Chandigarh/Sirsa, February 27
The Aam Aadmi Party has reposed faith in social activists to take on dynastic politics in Haryana in the forthcoming general election in a bid to provide a clean alternative to mainstream political parties.

The fielding of five social activists among the six candidates announced is a clear indication that the party is banking on the ‘aam aadmi’ to give well-entrenched dynastic politicians a run for their money in the elections.

Challenging Deepender Singh Hooda, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s son, on his home turf in Rohtak is AAP national executive member and RTI activist Naveen Jaihind. A Brahmin, he has been a prominent member of the India Against Corruption movement for the Janlokpal Bill.

“Corruption and dynastic politics are big issues in Haryana as the clans of Devi Lal, Bhajan Lal, Bansi Lal and Hooda have been ruling in Haryana for years,” Jaihind said today.

In Kurukshetra Balwinder Kaur, wife of Gurnam Singh Charuni, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, will challenge sitting Congress MP Naveen Jindal on the issue of dynastic politics and allegations of corruption in coal block allocations.

Sonepat candidate Jai Singh Thekedar is a social activist and president of the Gohana Bar Association. The party has already named Yogendra Yadav as its candidate from Gurgaon. Sitting MP Rao Inderjit Singh, who recently quit the Congress to join the BJP, is likely to seek re-election from this seat.

Poonam Chand Ratti, the candidate from Sirsa, is a recognised trade union face, having been the president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh on three occasions.

Besides corruption and nepotism, he will try to exploit resentment among government employees to his advantage in the constituency represented by HPCC chief Ashok Tanwar.

A Fatehabad resident, Ratti was the founder-president of the Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh from 1989 to 2010. Fighting the cause of nagar palika workers, Ratti observed a protest fast for 43 days and lost sight partially in one eye due to a water cannon during an agitation.

In Hisar, former IAS officer Yudhbir Singh Khyalia will take on Kuldip Bishnoi, Haryana Janhit Congress chief and son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

Khyalia resigned from the post of Commissioner, Hisar Division, on February 3. He was counted among honest and upright bureaucrats who strove hard to get justice for the poor and the downtrodden.

He had his share of controversies when the Supreme Court ordered his trial last year in a case dating back to 2001. In its order, a Panchkula court absolved Khyalia and others and observed that no case was made out against him as per the evidence adduced by the complainant.

Sonepat, February 27
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today launched 25 development projects in the district. The projects are estimated at Rs 482 crore.

While addressing a public meeting in Sonepat and Gohana, he charged the opposition for not recognising the all-round development that had taken place in the state in the last nine years.

He also announced grants of Rs 10 crore each for Sonepat, Gohana, Gannaur, Kharkhoda, Baroda, and Rai Assembly constituencies, Gohana municipal committee, Rs 15 crore for the Sonepat municipal council and Rs 7 crore each for the Gannaur and Kharkhoda municipal committees.

He also reviewed the progress of development works.

Chandigarh, February 27
Five-and-a-half years after UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi launched the Mahatma Gandhi Grameen Basti Yojna (MGGBY) from Panipat on Gandhi Jayanti in 2008, the Haryana Government is yet to allot 100 sq yard plots to 35 per cent of the beneficiaries in the state.

While the allotment is hanging fire in some villages for want of land, a number of families are awaiting the possession in a few panchayats where a gift deed has been executed in their favour.

Against a list of 5.43 lakh beneficiaries drawn up by the government, 3.55 lakh families have so far been hand over possession of the plots while allotment on paper has been made to 3.82 lakh beneficiaries.

Sources say the districts which lag behind in the allotment are essentially those where shamlat land is not available. Unable to visualise a situation of non-availability of the shamlat land when the scheme was launched, the state government has now decided to allot plots to these families in the second phase by acquiring land and has set a deadline of December 2015, for completion of this exercise.

Meanwhile, officials of the Development and Panchayat Department hold that the process of handing over plots would be completed by September this year in all panchayats where suitable shamlat land is available. Thereby, the government will fast-track the process to reach out to as many beneficiaries as possible given the Assembly elections in October this year.

