Dehradun, April 4
The three-year-long strike of the revenue police (patwaris) ended today with Revenue and Food Supplies Minister Diwakar Bhatt today formally handing over the government order to the president of the Patwari Sangh.

Since May 1, 2008, the revenue police that do the policing duty in the hills had been on strike demanding re-organisation of the revenue police and enhancement of the pay scale.

Though the Cabinet had passed the decision accepting their demands, the revenue police leaders remained adamant, continuing with their strike till the time they were in receipt of a government order. At a meeting with the leaders of the Patwari Sangh, the minister handed over the copy of the government order to president of the Patwari Sangh BP Jaguri.

“We have accepted all the demands of the sangh and expect them to report on duty from today,” he said. On being asked why was there so much delay in accepting the demands of the patwaris, the minister said the demands were deliberated upon so as not to set a wrong precedent for other employees in the state.

“Now the Lekhpals, too, are demanding change in the scales and are taking a cue from the issue of the revenue police, when their service rules and selection terms are different,” he said.

The revenue police arrangement exists in 65 per cent of the geographical area of the state for the past 95 years. They undertake revenue and policing jobs, while the Lekhpals are responsible for the land and revenue records.

The pay band of Revenue Inspector (Hill Kanungo) has been revised from Rs 4,500-7,000 to Rs 5,000-8,000, Patwari from Rs 3,050-4,590 to Rs 4,500-7,000 and Revenue Inspector (Hill) Patwari Anusewak from Rs 2,550-3,200, according to staffing pattern.

Haridwar, April 4
The dispute between two saint groups over an ashram property has created tension in the pilgrim city owing to physical violence. Both the sides are claiming right over the piece of land in the Bhoopatwala region in the city.

Though for the past few months there were differences between Niranjani Akhada saints and ISKCON members over a piece of land, named Baikunth Dham, which both sides claimed to be their own, yesterday it took a grievous turn with ISKCON associates starting construction at the disputed site.

On learning this, Niranjani Akhada members, including Swami Punyanand Giri ji Maharaj, reached the venue and sought legal papers from the ISKCON people, as the case is currently under jurisdiction and a stay has been sought to maintain status quo at the site.

Failing to get a satisfactory answer, there was first a verbal duel that later took a violent turn as saints from both the sides indulged in physical violence with many sustaining injuries and were referred for medical treatment immediately.

According to reports, a group of people ransacked the ISKCON ashram rooms and vandalised things, including religious literature and a vehicle of ISKCON. Such was the chaos that the local policemen could not do much. But when additional force came, the assailants ran away from the scene. A case has been registered against the saints of the akhada leading the violent mob and raid is being conducted to nab the unidentified persons involved in the attack.

According to the police officials, the claims of the ISKCON people that the police was biased are not true and the investigation into the matter is being done with full fairness. Sanjay Das Vyas of ISKCON ashram had already informed the police fearing an attack. Secretary, Niranjani Akhada, Ramanandpuri ji Maharaj said ISKCON was forcefully trying to gain illegal possession on the land, which was of an akhada, but they would resist any such attempt, both legally and by agitation.

He claimed that the Bhoopatwala-situated ashram premises had the temple of Radha Krishna of which ISKCON members were illegally occupying a part. Despite a stay in favour of the akhada, ISKCON associated people had tried to start construction and even manhandled the saints when they tried to stop them.

Station House Officer Pratipal Rautella said the police was keeping a tab on the whole proceedings. Due to additional deployment of the police force and intervention of the administration the situation is under control now, yet the sensitivity of the issue is such that a similar situation can arise again until the verdict of the court comes out.

Pitthoragarh, April 4
On the culmination of the Pol Khol Yatra, leaders of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar group) have reiterated their pledge to make Gairsain the permanent capital of the state.

They maintained that the struggle of the hill state was not complete as ‘anti’-hill national parties continued to rule the state.

