Rohtak, January 30
The Tilyar tourist complex here is not only one of the oldest resorts of the Tourism Department, but one of the favourite destinations of visitors in the NCR of the state as well. This is perhaps the reason the state government recently selected it to be developed as an international tourist hub on the pattern of the Sentosa Island of Singapore. The government inked an agreement with the Union Tourism Ministry last year in this connection.

The complex, named after the popular spot-billed duck, called ‘tilyar’, is located on National Highway 10. “This spot is perhaps among the top 10 profit-making tourist complexes in the state. The number of visitors here could be in lakhs each year,” claimed Chanderbhan, manager of the complex.

Revealing that the average number of visitors on any given day could touch 2,500, he said the overall annual running profit of the complex had been around Rs 50 lakh.

Keeping in view the importance of the spot, the Union Tourism Minister had signed an agreement in August last year to develop the place on the pattern of the Sentosa Island of Singapore, in which the ITDC would spend crores on developing it a place of national and international attraction.

Under the project, 24 acres had been kept for the development of a special amusement park. The complex, originally spread over 140 acres, had been reduced to around 100 acres as 40 acres werer transferred to the zoo and the state-level institute of hotel management.

Though room occupancy has been around 70 per cent, a majority of the revenue is generated from the convention centre opened in 2009 for weddings and party functions, which holds between 80 and 100 such functions a year.

With several private banquet spaces and spots coming up in its vicinity in the past couple of decades, the Tilyar tourist complex authorities do not appear to be concerned. They claim that their dealing and the quality of service and food is one of the best and appeal to a majority of visitors.

Admitting that some business could have gone to a private liquor bar and marriage palaces having rooms for guests in the neighbourhood, the officials claim that it has increased competition and will help raise the quality of service at the complex. A majority of private complexes coming up in the locality are smaller and focus on providing banquet service, they claim.

(To be continued)

Chandigarh, January 30
The crisis in the Haryana Congress appears far from over even after the party high command has inducted all possible names into the Haryana Pradesh Election Committee. Ambala MLA Venod Sharma is believed to have submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for forwarding it to the high command.

Sources said Sharma, who travelled all across the state, holding rallies and projecting Hooda Government's work over the past many months, is unhappy at the inclusion of Hooda’s dissidents into the election committee. Various other motives are being attributed to his resignation but this leaves the committee devoid of representation for “pundits” as he was the only person from that community.

The 24-member election committee has nearly half of its members belonging to the Hooda camp and two neutral members. There are six staunch anti-Hooda members . The panel has at least three persons from Team Rahul. Party insiders say that the committee is unlikely to arrive at any consensus on the issue of candidates due to its mixed composition.

The committee is expected to refer the matter to the party high command to take the final call thereby defeating the very purpose of the committee. The panel also has two names who were at some point of time anti-Chief Minister, but have now been won over by him. Hooda detractors Birender Singh and Kumari Selja are part of the panel.

When the previous Election Committee was put out by the state election office, Panipat MLA Balbir Pal Shah submitted his resignation, saying that there was no point in being a member when “you are not even heard”. With Venod Sharma's resignation from the committee, speculation has started doing the rounds.

One suggestion is that Venod Sharma may want to move from Ambala to Chandigarh to contest the parliamentary elections. But sources close to him say that he would not have toured all 90 assembly segments if he wanted to move out of Haryana.

Another suggestion is that Sharma has resigned because he does not want to be seen as a part of any group, eyeing a greater role for himself in state politics. Venod Sharma could not be contacted despite several attempts.

New Delhi, January 30
The BJP will take the final call on an alliance withthe INLD soon. Top sources told The Tribune that there is a “50-50” chance of an alliance with the INLD, which has already pledged support for BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

With some senior BJP leaders vehemently opposed to any truck with “scam-tainted” INLD leaders — Om Prakash Chautala and son Ajay — the BJP’s highest decision making body — the Parliamentary Board — will meet in the first half of February to take the final call.

