Haryana BJP president Nayab Singh Saini, who was unanimously elected as leader of the party’s state legislature group, was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana on Tuesday in the presence of Governor Bandaru Dattatreya at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.
Tag: Haryana Government
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Haryana govt halts all drug production at factory linked to Gambia deaths
By PTI
The Haryana government has halted all drug production at the Sonipat factory of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, a week after the World Health Organization (WHO) potentially linked four cough syrups manufactured at the facility to the deaths of 66 children in Gambia.
The state authorities also issued a show-cause notice to the pharma company to explain within a week “many contraventions” found during a recent inspection, or face suspension or cancellation of license even as the Centre on Wednesday formed a four-member panel of experts to examine the details and adverse event reports received from the WHO on the deaths of the children in the West African nation.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said a joint team of the state and the Centre inspected the Sonipat unit during which it found 12 violations or deficiencies.
“Taking cognisance of this, the state government has ordered that all drug production at this unit be stopped with immediate effect,” Vij told PTI over phone.
Among the 12 “violations” highlighted by the state drugs regulator was that the batch number of propylene glycol, sorbitol solution and sodium methyl paraben used in the making of the drugs in question was not mentioned in the certificate of analysis report.
According to the show-cause notice issued by the Haryana Drugs Controller following the inspection of the firm’s plant, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited did not perform quality testing of propylene glycol, the raw material used for making one of the formulations.
“The firm has not performed the quality testing of propylene glycol for diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol,” the notice issued on October 7 said.
ALSO READ: Govt panel formed to study WHO report on deaths of 66 Gambian kids linked to 4 Indian syrups
The inspection of the firm was conducted by a team comprising senior officials from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) and the Haryana Drugs Controller Authority.
“During inspection many contraventions were detected. You are hereby served with the show-cause notice rule 85(2) of drug rules, 1945 as to why your manufacturing license may not be suspended or cancelled,” the notice said.
The state authority had asked the firm to respond within seven days, failing which it said ex-parte — done with respect to or in the interests of one side only or of an interested outside party — action will be taken against the company as per the drugs act.
The firm has not performed process validation and analytical method validation for the drug products in question, the notice said.
Also, the complete plant was found under renovation and the firm failed to produce the log books of equipment and instruments regarding manufacturing and testing for the drugs in question, it added.
The batch number, manufacturer name and manufacturing date and expiry date were not found maintained on the purchase invoices of excipients including propylene glycol, it said.
Samples of four cough syrups manufactured by the firm were sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kolkata on October 6 for examination, a day after the WHO flagged four “contaminated” and “substandard” cough syrups made by the company, warning they could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in Gambia.
Minister Vij said the report of the cough syrup samples are yet to arrive from the Kolkata Laboratory.
“Depending on what it says, we will take further action.”
ALSO READ: Grief and outrage in Gambia over cough syrup deaths
Official sources said the four-member panel of experts will advise and recommend further course of action to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) after examining and analysing the adverse event reports, causal relationship and all related details shared by or to be shared by the WHO.
The panel is chaired by Dr Y K Gupta, Vice Chairperson, Standing National Committee on Medicines and has Dr Pragya D Yadav, NIV, ICMR, Pune, Dr Arti Bahl, Division of Epidemiology.
NCDC, New Delhi and A K Pradhan, JDC(I), CDSCO as members.
Official sources said the government has taken note of media reports that Atlanta- based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals company Limited had procured the drugs from Maiden Pharmaceuticals for further export to Gambia.
They said the WHO has not yet made available certificate of analysis and has informed that the same will be made available in the near future.
“The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by WHO to CDSCO although the latter has requested the WHO twice in this regard,” sources said.
Also, it is a usual practice that the importing country tests such imported medicines on quality parameters and satisfies itself as to the quality of the products before the importing country decides to release such products for usage in the country, they said.
ALSO READ: WHO probing Indian cough syrup after 66 children die in Gambia
“In the present case it is not yet clear whether these medicines were tested in Gambia before release,” they added.
