Dehradun, June 19
The Uttarakhand Youth Congress and Labour Cell today celebrated 40th birth anniversary of Youth Congress icon Rahul Gandhi. Addressing functions at Shastrinagar Kanwali and Gandhi Park, Senior Congress leader Suryankant Dhasmana said Rahul Gandhi had all qualities of a good leader.

He said Rahul in early age had imbibed traits of public representatives.

Dhasmana said Rahul had expressed concern over plight of the Dalits in Uttar Pradesh amply revealing his concern for downtrodden sections of the society.

He also referred to Rahul’s speech in Parliament linked the country nuclear policy and relations with the USA.

District Congress Labour cell president Dinesh Kaushal, mahanagar leader Sandip Ramola, Rajesh Pundir, OP Rathore, Vakil Siddiquie, Yamin Khan and Anand Singh Pundir also present their wishes to Rahul Gandhi.

At another function organised by the Mahangar Congress at Congress Bhawan, cake was offered to the portrait of Rahul Gandhi by the mahanagar workers. Mahanagar Dehradun Congress president Harish Virmani said Rahul was a copy of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who always worked for the betterment of the society.

Congress workers later distributed fruits at Coronation Hospital, Dalanwala. Congress spokesman Rajiv Maharishi recalled the works being done by Rahul for the downtrodden sections of the society.

All India Rahul Gandhi Brigade members organised a blood donation camp in Haridwar.

As many as 60 Congress workers donated blood on the occasion.

Dehradun, June 19
Agitators of the Uttarakhand Mohalla Swachhkar Sangharsh Samiti burnt an effigy of the state government at the Clock Tower here today. A large number of protesters had gathered to press their demands on the administration through their demonstration. They shouted slogans and raised their voice demanding permanent jobs on contractual basis under the Dehradun Municipal Corporation.

Samiti president Rakesh Kumar, general secretary Sanjeev Kumar, patron and state president Chadramohan Kala and other members of the samiti were also present at the protest.

Dehradun, June 19
The Samajwadi Party (SP) is likely to begin the “Chalo Gaon Ki Aur” drive in rural areas of Uttarakhand from July 1 in order to know problems of residents. State president of the Samajwadi Party Vinod Barthwal announced this at a press conference at party’s state office here yesterday.

Barthwal said the drive would focus on the individual problems of families and other issues of health, education and basic civic amenities. On June 22, the reviews of Haridwar district would be taken while the reviews of Dehradun district would be taken on June 29.

The party would also set up a committee to address the problems of the people. The party highlighted the pathetic condition of primary education in Chakrata. During his visit to Chakrata, Barthwal found that the primary schools there were witnessing a scarcity of teachers. Government Inter College, Chakrata, has no teachers of mathematics, chemistry, Hindi and history for the past two years while the Principal has not visited the school since last Independence Day.

Party’s state president had also made a request to the Centre for extending the industrial package in the state till 2020.

He also appreciated the generosity of the Central Planning Commission to grant Uttarakhand with the annual fund of Rs 6,800 crore, which is Rs 1,225.50 crore more than the last year.

Mussoorie, June 19
A voluntary blood donation camp organised by the Sant Nirankari Charitable Mission Foundation was held at the Garhwal terrace premises today in which devotees along with tourists donated blood in large numbers. More than 305 units of blood was collected at the camp that was inaugurated by the Nirankari mission spiritual head, Baba Hardev Singh Maharaj, accompanied by Savinder Kaur and Nirankari Rajmata Kulwant Kaur.

Baba Hardev Singh Maharaj, addressing the devotees, termed blood donation as the greatest service to humanity. He appealed to people on the occasion to follow the path of peace and shed hatred from their lives. He was of the view that “Blood should flow in veins and not in drains”.

He further said, “Blood donation highlighted the organic unity of humanity and by donating blood we are doing only our fundamental duty to cement human bonds”.

The seer also informed that the Mission had been formed this year to cater to all social responsibilities and needs and was sure that the mission would continue serving the humanity in all ways in years to come.

The Baba also informed that blood donation camps were being conducted in Middle-East countries, apart from European countries. He also said the Mission would organise a camp in September prior to the Commonwealth Games.

Baba Hardev Singh was of the view that the mission was progressing with the basic philosophy of “Vasudev Kutumbakam” bringing people from every caste and creed under one umbrella of love and affection.

The Baba looked concerned over the infrastructure available in the town and said the public representatives should try to improve the parking and other basic facilities so that tourists do not face difficulties. The mission was working with the objective to collect 50,000 units of blood this year.

Eminent Bollywood film actor Victor Banerjee also donated blood on the occasion. The Mission’s medical department in charge, Brig PS Cheema, said the mission was organising blood donation camps since 1986 and more than 1947 camps had been organised till 2008 in which more than 66,000 unit blood was collected by the devotees. Fortyseven thousand units of blood was collected in 2009 from 95 camps. The target for 2010 was to collect 50,000 units blood.

The camp was conducted under the supervision of Dr SK Nautiyal, Dr Manvendar Singh from Doon Hospital and 16 member support staff along with 26 member staff from IMA.

