Panchkula :
Except for ration, undertrials in crime against women in Haryana will now be debarred from drawing pension on account of old age and physical disability, and from keeping driver’s and arms licences.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced this at a programme on women’s security and empowerment here.

“The services will remain suspended till the court announces its verdict. If an accused is convicted, he will not be entitled to government services,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said a comprehensive scheme for the safety and security of women would be launched either on Independence Day or on Raksha Bandhan (August 26).

“In case a rape victim wants to hire a lawyer of her choice except for the one provided by the state government, she will be provided with a financial assistance of Rs 22,000,” Khattar said.

The provision for uninterrupted investigation into cases of rape and eve-teasing would be made in all police stations. “The investigating officer would have to complete the probe into a rape case in a month, and, in eve-teasing, within 15 days. Otherwise, action will be taken against the officer,” Khattar said.

6 fast-track courts to be set up    

 Six fast-track courts would be set up in districts where 50 or more cases of rape, eve-teasing and mental harassment are pending in courts. Faridabad will have two courts, while Gurugram, Panipat, Sonepat and Nuh will have one each. “I will shortly meet the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and request him to direct courts to record the statement of a victim on the same day, and not adjourn the hearing to any other day,” CM Manohar Lal Khattar said.

Panchkula :
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the android-based Durga Shakti app of the Haryana Police.

The app will enable women to seek immediate help of the police through Women Helpline Number 1091 in case of an emergency.

The mobile app was launched at the ‘Ek Aur Sudhar Programme’ organised at Indradhanush Auditorium, Panchkula.

Additional Director General of Police, Operations, AS Chawla said that after downloading the app, any woman or girl who is in distress could send information along with her GPS location to the Women Helpline number of her district through WhatsApp just by pressing a red button on the app.

It is mandatory to register once on the mobile app. The victim does not need to speak. Once the red button is pressed, she can send information about her GPS location, blood group and other details in form of a WhatsApp message to the Women Helpline number. The victim can also speak to the operator at the helpline number, Chawla said.

Describing the app as a better communication tool between the victim and police, Chawla said that the PCR vehicle could use the GPS location received on WhatsApp to ascertain the victim’s whereabouts.

The police could also send messages and tips about women’s safety and security to the users of the app. In case, a woman or girl lands into an emergency situation outside the state, she can inform the Haryana Police through the Durga Shakti app.
He said that our aim is to reduce the response time of the police to provide help to women in distress. This app is currently available on Android platform. This facility would be extended to other operating systems as well in due course, he added.
How app will work 

Download 'Durga Shakti App' from Google playstore on your android mobile phone 
You have register once in the app with your mobile number 

You can seek immediate police help by pressing the red button on the screen. It will send your location to the Women Helpline number 

In case, the victim is not able to receive calls on her phone, the police will contact the alternative number provided at the time of registration of the app

Haryana women, if outside the state, can also take the help of the Haryana Police through this app

The police can also send messages and tips about women’s safety to the users of the app

50 vehicles flagged off 

The Chief Minister also flagged off 50 new vehicles for women police stations in the state on Thursday. Director General of Police BS Sandhu said that these vehicles have been allotted to ‘Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force’ to check incidents of eve teasing and other crime related to women and girls in the state. 

Out of the total, six vehicles each had been allotted in Gurugram and Faridabad districts; three each to Ambala, Karnal and Sonipat; two each to Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Jind and Rohtak districts; and one each in the districts of Bhiwani, Palwal, Nuh, Hansi, Charkhi Dadri, Narnaul and Kaithal.

The tax base has widened by 82.22 per cent

Chandigarh :
Haryana has topped the states in per capita revenue collection under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, become the 4th highest generator of e-way bills in the country, widened the tax base by 82.22 per cent, and logged 19 per cent hike in revenue collections.

Besides, the compliance percentage of assesses in the state is 5 per cent to 7 per cent higher than the national average, and revenue collection under commercial taxes has registered a double-digit growth.

Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu stated this while addressing mediapersons here on Wednesday, on the achievements of the present government during the last three and a half years. 

