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Congress all set to take on government
Truckers on strike from today
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Rajni Rawat at the launch of her political party at Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir
74th Amendment
Snow in higher reaches
Teachers: Meet demands or face agitation
Gairsain movement gathers steam
Police-public partnership to tackle crime
Pull up socks or face action: DM to officials
Ayurvedic varsity not at our cost: Vidyapeeth students
Exhibition on road safety
Football: Eleven Star lift trophy
Eleven Star players with the Kharag Bahadur Trophy. A Tribune photograph
National School win cricket final
Karate: Rakesh, Rakhi get brown belt
Players in action at the district-level Karate Championship in Haridwar on Sunday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar
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Congress all set to take on government
Dehradun, January 4 While making an announcement in this regard at the extended working committee meeting of the Congress at Kashipur today, the top brass of the state Congress resolved to launch a long-term agitation against the Khanduri government. The leaders also announced that whichever candidates the party’s central leadership would finalise for the five Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttarakhand, the entire party cadre would work for ensuring their victory. A resolution pertaining to the economic condition of the state was passed during the meeting. State Congress chief Yashpal Arya said that various annual schemes for Uttarakhand witnessed an increase from Rs 1,050 crores to Rs 4,000 crores during the previous Congress regime. “But unfortunately, the BJP government failed to keep the momentum going. Annual schemes for 2007-08 and 2009-09 recorded growth of just 10 and nine per cent respectively,” he rued. The resolution mentioned that ever since the BJP government took the reins, no new scheme in the agriculture sector has been initiated. “Funds for urban development have been reduced by the Khanduri government. Industrialists were so harassed that currently the industrial development in the state is at a standstill and industry has started moving out of the state.” “Besides, lack of efforts to promote tourism resulted in complete derailment of the growing tourism sector,” the resolution read. Taking up the issue of the pathetic state of the health sector in Uttarakhand, the Congress leaders pointed out that several medical institutions, including the Medical College of Haldwani, lack basic health facilities. “The condition of the roads has gone from bad to worse. Likewise, nothing constructive is being done to provide basic civic facilities to the people,” rued Congress leaders. The state Congress leaders also condemned the Khanduri government for taking out posts of chairmen and vice-chairmen out of purview from the Office of Profit Act. Congress leaders also flayed the state government for accusing the UPA government of being biased towards Uttarakhand. “The BJP government has proved to be a big failure in all sectors. In order to save its skin from the wrath of the general masses, the government has put the entire blame on the Centre”, said Arya. The Congress leaders also pointed out that in various departments, the government has failed to spend even 10 per cent of the funds allocated in the annual budget. They also said that it was extremely unfortunate that government is not tabling the report of Justice Virender Dixit about the selection of a site for the permanent capital of the state. “There has been decrease of 27 per cent in the sale of stamp papers and registry tax in the current fiscal year which itself speaks about the wrong policies of the state government,” concluded the resolution. In another resolution, the Congress announced that the party supports teachers and other employees, who are agitating against the Khanduri government for not providing them the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission. State Congress chief Yashpal Arya presided over the meeting which was attended by 700 party delegates. Prominent leaders present in the meeting were former Rajya Sabha MP Harish Rawat, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Harak Singh Rawat, MP Vijay Bahuguna, former minister Indira Hridayesh, media in charge of state Congress Suryakant Dhasmana and senior party leaders including KC Singh Bawa, Navprabhat, Tilak Raj Behad, Satpal Maharaj and Satinder Singh. |
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Truckers on strike from today
