Chandigarh, August 30
The Haryana Government has submitted a memorandum to the Union Ministry of Agriculture seeking a special central assistance amounting to Rs 4,829.25 crore to meet the drought-like conditions prevailing in the state.

An official spokesperson said from June 1 to August 26, the state had received a rainfall of only 124.6 mm as compared to the normal rainfall of 358.9 mm, which is 65 per cent less than the normal rainfall. The deficit is over 50 per cent in 18 out of the 21 districts of the state.

The state government has requested for a special package of Rs. 4829.25 crore, of which an amount of Rs. 1191.79 crore has been demanded to compensate the state power utilities alone which have been consistently maintaining an eight-hour supply for tubewells to meet the irrigation needs of farmers and save the crops, notwithstanding that power is being sourced at very high rates.

He said the memorandum sought an assistance of Rs 1,703 crore to compensate for the damage to the standing crops, relief for the unsown area, seeds for alternate crops, distribution of gypsum and deepening of tubewells. Further, assistance of Rs 66.81 crore has been sought for taking relief measures for the damages to the horticulture sector.

The state government has also pitched a case for an amount of Rs 1,047.71 crore to offset the interest burden on the farmers on account of deferment and conversion of short-term crop loans advanced by the cooperative sector banks to medium-term loans in these difficult times. Similarly, enhanced provision of Rs 293.30 crore has been sought under the MGNREGS and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme to provide for additional wage employment and creation of water harvesting structures in the rural areas of the state. Other areas of assistance include the irrigation sector, drinking water supply in rural and urban areas, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Haryana’s SoS Rainfall deficiency pegged at over 50 per cent in 18 districts Rs 1,703 crore demanded to compensate farmers Rs 1,191.79 crore demanded to compensate power utilities

New Delhi, August 30
The Congress today started the process of screening candidates for the 90 Assembly seats in the poll-bound Haryana while stressing the need to field Congress men over outsiders. Party leaders also stressed going to the polls under the leadership of president Sonia and vice-president Rahul Gandhi instead of CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda alone.

The screening committee for Haryana, headed by PC Chacko, held its first meeting today. Congress leaders yesterday briefed Rahul on the challenges being faced by the party in the state. He was apprised of the need to field traditional Congress leaders in the elections instead of outsiders who might seem more winnable but would not bring value to the party.

Another point made before Rahul was the need for the Congress to fight the Assembly elections as a “party” and not as a “set of individuals”.

Accordingly, the Congress, through the Haryana poll publicity committee, will prepare its communication strategy with Sonia, Rahul, Hooda and state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar at the Centre. Even the cover of the Congress manifesto for Haryana will feature these four leaders instead of Hooda alone.

“The idea behind mounting the Haryana campaign under the leadership of the Congress president and Congress vice-president is catching the voters who resent the CM. We will get the votes of CM’s supporters anyway. It is the anti-CM voters we need to tap. To do that, our campaign must focus on central leaders while taking the CM and state leaders along,” said party sources.

Screening panel to vote

The Congress Screening Committee for the state today decided to rank potential candidates by the number of votes they have received from the Pradesh Election Committee members instead of mentioning which leader rooted for whom.

Deepender backs joint leadership At the meeting of the Congress campaign committee on Friday, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda backed the projection of joint leadership. He proposed a campaign video featuring clips of all state leaders, including the CM. Deepender Hooda

Jhajjar, August 30
Taken aback by the significant numbers, the BJP has started to appease the ticket aspirants to thwart rebellion and maintain unity in the party after the ticket allotment is over.

BJP state co-incharge Anil Jain and state organising general secretary, Suresh Bhatt, today interacted with the ticket aspirants in Rohtak.

They tried to convince the aspirants that they would be accommodated in the government if they were overlooked. This is the time to pull their socks and work to strengthen the party cadre at the booth-level instead of waiting for the ticket allotment.

The aspirants present there said that collective and collaborative efforts were the only key to ensure the party’s victory in the polls. A united front after the tickets were announced would be the need of the hour, they added.

“You can carry on with your efforts to get the ticket but will have to work in tandem after declaration of the official candidate if you want to bring the BJP to power,” they were told.

Jain made it clear that the party had formulated a criteria to select winnable candidates keeping in view various poll equations and other aspects.

“Since ticket will be given to one aspirant from a constituency it is understandable that others will be discontented. The unsuccessful persons would be suitable accommodated but concern should be ensuring the victory of the party nominee,” he added.

“The leadership fears revolt and infighting in the party, hence, this effort to placate the aspirants at the first stage itself,” he added.

