Bahuguna seeks foreign investment in state
Ambassadors' meeting at Raj Bhawan
Tribune News service

Dehradun, October 27
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, speaking as the chief guest at the second ambassadors' meet at the Raj Bhawan auditorium on Saturday, invited international investors to invest in Uttarakhand.

"Uttarakhand has a huge potential in the service and industrial sector. Investors could come up with environment-friendly technology and reap dividends," he said.

He said that the literacy rate of Uttarakhand was more than that of the country, and the government was giving special attention to skill development so that maximum youths would be benefited from establishment of industries. Describing balanced development an important espect, he said that the state government was committed to development of the basic infrastructure in backward hills and border areas.

Laying emphasis on connectivity, Chief Minister Bahuguna said that efforts were being put in the development of roads, railways and air connectivity in the state. Describing hydropower and tourism important factors for state economy, he said that air service between Dehradun and Kathmandu was on the anvil. Welcoming Foreign Direct Investment, he described it necessary for economic development and employment.

Bahuguna said that following the special industrial package to the the state, the government had taken investment as a challenge. "All possible facilities will be provided to the investors," he said, adding that consensus from the Central government and industrial houses had been taken for investment. He observed that establishment of the SIDCUL Phase-II project would propel industrial development and setting up of Logistic Hub at Pantnagar would benefit industrial units at large.

High Commissioner of South Africa HM Mazeki said that his country's President had identified Uttarakhand as one of the important places for investment. He said that his government was considering investing in the sate in the pharmaceutical and tourism sectors. He said that South Africa and India shared historical and cultural similarities and there were vast possibilities of mutual cooperation between both the countries.

Mazeki invited Bahuguna to visit his country along with a delegation of entrepreneurs from Uttarakhand.

Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain said that in the past few years, Uttarakhand had managed to attract investments in Dehradun and Haridwar, and Pharma City and IT Park had been established in Dehradun. He said that there was no dearth of skilled human resources in the state.

Principal Secretary, Industrial Development, Rakesh Sharma, apprised him about the industrial policy and programmes of the state government, while the president of the Industrial Association of Uttarakhand Pankaj Gupta disseminated information about potential of investment in the state.

 Monitor utilisation of funds on regular intervals: Jain
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
With an annual plan budget of Rs 8,200 crore and six months already coming to an end, several departments are still to get off the mark so far as making allocations against the budget is concerned.

The departments of Agriculture, Forest and Wildlife, Panchayati Raj, Cooperatives, Fisheries, Power and Urban Development have made less than 50 per cent allocations. “There are a very few months left for the completion of construction-related work and most of the departments have not managed to prepare plans so that the allocations could be made according to different heads,” said Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt.

Chief Secretary Alok Jain has asked the heads of the departments concerned to monitor the utilisation of funds at regular intervals.

 Cabinet meeting at Gairsain to revive permanent capital issue
Neena Sharma /TNS

Dehradun, October 27
The decision of the state government to hold a Cabinet meeting at Gairsain on November 3 as part of its commitment to develop backward areas of the state has once again revived the issue of a permanent capital. Uttarakhand completes 12 years of existence next month.

It was in 1992 that Kashi Singh Airi, president of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, laid the foundation stone of Gairsain as capital even though the dream of a separate state of Uttarakhand was still elusive. What remains of that gesture is the dusty and unkempt statue of Vir Chandar Singh Garhwali, local hero of the Peshawar battle.

Besides reviving the memories of the emotive issue, the Cabinet meeting at Gairsain on November 3 will also force the state government to tell the people whether the promise of a permanent capital is well within its way and achievable. Several political players occupying key posts were not even on the political horizon when the statehood agitators raised the demand for making Gairsain the capital of Uttarakhand.

It is not that efforts were not made to resolve the vexed issue. A one-man commission headed by Justice Virender Dixit (retd) was constituted in 2001 to present its findings on the issue. The report of the commission that took eight years had found Gairsain less viable for the location of a permanent capital in comparison with Dehradun, Rishikesh, Kashipur and Ramnagar.

No wonder, the BJP and the Congress gave a quite burial to the report after tabling it in the Assembly in 2009 and Dehradun that was to remain as an interim capital, surely but slowly was allowed to acquire the character of a permanent capital.

“It is the remoteness of Gairsain versus the easy life in Dehradun that has kept the politicians and the bureaucrats glued to Dehradun. The city is today very densely populated. But we are not sure whether holding a Cabinet meeting will address the issue of a permanent capital for Uttarakhand,” said Ajay Bhatt, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. 

 Health dept procuring equipment of little use to hospitals
Several lakhs go down the drain
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
Despite censure by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in it's previous audit reports, the Department of Health and Family Welfare continues to procure medical equipment that has little use in hospitals, wasting several lakhs of rupees.

