Nurses resume night duties; govt accepts three demands
Dehradun, September 24 Nurses all across the state called off their boycott of evening and night shifts after the government accepted three of their eight demands and assured them of action on the remaining within three months.

Designated officials to meet in Delhi in Oct
Dehradun, September 24
To speed up the process of issuing death certificates to the families of those missing after the mid-June disaster, a meeting of designated officials has been called in New Delhi in the first week of October.

Haridwar, September 24
With local advertisers opposing the Municipal Corporation's open tender policy and taking legal route, the Nainital High Court has given directions to the civic body not to disclose the tender results before October 7.

Dehradun, September 24
In the early hours of this morning, the ''Save Ganga''activist Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, who has been on a hunger strike to press for his demand for scrapping of hydropower projects on the tributaries of river Ganga, was brought to Doon Hospital from Haridwar.

Swami Sanand, whose fast entered the 104th day today, said that he was forcibly brought to the hospital by the administration. ''All my vital organs are normal and I am feeling fine,'' said the activist while speaking with The Tribune.

Lying in the trauma centre, the frail former IIT professor, who had even given up water, was administered food through tube suction.

''Despite repeated promises, 18 proposed hydropower projects on Ganga and its tributaries have not been scrapped. Only a Central Act, curbing activities that endanger the river Ganga and its tributaries, including pollution, construction of dams, mining activity, human and industrial waste, will help in the cause of our rivers,'' he said.

Demanding scrapping of all hydroelectric power projects on the Mandakini, Alaknanda and Bhagirithi river basins, Sanand said: ''The government is hell-bent upon destroying the Ganga by building dams on its tributaries. A human body cannot survive in case the lungs and the heart are systematically chopped off.''

Similarly, it is imperative to keep the ecological flow of the Ganga and its tributaries. They sustain each other, he added.

Sanand said that despite Rajiv Gandhi announcing ''Save the River Ganga'' programme in the 80s, little has been achieved. ''We need to undertake daily vigil of the rivers so that nothing is amiss. The pollution boards have not served the purpose,'' he said.

Criticising the successive Uttarakhand governments for their inability to take lessons, he said: ''There have been excesses committed by the governments, including excess of activity in the rivers and excess of tourism in the ecologically sensitive areas of Uttarakhand. Despite the the catastrophe in Kedarnath, there seems to be little effort to curb indulgence of this kind,'' said Sanand.

A thorn in the eye of the Vijay Bahuguna government who is in favour of Loharinag Pala and Pala Maneri power projects, the former IIT professor painted a lonely picture in the trauma ward of Doon Hospital. 

Dehradun, September 24
Nurses all across the state called off their boycott of evening and night shifts after the government accepted three of their eight demands and assured them of action on the remaining within three months. “The government has accepted our three demands, including the appointment of the Registrar of the Uttarakhand Nursing Council from the nursing cadre. It has given permission till further orders for the appointment of Hansi Negi as Registrar. Orders have also been passed for the transfer of 38 posts of nurse from Nainital and Bhawali to the Doon Group of Hospitals and the payment of conveyance allowance to nurses,” said Anjana Bhowmick, president of the Uttaranchal Nurses’ Association.

The officer-bearers of the association held talks with officials of the state government this morning. They were assured that their other demands regarding the appointment of an Additional Director, a Joint Director and a Deputy Director and the payment of arrears on the basis of the amended pay grade of 2008 would be fulfilled within three months.

“In the interests of the patients all nurses will resume night duties from today. We have decided to postpone our agitation for three months and in case the government backtracks on its promise, we will resume the agitation,” said Dalbir Mishra, secretary of the association. — TNS

Dehradun, September 24
To speed up the process of issuing death certificates to the families of those missing after the mid-June disaster, a meeting of designated officials has been called in New Delhi in the first week of October.

At the meeting, the formalities of issuing death certificates will be completed under the directions of the Registrar General 
of India.

In this context, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar held a meeting at the Secretariat here today and asked the officials to speed up the process.

The Chief Secretary said the process of issuing death certificates should be simplified. On getting death certificates, the families of the missing would find it simpler to get life insurance money and property transferred.

He said the search operation in Uttarakhand was in its last stage. Soon, all formalities would be completed and a camp set up to issue death certificates.

The Chief Secretaries of other states have also been requested to complete the formalities of preparing a list of the missing people in their states. It is for this that a meeting of the designated officials and resident commissioners has been called in New Delhi.

Mussoorie, September 24
The third Inter-Frontier Karate Championship began at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) grounds here today. More than five teams from the force consisting of nearly 120 participants are competing for the brown and black belts.

The chief guest, Harbhajan Singh, IG, who is also Director, ITBP Academy, declared the championship open.

Around 111 participants from six teams, Northern, Eastern, North-Eastern, North-Western, Central Frontiers and L & C Training will be contesting with each other for four days in the championship here.

IG Harbhajan Singh, speaking on the occasion, said that ITBP was a special force that was deployed in the difficult terrain in the country. The training given to the jawans in karate, mountain and rock climbing, skiing etc was a step towards empowering them to deal with difficult situations during peace and war-like situations.

He also said that the force had always responded to the call of the country during the hour of any disaster, and the recent disaster at Kedarnath was one such example.

The pattern of the championship has been changed from this year as earlier it was held under the inter-sector category but from this year it is being held under inter-frontier category.

Dehradun, September 24
Convent of Jesus and Mary beat Hilton School 23-2 today in the ongoing 9th Gardener Silver Jubilee Inter-School Basketball Tournament for Girls being held at multipurpose floodlit auditorium in St. Thomas School. Astha from Convent of Jesus and Mary scored highest 8 points.

In the second match, DAV Public School beat St Jude's School 24-20. In the third match of the day, Jaswant Modern defeated St Mary’s School 32-4 with Suman from Jaswant Modern scoring 10 points in the match.

Mussoorie, September 24
Satish Kumar from Pujar Gaon won the 100 metre dash in the senior division while Anita Chauhan from Bhavan village emerged the winner in the girls’ category on the concluding day of the block level sports championship held at Government Inter College at Thatyur in Tehri Garhwal district today.

Around 12 schools from the Juanpur block development region participated in both girls and boys categories in the competition.

In the junior division (100 metre), Suraj Sajwan from Government Inter College (GIC), Thatyur, stood first while Seema from GIC, Bangsil village, was declared the winner in the boys and girls categories, respectively.

In the senior division, Priyanka from GIC, Bangsil, stood first in the discus and javelin throw events in the girls’ category.

Sanjay and Sweta from GIC, Thatyur, were the winners in the high jump event in the boys and girls categories, respectively.

In the long jump event, Dipendar from Pujar Gaon and Meena from Kaatal village stood first in the boys and girls categories, respectively.

Dhanaulti MLA Mahaveer Singh Rangad inaugurated the event.

Rangard commended the efforts of the organisers and said sport was important at the village level to build the confidence of students of government schools in the region.