Dehradun, April 8
The Doon Citizens Council today extended its wholehearted support and solidarity to Anna Hazare. It also endorsed his demand for immediate introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The council’s members also took a solemn pledge neither to accept, nor give any bribe. In a resolution, the council strongly felt that the matter of the Lokpal Bill had been delayed for, too, long and it is high time that an effective Bill was enacted without any further delay.

The proposed Bill should have stringent punishment provisions so that the corrupt could not go scot free. A copy of the resolution is being sent to the President and the Prime Minister of India.

President Emeritus of the council MM Tayal in an appeal to Anna said, “Your life is, too, precious to be pitted against a government which is immune and indifferent to the voice of the people.”

Tayal said a workable solution could be found and the committee proposed to be set up to draft the Jan Lokpal Bill should include legal luminaries such as Soli Sorabjee with the sitting Chief Justice of India as its chairman. The committee should be mandated to prepare within 30 days the Lokpal Bill.

He also voiced his opposition to making Kapil Sibal as intermediary of the government in this delicate issue. Tayal also wanted the names of the members of the proposed committee be announced immediately in order to build confidence in their credibility and trustworthiness.

Dehradun: Primed for a cause, the Uttarakhand residents have participated in several movements related to forests, water and land. With social activist Anna Hazare opening a front against the government in Delhi on the corruption issue, the intellectuals and social activists of Dehradun, under the aegis of Samvedna, gathered today at the Gandhi Park to lend their support demanding greater probity and transparency in public life.

Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna said people should examine their own behaviour instead of focusing on the government. “Corruption has become a cancer that is eating the vitals of our nation. It has become a social behaviour approved by the society. I have noticed several splinter groups and political parties lending support to the movement. They should train the mirror onto themselves and introspect, so that what they do here has some value and not turn into a farce,” said the social activist.

He said, “From time to time voices against corruption have been raised and campaigns, too, have been organised. But we have achieved little results. There have been unsung heroes in the past, who had raised their voices against corruption, but were eliminated. Most of them were young, our country will benefit a great deal if the young put their foot down, do not succumb to pressure,” said Bahuguna.

Echoing similar views, his wife Vimla Bhauguna said, “Since Independence we have not been able to find a solution to the problem of pilferage of funds and stem the leaks in the funds allocated by the government that would have benefited the poor and eliminated poverty. It is noteworthy what Anna Hazare is doing in Delhi.”

Taking recourse to literature an octogenarian writer Vidya Sagar Nautiyal said, “There is an effort to silence voices and writers are harassed or hounded. Only the courageous have managed to put up a brave front,” he said.

Dehradun: Thousands got together in and around Roorkee town in support of Gandhian leader Anna Hazare. The momentum of anti-corruption canmpaign is catching up, as many people from all of walks of life are coming forward to support the veteran leader.

“We all need to be united to eliminate corruption, which has flourished with time in the country and is spreading like a virus,” said former faculty member of IIT-Roorkee Narendara Singh, who has been on fast for the second day today.

He continued his fast at the Shekhar Chowk and called upon doctors, academicians and other to come forward in support of Anna and make his drive strong and uproot the spread of corruption.

The Anti-Corruption Committee in Roorkee town took out a rally in support of Anna. Joined by the general public, schoolchildren and a few government employees went around spreading the message of supporting Anna’s drive.

Pitthoragarh, April 8
Keeping pace with the fast unto death for enacting the Jan Lok Pal Bill in the country by noted social worker Anna Hazare in New Delhi, social activists of the Kumoan region have started symbolic fast supporting the cause.

“We are ready to fill the jails from April 12, if Hazare ji appeals so,” said social activist in Pitthoragarh district Lalit Pant. The young advocates of the Pitthoragarh Bar Association led by Ajay Rathore sat on one day fast at Gandhi chowk, Pitthoragarh today.

“This fast by the young advocates and social activists is followed by the dharna by the Gandhian social workers of the district on April 6, at the District Collectorate of the district,” said Rathore.

“The relay dharna and fast will continue till Anna hazare is on fast in New Delhi,” added Rathore. The worker of the Patanjali Yog Samiti also supported the fast and decided to mobilise the people for further struggle if needed.

In Champawat district, the social workers led by Rajendra Gahtori sat on one-day symbolic fast in motor station today to support Anna’s move.

The interior district of Bageshwar in the region also erupted on the issue with youths and workers of the Patanjali Yog Samiti started a symbolic fast from yesterday at tehsil campus Bageshwar.

