Governors' Conference
Qureshi highlights issues confronting state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
Governor Aziz Qureshi threw light on various issues related to the development of the nascent hill state, stressing the need for attention from the Centre on several key areas at the 44th Governors’ Conference which began at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

President Pranab Mukherjee is presiding over the two-day conference. The issues on which Qureshi spoke were internal security, the development of infrastructure at the Char Dhams, strengthening delivery systems of government programmes, water management and sanitation and the role of the Governor in the context of quality and good governance in higher education as the Chancellor of universities.

Qureshi drew the attention of the Centre towards the need for improved border security in the state which shares a 350-km international border with China in the north and a 275-km border with Nepal in the east. “Inadequate development, poor physical infrastructure and the delay in green clearances to provide basic facilities for the people in this region has also led to the local people moving to the plains leaving border villages vulnerable,” he said.

He said the identity documentation for Indian and Nepalese citizens wanting to cross the border be made mandatory . The Governor also raised the issue of infrastructure development at the Char Dhams which attract more than 25 lakh pilgrims every year.

He said development and upgradation of physical infrastructure along the pilgrimage route and the international border was necessary to achieve the twin objectives of national integration and securing the international border. He said the Centre needed to upscale development volume of funding .

The Governor said to comprehensively develop the Char Dhams and the roads leading to these shrines, a statutory body on the lines of the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam or the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board could be formed.

Talking about the delivery systems of government programmes in Uttarakhand, the Governor said the introduction of ‘Right to Services’ to ensure the timely delivery of services in many states, including Uttarakhand, was a positive development. There was need to expedite green clearance processes to improve the delivery of governmental programmes in states like Uttarakhand, he said.

Regarding water management, he said several measures were being taken as far as drinking water schemes in the state were concerned.

About the Governor’s role (as Chancellor) in ensuring quality in higher education, Qureshi said some of the private colleges and institutions had become examples of commercialisation. He said the state alone could not fund higher education in the country due to limited resources and the options of private investment being available.

The Governor also raised the issue of huge infrastructure deficit faced by the state. “This Himalayan state that provides significant environmental services to the entire nation deserves to be incentivised significantly to continue providing these services,” he said.

Tiger count figure in Terai arc to be released by June
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL), one of the densest population area of tigers in the world, is undergoing a tiger count these days, whose results are expected to be out by June-end. It will bring to light the tiger population scenario and subsequent conservation strategies for the region.

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) comprises the area between the Bhagmati river in the east and the Yamuna river in the west, all along the Shivalik hills in India and the Churia hills in Nepal, covering the Himalayan foothills, the terrain flood plains and the bhabahar tracts.

It lies within the two countries of India and Nepal where the area covers approximately 30,000 sq. km. In India, TAL lies in three states, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

While the World Wide Fund-India (WWF-India) for the conservation of nature in assistance with the local forest authorities has been undertaking the census in the Indian side while the Nepal forest authorities has been entrusted the task of the count in its territorial limits.

Dr Harish Kumar, head, Terai Arc Landscape Programme, WWF, who is the part of the ambitious project, said the TAL count held much significance as it would lead to revelations regarding the latest tiger scenario in this important landscape of the world.

He said the biggest advantage of the count was that it was being held simultaneously both on the Nepal and Indian sides of TAL and would also do away with the overlapping challenges during the count leading to emergence of much better tiger picture in the landscape.

“We are very much hopeful that the count results will be out by June-end and apart from helping ascertain the tiger population in the region, it will also assist us in studying the tigers prey base availability in TAL,” Dr Kumar said.

An ecologically important region of the subcontinent, TAL is faced with a loss of habitat and its fragmentation due to a variety of threats in recent times which includes population pressure on natural resources and erratic developmental activities.

According to Harish Kumar, the WWF has been working in the Terai for more than a decade now. Its initiatives include supporting government agencies to strengthen law enforcement, monitoring and research and working with local NGOs to reduce human wildlife conflict through establishment of effective compensation mechanisms and promoting environmental awareness among the communities and policy makers on conservation. It is working with local communities for the improvement of livelihoods opportunities.

