Notification on new dists by Nov 9: Chufal
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 25
The state government is trying to issue the notification about the four newly carved districts in the state by November 9, which is State Formation Day. The new districts were announced by former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank on Independence Day this year.

Uttarakhand BJP president Bishen Singh Chufal said here today: “Our government is committed to creating the new districts and contemplating issuing the notification probably on State Formation Day on November 9,” said Chufal who was reacting to the ongoing agitation in his hometown of Didihat where the residents have been demanding immediate issuance of the notification besides financial sanction for a potable water scheme for the town.

“The agitation is politically motivated as the agitators are inciting the people against the government in the state,” said Chufal.

The committee formed to press for the creation of the separate district of Didihat has been on a relay fast for the past eight days.

“Despite repeated assurances by the local MLA, Bishen Singh Chufal, who is also the state BJP chief, on construction of a water scheme for the town, the people are still facing a shortage of potable water in the town of Didihat,” said Jodh Singh Bora, the leader of the agitation.

Plan on artisan wells fails to take off
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 25
The much-touted and ambitious plan of the Uttarakhand Government to develop artisan wells in the hilly regions of the state has failed to take off.

The plan had been chalked out by Irrigation Minister Matbar Singh Kandari in July, 2009, when he had announced with much fanfare that this technique would be adopted to overcome the problem of water scarcity in the state.

However, when he was asked by The Tribune about the progress regarding the plan, he confessed that the project had not taken off. When asked what was the reason for it not having moved forward even after two and half years of its inception, he said: “We have failed to identify the areas where artisan wells were supposed to have been dug”.

Faced with the problem of a mountainous terrain that does not allow the feasibility of large scale irrigation projects, the Uttarakhand Government had decided to strengthen its minor irrigation network.

The government had decided to try out a novel method in the hills by developing artisan wells in the areas where they are feasible. The state government had announced that the hilly tracts of the state would be surveyed for its potential of developing the artisan wells since the hilly parts of Uttarakhand continue to be largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture.

The decision to get the areas surveyed for developing artisan wells had been taken by Kandari after a meeting with the top officials of his department in Dehradun in July, 2009.

He had pointed out at that time that the state already had more than 250 functional artisan wells in Udham Singh Nagar and in the Doiwala area of Dehradun but the government intended to develop them in the hills where the topography is suitable for their development.

Artisan wells require alternate layers of rock strata. Talking to mediapersons, he said the artisan wells, wherever they existed at present, had been a great boon for those areas. He further stated: “We have decided to go in for sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation in a big way as they are the most-effective methods that save a lot of water”.

He also underlined that multipurpose manmade water bodies would be developed across the state to store rainwater and use it for various purposes.

The minister disclosed that at present 25 tube-wells were being sunk in various places to combat the problem of water scarcity. Uttarakhand has 12.5 lakh hectares of land under agriculture. The minister claimed that out of this more than seven lakh hectares had been brought under the umbrella of irrigation.

Barring the districts of Terai region that include Haridwar, parts of Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar and parts of Nainital district, a large part of the state is mainly dependent on rain-fed agriculture or minor irrigation projects. It is in these districts of the Terai region that there is a good irrigation network and these districts act as the food bowl of the state.

Overloading of Trucks
Transporters, govt officials lock horns
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 25
Over the last few days, Kumaon have been witnessing a standoff between transporters and the government authorities on the issue of overloading of trucks.

With the administration getting strict over the last couple of months on the issue of adhering to traffic norms, there has been strict checking and weighing of vehicles heading towards the hilly areas where the roads had once again suffered a massive damage during the monsoon.

The issue of overloading and its serious consequences on the health of the already damaged roads had been highlighted by the media which had led to the authorities getting strict on the issue.

The transporters have been agitated as they have to make additional rounds to the destinations and are unable to save on their costs. This has been leading to protests on regular occasions. These standoffs have mainly hit the transportation of foodgrains.

Even on Monday, Haldwani had witnessed a scene created by some transporters when three trawlers had been stopped by the authorities.

In an opposite case, a protest was also carried out by dumper owners whose vehicles are involved in transportation of the mined material from the Gaula riverbed in Haldwani. The agitated dumper owners staged a protest against the local administration and officials of the Forest Department, seeking that the uniform rules should be applied for all vehicles.

BJP plays ‘commitment’ card to woo minorities
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 25
Ahead of the Assembly polls in the state, the BJP has started wooing the minorities with a “progressive” agenda that promises to make them partners in the process of development.

