Chandigarh, January 7
For the first time in its history, Haryana is set to regulate lakhs of street vendors with a view to facilitating their livelihood.

Under an ordinance, the Haryana Municipal Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Ordinance, 2013, which would be passed in the forthcoming session of the state Assembly, the municipalities will set up town vending committees under the respective Deputy or Municipal Commissioners to identify the vending zones.

The town vending committee will conduct a survey of all existing street vendors to accommodate them in the vending zones depending on their holding capacity. Besides, every eligible street vendor will be issued a registration certificate and an identity card after the payment of the prescribed vending fee.

Every street vendor will be obliged to maintain cleanliness and public hygiene in the vending zones and the adjoining areas besides maintaining civic amenities and public property in the vending zone in good condition.

To fix accountability of the officials concerned, the town vending committee will publish the street vendor's charter specifying time for the issuance of the certificate and other related issues. Besides, the town vending committee will maintain up-to-date records of the registered street vendors containing their name, stalls allotted, nature of business and category of street vending.

Getting tough with the violators, the ordinance said every street vendor, who failed to relocate or vacate the place specified in the certificate of vending even after notice will be liable to pay a penalty of up to Rs 250 per day.

However, in case of seizure of goods by the enforcement staff, a signed list would be provided by the authorised person to the street vendor. Any street vendor contravening the terms of the allotment may be fined up to Rs 2,000.

Putting a proper grievance redressal mechanism in place, the ordinance said any aggrieved person could appeal to the Divisional Commissioner concerned against the decision of the town vending committee.

Meanwhile, the Director, Urban Local Bodies Department, who will be the nodal officer, will perform monitoring duties such as execution of schemes in the municipality, record of revenue generation and expenses by the town vending committee and resolving any discrepancy which arose within the town vending committee.

Rohtak, January 7
Local commuters faced grave inconvenience as hundreds of auto-rickshaw operators observed a strike against an unofficial diktat of the district and police administration here today.

The auto-rickshaw operators staged a demonstration and submitted a memorandum to the district administration, seeking permission to ply three-wheelers on the old route on which they had been operating for decades.

Tasveer Singh Taank, state president of the Haryana Pradesh Auto-Rickshaw Kalyan Sangh, said a few days ago, the local police authorities arbitrarily stopped the plying of auto-rickshaws between medical turn and Sonepat Stand.

The auto-rickshaw operators maintained that they were categorically told to adopt an alternative route, which was not financially viable for them.

While no reason is being assigned for the said diktat, sources point out that the move was aimed to keep the auto-rickshaws away from the local residence of the Chief Minister, which is located on the stretch of the old route which has now been debarred for the auto-rickshaw operators.

The deployment of a considerable number of police personnel around the CM’s residence and imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC apparently to prevent the staging of protest demonstrations near his place has irked the local residents and representatives of social and political organisations.

However, the authorities concerned preferred to remain tightlipped over the matter.

Fatehabad, January 7
When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Gorakhpur of Fatehabad district to inaugurate Haryana’s first nuclear power station, he is likely to be greeted by determined environmentalists opposed to the plant. Activists of the Parmanu Virodhi Morcha, a coalition of anti-nuclear energy NGOs, are preparing a massive protest at Gorakhpur on January 13, the day of the plant’s inauguration.

The activists are said to be seeking the support of former Army Chief VK Singh, social activist Medha Patekar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Aruna Roy of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, noted environmentalist Vandana Shiva, journalist and peace activist Praful Bidwai, Magsaysay Award recipient Sandeep Pandey and some other big names in the field of social activism.

Although their movement against the Rs 23,502 crore Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojna (GHAVP) has lost much steam since the farmers accepted land compensation in August 2012, the anti-nuclear energy organizations who supported the two-year long agitation over land acquisition, continue to mobilize opposition to the project.

In a seminar organised here today, Kumar Sundaram and Jitender from the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), Mehtab Alam from People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Yashvir Arya from Azadi Bachao Andolan and several other activists castigated the government for “risking people’s lives”

“What could be more ironic than the fact that a few days before the third anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in Delhi. He is coming here to sell his nuclear programme,” said Kumar Sundaram.

“In his recent press conference, Manmohan Singh said his performance as PM will be judged by the historians, but we say his term will be judged by physicians, who for years, will treat patients suffering from radiation-induced cancer, it will be judged by children of more than three lakh farmers who committed suicide during his term. His work will also be judged by villagers from Koodankulam, where over 10,000 people have been booked under sedition charges for opposing nuclear power project,” he added.

Yashvir Arya said that earlier the anti-nuclear forces alleged it, but now the Prime Minister himself has admitted in his press conference that the nuclear deal with the US was the biggest achievement of the UPA government.

