Ambala, May 8
The universal immunisation programme has turned out to be a money-spinner for private doctors. Despite receiving the vaccines free of cost from the Health Department, the doctors are making huge profits with each dose administrated to newborns.

Sources in the Health Department said under the immunisation programme, it was decided to coordinate with private doctors to reach out to a larger population. Therefore, the state government decided to provide free vaccines to the doctors so that more and more newborns could be vaccinated. The private practitioners were entitled to charge a nominal fee for injecting the dose.

However, the programme failed to benefit the people, as the private doctors started charging exorbitant fee, varying from Rs 800 to Rs 2,100, for the vaccination.

Ambala Chief Medical Officer Dr Manoj Gupta said the doctors were ethically and morally bound to pass on the benefits of the free vaccination to the patients.

A private practitioner charges anywhere between Rs 800 and Rs 2,100 per child for administering the first dose of pentavalent, rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines to a six-week-old child. This does not include the consultation fee, which is anywhere between Rs 200 and Rs 500.

Many vaccines require three doses and hence the profit margin could be as high as Rs 2,400 to Rs 6,300 per child. By the time the baby is 15 months old, the vaccines alone could cost the parents anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 28,000.

Dr Gupta said: “Though the department is providing most of the vaccines free to the private practitioners, nearly three vaccines are to be bought from private drug stores.”

Sources said manufacturing companies were providing these vaccines at highly reduced rates to the doctors, but patients were charged the full amount.

A private practitioner admitted that most of the vaccines were provided free of cost by the Health Department, but patients usually start suspecting the genuineness if they were not charged at the MRP.

Ashok Sharma, who paid Rs 2,100 for the vaccination of his grandson a few days ago, said he was not aware about the profit the private doctors were making by charging fee for vaccines. He said during vaccination, he could not see the MRP as the doctor immediately disposed of the bottle.

Dr Rakesh Gupta, Mission Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), said the doctors were supposed to charge only for the vaccines that were not provided under the universal immunisation programme.

Sirsa, May 8
Shilpa Verma, state general secretary of the Haryana Mahila Congress, today quit the party and announced her decision to join former minister Gopal Kanda’s Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP).

Announcing her decision at a press conference organised in a private hospital here today, Shilpa, who till a few months back was the district president of the Mahila Congress, accused state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and his wife Avantika Maken Tanwar of humiliating her time and again.

“I had been working sincerely for the party for the past 13 years, but Tanwar engineered my removal from the post of the district president of the Mahila Congress and Avantika humiliated me publicly during elections, though I was campaigning sincerely for the party,” she alleged.

Shilpa Verma, who belongs to backward classes, accused Tanwar of being anti-backwards.

She also alleged that Avantika had threatened her or dire consequences, but she was not afraid of anyone.

She said she was joining the HLP because she believed that Gopal Kanda had launched this party with a view to serving people.

Reacting to Shipla’s allegations, Avantika Maken Tanwar said there was nothing new in her announcement as she was already working for Kandas.

“During elections, women campaigning for the party had brought to our notice that Shilpa was using Congress conveyance, but was campaigning for Haryana Janhit Congress candidate Sushil Indora at the behest of Gopal Kanda,” she added.

Avantika said she and Ashok Tanwar had brought this fact to the notice of Shobha Ojha, national president of the Mahila Congress, as well as Sumitra Chauhan, state president of the organisation, who were in Sirsa for campaigning.

She rubbished Shilpa’s charges of threatening her and said she never spoke to her. 

Chandigarh, May 8
The Czech Republic has evinced keen interest in mutual cooperation with Haryana in the areas of water management, power and solid waste management.

Ambassador of Czech Republic to India Miloslav Stasek along with a seven-member business delegation called on Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today to discuss various issues of mutual interest and expressed desire to invest in Haryana.

State Renewable Energy Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha, Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav and Industries Minister Randeep Singh Surejewala also attended the meeting. Stasek said the Czech Republic was keen on both the exchange of technology and setting up industrial units in the state. He said in power sector, they intended to have mutual cooperation in the field of thermal power, biomass and solar energy.

Similarly, in the area of water management, they were keen on mutual cooperation in treatment of waste water and purification of drinking water. In the area of solid waste management, they intended to have mutual cooperation in production of energy from the public waste and production of biofuel from agriculture waste.

