Oppn calls Rawat's apology a gimmick
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 26
With Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat seeking apology from Haridwar voters for his inability to become the state Chief Minister, questions are being raised over his act in the political circle.

In a statement, Rawat stated that during the 2009 parliamentary elections, he had won from Haridwar with a margin of 1.15 lakh votes. To make sure he lives up to the expectations, he has been working for his constituency for the past three years. In the recent Assembly elections, people of Haridwar had created such a pro-Congress atmosphere that compelled him to seek apology from them, owing to his not becoming the CM.

While Opposition parties have termed this as a mere gimmick, anti-Harish Rawat faction is calling it a face-saving act following resentment over Harish Rawat's opposition to Vijay Bahguna's candidature as Chief Minister and the party high command's decison in this regard.

Former state Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik, a three-time legislator from Haridwar, had a dig at Rawat’s statement saying that because he fears losing trust of Haridwar voters and defeat looming large in the 2014 parliamentary elections, Rawat is resorting to such low-grade tactics.

Kaushik pointed out that people of Haridwar had realised the double standards of Rawat, who on one hand had gone to extreme limits to gain the CM post and on the other he had fooled people of Haridwar by contesting the Lok Sabha elections from this constituency knowing well that he had aspiration of a Chief Minister.

Bahujan Samaj Party veteran leader Suraj Mal remarked that having faired poorly in seven Assembly segments from Haridwar district, Rawat had now realised that people had not supported his self-centred politics, so he now wants to draw sympathy to avoid clean wash of the Congress from the district.

This apology letter has also not gone down well with the party district leaders, particularly those close to the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna faction.

A senior party executive post bearer said after 20 years of gap, the Congress had regained the Haridwar parliamentary seat but owing to Rawat’s hectic lobbying for the CM’s post, the voters of Haridwar were hurt as they had elected him for representing this constituency in Parliament and not in view of the state Assembly.

“He should have either not contested the Lok Sabha elections or not accepted the Union State Cabinet Ministerial post if he had a long cherished dream of being a Chief Minister. He knew very well that just after three years, the Assembly elections in the state were due, but he still lobbied for the Central ministry and later did the same for the CM post which is shocking,” said Tej Prakash Sahu, BJP city spokesperson, who switched to the saffron party after 37 years in the Congress.

Reacting to these statements, Rajesh Rastogi, spokesperson for the Haridwar affairs for Harish Rawat, said the apology letter showed the concern for the voters of his constituency and people of Haridwar were shocked after the high command didn’t name Harish Rawat as the Chief Minister; so to thank them for this overwhelming support, the appeal was made.

Condemned vehicles rot in police stations
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
The mangled remains of dusty four-wheelers and two-wheelers can be seen occupying the available open spaces in each of the 19 police stations in the city, presenting a despicable sight. As many as 836 such vehicles are lying unattended in the police posts. Neither the higher officials nor the station house officers of these police stations are able to tell when the auction of such vehicles was held in the city last time.

Dinesh Chander Bhandari, Station House Officer of Dalanwala police station, said the number of vehicles in his police station had been rising for the last ten years. He added it could be the respective SHOs who could get these vehicles auctioned in their police stations or else Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) himself can issue collective auction of such vehicles lying stranded in all the police posts of the city.

It is difficult to decipher why this exercise has not been undertaken for so long. SSP GN Goswami said a list of such vehicles was sought by the District Magistrate, Dehradun, just before the state Assembly elections. “Now I will hold an auction of these vehicles by next week.” It is to be seen whether Goswami, who is taking keen interest in the matter and is all set to be promoted as Deputy Inspector General, gets his next posting in the city. The matter may get deferred once again in case he is shifted else where.

Besides the vehicles damaged in accidents, those recovered in theft cases and other left by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) were also dumped in these police staions.

Goswami said the insurance companies also never came to check the condition of the vehicles in accident cases or take their custody. Hence, such vehicles keep lying in the police stations. The RTO too dumped impounded vehicles as the RTO premises did not have enough spaces for such vehicles.

He admitted that as per the rules, these vehicles after being deposited in the police posts must be auctioned within six months of a notification issued by an officer of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to this effect. The vehicles, those even if in good condition, too become worn out with the passage of time and do not get the desired price in the auction.

Goswami said even if owner of any such vehicles came to claim after the auction then he could always collect the amount received from auction from the treasurery branch.

