Chandigarh, September 8
Haryana Roadways’ unions called off their strike today following a “compromise” with the state government much to the relief of commuters.

Union representatives claimed the government had decided not to issue private permits to operators for the time being and invited objections from employees. The government agreed to let the new government take a call on the matter post-Assembly elections. At a meeting between the coordination committee of the seven roadways’ unions and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed held in Delhi, the government agreed to revive the ministerial committee comprising PWD Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala and Ahmed to consider the employees’ objections.

“The unions have decided to call off the strike after talks with the Chief minister. Bus services in the state, paralysed for the last two days, have resumed. The unions have been asked to file their objections to the ministerial committee. Once these are received, we will proceed further,” Ahmed said. No time limit has been set for the same. The unions have been protesting allotment of 3,519 private permits by the Transport Department to operators in the state. Though the government had constituted a committee under Surjewala as part of a “deal” between the unions and the government to call off the strike earlier this year, sources in the department said no objections were filed.

Consequently, the government offered permits in three phases while permits for 2,718 routes were to be given in the Phase 4. “The government was supposed to give permits by way of lottery on September 26 under Phase 4 for general operators. As many as 16,000 applications were received. We wanted the process stalled since it is of no benefit to the department that is already in heavy loss. As per the talks with the CM, the new government will consider our demand afresh. Till then, things have been put on hold,” Sarbat Singh Punia, a member of the co-ordination committee of unions, said.

Karnal, September 8
Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki today called upon scientists and dairy experts to develop quality human resource to meet the challenges faced by the sector.

Solanki was the chief guest at the 9th National Convention of dairy engineers on ‘Engineering Interventions for Global Competitiveness of Indian Dairy Industry’, organised jointly by the National Dairy Research Institute and Indian Dairy Engineers Association here. Delegates from 12 states are participating in the two-day event.

Taking a cue from President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speeches, the Governor said human resources bear fruit generation after generation and it was vital to cultivate these as India is widely expected to dominate at the global level in the 21st century.

Advocating the importance of five ‘T’ and three ‘S’, the Governor said, “Talent, tradition, trade, tourism and technology are the main pillars of development of any country. Along with this, skill, scale and speed of development also contribute to the country’s progress.”

The Governor appreciated the research work of the NDRI and said the institute has been playing a vital role in the dairy sector. He presented awards for professional excellence to dairy entrepreneurs Narendra Kumar Gupta and Mahesh Chander Chawla for their contribution.

Dr AK Srivastava, NDRI director and vice-chancellor, highlighted the research done by the institute’s scientists in the field of cloning, bio-technology, probiotics, food and nutritional security and many others.

Ambala, September 8
Truck drivers of the Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) Ambala depot today went on a strike affecting the supply of petrol and diesel to Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Chandigarh.

The truck drivers said ferrying petrol to mountain areas was resulting in huge losses to them. Besides, the IOC had recently imposed a penalty of Rs 36 lakh on drivers supplying fuel to these states on various grounds.

The drivers held a demonstration outside the IOC depot and raised anti-establishment slogans. Meanwhile, none of the senior officials of the IOC were available for comments. — TNS

Chandigarh, September 8
With the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) withdrawing from the electoral scene in Haryana, the mainstream and new political parties are scrambling for the party’s vote bank in the upcoming assembly elections.

In fact, other political parties have already started wooing the voters, who voted for the AAP in the recent parliamentary elections. Though AAP polled over 4% votes, it failed to transcend the caste barrier in Haryana politics with all its 10 candidates, including its ideologue, losing security deposit in the Lok Sabha elections.

“The erstwhile AAP vote would come to our alliance as we are championing some of the issues, including nepotism in government jobs and inequitable development in state,” claimed Jan Chetna Party(JCP) chief Venod Sharma, who recently tied up with Kuldeep Bishnoi-led Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) for the assembly elections. Since the voters, who voted for AAP, basically voted against the establishment and for alternative politics, the JCP-HJC alliance hoped that this section would vote for the alliance. As the AAP voters wanted to have an alternative politics minus the mainstream parties, the alliance hoped that these voters would support the new entrants in Haryana politics against established political players.

On the other hand, the INLD is hopeful that with the Hooda government facing strong anti-incumbency and the new political players yet to establish themselves, the party would benefit from this section of the voters.

