Sirsa, February 5
Three officials of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) have been suspended after poor quality custom milled rice (CMR) worth over Rs 2 crore meant for the central pool was found stocked at the Kalanwali depot of the corporation in Sirsa.

Three officials- Depot manager Brahm Prakash, quality inspector Arvind Kumar and assistant inspector Mufid Khan- have been placed under suspension after a team from the Noida-based zonal officer of the corporation carried out a surprise check there.

The three officials have since been shifted to Faridabad after issuing their suspension order.

Sources in the district office of the FCI at Hisar said nearly 21,000 bags of custom milled rice, weighing more than 10,000 quintals were found to be of quality below rejection limits.

The total value of the poor quality rice found stocked in the depot is said to be Rs 2.30 crore. The FCI has prescribed specifications with regard to damage, discolouration and breakage for the custom milled rice (CMR) and its officials cannot accept a lot containing rice of the quality below the rejection limits from the millers.

However, some unscrupulous officials tend to connive with the millers and accept poor quality rice for the central pools for ulterior motives much to the detriment of the poor people to whom it is to be eventually supplied.

Confirming action initiated against him and two others, Brahm Prakash, however, maintained that there was no scam in the case, as the millers who supplied this CMR found to be of a quality below rejection limits have volunteered to replace it.

“There is no financial loss to the FCI, as the millers who supplied the CMR of quality slightly lower than below rejection limits are ready to replace it,” Brahm Prakash said.

Rohtak, February 5
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has maintained that the state government had not recommended a CBI inquiry against IAS officer Ashok Khemka.

Addressing a news conference here today, Hooda said the next course of action in connection with the allotment of work order worth Rs 8 crore to an Ahmedabad-based firm would be decided only after the release of the CAG report in this regard.

On being asked about former Hisar Divisional Commissioner YS Khyalia joining the Aam Aadmi Party, the CM said everyone had the right to choose his/her career.

"If any other serving government officer wants to join politics, his/her resignation will be accepted in 24 hours," he quipped.

Hooda revealed that the Congress screening committee was considering new candidates for the Gurgaon, Hisar and Ambala parliamentary constituencies.

Jind, February 5
Residents of Kinana village were cane-charged in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here today. The protesters were forcibly removed and sent in a police vehicle.

They were demanding proper passage to the government girls primary school.

"The passage has been encroached upon and girls have to use a temporary passage through bushes," said Krishna of Kinana village.

Hundreds of villagers converged in front of the DC's office and raised anti-administration slogans. They accused senior officers of helping encroachers.

"Some days back, a girl fell into a pond as she could not cross the temporary passage," said Surinder, another villager. DC Rajiv Rattan refuted the allegations.

"The main gate is accessible. The problem is with the gate on the back. We have been trying to remove the encroachments, but some encroachers have file cases. We are taking steps to solve the problem," he said. The administration enforced Section 144 at the district administrative complex. When village residents refused to relent, tehsildar Matu Ram warned the protesters.

When they refused to heed to his warning, the police resorted to a cane charge.

"A total of 28 protesters were taken in preventive custody," said DSP City Dharmbir Punia.

Sirsa, February 5
A woman undergoing labour pains, whom a doctor at the General Hospital here advised a Caesarian delivery, delivered in a hospital toilet last night.

Her shocked family members rushed to inform nurses, who took her and the newborn to her bed and provided them post-natal care.

The family of Meera, a resident of Rupana village in the district, said they brought her to the hospital after she had labour pains last evening.

The doctor who examined her opined that she should undergo a Caesarian delivery. Before she could be taken to the operation theatre, she delivered in the toilet.

"It took us a while to understand what happened after Meera cried for help. Had we not rushed to nurses, the life of the newborn and her mother could have been in danger," said a female attendant.

Dr Surender Nain, Civil Surgeon, said she had come out of the toilet when she delivered. He said the staff immediately attended on her and the newborn and both were healthy.

"This was her fourth pregnancy. Due to meconium leakage, the doctor who examined her advised a Caesarian delivery, which was to be done at night. Doctors were performing another Caesarian operation while she was waiting for her turn around 2 am when she went to the toilet and delivered," he added.

Jhajjar, February 5
A fast track court here has sentenced a man to 10-year imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl in Birohar village here over 10 months ago. The court has also slapped a penalty of Rs 1,000 on the accused.

The police said Vikram had raped the girl when she was alone at her house on March 28 last year. After committing the crime, he had threatened the victim of dire consequences if she informed her kin about the incident.

Kaithal, February 5
A 20-year-old Assamese girl, who was allegedly bought for Rs 80,000 by Suresh, a resident of Kithana village in the district, was sexually assaulted by one more resident of the village.

During interrogation, Suresh admitted that Mahavir, who used to keep a watch on the girl during his absence, raped her on many occasions. Both accused were produced in court, which sent them to 14-day judicial custody.

A police official said the girl, who worked at a cloth shop in the Durang area of Assam, was brought to Haryana by her aunt on some pretext in May last year and handed over to Suresh for Rs 80,000. She was kept in illegal confinement by Suresh and raped by him and his friend Mahavir.