Dehradun, January 4 However, the Dehradun Transport Union has announced that supply of the essential items, including milk and medicines, would continue during the strike. The transporters’ community, which plies nearly 50 lakh commercial vehicles across the country, is demanding concessions and a bailout package from the government. President of AIMTC Charan Singh Lohara said, “You have heard of farmers committing suicide, you will now hear of transporters doing the same.” Notably, truckers are demanding a Rs 10 per litre reduction in the price of diesel, a 35 per cent reduction in tyre prices, abolition of service tax on goods transport agencies and further amendments in the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Other demands include provision for free movement of all trucks across the country without any national/state permits and fixation of minimum freight in view of high input costs. “When the government has given bailout packages to exporters, industry and several other sectors, why is step-motherly treatment being meted out to truckers,” rued Lohara, adding that they will intensify the agitation against wrong policies of the government. |
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Rajni sets sight on LS seat
Dehradun, January 4 She today formed her own political outfit named Bharatiya Jan Kranti Party and announced that she would contest the next Lok Sabha elections from Tehri Garhwal parliamentary constituency. Earlier, by jumping into the electoral fray as a candidate in the Dehradun mayoral election, Rajni Rawat had given sleepless nights to the candidates of the major political parties. Buoyed by the response of the voters, she now wants to try her hand at the Lok Sabha poll. Accompanied by several hundred supporters, Rajni Rawat today came to the venue of her function and announced the formation of her party. She promises clean politics and emphasised that her focus would be to ameliorate the lot of the poor people unlike other political parties and leaders who are “self centered, power hungry and highly corrupt”. “I am a candidate of the poor and will like to do everything for them,” she said. Her big cut-outs and banners are already everywhere in Dehradun. “I was the third child in a big family from Pauri Garhwal having two brothers and four sisters but was given to Ram Pyari, the eunuch guru at the age of five. I learnt dance and music to beg for a living while my other siblings went to school,” she said. Rajni Rawat took pains to explain that it was not only extracting money on auspicious occasions but also giving it back to society that has remained her aim in life. “I am running a social organisation called “Daya” that provides financial assistance to nearly 1,000 poor students,” she said. She lashed out at political parties for looting the exchequer and befooling the people. “We are the most even-handed and secular people and have no personal axe to grind. Hence, common people in the elections like us,” she added. People and major political parties differ about her chances to make it to the Lok Sabha but there is near unanimity that she could upset the poll calculations of the candidates of some major political parties. |
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74th Amendment
Dehradun, January 4 The panel was constituted at a meeting attended by the heads of the municipalities and nagar panchayats in Dehradun yesterday. The local bodies here are facing financial crisis therefore, the panel will take up the issue to get the 74th constitutional amendment implemented. While few municipalities somehow managed paltry revenue earnings, majority of them have been finding it hard to carry out civic activities. For some, the scenario was grim as they were failing to provide salaries to their employees for the past many months. Uttarakhand has as many as 63 local bodies, which include a corporation, 31 municipalities and an equal number of nagar panchayats. |
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Snow in higher reaches
Dehradun, January 4 Higher reaches of the state such as Gangotri, Harsil, Tharalee, Mukhla and Sukkar areas in Uttarakashi district experienced moderate to heavy spell of snow while rains were experienced at certain areas. Dr Anand Sharma, director of the state meteorological department, said snowfall in higher reaches and rains in the plain areas, due to westerly disturbances, will continue for another day. Meanwhile, Doonites here awoke to a wet morning today along with a cloudy sky. A total of 2.2 mm rainfall was recorded here during the past 24 hours and cold winds have lashed the capital city. |
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Teachers: Meet demands or face agitation
Dehradun, January 4 At a meeting held in Dehradun today, Rajkiya Shikshak Sangh members sought benefits at par with Central government teachers and also demanding full benefits for themselves in accordance with the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. “We have been forced to go on stir as our repeated requests to the state government has fallen on deaf ears,” Shorveer Singh Shah, state president of the Sangh observed. He also said the government teachers have also decided to constitute working committees at block-level to ensure that the stir proves to be resounding success. Dehradun district president of the Shikshak Sangh, Narendra Bisht said the teachers in government schools will no more go for false assurances and were now in a mood to go for decisive action. “We have already submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and also made our intentions clear.” Bisht also said the stir this time would be massive. Jagmohan Singh Rawat, Kalyan Singh Rawat and Narendra Shah were prominent Shikshak Sangh members that took part in the protest. |
