Rain fury unabated in Kumaon
Many areas remain cut off 
Tribune News Service

Nainital, August 18
Fury unleashed by incessant rain across Kumaon continued unabated on the fourth consecutive day today.

A large part of the region, particularly the hilly areas, remained cut off as the road connectivity has been badly hit. The administration is trying to open alternative routes in the area. The condition of link roads in the interiors of the district is also poor with a majority of them remaining closed.

In Nainital district, two deaths have been reported in rain-related incidents. In the Khairna area, a man drowned in a seasonal stream while in the Lal Kuan area, a boy was killed after falling in a ditch filled with water.

District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli said the administration had been facing problems in reaching out to the people owing to incessant rain and road blockades. Administrative officials are personally supervising the work of the opening of roads and reaching out to the affected villages.

Traffic flow on the Bhawali-Nainital road has been resumed after the clearing of the debris brought by a nullah near the Pines area. A large number of people who had been trapped on the Bhawali- Khairna stretch have been rescued by officials and provided with food and shelter by the management of Kainchi Dham.

Bagauli said the administration was trying to reach out to the affected people in the remote areas.

In Udham Singh Nagar, the administration has shifted a large number of people residing in areas near rivers to safer locations.

According to reports, a large number of tenements along with tracts of fertile land have been washed away in areas like Kitcha, Rudrapur, Sitarganj, Kashipur and Jaspur.

In Almora, the administration has ordered officials to ensure that there is no scarcity of essential goods in any village.

Reports from Bageshwar say that there is a scarcity of essential commodities in some parts of the district.

Meanwhile, trains that originally start from Kathgodam are being run from Lal Kuan. Since a number of passenger trains have been cancelled, the authorities have started a special passenger train between Lal Kuan and Kashipur. Sources said there was no chance of trains running from Kathgodam railway station in the coming few weeks.

Flow to Ganga canal stopped due to silt accumulation
Sandeep Rawat/TNS

Haridwar, August 18
With incessant rain lashing the region and the Ganga in spate, the water flow to the Ganga canal has been stopped owing to heavy accumulation of silt on the barrages of the canal.

As precautionary measure, the Irrigation Department has decided to stop the flow for a few days till the silt is removed, known as Ganga closure.

The Ganga canal starts from Haridwar and goes to Kanpur from which both potable drinking water as well as irrigation water is available to people of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and even New Delhi.

Though the Ganga canal starts in Uttarakhand, yet due to a dispute between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which is still not settled, the canal is operated by the UP Irrigation Department with operation and closure being done by it only.

Also, the Bhimgoda barrage, now renamed as Chaudhari Charan Singh Bhimgoda Barrage, VIP ghat and 13,000 hectares of irrigation land and 42 canals originating or falling in Uttarakhand are under the UP Irrigation Department.

SDO, Ganga canal, KP Singh said as huge silt had accumulated for the past few days, it was decided by the department to stop the flow for a few days otherwise it could have serious repercussion as water was not passing through the barrages.

He further said in a day or two, depending on the rain, the flow would be reopened but work on a large scale was being carried out to remove the silt.

Meanwhile, the closure of the canal has come as a boon for the coin pickers and residents living adjacent to the canal. From morning itself, dozens of people particularly children can be seen picking the coins, utensils and other commodities that are offered at holy Brahm Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri and adjacent Ganga ghats.

Conservation of Ganga 
Uma ends fast; backs Anna’s movement
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 18
After three months, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti today ended her fast in support of the Ganga conservation. In the presence of religious gurus at Jagadguru Ashram, Kankhal, here, she ended the fast.

Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Raj Rajeshwaram, former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Swami Chinmayanand, Mahant Rajendra Das, Peethdeeshwar Kailaishanand Maharaj Swami Ravindra Puri and other religious saints had urged Uma Bharti to end her fast in larger interests.

She said: “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has given me an assurance regarding the conservation of the Ganga, reviewing of all hydroelectric projects on the river, the declaration of an eco-sensitive zone from Gaumukh, Gangotri till Uttarkashi and the cleaning of the river till Ganga sagar.” Uma Bharti had started her agitation at the Divya Sewa Prem Mission in May.

On June 1, she had received an invitation letter from the PM and Sonia Gandhi for a discussion.

Meanwhile, Uma Bharti has extended support to Anna Hazare who will agitate in the Ramlila Ground in Delhi from tomorrow.

She also lashed out at the Central Government for arresting Hazare even before he had launched his agitation terming it as an “indecent step”.

