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Eco-sensitive zone date extended
New INTUC chief Sundriyal felicitated
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Now, pay for appointment at passport office
MP visits remote areas, apprised of problems
MDDA discusses housing project
Resthouses to be revamped to woo tourists
Verification of tenants held
tiger deaths in Corbett
2 Nepalese held with banned satellite phones
UJVNL officials donate blood
Dehradun diary Ex-MP meets Guv
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Eco-sensitive zone date extended
Dehradun, June 2 The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has so far received nearly 300 proposals from different states of the country for making some areas of their states eco-sensitive zones, so as to check environment degradation. But Uttarakhand and few other states have failed to submit any proposal. The concept of eco-sensitive zones came from the National Wildlife Action Plan 2002, which was aimed to check pressure of infrastructure and other activities in areas close to wildlife zones. The Environment Ministry put up specific guidelines for preparing, receiving and approving proposals for such eco-sensitive zones from state governments and asked them to submit their proposals at the earliest. The first deadline for submitting the proposal was February 2013, which was then extended to May 15. Now the deadline has further been extended till July 15. Uttarakhand has not submitted any proposal after the outcry raised over Gangotri eco-sensitive zone issue. There is an opinion in the state that eco-sensitive zone was against the interest of the people of the state as it was a stumbling block to development activities. However, there is a section of people who believe that the concept of eco-sensitive zones was being wrongly interpreted as it was not meant to hinder the necessary development but was only aimed to check rampant degradation of the environment. Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh had to clarify this point in Dehadun yesterday. Ramesh said the eco-sensitive zone was not against development and the development projects could be taken up in these zones in a regulated manner. Hemant Dhyani of Ganga Ahvaan, an NGO working for conserving Ganga in Uttarakhand, asserted that political parities were wrongly interpreting the concept of eco-sensitive zone as something anti-development and against the local people. He said political parties were hand-in-glove with quarrying and tree-felling mafias and that was the reason all of them were united to oppose the eco-sensitive zone. |
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New INTUC chief Sundriyal felicitated
Dehradun, June 2 Sundriyal was received at Jollygrant Airport by Congress workers and brought in a cavalcade to Congress Bhawan, where he was felicitated. Addressing party workers, Sundriyal said it would be his priority to work towards redressing the problems of the working class in the state. He said he would also try to take everybody along and strengthen INTUC at the grassroots level. Describing Dinesh Sundriyal as a committed Congress worker, state Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said INTUC would be strengthened in the state with elevation of Sundriyal as state president. Dhasmana said he was hopeful that Sundriyal would forcefully take up the issues linked to the working class in the state. He said the Congress was ensuring that 70 per cent of jobs in new industries being set up in the state go to the people of Uttarakhand. The state Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said Sundriyal was honest Congress worker and would take INTUC to new heights. He said Congress had always worked for the betterment of working class in the state. Congress leader Vijay Saraswat said Sundriyal had been fighting for the welfare of workers for a long time. INTUC would now be at forefront in taking up issues linked to betterment of workers, he added. INTUC national core-committee members from Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam and Chhattisgarh were also present on the occasion. |
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Now, pay for appointment at passport office
Dehradun, June 2 Vijay Shankar Pandey, Regional Passport Officer, Dehradun, said it had come to notice that a large number of applicants were not turning up at Passport Seva Kendras, despite taking appointments. This was resulting in lesser utilisation of the processing capacity of the kendra and also causing denial of appointments to genuine applicants. To resolve the issue of non-availability of appointments and to reduce no show of applications, the Union Ministry of External Affairs launched the online payment system for booking appointments. As per the new arrangement, applicants will be required to make payment at the time of booking an appointment on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs. With this, only genuine applicants will take appointment and the number of no-shows will reduce. The Union Ministry of External Affairs will gradually roll out this new system at all Passport Seva Kendras across the country. |
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MP visits remote areas, apprised of problems
Pithoragarh, June 2 Tamta reached Karmi village last night to take part in a programme at the local Intermediate College and visited other villages.
