Haridwar, July 8
While the respective Union Governments have kept mum over the black money stacked in foreign bank accounts, in a first of its kind acceptance from a prominent national leader, Rajnath Singh, he has blame politicians, bureaucrats and corporate bigwigs for extracting public’s hard-earned money through corrupt means.

Rajnath Singh, who has been given the additional charge of Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand BJP in-charge in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in both the states, was addressing the Maha Rally of the BJP against black money, corruption and rising inflation in Haridwar today.

He admitted that black money and corruption were the two menaces weakening the Indian democratic setup and the situation had been aggravated by the laxity of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). A record number of scams have been witnessed during its governance.

Citing apex court’s recent decision of appointing a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that even the court had to take this step because of a deliberate lethargy shown by the UPA government in dealing with corruption.

“If you (public) are living in poverty and don’t have employment then sole blame is on the corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and corporates who are using their authority to extract public money only to be stacked in their foreign bank accounts,” said Rajnath Singh, who has been the BJP chief twice.

On the issue of rising inflation, unemployment and poverty, Rajnath Singh accused the Congress of being anti-poor. He said every time inflation had touched an all-time high, it was during the Congress rule at the Centre.

“Only Atal Bihari Vajpayee was able to control inflation during the NDA governance at the Centre. Inflation, corruption, crime, economic stability and foreign affairs were ably dealt during his tenure as Prime Minister,” he added, urging the people of the country to save the nation by voting the BJP to power.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank pointed out the biased attitude of the Congress towards the state in providing the Central assistance, implementing developmental schemes and allowing extension of the industrial package.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati urged the people to start a campaign from the holy land of Haridwar to bring good governance in the country, as the Congress-led UPA had corrupted the democracy. By bringing back the BJP to power can one only set the country on the path of development in a corruption-free atmosphere. She also expressed gratitude to Nishank for a written commitment on the Dhari Devi shrine in Pauri Garhwal to save it from inundation in the Alaknanda hydroelectric project reservoir.

Former Union State Minister for Science and Technology Bachi Singh Rawat, Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay, Uttarakhand BJP chief Bishan Singh Chufal, state co in-harge Thawar Singh Gehlot, state cabinet ministers Madan Kaushik, Trivendra Singh Rawat and several legislators and party executives of Haridwar district were present at the rally.

Haridwar, July 8
Despite repeated claims made by the BJP leadership of making sure that former state Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri will be participating in the Maha Rally of the party against corruption in Haridwar, he was conspicuous by his absence at the rally today.

Though a seat was reserved for the former Chief Minister, which was later occupied by a party leader. Many of Khanduri’s supporters left the venue while those who remained seated just passively listened to the speakers and applauded only Rajnath’s speech. When contacted, district party leaders present on the dais evaded comments on former Chief Minister’s absence from the rally, though Madan Kaushik said not much should be looked into this aspect.

When The Tribune tried to contact the former Chief Minister in Dehradun, his personal secretary said owing to ill health the programme was cancelled at the last moment. Former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was also absent.

Pithoragarh, July 8
Nearly one lakh people of the border subdivisions of this district have remained cut off from the rest of the world for the past 48 hours as 20 internal roads and two highways have been blocked by landslides triggered by continuing rain for the past one week.

“The situation cannot be described as alarming as the duration of road block has not crossed the 72-hour limit,” said RS Rana, Disaster Management Officer.

According to sources in the disaster management office, the road linking Dharchula with the district headquarters had remained close for 14 hours due to landslides on Thursday. “The road has now been opened to light vehicles,” said Rana.

The sources added that roads at La Jhekla, Rata Pani, Hariya, Baram, Madkot, Bona, Betulidhar Hararia and Gini in the Munsiyari area have been badly damaged in the first spell of the monsoon this year.

“The Kanchoti-Narain Ashram and Madkot-Munsiyari roads are in a poor shape. Restoration of road connectivity in the area might take some time as the rain is continuing in these areas,” said Rana, adding that his department is ready with a coordinated resource mobilisation plan to tackle likely natural calamities during the monsoon.

In the meantime, Congress leader of the Madkot area Harish Dhami has served an ultimatum on the local administration that if the eight bridges, which had been swept away by a strong current in rivulets last week, are not constructed within 15 days, he will start an agitation at the subdivision headquarters in Dharchula.

