Malpractices mar Vir Chander Garhwali scheme
Loan facilitated to 53 undeserving candidates 
Seema Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, August 3
The Tourism Information Centre of Srinagar in Pauri district has facilitated loan sanction to 53 undeserving candidates out of total 62 by flouting the rules under the Vir Chander Singh Garhwali Scheme.

The Deputy Director, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), AK Singh, conducted an inquiry into the matter, whereby nine out of 62 were found eligible for loan.

Under the scheme, the Tourism Information Centre in the Srinagar area had approved applications of these 62 candidates. It was found that their application letters were sent to various banks for loan without seeking approval of the District Selection Committee.

Sources said AK Singh, in his inquiry, has commented on the irregularities committed by assistant receptionist Heera Lal, who has now been suspended. However, since the loan applications had been approved by the banks, the department had not yet released the allowance amount to them. The amount is Rs 99.83 lakh.

The burden of the interest of loan, too, is mounting on the applicants. However, finance controller, UTDB, refused to release the allowance amount, saying the loan was sanctioned by the banks not on the recommendations of the District Selection Committee but of Heera Lal, who did not have jurisdiction to do so. Hence, the department can not release the amount.

Sources said since the District Magistrate was the head of the District Selection Committee, he had been asked to review the cases and give his decision. In the interview conducted by the DM a few months ago, only nine were found eligible for the loan. Twenty did not come for the interview and the rest were found undeserving. 

State govt to issue death certificates as per RBD Act
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 3
The Uttarakhand Government will soon issue death certificates for the missing persons, being presumed dead, according to the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act. Government officials had a tough time finding a way out since the law did not allow issuing a death certificate for a missing person before seven years.

According to Section 108 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the presumption of death can be raised only after a lapse of seven years from the date a person has been reported missing.

However, the Central Government has issued guidelines to the Uttarakhand government that according to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, the death has been defined as the permanent disappearance of all the evidence of life at any time. The act does not mention any time period.

This provision was used by the Central Government for framing a policy for the registration of the missing persons during the Tsunami incident.

“The Central Government has advised the Department of Disaster Management to make special arrangements for on the spot death registration, including the missing persons presumed dead, and the issuance of the death certificates by the office of the Medical Health and Family Welfare,” said an official.

The chief registrar of births and deaths in the state is the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare.

The registration would be carried by the office of Registrar of Birth and Deaths, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Uttarakhand.

“We have suitably adapted the guidelines adopted in the aftermath of the Tsunami incident which would be brought before the up-coming cabinet meeting,” said a senior official from the Department of Health.

Delay in construction of new block forces students to study in open 
Ajay Ramola/TNS

Mussoorie, August 3
The delay in the construction of a new block at Government Inter-College, Kempty, by the executive agency, Uttar Pradesh Nirman Nigam, has forced students to study in the open, even during rains.

Agitated parents are demanding the ouster of the Uttar Pradesh Nirman Nigam and roping in any other agency that works in the interest of the students.

Rajesh Rawat, who is now doing graduation from MPG College, Mussoorie, said he was in class VII at the Kempty school when the Uttar Pradesh Nirman Nigam had started the c nstruction work.

School Principal Narvir Singh Chauhan said the executive agency had been provided with Rs 76 lakh for the construction work. However, for the past one year, it had not spent even a penny on the school.

When executive engineers were contacted nearly six months ago, they had cited the paucity of funds as the reason behind the delay. They had given an assurance that work would start soon. However, nothing had been done so far.

Students are risking their lives by studying in the open, where shrubs have grown. Poisonous snakes could also be seen in the shrubs.

He said due to the incomplete school building, teachers were taking the classes of VI, VII and VIII in the verandah of the old school building. During rain, they were left with no other option but to declare a holiday to save the students from getting drenched, said the Principal.

President of the Parent-Teacher Association Sansaar Singh Rana said they had sent several reminders to the authority concerned, but it had not responded to their pleas and were playing with the future of the students.

