Dehradun, April 8
In a major success, the Uttarakhand Special Task Force in assistance with the Cantt Thana police today arrested three persons with leopard skins from Dehradun.

Acting on a tip off, the police caught three persons travelling in a jeep on the Chakrata road near Forest Research Institute and seized three leopard skins from their possession. On interrogation it was found that one person was from Himachal Pradesh and the others from Uttarakhand.

Apart from three leopard skins, one firearm, two bullets and one knife were also seized from their possession.

The three have been identified as Atar Singh Chauhan of Shimla district (Himachal Pradesh), Subhash Dobhal and Mahendra Panwar of Tyuni tehsil in the Chakrata region of Dehradun district.

Dehradun ASP BJ Singh said the accused had confessed before the police that they had poached the three leopards in Tyuni forests of the Chakrata area and were in the process of selling the skins.

Dehradun, April 8
After claims and counter claims over the strength of tigers inside the Rajaji National Park, the latest tiger census report of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has finally put a stamp of approval on the presence of 11 tigers inside the park.

The report reveals the existence of 11 tigers in the Rajaji Park’s 744 sq km area, with the minimum and maximum limits touching 4 and 15, respectively.

SS Raisaily, Director, Rajaji National Park, said they were not taking the WII report either as a positive or negative document.

“While we do not refute the findings of the WII, we are 100 per cent sure that there are a minimum of 17 tigers inside the park, which can be counted physically,” he said.

The WII report has covered the Chila range and some parts of Gori range of the park. The WII has just installed, in all, 80 cameras and a large part of the park remains uncovered, he said.

He also said the 2005 census conducted by them had put the population of tigers in the park to about 24 tigers. The census was conducted through pugmarks, but with the camera trap system, there is certainly a limitation to the coverage area of the counting, he added.

Avoiding challenging the WII tiger figures, he said that there was no need to panic on the report, as the figures were neither encouraging nor discouraging. He asserted that he was sure that tiger population inside the park was growing.

Interestingly, the WII had, some time back, mooted a tiger relocation plan for the tiger less western sector of the park. The initiative came at a time when there were reports of the western sector of the park being almost tiger less for the past many years, while the eastern sector had shown the presence of some wildcats.

Abishek Harihar, a senior researcher with the WII, in his study said, “Population viability of tiger in their North Western Range Limit, Terai Arc Landscape, has suggested tiger translocation as means to revive tiger population in the western sector of the Rajaji National Park”.

The study suggested initiation of translocation to prevent imminent local extinction of tigers. “Given that the tiger population in west Rajaji is extremely vulnerable to poaching pressures, translocations can be carried out in the first 10 years, and could be the means to tiger recovery,” Abishek Harihar had observed in his study.

Dehradun, April 8
Police inspector Kailash Panwar, Station House Officer (SHO) of the Kotwali police station, has been sent for one month training at the Police Lines over the lathicharge on cricket fans, who were celebrating India’s cricket World Cup win last Saturday night at the Clock Tower.

During his absence, second in charge of the police station will take up the responsibility of the post.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ganesh Singh Martolia said the SHO had been sent for training at the Police Lines. However, he stated that the probe report had not reached him.

“The report has not come to me yet. It will be out in a day or two and accordingly, action will be initiated,” the SSP added.

According to well-placed sources, the inquiry report has held Panwar responsible for the lathicharge. The SHO should have been more patient and should have avoided a mass lathicharge by identifying and nabbing just the anti-social elements, the report reportedly said.

The lathicharge by the cops at the Clock Tower had left dozens of persons, including women, children and journalists, injured. In retaliation, some youths had pelted stones at the police in which cops also sustained minor injures.

The agitated crowd had also torched a motorcycle at the Darshan Lal Chowk besides breaking panes of several cars parked at the Paltan Bazaar.

The next day, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had ordered a probe into the incident. GC Dhyani, Superintendent of Police (Rural), was asked to probe the matter.

The incident was criticised by political parties and the people alike. A Congress delegation men led by MLA Dinesh Agarwal yesterday had demanded action against the cops responsible for the lathicharge.

