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Guv tells officers to speed up Kumbh works
Govt mulls fibre bank in state
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Extension to UPRNN
‘Politics on language, region uncalled for’
Bandh in Haldwani, Ramnagar today
Farmers flay govt policy
Student union gherao MDDA vice-chairman
Khadi Mahotsav begins
Newspaper assn seeks hike in ad rates
UKD’s working committee formed
Encroachments removed from markets
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Guv tells officers to speed up Kumbh works
Haridwar, December 4 Alva first visited recently opened hilly bypass which will be of immense help for devotees during the Maha Kumbh and other ghats. She seemed quite satisfied with the opening of this bypass and was charmed by the scenic view of the Har-ki-Pauri from the bypass road below the Mata Mansa Devi temple. After her entourage moved towards Singh Dwar where she inspected one of the newly built overhead tank built specifically for the Maha Kumbh and the under-construction linking bridge adjacent to older bridge. Alva directed the mela administration to speed up the Kumbh-related works, specifically the works of permanent nature, and laid stressed on ensuring best of facilities to the pilgrims. “Maha Kumbh’s successful completion is attached with our state and nation’s prestige and no stone should be left unturned to make it a successful and grand one,” said Alva. The Governor at last visited the Bairagi camp area and showed her concern on the encroachments in the area. Visiting one of the temporary encroached tea stall, she interacted with a woman shopkeeper and asked her where would the family move after an encroachment drive. She sought details of the mela area encroached upon by the people and the steps being taken to free these from encroacher and plans for their rehabilitation. She was assisted by mela officer Anand Vardhan, DIG Kumbh Alok Sharma, District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram, Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik, Municipal Chairman Kamal Johra and other officers. |
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Govt mulls fibre bank in state
Dehradun, December 4 Inaugurating a national workshop entitled “Possibilities and Potential of Natural Fibres in Mountains”, the Chief Minister said adding value to fibre products by hiring professional designers would help attract people at the international level and would certainly lead to improved results in state’s quest for making fibre a sustainable means of livelihood in hills. He also called for coming up with a concrete policy so as to ensure a proper management and marketing of products of these small-scale industries. Reiterating his government’s commitment to enriching of fibre, Chief Minister said the government was mulling establishment of a fibre bank in the state. Dr Nishank said the clothes and other products of natural fibres needed to be analysed scientifically in order to ensure that people were made aware of advantages of using fibre products. “If studied scientifically, it would be established that natural fibre-made clothes are more comfortable compared to artificial fibre-made clothes,” he pointed out. Linking fibres to climate change, the Chief Minister said the usage of fibre-based products would serve the cause of climate change mitigation efforts. “Particularly, in hilly states, like Uttarakhand, where large-scale industries cannot be established, small-scale industries is a better medium for the creation of employment in hilly areas,” he said. Chairperson of the Handicraft Haat Committee, New Delhi, Jaya Jaitley said she looked forward to Uttarkhand towards promoting fibre products at the international platform. She hoped for Uttarakhand’s participation in the proposed United Nations-promoted exhibition at Delhi Haat in December-end would take Uttarakhand’s fibre potential to international levels. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary NS Napalchyal said handicraft and handloom development board had been established in Uttarakhand and the small-scale products of the state were branded under the name ‘Himadri’. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest RBS Rawat said there were several plants that could be used both for obtaining natural fibres and grazing by animals. |
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Corporation staff plan dharna
Seema Sharma Tribune News Service
Dehradun, December 4 Their anger stems from the extension given to the UPRNN as a functional agency up to March 31, 2010, because of which it has got a series of mega projects in the state, leaving other state corporations high and dry. Navin Kandpal, state president of the Uttrakhand Diploma Engineers Mahasangh said: “The UPRNN has got all the big projects, including construction of Technical University and polytechnics throughout the state worth more than Rs 200 crore. The state would have to shell out 12.5 per cent of the project cost. When the state has six functional agencies of its own from which it gets basic draft done then why the task of construction is given to an outside agency. We have no complaint if it is taken on contract basis.” These six agencies are PWD, Irrigation, Rural Engineering Services, Payjal Nigam, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam. Kandpal said the nigam had held projects worth about Rs 2,000 crore till date. One can imagine the share money Uttrakhand must have given to the UPRNN. The employees can be paid better and, even many new employments can be generated in the state if the centage amount is saved.” he said. The insiders point out fingers on big sharks in the government who have sought out this ploy to gobble up big fat money in clandestine manner through UPRNN. The agency which continued to work despite the formation of state was first shown the door in Government Order (GO) which categorically had said that only state functional agencies would be preferred in the construction of projects whilst other agencies from outside state would be allowed only on contract basis. But UPRNN was again welcomed in a GO, dated 27 April 2007, thus giving it another fresh lease of life till 31 Jan 2008. But then with the intervention of then CM BC Khanduri, its term expired mid way on December 31, 2008. He gave all the projects to PWD and State Infrastructure Development Corporation. Khanduri asked the logic behind the move which is making state poorer of taxpayers’ hard earned money. Dinesh Bhandari, state president of Nigam Karmchari Mahasangh, who is heading the protest on December 8 stated, “The corporations, where we work, are autonomous bodies who have to earn from their own resources to be able to pay salaries and other expenditure. If the government wean away even that opportunity from us, then how would we survive”.
