The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	No funds to modernise police: CM Centre asked to help Umesh Dewan Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 4 The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Maj. Gen. B.C. Khanduri (retd) has said that several proposals for strengthening the police, including constitution of an anti-terrorist squad, are under consideration of his government. After convening a high-level meeting of the top brass of police and government officials at the Civil Secretariat here today, Khanduri said in wake of the increasing terror activities in different parts of the country, there is a need for having a “quick response force - a specialized squad” that could effectively deal with any terror attack. He said although deliberations were held in this regard no decision has been taken as of now. While addressing mediapersons, the CM said there is an immediate need to strengthen the intelligence network and provide specialised training to cops so that they can deal with any exigency. Khanduri also directed the police officials to be vigilant and ensure that no untoward incident takes place. “We have also asked the police to prepare a blueprint of security arrangements and equipment required for the Maha Kumbh Mela to be held in 2010,” he said. Replying to a query about steps being taken for the modernisation of the state police, he said: “We are making all efforts in this regard but the state government is not having enough funds. We have already sent a proposal in this regard to the Central government.” Khanduri said he had also taken up the matter with the then home minister Shivraj Patil. The CM also asked the police administration to bring to his notice any cases where the force was facing problems at the international and interstate borders. He also asked the police to have better interaction with personnel posted in different districts of states having a border with Uttarakhand. “There is urgent need to track the activities of anti-social elements active near the border areas,” he said. Khanduri also instructed the police heads of all the districts to tab the activities of the “suspected” persons and take appropriate action, if required. The meeting was attended by chief secretary Indu Kumar Pandey, additional chief secretary N.S. Napalchyal, principal secretary to the CM Subhash Kumar, secretary power P.K. Sarangi, DGP Subhash Joshi, the district magistrates and SSPs of all districts, senior officials of the state home department and commissioners of Garhwal and Kumaon.
	‘Remote areas our focus’ Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 4 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Maj Gen B.C. Khanduri (retd) has underlined the need for a special work strategy to ensure speedy development in the remote areas of the state. Addressing a public gathering at Sardar Singh Rawat Government Inter College, Nainbagh, on the occasion of 25 years of the traditional fair of the Yamuna Valley, the Chief Minister called for coming up with a special strategy towards ensuring comprehensive development in the remote areas of the state which have been devoid of development all these years. Referring to the efforts undertaken by his government, Khanduri said as many as nine new circles of the State Public Works Department have been created to infuse impetus to development. He said the government was laying special stress on roads as they were the basis of the development in the hill state. He also recalled that the Lakhvar Vyasi project that was lying in the lurch for past many years has been re-started by the government. Taking a dig on the opposition Congress, he said the Congress-led UPA government and the earlier Congress government at Uttarakhand did little to include the inhabitants of Rawayeen Jaunpur in the backward areas list. He also held that by rendering 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats, the state government has reaffirmed its commitment on empowerment of women in rural areas. He also said that the start of 108 EMRI services has strengthened the health infrastructure in the state. He said the schemes like Gaura Devi Kanya Scheme was also proving to be of immense benefit. Local MLA Khazan Das said the fair held enormous importance for the regions of Jaunpur, Rawayeen and Jaunsaar. He also put the other concerns of the region before the Chief Minister. State Sports Council chairman Narayan Singh Rana, while appreciating the development works undertaken by the Khanduri government in the region, also sought an annual grant of Rs 10 lakh for the fair every year. The Chief Minister also garlanded the status of late Sardar Singh. He also released a book by Sulochna Parmar, a literary personality of national fame hailing from the region. District Panchayat president Ratan Singh Gunsola, Thayur block president Geeta Rawat, district panchayat vice-president Meera Saklani, municipal chairman Mussoorie OP Uniyal and the mela samiti chairman Dr Virendra Singh Rawat were present on the occasion.
