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State to formulate action plan to check floods
Bahuguna tells state employees to maintain calm
Disaster management official honoured
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Asha workers threaten govt with dire consequences
BJP flays govt over Asha workers
Depts put up stalls for public welfare schemes
500 posts of teacher lying vacant
UKD (P) wants Gairsain as permanent capital
SP: Speaker trying to divide people
Senior citizens felicitated
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State to formulate action plan to check floods
Dehradun, November 11 Inaugurating a farmers' festival, "Sarkar kisan ke dwar — Krishak Mahotsav-2013" at Raipur, near here, Bahuguna said India was primarily an agricultural nation and farmers had a major role in the overall development of the country. He emphasised the need to associate educated youths with the occupation of farming. Bahuguna said organic farming, horticulture and floriculture could play an important role in checking migration of the youth from the hills. He said organic farming should be introduced in the hill areas. Bahuguna said every year, large tracts of farmland were lost to torrential rain and floods. Claiming that the government was committed to the welfare of farmers, he said,
" Earlier, compensation for every "naali" of land lost to floods was Rs 225 per "naali". However, the present government has increased it to Rs 5,000 per "naali". Water and power bills of disaster-hit farmers have been waived. The recovery of loans has also been suspended." When he was informed about the withdrawal of subsidy on the purchase of agricultural equipment, Bahuguna promised to take
remedial action. Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat said even though agricultural land area had decreased, the production had gone up in the recent years. He said this was due to an increase in productivity levels and this was why the Centre had presented the Krishi Karma Award to the state. The minister said the state had 4 lakh hectares of agricultural land in the hills and 3.75 lakh hectares in the plains. A proposal had been prepared to promote organic farming in the state. Earlier, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Dr Ranvir Singh, said such fairs would be held in every nyaya panchayat by November 21. On the occasion, Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat also flagged off "krishi raths , which would visit each nyaya panchayat in the state. |
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Bahuguna tells state employees to maintain calm
Dehradun, November 11 The Chief Minister, while expressing his sympathies with the government employees, said the workers' associations should understand the “limitations of the government”. “The state has limited financial resources. The government has a non-plan expenditure of Rs 17,000 crore on salaries and pensions out of the total budget of Rs 25,500 crore,” Bahugana said during the 5th biannual meeting of the Uttaranchal Parvatiya Karamchari Shikshak Sangathan here. “The government has been making constant efforts to enhance the financial sources, but the state employees should place their demand in a way that the public does not have to face any problem,” he said. Bhaguna said the state could be made self-reliant as there was a lot of potential in the fields of electricity generation and tourism. He, however, insisted that the government was committed to the welfare of employees. Employees of the state and the government share a bond of trust. Employees play a vital role in the development of the state, the Chief Minister said. He, meanwhile, hailed the role of the state government employees during the time of disaster and the manner in which the people of the state ignored their miseries and came forward to help the pilgrims and tourists from outside. The Chief Minister asserted that it was only through the joint efforts of the government and the employees that the state could progress. Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Dr Harak Singh Rawat, who was also present on the occasion, said the government had always worked for the benefit of its employees and added that it was making efforts to meet all the demands of the employees. |
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Disaster management official honoured
Haridwar, November 11 Dr Chaudhari is also secretary of the Indian Red
Cross Society. During a function held at Raj Bhavan here today, Governor Aziz Qureshi and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna honoured Dr Chaudhari with an acknowledgement certificate and a memento for his commendable role as the district disaster management officer. Dr Naresh Chaudhari was also recently honoured with the President's Medal and a couple of international prizes. In 2007, he was honoured by former President APJ Abdul Kalam for successfully hosting an international scout convention
in Haridwar. Talking to TNS, Dr Chaudhari said for the past few years, Haridwar had been facing flood-like situations. Keeping this in mind, he had prepared a preventive plan model, which helped him during the mid-June
natural calamity. “I coordinated with Bengal Engineer Sappers, Roorkee, which provided us with trained divers and Red Cross volunteers, including students. We also kept close tabs on the water level of the Ganga. When the water level was nearing the danger mark, we sounded an alert in the Ganga embankment areas and hundreds of villagers were evacuated to safer and higher places. This helped us save many precious lives," said