Speakers, some of them local activists such as Poonam Ratti, Devi Lal, Ram Swaroop Bishnoi, Vidya Ratti and Parmanu Virodhi Morcha district president Subhash Punia, said that the campaign against the nuclear power project would be revived with added vigour now.

Meanwhile, animal rights activists have demanded that work on the “Conservation Reserve” for blackbucks, blue bulls and other wild animals living in the project’s township site should be started along with the main project.

Vinod Karwasra of the Akhil Bhartiya Bishnoi Jeev Raksha Samiti and Sushil Bishnoi, president of Fatehabad Bar Association had also written to the central as well the state governments in this regard.

In a recent reconnaissance survey conducted on the township site on the orders of the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun observed that the land acquired by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) was a natural habitat for blackbucks and blue bulls. The WII recommended that the project township be sited elsewhere and the area in question be set aside as a wildlife reserve..

GHAVP Project Director TR Arora said that the NPCIL would start construction activities on the nuclear power projects only and work on the township would start only after the wildlife conservation plan is finalized.

Jassaur Kheri (Jhajjar), January 7
Four-days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the Global Centre for Nuclear Power; residents of this tiny hamlet are not pleased with this much-hyped international project.

They are now raising questions over the significance of this project for the villagers and its role in the development of the village, which is in dire needs for basic amenities and jobs for the unemployed youth.

Bhagat Singh, an elderly man from the village, while talking to The Tribune, said the PM and the Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda had disappointed them by not announcing any employment package for the village during their speeches.

Sajjan Kunwar, a farmer who gave away two-and-half acres of his land for the project, said, “We are expecting jobs in lieu of giving away our fertile land for this project. A numbers of village youth are unemployed, but the state government has not ensured any employment opportunity for them.”

Pratap Singh, another villager, said, “Though the local MLA has claimed to provide jobs as clerks or peons to the villagers, but we are not satisfied by such verbal assurances, when the CM and his son Deepender Hooda are hesitating to comment on this issue.”

Charan Singh, a farmer, said, “We are not demanding high-profile jobs for our youth, but the government should fix a quota for the villagers as clerical staff or fourth class employees at the global centre. Unfortunately, the government is yet to clear its stand in this regard.”

New Delhi, January 7
Haryana today pleaded with the Supreme Court to vacate the stay on the use the 109-km Hansi-Butana canal by rupturing the Bhakra mainline (BML) to take its share of water.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, however, said since the stay had been in operation for six years, there was no urgency to interfere at this stage. Appearing for Haryana, senior counsel Arvind Bobde said the SC had passed an interim order more than six years ago (August, 2007) restraining the state from puncturing the BML to take water through the canal constructed at a cost of Rs 260 crore.

Haryana moved an application in 2008 pleading for vacation of the stay which was still pending. The state was suffering for no fault of its own. At this, the Bench agreed to consider the plea in the first week of March.

The apex court’s stay order had come on a suit filed by Punjab in 2007 which was also still pending as the process of providing evidence by the contending states - Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan -- was going on and might take another two years, Bobde said. Punjab’s senior advocate, Sanjay Suri, however, said evidence was likely to conclude by year-end.

At this, the Bench wanted to know as to how it could hear the case when the evidence process was midway. Bobde said Haryana wanted vacation of the stay to enable use of the canal to take water to its drought-prone areas.

Punjab is vehemently opposed to rupturing of the BML pending disposal of its suit against the Hansi-Butana canal. While rupturing could be done in a few days, its reconstruction in the event of the case going in favour of Punjab would require closure of the BML for several weeks or months. Therefore, any decision to rupture the BML should be taken only at the time of final disposal of the suit, it said.

Chandigarh, January 7
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam(DHBVN) and the UHBVN have prepared a Rs 5,000 crore capital expenditure plan to strengthen the power distribution system within three years .

Devender Singh, Principal Secretary (Power), said here today that the discoms were committed to supplying quality power.

In the past one year, the discoms had spent over Rs 1,000 crore to strengthen the distribution system which enabled the utilities to give 20 per cent more power to consumers.

To supply more power with greater reliability, the discoms had planned a capex of about Rs 5,000 crore over the next three or four years.

Devender Singh said the power utilities were likely to make arrangements of an installed generating capacity of 18000 MW to 19000 MW by 2016 to meet the increasing demand for power in the state, which was 8-10 per cent per annum at the state level and 15-20 per cent per annum in Gurgaon and Faridabad.

The total installed power generation capacity (from all sources including the state’s own projects and long-term arrangements from other sources) in Haryana had increased to over 10,000 MW. The availability was currently more than the demand.

