Bahadurgarh, June 7
The first visit of Union Minister for Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh to Haryana after taking charge failed to bring cheer to farmers on Saturday as he did not make any announcement on payment of relief.

The farmers who gathered at a state-level function organised by the BJP Kisan Morcha were expecting some major announcements for their betterment, but were disappointed when Singh concluded his speech without any declaration.

The minister did not talk about implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations on giving due share of profit from crop sale to farmers during his 45-minute address even though the issue had figured prominently in the poll manifesto of the BJP.

Morcha’s national president Om Prakash Dhankar had recently taken out a three-day march from Kosli town in Rewari to Rohtak and raised issues of other farmers along with recommendation of Swaminathan Commission.

The minister did not say anything about the land acquisition issue while many farmers had arrived to know the Centre’s stand on land acquired by the state government for setting up industrial projects.

“We came here to hear some good news about Swaminanthan Committee report and a package for farmers, but the minister left us disappointed. He should have announced something to bring cheer to farmers from across the state,” said Krishan and other farmers from Badli town.

The Agriculture Minister was scheduled to interact with farmers, but left for a meeting of the kisan morcha’s national executive meeting immediately after the function.

Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to empower farmers, reduce prices of farm products and boost agriculture growth rate, but did not describe the mechanism to be put in place to achieve the target. Dhankar and state BJP chief Ram Bilas Sharma also spoke.

Insurance scheme soon, says minister
Addressing farmers, the minister said the government would soon prepare a new agriculture insurance scheme to ensure adequate compensation in case of natural calamity. He claimed that the UPA Government had pushed farmers on the path of devastation by raising agricultural cost, providing minimum MSP and reducing agriculture development rate. He said the Centre would make farmers prosperous.

Hisar, June 7
Claiming that the General Election has given a hint of things to come, BJP national spokesperson Capt Abhimanyu on Saturday said people had made up their mind to give a chance to the BJP and reject dynastic and caste politics in the state.

Addressing party workers during a civic reception organised by the local unit of the BJP, Abhimanyu claimed that history had shown that the electorate voted to power in the state the party which formed the government at the Centre.

“A BJP era has begun at the Centre and the party is ready to replicate the success in the Assembly elections scheduled later this year,” he said. Pointing a finger at dynastic politics, he asserted that those nurturing their families in politics had the sole agenda of their vested interests.

“In the General Election, people elected Narendra Modi, who had a humble background. A similar result will be out after Assembly elections,” he added. He claimed that the BJP-HJC alliance would have won all 10 seats in the state had polling been conducted in the last phase of the General Election.

Sirsa, June 7
State Congress president Ashok Tanwar has put up a tough stance against “backstabbers” in the party, who allegedly jeopardised his electoral prospects in these parliamentary elections.

During his speech at a workers’ meeting in Sirsa yesterday, Tanwar announced in Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s presence that he would see to it that those who "betrayed" him in the elections are not given party ticket during the upcoming Assembly elections.

“People often speak of leg-pulling in the Congress, but in my case, some local leaders have tried to hoodwink me completely by being with me but working for someone else,” Tanwar said. The party leader added that he had strong channels of communication and reports of all party leaders from Sirsa parliamentary seat was with him now. He said some of the “backstabbers” were sitting on the stage and among the audience.

Contenders for Congress ticket Dr KV Singh from Dabwali, Sunita Setia, Bhupesh Mehta, Hoshiari Lal Sharma and Naveen Kedia from Sirsa, Bharat Singh Beniwal from Ellenabad, Mani Ram Keharwala and Om Prakash Keharwala from Kalanwali, Jarnail Singh from Ratia and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera from Fatehabad Assembly segment were present when Tanwar made these remarks.

Tanwar lost the parliamentary elections to Charanjit Singh Rori of the INLD by a margin of nearly 1.15 lakh votes but his performance was better than many other Congress candidates from Haryana who were relegated to third spot after the BJP and the INLD.

“In a scenario, where the party candidates throughout the country have been wiped out, we could not have done better than we did. One should not forget the fact that Tanwar performed well in the midst of Modi’s tsunami and a sympathy wave for former CM Chautala in his home district,” a local Congress leader said requesting anonymity.

Yamunanagar, June 7
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda held a district-level workers’ meeting in Yamunanagar on Saturday amid boycott by Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja’s faction.

He tried to boost the morale of the party workers at the meeting. He said, “We are organising district-level workers’ meetings in the state from June 5 to June 28. The party has set a target to induct two lakh workers. When the Congress forms the state government for the third time, it will work for the all-round development of the state,” he said.

Criticising the Gujarat model of development, he said if it was implemented in Haryana, people would lose many benefits being given by the present state government. “The old age pension is lesser in Gujarat than Haryana. The diesel is Rs 8 more expensive in Gujarat than Haryana,” he said.

State party president Ashok Tanwar, former state president Phool Chand Mulana, district observer Kailasho Saini, former MLAs Krishna Pandit, Subhash Chaudhry, Arjun Singh, Satpal Kaushik, Devender Chawala and Jakir Hussain were also present on the occasion.

The event was packed with party leaders but Hooda failed to get support from the Selja faction. Rajpal Bhukhri, MLA from Sadhaura, too boycotted the programme as he had announced on Thursday.

A senior party leader said the Selja faction had a strong hold in three of the four Assembly constituencies of the district. Without their support, the Congress was handicapped in Jagadhri, Yamunanagar and Sadhaura Assembly constituencies, he said.

