New Delhi, February 19
Travelling between Delhi and Gurgaon becomes toll-free and easier from this midnight after the Union Surface Transport Ministry issued a notification this evening, scrapping toll collection at the Delhi border toll plaza. The order from the ministry came following a Delhi High Court order approving a settlement between IDFC Bank, National Highways Authority of India and DSC Limited, paving way for the IDFC to take over the project.

This is the first instance of a group of lenders taking over an expressway project. The settlement ensures that more than two lakh commuters who travel between Delhi and Gurgaon daily do not need to pay toll.

“The lenders have agreed to assume receivership immediately," a spokesperson for IDFC said. The IDFC will remove toll plazas at the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway and Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Road Ministry will issue revised toll rates for the expressway by Wednesday or Thursday.

“The new toll rates will be issued as soon as we get the order and it should be done by Wednesday or Thursday,” officials of the ministry said.

In his judgment, Justice Manmohan Singh detailed the payment to be made by the lead banker, Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), to the present operator, Delhi-Gurgaon Super Connectivity Limited, to meet its pending liabilities.

Once the first toll plaza is removed, toll will be allowed only at the second toll plaza at Kherki Dhaula. “Traffic passing through Kherki Dhaula plaza will pay the toll for entire stretch,” the officials added.

The ministry will issue new toll rates to partially make up for loss in revenue as IDFC stands to lose more than 60 per cent of the revenue generated on the expressway.

The High Court will hear on February 21 a plea by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation regarding concerns on collecting municipal tax. Since the corporation collects toll from commercial vehicles entering the city, it wants toll gates to remain operational.

Chandigarh, February 19
The Budget session of the state Assembly, which will begin on February 21, is likely to be a stormy affair, with the Opposition set to put the government on the mat on several issues, including the cash-for-CLU ‘scam’.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) will leave no stone unturned to embarrass the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government on the rejection of the state government’s revision application in case of registration of a first information report against Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Kishan Fauji by the Lokayukta for his alleged involvement in the change of land use (CLU) ‘scam’.

State INLD chief and MLA Ashok Arora said the party would reiterate the demand for the registration of a case and the immediate arrest of Fauji. “Various acts of omission and commission of the Hooda government, including bias in development, deteriorating law and order situation, forcible taking away of the land of farmers in guise of development of special economic zones and discrimination against government employees, would be taken up on the floor of the House,” he asserted.

With state government employees on the warpath, the state government is likely to announce the regularisation of contractual employees and certain financial benefits to government employees to scuttle their demand for implementation of Punjab pay scales. On the legislative front, the government is set to bring at least 12 Bills, including ‘lal dora’ extension and Appropriation Bills.

Chandigarh, February 19
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the acquisition of more than 200 acres for development of Sector 63-A in Gurgaon.

The orders came during the resumed hearing of a petition filed by Pawan Bhatia, owner of 13 acres. He told the court that a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act was issued by the state on December 31, 2013.

The government deliberately decided to acquire his land also as he had earlier moved the High Court against the non-grant of change-of-land use to construct a colony.

A Division Bench had earlier directed that license, change of land use or letter of intent would not be granted during the pendency of proceedings challenging the grant of licences for group housing in Sector 63-A in Gurgaon.

During the course of hearing, TC Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Town and Country Planning, Haryana, had appeared before the court on December 21 last year and given an undertaking that the petitioner's land would be kept free from licensing for group housing in Sector 63-A, Gurgaon.

Taking note of the same, the High Court had decided to modify its orders so that it did not adversely affect the land of other private builders. However, on December 31 last year, the state issued a notification under Section 4 to acquire over 200 acres of land, including the petitioner's land.

Chandigarh, February 19
Close on the heels of appointing Ashok Tanwar as president of the Haryana Congress, the Congress appointed Sonepat-based Sumitra Chauhan as president of the Haryana Mahila Congress.

