The Haryana government has appointed dowry prohibition officers who will not only keep an eye on the costly gifts given by the bride’s family but also ensure that they don’t serve more than two meals to the baraat.These safeguards are part of the Haryana Dowry Prohibition Rules, 2003, which got the Cabinet nod yesterday. According to the rules, a complaint can be filed by any aggrieved person, or a parent or relatives of such persons in writing to the dowry prohibition officer, either in person or through a messenger or by post.If anyone is found committing the offence, the dowry prohibition officer will submit the report to the Judicial Magistrate of First Class for prosecuting the offenders. This report would be deemed as one under Section 173 of the CrPC, 1973 (Act 2 of 1974).The dowry prohibition officers will also conduct preliminary enquiries on receiving complaints regarding dowry, and prepare case history of each case and help the public in registering the case with the police.The Cabinet also approved the rules of the state’s ex-gratia policy, framed under Article 309 of the Constitution. The policy had been approved by the Cabinet in its meeting recently. The ex-gratia policy rules would be known as the Haryana Compassionate Assistance to the Dependents of Deceased Government Employees Rules, 2003. The rules, which would come into force with immediate effect, are aimed at assisting the family of a deceased employee in tiding over the crisis resulting from the loss of the bread-earner by giving either a job or financial assistance to a member of the family. The financial assistance would be over and above all other benefits like ex-gratia grant due to his family to be paid at the rate of Rs 2.5 lakh in cases where the family of the deceased does not opt for ex-gratia employment.The Cabinet also approved the draft of The Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2003 to amend the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994 so as to appoint a gram vikas sahayak for each gram panchayat.The sahayak will assist the panchayat in maintaining records and perform other duties as may be assigned by the panchayat or prescribed by the government. He will also act as a link between the panchayat and the government besides assisting in effecting recoveries of dues relating to the government or state enterprises on commission basis. For all this, he will be paid honorarium prescribed by the gram panchayat.
