Jhajjar, October 7
The Haryana Government will acquire only 25 per cent of the land required for the Reliance Special Economic Zone and the remaining land will be purchased by the developers at market rate.

This was disclosed by the Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda while addressing a rural gathering at Kherka Gujjar village of the Badli Assembly constituency today. On the second day of his tour of the Badli Assembly constituency, he addressed meetings in nine villages.

Mr Hooda said the Haryana Government was paying maximum compensation of Rs 23 lakh per acre for the land acquired. The welfare of farmers was the priority of the Congress Government.

Lambasting the critics of the SEZ, he said that industrialisation was necessary for providing employment to each household in the state. Opposition leaders who were criticising SEZ also knew that it was in the interest of the state but they were opposing it for the heck of it.

Countering the allegations of opposition leaders regarding tardy development, Mr Hooda said investment of Rs 41,000 crore had been made in Haryana since 1966 whereas proposals for Rs 40,000 crore had been received during the past one and a half years since his father Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda became the Chief Minister.

On the demand of the villagers he said a road from Garhi Sampla to Badli via Kherka Gujjar village would be constructed at a cost of Rs 9 crore under Prime Minister’s Rural Road Scheme. He said that he had sent Rs 12.50 lakh for the repair of rooms in the village school.

Sirsa, October 7
A high-level inquiry into the allegations of pre-natal sex-determination and abortion of female foetuses by various nursing homes and diagnostic centres began here today.

The Civil Surgeon, Dr P.R.Kayasth, told The Tribune that Dr Avinash Sharma, Senior Director, Health Services, Haryana, reached here today and began investigations into the matter.

During her visit, Dr Sharma was shown the monthly reports of the ultrasound centres of the city, which were allegedly conducting pre-natal sex-determination tests. She also personally heard the version of one of the doctors stated to be involved in the illegal practice. Another medical practitioner who has also been named in the news report was, however, away due to a death in his family.

The Director scrutinised the record of diagnostic centres made available to her and issued the necessary directions to the local health authorities. She told the officials concerned to minutely examine the record and functioning of all ultrasound centres and submit their findings.

The District Family Planning Officer, Hisar, Dr Ashok Chaudhary, had also gone to Sirsa to submit the record of the diagnostic centres located in the city with the Director. Dr Sharma examined the record and issued the necessary directions for further probe into the matter.

After returning to Hisar, Dr Chaudhary got the ultrasound machine of a local diagnostic centre sealed.

Chandigarh, October 7
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) have come out with startling findings after a national survey on the “extent, pattern and trends of drug abuse in India,” suggesting there are 73 million drug users in the country, a large number being children and teenagers.

In a bid to spread awareness and reverse the use of drugs, the UNODC and the MSJE have selected Haryana as one of its first states to implement its project “Empowering communities for prevention of drugs and HIV in India”.

Haryana Governor Dr A.R Kidwai today inaugurated the project, making Haryana the first state in the country to implement the project. Governor Kidwai and Mr Gary Levis, representative, Regional Office for South Asia, UNOCD, told principals of government-run schools that teachers could play a more vital role in curbing this menace than anyone else.

Sensitisation programmes would be held across Haryana schools with the help of the State Education Department and the Bharatiya Grameen Mahila Sangh (BGMS), Haryana state branch. It would aim at developing a comprehensive awareness campaign on drugs and HIV prevention among young people involving key stakeholders and influencers under the campaign with the brand name “I decide” or “Yeh mera faisala”.

According to Mr Pratik Kumar, project coordinator, UNODC, the campaign would involve a two-prong strategy targeting schools, besides launching a media programme. The school programme that would be inaugurated tomorrow would consist of a comprehensive school drug abuse education programme, using both curricular and co-curricular approaches. The project had developed model guidelines for management of drug abuse in schools.

The model guidelines for the project seek to create an environment in which schools look at drug issues, provide rationale and scope for drug education activities and other supportive services like counselling, confidentiality and sanctions.

Schools will be encouraged to develop and implement their own drug policy. In the co-curricular approach, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), will be involved.

Hisar, October 7
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Phateh Singh Dagar, has assured the trading community that the sealing operations carried out in parts of the district would not harm their interests.