He said that one of the most important achievements of the government post-GST implementation had been widening of the tax base by 82.22 per cent. While the number of tax assesses under VAT, central excise and service tax in Haryana was 2.25 lakh before the introduction of the GST, their number today is about 4.10 lakh.
“The introduction of One Nation One Tax (GST) in Haryana has been very smooth. Though we are a relatively small state and are placed 21st in size in the country, we have the fifth highest gross GST collection. The per capita revenue collection of Haryana at Rs 1,876 crore under the GST is the highest in the country,” he said. 
About 1.12 crore e-way bills were generated in Haryana between April 1 and June 30 this year, making the state the fourth highest generator of e-way bills in the country. Officers of the Excise and Taxation Department conducted physical checking of 1.10 lakh e-way bills, detected 3,358 cases of irregularities, and collected Rs. 21.37 crore as penalty in April and May.

Capt Abhimanyu said that all six promises made in the election manifesto of the party relating to excise and taxation had been fulfilled. The constitution of Vyapar Kalyan Board, reduction in VAT on gypsum and chemical fertilisers by 5 per cent up to zero, exemption of small dhabas from tax, providing C-Form online and implementation of a comprehensive taxation scheme were among the decisions taken.

He said that Haryana, ranked 14th in ease of doing business, has climbed up to the third position due to the implementation of the Haryana Enterprises Promotion Policy- 2015.

Tax on agricultural equipment 

About AICC media in charge Randeep Surjewala’s allegation that it is for the first time that agricultural implements are being taxed, the Finance Minister said that the GST council had unanimously passed all taxes at its meetings. “Congress leaders, who attend the council meetings, should raise their voice there instead of misleading people outside,” he added.

On Surjewala’s challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a debate on hike in the minimum support price (MSP), he said the Congress leader should instead share his knowledge in the Vidhan Sabha and participate in debates in the House.

Karnal :
Bootleggers keep adopting new modus operandi as the police tighten the noose around them. This was seen on Wednesday when the Kunjpura police intercepted an ambulance and seized 84 bottles of liquor near Gheer village.

The police have arrested two persons — Vakil, a resident of Kunda Kalan, and Manoj, a resident of Gheer village. 

A case has been registered under the various Sections of the Excise Act, said Surinder Singh Bhoria, Superintendent of Police (SP).

On a tip-off, Kunjpura SHO Janak Raj erected a naka near Gheer village and signalled to an ambulance to stop. 

When the police searched the ambulance, they found 84 bottles of local liquor, the SP said. The police have started an investigation to ascertain the source of the liquor, he added.

He said that the police have started a special drive against the smuggling of liquor and drinking at public places. As many as 250 persons had been arrested in the past few days for drinking at public place. 

Only 22 of 47 MLAs show up for meeting called by CM, 10 more come after being asked to

Chandigarh :
All does not seem well with the BJP in Haryana if developments in the state unit are any indication with very few MLAs showing up for a meeting called by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, a BJP women’s cell president being given an unceremonious exit and the CM forced to broker peace between two warring leaders.

Sources said that at a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party called by the CM at his residence had only one minister and 20 legislators showing up. Disappointed by the number, the staff at the CM’s residence made frantic calls to ministers, asking them to reach the meeting if they were in town.

The sources said that of the 47 BJP MLAs, only 22 reached the venue for the meeting and another 10 came after they were asked to join in. Those who attended the meeting complained bitterly of power problems as also of shortage of water in their respective areas.

The sources said that while this indicated that the Chief Minister was not getting the expected support within his own party, leaders of the “disciplined party” were beginning to express their displeasure by staying away from the meetings.
In another development, the party replaced the district women’s cell president of Faridabad, Anira Sharma, without bothering to even inform her. The sources attributed this to factionalism in Faridabad among its top leaders. Industries Minister Vipul Goel, MLA Seema Trikha and Union Minister of State Krishan Pal Gurjar come from this district.

“The party usually informs the leader who is being removed from any post. In my case, I had enrolled 25,000 women in my tenure as district president of the women’s cell, but only discovered that I had been replaced by somebody from a letter circulating on the Internet. Not a word was said, no reason for my removal given,” Sharma said.

In another development, the CM personally held a meeting to settle issues between Gurjar and suspended BSP MLA Tek Chand Sharma, who had been supporting the BJP from the very beginning. The two leaders had begun to go public with their resentment for each other and criticise each other at public programmes.

Under the truce worked out, it had been agreed that they would not wash their dirty linen in public and exercise restraint in criticising each other. The sources said that these developments did not augur well for the party in the year before elections. “This indicates that legislators and leaders are becoming restless. The party leadership will have to step in to curb this blame game in public,” said a party leader.