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‘Politics on language, region uncalled for’
Haridwar, December 4 She said India is one and languages play a major role in uniting countrymen and act as a tool of communication and there should be no doubt on Hindi being the national language. Citing her example that being from southern state she knows five languages, including Hindi and she feels pride in speaking the language of the nation. Acknowledging the efforts and significance of Dev Sanskriti University in terms of imparting moral, conventional and modern education not only to Indians but also to the foreigners Governor put the university equivalent to international university status and hailed it as flag bearer of Indian value based education. While according doctorate degrees and honorary degrees to the meritorious students governor urged the recipients, “You have to go from here as angels of change and make sure the education you get also benefits the society.” Nineteen gold medals were awarded while 40 students were accorded doctorate degrees in various disciplines ranging from psychology, journalism, tourism, education, computer, animation-visual effects, religious science, health management, village management among others. |
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Bandh in Haldwani, Ramnagar today
Nainital, December 4 While the Haldwani bandh will be a part of the ongoing agitation over the re-starting of mining on the Gaula river banks, the bandh at Ramnagar will be an expression of resentment of the local population over the failure of the police to track down the killers of seven-year-old Mahima whose mutilated body was found on
November 21. The issue of mining on the banks of Gaula continues to simmer as the permission for re-starting the mining is yet to arrive from the Centre. President of the Gaula Khanan Samiti Arshad Ayub, while talking to The Tribune, said today: “Unlike the last bandh, this time we will be forcing the closure of government offices, schools and colleges. Markets in Haldwani are anyhow shut on Saturdays. We are losing our patience and we feel cheated on all accounts.” In a latest development, the agitators have given a memorandum to the local administration for getting the owners of stone crushers to stop digging the area around the Gaula river for stones. They feel that this is hampering their cause. “According to the norms, only chugan (mining) is allowed and not the khudan (digging). By allowing this, the administration is further complicating the issue. We have warned them that if this activity is not stopped, we will sit on a dharna in the pits that have been dug up by the owners of the stone crushers,”
said Ayub. Over the past few days, various organisations representing people involved in mining and stone crushing operations on the banks of the Gaula river have launched an agitation asking the state government to persuade the Centre to allow the mining operations to start again. The lease for mining at the river bank got over in July 2009. as a part of the agitation, a large number of protesters had got their heads tonsured on December 2. The agitators feel that it is just the lack of co-ordination between the BJP government in the state and the Congress government in the centre which has made things very difficult for people involved in this activity. Meanwhile, Ramnagar continues to seethe with anger over the Mahima murder case. As part of the ongoing agitation to get the police to nab her killers, the residents turned up in hundreds on Thursday night for a protest march in which they carried flaming torches and shouted slogans against the administration. Efforts on the part of the administration to persuade them from calling off their programme of a traffic blockade and a shut down on Saturday have proved futile. |
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Farmers flay govt policy
Dehradun, December 4 At the first workshop organised today by the Horticulture Food and Processing Department, the farmers brought out in the open the difficulties they “It has been eight years since the creation of the state, but there is no clarity on the horticulture policy. The department is still persisting with its old ways and has failed to advice farmers on growing fruit varieties that are conducive to the climatic and soil conditions. “Most farmers are growing varieties that have no economic value. No research work is being taken up in state-based universities that will benefit farmers,” said Beer Ban Singh Rawat, a farmer from Tehri. Swetanshu Chaturvedi, Secretary of the National Society for Nurserymen and a horticulturist from Ram Nagar, said that the government should seriously think of expanding pomegranate orchards in the state. “It is an excellent fruit that can be grown in several parts of the state, but farmers have no access to good varieties of the fruit. Even the kandhar variety can be grown, but what the farmers are growing are trees that are not bearing fruits and it is going unchecked by the department,” he said. Floriculturist Amit Shah from Dehradun said the matching grant that the state government gives to farmers is always delayed. “It takes between six months to a year to process the grant which proves problematic to farmers looking for cash,” stressed Shah. He called for developing a tissue-culture laboratory in the state so that farmers no longer depend on Pune and Bengaluru to meet the requirement of plants. Deven Pundir, whose family is credited with the introduction of poly house for flowers in the state, called for setting up a local mandi in Dehradun. Nurseries Act
on the anvil
To strengthen and develop nurseries, the state government will soon come up with the Nurseries Act and also revise prices every two years. Under pressure, Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Trivender Singh Rawat today announced a series of sops for farmers battling deficient rain and ruined crops last season. “We need to strengthen and develop nurseries with quality mother plants and in order that the farmers do not compromise on quality, the Horticulture Department is contemplating a Nurseries Act on the pattern of Himachal Pradesh. “Besides the buy-back policy, we will be raising the prices of plants between 15 and 20 per cent very soon,” Rawat said. He was speaking today at a workshop organised by Horticulture, Food and Processing Department at a local hotel in which around 350 farmers from the state participated along with Horticulture Department officials and Secretary Horticulture Vinod Fonia. |
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Student union gherao MDDA vice-chairman
Dehradun December 4
Members of Garhwal Nirman Chhatra Sangathan gheraoed vice-chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) in protest against the alleged discrepancies of a private educational institution here today.