“Owing to the damaged bridges, the supply of essential commodities to the area has been affected while children are not able to go to school,” said Dhami.

Dehradun, July 8
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today asked the Central Government to extend financial and technical assistance in making Uttarakhand a world-class ayurvedic centre.

“The state will benefit immensely if the Central Government supports our international AYUSH Research Centre, Sanjivini board projects and recognises the state as a herbal state,” Nishank said while inaugurating the Arogya Health Exhibition here.

The exhibition has been organised by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand, in association with the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI).

Nishank said his government recognised the importance of maintaining quality checks at the levels of production and distribution. “In view of the renewed interest in ayurveda, it is imperative that we maintain the quality of our products and strengthen the institutions. We have already taken several steps to strengthen ayurveda, homeopathy, Unani and naturopathy,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that along with including ayurveda in naturopathy in the school curriculum the government had also engaged 22,0000 farmers in the cultivation of herbs. “In the near future the strength will be increased to 50,000. This step will enhance the income of farms,” the CM added.

Joint Adviser, Ayurveda, Health Ministry, Govt of India, Janardhan Pandey lauded the efforts of the state government and suggested that it have an independent Drug Controller for ayurvedic and AYUSH medicines.

Principal Secretary, AYUSH, Rajeev Gupta said the aim of the health exhibition was to provide information about the availability of medicines in the Indian system of medicine.

Deputy Director of FICCI Praveen Mittal said that at the exhibition visitors could view different plants and even undergo a free health examination. Dr Pooja Bhardwaj, Director, AYUSH, said wide exposure was being given to the Indian system of medicine through the exhibition.

Dehradun, July 8
The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, is all set to enhance the capacity of its scientific cadre to bring about a quantum jump in the quality and delivery of research undertaken by the organisation.

According to Dr VK Bahuguna, Director-General, ICFRE, the need for international training, participation in workshops and networking with individuals and institutions abroad was absolutely imperative for enhancing the capacity of the scientific cadre.

The steps the ICFRE proposes to take shortly includes a detailed exercise to specifically enlist the areas of scientific research in forestry in the domain of each of the ICFRE’s eight institutions across the country.

The ICFRE needs to make collaborative efforts with universities abroad to facilitate exchange programmes entailing the visit of scientists engaged in research in similar areas to provide an opportunity for scientists to go and work on such projects. Young scientists will be encouraged to pursue fellowship programmes in reputed institutes abroad.

Further, the ICFRE proposes a one-to-one relationship among some of the divisional heads of ICFRE institutes with their counterparts in reputed universities abroad.

Dehradun, July 8
Preparations are on for the Kanwar Mela in Uttarakhand. At a review meeting of the Uttarakhand Home Department held here today, Uttarakhand Principal Secretary, Home, Rajeev Gupta issued necessary orders to administration officers for speedy preparations of the mela that would be held from July 15 to July 29.

A large number of pilgrims from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana will attend the mela. Rajeev Gupta said all preparations of the mela must be completed by July 10. Gupta asked irrigation officials to start immediate repair of the 55 km road to be used by Kanwarias. Similarly, the potable water department was asked to make all necessary drinking water arrangements on the kanwar routes.

Uttarakhand DGP JS Pandey said meetings had already taken place with senior police officials of the adjoining states for smooth conduct of the yatra. He said women police officials were also being deployed on the Kanwar route taking into account a large number of women kanwarias coming to Uttarakhand.

Apart from senior government officials from Uttarakhand, government functionaries from neighbouring Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh also attended the meeting.

Nainital, July 8
The district administration has ordered that the control room set up for the purpose of disaster management be also used for gathering information on the availability of basics in the far-flung areas of Nainital district.

According to District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli, officer in charge for disaster management Manoj Pandey has been deputed as the nodal officer for the purpose.

Bagauli said the personnel on duty at the control room would be calling up residents of different villages to gather information about the availability of basic amenities in the villages.

Bagauli stated that the personnel would particularly gather information on the implementation of the flagship programmes of the state government like the Atal Khadyann Yojana. He appealed to the people residing in different parts of the district to lodge their complaints by calling number 05942-231179.

Bagauli instructed the nodal officer to forward the complaints received to officials of the departments concerned on a daily basis after making an entry in a register. He said the control room would be functional round the clock.