Faridabad, February 5
Eight of the 700 samples taken in January by the local unit of the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) have been found HIV positive. The total number of positive cases detected in the district last year was around 230. The average number of cases each month was between 10 and 15.

The increase in number of cases was perhaps due to sharp rise in overall awareness, claimed doctors and officials concerned. HIV counselling and testing services were a key entry point to prevention of HIV infection and treatment and care of people infected with HIV.

When availing of counselling and testing services, people could access information about HIV prevention and care and undergo the HIV test in a supportive and confidential environment. People found HIV negative were supported with information and counselling. People found HIV positive were provided psycho-social support and linked to treatment and care.

Counselling and treatment of five male and three female affected persons had been started, revealed sources in the Health Department. The district had facilities for testing, counselling and treatment facilities even though antiretroviral therapy (ART), conducted for around six months, was available only at the PGIMS in Rohtak.

"ICTCs provide HIV testing with pre-test and post-test counselling, drugs for opportunistic infections, free condoms and follow-up counselling for through field visits," said Dr Beena Sharma, programme officer. She added that all tests and treatment were free.

She said there could be several causes of getting HIV positive, but it was mainly due to blood contact of an infected and a healthy individual. She said the ICTC provided HIV testing with pre-test and post-test counselling to pregnant women who came for ante-natal check-up.

Pregnant HIV-positive women were advised institutional delivery. The ICTC staff ensured that they received Nevirapine during delivery and the newborn got it two hours after birth.

Sirsa, February 5
Non-teaching staff of Chaudhary Devi Lal University began an indefinite dharna and relay hunger fast today against the failure of the authorities to fill vacant posts.

Mahender Beniwal, president of the All Haryana Universities Employees’ Federation, Sharmila, Mukesh Joshi, Harpal and Jagdish Barala sat on the dharna today.

“A large number of teaching and non-teaching posts are lying vacant in the university. However, no regular recruitments are being held. This has adversely effected the functioning of the university,” alleged Beniwal.

He said no new recruitments of non-teaching staff had been made in the university after 2003.

He said in case the authorities fail to take immediate steps to fill vacant posts, they would intensify their stir.

Ambala, February 5
Soon after local Member of Parliament Selja got elected to the Rajya Sabha, efforts had been initiated to revive the multi-crore solid waste treatment plant at Patvi. The plant was lying in disuse while the district faced stink and heaps of garbage.

In order to bring down pollution levels, a solid waste treatment plant had been planned at Patvi village so that the town could get rid of tonnes of solid waste generated everyday. The civic authorities failed to operate the plant as the project got stuck for want of environmental clearance.

A Central Pollution Control Board team would hold a public hearing in Ambala on Friday to hear objections. Sources in the district administration said environmental clearance was a major hurdle in revival of the project.

Selja had taken up the matter with the local administration and sent a formal communication to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for immediate intervention about three years ago, but to no avail.

The project was scheduled to be completed in August 2008, but was delayed due to various reasons. After it was completed, the civic authorities could not operate it as the ministry denied environmental clearance.

Yamunanagar, February 5
The solid waste management plant at Kail village on National Highway 73 has been non-functional since December 14 last.

There are heaps of garbage on a large area along the highway as about 5,000 tonnes of solid waste from Yamunanagar and Jagadhri has accumulated there. "We find it difficult to pass the 1-km stretch due to the foul smell," said Satbir Kumar, a businessman.

SK Singh, site in charge of Hydroair Tectonics PCD Limited, the company which had a 30-year contract to run the plant, said, "We want to make the plant functional, but we do not have a godown to store compost prepared from sold waste."

"We have been demanding land to construct godowns for storing compost," he added. He said compost was the main source of income and they could not keep it in the open. He said they had arrangements to stock about 50 tonnes of compost and needed godowns having a capacity of 25,000 tonnes.

KK Jain, executive officer of the municipal corporation, said the company could not make the plant functional as per the agreement and they had served a legal notice on it. "The company has demanded land to construct sheds to store compost. We have sent its case to the government," he added.

Chandigarh, February 5
The Cabinet will give its nod to RIL pulling out of its 1,383-acre SEZ project in Gurgaon tomorrow.

The SEZ land will be handed over to the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC).

Sources said that the company had expressed reservations over continuing with the SEZ project after the centre announced the imposition of a minimum alternate tax, claiming that the project was not viable.

The SEZ was to be set up through a special purpose vehicle in which RIL had a majority stake with the HSIIDC holding 10 per cent sweat equity, sources said.

The decision to take back the land from Reliance and hand it over to the HSIIDC was taken at a meeting of the Haryana Investment Promotion Board, headed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, held in October last year. However, this will now get the Cabinet stamp.

New Delhi, February 5
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contemplating to use Kuldeep Bishnoi, president of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), to consolidate its support among the Bishnois in Rajasthan, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh during the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Sources said a strong BJP lobby in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh was in favour of giving a role to Kuldeep in the states where Bishnois have a sizeable population.

