New Delhi, September 2
The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) headed by party president Sonia Gandhi will meet here on September 4 to discuss candidates and is expected to clear the names of senior sitting MLAs sure to be repeated for the forthcoming polls.

Chief Minister Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said, “The CEC is meeting on September 4 to decide on the candidates for the Haryana elections.” The Tribune has learnt that candidates for 25 to 30 seats have been cleared after several rounds of screening conducted by Congress leader PC Chacko, chairman of the state screening committee. The CEC might approve these names but keep them pending for declaration with the rest of the candidates.

There is no clarity on probables for many segments in the state. Top sources in the party said lack of consensus was evident on “several seats”, which is making the selection process tougher than expected. “We are facing trouble in screening. There is a lot of disagreement on candidates,” said a Congress leader.

The party is also weighing its options on whether or not to declare the first list of candidates following the CEC meeting on September 4 or wait for the announcement of elections.

Leaders privy to the screening developments said, “None of our rivals in the state have opened their cards yet. The CEC may decide to wait for the BJP to declare its candidates first. If we announce our candidates before everyone else, we expose the risk of poaching by the BJP. That has to be kept in mind while finalising the schedule for declaring candidates.”

Meanwhile, party chief Sonia Gandhi will be leaving for her trip abroad on September 5 and return on September 14. Party sources said in between the Central Election Committee may meet, if needed, with vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the chair. “The CEC could meet in case elections were declared early and there is need to declare candidates early. Else it can wait for Sonia Gandhi to return,” said leaders.

Hisar, September 2
The stakes are high in this Assembly poll and so are the apprehensions of paid news. And why not? Prominent leaders of the state own media houses that can be used, rather “misused”, to project their “achievements”.

Besides, media mughals have ventured into politics. Delhi-based ‘Punjab Kesri’ owner Ashwani Kumar joined the BJP and is an MP from Karnal, while Zee Group owner Subhash Goenka has joined the BJP. He is keen to contest the Hisar Assembly segment. Another BJP leader Capt Abhimanyu’s family owns Hindi daily “Hari Bhoomi’ that is published from Rohtak.

The Election Commission (EC) has taken steps to put a check on paid news, but the presence of politicians owning media houses and media-magnates-turned-politicians will be a challenge before the commission because of clash on interest.

The first foray into media in the state was in 1990. Lok Dal (now INLD) leaders brought out a newspaper “Jan Sandesh” in the aftermath of Meham violence during the 1990 byelection. The paper is now defunct, but several other politicians jumped the bandwagon.

At present, Jan Chetna Party supremo Venod Sharma owns India News Haryana, Haryana Lokhit Party’s Gopal Kanda owns Haryana News, Jindals’ have a stake in Focus News, Samast Bharatiya Party’s Sudesh Agrawal owns Khabre Abhi Tak, while Beri MLA Raghubir Kadian has stake in I-Witness news channel. A Sirsa-based Congress leader too has a stake in a regional channel in Haryana.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, director of NGO Citizens for Responsibility, Accountability and Transparency, has written to the EC, demanding constitution of committees at the state and district level to monitor reports published in newspapers and aired TV channels owned by politicians.

The letter stated that nearly 10 politicians cutting across party lines owned newspapers and TV channels in the state.

Chandigarh, September 2
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said today that the entire state had been declared as drought-hit for kharif-2014. A special girdawari had been ordered to assess the loss caused due to dry spell.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with senior officers here, Hooda said that in the case of more than 50 per cent damage to the paddy and cotton crops, a compensation of Rs 4,000 per acre would be given. However, in the case of damage to other crops, it would be Rs 3,500 per acre. The central compensation in such cases was Rs 1,800 and Rs 3,600, respectively.

Hooda said the state government had already submitted a memorandum to the Central Government, seeking a special package of Rs 4829.75 crore and hoped that the Centre would respond positively and send its team at the earliest to assess the loss.

According to the data collected from the India Meteorological Department from June 1 to August 31,the state continued to experience more than a 65 per cent rainfall deficit as compared to the normal average. Eighteen of the 21 districts in the state have received less than 50 per cent rainfall.

He said of the special package sought from the Centre, Rs 1191.79 crore had been demanded to compensate the State Power Utilities alone which had been consistently maintaining an eight-hour supply for farm tubewells for meeting the irrigation needs and save the crops, notwithstanding the fact that power was being sourced at a very high rate.

