Pithoragarh, January 8
The Pitthoragarh police today recovered an 18-day-old female child who was stolen from her home on December 24 last year, and arrested two women, mother and daughter, under Article 363, IPC, for stealing the baby.

“The child of a Nepali couple was stolen, on the pretext that the baby was to be shown in the hospital to get the delivery money back, by two women living in the neighbourhood of the couple. The women then fled from the scene,” said Inspector PC Bhatt at Pitthoragarh Thana. After the Nepali couple lodged an FIR with the Pitthoragarh police, the police mounted pressure and recovered the baby after a tip-off from an informer about the stolen baby.

“Initial investigation reveals that the woman, who had married the younger brother of her husband after the latter died, was under pressure from her new husband to deliver a baby girl. But as she had been sterilised and couldn’t have a baby, she planned to steal a baby from the Nepali couple in the neighbourhood. She informed her husband that she had delivered a baby girl,” said the police officer.

The police said the culprit Jyoti, along with her daughter Rekha, had earlier also tried to steal a six-month-old baby from near the town on May 9, 2010, but due to the alertness of the couple had put the baby back near their home on the fifth day of stealing it.

“We are trying to investigate if the woman was lying as she already has two daughters and a son from her earlier husband, and if her new husband is involved in some illegal baby business as he lives and works in Delhi and might be acquainted about the sterilised position of his wife,” said Bhatt.

Nainital, January 8
Upping its ante against the failure of the Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state, the Congress will be holding a Jan Aakrosh Yatra in the Almora parliamentary constituency from January 31.

According to the Lok Sabha member from the constituency Pradeep Tamta, “The purpose of the yatra is to galvanise the masses against the indifference shown towards the Almora constituency, which comprises four districts of Kumaon, by the state government.” The constituency is spread over the districts of Almora, Bageshwar, Pithoragarh and Champawat.

“The yatra will start from Dehghat and will move through all the Assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency before it concludes at Jhoolaghat on February 8. Dehghat is one end of the Almora constituency bordering the Pauri district while Jhoolaghat is the other end bordering Nepal.

“Union Minister of State Harish Rawat, President of the state unit of the Congress Yashpal Arya and other senior leaders of the party will be participating in the yatra,” said Tamta.

He charged that the state government has been turning a blind eye to the developmental issues in his constituency. He said that there has been no development with regard to the setting up of the proposed medical college in Almora.

He asserted that schools continue to be without teachers and hospitals continue to be without doctors. “Everything is in a shambles and, in particular, the higher education setup is in a very bad shape,” Tamta told The Tribune.

He further charged that the state government has done nothing for the proper implementation of the two flagship programmes of the Central government - the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

With regard to MGNREGA, Tamta pointed out that the state government has not initiated any move to get a stay regarding its implementation in the Almora district. It is on account of this laxity of the Nishank Government that only 72 persons in the district have been able to get 100 days work under the scheme.

Tamta also expressed his displeasure at the relief measures being carried out in the region following the rain-related disaster during the prolonged monsoon. “There has been no clear rehabilitation policy. Even today, the victims of the disaster are awaiting relief and many are being compelled to spend the nights in a miserable condition in this cold,” he charged. He added that nothing has been done to restore the infrastructure that was devastated in the rains.

Haridwar, January 8
Following directions of the Nainital High Court, preparations have started for panchayat elections in the district. District Magistrate (DM), Haridwar, R Meenakshi Sundaram, issued the notification for the panchayat elections in the district yesterday.

Election nomination forms will be available at district panchayat offices and block offices from January 10.

Forms can be submitted between 10 am to 4 pm from January 19 to 22 at the respective block and district panchayat offices. Lekhpals are being trained regarding the election code of conduct to ensure that the candidates follow ethics.

Sub Divisional Magistrate Harveer Singh held a special camp for lekhpals apprising them of the intricacies of the code of conduct at tehsil headquarters.

Harveer Singh said the use of religion and shrines for election purpose should be prohibited.

“Use of government property or resources should not be allowed for campaigning. Any violation must be immediately notified to the district headquarters and a report must be registered against such candidate,” SDM Harveer Singh said.

DM Sundaram has also warned divisional development officers against any laxity and discrepancies in the voters list. In a letter to all the officers concerned, Sundaram has stated that lapses such as not registering names of voters, despite submission of the required documents, and enlisting the names of others without proper documents during the ongoing enlisting was a serious lapse. 

Dehradun, January 8
Officials of the Department of Income Tax (IT) today raided Niranjanpur Mandi and seized some sale and purchase accounts. The officials found discrepancies in the sale and purchase of onions.

Following directions of the Centre, the department raided several shops storing onions. The raid aimed to check black marketing of onions, officials said.

Such raids would continue, they said.

Similar raids in other parts of the country yesterday had resulted in lowering of onion prices.

Mussoorie, January 8
More than 100 members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the frontal youth organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have decided to take part in the National Integrity March and hoist the national flag at the Lal Chowk in Kashmir on the occasion of the Republic Day.