Dr Chaudhari. Dr Chaudhari is also actively involved in social works. He keeps on organising polio, AIDS, tree plantation and environment conservation awareness drives. Under the "Green Haridwar" mission, he has planted more than 5,000 saplings in the city. District Magistrate Nidhi Pandey appreciated the role of Dr Chaudhary in disaster management operations. “Such people not only provide a ray of hope to helpless people, but also set an example for others. Society is in dire need of such people," said the DM. |
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Tribal communities hold protest march
Dehradun, November 11 Members of the Boksa, Bhotia, Tharu, Jaunsari and Vanraji tribal communities with their traditional musical instruments started from the Parade Ground to present a charter of their demands to the state government. However, a strong police force stopped them near the Secretariat. Tribals staged a dharna there and raised slogans against the government. Gopal Singh Rana, president of the Uttarakhand Scheduled Tribes Welfare Committee, who organised the march, demanded that the state government fill the vacant posts of Scheduled Tribes in the state government, besides forming a Scheduled Tribes
welfare council. He demanded that free land should be provided to them for building a Scheduled Tribes bhavan in Dehradun. He said the Chief Minister had promised last year to pay Rs 10 lakh annually to the committee, but the promise had not been fulfilled so far. He later submitted a memorandum of demands
to officials. |
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Medicines running out of stock as pharmacists' strike continues
Dehradun, November 11 “After the indefinite strike announced by the pharmacists since yesterday, medicines were not released from the stores, which is posing an acute problem for the patients,” said Laxmi Punetha, Sister Doon
Hospital. Even the medicine stock at the Emergency Department is depleting, as there has been no supply from the Doon Hospital store. “We are running out of stock. The medicines may not last till tomorrow. Unless the pharmacists allow us to access medicines, we will not be able to treat the patients who come to us at the emergency,'' said Dr Navjeet Bedi, Emergency Medical Officer. Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Health Minister, Surinder Singh Negi, said that the demands of the pharmacists are been assessed by the Department of Finance. “Their demand for upgradation of pay scales for various posts can only be conceded after it is duly examined by the Department of Finance. The pharmacists should be aware about their responsibilities and report back to work,” said Negi. However, the pharmacists remained unrelenting and in the morning raised slogans against the government for failing to accept their demands that have been pending since 2002. “Our demands are very old.On humanitarian grounds we have never resorted to indefinite stir but the government has not responded,” said DP Thapliyal, president, Diploma Pharmacists' Association, Uttarakhand. The main demands of the diploma pharmacists include upgradation of pay band for pharmacists, chief pharmacists, Deputy Director (Pharmacy) and Joint Director, extension of patient care allowance, one-month leave in lieu of extra work done on Saturday and government holidays, vehicle allowance for employees belonging to pharmacist cadre and transfer of pharmacists who have been working at sub centres to state allopathic dispensaries. |
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Asha workers threaten govt with dire consequences
Dehradun, November 11 Earlier, the transmission tower at the Doordarshan Kendra that is under construction was the favourite spot for the disgruntled elements. Employees would sneak in and then threaten to either jump or set themselves on fire in case their demands were not met. After a mishap the government had stepped up vigil but now with the ASHA workers homing on the water tank since the last four days, the government can only urge them to come down. “These ASHA workers are from Chakrata, Kalsi and Vikasnagar and are demanding status of government employees. The ASHA workers under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) are voluntary workers who receive performance-linked incentives. The honorarium is linked with the performance indicators comprising hospital deliveries etc. These issues cannot be decided by the state government,” said Dr Gurpal Singh, Chief Medical officer (CMO), Dehradun district. While the Uttarakhand State Minister of Health has been taking up the issue of raising the honorarium of the ASHA workers with the Central Government, the drastic steps taken by the six ASHA workers has left the department flummoxed. Meanwhile, Shiv Dubey, regional president of Uttarakhand ASHA Health Workers' Union, said that the drastic steps taken by the ASHA workers was due to frustration as government continues to underpay them. |
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BJP flays govt over Asha workers
Dehradun, November 11 “The desperation of the Asha workers is evident. The government has failed to start a dialogue with the workers, who are the backbone of several national programmes,” said Bhatt. The BJP leader alleged that since the Congress government came to power in the state, there has been “chaos” and “unrest” among the employees and the public. “The government also did not take preventive measures to stop the pharmacists from going on an indefinite stir, though they had given advance notice to the government,” Bhatt added. |