“The 10-year rule of the Congress and the BJP has rendered the state poorer as their leaders endeavour only to exploit the state’s natural resources rather than working for Uttarakhand’s prosperity,” said Trivendra Panwar, President, UKD (Panwar group).

Pushpesh Tripathi, local MLA of the party, citing from his experiences in the state Assembly, said these national parties were making a fool of the people of the state with their promises of development.

“Both the parties have only one mandate - that is to exploit the resources of the state for the welfare of big corporate houses of the country that have become the symbol of gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation,” said Tripathi.

The meeting was also addressed by senior party leader Kashi Singh Airy who said the UKD was the only party which had been formed on one point - the welfare of the hill people.

“Since the state came into being in 2000, 20 per cent population of the hill region has migrated to the plains in search of livelihood and better facilities for their children. What more proof does one need for the lack of development in the hill region of the state?” said Airy.

The Pol Khol Yatra began on March 25 from 44 religious places in the state and culminated at Gairsain, the proposed permanent capital of the hill state.

Dehradun April 4
In a week-long placement drive, two students of the Beehive College of Management Technology were selected today by Shopper’s Stop, a well-known name in retail sector.

The drive was conducted in a bid to offer job opportunities to MBA students. It saw an overwhelming response not only from students of Beehive College, but also from other city colleges with six students getting job offers.

However, companies such as Puma, Adidas, Karvy Consultancy, HB Entertainment, SMC Global and Virtual Retail also conducted a campus drive in which only students of Beehive College were offered jobs.

Speaking on the occasion, Amit Kapoor, Chairman of Beehive College said the students were already trained on how to face interviews, group discussions and made aware of the various facets of the industry.

Atul Kapoor, Executive Director, Beehive College, congratulated the selected students and wished them a successful career in the corporate world.

He also comforted the students who were not selected by saying that big cooperates likes India Bulls, Religare, SPANCO and others would be conducting another campus drive in the college soon.

Dehradun, April 4
The Information and Technology Ministry has finally approved the demand of Satpal Maharaj, member of Parliament from Pauri Garhwal, for establishing mobile towers in villages of Pauri Garhwal district, namely Danda Nagraja, Circuilt House, Langoora Garhi, Gathkhal, Basund, Devta, Badri Gadh and Jogimadi.

Maharaj said the ministry had finally agreed to his demand which was pending for a long time. “The proposal for setting up mobile towers in these villages was gathering dust because of the unavailability of mobile BTS equipment. But this year, the ministry has ensured to provide us these equipment ,” he said.

Dehradun, April 4
A rally was taken out here today to welcome the newly elected president of the Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal (DUVM), Dehradun, Vipin Nanglia. The rally started from the Gandhi Park and passing through the Clock Tower, Darshan Lal Chowk, Tehsil Chowk, Prince Chowk, Arhat Bazar, it finally culminated at Shivaji Dharmshala.

About 2,000 traders gathered to welcome Nanglia with bouquets, garlands and sweets.

Congratulating Nanglia on his appointment, Anil Goel, state president of the Vyapar Mandal, said, “Thirteen years of selfless service for the traders in Dehradun has led him to become our new unopposed president. We wish him good luck and look forward to a bright as well as productive tenure of service ahead”.

Dehradun, April 4
Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson of the BJP Tarun Vijay has expressed serious concern over the declining sex ratio of girls and called for stringent laws to curb female foeticide in the country.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Tarun called upon the general public and the religious heads to ponder over the issue. He said, “It is astonishing to know that in a country where woman is revered as a goddess, the girl child is put to death in the womb.

It is hypocrisy and a big contradiction amongst the Indians. The declining figures of 914 girl child in the 0-6 age group from the earlier 927 per 1,000 is alarming,” he said.

Tarun alleged that it could be deduced that more than a crore girls were killed in the womb in the past decade. He called for stringent punishment for the perpetrators of the crime and against the parents indulging in such acts.

“Cases of murder should be registered against all those involved in the business of identifying and killing a girl child, including the parents concerned,” he added.