However, Jagadguru Shankaracharya had a different opinion on this matter as he said no person was above Parliament and the way Hazare and his civil society members were behaving was not in sync with the democratic set-up. 

No proposal to give green bonus to state: Forest Secy
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
Union Environment and Forest Secretary Dr T Chatterjee has said that there is no proposal regarding giving green bonus to Uttarakhand.

Chatterjee was here yesterday to attend the convocation of the Indian Forest Service Probationers 2009-11 course. He further said there was no scope of any such provision in the Union Budget.

His comments on the issue comes at a times when Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been repeatedly seeking green bonus as a compensation for the state for its role in protecting forest wealth for the country, which he says, is at the cost of development.

The CM has sought Rs 5,000 crore as green bonus as a part of compensation keeping in view the state’s contribution towards environment conservation. He had even written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking Rs 5,000 crore as a compensation for the past 10 years followed by Rs 1,000 crore every year as a consolidated amount.

Presenting his case, Nishank had also citied a research paper submitted at World Forestry Conference at Buenos Aires some time ago which had put services provided to the country by the Uttarakhand forest to the tune of Rs 31,294 crore per year.

Last year, the Union Planning Commission had put Uttarakhand on top in the country with 0.8086 environment performance index (EPI), thus entitling the state for more of Central assistance. 

What is green bonus?

It is a compensation that Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been seeking for the state for its role in protecting forest wealth for the country

Take care of injured animals, DM to vets
Tribune News Service

Nainital, August 18
Showing concern on the plight of domestic animals, particularly cattle head, the District Administration in Almora has ordered veterinary doctors to reach out to the spots where animals have been injured or have died due to incessant rain.

The veterinary doctors have been asked to carry out the treatment of the injured animals and post-mortem of the dead animals on a priority basis. District Magistrate DS Garbyal has stated that any laxity on this front will draw stern action against the officials.

Till now, 132 houses in the district have been devastated. At least 32 animals are learnt to have perished in Bhanoli tehsil which include cows, bulls, buffaloes, calves and goat. In Jaiti tehsil also, two animals have died.

Meanwhile, instructions have also been given to Jal Sansthan officials to ensure supply of potable drinking water to all areas on a priority basis. Garbyal has ordered that water should be supplied by tankers to areas where supply by pipeline has been hampered. He has pointed out that the payment for the tankers will be made from the funds available for disaster management.

Similarly, officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) have been told to work relentlessly till all roads are opened in the district. On account of the incessant rain over the last one week, the Almora-Seraghat and Almora-Danya-Panar roads have been badly damaged and closed for vehicular movement. Garbyal has asked the PWD officials to hire additional machines for clearing the roads.

The people have been complaining of being fleeced by taxi and jeep owners for transporting them on routes that have been partially opened. Garbyal has asked the officials to keep a watch on such vehicle owners and deal with them sternly.

Senior official of the PWD BK Sharma has disclosed that the Almora-Lamgarah-Shehrphatak road has been opened for light vehicles.

The road from Almora to Ramnagar via Ranikhet and Khatraujkhan is also open along with the Takula-Bageshwar road. The PWD also claims to have opened the Kausani-Bageshwar road.

Electrification of villages: UREDA finds 127 villages non-existent
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
The matter of electrification of 127 villages which were found non-existent on ground by the Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) is pending with the state government.

UREDA which has been entrusted the task to electrify 852 villages in Uttrakhand by 2012 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) spotted the error while identifying the villages which were to be completed.

Chief Project Officer AK Tyagi said, “It was found that census employees incorporated those areas which were inhabited by nomad Gujjar families as a village and named these after the forest range they were situated at. Almost all these 127 villages have been named after the range such as Khatima Range, Mohof Range, Jaurasi Range etc. As per their culture, the nomads have now moved to some other territory and these ranges were found empty.

Tyagi said the lacunae should have been taken into consideration in the census because if similar error was committed, then new territories where these nomads might have settled down would be counted as villages which could pose similar problem in future as well.

After having cross-checked the fact about these 127 villages, UREDA has apprised the state government about the situation. The state government has directed the District Magistrate of these areas to find out the ground situation and make a final report on the matter, which has not been compiled as yet, he said.

UREDA is satisfactorily moving closer to the its target. Till date, it has electrified 675 villages, out of which 526 were electrified by solar and 149 by micro hydel technique.

Pauri and Pithoragarh took the lead with 137 and 135 villages respectively getting electrified under this project. At least 71 villages in Bageshwar and 70 in Chamoli followed closely. Since arrangement for setting up of micro-hydel needs preparation in comparison to solar, it takes time, which is why still 45 villages are in the waiting to be electrified through this technique. Four more new projects for solar and one for hydel have also been proposed.

