Forest, sanctuary laws delay work on border roads
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh May 17
The construction of roads in Pithoragarh district along the China border is being delayed as forest and Askot Wildlife Sanctuary laws do not permit construction agencies to carry out quarrying and use stone crushers near the sites of work, district administration sources said

They said as the area falls in the territory of the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary it was difficult to get permission for quarrying and using stone crushers from the appropriate authorities.

“The authorities concerned are yet to clear the papers for permission for one mining quarry and four stones crushers at the beginning points of the roads being constructed in the Johar, Darma and Vyans valleys of the district. We are sending reminders to them,” said District Magistrate, Pithoragarh, CMS Bisht

Sources in a construction agency said they required four stone crushers at Dhapa in the Johar valley, Ghatiagbagar in the Vyans valley, Panagla in the Darma valley and at Roungti Nullah in the Chaundas valley where four border roads of 200 km were under construction. “We have written to the district administration apprising it of the problem that the work on the border roads is being delayed due to the non-availability of stone crushers near the work site,” said Sandeep Saxena, a BRO officer.

He said they had sent papers for clearance to the Environment Board at Haldwani and the Mining Directorate in Dehradun but were yet to get permission. “The Environment Board at Haldwani has replied that as the area falls under the Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, the papers cannot be cleared without the permission of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests or an empowered committee appointed by court,” said Bisht.

He denied that these roads were getting delayed only due to the non-availability of construction material near the construction sites. He said there were other reasons for the delay as well. “These roads are under construction for two years now and the construction agencies are managing material though from some distance. To say that the work is getting delayed due to the non-availability of construction material is wrong,” said Bisht.

He added district-level officers had done their part in this regard and the remaining work was to be done by either the agencies concerned at the state level or the Central Government authorities. “If the construction of the 75-km Ghatiabagar-Lipulekh Road is not completed by the stipulated time in 2016, we are not to be blamed as hard rocks are posing bigger problems than the unavailability of material near the construction site,” said Bisht.

BJP seeks Harak Rawat’s resignation from Cabinet
Tribune News Service

Haridwar May 17
With Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat finally resigning from the Uttarakhand Seeds and Terai Development Corporation (TDC) chairman’s post, as BJP leaders mounted pressure on him owing to the said post coming in the office of profit purview, today city BJP activists staged a protest demanding resignation of the minister from the Cabinet.

BJP activists sought resignation from of Harak Singh Rawat, who holds Soldier Welfare and Agriculture portfolio, on moral grounds as he had been enjoying the twin office of profit posts, which is unconstitutional.

Led by divisional BJP chief Vikas Tiwari, the activists raised slogans against Harak Singh Rawat. They alleged that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was violating government norms by deliberately putting the Terai Seeds Development Corporation and Uttarakhand Poorva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited chairman posts out of office of profit category, to shield his party's minister.

Tiwari cited example of Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi ,who resigned from Amethi constituency as Member of Parliament as she was found to be holding office of profit post by being chairperson of National Advisory Council way back in 2006.

“Harak Singh Rawat should take a leaf out of the stance of his party’s national chief and should resign from the Cabinet. He is a minister to serve the people and not to hold posts for personal gains. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna should also apologise to the people as he had brought an ordinance to protect Rawat’s disqualification,” said Tiwari.

Mukesh Kaushik, representative of the local city legislator Madan Kaushik, alleged that Congress-led state government and it's ministers are involved in misusing public funds and posts meant for public welfare.

He said that during the previous BJP government led by Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, no such instance came to light as BJP believed in one person one post theory, “while Congress ministers are of the view to rake in as much they can personally.”

Portals of Badrinath shrine opened
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 17
The portals of the Badrinath temple were opened for devotees amid chants of holy Hindu vedic hymns yesterday. A swelling crowd of 30,000 devotees came to seek the blessing of Lord Badrinath. The portals of the temple were opened after six months of the winter.

Shakaracharya Swami Madvashram, Congress leader Satpal Maharaj and state Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat were also present on the pious occasion. All higher officials of the district administration and the police remained vigilant throughout the day.

The morning prayers at the time of the opening ceremony began at 4 am amid gigantic Himalayas. The devotees, who had secured their position in the serpentine queue since midnight, scrambled to get the first glimpse of the deity. Their patience gave way when the police tried to control the crowd and they began raising slogans against it. However, the chanting of vedic hymns by students of Sanskrit University calmed down their frayed nerves. The melodious band tune of Garhwal Scouts enthralled everyone. Chairman of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee, Ganesh Godiyal, and Chief Executive Officer BD Singh took the initiative to streamline the queue of devotees.

Mussoorie MC employees flay transfer policy
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, May 17
The decision of transferring employees by the newly elected Municipal Council has not gone down well with the employees in Mussoorie. The MC employees under the banner of Nagar Palika Parishad Karamchari Sangh have opposed the recent inter-departmental transfers of the employees as arbitrary and of vindictive nature in a meeting held in Mussoorie yesterday.