The RTO scrutinizes the condition of the vehicles and thus fixes the price for the auction to take off. At times buyers or scrappers refuse to buy the vehicles for their appalling condition and higher price. Therefore , the police department must not delay the process of auction of these vehicles which serve no purpose in lying abandoned in police stations for years together. At least with auction, they would bring some revenue to the administration. 

Minority panel has turned proactive: Habibullah
Recommends cells at DGP office 
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun March 26
The National Commission for Minorities may be a quasi judicial body, but recently due to its intervention in the Mecca Medina mosque blast case, relief to 22 innocent members of the minority community had been provided. They were demanding compensation for being wrongly accused in the blast case in Andhra Pradesh.

“Though the court had thrown out cases of 22 persons, after the intervention of the National Minorities Commission, the Government of Andhra Pradesh was asked to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh each to them,” said Wajahat Habibullah, chairman of the Minorities Commission who was in Dehradun today to meet the Gujjars living in Rajaji National Park.

Speaking with the Tribune, Habibullah said this was one of the proactive steps taken by the commission recently. “They were given compensation and the commission directed the Andhra Pradesh Government to issue character certificates to around 74 youth who were illegally detained or picked up by the police in the course of undertaking investigation in the mosque case,” apprised Wajahat Habibullah who was also the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).

He said the character certificates giving clean chit to the youth could be useful during the course of interviews, in case they applied for various jobs in private firms.

Similar activism by the Minorities Commission in the case pertaining to Niaz Bibi and Baan Mia, the victims of Gujarat riots who were demanding proper rehabilitation, is also being shown by the National Commission for Minorities.

“In this case, neither courts, the government nor the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) had managed to provide succor to the victims. They were demanding return to their village in order to lead a life of dignity and respect. The case is under investigation and we will be holding a hearing soon,” said Habibullah.

Similarly, the commission has also taken cognizance of the poor implementation of the scholarship scheme for the students of the minority community in Gujarat. “We have sought time with Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has agreed a meeting on March 30, stressed Habibullah.

Further, the Chairman said in order to make the police minorities community-sensitive, the commission has recommended setting up of minority cells at the office of the Director General (Police). “More often, it is the police that is left wanting while handling riot cases. Much can be done if the police is sensitive and defuses the situation before it escalates,” stressed Habibullah. 

Brick-kiln labourers go on strike in Haridwar
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar March 26
More than 2,000 labourers went on an indefinite strike today alleging exploitation by brick-kiln owners. The brick-kiln labourers from Landaura and Mangalore under the banner of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Brick Labour Union marched towards the Labour Commissioner’s Office at Roshanabad, raising slogans against the brick-kiln owners.

The agitated labourers alleged that brick-kiln owners were not giving them due wages despite the fact that they worked for more than nine hours daily in tough working conditions.

Mohammed Zareeb, media spokesperson for the union, said while in other regions brick-kiln workers were paid at least Rs 290 for every 1,000 bricks, in Haridwar they were being paid Rs 260.

“We demand the wages to be raised to at least Rs 350. We have been assured of a wage hike by brick-kiln owners several times during the past few years. We had even apprised Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) Vipin Kumar Sharma of less wages being paid to us. The ALC had called a meeting at his office to resolve the issue but the brick-kiln owners did not attend it. As a result, we decided to go on strike from today till our demands were met,” said Zareeb.

CITU has extended support to the strike and blamed the Capitalist policies of both Central and state governments for the harassment and exploitation of the labourers.

The ALC said he had called brick-kiln owners and representatives of agitating labourers for a meeting at his office on April 3 again to resolve the issue.

He warned the brick-kiln owners to ensure their presence at the meeting or he would be forced to announce a wage hike for the labourers.

RC Jakhmola, CITU leader, said though Haridwar was a fast growing industrial hub, the interests of the labourers were being ignored. This forced the labourers to go on strike in support of their demands.

Tibetans in Mussoorie protest Chinese PM's visit to India
Ajay Ramola

Members of the Tibetan community take out a protest march in Mussoorie on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Mussoorie, March 26
Tibetans held a rally in Mussoorie today in protest against the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Hu Zin Tao to Delhi. They demanded freedom from the autocratic Chinese regime.

The rally began from Happy Valley, passed through Library Bazaar, Mall Road and Kulri Bazaar before culminating at Gandhi Chowk. The community members were carrying placards reading "Hu Zin Tao go back", "China stop oppression against Tibetan community".