Senior leaders admit if the saffron party wants to make any substantive gains on the 10 seats of Haryana, it should tie up with Chautalas. With former Congress leader Rao Inderjit Singh already by its side, at least one constituency — Gurgaon is taken care of. But for the remaining nine seats, the BJP needs a strong ally and a good chunk in the top leadership is in favour of a tie-up with the INLD. “If the Congress can go with a convicted Lalu Prasad, why should the conviction of Chautalas stop the BJP,” they argue. Moreover, a tie-up with the INLD is something that NDA ally Akali Dal has also been advocating.

Leaders also cite the example of BS Yeddyurappa in Karnataka where the BJP, instead of benefiting, suffered badly after the former CM was shown the door. “Corruption is a big issue but there are other local factors that matter as much. Besides, we can greatly benefit from the INLD’s Jat vote bank,” they add.

Had the AAP factor not been there, the INLD would have been long lapped up by the BJP. The INLD-BJP political friendship, which continued during Chautala’s tenure as the CM, ended when the two allies fought the 2005 elections separately and lost badly to the Congress. Though the BJP had a standing alliance with Kuldeep Bishnoi-led HJC, pre-AAP it was not averse to having the Chautalas on board. 

Chandigarh, January 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today held KK Khandelwal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, and Harmail Singh, Engineer-in-Chief of the Irrigation Department, guilty of contempt in a service matter.

The order was pronounced by Justice Rajesh Bindal on a petition filed by Jagbir Singh and other petitioners. They were seeking the release of arrears. Taking up their matter, the High Court had on December 12, 2012, held the petitioners entitled to a technical pay scale. The High Court also ordered the release of arrears within a month. But the orders were not complied with, resulting in the initiation of contempt proceedings.

The petition was, however, disposed of on March 20, 2013, after counsel for the state told the court that the orders would be complied with by May 17, 2013. After the orders were not complied with once again, the petitioner moved the court for the revival of the contempt proceedings.

As the matter came up for hearing again, the High Court on January 17 directed the respondents to comply with the orders before the next date of hearing or appear in person before the court with a list of Irrigation Department properties. But as the orders were still not complied with, Justice Bindal held the two respondents guilty of contempt. The copy of the order was not yet available.

Hisar, January 30
Justice TP Garg, inquiring into the 1984 Sikh carnage in Hondh Chillar village, Rewari, completed a crucial phase of investigation with a key survivor, Uttam Singh, deposing before the commission here today. He has identified one of the 32 victims as an Army man from Batala who had taken shelter at his house.

Kanwaldeep Kaur of Misharpura village in Batala, Punjab, had claimed that her husband Inderjit Singh, an Army man, was one of the victims of the riots. She approached the Sikh group after the massacre was exposed by Sikh activist Manwinder Singh Giaspura in January 2011.

Manwinder Singh Giaspura, a member of Hondh Chillar Talmel Committee (HCTC), said Inderjit Singh had come on leave and fearing the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, he alighted from the train at Rewari. He reached Hondh village after someone informed about a Sikh village to take shelter.

"The survivor Uttam Singh informed the commission that he gave shelter to Inderjit on his arrival in the village. Barely a few hours later, the village was attacked and Inderjit was among the 32 persons who were killed in the incident.”

Giaspura said the commission had questioned Kaur’s claim that the victim was her husband in the last hearing. "Today, Uttam Singh, however, identified Inderjit Singh by seeing his photo as the same person who had taken shelter in his house. The commission also cross-examined Kaur.”

He said the HCTC had advertised about the Army man as he was the only unidentified victim among the 32. Finally, his wife approached the HCTC when the SGPC was holding an “akhand path” at the carnage site and Uttam Singh identified the victim by his photograph with his wife.

Kanwaldeep had lost all hopes of finding her husband when the Army declared him dead seven years after the incident. She has been getting a pension, but the Punjab Government had not extended any benefits meant for the riot-hit families due to the missing status of her husband.

As many as 26 witnesses to the carnage were cross-examined by the panel. The Commission will now cross-examine the administration and police officials.

