Sirsa/Karnal, July 2
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (ad hoc) patron Sampooran Singh and president of the youth wing of the committee Angrez Singh today alleged that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar were out to erode the credibility of Sikh institutions for their vested interests.

Speaking to mediapersons, Sampooran Singh and Angrez Singh said the Akal Takht was the highest temporal and spiritual seat of Sikhs and Sikhs from Haryana were sure to get justice there despite efforts of Badal and Makkar to use all means for their vested political interests.

“If the Akalis are so concerned about us, why did they go for Punjabi Suba in 1966 leaving a large number of Sikhs in various districts of Haryana?” asked the HSGPC (ad hoc) leaders.

HSGPC (ad hoc) leaders Sampooran Singh, Angrez Singh and Gurcharan Singh said a large number of Sikhs from Sirsa would participate in the Kaithal rally on July 6 where Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and ministers Harmohinder Singh Chathha and Randip Singh Surjewala make some announcement on their longstanding demand.

The Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha has also come out in support of the ‘Sikh mahasammelan’ at Kaithal on July 6 . Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa, president of the sabha, accused the Akal Takht jathedar of working at the behest of Badal. He opposed the decision of the Akal Thakt jathedar to invite HSGPC leaders.

Meanwhile, the SGPC today announced a statewide agitation from Kaithal tomorrow to oppose the proposed move for a separate committee for gurdwaras in Haryana. Raghujit Singh Virk, senior vice-president of the SGPC, accused the ruling Congress government in the state and HSGPC leaders of harming the interests of Sikhs by dividing them on the issue of separate committee.

After addressing the district-level meeting of Sikhs, he said the SGPC would start its statewide protest from Kaithal on July 3 followed by Kurukshetra and Ambala on July 4.

SGPC cries foul Raghujit Singh Virk, senior vice-president of the SGPC, accused the Congress government in the state and HSGPC leaders of harming the interests of Sikhs by dividing them on the issue of separate committee After addressing a district-level meeting, he said the SGPC would start its statewide protest from Kaithal on July 3 followed by protests in Kurukshetra and Ambala on July 4

Karnal, July 2
Three persons of Rampura village stranded in strife-torn Iraq have returned home safely after their family arranged for their tickets.

Surjeet, Dharam Singh and Sushil, who went to Karbala around one-and-a-half month ago, reached their village on Wednesday morning. Though relieved to have their loved ones back, family members are angry with the Central Government for its “non-cooperative attitude”.

“Things are very bad in Iraq. Lots of people are staying in a single room and do not have enough to eat. We were forced to work like bonded labour and were not paid salary,” said Surjeet.

He alleged the government was only claiming to support Indians stuck in Iraq, but it was the families who paid for their return. His wife Seema Devi strikes a more optimistic note. “I am grateful to God for my husband’s safe return,” she said.

Sushil Kumar, also of the same village, said visas of several persons had expired and neither the companies nor the consulate were helping them.

Kaithal, July 2
Men from several families continue to be stranded in Iraq, despite the Union and state government's tall claims on rescue operations.

After several days of no contact, the family of Baljinder of Bhoona village finally got a call from him late last evening. "He called up last evening and told me Indian Embassy officers contacted them in their room yesterday. But due to lack of knowledge of English, Baljinder could not answer their questions. This may further delay his return. We request authorities to help us," said Baljit Singh, Baljinder's elder brother.

Baljinder, an under matriculate, went to Baghdad in December 2013 through an Ambala-based travel agent.

He has been staying along with some other workers in a room without proper food for several days. His employer has fled with their papers and passports. Immediately after Baljinder's call, his family members rang up Indian Embassy officers posted in Iraq.

Though they promised all possible help, but Baljit is not at ease. "It took embassy officials so many days to reach out to Baljinder. We just want him to return safely. We are trying to get in touch with Indian and Haryana state authorities for quick action," he said.

