Chandigarh, November 6
Accusing the Haryana Police of being unable to investigate the data theft case in Acme Telepower at Manesar, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India, has asked the state government to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Assocham has asked the Chief Minister, Haryana, Mr Bhupinder Sigh Hooda, to transfer the case to the CBI "…for a timely and prompt investigation". The move comes following allegations by the Acme Telepower management that the Gurgaon police was acting in favour of the accused, and the investigation was biased. The management has also threatened to close down its inventions in Research and Development (R & D) in India; move them out of the country; and, use India only as an assembling hub, where no intelligence is required.

Irked at the response of the Gurgaon police, which has declared that there is no value of the data — Power Interface Unit (PIU) — that has been transferred from Acme to its rival company, Acme officials claim that the value of PIU, as determined by Ernst & Young based on comparable companies is Rs 754.60 crore.

Acme Telepower — a technology and Research and Development driven company — has many patented products in power electronics, air conditioning and sewage treatment. The case of data theft relates to the PIU — a patented product developed by the company. This is an integrated rack with multiple features placed at a GSM tower site, and replaces six other products. This product ensures that the telecom operators get optimal utilisation of mains electricity, lower running costs, lower installation time, and, better uptime of the site.

It was in April this year that an employee in the R&D department of the company suddenly stopped coming to the office and later put in his papers, without handing over the work he was doing. He was entrusted with the computer source codes of the software that governed the working of different components of PIU. When he left, the company realised that the projects had all been corrupted and would have to be restarted.

It was not before the end of September, when the rival company developed the PIU and launched it in the market, that Acme officials realised that the above mentioned employee, along with other former Acme employees were working for the rival company. The company then checked their own internal server logs and records and found that the employee had transferred the entire confidential data to his personal email address - which proved that the data had been stolen.

Yamunanagar, November 6
No mid-day meal has been served in most of the schools of the district because grocery for the same was not supplied.

As per sources in the Primary Education Department, the mid-day meal has not been cooked in most of the 625 schools during the past 15 days. Sources said that two contractors were to supply the grocery to the schools. One of the suppliers delivered gram, pulses, cooking oil and spices to the schools. But because of a dispute regarding the other contract wheat, soyabean, daliya and rice could not be supplied.

As per the menu, primary school children get sweet rice, khichdi, daliya, pulao and bakhli (wheat and grams) for five days in a week but since the grocery was not complete, the meal could not be cooked. There is an alternative of giving fruits (Rs 1.17 per student) in case there is a shortage of grocery. However, the fruits, too, could not be given as the advance money given to schools was spent in making payments to cooks and purchase of fuel and vegetables.

Mr Jai Kishan and Mr Rajinder Atari, president and secretary, respectively, of the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh alleged in a release that 70 schools in the Chhachhrouli block had not been served the mid-day meal.

An official in the department said that the supply would be made to all the schools by tomorrow and the mid-day meal would start.

Chandigarh, November 6
The Haryana Government has sent the names of three IAS officers to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi for appointment of any one of them as the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Haryana.

The officers whose names figure on the panel, are Mr Sajjan Singh, Mr Sarban Singh and Mr S. K. Monga.

Mr Sajjan Singh is the Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs. Mr Sarban Singh is Secretary, Printing and Stationery, while Mr Monga is Director, Food and Supplies.

Mr Manik Sonawane, CEO of Haryana, had been recently appointed by the state government as Principal Secretary, Labour. Mr Sonawane will take up his new assignment after the ECI finds his replacement for the CEO’s post.

Bhiwani, November 6
The District Legal Services Authority will organise a legal literacy week from November 10 to 16 in the district. The poor will be acquainted with their legal rights and duties during the week.

Stating this here today, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr J.B. Gupta, said Legal Literacy Day would be observed on November 9. To impart knowledge about legal services among the masses poetry reading, essay writing and painting competitions, exhibitions and seminars would be held during the week, he said, adding that maximum cases would be settled through lok adalats during the week.

The CJM stated that the cases pertaining to motor accidental claims, women harassment, bank loan, family disputes would be settled during the week. Social organisations which could extend legal aid to the poor and handicapped would be considered for their services. Legal help centres and clinics would also be set up through the authority.

Sonepat, November 6
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today challenged his political opponents saying, “I will not allow them to join hands”. He was addressing a meeting at Matindu village of his in-laws.

Taking exception to the remarks of INLD leaders against the construction of Hansi Butana-link canal, Mr Hooda said his government was committed to ensure equal distribution of canal water and it had been a long-standing demand of majority of the people of the state. He said 42 per cent of construction of the canal had been completed. It would be completed in stipulated time.

He paid tributes to educationists of the area —Bhagat Phool Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chaudhary Peeru Singh, Chaudhary Matu Ram, Dr Ramji Lal and said because of their efforts, the area had witnessed an era of education before and after independence of the country.

