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CM performs bhumi pujan at cricket stadium site
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POLITICAL DIARY
Congress activists demand a probe into discrepancies in the land deals of Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust in Haridwar on Sunday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur
City
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Ringside
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DFO: Inclusion of Kotdwar range
in tiger reserve to benefit people
Fans throng tea shops to savour Sachin’s favourite delicacies
Separate mobile medical unit to be launched under NRHM
Governor unveils HN Bahuguna’s statue
Governor Aziz Qureshi after unveiling the statue of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna at Srinagar on Sunday. A Tribune photograph
MAD volunteers clean Neshvilla road
Young MAD volunteers remove garbage from a street in Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photo: Abhyudaya Kotnala
Bharat Ratna for Milkha demanded
State told to pay central aid to violence victims
BSP, BJP to contest panchayat polls in Almora on party lines
Chhattisgarh girls, UP boys lift titles
National chuck ball championship begins
Transformer at Parade Ground develops snag
Garhwal Sporting, Adhoiwala club win football matches
Boxing championship organised Nainbagh tehsil offices to function from guest house Tusker wreaks havoc in Ogal Bhatta area Dhaundiyal is Mussoorie Cong chief Asian School win cricket tournament
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CM performs bhumi pujan at cricket stadium site
Dehradun, November 24 The Chief Minister said on the lines of the Arjuna Award, the state had started a number of award schemes for its sportsmen and was also providing pension scheme to former sportspersons of the state in the memory of Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant. On the occasion, he announced an increase in the perks of Sports Department employees. He said there was no dearth of sports talent in the state. He thanked the ONGC for extending financial support for the construction work. Bahuguna also expressed gratitude to the Centre for honouring Sachin Tendulkar with Bharat Ratna. Sports Minister Dinesh Agarwal said Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium would be a world-class stadium. ONGC Chairman-cum-MD Sudhir Vasudeva said they would provide Rs 50 crore and other logistics support for the construction of the stadium. MLA Umesh Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma, Mussoorie MC Chairman Manmohan Mall and Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam were present on the occasion.
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POLITICAL DIARY
Dehradun, November 24 Ramdev, who had a phenomenal rise to fame, had taken the entire country by storm with his easy-to-follow yoga prescriptions and claims of curing diseases with prayanama
and herbal remedies. But instant success and a huge fan following probably went to his head and he started nurturing political ambitions. Ramdev thought he had a cure for everything afflicting the country. Besides yoga, he started making waves in other spheres of public life whether it is politics, probity in public life, corruption and even international diplomacy. However, trouble started soon after he announced to form a political party and contest all 542 Lok Sabha seats under the banner of his Bharat Swabhiman Trust. His decision rattled the right wing BJP, which thought that Ramdev, with his fan following, would dent their chances by dividing Hindu votes. This followed a hectic lobbying by the BJP, the RSS and the Sangh
Parivar affiliates and they convinced Ramdev not to launch a party but direct his tirade against
the Congress. This was the beginning of the trouble for Ramdev. His much famous escape from the Delhi podium after a crackdown by the Delhi Police, where he had gathered his supporters on the corruption issue, had strained his relations
with the Congress. His attacks on the party became more sharp and he ultimately sat in the lap of the BJP and extending his support to BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. It was a win-win situation for the BJP, which at one time had faced embarrassment when Ramdev had alleged a minister in the Khanduri-led Uttarakhand government had demanded Rs 3 crore from him. Interestingly, it was with the support of Congress leaders that he had expanded his empire in Haridwar. It was after the formation of Uttarakhand and during the first state government headed by Chief Minister ND Tiwari that Ramdev and his Patanjali Yogpeeth had flourished. Tiwari-led state government had defended him when CPM leader Brinda Karat had levelled allegations of labour laws violations against him. Tiwari had himself handed over the papers of Patanjali University to him. At the inauguration function, besides Tiwari and his state ministerial colleagues, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda, senior Congress leaders Girija Vyas and Sriparkash Jaiswal had also participated. The BJP has alleged political vendetta by the Congress against Ramdev. It was likely to make it a political issue to convince Hindu voters that the Congress was against the man who propagated yoga and ayurveda and was