Sources in the party say that its leaders, particularly those taking care of the Minorities Cell, have already started working on the plan to wean away the minorities from the fold of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

It is learnt that in the days to come, as the poll campaign heats up, the BJP would be going across to the minority communities, particularly the Muslim voters, to play up its commitment of starting a technical college for them. The announcement had been made in August this year by former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in the presence of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Nishank had also announced that Rs 10 crore would be spent for the beautification of the Piran Kaliyar shrine.

Addressing a convention at the Haj House building in Piran Kaliyar, he had said Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics were being set up in Muslim-dominated areas and Rahbar Scheme had been launched in the state to create job opportunities for the Muslim girls in the age group of 18 to 35 years.

The BJP had also assured the constitution of a separate directorate for the minorities and a madarsa board at the earliest. The Muslim leaders affiliated to the party have been saying that the level of literacy among the community is even less than that prevailing among the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh at certain places. They have been playing up the “commitment” card to create more job avenues for them.

When asked to comment on the issue, a senior functionary of the Minorities Cell of the party Ajmal Hussain Zaidi said: “We (the BJP) have been getting the support of the Muslim community. The party won the Vikas Nagar byelection despite being a Muslim-dominated constituency. There is a change in the attitude among the Muslims towards the party”.

He further claimed: “The Muslims have been well represented as chairpersons of the boards and corporations in the state. This will definitely be a factor when it comes to taking up issues like proper representation and getting equal opportunities”.

Since the creation of the state Muslims, particularly in the areas of Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar, where they have a substantial population, have mainly supported the BSP, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. In fact, the BSP is one party that is well represented by the members of the community in the present Assembly.

Assembly Poll: UKD (P) to be in touch with regional parties
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 25
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar) will contest all the Assembly seats in the state in the coming elections but before fielding the candidates it will try to evolve a consensus among the small regional parties which maintain a distance from the Congress and the BJP, said Kashi Singh Airy, a senior leader of the UKD (Panwar).

“The regional parties, which agree with us on the issue of community ownership of the “Jal, Jungle and Zameen” in this Himalayan state, will be included in this front for which we have already begun talks,” said Airy.

The UKD leader, who was addressing mediapersons here after his return from the tour of border villages, said despite the tall claims of the BJP government about providing basic facilities to the villages of the state, the border villages of Dharchula, Munsiyari and Kanalichina were still facing a shortage of teachers at schools, potable water and electricity in their areas. “The tour conducted by me was a part of our “Pol Kholo yatra”, being undertaken by the party workers in the state. It began on October 19 and will conclude on October 24,” said Airy.

“The people in these parts have complained of living a worst life after the formation of the state as there is no one who comes to them and asks about their problems in these remote villages which are at a distance of more than 150 km from the district headquarters,” said the UKD leader.

The UKD leader said the issue of party symbol was still pending with the Election Commission and would soon be resolved.

“It has little meaning if the symbol is allocated to our faction. We claim to be a genuine UKD and have been fighting for the cause of the people of the state and the party will continue its fight for the interests of the people of the state,” said Airy.

This Diwali, light a diya for soldiers, says MP
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 25
Tarun Vijay, BJP national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand, has requested the residents of the state to light a diya for the soldiers of the country on the occasion of Diwali. In his greetings, Tarun Vijay said the soldiers of the country guarded the frontiers so that the entire countrymen could celebrate the festival of lights.

He further said it was ironical that Uttarakhand, which sends largest number of soldiers to the three wings of the forces and paramilitary forces, has yet to build a war memorial and a martyrs memorial.

Tarun Vijay said he had already announced Rs 2 crore for the construction of a memorial but clearance of the district administration for the land was still awaited.

He had also proposed a creative artiste's corner, for which he has announced funds from his MPLAD fund. “Dehradun and Haldwani are two important cities of Uttarakhand that represents the culture and literary streams, yet we have no place for the authors and artistes to read their latest poems, or a few pages from their new novels and exhibit their paintings,” he said.

He said he wanted to have a place built for the creative writers and artistes of the state.

While greeting all citizens on Diwali, he requested them to spare a few moments to share sweets and joyous time with children in their nearest slum or a habitat of the poor. “This will bring more joy and happiness to your life than cracking crackers,” he said.