According to the District Magistrate the officials posted at the control room had been asked to gather information on the functioning of the public distribution system outlets, health workers, doctors deputed in the villages, educational institutions, etc. They would also be gathering information on the availability of medicines at the health centres, the presence of doctors and pharmacists, ASHA workers, etc.

In addition the villagers would be asked about the availability of water and power in their areas and the quality of water being supplied. The administration also plans to monitor the implementation of the midday meal scheme through the control room.

Bagauli also said that flood control posts had been set up in the district and those deputed there would be gathering information on rising water levels from 8 am to 4 pm on a daily basis. The personnel deputed at these posts had been asked to alert the office of the District Magistrate in the event of a disaster in any part of the district.

Nainital, July 8
Yet another monsoon has arrived and the promise to rebuild bridge over the Gaula river connecting Gaula Par areas with Haldwani remains a dream.

It is yet another example of promise being made to be broken by the government with not even an iota of guilt that the people are being suffered.

It has been three years since the bridge had been devastated and its replacement is not visible in the near future. With the result, the people residing in Gaula Par have to travel 13 km instead of a mere 3 km and those in Chorgaliya are having to travel 38 km instead of 28 km.

The worst affected are farmers as these two areas are known as the vegetable basket of the region and the produce is brought to the wholesale market in Haldwani for sale. The increase in distance simply means an increase in freight charges which is hitting the farmers hard.

Ironically, District Magistrate at Nainital Shailesh Bagauli had ordered completion of the now famed Gaula Bridge before this monsoon. The directions had come at a meeting held in Haldwani following a survey of the ongoing work in November last year.

Bagauli had visited the site to see for himself the state of affairs prevailing on the spot.

He had directed the construction agency to enroll more labour so that the work on the project could be expedited. The District Magistrate had instructed that proper work charts should be prepared. Bagauli had said along with the work on the initial two pillars, they should start building the third pillar simultaneously.

He had pointed out that the bridge had to be completed before the onset of the monsoon and the construction agency should make details about the work being executed public and should be ready for regular reviews.

The agency had been given the target of building five pillars by March. It is learnt that while the pillars have come up, the slab remains illusive.

A defensive state government had come out with an order sanctioning Rs 10.25 crore for the project following a massive public furore that was marked by activists of the Aapda Prabhavit Jan Sangharsh Samiti agitating in Haldwani for more than a fortnight in November.

The movement had been gaining momentum by the day with all opposition parties and public groups extending their support. The decision of the government was seen as a major victory for the people’s movement in the area.

The government, while coming out with an order of sanctioning the funds, had called for the construction of the bridge as per the guidelines of the Centre. It had also asked Bagauli to supervise the construction and to ensure that all recommendations given by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee were adhered to while constructing the bridge. The state government had called for the execution of the project on schedule and had sought a status report by the end of the last financial year.

As of now, the project continues to hang fire and it is yet another pointer towards the officials’ apathy and non-responsive governance in the region.

Pithoragarh, July 8
More than 55 mm rainfall during last week could not solve the drinking water problem in Gangolihat, Pithoragarh and the Goral chaur area of Champawat districts.

The people living in these areas have threatened to launch a stir if their problem will not be solved soon.

At Chodiyar village of Gangolihat subdivision, the native village of Drinking Water Minister of Uttarakhand Prakash Pant, villagers have been facing drinking water problem for long now and the they have demanded a new scheme for the village. “We have been writing to Jal Sansthan officials for long but they are not paying attention to our problems and now we have decided to write to the minister as he belongs to this village,” said Bhagwati Prasad Pant, a retired teacher living in the village.

In the Gora chaur area of Champawat, the only hand pump used by villagers to quench their thirst has gone dry as the rains have covered it with mud and silt. “The people living in this ward have written to the Jal Sansthan officials but they have not heeded the people,” said MC Joshi, a resident of the ward.

In four villages of the Chaudans valley in Dharchula subdivision, villagers are facing acute drinking water problem. “The educated and influential people have already left the village. The problems of the poor are not being addressed by the administration,” said Leela.

Bangyal chairwoman of the Hathkargha Vikas Samiti in Jaikot village, said though the locals in Pithoragarh were receiving the adequate supply of drinking water from the Thuligar drinking water scheme, the distribution problem is still erratic. “Despite the sufficient water supply, the wards of Aincholi Lunthura GIC and some parts of GIC colony are still facing water shortage,” said Bhagwan Singh Rawat, organiser of the Pay Jal Aaraksan Samiti, in the town.