However, despite anti-incumbency staring the party in the face, the Congress has not lost hope on AAP votes. “Since the common man wants development, no other party can ensure overall development as the Congress, which had a demonstrated record of unprecedented development over the last nearly 10 years,” asserted Congress spokesman Kuldeep Soni.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which is still basking under the glory of its splendid Lok Sabha victory, hopes to do well in the assembly elections on the slogan of “Dilli hui hamari hai, ab Haryana ki bari hai”. In fact, the saffron party is hopeful that the ‘Modi wave’ coupled with anti-incumbency against the Hooda Government would see the party form the government on its own strength after the October elections.

Kaithal, September 8
While the Congress and the BJP are yet to announce their candidates, Ram Pal Majra, sitting MLA from the Kalayat Assembly segment in Kaithal, who has been given the INLD ticket, has started his election campaign.

His campaign started about 10 days ago when INLD senior leader Abhay Chautala held a public meeting in his favour. Majra during his campaign has covered many villages and goes from door-to-door seeking votes.

Addressing a meeting at Rajound village today, Majra urged voters to teach a lesson to the Congress and the BJP.

He said Hooda during the last Assembly elections had promised 24-hour power supply, but the ground situation was different. He said the Hooda government spent over 260 crore on the construction of the Hansi–Butana link canal and land of thousands of farmers was acquired for this purpose. — OC

Fatehabad, September 8
Former Adampur MLA Renuka Bishnoi today said BJP leaders did not stick to their commitment.

Renuka was in Fatehabad today, to inaugurate the election office of Dura Ram, her husband Kuldeep Bishnoi’s cousin. While addressing the supporters of Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), she said the time had come to show the saffron party (BJP) its place during these Assembly elections.

“Our workers toiled hard for the victory of BJP candidates in the parliamentary polls and Bishnoi accepted all their whimsical demands, as we did not want to spoil Modi’s election. But when it came to the Assembly polls, the BJP leaders backed out from a written commitment they had made and said a piece of paper was of no value,” she said.

“If a commitment made on a piece of paper means nothing to the BJP, will they tell us how do they treat a birth certificate, a degree attained by hard labour, because all these are in existence on pieces of paper?” Renuka asked. — TNS

Rohtak, September 8
Big builders, colonisers, realtors, construction company owners and other local businessmen having deep pockets are dominating the election scene in Rohtak, especially in rural segments.

Such candidates have appeared on the political horizon in the recent past and have made their presence felt even before the announcement of elections.

Sensing the political climate of the state, most of these candidates are vying for the BJP ticket in the forthcoming Assembly poll. Balraj Kundu and Saurabh Farmana from the Meham constituency and Dharambir Hooda and Ram Karan Hooda from the Garhi Sampla-Kiloi constituency are some such local tycoons.

The cash-loaded wanna-be MLAs are spending money lavishly to strengthen their claim to the saffron party ticket by projecting a good hold over the local electorate.

Apart from covering their constituencies with their banners, posters, flex-boards, hoardings and stickers, these political greenhorns are donating huge amounts of money in cash and kind for various social causes. Some of them are organising a series of medical camps to woo the voters while others are gifting away ambulances to voluntary social/health organisations, vehicles used for carrying animals to gaushalas, hefty grants for construction of gymnasiums and chaupals and so on.

The local media is also replete with big advertisements featuring these candidates. Needless to mention, feasting and free-flow of liquor are also on in the Assembly segments.

While the moneybags are leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to as many as electors as possible, their overwhelming presence has made loyal party leaders feel left out.

“The emergence of such persons on the political scene has weakened the chances of old-time party workers getting the ticket,” laments a local leader of the saffron party.

Political pundits say whether such candidates would be able to capitalise on the money-made hype and actually win the seat remains to be seen, but their advent has created noticeable ripples in poll waters.

Hisar, September 8
INLD Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala promised an inquiry by a sitting judge into the “multi-crore land scam” that took place in the state during the Congress regime if voted to power.

Talking to mediapersons here today, the young MP accused Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his family members of being involved in the Rs 10 lakh crore land scam. “We have submitted a chargesheet against the Chief Minister to the government and will soon expose the share of the CM and his family in private firms.”

Dushyant said zero tolerance to crime and corruption would be the party’s poll plank. “The INLD will adopt a zero-tolerance approach against crime on coming to power. Rising incidents of extortion and demand for ransom reveal the deteriorating law and order situation. We will not tolerate ransom calls to traders, crime against women and corruption,” he said.

The INLD leader ruled out a pre-poll alliance with the BJP or any other party. He said it had already announced 73 candidates while the remaining candidates would be announced soon.

