The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Bahuguna blames state govt for not using Central funds Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 Congress MP from Tehri Vijay Bahuguna today went offensive against the Uttarakhand government alleging that the state government has completely failed to utilising the Central funds and got into habit of blaming the Centre for the all the ills in the state. Addressing news conference in Dehradun, Vijay Bahuguna said the state BJP government has failed to utilise funds meant for Central sponsored schemes. Coming out with facts, Bahuguna disclosed that against the total outlay of Rs 1,075 crore for 2009-10, the Uttarakhand government has just utilised Rs 492 crore. On the industrial package, he said while the state has failed to provide land to the industrialists and was even faltering to provide power and other infrastructure, the extension of the industrial package kept no meaning for the state. He however pointed out that the Congress MPs from the state were doing all what was needed to still ensure that special package in extended to Uttarakhand. He said states like Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and several other states had opposed the package asserting that the industries from their respective states were shifting due to package benefits to the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. On non-utilisation of MP Local Area Development Fund, Bahuguna shifted the blame on state government asserting that lack of junior engineers in the state were providing to be a big stumbling block in carrying out MP fund linked development activities in the state. The Congress MP yet again raked up the issue of allotment of minor hydropower projects asserting the BJP government has committed a big scam. He asserted that the state lost Rs 150 crore due to work policy of allotment adopted by the state government. Uttarakhand Congress MLAs Joth Singh Gunsola, Pritam Singh and Balbir Singh Negi, senior Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana and Surendra Arya were present at the news conference. BJP raises industrial package issue Dehradun: Few hours after Congress MP Vijay Bahuguna accused Uttarakhand BJP government of under utilisation of funds, the State BJP reacting strongly yet again accused the Congress MPs of doing little to ensure industrial package for the state. At a press conference at Uttarakhand State BJP office, Devendra Bhasin BJP media cell in charge, said Congress MPs who had failed to convince their leadership of the industrial package were now diverting people’s attention on other issues. Bhasin also took the opportunity to put comparative figures between the five years of earlier Congress government and the three years of the present BJP state government. He said on almost all sectors of development, Uttarakhand has moved far ahead when compared to five years of the Congress rule. He again accused the Central government of resorting to a step-motherly treatment against BJP-ruled Uttarakhand.
	Pradhans want more powers for panchayats Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 State president of the Pradhan Sanghthan Uttarakhand Surat Singh Negi has urged the state government to give gram panchayats more powerful rights and autonomy. To take up steps in this direction, he said keeping the extreme geographical, social and economic conditions of the state, the Panchyati Raj Act should be enforced soon. And as per the 73 and 74 amendments of the soon Constitution, administrative and financial rights of 31 departments should be given to the gram panchayats. He also asked inclusion of members of gram panchayat in the District Planning Committee. Bringing the prejudice done with the gram pradhan and up pradhan to the notice, he said the monthly fund of Rs 600 given to the gram pradhan to carry out his social obligations and disposal of other issues was paltry and should be raised to the decent level of Rs 15,000 a month along with other fund allocation and pension. Similar treatment should be accorded to the up pradhan. To enhance the role playing field for gram panchayat, he suggested that the whole monetary package should directly be sent to the gram nidhi under Section 32 of the Panchayati Act and, no work under the preview of gram panchayat should be undertaken without proposing it first in the Gram Sabha and, its payment should also not be done without the recommendation of the gram panchayat. Land Management Committee should be made powerful and ban on land distribution of village society should be revoked, were his other demands. A Gram Panchayat Development Officer should be employed with each gram panchayat and, like other elected representatives, pradhan should not be deputed as public information officer, he said. He added in Haridwar panchayat election should be held whenever it is held all over the country.
