Bahuguna assesses fiscal position of U’khand
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
Still to constitute his Cabinet and prove his majority in the Assembly, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today said that the government would be presenting a vote-on-account to deal with the expenditure side of the government’s budget for the coming few months.

On the first day at the Chief Minister’s office today, Vijay Bahuguna said that the government would first pass the vote-on-account for meeting out immediate expenditure of the government for the coming months, which would be followed by the general budget.

The Chief Minister also held a meeting today with the officers at his office and sought information on the progress of the Centrally-sponsored schemes and tried to assess the fiscal position of the state. “I have asked the officials to present a detailed report on the work being carried under their departments and problems being faced by them,” he said.

Chief Minister Bahuguna also asked the officials to take immediate decisions for those programmes that would require sanctions in the month of March.

He also asked the Principal Secretary, Health, to propagate the schemes that the Central Government had launched under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). He sought a report on the progress of the medical colleges being built by the state and the Centre.

He specifically asked the concerned officials to ensure that roads were in fit condition in the state, especially in the rural areas, and also asked the officials of the Transport Department to explore the possibilities of starting CNG powered transportation services in Dehradun.

With a focus on Tehri, the Chief Minister asked the senior officials of the Tourism Department to prepare a report on harnessing tourism potential of Tehri lake and it’s surrounding areas. 

Rawat, Bahuguna represent two distinct styles of political working
Rajeev Khanna/TNS

Nainital, March 14
It is a case of grassroot politics standing against the sophisticated suave moves termed by critics as “armchair politics” that has come to the fore in Uttarakhand following the Congress emerging as the single largest party in the recent Assembly polls.

The two Congress leaders, Harish Rawat and Vijay Bahuguna, who presently stand out as rivals on the issue of becoming the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, represent these two distinct styles of political working.

Political observers point out that if there is one politician in Uttarakhand who is well aware of the developments in the Congress party right from Uttarkashi in the west to Pithoragarh in the east, it is Harish Rawat. A tireless worker, he has been moving from one corner of the state to the other amid difficult mountainous terrains persistently meeting and galvanizing party cadres in his entire political career. He proved this across the state when he was the state unit chief of the party in the early years of the last decade, and his efforts had not proved futile as the party had come to power in the very first general elections, much to the shock and dismay of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that had never expected such an outcome.

A soft-spoken Congress heavyweight, Rawat has been known for his organisational skills, which he displayed when he won the Haridwar parliamentary seat in 2009 after migrating to the area once his traditional seat of Almora had been declared reserved.

A lad coming from Mohanari village in Almora, Rawat started his political journey from the grassroots. He rose from the ranks of a gram pradhan and the Block Pramukh from Bhikyasen.

His skills took him to the rank of the national general secretary of the Youth Congress and also the national vice president of the trade union wing of the Congress,INTUC. He has also been the Chairman of the Congress Seva Dal in the past.

A member of All India Congress Committee (AICC) since 1980, he won the Lok Sabha polls from the Almora seat three times in a row before experiencing a series of defeats. But he never lied low and worked tirelessly to strengthen the organisation.

He was made president of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) in 2000 after the formation of the state. He not only revived the party but also led it to victory in 2002 Assembly polls.

Denied the chief ministerial berth, he was sent to the Rajya Sabha and just when his tenure was coming to an end, Rawat started doing the ground work in Haridwar from where he went on to win the Lok Sabha poll.

Contrary to him, the journey of his present bête-noir Vijay Bahuguna has been altogether different. The name Bahuguna inherited from none other than the legendary Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna has helped his being propelled to the centrestage of state politics.

The transgression was relatively smooth from a stint in judiciary to the state politics when the agitation for creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand was at its peak. His body language and demeanour are a stark contrast when compared to Rawat.

Bahuguna had unsuccessfully contested the 1998 Lok Sabha poll from the Pauri Garhwal seat and had gone on to shift base to the Tehri constituency. He had again suffered successive defeats in 1999 and 2004. It was in 2007 byepoll that he saw victory and he repeated the performance in 2009.

One of his prime achievements that he had played up on in 2009 was his having addressed the United Nations General Assembly on November 18, 2008, on the issue of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other related matters.