Under solar projects, equipment are given to light two tubelights and one TV point.

For hydel, 2.4 MW electricity is being provided to these villages. Uttrakhand Power Corporation Limited is also involved in the village electrification programme under the Rajiv Gandhi Electrification Scheme in the state where electricity through grid connection is found viable. UREDA has been given the hill region where wire or grid connectivity is not possible. 

Pithoragarh faces veggies, gas, petrol shortage
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 18
Shortage of essential goods, including fresh vegetables, cooking gas and petroleum products, have started in the district headquaters and the adjoining areas as the routine supply of these goods has been blocked for the past four days due to closure of all roads to and from the district headquaters.

“The district has now come to depend on the reserve quota of petrol and diesel as general quota has gone out of stock due to lack of routine supplies for the past four days,” said MC Joshi, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.

Meteorological Department officials said an average rainfall in the district up to 8 am today was recorded at 17 mm during the last four days.

“The southern part of the district with an average rainfall of 30 mm received more rain than the northen part which witnessed only 15 mm rainfall during the last four days,” said Kamal Kumar Pandey, in charge, Meteorological office at Pithoragarh.

According to District Magistrate, more than 51 internal roads have been closed due to landslides caused by incessant rains affecting transportation in the district. “These roads, including the highway between Pithoragarh to Tanakpur, could only be opened if the rain stops,” MC Joshi, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh.

SPs told to beef up security for festivals
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
State Director-General of Police Jyoti Swaroop Pandey has asked the SPs of all districts to work on maintaining peace during the forthcoming festivals, including Eid-ul-Fitr, Janmashtami and Ganesha Chaturthi.

He asked the police to make security arrangements and traffic diversion beforehand on every Friday during the holy month. The police has also been asked to gather information about the important members of every masjid or dargah that falls under their beat or circle.

Pandey further directed the cops to do effective patrolling and take the help of members of community policing. He asked the cops to do the required arrangements to maintain law and order during any religious congregation/ festival beforehand.

Rawat flayed for his role in land fraud
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
Vice-president, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Raghunath Singh Negi, has once again slammed leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat for his alleged involvement in a land fraud.

In a press conference held here yesterday, he accused Rawat and his acquaintance Luxmi Singh Rana for earning wealth in crores by purchasing 46 bigha land at Sahaspur in Rana’s name paying Rs 2,50,000 only while the circle rate of the land was Rs 2,83,68,403. Negi said Rawat played the same game in Dipti Rawat’s matter as well. In both cases, he stole enormous amount of money, due for income tax, he added.

The leader of the Opposition was taking money both as a member of the Vidhan Sabha and as faculty of Garhwal University. He had not made the payment of his bills to the university for years, he said.

Negi told Rawat, “He should worry about the issue pertaining to public. He should also raise the relevant matters such as of mining, tenure of industrial package, protection of rotting grain, environmental laws etc, but unfortunately he is focusing his energy in raking up useless controversies.” 

‘Undergraduate courses getting popular in US’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
Though the USA continues to be a favourite destination with research and graduate students from India, undergraduate students harbouring American dreams are the latest to have jumped on the bandwagon.

According to American Embassy officials, in the past couple of years, a large number of undergraduate students had sought admissions to American universities and colleges.

“The number is expected to go up in the coming years because nearly 20 per cent of the visas issued from India are for students. The Indian student community with a presence of 1 lakh students makes for the second largest student community in the USA and this is in consonance with the American policy of strengthening strategic partnership with India,” said Naomi Mattos, Vice-Consul (American Embassy) while interacting with mediapersons here today.

Naomi further said mathematics, natural sciences, business management and engineering studies continue to figure as top options among 85 per cent of the Indian students going in for higher studies and research. “There is a distinct preference for these courses even among undergraduate students as well,” she said.

To provide correct information about undergraduate courses and formalities required for procuring an American visa, the American Embassy held a drive in different schools of Dehradun and Mussoorie.

The United States of America India Education Foundation is one-shop stop for getting information about options for students and visa procedures.

Those present at the press conference included Zafar Hasan, Information Assistant (press section) and Anil Jacob, Senior Education Adviser of the USA Embassy.

Convention on women littérateurs

Dehradun, August 18
The Women Study Centre (WSC) of Sri Guru Ram Rai PG College organised a day-long annual literature convention on the role of women littérateurs in the literary scenario of Uttarakhand here today.

Twelve women literatures participated in the convention and presented their creations portraying the social conditions of women in Uttarakhand. They also expressed the contribution of women in bringing Uttarakhand into existence through their writings.