Chauhan replaces Karnal MLA Sumita Singh, who had been heading the unit since December, 2003. Sumita is currently chairperson of the Haryana Housing Board. Chauhan, an active Congress leader from Sonepat, is chairperson of the Haryana State Social Welfare Board, and enjoys the backing of senior Congressman Janardan Dwivedi.

Sources said with the state facing two elections this year, the party wanted to activate its various cells. The Mahila Congress unit has been virtually non-functional for some time following Sumita Singh’s appointment as chairperson of the Haryana Housing Board Corporation.

In a telephonic interview with The Tribune, Chauhan said her priority would be to take the welfare initiatives of the government to the people. She said she would follow the carrot-and-stick policy to rejuvenate the state unit.

Chauhan says her immediate priority will be to build up a group of women who can give their undivided attention to the party. “Conveying the welfare policies of the UPA government door-to-door and activating more women in politics in coordination with the state government in coordination with the state government and the Pradesh Congress is my top priority,” she said.

“Those in positions and failing to show results will be replaced. I plan to call a meeting of the state unit of the Mahila Congress soon,” she said.

Sumitra Chauhan's appointment is part of a major shakeup in the party's women’s wing late on Tuesday in which the Congress has appointed five new state presidents in MP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Goa, besides Haryana.

Chandigarh, February 19
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda approved the notification to regularise 875 unauthorised colonies in the state. A spokesman for the Urban Local Bodies Department said 103 colonies had been approved in Ambala district, 41 in Fatehabad and 18 in Bhiwani.

Similarly, 102 colonies had been approved in Jind, 66 in Faridabad, 76 in Gurgaon, 78 in Hisar, 44 in Jhajjar, 30 in Kaithal, 46 in Karnal, 47 in Kurukshetra, 26 in Mahendragarh and four in Mewat district, he added.

He said 13 colonies had been approved in Palwal, 20 in Panipat, 14 in Rewari, 57 in Rohtak, 37 each in Sirsa and Sonepat and 16 in Yamunanagar.

Dabauda Khurd (Jhajjar), February 19
Describing the criminal cases booked against Jats in the Muzaffarnagar riots as ‘false’ and ‘baseless’, a khap mahapanchayat today demanded a CBI probe into the case and resolved to mount pressure on the Uttar Pradesh government for the withdrawal of the cases.

The mahapanchayat held at a government school here discussed that people of the Jat community had been falsely implicated just to gain political mileage when they were even not present at the spot when the riots broke out.

It has convened a national-level meeting of khaps in the riot-stricken Phugana village in Muzaffarnagar on March 1 to decided the further course of action in the regard.

“Since Jats are being victimised in UP in the name of the Muzaffaranagar riot, the mahapanchayat has resolved to raise the issue prominently at the national level to ensure justice for them. Besides, we seek a CBI probe into the matter,” said Baljeet Singh Malik, chief of Gathwala khap.

Earlier, Om Prakash Dhankhar, chief of the Dhankhar Sabha, demanded amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1954, to legally prevent the weddings within a village or ‘gotra’.

Sirsa, February 19
A boom during the trial flight of a Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft created panic among residents this afternoon. The boom was heard around 2:20 pm up to several kilometres.

Residents called up each other and the police to know exactly what happened, but no one had a clue. Several people called up Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan and other officers. Ganesan clarified about two-and-a-half hours after the incident that the boom was produced during the trial flight at the Air Force station. Ganesan said the Air Force authorities said the aircraft caused a sonic boom like a huge explosion when it reached the Mach-1 speed level. He said it was a routine phenomenon and residents need not panic.

Rohtak, February 19
The determination of Rudkee sarpanch and his supporters forced the local administration to get some panchayat land freed from encroachers who had grabbed it decades ago.

Fed up with the authorities’ failure to act against the land-grabbers despite several representations, Rudkee sarpanch Sudhir began an indefinite fast at the village on February 10 along with his supporters Bhupender, Maha Singh, Dharamraj, Ashok and Sant Ram.

The district authorities first tried to ignore the fasting villagers. When the fast-cum-protest demonstration continued for a week, a massive police team was sent to the village in the middle of the night in a bid to end the fast.

