Rohtak, April 2
BJP and the HJC activists staged a demonstration here today against the hike in power rates in Haryana. Lambasting the state government, they alleged that the wrong policies and programmes of the Congress-ruled government had resulted in extreme victimisation of the common man and had thus left with no right to remain in power. An effigy of the CM was also burnt by the protestors at Bhiwani Stand here today in protest against the hike.

Addressing the protestors, district BJP chief Ramesh Bhatia claimed that the power rates in the state were highest in the country and had hit the common man hard.

The state committee of the CPM has also condemned the hike in power rates, claiming that it would fuel inflation. The party has demanded withdrawal of the hike and measures to improve the functioning of the Power Department.

SONEPAT: BJP-HJC activists led by BJP MLA Kavita Jain, and district HJC president Dharambir Khatri and other office-bearers today demonstrated against the power tariff hike here on Tuesday .

They burnt an effigy of the Haryana government and demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike otherwise they would hit the streets. The BJP leaders criticised the government for repeatedly increasing electricity charges, burdening the consumers who were already facing financial problems because of inflation and rising prices of essential commodities.

Faridabad: Protesting against the hike in power tariff and road tax, HJC-BJP workers led by former Haryana BJP president Krishanpal Gurjar burnt an effigy of the government at Ajronda Chowk on the national highway-2 on Tuesday.

They raised slogans against the government and blocked the highway for about 15 minutes. They demanded immediate rollback of the increase in power tariff and road tax. 

Karnal, April 2
BJP-HJC workers demanded a white paper on power generation, consumption and transmission losses while staging a demonstration against power tarrif hike. The activists took out a ‘funeral procession’ of the state government through the main bazaars of the city and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at the Committee Chowk here today.

State BJP general secretary Chander Prakash Kathuria said power tariff had been increased four times in the past four years, putting extra burden on the consumers.

Citing the example of Gujarat and Himachal, he said the Gujarat government had not increased the power tariff since 12 years and consumers were getting 24 hours assured power supply.

Himachal too was providing uninterrupted power supply and had provided Rs 260 crore for subsidising the domestic power consumers.

The Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi said the party would launch a campaign after Baisakhi festival to “expose the rampant corruption, discrimination in jobs and development and anti-people policies of the present congress government”.

In spite of the fact that the government had totally failed in arresting the unbridled price rise, it was crushing the common man by hiking the power tariff and other taxes after the Vidhan Sabha had adjourned, Bishnoi added.

He said hike in power tariff had had a cascading affect on the prices of various other commodities and had hit both the farmers and the domestic consumers.

Karnal, April 2
Dr Vandana Vinayak, Senior Scientific Officer at the Biology Division of the State Forensic Laboratory in the Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban (Karnal), has created history by discovering a new diatom at Rani Lake of Jind district, which has been named after her as “Eunocymbellarania vandana”.

The discovery was made during the process of setting up a diatom data bank. Later, it was found that the diatoms found in Rani Lake were a new discovery. A total of 56 genera and 111 species of diatoms were recorded in two consecutive years from 2008 to 2010 during the first ever diatom data-basing in Haryana.

The diatom identification and collection work was done in 10 different water bodies at 10 different stations comprising ponds, lakes and canals under the project, “Morphological and molecular variation in diatom bloom at different time periods of the year in water bodies of Haryana in relation to the cause of death in drowning cases”, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Haryana, State Council of Science and Technology and India Research Project to the Madhuban Forensic Science Laboratory.

The diatom data bank is of utmost use in forensic diatomology to determine the place, season and time of drowning and to find out if the person had drowned or the body was thrown into water after ending his life.

Death by drowning is a common phenomenon in India and every year thousands of people die due to drowning and their bodies are not recovered or are recovered in mutilated or decomposed conditions, beyond recognition.

Such cases of death by drowning or by some foul play remain untraced and the cause of drowning — natural or by foul means — is never known and, in many cases, the relatives are not sure whether the person is missing or has died due to drowning.

Diatom analysis can be used in identifying the provenance of individuals, clothing or materials from sites of investigation, said Dr Vandana. She added that if the diatoms extracted from the bone marrow of a body differ from that of the water body, it would be possible to find out whether the person was dead or alive at the time he was thrown in the water body and his location of drowning. If dead, the body would not contain diatoms of the water body in which it is thrown.

The newly identified genera was first spotted in April 2009 when the temperature was 32°C, conductivity 0.21 m*mhi*cm-1 and pH 7.85. The newly discovered genera is not found anywhere else in India and any other database of diatoms generated so far in any other part of the world.

