Dehradun, October 11
Vice-President of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Raghunath Singh Negi has dropped another bombshell while exposing next in the series blatant irregularities committed in the selection of nine high-level positions in the GMVN on July 24. He has produced a number of documents where marks of the selected candidates, who appeared for the selection examination, have clearly been overwritten. He has reportedly proved as to how Assistant General Manager Rahul Sharma, who was suspended in 1993 due to corruption charges and was twice given adverse departmental remarks, was absorbed with a promotion to the General Manager position.

Out of these nine positions, six were for Deputy General Manager, two Accounts Officer and one Project Officer.

Besides, Negi also indicated bulk tampering with documents and violations of norms. He demanded expulsion of former Managing Director BVRC Purushottam for indulging in these corrupt practices.

It seemed strange that President, GMVN, Anil Nautiyal was unperturbed and non-vocal about the reported misdeeds, Negi said, adding that Nautiyal had been busy with his political obligations instead. He reasoned it to be the differences between their functioning styles.

Placing documents to support his allegations, Negi asked how an officer of the second level, Assistant DS Panwar, and the third level, SK Gupta, interviewed candidates for first grade-level jobs.

He also said in cases of departmental employees, those who appeared for this examination, their copies were allegedly spoilt with remarks “Known to me” because of which they lost 200 marks.

As regards interview for the position of AGM-Tourism, the marks were allegedly overwritten by changing 15 as 75 and 30 as 80 and so on.

Negi also said selected candidate Sunil Pant, who passed out from IGNOU, Delhi, in 2007, was said to have acquired two years’ experience in 2005, but no documents to this effect were ever attached. In case of Ashish Sharma, another selected candidate, he did not give any documentary proof of his experience in personnel and administrative field. He produced certificates of his stint as a lecturer in an institute, which did not go by the selection parameters.

Trilochan Nautiyal, who completed three-year hotel management course in 2006, had produced certificates of his eight years’ experience since 1998 which Negi said, it showed that Nautiyal was working ever since he was in Class IX or X.

Renu Bisht, who got 34 per cent marks against the required 40 per cent passing marks for the selection, did not have any relevant experience in tourism sector, Negi alleged.

He also said Babita Badola, GMVN receptionist, who rose to become Chief General Manger through this exam, scored mere 21 per cent marks and did not deposit No-Objection Departmental Certificate before appearing for the exam and even did not resign from her previous position after joining the higher position. In case of Rajesh Arya, who got through the selection process, he had lesser experience than required as per GMVN’s regulations and got only 4 per cent marks in written exam and none in computer exam, which, Negi said, was a clearcut case for an inquiry.

Negi alleged technical expert Pradeep Rawat, who had an experience of 25-30 years in adventure tourism, had been harassed by GMVN officials under a conspiracy, which must be enquired.

Haridwar, October 11
With illegal quarrying on embankments of the Ganga and other rivers becoming a major environmental issue, an environment conservation organisation has come forward to expose the quarrying mafia’s links with corrupt administrative officials.

The social organisation, Dagadiya Jankalyan Samiti, has started a movement against illegal quarrying on the Rawasan river in Lal Dhang. It has demanded that quarrying be done outside the purview of the Rajaji National Park territory as it has severely affected the forest and wildlife. Besides, excavation work is being done violating the court’s directives regarding quarrying in Uttarakhand.

Informing about the mass illegal quarrying being done in connivance with some corrupt forest officials, samiti secretary RS Manral said in the Lal Dhang and Chidiyapur ranges, the quarrying mafia was taking out silt deposits and minerals too which was a cause of concern.

As the Rawasan river flows alongside the national park (Rajaji), it witnesses the movement of animals, particularly elephants. “Wildlife is also severely getting affected besides the natural minerals found in this bed. What is more surprising that it comes under elephant-protection corridor, but the administration is allowing quarrying in this area too,” said Manral.

The committee has suggested that local villagers should be allowed to do quarrying of sand, though in restricted areas, as the quarrying mafia is exploiting the whole region.

Warning of a mass movement, Rishiballabh Chamoli of the samiti said in a fortnight villagers of the Rawasan area should be allowed to utilise the river bed for quarrying silt in a restricted manner, while steps should be taken to ensure that illegal quarrying is stopped and legal action is taken against people involved in it.