According to official sources, the WHO on September 29 had informed the CDSCO that they were providing technical assistance and advice to Gambia, where children have died and where a contributing factor was suspected to be the use of medicines (Promethazine Oral Solution BP, KOFEXNALIN Baby Cough Syrup, MaKOFF Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup).
These medicines are manufactured and exported by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and the WHO had informed they may have been contaminated with Diethylene glycol or Ethylene glycol.
The CDSCO took up the matter immediately with the Haryana State Regulatory Authority, under whose jurisdiction the drug manufacturing unit is located, and a detailed investigation was launched by CDSCO in collaboration with the State Drugs Controller.
It has also been indicated by the WHO that as per the tentative results received by the WHO, out of the 23 samples of the products under reference which were tested by WHO, four have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/ Ethylene Glycol, sources said.
On further follow up done by CDSCO with the WHO, the Certificate of Analysis (COAS) of the sampled products and the summary of the adverse events etc were shared by the WHO on October 11.
The Haryana government has halted all drug production at the Sonipat factory of Maiden Pharmaceuticals, a week after the World Health Organization (WHO) potentially linked four cough syrups manufactured at the facility to the deaths of 66 children in Gambia.
The state authorities also issued a show-cause notice to the pharma company to explain within a week “many contraventions” found during a recent inspection, or face suspension or cancellation of license even as the Centre on Wednesday formed a four-member panel of experts to examine the details and adverse event reports received from the WHO on the deaths of the children in the West African nation.
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said a joint team of the state and the Centre inspected the Sonipat unit during which it found 12 violations or deficiencies.
“Taking cognisance of this, the state government has ordered that all drug production at this unit be stopped with immediate effect,” Vij told PTI over phone.
Among the 12 “violations” highlighted by the state drugs regulator was that the batch number of propylene glycol, sorbitol solution and sodium methyl paraben used in the making of the drugs in question was not mentioned in the certificate of analysis report.
According to the show-cause notice issued by the Haryana Drugs Controller following the inspection of the firm’s plant, Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited did not perform quality testing of propylene glycol, the raw material used for making one of the formulations.
“The firm has not performed the quality testing of propylene glycol for diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol,” the notice issued on October 7 said.
ALSO READ: Govt panel formed to study WHO report on deaths of 66 Gambian kids linked to 4 Indian syrups
The inspection of the firm was conducted by a team comprising senior officials from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation(CDSCO) and the Haryana Drugs Controller Authority.
“During inspection many contraventions were detected. You are hereby served with the show-cause notice rule 85(2) of drug rules, 1945 as to why your manufacturing license may not be suspended or cancelled,” the notice said.
The state authority had asked the firm to respond within seven days, failing which it said ex-parte — done with respect to or in the interests of one side only or of an interested outside party — action will be taken against the company as per the drugs act.
The firm has not performed process validation and analytical method validation for the drug products in question, the notice said.
Also, the complete plant was found under renovation and the firm failed to produce the log books of equipment and instruments regarding manufacturing and testing for the drugs in question, it added.
The batch number, manufacturer name and manufacturing date and expiry date were not found maintained on the purchase invoices of excipients including propylene glycol, it said.
Samples of four cough syrups manufactured by the firm were sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory in Kolkata on October 6 for examination, a day after the WHO flagged four “contaminated” and “substandard” cough syrups made by the company, warning they could be linked to the deaths of 66 children in Gambia.
Minister Vij said the report of the cough syrup samples are yet to arrive from the Kolkata Laboratory.
“Depending on what it says, we will take further action.”
ALSO READ: Grief and outrage in Gambia over cough syrup deaths
Official sources said the four-member panel of experts will advise and recommend further course of action to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) after examining and analysing the adverse event reports, causal relationship and all related details shared by or to be shared by the WHO.
The panel is chaired by Dr Y K Gupta, Vice Chairperson, Standing National Committee on Medicines and has Dr Pragya D Yadav, NIV, ICMR, Pune, Dr Arti Bahl, Division of Epidemiology.
