Haridwar, August 5
The saint community has told the government to stop all hydro power projects on the Ganga otherwise they will be forced to themselves stop the projects, particularly the Lohari Nagpala project.

The saints have also decided to form a task force in this regard which will be dealing with the hydro power projects on the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand. The decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting of saints drawn from various parts of country. They supported the agitation of Prof GD Aggarwal and the Matra Sadan ashram in Haridwar in this connection.

Presiding over the meeting, president of the North India Saint Committee (Sant Samiti Uttar Bharat) Acharya Pramod Krishnan said there would be no compromise on the issue of the holy Ganga.

Pointing out that not only dams on the holy Ganga but also those on other state rivers and their tributaries should be totally banned, Jagadguru Swami Hans Vedacharya said the Alaknanda and the Bhagirathi too faced the same existence threat in the entire hilly route, so the government should make sure that no hydel power projects or dams were constructed on these rivers henceforth.

Former RSS ideologue KN Gobindacharya called for the formation of a separate saint agitation committee dealing specifically with the Ganga power projects, so that a focused approach regarding this issue could be taken, dealing effectively with the Central and state governments.

Professor Aggarwal said the saint community could better take this matter forward. He even expressed lack of faith in the judiciary and lashed out at the respective governments at the Centre for sidelining causes of the Ganga and environment as a huge money was involved in such power projects.

Lending support to the Matra Sadan agitation, Ganga Sabha general secretary Acharya Jitendra too advocated for a stern decision on the Ganga power projects as they hampered the flow of the river, which has been accorded the status of mother in India and is lifeline for billions of people.

A large number of saints, environmentalists participated in the meeting.

Akhada Parishad general secretary Baba Hatyogi, Swami Shivanand, Matra Sadan saints and several other noted saints and representatives participated in the meeting.

Haridwar, August 5
The Kanwar yatra in Haridwar is the largest religious pilgrim procession carried out during the auspicious month of Saawan as within just 10 days more than 60 lakh Kanwariyas have fetched holy Ganga water from the city. And now as it enters its second and final phase, i.e. of Dak Kanwar, suddenly the whole atmosphere in the areas where it passes through has changed.

With the commencement of Dak Kanwar (Kanwariyas coming on vehicles at a fast speed having a fixed time of their journey), the whole district seems to be sinking in the fervour as also the fear of speeding vehicles carrying Kanwariyas. The next two days for the administration are surely going be to the toughest ones during their Kanwar duty. Till now they have been managing the inflow of Kanwariyas coming on foot, which is relatively easier in comparison to these speeding Dak Kanwars.

Today, traffic jams were the norm on the highways and city routes.

From Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, Dak Kanwars are pouring in round the clock. Haridwar has donned the orange colour of Lord Shiva.

Dak Kanwariyas tend to break the rules as they have to meet the time deadline. They try to reach Haridwar in the shortest possible time taking shorter routes.

The mela police has already made it clear that vehicles carrying Dak Kanwars will not be allowed to have music or DJ systems, sharp weapons and even hockey sticks and cricket gears on these. Though the mela police deployed at Narsan, the entry point for Uttarakhand from the Uttar Pradesh side, is strictly enforcing this rule, many Dak Kanwar vehicles were spotted playing music at high volume.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Gunjiyal said the mela police was strictly ensuring that Dak Kanwars didn’t flout the rules and urged Kanwariyas to cooperate with the police in ensuring a peaceful completion of the Kanwar season.

In charge of the Shankaracharya Chowk stretch, CO, Mussoorie, Shweta Chaubey told The Tribune that the police was strictly dealing with violators of the rules and the result was there for everybody to see with Kanwariyas this year being more disciplined.

Dehradun, August 5
A two-day programme for Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam officials on usage of hydro geomorphological maps and GPS instruments began here today.

Inaugurating the training programme hosted by Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC), Potable Water Minister Prakash Pant said Uttarakhand had been blessed with immense water wealth with its rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Ramganga and Dhauliganga and other small rivulets criss-crossed the state.