Union Minister seeks CBI probe
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 25
Harish Rawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs, and senior state Congress leader, has urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri to order a probe by the CBI into the alleged misappropriation of funds during the Mahakumbh celebrations in Haridwar last year.

In a statement issued here today, Rawat said corruption could not be eradicated by bringing in the Lokpal Bill but by taking strong action against those in Khanduri’s party allegedly involved in graft.

He said the standing committee of Parliament had been working to bring in a uniform Lokpal system in all states. He said the Lokpal would be given constitutional status.

He termed the move by Chief Minister Khanduri to bring in a strong Lokayukta Bill in the state as an effort by a warrior without any weapon. Rawat said the Opposition would use the issues of unemployment, corruption and inefficiency against the state BJP government.

Rawat said the Chief Minister should not use the issue of bringing the Lokayukta Bill as a political weapon and take all political parties into confidence on the issue.

Reacting to a statement by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari objecting to the proposed visit of Sonia Gandhi to inaugurate the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line on November 5, Rawat said this showed the anti-development mindset of BJP leaders. Rawat said Sonia Gandhi was the Chairperson of the UPA and could go anywhere to inaugurate development projects of the Union Government.

GMVN ex-MD returns furniture, other items
Tribune News Service

Dehradun October 25
Silence prevailed on the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) premises on Tuesday when former managing director, GMVN, BVRC Purushottam returned the furniture and electronic items, purchased at the expense of the GMVN, after using these for more than a year.

Vice-president, GMVN, Raghunath Singh Negi, who had informed the media about the possession of GMVN articles by Purushottam just three days ago, said, “It was only when we exposed Purushottam for using the GMVN’s materials that he returned these things.”

He demanded his immediate removal saying, “Chief Minister BC Khanduri has zero tolerance towards corruption. So he must remove such an officer from a plum position as vice-chairman of the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority. He may also misuse his position there as he did at the GMVN.”

Purushottam did not respond to the calls made by The Tribune for his version. Company Secretary, GMVN, Krishanand Sharma confirmed the purchase of new articles at the behest of Purushottam which he utilised for personal use and took away.

Congress ex-servicemen cell chief takes over
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 25
The newly appointed ex-servicemen cell (Congress) president, Capt Balbir Singh Rawat (retd), said today that it was his priority to ensure a resounding success to the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Addressing his maiden press conference after taking over as the president of the cell, Captain Rawat said he would be working to achieving the mission 2012 for the Congress in the state, which was aimed at wresting power in the state.

He said support for the Congress among the ex-servicemen was growing tremendously in the state as more and more ex-servicemen were joining the Congress.

Having a dig at the Uttarakhand BJP Government, he said the Uttarakhand BJP Government was neck deep in corruption. “While corruption in on the rise, law and order has deteriorated substantially,” Captain Rawat said, exhorting the ex-servicemen to teach the BJP a lesson in the coming Assembly poll.

He disclosed that the ex-servicemen’s convention organised by him at Srinagar in Pauri district on October 23 was a big success with a large number of ex-servicemen participating in it.

Expert for indigenous climate change models
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 25
Climate change expert from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Ravindranath has stressed on the need for indigenous climate change models for making logical climate change predictions.

Addressing a valedictory session of a workshop on “Climate change & forestry research needs in Himalayas”, organised by the Climate Change and Forest Influences Division of the FRI, Dehradun, Prof. Ravindranath explained the modelling approach and the kind of models available to predict changes in the climate. He stated that as these models were based on biome-related data taken from outside India, there was an urgent need for stratification of the forest area on the basis of plant functional types.

He said indigenous climate change models kept much importance for making logical climate change predictions.

Another key speaker and climate change scientist Indu Murthy elaborated in detail about the data which were required to be collected for running a model for future climate predictions. Earlier in his introductory remarks, Dr VK Bahuguna, Director General, ICFRE, stressed that forest hydrology was one of the key issues during climate change for watershed-based modelling studies to evaluate the empirical relationship between forests and the water flow pattern.

He further stated that since the forest ecosystems had undergone several changes in the last 50 years, there was a need to revisit the forest type classification for their revision.

FRI Director SS Negi emphasised that since climate change modelling involved various process-based influences, there was a need for a symbiotic relationship to arrive at logical and justifiable climate change predictions.

The two-day workshop was a success in which the scientists from different fields interacted and gave their views. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks from MP Singh, Head, Climate Change and Forest Influences Division of the FRI.