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Modi’s rally has stirred Cong into action: Bhatt
UKD, AAP support NDRF centre at Haridwar, Mayor opposes project
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Negligence by doctor puts lives of 14 women at risk
State finds it tough to cleanse system of graft
12 poachers arrested with skins of two tigers
Govt announces incentive for milk producers
Candlelight march to remember Delhi gang-rape victim
Cold wave grips city
Guidelines for cops
for protection of kids
Winter school of geomathematics opened
Roadways staff express gratitude to Dhasmana on gratuity
Education is every child’s right: Guv
World Minorities Day today
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Modi’s rally has stirred Cong into action: Bhatt
Dehradun, December 17 “The after-affect of Modi’s Shanknaad rally has been so severe that the Congress leaders have been stirred into action. Even the reticent Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was forced to call a press conference the next day of the rally and announce that the Congress would hold a bigger rally in January next year,” said Ajay Bhatt, while addressing a joint press conference along with BJP Uttarakhand chief Teerath Singh Rawat. Bhatt said that instead of criticising Modi and what he said during his rally, the Bahuguna government should concentrate on carrying out rehabilitation work in the affected areas so that the people living in tents could be provided decent accommodation. “Six months have passed since the June 16 natural disaster. Around 1800 business men who had shops between Rambara and Sonprayag in Kedar valley have so far not received even the ex-gratia amount. When these affected business men approached the government they were told that they could not be accommodated as they did not fall under any norms,” said Bhatt. He also lashed out at the Central Government for withholding aid promised for improving the condition of villages that were now unsafe and the people who needed to be rehabilitated to a safer place. “None of the ministers in the Uttarakhand government are aware of the conditions of Semi village in Guptkashi which is sinking every day. The government has so far not earmarked an area to rehabilitate the people residing over there. Similarly the Nasir market in Tharali is sinking due to landslides,” he said. He said that the government is not serious about the problems of the affected people. “ In the last six months, the government has only repaired 50 metres of road in Urgam valley (Chamoli),” said Bhatt. On the other hand the Uttarakhand BJP chief Teerath Singh Rawat said that some of the Congress leaders had cast doubts on the crowd turnout at Modi’s rally. “There was spontaneous participation of people at the rally and I think the Congress will need to hire people to come to the rally they are planning to hold in January,” he said. |
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UKD, AAP support NDRF centre at Haridwar, Mayor opposes project
Haridwar, December 17 The Jan Sangarsh Morcha (JSM), the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and even some BJP leaders have supported the setting up of an NDRF centre in the state. They have said the project is of national importance and Haridwar is the appropriate place for the purpose keeping in mind the ecology of Uttarkahand. AAP district coordinator JP Baduni, UKD central secretary Uday Ram Semwal and JSM district chief Gulshan Khatri said the Mayor’s opposition to the NDRF centre was futile as the force could be of immense help during the flooding of Ganga embankments in the district. Khatri alleged that while the Mayor was ignoring illegal buildings coming up on the Municipal Corporation land, it was opposing the setting up the NDRF unit. The BJP had always hurt the development interests of the district, he added. The JSM leader said there had been no development during the previous tenure of the Municipal Corporation dominated by the BJP and now again when the party had the maximum number of councillors no development was taking place. While the Uttarakhand government had announced 26 hectares for setting up the NDRF centre at Sarai village, the Mayor and Haridwar (city) MLA Madan Kaushik were opposing the project. On the other hand, some BJP councillors and Haridwar (rural) MLA Swami Yatishwaranand were supporting the NDRF centre. Kaushik had also expressed displeasure at the allocation of MC land for the project. Yatishwaranand said local people would get employment opportunities with the coming up of the NDRF centre and the Sarai area would emerge on the country’s map. For years the Nagar Nigam had been proposing the setting up of a solid waste management plant at Sarai village, but failed to do so, he added. Kaushik said the NDRF centre could be set up at any place other than Sarai village as the MC had plans to set up a solid waste management plant there. “The MC has ample land for any project but the NDRF is more important. We cannot forget the flash floods of June when the need for a disaster response force was severely felt,” said
Semwal. |
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Open tenders for road repair in disaster-hit areas: Bahuguna
Dehradun, December 17 Bahuguna said the repair of roads should be finished in a fast-track mode. Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar would review the works on a weekly basis while the Principal Secretary, PWD, would personally keep a watch on the works being done in the five disaster-affected districts, he added. He gave these orders at a meeting at the Secretariat here today while reviewing the work of road repair in the disaster-affected areas. The Chief Minister said the officials concerned must camp in Delhi to complete the formalities with Asian Development Board as well as World Bank. He added that help should be taken from consultants and construction agencies. He said transparency should be maintained while dealing with tenders. Modern technology should be adopted so that the repair works could be taken up even during the winter. Keeping the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in mind, a letter should be written to the Election Commission of India to apprise it of reconstruction and repair of roads to avoid violation of the election code of conduct. Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat, Planning Minister Dinesh Aggarwal, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma, Principal Secretary, PWD, SS Sandhu, Secretary, Finance and Disaster Management, Bhaskaranand, Secretary Amit Negi, Additional Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Chief Engineer Lalit Mohan and other officers of the Power Works Department were present at the meeting. |
