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Judge’s son goes missing, found from Bulandshahr
Rudrapur riots: BJP chief accuses govt of unleashing vendetta
BJP workers court arrest
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Retd employees meet minister, seek mediation
Striking employees adamant; stir on
Protest by BPEd, MPEd trained continues
Auto-rickshaw strike inconveniences commuters
Drive to remove illegal hoardings begins in Haridwar on High Court order
Virasat-2013
Amid opposition, 4-day autumn festival begins in Nainital
Mahasir angling competition ends
HDA meeting cancelled again
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Judge’s son goes missing, found from Bulandshahr
Haridwar, October 24 SHO of the Bahadrabad police station SK Saklani said Sahil along with his family members had arrived at the Patanjali Yogpeeth, 15 km from Haridwar, from Bulandshahr on October 21. He went missing last night and was recovered from his relative’s house in Bulandshahar today. “Sahil is suffering from depression and is receiving treatment at the Patanjali Yogpeeth. His parents had come to procure medicines from Patanjali yesterday and left him in their car at the parking lot there. But Sahil left the parking lot and boarded an intercity Patanjali free Haridwar bus service and reached Kankhal. From there he travelled to the Haridwar railway station and later reached his relative’s house in Bulandshahr. We contacted the Uttar Pradesh Police, which recovered him from his relative’s house. We have informed his parents, who have been perturbed since yesterday,” said
Saklani. Sahil’s parents are temporarily staying at their relative’s house in Roorkee and from there they used to commute to the Patanjali Yogpeeth for Sahil’s
medical treatment. Yesterday, they stayed at the Patanjali Yoggram and procured medicines from the Patanjali pharmacy counter. However, they could not found Sahil, who was alone in the car at the parking lot during that time. Circle officer, Kankhal, Chandra Mohan Singh Negi said the police after receiving a complaint had conducted a search at the Patanjali Yogpeeth and at other places. The Uttar Pradesh police was also contacted regarding the incident and today Sahil was recovered from Bulandshahr. |
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Rudrapur riots: BJP chief accuses govt of unleashing vendetta
Dehradun, October 24 He alleged that the party was selectively framing charges against BJP MLA Rajkumar Thukral and other party workers in the Rudrapur riots that took place more than two years ago. “Several Congress workers were also accused in the Rudrapur riots. But the CB-CID has framed charges only against BJP party workers and party MLA Rajkumar Thukral. The selective targeting of the BJP is being done at the behest of Congress leader Tilak Raj Behad,” accused Rawat. Rawat said the Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal, had given an assurance to the BJP legislators that no action would be taken against Thukral, but the government did not keep its word. He warned the Congress-led state government not to incite the passions of BJP party workers. “If the government wants peace to prevail in the city, it should not target the BJP workers. Otherwise, the situation may get worse in the city,” said Rawat. Rawat criticised the Rudrapur police for its alleged high-handed behaviour and brutally beating up of BJP party workers who had planned to take out a peaceful motorcycle procession yesterday. Rawat also flayed the Vijay Bahuguna government for developing a cold feet on the issue of implemention of the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Act (2011). “It is clear that the government is out to protect itself as it being corrupt will be the first casualty of the Act,” he said. |
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BJP workers court arrest
Dehradun, October 24 The BJP workers gathered at Bhagat Singh Chowk and held a public meeting before courting arrest. They said that the state Congress government was acting in a vindictive manner by implicating the local legislator in the communal riots case. They threatened that the agitation would be intensified if the police continued to harass BJP workers. Earlier yesterday, BJP workers led by former MP Balraj Passi had tried to take out a rally on two wheelers in the town despite prohibitory orders. Some of the BJP workers, including Balraj Passi, were arrested by the police. Meanwhile, Arvind Pandey, BJP legislator from Gurdarpur, has threatened to take out a party rally in Rudrapur against alleged police repression on October 26. |
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Retd employees meet minister, seek mediation
Dehradun, October 24 The agitated retired employees were forced to approach the minister after they were told that the memorandum of demands submitted by them on October 22 had not reached the Chief Minister. “We have urged the minister to apprise Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and the Minister of Water Resources, Mantri Prasad Naithani, about our problems," said the employees. The retired employees had been staging sit-in at the office of the Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam in support of their demands. |
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Striking employees adamant; stir on
Dehradun, October 24 "The recitation of Sundar Kaand was held to seek Lord Hanuman's blessings and energise the striking employees for the agitation," said Arun Pandey, a spokesperson of the Council. After participating in the kirtan of Lord Hanuman, the employees patiently listened to their union leaders. "We will give up our indefinite stir only if a government order is issued and a written assurance is given to us," said Prahlad Thakur, president of the Council. He said that complete lock-out of 28 departments would be carried in the first phase from October 28 as a mark of protest. Due to the strike by the employees, work, among others, at regional transport office, tehsil and Tax Department has come to a standstill. However, in a relief to the patients at government hospitals, pharmacists have decided to end their dharna call for the time being. "We will resume our agitation after Diwali. From today, all of us have begun discharging regular duties," said S S Chauhan, patron of Diploma Pharmacist Association. Meanwhile, after Minister of Medical and Health Surinder Singh Negi agreed to absorb the contractual employees of Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, employees returned to work ending their 44-day-old strike. |