	Nishank writes to PM over forest land Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informing him of the fact that due to an erroneous decision taken by an official of the government of undivided Uttar Pradesh in 1997 and conveyed to the Supreme Court in the matter of Godavarman Thirumulkpad vs. Union of India case, all land other than “measured” (cultivated) land and reserve forest land in the hill districts of the state was declared as protected forest land leaving the newly created state of Uttarakhand in a very difficult position to meet the requirements of compensatory afforestation required to be undertaken on diversion of forest land for non forest uses. The letter further states that out of the total geographic area of the state only about 14 per cent is the net sown area. A total of 19 per cent of the geographical area is under permanent snow cover, glaciers and steep slopes, while 65 per cent is recorded forest area, the rest being fallow land, pastures and wastelands (Forest Survey of India 2009). If the plains districts of Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar are excluded, one can easily imagine the pressure on land resources in the hills. The National Forest Policy (1988) aims at achieving two thirds forest cover in the hill states of the country. Uttarakhand is already at 65 per cent and its forest cover is increasing according to the State of Forest Report 2009. But, the state in line with national policy is finding it difficult to meet the demand for land for compensatory afforestation, leading to stoppage of essential infrastructure developmental works like roads, bridges, power projects, schools and hospitals. In the interest of the state, Nishank has requested the Prime Minister to issue directions and guidance to the Ministry of Environment and the Forests to support the stand of the state and not to insist on mutation of the land identified for compensatory afforestation in favour of the Forest Department of the state till such time as the petition (which will be submitted shortly) of the government of Uttarakhand for rescinding the 1997 order of government of undivided Uttar Pradesh is heard, deliberated and decided upon by the competent authority. Uttarakhand has identified land for compensatory afforestation and transferred it to the management and control of the Forest Department, but, the state government does not want to mutate it in favour of the Forest Department until the 1997 order of the government of undivided Uttar Pradesh is rescinded; as once that order is rescinded, it would free up land that can be given for compensatory afforestation, an official release said.
	Rawat fights battle against insanitary conditions Seema Sharma Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh Rawat is emerging as an active crusader against insanitary conditions in the city. The officer has kept one such environment-friendly dustbin encompassing two sections meant to segregate bio-degradable and degradable garbage, which he got made on order from a renowned company when he was posted in Tehri, in his office. He urges visitors to buy these and is intending to gift one to each school. Taking his zeal one step ahead, he met DM Santhiyal Pandiyan, who has called a meeting of representatives of all schools and Rawat to start the campaign from schools itself. Just a fortnight ago, Rawat met the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (MNA) and tried to reason out with him to utilise the 600 big dustbin, 200 hand carts and 26 new rickshaws gifted by Swami Ramdev, which were lying unused in the DMC premises after the Kumbh fair. He discussed his proposal to employ sanitation workers to collect garbage from each house in each ward, and collect these in three ways, bio-degradable and degradable in two containers and recycle items, such as plastic bottles etc, in a sack to hang from the cart. But the MNA expressing reservation about the project asked him to come up with the project in the writing. “The garbage bins and dustbins will not be sufficient for each ward. We will need more to cater to all of them. Then sanitation workers, who are already less in number than required and are loaded with work, may not be ready to do extra work and oppose it. There may be many problems associated with the project which can’t be sorted out unless it these are put on paper and discussed thoroughly. We would rather launch it properly at a better scale by getting more funds from the state government,” the MNA replied. Rawat said he gave everything in writing, but nothing much happened, so he took initiative on his own and started with employing sanitation workers in Patel Nagar and Niranjan Puri areas. “Sanitation workers are not showing much enthusiasm. They had been asked to collect garbage in different sections and deposit these, except the recycle ones, in one garbage bin and put at a common place. From there on it will be disposed off as usual”. He said he himself was checking the men in the field and fixed responsibility of other officers such as Uppar Mukhya Nagar Adhikari and Health Officer to review the situation once in 15 days.
