Sirsa, July 8
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh Makkar today accused the Haryana Government of forging documents to justify the creation of a separate gurdwara body for the state.

“No Sikh has ever submitted any affidavit to the Harmohinder Singh Chattha committee. All affidavits that the committee claims to have received from Sikhs in the state to justify the demand for the HSGPC are forged,” Makkar told the media at Dasham Patshahi Gurdwara here. He was in the city to lead the protest against the announcement of a separate gurdwara committee.

“In 2007, Chatha had issued a statement that the committee had received 1.15 lakh affidavits, supporting the demand for the HSGPC. Surprisingly, the figure has risen to 2.5 lakh now,” Makkar claimed. “No Sikh, barring a few leaders, from the state is supporting the demand.”

The community had rejected those leaders who led the campaign for the formation of the HSGPC by defeating them in the 2011 SGPC elections, the SGPC chief said.

Coming down heavily on the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, the SGPC chief alleged that the state had stalled attempts of the SGPC to start educational institutions in Haryana.

“Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had laid the foundation stone of Rs 150-crore Meeri Peeri Medical College at Shahbad Markanda in 2006. But the state government created hurdles by denying the change of land use (CLU) certificate for the institute. Hurdles were aloes created when the SGPC wanted to set up a school at Dhamtan Sahib and a polytechnic in Jind,” Makkar alleged.

Later, Prakash Singh Sahuwala, president of the local gurdwara committee of Dasham Patshahi Gurdwara, led a protest by SGPC supporters. They submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Union Home Minister, to the DC, requesting the Cente to stop the state government’s “designs to divide the Sikhs”.

Kaithal: The Kamboj Sabha has supported the formation of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), describing the Haryana Government’s announcement in this regard a “historic step”. “The constitution of a separate gurdwara committee will fulfill the long-pending demand of Sikhs. The sabha prays that HSGPC comes into existence at the earliest,” Advocate Narain Singh, president of the sabha, said during a meeting at Gurdwara GuruTegh Bahadur in Cheeka on Tuesday. “Educational and health institutions will be built in Haryana after the HSGPC is formed. Besides, the local youth will get jobs,” he said. In another meeting at the same venue, the SAD took exception to the announcement of a separate gurdwara committee. Hajoor Singh Bharmi, SAD secretary, presided over the meeting. — TNS

New Delhi, July 8
The Rail Budget expectedly triggered diametrically opposite reactions from the ruling Congress in the state and its rival INLD ahead of October’s Assembly elections.

Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda slammed the Budget, saying it was for the first time in six years that state got neither a new train nor a new line. Speaking to The Tribune in Parliament after the Budget presentation, Deepender accused the BJP government of ignoring the state.

“The absolute neglect of Haryana in the Budget is deliberate and politically motivated,” Deepender said, not satisfied with the announcement of surveys of two new lines — Jind-Hisar and Hisar-Narwana — that will benefit rival INLD in the elections.

INLD’s Dushyant Chautala, the youngest MP in the 16th Lok Sabha, said was extremely satisfied with the Rail Budget. “I met the Railway Minister yesterday and requested him to consider the announcement of surveys for the two lines that affect my constituency, Hisar. I have no reason to complain as I got both,” said the MP-grandson of INLD chief OP Chautala.

The Congress, on the other hand, said the new surveys were meaningless as 22 similar ones were pending. “When 22 surveys are pending in respect of Haryana, what meaning do these two new surveys have? We are told 3,000 surveys are pending at the national level. Naturally, the new surveys will be taken up only after the others are completed,” said Deepender, the Congress’ whip in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress also questioned Railway Minister Sadanand Gowad for failing to announce new suburban trains for the Delhi-NCR region whereas he made similar announcements for Mumbai and Bangalore.

Haryana had walked away with seven new trains and one new line in the last Railway Budget presented by the Congress-led UPA Government. This time its neighbour Punjab got luckier.

Chandigarh: The first Railway Budget of the Modi Government has evoked a mixed response from political parties in Haryana. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (in pic) described the Railway Budget as 'directionless and impractical'. He alleged that it lacked vision and reflected that it had been conceived with political vendetta in mind as Congress-ruled states had been ignored. Also, rail fare and freight were increased before its presentation in Parliament. However, BJP Legislature Party leader in the Vidhan Sabha Anil Vij hailed the Budget, stating that doubling of the Mahendergarh-Rewari line would give a fillip to the frequency of trains. He said as the Kanpur-Jammu and Delhi-Amritsar trains would cross through several districts of Haryana, a large number of state commuters would benefit . — TNS

Jhajjar, July 8
All attention is on the maiden General Budget of the Narendra Modi government as people are expecting “acche din” (good days) for themselves, as promised by Modi in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

All they are hoping for is that the BJP delivers on its promise of taming inflation. But given the increase in railway fares, and prices of milk and onion, it remains to be seen how the government fares on this front.