Yamunanagar, January 30
A case of disproportionate assets was yesterday registered against Naib Tehsildar Anand Singh Rawal, who had gone missing early this month, on the complaint of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ajay Rana.

The Chhachhruali police registered the case under Section 13 (1E) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

An investigation conducted by the DSP revealed that Anand Singh Rawal had accumulated illegal assets worth crores after becoming the Naib Tehsildar in 2008.

He said he had bought six to seven acres worth several crores in his village and at several other places.

Besides, he owned three cars, a big house at his village, a hotel on the GT road at Kohand village, Karnal. He also had partnership in two factories, he said.

Sources said the police had also collected the details of his bank accounts.

The DSP said the office of Superintendent of Police (SP), Yamunanagar, had received a letter alleging that Naib Tehsildar Anand Rawal had illegal assets.

“Then SP Sibas Kaviraj directed me to investigate the allegations levelled against the Naib Tehsildar in the letter. They were found true and on the basis of the proof, a case of disproportionate assets was registered against him,” said DSP Rana.

He said the further investigation would be conducted by Rajesh Kumar, DSP, Jagadhri, and Anand might be arrested on the completion of the investigation.

On the other hand, Naib Tehsildar Anand Singh Rawal said he was being implicated in false cases by some villagers, officials and politicians. He would expose them on appropriate time.

“Some people are running 40-50 factories of kala tel (wastage of used lubricants) at Kohand village. They think that I am complaining against them to disrupt their business; hence, they are making false complaints against me,” said Anand Singh Rawal.

He said, "I have only one car and for that I had procured a loan of Rs 6 lakh. The hotel at Kohand village belongs to my friend and I have nothing to do with the factories.”

He had gone missing on January 4 and came back home after nine days.

Sonepat, January 30
Additional District and Sessions Judge Sukaram Pal has sentenced Sheelak Ram of Kakroi village to 10-year imprisonment for raping his daughter-in-law. The court also fined him Rs 50,000.

Jhajjar, January 30
Accusing the police of conniving with a rape accused, an anganwari helper has sought permission from the President to commit suicide. The victim, a resident of Sehlanga village, has also demanded stern action against Salhavaas SHO and a medical officer in a memorandum sent to the President.

The victim has urged the President either to ensure the arrest of the accused within two days or grant her permission to commit suicide.

The Salhavaas police had booked sarpanch Surender and his brother Narender under relevant sections of the IPC on January 22.

“We are running from pillar to post to ensure the arrest of the accused sarpanch but to no avail. The police are shying away from arresting the accused due to his close affiliation with a senior Congress leader,” said kin of the victim.

In her complaint, the victim had alleged that Narender had called her to attend a meeting at the sarpanch’s house on January 20. No one was present at the house except Narender when she reached there, she alleged.

“Narender then closed the door and kicked me when I tried to run away. When I fell unconscious, he attempted to rape me,” said the victim, adding that earlier, Surender too had tried to rape her after forcefully entering her house.

Superintendent of Police Balbir Singh said the matter was being investigated by a Deputy Superintendent of Police to verify the allegations. Main accused Narender had already been arrested, he added.

Ambala, January 30
The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) has started a financial assistance scheme for families of criminal case victims. The authority at present gives free legal aid and resolves civil and criminal cases.

District Sessions Judge and Chairman of the DLSA Harnam Singh Thakur said recently the authority helped three families by providing them Rs 7 lakh.

He said in the State versus Satish case, registered under Sections 323/37/56/32 of the IPC at Baldev Nagar police station on November 3, 2012, mother of Janak Raj (deceased), a resident of Ambala City, was provided assistance of Rs 1 lakh by the authority.

In another State versus Jaswinder murder case, registered at Mahesh Nagar, Ambala Cantt, on February 1, 2011, the father of deceased Surya Partap Singh was given assistance of Rs 3 lakh.

In the State versus Gulshan murder case registered at Ambala City police station on March 3, 2011, Parkash, mother of Bobby (deceased), a resident of Ambala Cantt, was given Rs 3 lakh as compensation.