The decision was taken today at a meeting of the BJYM members chaired by local BJYM unit president Rakesh Rawat at Saraswati Shishu Mandir. The activists discussed preparations for the integrity week at the meeting.

Municipal Council president OP Uniyal regretted the statement made by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to stop the members from unfurling the Tricolour in Srinagar on January 26. “Every Indian citizen has the birthright to unfurl the Tricolour, be it at the Gandhi Chowk in Mussoorie or the Lal Chowk in Kashmir,” he said.

The BJYM president said more than 100 workers would leave the town on January 23 and join other BJYM activists at Jammu on January 25. He said on January 26 more than 50,000 activists would reach the Lal Chowk at Srinagar and hoist the Tricolour early in the morning.

BJYM general secretary Vipul Musla said the Morcha activists were ready for the occasion.

The coordinator of the meeting Kulanand said Kashmir is an integral part of India and the aim of the programme is to save the unity and integrity of the country.

District Sanyojak Rajesh Nautiyal condemned Omar Abdullah for his plans to stall the march.

Uniyal alleges being targeted by party members Mussoorie Municipal Council (MC) president OP Uniyal has alleged that some members of the local BJP were not supportive of the ongoing development works in the town and were targeting him instead.

Uniyal said the party should set up an inquiry against such members and take action against them for maligning the MC as well as the BJP.

He said this on the sidelines of the meeting held to discuss the integrity tour. He said the local BJP unit, instead of highlighting the development works worth Rs 103 crore undertaken by the government in various departments, including the MC were trying to defame him.

President of the local party unit Roop Singh Kathait was unavailable for comment.

Dehradun, January 8
Chief spokesperson of the Diwakar Bhatt faction of the Uttrakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), Satish Semwal has termed the working committee meeting called by Trivender Singh Panwar, president, UKD, on January 10, as illegal.

He said since they had already suspended Panwar and ceased his rights as the president of the party, therefore, he could not attend party meetings. “Had he called this meeting earlier on the suggestion of the party patrons, the party would not have faced this situation,” he said accusing Panwar of suspending office-bearers of the party who had nothing to do with the present crisis. “His arbitrary decisions show he is working on someone’s direction.”

Panwar, however, declined to comment.

Mussoorie, January 8
Senior trade unions and former student leaders have extended support to the protest by employees of Avalon Resort. The protest completed 40 days today.

CPM district secretary Surendar Singh Sajwan and former DAV College, Dehradun, president Lekhraj visited the agitating employees today.

Hotel and Restaurant Karamchari Union president Sobhan Singh Panwar said the employees were forced to resort to such an agitation due to the adamant attitude of the management.

He said the management, instead of listening to their woes, had shut the resort illegally against the labour laws.

He reiterated the demand to unconditionally reinstate the ousted employees and stall the transfer order of the remaining employees.

CPM district secretary Sunder Singh Sajwan said a meeting was held between the employees and the management at Dehradun yesterday in which it was decided that the employees would not talk to resort manager Dhruv Sharma, but to owner Khattar instead. Since the owner had gone abroad, talks would resume on his return.

The employees warned that they would shut down the resort and not let the management run it if their demands were not met.

Haridwar, January 8
Bringing relief to hundreds of poor people and sadhus from the intense cold weather, under the aegis of the Indian Red Cross Society, free blankets were distributed among the needy by District Magistrate (DM) R Meenakshi Sundaram.

The distribution was done at the Mayapur-situated DM camp office, with Red Cross volunteers also donating from their side to the needy. Alongside the distribution of 170 blankets, utensil sets were also distributed.

Informing about the aid camp, Sundaram said in association with the Red Cross Society, of which he is the president, the free distribution was done in view of the intense cold wave conditions prevalent in the city for the past week.

“Such contribution to the welfare of the society is truly noble which helps the administration in carrying out such works. Other organisations too should come forward in carrying out such voluntary efforts and we will be aiding them,” said Sundaram.

Red Cross Society secretary Dr Naresh Chaudhari said the distribution was done after the identification of poor people living in slums and in the open.

“I felt like we are doing social work in which every one who can contribute should get involved. It’s not only about the Red Cross or NGOs, individually too we can lessen their (poor people’s) woes,” said Neha Arya and Shalini, Red Cross volunteers accompanied by Ekta Ramola, Diksha Upreti, Urvashi, Hemlata Awasthi, Arti Bisht, Sonali Raj and others.

Dehradun, January 8
A meeting of the five-member committee, constituted by the Mayor on the issue of renaming the Chanderbani Chowk to Chaudhary Charan Singh Chowk, was held here today.

Residents of Chanderbani had recently opposed the Mayor’s decision to change the name of Chanderbani Chowk to Chaudhary Charan Singh Chowk.

The Mayor had constituted a committee comprising councillors Ashok Verma, Dr Vijender Pal, Amita Singh, Sushil Gupta, and Sanjay.

The panel will meet members of the Jat Maha Sabha as well as the residents of Chanderbani on Monday.

Owing to its historical importance the villagers do not want the name of the chowk to be changed.