He alleged that the work on the building had not begun even after the assurance of Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Nirman Nigam officials said they had received a budget of Rs 21 lakh in 2009. In 2011, they received another instalment of Rs 52 lakh under the Special Component Plan for the construction work. However, in 2012, due to the unavailability of the funds, the work had been stopped. Although the work re-started after the release of funds, it had to be stopped again due to the lack of funds. He said Rs 1.25 crore was required for the completion of the work and a proposal in this regard had been sent to the government, so that the remaining work could be re-started.

Uttarakhand the challenge ahead
The Tribune series on what needs to be done to rebuild state
Riverbed management plans must for state, says Dabral
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 3
Jaya Prakash Dabral, founder president of the Himalayan Chipko Foundation, says riverbed management plans for rivers in Uttarakhand are a must in the aftermath of the natural disaster that saw the Mandakini, the Alaknanda and several other rivers causing large scale devastation.

An MBA from the Faculty of Management Studies, a leading business school in Delhi, Dabral had a cushy life as a senior corporate executive which he gave up two decades ago and settled in Uttarakhand. Since then he has been braving the heat and dust of difficult terrain and fighting strong lobbies of dangerous timber mafia for the cause of environment conservation.

Dabral told The Tribune here that it was very important for Uttarakhand to have riverbed management plans. This would entail policies and measures needed to check all sorts of infrastructure development whether planned or unplanned alongside rivers. “Whether it is houses or other buildings like hotels and dabhas or roads alongside rivers, they should be judged as per the riverbed management plan for a particular river. This will curb all unplanned constructions alongside rivers, which is the main reason behind increase in casualties in the mid-June natural disaster,” he said.

He referred to the natural disaster that caused a large number of deaths and destruction and said, “The time has come that accountability is fixed for these deaths. You can’t go on like this. Disasters take place every after year in Uttarakhand and none is held accountable for deaths caused due to mismanagement and ill preparedness on the part of the authorities to tackle these disasters. It is thus very important that accountability is now fixed and those responsible for complacency are punished,” he said.

Dabral expressed concern over faulty planning for hydropower projects in the state. He said it was a matter of concern that several hydropower projects were washed away in the recent flash floods. “It must be probed whether it was due to lack of effective engineering that several hydropower projects were washed away in the natural disaster, resulting in large amount of nation’s money going down the drain,” he argued.

He asserted that the state government should not encourage rampant construction of hydropower projects without a study of hydraulics and other factors. He even supported the setting up of an exclusive college for hill engineering.

Dabral favoured a ropeway between Gaurikund and Kedarnath. “A ropeway between Guarikund and Kedarnath will be safe and comfortable and reduce travel time for the pilgrims,” Dabral said.

On disaster management policies and programmes he said any disaster mitigation and management policy must be Himalayas specific. “You cannot apply disaster management policies of other states in Uttarakhand,” he said.

The existing disaster management planning process had to be changed and substituted with planning based on appropriate technologies, Dabral added.

He objected to any effort to restrict the number of pilgrims in the Char Dham shrines and said as per the law of the land one could not restricted from praticising his or her religion even in the form of pilgrimage. “You can’t impose a carrying capacity limit. What you need to do is to strength your infrastructure to cater to the increasing number of pilgrims in the state,” he said.

On efforts to reconstruct Uttarakhand in the aftermath of the disaster, Dabral said the government needs to speedily take up the issue of consolidation of landholdings. “This is important as fragmented land in hills hold no economic value. If these landholdings are consolidated, livelihood opportunities based on horticulture and agriculture for those living in hills will be immense,” he said.

Dabral has been conferred with the Ashoka Fellowship by the Ashoka Foundation, Washington DC, in 2004 and the Real Heroes Award in 2008. He is credited with filing number of Public Interest Litigations in the Supreme Court for protecting Uttarakhand’s forest wealth.