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Panel requests admin to speed up land allocation for gurdwara
Haridwar, December 17 Meanwhile, certain Sikh organisations are adamant that they be handed over the possession of the old Gurdwara Gyan Godri site at Har-ki-Pauri, where, they say, Guru Nanak Dev had practised meditation. The committee said the district administration had itself urged Sikh organisations to reconstruct Guru Gyan Godri Gurdwara at a new site near Prem Nagar ashram, which, it said, would be provided free of cost. However, the administration was now dilly-dallying on allocating land. Coordinator of the committee Balwinder Walia said, “In 2003, the district administration had proposed a separate site for the reconstruction of the gurdwara. However, it is yet to initiate any process. It shows the faulty working policy of the administration and the state
government.” Major Singh Maan, a member of the committee, said Sikh bodies of the other states were adamant that the gurdwara be constructed at the old site near Har-ki-Pauri. At present, the Bharat Scouts and Guide office was running from there. Maan said to avoid any dispute, the Haridwar Sikh Mission Committee, the Uttarakhand Gyan Godri Sangharsh Samiti, the Namleva Punjab Samaj and local Sikh representatives had reached a consensus that the gurdwara would be constructed at a new site. “However, the administration is yet to allocate land to us,” he said. |
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Negligence by doctor puts lives of 14 women at risk
Mussoorie, December 17 The hospital staff in haste managed to shift the affected women to a private Landour community hospital where the patient who had been left unattended after incision was operated upon while the other patients who were in an unconscious state were refused treatment here, citing they did not have the mandate for such cases here. The ASHA workers who had brought the 14 patients from villages Chamasari,Kaflani and Jharipani etc to the Government Civil Hospital in Mussoorie under family planning programme informed the mediapersons that they arrived with the patients around noon at the hospital where government surgeon Mahesh Bhatt from Dehradun administered anaesthesia to 14 women and also made an incision on one of the patients, but refused to operate, claiming that the laparoscopy machine had gone out of order. The ASHA workers further said that the medical staff and family members of the patients pleaded with the surgeon to re-stitch the patient with incision but the surgeon Mahesh Bhatt did not pay any heed to their pleas and fled without informing anyone to Dehradun. They further said that when the condition of Vinita, the patient who was left with the incision, started to turn critical, the medical staff shifted her to Landour Community Hospital where she was operated upon and is reported to be serious. Vinita’s husband, enraged at the gross negligence shown by the medical staff, said that his wife was left unconscious and in a bleeding state which was uncalled for. He further said that if something untoward happened to his wife, the medical staff will be responsible for it. The ASHA workers also lamented the fact that most of the patients were kept on the floor and had to share beds due to inadequate arrangements at the hospital. Meanwhile, Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi also reached the Landour Community Hospital and after meeting the patients aired his disbelief at the whole incident and termed it as a case of gross neglect of the medical staff here. He demanded a thorough investigation and said that a criminal case should be registered against the staff involved in the matter. He also assured Dr Sandeep Tandon, the Medical Superintendent of the hospital, that it was not the fault of the doctor concerned but a technical fault where the laparoscopic machine went out of order while he was operating upon the patients. He further said that the patients who were left out will be operated in the family planning camp next month at the The Chief Medical Officer, Dehradun, Dr Gurpal Singh, when contacted said that he would conduct an enquiry into the matter and punitive action will be taken against the erring doctor if found guilty. Meanwhile, the family members of the patients and ASHA workers have pledged not to bring any person for operation to the government hospital, considering the lackadaisical approach of the medical staff here. |
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State finds it tough to cleanse system of graft
Dehradun, December 17 Inquiries pertaining to financial irregularities are pending against an IAS officer and seven other junior and mid-level babus but since the last six months neither has been prosecuted. A law officer in the Uttarakhand government said that the very nature of the inquiry is such that there are delays in conclusion of such cases. “Once the state government issues a chargesheet, then according to the service rules, law procedures are followed. If the officer accepts the charges, which is rare, then only an inquiry can be initiated by an inquiry office,” he said. Such delays allow an officer, whose conduct is under cloud, to be considered for promotions. According to the law, the norms, sanctions for prosecution have to be decided within four months time. However, in case of charges being proven, a major penalty awaits the officer, including reduction in rank, removal and dismissal of the officer. Since the creation of the new state, there have been several cases where senior, middle and junior-level officers have been named in one scam or the other, but seldom have they been suspended due to the lacuna in the system. The officers against whom cases are pending include IAS officer HS Semwal, junior officers CS Nangnayal, Maya Datt Joshi, Hansa Datt Pandey, Vinod Giri, Narinder Singh and Shirish. An inquiry was also pending against SDM Ajay Arora, who lost his life in an accident while crossing the makeshift bridge