NCDC, New Delhi and A K Pradhan, JDC(I), CDSCO as members.
Official sources said the government has taken note of media reports that Atlanta- based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals company Limited had procured the drugs from Maiden Pharmaceuticals for further export to Gambia.
They said the WHO has not yet made available certificate of analysis and has informed that the same will be made available in the near future.
“The exact one to one causal relation of death has not yet been provided by WHO to CDSCO although the latter has requested the WHO twice in this regard,” sources said.
Also, it is a usual practice that the importing country tests such imported medicines on quality parameters and satisfies itself as to the quality of the products before the importing country decides to release such products for usage in the country, they said.
ALSO READ: WHO probing Indian cough syrup after 66 children die in Gambia
“In the present case it is not yet clear whether these medicines were tested in Gambia before release,” they added.
According to official sources, the WHO on September 29 had informed the CDSCO that they were providing technical assistance and advice to Gambia, where children have died and where a contributing factor was suspected to be the use of medicines (Promethazine Oral Solution BP, KOFEXNALIN Baby Cough Syrup, MaKOFF Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup).
These medicines are manufactured and exported by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and the WHO had informed they may have been contaminated with Diethylene glycol or Ethylene glycol.
The CDSCO took up the matter immediately with the Haryana State Regulatory Authority, under whose jurisdiction the drug manufacturing unit is located, and a detailed investigation was launched by CDSCO in collaboration with the State Drugs Controller.
It has also been indicated by the WHO that as per the tentative results received by the WHO, out of the 23 samples of the products under reference which were tested by WHO, four have been found to contain Diethylene Glycol/ Ethylene Glycol, sources said.
On further follow up done by CDSCO with the WHO, the Certificate of Analysis (COAS) of the sampled products and the summary of the adverse events etc were shared by the WHO on October 11.
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Now, Haryana announces Yoga break for govt employees
Express News Service
CHANDIGARH: Following the Centre’s footsteps, the Haryana government has issued an advisory to all its departments, boards, and corporation besides field offices to promote yoga by giving Yoga Break (Y-Break) for 15 to 20 minutes daily in workplaces to refresh and de-stress employees.
A letter written by Additional Secretary (Health), Haryana to all the administrative secretaries, heads of department, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, managing directors, and chief administrators of boards and corporations and registration of universities, says: “I have been directed to communicate with all the departments, boards and corporations to include the concept of Yoga Break (Y-Break) in working hours of government offices. The Y-Break Protocol is a Yoga protocol consisting of very few useful yoga practises devised to de-stress, re-fresh, and re-focus on work to increase the productivity of individuals at the workplace. The concept of Y-Break is relevant to working professionals all over the world. It has been carefully developed by eminent experts and is a well-tested protocol.”
The letter further reads, “The module was launched in January 2020 on a pilot project basis in six major metro cities in coordination with different stake-holders. A total of fifteen day trial was conducted by Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga in collaboration with six leading yoga institutes in the country wherein total 717 participants from different private and government bodies participated and the trial was a huge success. Y-Break was formally launched on September 1, 2021, in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi in presence of five central ministers as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.”
“Feedback on the protocol is very encouraging. With a view popularise it from a health angle, the mobile based version for easy access has been developed. Ministry of Ayush wishes to popularise it among health workers, officers, staff all over the country and draw their attention to its utility from heath and productivity angles. This intervention can lead to a widespread store. The Department of Personnel and Training of the Government of India has issued directions to all central government ministries and departments to popularise Y Break among their workforce. The ministry has written to state governments to implement Y-Break app in their offices. As per the directions of the ministry and Haryana government all departments, boards and corporations are directed to issue directions for implementation of Yoga Break practice in their offices through the Y-Break app devised to de-stress, refresh and boost healthy living to increase the productivity of individuals,” states the letter.
Confirming this development, Saket Kumar, Director-General, Ayush Haryana said that an advisory has been issued to all the departments in this regard and at a few places, this project has already started.