An incident pertaining to the district hospital, Rudraprayag, has come to light where a cardiac table valued at Rs 15 lakh has been lying idle for the last few years.

This despite the fact that there is no cardiac unit functional at the hospital, and not even a government doctor capable of carrying out angioplasty in entire Uttarakhand.

According to sources, during an inspection carried out under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the cardiac table lying idle was discovered.

"The district hospital, Rudraprayag, had requisitioned a C-ARM equipment used for viewing X-rays by orthopaedic surgeons but instead, a cardiac table was released by the director, stores, through the Director-General's office. It is a mystery how this blunder was committed and remained unreported for so long," said a senior official of the Department of Health.

Medical equipment lying idle is not new in Uttarakhand and in it's previous reports (2009), CAG had pointed at the mobile medical unit worth Rs 5 crore lying dumped at the godown, and also anaesthesia machines lying unutilised in CHCs since 2007.

So far no enquiry has been initiated into the latest matter. 

 Rafting operators welcome entertainment tax waiver
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
Rafting operators in the state have welcomed the decision of the Vijay Bahuguna government to waive entertainment tax on rafting activities and described it as a battle half won.

The rafting operators have been for long demanding a complete waiver of entertainment tax on rafting activities in the state. They maintained that there was no justification in levying entertainment tax on rafting when they were already paying charges levied by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department and the Forest Department in the form of licence fees.

The entertainment tax on rafting was levied in 2009 and charged as 20 per cent of the total fee taken by the rafting operators from an adventure tourist. The rafting operators opposed the tax tooth and nail and decided not to pay it. As a result, today more than 75 cases of non-payment of entertainment tax are pending with the court of the Tehri District Judge. The most of white water rafting takes place in the stretches of the Ganga in Tehri Garhwal district.

Dinesh Kathait, an office-bearer of the Uttaranchal Finest Outdoors Association, welcomed the waiver of the entertainment tax and said the move was happy tidings for the rafting operators of the state. He hoped that the cases against the rafting operators for the non-payment of entertainment tax would be withdrawn.

Kathait, however, added that it was still a battle half won and much more still needed to be done to promote the rafting activities in the state. He said while Nepal was earning handsome revenue from river rafting, Uttarakhand despite having several rivers was still to fully exploit its white water rafting potential.

He accused the Uttarakhand Government of failure to come up with a comprehensive rafting policy in the state. The draft policy at present adopted by Uttarakhand was not up to the mark. He said lack of infrastructure was hurting rafting in the state. “While there are no connecting roads to beaches, even facilities like change rooms are missing. Further, there is no policy for importing rafts,” Kathait said. He also sought an increase in the lease period of beach camps to a minimum of 30 years saying it would give stability to the rafting business.

It is noteworthy that the rafting companies and the state authorities have been at loggerheads for long. While the rafting operators accuse the state authorities of highhandedness and harassment, the latter have taken a stand that the rafting companies earn much and pay a little to the government.

Vital relief

* The entertainment tax on rafting was levied in 2009 and charged as 20 per cent of the total fee taken by the rafting operators from an adventure tourist

* The rafting operators opposed the entertainment tax tooth and nail and decided not to pay it. As a result, today more than 75 cases of non-payment of tax are pending with the court of the Tehri District Judge

* Rafting operators maintained that there was no justification in levying entertainment tax on rafting when they were already paying charges levied by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department and the Forest Department in the form of licence fees

* The state authorities believe that rafting companies earn a lot and pay little to the government

 Kerosene, medical facilities sought for migrating villagers of Pithoragarh
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 27
Local leaders have demanded repair of tracks, medical facilities and availability of kerosene oil for the families migrating to and from high Himalayan villages every year. Residents of 35 villages of the Darma, Vyans and Johar valleys in high Himalayas in the district are on their way to lower valleys these days to escape severe winter.

“Residents of fourteen villages each in the Johar and Darma valleys and seven villages in the Vyans valley, who are migrating these days, are facing difficulties in travelling on their routes which are damaged at several places. The authorities concerned have failed to restore these routes though they make estimates for the construction of roads at high Himalayan parts of the district every year,” says Devendra Singh Deva, president of Gram Pradhan Sangathan, Munsiyari.

Deva says despite 65 years of Independence, these traditionally migrating families are facing difficulties due to damaged tracks, shortage of fuel and food items as the authorities do not take migratory population in mind. “We have demanded that the district authorities should allocate a migration quota of ration and fuel and repair the routes,” he adds.

The migrating families take along their animals and pets to their winter homes along with the produces of herbs and cereals grown in the high Himalayan valleys only. During their six-month stay in lower valleys, these migrants sell their produces and woolen crafts to make a living. In most of the cases, the migrating families travel 80 to 100 km on foot braving difficulties of poor tracks, threat of landslides and shortage of kerosene oil, says Deva.

