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Haryana News
New Delhi March 16:
Families of 446 persons, including 230 children, who were charred to death at a school function in Dabwali, Haryana, can expect some interim compensation after 15 long years as the Supreme Court directed DAV School Society to pay up the first tranche of Rs 10 crore.
Not appreciating the attempt by DAV School to further delay paying the compensation amount fixed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court by moving an appeal against it in the apex court, a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan asked the school management to deposit Rs 10 crore within six weeks.
It also asked the interim compensation amount so deposited with the additional civil judge (senior division) at Sirsa to be proportionately distributed among victims after proper verification. The Bench clarified that this was an interim amount that was needed to be deposited by the school and that it would be subject to the final outcome of the appeal filed against the HC order.
The school management had challenged a November 9, 2009 decision of the HC, which fastened the liability of the school finding it amiss in its duty to ensure safety of the children and their parents at the school's annual function at a banquet hall in Dabwali on December 23, 1995. The fire caused by an electric short circuit soon turned the entire polythene and plastic sheet enclosed tented area into a furnace, leaving all escape routes blocked. If 446 people could not escape the fire, 200 escaped to tell the story of horror.
The HC had appointed a one-man commission to inquire into the incident and work out a compensation package. Based on its report, the HC had directed the school management to shoulder 55% of the total compensation package of Rs 47 crore along with 6% interest. The state authorities -- Electricity Board, Municipal Committee and Deputy Commissioner -- had accepted their liability to pay up the remaining 45% of the compensation amount,
Critical of the school for not paying up till date and instead blaming the banquet hall owner, the Bench said, "You must ensure that the place where you conduct such functions is safe. Basically you have a duty under law to ensure the place is safe. Do not say you have no liability."
If the school's counsel senior advocate L N Rao argued that his client could not be burdened with such a huge compensation, lawyer Anju Arora, appearing for the victims association, said the school encashed on the sympathy following the incident and utilised the funds collected for the victims towards school construction and payment of compensation to families of deceased teaching staff, which they were required to do from their own funds.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 16,2
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Panipat/Chandigarh March 15:
In a case of fence eating the crop, seven members of Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF), including its chief, allegedly extorted money from two businessman by threatening to implicate them in false cases following which they have been detained.
Seven personnel of the 15-member STF, including its chief ASP Ashok Sheoran, were detained today for questioning following "serious allegations" of their involvement in two criminal cases at Panipat, a senior police officer said. No arrests have been made as the seven were being questioned following allegations levelled by two Panipat businessmen, said Superintendent of Police, Panipat, Rajinder Singh. A case under section 395 of the IPC (Dacoity) and
Arms Act has been registered. The share broker, Rajat Sharma, alleged that the STF men had demanded Rs 10 lakh after threatening to book him in some cases, the SP said adding that the deal was finalised at Rs six lakh, which was given to them. Jeweller B K Malhotra alleged that the team had demanded Rs 10 lakh, but he paid Rs one lakh to them. "We saw the CCTV footage of the jewellery shop and our staff recognised that one of the men was an STF constable as he was earlier posted with Panipat STF," Singh said.
The STF, which was set up to investigate some important cases relating to notorious criminals, has been made "non-operational", Director General of Police (DGP) R S Dalal told reporters in Chandigarh. "We have taken serious note of this," Dalal said adding that Superintendent of Police (SP) Panipat Rajinder Singh has been asked to probe the matter and submit a report at the earliest.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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Panipat March 15:
The involvement of special task force (STF) members of Haryana police in dacoity and extortion in Panipat has come as a major blow for the force that had been highlighting its in-house reforms in recent months.
The team members allegedly looted Rs 6 lakh from a stockbroker on March 11 and then tried to extort Rs 10 lakh from Malhotra jewellers’ owner VK Malhotra by claiming to be members of a vigilance team from Chandigarh. Malhotra pleaded that he did not have the money and handed over Rs one lakh, asking the person to collect the remaining amount after half an hour.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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Ambala March 15:
Union Tourism and Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja hoped that the Women Empowerment Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha would be cleared by the Lok Sabha after discussions in the House and that members of the political parties would reach a consensus after discussion. She said the UPA government was committed to give rights and empowerment to women.
The beginning had been good and it was likely to end with good results, she opined. Selja was interacting with the media at her Ambala Cantonment residence. In reply to a question, she said Ambala and other areas of her Lok Sabha constituency had found place in the Railway budget presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. She said two new railway lines from Poenta via Jagadhri-Chandigarh and Ambala-Patiala via Devigarh would be laid in the coming days.
She said earlier, the connectivity with these cities was weak and the new lines would open new vistas for development of the remote areas in her constituency. The minister talked of Ambala Cantonment and other new world-class stations, which would be developed to provide modern amenities to the passengers. The minister said since the Ambala divisional Railways had abandoned the construction of under bridge at Ambala City, she would ask the authorities to find out an alternate site since the present one was found to be unfit for its construction.
She also informed that a hospital would be expanded with latest facilities at Kalka. Selja said time-bound construction work of hotels and camping sites as part of preparation for Commonwealth Games was in progress and was likely to be completed before time. She added construction work was also going on in Haryana to provide facilities during the Olympics.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 15,2
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Panchkula March 13:
Expressing optimism that judicial infrastructure will improve significantly in the next two years due to higher allocation of funds, Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan on Saturday mooted setting up of 4,000 more Gram Nayalayas for settling minor cases in rural areas.
"The Planning Commission has earmarked an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore for improving judicial infrastructure for the year 2010-11 and in next 2-3 years, there will be wonderful and fresh change in look of judiciary and court's infrastructure," Balakrishnan said while addressing the 'International Conference on Judicial Reforms' here. This "will further strengthen the confidence of people in the judicial system," he said.