Tough for Cong
A Congress leader says the Selja faction has a strong hold in three of the four Assembly constituencies of Yamunanagar district - Jagadhri, Yamunanagar and Sadhaura. Without its support, the Congress is handicapped in these seats, he says.

Chandigarh, June 7
On the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Education Department has decided to give personal hearing to 26 headmasters and principals of government schools who were reverted to Sanskrit teachers last year.

The Education Department issued an order on Thursday that these teachers would be heard in person by the Principal Secretary, School Education, at the Directorate of Secondary Education at Shiksha Sadan in Sector 5 of Panchkula on June 10.

The teachers earlier promoted as headmasters or principals were reverted to the posts of Sanskrit teacher on July 23 last year on technical grounds of not fulfilling basic qualifications. Following this, the teachers had challenged the order in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The petition was disposed of with the direction to the Education Department to pass a ‘well-reasoned and speaking order after giving an opportunity of personal hearing to the petitioners’. After the direction, the department issued them a show-cause notice on May 21, calling them for a personal hearing.

Six reverted teachers are from Sonepat district and five each from Kurukshetra and Rohtak. Jind and Hisar districts account for two each while one teacher each is from Ambala, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Rewari, Kaithal, Karnal and Mahendragarh.

From principal to teacher 26 Sanskrit teachers promoted to headmaster/principal Reverted in 2013 for not fulfilling ‘basic qualifications’ HC disposes of plea, asks dept to give personal hearing Personal hearing to be held in Panchkula on June 10

Karnal, June 7
All four members of a family, including two children, were burnt alive in a fire at house of a farmer in Rangruti Kehra village, 45 km from here, on Saturday.

Surinder (35), his wife Usha (30) and children Anuj (10) and Anjali (8) died in their sleep and their bodies were charred beyond recognition.

The cause for the fire was yet to be ascertained. Forensic experts inspected the spot and collected evidence and DNA samples. The bodies were sent to the PGI in Rohtak for postmortem examination.

The incident came to light around 11 am when Surinder’s sister visited the house. She saw the four charred bodies lying in a room. The news spread like wildfire. The police rushed to the spot.

Surinder’s mother Vidya Devi alleged that her family were murdered. Assandh DSP Shyam Lal assured the family that a fair inquiry would be conducted into this case.

Forensic experts hinted that the fire might have been caused by a ‘beedi’ or cigarette. The initial report suggested suffocation as the cause of death.

“We are investigating the cause. The forensic team has collected evidence to determine the cause of the fire. DNA samples have been collected,” the DSP said.

He added that the police would investigate the allegation of Surinder’s mother. Village residents said the family were found burnt alive in the morning, but nobody saw flames or heard screams from the house.

Cause of fire
Forensic experts hinted that the fire might have been caused by a ‘beedi’ or cigarette. The initial report suggested suffocation as the cause of death.

Karnal, June 7
The District Bar Association today suspended three of its members for their "involvement" in an alleged extortion case till further inquiry.

Some of the bar members, however, opposed the decision and urged to revoke the suspension till the inquiry is completed. They said the decision was taken in haste without hearing the point of view of the suspended members.

District Bar Association president Raj Kumar Chauhan said some of the bar members had submitted a requisition to take action against the accused advocates — Jaipal Singh, Deepak Gautam and Harish Arya.

Chauhan said if the bar members were found to be innocent in the inquiry, the association would fully support them and they would be reinstated.

Meanwhile, Advocate Harish Arya, one of the accused, today produced a CD and claimed that it was a conspiracy to malign his reputation. “I am innocent and I have a recording of gang members who are running this extortion racket by using girls to trap well-to-do people,” said Arya.

He alleged, “A retired police officer of Kurukshetra district is a kingpin of this extortion gang. I have sent this CD to the Crime Branch, which is investigating the case, to the state DGP, ADGP (Crime Against Women) as well as to the president of the District Bar Association.”

The case A woman from Ambala district had complained to the ADGP (Crime Against Women) that she had been forced to withdraw her statement in a rape case. She alleged as the accused’s lawyer had promised that the accused would pay her money. A special investigation team of the Crime Branch is investigating the case and has registered an FIR against six persons, including three advocates and two women. One of the lawyers was arrested two days ago.

Rohtak, June 7
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) examining the Nagaland fake arms licence case has said that the fake licences were being issued on a large scale due to the connivance of government officials.

“The authorities concerned have been unable to bust the racket in spite of the matter being in their knowledge. The failure is on account of certain government officials being hand-in-glove with the racketeers,” a member of the SIT, who returned from Nagaland, said requesting anonymity.

The SIT members and police officials of the state are in touch with the Nagaland state authorities and trying to get to the bottom of the matter.

Meanwhile, the Rohtak police have arrested Satyawan alias Fauji and Ramesh, who allegedly used to work as agents and got fake arms licences of criminal elements made.

Some of the gangsters even got their fake arms licences made from jail.

Ramesh, who was already lodged in jail, was taken on production warrant. Both Fauji and Ramesh were produced before a local court that remanded them in 10-day police custody.

Sirsa, June 7
A woman died under mysterious circumstances after consuming a poisonous substance in Sirsa.

The victim (27) was a nurse in a private hospital here. She had married the person of her choice eight years ago. Her and her husband’s families were against the alliance.

Her husband said his neighbours called him on Friday evening to tell him that his wife was vomiting. She was taken to a hospital, where she died after some time. The police said they were investigating the matter.