Dehradun, February 19
After failing to make a headway with the concept of establishing Ayush Grams in each district for the past two years, once again the state Health Department has turned to the public-private partnership mode.

The Chief Minister’s pet project is expected to get a new lease of life through liberal dose of private entrepreneurship and finances. The first on the block is an Ayush Gram at Bhawali in Nainital. Directorate of Ayurveda and Siddha will soon be inviting bids to run this Ayush Gram.

Earlier, the government had almost planned to hand over the project to Parmaath Niketan of Haridwar, but the badly thought out move was stymied midway by the state Finance Department. Then in 2008, the expression of interest for Ayush Grams was struck off as it was against the state procurement policy.

Encountering hiccups, the project could not materialise due to unavailability of land. Requiring at least 15 acres, the project envisages establishing a herbal garden in 6 acres and the Ayush Gram on the remaining 10 acres that would include a Panchkarma unit with 100 beds on 4 acres, a pharmacy unit, wellness unit, tourist centre and a yoga centre, etc. The herbs to be grown at the farm have to be utilised for making ayurvedic formulations with the involvement of local farmers.

According to the Health Department, the terms of agreement framed are the private partner will be given 10 acres on lease for a concession period of 20 years. It will have to set aside 15 per cent beds to be run on government rates. As per the terms of the agreement, the private partner will have to give 2 per cent of revenue to the government and lump sum of Rs 2.50 crore during the signing of the memorandum of understanding.

Tendering exercise through a two-bid system is expected to take off in the coming days.

The state plans to reap rich dividends by setting up Panchkarma units as a main attraction of Ayush Grams and so far there is a plan to set up 44 such units. Of these, only nine have taken shape. However, the Panchkarma unit at Uttarakashi has begun functioning, where 80 per cent of work has been completed.

Haridwar, February 19
After local residents and pilgrims coming from other states were inconvenienced a lot on the first Shahi Snan on February 12 due to prohibitions on movement and traffic plans, now the mela administration is chalking out strategies to pacify agitating bodies. There is anger among people against the mela administration for stopping traffic several kilometres before the prohibition limit of certain mela areas it had earlier earmarked for the Shahi Snan.

With the mela administration issuing orders of total closure of markets situated in core Har-ki-Pauri mela zone, traders have also come out in the open against it, terming the orders as total harassment of traders in the name of Kumbh.

At a meeting of traders almost all major trader union leaders expressed dissatisfaction over the closure of markets during the festive baths.

Traders also alleged misbehaviour by the police personnel and said it would not be tolerated in the future. District general secretary of a union Rakesh Bajrangi said if soon police harassment in the name of the Kumbh preparedness was not stopped, then the traders would have to launch an agitation.

“We provide services to pilgrims throughout the year and finally when the vital event of the Maha Kumbh came the mela administration is closing doors to us. This is a tyrannical attitude and opening of shops has no bearing on arrangements or Shahi processions. These only lend more colour to the procession,” Tej Prakash Sahu, city treasurer, said.

Teerth Purohits are even questioning the integrity of the police saying that the DIG had made them take pledge on a ghat before the first royal bath and the very police personnel violated that pledge in the first test itself.

Purohits and pundits also are quite angry over the closure of temples during the Shahi Snan and said they would protest if this was repeated in coming days. They are also quite perturbed over the police restrictions in place specially at Har-ki-Pauri even in normal days.

Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the people’s unrest, mela DIG Alok Sharma has directed the police personnel to behaving and maintain the dignity of the police uniform. The DIG went on to the extent of urging police personnel to be calm and exercise patience while dealing with the crowd even if the situation became volatile.

Traders’ problems are also being considered so that their trade interests don’t suffer. Also the mela police is chalking out traffic plans in such a way to ensure a minimum problem and inconvenience to the local residents.

Dehradun, February 19
Soon, there may not be little girls left to worship on Navratras. The urge to have boys instead of girls has resulted in the steady decimation of the fair sex. Though unnoticed, a major chunk of their population has gone missing in Uttarakhand.

As per the 2001 census, 1,62,499 women out of a total population of 84,89,394 are ‘missing’. The female child sex ratio at 893 per thousand male population in the age group of 0-6 years is equally dismal.

