Fatehabad, April 26
Wheat procurement in the Fatehabad grain market has come to a standstill as wheat bags lying in the mandi have left little space for vehicular movement and pedestrians.

The authorities concerned yesterday made a public announcement requesting farmers not to bring their wheat to the grain market today, so that the lifting contractors could do their work with ease.

Sanjeev Sachdeva, Secretary of Market Committee, Fatehabad, said with Sunday being the off day, the lifting contractors would get enough time to clear the mandi glutted with wheat bags.

Ketan Midha, a trader from the Fatehabad grain market, said despite blocking the wheat arrival for the day, only one fourth of the wheat bags (nearly 2 lakh bags) lying in the market were lifted by the evening.

Rajbir Singh, District Food and Supplies, Controller, Fatehabad, said all bags lying in the inner sides of the grain market would be lifted by tonight.

He said though the wheat procurement was closed inside the grain market today, agencies were purchasing wheat at some points outside the market.

He said the authorities told the farmers, who bought their produce to the mandi today, to unload their crop outside the grain market.

The DFSC said nearly 4.07 lakh MT of wheat had so far arrived in grain markets of Fatehabad.

The authorities were expecting the arrival of 6.5 lakh MT of wheat this season.

Sonepat, April 26
The demand for bonus on wheat procurement price by farmers and commission agents has gained momentum following the diversion of the crop to the Narela grain market, New Delhi.

Agents and farmers have been demanding a bonus of Rs 300 per quintal on the procurement price.

In a press statement issued here today, the district unit of the All India Kisan Sabha said the farmers in Rajasthan were getting bonus on the wheat procurement price.

“When the Rajasthan Government can give bonus, then why can’t the Haryana Government?” said Hawa Singh, district convener of the sabha,.

He said if the government would announce bonus, it would help the farmers who had suffered losses due to untimely rains during the season and stop the diversion of wheat to other states.

Commission agents of the Sonepat grain market — Sanjay Verma, Mahavir Prasad and Rakesh Bansal — said farmers were selling their produce in the Narela grain market because they were getting better returns there.

“It is causing revenue loss to the state government and commission agents,” they said.

Chandigarh, April 26
Claiming that the alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) was rock solid, state BJP president Ram Bilas Sharma said here today that the two would together form the next government in Haryana.

Addressing a press conference, Sharma was non-committal about the seat-sharing formula between the partners for the Assembly elections, due in October. Asked if the formula of 45 seats each would hold good in the Assembly elections, he said a meeting between the BJP and the HJC would be held after the last phase of polling for the General Election on May 12.

“I have always said there will be no rethink on the alliance with the HJC. I said it when everybody was conjecturing that a new alliance was in the offing. I am saying now that we will form the next government in Haryana with the HJC,” he said, refusing to comment on the seat-sharing formula.

He said the rank and file of the state BJP had been hurt by the attitude of its alliance partner in Punjab. “The Shiromani Akali Dal campaigned for a rival party, the Indian National Lok Dal, in Hisar. We conveyed our reservations to the party top brass. The matter will be considered after the elections,” he said.

Sharma added that he had spoken to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to dissuade him from campaigning for Dushyant Chautala in Hisar, where he was locked in a contest with HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi. “He expressed his helplessness, claiming that there were personal compulsions in campaigning for the INLD. We respect Badal since he is a senior member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, but our workers are hurt and we have brought it to the notice of our party chief Rajnath Singh,” Sharma said.

He said BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had received an overwhelming response all over the country and his swearing-in after the results was a formality. “This was virtually a direct election on the lines of the US presidential election in which people across various states voted for Modi. This was an election for change and it assumed the proportion of a people’s movement in which the Congress was completely rejected. Assuming office remains a formality for Modi,” he remarked.

Karnal, April 26
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would contest all Assembly seats in the state. This was stated by state BSP convener Rajbir Singh here today. He denied the reports of an alliance in the state.