The programme began with the welcome speech of VA Bourai, Principal, SGRR PG College, followed by lighting of the ceremonial lamp by him. He congratulated the members and conveners of the women cell for the accomplishments. — TNS

MP raises school admission issue in House
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
During zero hour of the parliamentary session today, MP Garhwal, Satpal Maharaj raised the issue of admission process that had not been started at Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya and SP Mukherjee Vidyalaya in Uttarakhand.

He emphasised that due to the carelessness of the state Education Department, thousands of children in 17 districts of Uttarakhand were still deprived of basic education.

“Though the RTE Act articulates the prohibition of entrance test at primary level, due to the lackadaisical attitude of the state Education Department, the admissions for the new academic session could not be started,” he said.

“The new academic session started five months back but due to the non-admission in these schools, studies of many students are getting affected,” he added. Satpal Maharaj has also appealed the Central government to direct the state government to take step into the matter. 

Teachers seek aid for primary section
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, August 18
Primary section schoolteachers of St Agnus and Sanatan Dharam inter college in Mussoorie have been at the receiving end for the past 18 years due to anomaly in the Education Department’s decision, which has included the secondary section (Classes VI to XII) under financially aided category and excluded the primary section (classes I to V).

The decision has forced the teachers of the primary section to sustain their lives on a meagre sum of Rs 2,000 per month that is provided by the private trust managing the school.

The primary section teachers have been running from pillar to post demanding inclusion of the primary section in the government-aided category and regularise their jobs so that they can concentrate on their task of teaching the students from weaker sections, who attend these schools.

One of the teachers - Meenakshi Rana - said they have been teaching the primary section of the school for the past 18 years. Seven years ago, the management of the two primary schools had sent a request letter furnishing all details to the Education Department to include the primary section in its fold, but no action has been initiated till now.

She added that some of the teachers of the primary section were on the verge of retirement and facing immense insecurity due to this decision of the Education Department and contemplating on leaving the job that could jeopardise the career of the students.

The affected teachers also met Municipal Council president OP Uniyal today and sought his assistance in this regard.

Uniyal assured them that he would take up the matter with Chief Minster Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and assist in speeding up the process on their demand.

He also requested local MLA Jot Singh Gunsola to take up the matter at the higher level to provide relief to the affected teachers.

Gunsola said he had raised the question in the Vidhan Sabha in April and the government had responded by saying that it was investigating the matter, but nothing had been done so far. He assured that he would take up the matter once again with the government. 

Drive to revise electoral rolls
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
The Chief Electoral Office, Uttarakhand, has launched a drive against duplication of names in the voters’ list. The move came after the Chief Election Commissioner recommended a thorough check of the voters’ list.

As many as 400 cases of duplication of names in Jaspur tehsil and two cases in Rishikesh have come to light.

“There are places in the state bordering Uttar Pradesh where residents have registered their names in both the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh voters’ list. While the District Magistrate is examining the cases in Jaspur, an FIR has been registered in Rishikesh,” said Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi while addressing a press conference.

The Uttarakhand-based political parties also raised the matter pertaining to fraudulent duplication of names in the voters’ list during the recent visit of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Raturi said under Section 31 of the Election Rules, a jail term of one year is pronounced for those found guilty of fraudulent duplication of names in the voters’ list.

On the issue of service voters, Raturi said though the provision of proxy voters for the armed forces has been in existence for the past four years, the practice has not become popular due to lack of awareness.

“The facility of proxy voter is useful for the armed personnel and they can now nominate a person from their family who will cast a vote on their behalf. Under Section 13-F of the Election Rules, persons falling in four categories can opt for proxy voters,” she said.

In Uttarakhand, the booth-level officer has started going from house to house from August 17 to make corrections, addition and verification of the voters’ list. The drive will end on August 31. During this phase, new names of those who have attained the eligible age of 18 years will be added.

From October 1, the voters’ list will be revised and on January 2 the final electoral list will be released. 

Adhoiwala Boys blank Garhwal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 18
Adhoiwala Boys blanked Garhwal Sporting 4-0 in a super league match of the district football league that held at Pavilion ground here today.

Foreigner Cyrise opened the account for the winning team in the ninth minute. While Dinesh struck the next two goals in the 11th and 15th minutes, Amar (42nd) chipped it with a goal for Adhoiwala.

The another match between Gypsy Club and Doon Valley ended on a goalless draw as neither of the team could score any goal. Tomorrow, Sunderwala Boys will take on City Young and Cantt Blue will face Uttarakhand Police.