The minister said while migration had resulted in stoppage of agriculture practices in the hills, leading to barrenness, which was subsequently reducing water absorption capacity of these fields. He said even in Terai, the over exploitation of ground water was proving to be a challenge. Pant also suggested ground water mapping exercise in the state. He also released USAC’s magazine “Pratibimb”.

Peyjal Nigam Managing Director Bhajan Singh said geomorphological maps would be of great benefit for the Potable Water Department, as it would ensure full life to the potable water schemes that were conceptualised by the department.

USAC Director Dr MM Kimothi said the key information received through the Indian Space Research Organisation had been put to use for generating a database linked to various natural resources, including water for Uttarakhand. He said the training programme would be of immense usage for the engineers from Peyjal Nigam.

Swajal Director Kapil Lal, Chief Engineer Rajya Peyal Evam Swatchhta Samiti JS Kushwaha, Region Director Central Ground Water Board AK Bhatia and other senior officers of the Potable Water Department were present on the occasion.

Nainital, August 5
The district administration today took possession of the disputed Metropole Hotel compound after the property belonging to the King of Mehmoodabad was declared an enemy property.

After having won a 32-year-long legal battle following which huge properties were restored to the erstwhile royal of Mahmoodabad by the Supreme Court in 2005, an amendment in the enemy property law, related to those who migrated to Pakistan during partition, has led to the handing back of his properties.

Following an ordinance issued by President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil last week, the office of the Custodian of Enemy Property in Mumbai has started the process of acquiring the properties of Amir Mohammad Khan, former King of Mahmoodabad, located about 80 km from Lucknow in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The properties located in Sitapur, Kheri, Barabanki and Nainital are to be acquired through the respective district administrations.

It is learnt that the ordinance issued by the President says that even the courts are not entitled to alter the status of any property that is once declared “enemy property”.

The Supreme Court, through its order in 2005, had entitled the erstwhile Khan to all properties that were seized by the government after his late father chose to migrate to Pakistan. It is learnt that the Home Ministry is aiming to table the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2010, during the current monsoon session 
of Parliament.

With the ordinance in place, prime properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees in Lucknow’s main shopping centre, Hazratganj, Nainital, Sitapur and Lakhimpur-Kheri, some of which were restored to the King, would go back to the custodian or its lessees.

The Metropole Hotel compound covers 8.77 acre at one of the prime locations in Nainital.

The Custodian of Enemy Property for India is an Indian government

department that is empowered to appropriate property in India owned by Pakistani nationals. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, the Enemy Property Act was promulgated in 1968. The Act authorised the Central government to appoint a custodian for enemy property for India and one or more deputy or assistant custodians as assistances.

There is also a provision which validates the appointments made under the Defence of India Rules 1962 and 1971. The Pakistani nationals in question were citizens of undivided India before the Partition of India in 1947 took place and left India to settle down in Pakistan.

Under the notification issued on September 10 and 11 in 1965, the Central government vested the following property in India belonging to, held by, or managed on behalf of Pakistani nationals, entrusting the property and its appurtenances in the hands of the custodian with immediate effect. This includes all immovable property, all lockers and safe deposits and all negotiable instruments such as promissory notes, shares, debentures and other commerce.

Earlier, all matters relating to the enemy property were being handled in the Department of Commerce. But the Union government through a Presidential Notification dated June 28, 2007, decided to transfer the subject to the Department of Internal Security, Ministry of Home Affairs. The change was made keeping in view the advantage enjoyed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in having “superior, closer and more sustained interface” with the state governments.

Dehradun, August 5
After the refusal of senior ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lt Gen TPS Rawat (retd) to accept a governmental position, another senior party leader Kedar Singh Fonia has also refused to accept the offer of his own government. Both these leaders were made chairmen of different government bodies. But, both of them declined the offer by the state government.