He said the state government had also pitched a case for Rs 1047.71 crore to offset the interest burden on farmers on account of deferment and conversion of short-term crop loans to medium-term loans in these difficult times. Similarly, Rs 293.30 crore had been sought under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme to provide additional wage employment and creation of water-harvesting structures in the rural areas of the state.

He said that other areas of assistance included the irrigation sector, drinking water supply in rural and urban areas, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Hooda said earlier it was in 2002 that the state was declared as drought-hit.

Chandigarh, September 2
Though the Haryana Government has dropped the idea of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda speaking to students in schools across the state on Teacher’s Day, as envisaged earlier, it would facilitate the live telecast of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the day.

Earlier, Union HRD minister Smriti Irani had stated that it was not mandatory for schools to listen to the Prime Minister’s address.

Officials of the State Education Department said that the Union Government’s “directive” had been conveyed to all schools and the PM’s address will be telecast live using television sets provided to government schools under the state’s Edusat programme.

“While most schools have television sets under the programme, those without sets have been asked to hire and install these a day before the address. Also, schools have been asked to take the help of the local community and procure transistor sets as back-up arrangement in case of failed signals or power problems,” an officer said.

The District Education Officers have asked the Block Education officers in the various districts to purchase antennas for television sets in government schools in their respective areas or have delegated this responsibility to the head of the school. “It costs about Rs 130 and all schools have some funds at their disposal . That’s all the investment that will be required for the smooth telecast. Wherever no television sets are available or are not in working condition, we have asked school heads to hire sets for a day,” a DEO said.

Sources said school will start at 11.30 am instead of 8 am on September 5 and get over after the PM’s address. With studies usually suspended on Teachers’ Day, students and the staff will participate in a cultural programme and various activities and schools have been asked to serve snacks to the students during their “stretched stay” at school. This will be followed by the PM’s address.

“In most schools, we are extending the mid-day meal programme to all classes since the children will be required to be present for longer than usual,” a teacher said.

Sources said that though the government was initially considering an address by the Chief Minister before the PM’s address, the idea had been dropped altogether. However, the government had decided to go ahead and telecast the PM’s address since “it could not be overlooked”.

“Though the HRD minister has clarified that it is not mandatory, we will telecast it since the PM is involved. Also, when we have the infrastructure available in schools, we don’t want to create an impression that because it is a BJP government at the Centre, we are not doing so,” an official said.

Gannaur, September 2
Voting for high-profile candidates has brought rich dividends for the people since this segment witnessed all round development on this account.

The fact that this area was well connected by rail and roads also helped it grow further. Located along the Yamuna belt, the land here is fertile and the water table too is high as compared to other neighbouring constituencies. Although there is no heavy industry here, this is compensated by the Rai industrial belt next door.

In the last 11 state assembly elections in Haryana since 1966, the Congress has won this seat five times, independents three times and the Janata Party, Haryana Vikas Party and INLD one time each.

Since the constituency voted for many Congress candidate Chiranji Lal Sharma won in 1967, Shanti Rathi in 1991, Jitender Singh Malik in 2000 and 2005 and Kuldeep Sharma in the 2009 assembly elections. Independents Rajinder Singh Malik and Pratap Singh Tyagi won in 1968, 1982 and 1972, respectively.

Other winners from here include Shanti Rathi as Janata Party candidate in 1977, Ved Singh Malik as INLD candidate in 1987 and Ramesh Kaushik as Haryana Vikas Party candidate in 1996.

In the previous assembly polls, Congressman Kuldeep Sharma defeated his nearest rival, Krishan Gopal Tyagi of INLD, by over 10,000 votes. Nirmal Rani of HJC and Azad Singh Nehra of BJP were placed at third and fourth positions among 10 contestants.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP nominee Ramesh Kaushik took a lead of 3,833 votes over his nearest rival Jagbir Singh Malik of the Congress with the INLDs Padam Singh Dahiya a close third with 28,146 votes.

The upcoming assembly elections will be a multi- cornered contest as some parties are yet to finalise their candidates. Party sources said that Sharma, a former MP and two time MLA from this constituency, Jitender Singh Malik, former minister Ved Singh Malik and national IYC secretary Devender Kadian are the front runners.

Jitender, who was elected Congress MP from Sonepat in the 2009, declined to contest the Lok Sabha elections this time saying that he wanted to contest the Assembly election from Gannaur. In case he is denied a ticket, he may contest as an independent or from another party.

