Dehradun, June 1
A major accident was averted as three private helicopters carrying pilgrims to the Kedarnath shrine made an emergency landing at Manera stadium at Uttarkashi today. A large number of people, including school students, were present at the stadium since a state-level football tournament was being played out at the stadium. However, there was no game being played at the time the three helicopters started hovering over the stadium.

According to the district administration, panic gripped the people gathered at the stadium ground and everyone was seen running away. Finally, the three helicopters carrying 14 pilgrims of a family from Kolkata landed at the stadium safely.

Officials of the district police and civil administration rushed to the stadium and talked to the pilots and the pilgrims. The pilots said that they were forced to make an emergency landing due to the inclement weather in the area.

Meanwhile, the district administration has taken cognisance of the incident and decided to take up the matter with the Civil Aviation Department of the state government. “We have informed the Civil Aviation Department and also written to them about informing the district administration about the designated emergency landing places in the district. It was dangerous to land the helicopters at a place where so many people were present,” said Hemlata Daundiyal, District Magistrate, Uttarkashi.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who was supposed to visit Badrinath to participate in a function of the eco-task force, was also not able to fly due to bad weather conditions in the state.

On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, who is also on a pilgrimage to char dham with his family members, was stranded at Kedranath as his helicopter also could not fly due to incessant rain and bad-weather conditions.

On Tuesday, two helicopters, carrying a Chattisgarh minister and his family members, had to made emergency landings at Gauchar in Chamoli district due to bad weather. Brijmohan Aggarwal, Chattisgarh PWD Minister along with seven members of his family who were on their way to Kedarnath had to land at Gauchar. However, later in the day, as the weather conditions improved, the helicopters flew to Fata, the landing strip near Kedarnath.

Dehradun, June 1
Political interference has derailed the process of appointment of Lokpals or Ombudsmen for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in all 13 districts of the state.

In effect, the Uttarakhand Government should have appointed the Lokpals within five months of the Central Government’s order of 2009, but there has been an inordinate delay in the process.

The officials in the Rural Development Department claim that as there are 13 posts (13 Lokpals for 13 districts), members from the political party in power, from ministers to party workers, have been coming out with the names of their nominees.

“We have been flooded with letters from ministers and ordinary BJP workers forwarding the names of the candidates who they think will be suitable for the post,” said a top official in the Rural Department.

Last year, 12 names of prominent persons were finalised by the committee headed by the Chief Secretary, but the Uttarakhand Government in February developed cold feet suddenly and now the entire exercise will be launched once again.

The government had even put the names of the candidates on the state government’s website so that the general public could file their objections, but the list was withdrawn after certain members in the ruling BJP raised a hue and cry and wanted their nominees to get the prestigious posts.

“The process for the appointment of Lokpals will be initiated very soon. The selection committee is scrutinising the names. In the absence of the Lokpal, the department has already set in motion a departmental redress mechanism at the Directorate and the complaints are continuously being addressed,” said Om Prakash, Secretary, Rural Development.

However, social activists claim that the appointment of the Lokpals in the 13 districts will usher in greater transparency wherein department officials will be held accountable. “The Lokpal is expected to hold 30 days’ courts wherein complaints will be heard locally and tabs will be kept on the programme by holding people’s court,” said Gajender Nautiyal, coordinator, Shri Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram (SBMA).

The Lokpal will be given a monthly remuneration of Rs 15,000 to be borne by the Central Government under the provisions of the administrative expenditure. Primarily, their work will be to look into the complaints pertaining to the registration of households and issuing of job cards, payment of wages and complaints relating to facilities present at the work sites.

The government has given them wide-ranging powers that include issuing of directions to government officials to conduct spot investigations and lodging of FIRs against erring government functionaries.

Dehradun, June 1
After much delay, the budgetary needs of District Protection Cells created under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005, are expected to be met with the Integrated Child and Development Services (ICDS Directorate), Uttarakhand, seeking administrative approval.

