Karnal, November 22
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Kuldeep Singh (44), who was shot dead in an encounter with carjackers near Pipli yesterday, was cremated at his native Ramgarh village with state honours. He was accorded the status of martyr by the Haryana Police.

Senior police officials, including Inspector General of Police (IGP) Karnal Range Hanif Kureshi, Ambala Commissioner of Police (CP) OP Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) Karnal Abhishek Garg, Kurukshetra SP Simardeep Singh and other police officials of Karnal, paid floral tribute to him.

He had received 105 letters of appreciation during his 25 years of service.

The police handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the family members.

“It is a great setback to the Haryana Police as we have lost a brave officer,” said SP Kurukshetra Simardeep Singh.

He said the Director General of Police (DGP) had accorded the status of martyr to Kuldeep Singh for his bravery as he had sacrificed his life in the line of duty.

The Kurukshetra SP said, “If any member of the family wants to work in the police department, we have a provision for job.”

“Kuldeep Singh joined the police department on October 1, 1989, as a constable and at present he was posted at Kurukshetra,” said the Kurukshetra SP.

Kuldeep’s father Karan Singh was a captain in the Army. He is survived by his wife Sunita and sons Udyam and Sandeep.

Chandigarh, November 22
The Haryana Government is set to use information technology (IT) to check corruption in land registrations.

The new proposal, which has been sent by the Revenue, Disaster Management and Consolidation Department to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) for approval, has proposed to drastically curtail the role of the tehsildar’s office in the land registries (sale deeds).

“Once CMO’s approval is obtained, the department will be able to implement the new system aimed at making the land registrations transparent and people friendly,” PK Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Commissioner (Revenue), told The Tribune.

Under the new system, which is set to be linked to the e-disha portal at the district level, the proposed buyer/seller would be able complete the sale transactions formalities online. The system will generate a checklist of the documents to be attached with the online application form that would be accepted in the scanned format. The system will also have the facility of e-stamping of the documents to be accepted with the application form.

After the completion of the mandatory formalities, the e-disha staff will forward the application to the tehsildar’s office. The tehsildar’s office would communicate any deficiency in application form or documents to the e-disha staff which would be intimated to the applicant either by SMS or email. The applicant would rectify the deficiency within a specified period, so that the land registration process can be completed. “The buyers and sellers will also be intimated about the date of their presence, if any, in the tehsildar’s office,” official sources said.

The sources said after the deficiencies had been removed by the applicant, tehsildar’s office would have no discretion at its command to reject the application. The applicant would be handed over the land registry at the fixed date and time intimated by the e-disha staff. The applicant would also have the option to get the land registries delivered at his doorsteps at a nominal cost.

Against the backdrop of large-scale complaints of corruption in the land registrations, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had recently announced in Rohtak that the state government had devised a mechanism to deliver the land registries at doorsteps. 

• Applicants will apply online for land registries at the e-disha portal
• Scanned copies of the supporting documents will be accepted
• Applicants will be intimated by SMS/email about any deficiencies in the application
• They will be given time to remove the deficiencies
• Applicants will be intimated about their presence, if any, at the tehsildar’s office
• Once deficiencies are removed, the tehsildar's office will have no discretion
• Land registry will delivered at fixed time and date at e-disha counter
• Option of home delivery of land registry also being explored

grave concern

In October, only 2 out of 166 water samples cleared the test.

The Health department does not check aspects such as total dissolved solids, which is a cause for concern. It is high in most parts of the district, making the water unfit for consumption. it should be around 300 milligrams per litre, but was at least 3,000 milligrams per litre in several areas of the town
—K Kumar, health expert

Rohtak, November 22
The ideology of Sir Chhotu Ram is relevant in present times and it can be the foundation to build a resurgent India, an agrarian nation, said Union Minister Birender Singh.

He was speaking at a national seminar on “Sir Chhotu Ram: Life and Ideology” organised by Sir Chhotu Ram Chair and Centre for Haryana Studies in Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here today. The minister is the grandson of Chhotu Ram.

“Chhotu Ram made the construction of Bhakra Dam possible, a lifeline of Punjab and Haryana. He was committed to the welfare of all sections of society. He practiced law not to make money, but to serve the masses,” the Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats and Water Supply said.

Earlier, MDU V-C HS Chahal paid tributes to Chhotu Ram. He said Chhotu Ram was an eminent social worker and urged the students to take inspiration from his life and ideology. Noted educationist DR Chaudhary delivered the keynote address.

Hisar, November 22
Shivpal Srivastva had come to Satlok Ashram to find a solution to their problems, but lost his wife. A tailor at Badarpur in Delhi, he had watched Rampal preach on television.

The family had been facing various problems for years. He decided to visit the ashram about two years ago, but did not know that the ashram head would leave him bereaved.

Shivpal’s wife died of asphyxia in the melee inside the ashram during the clash between Rampal’s commandos and the police.

“My children are inconsolable. She was illiterate, but keen that they completed their education. She used to devote time to the three of them to make them comfortable and concentrate on studies,” Shivpal said.

He worked with a private firm to earn a living. His younger brother Satpal and two children of his were staying with him. “I hope that my brother’s family will help me look after my children. I will have to harbour the wounds for the rest of my life. I wish I had not visited the ashram,” he said.

He said they had reached Jind, from where an ashram bus took them to Barwala. He said they came to attend the three-day session from November 7. “After the police laid siege, we were told that nobody could leave the ashram. It was suffocating inside due to the large gathering,” he said. “I feared that something wrong could happen to my family, as our children were with us. My fear proved right,” he said.

