Sirsa, December 4
The Haryana Government will fill all posts of physically challenged persons lying vacant in various departments by in this month.

This was stated by the Haryana Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Ms Kartar Devi, after inaugurating the third State-level Special Sports and Cultural Meet-2006 at the sports complex located on Barnala Road here yesterday.

The event, comprising various competitions for the physically challenged children, has been organised by the Haryana Primary Education Council under the aegis of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan.

Addressing the participating sportspersons, their parents, sports lovers and spectators, the minister asserted that the underlying idea behind organising the sports meet was to encourage the children to join the mainstream of society.

Ms Kartar Devi appealed to the parents to get their children vaccinated to prevent the occurrence of physical and mental disorders in them. She also exhorted the voluntary social organisations, NGOs and self-help groups to come forward and create awareness in this regard.

Nearly 2,800 handicapped children and their parents from various parts of the state have come to take part in the sports-cum-cultural tournament. The opening event was a 50-metre wheel-chair race.

Kalu Khan, a participant from the host district, administered the oath of sportsmanship to the participants on the occasion. Soulful presentations of a group song "Teri hai zami..." and a spectacular mega show enthralled the audience.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr V.Umashankar, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Pankaj Yadav, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Ms Geeta Bharti, and a number of prominent residents of the city were present on the occasion.

Fatehabad, December 4
The appointments of guest teachers in the Education Department in the district have come under scanner after irregularities were reported in the appointment of Sanskrit teacher. The Deputy Commissioner has ordered an inquiry in to the appointments after a candidate leveled allegations of favouritism in to the appointments.

The Education Department, according to reports, had invited applications for appointment as Sanskrit teachers in four schools of the district situated at Ratta Tibba, Matana, Kharakheri and Bangaon villages. As per the directions of the government, the guest teacher had to be preferably from the village to which the appointment was to be made. In case the authorities failed to find a suitable candidate from the village they can appoint teacher from the same block or from the same district. The aspirants were asked to submit their applications by October 11, 2006.

The department issued appointment orders to four candidates namely Mr. Rajesh, Mr. Ved Pal, Mr. Jagdish and Ms. Kiran Bala. Later, Mr. Ved Pal was not allowed to join as he did not have a ration card from this district and Mr. Rajesh joined some other job. The department then issued orders of appointment to two more candidates Mr. Ram Bhaj and Mr. Jagdish.

The appointments, according to sources, were made in utter disregard of the merit and favoritism was made for candidates, who had connections.

Aggrieved by the appointments, Ms. Sunita Rani, a candidate for the same post, approached the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. O. P. Sheoran, alleging irregularities in the appointments.

She alleged in her complaint that while one of the candidates Ms. Kiran Bala did not possess the requisite qualification, another candidate Mr. Ram Bhaj hailed from Bass village of Hisar district. Both these candidates had been issued appointment letters by the department.

The moment the education department received the complaint marked by the Deputy Commissioner on November 8, 2006, the department removed Ms. Kiran Bala from services.

The Block Education Officer, who made appointments, proceeded on leave. The District Education Officer, Ms. Vidhya Wanti Kambojc expressed ignorance about the matter.

Ambala, December 4
Bhiwani MP Kuldeep Bishnoi's rally has exposed groupism in the Ambala unit of the Congress.

Mr Bishnoi's rally has shown that Congress activists are divided and the division is on the basis of their loyalty towards either former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal or present Chief Minister Hooda.

Loyalists of Mr Bhajan Lal are known to be unhappy with the fact that Mr Bhajan Lal was not made the Chief Minister despite a thumping win at the hustings. The discontentment continued to simmer below the surface and the rally has brought out the disenchantment of a section of Congress activists in the open.

The question of the `real' Congress was referred to by Mr Bishnoi during his address to the rally. Mr Bishnoi said people knew who all had been actively associated with the Congress for the last so many years. "All these people are present here. So, it is for the people to understand about the truth of the real Congress," he said.

Congress leaders and strong contenders for the Congress ticket from Ambala cantonment seat in the last Assembly elections like Dr Pradeep Chauhan, Mr Arjun Lal Kalra and Mr Tilak Raj Taneja shared the stage with Mr Bishnoi. Even the Youth Congress was duly represented with the presence of district Youth Congress (rural) president Bhoom Singh Rana.

Even as Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi's rally was being held, a simultaneous `Samarthan' rally was organised by the Block Congress Committee under the leadership of Mr Vishwanath Yadav in support of Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Ambala cantonment MLA DK Bansal stayed away from both rallies by being present at a state- level AIDS day function which was held at War Heroes Memorial Stadium. Union minister and Ambala MP Kumari Selja was the chief guest at the function.

Incidentally, there are a few Congress leaders who are clearly not happy with groupism within the Congress.

The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee legal cell vice chairman, Mr Om Prakash Malik, has urged Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi to intervene in the activities going on in Haryana as the Congress activists are divided into two groups. "One group is headed by Mr Bhajan Lal and his son Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi and the other group is headed by CM Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda and working president of HPCC Dr Ram Prakash," he said.

Mr Malik said that this groupism was seen during the visit of Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi to Ambala cantonment when some party activists waved black flags to show their opposition to Mr Bishnoi resulting in a scuffle in which some workers received minor injuries. "Such incidents should open the eyes of the Congress leadership which is publicly declaring that there is no groupism in the Congress in Haryana," he said.

Yamunanagar, December 4
Haryana Rice Miller's and Dealers Association has threatened to go on an indefinite strike from December 6 if the union government failed to accept their demands. The rice Sheller in Punjab are already on strike.

A meeting of the association would be held in Karnal on December 6 and may announce the strike their demands are not accepted. The association members said that if their demands are not met the activists would stop delivery to government agencies.

The millers and dealers are demanding 66 per cent yield per quintal, one per cent drying charges, 8 per cent discolor and compensation for 4 per cent per month damage to paddy during storage. The association has also sought increase in the milling rate from Rs 15 to Rs 25.

Mr Narinder Gomber, general secretary of the district unit, said representatives of the association from each district would meet in Karnal. Mr Azad Rathi, state president of the association, would hold meetings with all the district units before the final meeting in Karnal.

Mr Rathi was here today to interact with the association members. He said that if their demands are not met by December 6 they too would go on strike in support of Punjab millers.

He said Hafed was not paying transportation charge from Mandi to mill while Food and Supplies Department, Agrofed and Confed were paying the transportation cost.

Fatehabad, December 4
Over 50 delegates from the state discussed problems confronting the legal fraternity at the first annual convention of the Haryana unit of the All India Lawyers Union (AILU) here today.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Som Dutt Sharma, state secretary of the AILU, regretted that the judiciary had, of late, been stepping into the domain of other institutions and strengthening policies of globalisation through its decisions.

He said it was strange that at a time when the judiciary was intervening in matters like sanitation, elections of colleges and universities and other matters, which were essentially the domain of executive or the legislature, political parties were not raising their voice against it.

He also emphasised the need for amendments in the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act.

Mr Devi Lal, state convener of the AILU, presented a report on the activities of the state unit of the AILU.

Resolutions were passed in the convention against the alleged violation of human rights in the state, violation of labour laws and encouragement to khap panchayats by different political parties.