Dehradun, January 9
After the success of Dhanolti Eco Park, another eco park success story is being scripted - this time in Almora in the Kumaon division of Uttarakhand.

At a distance of 2 km from Almora headquarters and on the picturesque Almora-Bageshwar highway, lies Simtola, the proposed site of the new eco project. Simtola is surrounded by thick forests of deodar and chir trees and lies adjacent to the famous Kasardevi hill. Sidheshwar, Adey and Golu temples lie in its midst and is the ideal place to view snowcapped Bandarpunch and Nandadevi peaks.

The staggering Rs 1 crore project, the Simtola Eco Park, that has to come up in an area of 37 hectares will put no financial burden on the state forest exchequer and be an indigenous fund-generated project.

It will open employment opportunities for the locals and also provide impetus to local businessmen operating eateries, taxis and photography in the vicinity.

Divisional Forest Officer, Almora, AK Banerjee, the man who made eco parks a viable concept in Dhanolti, is the man behind this ambitious project.

To arrange for the initial funds, senior forester Banerjee has been working tirelessly to constitute the Friends of Simtola Eco Park to ensure smooth execution of the project with local support.

Apart from creating livelihood opportunities, the park will have other advantages. The ever-growing problem of pollution will also get curbed as the entire plastic and other inorganic filth from the area will be recycled.

And foremost, the encroachments on the forestland in Simtola will be also arrested with the coming up of the park.

To be completed in two years, the Simtola Eco Park boasts of a British period well that adds to the beauty of its picturesque terrain. Apart from swings, the park will have walking trails and other nature-based entertainment sections.

“Over half a dozen gram sabhas like Shail, Falseema, Bhulyuda, Balta, Bintola, Narayan Tewadi and Chitai lie in Simtola’s periphery. These gram sabhas have a key role in the success of the park,” said AK Banerjee, who is also credited with the creation of the first-of-its-kind eco park in Dhanolti, 24 km ahead of Mussoorie, in June 2008.

Ever since, the park’s breathtaking landscape has attracted a large number of tourists from across the country every year and stood as a very profitable venture both for locals and the Forest Department.

Banerjee aspires to go one step ahead of Dhanolti. He has plans to come up with a sanctuary for birds a major attraction within the park campus. He wants it to become a winter sojourn for migratory birds.

A unique example of a public-private entrepreneurship-based initiative to promote tourism in Uttarakhand, eco parks have been a resounding success. These parks are managed by forest officials and village representatives on a profit-sharing basis.

Dehradun, January 9
Bringing out quality titles that are nominally priced is the mantra for success of the 52-year-old National Book Trust (NBT), an autonomous body of the government of India.

The trust continues to kindle the curiosity of the young and old alike as was witnessed today on the first day of the book fair at Hindi Bhawan when a father strode in with his son to introduce him to the titles that he himself had read in his childhood.

Testifying to the phenomenon called NBT, Mohammed Imranul Haq, Deputy Director, National Book Trust, said, “The NBT has over 17,000 publications in 32 languages. Of late, the trust has started bringing out specialised and hard bound books on gardening. These are also being lapped up by the different libraries in India”.

With a writer-friendly policy, the trust is a safe launching pad for writers. The NBT has been able to attract writers like Romila Thapar and S Abid Hussain whose books on history continue to be firm favourites of scholars and students.

“We have a wide pool of writers and our policy of handing down 50 per cent royalty to writers is at once attractive. In fact, a team of experts from the NBT select a particular subject on which a book has to be written.

“Besides, the NBT also offers subsidy and grant to publishers and non-government organisations working in the area of education in regions where reach is limited,” stressed Mohammed Imranul Haq.

Several titles like “Paerh” and “Kitni Payari Hai Duniya” have run into several lakhs, something that keeps the NBT going. The 10-part series titled “Giji Bhai ka Guldasta” too has hit the 1 lakh mark.

Seeped in old values of retaining trust of the readers, a membership of Rs 50 to the NBT Book Club ensures that a reader gets 20 per cent discount during his lifetime.

“Our readers’ club with 1.5 lakh members in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand is a testimony to the fact that the habit of reading is not dying, but it is alive and kicking. These are all school students and will continue to read good books right through their lifetimes,” averred Haq.

Earlier, the book fair was inaugurated today by the Chairman of the State Finance Commission, Indu Kumar Pandey, at Hindi Bhawan (Hindi Sahitya Samiti).

The fair that will end on January 15 has on display 400 titles in English, 450 titles in Hindi and 100 titles in Urdu.

Dehradun, January 9
Doonites, especially members of the Punjabi community, got an opportunity to see six Punjabi films on Sikhism on the premises of Shri Guru Nanak Niwas on Litun Road on Saturday and Sunday. These include two animation films.

The film festival is being held by Amritsar-based organisation Akal Purakh ki Fauj and Dehradun-based Shri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Kirtan Academy to commemorate Guru Gobind Singh’s 344th birth anniversary.

Three films — “Katra Katra Amrit Da” (based on the life of Guru Gobind Singh), “Sundari - The Brave Kaur” (animation) and “Sunny - Proud Sikh” (Animation), — were shown on Saturday.

On Sunday, the audience will get to see “Kab Gal Lavenge” based on the drug racket and directed by Prof Manjit Singh, “Rise of Khalsa” directed by UK-based Ish Amitojh Kaur and “Kambdi Kalai”.

Besides the films, children will be asked questions based on these and given prizes on the spot. There will be lectures by Sukhchain Singh, Head of Akal Purakh ki Fauj, Inderpreet Singh, educationist, two young icons, Amandeep Kaur, fashion designer, and Amanpreet Kaur, an NIIFT pass-out.

