Yamunanagar, December 12
Many of the Jagadhri Block Samiti members are up in arms against the chairperson, alleging large-scale discrimination in development works. Fourteen out of the 20 members have made a written representation before deputy commissioner seeking to bring no-confidence motion.

Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Singh Barar has marked their representation to Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) to look into the matter. ADC Satbir Singh Saini will now get the statements of members recorded to ascertain how many members are in favour of bringing the no-confidence motion.

Sources said the ADC got the statements of women members recorded today itself and gave time of December 19 to the male members for getting their statements recorded. The date of bringing the no-confidence motion will be given after the completion of statements of all members.

Aman Kamboj, a member from ward no.17, said the chairperson of the Jagadhri Block Samiti had been committing discrimination in development works. He alleged that he had issued grants only to those members who were his favourite.

The members who have given their signatures on the representation include Aman Kumar Kamboj, Renu Dhawan, Geeta Rani, Parvesh, Babli, Beant Kaur, Sushma Devi, Sangeeta Devi, Rajesh Kumar, Shahjad, Vikram, Mahavir Singh, Anil Kumar and Ram Kumar.

On the other hand, chairperson Ramesh Kumar said, “I believe in equality. I have done no discrimination in the development works being done in the area.”

He further said the members of the opposition group were free to bring the no-confidence motion against him. He had the support of members required to fail the no-confidence motion. He said he needed only seven members.

Saini said the affidavits given by members against the chairperson would be verified on December 19.

“The statements of women members were recorded today and the statements of male members will be recorded on December 19. After the completion of the statements, the process for fixing the date for bringing the no-confidence motion will be fixed if required.”

Chandigarh, December 12
With the extended tenure of present Chief Secretary PK Choudhery ending on December 31, lobbying for the top post has started in Haryana.

At least four senior bureaucrats are in the race for the coveted post, including 1978 batch IAS officer Sanjay Kothari, currently posted as Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms, Public Grievances, Pensions and Pensioners Welfare, Government of India.

SC Choudhary, a 1977 batch IAS officer, Additional Chief Secretary for Home, Jails, Criminal Investigation and Administration of Justice departments, Shakuntla Jakhu (1978 batch), Additional Chief Secretary, Cooperation Department, and Ajit Mohan Sharan, who recently joined as the Union Sports Secretary, are other contenders for the post.

Kothari, who retires on June 30, 2016, has over two-and-a-half years service while Sharan, who retires on March 31, 2017, has over three years’ service. Choudhary will retire on April 30, 2014 and Jakhu is set for superannuation on September 30 next year.

With strong anti-incumbency staring his government in the face ahead of the next year’s parliamentary and Assembly elections, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda may go for an officer, whose tenure extends beyond the Assembly elections slated for September/October next year and enjoys his confidence.

In June this year, when Choudhery, a 1977 batch IAS officer, was given extension for six months, Choudhary’s name did rounds for the top post. In fact, while appointing the Chief Secretary, the Hooda Government has not always gone by seniority alone. When Choudhery was called back from the Central Government to take over as the Chief Secretary on April 1,2012, he had superseded two of his batchmates - Raj Kumar and Krishna Mohan and his senior RS Gujral. Even in 2006, Hooda preferred Prem Prashant as the Chief Secretary over 1970 batch IAS officers-KC Sharma and Asha Sharma.

Sirsa, December 12
Cotton ginning industry in Haryana is facing a crisis this year as farmers have been holding back their produce in hope of better prices in future. This has led to a steep fall in the arrival of cotton.

With area under sowing of cotton having already fallen from 5.95 lakh hectare in 2012-13 to 4.86 lakh hectare in 2013-14, cotton ginners in the state are not getting enough raw cotton to run their units.

“I have been running my unit at hardly 35 per cent of its normal capacity. This merely helps me in retaining my labour. Almost all cotton ginners in Haryana are facing the same problem,” said Gurpreet Singh Nagpal, a partner in Royal Cotgin, Sirsa, and secretary of the Sirsa Cotton Industries Association.