Baljit said Baljinder told him many Indians were still stranded. "My brother told me that a huge number of Indians are stranded in Iraq and the embassy officials are not able to help all," he said.

Chandigarh, July 2
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has removed the last legal hurdle that threatened to derail the Rail Metro Rapid Gurgaon (RMRG) project for connecting Gurgaon with the Delhi Metro.

The court has not only dismissed a petition and an appeal against the use of a green belt for the project, but has also ruled that the law itself provided for transfer of land for public parks and roads, free of cost and without payment of compensation.

The Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Fateh Deep Singh has upheld a single judge’s order and the action of HUDA in taking over and developing green belts and roads from various licensees.

The controversy

Some members of the National Media Centre Cooperative Building Society had initially moved the High Court. They had challenged the state government’s action to transfer society land to Metro Rail under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Act, 1975, for providing Metro connectivity with Delhi Metro service over a 6.1-km stretch adjacent to the society’s residential and commercial properties.

Dismissing the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh held that the transfer of land under service road/green belt free of cost to HUDA or the local government was one of the conditions in the completion certificate issued to the society in December, 2008.

Justice Ranjit Singh also held that the Rs 1,084-crore project was being developed on a public-private partnership basis. Once implemented, it would cut air pollution by reducing vehicular traffic on arterial route and sector roads of Gurgaon.

Challenging the order, the members moved the Division Bench. Another petition was filed claiming the condition of land transfer free of cost to the state amounted to acquisition without compensation.

The proceedings

The Bench observed the society was granted a licence to develop the colony; and one of the conditions in the agreement executed in December, 1991, was the society would be responsible for upkeep of roads, open spaces, public parks and public health services for five years from issuance of the completion certificate “unless earlier relieved of this responsibility, when the society may transfer all such roads, open spaces, public parks and public health services free of cost to the government or the local authority….”

The partial completion certificate was granted in December, 2008. A communication was later addressed to the society for transfer of a 50-metre-wide green belt to the Senior Town Planner, but it was not transferred. Later, its possession was taken over by the state.

The ruling

On the issue of compensation, The Bench asserted: “The society has been granted a licence to develop a colony having a saleable plot area in terms of the statute. Such statute restricts the right to develop a colony without a licence and on fulfilment of certain conditions of leaving open spaces, public parks and community buildings etc.”

“The grant of licence to develop a colony with the condition to receive development charges from the plot holders means that the cost of such open area reserved for public purposes has been accounted for while claiming the amount of the saleable plot area from members of the society. Therefore, the compensation is implicit in the grant of licence”.

The Bench added: “The society was aware of the conditions of the statute (Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Area Act), when it applied for a licence. It also submitted an undertaking to transfer land free of cost in terms of the statutory provisions. “Since HUDA, a local authority, has entered into an agreement to provide Metro link from Delhi Metro, Sikandarpur Station, on MG Road to NH-8, such purpose is in larger public interest. We do not find any merit in the present writ petition and the appeal. The same are dismissed.”

Sonepat, July 2
In a case, where a youth was allegedly beaten up during illegal police custody on June 24, SHO of Kundli police station, Veer Bhan and two police constables of the police station were suspensded.

In the same case, a case under sections of the IPC was registered against ASIs Hari Prakash and Suresh, and head constable Pradeep of the same police station on June 25. They too were suspended.

Vikki of Kundli village, serving as a security guard in a company at Kundli industrial complex, lodged a complaint at the Kundli police station on June 25 stating that on June 24, he was on duty at the company.

ASIs Hari Prakash and Suresh alongwith head constable Pradeep came in a car and forcibly put him in the vehicle and took him to the police station.

He alleged that the ASI and had constable beat him up in the car and at the police station. After sometime, the policemen threw him near a pond at Sersa village.

After reaching his house, the victim along with his father went to the Kundli police for lodging a complaint, but the police did not take any action. 

New Delhi, July 2
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today met rebel leader Haryana Birender Singh in what’s being seen as a bid to placate him.