against corruption. However, Ramdev, having high political ambitions, has taken an extreme political position and it would be difficult for him now to do a
balancing act. Inviting trouble A long tirade by Ramdev against the Congress and its national president Sonia Gandhi for the past many years and his open canvassing for the BJP in the ongoing Assembly elections have reportedly prompted the state government to investigate his land deals and those of his trust in Haridwar and file 81 cases against his
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Patanjali property, land deals being closely
scrutinised: DM
Haridwar, November 24 Asked why the administration did not take action in this regard earlier, Nidhi said the discrepancies in the land transactions and the evasion of stamp duty were being probed and if any administration officer or employee was found to be involved or concealing facts deliberately, he would be liable to face an inquiry. Meanwhile, the Patanjali Yogpeeth has again denied receiving any notice regarding the filing of cases against it for benami transactions and misuse of property allocated by the government for social activities. The office-bearers of the Patanjali Yogpeeth and the Bharat Swabhiman Trust said they would give a satisfactory reply to the notice, as and when they receive it. Congress activists led by Sanjay Chopra held a protest demanding speedy action against the Patanjali
Yogpeeth. He cited the suspension of 103 workers by Patanjali Pharmacy in the past to support his view that the yogpeeth was neither giving proper compensation to workers nor re-employing them. It pointed towards the dictatorial management running in the trust-aided factories and pharmacies. The Bharat Swabhiman Trust termed the allegations against Ramdev as baseless and politically motivated. Jaswant Singh, district general secretary of the
organisation, said due to Ramdev’s anti black-money campaign, which had gained wide popularity and acceptance, worried Congress leaders were trying to nail him.
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Dehradun Fake currency seized
Acting on a tip-off, a Sahaspur police team on Sunday arrested a woman and seized Rs 90,000 in fake currency from her
possession. During interrogation, the woman, identified as Sheela, told the police that she had smuggled fake currency before also and would circulate counterfeit notes in Muzaffarnagar and
Haridwar. The woman has been booked under Sections 489-B and 489-C of the IPC. on Saturday, two
persons were arrested with Rs 45,000 in fake currency. Book fair concludes
A two-day book fair organised by The Shivalik Brigade of the Golden Key division of the Indian army ended at the human resource development centre in Garhi Cantt here on Sunday. The objective of the book fair was to inculcate a reading habit among the residents of the city. It was organised as the culminating event of the golden jubilee celebrations of the division. Kanchan Oka, chairperson, Golden Key Family Welfare Organisation, had inaugurated the event. A large number of officers, junior commissioned officers and their families, schoolchildren and senior wing NCC cadets also visited the fair. Over 5,000 books were on display. The children’s section of the fair got an enthusiastic response. Back pain management device inaugurated
Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi inaugurated a David Back Clinic device and a Lithotripter machine at the Doon Hospital here on Sunday. Negi said all efforts of the government were aimed at increasing the facilities at the hospital. “These machines procured from other country will help doctors immensely in targeted intervention,” he said.
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The recent case of a senior Home Department official being charged with raping a girl on the pretext of getting her a job has again shifted focus to what is going on in the state government. A young girl has lodged a zero FIR against an Additional Secretary of the Home Department for allegedly raping her for three years on the false promise of providing her a government job.