Kuldeep said Gannaur town had been given a face lift with 4-lanning of the railway road, development of six parks, construction of an indoor stadium, new vegetable market and an administrative block. Similarly, Rs 14 crore had been sanctioned for the construction of a new building of the Sanskrit Modern School.

The annual budget of Gannaur municipal committee had been increased from around Rs 6 crore to Rs 36 crore. “Every village in the constituency has been provided with development grant of at least Rs 1 crore,” he added.

Similar claims were made by Jitender Singh Malik who that he had served the people with his best efforts during his two tenures as MLA in 2000 and 2005 as well as an MP from since 2009.”

However, the voters appear undecided since many parties are yet to declare their candidates.

Before 1990, Gannaur used to be famous for the lone heavy industry in this belt — Bharat Steel Tubes (BST) — which employed thousands of skilled and unskilled workers from this area. However, the unit owner, Raunak Singh, closed the unit in 1988. The opposition parties had alleged that the then state government was behind its closure.

The reopening of the unit used to be one of the main promises of the candidates in every Assembly elections, but this issue has been put at the back burner by the parties and there was no reference of this issue in the Lok Sabha elections. People here have also lost hopes of its opening in near future.

Total voters: 1,50,588
Men: 82,973
Women: 67,615

Lack of employment facilities, no heavy, medium or small scale industry, erratic transportation in the inner areas, poor advanced medical facilities, and no institutes of higher education

HJC: Vikas Tyagi and Vikram Rathi

bjp: Azad Singh Nehra, Sukhbir Gulia and Devender Kaushik

Fatehabad, September 2
Fissures have developed in the family of late former minister Leela Krishan Chaudhary after his daughter-in-law and former INLD MLA Swatantar Bala Chaudhary announced her decision to join the BJP.

Swatantar Bala

Two sons of the former minister and brothers of Narinder Chaudhary, Swatantar Bala’s husband, have distanced themselves from her decision.

Swatantar Bala, who was elected MLA on the INLD ticket in a 2002 bypoll held after the death of her father-in-law Leela Krishan Chaudhary had quit the INLD to join the saffron party on August 31.

She unsuccessfully contested the 2005 and 2009 Assembly polls on the INLD ticket.

This time, she had conveyed her intention of not contesting the poll to the INLD leadership well before the party started the process to select candidates.

Her move has surprised many because the day INLD announced Balwan Singh Daulatpuria as its candidate from Fatehabad, Swatantar was seen tying rakhi to him in pictures released by the INLD.

Swatantar has maintained that she had taken the step on the insistence of her Punjabi community.

Her husband’s youngest brother Tarun Chaudhary and grandson of the late minister Saurabh Chaudhary today met INLD MP Dushyant Singh Chautala and conveyed their family’s commitment towards the INLD.

“Chaudhary family was ashamed at the step taken by Swatantar Bala and all members of the clan except her family would remain loyal to the INLD,” Tarun said.

Kurukshetra, September 2
The BJP workers today sent out a clear message to the party leadership that the workers would not accept the turncoats and outsiders as party candidates in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The workers staged a demonstration outside the party office and raised slogans against turncoats. The agitating workers said they would not work for the turncoats and outsiders. “The party must give the ticket to those who have been working hard for the party since years,” they added.

BJP district chief Dhuman Singh Kirmach said, “There is resentment among workers as newcomers have started making claims that their ticket has been confirmed by leaders, which is wrong. No one can claim to have got the ticket until announced. I will ask the workers not to protest and instead speak at the party forum.” — TNS

New Delhi, September 2
The Akali Dal’s apparent decision to campaign in favour of the INLD against its senior NDA ally has not gone down well with the central BJP leadership. Though newly appointed in charge of Haryana Kailash Vijayvargiya refused to comment on the issue, BJP sources said the senior party leadership was in the midst of devising a strategy to tackle the tricky situation — a formidable fourth angle to the competition in the state.

The BJP leaders also deny having reached any behind-the-scene understanding with the INLD on some seats, adding that BJP president Amit Shah may issue a statement to ease confusion on the matter among the BJP cadres in the state.

Meanwhile, Vijayvargiya, who today held a string of meetings at the party headquarters to strategise for the elections, told The Tribune that the party would follow a similar strategy in Haryana as it had in the general elections — “micro-management” of polling booths and use of traditional and modern means of canvassing.

Exuding confidence about forming the next government in the state, the Madhya Pradesh leader, who is also known for his strong saffron leanings, said: “We are fighting the elections alone. We will rise above ‘jativad’ (caste politics) just like we had in the Lok Sabha elections and fight these elections in the spirit of nationalism.”