The president of the Regional Tibetan Women's Association, Mussoorie, Kalsang Dolma, with tears in her eyes, said China was bent upon crushing the peaceful movement for freedom of Tibet through violent means. It was continuing with its repressive policy against the Tibetans much to the disgust of the community living in exile world over.

She demanded that China should "give them back their country". She also appealed to India and the international community to support their just cause in the United Nations.

As soon as the news about a Tibetan protester attempting self-immolation in New Delhi reached Mussoorie the local administration became alert fearing the repeat of a similar incident. However, the Tibetans here clarified that no member of the community would indulge in such an act in Mussoorie.

ABVP delegation meets Director over rampant commercialisation of education
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
In protest against the commercialisation of education, a delegation of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad met Director (Education) CS Gwal here today.

Members of the delegation submitted a memorandum to Gwal seeking his intervention in stopping the sale of books and stationery in public schools across the city.

“Students are being forced to purchase books and uniform from shops situated on the premises of public schools,” said Anshul Chawla, an ABVP worker.

Gwal has given an assurance to them that action would be taken in this regard.

They also demanded that the annual fee hike should be examined by the Director, the entrance test at the primary level should be scrapped and the admission fee be charged only once. 

Migrated villagers to return to sow crops
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 26
People living in the upper reaches of the Johar valley in the district, who had migrated during the winter, are likely to return to their villages next month to sow crops during the summer. The state Public Works Department division at Askot has ordered its local officials to open roads to these villages. These roads were damaged in heavy snowfall in the valley recently. The main challenge is a 4-km stretch of the road that was washed away due to rain and snowfall at Munsiyari recently.

“We are deputing 12 parties to open ways and subways to all 12 villages of the Johar valley after April 1, as the migrants from these villages are likely to return home after April15," said a PWD engineer.

The residents of remote villages of Johar, Darma and Vyans valleys in the district are set to return in April after spending six months of winter in lower valleys. After returning to their villages, they remain busy in the cultivation of mustard and potato crops and various Himalayan herbs between May and September. “After migrating to lower valleys during the winter, these villagers return to their villages before May to sow crops," said Devendra Singh, sarpanch of Qurie village of Munsiyari subdivision.

According to PWD sources, as the migrating families were expected to reach Munsiyari town with their animals in 15 days, the roads would be opened soon. PWD engineers said this year due to heavy snowfall in this part of the Himalayas during the winter, glaciers had slided and many bridges on the way were washed away due to the rain and snow storms. “The main challenge is to make ways for the villagers of Dhapa and Saipolo from their houses to fields, as a 4-km road was washed away," said an engineer.

Alva holds tea for MLAs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva held a high tea for the newly elected members of the state Assembly this evening. At the tea, along with her husband, Niranjan Alva, the Governor congratulated the members and expressed the confidence that they would rise above their personal differences and work for the welfare of the people, making Uttarakhand an “ideal state” of the country.

Present on the occasion were the newly elected Assembly speaker, Govind Singh Kunjwal, Former Chief Ministers- ND Tiwari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and BC Khanduri; Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridyesh, nominated MLA RV Gardner, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, DGP JS Pandey, Principal Secretary to the Governor Ashok, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Utpal Kumar, additional secretary to the governor Sachin Kurve and ADCs Barinderjit Singh and Major Chaudhary. 

CM told not to disperse families selling fruits, vegetables
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
Various delegations met Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in the city today. Devender Sethi, former vice-chairman, Cantonment Board, was the first to arrive, who urged Bahuguna not to remove 300 families who had been selling fruit and vegetables on the land owned by Department of Rehabilitation, which was allotted to build a veterinary hospital by the previous state government.

Sethi said the activities such as dairy and rearing of animals were prohibited in the cantonment area and opening a veterinary hospital at such a place was not justified.

While assuring them that their interests would be fully safeguarded, Bahuguna directed to maintain status quo in this matter. The residents of Prem Nagar Cantt area also came with Sethi.

Justice JCS Rawat, chairman of State Police Complainant Authority, also met the Chief Minister and apprised him of the activities of the department. Vijay Bahuguna asked him to prepare a proposal to make the authority more strong and effective.

He said the government would soon depute competent people against pending vacancies.