However, a big concern of a majority of the MLAs is that after execution of gift deeds in favour of the families, the beneficiaries keep running from pillar to post for getting possession.

The matter was raised during the ongoing Budget session where the elected representatives pointed out that even after execution of the gift deed, the beneficiaries were being forced to run around for possession.

An MLA states that since these plots are allotted on the basis of the land chosen by the panchayat, in some villages, these plots are away from the village or in places which may not be suitable for staying. This being the election year, they urged the government to hasten the process of allotment wherever gift deeds have been executed.

Jind, February 27
State farmers have decided to get in touch with farmers from other states and form a national-level committee to fight for their long-pending demands.

The decision was taken today during a mahapanchayat of all Haryana farmers, who have announced to start an agitation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi after the formation of the committee.

Their main demands include implementation of Swaminathan report, waiver of debt of farmers, special national budget for the farming sector of country and cancellation of all FIRs registered against the farmers who had blocked the national highway for three days last week.

“We will soon meet other state farmers and start a protest in New Delhi,” said Tek Ram Kandela, convener of the Rashtriya Sarv Jat Khap Panchayat.

Senior farmer leaders were of the opinion that Haryana farmers alone could not exert pressure on the Centre and they needed support of farmers from other states also.

Bhiwani, February 27
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) and Sohna MLA Dharambir Singh today made it clear that he wanted to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh seat.

The CPS today started a Rath Yatra of the constituency from Dadri town of the district.

He gave ample indications that he was exploring options in other political parties too. “I would definitely contest the coming Lok Sabha elections from this constituency. I have applied for the ticket, but yet to get satisfactory reply," he said adding that he would disclose his strategy after covering the constituency on March 9 when the yatra would culminate at Bhiwani.

He said his rivals within the party wanted to keep him away from Bhiwani, but he would not leave his home district at any cost. "I would not leave Bhiwani and would wait for the party's response till March 9," he added.

However, sitting Congress MP Shruti Chaudhary said, “He had applied for the ticket from many political parties. He is welcome to join the poll fray as everybody is free to contest elections."

Karnal, February 27
State Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and former Deputy Speaker of Haryana Vedpal today quit the party and resigned from the primary membership.

He may join the BJP or INLD. The decision in this regard will be taken at a workers’ meeting in Karnal on March 2.

“The central leadership of the NCP was not serious about the Haryana. No step has been taken by the central leadership to give a boost to the party in the state,” said Vedpal.

One of the founder members of the NCP, Vedpal had been working for the party for 15 years. Elected as an MLA from Gharaunda in Karnal district in May 1982 on the Congress ticket, he was elected Deputy Speaker.

Rohtak, February 27
Call it the influence of BJP’s prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi or INLD’s own pressing limitations, its workers are hopeful of a tie-up with the saffron brigade before the General Election.

Though the parties have reportedly reached a tacit understanding, a formal announcement is yet to be made.

Informed sources said the INLD members are pinning their hopes on the acquittal and release of party general secretary Ajay Singh Chautala, who is serving a jail term in connection with the JBT recruitment case.

The INLD leadership hopes that Ajay’s release, coupled with the announcement of a tie-up with the BJP, would not only boost the morale of party workers, but may also turn out to be a game-changer in Haryana.

The sources maintain that the existing alliance between the BJP and the HJC is of little consequence as in the event of the BJP joining hands with the INLD, the saffron party leadership may ask HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi to field his candidates on the two Lok Sabha seats allotted to his party while the BJP would share the remaining eight seats with the INLD.

If the said arrangement is not acceptable to the HJC leadership, the BJP may ask it to part ways.

A tie-up with BJP seems must for the INLD as it has suffered defeat in the past two consecutive elections to the Assembly and can ill-afford another loss.

On the other hand, the BJP needs INLD support to counter the AAP effect in Haryana . This can be done with the backing of the INLD which has a strong grassroots-level network across the state.

Political pundits feel that both parties complement each other as the INLD has a substantial mass base in the rural segments while the BJP support base is largely confined to the urban areas. The BJP and the INLD are in a dire need of each other’s support to fare well in the coming elections in Haryana.