There are about 15,000 known species of diatoms. Their wall is made up of silica which resists acid digestion, heat and putrefaction. Most species occupy a size between 10 microns and 80 microns.

Fatehabad, April 2
The authorities in Fatehabad have ordered the closure of 29 private schools in the district for not complying with norms relating to land and building.

Three others have been downgraded in view of the lesser facilities available with them.

The Deputy Commissioner, Dr Saket Kumar, issued these orders. He also ordered the reinspection of 15 other schools.

Forty-seven private schools in Fatehabad were issued notices for not complying with the norms and standards under the Right to Education Act, 2012. Dr Saket Kumar had afforded these schools one last hearing in his office yesterday.

The schools did not comply with the conditions laid down in the Haryana School Education Rules 2003 with respect to the minimum requirement of land, building and some other conditions.

These schools had later applied for permanent registration under the Haryana School Education (Amended) Rules 2007, as the norms were relaxed in the amendment.

However, their applications for permanent registration were rejected in 2007 as they did not comply with the norms under the amended norms either, said District Education Officer Manju Gupta.

Since 2007, the government has been giving them temporary registration on an yearly basis for the past six years.

However, this year, the government has decided to close all schools that did not meet the mandatory requirement and notices were served on them under the RTE 2012, asking them to close down.

The 47-odd schools of Fatehabad are among hundreds of other schools in the state that face a similar fate.

Sirsa, April 2
The police has arrested a tantrik for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl at Dhottar village in Sirsa.

The victim’s family lodged a complaint with the police yesterday. The complaint stated that the tantrik, Dharampal, claimed to treat old and chronic illnesses of people.

The girl’s father said that he had taken his daughter to the tantrik as she was weak.

The tantrik told the family that the girl was under the captivity of a ghost and he would have to perform some puja with the girl in private.

The girl’s father alleged that the tantrik raped his daughter by keeping them in the dark.

Kurukshetra, April 2
“By showing great faith in the principles and values given by Sikh Gurus, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur sacrificed his life for values like equality, justice, secularism and brotherhood.” Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said this while inaugurating a two-day national seminar on “Revisiting Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and His Times” here today.

Hooda said the Sikh rule, headed by Banda Singh Bahadur, ushered a new era, the era of peasants free from zamindars, egalitarianism and individual liberty, in Punjab. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur evolved the concept of participative leadership. “His struggle was not a war of revenge but for socio-religious freedom and economic equity,” added Hooda.

Baba Banda Singh Bahadur’s 10th descendent, Baba Jatinder Pal Singh Sodhi, Gaddi-Nashin, said there was a lot to be done to bring some hidden aspects of Baba Banda Bahadur’s life and contributions to light.

In his welcome address, Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (retd) Dr DDS Sandhu, thanked the Chief Minister for his approval to institute Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chair at the university. The chair has already started research work on Baba Banda Singh’s life, philosophy and contributions to society.

Sandhu added that KU was committed to bring the religious, economic, philosophical and social aspects of Baba Banda Bahadur to light through scholarly research.

Keynote speaker Prof JS Grewal, former VC of GNDU, Amritsar, emphasised as to how the ideology of Sikh Gurus was brought to real life by the works and sacrifices of Baba Banda Bahadur. He added that Baba Banda Singh contributed a great deal to the religious, social and political aspects of Khalsa in particular and humanity in general. He was a critical link between Khalsa of 1710 and Khalsa Raj of 1765.

On this occasion, Hooda also released a CD depicting the life of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, prepared by the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chair.

Earlier, Prof Amarjit Singh, Chairman, Department of History, introduced the theme of the seminar while KU Registrar MK Jain proposed the vote of thanks. 

Ambala, April 2
The delay on the part of the Haryana Vidhyut Parsaran Nigam (HVPN) in lodging a claim with the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has resulted in the blocking of funds to tune of Rs 223.88 crore and an annual interest burden of Rs 20.28 crore.

The CAG report for 2011-12 presented in Haryana Assembly last month has observed that the HVPN constructed sub-stations and associated transmission lines on the areas developed by HUDA between November 2000 and March 2012.

The HVPN incurred a total cost of Rs 223.88 crore on these projects, but failed to lodge claims with HUDA in time. The amount has still not been recovered from HUDA.

The CAG has mentioned that the HVPN has been borrowing funds for operation, maintenance and development. With a view to curtailing borrowings, the Haryana government decided in July 2000 that HUDA would make provisions and pay for the cost of new sub-stations. In November, 2000, HUDA decided that it would bear the cost of only those new sub-stations which would be erected in future.

