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Poll for state party chief’s post today
Ground Water Resource Centre to be set up in state
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DGP asked to step up security
in state industrial areas
Gram pradhans disrupt BDC meeting
Saryu valley villagers migrate due to lack of basic facilities
Govt drivers go on strike, demand higher grade pay
Horse owners discuss rehab plan with MC chief
India’s forests valued at Rs
6,96,823.18 cr
Child rights panel serves notice
on SP, City
Move to start engg classes in auditorium
8 polytechnics to be set up
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Poll for state party chief’s post today
Haridwar, January 17 The elections are finally scheduled for the 18th and 19th of this month, which were delayed earlier on two occasions, first, due to the demise of former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami, and second, due to the oath-taking ceremony of Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi. In this regard today a two-hour-long meeting took place in Haridwar between BJP national organisational secretary Ram Lal, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt and Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh office-bearers in the presence of spiritual guru Jagad Guru Swami Raj Rajeshwaram Maharaj at the Kankhal-based ashram. After the conclusion of the marathon meeting, nothing officially was communicated by any of these leaders. Yet, sources close to RSS said that the party high command wanted unanimous election for the post. The candidature of veteran Sangh activist and former state Minister Mohan Singh Rawat Gaonwasi is being favoured by the RSS. Former Chief Ministers BC Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank are pressing for Chaubathakhal Assembly legislator Teerath Singh Rawat. The other former CM Bhagat Singh Koshyari is lobbying for former Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. RSS wants a neutral candidate. “RSS is definitely in favour of a candidate who has been involved with grass-root workers, has RSS background and the one who is acceptable to both the factions (Khanduri-Nishank and Koshyari). Gaonwasi gets weightage but it is up to other party leaders and legislators to decide,” opined an RSS activist, who was present at the ashram. Leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt, while taking a break during the meeting, said that it was an inner party decision, with emphasis on a candidate that led the party to victory in all five parliamentary constituencies in the upcoming 2014 elections. “Umaji and Ram Lalji are our guiding force. It is not that only Uttarakhand politics are being discussed. National-social issues are also at the forefront,” commented Bhatt. While organisational secretary Ram Lal, who also offered prayers, as today was his birthday, clarified that BJP was a disciplined party with a difference and in the coming days it will get clear that there is no such thing as ‘inner factionalism’ in the party. |
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Ground Water Resource Centre to be set up in state
Dehradun, January 17 Jain, chairing the meeting of the Ground Water Management organised by the Central Ground Water Board here today, said a Ground Water Resource Centre would be established in the state. He said the centre would carry out aquifer mapping for groundwater in all districts. Jain observed that it was seen that water resources were exploited without any assessments resulting in the scarcity of water. He said under the national project, aquifer mapping would be conducted in the 7,700 square kilometre area in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital districts under the 12th Five Year Plan. The mapping would be conducted in the remaining districts under the 13th Five-Year Plan. Jain said considering the difficult topography of Uttarakhand, it was very essential to conserve water and in such condition, the national project would prove beneficial for the state. Regional Director of the Central Ground Water Board Dr Ratan Chandra Jain speaking about the national project on aquifer management said Uttarakhand had been identified for aquifer mapping under the 12th and the 13th Five-Year Plans. He said a state committee would be constituted under the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretaries, Irrigation, Finance, Peyjal,, Science & Technology, Forest, Mini Irrigation, Jal Sansthan, Swajal and Agriculture, would be nominated as its members. Similarly, District-Level Committees would also be formed under the District Magistrates with the Chief Development Officer and officers of other related departments as its members. Both state and district committees would prepare an action plan and submit to the Central Government after which the Centre would allocate fund for the projects. Chief Secretary Jain said a workshop would be organised on February 15 on Ground Water Management. Also present at the meeting were Principal Secretaries S Raju, Radha Raturi, S Ramaswami and Secretaries RC Pathak, Bhaskaranand, Vinod Fonia and other senior officers. |
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DGP asked to step up security
in state industrial areas
Dehradun, January 17 Industries Association of Uttarakhand Chairman Pankaj Gupta raised the security and law and order problems being faced by the industries. He said the problems of encroachments was a big challenge in the industrial estates as roadside encroachments and parking of public conveyance vehicles on approach roads of industrial estates posed a hazard to movement. He said unlawful sale of liquor from stalls in and around industrial areas was also a problem. He supported regular verification of immigrant labourers working in establishments. Referring to Patel Nagar industrial area in Dehradun, the delegation members said the road leading to the Patel Nagar industrial area was not adequately lit and even not manned by the traffic police. Hawkers have mushroomed in this industrial area, leading to haphazard parking by their customers. The deputation members also held that most intersections in Dehradun were in a bad shape as the designated construction agencies did not finish work at these intersections, leading to congestion and traffic blockades. |
