Dehradun, October 17
Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam said today that a peace-loving nation India couldn’t ignore its defence needs, and missile programmes acted as guarantors of peace.“Though we are a peace-loving nation, only strength respects strength. Unless the country is properly fortified, peace cannot come. In the past 5,000 years of our existence, we were independent for 600 years only, and that too when we were properly protected.

Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam presents prizes to Amilash Rawat and Kartik Tomar at the Heritage School in Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photos

Dehradun, October 17
A team comprising the Uttarakhand police and members of the People for Animals (PFA), Uttarakhand, today raided the Santala Devi Temple area in the outskirts of Dehradun and confronted people who were either preparing to slaughter animals or cooking the meat of animals already slaughtered.

One goat and six birds were saved from being slaughtered while the meat of animals already slaughtered was also seized.

PFA, Uttarakhand, representative Gauri Maulekhi said the volunteers informed the organisation this morning that despite an FIR being lodged against animal slaughter, such practice was taking place unhindered at the Santala Devi Temple in the recent past and the animals were still being slaughtered in the fields in close vicinity of the shrine following which a raid was conducted.

State Principal Secretary, Home, Rajiv Gupta had recently directed the SSP to take action against the continued slaughter of animals in the name of religion at the Santala Devi shrine and nearby fields.

In addition to this, State Chief Conservator of Forests (CCR) (Environment) and member of State Animal Welfare Board Jairaj also issued an advisory to the SSP calling for action against the illegal animal slaughter.

The PFA also question the attitude of the police towards implementing the high court order and prevent criminal animal slaughter against which a report had been lodged.

According to the PFA volunteers, though the temple priest is discouraging animal slaughter, he was conducting rituals on the animals which the people were then taking to nearby fields to slaughter.

Dehradun, October 17
The portals of the Central Himalayan Shrine, Badrinath, will be closed for winter on November 18. A meeting of temple priests comprising Rawal Keshav Nambudri and Dharmadikhar Jagadamba Prasad Sati today, on the auspicious festival of Dasehra, decided on the date of closure for Badrinath, one of the four Char Dhams of Uttarakhand. The priests on the basis of the Hindu calendar fixed the date of closure of the shrine on November 18 at 3.55 pm.

Meanwhile, the shrine of Rudranath was closed for winter today at around 10 am. Rudranath priest Harish Bhatt conducted the ceremony for the closure. A large number of pilgrims were present on the occasion.

Mussoorie, October 17
The incessant rains might have caused havoc in the town, but the blooming flowers are not complaining. Tourists this year are being treated to rare wild flowers blooming along the sides of the road. As they start entering the town, the intoxicating fragrance of flowers greets them all along the way.

Local residents are of the view that the variety of flowers on display this year is more than the previous years and it can be due to the heavy rains that the town has received this year.

The whole town has a look of ‘company garden’ nowadays. The blooming pink flowers of the Himalayan Flowering Cherry, locally called “paiyan”, provide a cheerful look to the town.

According to eminent florist Vimal Sharma, the Himalayan Flowering Cherry with its scientific name Prunus Cerasoiees is found at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level. The blooming period for the tree is of three weeks. Sometimes the blooming period is extended to the early week of November, but this year as cold has set in early, the bloom will remain till the month of October only. The other flowers blooming are the dahlia, vinca etc.

Vimal Sharma is of the view that the Queen of Hills looks as if it has worn a colourful Rajasthani ghagra.

Residents of the town believe that the Tourist Department should have spent on planting ornamental flowers instead of spending Rs 90 lakh on Chinese ornamental lights which have stopped working on the Mall Road. 

Dehradun October 17
Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar inspected the sanitary condition of the city and gave related directions to officials concerned. Kumar asked the officials to work in close coordination with each other, and directed District Magistrate (DM) Sachin Kurve to monitor the whole campaign. He also gave orders to hold such frequent campaigns to maintain cleaniness in the city.