The RSS ideologue said cutting across the caste and religious affiliations, the religious heads of different religions and sects should come out openly against female foeticide and declare the killing of a girl child as a great sin.

Commenting on the Indian cricket team’s victory in the World Cup, Tarun said, “There was great enthusiasm among people, but now they want a crusade against corruption in the country. Politicians of the country have failed the people and are a despised lot. There is an expectation that politics in the country should be corruption free.

Asked whether he would pinpoint any particular party for the mess, Tarun replied that he was making a general comment about the public perception about all the politicians. However, he added that it was the BJP that had remained in the forefront to expose corruption in the country.

Dehradun, April 4
In a protest against the proponents of the dam hearing held at Chepdu, social organisations held a public hearing yesterday demanding that the Pinder river be allowed to run free.

To claim their right to a fair hearing, about 2,000 people, mostly women from different gram panchayats like Sunao, Suna, Dewalgwad, Tharali, Pthani, Silodi, Pengadh, Chepdu, Kail, Talor, Devsari, Purna, Sarkot, Garhkot, Cheranga Talla, Lausri and others, attended the hearing with banners and slogans demanding that the Pinder river be allowed to flow freely.

The hearing was organised by the Bhu Swami Sangharsh Samiti and the Matu Jan Sangathanand at the Sangam Maidan of Block Deval, Tharali tehsil, Chomoli district.

The project proponent, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, had declared the Chepdu hearing held in January this year as successful even though the public was not allowed to enter the venue and express their views. They were instead barricaded from the area.

Vimal Bhai of Matu Jansangathan said, “The first public hearing at Tharali on October 13, 2010, was a sham. People were not informed about the process of the hearing. So it was suspended, but false charges of disruption were imposed on 10 persons and 60 anonymous persons. The cases are still pending.”

Prof Shekhar Pathak, Indian historian, writer and academician from Uttarakhand, spoke of the rich cultural heritage of the region, people’s attachment to their homeland and the local sense of identity. He said the preservation of their way of life and the conservation of the identity was the basis of this struggle.

He added that the government was not bringing schools or hospitals for the Pinder valley’s development, but was bringing a dam in the name of people’s development.

Pitthoragarh, April 4
Sore over the inadequate supply of drinking water and possibility of deterioration in the situation with the approaching summer, Pitthoragarh residents have constituted a pani panchayat and chalked out a strategy to advance the movement to get adequate quantity of drinking water.

“We will demand that the availability of water be declared a fundamental need of the people,” said former student leader and newly appointed president of the panchayat Bhagwan Singh Rawat.

The agitators said the agitation to get sufficient drinking water for the town would begin on April 6 with demonstration at the District Collectorate.

“If the town, from where Uttarakhand Drinking Water Minister Prakash Pant hails, does not get adequate drinking water, the Tanakpur-Pitthoragarh National Highway will be blocked,” said Rawat.

“The main reason of the non-availability of sufficient drinking water to this natural resource-rich district lies in the neglect of these sources by the government,” said the pani panchayat leader.

Haridwar, April 4
Despite two days of celebrations following the Indian team’s World Cup victory, the mood does not seem to cool down in Haridwar with the common man, saints, various organisations and cricket aficionados still expressing their happiness one way or the other.

The way the saint community has been involved in this Cricket World Cup has been astonishing as religious gurus were seen praying for victory of the team India.

The saints have shown their love for this team first by doing rituals and hawans during the World Cup matches and now after the team’s triumph against the Sri Lankan team they are exhibiting their happiness by organising programmes at various ashrams and distributing sweets.

At Siddhpeeth Ashram, spiritual guru Pushphnandan Maharaj held a special function for children from varied walks of society and cut a cake with posters of mega cricketing stars like Sachin Tendulkar and team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the background. This was quite a unique thing to happen on ashram premises. Such is the craze that even religious gurus cannot hide their love for cricket, which has almost become synonymous in India with sports.