Dr Yuva Chandel and Dr Amit Agarwal from IMA Blood Bank. Mussoorie MLA Jot Singh Gunsola, former Palika President MS Mall, traders association secretary Javed Khan and Palika President also commended the mission for organising such camps in the town.

Dehradun, June 19
Abandoned, even before it could be completely conceptualised a few years ago, the project to provide continuous 24x7 water supply in the Doon valley may soon be revived with the help of Asian Development Bank (ADB).

As of now, the city receives intermittent water supply for just a few hours in the morning and evening.

A few years back, the Jal Sansthan had planned to launch a pilot project in Nehru Colony, but it failed to take off, encountering hiccups in initial planning stages with the committee members even backing out.

“As of now, there is no proper metering system installed in several households, the challenge before us is to get it going and then provide 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD) water supply. We might seek assistance of ADB for achieving the goal,” said MH Khan, Secretary, Drinking Water.

It remains a challenging task mainly due to high population density, coupled with unplanned distribution system and laxity in water loss management. Though a target of 135 LPCD has been set, the average per capita water supply ranges between 57 and 160 LPCD.

However, once the project gets going, experts say with proper piped network, the consumers’ desire to get regular supply of fresh water will prevent hoarding and even its misuse.

The fundamental objective of an urban water service is to supply adequate and safe wholesome water efficiently and effectively at an affordable price so that the citizens are released from the drudgery of seeking their daily water.

“To achieve a piped water supply system that delivers water 24x7, we require new water pipe network, proper metering system and above all, a commitment to see through the project,” said Harshpati Uniyal, Director, State Planning Commission and former Chief General Manager, Jal Sansthan, under whom the pilot project was first conceptualised.

Experts point out that due to intermittent water supply, pipelines remain as hollow conduit in no-supply time zones, and there is possibility of injection of contaminated water through joints/leakages during this period.

Pitthoragarh, June 19
Three persons, including two youths, died and one was seriously injured on the Tanakpur-Pitthoragarh road as the Alto car (No. UA 05/9664) they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge during early morning hours near Pitthoragarh town.

The car was coming from Tanakpur. All deceased belong to Jaurasi town, Didihat, where the incident occurred. Deceased Prem Prakash was coming back from New Delhi, along with his father Alam Ram, who also died in the accident. The third deceased has been identified as Basant Kumar who was returning after registering himself as a BEd student in a private college in Khatima.

Dehradun, June 19
A 70-year-old retired employee of the Survey of India reportedly committed suicide at his Nalapani-situated house last night.

The police found a suicide note from the spot in which the deceased has mentioned that he is taking this step due to a “small mistake”.

As per neighbours, the incident came to light this morning when deceased Jagdish Khurana didn’t pick up his wife’s phone calls. The tensed wife called up a neighbour to check that why her husband was not picking up the calls.

Neighbour AP Mehta said, “I found the door bolted from inside when I went to the house. I knocked at the door, but there was no response. Later, I entered the house from the back door, which was open, and found his body hanging from a ceiling fan”.

Mehta informed the wife of the deceased in Noida and later the matter was also brought to the notice of the police.

Khurana has two sons and a wife. His younger son lives in Noida and the other on the ground floor of the house. Khurana lives on the first floor.

Khurana was alone at the house when the incident occurred. His wife has gone to visit his son in Noida, while other family members were also out.

Neighbours informed that he retired as a Superintending Surveyor and it never seemed from his behaviour that he had some problem. Superintendent of Police (SP) Jagatram Joshi said a suicide note had been found in which he had mentioned that he had taken such extreme step owing to a small mistake.

Pitthoragarh, June 19
People from the Scheduled Castes (SC) community in Uttarakhand are facing discrimination from upper caste people. “Upper caste people forcefully occupy their land, practise untouchability and often pass remarks on their caste,” charged Chanar Ram, Chairman of the SC and ST Commission in Uttarakhand.

“Even in government services the quota of Scheduled Caste employees has a 25 per cent backlog at present,” he said.

The SC and ST Commission Chairman said people from these communities were not properly benefited by the self-employment schemes like the CS Garwali Yojana as they were not properly informed about these.“The agenda of this commission is to study if the SC and ST people have really benefited from various self-employment schemes being run by different departments of the government,” said Chanar Ram.

The Chairman said between 2007-2010 a total of 283 complaints were lodged with the commission. Out of these 261 belonged to Scheduled Caste people and 22 to Scheduled Tribes. Of these, 211 complaints had been disposed off and on 72 complaints the commission was working.

“Out of these complaints most are about the grievances of government employees as their quota and promotion. The complaints from villagers who become the victims of caste discrimination are very few as these ordinary people do not have information about the SC and ST Commission,” said the Chairman.

Asked if the government takes note of the commission’s working, the Chairman said the commission had been given the Civil Court power and it could summon any one who did not follow its orders before it. “Besides this power, the government also briefs the commission’s finding before the Assembly session starts and used its recommendation in the policy formation,” said Chanar Ram.