It was not the first time that a sex scandal or sexual liaison involving a senior government functionary has surfaced in the state. Since the time of the formation of Uttarakhand such stories and gossips have become common knowledge and some scandals have even grabbed nation’s attention. Such stories were common during the tenure of former Chief Minister ND
Tewari, who was known for his soft spot for the fairer sex. The veteran Congress leader has been facing a paternity suit in court in which a young man has claimed to be his biological son that was later proved by the DNA reports. Tewari had to quit as Governor of Andhra Pradesh in disgrace after his explicit sexual encounters with alleged prostitutes in the Hyderabad Raj Bhawan went
public. Tiwari’s another senior ministerial colleague also accused by a woman from Assam of fathering a child. The minister had to resign but was later given the clean chit by the CBI after a DNA probe. The said minister, who is also currently holding an important portfolio in the present Congress government, had created a stir by appointing a woman officer from the Education Department to his own department despite objections from her parent department. However, the powerful minister went ahead and got the orders from the Chief Minister. It was not only during the Congress regime that such stories kept on emitting, but such allegations were also made during the BJP rule. A young Dalit girl had charged a BJP leader with raping her on the pretext of giving her a job. The girl stood her ground and the accused after a long legal battle was sentenced to jail recently. But most of the cases are brushed under the carpet. In the recent case also, the Uttarakhand police seems to be on the side of the accused official. After a television channel showed the official indulging in an immoral act with the victim and the girl registered a zero FIR in New Delhi, the accused official also lodged an FIR against the girl in Dehradun alleging that she was black mailing him and threatening him. The girl alleged that the Uttarakhand police ignored her repeated attempts to get a case registered against the accused IAS officer while it showed promptness in registering an FIR lodged by the official against the victim. This could only happen in
Uttarakhand. Infighting in state BJP unit
The infighting in the Uttarakhand BJP has cost its leaders dear in the past. But it seems that these leaders have still not learnt any lessons. Just when everyone thought that they have buried issues among themselves for good, differences among the top leaders resurfaced. In a recent incident, Dehradun Municipal Corporation Mayor Vinod Chamoli and a former BJP Chief Minister of the state were invited to a prize distribution function. Unaware of the presence of the other BJP leader at the event, the Mayor was almost ready to leave for the event when he was informed by one his aides that the other VIP guest had already arrived at the event. Upon listening this, a visibly perturbed Chamoli not only cancelled his visit but also expressed his anger at the organisers for failing to inform him about the other dignitaries. “Let him distribute the prizes. I am not going. How many people are required to distribute prizes,” said the Mayor. Ironically, when this BJP leader was appointed the Chief Minister of the state, Chamoli was one of his closest
confidants. ASP’s posting raises eyebrows
The posting of an ASP rank officer in Dehradun on an important field position a couple of days back is becoming the subject of gossip in the Police Department. According to a section of fellow police officers, the ASP has been awarded by the government for his ‘good work’ in the rehabilitation work in the aftermath of the Kedarnath tragedy in June this year. But some of his colleagues are questioning the motive behind the posting and asking that since when the government and the Police Department have started rewarding police officers with ‘plump postings’ for their good work. A DIG rank officer shared with The Tribune that other officers who had also worked round the clock in the post-disaster rehabilitation work and were stationed in the valley for more than two months in unfavourable circumstances were still awaiting field postings. The reason being given for the posting of the officer concerned is not going well with a few police officers. Uttarakhand goes the Uttar Pradesh way
Uttarakhand that was carved out of Uttar Pradesh to ensure improved governance seems to be going the Uttar Pradesh way as far as the vote catching populist schemes are concerned. The Congress-led state government had some time back announced to provide bicycles to schoolchildren and now it was trying to provide free of cost laptops to students belonging to deprived sections studying in state engineering and medical colleges. These schemes are already in implementation in Uttar Pradesh. Biometric attendance for schoolteachers