Balakrishnan also favoured setting up of Gram Nayalayas. "If about 4,000 Gram Nayalayas are set up in the country, they can be helpful in settling minor offences or disputes of rural people," he said. Nearly 2,000 Gram Nyayalayas have come up under an Act notified last year. Noting that efforts were on to improve the judicial system, the CJI said the strength of High Court judges in the country had improved considerably.
However, he said that the situation in lower courts in the country was not as good as in higher courts. "It has been observed that there are no facilities for litigants, witnesses and even for lawyers in lower courts. Moreover, some of buildings in which courts are set up are even 150 years old. There has to be improvement in facilities in these courts also," he said at the conference organised by International Council of Jurists.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 13,2
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Chandigarh March 13:
The Haryana Assembly admitted a privilege motion against Leader of Opposition and INLD member Om Prakash Chautala for "misleading" the House regarding Value Added Tax (VAT) on salt during the gen- eral discussion on budgetary proposals.
Speaker Harmohinder Singh Chatha admitted the privi- lege motion moved by Congress member Kuldeep Sharma amid a noisy walkout by the INLD members. The motion has been sent to the Privileges Committee for examination. Chautala had, in his speech during the general discussion on the Budget 2010-11 on Thursday, said that the gov- ernment had imposed VAT on salt an item for which Mahatma Gandhi had led the "namak satyagraha".
In his notice under Rules 278 and 279 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Haryana Legislature, Kuldeep Sharma contended that Chautala had made a false, misleading and incorrect statement in the House willfully, deliberately and knowingly, which was a clear breach of privilege. As soon as Sharma moved the motion, angry members of INLD stormed out of the House, shouting slogans against the Congress government.
When they returned a few minutes later, the Congress member again sprang up, saying he want- ed to share with members the background of the privilege motion and what prompted him to take it up. When Congress member Raghubir Singh Kadian also said that the members want- ed more information about the privilege motion, the Speaker granted him permission.
However, INLD members Ashok Kumar Arora, Ajay Singh Chautala and Ram Pal Majra protested strongly, saying that the motion was already over. "The Congress always tries to start new practices. Aisa bhi pehli baar hua hai," Arora said sarcastically. A few members stood up in Sharma's support but most of what the two sides said to each other was not audi- ble in the din.
When Sharma started speak- ing, the INLD members staged another symbolic walkout. On returning to the House, they rushed to the well of the House, demanding that the Congress member be stopped as the motion was over. The Speaker immediately asked Sharma to take his seat.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 13,2
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Chandigarh March 13:
Budgetary proposals submitted by Finance Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav came in for sharp criticism from the opposition MLAs during the general discussion on Budget 2010-11. The opposition members flayed the five per cent surcharge on VAT, absence of any measures to curb price rise, rising debt and negligible increase in annual plan.
INLD member Ashok Kumar Arora said that the Prime Minister and his Finance Minister had raised hopes of the people by repeatedly seek- ing cooperation of the state governments in measures to curb price rise, but Capt Yadav dashed them in his budget. "There is nothing to check prices in his proposals. On the contrary, the government has raised VAT rate on essential items from four per cent to five per cent and also announced surcharge of five per cent on all the tax slabs," he added.
He also said that the Congress had opposed VAT when it was introduced by the INLD gov- ernment in the state. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda immediately intervened to clarify that he never opposed VAT, but was against its intro- duction in the state in isolation. Leader of Opposition Om Prakash Chautala, however, reminded that the Congress manifesto had clearly men- tioned that the party was opposed to VAT.
Referring to rising debt, the INLD member said that the government repeatedly talked of massive hikes in plan out- lays in the last five years, but forgot about the debt burden. Debt went up by Rs 23,000 crore in 38 years whereas it jumped by more than Rs 22,000 crore in the last five years of the Congress rule, he added.
On public private partner- ship, the INLD member flayed the attempt to involve private companies in every major proj- ect. "PPP kare jao sadak ho ya bijli. Sarkar bhi thik nahin chal rahi hai usko bhi PPP mein Reliance ko de do," he said. He also flayed the ban on conch- es in Kurukshetra, fertiliser shortage and rising electricity bill arrears.
BJP Legislature Party leader Anil Vij said that the Congress ran a massive `Haryana Number 1' campaign, but the state was not number one in annual growth. "Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar had record- ed higher growth rates with- out taking guidance from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi," he remarked, triggering noisy protests by treasury members. The Congress members were irked by the reference made to their leader.
When Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Randeep Singh Surjewala and some Congress MLAs object- ed to his remarks, Vij said that Sonia Gandhi's name was men- tioned in the Finance Minister's Budget speech. "If you don't want anyone to mention her name, drop it from the speech as well," he said.
On the financial estimates in the budgetary proposals, the BJP member said that the num- bers mentioned in the Budget documents did not tally and there was a major gap in rev- enue calculations. He also termed the surcharge on VAT as inflationary.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 13,2
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Chandigarh March 13:
Participating in the discussion on the Budget Estimates, the Congress MLA from Ganaur, Kuldeep Sharma, said the Congress government had been able to cleanse the organised crime being run under the patronage of the pre- vious regime (read INLD).
"Entrepreneurs used to trem- ble with fear during their rule. In the name of celebrating the birth anniversary of Devi Lal, they did so many things,'' Sharma said. The remarks sparked off noisy protests from the INLD benches. A verbal duel ensued between Sharma and the INLD's Ashok Arora.
Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala said the inten- tion of the treasury benches was just to start an argument. They had ruined the state, Chautala alleged. Resuming the discussion, Sharma said the Congress gov- ernment had created a con- ducive environment in the state. "Compare this to the INLD rule. Convicts serving life sentences for heinous crimes were released during their rule,'' he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
March 13,2
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