Joining work a rumour, say agitating ANMs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
The strike by the Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANMs) has entered the 101st day with union leaders charging the DG, Health Office, with spreading false rumours about their reporting back to work.

“None of the ANMs has reported back to work and the DG office and the CMO office are spreading false rumours about us. There has not been any agreement with the government on the issue,” Guddi Mautda, president, Uttarakhand Matar Shishu Evam Parivar Kaliyan Mahila Karamchari Association.

Recently the Cabinet had approved a proposal to pay their pending arrears from 1979-1995 despite the ANMs demanding payment from 1979-2010.

On the basis of the partial acceptance of the demand, the government was hopeful that the ANMs would return to work, but on the contrary, the ANMs have intensified their stir. They even gheraoed the residence of the Finance Minister yesterday.

The government has categorically stated that it is not in a position to pay the arrears from 1979-2010, as it will incur a huge financial burden on the government.

The government’s refusal to concede to the demands of the ANMs has affected the immunisation programme on the periphery of the districts where the entire immunisation programme is conducted by the ANMs.

Since November, the striking ANMs have not received their salaries but poor financial condition notwithstanding the ANMs say they have been facing similar hardships.

“Many times due to delay in the release of budget, we have been paid late. We have gone through such a situation and will not relent unless there is agreement with the government on our demands,” said Matuda.

CM for making excise policy more effective
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said today that the state government was seriously considering enhancing revenue through its limited resources. He said excise was also being connected to e-governance, which would result in the increase of revenue and bring transparency.

The Chief Minister said this while inaugurating the e-billing programme of the Excise Department at the Secretariat here today.

He also held a meeting with the representatives of excise business fraternity. Bahuguna laid emphasis on making excise policy more effective and transparent. He sought suggestions from them and also listened to their grievances. He maintained that there was a dire need of funds to carry out development projects in the state and for that it was necessary to increase revenue. He stated that the Excise Department was being connected to e-governance and making it fully computerised. Besides, online billing was also being introduced so that no irregularities take place. He said this would also reduce inconvenience to traders.

Bahuguna directed the officials concerned to do the needful in making excise policy more effective and introducing online system in the excise department so that permits could be released online in future.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DK Kotia, Principal Secretary, Finance, Radha Raturi, Additional Secretary to the CM and Commissioner, Excise, Dilip Jawalkar, and officials of the NIC and the Excise Department.

Bhatt meets CM over man-animal conflict
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Ajay Bhatt today met Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and expressed concern over a rise in the incidents of human deaths due to elephant attacks on the Dehradun-Rishikesh road.

Bhatt urged Bahuguna to take prompt action on the issue.

He said apart from people travelling on the Dehradun-Rishikesh road, inhabitants residing in the region were facing numerous problems due to the elephant menace.

He stressed for efforts towards ensuring better habitat for elephants inside forest areas to ensure that the movement of elephants is restricted within forest limits. He said the closure of the road after dark was also causing inconvenience to the people.

Bahuguna gave an assurance to Bhatt to do the needful.

Rain damages 10-km patch on Haldwani, Almora highway
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 12
Local business men and regular travellers to Almora from Haldwani are worried as the Haldwani-Almora highway, which links Haldwani with the rest of the hill region of Kumaon, has started sliding after 3 days of incessant rain last week. The road is giving way on a 10-km-long patch, which was damaged in the 2010 massive landslide and subsequently repaired at a high cost "After spending a sum of Rs 12 crore, out of the sanctioned sum of Rs 35 crore to repair the highway, the retaining walls of the highway on the 10-km-long patch from Suyalbari to Chara have started giving way, causing panic among the travellers and local business men," said Manish Shah, a business man at Khairana market.

“This highway not only links the strategic positions of armed forces at the Indo-China and Indo-Nepal borders with the rest of the country but is also used as the main road for Kailash Mansarowar pilgrimage every year,” said Harish Mehra, gram pradhan of Badharon village near the highway.