The state government plans to introduce the biometric attendance system for teachers in government schools. This is not the first time that the state Education Ministry is contemplating to take such a measure to ensure 100 per cent attendance of teachers in government-run schools, where taking French leave by teachers is quite common. There are even cases when teachers posted in schools in far-flung areas do not go to school for months together but ensure their attendance in the school register and timely salary at the cost of the future of the children of the state. The state government has started a campaign to take strict action against such errant teachers, who are evading duty in far-flung hill areas. (Contributed by
S.M.A. Kazmi, Parwinder Sandhu, Gaurav Talwar and Jotirmay Thapliyal)
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DFO: Inclusion of Kotdwar range
in tiger reserve to benefit people
Dehradun, November 24 Neha assured the people that they would not be denied their right of collecting fuel and fodder from the buffer zone. The Lansdowne forest division is sand-witched between the Jim Corbett National Park and the Rajaji National Park. These parks are known worldwide for tigers and elephants. The Lansdowne forest division is a vital corridor between these parks for wild animals. The Union Forest and Environment Ministry had given its consent to the inclusion of the Kotari, Laldhang, Kotdwara and Kalagarh forest ranges falling in the Lansdowne forest division in the tiger reserve. The argument given for the move is that the density of tigers in these ranges is much higher than in others. The process to include the Kotdwar and Laldhang ranges in the reserve was started earlier. Now, the ministry concerned has launched the process to include the Kotari and Kalagarh ranges in the reserve. The local people are opposing the move alleging that it will curtail their right to collect fuel and fodder from forests. They argue that when these areas are included in the reserve, development works there will be hampered in the name of conservation of wildlife. President of the Nagrik Manch Shashidahr Bhatt cited the example of the Kandi road, the only link road between Garhwal and Kumaon, which was not being constructed as it passes through the buffer zone of the Jim Corbett National Park. “This road will benefit the local people as the distance between Haridwar and Nainital will reduce by 80 km. But it is not being metalled in the name of environment conservation,” he added. On the other hand, the DFO said the Gujjars living in the forests in these ranges would be shifted elsewhere and there would be fewer chances of human and wild animal clashes. She added that the Gujjars were causing harm to forests and using water sources basically meant for wild animals. “With the inclusion of these forest ranges in the tiger reserve, the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment will release funds for new development schemes in the region. This will benefit the local people,” she said.
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Fans throng tea shops to savour Sachin’s favourite delicacies
Mussoorie, November 24 Sachin keeping has been savouring his favourite noodles, Bun-Butter, pancakes etc., turn wise at all four shops situated in line at Char Dukan, thus providing business to each one of them on a daily basis. Sachin’s fans and tourists showing their admiration for the ace cricketer have also changed their taste accordingly and are ordering the same while waiting for him to emerge from the residence of his close friend, Sanjay Narang, at Bothwell Bank. Ranvir Singh, a tourist from Patiala, said being a great fan of Sachin he had kept cuttings of every news item appearing about him in the media. “I have been waiting for Sachin from past two days so that I could pose for a picture with the icon and take his autograph. But after learning about the food he has been taking at Char Dukan I have also started taking the same delicacy as a mark of respect for him,” said Ranvir Singh. Savita, another Sachin’s fan, said she came to know that Sachin loved Nepalese noodles and pancakes while at Char DUkan so she also changed her preference to the same delicacy. She has been enjoying it for the past two days while waiting for Sachin. Ganesh, another tourist, said he was indeed pleased to know that Sachin also liked pancakes served at Char Dukan as it was his favourite too. A shop owner at Char Dukan, Vipin Prakash, said pancakes and Nepalese noodles had become a favourite with the tourists and Sachin’s fans, who had reached here to catch a glimpse of the ace cricketer. He added pancakes, masala tea and other items savoured by Sachin were in great demand, and it was all due to Sachin. He said he was doing a brisk business since the arrival of Sachin and wished that the legendary cricketer stays longer so that he could earn more in the lean season due to the mid-June disaster. Meanwhile, Sachin obliged his fans today by posing for pictures and giving autographs around 11 am today. He also played lawn tennis with friends at Woodstock School and injured a finger in the process, said sources. He also gave autographs to seven children, who paid a visit to Bothwell Bank, the place where Sachin is spending the night. He has invited the children for a small chit chat at Rockby Hotel tomorrow, said the parents of a child.
