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Vikram operators put brakes on city life
Dehradun, December 16 ‘Vikram’ operators are on an indefinite strike, demanding a hike in the slab of passenger fares by 35 per cent as opposed to 15 per cent proposed by the state transport authority. As many as 4,000 ‘Vikrams’ operate in the plain areas of Uttarakhand, 787 ply across various routes of Dehradun. Commuters depend heavily on these vehicles. They start their services at 6 am and continue till 8pm and even 9pm on certain routes. In 12 designated routes in Dehradun, a ‘Vikram’ takes as many 12 rounds per day. Vinay Saraswat, president, Uttarakhand Vikram Association, said the transport authority did not take ‘Vikram’ operators into confidence before announcing a 15 per cent hike in fares. He said with rising inflation and maintenance costs, it had become extremely difficult for the operators to sustain. But there are also voices against these ‘Vikram’ violating pollution norms. These ‘Vikrams’, that once replaced the horse-driven tongas, have grown phenomenally in numbers. The agitating operators accuse the transport department of a conspiracy to annihilate ‘Vikram’ services all together. They see the poor hike in passenger fares as part of the plot. “The transport department seems to be working under pressure of capitalists and wants to replace ‘Vikrams’ with Tata Magic vehicles. This is unacceptable to us as we can’t affort these high-priced vehicles,” said Satish Sharma, general secretary of the He also alleged that ‘Vikram’ operators often faced harassment under the pretext of vehicle roadability. “These very ‘Vikrams’ come to the rescue of road accident victims. None asks bus operators to ferry a road mishap victim to hospital,” said Devendra Kumar, an operator on strike. Ompal, another protesting operator, said they had been left with little option-either they must close down business or strongly oppose the decision of the authorities. Meanwhile, despite tall claims, ensuring smooth traffic flow in the city looks a gigantic task for the administration. District magistrate Amit Negi convened an emergency meeting yesterday,directing the city buses and autos to ply on roads till the ‘Vikram’ stir continues. But these buses, 190 in all, are woefully inadequate in numbers when compared to ‘Vikrams’. Further, the autos operators continue to charge exorbitant rates.The administration had also appealed the commuters to ensure that none of the autos or city buses took advantage of the stir. Significantly, the transport secretary, Dr US Panwar, had at the meeting yesterday directed the roadways buses to pick and drop passengers even within the city limits. However, there were only few buses that followed the directive today. The striking operators are also seeking better arrangements for halting stands. To have their demands met, they are now seeking help from the Opposition Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party. “Opposition leader Harak Singh Rawat and BSP leader Sahjad have assured us that they will raise the issue in the ongoing winter session of the assembly,” Saraswat said. The commuters today had a tough time, many having to walk some kilometres to reach their destination with almost all buses overloaded. Passengers arriving in the city from outstations were the worst sufferers as they had to completely depend on the autos, who made a quick buck. Colleges and offices recorded thin attendance. “ Definitely, if ‘Vikram’ operators continue with the stir for a few more days, it will spell trouble for Doon residents,” said Saurabh Joshi, a state government employee. The ripples of the stir could be felt in the holy cities of Rishikesh and Haridwar, with the pilgrims having to walk down to Ramjhula from the Dehradun crossing.
Seventies replayed
Denizens today saw a replay of Dehradun of seventies and early eighties when ‘Vikrams’ were not part of the city traffic. As ‘Vikrams’ kept off the road, peace returned to the city and traffic movement looked smooth. ‘Vikrams’ have always been considered the reason behind rising air pollution in Dehradun.Time and again, demands for a ban on operations of ‘Vikrams’, particularly in Dehradun, have been raised. The Pollution Control Board estimates that ‘Vikrams’ are the biggest contributors to air pollution levels in the city apart from noise
pollution. But thenover 1,000 families are directly or indirectly linked with this business. ‘Vikram’ drivers have often been accused of being the most common violators of traffic rules. Interestingly, while ‘Vikram’ operators seek a substantial hike in passengers fares, there are voices among the public that oppose any such hike. The local unit of the Students Federation of India (SFI) is one
such voice.
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Haridwar tourists left high and dry
Haridwar, December 16 "Most commercial vehicles are being operated on loan from nationalised banks and private financial companies and by lowering the roadability period of the vehicles, we can only repay the loan," said Satya Narayan Sharma, president of the Haridwar Autorichkshaw-Vikram Union. No auto ‘Vikrams’ plied on the city roads. Even in the suburbs no autos were seen ferrying passengers. Locals, office-goers and students were seen standing at the stops, most of them oblivious of the strike. "We take Vikrams from Ranipur Mod to go to school but today we had walk 20 minutes before boarding a bus at Sector-2. But the bus was overloaded, so we thought it better to return home," said Aarti Sharma and Neha Jhangiani, students of Chinmaya College. While employees working in SIDCUL were severely affected as most live in Ranipur and Jwalapur. "I work on the evening shift and no bus service is provided by our company. So, I am looking ways to commute to office," said Ritesh Bangari. The union members submitted a memorandum to city magistrate Archana Geharwar. With Haridwar having no local bus service,commuters were a distraught lot. Tourists suffered even more as they didn't know anything about the strike. "I came to Haridwar after visiting Varanasi and New Delhi but here it's all chaos with no local bus and no taxi. I hired a rickshaw but it's not viable for long distances" said Christina a tourist from Arizona, USA. With no other alternatives, rickshaws and tongas in old Haridwar areas were in much demand.