A Sai bhajan evening was also organised in the city by the Himgiri Shahkari Aawas Samti. Sai bhajans and religious songs were played prior to the devotees spraying colours on one another and fireworks lighting up the sky.

Besides, bhandaras were also organised by various religious communities and ashrams celebrating the ultimate glory in cricket. Ramaan Nanday community saints and mahants organised one such mass food at Kathiya Baba Ashram, wherein a large number of saints and associated ashram people took part.

Offering of milk in the holy Ganga was also done to pray and thank for Team India’s success. Locals, too, expressed their happiness and distributed sweets. Brijwasi Sweet Shop at Chandracharya chowk, BHEL Road, sold 51 kg specially made “Bhajji laddoos”, costing Rs 250 per kg. “Sachin burfi” fans had a great time in getting their favourite cricket star-named sweets.

BJP activists also distributed large laddoos, while many colonies were seen having dance parties with music being played on sound systems.

Nainital, April 4
Aiming to pay respects to the three prominent personalities who left for their heavenly abode in the past one year, a social organisation, Parampara, organised an exhibition on Girish Tewari, Pratap Bhaiyya and Banke Lal Consul to mark the ushering in of the Hindu New Year.

Talking to The Tribune, main organiser of the exhibition Brij Mohan Joshi, who is also a prominent photo artist, said, “It is a befitting occasion to pay our respect to the three personalities who had done a great service to society. We organise a programme every year and this year we decided to hold this exhibition”.

The exhibition is divided into three sections with one each dedicated to the three prominent citizens of Nainital. There are photographs depicting the various aspects of the life of Girish Tewari, the folk poet, activist and artist, who is fondly remembered as Girda.

One can get to see Girda as a young man in the prime of his youth. The most interesting picture is that of a very young Girda in a school dress. No one would have believed that the shy-looking boy in the picture would be the voice of rebellion in society.

In fact, Girda had gone on to become a rebel for a cause. Another picture shows Girda posing on the lawns with the Red Fort in the backdrop. There are several other pictures on display showing Girda leading social movements, addressing people, speaking on the stage and posing with the various memorabilia gifted to him by various public forums out of sheer love and respect for the man.

The exhibition at the Free Masons’ Hall also has on display poems written by Girda. Through these poems Girda had touched an emotional chord with the common man, be it school children, working classes or farmers.

The second section is dedicated to Banke Lal Consul. The pictures take one on a journey into the past. Consul was a personality who had always stood up for the common people and dedicated his life to social reform.

He was instrumental in the distribution of literature pertaining to the Jallianwala Bagh incident and for promoting awareness amongst the youth in particular about the freedom movement. During his struggle for freedom he was imprisoned and fined by the British authorities on several occasions.

He had to face ex-communication from the society for his support to the cause of the Harijans, particularly women. In his 99 years, he had worked tirelessly for their upliftment. He was the one who started getting Municipality resolutions drafted in Hindi.

Consul was an active Arya Samaj worker and the spread of Arya Samaj in Kumaon owes a lot to him. The pictures on display show his various contributions to the social cause.

The third section is dedicated to Pratap Bhaiyya, the veteran socialist from the region. A man deeply influenced by Madan Mohan Malviya, Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya, Jai Prakash Narayan and Yusuf Mehr, Bhaiyya was even referred to as modern day’s Malviya for his immense contribution in the field of education. He had helped set up more than 100 schools and even set up the Bhartiya Shaheed Sainik School in Nainital in 1964 after the Indo-China war of 1962.

He is also remembered for the establishment of a Nurses Training Centre at Nainital and setting up of government hospitals in Okhalkanda and Haldwani.

Committed to erasing casteism in society, he had given up the use of his surname and had decided to use Bhaiyya instead. Even today students in Sainik School are not supposed to write their caste along with their name.

The pictures show Bhaiyya in various colours of life. One can witness Bhaiyya administering oaths to students of Sainik School in military style and also in the role of a lawyer. The pictures also show him working with various sections of the society.