Dehradun, April 8
Five members of the Uttarakhand Jan Sena tonsured their head to protest against graft at the Gandhi Park, here today. Terming Anna Hazare a true Gandhian, spokesperson of the party Sanjay Bhatt said his party would participate in Jail Bharo Andolan to be launched on April 12.

When asked if in the past his party had ever taken up crusade against corruption, Bhatt said his party was two-year old and they have only been involved in raising political issues.

Haridwar, April 8
As a matter of pride for the country, particularly for Uttarakhand, the public sector undertaking, Ranipur unit, situated in Haridwar, of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has broken all previous records in the just-concluded financial year.

Staggering statistical figures bore the testimony of the company’s success, which has lived up to its billing as a top global firm with raking in the highest turnover of Rs 4,237 crore and showing a 31 per cent effective growth over the last year in its twin units namely HEEP (Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant) and CFFP (Central Foundry Forge Plant).

In view of maintaining company’s lead in the power segment where it has been the numero uno, the company invested a whopping Rs 1 billion in the research and development segment to maintain its market lead as well as the high standards of quality equipments it makes be it turbines, generators or thermal sets.

Informing about the company’s performance, executive director, HEEP, DK Mody, said the company had been able to achieve such record end results owing to the enhancing of the production capacity, innovative processes and dedicated efforts put in by the workforce.

Mody added that the latest technologies had been incorporated by the unit as BHEL was getting competition from China and even inside the country from some private companies. Though the market share does not stand anywhere close to what BHEL has achieved in its almost 50 years of establishment, our annual installed capacity is set to cross the 13,000-MW mark.

Notably, seven employees of HEEP also received the Prime Minister of India Shram Awards since 2005 making it total 26 such awards till date and 158 Vishwakarma Rashtriya Awards, which are highest for any organisation in the country. Apart from this, a gold medal accreditation from International Quality Circle convention held at Hyderabad, along with 17 patents, 10 copyrights and multi-crore contract from worldwide, including 104 turbine modules worth 10,264 MW, 23 generators and 30 associated condensers added to the glittering financial year the company saw.

While the general manger, CFFP plant, Nirmal Khandelwal, said the CFFP plant had undergone a huge leap of 21 per cent growth equivalent to Rs 367 crore turnover in the just concluded financial year.

He also pointed out that what sets apart BHEL from other manufacturing units in the fray was the high standard and “service after sale” which had become a hallmark of the company deriving multiple orders from the same clients owing to these two aspects.

Apart from the production, BHEL is also actively involved in various social activities for the welfare of the region.

Lauding the Haridwar unit’s remarkable progress, B Prasada Rao, chief managing director, BHEL, said the unit situated in Uttarakhand is playing a major role in meeting the country’s power capacity production with each and every employee involved being the reason behind this stupendous success.

Dehradun, April 8
Orthopaedic surgery in childhood can help polio and cerebral palsy patients in managing deformity and carrying on with their daily chores without depending on others. This was stated by Dr BKS Sanjay, Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon, at a press conference here yesterday.

“Due to lack of information, operations are not performed on young children; but after performing more than 1,000 orthopaedic operations, I can say that the chances of coping with deformity improves if operations are conducted on children as young as two to four years,” said Dr Sanjay.

He said the delay could prove costly as the deformity decreased the mobility of a patient. “The younger the patient, the more chances he has of responding to the operation and overcoming his deformity,” Dr Sanjay said.

He also said, “In patients suffering from polio, usually the afflicted leg is shorter than the normal one, and weight is unevenly distributed due to the limp. With operation the limp improves and the patient begins to use both the legs, thereby distributing the weight evenly.”

He added, “Locomotion is vital for the all-round development of a patient as it aids in his mental well being, helping him to cope better”.

Suman, a resident of Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), was polio-stricken since childhood, but after her operation in 2010, she resumed her studies and walked with minimum support.

“For me, it is an achievement in itself as I can perform my daily chores independently, and also pursue my studies,” said Suman.

A 22-year-old patient, Gurudev, suffering from cerebral palsy has also come for the operation. “Though they are a bit late, any improvement in the condition of their son will be of immense help,” said Dr Sanjay.

Normally, the cost of such operations ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000, depending uon the condition of the patient.