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Forest workers want implementation of Act
Dehradun, November 11 Hundreds of members of AIUFWP gathered at Parade Ground today and staged a march till the secretariat in support of their demands. They later submitted a memorandum to the
administrative officials. They said in the process of setting Rajaji National Park, people living in Bhatianagar Tongia village were evacuated from there and they must be given right to go back to their parent village until they are given their land
ownership papers. They are also demanding scrapping of the cases filed by the Rajaji National Park administration against the forest dwellers and claimed that as per Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers' (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, all the cases are illegal. |
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Depts put up stalls for public welfare schemes
Dehradun, November 11 He said it was heartening to see the public, gathering information about the welfare schemes. The district administration had arranged for the overall information about the current schemes operated by various departments at Parade Ground. Such type of stalls would be held in future as well so for the public. Purushottam said around 168 candidates were sanctioned a loan of Rs 2.15 crore for buying vehicles. Nearly 28 beneficiaries were given Rs 55.92 lakh for setting up their own hotel, guest house and residential unit. |
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500 posts of teacher lying vacant
Pithoragarh, November 11 Almora District Education Officer Ashok Kumar Jukaria said even after getting transfer orders, 10 teachers were yet to join their duties. Some of them had even moved court to get a stay on their transfer orders. Despite an acute shortage of teachers in Bageshwar schools, 10 had been transferred to other places, causing more shortage. “Against the 346 sanctioned posts of teacher in 37 intermediate colleges, there are only 200 teachers. In high schools, there are 552 teachers against the 742 sanctioned posts,” said District Education Officer, Bageshwar, BN Singh. He said Kapkot subdivision had the maximum number of vacant posts, as depite getting transfer orders, teachers were yet to join their duties. The DEO said they would take action against all
such teachers.
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UKD (P) wants Gairsain as permanent capital
Haridwar, November 11 The party said during 13 years after the formation of the state numerous commissions were set up for selecting a permanent capital. He added only Gairsain situated in Chamoli district could cater to the aspirations of the people of the state.In support of their demand, UKD (P) activists also organised a demonstration at the district collectorate office at Roshanabad recently. The agitating activists said even 13 years after the state formation no party except for the UKD had demanded the permanent capital city status for Gairsain. District chief of the UKD (P) Bal Singh Saini said though the Vijay Bahuguna-led state government had taken steps to construct a state Assembly building at Gairsain too, it was playing a double role by announcing another Vidhan Sabha building at Raipur in Dehradun. Uday Ram Semwal, central secretary of the UKD (P), said during the formation of the state on November 9, 2000, Dehradun was made an interim capital city. He said, "It should remain an interim capital only and the construction of a separate State Assembly building there will hurt the sentiments of the people of the state, who want only Gairsain as the state capital." The UKD activists also accused the successive governments of failure to ensure development in all districts of the state. |
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SP: Speaker trying to divide people
Dehradun, November 11 Kunjwal, during a function yesterday, had allegedly said people living in the hills will not forgive those who did not talk in the interest of the hill pockets. “It is very unfortunate that a leader like Kunjwal made such remarks to divide the people of the state across regional lines,” Samajwadi Party state president SN Sachan told mediapersons here. “It would have been fair had Kunjwal said the citizens of the state will not forgive those who did not talk in the interest of the state,” he said. Meanwhile, Congress leader Tariq Aziz today joined the SP as district president.
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Senior citizens felicitated
Haridwar, November 11 Aadesh Chauhan, legislator, Ranipur-BHEL, was the chief guest at the function. Chauhan said a society’s development could be gauged from the way the people respect their Ten senior citizens, namely Santosh Gulati, Harish Chand Mittal, Jagdeesh Pahwa, NK Gupta, IP Goyal, JP Varshney, RG Sharma, SN Dutta, GN Kapur and NK Mishra, were
honoured. |
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After transmission towers it is now tall water tanks that have caught the attention of disgruntled employees for putting pressure on the government. Since the last four days Accredited Social Health Activists
(ASHA) have been atop a water tank in Vikasnagar, threatening the government of dire consequences in case their demand of regularisation was not met.