Though senior BJP leaders say their understanding with the Akali Dal is only for Punjab and how their Punjab ally chooses to treat Haryana elections is its own prerogative, they admit that opening of a separate INLD-Akali Dal front means an additional challenge for the saffron party.

“Akali leaders canvassed in favour of the INLD in the Lok Sabha elections as well. At that time also BJP leaders had protested. However, dynamics in the national elections is vastly different from the state-level elections,” the BJP leaders added.

Karnal, September 2
With the model code of conduct for the Assembly elections to be announced any day, the BJP is finalising its candidates.

Interview of the ticket aspirants of Karnal, Panipat and Kaithal districts were conducted by party observers Rajiv Bindal, MLA from Nahan and member of the election management committee Haryana, and Kanwar Pal, state general secretary, here today.

They met aspirants for Karnal, Indri, Nilokehri, Gharaunda, Assandh, Panipat Urban, Panipat Rural, Samalkha, Israna, Kaithal, Kalayat, Guhla-Cheeka and Pundri Assembly constituencies.

Sources said that the claimants from Karnal, Assandh, Nilokehri, Kaithal and Pundri voiced their concern at giving tickets to outsiders and new entrants in the party since it could be harmful for the party’s prospects.

“There is unmatched cohesion in party at the moment and a little error of judgement would make or mar their winning prospects,” they added.

Both the observers urged the workers to remain united and work towards the victory of the party. You all did a great job during the Lok Sabha elections and now the time has come to repeat it in these polls, the observers added.

Bindal, a former health minister of Himachal Pradesh, told The Tribune that they were here to interact with the party leaders to ascertain the ground realities. The workers are united and there is no resentment among them, he added.

Faridabad, September 2
Several former and present members of the Municipal Corporation, Faridabad (MCF), are in the race for the ticket from urban Assembly constituencies in Faridabad district.

Faridabad, Faridabad NIT, Badkhal and Ballabgarh constitute the urban segments of the district, while Tigaon and Prithla are the rural Assembly segments.

Most of ticket aspirants are eyeing the BJP ticket. The names doing the rounds include that of Parvesh Mehta, Om Prakash Rakswal, Ajay Bainsla, Satish Chandila, Seema Trikha, Danesh Adhlakha and Neera Tomar. The ticket aspirants for the Congress include Lakhan Singla, Rajender Agarwal, Jagan Dagar and Rajender Bamla.

Political analyst Devender Singh said the rush for tickets was because MCF members viewed entering the Vidhan Sabha as a stepping stone to making it big in the Haryana politics. “Some of the leaders who have made it big were members of the MCF. Their success gives the ticket aspirants hope that they, too, can go a long way if they get elected to the Assembly.”

Union Minister of State for Road Transport Krishan Pal Gurjar, Haryana Labour Minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma and Ballabgarh MLA Sharda Rathaur were members of the MCF before they were elected as MP or MLA.

Singh said with the changed political scenario and anti-incumbency against the Congress government, the number of aspirants for the BJP ticket had swollen beyond the expectations. He, though, said was no shortage of aspirants for the ruling party as well.

A newly constructed manhole in Sirsa. Tribune photo

Uninvited benevolence

• Sewer and water supply pipes are being laid in several unauthorised colonies by the money provided by candidates
• No care taken to match the design and slope of new pipes with the existing ones or flow of sewer contents or drinking water in existing lines
• Power cables installed in localities, villages and dhanis (hamlets) without the consent of the DHBVN
• Ex-minister and HLP president Gopal Kanda and INLD candidate Makhan Lal Singla are contesting from the Sirsa segment

Faridabad, September 2
The police have booked a man on the charge of abducting and raping a married woman. The accused, Vivek, is on the run.

The victim, a resident of Nangla Enclave here, had left for her parents’ house in Delhi on August 30 following a quarrel with her husband. She told the police that the accused, a resident of same the locality and was known to her, offered her a lift in his car. She refused but, on Vivek’s insistence, she took the offer.

Jind, September 2
The missing teenaged girl’s relatives and locals today staged a protest against the alleged police inaction in the case. Carrying banners, they demanded that the girl be traced immediately.

On August 29, Anil from Shyam Nagar in the city and his accomplices allegedly kidnapped the girl from her house and fled in a car. Her mother Suman and brother Deepak tried to stop the car, but they were run over. Suman died on way to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

The police booked Anil under Sections 365 (kidnapping) and 302 (murder) of the IPC. The family demanded that Anil’s accomplices should also be booked.

