Singh (67) 3 kg, Ram Swaroop (67) and Laxmi Devi (36) 1.5 kg each,” said Ram Bhagat Malik, a spokesman of the AIJASS.

Malik said that despite the declining health, the protesters were determined to continue their fast.