Giving details about the films, Devender Pal Singh, State Coordinator of the academy, said, “There is no better medium than films to impress upon young minds about any subject. So we chose it to educate children and youth about various facets of Sikhism”.

The academy, which was floated five years ago by Sikhs from all walks of life in the city, has been holding one such function every year to spread awareness about Sikhism. Last year, they had focussed on Sikh youth holding camps and conducting different types of activities.

The exhibition of items pertaining to Sikhism, such as sheaths, swords, ‘kanga’ (comb)and ‘karas’ (steel bracelet) and holy books have been put on display.

T-shirts displaying interesting slogans about Sikhism are also on display. These have been manufactured by a Delhi-based company.

Buying one such T-shirt, Simran Preet Singh, an MBA student of UIM Law College, said, “This will not only remind me of my roots, but also other youngsters who are forgetting these in their blind chase of modernity”.

Dehradun, January 9
To ease the burden of studies, examination fear and make students think more objectively, the state government has planned to change the pattern of question papers. All government schools, from primary to middle-school level, will now have question papers focusing more on presentation skills and concepts to shun the habits of mugging and encourage the skills of understanding and then learning.

The psychologists also believe that if the students are given colourful and informative question papers, their productively level will increase. The Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan, in collaboration with the Azeem Premji Foundation, started an endeavour since 2006 and seeing the positive side of the project, they plan to further implement it in all districts.

According to Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan officials, the plan is primarily made to know the interest of the students, judge their IQ levels and at the same time encourage them to take examinations in a more constructive and friendly manner. However, to make new methodologies under the plan well-versed with the educationists, teachers of these schools will also be briefed for a better implementation of the plan.

F Children will now get freedom from mundane question papers

F All government schools will benefit from the new pattern

F It will encourage students to take examinations more seriously, rather than as a mere burden

F Focus will be on more on concepts and decorations with attractive colour patterns

Dehradun, January 9
The Khurbura Eleven team won by seven wickets against Diamond Academy team at the 58th District Cricket League here today. Meanwhile, in the second match MPS College team won by six runs against Purohit Cricket Academy (PCA).

In the first match, batting first Diamond Cricket Academy team piled 85 runs in 24.4 overs. Kaminder was the highest scorer for the team with 34 runs in 60 balls, whereas SS Yadav scored 15 runs in 22 balls.

For Khurbura Elevan Shivam, Montu, Amit and Shubham claimed two wickets each, thus ripping through the batting line up of Diamond Academy team.

In reply, Khurbura team reached the target with seven wickets in hand. Shivesh was the highest scorer for the team with 35 runs and Amit supported him well on the other end to make 20 runs.

For Diamond Cricket Academy, Vipin took two wickets, whereas Kaminder claimed one.

Meanwhile, in the second match, MPSC team registered a narrow victory of 6 runs over PCA team. Batting first MPS College team scored 113 runs. Pavan scored 47 runs in 56 balls, hitting one four in his inning, whereas Shobhit scored 16 runs.

Chasing the victory target of 114 runs PCA team was all out for 99 runs.

Dehradun, January 9
The RPCA team registered a seven wickets win over Sports Trainees team at the u-17 District Cricket League underway at Col Brown School here today.

Batting first, the Sports Trainees team scored 201 runs in 31 overs. Opening batsman Rishab scored 51 runs in 62 balls, whereas another opener Deepak scored 11 runs.

First down batsman Vidhur scored 19 runs. For Sports Trainees team Rawjot claimed three wickets, whereas Aman and Himanshu took two wickets each.

Chasing the victory target of 202 runs, RPCA team reached the target with seven wickets in hand. Rawjot was the highest scorer for the team with 47 runs, whereas Aman scored 26 runs.

Deepak scored 21 runs. Middle order batsman Himanshu and Amit scored 40 runs.

For Sports Trainees team Rishab took two wickets.

Meanwhile in the second match, HCA team defeated Dinesh Rawat Cricket Academy team a margin of five wickets. Batting first, the strong Dinesh Rawat Cricket team scored 142 runs in 33.4 overs in the match.

Himanshu was the highest scorer for the team with 38 runs, whereas Reshabh made a useful contribution of 34 runs for Dinesh Rawat Cricket Academy.

Kuldeep claimed three wickets, whereas Pawan took two wickets. In reply HCA team reached the target with ease. Varun scored 41 runs and Paras scored 32 runs.

For Dinesh Rawat Cricket team Manish and Ajay took two wickets each. 

Dehradun, January 9
Much to the chagrin of football lovers, the BS Negi Memorial Football Tournament with a handsome cash prize, that is usually organised in the month of October will now be held next month. The tournament got delayed due to non- availability of the ground. The tournament is held at the Ambedkar Stadium (ONGC).

The tournament that began in 2008 was started by the ONGC. It was a district-level tournament first, but thereafter in view of the good response and team participation the organisers decided to make it into state-level tournament. Previous year the DMK had emerged victorious at the tournament, whereas runner up was the City Young team.

But the ONGC failed to organise the tournament in 2009. The main reason behind the delay was the occupation of the Ambedkar playground, which was taken over by the organisers of Virasat, to host the cultural programme in October that too got delayed.

Another main reason behind the delay was the long duration of the District Football League. This year the playing duration of the league was increased brought about by the change in the tournament format.

Anand Joshi, organising secretary of the tournament, said, “Already we are late in organising the tournament now we are making efforts to hold it as soon as possible, most probably by the beginning of the next month”.

He thinks that the tournament will do a world of good to Dehradun football. Already preparations are in place.