“Illegal quarrying has destroyed the reserved forest and hurt the sentiments of local people,” said Raghuvir Singh Rawat of the Lal Dhang area.

Haridwar, October 11
Even as the administration has started compiling the losses caused by the recent rains and floods in the district, farmers have demanded special relief package in view of the immense damage caused to their crops apart from their residential units.

Farmer unions are demanding waiver of their loans for at least one year as well provide them one-time instant compensation for the crop loss as well as the agricultural land erosion in floods. Also, the farmers have demanded that the state government should give them loans on easy rates for the next seasonal crops as they are in no position to take more loans.

An agitation was staged at the office of the City Magistrate by the farmer wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party with participants coming from varied parts of the district. Rajveer Chauhan, general secretary of the farmer wing, lashed out at the Central government for not providing separate loans to affected farmers as in Haridwar district it’s the farmers who had suffered the most.

He said be it Laksar, Roorkee or Haridwar, everywhere farmers in the Ganga catchment area as well as in inner areas bore the brunt of the floods and were in no condition to repay their loans or sow future crops.

President of the Kisan Morcha Chaudhari Satya Kumar emphasised the need for a separate package as well as immediate loans to the affected farmers.

Urging local parliamentarian Harish Rawat to press for special package to farmers at the Central level, Chaudhari said the Central government should release another relief instalment soon. He lamented that the Congress was playing politics as it was deliberately not giving Rs 21,000 crore relief demanded by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

A memorandum was submitted to the City Magistrate to be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand. Farmer leaders warned of intensifying their agitation if the woes of the farmers were not addressed.

Among others who addressed the gathering were district BJP chief Om Prakash Jamdagni, Yuva morcha chief Naresh Sharma and Sher Singh Rathore.

Haridwar, October 11
While on the one hand delay in getting justice is pointed as one of the lacunae in the judiciary system, on the other costly legal aid is another hindrance in seeking legal aid for the poor and common man.

Keeping this aspect in mind, High Court Judge of Uttarakhand VK Bisht has urged the lawyer fraternity to keep this in mind when they meet poor litigants who could not afford costly legal aid.

Pointing that in the judicial system everyone has the right to legal counsel, Bisht emphasised that despite the fact that lawyers too have their own problems, they should make efforts that at least the poor be provided with affordable, concessionary legal help.

“We should keep in mind that no deliberate delay should be made from our side with due respect be given to judicial officials as respect and integrity are the virtues people look forward in us,” said Bisht, who hails from Pauri Garhwal.

He said senior advocates should be given respect as well as optimum advice should be taken from them, as law was a huge field where one never becomes an expert.

Bisht said: “Judicial work is a noble profession, the work which is bestowed on us by God. So we have to work with efficiency.”

The HC Judge was in the city to attend a function organised by the Haridwar Bar Association in which all bar association members as well as employees of the District Court participated.

District Judge SK Gupta, Additional Judge HK Goyal, RK Khulbey, Neelam Ratra, Sanjeev Kumar, Reena Negi, Rajni Shukla, Rahul Shrivastav and RatanLal also spoke.

Advocate Seema Sharma apprised the judge about various efforts carried out by the Bar Association as per the suggestions given by him.

Senior advocates NK Paliwal, Narendra Singh Chauhan, HS Chauhan, Tarsem Singh Chauhan, Raj Kumar Chauhan, Rakesh Kumar, Sushil Kumar Bhasin, Akhil Bohra and Pradeep Jagta were among those who were present.

Dehradun, October 11
With elections round the corner, the Uttarakhand Congress today held a demonstration on the premises of the Mussoorie Dehra Development Authority (MDDA) in Dehradun.

Protesters accused the MDDA of promoting builder mafia while harassing commoners in the name of development charges.

Senior Congress leader Hira Singh Bisht said on the one hand people of Dehradun were suffering due to the autocratic policy of the MDDA and on the other it was the builder lobby that was flourishing.

Bisht said it was quite contrary to the spirit which led to the constitution of the MDDA.

The protesters also submitted a nine-point charter of demands. They said there was no justification in seeking a tax from people in the name of development.

Bisht said several areas like Balawala, Sundarwala, Maldevta, Raipur, Nehru Gram, Tunwala, Miyawala and Ladpur were devoid of any development activity on part of the MDDA while the domestic constructions here were being charged with mammoth taxes. Many of these areas even lack basic facilities.