The Cotton Corporation of India website shows that the cotton production in Haryana has hovered around 14 to 15 lakh bales every year in the past three years, though those who deal in the trade claim that the actual production is much more.

Senapati Tamred, a leading cotton broker in Sirsa, said against last year’s production of 26 lakh bales of cotton, the figure is likely to come down to 21 lakh bales this year.

However, till now, barely 4.5 lakh bales have arrived in Haryana, out of which nearly 1.8 lakh bales are in Sirsa, the district with the highest production of cotton in the state, he said.

He said not only the arrival, but also the demand in domestic as well as export market was low this time.

“Farmers are waiting for the prices of raw cotton to escalate, as the present price of Rs 4,950 per quintal is too low. They are considering the fact that rates had gone over Rs 7,500 per quintal two years ago,” said Satnam Singh, a farmer in Sirsa.

He said with his basmati paddy giving enough returns to him, he could afford to hold back his cotton for a few more months before the rates go up.

Interestingly, when the farmers are holding back their crop, its prices should shoot up by the principle of demand and supply.

Rohtak, December 12
Will the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) be able to fill the political vacuum prevailing in Haryana? This is the question being asked amongst the socio-political circles in the state.

The remarkable performance by the novice AAP in the Delhi elections has left the psephologists as well as politically aware people of Haryana astonished.

Political observers maintain that new equations will now emerge in the state politics and the think-tank of the party, led by Arvind Kejriwal, have already started preparing a blueprint in this regard.

A sort of political vacuum prevails in the state due to the top INLD leaders being in jail, BJP lacking a plausible grassroots-level network and persistent doubts being raised over the sustainability of the HJC-BJP alliance.

In such a backdrop, and after the scintillating performance of the greenhorns, it is quite obvious for the state residents to pin their hopes on Haryana-born Kejriwal.

Many wannabe leaders have already started knocking at the doors of the AAP leaders in a bid to ensure their ticket in the approaching elections in Haryana or simply to get associated with the party.

Nonetheless, the political pundits maintain that in order to put up a performance commensurate to the people’s great expectations, the broom party leadership should ensure that it accommodates only well-meaning applicants having sound credentials.

Ambala, December 12
Ramesh Mal, Mayor of the Ambala Municipal Corporation, has removed the red beacon from his official car following the Supreme Court orders stating only high dignitaries and those holding a constitutional post can use red beacons on their vehicles.

Mal said he wanted to serve the people and red beacon was not necessary for it. He had also removed the striker issued by the Transport Department for authorising him for using red beacons on his vehicle.

Anil Vij, MLA Ambala Cantt who is also the leader of the BJP legislature group in Haryana Assembly, has also removed red beacon from his private car. He said he honoured the order of the apex court.

Over 20 dignitaries in the district, including MLAs and several senior officials of the district administration and police, have been using red beacons on their vehicles. Ambala City MLA Venod Sharma has not been using red beacon on his car since the beginning.

Sirsa, December 12
After excluding Haryana from the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) for three years, the Centre has again included it under the ambit of the scheme and approved 1,100 km for the state.

Speaking to mediapersons at Shah Satnamji Girls College, Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda said the Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had conveyed to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday that the Centre had accepted the demand of Congress MPs, who had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard recently.

Under the PMGSY, the Centre bears 75 per cent of the total cost of the roads, while the rest 25 per cent has to be borne by the states.

The Central Government had stopped grants under the PMGSY to five developed states of the country, namely Haryana, Punjab, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, three years ago.

Deepender said he had led a delegation of all Congress MPs, both from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, to the Prime Minister and requested him to restart the benefit of the scheme to Haryana.

The Prime Minister, he said, had assured to look into the demand in a considerate manner.

The Rohtak MP, meanwhile, said he was not perturbed over the reports of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contesting polls in Haryana in the coming parliamentary and assembly polls.