A golf lover who also has a penchant for playing chess and billiards, Bahuguna’s other achievements include his being the Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission from 2002 to 2007 and his being a part of several parliamentary committees.

Unlike Rawat, he cannot be termed as a leader having mass appeal across the state. But then, as political observers and his critics say, the close access and affiliation to the Gandhi family has always proved to be beneficial in Indian politics. 

Caste politics major factor in Bahuguna’s selection as CM
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, March 14
Maintaining a regional and caste balance has proved to be a cumbersome task for the political parties in the state.

The ongoing crisis in the Congress on the issue of making of the Chief Minister is also being described by many as a fall out of this factor.

While the state is broadly defined by the politicians in terms of Kumaon and Garhwal, the two main geographical regions, the element of plains versus the hills has also thrived over the past 12 years.

Old timers recount that when the first Chief Minister, Nityanand Swami, was being sworn in to lead an interim Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, it were the followers of his successors Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank who had been raising slogans and dubbing him as an outsider from the plains who had been sent to rule a hill state.

The state’s lone regional force, the Uttarkhand Kranti Dal (UKD), has always tried to project itself as a force representing the interests of the hills while its critics have been dubbing it as “anti plains”.

Senior leader Narayan Singh Jantwal had recently told The Tribune. “We are not anti-plains, but we want special attention for the hilly regions that have been left out in the race of development.”

When it comes to the issue of Kumaon versus Garhwal, the undertones have been pretty harsh. Both the two main parties, the BJP and the Congress, have tried to strike a balance so that they are not dubbed as pro Kumaon or pro Garhwal.

The formula that the two parties appear to have adopted is that the Chief Minister comes from one region while the state unit chief of the party comes from the other.

There are several examples to substantiate this phenomenon. At present the state unit chief of the Congress, Yashpal Arya, is from Kumaon while the new Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is from Garhwal. Prior to this, state unit chief of the BJP Bishen Singh Chufal was from Kumaon while former Chief Minister BC Khanduri was from Garhwal.

Before Khanduri was brought back, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank was also from Garhwal. During Khanduri’s first stint, when the BJP had come to power, state unit chief Bacchi Singh Rawat had again been from Kumaon.

This formula seems to have become a sort of norm for the two main parties.

Observers feel that the play of the element of caste in Uttarkhand politics cannot be ruled out. It is to be noted that all Chief Ministers in the state have been Brahmins.

It is also a fact that a lobby operating in Dehradun that is spread right through the canvass of bureaucracy, politics and also the media has worked towards projecting a Garhwali Brahmin as a Chief Minister. This phenomenon was visible when it came to choosing Khanduri’s successor after the BJP’s poll debacle in the Lok Sabha elections of 2009.

Observers say that Uttarakhand was carved out in a way that its demographic profile was dominated by upper-caste Hindus. The numbers of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) is pretty less in the state. Among the upper castes, it is the Thakurs and Brahmins who dominate in terms of numbers.

Undertones of resentment have often been heard from Thakurs that they have been denied the premier position of the Chief Minister despite the fact that they are greater in numbers as compared to Brahmins. Some people are viewing the denial of the post to Harish Rawat from the lens of caste politics.

Thakurs complain

Thakurs have often expressed resentment that leaders belonging to the caste have been denied the post of Chief Minister despite their greater population as compared to Brahmins. Some people think that caste politics was responsile for the denial of the Chief Minister’s post to Harish Rawat.

All Chief Ministers in the state have been Brahmins. It is also a fact that a lobby of bureaucrats, politicians and mediapersons operating in Dehradun has worked towards projecting a Garhwali Brahmin as Chief Minister. This phenomenon was visible even when the BJP had to choose Khanduri’s successor after it fared poorly in the Lok Sabha elections in 2009.

Assembly session from March 26
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
The first session of the Uttarakhand Assembly for this year will begin on March 26 with the newly sworn-in Chief Minister, Vijay Bahaguna, proving his majority on the floor of the House on March 27.

The vote on account budget will be presented on March 29. During the session, the swearing-in ceremony of MLAs will also take place. The five-day Assembly session will end on March 30.

