Sirsa, October 8
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's assurance has kindled the hope of a job for Indian women's hockey team's award-winning goalkeeper Savita Punia.

Hooda assured her today that the government would provide her a job based on her achievements as per the sports policy of the state government.

Her father Mahender Punia, a pharmacist, and she met Hooda at his residence in Chandigarh today. Savita hails from Jodhka village in Sirsa district.

The report 'Haryana's award-winning goalie awaits job' was carried in these columns on October 3.

Punia was a member of the Indian women's hockey team which won bronze in the 8th Women's Asia Cup which concluded in Kuala Lumpur on September 27. She was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Hooda said the state government had implemented the 'padak lao pad pao' scheme in its sports policy, under which outstanding sportspersons were provided government jobs, to ensure a secure future for players.

The 23-year-old Savita, who is 5 feet and 7 inches tall, has appeared in 57 international and 27 test matches.

She took part in the 7th Women's Asia Cup in Bangkok in 2009, where India won silver, and the 1st Women's Champion Challenge-II at Kazan in Russia the same year, where India won gold.

"I am lucky to belong to Haryana as players from our state get the best facilities and awards in the entire country," Savita said.

She said some of her teammates from other states were not from well-off families, but the governments of their states never provided much help.

New Delhi, October 8
Congress’ rebel MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh has told the party high command that he had never announced his resignation from the Congress at a public rally at Rewari on September 23 and had only said he would not contest the next elections on the Congress ticket.

Replying to a notice issued by Congress general secretary in charge of Haryana Shakeel Ahmed seeking his explanation, the Rao said in a letter dated October 5 that “I didn’t announce my resignation from the Congress at the Rewari public meeting. I said I had been associated with the Congress for 35 years but because of the biased attitude of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh towards my constituency in development works, I wouldn’t be contesting the next election on the Congress ticket.”

The Rao threw the ball back into the Congress’ court today. He said: “Why should I resign? People have elected me and I will serve them. The Congress can expel me if it wants.”

In his letter which The Tribune has accessed, Inderjit alleges: “Hooda is using his powers against those whom he does not like”. He says he has brought the matter to the attention of previous general secretaries and the Congress President but “nothing has ever come of it”.

“It saddens me to say that I wish the differences between the CM and senior party leaders could have been addressed but then, may be, you have your own compulsions,” the Rao says in his letter to Ahmed. The MP has accused Haryana Congress Chief Phool Chand Mullana of bias alleging that “If you believe a man like Mullana, you would have to expel all those party leaders against whom he has been sending reports at the instance of the CM. He is a stooge of the CM and survives because of the CM’s support”.

Asked why he doesn’t exit the Congress if he has so many grouses, the Rao said: “I will go when it suits me.” The Congress is yet to take a view on his letter, sources said. 

Karnal, October 8
Government agencies are rejecting paddy on the pretext that the moisture content is more than the permissible limit of 17 per cent, forcing farmers to sell paddy to rice millers at a lower rate. Farmers had demanded the raising of the permissible limit from 17 per cent.

Seva Singh Arya, president of the state unit of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), stated that the MSP for superfine variety and common paddy was Rs 1,345 and Rs 1,310 per quintal, but rice millers were buying superfine variety at between Rs 1,280 and Rs 1,300 and common paddy at between Rs 1,250 and Rs 1,280.

However, president, Anaj Mandi, Karnal, Rajnesh Chowdry, refuted the allegations and said farmers were being paid the MSP fixed by the government and allegations of malpractices were baseless and motivated. DFSC Ravinder Malik said the moisture percentage in paddy was between 20 and 24 per cent, which was far above the specifications laid down by the government. — TNS

Gurgaon, October 8
Students of local Manesar Polytechnic and villagers blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway for almost an hour today when a truck allegedly carrying beef broke down there.

Though the police is yet to confirm the nature of meat in the truck headed for a Delhi-based packaging unit, the villagers and students came out on the road raising slogans against cow slaughter and blocked traffic.

The Gurgaon police immediately swung into action and dispersed the crowd.

"We still have not been able to confirm the exact nature of meat in this truck," said Rahul Sharma, DCP, South.

Rohtak, October 8
Hundreds of workers and supporters of the Haryana state unit of the SUCI- Communist staged a state-level demonstration here today to express their resentment over various issues concerning the common man. Demanding Rs 15,000 as the minimum wage for workers of the unorganised sector, the party asked the government to waive loans up to Rs 2 lakh of farmers and labourers, besides curbing the galloping price rise, corruption and crime against women in the state. It submitted a 20-point memorandum to the authorities concerned.

Addressing the protestors at the Mini-secretariat, Sataywan , a member of the central committee, charged the state government with working in league with the land mafia. The large-scale acquisition of agricultural land had only hurt farmers and the common man as owning a house or a residential plot had gone out of reach with the land mafia controlling the rates. While unemployment had risen by leaps and bounds, corruption and irregularities in appointments had worsened the woes of people.

He said the crime graph in the state had gone up sharply in view of unprecedented atrocities on women.

Seeking withdrawal of the toll regime and the resumption of land acquired in the name of SEZ, it asked the government to enhance the minimum wages to Rs 15,000 and sought Rs 5,000 as unemployment bonus.

Criticising the chargesheeting of IAS officer Ashok Khemka,who rejected the mutation in the Vadra-DLF land deal, it sought a high level judicial probe into the scam. 

Rewari, October 8
Workers of Haryana Roadways, Public Health and several other departments staged a dharna and a demonstration in front of the secretariat here today in protest the state government apathy towards their long-pending demands.

Alleging exploitation of daily-wagers , contractual workers and other employees, State AITUC chief Baldev Singh Ghanghas sought an end to the ongoing policy of privatisation, strengthening of the public distribution system, requisite amendments to the Food Security Act and registration of workers’ unions. 

