Jind Panipat Bhiwani Sirsa

Two jawans cremated
BHIWANI, June 20 — A valiant soldier of 17th Jat Regiment Kuldeep Singh sacrificed his life on June 18 in Kangan area in Kargil during Operation Vijay. The martyr belonged to Mehrana village in Dadri Subdivision of the district.

Mother, son held for cheating
SIRSA, June 20 — The police arrested Rajeev Khanna and his mother in a cheating case here. According to reports Balkar Singh of Kutabargh village in Ellenabad subdivision of the district had alleged in his complaint that he had contacted the two accused to purchase a shop in grain market

Bitta mobilising "marjeewadas"
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, June 20 — Former All-India Youth Congress chief and a former Punjab minister, Mr Maninder Jit Singh Bitta is mobilising 1000 youths who will act as "marjeewadas" in the ongoing action of the armed forces against Pakistani infiltrators in the Kargil-Dras-Batalik Sectors.

Mr Bitta, talking to mediapersons here last night, said he had written to the Defence Ministry regarding this. He said his volunteers would be ready to act as "human bombs" to blast enemy camps.

The Congress leader denounced the action of the Central Government in allowing the Lahore-Delhi bus enter the Indian soil when Pakistan had subjected Indian soldiers to barbaric atrocities.

He demanded that the government must stop all bus and rail services to Pakistan forthwith.He also said the government must approach the United Nations to declare Pakistan a "terrorist state".

Mr Bitta criticised the Bansi Lal government for its "indifferent" attitude towards the families of soldiers who had laid down their lives for the country. He said the Parkash Singh Badal government in Punjab had already paid a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each of the affected families. The government had also offered a government job to one member of each of the effected families.

He said the Haryana government, on the other hand, had failed to give a single penny to any of the martyrs' families though big announcement were being made. In Rewari district, he alleged, only the SDM had gone to the family of a martyr and offered Rs 2500 for purchasing wood for the cremation.

He particularly appreciated the Bihar government in this regard. He said the government had announced a sum of Rs 10 lakh and a plot for every family of the martyrs. He said despite political differences he saluted Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav for his commitment towards the families of those who were making supreme sacrifices for the country. He also praised the Rajasthan Government in this matter.

Two jawans cremated
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, June 20 — A valiant soldier of 17th Jat Regiment Kuldeep Singh sacrificed his life on June 18 in Kangan area in Kargil during Operation Vijay. The martyr belonged to Mehrana village in Dadri Subdivision of the district.

Kuldeep Singh was cremated today at his Native village with full state and military honours.

Mr Sureendra Singh, former MP, Prof Chattar Singh Chauhan, Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Jagan Nath, former minister, Mr Sat Pal Sangwan, MLA, Mr Narinder Singh MLA, Mr K.S. Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.S. Deswal, SP and Mr S.K. Kaushik, secretary, Zila Sainik Board, and people from the neighbouring villages paid homage to the soldier.

Lt. Sanjay Singh of 84 Armoured placed a wreath on the body of the soldier on behalf of the Army.

Jind: The cremation of rifleman Ashish Kumar of Second Rajputana Rifles was performed with full state and military honours at his native village Ghimana in the district, on Sunday. A contingent of armed forces and another of Haryana Police reversed arms and presented a gun salute to the soldier. The father of Ashish Kumar lit the pyre.

He had joined the Army in 1997. He died while fighting the Pakistani infiltrators on the Tololing heights.

Mr Sat Narain Lathar, Minister of State for Housing said a wreath on the body on behalf of state government. Mr Tarun Bajaj, Deputy Commissioner, Jind and Mr Manjit Singh Ahluwnt, SP, were attended the funeral. Col Raj Singh, Commanding Officer of Second Rajputana Rifles and Col A.K. Jaichandran of Assam Rifles were also present.

Petrol dealers observe strike
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, June 20 — The Haryana Petroleum Dealers Association started an agitation against Indian Oil Corporation yesterday as a result of which the petrol station owners of Panipat district resorted to a one-day strike yesterday. The association has taken this step prior to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to the Panipat refinery of Indian Oil Corporation on June 24.

According to Mr Shamsher Singh Gogi, vice-president of the association, the Indian Oil Corporation has been imposing unwanted taxes on the petrol station dealers in Haryana off and on whereas the dealers have been demanding an increase in their commission for long.

He alleged that the IOC authorities were not paying any heed towards their demands. Mr Gogi said even after the installation of the IOC refinery at Panipat the rates of petrol and other petroleum products were not being cut down by the IOC. He demanded that keeping in view the prevailing circumstances the rate of petrol should be less by 25 to 30 paise per litre. But the IOC was charging about Rs 400 crore as additional taxes from petrol dealers.

PROs to donate day's salary to fund
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, June 20 — Responding to the call given by Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal for contributing generously towards the fund for families of the Kargil martyrs, officials of the District Public Relations Office here have decided to donate a day's salary towards the War Heroes Fund.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the staff here today which was presided over the District Public Relations Officer, Mr Tara Chand Gupta. A two-minute silence was observed as a mark of respect to the martyrs.

Mother, son held for cheating
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, June 20 — The police arrested Rajeev Khanna and his mother in a cheating case here.

According to reports Balkar Singh of Kutabargh village in Ellenabad subdivision of the district had alleged in his complaint that he had contacted the two accused to purchase a shop in grain market

The deal was settled for Rs 12 lakh and he had paid Rs 3 lakh as advance to the party with an agreement to pay the balance after a month. But the accused neither got the registry done nor returned the advance money to the complainant.

A case has been registered under Section 403, 420, 406, 468, 806, 201 and 424, IPC.