Rohtak :
While members of the Jat community have been agitating for the grant of reservation in the state, the SC Block-A Mahapanchayat, Haryana, has demanded the restoration of the A and B block classification in the provision of reservation to the Scheduled Castes.
The mahapanchayat has warned to launch a statewide stir and oppose the ruling BJP candidates in the upcoming elections if their demand was not met. The mahapanchayat leaders have maintained that they may field their own candidates in the elections.

Talking here today, the president of the mahapanchayat, Dr Swadesh Kabir, stated that the then Congress government in Haryana had abolished the SC Block-A and B classification in 2006, due to which more than 90 per cent of the benefit of reservation was being given to the SC Block-B members.

He said the SC Block B-members, who primarily comprise the Chamar caste and four of its sub-castes, were much ahead of the SC Block-A members, who comprise 37 most downtrodden castes, including Balmiki, Dhanak, Khatik, Saansi, Odh, Baazigar, Singhikat, Doom, Dheya and Mirasi etc socially, financially and politically.

“Still, members of the SC Block-B are getting the lion’s share of the benefit of reservation granted to the Scheduled Castes, which is highly unjust and unacceptable,” the Dalit leader observed. He demanded that the creamy layer among the Scheduled Castes should not be given the benefit of reservation.

He said members of the SC Block-A had extended support to the BJP on the condition that on coming to power, it would restore the SC Block A and B classification which was abolished by the previous Congress government.

“However, the BJP leadership seems to have forgotten its promise made to the SC Block-A members. We have met the top state as well as national leaders of the ruling party to remind them of their commitment, but to no avail,” stated Dr Swadesh, who has recently resigned from the membership of the BJP state executive in protest.

He asserted that the other members belonging to the SC Block-A, who were part of the BJP government and party organisation, would also tender their resignations and campaign against the ruling party if their demand to restore the SC Block A and B classification was not met.

Notification issued, yet another sop by Khattar govt ahead of polls

Chandigarh :
In another sop to the city residents ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Khattar Government has allowed regularisation of illegal conversion from residential to commercial in the municipal limits.

Saying that due to demand and market forces the old residential areas were converted into commercial, a notification of the Department of Urban Local Bodies allowed conversion from residential to commercial on the payment of scrutiny fee @Rs 10 per square metre, conversion charges and compounding charges.

“The policy shall not be a blanket regularisation of conversion policy, but a policy under which if applied only then relief be provided. The application for conversion shall be considered only if received within two years from the date of notification,” the notification said.

According to the notification, three types of illegal conversions would be considered under the policy. One, converting use of the plot other than permitted/approved by the government for the planned scheme developed in the core areas. Second, converting use of plot other than permission sought from municipality while approval of the building plans. Lastly, no permission taken from the municipality for constructing building and defining use of plot/building.

The policy cautioned that the conversion of plots was permitted only if the said plot had not been subdivided from the original size or being used for multiple purposes such as residential, commercial and institutional.

Meanwhile, to regularise illegal conversion from residential to commercial, the owners will have to pay external development charges (EDC) for the area of the building on all floors.
“The policy shall be implemented via an online system developed by the department integrated with GIS application in which data pertaining to earlier use and present use of the plots has to be incorporated. The said system will also be integrated with the online building plans approval and scrutiny system,” the notification asserted.

Pay for relief  

The conversion from residential to commercial will be allowed on payment of scrutiny fee @ Rs 10 per square metre, conversion charges and compounding charges.
Owners will have to pay external development charges 

To file special leave petition in apex court against High Court order

Chandigarh :
After preparing a draft Bill on regularising the services of 4,654 employees adversely affected by a recent judgment of the Punjab and High Court, the state government has taken a U-turn on the matter by deciding to file a special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against the HC verdict.

On May 31, the HC had quashed four policies framed by the Haryana Government in 2014 to regularise the services of contractual and ad hoc employees.

The decision to file the SLP was taken at a meeting presided over by Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan and attended by former Advocate General Hawa Singh Hooda, INLD’s representative Naresh Singh Shekhawat and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh’s (BMS) representative Parvinder Chauhan.