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Protest by BPEd, MPEd trained continues
Dehradun, October 24 The protesters announced to stage a protest rally in Dehradun on November 8 if their demand was not accepted by the
government. Vikram Singh, Suraj Singh and Gaurav were prominent who participated in the dharna today. |
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Auto-rickshaw strike inconveniences commuters
Haridwar, October 24 The unions demanded a ban on the recently introduced eco-friendly and electronic battery operated mini-rickshaw in the city periphery. The strike started from 9 am till 3 pm, posing problems for the local commuters, pilgrims and tourists who had to resort to other transport means, with many treading on foot to reach their destinations. Striking auto rickshaw drivers also carried out a protest march till the Assistant Regional Transport Office at
Roshanabad, submitting a memorandum. in this regard. Rickshaw owners and drivers also burned an effigy of the ARTO and alleged that due to battery operated mini-rickshaw, their livelihood had got severely
affected. Ravi Dutt, head, Rickhshaw Maha Sangh, said families of hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers were being affected due to this and despite repeated complaints nothing had been done by the ARTO and the Municipal Corporation to stop the battery run vehicles from operating in the city
periphery. Panchpuri Auto Union representatives also sought a license policy, route chart and standard fare for the battery operated rickshaws in case they were not totally prohibited by the Transport Department. “Coming from Bhupatwala till Lal Taura Bridge was very difficult due to auto strike. The government should solve the dispute at the earliest, else its only the public who have to suffer," said
Rabiam, a Jwalapur resident. |
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Drive to remove illegal hoardings begins in Haridwar on High Court order
Haridwar, October 24 Despite resistance from members of the Haridwar Hoarding Advertisers' Association, the drive was carried out successfully. MNA Vipra Trivedi has warned a section of the advertisers to remove their hoardings by tomorrow, otherwise the civic body will remove
them. Trivedi said the HC had cancelled the previous hoarding tender procedure and directed the civic body to send a proposal to the government to issue fresh bylaws in this regard.
She said no illegal hoarding would be allowed in the area falling under the civic body. The hoarding allocation process was embroiled in a controversy a few months ago when the city-based hoarding association sought a stay on the tender procedure being adopted by the Municipal Corporation. The association moved the Nainital High Court objecting to the procedure being adopted by the MC regarding the allocation of hoarding rights, which they alleged was being done to provide profit to an outside hoarding
agency. Rishi Sachdeva of the association said local advertisers were being neglected. A total of 350 hoarding sites fall in the periphery of the Municipal Corporation, for which one-time annual charge was taken by the MC from advertising agencies. However, through an advertisement it made it clear that through the tender process, only one agency would be given all hoarding rights for a year.
The MNA said they had already sent notices to advertisers asking them to remove hoardings. In the wake of the court verdict, the Municipal Corporation had now initiated the demolition drive, she added. Under the new hoarding policy, the city periphery will be divided into two zones.
At present, for a single 20x10 hoarding, Rs 1,500 per month was being charged, which is quite low as compared to other cities like
Dehradun, Haldwani and Nainital. |
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Virasat-2013
Dehradun, October 24 “Be it the pine-laden forest or the tall Deodhar trees, these are not without a human element. A man can live in perfect harmony with nature by understanding his limits and not cutting and destroying forests for his needs,” said the self taught painter, who is participating in the national painters camp at the ongoing Virasat- 2013 festival, hosted by the Lalit Kala Akademi. Gandhi was earlier engaged in the air conditioning business in New Delhi, but in 2006, he decided to pick up brush and has never looked back since then. “Starting from zero in Jammu, my home town, wasn't easy for me initially. But, I think there are endless opportunities if you make up your mind and not get bothered by what people say. I am a self-taught artiste and I believe art is a gift that one is endowed with. One can only learn to do better. It is my wish to paint on a 1,000-meter long canvas,” he said. Besides his eloquent landscapes, Gandhi also loves to bring in local flavour in his paintings, sprung around the day-to-day routine of the people that he meet during his visits to different cities. “The pulsating figure of a drum beater, who makes every celebration a memorable, is a part of our culture. Several of these symbols are being lost in our attempt to embrace modernity and crass commercialisation. In fact, I will set out to paint the local water storage bodies that once abound in the Uttarakhand hills,” he added. Participating in the 30th painters’ camp here, Gandhi's paintings adorn several prominent homes of industrialists, politicians and professionals. In March, he had participated in the painters’ camp put up during the Literature Festival in Jaipur. Gandhi had also set up an art gallery “Subah” in Jammu which was a meeting point for established artistes and also provides a platform to the budding artistes. |