Subash Kumar visited Haridwar Road, Nehru Colony, Vidhan Sabha Marg, Defence Colony, Rajpur Road, Eucalyptus Chowk, EC Road and Subhash Road and expressed satisfaction on the cleaniness in these areas.

He directed to maintain strict sanitary condition through disposal of garbage, proper spray of pesticide and regular fogging every day. He also asked officials to ensure that drains remained clogfree and did not hold water to become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies. He also asked them to get garbage containers cleaned with surroundings properly sprayed with pesticide and limestone powder.

Elated over the good results achieved through sustained sanitation drive, which began on October 2, he directed the DM to continue with the campaign.

Kurve also updated the Chief Secretary telling him that he, along with other officials of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, was inspecting the sanitation condition in five wards every day and making sure of the correct disposal of garbage as well. For this, he said, arrangement of 10 trolleys had been made.

The responsibility of ensuring the sanitary condition in each ward had been given to the Senior Health Officer and the Up Nagar Adhikari. This way, all 60 wards of the city were being convered up. This campaign would continue.

During inspection, SDM, City, Manmohan Singh Rawat, Gurpal Singh, UNA Niraj Pandey and health inspectors were also present.

Dehradun, October 17
The fury expressed by members of the Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR) Association against significant changes made in the rank structure regarding the withdrawal of entitlements in the Army canteen through a circular dated July 7 has come up as a one part of the story.

The Tribune got a copy of the circular which explained the reason for the changes made in the rank structure.

Before this new circular, revised scale of liquor etc per month were listed in descending order in a letter dated October 7, 2008, from Brig HS Brar, Deputy Director General, Canteen Services.

Brigadier Brar released the latest circular on July 7, 2010. He said the policy for the introduction of the canteen management system was promulgated on January 30, 2006, and a need had been felt to update it on certain issues due to observation/experiences over a period of time.

The service and other related details of an individual holding a canteen smart card are imprinted on the visual zone of the card as well as reside in the chip implanted on it. As per the present policy, the rights to change rank of an individual, in the chip of his card are given to the management of the canteen.

However, according to Brigadier Brar, it has been learnt that this right provided for unhindered change of rank to the canteen authorities to be misused by certain functionaries at the lower level. It can result in a large withdrawal of unauthorised entitlements, especially liquor, by changing the actual lower to higher rank and reverting to original lower rank after the withdrawal.

It is, therefore, for the canteen entitlements purpose, the prevalent order in the Armed Forces be divided into various bands wherein within each band there will be no change in the entitlements. The ranks inside the chip can only be altered within the band to which the individual belongs. This will completely eliminate the risk of unauthorised withdrawal of stores by any in the environment.

As per the present policy, application forms for making a smart card are to be deposited with the collection-cum-technical support centre (CCTSC) and cards to be collected from these centres within 30 days. However, over a period of time the DDGCS office saw that 30 days was inadequate for the timely delivery of the smart cards. It has been decided that this period of 30 days be increased to 45 days. However, any delay beyond this period will mean levying of penalty as stipulated. This will be effective immediately. The office also noted that there has been an inordinate delay in the delivery of smart cards. This delay was primarily due to the shifting of office of Smart Card Chip Ltd.

The policy of smart cards clearly mentions the authorisation and usage of bronze smart cards.

Dehradun, October 17
The district police arrested 46 youths, including five foreigners, who were doing a rave party at a private farm in the Premnagar area late last night. The police later released them after charging penalty from them.

They were partying at the farm owned by Sumit Ved, who was also arrested. The police acted after it received information from neighbours of loud music being played in the late night hours. The police arrested the youths at about 2 am. The police ruled out that any one of them was using drug or some other banned substance during the party.

As per police sources, youths in the party were from Dehradun, Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi, Chennai and other places. Two of the five foreigners were from Spain and France. They told the cops they all had come to one of their friend’s party and were only celebrating that.

Acting Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Joshi said those arrested were let off after being charged penalty. He added there was nothing wrong with them, it was just that they had played loud music late night during the party.