Dehradun, October 19
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva today conducted the oath-taking ceremony for NS Napalchyal, the new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of the Uttarakhand Information Commission (UIC). At a brief oath-taking ceremony organised in the presence of Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the Governor also administered oath of office to Prabhat Dabral and Anil Sharma as Information Commissioners of the UIC.

The proceedings of the oath-taking ceremony were organised at the Raj Bhawan auditorium here today. The ceremony was conducted by Secretary-General, Administration, Rajeev Chandra.

Lok Ayukta MM Ghildiyal, Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha Harbans Kapoor, leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat, State Information Commissioner Vinod Nautiyal, cabinet ministers Khajan Das and Vijaya Barthwal, BJP state President Bishan Singh Chufal, MLAs Ganesh Joshi, Chandan Das, Harbhajan Singh Cheema and Jot Singh Gunsola, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, Director-General of Police JS Pandey, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RBS Rawat, Secretary to the Governor Ashok Pai, Additional Secretary to the Governor Arun Kumar Dhaundiyal and ADC to the Governor Dr YS Rawat and Krishna Kumer VK, were present at the ceremony. Several senior officials of the government, administration and eminent guests were also present.

Napalchayal is a former Chief Secretary of the state, Parbhat Dabral a journalist and Anil Sharma an advocate by profession.

Dehradun, October 19
Despite Uttarakhand’s frequent brush with disasters, including two major earthquakes, displacement of villages due to dams and landslides, the government has failed to come up with a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement policy that has only aggravated the problem of the people.

Perturbed by the continuous migration of people after this year’s rain-related disaster that killed 200 people and left many others homeless, social activists today released a “people’s rehabilitation and settlement policy” urging the governemnt to come up with a policy that is in keeping with the aspirations of the people.

Speaking to mediapersons, Suresh Bhai of the Nadi Bachao Andolan said: “A large-scale migration of people, who have been rendered homeless and jobless by the calamities, is continuing. A rehabilitation and resettlement policy could have averted the human tragedy that continues to unfold in the hills,” Suresh Bhai added.

He said the compensation being offered by the Disaster Management Department is inadequate. “A sum of Rs 50,000 is being offered to people whose houses have been damaged those whose fields have been washed away are getting Rs 200 per nalli,” he said.

An on-the-ground assessment carried out by the Raksha Sutar and the Nadi Bachao Andolan says that at least 60 villages have been completely wiped out in the 13 districts of the state. “The worst affected districts are Uttarkashi, Almora, Pitthoragarh where 12 villages have been destroyed and there is no trace of their existence,” said Nagender Datt of the Raksha Sutar. “Residents of Bhatwadi, Sunargaon, Bhaethi, Gunal villages of Uttarkashi have been accommodated in the colonies abaondoned by employees of a power project and we do not know how long can they stay there,” said Nagender.

The people’s draft policy calls for providing a house in place of a house to the affected persons, if only land is being provided in lieu then a house should be constructed and given along with the land. The other suggestions are: People living below the poverty line should be provided with a house if they previously had one. In case they didn’t have homes they should be provided with suitable accommodation as per their needs. Farmland that has been lost because of mega projects should be recompensed with farmland. In case the land being provided is barren or wasteland than Rs 20,000 per nali should be provided for the rejuvenation of the land. The costs of resettlement and rehabilitation shall be borne by the land-acquiring agency and the government.

Nainital, October 19
Pradeep Tamta, Lok Sabha member from Almora, is nowadays coming face to face with the grim realities that continue to exist in areas of the state that are bereft of development.

Over the past few days, Tamta has been touring remote areas of his constituency. In the process, he has become the first parliamentarian ever to visit some of the villages.

The plight of such villages can be imagined from the fact that it has taken more than 60 years for a parliamentarian to make an appearance there.

“It has been a unique and overwhelming experience to visit these villages. People have been travelling long distances just to see what their representative in Parliament looks like. Yesterday, a 97-year-old man from Duli village turned up at Salamgarh where I had reached at 9 pm.

“At his age, the man had asked his son to take him to the place where I was to reach,” said Tamta while talking to The Tribune from Bageshwar.

According to him, people have great expectations from their representatives which puts a heavy onus on the latter to deliver both in letter and spirit.

“These people think that by the mere arrival of their representative, their problems will be solved. They think they will get access to all basic facilities that they have been craving for over the past more than 60 years...they will get roads, schools with teachers, hospitals with doctors and their miseries will cease to exist,” he said.

In several such villages like Paiyya, Duli, Bhatganu, Shailakhanri, Dabu and Hadap, people just left everything to come and see their Lok Sabha member. Women left their fields and those who were unable to walk came in palanquins.