Hooda said there was problem of brackish water in some parts of the state and it was the area where the state government needed technological intervention so that the quality water was made available in these areas.

The Chief Minister said the state government had already identified the villages that were affected with the brackish water.

He also offered the delegation to launch a pilot project in any one of these villages on experimental basis. On this, Miloslav assured the Chief Minister that he would take up the matter with the Czech authorities.

Hooda also designated Principal Secretary to Chief Minister SS Dhillon as nodal officer of the state government to hold future dialogues on the issues of mutual interest between Haryana and the Czech Republic.

Rohtak, May 8
A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the issuance of fake arms licences to residents of Haryana and other states from Nagaland without proper verification or following the due procedure.

Anil Kumar Rao, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Rohtak range, told The Tribune here today that an SIT led by DSP Sumit Kumar had been formed to look into the matter.

"We are also looking into the possibility of this racket in Sonepat and Panipat districts. Certain arms dealers with doubtful credentials are on our radar for selling firearms without duly informing the Police Department," he maintained.

Rao pointed out that apart from the sale of firearms on fake licences, the sale of ammunition to persons other than valid licence-holders was also was being probed.

The police have booked several persons, including a resident of Dimapur in Nagaland and an arms dealer, in this connection.

The IGP explained that while the district authorities were entitled to issue arms licences for the given state (in which the district falls), the state administration can issue licences valid in three states.

"Only the central authorities are empowered to issue arms licences that are valid in the entire country. However, the fake licences issued from Nagaland had pan-India validity, which raised our eyebrows," he said.

The persons involved in the racket have revealed that nearly 1.75 lakh such licences have reportedly been issued from Nagaland to residents of various states in the past three years.

Thousands of arms licences were issued without proper verification, and several notorious criminals, including those lodged in jails, got firearms on the basis of such licences.

Hisar, May 8
After nearly four decades and numerous successful legal battles, octogenarian Hari Kishan still does not have possession of the land his mother Chahi Devi bought in an auction in 1976-77 to set up a hospital for her pharmacist son.

'Encroached upon' soon the auction after by villagers, he is yet to get possession of the land despite winning the case in the Supreme Court. His dream to run a hospital on the 35 kanals has withered. He has only five kanals in his possession.

He has been eking out a living from the salary his younger son Ramesh gets as a taxi driver to feed a family of five. Hari Kishan's mother died in 2002 and his elder son died of a heart attack in 2003. His daughter-in-law moved out to Garhi after the 'encroachers' beat up and threatened her children.

"We live in fear as they have connections in the police and the Revenue Department. They settled on our land and we became confined to three rooms, supposed to be the OPD of the hospital, which never took off. They built their houses with bricks of the boundary wall," he says.

He says the execution of warrants of possession under the 'zimni' order by a local court in July, 2011, are still hanging fire. "The local commissioner appointed by the court sought exemption, apprehending injury to himself," he adds.

"Revenue officials sent back the warrants of possession, saying we had sold the land. They blamed us for not being able to provide police assistance and labour even though we provided a JCB machine and labour. The case kept being adjourned," Hari Kishan says.

He alleges that his son was picked up by the villagers, who have the backing of a retired police officer, and coerced him into giving a statement that they were willing to enter into a compromise. He says the next hearing is on May 20.

"I am willing to compromise, but their terms are not acceptable. A compromise is possible only if they return the land or pay for it. They say they will let my family live in peace if we do not pursue any case against them. This is bullying," he claims.

"My life has been a struggle. I fear for my grandchildren and want to secure their future. I am considering the compromise they arm-twisted my son into so that they can lead a comfortable life," he states. He doubts the execution of warrants. "Only when I get my land back will I believe that the common man can hope for justice," he says.

Village residents sympathise with him. "The land is his, but there are so many houses on it that it will be difficult to get it back. We do not want to be seen taking sides," says a village resident.

Hisar SP Sibas Kaviraj says there was a request for police deployment. "We were busy with elections and could not spare personnel. We will execute the warrants of possession. The next date is May 18. If I do not have the requisite force, I will get them from the headquarters," he asserts.

Panipat, May 8
Seniority list has been ignored while regularising Class IV employees in the Education Department of Sonepat district.