Worried at the imbalance in the state, experts at a workshop held today to deliberate on the declining sex ratio and increasing gender gap said that a time might not be far when women as a species might become extinct.

“Unnoticed, an entire population of women almost equivalent to the population of a district has been wiped out. The fair sex, the object of deification in temples, and most importantly, little girls are difficult to come by as most of them are killed soon after conception,” said Geeta Gairola, State Director, Mahila Samakhya.

“Even education has not affected any change in the mindset of our society that is willing to take risks to fulfil their desire of a male heir,” she said.

Technological advancement and traditional mindset that refuses to change have been detrimental to the survival of the girl child. The PCPNDT (2003) legislation that prohibits sex determination as it would lead to selective female foeticide can only be successful if monitoring of diagnostic centres is carried out on a regular basis.

“But at several centres, it has been observed that the staff manages to convey the sex of a child in a code language. The launch of finger-prick blood test through which the sex of a child can be known within two weeks of conception too is proving counterproductive to the future of the girl child,” said Dr Geeta Balodi, lecturer, MKP PG College.

The experts said that a strong sense of self worth handed by mothers to girls at a very young age could considerably arrest the problem.

Dehradun, February 19
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) submitted a memorandum with regard to the hydro-power project to the District Magistrate to be forwarded to Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank here today.

In the wake of the decision of the state government to hand over some hydro-power projects to private firms, the UKD has said it had always been in favour of small hydro-power projects. The UKD believes that keeping in view the adverse geographical condition of Uttarakhand, the construction of these projects should be done so that the state can reap the benefits of these projects.

The party has demanded that participation of local people in the hydro-power projects should be ensured, besides the size of these projects should be kept small suiting to the geographical conditions of the state.

The party said if these demands were not fulfilled, then they would go for a protest against the projects.

Dehradun, February 19
The Director-General of Police (DGP) has given the wife of circle officer (CO) Premender Dobal a cheque for Rs 9.25 lakh for his treatment. The CO is being treated at Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi. He had suffered burns on the night of January 22 when he had mounted up a Doordarshan tower to bring down a Siksha Mitar who had set himself afire by pouring petrol on his body in protest against the government.

During the rescue operation, the CO had sustained serious burns on his body. The DGP praised the brave officer for his exemplary courage and exhorted the police force to perform their duties with high morale.

Dehradun, February 19
A leopard got struck inside Indian Military Academy campus during afternoon hours today. The wild cat got entangled into a wire, a training structure established for the training of the Gentlemen Cadets in the jungle warfare training area.

According to IMA PRO Amit Dagar while the training was going on at 11 in the morning, the patrolling guard noticed the leopard stuck up in the training structures. He kept the leopard under surveillance and immediately informed his higher authorities, who subsequently brought the matter to the notice of the State Wildlife authorities.

After a marathon operation leopard could finally be freed from metal structure. Dehradun Divisional Forest Officer Meenakshi Joshi supervised the operation under the active assistance of Sravan Kumar, Deputy Director, and in the presence of Major General GS Bal, Deputy Commandant, IMA.

This is not the first time that IMA has witnessed leopard incursions. The IMA lies in west Dehradun sharing its boundaries with the Forest Research Institute that has been prone to straying leopards. An year back, the IMA authorities had to seek the help of state wildlife authorities after leopards were then sighted on the academy campus. Then Dehradun DFO BK Gangte had even installed a cage to the check the wild beast but it proved futile.

Interestingly, the incident comes at a time when Indian Military Academy had some time back asked the Dehradun Forest Authorities for ensuring them a respite against frequent wild boar attacks.

However, the Dehradun Division Forest authorities had asked the academy authorities to approach the Conservator of Forests for a proper approval over the matter.

Dehradun, February 19
Increase in crime cases against the fairer sex has agitated Congress women workers. Members of the Mahanagar Mahila Congress Committee (Uttrakhand) burnt an effigy and raised slogans against the BJP government at Orient Chowk here today.

Mamta Gurung, city president of the Mahila Congress Committee, said the escalating rate incidents of rape, chain snatching, etc, reflected the impotency of the BJP government that had failed to provide protection and security to women in the state.

Nainital, February 19
Activists of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) held a protest here today against the spiraling prices of essential commodities. Holding the Central and state governments responsible for rising prices, the agitators raised slogans against these and later burnt an effigy outside the office of the Collector.