On March 15, Governor Margaret Alva will administer the oath of office to Dr Shailender Mohan Singhal as Speaker pro tem. 

Independents float non-political front 
Will keep an eye on the functioning of govt
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
A fractured mandate in Uttarakhand has put a spotlight on three Congress rebels who along with the lone Uttarakhand Kranti Dal MLA today announced the creation of the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF), a non-political front that will keep a watch on the government.

Though the three rebels along with the UKD MLA have already extended support to the Congress, but they seem to be in no mood to rejoin the party.

“Despite being an old worker of the Congress, I was denied party ticket. I had no money to contest the elections, but with the support of the people, I have won. I owe my success to the public and there is no immediate plan to rejoin the Congress. The non-political front floated by us will keep an eye on the functioning of the government,” said MLA Mantri Prasad Naithaini.

By floating a non-political front, the three Congress rebel MLAs, Dinesh Dhanai, Harish Chandra Durgapal and Mantri Prasad Naithaini and UKD MLA Preetam Panwar seem to be pressing for a favourable bargain as the Congress finds itself in a tight spot mustering numbers due to a fractured mandate.

Before the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister, Vijay Bahuguna, it is believed that the Congress rebels had decided to extend conditional support provided their candidate was made the CM, but that has now become a thing of the past.

While the four MLAs were at the Chief Minister’s office, those close to the latter were seen making an assessment of the situation, waiting for fence sitters to cross over to their camp. However, that was not to be.

Even Congress rebel Dinesh Dhanai today made it clear that he would not be vacating his Tehri Assembly seat for Chief Minister Bahuguna as was indicated earlier. “This news is incorrect. I do not belong to the Congress and as such cannot be expected to vacate my seat,” he added. 

500 students to participate in symposium
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
The Beehive Group of Colleges is organising a two-day national symposium on ‘Recent advances in medical, animal and plant biotechnology’ on the ONGC premises tomorrow.

Over 500 students are expected to congregate from various colleges and universities from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pardesh, Uttar-Pardesh and Haryana to attend the symposium.

Syed Khalid Hasan, Dean of academics, dept of biotechnology, Beehive College of Advance Studies, said it would be the first time that the students would get to listen and discuss the important and intricate issues related to Bio-technology with top scientists.

Dr AK Rawat, Joint Director, dept of biotechnology, Government of India, will be the chief guest.

An inter-college poster competition will also be held on the same topic. 

Vice-chariman of forest panel resigns

Dehradun, March 14
With the Congress forming the government in the state, vice-chairman of the Uttarakhand Forest and Environment Advisory Committee Anil Baluni has resigned from the post. In his resignation sent to the CM’s Office, Baluni has referred to the works done by him in the last two years with regard to the conservation of forests and wildlife in the state.

He, however, pledged that he would continue to work for the betterment and conservation of wildlifeand forests. — TNS

Festival of flowers ‘Phuldei’ celebrated across Kumaon
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 14
Phuldei, a festival of flowers, was celebrated across the Kumaon region as the new Shaka calendar based on the sun began today.

Dr Ram Singh, a cultural historian of the region, said on this festival, unmarried girls go to every house in their respective areas in the morning with flower baskets and blessings for the family. In return, every household gave rice and money to them.

Some historians like the late Yamuna Dutt Vashnav ‘Ashoka’ have linked this festival with the ancient festival of flowers celebrated in the Roman society as according to Dr Vaishnav, this was a symptom of the impact of the Roman culture on the Indian society.

“On Phuldei, young girls of villages across Kumaon get rice and other gifts from every household. They prepare special dishes from this rice as prasad and distribute it among themselves,” said Padma Dutt Pant, a scholar of the local culture, Kumaon.

According to scholars, the Shaka calendar was established in 78 BC by the Hindu King of North India, Kanishka, and is based on the sun.

“The Gregorian calendar is also based on the pace of the sun while the Vikrami Sambat of India and Arabian calendar are based on the pace of the moon,” said Dr Ram Singh.

“The smearing of flowers on the doorstep of every house by village girls on the day marks the beginning of the spring season. The ritual is done only by unmarried girls,” added Dr Ram Singh. 