The police party lathi-charged the protesters to force them to call off their agitation. However, the residents of not only Rudkee village but also several nearby villages stood by the protesters and supported their concern. Finally, on the ninth day of the fast, some encroachments on village land were removed yesterday. Following that, four of the six protesters whose condition had become critical ended their fast.

However, sarpanch Sudhir and his supporter Bhupender are still on fast.Their protest demonstration-cum-fast entered the 10th day today.

Ambala, February 19
Keeping the forthcoming Parliamentary and Assembly elections in mind, Sikhs have revived their struggle for a separate Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in the state.

Sikhs have been demanding a separate body to run their shrines in the state for a long. During the course of struggle, ad hoc Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) split into two factions, one led by Didar Singh Nalvi and the other by Jagdish Singh Jhinda.

However, after the faction led by Jhinda sat on a dharna outside the residence of new HPCC chief Ashok Tanwar, the Nalvi faction has also come out in their support.

Speaking to The Tribune, Nalvi said both the factions were fighting for the separate SGPC for the Sikhs of the state. He said thus they had decided to extend support to the Sikhs protesting in Sirsa.

Meanwhile, members of the Haryana Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (HSGPC) from Karnal today met Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed today.

Panipat, February 19
Haryana Pradesh Urban Cooperative Bank Federation chairman Om Prakash Sharma received an extortion letter through ordinary post this afternoon. It was mentioned in the letter, written in Hindi, that he should either provide Rs 2 crore or get ready to face dire consequences.

Soon after getting the letter, Sharma submitted a written complaint to Panipat City Station House Officer Bharat Bhushan for registering a first information report.

He informed Home Secretary Ramesh Krishan Sharma, DGP Shriniwas Vashisht and Panipat SP B Satheesh Balan over telephone about the extortion letter. Confirming the registration of an FIR, the SP said the matter was being investigated.

Sharma said, “The name of the sender at the end of the letter is Raju and his mobile number has been given as 9253478277.” He said, “When we called up the mobile number, we came to know that the mobile phone user was Raju from the Tehsil Camp locality.”

Also the director of Panipat Urban Cooperative Bank, Sharma said some mischievous person might have sent the letter as no criminal would normally give his name and telephone number in an extortion letter.

Kurukshetra, February 19
The Kurukshetra University campus was abuzz with activity today. A large number of participants dressed in traditional attire performed on the second day of 'Saraswati Mahotsav', the 29th All-India Inter-University National Youth Festival.

Students of Gauhati University, Assam, performed the mime 'The Wheel'. Eight youths and a girl showcased the development of human life since the invention of the wheel. Palash Jyoti Kuch, an Assamese participant, said, "What we have presented here is how different life was before the invention of the wheel and how helpful it had proved in modern life."

The 'Khula Manch', where Haryanvi folklore was being showcased, was the centre of attraction. The 'saang' and 'raagni' performances were cheered. Inderjeet Singh Thakur, who performed on a Haryanvi song, said, "It is the first time I have performed on a platform when the audience includes so many regions and cultures. I am happy that the performance was received well."

Teams from Nagpur, Amrawati, Pune, Amritsar, Patiala, Kerala, Kashmir and Assam, besides the hosts, performed folk orchestra. The festival began yesterday and would conclude on Saturday.

Faridabad, February 19
Banquet and party halls in the residential areas here are proving a bane of a majority of students who have to appear for the annual examinations.

“The playing of DJ music and loudspeakers till late in the night has made it difficult for us to prepare for the board examinations,” said Abhishek, a Class XII student and a resident of Sector 10 here.

He said one of the open banquet halls located in the J-block of the sector had been frequently playing loud music at night.

Shivam, another student from the locality, said his parents had to approach the police control room last night when loud music did not stop after 10 pm, which, he said, was the deadline fixed by the Supreme Court.

Raj Kumar, a resident, said he had submitted a written complaint to the authorities last month, but no action had taken in this regard.