According to information provided by district education officer, Sonepat, to Panipat-based advocate Deepak Malik in response to his RTI application, as many as 101 Class IV employees were regularised after a notification issued by the state government in July 2011.

According to the notification, all Class IV employees were to be regularised, who completed 10 years of service till April 10, 2006.

The DEO, Sonepat, regularised 101 contractual Class IV employees, including peon, water carrier, sweeper and sweeper-cum-chowkidar, but seniority list was reportedly ignored.

As per information provided to advocate Deepak Malik under the RTI Act, Class IV employee Jagdish Kumar having seniority number 192 was also regularised, but several employees with their numbers in the seniority list below 100 were ignored.

Parmeshwari Hooda, DEO, Sonepat, told The Tribune, “Sometimes some shortcomings remain in the work due to one or the other reason. A seniority list has been prepared. That list will be sent to the state Education Department for their approval. Subsequently, that list will be presented in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where a litigation is already pending in this regard. Whatever the high court directs, we will act accordingly.”

Chandigarh, May 8
The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) has invited applications for allotment of industrial plots at Industrial Model Township (IMT), Faridabad and Bawal and the Industrial Estates (IE)at Panipat and Barhi by May 30 through the online mode.

An official spokesman said the applicant was required to remit the applicable application amount into the designated bank account of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation by way of RTGS or NEFT or bank transfer. For more details, the applicants could login the website www.hsiidcesewa.org.in.

Ambala, May 8
The Public Works Department today razed around 120 jhuggies located under the railway overbridge near Aggarsain Chowk in Ambala City. Most of the jhuggi owners had been residing there for the past two decades and had ration as well as Aaadhar cards.

The demolition squad reached there this morning along with the police and asked the Jhuggie’s owners to remove their goods. Most of them demolished their jhuggis themselves even as a few protested against the action. Some jhuggis located under this overbridge were removed a few months ago and their owners were allotted one-room flats at Ambala Cantt under the National Housing Scheme.

Official sources said the owners of the the jhuggis demolished today would also be accommodated under this scheme.

Jhuggi owners Narayan Das, Prem Singh and Pappi said they had to live in the open till they were allotted new accommodation. They said they would meet the Deputy Commissioner soon to air their grievances . 

Chandigarh, May 8
The Haryana Gover-nment has notified the Haryana Right to Service Act, 2014, to ensure the delivery of services to people within the prescribed time limits.

An official spokesman said here today that the state government would constitute the Haryana Right to Service Commission for the purpose.

The commission would be a statutory body and it would comprise a Chief Commissioner and up to four Commissioners.

Their appointment would be made by the Governor on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Chief Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and a Cabinet minister, to be nominated by the Chief Minister.

The Chief Commissioner would be a serving or retired officer in the rank and status of Chief Secretary of the State of Haryana or Secretary to the Government of India.

Chandigarh, May 8
The government has aims at reducing the total line losses of power from 27.44 per cent to 20.99 per cent this fiscal.

Power Minister Ajay Yadav told mediapersons here today that the line losses were 67.15 per cent in the domestic rural sector, 25.23 per cent in the urban sector, 15.19 per cent in the agricultural sector and 4.4 per cent in the industrial sector.

The government planned to reduce the line losses to 58.4 per cent in domestic the rural sector, 11.6 per cent in the urban sector, 8.48 per cent in the agricultural sector and 0.16 per cent in the industrial sector this fiscal.

Yadav said ntly the government was providing 14-hour supply to the domestic rural sector and 22 to 24 hours to urban and industrial sectors.

About the methods adopted to reduce the line losses, the Power Minster said the government had taken strict steps to curb power theft. Power police stations had been set in various districts.

The installation of power meters outside houses of consumers had been made mandatory. The consumers were being inspired to adopt the pillar box scheme. Raids were being conducted to check power theft. The power connections of consumers were disconnected and a fine was imposed in case they were found involved in power theft.

Yadav said the government had decided to shut down four units of the Panipat Power Plant whereas other units would keep on operating. The government planned to set up 250-MW plants each to replace the shut Panipat Power Plant units.

About the availability of power in the summer, the Power Minister said the government had an agreement with Adani Power to provide 1400 MW to the state in the summer.

He said the government has been providing an annual subsidy of Rs 5,500 crore to the agricultural sector.