	Ex-Servicemen body hails tribunal’s order on Kargil war Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 Welcoming the orders passed by the Armed Forces Tribunal regarding the fixing of flaws in the 1999 Kargil War history yesterday, Lt Col Ganga Singh Rawat, central president, Organisation of Ex-Servicemen and Ex- Paramilitary Forces of Uttarakhand (Uttarakhand Poorva Sainik Evam Ardh Sainik Sangathan), said today time had arrived for the truth to come out. The Tribunal had asked the Army to fix flaws in the 1999 Kargil War history. It had said a top general distorted a subordinate’s battle performance reports that went into the writing of the war’s history. The Tribunal had also asked the Army to expunge then 15 Corps Commander Lt Gen Kishan Pal’s assessment of Brig Devinder Singh, who led the Batalik-based 70 Infantry Brigade during the war against Pakistan. The Army had also been asked to remove portions of an “after action report” prepared by the 15 Corps that claimed that Singh did not have over-all command of the brigade. In a press release issued by Lt Col Rawat claimed that under the influence of some politicians, senior Army officials and intelligence agency, the former government had not acted against the infiltration by Pakistan in the Batalik sector which led to Kargil war and loss of lives of so many brave soldiers and injuries to thousands others. He mentioned that the former Brig Devinder Singh, Commander 70 Infantry Brigade, had predicted the pattern of the Kargil intrusions during a war game at the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, but the then officials had dismissed his projections, which was proved right a month later. They also differed with Singh’s assessment of the strength of the enemy intrusion. Lt Col Rawat also eulogised former Brig Devinder Singh for his bravery as had got injured while fighting with the enemy during operation “Vijay”. Lt Col Rawat alleged that the then Army officers did injustice to Brig Singh by interfering in his promotion. The organistion had requested to the central government to investigate about the politicians, Army officials as well as Intelligence Department who were involved in the same and due to whom operation “Vijay” was followed after Kargil intruder. They also urged that action should be taken against those persons so that the country should be saved in future by any such kind of intrusion.
	Chakrota road issue: Chamoli upset over being sidelined Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 The issue of Mayor Vinod Chamoli sidelined by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in his decisive meeting on the Chakrata issue a couple of days ago, was the hot topic for discussion on the Municipal Corporation premises here today. Chamoli, too, did not mince words in expressing his pain saying that he felt ditched and stunned on the recent development. This credit-taking exercise would not last long as he said the challenges ahead of dismantling and rehabilitating the shopkeepers loomed large and involved too many complications. The announcement made by MLA Ganesh Joshi, who was part of the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister and attended by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbans Kapoor, Agriculture Minister Trivender Rawat, MLA Ganesh Joshi, Housing Secretary Uma Kant Pawar and MDDA Secretary RK Sudhanshu, made it clear that Nishank gave his decision in favour of shopkeepers and allotted them land of PWD guest house. About 48 residents, who were living in that area, were also announced to be given shops as part of the package. Chamoli said the announcement made was nothing new to what he had been putting forth all these months. But he did object to the point of giving shops to the residents saying that they could mind on getting shops instead of houses. He also signaled to the uproar in future over allocation of area or the floor by the shopkeepers. He took a dig at these probable outcomes saying that the mere credit taking would not suffice as the state government would have to struggle in coming clean from these rigmaroles as well. He also objected the way the government had tried to paint their good picture by making goody-goody announcements without taking him along whereas all this long, he had been locking horns and earning bad names by fighting it out with shopkeepers and other concerned people. Now, Mayor to relocate Arhat Bazar shopkeepers To wrap up another contentious issue of relocating Arhat Bazar (grain market), along with that of widening of the Chakrota road, Mayor Vinod Chamoli today called a meeting of 10 shopkeepers of the bazar. He placed a proposal before them of their shifting to the same area of the PWD guest house where other 123 shopkeepers and 43 residents of the Chakrota road would be relocated. The shopkeepers have asked time to mull over the issue. Chamoli said, “If we have started the work to dismantle shops at the Chakrata road, we can start the same exercise at Arhat Bazar also, where the matter of shifting only 10 shops is involved, which can be sorted out by moving them to the PWD house building. In this way, both the issues of Chakrota as well as Arhat Bazar will be solved in one stroke.” He said they had got Rs 41 lakh out of total Rs 52 lakh for the purpose, whereas as per the current circle rate, the amount had to be revised. He said since now the rest of the amount was not monumental so if state government had shortage of money, and wished so, then the Dehradun Municipal Corporation was ready to pay the amount for the time being to speed up the process of taking over of Arhat Bazar.