Admitting that the use of loudspeakers late in the night was illegal, Police Commissioner AS Chawla asserted that the police would take strict action against the culprits.

Chandigarh, February 19
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today quashed the Haryana Government notification vide which candidates with PhD degree were not considered for posts of Assistant Professor.

Taking up a bunch of petitions, the Bench of Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice HS Sidhu also directed the state to extend by another 10 days the last date of February 21.

The development is significant as the petitions had challenged the move to select around 1,400 Assistant Professors in colleges across the state. The challenge to the selection process was thrown primarily on the ground that the state government had refused to exempt Ph.D degree holders from passing the NET.

The petitionswere filed by Rajeev Mohan of Ambala and other petitioners. They contended that the Haryana Public Service Commission on January 24 advertised 1,396 posts of Assistant Professor in the college cadre. Ph.D degree holders have not even been considered for selection.

Counsel for petitioners Amit Khatkar and Rajkapoor Malik argued that the Haryana Government’s decision to delete the exemption clause for PhD holders was in direct contradiction of the UGC regulations.

New Delhi, February 19
The Delhi High Court today sought a response from former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on a plea of Faridabad Congress MP Avtar Singh Bhadana seeking damages of Rs 1 crore from the Aam Aadmi Party leader for defaming him.

"Issue notice to respondent. Original documents pertaining to the suit be filed within four weeks," Justice AK Pathak said and fixed the petition of the MP for hearing on May 6. The court, however, refused to pass any interim order on the petition saying “people are winning elections even from jail. Common public is not so bothered about all this.”

Bhadana, in his defamation lawsuit, has sought the damages of Rs 1 crore from Kejriwal on the ground that the former Chief Minister had tarnished his image by branding him as "corrupt".

The Congress MP has contended in his petition that Kejriwal on January 31 this year in a public statement termed him as one of the "most corrupt persons in India". Bhadana has contended in his plea that despite sending a legal notice to Kejriwal, the AAP leader has not withdrawn his comments nor apologised for the same.

The petition has also sought a permanent injunction against Kejriwal restraining him from making any allegations against the Congress MP. — PTI

Sonepat, February 19
A minor girl, who was allegedly gang-raped in October last year, has alleged that she was first raped by her father under threat.

The police took her father into custody and Superintendent of Police (SP) Arun Singh ordered a fresh inquiry into the case. The inquiry would be conducted by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Virender Singh.

On a complaint lodged by the victim’s father, a case of gang rape was registered at the Sadar police station on October 28, 2013, against five persons. He also accused the Sadar SHO and other police personnel of indifferent attitude.

The police arrested three of the accused and also initiated disciplinary action against two police personnel. Even then, her father along with activists of the Aam Aadmi Party and other organisations continued to protest demanding arrest of the remaining accused and action against the SHO.

A similar protest was held yesterday outside the SP’s office in which activists of the AAP and Mahila Adhikar Manch from Delhi, residents of Raipur, Pabnera and Murthal participated. The girl and her mother were also present among the protesters.

After receiving information of the protest, the SP rushed back to Sonepat in the evening from a meeting at Panipat. He met the protesters and assured that the entire case would be inquired by DSP Rajinder Singh from every angle.

In the meantime, DSP Pooja Dabla took the girl, her mother and Mahila Adhikar Manch activist Sneh Lata to her office where the girl alleged that she was raped by her father for the first time in 2012.

Yamunanagar, February 19
Two imposters claiming to be gold traders duped a Jagadhri businessman of Rs 19 lakh.

In his complaint to the police, Suresh Mittal said Mohan, who introduced himself as a resident of Faridabad, met him in May 2013.

Mohan claimed that he had been trading in gold made by using gold dust and some chemicals. This gold was cheaper than the yellow metal available in the market.

Suresh Mittal said he fell into his trap. Mohan and his accomplice supplied fake gold dust to Mittal for Rs 19 lakh. Their address, e-mail IDs and mobile numbers which they gave us were found fake,Mittal said.