While Lt General Rawat was made chairman of the State Sainik Welfare Board, Fonia, who is legislator from Gangotri, was made chairman of the Char Dham Vikas Parishad.

Lt General Rawat in his letter to Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said yesterday that he had never asked for any such position and would not accept the one offered by his own government. He said he would prefer to work as an ordinary party worker.

Fonia has also refused to accept the position offered to him. He said he never asked for any such position in the government. He reportedly said leaders who are hankering after such posts should be given these posts.

Fonia, who was a cabinet minister in the Kalyan Singh ministry in Uttar Pradesh in 1991, was also a cabinet minister in the interim government of Uttarakhand led by Chief Minister Nityanand Swami. Known as an expert of tourism, he was Tourism Minister both in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

But he lost the first Assembly elections held in February 2002. He again won his seat in 2007 assembly polls but was ignored by Chief Minister Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd) in his ministry formation.

Fonia, along with Koshiyari, was in the forefront in raising a banner of revolt against Khanduri which led the downfall of Khanduri. But he was not accommodated in the Nishank ministry either. His supporters claim that being a cabinet minister twice, acceptance of a petty position was below his dignity.

The effort by Nishank to placate two senior BJP leaders having sizable following in their respective areas has not borne fruit. Fonia is a leader of the Bhotia tribal residing in Chamoli district, while Lt General Rawat commands respect of the large ex-servicemen community in the hills.

Dehradun, August 5
Hundreds of ASHA workers working with the state Health Department held a demonstration in support of their demands here today. The health workers are agitating for the past sometime to get better wages from the state government. More than 11,000 ASHA workers are working in the state.

Addressing the agitating workers, Savitri Uniyal, president of the women wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said it was unfortunate that these health workers were doing a yeoman’s job in the remote and hilly areas assisting the department in various health-related programmes, but were paid a pittance. She said these workers were paid Rs 200 for helping a delivery in the cities and Rs 600 in the villages. Moreover, they were also working tirelessly for immunisation, pulse polio and TB eradication programmes moving from one village to another.

She urged the state government to pay a minimum of Rs 5,000 per month to the ASHA workers to sustain themselves and their families.

Dehradun, August 5
To protest against the decisions passed by the khap panchayat on honour killing, the Uttarajya Navnirman Sena held a press conference here today. The young members of the sena have also thrown a lovers’ party at the club, Destination, to declare the existence and judgments of the “merciless khaps” as nasty, orthodox and futile.

While addressing the mediapersons, Amit Jani, national president of the party, said, “We will not accept the judgments of the Khap Panchayat which is ruthless and against humanity. Every religion or civilisation has proved that love is the purest expression on earth and is beyond everything in life. We strongly protest such a barbaric community that does not allow two individuals to love each other, irrespective of every boundaries”.

“To support lovers we have started our own community and helplines for assistance. Any couple in trouble can just log on to www.unsena.com or can seek help at 9760000004,” informed Jani.

Dehradun, August 5
A girl has accused a son of a retired Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of allegedly abducting and raping her. The girl has also alleged that the boy threatened to exhibit her CD, picturing both of them, before the public if she approached the police.

However, the police doubts the allegations of the girl as both are old friends and the situation and the girl’s complaint itself suggests otherwise.

According to the police, the girl who is a resident of Mothrowala, lodged a complaint with it today alleging that Shastri Nagar resident Manish Rawat picked her up in his car when she was on her way to her computer centre in Dharmpur and drove towards the ISBT side on the pretext that the police had come to her house on June 14.

But after reaching the ISBT, he drove her to Delhi threatening to throw acid on her face if she shouted. He kept the girl at his sister’s place in Delhi for three days and also allegedly raped her there. She was also beaten up and attacked with a knife, the girl added in her complaint.

The police sources said the girl had gone with the boy to Delhi several times and when they couldn’t get along well, the girl complained to the police.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered at the Nehru Colony police station and the police has started interrogation.