Members of NGOs, victim’s relatives and locals started the march from a garden and the procession concluded at Ambedkar Chowk.

“The police are not taking the case seriously,” alleged Ram Mehar, general secretary of the Maid Sunar Sabha.

Jind Superintendent of Police (SP) Anil Dhawan could not be contacted for comment.

Ambala, September 2
Harassed by his former employer in Norway, the father of Ambala man Lalit Sharma (in pic) has approached the Centre for help to facilitate his son’s return.

Gurdial Chand Sharma said Lalit (36) was offered the job of a CA in a company owned by an Indian settled in Oslo, Norway, in 2012. “After joining the job, he was asked to make false entries in the company’s accounts to evade tax. As my son did not oblige, the company refused to pay him and forced him to leave,” Sharma claimed.

The company owner harassed him and forced him to leave the job. “Now, he has been left with meagre resources to survive,” Sharma said.

Lalit, he said, wrote to the Norwegian tax and finance authorities and reported the matter to the police, but no help came his way. Subsequently, he wrote to the Indian Embassy in Norway, but to no avail. “I have written to Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj seeking her help, but got no response,” Sharma said.

He said his son was finding it hard to find a job in Norway, as his former employee was creating hurdles for him and. “With no income, he is finding it difficult to return to India. If Lalit is not helped, he would not survive there for long,” he said.

Jhajjar, September 2
The proposed live speech of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for school students on Teacher’s Day is making the district education officials and school teachers working overtime to make the plan a success.

While the decision of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda not to go ahead with his address on the same day has provided some relief, the officials are worried that the address of the PM via Edusat could be found wanting. Edusat systems were lying idle and non-functional in over 80 per cent government schools of this district.

As per information with the District Education Office, there were about 390 of a total of 434 schools across the district where Edusat systems were non-functional and required new batteries and other accessories to make them functional for the live telecast.

The government had spent Rs 300 crores on establishing the Edusat to provide quality education in the government schools some years ago but the system developed defects after some months and no one paid heed to rectify them.

“It is not easy to get the defunct Edusat system rectified in three days without any facility available,” said a school head on anonymity. He maintained, “We have not only to manage adequate numbers of television sets and cable network to make the students watch the live address but also to arrange the meal for them after the telecast. Despite all this, we may have to face the music for mismanagement during the programme.”

Notably, Haryana School Shiksha Priyojana Parishad had issued an advisory to Education Department officials to ensure the PM’s address was telecast on Teacher’s Day.

Meanwhile, Jhajjar DEO Sadhu Ram Rohilla said the PM’s speech would be telecast live on DD channel and TV sets with cable connections will be arranged for every school.

Chandigarh, September 2
Whether the period of stay granted by the courts is to be excluded while computing the five-year period prescribed under the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 is the vital question of law being adjudicated by a Full Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The question is important as the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, says proceedings shall deemed to have lapsed if the award is passed more than five years ago but possession of the land has not been taken or compensation not paid.

As the case came up for resumed hearing before the Full Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta, Justice G.S Sandhawalia and Justice Kuldeep Singh, senior advocate-cum-former Additional Solicitor-General of India Mohan Jain appeared on behalf of landowners and farmers.

He contended that material on the basis of which the reference was made to the Full Court was not sustainable under the law as it was specifically prescribed in those cases that the period of stay shall be excluded.

Jain further argued that the present Act was enacted by Parliament to safeguard the interest of landowners. It being a beneficial legislation, the court should interpret the Act in a liberal manner.

Jain further argued that the legislature had intentionally not provided for exclusion of the stay period in the 2013 Act. This was in sharp contrast to the old Land Acquisition Act, 1894, where specific exclusion of the stay period was provided.

Sirsa, September 2
A teenage girl was found unconscious on Begu road in Sirsa last night. Doctors treating her said her condition was serious and it was vital that she gains consciousness soon.

An auto driver returning to the town after dropping passengers at Dera Sacha Sauda around 9 pm yesterday saw the girl lying on the road and took her to the General Hospital. Doctors said the girl might have been drugged as there was no apparent injury on her body, but she was unconscious for over 21 hours. The girl’s CT scan did not show any internal head injury.

The hospital authorities informed the Kirti Nagar Police Post in view of the possibility of a sexual crime. “The girl is still unconscious and we are waiting for her to regain consciousness to find out what happened,” said Ram Niwas, incharge of Kirti Nagar Police Post. — TNS