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Sandeep’s parents visit his alma mater
Dehradun, December 16 “I feel a little nervous in the Indian Military Academy (IMA) as this is the place where he was commissioned into 7 Bihar,” K. Unnikrishnan penned down these words in the visitors book at the war memorial here today. The visit was a quiet affair as per the instructions of the couple. The IMA Commandant Lt Gen Rajinder Singh Sujlana also laid a wreath at the
memorial. An emotional K. Unnikrishnan, a former ISRO officer, while recalling the memories of his son as an IMA Gentleman Cadet said, “From the beginning, Sandeep was determined to be an Infantryman. At his passing out parade, Sandeep was so busy in getting his arrears cleared that he even had to skip his lunch at the
IMA.” Later, the parents of Major Sandeep visited the room in which their son stayed during his training here. IMA Commandant Lt General Rajinder Singh Sujlana said that Major Sandeep was a brave son of the nation. He added that Sandeep was an outstanding officer and has stood by the credo of the IMA which reads, “The safety, honour and welfare of your country comes first, always and every time. The
honour, welfare and comfort of the men you command comes next. Your own ease, comfort and safety comes last, always and every time.” After passing out of the National Defence Academy
(NDA), Sandeep joined IMA in July 1998. In the academy, he was a sports lover and was a member of football team. He got commissioned into 7 Bihar on June 12, 1999. He had extensive exposure to counter insurgency operations having two tenures in Jammu and Kashmir. He also served in high altitude area and was deployed with his unit in Rajasthan during Operation
Parakram. He volunteered for elite NSG and joined as member of Special Action Group.
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Schools get tough on under-age riders
Dehradun, December 16 Besides being in violation of rules, the problem also gives rise to traffic chaos in front of schools. In addition, several instances of accidents due to rash driving by youngsters have also been reported in the past. As per rules, a youngster is eligible for a licence for a gearless two-wheeler on attaining the age of 16 years. The limit is 18 years in case of two-wheelers with gears. “Although it may not completely solve the problem, we have decided to allow only valid licence holders to park their vehicles inside school premises. To ensure this, the school keeps a copy of the licence. This was done after duly informing the parents,” said Jagdish Sharma, principal, Gautam International Senior Secondary School, Indira Nagar. “If vehicles are still parked outside, it is illegal and it is the job of traffic police to take action,” he added. Going a step further, Doon Valley Puiblic School, Garhi Cantt, has allowed only bicycles inside the school premises. Students coming on bikes or scooters have to park outside. “We have taken an undertaking from the parents whose wards come to school on bikes. They have been told that it would not be the school’s responsibility if their vehicles are challaned,” said its director Chander Shekhar. He added that not all students have valid licences. The problem becomes so acute that cops have to be deployed to regulate traffic at important places such as outside the St. Joseph Academy, a leading school of Dehradun. However, it is not possible to have this arrangement all over the city that is dotted with schools. Lack of adequate parking space inside most of the schools has also added to the problem, especially during the time of opening and closing.
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No space for burns ward
Dehradun, December 16 So acute is the problem that patients can be seen requesting the nursing staff to adjust them anyhow, especially during Diwali when cases of accidental fire and burns are high. Although the Doon Hospital has undergone major renovations, no effort was made to either house the ward separately or create a sanitised environment at the burn ward. In a response to a query on the lack of space at the Hospital, Dr R.K Pant, Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Doon Hospital, said, “No doubt that lack of space is a problem because the hospital attracts patients from rural and urban areas, but the planning aspect was carried out by my predecessor (former CMS) and a world bank team. I came into the scene only when the work was complete.” In addition, as attendants of patients move around in the cramped space fear of infection cannot be ruled out. There is no restriction on their entry and they freely mingle with patients at all hours. In fact, there are no separate cubicles for patients suffering from 80 per cent or more burns. Besides lack of space, patients have to buy additional medicinal kits in case they require plastic surgery from outside, as it is
not provided by the Hospital. Notably, the Hospital is facing shortage of equipment since the last two years. Persons concerned at the CMS office said they couldn’t do much as a budget of only Rs one lakh for buying equipment is under the purview of the CMS, while equipment costing above Rs one lakh is under the DG Health Office.
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