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Gram pradhans disrupt BDC meeting
Dehradun, January 17 Uttarakhand Gram Pradhan Sanghatan president Surat Singh Negi, who led the protest, alleged that the concerns of the Gram Pradhans were not being redressed. He asserted that the funds allotted to the Gram Pradhans by the State Finance Committee were yet to be received by the Pradhans, which was hampering the development works. He said the state government had failed to give gram panchayats more rights and autonomy. Negi said as per the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution, administrative and financial rights of 31 departments should be given to the gram panchayats. He also asked the inclusion of members of gram panchayat in the District Planning Committee. Apart from Uttarakhand Gram Pradhan Sanghatan President Surat Singh Negi, Kapil Bora, Nabi Hasan and Suneeta Bisht were prominent sanghatan members that took part in the protest. Meanwhile, Raipur MLA Umesh Sharma and Block Pramukh Khem Pal Singh somehow tried to continue with the proceedings of the meeting that proved to be more or less of a formality. |
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Saryu valley villagers migrate due to lack of basic facilities
Pithoragarh, January 17 According to sources, residents of more than 12 villages in the Saryu valley of Almora district, including Satti, Tilani, Bachpola, Chimakholi, Mayoli, Barro, Kungara, Bivri, Dhaulibagar and Salpar, have left in hordes leading to a drastic fall in the population as compared to the Census 2001. “The number of families in these villages was 1,891 in the Census 2001 and it has reduced to 1,088 families in 2011,” said Ganesh Pandey, a social worker and journalist at Danya town of the district. Pandey said the main reasons for migration from the villagers were the lack of roads, educational and health facilities and employment opportunities. “Earlier the youths used to leave their villages in search of jobs, but now they along with their families are migrating due to lack of basic facilities like education and health,” said Pandey, who has toured the villages. Pandey said his survey had revealed that the villages in the Saryu valley were the most backward villages of Almora district as these were situated in a remote corner and were not linked to road. “Most of the Saryu valley villages are without a road and lack educational and health facilities,” he said. “Migration has increased after the villagers realized that education is the only means for them to secure jobs, whether in the Army or civil departments,” said Pandey. He added most of the villagers had shifted to Haldwani town where they had managed jobs as well as residence. “The villagers, who are comparatively economically weak, prefer Danya, while better off villagers shift to Almora town. But most of them have gone to Haldwani as this town offers them not only job opportunities but also ample health facilities,” said Pandey. “Until these interior villges in the Saryu valley of Almora district is not provided with basic facilities of life, migration of villagers cannot be stopped. As these villages are situated at a remote corner of the district, the residents feel alienated. Even public representatives do not visit these villages except during the election time,” said
Pandey. |
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Govt drivers go on strike, demand higher grade pay
Dehradun, January 17 The diver held a protest demonstration at Parade Ground in support of their demands. The drivers belonging to various departments alleged that the state government had failed to fulfil its commitment made to them on November 29, 2012. They alleged that after their strike in November last, it was agreed to increase their grade pay from Rs 4200 to Rs 4600 per month and a washing allowance of their uniforms of Rs150 per month. However, they said since November, no government order was issued pertaining to the agreement reached between their association and the state government officials. They threatened that their strike would continue till the state government issued a government order accepting their demands. The driver raised slogans against the state government and sat on a
dharna. |
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Horse owners discuss rehab plan with MC chief
Mussoorie, January 17 The horse owners offer their animals to tourists for joy rides on Mall Road, often creating unhygienic conditions in the town due to accumulation of filth and excreta of animals. The MC in order to stop this practice had a few months ago planned to provide the horse owners with an alternative of running shops instead of ferrying the tourists on their horses. Around 27 shops registered under the MC have been constructed for the horse owners. The members from the affected community held talks with Uniyal on the MC premises where the modalities of the transfer of the shops were discussed. Uniyal told the horse owners that they would be handed over the shops once the modalities on amicable transfer were formulated. He said the MC would also consider charging a meager amount as rent of the shops from the horse owners. Uniyal later told mediapersons that some ward members were creating problems in the process of transfer of land to the affected persons due