Chief Judicial Magistrate and DLSA Secretary Ravneet Garg said this facility was not for government officials or employees of boards and corporations. The pay of the beneficiary under this scheme should not exceed Rs 4,50,000, he added. 

Kurukshetra, January 30
Additional Sessions Judge Arun Kumar Singhal has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a robbery and murder case. Dinesh Kumar, Raj Kumar and Krishan Kumar hailing from Khas Pur village were held guilty.

The police said, on August 24, 2012, Bhani Sahaye, owner of Balaji Filling Station, was attacked and robbed of Rs 10 lakh by three youths when he was on his way to a bank on a scooter to deposit the cash.

After getting the information, the victim’s wife Laxmi Devi reached the spot and took him to the hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The police had registered her complaint and arrested Dinesh Kumar, Raj Kumar and Krishan Kumar from Khas Pur village after 20 days of investigation. It recovered Rs 6.5 lakh and the weapon used in the crime from their possession. The accused admitted their crime during interrogation.

All accused have been awarded life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 each under Section 302, seven-year jail and Rs 3,000 each under Section 397 and seven-year jail and Rs 2,000 each under Section 392 of the IPC. — TNS

Rewari, January 30
The Bawal police have registered a case of dowry harassment, criminal intimidation, causing hurt and wrongful confinement against Reena Devi’s husband Sandeep, father-in-law Mahavir and mother-in-law Santosh Devi, all three residents of Sonepat district.

Reena (22) of Banipur village, who got married to Sandeep in February 2012, alleged that her in-laws had tortured her over dowry.

A senior police official said the matter was under investigation. 

Sirsa, January 30
A local court today granted interim stay on the arrest of a doctor couple, Dr MR Bansal and his wife Dr Promila Bansal, in a case under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act registered against them.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Sandeep Singh adjourned the couple’s anticipatory bail plea for February 3 and restrained the police from arresting them till then.

The police had booked the couple after a team comprising Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Viresh Bhushan, Senior Drug Control Officer Naripen Goyal, Dr Rohtash and Dr Archna Agarwal raided the couple’s hospital on January 25.

The raiding party had said it had found several irregularities in their records. While most of the irregularities pertained to discrepancies in Form F, a mandatory document under the PNDT Act for performing ultrasound test on a pregnant woman, the team, as per the health authorities, found a case of alleged detection of gender of a female foetus and its subsequent abortion in the hospital.

The local chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), however, had contested the findings of the raiding party and had maintained that a case of spontaneous abortion due to a medical complication called cervical incompetence had been presented as a case of female foeticide by the raiding party.

Meham (Rohtak), January 30
The national khap mahapanchayat on honour killings evoked a lukewarm response from khap representatives, women’s organisations, research scholars and intelligentsia.

Even the participants who expressed their views on the occasion here yesterday failed to keep their focus on the specified area nor could they come up with practical and pragmatic solutions to arrest the alarming trend which has turned into a social menace.

Though event organiser Tulsi Grewal claimed that the mahapanchayat had decided to make efforts to bring the runaway inter-caste couples into the mainstream of society and continue campaign against the social evil, there were quite a few dissenting notes.

“Most of the speakers either talked about the historical background of khap panchayats or denied the involvement of khaps in honour killings. No consensus could be reached on the contentious issue as they kept on beating about the bush,” said Yogita, a law student from ITM University, Gurgaon, who had come along with coursemates to attend the event for a study project.

While many speakers affirmed that there was no involvement of khap panchayats in cases of honour killing, some accused the media of projecting the khaps in bad light.

Nonetheless, women speakers addressing the gathering at the historic platform of Meham Chaubisi was a rare phenomenon and pioneering initiative on part of the organisers.

Sonepat, January 30
The First Women Youth Parliament concluded here today at BPS Women University. More than 250 girl students from different universities of the state took part in the two-day youth parliament and deliberated upon various issues related to women empowerment.