After addressing a state-level convention of the party, he reviewed the preparations for the Assembly elections proposed to be held in October this year.

“Discrimination in jobs and development with north Haryana is our main issue,” he said and added that they would also raise the issue of deteriorating law and order conditions in the state.

“At least 50 per cent of the seats will be allocated to backward class leaders,” he added.

He said the Congress and the BJP always pursued dynasty politics. “National policies are being framed at the behest of corporate houses. On the other hand, the BSP is a party of 36 communities and rights of the every community are safe with the BSP,” he said. On the emergence on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said there was no scope for AAP in the country.

Chandigarh, April 26
In what could change the way the trial court grants last opportunities in civil cases, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the term “last opportunity” is alien to the Code of Civil Procedure. It’s endless generosity. As such, last opportunity orders must be passed with caution. But such orders should be vigorously enforced, when passed.

At the same time, the High Court has asked the trial courts to deal with an iron hand cases where “litigating parties were resorting to delaying tactics and devious means aimed at prolonging trials without any just cause or legal justification”. This could include “imposition of heavy costs that appear to hurt pockets”, Justice Rajiv Narain Raina ruled.

Taking up a petition filed by petitioner Bharat Rajput, Justice Raina asserted: “It should be made known to the litigating public at once that where last opportunities are granted by court to do acts and things towards steps in the proceedings, such orders should be vigorously enforced.”

“There is nothing like last opportunity in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, or last opportunity given many times over, or last final opportunity, ultimate opportunity and penultimate opportunity. This is endless compassion. Therefore, there is greater need for the trial judge to consciously and carefully weigh all attending circumstances in a given case to secure the ends of justice before the first such order is issued. There is no place for losing temper here or reacting. All this largely falls in the domain of discretion exercised judiciously from case to case.”

Justice Raina added: “I am sorry to observe that the liberality and disinterested generosity of courts has been misused over many decades by both litigant and counsel. The court can no longer stand mute spectator to unjustified adjournments in fear and submission to any extra legal pressure tactics or intimidation applied in courtrooms by anyone and it should boldly conduct the business of the court dispassionately, disinterestedly, courteously and firmly. Such people should be warned at the earliest and then day in and day out that the High Court supports its judicial officers and protects them in passing firm and tough orders during the life of a suit and it’s well known milestones before the suit matures for final hearing”.

Chandigarh, April 26
The Haryana Government has formulated the “Surakshit School Vahan Policy” to ensure safe transportation for schoolchildren. Sumita Misra, Transport Commissioner, said committees at the state, district and subdivision levels had been constituted for laying down, implementing and enforcing norms for safe transportation.

The committees would inspect school buses in the district to ensure compliance with provisions of the Haryana Motor Vehicles Rules. Each bus of each school should be covered at least once a year.

She said district-level and subdivision committees would ensure that buses ferrying schoolchildren complied with the mandatory requirements as per provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and other relevant rules. The school buses and vehicles would be affixed with white reflective tape on the front and red reflective tape on the rear across the width and yellow reflective tape across the length.

The school buses and vehicles would be fitted with speed governors conforming to the Standard AIS: 018. The speed governor so fitted should be manufactured and installed by the manufacturer or dealer approved by the office of Transport Commissioner, Haryana, Chandigarh.

Similarly, the words “school bus” must be written on the back and front of the bus. The school buses and vehicles should be properly maintained, should be roadworthy, should possess fitness certificate and insurance certificate and not emanate smoke beyond the permissible limit.

It should be manned by trained, experienced and well-versed driver provided with attendant or conductor. Every vehicle, bus, van or such other means of transport for schoolchildren should hold proper permit or permission. The driver should have at least five years’ driving experience.

The school buses and drivers should not have been challaned more than thrice for traffic violation. The vehicles should carry a board displaying the name of the school, routes and timings. The telephone number of the owner and the police control room should be displayed inside the bus.