What to do

The government should not limit number of pilgrims and rather work towards improving infrastructure 

Focus on hill engineering

Consolidate landholdings in hills to increase livelihood opportunities

Fix accountability for deaths caused due to complacency on the part of the authorities in dealing with disasters

Kanwar mela police a friendly host
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 3
The concept of ‘mitr police’, as publicised by the state police, seems perfectly suitable for the mela police personnel who have have been behaving in a friendly manner with the Kanwariyas.

Even though it is an arduous task to manage millions of Kanwairyas, the state police is doing a good job by being friendly to the pilgrims.

Deployed on the entire Kanwar route at all major intersections of the district, the mela police personnel are guiding the yatris in a friendly manner.

Police personnel from the other districts are also finding the Kanwar duty as an experience in itself.

Overseeing the fair proceedings on the Kanwar stretch, Circle Officer Jodh Ram Joshi said the police was being a friendly host in addition to providing security to a large number of Kanwariyas.

“When millions of Kanwariyas from various states of the country are coming to Uttarakhand, it is our duty to guide and assist them. We have shifted most of the Kanwar shops on the Kanwar stretch so that they don’t face any problem. Besides, we have also asked them to contact us in case one falls ill,” said CO Joshi.

On the other hand, Kanwariyas are also happy with the behaviour of the state police. Because of the friendly approach of the police, there has hardly occurred any skirmish between the yatris.

Khurpia residents against commercial use of farmland
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 3
Residents of the Khurpia farm in the Terai region of the state have decided to start an agitation against the industrial and commercial uses of their farm land, which is a premier agriculture land in the region.

The state government has proposed the land for industrial and commercial purposes after it was acquired by it under the ceiling laws. “The Khurpia farmland is highly suitable for agricultural purposes and if it gets utilised for industrial or commercial purposes, great loss will be incurred to the granary of the state that has already started shrinking after the government started giving away agricultural land for industrial and commercial purpose,” said Col (retd) Pramod Sharma, convener of the meeting of the Khurpia residents.

Sharma said the Swatantrata Sangram Senani Uttaradhikari Aum Krashak Samaj, US Nagar, had launched the campaign to save the land from the being given away to the industrialist. “We have decided to demand from the state government to use the 1,500 acres of the farm for agricultural purpose only,” he said.

Khurpia residents said the high court had recently scrapped the section under which the governments enabled them to give away agriculture land for industrial purposes. “UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi had also said agricultural land should not be allowed for the industrial and commercial purposes. We have now decided to make the state government remember her words,” they said.

Jwalapur residents protest against frequent power cuts 
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 3
Local residents today protested against the intermittent power cuts in the area.

In the suburban Jwalapur, where a substantial number of people belonging to minority groups reside, the situation is even worse. This is affecting the festive spirit of ‘rozedars’, who are on a month-long fast as part of Ramadan.

Led by social activist Munnawar Qureshi, the protesters burned an effigy of the government. They urged Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and the power department to provide them regular power supply.

Naseem Mansuri, a resident, termed the declaration of the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna of making Haridwar a power cut-free city by the Chief Minister a mere gimmick.

Traders’ representative Uday Ram Semwal said the Congress-led coalition government in the state had no concern for its people.

He said public was reeling under power cut woes, while Cabinet Ministers and power corporation officials remained oblivious of the problem. “The power authorities have been making excuses of roasting and tripping. We pay taxes and electricity bills and need a fast solution to the problem,” said Akash Ohri, a trader at the Chandracharya chowk.

Supporting the protest, youth wing of the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch burned an effigy of the state government.

Sanwar Abbasi, city secretary of the wing, warned that if no action was taken in this regard in the coming days, they would not allow any Cabinet Minister to enter the city.

BJP candidates win district cooperative bank posts
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 3
The BJP won the election to the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of Pithoragarh, Champawat Zila Sahkari Bank here today. Its candidates Dal Bahadur Singh Bafila and Manoj Samant were elected chairman and vice-chairman of the bank, respectively. Bafila secured nine votes and defeated Congress candidate Hayat Chand, who could get only five votes of 14 votes cast today. The other BJP candidate, Manoj Samant, was elected vice-chairman of the bank unopposed.