The irony of the entire episode was that these villagers had never seen the top brass of their district in their villages before. All that most of them remember is seeing the officials of the British era whose memories are etched firmly in their minds.

Being from the background of social activism, Tamta could relate directly to their aspirations. “It puts me to shame that the purpose for which Uttarakhand was created has not been served at all.

“We wanted a separate state so that development that had been centralised in the plain areas of the erstwhile Uttar Pradesh could reach the people living in the hills. “We wanted that people could get access to education, health, water and sanitation. We aspired villages should be connected by roads.

“But none of these has happened. We had wanted that the migration of people from the hills should end.

“The state government has been ignoring the genuine needs of the masses and has thus been causing frustration in their minds,” said Tamta.

Tamta pointed that residents of the fragile zones of the state continue to bear one disaster after another hoping that long-term solutions could be found to their miseries some day. He has been moving in Pitthoragarh, Almora and Bageshwar districts for more than a fortnight now. 

Dehradun, October 19
Meagre compensation given by the state government to victims of the recent rain fury is a disgrace to Uttarakhand, said Pauri Garhwal Congress MP Satpal Maharaj.

Talking to the media here today after a tour of his parliamentary constituency, he flayed the state government for failing to do anything in the rain-affected areas. “During my tour I haven’t seen even a single road being repaired. All the PWD is doing is just removing debris through JCBs in the affected areas,” the MP said. Schools buildings are on the verge of collapse, the roads are in a dilapidated condition and essential commodities are not reaching the affected people.

Surprisingly the people who have lost their fields and homes are being given a meagre amount of Rs 1,000, 2,000 or some are being given 3,000 or 4,000, which is a disgrace to the state, he added.

Thanking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for granting Rs 500 crore as compensation to the state, the MP said the state had failed to affectively utilise the funds given by the Centre. “I will bring the state of affairs in Uttarakhand to the notice of the Prime Minister,” he said. 

Nainital, October 19
District Magistrate and Chairperson for the Disaster Management Authority Shailesh Bagauli has ordered the top brass of the Forest Department to come up with a detailed plan for removing silt from Kosi, Gaula, Nandhaur and other seasonal streams. The officials have been asked to submit the plan to the District Collectorate at the earliest so that an elaborate plan can be chalked out for execution soon.

Bagauli has stated that the prolonged monsoon has led to a massive accumulation of silt in the river beds which is causing a change in the flowing patterns of these rivers. This has caused extensive loss to public and private properties besides leading to the washing away of vast tracts of fertile agricultural lands.

After the massive devastation caused by the perennial and seasonal streams in the entire region last month, the administration is now in the process of chalking out long-term measures to check the devastation of a similar scale in future.

Dehradun, October 19
Elected panchayat representatives were urged to participate in the community initiative launched by the Uttarakhand police. The initiatives launched are aimed at increasing coordination between the police and the villagers.

While addressing the training programme organised for the panchayat representatives at the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), DIG Abhinav Kumar said, “The revised Police Act of Uttarakhand (2008) puts emphasis on community policing to make the police more accountable. Community contact groups will be created at thanas to act as a bridge between the people and the police. Where policing exists, it will be your duty to ensure that regular meetings are held”.

“I call upon all women to seek help from the gram panchayat and the police for curbing the menace of drug abuse and liquor consumption in the hills,” Kumar further added.

State coordinator AK Rajput of theNREGA discussed issues related to the labour budget planning and necessity of maintaining transparency through social audits.

During the open session, Nirmala Thapa, Gram Pradhan, from Gucchupani requested the police to set up a police post near the popular picnic spot, which draws anti-social elements, proving to be troublesome for the locals. 

Dehradun, October 19
The regional committee of the Uttaranchal Power Employees Association of the Garhwal region celebrated its 9th annual convention today. It was presided over by General Manager, Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Garhwal, SK Tamta. The convention was inaugurated by state district General Secretary KR Kashyap.

General Secretary Ashok Sharma said the state did not need three power corporations as the state had been unable to provide secretaries and managing directors for them. “Both PITKUL and UPCL had been handled by one MD and Secretary, Power, for a long time. “Since in Uttar Pardesh, the power corporation is working as one holding company managed by a Chief Managing Director quite successfully, we too can follow the same model. The way the state government is considering merging two departments in irrigation and water departments, it can also do the same for the Power Department as well,” said Sharma.

Talking about the shortage of employees in power departments, Sharma averred, “Given to the acute shortage of employees, the work in power departments is being done by the workforce hired on contract or daily basis. For this, a case has been filed in the Labour Court, but neither the power corporation nor the UPNAL, the government body which is supplying the workforce, is appearing for the hearings. It is a matter of immediate concern to fill up all pending vacancies and give relief to the employees hired on contract”.

