DMC to levy heavy taxes on residential schools, hotels
Dehradun, April 12
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) has pulled up its socks and has now decided to levy heavy taxes on residential schools, hotels, restaurants, wedding points and petrol pumps. At a meeting of members of the working committee, 16 out of 24 such matters were decided.

Dehradun, April 12
In an important decision today, the Uttarakhand Cabinet decided to resume work on the stalled Tapovan (520 MW), Vishnugad-Pipalkoti (444 MW), Srinagar (330 MW) and Fata Vyoong (76 MW) power projects and empower Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to put up the state’s point of view at a meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority meeting to be held in New Delhi.

Speaking to the mediapersons at the Secretariat after the Cabinet meeting here, the Chief Minister said the state would put forward its stand strongly at the meeting of the Ganga Basin Authority scheduled to be held in New Delhi.

“Considerable money has been spent on these projects and these projects have also got clearance from the Environment Ministry. We will put up our case about resuming work on these power projects,” said the Chief Minister.

He said his government was in favour of small hydro-power projects and all those projects approved by the Centre should not be stalled. He asserted that the state government would strive to maintain the incessant flow of the Ganga. He said the state government would urge the Centre to complete all those projects in which heavy amount had so far been spent. He said the government was also looking for other prospects of revenue generation other than the power sector.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Subash Kumar too met Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterjee and apprised him about today’s Cabinet decision.

“The work on the stalled projects will be taken up the state government despite protests by certain sections", said Subash Kumar.

When the industrial package was withdrawn by the Central Government during the erstwhile BJP’s rule, the matter regarding the continuation of the package was brought in the Cabinet, thereby reiterating the government’s commitment.

Meanwhile in Uttarakhand construction work on some big hydel projects of big power companies like GVK, GMR, THDCIL, NTPC have been stalled due to protests. 

Dehradun, April 12
Fulfilling one of the promises made in the party manifesto, the newly constituted Cabinet today approved the setting up of a separate ministry for the welfare of the minorities.

By creating a separate ministry for the welfare of the minorities, the Bahuguna government has indicated its intention to accord priority to the welfare of the minorities.

“Earlier, the welfare of the minorities was under the purview of the Social Welfare Department. Now the Cabinet has given its approval for the creation of a full-fledged ministry. After drafting rules of business for the ministry and division of works between the head of the ministry and the secretary, new posts will be created according to the requirement,” said Alok Jain, Additional Chief Secretary at a press briefing today.

The Cabinet also decided to continue with the existing promotion policy for the members of the SC and ST communities already serving in the Uttarakhand government in pursuance of the recommendations given by the three-member committee, constituted by the erstwhile BJP government in the wake of the 2011 high court order.

“The committee, formed by the Personnel Department comprising former IAS officer Indu Kumar Pande, former VC of Kumaon University BK Joshi and Additional Secretary Suverdhan, had found that the promotion policy being followed by the state government for the members of the SC and ST communities adequate,” said Jain.

The Cabinet also gave approval for shortlisting of four central public sector undertaking construction agencies that would now be empanelled (according to the government rates) for undertaking construction activity in the state. These shortlisted CPSUs include National Projection Construction Corporation Ltd (NPCCL), National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd (NBCCL), Bridge and Roof Company (India) and BSNL. The CPWD is already shortlisted by the state government.

“The four CPSUs were shortlisted to tide over time and cost overruns as the executing agencies (state) comprising the Irrigation Department, the PWD and the Peyjal Nigam were already overloaded with work and delivering projects on time was becoming a problem,” said Alok Jain.

It was also decided to extend the compounding scheme for civil contractors undertaking electric and civil works till March 2015. Both civil and electric contractors would also be uniformly charged.

Similarly for road side dhabas, industrial canteens, restaurants and food joints(urban areas), owners having an annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh and opting for the option of compounding, the scheme too has also been given an extension till March 2015.

However, the government decided to suspend the decision on charging 1 per cent VAT on textiles for the time-being.

The Cabinet also approved the final winding up of the Garhwal Anusuchit Jan Jati Nigam. “The state government has already released Rs 307 lakh for the employees availing Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). Now VRS amount to the remaining 18 employees has to be paid,” said Jain.

Haridwar, April 12
With the festival of Baisakhi commencing tomorrow onwards, the pilgrim city is already buzzing with influx of devotees from around the country to take a dip in the holy Ganga at Brahm Kund, Har-ki-Pauri, and adjacent to Ganga ghats.

As per administrative expectations, the turnout for this holy festival is being expected between 15 to 20 lakh and as such keeping in mind this aspect, the district administration has started gearing itself for the smooth flow, conduct and management of this festival.