BJP a party of double standards, says Cong
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February12
Congress leaders have branded the BJP as the party having double standards. Despite being fully governed by high command, it is posing as liberal democratic organisation on public domain.

“It has been revealed after the election of the state party chief that the BJP is run by fascists at the high command level and are wrapped under pseudo democratic cover,” said Mathura Dutt Joshi, a Congress spokesman, in a statement issued here over the recent election of the BJP chief.

“It was a drama under which nominations were invited by appointing an election officer to hold the election for the party chief’s post. Thereafter, all nominations were withdrawn on the orders of the high command and a candidate was appointed the party chief, who had taken back his nomination,” said Joshi.

He said this election had also uncovered the infighting in the BJP and also the weak face of party and demoralised tempers of its cadre and divided leaders. “Where one senior leader of the party is being opposed by three senior leaders, you can take stock of that party,” said Joshi.

He added the divisive face of the BJP which had been revealed in the election of the party chief in the state was an indicator that it had been weak to face the coming elections of cooperatives and urban bodies in the state. 

NIVH launches course on Japanese massage
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
The National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH) today launched the new vocational course, medical therapeutic massage, for the visually impaired in India in collaboration with Special Needs School for the visually impaired, Tsukuba University, Tokyo.

Speaking at the launch of the programme, NIVH Director Anuradha Dalmia said the massage is popular in Japan. “With its introduction in the NIVH, the visually impaired will get an opportunity to undergo training in the therapy and the mastery of the massage could become a good source of earning for them,” said Dalmia.

Naoshi Terasaki, teacher from Special Needs School, Tsukuba University, Tokyo, said the fingertip sense of the visually impaired is much keener than that of the normal and the keen sense is very much suited to this occupation.

“We will train three master trainers from the NIVH who will then impart training to other students. A two-year diploma for practitioners will commence from 2014-15,” he said.

The training for the medical massage, believed to have therapeutic benefits, was introduced to the NIVH, Dehradun, in 2009 by Naoshi Terasaki and later the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) agreed to support the programme.

Professor Sasada from Tsukuba University will be training the master trainers during his three months stay in India.

“The Japanese therapy is based on holistic methodology that relies on arm power. During my stay, I will be developing talking hands and it will be a two-way process during which I expect to learn and teach,” he said.

At the end of the launch programme, Virender Singh, in charge of the Training Centre for the Adult Blind delivered the vote of thanks.

Training course on nursery, clone propagation techniques
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
A workshop-cum-specialised training course on ‘Nursery and clone propagation techniques’ is being conducted by the silviculture division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, for the officials and scientists of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). The course is being conducted at the FRI under the human resource development programme and will conclude on February 15.

Addressing one of the sessions, Director, FRI, Dr PP Bhojvaid, called upon the participants to identify key aspects on which a focused programme of research and development might be carried out by the institutes of the council. He indicated his plan to start a diploma course soon on the subject of clone forestry in the FRI to meet the need of the plantation industry for skilled professionals capable of managing hi-tech nurseries and clone production centres.

Earlier, head of the silviculture division AS Rawat welcomed the participants. Dr Dinesh Kumar, scientist, silviculture division, is the course director of the training programme. Dr S Nautiyal, Dr Mohammad Yousuf, Dr Ashok Kumar, Dr Ajay Thakur, Dr Manisha Thapliyal and other experts will also be addressing the sessions.

Ten scientists belonging to six institutes of the ICFRE located in Shimla, Jorhat, Bangalore, Jabalpur, Jodhpur and Dehradun are attending the programme. The programme is designed to impart knowledge and facilitate sharing of experience among the participants.

Dhuliya is VC of UOU

Dehradun, February 12
Uttarakhand Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi yesterday appointed Professor Subhash Dhuliya as the Vice-Chancellor of Uttarakhand Open University (UOU).

