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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Haryana govt finally blinks, sets up panel to break HAU standoff
Ten days after peacefully protesting students of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) Hisar, were lathi-charged, the Nayab Singh Saini-led BJP government on Friday finally 'took cognizance' of the incident, setting up a four-member panel to hold talks with the students and resolve the standoff. The students at CCSHAU, Hisar, have been protesting since June 10 in the wake of a clash with university staff. (HT File) The panel includes education minister Mahipal Dhanda; public works minister Ranbir Gangwa; social justice and empowerment minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, and Nalwa segment MLA Randhir Panihar. The mandate of this committee is to meet the students, hear their grievances and work towards a resolution of the logjam. 'Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, taking cognizance of issues related to CCSHAU, has constituted a four-member committee to hold dialogue with the students,' a government spokesperson said. 'The CM has made it clear that the Haryana government is fully committed to safeguarding the interests of youth and students. The government stands with the youth and students at every level,' he added. The students at CCSHAU, Hisar, have been protesting since June 10 in the wake of a clash with university staff. Despite mounting outrage from academics and Opposition political parties over the use of force against the students, administrative apathy, and alleged political interference, the Haryana government had remained silent until now. The unrest began when students gathered outside vice-chancellor BR Kamboj's residence on June 10 to protest changes to the university's stipend structure and the rollback of seat reservations for Land Donation Villages (LDV). The situation escalated when university officials and security personnel allegedly unleashed a brutal lathi-charge, leaving at least 20 students injured. The cane charge was cruel so much so that some students suffered deep head wounds requiring six to 30 stitches. The state government's decision to set up a panel comes ahead of students announcing to hold a mahapanchayat on June 24 against the varsity administration. Students have been observing sit-ins demanding the arrest of two university officials and the resignation of vice-chancellor BR Kamboj in response to a lathi charge on June 10. The university had earlier formed a three-member committee to resolve the issue but the students refused to hold talks with them. They are demanding the arrest of remaining accused named in the FIR, termination of key officials, and protection from disciplinary action against those involved in the protest.
The Print
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Saini govt explores legal options to break appointments stalemate as Congress kicks can on LoP pick
A maximum of 10 state information commissioners can be appointed to the Haryana State Information Commission, besides the chief information commissioner. Absence of an LoP has stalled critical appointments, particularly to the Haryana State Information Commission, which faced a backlog of more than 7,000 cases pertaining to Right to Information (RTI) requests as of December 2024. Gurugram: The Congress party's failure to appoint a Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Haryana Legislative Assembly has landed the Nayab Singh Saini-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in an unusual fix. It is unable to make appointments to key statutory posts. Appointments are made by the governor on the recommendation of a panel comprising the CM, LoP and a senior cabinet minister. The government, it is learnt, is seeking legal advice from the advocate general on whether it can bypass the statutory requirement of having the LoP as a part of the panel that makes recommendations to the governor. ThePrint reached Haryana government for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Panipat-based RTI activist P.P. Kapoor, who filed the RTI that led to the disclosure about the backlog of cases pending with the Haryana State Information Commission, told ThePrint Wednesday that the situation has only worsened since the beginning of this year since the commission only has three information commissioners. Kapoor has received a response to his RTI query on 11 February. At present, the commission has three information commissioners, namely Jagbir Singh, Pradeep Kumar Shekhawat and Kulbir Chhikara. Haryana government had issued an advertisement for the role of one chief information commissioner and seven state information commissioners on 4 March. It received 345 applications, including from retired IAS, IPS, and HCS officers, as well as serving officials. A search committee, chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi and comprising Additional Chief Secretaries Sudhir Rajpal and Dr Sumita Mishra, has completed the initial screening and is preparing to shortlist three candidates for each post. The final selection, however, has to be done by the committee comprising the CM, a senior cabinet minister, and the LoP, as mandated by Section 15(3) of the RTI Act, 2005. 'The government seeking legal advice from the Advocate General to find ways to proceed with the appointments stalled due to the absence of the Leader of Opposition,' a source in government told ThePrint, adding that the government is also contemplating judicial remedies based on a Supreme Court ruling from January, in a similar case from Jharkhand. In that instance, the Supreme Court had directed BJP, the largest opposition party in the state assembly, to appoint an LoP within two weeks, leading to Babulal Marandi's appointment to the post in March. As for Haryana Congress, its indecision stems from internal issues, with the party high command focusing on organisational restructuring, even six months after declaration of assembly elections results. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: In late-night police force rejig, Saini govt transfers 55 IPS, HPS officers. A look at key appointments