He also ruled out the possibility of assembly polls for the state being held along with the parliamentary elections and added that the Haryana assembly would complete its full term.

He said the victory of Bharatiya Janata Party in the three states would not have any effect on the poll prospects of the Congress, as the state government had done unprecedented development.

Sirsa, December 12
The authorities in Sirsa will construct 14,193 toilets in private houses, schools and anganwadi centres at a cost of Rs 14.49 crore under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan.

The district authorities have already released funds for this scheme.

Shiv Prashad Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa, addressed heads of schools, anganwadi centres and sarpanches today and told them that all the toilets had to meet the specifications issued by the government in this regard.

He said as many 13,757 toilets were to be constructed in private houses and for these, Rs 4,500 would be given out of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Rs 4,600 from the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan and Rs 900 would be spent by the beneficiary.

Similarly, 293 toilets would be constructed in anganwadis at a cost of Rs 8,000 each and toilets for girls would be constructed in 143 schools at a cost of Rs 35,000 each. —TNS

Gurgaon, December 12
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (PCB) is all set to take action against people who have carried out constructions on the Aravali hills in Gurgaon in violation of the environmental norms.

Also, the board today submitted an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is located in the national capital, on the issue, as directed by it. Besides, it will take the cases to a local environment court.

The cases relate to the constructions on the hills in violation of the “Arvali clearance” notification which was issued by the Union Environment Ministry on May 7, 1992. The notification was at the behest of the Supreme Court. In effect, no construction could be made on the hills after the notification.

The NGT had taken suo-motto notice on the violations of the notification in Gurgaon and Alwar district in Rajasthan. It had directed the state government and the Pollution Control Board to take action and submit an affidavit to it on the issue.

Subsequently, the board identified as many as 556 constructions, including farmhouses and commercial structures, which ran afoul the law. They are spread in several villages, including Rozka Gujjar, Rai Sinha, Bhondsi, Damdama and Ghamdoj.

The prosecution has already been launched in 380 of the cases. An official of the board said the remaining cases would be taken to the court shortly. In some of the cases, the documents concerned were still being verified.

About 50 of the accused had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the authorities’ decision to prosecute them. They, however, lost and the cases are being considered by the environment court.

A good number of farmhouses and commercial structures have sprung up on the hills over the years. The popular Punjabi folk singer, Mikka Singh, also owns a farmhouse carved out on the hills in Rozka Gujjar village.

Rohtak, December 12
Students of BTech course at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here have been subjected to barbaric punishment by their teacher.

The engineering students, including girls, were chastised by the said teacher. A picture of the scene of punishment was uploaded on a popular social networking website.

Sources said the boy students were forced to kneel down on the floor and hold their ears (in cock-position), while the girl students were made to stand in a group, holding the ears of one-another. The teacher who made the students kneel down and hold ears is employed at the UIET.

Curiously, the director of the UIET (where the incident took place) also happens to be the MDU proctor, who is responsible for maintenance of discipline on the university campus.

The MDU official website maintains that ragging is strictly prohibited on the campus and is punishable as per orders of the Supreme Court, but perhaps the orders do not apply to the faculty members.

Incidentally, the UIET director is also on the anti-ragging committee constituted by the university Vice-Chancellor.

The students were too frightened to say anything, though some former students of the institute pointed out that those pursuing the engineering degree course would not speak up despite humiliation, harassment and torture as their internal assessment/sessional marks were to be decided by the teacher in question.

University insiders maintained that several complaints had been lodged against the teacher with the authorities concerned but no concrete action has been taken till date as he is stated to be related to a ruling party MLA considered close to the Chief Minister.

Comments made by numerous former students and others associated with the institute/university on the photograph uploaded on the networking site amply indicate that the instance was not an isolated one and the teacher has been subjecting the students to such torture since long.

However, the state of affairs at the MDU institute came out in public domain only after the picture was uploaded on the social networking site.

Nonetheless, why no action has been taken in this regard remains known only to the university administration.