An officer on condition of anonymity said that only those yoga exercises have been included in this break which can be completed in 15 to 20 minutes. A few are those exercises that can be done while sitting on a chair and a few in a standing position. Feedback has come that many employees are under stress thus they are prone to blood pressure and diabetes thus the government has issued the advisory that from the head of the department till the junior most employee will do yoga for some time daily.
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Haryana government transfers 21 IAS, 3 HCS officers
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Tuesday issued transfer and posting orders of 21 IAS officers and three HCS officers with immediate effect, an official statement said.
Among the IAS officers who have been shuffled is Yash Garg, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, who has been posted as the Secretary, Haryana Public Service Commission.
Jind DC Naresh Kumar has been posted as the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Karnal, and District Municipal Commissioner, Karnal.
Dhirendra Khadgata, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ambala, and District Municipal Commissioner, Ambala, has been posted as Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Yamunanagar, District Municipal Commissioner, Yamunanagar.
Ajay Singh Tomer, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Yamunanagar and District Municipal Commissioner, Yamunanagar, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa.
Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, Chief Executive Officer, Karnal Smart City Ltd.
Karnal and Additional CEO, Drone Imaging & Information Systems of Haryana Ltd (DRIISHYA) has been posted as the Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram.
Virender Kumar Dahiya, Director, State Transport and Special Secretary, Transport Department, has been posted as the Deputy Commissioner, Jind.
Anish Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa, has been posted as the Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, Chief Executive Officer, Karnal Smart City Ltd and Additional CEO, Drone Imaging & Haryana Ltd (DRIISHYA).
S N Roy, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Forests and Wildlife Department and Environment & Climate Change Department has been posted as ACS, Archives, Archaeology and Museums Departments.
Mahavir Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, School Education Department has been posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Sports & Youth Affairs Department, in addition to his present duties.
AK Singh, Principal Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Sports and Youth Affairs Department, has been posted as the Principal Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Forests and Wildlife Department, and Environment and Climate Change Department.
Pankaj Yadav, Commissioner, Rohtak Division, and Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi, has been posted as the Managing Director, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd.
Wazeer Singh Goyat, Secretary, Haryana Human Rights Commission, has been posted as the Director General and Secretary, Higher Education Department, Director General and Secretary, Haryana Technical Education Department, and the Secretary, Haryana Human Rights Commission.
Sanjay Joon, Commissioner, Faridabad Division and Special Commissioner, Health and Nutrition, Mewat Area, and Chairman, Mewat Development Agency, Nuh, has been posted as the Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi, in addition to his present duties.
Bhupinder Singh, Secretary, Haryana Public Service Commission, has been posted as te Managing Director, Haryana Medical Services Corporation Ltd.
Geeta Bharti, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Haryana, Secretary, Cooperation Department and Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, has been posted as the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Haryana.
Ashwani Malik, Divisional Officer (Civil) and Additional Collector, Samalkha, has been posted as the Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) and Additional Collector, Panipat, in addition to his present duties.
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Haryana government extends COVID curbs across the state
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: Amid a spurt in Covid cases, the Haryana government on Thursday extended various restrictions in all over the state.
The restrictions imposed by January 5 order in “Group A” districts, which had witnessed a big spike in cases, shall now be imposed in all districts, the Haryana State Disaster Management Authority (HSDMA) said.
The guidelines released through orders on January 5 and 10 too shall continue to be imposed in the state, it added.
Earlier on January 10, amid the rising COVID-19 cases, the Haryana government had banned large gatherings of people such as rallies and protests and extended existing restrictions including the closure of cinema halls and sports complexes to eight more districts.
The order issued by the HSDMA had said the restrictions will be applicable till 5 am on January 19.
On Monday, the eight new districts where the restrictions became applicable included Sirsa, Rewari, Jind, Bhiwani and Hisar.
Earlier, these restrictions were imposed in eleven districts including Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat.
Now, all these restrictions have been extended to all the 22 districts in the state.
Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes shall remain closed, the earlier order issued on January 5 had stated.
“Hence, restrictions imposed in Group ‘A’ districts (other 11 districts) vide order dated January 5, shall also be imposed in these (eight districts),” said the earlier order.