Devender Singh said the utilities would construct 146 new substations and augment the capacity of 182 existing ones during the next three years at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore. This was in addition to the capex plan to strengthen the distribution system.

As many as 32 new substations had already been commissioned and the capacity of 47 existing ones augmented during the current financial year .

He said that the Centre had approved Rs 1,487 crore power development schemes for 36 towns in Haryana.

Rohtak, January 7
Widespread resentment prevails among residents over the inflated power tariff. The proposed reduction of Rs 100 in the monthly charges has further infuriated the residents.

Several political parties as well as social organisations and residents’ bodies have decried the increased burden being put on the law-abiding residents.

The recent announcement by the Delhi government to cut power tariff to half has inspired Haryana’s opposition parties to demand a similar reduction in power tariff from the state government. The Haryana state committee of the CPM has expressed dissatisfaction over the decrease of Rs 100 per month announced by the Haryana government. State CPM secretary Inderjit Singh has stated that comprehensive revision and rectification of the slab system alone would satisfy the power consumers. The party has pointed out that apart from the rampant corruption in the state power corporations and huge expenditure on the bureaucratic establishment therein, the massive accumulated losses of the discoms had led to the imposition of such a heavy burden on the consumers.

Senior BJP leader Manish Grover has condemned the steep hike in power tariff in the state and demanded immediate review of the decision.

Satbir Singh Deswal, president of the Sector 1 Residents Welfare Association, has also decried the “unjustified” increase in power tariff and demanded its rollback.

The social and political organisations have also sought an audit of the the power corporations to streamline the tariff regime and make the system transparent and credible.

Sirsa, January 7
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is receiving an encouraging response to its membership drive ‘Mai Bhi Hu Aam Aadmi’ launched here from today.

Though the party had announced to undertake the drive throughout the country from January 10 to 26, the AAP launched its campaign under which membership is being offered to people without any fee from today in the district.

Hundreds queued up for their turn when the party offered membership under the drive here today.

“We have announced to set up a counter opposite Durga Mandi in B-Block of the town tomorrow,” said Prahlad Singh Bharukhera, a state committee member of the AAP.

“What can be a more fertile ground for our party than a district where a sitting minister was jailed for moral turpitude and the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly and his MLA son belonging to the district are in jail for corruption charges,” said Bharukhera.

Rohtak, January 7
The Leftist parties have offered to launch a joint campaign against corruption with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Haryana.

Inderjit Singh

“We are willing to join hands with anti-Congress secular forces in the fight against corruption, and yes, AAP can be an ally in the crusade if its leaders so desire,” state CPM secretary Inderjit Singh told The Tribune after a meeting of the party’s state committee here today.

He maintained that the AAP had emerged as a political alternative in the recent elections to the Delhi Assembly.

Earlier, in a media interaction, the CPM leader announced that the party had formally launched its election campaign with alternative policies to curb corruption and ensure the provision of livelihood for farm workers as well as those from the non-agricultural sector .

“Both Left parties have agreed to contest two Lok Sabha constituencies each, the CPI from Karnal and Ambala and the CPM from Sirsa and Hisar,” he stated, adding that they could back the AAP nominees or other like-minded candidates contesting on the remaining six seats.

Inderjit revealed that election campaign committees had been constituted for Hisar and Sirsa seats and committees would soon be formed in all Assembly segments.

“ The campaign for alternative policies and on constituency-specific issues will be launched on February 1, the first phase of which will culminate in a large rally at Hisar on February 23 slated to be addressed by CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechuri and CPI national secretary Amarjit Kaur,” he said, adding that a similar rally would be held at Karnal on March 2.

Meanwhile, the CPM has demanded a social audit of the power sector to find out the real reasons for the unprecedented power tariffs that were beyond the paying capacity of consumers and needed to drastically reduced.

The party state committee has urged the state government to concede the main demands of the employees’ organizations and prevent the proposed three-day strike.

Sirsa, January 7
Following irregularities in records of ultrasound tests conducted in his hospital, the police today arrested Dr Pawan Singla, a physician from Dabwali town, under the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act.

Dr Pawan Singla is the owner of Singla Nursing Home, Gol Bazaar, Dabwali.

Dr Surinder Nain, who lodged a complaint against the doctor, said several irregularities hinting at the misuse of the ultrasound machine for sex-determination tests were detected during a raid by a team consisting of Deputy Civil Surgeon and Senior Drug Control Officer NK Goyal.