The vehicles should not be fitted with any type of tinted glasses and curtains. After April 1, 2014, any new vehicle to be engaged for ferrying schoolchildren should be registered by the registering authority concerned after ensuring that GPS had been fitted in the vehicle.

Rohtak, April 26
The authorities of the Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences here have instituted an inquiry into the allegations against certain doctors of the department of cardio-thoracic surgery of the local PGIMS forcing patients to buy costly medical aids/implants from specific private medical stores.

The university administration has also suspended Dr SS Lohchab, senior professor and head of the department at the PGIMS, till the pendency of the inquiry into the allegations.

The action comes after the publication of a news report in The Tribune, exposing how even poor patients were being made to purchase costly medical and surgical aids/implants from certain private stores by some PGIMS doctors.

The UHS and PGIMS machinery swung into action soon after the publication of the news report and not only instituted an inquiry into the matter, but also suspended the head of the department concerned till the pendency of the probe. Official sources said the inquiry committee would be headed by Dr Ashok Chauhan, Medical Superintendent, PGIMS, and comprise the Chief Vigilance Officer, Dr RS Dahiya, Dr RB Singh and Dr Pradeep Khanna.

Rohtak, April 26
The International Institute of Veterinary Education and Research located at Bahu Akbarpur village in the district celebrated World Veterinary Day today.

Event coordinator Dr Jit Singh said, “World Veterinary Day was conceptualised by the World Veterinary Association in 2000 to create awareness about the profession and its activities and since then, it is celebrated on the last Saturday of April every year.”

Many senior-secondary school students of the nearby areas were guided about opportunities and career options in the field of veterinary sciences.

A quiz competition for school students and an essay-writing contest for diploma students were held in collaboration with the animal health division of INTAS Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Seven superannuated veterinarians were also felicitated. Those honoured include Dr Kuldip Singh, Dr SS Chaudhary and Dr JS Punia of the College of Veterinary Scinces, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar and field veterinarians--- Dr Naresh Sharma, Dr Subhash Narang, Dr RK Malik and Dr VS Punia of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Haryana.

Dr KP Singh, Deputy Director Animal Husbandry (Rohtak and Jhajjar), was the chief guest while Bhupender Malik, the chairman of the host college, presided over the function.

Kurukhsetra, April 26
It was a day protests and demonstrations in the city. Around 10 am, family members of Ishandeep (12) who died due to alleged overdose of anaesthesia during a leg surgery, and members of the Sikh community gathered at the Baikunth Dham Gurudwara and took out a demonstration demanding arrest of the accused doctor.

Kuldeep Kaur, Ishandeep’s grandmother, said, “Doctors are claiming that my child was mentally challenged and his body did not accept the dose of anaesthesia. But Ishan was a meritorious student and he had scored 88 per cent in class V. My family is getting threatening calls from the doctors to settle the matter and they have also offered money in this regard.”

Kanwarjit Singh Ajrana, a Sikh community leader, said, “The police have registered false cases against the family members of the deceased and these cases should be canceled. If the police fails to arrest the doctor and cancel these cases by Monday, we will start a massive agitation.”

Members of the Utri Haryana Kranti Dal and Mahatma Jyotiba Phuley Jagrti Manch held a demonstration at Kurukshetra Universtiy against the university Vice Chancellor, Dr DDS Sandhu, in the alleged domestic violence case.

Female members of both the social organisations met Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Gajraj and demanded registration of case against Sandhu.

The VC should resign from his post, demanded the female protesters.

In yet another protest, hundreds of members of the Sain and Dhiman Samaj protested against the Pipli SHO for inaction and misbehaving with the senior members of the community.

Subhash, president, Sain Samaj, said, “Rajender and Surjit were running a barber shop and a photo studio, respectively, in rented shops on the Pipli road. On April 24, the owner of the shops damaged the property and took possession of the shops illegally. Instead of helping Rajender and Surjit, the SHO booked them in false cases and also misbehaved with the senior members of the community.”