The Congress also threatened to stage massive protests against the MDDA in the near future. The memorandum was addressed to vice-chairman of the MDDA.

Pitthoragarh, October 11
Suspecting a boost in smuggling activities due to a shallow water level of the Kali river, SSB contingents guarding India-Nepal border have intensified patrolling along the river. “Smugglers dealing in banned items of the Chinese origin brought through the Nepal route, their counterparts active in the Indian territory and smugglers trading organs of various wild animals wait for this season to exchange their goods with each other,” said BS Tolia, Commandant of the SSB battalion guarding the border from Kalapani to Jhoolaghat.

Sources in the SSB said they had identified 15 places that were vulnerable to smuggling activities at the Indian side of the Kali and deputed extra patrolling teams for 24 hours at these places.

“We keep a strict vigil at all five bridges on the border but the smugglers use tubes and metal wire to cross the river at places of shallow water,” said the Commandant, adding that after last month incident of ivory smuggling, the SSB is committed to curbing this activity on the India-Nepal border.

The SSB has specially concentrated attention on guarding the areas downwards from Dharchula as residents of upper areas have almost shifted to valleys. “Though our patrolling teams keep a vigil up to Kalapani from Dharchula, the area between Dharchula and Jhoolaghat has become highly sensitive to smuggling activities in the past five years. So we have intensified patrolling on this 40-km terrain,” said Tolia.

Haridwar, October 11
Delivering an address on a pious festive day of Navratra at Siddhpeeth Ashram in Haridwar yesterday, noted spiritual guru Yogeshwar Pushpnandan Maharaj stated that for living a spiritual life, one needed to shed wrong acts and do thinking paving way for good thoughts which would bring the person respect, harmony, social status, inner satisfaction, money and positive vibes.

The guru also shed light on the life of Yogiraj Banarsidasji Maharaj in whose memory Vishwa Ekatm Diwas is celebrated on the ashram premises. Remarking that Yogiraj Banarsidasji Maharaj was a man of principles and had religious powers, Yogeshwar Pushpnandan Maharaj said he never went for worldly things but helped everyone with these powers.

“He was well-versed in kundlini yoga and Surya yoga and used to revel in himself and do social service without having urge for power, money and fame,” Yogeshwar Pushpnandan Maharaj told his followers yesterday.

Earlier, the programme started with devotional songs and bhajans and garlanding of a statue of Yogiraj Banarsidasji Maharaj and lighting of the lamp. While keeping in mind the recent natural disaster that struck Uttarakhand last month, the 23rd memory celebrations were kept low profile. The programme concluded with a bhandara (mass food) in which devotees participated in large numbers.

Nainital, October 11
In a gruesome incident reported from a village in Uttar Pradesh that is located near Bazpur, a man allegedly killed his son and pet dog for gaining “occult” powers.

As per information, the incident took place at Bijarkhata village where Mustkim Ansari, who is said to be an alcoholic, was nabbed when he was returning from a mosque after keeping a bowl of blood and his 14-year-old son’s head there.

The accused had sent his wife and three children to Peepalsana on Saturday. He then went on to kill his son who had stayed back at home, and also his dog.

Villagers followed him when he was coming from the mosque after committing the crime.

They came upon the headless body of the child and the corpse of the dog. They thrashed the accused and tied him to a tree.

Mussoorie, October 11
The dead body of a Nepali labourer working at a building near the Happy Valley was found lying near the Kempty taxi stand in the morning today.

According to the police, it received information that the body of a youth was lying in a gorge near the Kempty taxi stand. Policemem immediately rushed to the spot and with the assistance of locals and fire station officials pulled the body out. Apart from a cut mark on the chin, there were no injury marks visible on the body. The name Buddhiram was tattooed on his left shoulder. The contractor and co-workers also arrived after hearing of the incident.

It was revealed that deceased Buddhiram was daily-wage labourer aged around 22 from Bardia district in Nepal and worked with contractor Govind Ram. The police has completed the panchnama and sent the body for post mortem.

According to the police station in charge, they are yet to ascertain the reason behind the death and are considering prima facie as an accident.

Co-workers also said they had a telephonic conversation with Buddhiram around 7 pm yesterday and since then he was missing.

The Tribune has learnt that Buddhiram had received monthly salary yesterday and was heavily drunk. Investigations were on.

This is another case of a Nepali labourer losing his life in the town, thus raising questions about their safety and security.