He took stock of the availability of basic facilities to the villagers. “The area is 90 km from the nearest town of Kapkot. It takes three days on track to reach the town if any person falls ill and needs medical attention,” said Lalit Farswan, local MLA who accompanied Tamta. Farswan said the primary school at Dolagaon has only one teacher. “The villagers are also facing problems in the health sector as they have no primary health facility,” he said. The villagers informed the visiting public representatives that the nearest government college at Karmi village had no teachers as they had
been either attached to the District Education Office at Bageshwar or board office at Ramnagar. “The
villagers have complained that as there is no bridge over the Sambhu river, the five villages of the area remained cut off from the rest of the district
during the monsoon,” said Farswan. The villagers said they had not received their quota of fair price shop ration since January, this year. “The MP assured the villagers of solving their basic problems on priority. He said he would talk to the district administration at Bageshwar,” said
Farswan. |
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MDDA discusses housing project
Dehradun, June 2 He said while preparing basement maps, internal development work was done by land owners, hence builders should be asked to complete the internal work and on its completion, they should be provided a completion certificate by the MDDA. The housing project on Mauja Dakpatti land was also discussed. The
MDDA is planning to build LIG, MIG and EWS flats on this land. Survardhan approved the construction of flats on a circle rate of 7,000 sq m on the condition that the process of purchase should only be pushed ahead when the state government
made the required change in land use and after getting a no-objection certificate from the Pollution Control Board. |
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Resthouses to be revamped to woo tourists
Dehradun, June 2 Since we do not get bookings for exhibitions throughout the year, we are now converting this place into a skating ground. Moreover, there is not a single skating ground in Mussoorie. This new feature will certainly make GMVN rest houses more attractive than other hotels in the town.” He said the GMVN would also not need huge investment to build a skating ground. With installation of a skating rink and some ground work, along with the required paraphernalia, would be enough to open the ground for guests. “People do not spend much time in Mussoorie. They go for sightseeing for one day and move to other scenic locations in the vicinity, such as Dhanolti. Activities like skating would woo tourists to spend some more time in this beautiful town," he said. The GMVN is also adding a conference hall in its Rahi hotel in Rishikesh. Pandey said, “We were receiving demands to set up a conference hall in the hotel since a long time. The business clients who frequent the hotel often complain about the need of a conference hall. The hall would be decked up with the facilities of multi-media, video conferencing etc." He is also planning to remove the defunct Ayurvedic dispensary situated at Drone hotel in Dehradun and use it for more lucrative purpose such as an aromatic spa instead. Besides this, the GMVN has also renovated rooms in many of its rest houses and added the facility of air conditioning. |
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Verification of tenants held
Dehradun, June 2 In the campaign, 50 policemen and one company of PAC was engaged. The verification of 491 families and 899 tenants was conducted. In the drive, it was found that 45 house owners had not submitted the verification of their tenants at the nearest police station. As many as 45 persons were challaned under the Police Act. Eighty
nine two wheelers and 45 four wheelers were also checked. |
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Oak Grovians concerned by falling standard of school
Mussoorie, June 2 Members of The Oak Grovian Association of India along with other alumni also alleged that the Northern Railways was neglecting the school and conspiring to sell the prime property of around 353 acres in which the Oak Grove School is situated near Jharipani. The former students, led by Sanjeev Rishi (of the 1970 batch), along with Anoopa Prasad (1970), Lalit Nayyar(1970), Sunny Bakshi (1980), PVR Verma (1986), PVR Verma (1987), Ajit Asthana (1987) and Bhutani (1987) held a press meet at a hotel in Mussoorie today. They alleged that the only public school of Northern Railways was losing out in this competitive era among the schools. This had resulted in a fall in the education standard of the school. The recent Class XII results of the board exams showed that only two students had obtained above 90% marks. The former students said they have spent their formative years in the school and it had given a lot to them. They felt that it was time to give back something in a positive way. But by gauging the attitude of the school administration and treatment meted out to them, the ex-students said were feeling unwanted and dejected. Sanjeev Rishi alleged that for the past several years, the school was being run by administrators from Railway Board who considered it as a punishment posting and took no interest in the school affairs, leading to deteriorating standards. He said the alumni association had prepared a memorandum, demanding that the Principal of the school should be from the academic background and selected through the UPSC. Only then would the school regain its past