Subsequently, in May, 2006 and April, 2008, the Chief Minister of Haryana decided that the cost of 220 KV and 132 KV substations would be shared between the HVPN and HUDA in ratio of 50:50 and in case of 132 KV, 66 KV and 33 KV sub-stations, the entire cost would be borne by HUDA, if exclusively meant for HUDA.

However, the HVPN failed to lodge claims with HUDA in time, resulting in payment of interest on the borrowed money. The first partial claim for Rs 144 crore was lodged in March 2008 in respect of Faridabad and Gurgaon townships only. This claim included works executed prior to November 2000 when the cost-sharing decision was taken and, as such, bills were returned by HUDA.

The nigam subsequently lodged claims of Rs 223.88 crore from January to November, 2011. The delay in filing claims led to the blocking of funds and the HVPN had to bear annual interest burden of Rs 20.28 crore, observed the CAG.

Chandigarh, April 2
The 210-MW Unit- 6 of the Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTPS-2) of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) has achieved a record plant load factor of 100.05 per cent during the financial year 2012-13.

Stating this today, Anurag Agarwal, Managing Director of HPGCL. said the unit had been giving excellent performance consistently and had achieved this milestone with negligible oil consumption. Earlier, the unit had achieved a plant load factor of more than 104 per cent in June, 2012, and October, 2012, which is comparable to the best performing thermal generating units of the country. He added that 250 MW Units 7 and 8 of the PTPS-2 had also performed well and achieved a PLF of 88.61 per cent and 91.19 per cent, respectively, during 2012-13.

He said it was a matter of pride that Unit-6 of the PTPS had also achieved another milestone of continuous generation for 123 days from November 22, 2012 to March 25, 2013 without tripping during 2012-13, against the previous record of continuous generation for 96 days.

He congratulated the employees of the PTPS and said this had been possible because of their dedicated work.

Fatehabad, April 2
Ratia Municipal Committee chairperson Usha Wadhwa has been removed by a no-confidence vote.

Voting on the no-confidence motion moved by her detractors was held in the office of the SDM, Ratia, today. Out of the 17 municipal councillors of the MC, 14 voted against her.

Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar and Ratia MLA Jarnail Singh, who both have the voting right by virtue of their office, did not exercise their franchise. — TNS

Rohtak, April 2
Women of Bhaini Bhairon village of the district have formed an all-women committee to fight the menace of liquor in the village. The village panchayat, at a meeting held today, announced support to the women’s demand and sought cancellation of the allotted liquor vend in the village.

The women, who had held a protest earlier, had warned to set the liquor vend ablaze if it was opened.

Reports said over 100 residents of the village and members of the panchayat, led by the sarpanch, held a meeting today and opposed the liquor vend. A member of the panchayat said the committee, headed by former sarpanch Sarjo Devi, would not allow any liquor vend to function inside the village limits. Local resident Rekha claimed that alcoholics were also a threat to the women and girls in the village. 

Rohtak, April 2
The Post-Graduate Institute Of Dental Sciences(PGIDS), Rohtak, has been allotted six more seats this year in the Masters in Dental Surgery(MDS) programme. The total PG seats has gone up to 19.

Claiming that it was a major development on the academic front of this premier government dental college, Dr Sanjay Tiwari, Principal of the PGIDS, said it would help the institute attain new heights as it had already made a mark by providing state-of-the-art facilities of treatment to the common man at nominal costs.

He said the sanction would provide two additional seats each in orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery and one in pedontics. The PGIDS had revamped its infrastructure, research facilities for scholars and faculty strength after the state government released a special grant of Rs 1 crore to the institute to meet the standards laid down by the Dental Council of India.

"The Rohtak PGIDS has been ranked among the top 10 dental colleges of the country for the past three years in a row," he said. 

Sonepat, April 2
INLD legislator Abhay Singh Chautala said today that if the Haryana government did not order an inquiry into the CD episode, the party would organise a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on April 10.

Addressing a state-level sammelan of the INSO, youth wing of the party, near Jat Joshi village, he charged the Congress with using the CBI against regional parties.

He termed the Haryana Janhit Congress as B team of the Congress and it was the party of those Congressmen who could not taste the sweets. 

Gurgaon, April 2
The state unit of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has demanded registration of an FIR against the family members of local MLA and Haryana Minister of State for Sports Sukhbir Kataria, for allegedly beating up two persons near the minister’s residence.