	Cong accuses govt of power misuse Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 Yogendra Khanduri, member of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) from Uttarakhand, in a letter to the Union Power Minister has alleged that extra power of 64 MW given by the Union government under the non-allocated quota for the Char Dham yatra was being misused by the Uttarakhand government. The Union government has been giving 64 MW of power to the state government since May 15 to meet the needs of the pilgrims. The energy is being provided on normal rates. Khanduri said the objective for the facility was ensuring power supply on the yatra route so that pilgrims do not face any problems. He alleged that power was not being supplied on the yatra route and the state government, despite lofty claims, was totally insensitive towards the needs of the pilgrims. “The Char Dham yatra route is facing acute crisis of electricity supply. The scheduled and unscheduled power cuts are still continuing. The objective for which the Central government is providing 64 MW energy every day is actually defeated and the state government is working as per its whims and fancies,” khanduri alleged. He requested Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Power Minister, to take to task the state government for diverting power supply from the Char Dham yatra route to other places.
	Leopard Attack Keep distance from forest area, WII staff told Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 28 A day after two of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) employees were injured in a leopard attack, the institute today asked its officials to be on alert even while asserting that the leopard activity in campus reflected the rich fauna diversity in the area. “We have asked the official to keep a distance from the WII forest area that is infested with leopard and also be on a caution,” said WII Dean Vinod Mathur. He claimed that the WII campus kept a rich biodiversity and even wildlife from nearby Chandrabani forests were greatly attracted to the campus. Apart from thick canopy of trees and a good cover of undergrowth, a water source inside campus proved to be of a great assistance for the wildlife. Mathur said leopards had been very often making WII campus as their residence for the past many years. “One female leopard with cubs and an adult male leopard have been residing in the WII campus presently since the past two-three months,” Dean WII pointed out. Mathur also pointed out that the rich environment of the WII campus attracted the leopards from nearby forests of Chandrabani, where the animals might face greater pressures due to water sources drying out with rising mercury and other factors. Interestingly, the WII sometime back even held a survey of biodiversity inside the campus. However, the Dean did not rule out that the presence of leopards in the campus could create problems for the research scholars, employees and families of staff. A big number of the WII staff is also housed inside the campus and can be vulnerable to leopard attack. But then it is not the first time that an central government research institution has been attack. Leopards have found venturing into the Forest Research Institute and the Forest Survey of India campuses.
	Rail chief inspects Kathgodam station Tribune news Service Nainital, May 28 The Chief Commercial Manager (CCM) of the North-Eastern Railways OP Kala conducted a survey of the Kathgodam railway station to take stock of the facilities being provided to the passengers. The station serves as the gateway to Kumaon and handles tourists from all over the country and abroad. Inspecting the waiting room facility, he ordered immediate replacement of dilapidated furniture at all the four waiting rooms at the station. He then went on to inspect the VIP room and ordered that the colour of the doors needs be changed. Taking stock of the parcel handling facilities, he said the private parties be asked to press into service private parcel vans so that the arrivals can be distributed at the earliest and there is no dumping at the office. Kala asked the station authorities to maintain an additional inventory of bed sheets and pillows that can be used whenever additional coaches are attached to the trains. He reportedly said Railways is seriously contemplating starting a train to Mumbai from Kumaon, the demand for which has been raised at regular intervals. Kala’s arrival also coincided with the failure of the engine of Ranikhet Express in which the family members of the President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil were travelling. The train had started late from Delhi and then its engine failed two kilometres before Haldwani. The President’s son Rajendra Singh Sekhawat, daughter-in-law Manjri, along with the grandchildren and other relatives had to disembark and walkup to the cars waiting for them.