Hisar, November 28
Despite his dramatic arrest last week, self-styled godman Rampal has been keeping the Hisar police and the administration on their toes.

Besides pursing 17 criminal cases that were registered during the violent confrontation, the police are on the lookout to arrest 23 close aides of Rampal, to unravel the knots of his financial and routine activities.

While five teams have been dispatched to look out for these aides, another team has been sent to Betul in Madhya Pradesh to conduct a search at the newly constructed ashram there.

IGP Anil Kumar Rao said the search operations would continue over the next few days. “The ashram is in the custody of the police and the CRPF has been deployed to guard it,” Rao said.

Till date, the police have arrested 909 persons including Rampal and his close aides such as Ram Kumar Dhaka, who heads the commando force: RSSS, Baljit Singh, Raj Kapoor, Dharmender, Purshotam Saini, Ravinder Dhaka, Ram Avtar, Sidharth, Jitender etc. These persons have been booked under several charges such as sedition, waging war against the state, preventing public servants from performing duty and unlawful assembly etc.

Chandigarh November 28
The Khattar Government today appointed PK Gupta, the senior-most bureaucrat serving in Haryana, as Chief Secretary.

The 1981-batch IAS officer, currently posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management and Consolidation Department, will replace Shakuntla Jakhu as Chief Secretary on November 30. Though Gupta is set for superannuation on December 31, sources said he was likely to be given an extension.

In appointing Gupta as Chief Secretary, the Khattar Government has not strictly gone by seniority as five officers, working on central deputation, were senior to Gupta. They are Sanjay Kothari (1978 batch), Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms, Public Grievances and Pensions; Ajit Mohan Sharan (1979), Union Sports Secretary; Ashok Lavasa (1980), Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change; and Madhusudan Prasad(1981), Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce; and Anuradha Gupta(1981), currently on an assignment to to the WHO, Geneva (Switzerland). Anuradha is Gupta’s wife.

Considered an upright and no-nonsense officer, Gupta has a reputation of standing up to vested interests in political hierarchy. “Gupta’s competence and record in implementing the government’s decisions have been key criteria for selection to the top post,” sources said.

A graduate from Government College, Faridkot,(Punjab), Gupta completed his LL.B from Panjab University (1977). He also has an MBA from Australia and M.A. (Public Administration) from the USA to his credit.

In his distinguished career, Gupta has held several important assignments, including Principal Secretary in the Departments of Home, Public Health Engineering, Labour and Employment, Technical Education, Forest and Wildlife, Environment and Tourism. 

Chandigarh, November 28
Haryana employees retiring on November 30 on attaining the age of 58 today received little reprieve from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Taking up their petition, the High Court today issued notice of motion to Haryana and other respondents for December 8. Notice regarding stay was also issued for the same date.

In one of the petitions, Kurukshetra-based executive engineer JK Arora and 14 other petitioners contended that the action of the respondents was constitutionally impermissible. Their counsel, Rajiv Atmaram, further contended it was a well-settled principle of law that a change in the government could not result in alteration in the policy. He added the government was required to rise above vested interests and nepotism while shunning “window-dressing”. Succeeding governments must be held duty-bound to continue and carry on the policies of their predecessors.

The Khattar government’s decision, challenged before Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, is expected to immediately impact around 5,000 of the three lakh employees, besides putting an additional burden of Rs 200 crore on the government.

The Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda had increased the retirement age of the employees by two years to 60, shortly before the October 15 Assembly elections.

The Government will now have to shell out Rs 1,500 crore as benefits to the staff retiring in the next two years. More than 4,000 employees on “extension” will retire on November 30; and the state will have to pay Rs 200 crore as retirement benefits.

While Central government employees retire at 60 years, some BJP-ruled states have also fixed 60 years as the retirement age.

Chandigarh, November 28
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who supported the BJP during the recent assembly elections, will continue to get Z-plus security, besides Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki.

However, the Haryana Government has scaled down the security of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress MLA Randeep Surjewala to Y category. Earlier, Hooda was enjoying Z-plus security and Surjewala Z security.

This was reportedly decided at a recent state-level review committee (SLRC) committing .