Yamunanagar, January 7
For not being able to trace the missing Chhachhruali Naib Tehsildar Anand Rawal, the police have announced an award of Rs 1 lakh to anyone giving information in the case. Naib Tehsildar Anand Rawal had been missing for the past five days.

“If anyone gives information about whereabouts of the missing Naib Tehsildar, the police will give an award of Rs 1 lakh to the informer and his identity will be kept secret,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Rana, who is investigating the case.

The police said posters of the Naib Tehsildar would be pasted at all public places in urban and rural areas of the district.

Gurgaon, January 7
The industry has heaved a sigh of relief with Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda clarifying to a delegation of industrialists that his recent announcement of an increase in the minimum wages would be applicable only to government enterprises.

A delegation from Chambers and Industry Associations had met Hooda on Saturday evening to urge him to reconsider his announcement. They reasoned that the announced increase was steep and would have adverse effects on industrialisation the state.

HP Yadav, president of NCR Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who led the delegation, today said Hooda had clarified that the announcement made by him at the November 10 Gohana rally would not be applicable on workers in industries and trade organisations.

Yadav said, “Hooda made it clear that the announcement will be applicable only to government enterprises.”

Putting the case of the industry before Hooda, the delegation said 15-20 per cent increase in the minimum wages would be reasonable.

Hooda told the delegation that a committee would be constituted to revise the present minimum wages for the industry and trade. The government will decide on the issue on the basis of the committee’s recommendation.

Hooda had announced an increase in the minimum wages from the present Rs 5,341 to Rs 8,100. However, he had not elaborated on the issue.

The announcement had sent the industry in a tizzy. Its argument was that the announced increase was more than 60 per cent, taking into account the social security benefits attached with the wages.

Meanwhile, several industry organisations have welcomed Hooda’s clarification on the issue.

Chandigarh, January 7
Haryana has added over 3.37 lakh beneficiaries under the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme during the past eight-and-a-half years.

A press note stated here yesterday that the state government would spend over Rs 133.24 crore for giving the enhanced old age samman pension of Rs 1,000 per month to more than 13.32 lakh beneficiaries for January.

It said all beneficiaries were getting an old age samman allowance of Rs1,000 per month which was merely Rs 300 in February, 2005.

Rewari, January 7
A 22-year-old Dalit girl of Kumrodha village under Jatusana police station of the district was allegedly abducted by Mukesh Sharma, a resident of Dahina village, on January 3.

The girl was allegedly abducted when she was on her way to a private Teachers’ Training College at Zenabad village in the district.

When the girl did not reach her home, her father lodged a complaint.

The police registered a case of abduction against Mukesh. — OC

Hisar, January 7
Even as a section of Dalits continued with their boycott following a land dispute between the upper castes and the Dalits at Bhagana village of the district, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the district administration to resolve the caste row and submit a report to the commission within two months.

Following the directions from the NHRC, the district administration has now called a meeting on January 9, of all the administrative officials, police, district law officers and the villagers concerned, to amicably solve the two-year-old caste row in the village.

Taking up a complainant filed by Virendra Singh, a Dalit villager, who alleged that many Dalit families had been facing social boycott and also demanding the development of a stadium on a patch of panchayat land, NHRC summoned the Deputy Commissioner (DC) JP Kaushik to their headquarters at New Delhi.

The DC had argued that they had planted around 800 saplings in the designated vacant land for the stadium, but some miscreants had uprooted around 300 of the saplings probably apprehending that the ground was being used for some other purpose.

He also stated that the complainant group had not returned to the village and had been protesting at the Mini-Secretariat despite adequate measures taken by the district administration for their welfare and safety in the village.

The NHRC directed the DC, “to explore the possibility of settlement between the two communities and hear both parties amicably to find out a rational solution.” In a letter dated December 12, 2013, the NHRC also asked the DC to submit a comprehensive report by February 24.

Karnal, January 7
Various shopkeeper associations of the city today met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and apprised him about the problems being faced by them.

Kishor Nagpal, state spokesman of the Vyapar Mandal, said shopkeepers were facing several problems. “The Market Committee should pass a resolution to allot shops at a reserve price,” he demanded.

JR Kalra and Gurvinder Singh demanded that the rent of the Dhabha Market should be waived and Karan Gate and Duppatta Market shopkeepers should be allowed to use corridor at nominal rates. The shopkeepers of the railway road also demanded fixed rent for their shops.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda pays homage to former minister Chanda Singh in Karnal on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

CM mourns ex-minister’s death
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, January 7
While the Aon Hewitt’s call centre has rubbished the allegations of its employee accusing the company's top shots of rape and molestation, the victim, who underwent a medical examination today, has recorded her statement under Section 164 of the IPC.