Sirsa, February 27
A day after the police forcibly removed fasting Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) activist Jarnail Singh Brar from the dharna site, Swaran Singh started his indefinite fast outside state Congress president Ashok Tanwar's residence today.

Activists led by HSGPC president Jagdish Singh Jhinda met at the dharna site to discuss the situation and their future strategy. Swaran Singh of Ratia in Fatehabad sat on indefinite fast after the meeting. Swaran Singh's wife Jasbir Kaur had contested SGPC elections in 2011, losing to Bibi Amarjit Kaur of the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Condemning the police action, Jhinda announced that they would continue their struggle till the government agreed to their demand of a separate gurdwara panel for Haryana.

Meanwhile, Brar refused to take any food at the General Hospital, where he was being treated. Dr Subhashini, Medical Superintendent, said Brar's general condition improved since last night as he was put on intravenous fluids. Brar had lost 10 kg in the six days he spent without food outside Tanwar's residence.

Pradeep Sachdeva, president of the Punjabi Satkar Sabha, today condemned the police action against HSGPC activists and said it was injustice to the community.

Meanwhile, Malkiat Singh Khosa, district Congress president, said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Tanwar were in favour of a separate SGPC for Haryana. Khosa appealed to HSGPC activists to end their stir as any announcement on the issue would be possible only after the general election.

Panipat, February 27
While the district police failed to make a headway even after four days of theft at PNB ATM from the Assandh-Panipat road on Saturday, the bank authorities preferred to close down most of its ATMs during night.

Instead of deploying guards at ATMs, the PNB authorities preferred to close 25 ATMs in the district.

The account holders of the PNB have been suffering a lot due to the closure.

Vikas Jain, a PNB account holder of the Bishan Sarup colony, said, “The PNB authorities should reconsider their decision of closing down ATMs at night. It is the duty of the bank authorities to ensure security at ATMs."

Talking to The Tribune, the PNB lead manager of Panipat district Mahesh Chander said senior authorities had decided to close down PNB ATMs during night a few months ago.

Kaithal: Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Singh Yadav has directed managers of private and nationalised banks to provide security guards at ATMs.

These directions were issued during a meeting of the SP with bank officials here yesterday. It was also decided to keep unguarded ATMs closed at night till security arrangements were made.

The SP asked the bank officials to take police help while moving cash from one branch to another. 

Chandigarh, February 27
The government has decided to regularise the service of daily wage and contractual employees who have completed three years of regular service and amend the assured career progression (ACP) scheme and grade pay structure.

An official spokesman said here today that leaders of employees had demanded regularisation of service of daily wage and contractual employees and amendment in the ACP scheme and grade pay structure.

He said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda considered demands sympathetically and conceded more than what they demanded. The spokesman said the government decided to frame a policy on the Punjab pattern.

Unskilled employees would be given a minimum wage of Rs 8,100 per month. The state government would deposit provident fund and state insurance of such employees.

This would benefit every employee to tune of Rs 1,200 per month. Employees would get a 5 per cent annual increase in minimum pay.

It was decided to amend the ACP scheme. The benefit of the scheme was given after 10, 20 and 30 years of service. It would now be given after 8, 16 and 24 years of service.

Yamunanagar, February 27
A team of the Municipal Corporation today sealed 31 shops and razed 11 unauthorised structures.

Executive officer KK Jain said the drive was undertaken at Gulab Park, Jagadhri, Buria road, Buria chowk, Buria town, and Ghadhauli and Tejli villages.

He said notices were served on the owners of the sealed shops and asked to get their shops authorised. “The sealed shops would be demolished if their owners fail to get these regularised,” said Jain. 

Sirsa, February 27
A youth was buried to death under the heap of earth while taking out bricks from an abandoned well at Gadrana village in the district today.

The incident occurred when 20-year-old Amarjit Singh was detaching bricks from the walls of the well while his father Gurdev was standing outside. Suddenly, walls of the well gave way and Amarjit was buried under a huge heap of earth.