Official sources claimed it was decided unanimously that the state government and the BMS would file the SLP.

State INLD president Ashok Arora, however, disputed the government’s claim the decision was taken unanimously. “At no point during the meeting did the INLD representative concur with the government’s changed stance about employees affected by the HC order,” he said.

“The INLD is not aware of the reason behind the government changing its stand from bringing a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha to filing the SLP,” Arora said.

Recently, after meetings with the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, the state government prepared the Haryana Regularisation of Services Bill, 2018. It was to be brought in the forthcoming monsoon session of the Assembly.

The draft Bill sought to regularise the services of Class ‘C’ and ‘D’ contractual employees of the Haryana Government affected by the May 31 judgment.

Point & counter-point 

It has been decided unanimously that the state government and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh will file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the High Court decision on the regularisation policy. — Government spokesman

At no point during the meeting did the INLD representative concur with the government’s changed stance about employees affected by the HC order. The government’s claim is mischievous and a distortion of facts. — Ashok Arora, State INLD Chief

Ambala :

Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij lambasted cricketer-turned-politician and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday for attending the swearing-in of former cricketer Imran Khan as the prime minister of Pakistan.

Khan, who famously captained the national cricket team to World Cup glory in 1992, had invited some of his former team mates and friends to witness his formal accession to the top ministerial job in the country.

Wearing a dark blue suit and a purple turban, Sidhu was among the special guests present at the oath-taking ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad today.

Vij termed Sidhu’s participation in the ceremony as an “act of disloyalty” towards India which “will not be endorsed by any patriotic citizen” of the country.

Speaking to media persons, the Haryana minister also lashed out at Sidhu for “ignoring the sentimental and grieved occasion of his country” which is observing mourning following the demise of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“The Union Government has announced a seven-day national mourning following the death of former Prime Minister Vajpayee, but Sidhu preferred to join the swearing-in ceremony of Khan in Pakistan, ignoring the sentimental and grieved occasion of his country,” Vij said.
He said it was beyond doubt that Sidhu has friendly relation with Khan but “friendship was not bigger than the country”.

Vij said that at a time when most of the leaders of the ruling as well as opposition parties were present in Delhi to pay their tributes to Vajpayee, Sidhu was “enjoying Khan’s celebration” in Islamabad.

He demanded that the Punjab chief minister should take up the matter seriously and initiate “strict action” against Sidhu for his alleged “anti-national” act.

Congress goes all out in offensive against government as party leaders draw crowds in show of discontent

Kurukshetra :
All India Congress Committee media incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Sunday alleged that the BJP and the INLD had a secret political alliance.

Speaking during the ‘Jan Chetna Rally’ at Babain village in Kurukshetra district, he claimed that the INLD had been extending unconditional support to Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

He said the INLD had stood up with BJP government at Centre in various elections, including those of the President, Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson.
The rally was organised by former Thanesar MLA Ramesh Gupta and the district Congress leaders considered close to Surjewala faction were present on the occasion.
The Kaithal MLA said the BJP government in the Centre and in the state had both failed miserably on the governance front. He said the BJP leaders had failed on all fronts and no section of society was happy with their policies.

He accused the BJP of betraying farmers, the youth and the underprivileged by not honouring its pre-poll promises of providing 50 per cent profit on their farm production costs for produce and creating two crore job opportunities every year.

Criticising the BJP for not waiving farm loans despite the farmers’ distress, Surjewala questioned as to how the huge loans towards a few industrialists had been waived.
“Due to the imposition of huge taxes, the farming cost has increased. But the government has no mechanism to ensure the profitability for farmers,” said the Congress MLA.
Surjewala described the denotification of the Dadupur-Nalvi canal project as injustice meted out to the farmers of Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar and other adjoining districts. He said the decision had invited a sharp reaction from the farmers.

He said while the farmers had not been paid due compensation for their land as per court decision for the canal project, they would have to repay the compensation they had received along with interest.