Kalka, December 12
The Shiwalik Vikas Manch, a Panchkula-based NGO, has sent a memorandum to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the state principal secretary of the Urban Local Bodies against the illegal and arbitrary collection of property tax from the residents who have been included in the Panchkula Municipal Corporation.

Informing this, Advocate VK Bansal, president of the manch, alleged that the residents of the district Panchkula, who are being forced to pay the property tax on the basis of the notification dated October 11, 2013, which is illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory. He alleged that the Panchkula Municipal Council was declared Municipal Corporation after merging the Pinjore and Kalka Municipal Committees in violation of natural justice and Article 243-P, 243-Q of the Constitution of India and Section 2 of the Haryana Municipal Act 1973 as well as Section 3 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act 1994. In addition to the aforesaid, 42 gram panchayats falling in Panchkula district were also included in the Panchkula Municipal Corporation without affording an opportunity of hearing before their inclusion in the Municipal Corporation.

Chandigarh, December 12
There has been a decline in the cases of malaria, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis in Haryana, as compared to the previous year as no case of chikungunya was reported during 2013.

Principal Secretary (Health) Navraj Sandhu gave this information at an Annual Action Plan meeting for Programme Implementation Plan 2014-15 of nine state and union territories today. The meeting was organised by the office of Director Health Services (malaria), Haryana, in collaboration with National Vector-Borne Disease Control Programme, New Delhi.

The Planning Officers and Regional Directors of nine states, namely Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, HP, Jammu and Kashmir and UP took part in the meeting.

Gurgaon, December 12
Hundreds of commuters had a harrowing experience as the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Haryana Roadways suspended their services on the road.

Nearly 10 buses were damaged and traffic was disrupted on the road after the agitated students went on a rampage after the accident.

Officials said the Haryana Roadways had tried to ply its buses as usual on the route but the students again misbehaved with bus drivers in the morning, forcing the administration to suspend the service.

Meanwhile, the students took out a protest rally and met Police Commissioner Alok Mittal. They demanded release of two protesters arrested yesterday and dropping of all charges against them.

The protesting students were joined by former student leader Kulbhushan Bhardwaj who led the protest march.

“This is the second such incident in the last 15 days. We cannot shut our eyes to the negligent and rash riving by the Haryana Roadways drivers,” said Bhardwaj. The students demanded strict measures against rash driving by the bus drivers and the construction of bus stops near institutes to ensure that they don’t have to chase buses. The police have asked the students to maintain law and order and abstain from damaging public property.

Hisar, December 12
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) will launch a massive campaign to disconnect the connections of power defaulters, setting the target that there should be no connected defaulter by December 31.

Managing Director, DHBVN and UHBVN, Anurag Agarwal issued instructions in this regard to the officials engaged with the operations wing of the DHBVN, in a meeting to review operations activities of the corporations. The MD told the officials, “The campaign to disconnect defaulters should be intensive and there should be no connected defaulter in towns by December 31. An intensive campaign should be launched in villages also and people should be persuaded to enter the ‘one time settlement scheme’ to settle their arrears”.— TNS

Chandigarh, December 12
The Haryana Government has issued transfer and posting orders of four IAS officers with immediate effect.

Praveen Kumar, Special Secretary, Land Use Board and Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon, has been posted as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Gurgaon, and Chief Administrator, Shri Mata Sheetla Devi Shrine Board, Gurgaon, and Special Secretary Land Use Board vice Phool Chand Meena, who will be the new Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon.

RC Verma, Director, Industrial Training, will be the new Deputy Commissioner, Mewat, at Nuh and CEO, Mewat Development Agency, Nuh, vice Vinay Singh, who has been posted as Administrator, HUDA, Panchkula, against a vacant post.

Sonepat, December 12
District and Sessions Judge Inderjit Mehta has sentenced Amit, a resident of Rolad village, to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife Pooja, a mother of two children, on June 15, 2012, at his house in the village.