Hisar, May 8
More than three years after the revelation of Sikhs’ carnage in Hondh Chillar village of Rewari came out in the open, a police official, who was the first to reach the spot and register an FIR, recounted the horrific scene at the crime site while deposing before the Justice TP Garg commission here today.

Appearing for the first time before the commission, which is inquiring into the Hondh Chillar Sikh carnage of November 2, 1984, after the massacre of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, investigation officer Ram Kumar, who registered the FIR, gave an eyewitness account of the crime spot.

He said he reached the village at 11 am next morning after sending out wireless massages about the incident to then SP Mahender Kumar Bishnoi and other senior officials, who, too, reached the venue soon after.

Kumar told the commission that he saw the bodies of men, women and children strewn around in the village.

Kumar, who was served a notice to appear before the commission during the last hearing, however, claimed that postmortem of bodies were conducted on the spot. He said he conducted the initial inquiry, but could not conclude the probe since he got promotion within 10 days of the incident and was transferred to Bhiwani.

He said then SHO Ram Kishore at the Jatupur police station had conducted further inquiry. Ram Kishore, who was also served a notice to depose before the commission, however, did not turn up today.

The police as well as the Health Department failed to produce any proof of postmortem conducted on the victims. Medical officer, Rewari, Virender Kumar, who also deposed before the commission, said he could not find any record of victims’ postmortem examinations. He gave the names of doctors, who were posted at Rewari government hospital at the time of the incident.

Expressing helplessness in producing any records of the postmortem reports, he asked for some more time to find out whether any record was available with the office.

Sirsa, May 8
Angry residents forced the Excise Department to close a liquor vend near Maharaja Agarsen Chowk in Sirsa today.

They gathered outside the vend and started raising slogans against the Excise Department for opening the liquor shop in contravention of the policy.

They said the liquor vend had been opened in a shop where readymade garments were being sold till recently.

They alleged that the shop was barely 150 yards away from Maharaja Agarsen School and less than 100 yards from Sanatan Dharam Mandir.

RC Ranga, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, went to meet the angry residents.

He assured them that the liquor vend had been closed temporarily and that he had sent a report to the department in this regard.

The residents have threatened to block vehicular traffic in case the authorities allowed the liquor vend to open again.

Gurgaon, May 8
A class XII student committed suicide today after being reportedly caught sending an SMS. The incident was reported from Rotary Public School around 1:45 pm.

Commerce student Vandana Gautam was found hanging from an exhaust fan with slashed wrists in a washroom cubicle. This led to panic and senior students were not allowed to leave till around 4 pm.

A teacher claimed that Vandana was pulled up a while ago, her mobile phone confiscated and her father called to school when she was found sending an SMS between classes.

“The fifth period was over when we saw Vandana under the table, doing something. When we approached her, we found her busy with her mobile phone,” the teacher said.

“We took the mobile phone and found that she was sending an objectionable SMS. The phone was taken to the vice-principal, who informed her father and called him to the school,” the teacher added.

“The teacher noticed that Vandana was missing. Everybody went looking for her. We noticed that a cubicle was shut from the inside,” said principal Gulshan Dewan.

“A helper spotted her hair and raised an alarm. We called her father and the police. The school doctor examined her and declared her dead,” the principal said.

“There was blood in the washroom, which may be an outcome of her slashing her wrists. She used her socks to hang herself. We are investigating the case,” said an investigating official.

Vandana’s father Ajay Kumar, a businessman, was on his way to the school when he got to know about the suicide. He claimed foul play into the incident.

“She can never do this just because they took her mobile phone and complained to me. I suspect foul play as the circumstances do not support the suicide theory,” he said.

The school authorities expressed grief and blamed mobile phone addiction for the incident. Dewan said they did not allow mobile phones in the school, but students and their parents did not care.

“We could not have dreamt that snatching her mobile phone and calling her father could lead to this. It is high time parents understand that mobile phones should not be handed to students during school hours,” the principal said.

Sirsa, May 8
A doctor posted as blood transfusion officer (BTO) in General Hospital, Sirsa, has been booked for sexual harassment, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation and outraging the modesty of a woman.

A case has been registered under Sections 354 A, 354 B, 354 D, 323, 341, 506 and 509 of the IPC at the Ding police station against Dr Gulshan Chauhan on the directions of a local court on a criminal complaint filed by a woman employee of the OHM Cine Garden, a multiplex at Moriwala village in Sirsa.