As per earlier guidelines, the malls and markets are allowed to open till 6 pm.
However, shops selling essential items like milk and medicine will be allowed to open at all times to enable them to serve the public at large.
All sports complexes, swimming pools and stadia shall remain closed except when being used for training of sportspersons for participation in national and international events, the earlier order had said.
All entertainment parks and B2B exhibitions are prohibited, it had said.
The government and private offices, except for emergency / essential services, have been advised to function with 50 per cent staff attendance.
Haryana has witnessed a huge spike in Covid cases over the past fortnight.
There was no let-up in the rising trend of the COVID-19 cases in Haryana, with 7,591 fresh infections and two fatalities reported on January 13.
The total number of active cases in the state now stands at over 35,979.
To check the spread of the viral infection, the state government has banned people eligible for vaccination but not fully vaccinated from entering shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants and grain markets, among other crowded places, starting January 1.
A night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am is already in force in the state.
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Haryana government transfers 26 IPS officers
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: In a major reshuffle, the Haryana government on Friday issued transfer and posting orders of 26 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, including several district police chiefs, with immediate effect.
Kala Ramachandran, principal secretary, Transport Department with additional charge of ADGP, Crime Against Women, has been given additional charge of ADGP, State Vigilance Bureau (SVB), according to an official statement.
Bharti Arora, IGP, Ambala has been given additional charge of IG, Women Safety, the statement said.
Shiv Charan, DIG, State Crime Branch (H) has been posted as DIG, SVB, Hisar.
Ambala Superintendent of Police (SP) Hamid Akhtar has been posted as SP, State Crime Branch (headquarters).
Rohtak SP Rahul Sharma has been posted as SP of Sonipat, and Jhajjar SP Rajesh Duggal has been posted as SP of Palwal.
Rajender Kumar Meena, Commandant of 5th Battalion of Haryana Armed Police (HAP), MBN with additional charge of 2nd Battalion of HAP has been given additional charge of SP Traffic, Karnal.
Rewari SP Abhishek Jorwal has been posted as SP of SVB(H).
Palwal SP Deepak Gahlawat has been posted as SP of Charkhi Dadri.
Sonipat SP Jashandeep Randhawa with additional charge of STF Sonipat has been posted as SP of Ambala.
Kurukshetra SP Himanshu Garg has been posted as SP, SVB (headquarters).
Jind SP Wassem Akram has been posted as SP of Jhajjar.
Fatehabad SP Rajesh Kumar has been posted as SP of Rewari.
Nuh SP Narender Bijarniya has been posted as SP of Jind.
SP, Telecom, Udai Singh Meena has been posted as SP of Rohtak.
Charkhi Dadri SP Vinod Kumar has been posted as DCP of South Gurgaon.
He replaces Dheeraj Kumar, who has been posted as SP of Kurukshetra.
Surinder Singh, SP Security CID, has been posted as SP of Fatehabad.
The government also issued transfer and posting orders of seven Haryana Police Service officers with immediate effect.
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Every section of society suffering from wrong policies of Haryana government: Abhay Singh Chautala
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala on Tuesday said every section of the society is suffering from the wrong policies of the BJP-led government in Haryana and people want to get rid of its misrule.
He also said a steep rise in the prices of essential commodities has made the life of a common man difficult, while on the other hand, the unemployment rate has gone up.
“Despite this, the government remains indifferent to the people’s problems,” Chautala said addressing a series of poll meetings in different villages of the Ellenabad Assembly constituency, which will go to bypoll on October 30.
The bypoll to the Ellenabad Assembly seat in Sirsa district was necessitated after Chautala quit the seat in January in protest against three new farm laws of the Centre.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has again fielded Chautala as its candidate in the bypoll.
Gobind Kanda, the brother of Haryana Lokhit Party chief and legislator Gopal Kanda, joined the BJP recently and has been fielded from Ellenabad by the ruling BJP-JJP combine.
Pawan Beniwal, who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls against Chautala, switched over from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the Congress subsequently and is also in the fray.