Ram Rahim was first provided Z-plus security by the Hooda Government in 2007. Meanwhile, Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi will continue to enjoy Y-category security. Z-plus security comes with police guards, Haryana police commandos, bulletproof vehicles, pulse jammers, escort vehicles, besides an anti-sabotage unit.

Kurukshetra November 28
The five-day Kurukshetra Utsav Gita Jayanti Samaroh-2014 got off to a spectacular start with Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki lighting the traditional lamp at Prushotampura Baag at Brahma Sarovar here today amid chanting of hymns.

Brij folk artistes performed “Krishna Raas Leela” on the occasion.

The governor also inaugurated a state-level exhibition on the banks of the Brahma Sarovar in which more than 30 departments of the state government have set up stalls, exhibiting their respective achievements and projects.

The Governor took a round of the exhibition put up by various departments along with his wife. He also visited the craft and “Saras Mela” on the occasion.

Earlier in the day, Governor inaugurated a two-day national symposium on “Universal Vision of Gita” organised by the Institute of Indological Studies at Senate Hall of Kurukshetra University.

Meanwhile, a huge mistake was observed when Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki was taking a round of the exhibition as the Tricolour was installed upside down on the open jeep in which the Governor was travelling. However, the mistake was rectified soon after.

Chandigarh, November 28
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Rural Development Minister Birender Singh were today elected members of the Rajya Sabha from Haryana unopposed.

An announcement to this effect was made by the Vidhan Sabha secretariat here this evening on the last date of withdrawal of nominations for the Rajya Sabha seats.

The two union ministers had filed nominations for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Haryana on November 25. 

Jind, November 28
The Jind administration cancelled its monthly review meeting scheduled for today. In the last month’s meeting, the administration had discussed the ‘swachh’ mission rather than the performance of all departments.

These meetings help the district administration access the performance of all government departments.

Sources in various departments said the administration had called the heads of all departments with a specific agenda. The district Social Welfare Department had to discuss the performance of social welfare schemes, various pension schemes, Rajiv Gandhi insurance policy, identity cards to senior citizens etc. Some officials said since the new DC, Ajit Balaji Joshi, had not joined and the former, Ashok K Meena, had been relieved, the meeting had been cancelled.

“The meeting has been cancelled due to official reasons,” said Jind Magistrate Gayatri Ahlawat.

Rohtak, November 28
Arya Samaj leaders have maintained that the situation created at Rampal’s Satlok Ashram at Barwala in Hisar district could have been averted if the previous Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana had acted on their request to search the inmates of the ashram following violence at Satlok Ashram at Karontha village in 2013.

Haryana Arya Pratinidhi Sabha general secretary Rampal Arya said here today that a violent clash broke out between followers of Rampal and supporters of the Arya Samaj In May, 2013, when the latter tried to take possession of the ashram following a court order.

Arya pointed out that when the then Hooda-led government tried to shift ashram inmates to Barwala, they permitted them to shift their belongings in trucks without searching them.

Arya said since two persons were killed in firing from inside the ashram, they had requested Hooda to conduct a search operation before allowing the inmates to shift their base to another place but in vain.

“Rampal's followers may have shifted arms, ammunition and explosives from Karontha ashram in 2013, which they used during their clash with the police and other security personnel at Barwala recently,” he maintained, adding that if the Hooda government heeded their request, the real face of Rampal and his followers would have been exposed in 2013 itself.

Faridabad, November 28
Rajbala (30) of Mohna village died at a tubectomy operation camp organised in the village by the Health Department today.

A senior doctor said the real cause of death would be known after the victim’s post mortem exam tomorrow. Rajbala, mother of four, was undergoing operation at the camp around 3.30 pm when she fell unconscious and died.

A large number of local residents assembled at the camp and protested against the incident. However, officials and the police persuaded them to disperse on assurance that the matter would be probed. Earlier, Mithilesh had died in a similar fashion on March 7 this year at Korali village of the district. — TNS

Jind, November 28
The Haryana Hindu Mahasabha today announced support to those teachers who have not been given offer letters by the state government. It also said it would begin a demonstration at Jantar Mantar and approach PM Narendra Modi if the letters were not issued to the selected teachers at the earliest.

“Teachers have been selected after a long struggle. It is a fault of the former Congress government that it failed to offer joining letters to the teachers,” said Mandan Mishar, state convener of the mahasabha, after a meeting of members here today.

