Principal Secy to CM assures striking employees of meeting with Khattar

Chandigarh :
There seems to be no end to the woes of bus commuters in Haryana as the talks between the Haryana Roadways employees unions and the Haryana Government failed on Sunday.

After over five-hour talks between a delegation of the Haryana Roadways Talmel Committee and a team of senior officials of Haryana, Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to CM, assured the union leaders that a meeting between the committee and the Chief Minister would be arranged soon to arrive at a solution.

In all five rounds of the talks today, the union leaders wanted the state government to scrap the kilometre scheme under which the state government wanted to run 700 buses by private players.

Preliminary talks were held between a team of officials led by Pankaj Aggarwal, State Transport Commissioner, and agitating employees led by Sarbat Singh Punia and Hari Narayan Sharma, members of the Haryana Roadways Talmel Committee. Later, the government delegation was joined by Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary to CM, and Dhanpat Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport).

A proposal by the government delegation that the Transport Department was being converted into a corporation to cut down losses was strongly opposed by the union leaders, triggering a walk-out by the union leaders. They were later persuaded by the government officials to come back and the talks resumed.

Sources said the committee alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in the kilometer scheme to which the government delegation assured an impartial inquiry. The union leaders were adamant that the state government first scrapped the kilometer scheme, a demand which was not acceded to by the government delegation.

The committee asserted that the transport employees were ready to pool their five days’ salaries per month for the purchase of new buses provided the state government scrapped the kilometer scheme first. In view of the stalemate, Khullar promised that a meeting of the committee would be arranged with the CM.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Sahkari Parivahan Samiti Kalyan Sangh refuted reports that it had extended support to the strike by the Haryana Roadways staff. “We have nothing to do with the Roadways strike and 1,059 buses of the cooperative societies were running as per the schedule,” sangh president Sunil Kumar asserted.

Sirsa :
With the possibility of expulsion from his party staring at him, Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala on Sunday said that he would announce his future moves after Diwali.
Dushyant, who came to his Sirsa residence for the first time after his suspension from the party in the wake of ruckus created by his supporters during INLD’s Gohana rally on October 7, said Diwali would mark the dawn of a new era for his supporters.

“I was served a show-cause-notice and I have given my reply. From the language of the notice, I could easily make out that the draft was not of Chautala ‘saab’ (former CM Om Prakash Chautala). All allegations in the notice are baseless. However, I have clarified my position. If the party’s disciplinary committee calls me, I will go and explain my position. I will wait and watch and will announce my next move after Diwali because Chaudhary Ajay Singh Chautala (Dushyant’s father) is to come out of jail on parole and I will announce my moves only after consulting him,” Dushyant said addressing a well-attended meeting on the lawns of his residence.

However, no office-bearer of the INLD, nor any MLA and MP of the party attended Dushyant’s meeting.

In his 20-minute speech, Dushyant left no one in doubt about intentions to have control over the 22-year-old party as he said that one has to snatch one’s rights as these cannot be got by begging.

When journalist asked him about the contents of his reply, Dushyant clarified that he had not given any written reply to the notice as he had already demanded evidence of the charges levelled against him in the notice.

“When I met Chautala ‘saab’ in Delhi a day before he was to return to jail, I had clarified my position and told him that all allegations levelled against me in the notice were baseless. I believe that also amounts to my reply,” he said.

Asked about the move he was planning after Diwali, Dushyant said, “Wait for a few days. The entire Haryana will come to know.”

Ever since Dushyant has been served show-cause notice and suspended from the INLD by Chautala following ruckus at Gohana rally, where his supporters allegedly booed his uncle Abhay Singh Chautala during his speech and raised slogans in his favour, Dushyant has been seen adopting defiant postures.

In a meeting of the working committee of the INLD at Gurugram on October 18, Chautala had hinted that he would take a call on Dushyant’s expulsion from the party on October 25 when he is to come out of Tihar for medical check-up.

Yamunanagar :
Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda has said the INLD-BSP alliance would break as, he claimed, the Congress was expected to ally with the BSP at the national level.
He made the claim at Sarva Samaj Bhaichara Sammelan oraganised by social worker Nar Singh Pal in Jagadhri.

The Congress MP hit out at the BJP for failing to fulfil its promises to youths, farmers and employees.

“Before coming to power four years ago, the BJP had promised to provide jobs to 2 crore youths, to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report and to bring down inflation. But the BJP has not much to show,” he said.

Deepender said Haryana was number one during the Congress rule in the state. “Now, it lags behind on development, but surges ahead in crime.”

“The Congress government gave plots and houses to 4 lakh SC and BC families. But the BJP government stopped this scheme after coming to power. We will relaunch the scheme if voted to power,” the Congress MP said.

He promised Rs 3,000 monthly pension to senior citizens, round-the-clock power supply to all residents of the state and waiver of farm loans.

“The people have made up their mind to teach a lesson to the BJP in the next Assembly elections,” Deepender added.

He, meanwhile, inducted Nar Singh into the Congress fold with an assurance that he and the Pal community would be given respect in the party.

Jhajjar :
Even as INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautal is yet to take a final call on expulsion of Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala, Leader of Opposition and INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala on Sunday announced that those who backstabbed the party would be shown the door. He said anybody involved in indiscipline would not be spared.

Abhay was addressing a public meeting in Bahadurgarh town in the district. The meeting was organised by former member of the state BJP executive committee Ramesh Dalal on his joining the INLD. Abhay said leaders having good reputation would be associated with the INLD and those who backstabbed the people would be kept away from the party. Some prominent leaders of the BJP and the Congress would join the INLD in Chandigarh on Monday, he said.

He said people were fed up with the BJP as it had entirely failed to live up to their expectations. They had now made up their mind to vote for the INLD in the coming Assembly elections, he claimed.

Attacking the state government, the INLD leader said the BJP had given the slogan of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas', but it was now working for 'sabka vinash' leading to acute resentment among every section of the society.

Karnal :
Paddy from Uttar Pradesh continues to arrive in grain markets of the district. Traders are making easy buck, while local farmers fume over non-procurement of their crop.
Sources in the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board say traders bring paddy from UP and it is easily sold in connivance with officials. It is going on even after the directions of Ram Niwas, ACS, Food and Supplies Department, to all DCs not to allow traded paddy into their grain markets before the start of the government procurement.

Sources claim paddy is available in UP mandis at the rate of Rs 1,200-1,350 per quintal and after bringing it to the state mandis, it is sold to procurement agencies for Rs 1,770 in connivance with officials, earning Rs 200-300 per quintal after meeting the transportation expenses.

“We procure paddy from Shahjahanpur, Etawah, Bareilly, Ramraj, Pilibhit, Shamli and other areas directly from farmers for Rs 1,300-1,350 per quintal. The transportation cost is Rs 120 per quintal from Pilibhit, Etawah and Bareilly. We sell it easily in the grain markets of Haryana at Rs 1,600-1,630,” said a rice miller. He said that due to lack of rice millers in UP, they procure directly from the farmers there.

The arrival of paddy from other states is creating problems for the local farmers. “I am sitting in the grain market with my produce for the past three days, but there is no taker, while the crop brought by the traders to the mandi it is sold immediately,” alleged a farmer.

“I have asked the authorities to set up checkpoints on the Haryana-UP border to stop arrival of the paddy from UP,” said Aditya Dahiya, Deputy Commissioner. He said that they could not seize such paddy, but only send it back. “We can seize only stolen rice or paddy,” he added.

Superintendent of Police Surinder Singh Bhoria said they had sent back nearly 200 trucks of paddy.