Birender, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s arch rival, is learnt to have communicated to the Congress president that he would not contest elections on the Congress symbol if Hooda continues as the CM.

The meeting assumes political significance as it comes days after party general secretary for Haryana Shakeel Ahmed categorically denied any proposal to replace Hooda.

Birender told The Tribune: “I have shared my concerns about Haryana with the Congress President. I have stated to her what I have publicly stated.”

Congress sources said the party needed to sort out its stand on Choudhry Birender and not go the Rao Inderjit way. Inderjit had been issuing threats to exit the Congress before he finally joined the BJP before the LS elections.

It is learnt that Sonia heard Birender Singh’s demands, among them a say in ticket distribution in the state for Birender and another Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana Kumari Selja.

It is also learnt that Birender reiterated his demand for replacing Hooda, arguing that “freshness in leadership was the only factor that would attract voters to the Congress in the state and repeating the leadership of the General Election was not a good idea”.

The Congress has been citing lack of time for refusing to replace Hooda, who most leaders still consider their best bet in Haryana. The state goes to polls this October.

“There is no alternative to Hooda in Haryana,” says a top leader, admitting, however, that political events in respect of Haryana “could change” after Sonia’s meeting with Birender today.

Faridabad, July 2
Krishan Pal Gurjar, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, appears to have taken a ‘U-turn’ on the issue of removal of toll in the district.

Interacting with mediapersons on the issue of six-laning of National Highway No. 2, also known as Mathura Road here on Wednesday, he said his demand for removal of the toll in the district and region was possible to exempt as per rules and regulations. He said while the toll was collected on the roads and highways built on the build-operate and transfer (BOT) basis. It was not possible for the government now to remove such a tax as the operators had already entered into a contract with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) or the authorities concerned.

But when some of the mediapersons claimed that he (Gurjar) himself had described the toll as a kind of Jazia tax (cruelty tax) before the Lok Sabha polls and had promised to get rid of the toll, Gurjar said he had not given any assurance on this matter. Describing the present stand of Gurjar on toll, as a kind of cheating with the people, Vikas Chaudhary of the INLD said the Union Minister had been left with no moral right to remain in power in view of making a ‘U- turn’ on the promise made to the voters before the elections. He said the INLD workers would keep its agitation continue to seek removal of all toll plazas in the district.

The Federation of the RWA’s here has already taken up the demand of removal of the toll plaza at Badarpur border.

Panchkula, July 2
High drama prevailed at the Haryana State Selection Commission’s (HSSC) office here today when former legislator Venod Sharma, along with his supporters, was taken into custody by the police.

He was protesting outside the commission’s office in Sector 2 here, demanding the resignation of the HSSC chairperson and scrapping of the board. “There is no transparency in the recruitment of youth in government jobs. All appointments by the HSSC are being manipulated,” Sharma alleged. “I will keep fighting till my demands are met,” he said while being taken by the police.

Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia and Additional Deputy Commissioner SP Arora reached the commission’s office to request Sharma to call off the protest, but in vain. After failing to remove him for four hours, the police finally took him and his supporters into custody. They were released in the evening. Regarding his custody, the former MLA said this act by the Haryana Government was no less than the ‘British rule’.

Earlier in the morning, Sharma addressed a meeting of youth of his party, the Jan Chetna, at Indradhanush Auditorium in Sector 5. 

Kurukshetra, July 2
About 10,000 non-teaching employees of nine universities of the state went on a three-day strike today to press their pending demands.

Man Singh, president, the Kurukshetra University Non-teaching Employees Association (KUNTEA), said, “The strike has been called on the call of All-Haryana Universities Employees Federation and non-teaching employees of the universities would not report on their duties till July 4.”

Non-teaching employees of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, LUVAS Hisar, MDU Rohtak, GJUS&T Hisar, CCS HAU Hisar, CDLU Sirsa, DBCRUSNT Murthal, PBDSHU Rohtak, BPSMV Khanpur Kalan, remained on strike.