glory. The former students also alleged that it seemed that the Railways was planning to sell the property to private players and shut down the school permanently for short term gains. They demanded that two members should be included in the board of governors from among the alumni so that they could suggest remedies to raise the standard and assist in other possible ways. Lalit Nayyar said the school Principal should be an educationist and not some official from the Railways who can spend time at the school and interact in much better way. The Canadian former student, Yvonne Le Fort, from the 1942-47 batch was also sad with the affairs at the school. She said she had come from Canada with love for school, but she was sad to find the fall in the state of the school. She also said it would be the saddest day of her life if she heard that the school with a long legacy has been sold and converted into a resort. The alumni and members of The Oak Grovian Association (TOGA) said that they only wanted that their school should be high on the list of best schools in the country. Hence, they were planning to meet the Railway Minister and the General Manager and present them a memorandum of demands in this regard soon at Delhi. |
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Bisht is UKD(Aeri) Doon head
Dehradun June 2 Kashi Singh Aeri, president of the UKD (Aeri) faction, said by June 20, all the elections for the posts of district president would also be completed. Supervisors as-well-as conveners had already been deputed for the elections, he added. New city president Bisht said: “Our priority will be to ensure cleanliness in the city. The garbage heaps lying here and there will not be tolerated anymore. We will also run awareness campaign on traffic management and meet the concerned officials to work towards improving the traffic in the city. Besides, residents in slum colonies who have been living for years will be provided ownership rights while those who encroached upon places in recent times will be removed.” |
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tiger deaths in Corbett
Dehradun, June 2 In a statement issued today, Baloni said it was strange that three tigers had been "killed under suspicious circumstances" and the state government had taken no immediate measures to understand the causes of these deaths. Baloni’s statement came in the wake of three tigers deaths in a span of 10 days in the Corbett landscape. “It is strange that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna himself holds forest portfolio but seems little interested in conserving tigers,” Baloni said. He added that the Chief Minister should have immediately convened a meeting after bodies of three tigers were successively recovered from a particular area of Corbett landscape and taken appropriate measures. He said all the three bodies were recovered near water bodies and poisoning of water could not be ruled out. Baloni has called for a thorough probe into these deaths. |
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2 Nepalese held with banned satellite phones
Pithoragarh, June 2 They were crossing the Chintoli area of Champawat district falling in the Indian territory for returning to Nepal when they wer caught.They did not know that Thoraya satellite phones are banned in India. The two have been taken into custody and will be produced before the magistrate on Monday for violation of Section 20 of the Indian Telephones Act,” said Karan Singh Nagnyal, Superintendent of Police, Champawat. The SP said, “There is nothing wrong in any Nepali citizen to cross into Nepal through the Indian territory. Nepalese are allowed to enter India without any documents, but keeping banned satellite phones is an offence under the Indian Telephones Act. We have confiscated the satellite phones and
are awaiting the magistrate’s order for action to be taken regarding their custody.” The police cannot arrest a foreign citizen without the permission of the judiciary, he added. The police is suspicious that the banned satellite phones are being passed into the Indian territory despite heavy security and intense checking on the Indo-Nepal border. Some satellite phones were traced on May 27 with the help of the Army and SSB equipments. “The frequent changing of location and subsequent disappearance of these satellite phones made us suspicious,” said the Superintendent of Police |
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UJVNL officials donate blood
Dehradun, June 2 AIDS Control Society and Social Welfare Organisation. The camp was held under the supervision of medical experts of Doon Hospital. About 44 officials and employees participated in the camp. Managing Director, UJVNL, GP Patel said “The officials and employees of UJVNL have been holding these blood camps to fulfil their responsibilities toward the society. Each drop of blood matters in saving a precious life.” Other officials participated in the camp were Director Personnel, SK Chopra, Director Finance, CP Madan, Director Operation, Purushottam Singh, Director Planning, Sandip Singhal and Deputy Manager, Rajender Singh. |
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Dehradun diary Eco-sensitive zone an
embarrassment