Pradeep Chamoli, President of the Sangthan alleged that the Dehradun is a hub of educational institutions and private colleges are getting commercialised and even resorting to illegal acts but the officials are unable to act against them. The students threatened to resort to hunger strike of their demand of action against institutions
violating building laws was not met. |
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Khadi Mahotsav begins
Dehradun, December 4 The new addition of this fair, held for the fifth consecutive year is the live display of dying, block printing and embroidery tradition, where people can give orders on the spot and collect pieces during the fair. Informing more about this fair comprising 70 khadi and 130 village industries, the Chief Minister said, “The state government has launched cluster scheme pertaining to khadi promotion from today, where by 15 textile, craft and agro-based cluster of artisans would be established. They will develop products from local resources. Khadi Gram Parishad and Khadi Board would support the scheme.” Rita Chamoli, a homemaker, says, “We got wonderful opportunity to savour organic and herbal food products, including juices, pickles, murabbas as well get to see khadi textile. I have picked up one khadi jacket and shawl from here.” The products were displayed by authentic khadi organisations recognised by the UKGB hailing from various parts of the state. The fair has put Kashmiri Pashmina shawls, jackets and dry fruit on display. Kashmiri artisan said, “People can relish hot piping kawaha of Kashmir from Saturday onward. Last year, we made good profit from that.” Gujrati patch work on bed-sheets and bed-covers, Rajasthani appliqué on home furnishing and camel leather footwear, shadow stitches of West Bengal on running cloth, beautiful strips of Madhubani paintings which have been delineated on tussar silk sarees and stole as well, vibrant Khurja pottery tussar silk of Orissa are all worth watching and buying. The heavy woollens of the cold region such as Pitthoragarh and Uttarkashi would certainly keep chilled winter breeze at bay. Crispy Rajasthani and Gujrati namkeen (Asha namkeen stall) were wooing customers in a big number. People of the city, too, savoured the scrumptious Rajasthani cuisine, especially daal baati Churma had many drooling over it. |
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Newspaper assn seeks hike in ad rates
Dehradun, December 8 Submitting a memorandum to Principal Secretary Subhash Kumar, the Small Newspapers Association office-bearers accused the Directorate of Uttarakhand Information and Public Relations and Kumbh Mela Information Section of intentionally hurting
the interests of small newspapers. They also alleged that while Delhi-based DAVP has increased the rate of advertisements long time, the minimum departmental advertisement rates were still to be hiked in the stete. Principal Secretary assured to take up their issues at the earliest. The association members earlier had met Director Uttarakhand Information Arvind Singh Hyanki in the same concern. |
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UKD’s working committee formed
Dehradun, December 4 Jabbar Singh has been made patron, Birender Bisht as officiating president, Anup Joshi as general secretary, Sunil Bisht as secretary, Narayan Singh Rawat as city spokesperson, Atul Rana, Pratap Singh Kunwar, Navin Purohit and Mahfooz as vice-president, Jitender Singh Chauhan, Manish Kumar and Rajiv Juyal as organisational secretary, Arjun Singh Rawat as treasurer, Kailash Chander Bhatt, Rajender Pradhan, Mohit Kumar and Ashok Kumar has been made publicity in charge. He also said the working committee would be expanded time to time. He said in a month time, UKD would also constitute three mandal units and 60 ward units to strengthen its base in the city. In his first press conference, Rawat, who was selected as city president recently, said, “My priorities would be to address the issues such as water, electricity, traffic and inflation which have been ignored in the past. If needed, we would also carry out protests.” He also reiterated his party stand on shifting the state capital to Gairsain. |
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Encroachments removed from markets
Dehradun, December 4 The police force, led by city SP Jagat Ram Joshi, removed the encroachments from markets including Paltan Bazaar, Dispensary Road and Hanuman Chowk. The SP said the drive would continue for the next few days. He added that they had already warned the shopkeepers. “If they don’t follow directions, we are not responsible for their loss.” Yesterday, the police had a meeting with the association of traders in Kotwali police station and had decided to conduct a drive along with them. “We joined the police to encourage shop owners to remove the encroachment they had made in front of their shops. We want the matter to be solved amicably,” said Umesh Aggarwal, senior VP of the regional traders union. |
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Haridwar, December 4
Dehradun, December 4