Mishar and other leaders of the mahasabha demanded CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma to speed up the process of verification of documents of the selected teachers.

Mahasabha members said people of Haryana had elected the BJP government with great expectations and the party leadership must ensure justice to all.

“We request the state government to take strict action against those who have fake degrees. If the government fails to issue appointment letters to the genuine candidates, we will start an agitation,” added Mishar.

Sirsa, November 28
The police booked 25 persons in connection with yesterday’s violence when a child died in a road accident.

Angry residents had set a tractor trolley on fire, damaged a fire tender and thrashed its driver. The police said a case had been registered on the complaint of the fire tender driver who was injured during the attacks.

Six-year-old Rehan died when the motorcycle he was riding pillion with his uncle, Sunny, was hit by a tractor near the grain market in Sirsa.

His death triggered violent attacks when local residents torched the tractor trolley and assaulted a cameraman who tried to film the incident.

The angry residents also smashed the windowpanes of a fire tender that had came to douse the tractor that was on fire and thrashed its driver.

A case was registered for causing damage to public property, criminal intimidation and preventing a public servant from performing his duty.

The police said the tractor driver Gurjit Singh, a resident of Kutabarh village, was arrested under sections 279, 337 and 304-A, for causing Rehan’s death by negligent and rash driving.

Fatehabad, November 28
Two farmers were killed and two others were seriously injured when a tractor overturned near Khabra village in Fatehabad last evening.

The victims — Randhir Singh (30) and Anoop Singh (34) — were trapped under the tractor when it overturned after one of its wheels went into a ditch when the farmers were returning home from the fields near Khabra village in Fatehabad.

Randhir’s two younger brothers, Virender and Satpal, who were on the same tractor, sustained serious injuries.

On hearing the injured farmers’ cries for help, villagers rushed to their rescue and extricated the badly mutilated bodies of Randhir and Anoop trapped under the tractor.

While Randhir is survived by his wife and two children, Anoop is survived by three children and his wife. 

Ambala, November 28
Even as political support is pouring in for Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, who is sitting on a hunger strike for the last 15 days at Lakhnaur Sahib Gurdwara to secure the release of seven Sikh prisoners, the activist has refused to withdraw his protest till his demand was met by the Union Government.

The Punjab unit of the BJP had extended support to his hunger strike after unit chief Kamal Sharma spoke to him on phone and assured to take up the issue with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Besides, senior representatives of the AAP and the BSP have also extended support to his movement.

Sucha Singh Chhotepur, senior AAP leader, and BSP leader Avtar Singh Karimpuri promised him their support.

While speaking to The Tribune, Bhai Gurbakh said, “I am grateful for the concerns shown by various political parties, but I will not withdraw my struggle till the Sikhs, who had completed their jail term, are released from jails.” He said a delegation would march to the Darbar Sahib tomorrow and meet the Akal Takht Jathedar.

He said he had ended his first hunger strike in Mohali after assurance by the Jathedar, but till date he had not done anything in this regard. “ I will either secure their release or lay down my life,” he said.

Rohtak, November 28
The Haryana Police Constables and Head Constables Association has welcomed the Cabinet decision to reduce the retirement age of state government employees from 60 to 58 years.

Rajender Singh Tomar, president of the associationsaid the widespread problem of unemployment was leading to an upsurge in the crime graph.

“The state Cabinet’s move to reduce the retirement age will not only open more employment avenues for jobless youths but also clear promotion channels for serving officials,” he maintained.

Tomar said representatives of the association would meet the Chief Minister to demand implementation of the BJP manifesto, promising pay scales on the Punjab pattern.

Faridabad: The Sarva Karamchari Sangh, Haryana (SKS), has described as anti-employee the decision to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58 years. 

Sonepat, November 28
Curtains were drawn on the two-day university Youth Festival at BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur Kalan, today. It witnessed sterling performances by students in literary events, performing arts and fine arts.

The programme, on the second day, had folk dances, solo and group dances, skit, mime, speech, poetry recitation and ‘shloka’ recitation among other events.

The winners in each category were honoured by Vijai Vardhan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Haryana.