Senior Superintendent of Haridwar police Pushkar Sailal talking to TNS said that owing to immense religious aspect of Baisakhi fair and tourist season, a large number of devotees are expected to take a dip,for which elaborate arrangements are being done.

The SSP is also holding several meetings, briefings and personally looking into security, traffic and duty points for the mela force personnel.

For the Baisakhi fest, the whole mela area has been bifurcated into 12 zones and 36 sectors, which will have zonal and sector magistrates as supervising officers.

As the Baisakhi mela will go on till April 14, including Mesh Sakranti, the administration is taking no chances whatsoever to ensure peaceful completion of the fair.

District magistrate, Haridwar, D. Senthyl Pendiyan, has given strict directions to the government departments and nodal agencies to ensure supply of power, water etc as well as Municipal Corporation to ensure cleanliness at the mela zone ghats and in the city, too.

Superintendent of Traffic Police, Dr Kiran Lal Shaw,, informed TNS that in view of the three-day-long festive fair, the traffic police had already started preparations a week ago in this regard.

He added that alternate traffic plan routes in case of traffic congestion on National Highway 72 and 54 have been chalked out while traffic dividers have been put in place at heavily congested stretches nearing Har-ki-Pauri mela zone.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Nivedita Kukreti, said that heavy deployment of state police is being done in view of the festival with para military forces also being kept in reserve.

Dehradun, April 12
Members of the Uttarakhand Roadways Corporation (URC) sat on a dharna today before the URC office here.

When this report was written, regional manager of the URC RK Yadav was having a dialogue with the agitated members to resolve the issue.

The members were angry with the way state president of the union Ashok Kumar had been transferred to Haridwar recently.

Convener of the URC Udayvir Singh said, “The management has adopted a biased attitude toward us. It was on the complaint of another union that the management transferred Kumar whereas as per the rules, the union leaders can not be transferred.”

He said their main demands included the benefit of aggregate career promotion to all employees, which had been given to only 10 per cent members of the corporation. He also demanded that the spare parts of the Roadways buses be purchased from a good company.

He said the low quality parts developed problems in a short period because of which the buses remained parked in workshop area.

Dehradun, April 12
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad members yesterday staged a dharna in Dehradun expressing resentment over the delay in releasing of the results of some of DAV (PG) College Dehradun students.

Led by Anshul, the ABVP member and ex-president DAV (PG) College, the agitating students staged a dharna outside Bijapur guest house here where senior university officials held a meeting.

The ABVP members demanded immediate release of the results asserting that the delay was spoiling the career of the students. University officials later met a delegation of ABVP students and assured necessary action.

Dehradun, April 12
City president of the Uttarkahand Kranti Dal Bahadur Singh Rawat and senior leader Latafat Hussain protested before the District Magistrate’s office against the increasing incidents of crime in the city.

Hussain said the police officials were much keen on getting postings to better locations and less interested in controlling the escalating crime rate in the city.

He pointed towards incidents such as of kidnapping in Vikasnagar and Kotwali, loot in Adhat Baazar and Turner Road.

Dehradun, April 12
The government has decided to rationalise the free travel facility for girl students in buses of the state government and restrict it to schooldays.

Additional chief secretary Alok Jain said here today that the Cabinet had approved rationalisation of the scheme introduced by the previous BJP government a few months ago. Thereby, the facility of free bus travel would not be available on Sundays and other school holidays. “It was found that the scheme was being misused and the students were availing of the free travel facility even while on picnic and holiday,” he said.

Besides, the government also decided to set up 40 new cooperatives to be run by women self-help groups. “The total budget for the project is expected to be around Rs 25 lakh and out of which Rs 15 lakh will be raised through loans,” said Jain. These cooperatives would be set up with the help of the Woman and Child Welfare Department. 

Haridwar, April 12
Despite having properties and other assets worth crores of rupees, Haridwar zila panchayat savings are quite less in comparison to its expenditure. As per data available from the zila panchayat office, the annual income of the district body last financial year stood at Rs 1.40 crore but net saving is just Rs 30 lakh.

Out of this annual earnings last year, the zila panchayat spent approximately Rs 1.10 crore in various expenditures - salary of employees, pension and office work expenses. On salaries Rs 80 lakh were spent, while on pension Rs 20 lakh and on other expenses around Rs 10 lakh.

This is when zila panchayat has the power to collect taxes in rural areas but owing to laxity by previous ZIP members and officials, on this aspect no one gave attention.

With this scant sum that is saved by the zila panchayat, not more than a few kilometre of road can be constructed, despite the panchayat having a large area of Haridwar district, with 42 ward members in the body.