in Kedarnath. |
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12 poachers arrested with skins of two tigers
Dehradun, December 17 Park Territory. The Corbett administration along with the help of the Uttarakhand SOG and UP Special Task Force had succeeded in arresting the poachers and recovered two skins of freshly killed tigers from their possession. Amangarh tehsil had witnessed tiger poaching cases in the past also. SK
Dutt, head of the Uttarakhand anti poaching cell, reiterated that collective efforts between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were very important to ensure tiger conservation in the region. The Corbett Territory Reserve
(CTR) officials admitted that after the arrest of the poachers from Uttar Pradesh area, the security of the tigers was certainly a daunting task as the tigers from the Corbett area had been frequently crossing over to Uttar Pradesh area in search of prey as large part of the CTR fell along Uttar
Pradesh. “Spread in 1,288 square km area, the CTR has a density of one tiger per square km. This high density of tigers compels the striped cats to cross over to Uttar Pradesh where the poachers wait to trap them,” said Surendra
Mehra, director of CTR. |
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Govt announces incentive for milk producers
Dehradun, December 17 Announcing this at the stone-laying ceremony of Aanchal Dairy Plant here, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said it would boost milk productivity. “Further incentive will be given to producers if productivity increases," said Bahuguna. Earlier, Bahuguna and Dairy Development Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal laid the stone of the plant proposed to be built at a cost of Rs 7.20 crore. Reminding the importance of women in the dairy industry, Bahuguna said: “Apart from their contribution to the formation of the state, women in large numbers are also involved in dairy activities. Economic empowerment of women is necessary to set the state on the path of progress." He advised cooperative milk unions to adopt modern technology to increase output in these competitive times. In his address, Durgapal said milk producers would benefit from the expansion of Aanchal Dairy. “There are more than 2 lakh milk producers in the state. A lot of work still needs to be done apart from the ones initiated under various schemes of the National Agriculture Development Programme,” the
minister said. |
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Candlelight march to remember Delhi gang-rape victim
Dehradun, December 17 The members gathered at Gandhi Park and took out a candlelight march. Social activist Geeta Gairola said things had not changed since the brutal murder of Nirbhay. “Violence against women is on the rise. Several incidents go unreported as most of the victims hesitate to approach the authorities.In several cases, the perpetrators of the crime are their own relatives,” said Gairola. The members also remembered one Anupama, who was brutally murdered by her husband in Dehradun. Another activist, Ramindri Mandarwal, said things would only change for women when they report violence cases to the authorities. |
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Cold wave grips city
Dehradun, December 17 Drivers of two-wheelers are having a tough time as fog continues to play havoc during morning and late evening hours. Fog started to descend upon the city around midnight and it engulfed the entire city by this morning, reducing the general visibility to almost zero. Road traffic bore the brunt of the poor visibility as traffic moved slowly in most parts of the city. Vehicles have had to use lights and indicators even during broad daylight as a result of the dense fog. The authorities have made arrangements to provide fuel and wood to people at various places across the city. Even during the day, hazy conditions prevailed, as a result of which people found warmth by lighting fire on the roadside. The weather department has forecast further dip in the temperature. Meanwhile, shopkeepers have reported a brisk sale of woollens, electric heaters and geysers. |
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Fun & frolic mark school’s annual day
Dehradun, December 17 This was followed by patriotic songs, rhymes and a fancy dress competition. Meritorious students were given away prizes for their outstanding
achievement during the academic session. |
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Bahuguna calls on Guv, discusses vital issues
Dehradun, December 17 He was accompanied by Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat. Various important issues related to the state, including the selection of the Vice-Chancellor of the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, were
discussed. |
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Guidelines for cops
for protection of kids
Dehradun, December 17 The department has recommended training of police functionaries at all levels. The guidelines have called for creating female help desk comprising a female constable in the form of a liaison officer, who will register complaints and also ensure medical examination of the victims. The government has also created a victim compensation scheme and the designated District Magistrate or SSP would be entrusted with the tasks of evaluating the progress. Formulation of schemes for payment of compensation of the child victims was also responsibility of the state governments. Before this Act came into force, the police used provisions like IPC Section 354 like (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), a bailable offence, in cases where girls complained of being indecently touched. However, the corresponding offence under POCSO is gender-neutral.