Rohtak: Senior Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) leader Dharampal Malik said the BJP leadership was responsible for breaking the alliance between the two parties. Addressing the mediapersons here on Saturday, he alleged the BJP had always adopted the policy of use-and-throw with the regional parties. Responding to a query, he said the BJP had offered them only 15 seats which were not acceptable to them. We are not in touch with the BSP or the HLP for a pre-poll alliance, he added. — TNS

Faridabad, August 30
The district election authorities have decided to use over 100 video cameras to keep a close watch on the election campaign and the polling process in order to ensure free and fair elections.

Around 12.20 lakh voters will exercise their right of franchise in the six assembly segments here in the upcoming polls in October, after the addition of 28,000 new voters.

According to the Election Commission officials, video cameras would help to keep an eye on election expenses and check incidents of violation of the poll code.

The teams that would be deputed during the campaign would include expense supervisors, video surveillance cell, accounts team, statistics officials, complaints record, and handling team and officials of the helpline number released during the period.

Officials handling both the video and still cameras would be deputed with the teams, which would tour the constituencies round-the-clock to record check violations during the election campaign.

Jind, August 30
The failure of the police in achieving a breakthrough in the case of kidnapping of a 17-year-old girl from Amarheri and the reported statement of the SP terming the incident as “planned departure” have come under criticism.

The Maid Sunar Sabha on Saturday served a three-day ultimatum on the police to trace the girl and demanded regret from the SP. A delegation of politicians, NGO members, social workers and family members of the missing girl met SP Anil Dhawan in his office.

The SP was criticised for his statement on Friday evening that Manisha and Anil planned to leave, but her family got to know about it and tried to stop her, which subsequently led to her mother’s death.

“The irresponsible statement has damaged the reputation of the girl and her family. How can the police claim that the girl planned to elope? We will launch an agitation against the police after three days if they fail to recover her and the SP does not regret his statement,” said Ram Mehar Verma, general secretary of the sabha.

The sabha held a meeting on Saturday morning and sent copies of the memorandum to the Prime Minister, the Governor, the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the DGP.

“We have formed three teams and are conducting a thorough investigation. We are taking every step to recover the girl. I had only said the accused was known to the girl’s family and nothing more,” said the SP.

“The press note which quoted me as saying that the accused and the girl planned to leave was incorrect. I never said that. PRO Pawan Kapur prepared the press note without my knowledge. I will take action against him,” he added.

Rohtak, August 30
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded the status report in the case of suicide by two teenaged girls as they were reportedly being stalked. IG (crimes against women) Suman Manjari visited Rohtak on Saturday to take stocke.

Rohtak SSP Saurabh Singh said the main accused and three others had been arrested and two more identified. He said the number of woman PCR vans and riders had been increased.

Students of colleges boycotted classes, demanding a secure atmosphere.

Haryana Child Welfare Society vice-chairperson and Chief Minister’s wife Asha Hooda paid a visit to families of the deceased on Friday.

Rewari, August 30
Rewari DC RC Verma has suspended headmaster and teacher in charge of midday meal at a government senior secondary school in Nehrugarh village after finding schoolchildren sitting on the floor without mat during the meal.

He directed the other staff to abide by midday meal guidelines. He said laxity would not be tolerated. He paid a surprise visit to government schools in the district on Friday.

“Midday meal was being served to around 250 students when the DC arrived. The children were sitting on the floor without mat and eating,” said sources.

The DC called headmaster Suresh Kumar and midday meal in charge Meenakshi. He demanded an explanation and suspended them when they could not give a satisfactory reply.

Verma said school heads were directed to make proper arrangements for serving midday meal and keep a check on quality of food. “It has been found that most school heads are not paying heed to the directives,” he said.

Hisar, August 30
The family of the Dalit schoolgirl who committed suicide after reportedly being harassed by four youths refused to take the body for cremation on Saturday, expressing dissatisfaction over police action.

The police claimed that three of the four accused were detained for questioning and the fourth would be traced soon. The police refused to accept that it was a molestation case, claiming that the victim had an affair with one of the youths.

The class IX student consumed some poisonous substance at her house on Friday evening. Her father alleged that four youths molested her when she was returning home from a seminar. Sanjay Chauhan, a Dalit activist, said the police had not added relevant sections of the SC/ST Act in the case.

A police spokesperson said Sunil Kumar, one of the youths who was a Dalit and resident of Kishangarh, had confessed that he had an affair with the girl and they met at a temple on Friday.