The protesters held a demonstration at the mini-secretariat and submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar to be forwarded to the Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner. They also threatened a stir from Monday if the administration failed to register a case against the SHO.

Jhajjar, April 26
Five policemen were reportedly held hostage by infuriated residents of Chhara village, located under the Bahadurgarh subdivision, in the district today. The policemen had gone there to round up two youths in connection with a charas smuggling case.

They were freed after a large number of police personnel reached the village and pacified the villagers. The villagers accused the policemen of demanding bribe after threatening relatives of the youths of implicating them in the crime.

Taking a serious note of the allegations, Jhajjar Superintendent of Police (SP) Balwan Singh ordered an inquiry and transferred the policemen to the police lines.

Sources said the police had already apprehended two youths of the village in the case and the policemen had gone there to detain two others for questioning.

As soon as the policemen started inquiry about the youths, they were held hostage by the villagers in a house. Some of the villagers allegedly beat them up when they resisted, sources said.

The Bahadurgarh DSP along with a heavy police force rushed to the village and got the policemen freed. “An inquiry has been ordered to probe the allegations levelled by the villagers against the policemen,” said the SP who denied any manhandling of the policemen by the villagers.

Yamunanagar, April 26
The police have booked two travel agents who had sent four youths to Afghanistan, promising them good jobs in an oil company there. However, the youths were given training in the use of AK-47 rifles there and assigned the work of protecting a US company from the Taliban.

In his complaint to the police, Krishan Lal of Khanpur Rajputan village, Suresh Kumar of Shadikpur village and Dinesh Kumar and Vinod Kumar of Musimbal village said two travel agents in Ambala district, Pawan Kumar of Dhanauri village and Laddi of Shehla village, sent them to Afghanistan in June, 2013.

They alleged that they were promised good jobs in an oil company there. They further alleged that they were handed over AK-47 rifles there. After 15-day training in operating AK-47 rifles, they were forced to protect a US company from the Taliban, they added.

They told the police that they were promised $800 as salary, but were not paid the amount. They added that the travel agents had charged them Rs 2.25 lakh each to send them to Afghanistan. Vowing not to go abroad again, they advised other youths planning to go to abroad not to fall in the trap of travel agents.

The complainants, who had returned to India recently, submitted a complaint addressed to the Superintendent of Police, to Deputy Superintendent of Police Virender Vij two days ago. The Thana Chhappar police booked Pawan Kumar and Laddi yesterday on Vij's directions.

Sonepat, April 26
The police have registered a case against four commission agents of Farmana wheat purchase centre for allegedly committing irregularities in weighing of the wheat stock.

The case was registered on the complaint of Kharkhoda SDM Virender Sehrawat, who had already suspended the licences of the commission agents for two weeks after conducting preliminary investigation on the complaints of farmers against the commission agents.

During surprise inspection of the weighing of the wheat stock at the Farmana purchase centre, the SDM noticed irregularities and suspended the purchase licences of commission agents Nafe Singh, Rajbir, Naresh Kumar and Anshu trading company.

Hisar, April 26
An auto driver ended his life by consuming poison after his daughter, who eloped with a neighbourer, refused to return to the family and insisted on marrying his lover.

The police have registered a case against the daughter, her lover and his relatives on the charge of abetment to suicide.

Balwan Singh consumed poison at his house today and also left a suicide note in which he held some neighbours, including his daughter’s lover and his relatives, responsible.

However, a police official investigating the case said the deceased was upset with his daughter.

He said the police was investigating the case.

Sonepat, April 26
The police have arrested Chander Bhan alias Bhola, a ‘tantrik’, of Kheri Taga village for allegedly raping a 30-year-old woman of the same village in the name of solving her family problems. He was today produced in court, which sent him in judicial custody.