Chief guest SK Tamta also acknowledged that unless the problems of the employees, including contractual employees, were not properly addressed, the work in power departments could not be carried out effectively.

State vice-president of the All-India Trade Union Congress, Samar Bhandari made a scathing attack on the government for bad handling of disaster management activities.

Suresh Varma, General Secretary, Urja Kamgar Santhan, said he would try to solve the employees’ problems. Jagmohan Mehndiratta, General Secretary, Uttarakhand Bank Employees Association, called upon contractual employees to unite to fight for their rights.

To address the problems of arrears of periodical pay scale, salary raise etc, demonstrations will be held at all three power corporation offices, said President of the association KS Negi. 

Pitthoragarh, October 19
Senior BJP leader and former Chairman of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) Rudra Singh Panda today demanded that the Gorkha community living in the Indo-Nepal border area as well as the Anwals of the Munsiyari-Dharchula area should be included in the OBC category in the state.

“Despite the Uttarakhand government having issued an order directing the inclusion of Kuthaliya Bora, Chaham and the Gorkha community in the OBC category on November 15, 2003, the district administration has so far not started giving OBC certificate to the Gorkha community of this district,” said Panda.

According to the BJP leader, the Anwals of Munsiyari have traditionally been servants of Bhotia and Shauka businessmen of the area and used to rear their sheep. “Whereas the tribal businessmen community has already got reservation in government jobs and settled in metro cities, the Anwals are still rearing their sheep and living a very backward life from educational and economic point of view as they do not have government jobs due to a lack of education,” said Panda.

The BJP leader said through an information sought under the RTI Act, he came to know about 127 sub-castes of the Anwals. “But, the actual number goes up to 135 as some of rare communities have not been included in it by the District Magistrate,” said Panda.

According to Panda, when former Chief Minister ND Tiwari visited Dharchula on August 13, 2006, he had instructed the district administration to issue OBC certificates to the castes falling under this category. During the recent visit of chairman of the OBC Commission of the state, he had submitted a memorandum to him demanding his immediate interference on the subject. “The chairman has invited me to Dehradun in November with all documents concerning the case and has assured that he will pursue the matter with the government,” said Panda.

Dehradun, October 19
A blood donation camp was organised at the Dolphin (PG) Institute of Medical Biomedical and Natural Sciences under the aegis of the Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society and the Dolphin Students Welfare Committee here today.

Chairman of the institute, encouraging all students to participate, said it was due to poor voluntary donations that blood was scarcely available.

Dehradun, October 19
In yet another shocking case of cyber crime, Rs 14 lakh was taken out of the bank account of a merchant navy officer through international transactions.

The amount was taken out through plastic cards in London in about 24 different transactions in a month’s time.

The police source informed, victim Virender Kumar, a resident of GMS Road, when went to withdraw money from his account, he got the shock of his life. He got to know that Rs 14 lakh was missing from his account. Following which he today approached the police who said it would lodge an FIR after investigation into the matter.

Kumar, who is posted in Mumbai, has a bank account with a branch of Punjab National Bank (PNB) at Nari Shilp. He told the cops that he had only one debit card, which was with him and there was no way that any one could withdraw money from his account.

He had opened account in June 2006 with the PNB and as per the details of the account Rs 14 lakh was withdrawn through plastic cards in London from August 14 to September 14.

The police said it had started its investigation and after verifying the facts the police would lodge an FIR. The case would be transferred to the cyber crime cell of the police.

Dehradun, October 19
In a case of revenge, with shades of honour killing, a 22-year-old youth, who had come to meet his beloved on her house terrace last night, was allegedly axed to death and his body thrown on the railway track by the girl’s family at Misarwala village in Doiwala near Dehradun.

His body later got cut into pieces after a train passed on it. The police has arrested the brother and the father of the girl after the incident.

According to the police, victim Manish Thapa and Minakshi Rawat (20) were found in a compromising position at about 11:15 pm yesterday on her terrace, where they were spotted by the family of the girl.

In a fit of rage, her father Prtihvi Singh (45) and brother Tejpal (25) caught the boy and gave him a sound thrashing before cutting his body brutally with a pathal, a sharp-edged weapon.

The girl was taken to her room by the family, while the boy after being killed was thrown on the railway track. Thapa’s body got cut into pieces after the train passed on it, Station House Officer (SHO) of Doiwala police station AS Rawat informed.

The SHO said there were wounds of being hit on the head of the boy and since his body later got cut by the train, the police couldn’t find where all he was stabbed at by the duo of father and son.

SSP Ganesh Singh Martolia said after seeing the couple in a compromising position, the family of the girl lost control and killed the boy. This was a case of murder and not of honour killing, he maintained.

Both children of ex-servicemen were high school passouts and were not working and are believed to be in a relationship for quite some time. A case under sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Doiwala police station.