Zila panchayat chairperson Anjum Begum told TNS that her first priority in this tenure is to increase the zila panchayat income and profit so that mass-scale development work can also be carried out by it.

Anjum added that for this a proposal has been forwarded to administration wherein lifting of ban on 'chugan' has been demanded as due to government notification, quarrying is prohibited on the Ganga river bed. While Meenakshi Chaudhary,vice chairperson of the zila panchayat body, said that by the end of this financial year, they hope to substantially increase the income of the body by putting in various measures.

Of these she added that increase in taxes on commercial land, properties of zila panchayat as per current market rate, giving on lease commercial hoarding space, opening the stalled bidding procedure of loading-unloading of sand, stone, brick contract and also upping the charge on hawkers who put on temporary shops in local weekly market.

A zila panchayat official, on condition of anonymity, stated that due to inner factionalism and self- interests of zila panchayat members, there was an adverse affect on revenue resources as everyone wanted contracts to be given to his or her relative, friend or party worker.

This delayed the process or the bid procedure got stalled. 

Dehradun, April 12
Welcoming summer and showcasing a wide variety of clothes, art and craft items and other utility items, a two-day In-Vogue exhibition will kick off tomorrow at Hotel Pacific.

Jointly organised by Smirti Lall and Sangeeta Gupta, the major attraction of the exhibition would be handcrafted items and sterling silver jewellery.

At a press conference today Smirti Lall said the exhibition would revolve around the summer theme and major boutiques comprising of Talking Thread, Kanhai Jewels, J-line Jewellery,

Angle Boutique and other boutiques selling high fashion items have given their consent to participate in the exhibition.

Besides the highlight of the exhibition would be the eco-friendly hand-made products made by domestic workers and trained by Irwinite Alumni Welfare Society. "The hand products embellished with fresh dried and pressed flowers are made by underprivileged girls and women who have been trained by our society," said Manju Gosain. 

Nainital, April 12
Five persons, including a girl child, were killed and four others injured when a truck collided with a four-wheeler near Dhauplur village on the Gadarpur-Rudrapur road last evening.

Three of the deceased were residents of Devariya in Uttar Pradesh.

According to sources, Yasmeen, a resident of Pindi village in Devariya, was getting married to Shahid, a resident of Gadarpur. The victims had come to attend Shahid’s marriage reception at her house and were going to the Rudrapur railway station to catch a train back home when the accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses said the four-wheeler in which they were travelling was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction. The impact of the collision was such that the four-wheeler was completely damaged and thrown off the road. At the same time the truck collided with another truck. It is being assumed that the accident occurred as the driver lost control over the truck.

Four of the deceased have been identified as Khushi (8), Naziya (20), Asgari (40) and driver of the four-wheeler Gaurav Kheda, a resident of Sardarnagar village near Gadarpur.

Kheda’s body was so badly entangled in the vehicle’s wreckage that it could be retrieved with the help of metal cutters.

The fifth deceased was the cleaner of the truck and was yet to be identified. The driver of the truck, Shahnawaz, a resident of Sivara in Bijnore district of Uttar Pradesh, was seriously injured. He is battling for life in a hospital in Haldwani. 

Mussoorie, April 12
Rotary Club, Mussoorie, today felicitated around 40 volunteers involved in pulse polio drive carried out in Mussoorie in the past couple of years and achieving 100 per cent success rate in eradicating polio from the town.

The president of the Rotary Club Pankaj Jain commended the efforts of the volunteers and said that members of the club thought of honouring these silent workers as mark of appreciation.

The chief guests, MLA, Mussoorie, Ganesh Joshi, and MC president, OP Uniyal, also appreciated the work done by the volunteers in the town and thanked Rotarians for honouring them.

Nitish Mohan coordinated the function.

Dehradun, April 12
In the district junior under 18 basketball championship, Welham girls will take on Carman School in the first semifinal whereas Doon International will clash with Aryan school in the second semifinals in the girls' section. In the boys' category, Welham Boys School will clash with Hilton School whereas Doon School will take on Pestle Weed College.

In the girls' section quarterfinal matches today, Welham girls beat Convent of Jesus and Mary 21- 04, Aryan school beat Hopetown girls school 12- 3, Carman School beat St. Thomas college12- 11 and Doon International School beat Jaswant Modern School 16-6.

Further, in the boys' section quarterfinal matches, Welham boys beat Kasiga School 47- 20, Pestle Weed College beat DAV Public School 30 -8, Hilton School beat Summer Valley School 33 -18, Doon School beat the Asian School 42 - 26.