The police said the victim lodged a complaint with the police yesterday that there were differences between her and her husband. She said about nine months ago, she came in contact with the accused and narrated her problems. He assured her for solving the problem and raped her.

Hisar, April 26
Dalit rights activist and lawyer Rajat Kalsan has lodged a complaint against Ramdev for his controversial remark about Rahul Gandhi at a public meeting.

In a complaint to the Hisar SP, Kalsan stated that Ramdev had insulted women from the Dalit community by saying Rahul Gandhi ‘goes to houses of Dalits for honeymoon and picnic’.

“His statement has spread hatred between communities which could have consequences. Ramdev has insulted women and people of the Scheduled Caste community,” he stated.

He demanded the registration of a criminal case against Ramdev. He also submitted a copy of the complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Chandigarh, April 26
A Panchkula court has ordered the Chautala and Rathi factions of the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) not to proclaim themselves as the office-bearers of the association in the public.

Asking the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to decide the fate of the two warring factions in three months, Additional Sessions Judge Rajesh Garg directed the factions not to conduct sports activities in the name of their associations.

Abhay Singh Chautala, MLA and son of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, occupied the post of the HOA president for a long time. The current legal dispute is an offshoot of the change of guard in the state when the Hooda Government took office in 2005 and a new faction led by Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal announced a parallel HOA body in 2006.

Later, a former IPS officer and Hooda’s confidant PV Rathi replaced Naveen Jindal and had been running the affairs of the other faction. While the Chautala faction was recognised by the IOA, the Rathi faction procured an order from a Panchkula court, restraining the Chautala faction not to use the name of the HOA.

In 2012, Chautala stepped aside and senior INLD leader Sher Singh Badshami, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, was elected as the HOA president by the Chautala faction. A Kurukshetra court had told Rathi “not to act as the HOA president and not to use the name of the HOA” as Badhami was recognised as the HOA chief by the IOA.

Faridabad, April 26
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) organised an awareness camp on prevention of cervical cancer in the district jail here today.

Apart from the awareness camp, three other camps, including special legal literacy camp on plea bargaining, mobile dental camp, general health check-up camp, were also held by the DLSA in the jail.

The camps were organised in collaboration with a team of doctors from the Faridabad Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society (FOGS), Sudha Rastogi Dental College, Jasana, and Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad.

District and Sessions Judge Darshan Singh, who is also the chairman of the DLSA, said, “The need of the hour is not only to provide speedy trial to prisoners confined in jails but also to provide them conditions worth living which includes proper medical facilities and apt health care opportunities as a part of their fundamental rights.”

“Fatal diseases like cervical cancer have to be nipped in the bud by creating mass awareness,” he added.

He said female inmates on being released from jail, would work as health workers after getting to know about cervical cancer and spread awareness in their neighbourhood.

Jasmine Sharma, CJM-cum-Secretary, DLSA, said, “Simplest meaning of plea-bargaining is to voluntarily plead guilty at the outset of trial and bargain your confession with a lesser sentence in court. Option of plea-bargaining is available to an accused charged of an offence which is penalised by imprisonment below seven years, if he or she has not been earlier convicted for a similar offence.” 

Hisar, April 26
Two teenagers were drowned in a tank when they were reportedly partying with yet another friend in Bhiwani yesterday. Both were class XI students in a private school.

The bodies of the deceased teenagers, identified as Vishal Singh and Jatin Kumar, were fished out of the tank today. The three friends went to the waterworks last evening and got drunk.

One of them slipped and the other jumped in in a bid to save him. After a while, when the duo did not come out of the water, the third went home and but kept mum about the incident.

As the families of two 18-year-olds made a frantic attempt to locate them, their friend informed the police about the incident, after which the bodies were fished out.

SHO Inder Singh said the bodies were sent to the PGIMS in Rohtak for post-mortem examination.

The police started an investigation, but foul play was not suspected so far.