Sources said the HJC would be given two out of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and he would get enough time to campaign for the BJP in other states.

The HJC leader had campaigned for the BJP in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the recently held Assembly elections. He also attended the swearing-in ceremony of Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan.

The in charge of BJP affairs in Haryana, Jagdhish Mukhi, said although no concrete decision had been taken by the party with regard to Kuldeep’s role in other states.

HJC general secretary Hemant Batra said, “Bishnois are scattered over several states, but they are electorally a decisive factor in 22 Assembly constituencies in Rajasthan, over 10 in Madhya Pradesh and six in Punjab, especially in the Abohar and Fazilka regions.”

Chandigarh, February 5
Ved Prakash Vidrohi, HPCC delegate and president of Grameen Bharat, a non-government organisation, today demanded a statutory cooling off period for the retired bureaucrats who wished to join politics.

Expressing his concern at the entry of a number of former administrative and police officers joining various political parties, specially the Aam Aadmi Party, Vidrohi termed the trend as dangerous for the functioning of democracy in India.

“Though every civil, police and defence official has the right to join any political party and contest the elections yet a statutory cooling-off period is must so that they do not misuse their official positions for petty political gains,” he said.

Sirsa/Ambala, February 5
Two youths were killed when an unidentified vehicle hit the motorcycle they were riding on near Patli Dabar village in Sirsa district this morning.

Parminder Singh of Dhani Majra village and Sunil of Dhani Chanan Singh village, who were photographers, were headed to Dhani Faggu Wali village for an assignment at a wedding.

The victims, who were critically injured, died before help could reach them. Passersby informed the police, who took the bodies to the General Hospital for post-mortem examination.

The police registered a case against the unidentified driver.

Sunil was married six months back while Parminder was the father of two children.

Jhajjar, February 5
Four youths allegedly snatched a car at gunpoint at Dighal village under Beri police station last night.

Car driver Praveen Kumar said the four youths had booked his car to attend a wedding function at Sherpur village in Rewari district. They took him to Dighal village where they not only thrashed him but also snatched his car at gunpoint. – TNS

Chandigarh, February 5
Acting of a petition filed by 16 farmers, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed their dispossession. The High Court also issued notice of motion to Haryana and six private builders.

The order was passed on the petition by farmers of Badshapur, a small village 14 km from Gurgaon. It came less than a month after the High Court quashed the acquisition proceedings for nearly five acres in Gurgaon, holding that the process was initiated in 2009 with the intention to help private builders and other affluent individuals.

The high court on January 9 had quashed the Haryana government notification initially for acquiring 1,400 acres in eight villages around Gurgaon for developing Sectors 58 to 63. A year after the notification, Haryana government had released around 95 per cent of the acquired land to private builders and even granted licences to some for developing housing projects on the land. The villages in which the land was acquired were Nangli Umarpur, Tigra, Ulhawas, Kadarpur, Medawas, Badshahpur, Behrampur and Ghatta.

Justice Surya Kant had ordered quashing of the notification following petitions filed by residents of Badshahpur, who argued that their prime land was acquired at throwaway prices and later handed over to private developers.

Among builders having large portions of land in the affected area were Ireo, Krrish Buildtech and Commander Realtors. Other developers in the area include M3M, Emaar MGF, Anant Raj and Nova.

Kaithal, February 5
The court of Additional Sessions Judge RS Chaudhary here has awarded 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment to two heroin smugglers. They have also been fined Rs 1 lakh each.

Sonepat, February 5
Pramod Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, has sentenced four accused--Jaswant, Vikki, Krishan of Pinana village and Jai Bhagwan of Nizampur Majra--- to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs 12,000 each.

They were convicted for murdering Pawan of Nizampur Majra village and burning his body in a cowdung heap at Pinana village on February 15, 2011.

Balbir of Nizampur Majra had lodged a complaint in Kharkhoda police station on February 15, 2011, stating that his son, Pawan (28), had gone missing.

The police next day found Pawan’s car abandoned in the Burari area of Delhi.

The Gohana police arrested Krishan, Vikki and Jaswant on February 25 and they confessed to have strangled Pawan in a liquor vend at village Bilbilan on February 15 and burnt his body in a cowdung heap at Pinana village.

They also confessed to have abandoned Pawan’s car in the Burari area to confuse the police and Jai Bhagwan had helped them in committing the crime.

Gurgaon, February 5
A head constable has been suspended for allegedly accepting bribe from robbers involved in the Rs 8 crore daylight heist in Delhi.

The accused had told the police during interrogation that they had gone to the Kherki Dola area of Gurgaon in search of a car dealer. When they were intercepted by two policemen, Pradeep fled with Rs 1 lakh while Ajay, who had Rs 9 lakh in his bag, could not flee.

Ajay was taken to the Kherki Dola police station and after being detained for nearly three hours, he was told to go, but only after head constable Sandeep Kumar took his share. The Delhi Police said Ajay's detention was not mentioned in the register. The Gurgaon police said a departmental inquiry had been marked.