“The exercise is being conducted on specific directions from the High Court and is aimed at mitigating the inconvenience being caused to the residents due to running of commercial activities in residential areas,” he maintained.

Addressing a news conference here today, Mr Dagar asserted that the sealing operations would have a humane face and the authorities executing the same would accord due consideration to the larger interest of the residents as well as shopkeepers.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Pankaj Aggarwal, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate-cum-HUDA Administrator, Ms Ashima Garg, the HUDA Estate Officer, Dr Jai Krishan Abhir and the District Health Officer, Dr Dinesh Dhillon, were also present on the occasion.

The Deputy Commissioner clarified that the sealing operations involving temporary disconnection of water and power supply lines were being conducted only in the areas under the jurisdiction of HUDA, Housing Board and Improvement Trust.

“As of now, the areas under the Municipal Council are only being surveyed to identify the residential and commercial pockets,” he pointed out, adding that on October 11, the government had to inform the High Court about the implementation of its order regarding sealing operations.

Asserting that the administration would inform the court about the difficulties being caused to small traders, Mr Dagar said the affected shopkeepers and other residents could also put forward their submissions before the court.

“In view of the widespread protests against the ongoing sealing operations, it has become imperative on our part to assure the traders that the exercise is not aimed at harming their interests and due consideration would be given to the rehabilitation of the affected persons,” he added.

Chandigarh, October 7
The INLD supremo and former Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has said Haryana Minister Venod Sharma’s step to resign from the Council of Ministers was a vindication of the demand raised by the INLD for dismissal of Mr Sharma from the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led ministry.

Mr Chautala, who is in Chandigarh, said Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, Transport Minister, should also resign for his alleged involvement in the oil for food scam. He added that Ms Selja, Union Minister and Lok Sabha member from Ambala, should also step down from office for her alleged involvement in the Agrofed scam.

Mr Venod Sharma should also resign from his Assembly seat for his alleged role in influencing the witnesses in the Jessica Lal murder case and he should be put behind the bar, Mr Chautala said.

The INLD leader alleged that the joint venture SEZ project in Haryana was a massive scam and the Hooda-led government be dismissed for perpetrating the scam.

Ambala, October 7
Mr Venod Sharma, MLA, Ambala City, said here today that development work in his constituency would not hamper by his resignation.

Mr Sharma was on a visit to his constituency. He arrived here this morning from New Delhi. A large number of Congress leaders from Ambala City reached Ambala Cantt railway station to receive Mr Sharma.

Mr Sharma stressed that development works initiated by him would continue. He said “Development is the top priority of the government and there will be no change in development work.” Mr Sharma said he had submitted his resignation to the party high command even though he was not asked.

He said allegations levelled by the Opposition parties were baseless and without any merit. He said the Opposition leaders must first introspect before pointing fingers at others. He said the media was a powerful medium and it must use its power in right direction.

Mr Sharma went to Baldev Nagar where he offered juice to the Congress activists who were sitting on a fast after they learnt about his resignation. 

Chandigarh, October 7
A letter written by the Haryana Finance Secretary to the heads of the departments and Divisional Commissioners is purported to be a wake up call for officers who have developed a habit of ignoring missives sent by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Haryana Assembly.

The PAC, which is supposed to perform the very important function of acting as a watchdog to monitor the expenditure incurred by the government, has been traditionally a toothless body in Haryana, headed almost inevitably by a ruling party MLA.

The present PAC, too, is headed by a ruling party MLA following the well-established tradition in Haryana. Nevertheless, it is demanding serious cooperation from bureaucrats in lieu of the disdain the latter has been usually showing to this important committee of lawmakers.

It was learnt that back in 1982, it was decided that quarterly progress reports would be given to the PAC by various departments regarding the implementation of recommendations and observations made by the committee. The directive, however, is not complied with by the irreverent officers.

The Finance Secretary, in a letter dated October 3, said the PAC had been taking “adverse notice of non-receipt of quarterly progress reports” on the implementation of recommendations “made by the committee in its various reports”.

The letter said quarterly progress reports were to be sent by the departments regularly and punctually by due dates, i.e. April 15, July 15, October 15 and January 15 for the quarters ending before these dates. In future the reports should positively reach the Finance Department on these particular dates, the letter said.