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Separate mobile medical unit to be launched under NRHM
Dehradun, November 24 Mobile medical units are already catering to the needs of the outreach population across the state. “We will streamline the functioning of these units so that they also cater to the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK), a new initiative aimed at screening children in the age group of 0-18 years for 4 Ds - defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies development delays and disabilities,” said D Senthil Pandiyan, Additional Secretary (Health). Health initiatives under the NRHM would provide long-term health benefits to women and children for which mobile units would be pressed into service to reach out to the rural and inaccessible population. The department will have more than 100 mobile vans in its fleet, which will also help in monitoring the services and presence of the medical staff. He said along with streamlining mobile units, the department would also work in tandem with the School Education and Women Empowerment and Child Development Departments in making the RBSK a success. “As of now, the health department has been working in isolation. But to benefit a large population, the involvement of the other departments is also essential. We will be working in tandem with these departments,” he said. He said as improving maternal and infant mortality rate continued to be the primary concern of the department, Haridwar would be on their radar, “I have ordered the deployment of a female doctor at the Community Health Centre, Mangalore (Haridwar) on a permanent basis, where 150 deliveries take place per month,”
said Pandiyan.
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Governor unveils HN Bahuguna’s statue
Dehradun, November 24 Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said his father late HN Bahuguna was a man of strong will and came into politics to serve the poor in society. The Chief Minister said his father believed in speedy developmental activities and asserted that he was trying to follow the footsteps of his father. Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj recalled contribution of late HN Bahuguna in development of Garhwal region. Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat said the life of HN Bahuguna would continue to inspire the people of Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat and Potable Water Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani also spoke on
the occasion.
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MAD volunteers clean Neshvilla road
Dehradun, November 24 Interacting with mediapersons at a press conference near the garbage dump, team leader Abhijay Negi said after getting a negative response from the Municipal Corporation and the Doon Valley Waste Management, they decided to act on their own. “We have identified 16 places across the city where the situation is so bad that an epidemic can break out anytime. Our volunteers will work every Sunday on these places and help keep the areas clean,” he added. Voicing their anger against the DMC authorities and their callous attitude, Negi said they had prepared a 72-page comprehensive report highlighting the problem areas in the state and the effective manner in which garbage management could be done effectively. “Despite the Chief Minister forwarding the report to the DMC officials, the DMC has failed to do anything concrete,” he added. Lauding the efforts of the youths, the area residents said the youth had set an example and the DMC and DMVN should learn
a lesson. The MAD was formed in June 2011 by a group of city based educated youths in the age group of 15-25
years.
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Bharat Ratna for Milkha demanded
Haridwar, November 24 Chaudhari Devpal Singh Rathi, president of the mahasabha, said Milkha Singh, popularly known as Flying Sikh, had been invited as chief guest to the Jat Maha Sammellan to be held in Haridwar on December 22. “Milkha Singh is a motivator for the youth, who have taken to athletics. His life history, struggle and hard work need to be emulated and praised as was depicted recently in Hindi flick ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. Major Dhyan Chand popularised hockey, Sachin Tendulkar cricket and so did Milkha for athletics. He is surely a viable contender for the Bharat Ratna,” said Rathi. Secretary of the Mahasabha Uday Pal Singh Tomar said Milkha Singh would be felicitated for his achievements. He added Milkha’s tally of four gold medals in the
Asian Games, a gold medal in the 1958 Commonwealth Games, his representing India in three Olympic games as well as his recognition of being Asia’s fastest athlete was a proof of his calibre and stature. Issues relating to the Jat community were also discussed at the meeting. These issues would be taken up at the upcoming convention of the representatives from the district.
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State told to pay central aid to violence victims
Dehradun, November 24 The main objective of the scheme is to provide gratuitous assistance to
the affected persons as immediate help. Foreign nationals and NRIs too will be eligible for the relief. To ensure that the state does not suffer because of delay in the audit of accounts, ad hoc disbursement of funds will be made on the basis of accounts furnished by the state government. The Central government will release 70 per cent of the total assistance money immediately and the balance after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs receives the audit
verification report. Further, to facilitate the clearance of the assistance money, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has revised the guidelines for the disbursement of the financial assistance to the next of kin of the victims of terrorist, communal, and Naxal violence through the District
Magistrates. The revised guidelines in respect of the cases of terrorist and communal violence are effective from April 1, 2008, and from June 22, 2009, in cases of Naxal violence.
