Chandigarh :
The state government has decided to launch a ‘zero dropout’ campaign for children of labourers in the state so as to ensure continuity in their education.

This was informed by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nayab Singh during a one-day workshop on Child Labour organised by the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on the occasion of World Day against Child Labour, here.

He directed the officers to inform the owners of brick kilns, shops and houses, the legalities against engaging child labourers as strict legal action would be taken against them. He urged the social organisations and the NGOs to come forward for the success of this campaign.

Kurukshetra :
Members of the INLD-BSP alliance held a ‘jail bharo’ agitation in Jind.
Addressing a gathering, Leader of the Opposition Abhay Singh Chautala said a series of ‘jail bharo’ agitation was launched to pressurise the Central Government to complete the construction of the SYL canal in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court.
He blamed the BJP government for backtracking on its pre-poll promises.

Abhay said if the INLD-BSP alliance was voted to power, the government would waive loans of farmers and implement the Swaminathan Commission report about fixation of MSP.

Rohtak :
Superintendent of Police (SP) Jashandeep Singh Randhawa has constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the charges of embezzlement of funds meant for the construction of lawyers’ chambers and money collected as subscription fees from advocates.

An FIR had recently been registered against District Bar Association president Lokender Phougat, alias Jojo, former president Deepak Kundu and four others on the basis of a complaint lodged by association general secretary Puneet Punia regarding the alleged embezzlement of funds and concealment of association records.

On delay in the registration of an FIR, the SP said that as per the Supreme Court guidelines, a preliminary investigation has to be carried out before registering an FIR in a case of cheating. He said now, an SIT led by DSP Ramesh had been constituted to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, an FIR of physical assault and snatching of documents has also been registered against Punia, who claims to be the whistleblower in the case of alleged embezzlement. The association general secretary refuted the allegations as baseless and concocted.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Punia alleged that crores of rupees collected from lawyers as subscription fees and money donated by dignitaries visiting the Bar premises for the construction of chambers had been embezzled.

“An amount of Rs 9.66 crore was collected for the construction of lawyers’ chambers, but only Rs 4.5 crore was deposited in bank accounts maintained for the purpose,” he alleged.
The general secretary said there was no record of the subscription fees collected from the advocates for the past several years, which was also indicative of gross irregularities in the functioning of the association.

Punia alleged that as per his information, former president Kundu and his partner had bought property in Manesar or Sohna areas with the embezzled money. He also furnished an audio clipping in support of his claim.

On the other hand, Kundu has denied the allegations as false and politically motivated.

Chandigarh :
The Haryana Government has raised the upper age limit of entry into the government service from 40 to 42 years.
While stating this here on Tuesday, an official spokesman said that all departments had been conveyed to incorporate the provisions relating to raising upper age limit for entry into the government service in their service rules, at their own level without obtaining the approval of the Council of Ministers, General Administration, Finance Department and Haryana Public Service Commission or Haryana Staff Selection Commission as per the decision taken by the Council of Ministers in its meeting on May 30.

He said that a circular to this effect had been sent to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Commissioners of Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak and Gurugram Divisions, all Chief Administrators and MDs of all boards, corporations and public sector undertakings, Deputy Commissioners, SDOs (Civil) and Registrars of all universities by the Chief Secretary.

Mokhra (Rohtak) :
A possible clash between the supporters of BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini and members of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) was averted with the local police-administration stopping the MP from entering the village for a public meeting.
Rohtak SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said two organisations, Loktantra Suraksha Manch and AIJASS, had planned to organise parallel programmes at Mokhra village.

“Both were denied permission to hold their events in order to maintain law and order and prevent any untoward situation or clash. However, BJP MP Saini still tried to enter the village, but was stopped,” he said.

Some residents of the village were reportedly detained as a preventive measure.
On being stopped from entering Mokhra, Saini staged a dharna at the border of the village and demanded to meet his supporters and organisers of the event. His supporters went to meet him at the dharna site.

In the meanwhile, the samiti members and other villagers opposing Saini’s visit also assembled near the dharna venue and started raising slogans against him.
Talking to reporters on the occasion, the BJP MP stated that democracy had been murdered and the local police-administration, who could not control those indulging in ‘dadagiri’, had built pressure to control an MP of the ruling party.

Later, addressing a public gathering at Kalanaur town, Saini remarked that a Taliban-like situation prevailed in the state where members of one community were suppressing the voices of the other.

He said the last five Chief Ministers in the state had indulged in nepotism and discriminated against the members of Backward Classes and those belonging to general categories barring a specific caste.

Govt using Saini to create tension: Malik
AIJASS president Yashpal Malik, who was in Rohtak for a state executive meeting of the samiti, alleged that the BJP government was using MP Raj Kumar Saini to create communal tension in the state. "The government could have asked him to not go where he is not welcome. But, they want to create communal tension in the state for their vested political interests," said Malik at Jassia village in the district. He said the samiti would hold 'bhaichara sammelans' in state villages from July 28 to August 12 and garner support of the Dalit community and start staging protest demonstrations against public meetings of the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues from August 16.