Prof Dhuliya will remain the VC of the UOU for three years from the date of his appointment or till the age of 65 years, whichever comes first. He is currently professor in the school of journalism, IGNOU. — TNS

Traders’ rally against administration, police for ‘misbehaviour’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 12
Members of the Doon Traders Association led by Umesh Aggarwal protested before the Clock Tower today against the alleged misbehaviour of district administrative officials and the police with traders over polythene ban.

The traders announced a city bandh on February 19. They also sent their memorandum to the Chief Minister. Later, they burnt an effigy of the administration in protest.

Nagliya said the district administration and the police were harassing traders.

On a ban imposed on polythene in the city, he said the administration was defying the ruling of the Supreme Court which had prohibited the use of polythene of 20 microne in the country. He also objected over framing different sets of regulation for Dehradun city and excluding the remaining part of the state.

Umesh Aggarwal said government officials harassed shopkeepers for not keeping dustbins and would issue challan of Rs 500 on trivial matters and if they did not pay, then cases were slapped on them.

He said the sanitation was the job of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation and not of traders. The traders were beaten up in the bazaars by the police, he said. He was also miffed about the way the officials strolled in bazaars along with a group of policemen spreading terror.

Rural job scheme has covered 11 crore people
Sandeep Rawat/ TNS

Haridwar February 12
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) has till date covered 11 crore families, making it the world’s largest social welfare and employment guarantee scheme.

Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pradeep Jain said the MNREGA would draw people to vote for the UPA in upcoming 2014 parliamentary elections.

Jain, who was on a private visit to Haridwar, told The Tribune that there were discrepancies in the MNREGA but the Union government was quite serious about taking corrective measures.

“We have appointed an ombudsman in this regard who is resolving such cases. He will also levy penalty on the offenders. Besides, at the block, district, state and national level we have appointed special complaint cells where one can register his grievance regarding payment or fraud,” said Jain, who represents the Jhansi Lok Sabha constituency.

He said the central projects like the Indira Gandhi Vikas Yojana, the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, the Rashtriya Sahayta Yojana, the MNREGA, the Food Security Bill or other similar welfare schemes were bridging the gap between rural and urban areas.

Jain termed Uttarakhand as a model state and supported the creation of smaller states in those regions where development had not happened on the expected lines.He added Uttarakhand is a land of Gods, nature, religious harmony and shrines and a major chunk of armed forces personnel come from this hill state.

On the stampede in Kumbh at Prayag in Allahabad, Jain blamed the record arrival of pilgrims which created congestion and pressure at the railway station. He toed Railway Minister Pawan Bansal’s line saying the Railways could not ferry three crore people in just a few hours and the local administration, the Kumbh mela administration and the Uttar Pradesh government should have taken preventive measures to avoid the mishap.

Protest in support of demand for separate Didihat district
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, February 12
Residents of Didihat today held a procession to the office of the Sub Divisional Magistrate and handed over a memorandum to him in protest against the refusal of the state government to accept their demand for a separate district of Didihat.

The protesters gave an ultimatum to the government that if a separate district of Didihat was not announced this month they would resume their agitation. The previous BJP government had issued an order regarding the formation of a separate district of Didihat but the present Congress-led government had reversed the decision. “The present government has cheated the people of this border region by rejecting the former government’s order on the formation of a separate district of Didihat,” said Raghunath Singh Chauhan, president of the Didihat Bar Association and leader of the protesters.

A meeting was held after the procession and the speakers there said the demand for a separate district of Didihat was 50 years’ old. The proposal to create a separate border district was mooted to organise the border subdivisions of Didihat, Dharchula and Munsiyari. But instead of creating Didihat district, the then government of Uttar Pradesh had created Pithoragarh district. “When the demand was resumed after the creation of Uttarakhand, the BJP government announced craving out of a separate district of Didihat in 2010 along with three other districts. But it did not issue a notification on the matter which was also a cheating with the people who had been waiting for the last five decades to see a separate district of Didihat,” said Dev Singh Dasila, a freedom fighter.

The people reiterated the demand and said their agitation would continue till a notification creating a separate district of Didihat comes into affect.