to vested political interest. They even had made false complaints to the Urban Development Minister at a meeting held in Mussoorie recently. Some ward members had alleged that the MC was providing the shops only to a favoured lot and not to other 81 horse owners who were dependent on horses for their livelihood. Uniyal termed the allegations as baseless and said only those horse owners had been considered who were permanently stationed in the town and not those who come with their horses occasionally. He said the MC would provide shops to those horse owners who reside in Mussoorie permanently and consider rehabilitating others later. The horse owners were happy at the arrangements and said they would discontinue ferrying tourists on their horses once they were rehabilitated. “The whole exercise is being carried out to keep horses away from Mall Road so that it remains clean for the tourists,” added
Uniyal. |
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India’s forests valued at Rs
6,96,823.18 cr
Dehradun, January 17 According to a release issued by the ICFRE, Dr VK Bahuguna, Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, disclosed that if direct and indirect benefits were taken into account, the total economic value of India’s forests is almost Rs 6,96,823.18 crore. He said the benefits that arise out of the forests of the country range from fodder, fuel, forest products, soil conservation, climate amelioration, water retention, pollination, recreation, food and water security, carbon sequestration and biological control. Bahuguna said the share of soil conservation and prevention of landslides was the maximum and accounted for more than 20 per cent of the total value of the forests. The contribution of fodder, non-timber forest products, timber and climate amelioration was also more than 10 per cent each. Dr VK Bahuguna said the ICFRE was conducting a research on various components of the economic evaluation of forests like non-timber forest products, wood products, soil conservation, climate change, hydrology, carbon sequestration and biological control. It is expected that the research being carried out will provide input to further improve the contribution of the forestry sector of India in its economy. “Forests provide a host of goods and services that go largely unnoticed because of lack of data and information. A majority of these goods and services play a vital role in the rural economy of our country”, Dr Bahuguna observed. |
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Child rights panel serves notice
on SP, City
Dehradun, January 17 Taking cognisance of the reports appearing in newspapers in which the child was beaten up by an official serving in Swajal, Secretary of State Rights Child Panel Manki Negi has asked the SP, City, to present a status report on the incident within three days. She said the police tried to hush up the case as a state government official was involved when it was a clear case of violation of her rights. The police did not take appropriate action under the Juvenile Justice Act (2000), Prevention of Child Labour Act 2009 (13 and 14), and above all a 10-year-old girl was employed by a state government employee for domestic chores, which has been termed dangerous activity by the Central Government. The SP, City, has been given three days to respond. |
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Move to start engg classes in auditorium
Pithoragarh, January 17 It forced him to change his decision. Sensing the move of the government, activists from various organisations gathered at the Naini Saini airstrip and handed over a memorandum to Sharma requesting him not to use auditorium for other than cultural purposes. “We have told the secretary that if the auditorium, which is the only state-of-the-art construction in the town, will be used other than cultural purposes, all organisations will launch an agitation against the move,” said Bhagwan Singh Rawat, president of the Pithoragarh Lok Manch. Surprised at the sudden pressure from the people, the secretary agreed to their demand and said the auditorium would now be used only to hold cultural activities of the students from the engineering college. “The government has been informed by the district administration that the auditorium could be used to hold classed of the engineering college, which has lack of space at present,” said the secretary. The secretary reached the district to inspect the modernisation work of the airstrip and to select the spot to house the buildings of Seemant Engineering College in the district. |
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8 polytechnics to be set up
Dehradun, January 17 The polytechnics will be set up under the special assistant plan in Tanakapur (Champawat), Bajpur (Udham Singh Nagar), Gaza (Tehri), Pratap Nagar (Tehri), Gairsain (Chamoli), Kanda and Munakot in Pithoragarh. A total of Rs 10 crore has been approved for the polytechnics under the special assistant plan. Most of these proposed polytechnics will come up in areas where technical institutions are few and afar.
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The Uttarakhand Pradhan Sanghatan today disrupted a Block Development Committee meeting at
Raipur, Dehradun, resenting the continued neglect of Gram Pradhans by the state government.
A day after the ministerial employees of the state government ended their 21-day
stike, the Government Drivers Association has now gone on a strike from today. The drivers of government vehicles stayed away from their duties forcing many officials without officials vehicles.
Secretary for Civil Aviation and Technical Education Rakesh Sharma faced a tough resistance from civil society during a visit to the town to facilitate classes of Seemant Engineering College in the recently constructed auditorium.