Chautala said one cannot expect much from the political parties that do not even have their own candidates to field in the bypoll.
He said the INLD is the only party where an ordinary worker is given due respect.
Chautala said he has toured the rural Assembly segment several times and has found out that people want to strengthen the INLD’s hands.
The younger son of INLD chief and former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala said he is getting the blessings of the voters of Ellenabad and for him, the interests of the people of the constituency are supreme.
He said he enjoys cordial relations with the people of Ellenabad and they are his family members.
Chautala said the people of Ellenabad “cannot be misled by opportunists” as they know that only the INLD thinks about their well-being.
“BJP’s Gobind Kanda and his brother Gopal Kanda, both do politics of opportunism,” he alleged.
Chautala said the opportunist leaders will stay in Ellenabad only till the bypoll and will not be seen in the constituency after that.
Appealing to people to vote for him, he said it is necessary to put an end to the “misrule” of BJP-JJP combine.
Bypolls for the Ellenabad seat will be held on October 30 and the votes will be counted on November 2.
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Haryana government to give subsidy on purchase of e-vehicles: CM Khattar
The chief minister appealed to people to cycle as often as possible, saying it is an affordable and environment-friendly mode of commuting.
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Kundli-Singhu blockade: Haryana government panel to talk to farmers on September 19
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: A Haryana government high-powered committee will on Sunday hold talks with protesting farm union leaders over clearing of blockade on National Highway-44 on Kundli-Singhu border, an official statement said here.
The meeting will take place in Murthal in Sonipat district, it said.
“The members of the state-level high-powered committee would hold talks with various farmer organisations. Office bearers of 43 farmer organisations have been invited to attend this meeting,” the statement said.
The Haryana government had formed the committee on Wednesday, a day after Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Lalit Siwach held a meeting with farmers’ representatives over the blockade.
An official statement on Tuesday had said while taking up a writ petition, the Supreme Court has asked the Sonipat district administration to provide a way to the common people in the public interest.
In compliance with these orders, Siwach had held a meeting with farmers’ representatives in Sonipat on Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister M L Khattar here, which, Home Minister Anil Vij said, had been convened in the wake of the apex court’s orders last month.
“To comply with the apex court’s orders, a state-level high-powered panel has been formed under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora,” Vij, who was also present in the meeting, had told reporters later.
“Keeping in view the Supreme Court orders and the fact that common people are facing inconvenience due to the blockade, the committee will hold talks with Samyukt Kisan Morcha on the opening of the way,” he had said.
The committee has the Director General of Police and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) amongst its members.
On Tuesday, the Sonipat DC had told farmers that while taking up a writ petition filed by Noida resident Monica Agarwal, the apex court has ordered that the farmers protesting on the Kundli-Singhu border in Sonipat district should give way to common people and shift to one side of the road.
The court had last month said the Centre and Delhi’s neighbouring states should find a solution to the road blockades on the national capital’s borders.
The farmers are protesting against the passage of three laws — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 and Farmers” (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.
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Karnal farmers call off protest as Haryana govt orders probe into Aug 28 incident
By PTI
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Saturday ordered a probe into last month’s police action against farmers and sent the IAS officer at the centre of a row between the two sides on leave.
Following this, the farmers said they would call off their protest outside the Karnal district headquarters.
The probe will be conducted by a retired judge, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Devender Singh told the media in Karnal.
The probe will be completed within a month and former SDM Ayush Sinha will remain on leave during the time, Singh added.
Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni, who was also part of the press conference, said they would now call off their sit-in outside the Karnal district headquarters.
The farmers had been demanding the suspension of Sinha, who was caught on tape allegedly telling policemen to “break the heads” of farmers if they cross the line.
About 10 protesters were hurt in the clash with police in Karnal on August 28 when they tried to march towards the venue of a BJP meeting.
Devender Singh also announced that jobs would be given to two family members of a farmer, who the protesters claimed had died after he was injured during the lathicharge.
This allegation was earlier by the administration.