The city's BPO world was taken aback yesterday when a 32-year-old woman lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police alleging that her director and two others had raped and molested her while five executives, including a woman, had forced her to accept the same as BPO culture.

After receiving a zero FIR from their counterpart in Delhi, the city police lodged an FIR against the director of the company and his colleagues under Sections 376, 354 and 34 of the IPC.

The woman, posted at Aon Hewitt's Noida office, in her complaint alleged that the director often called her inside his cabin in the Gurgaon office and "indulged in activities which can be defined as rape according to new legislation".

Kurukshetra, January 7
The police have seized charas from a prisoner when he was taken to a hospital here.

A police spokesperson said Braham Bhatt, a resident of Dhand in Kaithal district, was undergoing imprisonment for five years at the district jail here in a loot case. He was yesterday taken to LNJP Hospital to get medicines. At this juncture, a person met Bhatt and delivered him some consignment following which the police got suspicious and after searching him, seized 86-gram charas from his possession.

The police booked Bhatt under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During interrogation, he told the police that Manjeet, alias Bobby, had delivered him the consignment. Manjeet was also lodged in the jail in another case and was released in August last year. Bhatt was today produced in a court which sent him to jail.

Jhajjar, January 7
A local fast track court has sentenced a man to seven-year imprisonment for raping a minor girl around two years ago. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 2,500 on the culprit failing which he would have to undergo further imprisonment for one-year .

The Jhajjar police had booked Vijay of Bodiya village on the victim’s complaint in 2012.

The complaint said Vijay lured away the minor girl to a place on some pretext where he raped her.The police later arrested the accused.

Chandigarh, January 7
Keeping in view the prevailing inclement weather and dense fog in the state, Haryana Prisons Department has rescheduled the timing of interviews (mulaquat) for inmates of prisons from 9 AM to 4 PM

While stating this today, Yash Pal Singal, Director General (Prisons), said the timings would remain effective from the month of January to March 31, 2014. However, the timings for interview with legal counsel would remain unchanged.

Kurukshetra, January 7
One person was killed in a road accident.

An unidentified person, who was injured when he was hit by a car near Dyangla village under the Ladwa police station, succumbed to his injuries at the PGI yesterday.

The police have registered a case in this connection.

Jind, January 7
Various organisations, including NGOs, of the town have decided to launch an agitation against ‘hefty’ power bills.

“The government has secretly increased rates of the power by more than 30 per cent in the past 3 to 4 months. The government has also imposed 17 to 25 per cent fuel surcharge and 10 per cent electricity duty and other taxes. This shows the anti-people face of the state government,” said Phul Singh Sheukan, state vice-president of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Mahasangh, here after a meeting of local NGOs.

He said every household had to pay Rs 2.98 per unit for consuming power up to 400 units per month.

“Above 400 and up to 800 units, the consumer has to pay Rs 5.98 per unit. In addition to this, the government charges 21 per cent fuel surcharge,” he added.

“Now, we have decided to launch an agitation. First, we will block all roads in Jind and then help other organisations in a state-level agitation against the high power charges,” said Dharmveer.

The meeting was called by the Jan Sangharash Samiti here.

Jind, January 7
To garner support for its proposed three-day strike from January 21, the Haryana Government Employees Coordination Committee has formed 21 teams to reach out to every senior or junior employee to ensure their participation in the strike.

The teams were formed during a meeting of various employee associations here last night.

The Haryana Employees Mahasangh state chairman Ramesh Sharma said the associations would organise special meetings at district-levels from January 8 to muster support for the proposed three-day strike.

The main demands of the employees include formation of a separate pay panel, regularisation of temporary employees, ban on issuance of permits to private bus transporters and cashless medical health policy for all employees.

Jhajjar, January 7
The Bahadurgarh police have arrested three persons accused in the Kuldeep murder case after conducting a raid at Silothi village here, last night.

The accused: Sombir, Kala and Ranbir, were produced before a local court that sent them to police remand today.

Vijay Dahiya, in charge of the Bahadurgarh Sadar Police Station, said raids were also being carried out to nab three other accused in this case.

Kuldeep was gunned down by a group of assailants at his house in the village on Saturday night. The police have also booked six persons on the complaint of the deceased’s brother Dalbir Singh.

Ambala, January 7
Tara Chand, the branch manager of a cooperative bank of Matheri Shekhan village died in a road accident near Baknor village on the Ambala-Hisar road yesterday.

Sources said he was on his way home on a motorcycle. When he was crossing a road near Baknor village, he was hit by a vehicle. He was taken to the civil hospital where he was declared dead.

Police have registered a case against the driver. The body was handed over to his kin after postmortem today.