The general secretary of the sangh, CP Badoni, said that the employees were against any such arbitrary transfer policy and would oppose it vehemently. They demanded from the Executive Officer to take back the decision and threatened if their demands were not met they would take to streets against the decision. Badoni said that the newly

elected members of the council had begun ostracising clerks and sanitary workers without any legitimate reason, and this would not be tolerated at any cost.

The employees also said that if the officers failed to address their demands, they would take help of courts.

On the other hand the MC Executive Officer PS Rawat refuted the charges and said that the transfer of employees was a routine administrative exercise conducted with the new council taking charge.

He further said that some employees had been stationed at one area for the past several years. Therefore, the transfer of such employees was thought for better working of the council. He also said that the whole exercise had been taken according to the municipal laws.

BJP ignored Punjabis, Jats in working committee: Japinder
Tribune News Service

President of the Uttarakhand Punjabi Kranti Morcha Japinder Singh (extreme right) addresses a press conference in Dehradun on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Dehardun May 17
President of the Uttarakhand Punjabi Kranti Morcha Kunwar Japinder Singh has flayed the BJP for ignoring various communities in giving representation in the newly constituted working committee.

Japinder told mediapersons in the city yesterday that “People belonging to the Punjabi, Jat, Gorkhali and SC/ST communities were not included in the working committee. The BJP has straightway denied representation to these communities, whose 60 lakh members reside in Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar. We will not tolerate this biased approach of the BJP towards these communities.”

He demanded the formation of a hill cadre in the state saying it existed at the time of united Uttar Pradesh wherein the policies and programmes for the development of hill areas were formulated and implemented effectively. In the absence of such a system the ministers and bureaucrats were transferring employees indiscriminately and extracting money to manipulate these transfers, he said.

Japinder extended support to the employees as well as the teachers of the state. He criticized bureaucrats for their failure to devise a concrete development policy for the state.

Preparations afoot for Mansarowar yatra
The Kailash Mansarowar Yatra begins on June 12 and will end by June 10
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 17
Pithoragarh District Magistrate CMS Bisht said today that all preparations for the Kailash Mansarowar Yatra beginning from June 12 will be completed by June 10. Till last year, the yatra used to start from June 1. The District Magistrate said 18 batches of pilgrims from across the country would be sent to Tibet as part of the yatra this year.

He said the district administration was making all efforts to ensure the security of pilgrims, besides making arrangements for communication, repair of track routes and making available medical and other essential requirements of the pilgrims.

The District Magistrate said the administration would provide communication facilities for pilgrims at seven places on the route from the base camp at Dharchula, where the first batch of the pilgrims will reach on June 13. “We have ordered the PWD and other departments concerned to get their preparations regarding providing drinking water, security and medical facilities completed by June 10,” he said.

The district administration would send a medical officer and two medical employees with each batch of the pilgrims during the yatra.

Migration to Haldwani affecting green cover
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 17
The green cover and agricultural land in Haldwani is shrinking as about 11,700 families migrate to Haldwani from various parts of the Kumaon region every year. This has been revealed in an RTI query sought by Dr Pramod Goldie.

According to information, 1,28,416 land registrations have taken place in the city in past 12 years. The query further revealed that Haldwani is gradually developing as a highly preferred destination for hill folks to settle permanently. "According to data, nearly 1,28,416 families have settled in Haldwani city in the past 12 years," said the RTI activist.

According to sources at the land registration office, most of the settlers have purchased agricultural land, which has led to shrinking of farmland as well as greenery.

"2007 and 2008 witnessed a record number of land registrations," said the RTI activist quoting the registration office information.

The number of land registrations in Haldwani which was nearly 2,930 in 2000 has now increased to 11,700 per year.

NSUI demands cancellation of recognition of St Jude’s School
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 17
Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) have submitted a memorandum to Governor Aziz Qureshi demanding the cancellation of recognition of St Jude’s School. Employees of the school allegedly lathi-charged NSUI workers, who had gone to the school to protest against the poor implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

Swati Negi, member of the national delegate of the NSUI, said the Governor should initiate action against the school management by ordering the cancellation of its registration.

“The employees of St Jude’s School lathi-charged our workers when they had gone to lodge a protest at the school against its poor implementation of the RTE Act. But instead of listening to the demands of our workers, the school authorities let loose angry employees on them, who brutally lathi-charged them,” said Negi.

She alleged that though the police was present there, it did not come to the aid of the battered party workers.

Two youths on study tour of Jaunpur
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, May 17
Two youths, one from Haryana and the other from Uttarakhand, set on an 800 km bicycle journey to study the culture of Jaunpur and Rawain region from the Garhwal terrace in Mussoorie yesterday.

President of the Municipal Council Manmohan Singh Mall commended the efforts of the youths and flagged off their study tour.

They would collect data to study the culture and traditional practices of the region, besides the reasons behind migration of people from the hill areas.

Deepak Aswal from Uttarakhand and Bhanu Vashisht from Haryana said they would travel on their bicycles and gather information about the problems and potentials of the areas, including border villages of Himachal Pradesh.