He assured people the law and order would be maintained and there was no place for anti-social elements in the state.

He said the government had plans to set up an industrial model township in Kharkhauda to generate employment for educated youth. He also announced the setting up of a 60-bed hospital at Kharkhauda, four-laning of the Sonepat-Jhajjar road and the Rohtak-Kharkhauda-Ochandi. Border road, construction of a Rs 32 lakh multipurpose hall and veterinary dispensary at Matindu village. He also announced Kharkhauda town would be provided sewerage under the NCR planning.

The Chief Minister was presented with a purse of Rs 11,11,000 by villagers. But he returned the amount to village people to spend it for development. Mr Deepender Hooda, MP, announced a grant of Rs 5 lakh from the MPLAD Fund for Sisana village gaushala.

Ambala, November 6
The inauguration of a tubewell has become a bone of contention between the Ambala Cantonment MLA, Mr Devender Bansal, and the Municipal Councillor, Mr Mahesh Goel.

The MLA, Mr Devender Bansal, had gone yesterday to inaugurate a tubewell in Ward No. 16 in Mahesh Nagar area and he faced resistance from local residents who were led by the Congress MC, Mr Mahesh Goel.

Mr Mahesh Goel said the tubewell had become already operational on April 24 this year and there was no need for the MLA to inaugurate the tubewell after so many months. “The land of the tubewell had been bought after receiving contribution from local residents. We fail to understand as to how Mr Bansal could think of inaugurating this tubewell,” he said.

He said he had already apprised the District Congress Committee (Ambala Urban) President, Mr Narinder Pal Singh Shera of the issue. “I am forwarding him a letter in which the details about the entire incident has been given,” he said.

However, Mr Bansal said the tubewell had been constructed from the grants which had been received by him. “The invitation for the inauguration had been forwarded by the XEN and then I inaugurated, the tubewell,” he said.

“In any case, inaugurations need not take place at the moment when a building or work has been completed. Inauguration can take place at a convenient date,” he added.

Mr Bansal said this incident was a serious issue. “I am taking up this matter with the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. An unnecessary controversy is being created by some Congress activists,” he alleged.

Ambala, November 6
All five members of a family donated blood at a camp organised by the Bharat Vikas Parishad (Maharshi Dayanand branch) and the Young Saviours Club on the Neel Kanth temple premises at Ambala City today. As many as 140 donors donated blood at the camp. Mr Satish Chabra, a social activist, inaugurated the camp.

The president of the Young Saviours Club, Mr Rajinder Garg, donated blood for the 130th time. His wife Sucheta, son Rajan, daughter Naina and daughter-in-law Rashi also donated blood. The secretary of the parishad, Mr Deepak Anand, his brother Mikil and wife Mukta were among the prominent blood donors.

The chief guest, Mr Satish Chabra, his wife Sudesh, son Sushil, daughter-in-law Payal, cousins Ishu and Rajan also donated blood.

The president of the parishad, Dr Raj Pal Bahal, informed that a team of doctors from the Blood Transfusion Department of the PGI, Chandigarh, under the supervision of Dr Usha Rao, came to collect the blood. He said the camp was organised on the occasion of the birth centenary celebrations of former RSS chief, Shri Golvarkar.

Panipat, November 6
A resident of Manana village in Smalkha subdivision, with the help of his relatives, allegedly killed his wife and son here today.

The accused, Krishan Kumar, was married to Prem Lata, a resident of Khanpur Kalan village, near Gahana, 15 years ago. After two years of marriage, the couple separated and Prem Lata started living at her parental home with her son. Prem Lata was getting Rs 1,700 as maintenance allowance from her estranged husband. Two months back Prem Lata came to attend the last rites of her father-in-law at Manana village when the relatives arranged a meeting between the husband and the wife after which they decided to live together, the police said.

Prem Lata informed her brothers that Krishan was harassing her after which her brother, Surinder, accompanied by his cousin, Baljit, reached the home of their sister yesterday and stayed there for the night. At late night both the cousins, got up after listening some noise and saw Krishan, his younger brother Brahm Dutt, his elder sister-in-law Kitabo and her son Lokesh coming out of the room of their sister. On getting inside the room they found their sister and nephew dead, the police said.

The police has arrested the accused on the complaint of Surinder.

Fatehabad, November 6
Ranbir Singh (50), a resident of Khabra Kalan village in this district, was killed when he was attacked with a sharpedged weapon by his neighbour last night.

According to reports, the victim had enmity with his neighbour, Jagat Pal. Last night, the victim had gone out of his house at about 11 when Jagat Pal hit him with a sharpedged weapon. Ranbir Singh died on the spot.