Shivpal said he had tried to find solace in sessions of various preachers on television channels and got to know about Sant Rampal about two years back.

The family, including daughter Subham (14) and sons Kundan (11) and Pawan (4), became devotees about one-and-a-half year back and frequently visited the ashram. 

Chandigarh: The police have registered three FIRs in connection with the police attack on mediapersons during an operation to arrest Satlok Ashram head Rampal in Barwala. Haryana DGP SN Vashisht told this to a fact-finding committee set up by the Press Council of India (PCI) to look into the incident. “The police chief informed the committee that there was no pre-planned move to attack journalists and it was a mistake at the individual level,” committee member Rajeev Ranjan Nag told the media on Saturday. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured the committee members that the government had taken note of the incident and investigation would find out at what end the lapse had occurred.

Jind, November 22
To improve sex ratio, an advisory committee on the PNDT Act apprised ultrasound centre owners of this district of the norms to run their facilities.

Committee chairman Dr Nisha Sharma and district nodal officer of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Prem Gupta said during a seminar here yesterday that centre owners must collect details of pregnant women before conducting any test.

“It has also come to light that several owners are trying to flout mandatory legal clauses, which is wrong. They will face action soon,” Dr Gupta said.

The government authorities said the registration number of the centre, name of the doctor and other staff must be put on display in the front office of the centers. The employees of the centre must have nameplates while they are on duty.

“Only portable ultrasound machines should be used in the centres and these must be placed in a special room. All owners must ensure that the machines are not misused for sex determination,” Dr Gupta said.

Other speakers said the registration certificate of a centre cannot be transferred to a person other than the registered person. If there is any change in the ownership status, owners must inform the authorities concerned.

All owners must inform the authorities concerned about the appointment of employees within 30 days of their joining date.

Sirsa, November 22
Tributes were paid to scribe Ram Chander Chhatrapati, who fell to the bullets of assassins 12 years ago, on his death anniversary at the Kisan Vigyan Kendra lecture hall here today.

Chhatrapati, Editor of local evening daily Poora Sach, was shot at outside his residence on October 24, 2002, by two followers of Dera Sacha Sauda. He had succumbed to his injuries on November 21, 2002.

Chhatrapati had invited the wrath of the dera after he published a letter of an anonymous ‘sadhvi’ of the dera in May 2002, which levelled allegations of sexual assault on dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Ram Rahim Singh is among those facing criminal trial for Chhatrapati’s murder.

Prominent speakers, including Prof Chaman Lal from Central University, Bathinda, Har Bhagwan Chawla, principal, Government College for Women, Ratia, Ramesh Mehta, president of District Bar Association, advocate Lekh Raj Dhot and Anshul Chhatrapati, slain journalist’s son, said Ram Chander Chhatarpati laid down his life for upholding the freedom of expression.

The speakers said the right to expression was still under threat and things had not changed since then.

Kurukshetra, November 22
Transfers of administrative officials have left the preparations and arrangements of the Gita Jayanti Samaroh in the lurch. The samaroh will begin tomorrow with craft mela in which the North-Zone Cultural Centre will set up 350 stalls. There will, however, be no stalls of private sellers on the first day.

Private sellers were supposed to get their stalls allotted today but it didn’t happen.

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Nikhil Gajraj and SDM Vinay Pratap are among those who got transferred. The SDM also had the charge of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB), which has the responsibility of the samaroh.

Kurukshetra ADC Prabhjot Singh, who is the nodal officer of the Gita Jayanti, was also unavailable today. Neither of the two officials attended the calls.

“Earlier we used to get stall numbers a day before the commencement of the mela, but it’s not the same this time. No official is giving us any information in this regard,” said Babita Rani, who was trying to set up a stall in the mela.

Another applicant, who came from Gohana, said he had been waiting since morning but there was no one available for information.

Sources said November 22 was the last date for applying for stalls, but following the absence of these officials, private sellers had been asked to come on November 24.

A notice has also been pasted outside the KDB office that stalls will be allotted on November 24 at 3 pm.

Ram Kumar, a local, said, “Though the state government and the authorities claim they want to promote the Gita Jayanti Samaroh, they have adopted a negligent approach towards it. The craft mela is a major attraction of the Gita Jayanti Samaroh and lack of stalls on the first day will disappoint the visitors.”

Sirsa, November 22
Additional District and Sessions Judge RP Goyal today sentenced two persons to 10 years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh each under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act for trafficking intoxicating tablets and capsules.

Naripen Kumar Goyal, senior drug control officer, Hisar, accompanied by a police party had stopped a Tata Indigo car at Kalanwali on March 29, 2011, on a tip-off.

The police arrested Sewak Singh of Bathinda and Satish Kumar of Maur Khurd with 7,200 Spasmonil capsules containing Dextropropoxyphene and 1.20 lakh tablets of Lomotil containing Diphenoxylate. Both these substances are used for addiction.

The police booked them under Sections 21, 22, 27-A, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act, 1985, and Section 177 of the IPC. GL Singal, Joint Commissioner, FDA-cum-State Drug Controller, Haryana, said the judgment was a landmark because earlier cases of this nature were tried under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, where the punishments are less stringent.

Normally, such stringent punishment are been awarded where accused have been found trafficking opium, poppy husk and other narcotic materials. Singal said Health Minister Anil Vij had told him to take immediate steps to eliminate misuse of habit-forming drugs, as the government, he said, had zero tolerance for such matters. —TNS