This correspondent talked to people from different walks of life to know their expectations.

“Life has become tough for the middle-class because of the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities. Firm measures should be taken to rein in inflation,” Suresh Panwar, a shopkeeper, said.

For Tapasvi Sharma, a college student, rising petrol and diesel prices are a concern. “Fuel prices are increased after every few months, taking a toll on students who do have income of their own.” Sudesh Bhardwaj, a housewife, said prices of LPG cylinders and household items should be reduced as kitchen expenses were becoming unmanageable.

The employees, on the other hand, wish to get hike in the income tax exemption to meet the cost of living.

“Besides increase in income tax exemption, people are expecting an increase in investment limit under Section 80 C. The limit has been the same for several years in spite of significance increase in the living cost,” Prof Suresh Malik said.

Kuldeep Hooda, a government employee, said: “The Centre should not only enhance the limit for home loans for the employees, but also reduce the loan rates in view of the manifold rise in the prices of property and construction material.”

Chandigarh, July 8
The Haryana Lokayukta has recommended action against four government officials, including the former DC and SP of Kaithal, in dealing with a case in a ‘casual manner’.

In his order Lokayukta Justice Pritam Pal termed the behaviour of then Kaithal DC Amneet P Kumar, SP B. Satish Bala, SHO Ashok Kumar and SHO of Garhi village Rajinder Singh as ‘highly unbecoming of responsible civil servants.’ He asked the competent authority to take appropriate action against the public servants in accordance with law and submit an action-taken report to the Lokayukta office within three months.

The case dates back to March 26, 2010, when Suresh Kumar (26) sustained serious injuries while unloading marble slabs from a truck in Pipaltha (Jind). He was rushed to the PGI in Chandigarh.

In the meanwhile, Ram Rati and Ramesh Kumar, Suresh Kumar’s mother and brother, respectively, moved an application before the DC and the Chief Minister for financial assistance for his treatment.

However, the family moved from pillar to post for almost seven months as their application for financial help was caught in the bureaucratic red tape. Suresh succumbed to his injuries at the PGI on November 24, 2010.

After Suresh’s death, the family again moved an application to the district administration for grant of financial assistance on December 16, 2010, under the Rajiv Gandhi Bima Yojana. On July 1, 2011, Ramesh Kumar (Suresh’s brother) threatened to commit suicide outside the Mini-Secretariat, Kaithal, for the administration’s failure to get his grievances redressed. However, Ram Rati, along with five others, were arrested in a false criminal case and they had to spend six days in jail.The case later was cancelled.

Basing his decision on the reports of the Lokayukta’s Registrar and the DGP(CID), besides other documentary evidence, Justice Pritam Pal also recommended six persons, who were detained illegally in jail in a false case, should be granted a compensated of Rs 30,000 each.

7-month wait for financial assistance Lokayukta Justice Pritam Pal recommended action against the former DC and SP of Kaithal and two SHOs The DC allegedly delayed financial assistance for seven months, leading to the death of 26-year-old Suresh Kumar The deceased mother and five others were implicated in a criminal case and put behind bars for six days The Lokayukta also recommended financial relief of ~30,000 to each

Mahendragarh, July 8
Holding liquor responsible for social evils, the panchayat of Bhungarka village in this district has banned the its sale and consumption in the village. It has also prohibited the playing of DJ music at weddings and other celebratory functions.

The panchayat also resolved to impose a penalty of ~ 11,000 on those found violating the restrictions. A team of 21-member of the village has also been formed to keep a tab on villagers who are habitual of consuming and selling liquor in the village.

The panchayat presided over by sarpanch Rajender Parshad and Krishnanand Saraswati decided to get the liquor vend shut.

“We have asked the liquor vendor to close his vend within five days,” Rajender Parshad told The Tribune.

He maintained around 25 families in the villages had already been ruined owing to the consumption of liquor during the past last two decades. Members of these families which once had ancestral land in the village were now struggling even to make both ends meet.