Jangir Singh, SHO of Ding police station, said a case had been registered on the directions of the court and the police was investigating the matter.

Dr Chauhan was not available for comments, as his mobile was coming switched off ever since the news of the case against him became known. Chauhan had a feud with the owners of the OHM Cine Garden recently when he went there to see a movie on April 11. He had moved a plea in the Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat, Sirsa, levelling allegation of exploitation of consumers by the management of the OHM Cine Garden. He had alleged that while the multiplex charged heavily for tickets, it could not provide basic facility like drinking water.

He had alleged that consumers were being charged exorbitantly for mineral water and other eatables.

The case is pending before the Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat and the OHM Cine Garden management has already submitted its reply to their plea.

A few days after he moved the Permanent and Continuous Lok Adalat, Dr Chauhan, accompanied by some other doctors of the General Hospital, had met Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Saurabh Singh alleging that six persons came to his residence and threatened him of dire consequences if he did not withdraw his plea.

The SSP said he had asked the SHO of the city police station to inquire the matter and the complaint was still pending with the police.

Narnaul, May 8
Body of a woman, who went missing under mysterious circumstances four days ago, was recovered from a dry well located in the fields at Kaaraut village last evening. The police have started investigation after recording the statement of her family members.

Vidhya Devi (55) of Kaaraut village had gone out from the house on May 3, but did not return. Though her kin searched her at various places, but failed to locate here. Thereafter, they lodged a missing complaint with the police.

According to reports, her body was spotted lying in the dry well by some villagers when they noticed some foul smell emanating from the well while passing through the fields.

They called the police, which took the body from the well and sent it to civil hospital for the postmortem. 

Sonepat, May 8
Manjit (19) of Shamri village was found murdered in a deserted house in the village this morning. His body bore deep injury marks with sharp-edged weapons.

On the complaint of his brother Pradeep, the police registered a case of murder against unidentified persons.

Pradeep said Manjit received a call on his mobile phone late last evening and he left the house without telling anyone.

He said there was a dispute between Manjit and some youths of Pugthala village in the past. However, a compromise was reached in a meeting of prominent citizens of both the villages. — OC

Rewari, May 8
Sunil Kumar, a constable posted at the local DSP office, was today placed under suspension by Rewari SP Pankaj Nain acting on a complaint lodged by Dharambir of Dharuhera town against the policeman.

Dharambir said a case of house trespass, causing hurt and molestation was registered against him in the Dharuhera police station on March 4 on the complaint of Digambar of Dharuhera. “The case was found false during investigation by DSP Taahir Hussain but Sunil Kumar, naib reader of the DSP, started demanding Rs 70,000 as a bribe for removing sections imposed on me in the case,” he added. 

Sonepat, May 8
The Kharkhoda police have registered a case against nearly 50 persons, including 22 by name of Sisana village, for blocking the Sonepat-Rohtak road at the village for nearly two hours on Monday night. However, no one has been arrested so far.

The police said Sisana resident Yogesh went missing on Monday and his cousin Ashok lodged a complaint with the police that Yogesh had been kidnapped in a white car and he suspected the involvement of three youths from the village.

When the police were searching for Yogesh, the villagers blocked the road around 9.30 pm, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road.

In the meantime, the police recovered Yogesh from a drug de-addiction centre located outside the village and being run by residents of the village. Later, the villagers lifted the blockade.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajit Singh said after receiving complaint, the police swung into action, but the villagers resorted to road blocking, causing great inconvenience to the public. On the complaint of Kharkhoda SHO Somveer, a case had been registered and such unlawful activities would not be tolerated, he added.

Gurgaon, May 8
The Gurgaon police have registered a case of negligence against the management and the swimming coach of a private school where two students had an accident during swimming classes on Tuesday.

The two students had a narrow escape when they almost drowned during the swimming classes and one of them, a Class III student, was rushed to the hospital in a serious condition.

Investigating Officer Mahesh Kumar said a case had been registered with the Bhondsi police station against the school management and the swimming coach by the father of one of the victims. The victim's parents told the police that the school management had tried to hush up the accident and had told them that the student fell ill after “over-consumption of water” without mentioning anything about the swimming classes.

However, the parents found out about the drowning only after talking to the victim's friends.