A budget proposal of Rs 50 lakh for administrative approval has been presented to the government; once approved, the amount will be helpful in the implementation of the Act.

The ICDS Departments have been entrusted with the additional responsibility of running the cells under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA) 2005.

However, in Dehradun district, the Cooperative Department has been entrusted with the responsibility. “Since the creation of the cells, my parent department (Cooperatives) has been forced to foot the bill incurred for running the cell.

The separate allocation will help me in bearing the day-to-day expenditure, without depending on my parent department,” said Ramindri, Mandarwal, District Protection Officer (Dehradun).

In the districts, the work of district protection officers was hampered by non-existent facilities and no budgetary allocation. Almost all cells have been starved of funds since their inception.

It is not certain if the budgetary allocation will also pave the way for hiring the services of a counsellor or a psychologist and a service provider.

On the other hand, the Women Empowerment Cell is also awaiting the release of budget from the Central Government for carrying out different activities aimed at empowering women.

The cell was created in November 2010 and is presided over by the Governor and the Chief Minister. It was created at the behest of the Central Government for carrying out economic empowerment activities in the areas of health, education, micro-finance activities and even organising skill upgradation training for women.

Dehradun, June 1
The chain fast by employees of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) entered its second day today. The employees have been demanding that their services be regularised and a permanent Managing Director and General Manager (Administration) be appointed in the corporation. The nigam runs tourist resorts across the Garhwal region. The employees, who have been holding the chain fast at the headquarters of the nigam here, raised slogans.

Purshottam Puri, general secretary of the Sanyukt Karamchari Mahasangh of the Garhwal Mandan Vikas Nigam and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam employees, said despite the assurance given to them by Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar of appointing a permanent Managing Director soon and also looking into the other demands of the employees, nothing had been done so far.

He said a delegation of the employees met the Chief Secretary and the Tourism Secretary today and reiterated before them the demands of the mahasangh. He said the officials again assured them of solving their problems within two days.

Puri announced that the agitation by the employees would continue till the appointment of a permanent Managing Director of the GMVN.

Nainital, June 1
With the state government having failed to deliver on various fronts, its representatives, the cabinet ministers, have started receiving a taste of the government’s own medicine. They now appear to be at the receiving end. This was evident during the visit of at least two of them to Nainital district over the past two days.

Minister in charge of Panchayati Raj and Jails Rajendra Bhandari and Minister for Water Resources Prakash Pant were in for a shock during their visit to Bhimtal and Haldwani.

Bhandari was shown black flags and had to face a strong sloganeering against him by the representatives of various the Panchayati Raj institutions whom he was to address at a meeting in Bhimtal last afternoon. The representatives, who had come from remote areas, were agitated over the minister turning up late at the venue. Bhandari is learnt to have been late by about one and a half hours late. These representatives were from different political parties.

In addition to this, the representatives were annoyed at the Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank-led BJP Government to have failed to enact a Panchayati Raj Act specific to the needs of the state. Although the minister said the Bill was ready and would soon be approved by the Cabinet, the agitated representatives could not be pacified. They brought out the black flags that they had been carrying in their pockets and waved those in the face of the minister. They also expressed their resentment over the failure of the government to address their concerns pertaining to raising their honorariums. The minister was left red faced.

In another instance, Pant had to take an alternative route to inaugurate a tube well in Haldwani as protesters from the Narayan Nagar locality had planned a demonstration against the minister on the original route over the failure of the administration to provide them with potable water. Women had come down in large numbers to squat on the road with empty vessels.

When they came to know that Pant had reached Bithoriya via another route, the protesters rushed to the spot and created a ruckus. It was only when the minister promised them that he would take up the matter on priority that the protesters were pacified.

Dehradun, June 1
Statehoood agitators belonging to various organisations today started a relay fast under the banner of the Uttarakhand Rajya Nirman Senani Manch to press for their demands at the Shaheed Sthal here today.