The federation has placed eight demands including inducting the presidents and general secretaries of all employees’ unions of the universities in executive council and finance committee, revival of university autonomy, end of contract system, and revival of technical scale and grade pay of Rs 3,600 for assistants and old staff in MDU and KUK.

Though the federation has called a three-day strike but it would affect university works for five days as the strike would end on Friday and the next two days (Saturday and Sunday) would be the non-working days.

A large number of students who reached university to get their roll numbers and other documents were a harried lot. About the harassment that students faced, KUNTEA general secretary Sunil Makkar said, “ The state government is responsible for the situation. A memorandum was submitted to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Governor and Vice-Chancellors of all universities along with the demand charter. The federation had requested the state government for a meeting but the government didn’t pay any attention and not called the federation representatives to discuss the matter. To express resentment, a two-hour protest was organised at all universities on June 24, but to no avail.”

Today, two entrance tests and counselling in the universtiy college went smoothly.

Rohtak: Work was affected at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) as well as Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences here and students, patients and other persons were put to much inconvenience because of the strike.

Employees said the strike would continue till the fulfillment of their longstanding demands and could be extended indefinitely. They staged protest demonstrations and raised slogans against the state government.

Karnal, July 2
The family and relatives of Munish, who was found dead near a railway track two days ago under mysterious circumstances, protested at the Government Railway Police station here today.

Raj Kumar, DSP (city), pacified the protesters and assured them that a four-member Special Investigative Team (SIT) had been formed to crack the case.

“The accused have been identified, but they are still at large because of the police lackadaisical approach,” Suraj Bhan, a relative of the deceased, said.

Munish of local Shivaji Colony was found murdered near a railway track on Monday. He had an altercation with two persons of the colony the previous night, a family member claimed.

Chandigarh, July 2
The legal fraternity is up in arms against the new rules framed by the Haryana Government for the elevation of practising advocates as the Additional District and Sessions Judges(ADSJs).

What has earned the advocates’ ire is the insertion of a provision in the Haryana Superior Judicial Service (Amendment) Rules, 2014, about the income of advocates applying for the post of ADSJ which they term as “arbitrary”.

A recent notification issued by the Chief Secretary said the candidates applying for the post of ADSJ must be income tax assesses for at least three assessment years preceding the date of application with gross professional income of not less than Rs 5 lakh per annum. The candidate were also required to attach proof of their independent engagement and conduct of not fewer than 50 cases (other than bunch cases) per year in the preceding three years.

However, in the case of candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, backward classes, physically-challenged and ex-servicemen, the gross professional income has been pegged at Rs 3 lakh per annum and the condition of 40 cases per year in the preceding three years. The notification claimed that the decision to amend the Haryana Superior Judicial Service Rules has been taken in consultation with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Meanwhile, Parupkar Singh Ghumman, Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, termed the decision as‘ridiculous”. The Bar Council would formally take up the matter with the authorities concerned, he added.

Advocates v/s Haryana Govt Haryana makes annual income of ~5 lakh must for elevation as ADSJ Also puts a condition of minimum 50 independent cases per annum Haryana claims decision taken in consultation with the High Court Bar Council to opposes the decision; to take up matter with Haryana Govt

Ambala, July 2
Chairman of Haryana State Commission for Woman, Kamlesh Paschal, said women security acts should be enforced efficiently to check the atrocities on women effectively.

Talking to the mediapersons here today, she said the women of urban as well as rural areas were conscious of their rights and therefore more cases of atrocities were being reported in police and in media. She said the government had directed the police officers that FIR in women atrocities matters should be registered without any delay. She added that committees had been constituted in the various government offices to strengthen the security of women.

When she was asked whether the commission would take notice of those cases in which some of the women had registered false cases of rape against men for grabbing money from them, she said the police should take action against those women and they should be booked under section 182 (giving false information to a public servant) of IPC. — OC

Rohtak, July 2
The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) commissioned two 33-kV substations and augmented the existing capacity of 12 substations at a cost of Rs 18.05 crore during June.