The Gram Pradhan Sangthan, Munsiyari has demanded medical and communication facilities, fuel supply and repair of tracks so that the difficulties the migrating families are facing could be mitigated. “There should be a quota of ration and a separate budget for repairing routes to the Darma, Vyans and Johar valleys to facilitate migrating poor families,” Deva adds.

 Participants taken to Surkanda peak
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
A two-day training workshop on HAM radio organised jointly by the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre and Doon University concluded here today.

The participants were taken to the Surkanda peak in Dhanaulti for providing an on-the-spot training about working in HAM radio. Sandeep Baruah, an engineer from the Department of Science and Technology, apprised the participants about setting up repeated antenna used in HAM radio.

Baruah had conservations with HAM radio users in Delhi, Noida and Gurgaon.

District Coordinator, UCOST, Dr Prashant Singh reiterated the UCOST’s commitment towards the popularisation of HAM radio in the state. Dr Gulshan Dingra and Dr Anil Nautiyal also spoke on the occasion. A large number of HAM radio users attended the workshop.

 BJP threatens jan andolan against govt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
Accusing the state government of failing to deliver during the past seven months in office, the BJP in Uttarakhand has threatened to launch a jan andolan against the Congress government.

“This government has become a mute spectator and continues to ignore the problems of the people. People in the hills are not receiving their quota of ration and the gas refill is also delayed,” said BS Chuphal, Uttarakhand BJP chief.

He said that the wounds of the people who were witness to natural disasters of 2010 had not healed, and now the latest disaster at Uttarkashi and Ukhimath had again torn asunder their lives. “Instead of looking into the problems of the people, the government was making merry. None of the ministers and bureaucrats have visited Uttarkashi,” charged Chuphal.

He said that the BJP would launch a jan andolan all across the sate if the Bahuguna government failed to take immediate steps to redress the grievances of the people.

“Development has come to a grinding halt with broken roads and bridges. The law and order situation has deteriorated and the administrative machinery is completely out of the government's control,” he charged.

Qureshi flags off vehicles with relief material
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
Governor Aziz Qureshi flagged off two vehicles carrying relief material for the disaster-affected areas in the state yesterday.

He spoke to the members of the Red Cross Society at a meeting and told them to provide all possible help to the disaster-affected people.

The Governor said those who were making efforts to serve society should be honoured. Ashok Pai, Principal Secretary to Governor, S. Pandian, Additional Secretary to Governor, IS Pal and N. Chaudhary, general secretary and secretary of the Red Cross Society (Uttarakhand), respectively, were present on the occasion. 

 Saints for awareness drive against tobacco, alcohol, drugs
Tribune News Service

Haridwar October 27
With the Uttarakhand government declaring that tobacco products sale will be banned in the state from January 1, 2013, onwards, the saint community in Haridwar has welcomed this step.

Saints who have spoken strongly against the use of intoxicants in Haridwar on Saturday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Though saints suggested that prior to the forceful, legal execution of the tobacco ban two months later, it was imperative to run an awareness drive so that tobacco consumers themselves shed its consumption.

Swami Ganga Das of the Jugat Mission lauded the initiative taken by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahguna and Health State Minister Surendra Singh Negi in this regard.

He pointed that youths were fast getting addicted to tobacco, alcohol and drug consumption, which was worrying.

“Even schoolgoing children can be seen chewing tobacco in various forms, which invites deadly disease like cancer and is a health hazard not only for the addict but also to his family members, near and dear ones and society overall,” said Swami Ganga Das.

Urging the Uttarakhand government to start an awareness drive from school and college to the mass level, the revered saint urged all the state governments to follow the step taken by Uttarakhand government in banning tobacco sale and consumption.

He appreciated the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharasthara, Mizoaram, Kerala and Goa which have already banned tobacco in their respective states.

Swami Sharad Puri, who runs Shiv Dale School, also related tobacco with lack of moral values and education. Parents and schools had been failing to give the right tips to the young students.

He said, “If we give good, moral-based values and teaching to the youths, it will not be easy prey to such addictions. The young generation should be kept away from cigarettes, alcohol and drug consumption.”

Supporting the need of an awareness drive, Swami Sharad Puri said that banning was imperative but more impact would be felt if the youth realised the health hazards and repercussions that they could face by consuming these products.

 Rs 4.95 cr for education of special kids
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 27
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 4.95 crore for carrying out an education programme for differently-abled children at the secondary school level.

The funds have been sanctioned under the Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) programme.

The Central assistance will help in providing education to students from Class IX to XII. It will also ensure books and study material to students and also training teachers as special educators. Under the programme, 190 schools in the state will be targeted.

The children, who were part of the special education programme at the elementary level of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), will be targeted.

Earlier this scheme existed in the form of the Scheme of Integrated Education for the Disabled Children.