Karnal :
Several chemists in the district, under the banner of the District Karnal Chemists Association, on Friday shut their shops in protest against the online sale of medicines. But some chemists preferred to keep their shops open.

The protest call had been given by the All-India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists and Haryana State Chemists and Druggists Association.

Claiming the strike to be a success, Dinesh Aggarwal, president, District Karnal Chemists Association, said that the strike got good response. The shops remained closed between 8 am and 3.30 pm.

He said that they were against e-pharmacies as there was no check on the quality and price of medicines. Even drug addicts could easily get drugs through this system.

Aggarwal said the online pharmacy business was going on illegally but instead of taking stringent steps to check it, the government is going to legalise it.

Kurukshetra :
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) will spend Rs 7.24 crore on development and beautification of Kurukshetra.

Deputy Commissioner SS Phulia said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Municipal Corporation and the district administration on Thursday evening in this regard. He said the Central agency had earmarked the funds under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.

As per the MoU, the PGCIL would get constructed four bus queue shelters, beautify the main entry to the town at Pipli and also develop green belts.

Paragliding at Narnaul, training in Karnal, flights from Hisar

Chandigarh :
The Haryana government is developing Narnaul airfield in Mahendragarh district as a hub for aero adventure activities and plans to invite private operators to promote adventure tourism around the airstrip that is lying mostly unused for almost eight years.

 
The state government will provide all necessary infrastructure to the tour operators at a fixed sum, initially for a period up to three months, Haryana Civil Aviation Adviser Ashok Sangwan said. "We have a 3,000-foot-long airstrip, a large hanger and other necessary infrastructure at Narnaul airfield," he added.

"We are planning to promote aero adventure activities by introducing aero-modeling, paragliding, parasailing, skydiving and hot-air ballooning. So, taking a step in this direction, we will invite private and foreign players with requisite expertise," he said.
Sangwan said some aero sports activities did take place on the airstrip around eight years ago, but it was subsequently stopped. The commencement of the operations would require fresh approvals of DGCA.

He said the place will attract tourists visiting the national Capital. North of Delhi, this will be one of the unique hubs for aero adventure activities, which will not only boost the tourism but also employment potential, he said.

Currently, Bir-Billing in Kangra, Solang valley near Manali and Bundla Dhar near Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh offers para-gliding. Also heli-skiing is done at Hanuman Tibba, Rohtang Pass, Deo Tibba and Chandrakhani Pass near Manali in Himachal.

The centre will be developed along international lines and it will give a fillip to India's participation at world aero sports events, he said. 

He said the draft policy for promoting adventure sports is in a consultation stage and will be announced soon. 

The state is also making efforts to upgrade aviation infrastructure at training schools. Currently, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation has three functional flight training schools at Karnal, Pinjore and Hisar.

"We plan to invite request for proposal from private operators for training commercial pilots and upgrading the skills of existing professionals. Currently, for second and third level of commercial pilot training, people have to go abroad," he said.

He said the Hisar airport has got the aerodrome status from DGCA and now it is authorised to conduct commercial flights.

Govt set to notify relief at Rs 2 per unit for ‘C’, ‘D’ categories

Chandigarh :
More than three years after rolling out its Enterprises Promotion Policy 2015, promising subsidised electricity to micro and small enterprises, the state government is finally set to start power subsidy of Rs 2 per unit to units in the “C” and “D” categories.

 
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already given his nod to a proposal of the Department of Industry and Commerce in this regard and a notification in this regard is expected in a day or two.

Sources have said the relief will be given to new industries in “C” and “D” category blocks in terms of industrialisation for three years from the date of release of power connection.
The Enterprises Promotion Policy 2015, which was notified on August 15, 2015, provided that power subsidy of Rs 2 per unit would be given to micro and small enterprises in “C” and “D” category blocks.

For promoting geological dispersal of industry, the state had been divided into four categories — “A” “B”, “C” and “D”— on the basis of industrialisation and level of economic development.

Devender Singh, Principal Secretary, Industry and Commerce, could not be contacted for further details of the proposed notification.

PK Das, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Department, said as per the scheme, power distribution companies would continue to raise and collect bill as usual.

“Individual enterprises will file subsidy claim to the industries department. On the basis of actual bill issued by power discoms concerned, the department will release subsidy at the rate of Rs 2 per unit consumed only after the bill has been paid,” he said.

Das said the government had two options — either giving subsidy and issuing bills on reduced rates, as in case of agricultural consumers, or paying subsidy to consumers under the direct benefit transfer scheme after dues were paid. He said the government chose the second option as it would ensure timely payment.

“The Power Department will maintain a data base of bills and payments of beneficiary units and the industries department will have access to our data base. Once the industrial unit has paid its power dues on normal rates, it will be eligible for receipt of subsidy, which will be transferred into its account,” Das added.

Cyber cell retrieves photos, videos from phones

Chandigarh :
The Digital Investigation Training and Analysis Centre (DITAC), a state-of-the-art facility of the Haryana Police in Gurugram for solving cyber crimes, worked for 40 hours to retrieve deleted pictures and videos from mobile phones of the three main accused in the Rewari gangrape case.

On September 12, a 19-year-old girl from Rewari was allegedly raped in a tubewell room in the district’s Naya Gaon village. The three main accused Pankaj, Manish and Nishu have already been held.

Sources say retrieved pictures include some selfies clicked by Pankaj, an Army jawan, while he was sitting on the rear seat of his car with the girl after she was drugged and abducted from the Kanina bus stand on the fateful day.

“We cannot give out the exact number of retrieved pictures and videos because we have not received a report from the DITAC,” said Nazneen Bhasin, who is heading the SIT probing the case.

“The SIT has asked the DITAC to retrieve data of the past one year from the mobile phones of the accused so that the police can build up a stronger case,” she said.

Meanwhile, it took 10 days for the SIT to crack the case.

“Members of the SIT worked non-stop for 10 days, sleeping for only two hours in shifts. Almost all members contacted viral fever at one time or the other during 10 days. One member was forcibly shifted to Medanta. All others kept working by taking drugs such as Paracetamol,” a member of the SIT said.

He added all SIT members had pledged not to return home till the case was cracked.

During all these days, the SIT had set up a camp office at Nahar Guest House, which is close to the crime spot. It had a makeshift interrogation cell, a cyber cell, a media cell, and a disguise team. 

The SIT was constituted on September 15, and most of its members left the Nahar Guest House in the wee hours on September 25.

The team comprised DSP Satender Dahiya from Narnaul; DSP Satpal Yadav (Rewari), Sub-inspector Vidyasagar from the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Rewari; Inspector Naresh (Nuh); Inspector Ved (CIA, Nuh); Inspector Anil (Nuh); Inspector Sohanpal from the prosecution cell, Nuh; and ASI Suresh from the cyber cell, Nuh.

Victim discharged 

The gangrape victim was discharged from hospital on Thursday. The moment she reached home, people started thronging he place, forcing the police to step in. Her family appealed to the people to be left alone for some time, claiming she was still in trauma. “She plan to send her off to relatives for some time. I request all, including the media, not scar her any further,” her father said.