In a memorandum submitted to Gurgaon Police Commissioner Alok Mittal here today, state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma said a case was filed at a local court against Kataria for his involvement in an alleged fraud and the court had summoned him in this regard.

“The court employee bearing the summons asked Rakesh Kataria and Shribhagwan about the minister’s residence at Gurgaon village. Both of them directed the summon-bearer to the minister’s residence.

Following this, certain members of the minister’s family thrashed them, took them to the basement of the minister’s house and even tried to lodge a police case against them,” Sharma alleged.

He added that the police had not even lodged an FIR regarding the matter despite a written complaint being lodged.

Through the memorandum, the state BJP has also urged the Governor to sack the minister from the state cabinet. Apart from Sharma, state BJP vice-president Rao Narvir Singh, district BJP president Tejpal Tanwar, state BJP secretary Mukesh Pehalwan, Gargi Kakkar and Manish Yadav were also present.

Chandigarh, April 2
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today called upon women to raise their awareness level about the social evils prevailing in the society, such as female foeticide and domestic violence, as by becoming conscious of such evils, the women themselves can make a significant contribution in their eradication.

Hooda was speaking after flagging off 'Mahila Aatamraksha Jagrukta Rally' organised by the Indian Media Centre, Haryana, from his residence here today.

He said the government had launched a number of schemes and programmes to make women self-confident and also provide them opportunities so as to enhance their social and educational status.

Students from different schools of districts Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Kaithal, Jind, Sonepat and Panipat are participating in the motorcycle rally, which would conclude at Panipat on April 6 after passing through Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Jind, Julana, Rohtak, Gohana, Khanpur Kalan, Sonepat and Samalkha. — TNS

Chandigarh, April 2
The government has ordered revocation of the driving licence of a person found guilty of a criminal offence or using a vehicle in commission of a cognizable offence.

Sumita Misra, Transport Commissioner, Haryana , said that the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had directed all state and UTs to adhere to Section19 (1) of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. Under the provisions of the Act, the Licensing Authority could disqualify a person from holding a driving licence or revoke a licence if he was a habitual criminal or habitual drunkard.

As per the Act, the Licensing Authority could also disqualify a person from holding a driving licence or revoke a licence if he was a habitual addict to any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or if he had by his previous conduct as the driver of a motor vehicle shown that his driving was likely to endanger people.

A written communication had also been forwarded to all Secretaries of the Regional Transport Authority and SDOs (Civil)-cum-Licensing Authorities (Motor Vehicle) in the state. 

Sirsa, April 2
Under the Rapid Appraisal of Programme Implementation in District (RAPID), a drive launched by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Haryana, 34 teams comprising health officers, consultants and external monitors from the PGIMS, Rohtak, checked the functioning of all health facilities in Sirsa.

In the two-day drive that started yesterday, the teams inspected one District Hospital (DH), one Sub-Divisional Hospital (SDH), seven Community Health Centres (CHC), 18 Primary Health Centres (PHC) and Selected Sub-Centres (SC) to assess and identify the quantity and quality issues involved in the provision of healthcare in the district.

Dr Rakesh Gupta, Mission Director of the NRHM in Haryana, monitored the inspections from Sirsa and addressed health officials here today to discuss the outcome.

Dr Gupta told media persons that the exercise had been planned for the entire state of Haryana in a phased manner to ensure that the community was utilising the services provided by the government.

Sirsa is the fourth district after Panipat, Mewat and Bhiwani, where RAPID teams have conducted their inspections.

He said the facilities and services at the district hospital and community health centres were good.

Labour rooms at health facilities were good. But some gaps needed to be plugged in to ensure reduction in infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality ratio (MMR).

The Sirsa Deputy Commissioner, Dr J Ganesan, said it was being ensured that all benefits provided under the Janani Suraksha Yojna (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakarm (JSSK) were reaching the beneficiaries in a hassle-free and timely manner.

The JSSK ensures delivery, drugs for the mother and newborn child, blood transfusion, referral transport, free diet and 48 hours stay at health facility in case of normal delivery free of cost.

While the NRHM teams pointed out several deficiencies and ordered their removal before the follow-up inspection, the Mission Director lauded the efforts of Dr Subhashini Gupta, Medical Superintendent, General Hospital, Sirsa, and medical officers -- Dr Manav Sethi (Ding), Dr Ayush Arora (Madhosinghana), Dr Pankaj Sharma (Baragura) and Dr Ghanender (Keharwala).