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Amid opposition, 4-day autumn festival begins in Nainital
Pithoragarh, October 24 The BJP workers, who raised slogans against the festival, said when the entire state was reeling under the damage of the flash floods and the victims were still deprived of daily ration, how could a responsible state organise festivities? "When we celebrated national occasions like the Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti with simplicity this year, what is the need of this extravagant celebration,” said Devendra Dhella, district president of BJP in Nainital. The festival is being organised by Uttarakhand Paryatan Vikas Parishad, in association with Nagar Palika Parishad, Nainital, and National Lake Development Authority, Nainital. Addressing the gathering after the inaugural ceremony, the Governor said tourism was the only business in the state which could provide jobs to the coming generation. "We will have to nurture the tourist places of the state and get these publicised by organising such festivals,” he said. Local traders and hoteliers were happy over the organisation of the festival. “Though this should have been celebrated at a time of higher presence of tourists in the town, still it will get the local tourism-based entrepreneurs a respite from the shortage of tourists this year, by spreading the message that tourist places like Nainital are fine and worth visiting,” said Kamal Jagati, spokesman for the hotel association in Nainital. According to the organisers, the beginning of the autumn marked the inauguration of a craft village erected in Mallital. “A programme of singer Narendra singer Negi preceded a cultural carnival, a light and sound programme, offering of lighted earthen lamps into the Naini lake and inauguration of the craft village,” said Shyam Narayan, chairman of Nagar Palika Parishad of Nainital. According to the Nagar Panchayat chairman, the competitions of canoeing, photography, inter-school musical programmes, besides a Kumaoni Kavi Sammelan and presentation of stage plays by professional troupes would be the other attractions of the day on October 24. Besides cultural programmes by various professional groups and local amateur performers, various sports activities will also be organised in the festival, the organisers said. “Besides the local MLAs, state ministers, Dr Indira Hredeyesh, Harish Chandra Durgapal and speaker of assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal have been invited as special guests during these programmes on different days,” they added. |
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Mahasir angling competition ends
Pithoragarh, October 24 Das said the NGO organised the five-day international competition for the seventh consecutive year. Eight anglers, including two from the UK, participated. “By organising the competition every year we have ensured the protection of Mahashir here. The number of foreign anglers is increasing every year,” he said. He added Mohan Rayal from Almora, who caught golden Mahashir weighing 18 pounds, was declared the winner of the competition.
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HDA meeting cancelled again
Haridwar, October 24 Garhwal Commissioner DS Gabriyal had arrived on time on the HDA premises at Mayapur and was to start the meeting when BJP activists arrived raising slogans against the HDA Commissioner, Uttarakhand government and in praise of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. BJP activists said they were aggrieved over the controversial selling of a plot on the Kumbh mela land at Bhupatwala Kalan, where the Kumbh mela is held. Led by Sanjana Sharma, district head of the BJP women wing, the protesters gheraoed the HDA premises and tried to meet the Commissioner. As police personnel and mediapersons arrived, the BJP activists started moving towards the meeting hall. It was then that the Commissioner called on the activists to meet him. Sanjana Sharma objected to the selling of the Kumbh mela land and cited the paucity of land in the Bhoopatwala-Pantdeep-Laljiwala area, where Ardh and Maha Kumbh mela is held at six and 12 years’ interval, respectively. Youth wing district chief Naresh Sharma said there should be no selling, acquisition or construction on the Kumbh mela land as already there was a shortage of open land and this would pose a problem in 2022 when the next Mahakumbh would be held in Haridwar. “Crores of devotees throng Haridwar during the Kumbh and Kanwar fairs, apart from the monthly and annual festive baths. If the Kumbh mela land is sold or used for construction purpose, where will the millions of devotees stay during the mela,” he said. Gabriyal assured the protesters of looking into the matter. The HDA vice-chairperson also cited the legal aspects of the issue, as the matter was already subjudice and no step can be taken before the final legal decision. Later, the board meeting was cancelled, delaying more than 28 development-oriented proposals, which were on the agenda of the meeting yesterday. “The Commissioner had invited the BJP activists separately for a meeting but they did not arrive. But when the board meeting was to begin, they created nuisance and seeing mediapersons they became more active. Cancellation of the board meeting is a loss to the common public and the city,” said an HDA official. |
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Dehradun, October 24
BJP workers today courted arrest by defying prohibitory orders in protest against the registration of a case against local BJP legislator Raj Kumar Thukral.
The city life got affected here today owing to a day long strike by the city based two auto rickshaw union's, namely the Panchpuri Auto Rickhshaw Union and the Rickhshaw Maha
Sangh.
Haridwar, October 24
The enigma of the deep Himalayan forests have once again invited the eminent artist, Kamlesh Kumar Gandhi, to continue to unravel an enduring theme in his paintings. Gandhi, whose own love for nature, seemed to have found a temporary moorings in the larger than life paintings that he loves to paint.