The ban on sale and consumption of liquor would help maintain brotherhood and social harmony in the village because several violent incidents occurred in the past due to liquor addiction, said the sarpanch.

Rajender maintained the panchayat would pay the security deposit of Rs 1 lakh to the vendor if the Excise and Taxation Department did not refund his security for closure of the liquor vend. The money would be donated by the village residents .

The sarpanch said villagers today called on the Mahendragarh DC, asking him to ensure refund of the security deposit to the liquor vendor. 

Yamunanagar, July 8
Residents of six villages held a mahapanchayat at Amadalpur village in the district on Tuesday and threatened to boycott the Assembly elections if the road connecting several villages of the area was not repaired soon.

Villagers said the road connecting Amadalpur village and Buria Chungi was in very bad shape and had not been repaired for 15 years. Rain water accumulated on the road at several places and it did not dry up for months, causing inconvenience to commuters.

“This road connects several villages of the area. Our relatives have stopped visiting us come due to the bad state of the road. We have repeatedly brought the matter to the administration’s notice, but in vain,” said Maruf, sarpanch of Bibipur village.

“Worst-affected are the students who have to cross the stretch to reach their schools every day. Most of the times their school dress gets dirty,” he said. Villagers also decided to block National Highway-73A near Buria Chungi in Jagadhri on July 13.

After hearing about the mahapanchayat, PWD Executive Engineer RK Kansal and senior Congress leader Satpal Kaushik went there and promised work on the road would be started in three days.

Those who participated in the mahapanchayat included Bibipur sarpanch Maruf, Bhogpur sarpach Siya Ram, Mukarabpur sarpanch Mohammad Islam, Bakarpur sarpanch Ajay Kumar, Kanalsi sarpanch Piru Ram and Amadalpur sarpanch Hukam Chand.

PWD Xen steps in Villagers said the road connecting Amadalpur village and Buria Chungi was in very bad shape and had not been repaired for 15 years They said they had repeatedly brought the matter to the administration’s notice, but in vain After getting to know about the meeting, PWD Executive Engineer RK Kansal and Congress leader Satpal Kaushik promised repairs would start in three days

Sirsa, July 8
Residents of Sirsa’s Khairpur locality are up in arms against the registration of criminal cases against 15 residents, including Congress leader Naveen Kedia.

State Congress spokesperson Hoshiari Lal Sharma said the case was registered at the instance of INLD leaders. Angry residents today met DC Anshaj Singh and SP Mitesh Jain demanding quashing of the FIR.

The police had on Sunday night booked 15 persons, including a Congress leader Naveen Kedia, under sections 332, 353 and 186 of the IPC and section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on the complaint of BN Bharti, Executive Officer of Sirsa Municipal Council.

Bharti had accused Kedia and others of thrashing him, preventing him from performing his duty and subjecting him to atrocities with relation to his caste when he went to the locality to remove encroachments.

Residents said they were implicated after they objected to damaging of water pipes and sewer connections during the drive. — TNS

Hisar, July 8
Hisar Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikash Dhankar has suspended five policemen, part of his special team, on the charge of extorting money from a shop owner in a motor market and falsely implicating him and his friends in a gambling case.

A departmental inquiry was marked to DSP Rajesh Lohan today against the erring officers — sub-inspector Om Prakash, ASI Krishan Kumar, ASI Bhim Singh, and head constables Dholu Ram and Dharambir Singh.

The shop owner, Jitender, filed a police complaint and a case in the local court today.

Anuj Gupta, lawyer for the shop owner, said his client, along with his four friends, were eating food in the shop on June 30 when the five policemen, wearing civil dress, entered the showroom.

“They demanded Rs 5 lakh from Jitender. When he refused, they searched the shop and directed him and his friends to show their wallets. The policemen extorted Rs 3.28 lakh from them,” Gupta claimed.

Karnal, July 8
A woman and her daughter were killed when their car fell off the elevated flyover near the Nirmal Kutiya Chowk here today. Her husband and the driver were injured. There was no safety railing at the spot where the accident took place.

The family was from Saharanpur’s Kultar Singh Nagar and was travelling to Panipat. When they reached the Nirmal Kutiya Chowk, the driver Sanjay lost control of the car and it fell off the flyover.

The police rushed them to the trauma centre where Shipa (26) and her five-year-old daughter Samyra were declared brought dead. Her husband Rahul and the driver Sanjay are in hospital.