Dehradun, April 8
In response to district administration’s notice on Wednesday to 14 schools regarding their failure to comply with the government guidelines, nine public schools have sent their replies to the administration here today, while three have asked for more time.

The administration had served notice following protests organised by parents’ association and college students’ union, against public schools for charging high admission fee, conducting of entrance test for children and interview of parents, and a host of other issues.

Officials of most of the schools and their advocates yesterday gathered at the office of Dehradun City Magistrate Meharban Singh Bisht, and stated that they were out of the controversy. They also said that students were free to buy school stuff from a place of their choice.

Talking to The Tribune, Bisht said, “All public schools will have to follow the guidelines of the government, and the Right to Education Act (RTE). We have received a lot of complaints by the public that they are compelled to buy books, uniforms and other stationery items from the stalls put up by the school authorities, and they also charge high admission fees.”

“We are committed to implement the RTE Act in the state, and public schools will have to follow guidelines that say that students will not appear in any entrance examinations for their admission up to class VIII, parents will not be asked to appear for interview, enrollment of 25 per cent SC/ST students and priority to local children during admission, and others,” he said, and added, “Action will be taken against public schools if they do not follow these guidelines.”

St Joseph Academy, Doon International School, Welhams Boys’ School, Welhams Girls’ School, Scholar Home School, Carman School, are a few of the reputed schools that have been served the notice by the administration.

While many have filed their reply to the administration, St Joseph Academy, Doon International School and Welhams School, have asked for some time to submit their answer.

Dehradun, April 8
Under the state and Centrally-funded programme, the Horticulture Mission for North-East and Himalayan States, the Department of Horticulture and Food Processing, Uttarakhand, has launched a registration programme for farmers in all districts of the state.

The Horticulture Department is establishing new orchards of apples, pear, apricot, mango, guava, papaya, banana, kiwi, strawberry, and a host of other fruits, said GS Pande, Director of Horticulture. “Plus, old orchards will be renovated and fenced. To become part of the scheme, the farmers should be horticulture card holders. The beneficiaries with cards should get in touch with the in charge of mobile horticulture vans so that there cards are made immediately,” Pande said.

He said the state government was also promoting plantation of vegetables and flowers in a big way. “We are offering assistance to farmers, who are growing vegetables, like ginger, tomato, turmeric and garlic, and also for growing flowers, such as gerbera and carnation in poly-houses.”

Besides, under the CM’s Protected Cultivation Programme, farmers with small holdings are being encouraged to undertake the cultivation of flowers and vegetables. “Farmers can take up protected cultivation in poly-houses measuring 100m. The state is also offering financial assistance to farmers for irrigation facilities and construction of water tank and even compost,” said Pande.

Dehradun, April 8
Doon Combined qualified for the semifinals beating Kumaon Club team by 6 wickets during the District Cricket League held at Survey Stadium, here today.

Kumaon Club won the toss and elected to bat first. In the first innings, the team scored a total of 87 runs with opener Surinder, who could not contribute any runs for the team. Satish (22) scored highest runs chiefly contributing to pave the way for the side to score a fighting total.

While Doon Combined with the total score of 91 runs made the team victorious. Yash and Ashish were the highest scorers who smashed 25 and 16 runs, respectively, for the team.

Meanwhile, in the second match Graphic Era (A) entered in the semi finals defeating NSC by 25 runs. Graphic Era made the total score of 215 runs while NSC could make only 120 runs.

Dehradun, April 8
ONGC (Green) and Security (Blue) sealed the semifinals seats of the ONGC Inter-Departmental Football Tournament held at the Ambedkar Stadium of ONGC, here today.

In the first quarterfinals, ONGC (Green) defeated Security (Red) 3-0. Ajay Rawat (22nd minute and 30th) of the winning team scored a brace in the match. The first goal he scored through penalty. PD Joshi also netted a goal in the 33rd minute for ONGC.

Security (Blue) also entered semis beating KDMIP 2-0. Kirpal (25th) and DS Bisht (31st) scored a goal each for the winning team. Tomorrow, ONGC (Red) will face ONGC Green and Union XI will play against Security (Blue) in semifinals.