The election was held amid peaceful atmosphere and all 14 directors turned up to cast their votes. “The voting started on the bank campus in the district headquarters. The BJP candidates were declared elected,” said Anurag Arya, SDM and election officer designate.

The BJP victory became obvious a day earlier when the election to seven posts of director was held. Five directors had already been elected and the election was held for the remaining posts except one post of nominated director. “Over 380 voters from cooperative committees voted in the election. The voting was held for the posts of director from Didihat, Pithoragarh, Pati, Barakot, Berinag and Monakot blocks while directors from Kanalichina, Dharchula, Munsiyari, Gangolihat and Lohaghat were elected unanimously,” said the SDM.

Congress district president Mahendra Singh Lunthi said party workers committed mistakes in the selection of nominees for primary cooperative committees, who cast votes in the election to the posts of director. 

2-day state CPI council meeting begins
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 3
A two-day convention of state council of the CPI began here on Saturday. The session began with paying condolences to the people who lost their lives in the natural disaster that hit the state in June.

Party’s national general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy, addressed the inaugural session and called the party cadres to stand with the people of the hills who lost their loved ones. He also asked the party workers to remain vigilant so that the relief materials reach the needy people.

Reddy also showed concern over the present condition of the Indian economy with price rise and increasing unemployment in the country. He criticised the government polices, which, according to him, are corporate friendly and are not benefiting the common man.

He said the UPA and the NDA are standing on the same turf on the issue of economic polices and corruption. CPI central secretary Shameem Faizi asked party cadres of Uttarakhand to start their struggle from the grass-root level and strengthen the party by winning the confidence of the people.

Daylong hunger strike by Kisan Sabha ends
Our correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 3
A daylong hunger strike by the Kisan Sabha, an organ of CPI (ML) workers at Dharchula subdivision, demanding rehabilitation of disaster victims and improving living conditions at the camps, ended in the evening on the assurance of the SDM that if new problems came to the fore, the administration will take it seriously.

“The CPI (ML) delegation met me yesterday and submitted a memorandum concerning demands of rehabilitating the affected families and improving conditions at the camps,” said Pramod Kumar, SDM of Dharchula.

According to CPI (ML) leaders, they have been talking to the victims and found that they are living in pathetic conditions.

“We decoded to sit on a hunger strike to take the government’s attention toward the situation and the permanent rehabilitation of the victims,” said Jagat Singh Martolia, District patron of the sabha. Congress leaders charged the CPI (ML) of inciting people’s emotions.

“The CPI (ML) people are playing politics. All the Congress workers are busy in relief work in the subdivision,” said a congress leader of the area. “The congress MLA from local constituency is trying to foil our agitation by giving wrong facts about our party,” said Martolia.

Dharchula Congress MLA Harish Dhami said few anti-social people are trying to blame the rehabilitation work, which is running successfully. They are also inciting the people by assuring them that if they join the agitation, they will be given more money under rehabilitation. 

St George (B) outplay Shiva Club 2-0
Tribune news Service

Mussoorie, August 3
The 42nd Jackie Memorial Football Tournament kicked off at St George's College here today.

Even the incessant rain and the thick fog cover on the ground did not dampen the spirit of the 40 teams participating in the tournament as they continued with their scheduled fixtures for the day uninterrupted.

The chief guest on the occasion, the Principal of the school, Bro Christopher, along with Bro Dominic, inaugurated the tournament. In the inaugural fixture, the St George (B) team defeated Shiva Club 2-0.

In the second fixture, Bala Hissar Sports Club defeated the St George’s C team 3-1. In the third fixture, Woodstock School beat Doon International School 2-0. In the fourth match, Doon Valley School beat St George’s (D) team 1-0.

Digvijay Singh Rawat, Upendar Singh, Samuel Chand, SK ale, Anand Thapa, Naushad, Arun Tripathim and Dinesh Bhandari were referees for the matches today.