Chandigarh, July 8
With the INLD and the BJP expressing their reservation over the formation of a separate body for gurdwaras of Haryana, the monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly from July 11 is likely to see a lot of fireworks.

While the Haryana government is scheduled to bring the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (HSGPC) Bill in the session, likely to be held over two sittings, the INLD and the BJP will take on the government for “meddling into the religious affairs of Sikhs for political gains”.

“We are very clear that it is a religious matter and the community must sort it out itself. We will oppose the Bill tooth and nail in the House because the Congress is dividing the community for petty vote gain during the forthcoming Assembly elections,” Ellenabad MLA Abhay Chautala said.

He maintained that the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in the state had no moral standing to take such decisions with far-reaching consequences since it had “lost the mandate” in the parliamentary elections. “The Congress has always played caste politics and that’s what the party has done by announcing the HSGPC. Let it decide the fate of the MLA striking deals in the change of land use case, the CDs for which were released by us,” Chautala said. The leader of the BJP Legislature Party, Anil Vij, said the HSGPC seemed a “ploy” of the Congress to appease Sikhs. “The Congress has been seen as anti-Sikh after the 1984 riots. The formation of the HSGPC is an attempt to mollify a section of the Sikhs and woo them back. We have referred the matter to our legal committee which will give us a feedback on whether or not the government can proceed with the formation of the religious body,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the HSGPC led by Jagdish Singh Jhinda today approached the office of Speaker Kuldeep Sharma and sought 100 gallery passes to attend the proceedings of the House on the day the Bill would be taken up.

Fireworks in the offing Government is scheduled to bring the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (HSGPC) Bill in the session. The INLD and the BJP will take on the government for “meddling into the religious affairs of Sikhs for political gains” Sources say since the HSGPC Bill will be the main agenda and enough time will not be there to reply to questions submitted by MLAs, the monsoon session may not have the question hour

Karnal, July 9
Continuing the series of discussions, Rajya Sabha MP Chaudhary Birender Singh today said his supporters will take the final call on his political course of action.

At a meeting with supporters here today, he said he had entrusted his supporters with shaping the future course of action. “If the workers are ready for a head-to-head fight, I’ll open my cards and go with their decision, he said.” Birender reiterated he will not contest the Assembly elections on the Congress symbol if no change in state leadership was effected. “Any other face than Hooda’s is acceptable because the fight is not about who is CM, but because it’s a fight for inclusive and sustainable growth,” the MP said.

He accused Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda of discrimination in the field of development and jobs. “All benefits are given to a particular area as there is no central university, defence university, or AIIMS in the state’s North.” On creation of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Birender said, “The state’s Sikhs have the right to a separate gurdwara committee. It’s a good initiative but came very late. Hooda promised it many years back.” — TNS

Rohtak, July 8
Family members and fellow villagers of Raj Kumar, the youth killed in an encounter with a Delhi Police team here yesterday, blocked the Rohtak-Delhi NH-10 near Asthal Bohar village here this evening.

The protesters demanded action against the Delhi Police officials responsible for the killing in a “fake” encounter and a thorough CBI probe into the entire episode. Questions are also being raised over the police move to fire at the youth’s car at a crowded place in the town, close to the Chief Minister’s local residence.

Meanwhile, Jyoti, the woman accompanying Raj Kumar who was also injured in police firing, also succumbed to her injuries at the local PGIMS early this morning. The police appeared to be on the back foot, with the Delhi cops alleging that the occupants did not stop the car even on being signalled to do so and a youth who was in the car with Jyoti and Raj Kumar had fired at them, which forced them to return the fire.

The police alleged that Jyoti and Raj Kumar had kidnapped Delhi-based factory owner Ram Lal Tyagi and demanded a Rs 20 lakh ransom for his release. The police also claims to have rescued Tyagi. However, Raj Kumar’s father, Satbir maintained, his son was with him on the day the kidnapping took place. Satbir, a former Delhi Police constable himself, has demanded a CBI inquiry into the enire episode.

The local police had booked Raj Kumar, Jyoti and their third accomplice, for attempt to murder and under other sections of the IPC

Narnaul, July 8
Traders of vegetable, grain and fodder markets here today shut their shops to protest against the high reserve price for plots meant for them in new market on the Nangal Chaudhary road here.

The reserve price for a plot measuring around 100 yards is around Rs 40 lakh. The traders are demanding the price to be not more than Rs 10 lakh.

The traders submitted a memorandum to the Mahendragarh Deputy Commission (DC), seeking reduction in the reserve price. The DC has sent the memorandum to the Haryana Government for further action.