A spokesman said here today that the nigam energised 33-kV substations at Meham (Rohtak) and Adhoya (Kaithal) to meet the increased load on the transmission and distribution system. The existing capacity of 33-kV substations at Farmana, Khewra, Bega and Sikandarpur Majra villages in Sonepat district, Dhurala, Bagthala and Lukhi in Kurukshetra district, Kaimla Old, Sita Mai and Nigdhu in Karnal and Matloda and Kutani Road in Panipat district has been extended to supply quality power to the consumers.

He said over 50,000 electricity consumers of Rohtak, Kaithal, Sonepat, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat districts get better voltage and power supply with the commissioning of these 
substations. — TNS

Sirsa, July 2
Nearly 150 hamlets settled near villages Kaluana and Jandwala Bishnoian of Sirsa will now get power for 14 hours a day as per the rural domestic supply.

Till now, people living in these hamlets were getting electricity supply for eight hours a day.

Chief Minister BS Hooda’s former OSD Dr KV Singh inaugurated the newly set transformers specially purchased from Gujarat to provide benefit of rural domestic power supply to these hamlets.

In Haryana, the power utilities claim to supply 24-hours electricity supply to urban domestic sector, 14-hours to rural domestic and 8 hours in a day to the agriculture sector for running of tubewells. — TNS

Yamunanagar, July 2
All eleven youth who set 17-year-old Tanuja on fire in Milak Khas village on Friday night were arrested.

The Bilaspur police arrested seven of the eleven accused on Saturday, while three others were arrested on Tuesday night, and the remaining accused was arrested on Wednesday morning.

Yamunanagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Shashank Anand said the police today produced the four accused before a court in Bilaspur and the court sent three of them: Rinku, Danny and Rodda, to two-day police remand while the fourth accused, Babbal, arrested today was remanded to judicial custody.

Sources said the police also recovered motorcycles and sticks used in the crime from the three accused, who were taken on police remand today. The police are to yet recover the mobile phone of the main accused Amardeep.

All eleven accused including Amardeep (the one who set Tanuja on fire), Gulaba, Jasvinder and Monu (all from Milak Khas village); and Sachin alias Kalu, Gaurav, Praveen alias Bunty, Rinku, Danny, Rodda and Babbal (all from Bilaspur town) are now in police custody.

Tanuja was allegedly set on fire after her family objected to one of the accused playing loud music outside their house. The girl suffered more than 80% burns and has been undergoing treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh.

The police booked the accused under Sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurt), 452 (trespass), 307 (attempt to murder) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Jind, July 2
A man and her paramour, suspected to be from different castes, allegedly consumed poison here today.

The man, identified as Rinku of Khimakheri village, died in the local Civil Hospital, while the woman, who remains unidentified, disappeared within minutes of being admitted to the emergency room.

Sources said passersby saw the couple vomiting in a park, following which they called the ambulance. Hospital staff said the man was brought to the hospital in a critical condition. He died within minutes of being admitted to the hospital.

When doctors went to treat the woman, admitted in the emergency room, they found her missing.

Unidentified persons standing near the emergency room claimed that couple had been missing from Khimakheri village since June 8.

“Rinku died of poisoning, while the woman went missing from hospital within minutes of her admission. I cannot comment without a thorough investigation whether or not it’s a case of love affair,” Jind city SHO Karmbir Singh said.

Sirsa, July 2
Mani Ram (45) of Jogiwala village in this district, who is a school bus driver, was electrocuted when his bus touched electricity wires hanging on the road near Chaharwala village in Sirsa today.

Schoolchildren had a narrow escape as the driver asked them get down before he tried to cross the bus under electric wires. Villagers rushed to the spot and contacted the DHBVN powerhouse and requested it to switch off power supply. OP Bishnoi, AE of the DHBVN, said the driver’s negligence resulted in the accident. — TNS