The delegations of Rajya Nigam Karamchari Sangh and another led by MLA Sarita Arya from Naintal came to congratulate him. Managing Director, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, GP Patel and ONGC representatives too followed to congratulate Bahuguna for taking over the reins of the new state government. 

1,800 students take part in IIT-R annual festival
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
A three-day annual festival, Cognizance, concluded at Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.

The festival had the representation of almost 1,800 students from all over the country where over 160 events were held in the last three days. At one of the events yesterday, IITR alumnus Saurabh Awasthi, working at HSBC Bank in Bangalore, organised an open forum discussion under the banner of his voluntary group, the Zero Hour, discussed “Education in India, concern and way forward”.

The response of the students was amazing as they put forward their questions to penalists on burning issues such as the RTE and the RTI and their implementation. The penalists included Sanjay Pandey, Assistant Professor, IIT-Kanpur and Magsaysay Award winner who stressed on the need of having common school system along with the concept of introducing neighbourhood school so that the parents didn’t have to think twice to send their children far as there would be schools at every three kilometres. Also present in the discussion were Dr GS Rajwar, Deputy Director, Higher Education, Uttarakhand, I L Bansal, Professor at Aravali Institute of Management, Jodhpur, and Dr S Ray, Professor at IIT Roorkee.

During the concluding ceremony, Director, Airport Authorities of India, V Soma Sundram said innovation was a process which ensured development. Sundram also talked about Gagan - the Indian satellite-based augmentation system and its benefit.

At the end, he gave away mementoes to organisers of the “Cognizance 2012”. 

Furqan appointed parliamentary secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
With an aim to placate the Muslim community, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today appointed Furqan Ahmed, the lone Muslim Congress legislator from Piran Kaliyar of Haridwar district, as parliamentary secretary.

Vijay Bahuguna administered the oath of office and secrecy to Furqan Ahmed at Vidhan Sabha here. The move is seen as a move of the state government to appease the Muslim community that felt disappointed and betrayed following the denial of ministerial berth to its lone Muslim legislator.

Harish Rawat, Union Minister of Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs, who represents the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat having a sizeable Muslim community, had been pleading for the adjustment of Furqan Ahmed. He was also present at the oath taking ceremony of Furqan Ahmed.  

Woman held for chain snatching
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
Neha, resident of Meerut, was caught by the Nehru Colony police just within half an hour after she snatched a gold chain of Kiranbala, a resident of Mohkampur, when they were riding in a three-wheeler in the city today.

Kiran realised that her chain was missing as soon as they got down near Assembly Hall from the three-wheeler. She approached police personnel stationed outside the Assembly Halland told the police about the woman who, she said, was sitting beside her in the vehicle.

The police swung into action, took along the victim and found the accused. The gold chain was recovered from her.

The accused said she had come from Meerut to Dehradun to see a doctor. But she could not tell about the name and the location of the doctor.

According to the police, she can be a member of a gang who traps a victim to loot him. 

Night landing at Jolly Grant Airport 

Dehradun, March 26
The night landing system has begun functioning at the Jolly Grant Airport, paving the way for the landing of the Kingfisher aircraft.

“The Kingfisher landed it’s aircraft amid the Night Landing System (NLS) and the Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been made fully operational,” said PC Sharma, Principal Secretary and Director Uttarakhand Civil Aviation. It took more than two years to get the ILS system going at the Jolly Grant Airport, near Rishikesh. As a result, now flights could land at night.

The delay had dented the credibility of the state government that was keen to increase air connectivity in the state. — TNS

Jewellers hold march in Doon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 26
Extending the support to gold jewellers fast at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, members of the Jewellers Association of Uttranchal closed their business all across the state and staged demonstration at Astley Hall here today.

A large number of gold traders from all over Uttarakhand gathered to participate in the indicative protest against the proposal of the Central Government to double the duty on gold jewelleries and demanded its rollback.

Jasbir Singh, secretary of the association, said the association would not relent at any cost. The Union Government must roll back the decision of imposing the excise duty.

"The strike was organised on the call of the All-Indian Gems and Jeweller Trade Federation and it will continue till our demands are met," he added. The state government had incurred huge losses due the strike by gold traders going on for the past one week.

Later in the evening, the association took out a protest march starting from Astley Hall, passing through Clock Tower, Darshan Lal Chowk, Prince Chowk and finally culminated at Jain Dharamshala.