Delivering the valedictory address, Governor Jagannath Pahadia said there was an urgent need to make women aware about their rights and empower them through legislation.

He said this parliament had provided rare opportunity to future leaders of the country to broaden their horizon on various socio-cultural-economic and political issues.

Earlier, welcoming the Governor, Vice Chancellor Pankaj Mittal said BPS Women University was making all efforts for women empowerment through education. He said the university had taken up several initiatives to improve the girl’s literacy and gender ratio in the surrounding villages.

Issues of amendments to laws related to rape and sexual assault, reservation for women in admission and employment, amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act as proposed by khap panchayats to prevent marriages in the same gotra or village, domestic violence and women reservation in Parliament were discussed in the youth parliament. — OC

Fatehabad, January 30
Over three lakh candidates from several districts of the state, who will be appearing for the Haryana Teachers Eligibility Test (HTET) exam, are agitated over the allotment of centres in far off districts.

Candidates allege that the Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) that conducts the Haryana Teachers Eligibility Test (HTET) exams had adopted a discriminatory approach in the allotment of centers. While candidates from districts like Jhajjar, Rohtak and some other district had been assigned centres in their neighbouring districts, over three lakh candidates from several other districts would have to travel a distance of as long as 250 to 300 km to reach their centres.

“I have to reach Rewari by 10.30 am and for this I will have to start from my village a night before,” said Sunita, who has an 11-month- old baby to look after. Similar concerns have been raised by candidates from other districts also.

The Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha held a demonstration here on this issue today and handed over a memorandum, addressed to the Governor, to the Additional Deputy Commissioner.

Anshaj Singh, secretary, Haryana Board of School Education, said as a matter of policy, no candidate was given centre in his or her own district.

Chandigarh, January 30
The Haryana Government today shifted Panipat DC Sameer Pal Srow, who reportedly had an argument with Karnal MP Arvind Sharma recently over the smooth flow of traffic. He was posted as Sonepat DC.

Though official sources termed the transfer as routine, it is being seen as an offshoot of the officer's verbal duel with the MP. Srow had reportedly gone on two- day 'protest leave' after an argument with the MP over the blocking of passes at several places in Panipat for the smooth flow of traffic on the national highway No 1. Srow replaces Chander Shekhar, who has been posted as DC, Jhajjar. Jhajjar DC Ajit Balaji Joshi goes as Panipat DC and Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Panipat. Meanwhile, Sanjay Joon, Additonal Secretary, Home-II Department and Joint Commissioner, Gurudwara Elections, has been given additional charge as Administrator, HUDA, Panchkula, relieving Ashima Brar.

Rohtak, January 30
Seven members of the local Zila Parishad resigned from their posts at a meeting held here today.

During the meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of parishad chief Rajesh Bhalouth, several members expressed their resentment over the functioning of the local government machinery.

The members alleged that they were being neglected and had no say in the decision-making process of the parishad.

Following this, including Sonu Devi, Sandeep, Krishan Kumar, Jaibir, Rajbir, Kelawati and Pushpa Devi, tendered their resignations.

Sources said parishad vice-chairman had also tendered his resignation, but he did not accompany the other members when they went to the Deputy Commissioner to submit their resignations.

Chandigarh, January 30
Haryana Excise and Taxation Minister Kiran Choudhry today ordered the suspension of Sirsa ETO Ashok Sukhija for his involvement in refund to bogus firms.

She was presiding over a review meeting of the department at Panchkula, near here, today.

Asking Excise and Taxation Commissioner Anil Malik to probe the case, the minister sought details of all such cases.

Chandigarh, January 30
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced to increase the retirement age of anganwadi workers, anganwadi helpers and mini-anganwadi workers from 60 to 65 years. The decision will benefit over 51,000 workers employed in 25,962 anganwadi centres in the state.

Hooda was addressing a mahila samman samaroh at his residence here today. The workers thanked him for the increase in their honorarium.

Hooda also honoured 22 women achievers for their exceptional achievement in different fields.