Hisar, October 8
Anguished over honour killings, crimes against women and female feoticide in Haryana, Mallika Sherawat, the Jat girl from Haryana who has made it big in Bollywood, has expressed her desire to work for improving the condition of women in the state.

Mallika aka Reema Lamba, daughter of retired Haryana government engineer Mukesh Lamba, turned nostalgic as she made a visit to her native village Moth in the district after around 12 years.

She came here to shoot some scenes for her TV reality show ‘The Bachelorette India- Mere Khayaalon ki Mallika’. She was disappointed as a mob of around 4,000 persons thronged her vehicle, forcing her to retreat without alighting from the car.

She later went a farmhouse of her uncle Suresh Lamba near Hansi town on the Jind road, where she completed the shooting. She met a group of villagers and recollected her childhood days at the village.

Talking to mediapersons at the farmhouse, Mallika felt disturbed over honour killings. “This is a shameful phenomenon which must be stopped. I am eager to make my contribution for the betterment of the condition of women and to improve the sex ratio,” she said.

Ashok Kumar, a former sarpanch of Moth village who was among the group of villagers which met her, said she was upset for not being able to visit her ancestral house and meet villagers due to the mob.

“Her eyes welled up with tears as she met us. She recalled her childhood days at the village and shared her memories with us. She said she was eager to go to her ancestral house,” he said.

Mukesh Lamba, who accompanied her, said they had to change plans due to the heavy turnout and came to his brother’s farmhouse for the shooting.

“She milked a cow and drove a tractor at the farmhouse. She tried her hands at a fodder chopper during the shooting. She was happy to meet relatives and villagers and see green farmlands,” he said. He added that she had been planning social work in Haryana for some time.

Mallika’s father lost her wallet containing Rs 7,000 and other documents while a TV crew member lost her mobile phone in the melee at Moth village. Hisar Assistant Superintendent of Police Manisha Chaudhary said the police was not approached for any security arrangements.

“On getting the information, we sent personnel from the Narnaund police station as a precautionary measure. There was no report of any incident from the spot,” she said, expressing ignorance about the heavy turnout.

Granddaughter of philanthropist Seth Chhaju Ram from Hisar, Mallika was born at the Chudamani hospital here. She received her primary education at various town of Haryana before going to Delhi for higher studies and later established herself in Bollywood.

Fatehabad, October 8
A rousing welcome was accorded to 'Voice of Punjab' Deepesh Rahi on his return to his hometown Fatehabad last evening.

A civil reception was held at the Papiha Park at the town, where Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh gave him a cash award of Rs 1,01,000.

Deepesh won the 'Voice of Punjab' title in in the grand finale of a music competition organised by a television channel in Amritsar two days back.

Sirsa parliamentary constituency Youth Congress president Anandvir Singh, SDM Baljit Singh, DSP Naripjit Singh, Congress (Urban) president Tek Chand Midha and Mahila Congress president Usha Dahiya felicitated Deepesh, who enthralled the audience with his songs.

Earlier, a number of NGOs felicitated Deepesh. Led by the social organisation Zindagi Live, a victory procession was organised. Deepesh was taken around the town in a procession in an open jeep. Deepesh's father Mukesh Rahi has been singing at 'jagrans' and his brother Rupesh is a singer as well.

Fatehabad, October 8
A young couple in love allegedly consumed poison at the boy’s residence in ward 15 at Ratia town of Fatehabad last night.

The girl, 18-year-old Kamlesh, died at a private hospital in Hisar today while 20-year-old Gurdeep continued to be in a critical condition.

The police registered a case under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit suicide) against Kamlesh and Gurdeep.

Sources said Gurdeep and Kamlesh were neighbours and from the same caste. They had been seeing each other for the last one year.

The girl’s family had lodged a complaint against Gurdeep some days back. Sources close to Gurdeep’s family said he was not traceable for three days. He appeared for some time yesterday and went missing again.

After looking for him everywhere, the family went to the terrace of their house and found a room there bolted from inside. When no one responded after knocking at the door, they broke open the door and went in. The family found Gurdeep and Kamlesh lying in the room with froth coming out of their mouths and their hands tied with a piece of cloth.

A note was found beside them that no one was responsible. Their families took them to the Community Health Centre at Ratia, from where they were shifted to a private hospital in Hisar.

Sirsa, October 8
A waiter was shot dead at a wedding party only because he took some time to give a ‘baraati’ a glass of water he had asked for.

The incident occurred at Sadewala village in Sirsa last night. The police has registered a case of murder against the accused.

Reports said Jagjit Singh, who was heavily drunk, asked a waiter, Bhagwan Dass, to bring a glass of water.Bhagwan Dass, who was serving several ‘baraatis’, could not serve him water immediately. An angry Jagjit Singh shouted at Bhagwan Dass, UP resident, took out his gun and shot him. Bhagwan Dass died on the spot. — TNS

Sonepat, October 8
The police has arrested three armed members of a gang for their alleged involvement in the murder of Rao Som Pal, a former municipal councillor of Gohana, last month.

The police has seized two pistols, four live cartridges and a motorcycle from their possession. They have been identified as Rinku and Devender of Butana and Naveen of Pipli Khera.

Gohana Deputy Superintendent of Police Yash Pal Khatana said the accused were nabbed on Sunday night when they were planning to loot passersby on a double canal bridge near Kasandi village.

During interrogation, they confessed to having murdered Rao Som Pal on the behest of Karambir of Gohana, who had a dispute with him over the cable network at Gohana.

Rinku was reportedly involved in many other criminal cases, including firing on assistant sub-inspector Bhupinder Singh at Gurgaon.

The three accused were produced in court, which remanded them in the custody of the Government Railway Police at Gohana.