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BSP, BJP to contest panchayat polls in Almora on party lines
Pithoragarh, November 24 “We have decided to contest the panchayat elections this year for which we have called a meeting of prospective candidates on November 25,” said Govind
Pandey, a BSP leader in Champawat district. Pandey said the party coordinator for the Almora parliamentary constituency, Narayan Ram
Ahirwal, had been invited to the meeting. Of total 452 seats of gram pradhan in the district, 288 have been reserved, including 241 for women. “We have planned to win the maximum number of seats in the panchayat election and we are sure of doing it this time,” said Urmila
Chand, deputy coordinator of the Mahila Morcha of BJP in the region. |
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Chhattisgarh girls, UP boys lift titles
Haridwar, November 24 Legislators Sarbat Karim Ansari and Pradeep Batra gave away the trophies to the winning teams of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh respectively. There was disappointment among the players, hosts and local public as Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna did not attend the prize distribution ceremony. Uttarakhand Tennis Ball Association president Vijay Saraswat termed the tournament as successful, both in terms of participants and quality of play exhibited by the teams. As many as 24 teams in the boys section and 16 teams in the girls section participated in the event. Anjumand, a Jammu and Kashmir player said being in Haridwar they felt quite happy and spiritual and hoped that in coming days better playing facilities would be available here.
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National chuck ball championship begins
Haridwar, November 24 Uttarakhand Chuck Ball Association president Deependra Chaudhari said at the national level the chuck ball sports began in 2008 and since then it had been slowly becoming popular and now 18 states were participating in this 7th edition being hosted
in Uttarakhand. SM Public School principal Sunita Pawar said youths should involve themselves in sports to remain mentally and physically strong, which eventually would help them in their studies and the
overall growth. Champawat District Magistrate Deependra Kumar Chaudhari, while inaugurating the national championship, said Uttarakhand was slowly making its mark in the national sports arena and new sports like chuck ball were the ones in which it could really make it big.
Arvind Chauhan, Pradeep Chaudhari, Harish Sharma, Mata Rama Nandini, Dr Pradhun
Tyagi, besides championship host committee members were present on the occasion.
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Transformer at Parade Ground develops snag
Dehradun, November 24 The Posh Rajpur Road, Clock Tower, Darshan Lal Chowk, Rama Market, Ghosi Gali, Indira Market, Cross Road, EC Road, Kalidas Marg, Pathariya Peer and Neshvilla Road are some of the localities that are likely to face power cuts tomorrow. Meanwhile, spokesperson for Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited Madhusudan said they had already made alternative arrangements to ensure continuous power supply.
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Garhwal Sporting, Adhoiwala club win football matches
Dehradun, November 24 In the second match of the day, Adhoiwala Football Club trounced Doon Star Football Club by 4-2. Doon Star started the match with an offensive strategy and the team was two goals ahead in the first half with Viru and Ali scored goals in the 10th and 28th minute. Two goals of Deepak in the 45th and 47th minute brought Adhoiwala back into the match. Pankaj scored the third goal for Adhoiwala in the 60th minute and Amit netted another goal in the 62nd minute and sealed the match for Adhoiwala.
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Dehradun, November 24
Governor Aziz Qureshi today unveiled a statue of the late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna at Gola Bazar in Srinagar, Garhwal region of
Uttarakhand. In his address the Governor described HN Bahuguna a personality that gave direction to the society. “Throughout his life, Bahuguna worked for social equality and betterment of downtrodden,” Dr Qureshi said. He said Bahuguna stood for principles of secularism and was ardent supporter of inclusive growth.
Dehradun, November 24