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Winter school of geomathematics opened
Dehradun, December 17 Prof Anil K Gupta, Director, WIHG, explained the role of mathematical modelling in sustainable development of mankind. Dr TN Jowhar, a scientist and course co-coordinator, discussed the importance of the winter school in improving scientific study related to the earth system. — TNS
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Roadways staff express gratitude to Dhasmana on gratuity
Dehradun, December 17 At a programme held at the roadways workshop in Dehradun, Uttarakhand Parivahan Nigam Karamchari Sanyukt Morcha expressed gratitude to Suryakant Dhasmana, asserting that it had been due to his efforts that the gratuity amount for the roadways employees had been increased from existing Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. They also held thanked the state government for not issuing permits to private owners in routes falling in national highways. President of the association Prem Singh Rawat said that the Uttarakhand roadways was incurring a loss of Rs 25 crore per year in running buses in hilly areas and sought compensation for losses from the state government. He also handed a memorandum to Suryakant Dhasmana highlighting the losses being suffered by the state roadways in the natural disaster. “Uttarakhand roadways suffered a loss of Rs 17.79 crore and asked the government to compensate for the losses from the relief fund,” he pointed out. |
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Kuchipudi dancer enthrals audience
Mussoorie, December 17 Kumar also conducted a workshop and shared her experience about the dance form with the students. She enthralled the students with her ‘Abhinaya’ (art of expression) and contemporary interpretations of traditional compositions through her performances. Besides being one of the country's top performing artistes, having performed in over 35 countries, the Sangeet Natak Akademy award recipient Arunima did her bachelors in Economics from St Stephen College and an MSc Degree from the London School of Economics. She is a national-level pistol shooter and has acted in several feature films. She is an acclaimed choreographer and teacher, who aimed to build a strong base for the form internationally through performances, teaching, choreographic works, educational workshops and community projects. She has collaborated with many young international artists like Ash Mukherjee from London and Linda Manfredi from Italy to create exemplary works. She also divulged about her dance movement therapy. She said the therapy enabled artistes to tap into their own creativity in order to reach a deeper level of connection with others and healing others in the process. |
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Education is every child’s right: Guv
Dehradun, December 17 Governor Dr Aziz Qureshi was the chief guest on the occasion.
He said education was the right of every child and it should be ensured on priority basis. He said it was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream that every child should have equally opportunity to get basic education. “We must focus on those people in the society, who have no means to educate their children,” he added. He said there was lack of teachers’ strength in the remote hill areas of the state and such conferences should be held in those areas so that the state of affairs was studied by the experts and they take necessary steps to improve it. Justice Rajesh Tandon, member of the state human rights commission and special guest, threw a light on
the legal and constitutional aspects of providing education. DS Mann, organising secretary of the conference and director of Doon International School, said the state Education Department interfered unnecessarily with the private and independent schools affiliated to CBSE and ISC boards. The welcome address was delivered by Prem Kashyap, chairman of
the association. Teachers Kamal Tawri and HS Chhabra were also present on the occasion. Dr Pushpa
Manas, former director of the Education Department, was honoured on the occasion by the Governor.
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World Minorities Day today
Dehradun, December 17 “The State Minorities Commission also carries out research conferences and seminars so, we intend to make a beginning by organising a seminar on December 18,” said Narinder Jeet Singh Bindra, Chairman of the State Minorities Commission, while addressing a press conference
here today.
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sports
Dehradun, December 17 Addressing a press conference here today, Sunil Kumar Dang, vice-president of the organising committee, said 1,200 players, including girls, would be attending the six-day championship. “It is for the first time that Dehradun is holding a national-level competition. We have made all preparations to ensure that the championship is a success. Four grounds are being prepared to hold the matches while two are being readied for practice sessions,” he said. “Stay arrangements for the teams are being planned at various hotels, inns, lodges and dharamshalas. We have also made arrangements for the meals of the players at their respective stay locations,” said Sewa Singh Matharu, championship coordinator. “The Uttarakhand junior volleyball boys' and girls' team will be selected on January 6. A camp is being organised from December 30 to January 6, following which the players will be shortlisted and teams finalised,” said Matharu. Meanwhile, the state team for the Senior National Volleyball Championship to be held at Muradabad in Uttar Pradesh from December 21 to 29, was also announced. The team includes Vai Subwara, Mandeep Singh, Navjeet Singh, Rahul S A, Gurchand Singh, Lalit Kumar, Sukhjinder Singh, Ranjit Singh, Vinod Negi, Mukesh Kumar, Vinay Vishwakarma, Sonic Salhar, Pushkar Joshi and Manoj Airy. |
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As many as 14 female patients from villages around Mussoorie had to go through a harrowing experience when the government surgeon from
Dehradun, who was to conduct laparoscopic operation on them, fled after making an incision on one patient and leaving another patient in an unconscious state at Government Civil Hospital in Mussoorie today.
Dehradun, December 17
sports