	Khanduri removes secy S.M.A. Kazmi Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 4 Bowing to pressure from party legislators as well as bureaucrats, the state Chief Minister Maj. Gen. B.C. Khanduri (retd) has removed Parbhat Kumar Sarangi, secretary to the CM who also held the charge of secretary information, from his present portfolio. He will now hold the charge of secretary power and would also head the Uttarakhand Power Corporation and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PITCUL). Sarangi has remained steadfast with Khanduri since the very beginning. He was the district magistrate of Pauri Garhwal when Khanduri was elected as member of Lok Sabha from that constituency. He was also Khanduri’s secretary during his tenure as a union minister with national democratic alliance (NDA) government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A Uttar Pradesh cadre officer, Sarangi was posted to Uttarakhand after Khanduri was elected as the Chief Minister of following Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the February 2007 assembly elections. However, since then BJP party legislators have targeted Sarangi and one of the main grouse of the party legislators who raised a banner of revolt against the CM in September this year was Parbhat Kumar Sarangi. The legislators complained to the party high command against the style of functioning of the CM and his all- powerful secretary. They had a grudge that it was Sarangi who was calling the shots on behalf of the CM. Meanwhile, Khanduri was able to wither the political storm with the blessings of the party high command but had to do the balancing act and placate the legislators. Khanduri has already taken 28 positions of various boards and corporations out of the purview of the office of profit act with an aim to give these to the disgruntled legislators. However, he has not yet been able to distribute these offices since it was believed that some of the senior legislators are unwilling to accept these lowly positions. Shatrughan Singh would be the new secretary to the CM as well as the secretary information. Umakant Pawar will be the new commissioner of Garhwal in place of Subhash Kumar who spent eight years on the post. Additional chief secretary N.S. Nachapliyal has been given the additional charge of chief revenue commissioner. Kesav Deseraju will be the new secretary of information technology and science and technology. Khanduri has also reshuffled the departments of more than 20 other IAS and PCS officers in the state government.
	DMs pulled up Umesh Dewan Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 4 Chief Minister Maj Gen B.C. Khanduri (retd) has pulled up officials for not paying enough attention towards the problems being faced by the general masses. While presiding over a meeting of the state administrative officials including district magistrates of all districts at the Civil Secretariat here today, Khanduri has directed the DMs to fix one day in a week for listening to the grievances of the masses. “During the Janta Milan programme, it has come to light that complains of the people at the district level are not being looked into. As a result, people have to waste their money and time in order to approach the state government headquarters for redressal of their complaints,” he said, while adding that from now onwards, the DM of the respective district that will top in number of complaints during the Janta Milan programme would be held accountable. The CM further directed DMs to dispose off the district-level public complaints by holding special complaint redressal camps on weekly basis. He also asked such camps to be organised even at the tehsil level as well. Khanduri further said that complaints related to state administration should be referred to the chief secretary for necessary action.
	Cong to launch ‘jail bharo’ from December 13 S.M.A. Kazmi Tribune News Service Dehradun, December 4 The state Congress has decided to launch a “Jail Bharo” agitation against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Maj. Gen. B.C. Khanduri (retd) from December 13. Suryakant Dhasmana, Uttarakhand Congress spokesperson, today announced that a statewide agitation would be launched in protest against the non-functioning of the state government. “For the past more than one-and-a-half year of BJP rule, the developmental activities have come to a naught,” he said. He alleged that the roads were in a bad shape, developmental works have stopped, there was flight of industrial capital from the state and welfare schemes started by previous Congress government for Dalits and minorities have been shelved. “We have given enough time to the Chief Minister Khanduri but the BJP legislators are involved in an internecine war to grab the spoils of the office. It has been brazen and everybody in the state now know the true face of BJP,” he charged. He said the issue of grant of positions to the party men, particularly legislators, has thoroughly exposed the ruling BJP. “The blatant manner in which the legislators revolted against the Chief Minister to grab positions has really led to derailment of all the developmental works started by the previous government,” said Dhasmana. He added that several welfare schemes started by previous Congress regime like Muslim Educational Mission and 15-point programme for minorities have been shelved. “The State Wakf Board has not been constituted and there is large backlog of vacant posts in the state government for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes candidates.” “We will highlight all these issues during our agitation.”
	I have an offer from Haryana: Judoka Abhay Vishal Thakur Dehradun, December 4 Abhay Rana, a young judoka from Dehradun, aspires to be the Indian Nakamura, an Olympic gold medallist from Japan in 66-kg category. Rana recently won the lone gold medal for the East Zone at the National CBSE Judo Championship in the sub-junior category. Abhay Rana won an Ipon, the highest score in judo, in all his bouts at Amritsar crushing out each and every opponent within thirty seconds. He considers his match against the South Indian player to be the toughest at the CBSE championship. “It took me 30 seconds to knock him out,” said an elated Abhay. In the finals, he defeated Ashish, who was the three-time gold medallist at the national level in the sub-junior category. “I mainly focus on technique clubbed with power, which proves handy in overcoming tough players.” Satish Sharma, who is a SAI judo coach, has been coaching him at the parade ground for the past four years. Abhay is also a state champion for the last five years. He had earlier won a bronze medal at the Sub-Junior National Judo Championship (Open National) held at Lucknow. It took Rana two years of rigorous practice to win his first medal. His performance at Amritsar has earned him an offer from Haryana to play from their side. Being 12 years of age, Rana has a bright future ahead. He dreams of playing in the Olympics.