State switches off lights for Earth Hour
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
As part of commitment to Earth Hour 2013, Uttarakhand today participated in the campaign by switching off lights of all government buildings and important monuments between 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm today.

A candle march was also taken out by the WWF India and the Samvedi, Dehradun, from Dilaram Chowk to Green Book Shop during the same hour. Prominent among the participants included 100 cadets of 29 Uttarakhand NCC Battalion, eco task force, Aagaaz Foundation, Rachna and Green Shop, along with many volunteers from the city.

Earlier in the day, Governor Aziz Qureshi signed a pledge for switching off the non-essential lights for one hour at Raj Bhawan in order to spread the message about climate change. In his brief address made on the occasion, he appealed to the citizens to use non-conventional energy resources and adopt low-carbon lifestyle.

He also inaugurated a signature campaign against climate change during the inaugural function on Spring Festival 2013 at Raj Bhavan. Having emerged as the largest climate action in the history, Earth Hour has inspired individuals, governments and corporations to move towards responsible consumption and conservation of energy.

Jatinder Kaur of the WWF, Dehradun, said in 2012, Earth Hour had reached more than more than 7,000 cities and towns from 152 countries around the world. Earth Hour is a platform for individuals, organisations and governments to show leadership on initiatives that are being undertaken towards ensuring sustainable development at all levels. In India, individuals from more than 150 cities participated in Earth Hour last year. It received unprecedented support demonstrated from several city governments and well-known public figures and individuals.

Over 10, 00,000 students volunteered for the Earth Hour events across India this year. At several iconic monuments like India Gate, Mysore Palace, Gateway of India and many more, lights were switched off in support of Earth Hour.

Government buildings in every participating city, Chief Ministers’ houses, Prime Minister’s residence and the Rashtrapati Bhawan supported the campaign by turning off lights as a symbolic show of support.

Bahuguna misled Assembly on SIDCUL land deals: Bhatt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt has said that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna misled the House by saying that the firms that were awarded contracts at SIDCUL at Pantnagar and Haridwar did not release their payment plans.

“The Chief Minister misled the House two days ago when he categorically denied that the companies that were awarded contracts did not release their payment plans and as such no land had been sold. Super Tech Company released the price list under the down payment plan and the flexi payment plan for its project at Rudrapur in Pantnagar and even held a launching ceremony. For this reason we are demanding a CBI inquiry,” said Bhatt at a press conference yesterday.

He accused the Bahuguna government of not taking the Opposition into confidence while deciding to end the Assembly session. “We have already given a notice to the Speaker to hold a discussion on the issue under Section 310, but he did not relent. For us it is an important issue and, therefore, we decided to boycott the House as the Speaker did not heed to our demand,” he said.

Bhatt also criticised the government for leaking the Bhati Commission report and said it did not carry any value and any action on its basis would lack sanctity.

Meanwhile, former Agriculture Minister Trivender Singh Rawat, who held a rally in protest against the involvement of the Bahuguna government in land scams, said there was a conflict of interest involved as a former IAS officer had rented his house to a Congress MLA. “The house where the Congress MLA now lives belongs to a former IAS officer and the former is a confidant of the Chief Minister. How can Bhati be trusted with his report,” said Rawat.

He added he had himself pointed out irregularities in the appointment of Hemant Dwivedi, whose name had figured in the Bhati Commission report, and the former Chief Minister, BC Khanduri, had then removed him from his post.

Traders protest delay in repair of Mall Road
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, March 23
Members of the Mussoorie Traders and Welfare Association blocked traffic near Green Chowk on Mall Road today in protest against the inordinate delay in the repair of the road. The protesters said the road was not being repaired despite clear instructions from the District Magistrate in this regard.

The traders gathered at Green Chowk and raised slogans against the authorities concerned for not starting repair work on Mall Road, which was dug up by the Peyjal Nigam for a sewerage project in the town. The protesters blocked traffic for several hours. They, however, relented and removed the blockade after the Circle Officer, Mussoorie, Swatantra Kumar, intervened.

The traders then met SDM, Mussoorie, NS Dangi at his office and apprised him of the problems being faced by the residents and the tourists in the town due to delay in repair of the road.

They lamented that the business of the town was already suffering due to the sewerage project and any further delay in the repair of the road would hit their business hard.

Dangi pacified the protesters and conducted an inspection of the roads that required repair.

He directed PWD officials to begin repair work in a phased manner so that it could be completed before the start of the tourist season.

MC president OP Uniyal and former MC president Manmohan Singh Mall were also present on the occasion.

World Water Day
Leaking pipelines major reason for diarrhoea
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Leaking pipelines and inadequate knowledge about the content of chlorine to be used for the purification of water are some of the factors responsible for cases of acute diarrhoea, viral hepatitis, cholera and hepatitis E among the people of the state.

Speaking yesterday at a workshop on 'Water Cooperation for Safe Drinking Water' to mark World Water Day, Monika Bhatia, state microbiologist, Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), said the incidents of infective jaundice, diarrhoea, viral hepatitis and cholera (27 in Kashipur in 2011) were reported and on examination the IDSP found water unfit for drinking.

“There was leakage in pipes in these areas and the water from sewers got mixed with the drinking water,” she said.

On the occasion, Principal Secretary, Water Resource, S. Raju, also stressed on the need to provide safe drinking water to the people of Uttarakhand. “It is an established fact that more than 80 per cent of diarrhoeal diseases are attributed to unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. As individual health is largely dependent on adequate availability of drinking water and proper sanitation coupled with hygienic behaviours,” said Raju.

Bharti Dangwal, Project Director, Health, for the Urban Poor Programme, said the workshop had tried to bring different actors engaged in the water sector on one platform for proper water management.