In a memorandum addressed to the President, the agitators asked her to intervene and direct the Central government to take proactive steps to check the rising inflation. They said the BSP would be organising similar protests in all assembly segments in the state.

Mussoorie, February 19
A street play to raise awareness towards water conservation was organised under the aegis of the Rashtriya Jal Vigyan Sansthan, Roorkee, and the Ministry of Water Resources here today.

The members of Shail Net began their awareness campaign from library depicting the importance of water conservation in daily life. The participants also informed people about the reasons behind water scarcity and how humans and animals were affecting adversely.

Director of the play Rajesh Dhiman said this awareness programme was being carried out in various districts and would continue till the culmination of Kumbh mela in Haridwar. More than dozen such shows had already been organised and had received a good response, he added further.

The participants also raised awareness towards water harvesting and proper utilisation of tap water according to the need. The message of stopping global warming was also conveyed through the play.

Senior research associates Hukum Singh and Om Prakash supervised the event. Rajesh Dhiman, Anurag Verma, Kumar Sonu Ankush, Ajay Baunthiyal, Ashwani and Rajiv assisted in the play.

Nainital, February 19
Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai, Dr PL Gautam has cautioned against the unlimited effect of unscrupulous use of chemicals in farm and non-farm activities on pollinators and microbes that are adversely affecting the health of man, animals, plants, soil and water on the earth.

Presiding over a workshop on ‘Shun Pops - Encourage Safer Pesticides to Ensure Food and Health Security’ that was organised by the Lokhit Foundation with a support of the Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre at the Gobind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology at Pantnagar on Friday, he said the nation would have to promote good agricultural practices aimed at maintaining the natural strength of the food web while ensuring the fertility of the earth. “The farmers in general want to grow safe food and they must be helped in achieving this millennium goal,” said Dr Gautam.

Senior Scientific Adviser to the state government and Director of Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST) Dr Rajendra Dobhal said the council was willing to walk the extra mile with anyone trying to make food production safer in the region.

Innovations in the field of biodiversity conservation and nano-technology vital for sustaining life on earth can be done by anyone irrespective of his educational qualification as traditional wisdom too has a great potential in making things better for every one.

In his message, Father of Green Revolution Prof MS Swaminathan, while appreciating the efforts of the Lokhit Foundation, said, “Pesticide residues pose a great threat to both sustainable food and enduring health security. We should shift to safer methods of pest management involving bio-control, genetic resistance and botanical pesticides.”

Chairperson of the foundation Bithi Chandramohan urged all stakeholders to fulfil the aspirations for good health of the masses, as the dangerous pesticides dominating the market pose a great threat to the survival of life. She hoped that a real time work would be taken up in this direction soon.

A recent study by the foundation in over 60 villages of Haridwar and Dehradun districts had shown widespread presence of residue in agriculture soil, water and vegetable samples. These residues were found in green leafy vegetables also, which are the main source of nutrition. Bithi pointed out that a regular intake of these residues through food poses a great danger to the health of man, flora and

fauna. About 5,000 farmers had been motivated to take to safe farming by activists of the foundation over the past three years, she said.

Vice-Chancellor Dr BS Bisht emphasised the urgent need to make agriculture safe in the state. Much of the agriculture in the hills does not use pesticides and the university would now make extra efforts to help farmers grow safe food for better health. Earn more as good quality food is the need of the hour, he said.

The workshop adopted a 10-point resolution seeking safe farm practices for better health to be forwarded to the government.

Over 300 farm scientists, teachers, students, farmers, officials and activists participated in the workshop.

Dehradun, February 19
Members of the Mandir Samiti created chaos at Dharampur today alleging that a shop tenant had encroached upon the temple’s land.

The residents raised slogans and demanded that the land of the temple be freed of encroachment. They also tried to block the road but the police reached the spot and pacified them. Sensing trouble, Circle Officer (CO) Sweety Aggarwal and Station House Officer (SHO) of the Patelnagar police station Arvind Shah also reached the scene.

The police said Mahender Singh had a few shops near the temple and the local people had alleged that he had extended his shop and had encroached on the land of the temple.

The SHO said the samiti and a tenant of the shop had a dispute, which had been resolved amicably. He added this was quite an old temple and so did the shops.