A group of 14 women, many of them more than 80 years old, who were the first statehood agitators in the district participated in the relay fast today. Manoj Dhayani, a spokesperson of the manch, said that after 42 days of protest by the statehood agitators, it was decided to fight unitedly for the honour and demands of these statehood agitators.

He said the statehood agitators, most of them old, should be given free health facilities in the government hospital and free transportation facilities in the state roadways. He further said that the government order regarding 10 per cent reservation in government services for statehood agitators was flawed since most of them had crossed the age limit for government service.

He said the manch demanded that the reservation be extended to the wards of the statehood agitators till 2020.

Dehradun, June 1
Hemkunt Sahib was opened to pilgrims today. The yatra started at 11 am after the Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib and ardas.

The Sri Hemkunt Gurdwara Trust has made all arrangements for the smooth conduct of the yatra. It had started the registration of pilgrims a week ago. General manager of the trust Darshan Singh said pilgrims were being provided accommodation and food at Rishikesh, Srinagar, Joshimath, Govindghat and Govinddham.

A large number of pilgrims from across the country come to Uttarakhand every year to pay obeisance at Hemkunt Sahib.

Dehradun, June 1
The Uttarakhand Lekhpal Sangh ended its strike after 58 days of protest here today.

As many as 428 persons were staging a protest since April 5 in order to get their 13 point list of demands fulfilled.

Talking to TNS, Radhey Shyam Painuily, general secretary of the association, stated that the government had agreed to concede their long-standing demands, including increase in their salaries.

He said they would now be getting the grade pay of Rs 4,500 instead of the present Rs 3,050 and also get travelling allowance. Promotion opportunities for revenue inspectors and immediate recruitment to the vacant posts of lekhpal in the Revenue Department were among the demands raised by them.

The employees will resume work tomorrow.

Nainital, June 1
Minister In Charge of Panchayati Raj and Jails Rajendra Bhandari has ordered a probe against the Haldwani sub-jail jailer and also ordered his transfer.

The jailer, TD Joshi, is accused of meting out improper treatment to prisoners and the mismanagement of the jail. There have been complaints about prisoners being provided facilities for a cost and the minister has expressed his dissatisfaction with the state of affairs there. Bhandari had inspected the jail on Tuesday.

He has ordered officials to provide all facilities to prisoners according to the norms. He has asked the officials to provide poor prisoners with proper clothing and has called for proper sanitation on the jail premises.

He said those prisoners who were serving life sentence and wanted to be shifted to other jails could apply for transfer. The minister further said those serving life imprisonment and had completed 14 years in jail with a good conduct would be released after necessary procedures.

The Jail Superintendent was told by the minister to get broken doors and windows of toilets repaired and also get the prisoners medically examined at regular intervals. He also ordered the installation of a solar water heater on the jail premises.

Haridwar, June 1
Acknowledging the fact that some leaders of the Samajwadi Party had failed to gauge the mood of the local people during the creation of a separate Uttarakhand state, Samajwadi Party state chief Vinod Barthwal said those who opposed the inclusion of Haridwar district in Uttarakhand were now in a minority as the benefit of the people of this region lay in the new state only. Barthwal was here in the city to attend a one-day convention of the district unit of the party at the Lal Taura party office. On the sidelines of the convention, the SP chief accepted that the hill-plain divide issue backfired which resulted in plummeting of the party’s base both in the voter and organisational terms but added that now people realised that the Samajwadi Party was the lone party catering to the aspirations of the hilly state.

Addressing the party workers, the state party chief stated that the party would be contesting in all 70 Assembly segments in the upcoming Assembly elections but had identified 25 seats where it would be focusing mainly as it could clinch a victory in these segments. On the possibility of an alliance in the state, ahead of the Assembly elections, Barthwal told TNS that talks with like-minded secular parties were on to forge an alliance in the state particularly with the Communist parties to provide a third front option to the people of this hilly state who have been cheated by the corrupt BJP and Congress governments.