The coming October 15, is the first day of compliance with the 1982 directive since the circulation of the October 3 letter.

The last report of the PAC, dated February 20, 2006, also recorded its displeasure over this phenomenon. “The committee noted with concern that cases of excess expenditure over the grants/appropriations continued to occur despite the committee’s observation time and again”, stated the report.

Chandigarh, October 7
The results of the Haryana school board examinations will be available on Reliance MobileWorld almost instantly after these are released by the board around midnight on October 9.

Reliance Mobile customers whose phones do not support Reliance MobileWorld can get the examination results by dialing 1234 and speaking the word “EXAM”. They also have the option to SMS HR8 <roll no.> to 1234 for middle school results, SMS HR10 for matriculation, HR12 for senior secondary and HRO for open school results.

Pinjore, October 7
Acclaimed bharatnatyam classical danseuse Prathibha Prahlad augmented the aesthetic festivity set by ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh at the Pinjore heritage festival.

After chief guest Bhupinder Singh Hooda inaugurated the programme, Prathibha commenced the recital with an invocatory offering in laudation of Ganesha and Mahadev, bringing alive the spiritual fervour, a characteristic feature of bharatnatyam, known as the dance of the gods.

In the varnam, Prathibha employed her dancing skills to present the ‘Dash awtaar’ the 10 incarnations of Vishnu, the saviour and preserver. She was at her best as she depicted the virtues embodiment of all these incarnations.

In the immaculate “abhinaya” spell she enacted the important episodes of the ‘avtaars’, especially Rama’s exile and the whole index of Lord Krishna’s life from childhood prankster to the spiritual statesman of Mahabharata. The scant but receptive audience relished the curiosity of Rukmani to know about Radha ably presented in melodious raga Darbari.

She concluded the concert with a soulful rendition of a shlok. The synchronisation of her nimble footwork, body gestures and perfect timings to land at the ‘sam’ was a testimony of her adroit mastery over the dance realm.

The accompanists included S. Srinivas (mridangam), S. Shastri (violin and Kesvan (nattuvangam).

Pinjore, October 7
The magnificence of sublime Indian classical music kept wafting across the panoramic ambience of the otherwise delightful Yadvindra Gardens during the entrancing musical spell by Begum Parween Sultana, the legendary melody queen. The maestro took over the music aficionados on the third day of the Pinjore Heritage Festival in a captivating spell of classical vocal music.

Parween Sultana commenced the recital with an exposition of the popular evening Raga Yaman’. Through the concise alaap rendered in calm contemplation, she sought to establish an evocative raga form. She bared the raga melody in a slow tempo (vilambat) composition Aaaj mangal gaao ‘set to Ek taal before switching over to more captivating Kal nahin aaye in fast tempo (drut laya) in teen taal rhythmic pattern in the same raga.

The maestro doled out a ‘taraana’ in Raga Hansdhani and teen taal after an elaborate alaap. She brought alive the spiritual fervour while rendering the devotional compositions, starting with Meera bhajan ‘Mein to gobind leeno mol’ and Kab ki khadi Jamuna ke teer. She concluded the soiree with a composition of her choice ‘Bhavani Dyanai’ in laudation of the goddess of wisdom, virtues and power.

A proponent of traditional purity, Parween blended the classical conservatism and the dynamic spirit of innovation within limits of sanctity into her music today. The frugal use of taans soaring higher than the ‘ati taar’ octave amazed the audience.

Her control over the swar, laya and thehrav was an imprint of her musical genius. Her illustrious disciple daughter, Shadaab Sultana, provided the vocal support while Mithlesh Kumar Jha (tabla), Debu Prasad (Harmonium), Pushpita and Shivani on tanpura provided the accompaniment.

Jhajjar, October 7
Constable Jaswant Singh of the CRPF, who was killed in an encounter with militants at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on October 4, was cremated with state honours at Birohar village here today.

He was one of the two CRPF jawans killed in the encounter when militants attacked their camp in the town. The body of 24 years old martyr was flown here from Srinagar and five CRPF officials accompanied him.

The MP from Rohtak, Mr Deepender Hooda, Salhawas MLA Anita Yadav besides district officials and thousands of villagers participated in the last rites of the soldier.