“The move was led by state vice president of the Peoples’ Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) Nanda Ballabh Bhatt and president of Gaon Garib Sangathan Bishen Singh Tagaria,” said district president of PUCL Ramesh Pandey.

Nainital, April 8
In a latest spree of laying of foundation stones, inaugurations and dedication of projects to the public in the poll year, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank flew down to Someshwar in Almora district and Leti-Bunga in the Ramgarh area of Nainital district today.

In a spree that has been described by his critics as “Kori Ghoshna Diwas” (blank announcement day) on the social networking site facebook, Nishank dedicated schemes and projects to the tune of Rs 16,31,80,000 to the people of the Someshwar area and another Rs 17.5 crore in the Ramgarh area of Nainital district.

It was not a mere show of dedications as more announcements were also to follow. In the Bauraron Ghati area of Someshwar, the Chief Minister accepted the public demand to start postgraduation courses in government college and also agreed to other demands like improving the road network in the region.

He also gave orders for disbursement of economic aid to some of the poor people in the area and himself disbursed 26 cheques under the Gaura Devi Kanyadhan Yojana and 24 cheques under the Parivarik Labh Yojana. The disbursements amounted to Rs 9.60 lakh. Nishank said besides setting up of several educational institutes, an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is also going to start off in Kashipur.

He exhorted the children to devote themselves to studies and avail the benefits of various schemes started by the government for the uplift of the youths. He said that his government was willing to finance the professional education of talented, but poor students of the state.

He listened to the grievances of the public in a multi-purpose camp organised during his visit and claimed that his government’s priority is to provide all basic facilities at the Nyayay Panchayat headquarters.

Among the other announcements made by him were the overtaking of Salauj Inter College by the government; construction of a bridge at Malagaon, which is the prime base camp for the Nanda Raj Jatra and a bridge to connect Dhaulad and Adhuriya.

He also called for a greater participation of women in the development process and promised that a plan to promote tourism in the Takula area would be made very soon.

He later flew to the Leti-Bunga area of Ramgarh where once again he interacted with the people regarding the issues faced by them.

After dedicating the projects worth Rs 17.50 crore to the people of the region, he listened to the queries raised by the people. He ordered suspension of two pharmacists posted at Joshuda village of the Okhalkanda block following complaints and even asked District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli to write to the state administration regarding the failure of DS Garbyal, Chief Medical Officer in Nainital, to take work from them.

Dehradun, April 8
A letter by the company secretary of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam urging the joint association of the employees and manager/ supervisors to drop their idea to go on an indefinite strike from April 20 in the wake of the Char Dham pilgrimage season has failed to move them.

Purushottam Giri, president of the joint association of the GMVN, expressed hope that the GMVN management would take concrete steps to resolve the matter before the first week of May when the pilgrimage is scheduled to start.

Giri said the employees of the nigam were highly incensed over the deceptions meted out to them one after another. He said, “The board meeting, which was to take place on March 31 to evaluate the decisions taken on March 5, did not take place. Plus, no next date was announced for the meeting.

“The issues that could have been sorted out easily or the homework that could have been done on some long-pending issues for their speedy redress, too have got stuck. This shows the lack of willingness on the part of management to solve our issues.”

While referring to the issue of controversial high-level appointments, he said, “We wonder what is stopping the management from removing them when the board too accepted wrongdoings in their selection. It is clear that management wants to protect them.”

The matter of departmental promotions too should have been wrapped up by now, he said. “The management has list of people who are to be promoted. It was merely a matter of giving orders, but even on that, they are sitting quietly.”

The emotional blackmail about the yatra season hasn’t made them change their stance. Giri said, “There is enough time before the Char Dham pilgrimage begins. If the management is sincere, it must start working on its promises. Otherwise, we will not budge an inch,” he said.

Dehradun, April 8
Two youths were sent to jail for spreading rumour of loot in the Premnagar area here today. The duo has been identified as Gulshan of Premnagar and Sonu of Saharanpur.

According to Station House Officer of the Cantt Police Station AS Rawat, Gulshan had called up the control room (100) alleging that three persons on a car with a Punjab number plate looted him of Rs 15,600 by covering his head with a blanket.

The police tracked down the car at some distance away from Premnagar. However to their surprise, they found the opposite story.

The car occupants told the police that they had sold blanket to Gulshan for Rs 2,000 and no loot was held as told by the latter. On questioning, Ganesh revealed the real story.

He said after burying the blanket he found that he was overcharged for them. Following which he called up the police to teach the sellers a lesson. Ganesh, along with his accomplice Sonu, has been sent to jail while the blanket seller has been made the witness.