Doon club win cricket match by 7 wickets
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
Doon Tigers Cricket Club defeated the Vikasnagar ‘A’ Cricket team by seven wickets in a match in the 60th Dehradun Cricket League Tournament here today.

The Vikasnagar team, after winning the toss and electing to bat first, scored 58 runs all out in 18.4 overs. Opener Arman Ansari was the top scorer with 20 runs. Praveen took three wickets for 10 runs.

In reply, the Doon Tigers Cricket Club team scored 60 runs for the loss of three wickets to win the match by seven wickets. Opener Vinnet scored 23 runs. Mohsin took two wickets for 32 runs. 

ITBP takes to skiing to patrol China border
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March14
ITBP Jawans deputed along the border with China have taken to skiing for patrolling for the first time due to enough deposits of snow. This part of the Himalayas has experienced snowfall beyond the first week of March this year. “We have taken to skiing to patrol the border with China at Kalapani, Nabhidhang in the Vyans valley and Kuti and Jolingkong in the Darma valley as snow deposits in the area are sufficiently thick,” said Vishwamitra Anand, commandant.

“Last year, snowfall did not take place after the first week of January and we had to patrol these valleys on foot. But this year we have trained our jawans in ski-patrolling and have sought equipment for the purpose,” said Anand.

According to the weather unit of the ITBP, due to snowfall on March 12 the snow deposits have become thicker beyond the Garbiyang camp of the force. “While the areas of Garbiyang to Gunji have snow deposits of more than two feet, the thickness is beyond five feet in the area from Nabhidhang to the Lipulekh pass, which is at a height of 17,500 feet,” said the commandant.

The lower valleys of Pithoragarh and Champawat districts are still facing cold wave conditions and the people continued to use woollen clothes after heavy snowfall in higher reaches of Kalamuni and Chiplakot hill ranges on Monday last.

“Due to fresh snowfall, the high Himalayan camps of the ITBP are facing unexpected severe cold conditions. But our jawans are performing duty braving the biting cold even in March,” Anand said.

Agricultural scientists deputed at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra have said rain during the winter that continued even this month is beneficial for wheat, barley and pea crops. They have advised farmers to spray urea on the growing crops. “The 18 mm rainfall on Monday is good for the farmers of dry areas, who are dependent on rain,” said Dr MP Singh, an agricultural scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lohaghat in Champawat district. 

Rebuffed by girl’s parents, Haldwani youth commits suicide
Tribune News Service

Nainital, March 14
A youth allegedly committed self-immolation in Haldwani yesterday after the parents of his beloved rebuffed his family’s offer for marriage.

Mohit, 25, a resident of the Himalaya Farm area on Bareilley Road, took the extreme step after the father of the girl he wanted to marry allegedly imposed a condition that he (Mohit) get his family house transferred in his name. Mohit was having an affair with the girl residing in a locality on Rampur Road for the last five years. The two wanted to get married but the girl’s family was objecting to it. Hence, the girl’s father reportedly asked Mohit to get his family house transferred in his name. This led Mohit into a bout of depression.

Mohit’s family had approached the girl’s parents for solemnising the marriage four days ago but the latter had refused to share the girl’s horoscope with it.

Yesterday, Mohit received a phone call from the girl and while talking to her he went into a room. He allegedly locked himself in the room and torched himself. Members of Mohit’s family and their neighbours gathered there after they saw smoke billowing out of the room. They tried to save Mohit, but in vain.

Mohit was the lone bread winner of his family as his father had died some years ago. He was a businessman and the eldest of the three siblings. The police is investigating the case. 

Two arrested for stealing laptops
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
Navnit and Nalin, sons of late Bishamber Singh, have been arrested for stealing laptops by police personnel of Rajpur police post on a tip-off given by an informer. One laptop belonged to Arun, resident of Dakpatti Virgirwali. Station House Officer Ashok Tyagi said the police would find out the information about the owners of other laptop sets recovered from them.

The accused are drug addicts. Their mother is a labourer and earns for the family. The brothers used to crack window glasses of the cars parked in solitary places and steal the valuables kept in them.