The latest controversy to hit the Congress government is the support extended by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh during his recent visit to Dehradun to the notification issued by the central government to declare the 100-km stretch from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi along Bhagirathi river as an eco-sensitive zone. Interestingly, Jairam Ramesh tried to allay the fears of the state government regarding the notification and its effects. This was despite the fact that the state Congress government had opposed the notification on the ground that it was not taken into confidence by the Union government and it would adversely affect the developmental activities in the border areas. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had met the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with other senior Congress leaders to oppose the notification. Bahuguna argued that even the defence preparedness on the Indo-China border in Uttarkashi district would be affected by the union government notification which curtails any construction activity without prior permission. The support for the notification by the Union Minister has embarrassed the Congress government as local people in Uttarkashi are opposed to the notification. Coca Cola plant
The decision of the state government to invite Coca Cola to install its plant at Chharba village near Vikasnagar in Dehradun district on the banks of the Yamuna is also been mired in controversy, with local villagers as well as environmentalists opposing the state government decision on the ground that the plant would pollute the water and ecology of the area. Permanent capital
Bahuguna is also being targeted by the Union Water resources Minister Harish Rawat group on the issue of having a new assembly building at Dehradun. The recent announcement by Uttarakhand Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh regarding start of work of the new assembly building at Dehradun was opposed by the Harish Rawat group. Leading the charge, Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal, a confidant of Harish Rawat, demanded that the state government should clarify its position on the issue of permanent capital and the construction of the new assembly building. Bahuguna, who tried to do a balancing act between the hill region and the plains of the state by constructing an assembly building at Gairsain in Chamoli district and another one at Dehradun, finds himself in a no-win situation. While he tried to take political advantage by having two assembly buildings, the Harish Rawat camp has raised a hue and cry on his decision, indicating that there was no cohesion and coordination within the ruling party's rank and file on important issues. Even Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat said that there should be clarity on these issues. This situation has damaged the party in the recently concluded civic poll and would hurt the party's prospects in the coming General Election scheduled in May, 2014. Bhagirathi
projects
Already, the state government is in a bind on the issue of hydro-electric projects on the Bhagirathi. The projects which were in different stages of construction had been closed as the state which was billed as a “power state’ in 2000 had turned into a power-deficit state. The state government has been forced to buy power worth Rs 2 crore daily to cope with the increasing power demand in the absence of any new power project. Ire of state Cong president
Apart from the opposition by Harish Rawat camp, Chief Minister Bahuguna also faced the ire of Uttarakhand Congress chief Yashpal Arya, the only senior Congress leader who has stood by him. There has been talk of change of leadership in the state Congress since the party came to power in March, 2012. State Congress chief Yashpal Arya was made a minister in the Bahuguna cabinet and since then, there has been a demand put forth by the Harish Rawat camp that the principle of “one man, one post” must be followed and a new state Congress president should take over before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, the party high command has yet to take a decision to replace Yashpal Arya. But the latest rift between the Chief Minister and Yashpal Arya arose following the reported statement by the Chief Minister that government positions to senior party leaders would be given after consultation with the new party chief. This annoyed Yashpal Arya who had been advocating that senior party leaders should be immediately given government positions to motivate them and he was reportedly annoyed with the Chief Minister. There was rapprochement as the Chief Minister went to the residence of Yashpal Arya on June 1 to pacify him. Party sources said the Chief Minister was also under pressure to give government positions to party leaders and it was expected that nearly two dozens party leaders, including four district Congress chiefs, would be given government responsibilities soon. Problems of MLAs
Legislators of the ruling Congress party too have remained in the news for wrong reasons in the past fortnight. While Dharchula Congress legislator Harish Dhami was in judicial custody for defying non-bailable warrants issued against him by the Didihat court in Pithoragarh and was finally granted bail on June 1, Rajpur Congress legislator Raj Kumar from Dehradun was involved in a brawl with policemen this week. Raj Kumar went to intervene when three of his supporters, allegedly in a drunkun state, were found triple-riding a two wheeler at 12.30 am by a police naka. They called the legislator who reached the spot and demanded that they be released without any challan. The legislator allegedly tore the uniform of a police officer and his pointed his official gun at the police official. Interestingly, the state government as well as the state police failed to take cognisance of the offence.
— SMA Kazmi |
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