Lashing out at the Congress on adopting double standards on the Gairsain capital issue, the BJP and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal cited the recent completion of the Chief Minister’s house worth Rs 18 crore, the Governor’s house costing Rs 14 crore and a Rs 88-crore proposal for the Legislative house in interim capital Dehradun.

He said, “If such huge amounts are being spent in the interim capital only, then why are they keeping silent on the Gairsain issue? They should clearly state that Dehradun only will be the permanent capital. They should not build expensive permanent official buildings fooling the hilly people on the Garisain capital issue. While the Haridwar district chief, Dr Rajendra Parashar, welcomed the decision of according the Municipal Corporation status to the now defunct municipal committee terming it as a major step in terms of development, he cautioned that the intent of the ruling BJP government was not right as it did so to gain political mileage.

Terming the current state government as steeped in corruption, Parashar said that be it Mahakumbh funds or relief aid, both had been siphoned off by BJP ministers and party office-bearers. The issue will be taken up by the party with the voters.

Pithoragarh, June 1
The Uttarakhand Roadways has decided to run seven main bus stands of the state, including those of Dehradun, Roorkee, Almora, Khatima, Kathgodam and Lohaghat, under the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode, said Deepak Jain, General Manager of the Uttarakhand Roadways here today.

“The plan has been prepared and the final nod of the government was awaited for its implementation,” he said.

He said 100 new buses were being introduced to the roadways fleet. These buses would be provided to the district depots and plied on profitable routes. “Most of the new buses, including some deluxe ones, will be plying to Dehradun from these districts to boost the revenue of the Uttarakhand Roadways Corporation, which is already running on loss,” he said. He said the decision to switch to the public-private-partnership mode had been taken since there is no agreement on sharing of assets with mother state Uttar Pradesh.

Dehradun, June 1
In a joint press conference, the Association of Self- Financed Institutes, Uttarakhand, and the BEd/BPEd Prashikshit Berozgar Sangathan demanded that the state government fill vacancies in educational institutions.

They said unemployment was increasing in the state day by day and the government had failed to take action. Due to the geographical condition of the state, most of the youth here look up to the government jobs. However, the government was not filling the vacant posts.

The members of the associations pointed out that 1,800 posts of teacher in primary and middle schools were lying vacant and despite unemployment, the government was not acting.

Baldev Bhandari, president of the BEd/BPEd Association, said for the past four years, the Basic Training Certificate (BTC) examination had not been conducted because of which scores of BEd/BPEd trained teachers were agitating against the government.

“The state government should now stop relying on the Central Government and do something on its own to tackle the problem,” he added.

Pithoragarh, June 1
Rains in the month of May in this district has not only brought cold conditions, but also caused inconvenience to farmers as rains accompanied by hailstones has destroyed crops in the district.

According to a spokesperson for the Meteorological Department, rains in the month of May were 50 mm more as compared to the same time last year.

The highest rainfall of 36.2 mm was recorded on May 29. “Continuous rain last month has resulted in a dip in temperatures.”

Dehradun, June 1
Two groups had a tussle over an ashram in the Patelnagar area, which forced the police to intervene.

According to the police, a group from Punjab came to the ashram, Manav Kendra, a few days ago. Members of the group said they were not happy with the working of members of the ashram. However, members at the ashram alleged that the group from Punjab wanted to grab the ashram and had forcibly entered inside. Following this, the police took an application and documents from them. Chairman of the ashram Nand Lal Sharma alleged that the group from Punjab wanted to take control of the ashram.

Refuting the allegations, Kunal Deep from Punjab said they had come here to see the working of the ashram, which was “not being managed well by its members”. Circle Officer (Patelnagar) Manikant Mishra said they had received a complaint from both the groups. They had been asked to produce documents.