Vardhan said students must be the harbingers of change. He said the students should take inspiration from women like Malala Yousafzai, who withstood all storms to carve a niche for herself. He also announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for the participants.

He also congratulated the students and motivated them to work with dedication. Vice Chancellor Asha Kadyan and Registrar Kavita Chakravarty also spoke on the occasion.

Rohtak, November 28
The district administration has decided to launch a special campaign on December 1 to check female foeticide, which leads to a skewed gender ratio. The villages and pockets having the most skewed gender ratio will be identified so that an awareness drivecould be kicked off there with the help of local panchayats.

This was decided at a meeting of the District Task Force constituted for efficient and effective implementation of the PNDT Act here yesterday.

The meeting, chaired by Additional Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri, also decided to install active trackers at all ultrasound centres, besides ensuring proper maintenance of record of pregnant women and intensifying raids to detect bungling.

ADC Khatri directed the officials concerned to visit schools and colleges located within their respective areas of jurisdiction and get the students take a pledge to eliminate female foeticide.

It was also decided to rope in various NGOs as well as religious leaders to spread awareness on saving the girl child.

The ADC said those informing the authorities concerned about instances of illegal sex determination tests would get a cash reward of Rs 20,000.

Kurukshetra, November 28
The 21st century belongs to India as a majority of the population is young and there is a dire need to promote talent in the country.

This was stated by Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki while delivering his inaugural speech at a two-day national conference on converging technologies beyond 2020 at Kurukshetra University. The Governor said, “There is a need to integrate different disciplines of science and technology in order to provide better knowledge and information to the youth.”

He said, “If an inter-disciplinary approach was adopted, it would equip the youth with better talent to face the new emerging challenges of the world.” KU Vice Chancellor Lt Gen DDS Sandhu (retd) said, “India should not wait till 2020 to adopt inter-disciplinary approach and integration of science and technology with humanities.”

Dr Chander Shekhar, Director, CSIR-CEERI, Pilani, said, “It is needed to take science and technology and their experimentation to the doors of people. In fact people should be directly benefited by experiments in laboratories and academic institutions.”

Sonepat, November 28
On the occasion of ‘Vishwa Ang Daan Diwas’ today, students from various schools and representatives of various NGOs held an awareness rally in the town.

The rally was flagged off by state vice-president of the BJP Rajiv Jain from the Mini-Secretariat and passed through different areas of the town. Participants carrying placards raised slogans in favour of organ donation. Jain praised the efforts of the Samaj Kaliyan Shiksha Samiti for saving the lives of 5 lakh people by enrolling volunteers for organ donations. — OC

Sonepat, November 28
State Social Welfare Minister Kavita Jain today inspected the Rs 50 crore sewage treatment plant (STP) under construction near Kakroi village and asked the engineers to ensure that it was completed by July next year.

The Social Welfare Minister asked the engineers to arrange an alternative kucha road near the STP’s construction site so that the people on their way to the villages on the Kakroi-Sonepat road did not have to cover an extra distance of five to six kilometres.

The Social Welfare Minister also expressed her concern over the increase in the height of manholes of the sewer lines, resulting in accidents. She asked the engineers to ensure that these manholes were levelled with the roads.

Gurgaon, November 28
In what has come as a great relief to thousands of allottees of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) plots in Sector 52 here, the newly appointed HUDA Administrator, Anita Yadav, ordered immediate return of excess enhancement amount paid by them.

A few months ago, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had reduced the enhancement amount paid by 1,485 plot holders of Sector 52, Gurgaon, by Rs 1,870.69.

Since then, the plot holders were running from pillar to post to get the refund of their excess amount paid to HUDA. These allottees had met the estate officer and other staff of HUDA many times, but of no avail. Yesterday, they met the new administrator, who immediately ordered for the refund of excess amount received from these allottees.

What, however, left the allottes lauding the officer was the fact that she got all formalities completed in just one day. The estate office will start processing the refunds to these allottees soon.

KAITHAL, NOVEMBER 28
There was no shortage of urea in the district as adequate stocks were available, said KM Pandurang, Deputy Commissioner, here today.

The DC said HAFED was supplying urea to cooperative societies in the villages while private dealers were supplying urea in Kaithal, Kalayat, Pundri, Cheeka and Rajound and other parts of the district on a first come, first served basis. —OC