Defending the party’s decision to rope in SAD supremo and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for campaigning, Dushyant said his family’s ties with the Badals dated back four generations. “In the absence of my grandfather, Badal saab would take over the reins of the campaign,” he said.

Meanwhile, Municipal Committee members of Barwala today left the Congress and joined the INLD in the presence of Dushyant. 

Fatehabad, September 8
Ellenabad MLA Abhay Singh Chautala’s son and INLD’s election campaign in charge for Sirsa and Fatehabad districts Karan Singh Chautala today claimed the party would come to power by winning at least 60 seats on its own.

Karan, who addressed a series of meetings in various Fatehabad villages, in support of Balwan Singh Daulatpuria, said the BJP did not have any base in Haryana and the Congress was like a sinking ship.

The INLD leader alleged the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda had brought the state to a position of bankruptcy through corruption and bad policies.

Accusing the Congress of framing his grandfather Om Prakash Chautala, uncle Ajay Chautala and INLD leader Sher Singh Badshami in connivance with the CBI, Karan alleged that the conspiracy had now been exposed by Hooda’s meetings with the CBI chief Ranjit Sinha. — TNS

Jhajjar, September 8
Om Prakash Dhankar, president, BJP Kisan Morcha, is going to organise a ‘Women and Youth Sammelan’ in Badli on September 10. BJP MP and spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi would be the chief guest.

He is a strong contender for the ticket from the Badli Assembly segment.

“The sammelan aims at associating people of different sections with the BJP and making them aware of the party’s policies that will ensure all-round development in the state,” Dhankar said, adding that such events were evoking a good response with significant number of people attending them.

After the September 10 event, a sammelan of Backward Classes will be organised in Badli to “expose the misdeeds of the government”.

Ambala, September 8
The BJP is facing a problem of scarcity as only three leaders have applied for the party ticket from the Assembly Cantt segment.

They are sitting MLA Anil Vij, Neeta Khera and Rajmadanlal Sharma.

Party insiders said given the stature of Vij in the state politics and his strong foothold among voters and supporters, not many claimed the ticket from Ambala Cantt.

The BJP leadership has reportedly expressed reservations about the fewer ticket aspirants, but the party rank and file is of the view that it would have been futile for others to stake claim for the ticket.

It has been learnt that during a visit of party observers last month, workers were handed over a list of probables to choose from and it had only three names. The observers had said the BJP would field a candidate of a clean image.

As for the Congress, it is all set to field former minister Nirmal Singh from the segment. The INLD has announced Suraj Prakash Jindal’s candidature. The HJC-JCP alliance and BSP are yet to finalise the names.

Kosli, September 8
Being a part of the Rohtak parliamentary constituency represented by Deepender Hooda, Kosli has witnessed considerable development during the past five years, but the people want more from incumbent Congress MLA Rao Yadavendra Singh, younger brother of Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh.

Residents say all development has taken place due to the efforts of Deepender Hooda who redressed the main grievances of this town while Yadavendra did not spend ample time in the constituency during his current stint.

Despite carrying out significant development works, Deepender and his supporters were disappointed with the low vote share in this segment in the recent Lok Sabha elections. It seems that the Modi wave negated all his good work here.

Besides setting up an engineering college, two degree colleges, a regional centre of BPS Mahila Vishwavidhalya, Khanpur Kalan, a 50-bed hospital, two ITIs, a central school, a railway overbridge, two rest houses, a Kisan Bhavan, a sports stadium and new buildings of the courts and a Mini-secretariat. The potholed roads will be the poll plank of the Opposition.

People say this is the main area where the government failed to make any improvement here for which it has to face the wrath of public in the Assembly poll. Most of the roads in this segment are a nuisance for the commuters.

Despite being a sub-division, Kosli is deprived of a Municipal Committee. Though efforts were made to give the town panchayat the status of a Municipal Committee but efforts to do so could not bear fruit due to a dispute between Kosli and Bhakli villages over naming of development projects.

The dispute turned violent leaving a man dead and 20 injured. Now, the rapport between the people of both villages is normal but the people admit that the MC is required to keep the development process going. This is one of the poll issues here.

Shortage of drinking and irrigation water and erratic power supply are the other key issues which would be raised during the elections.

Jatusana region, whose villages were attached to Kosli post delimitation, is considered a stronghold of former chief minister Rao Birender Singh’s family whose members have been contesting elections since 1968.