The Principal Secretary released a report on water and sanitation.

BJP MLAs meet Guv, demand CBI probe into land deals
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
A delegation of BJP MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt and former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, yesterday submitted a memorandum to Governor Aziz Qureshi, urging him to direct the state government to initiate a CBI probe into the alleged sale of land at Pantnagar and Haridwar and dissolve the Bhati Commission.

When the House was in session, the Opposition had raised the demand during the entire period and had disallowed the House to function. Now with the Assembly being adjourned indefinitely, BJP MLAs yesterday again met the Governor with their two demands.

Nishank, whose name figures in the Bhati report, was also part of the delegation yesterday and demanded that the commission be dissolved immediately as it was not formed according to the norms.

Bhatt said the issue of the sale of land to builders at throwaway prices was serious and a CBI probe should be ordered into it. The Dehradun Mayor and some councillors were also in the delegation.

The Governor gave them an assurance that he would look into their demands seriously and ensure appropriate action.

Governor emphasises on green technology
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Governor Aziz Qureshi said here yesterday that economic change was vital and technology had the tools to make it happen. “Obviously, huge changes will not occur overnight, but each advance helps. At this stage, green technology is not an option. It is urgent and vital in every field. Our resources are finite and many are running out. Now is the time to understand that green technology is the future for all of us,” he said, while inaugurating a two-day national seminar on ‘Green technologies for sustainable environment management’ at Doon University here yesterday.

The Governor said everyone must aim towards reducing carbon emissions, enhance energy efficiency and prevent the loss of our precious biodiversity and eco systems. “Looking after nature has always been an integral part of the Indian ethos. In Uttarakhand, which is the home of ‘Chipko movement’, this ethos has a special significance,” he said.

He congratulated the Vice Chancellor of Doon University, Prof VK Jain, and the faculty members for having thought of holding this seminar. “These are times when policymakers, scientists and technocrats are facing the challenging task of finding viable ways to address environmental issues like providing safe drinking water, managing solid waste, wastewater reuse and treatment and controlling pollution caused by industries,” he said.

Prof Jain, a renowned environment scientist, welcomed the delegates and guests and said since the Rio Summit, it had been increasingly felt that there had to be a greater focus on environmentally viable technologies. He said this century would be the century of green technology. “Countries like India and China would have to reduce carbon emissions,” he said.

Prof Peter Koles and Prof Mahesh Kumar Singh from Szent Istvan University of Hungary were the guests of honour on the occasion. They presented a token of respect to the Governor from the Parliament of Hungary. They also awarded the Vice-Chancellor and Dr SS Suthar, associate professor, school of environment and natural resources (Doon University), for excellence in science and technology.

Escaped from Sudhowala jail, dreaded criminal held in UP
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
A team of the Special Task Force (STF) arrested dreaded criminal Ravi Mandal, alias Ravi Bengali, from the Hathras junction in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

Ravi had escaped from the Sudhowala jail in Dehradun on August 30, 2011. He had earlier escaped from the Sitarganj jail on June 20, 2006. The police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head. He had run away from the Sudhowala jail along with Salim, a resident of Bareilly and who was serving life sentence for murder. The STF had arrested Salim from Ranga Reddy district in Andhra Pradesh on January 9, 2011.

ASP Mukesh Chauhan said the police had information that Ravi was staying in Talikhola village at 24 Pargana North district, West Bengal, near the Bangladesh border with his second wife. When the STF team laid a trap to nab him, he fled and reached his sister’s place in Haryana. When the team reached Haryana he escaped to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. However, he was arrested at the Hathras junction.

Ravi was awarded life sentence by a Haldwani court in 2004 for killing another hardened criminal Chotu at Lalkuan on October 31, 2001. Ravi had killed Chotu at the behest of another criminal Shabir as he had seen Shabir shooting their gang leader Govinda. All of them were members of an extortion gang and had created terror in the entire Lal Kuan belt in the Kumaon region.

According to the STF, Ravi was working as a rickshaw-puller but may have been involved in criminal activities. Meanwhile, DGP Satyavrat Bansal has given a reward of Rs 20,000 to the STF team for cracking the case.

TS Rawat will have powers to admit rebels into BJP
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
The formalisation of appointment of Teerath Singh Rawat as the president of Uttarakhand BJP at a meeting of the State Council (Parantiya Parishad) slated for tomorrow will also empower him to take decisions on admitting of rebels based on the recommendations of the party disciplinary committee.

“On the recommendations of the party disciplinary committee, former MLA Shailender Singh Rawat was expelled from the party for taking part in anti-party activities but there are few leaders who, after fighting the election as Independents, did not further indulge in anti-party activities. Once the state council formalises my appointment, I would be in a position to take a decision based on the recommendations of the disciplinary committee,'' said Teerath Singh Rawat, while speaking with mediapersons today.

Since the rebellion staged by the BJP leaders who were denied the ticket at the time of 2012 Assembly elections, there has been a dilemma in the party regarding readmitting of party leaders who, after fighting as Independents, lost the Assembly elections and then maintained a low key presence.

Significantly, a political resolution in view of the forthcoming local bodies' elections, too, is expected to be announced at the end of meeting.

“We are confident of winning the elections and are thankful to the courts for taking up the matter of holding the elections in April as Congress, fearing defeat in the elections, was keen to postpone them,” Rawat said.

Commenting on the Bhatti Commission report, Rawat said that it was aimed at maligning the BJP. “I call upon the Congress government to remove Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat as chairman of Uttarakhand STDC and Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam Ltd (UPNAL). He ( Rawat) has usurped powers and become chairman, STDC and UPNAL,” charged Teerath Singh Rawat.