The traders have threatened not to shift their shops in the new market if the authorities failed to slash the reserve price.

At present, the vegetable market located at Azad Chowk neither has neither an adequate parking lot nor proper space for selling vegetables. Therefore, the authorities want to shift the market to the new place.

In all, 131 plots, including 85 in the grain market and 31 in the vegetable market, are to be allotted to the traders. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had inaugurated the new market more than two years ago. “The reserve price of Rs 40 lakh is not justified in a backward town such as Narnaul where the vegetable and grain traders are struggling to eke out a living due to increase in living cost,” said Ajit Singh, the president of the Vegetable Market Association.

Aditya Yadav, secretary of the market committee, said the head office had been made aware of the traders’ demand after they boycotted the allotment. “The next date for the draw of plots will be decided later,” he added.

NEW DELHI, JULY 8
Former Home Minister of Haryana and rebel Congress leader Subhash Batra is likely to join the BJP shortly.

Batra told TNS that “ I have been in touch with BJP leaders of Haryana and at the Centre in the past one month. My meetings with them have been cordial.” To a specific question whether he would join the BJP, he said the possibility could not be ruled out.

Batra hails from Rohtak district and was elected MLA from Rohtak on the Congress ticket in the 1991 elections. Subsequently, he was inducted into the Cabinet by Bhajan Lal.

Of late the estranged Congress leader has been working for political empowerment of Punjabis in Haryana under the aegis of the Akhil Bharatiya Punjabi Jagriti Manch of which he is the president.

Meanwhile, Neeraj Sharma, a block president of the Congress from Faridabad and son of incumbent Haryana Labour Minister Shiv Charan Sharma, joined the BJP.

SONEPAT, JULY 8
Deputy Commissioner Samir Pal Srow has suspended sarpanch Krishan Kumar and three panches— Lilawati, Rajesh and Abhimany— of Kumaspur gram panchayat following reports of irregularities in the distribution of 100 square yards plots among BPL families in the village.

A criminal case has also been registered against them on the directions of the Haryana Lokayukta.

Chet Ram, a village resident, lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta, alleging that the alleged accused had committed irregularities in the distribution of plots among BPL families of the village. He also complained that the alleged accused had taken a bribe of Rs 2,500 each from the plot beneficiaries. The DC has also placed Ganga Devi, sarpanch of Rajpur, for allegedly committing irregularities in panchayat records and misplacing the panchayat records. — OC

Palwal, July 8
Two motorcycle-borne men looted Rs 12.14 lakh from employees of the Forest Department here today. The police have booked a case and have launched a hunt to nab the culprits.

According to the complaint, the incident took place around 2.10 pm when Forest Department employees Kalyan Singh and Ramesh were returning to office on a motorcycle after withdrawing money for wages and salary from the SBI branch.

Two men, also on a motorcycle, began following them and intercepted them near the ICICI Bank close to Agra Chowk. After a minor scuffle, they snatched the bag containing the cash from Ramesh, who was riding pillion. The complainants said the men, who had covered their faces, came very close to their bike all of a sudden and snatched the bag after pushing the employees.

The police has reviewed CCTV footage of the bank. The PCR van stationed near the bank was not there when the incident took place. — TNS

Kurukshetra, July 8
Members of the Haryana School Education Officers’ Association (HSEOA) went on a one-day mass leave today, demanding Rs 7,600 grade pay as per recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission and Class-1 status for the principals across the state.

The protestors submitted a memorandum to DC Nikhil Gajraj for the Haryana Chief Minister. Besides principals, BEEO, BEO, Deputy DEO, DEEO, DEO, Deputy Director and Joint Director also joined the mass leave. — TNS

Kaithal, July 8
Panic gripped the Balraj Nagar locality of Kaithal late last night, when unidentified miscreants opened fire at two buffalo dealers. While one person died on the spot, another though badly injured, ran for cover.

Sarfroj and Farmod, both hailing from UP, had been living in a rented room at a dairy farm in Balraj Nagar. On Monday night, at around 2 am someone knocked at their door, when the duo opened the door they saw two unidentified persons with their faces covered, who opened fire. As a result, Sarfroj died on the spot, while Farmod suffered bullet injuries, but ran away to save himself. He was later shifted to the PGI, Chandigarh. Some relatives of the victims claimed the miscreants looted cash amounting to lakhs. A case was registered under section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act against unidentified persons. — OC