During this time, Rao Birender and his sons — Rao Inderjit and Rao Yadavendra Singh — have contested nine times from Jatusana and were elected seven times (including the 2009 poll). Inderjit was only defeated two times — 1987 and 1996.

Chandigarh, September 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court convicted and sentenced a man to life after his wife and son deposed against him. He was annoyed that his aunt dressed up like a man and killed her for not vacating their house.

Accused Kasu Ram had moved the High Court against the orders of conviction and life sentence passed in August 2003 for murdering his aunt Roshni. The prosecution said Roshni, who was not married, was staying with the family for 20 years. She would “dress up like a male (in shirt and trousers) and her haircut was like that of a boy”.

In July, an inebriated Kasu Ram asked his wife Nimbo to ask Roshni to leave their house. After she refused to do so, he threatened to kill her.

The next day, Kasu Ram came with an axe and hit Roshni while she was sleeping. She was rushed to the hospital, but died on the way.

On the basis of Nimbo and her son’s statement, the accused was charged for murder under Section 302 of the IPC. Dismissing the appeal, the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ashutosh Mohunta and Justice Harinder Singh Sidhu said: “It is a rare case, where the wife of the accused and his son have come forward to depose before the court... in view of the unshakable testimonies of Nimbo and Shishpal, which have been corroborated by medical evidence and recovery of the weapon, we have no hesitation in holding that Kasu Ram murdered Roshni”.

Sonepat, September 8
Additional District and Sessions Judge Manisha Batra today sentenced Suraj to 10 years’ imprisonment for raping his teenage niece.

The court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the convict, a native of West Bengal.

After the death of her parents, the victim (12), also from West Bengal, started living with her uncle and aunt in Shiv Colony here. In April 2013, the girl was brought to Bal Gram in Rai, a home for destitute children, after it was found that her uncle used to allegedly beat her up.

The police admitted the girl to the Civil Hospital. During her medical exam, it was found the girl had been sexually assaulted. When she was asked about it, she accused Suraj of the assault. — OC

Faridabad, September 8
The office of the HUDA Estate Officer has initiated legal action against 36 persons who acquired plots against “false” affidavits over the past several years.

The police said 16 FIRs have already been registered on HUDA’s complaint and the remaining were likely to follow. The plot holders have been booked for cheating and other offences under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC.

The move follows the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directions on the misuse of reserve quota by several residents. A petition was filed by one Dharam Singh Yadav of Rewari in 2013 alleging allotment of plots in a fraudulent manner to several persons.

This is, perhaps, the first time that affidavits submitted by plot holders in HUDA sectors are being probed. It is alleged that there could also be several applicants or beneficiaries who acquired a plot in violation of norms. As per norms, a person owning a plot or house in a HUDA sector in the state cannot apply for plots in a reserved category such as Defence or government servants.

Estate Officer Satpal Singh said the investigation found 36 persons had acquired plots by submitting false affidavits. Some of those booked by the Central police station on September 6 have been identified as Asha Rani (Hisar), Ramchander (Rohtak), Rajender Kumar (New Delhi), Neeru Verma (Chandigarh), Sanjay Gupta (Faridabad), Naseeb Singh (Gurgaon), Lallam Singh (Sonepat), Rajender Gulati (Karnal), Narender Yadav (Bhiwani), Yashpal, Tilak Ram, Raj Bala, Karamchand, Shyam Lal, Prahlad Singh and Balbir Singh. 

Safidon, September 8
Three unidentified assailants shot dead an owner of a private hospital in Jind’s Safidon town today. The deceased has been identified as Dr Manish Garg (38). He is survived his parents and wife.

The attack was an outcome of an old enmity, said Safidon police station SHO Ramesh Chand. Dr Garg reached his hospital, Geetaram Hospital, on the MG road around 9.50 am. Within minutes of his arriving at the hospital, three assailants entered the premises and fired at Dr Garg. He managed to escape the first shot. The second shot hit him in his chest. Dr Garg’s relatives took him to a local private hospital, from where he was referred to a hospital in Panipat. But he died on the way.

Was attacked earlier as well

The doctor was earlier attacked on December 12, 2013, and his hospital vandalised. His family has alleged that the police did not investigate the last year’s attack properly and closed the case after a preliminary investigation. Dr Garg’s parents said.

Anger spills on streets

As the news of Dr Garg’s murder spread, shopkeepers closed their establishments and blocked the Panipat road. Doctors went on strike, demanding arrest of the accused. On a statement of Dr Garg’s family, the police have registered a case against three unidentified persons.