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Gairsain movement gathers steam
Haridwar, January 4 The joint forum has decided to stage programmes and agitation in every district of the state. The joint committee of the forum held a rally earlier this week in Haridwar and burned the effigy of the state government. On January 3, they took out a rally in Roorkee and gave a memorandum to the Governor. Uttarakhand Kranti Manch central secretary JP Pandey condemned the state government for not adhering to the common consensus of the people of Uttarakhand. “By delaying the capital issue, the BJP- led government is making a mockery of the sacrifice that people made during the Uttarakhand state movement,”
he said. On the Dixit commission report, Pandey took strong note of the unnecessary delay in making the report public. “The intent of the government can be understood by the attitude towards the Dixit commission report. If they don’t want to comply with the report then why give it an extension,” said Pandey. Samiti’s president Dhirendra Pratap cautioned the CM for letting down people of the state who sacrificed their lives and pinned hopes on the politicians for development of the interior parts and villages of the state. Notably, Justice Virender Dixit, a former Allahabad High Court judge, was appointed as the head of the commission on January 11, 2001, three months after statehood was given to Uttarakhand, to give recommendations on the permanent capital issue. The commission had submitted a 250-page report to Chief Minister BC Khanduri in August 2008. Meanwhile, activists of women cell of the forum will visit Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts as part of the agitation. “Just like the Uttarakhand movement started in the 90’s, we are starting the Gairsain movement on the same lines. We are getting overwhelming support from people,” said Mira Raturi of the women cell. Among other Samiti members present on the occasion were Samsher Khan, Julfukar Ali Nawab, Bhagwan Singh Saini, Rukshana Begam, Hasin Ahmed and Kavita Nautiyal. |
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Police-public partnership to tackle crime
Roorkee, January 4 “Besides liaison activities, these groups would help to transfer vital information about any social disorder to the police, as many persons do not want to come to the police directly. These groups would bridge the gap between the police and public,” said Joshi. “More or less we are dependent on our informers. The fact can’t be overlooked that they provide us information to us to fulfil their own vested interests. With having direct police-public partnership, we would be able to get more accurate and unbiased information about the anti-social activities. Moreover, the new system would also help to make the public more alert about its surroundings,” said the officer. To make this scheme a success, the police is also looking forward to improve its image in the public. "Clear instructions have been passed to every official about improving the image of the department,” said Joshi. The police has launched beat policing on the pattern of advanced cities like Chandigarh and New Delhi, last month. For the purpose, the area including many villages and rural towns, has been divided into 68 beats. "Each beat is being headed by a constable and he would be empowered with more powers to deal and enquire the crime and offences. The beat in charge would be fixed for every crime of his beat. This system would make every official more accountable,” said Joshi. A seminar in this regard was held at Town Hall on Saturday in which Inspector General (Garhwal) Ashok Kumar, SSP Sanjay Gunjyal and other senior officers addressed the gathering. |
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Pull up socks or face action: DM to officials
Dehradun, January 4 The District Magistrate has also written a letter to the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited officials in the region asking
them for ensuring all necessary repairs after digging city roads for laying cables. He has also asked all the block development officers to direct their subordinates to ensure that only genuine ones were benefited while
carrying out welfare schemes meant for unprivileged. On one particular matter linked to Chakrata, the District Magistrate directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Chakrata for providing necessary security to the block development officer of the area. |
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Ayurvedic varsity not at our cost: Vidyapeeth students
Haridwar, January 4 They said that the government’s anti-Sanskrit policy is paving the way for the Ayurvedic University at the cost of closure of the Rishikul Vidyapeeth. The students demanded that the state government should reconsider its decision and thus preserve the objectives of the Rishikul Vidyapeeth promulgated by Madan Mohan Malviya. The students said that Rishikul Ayurvedic
College is a branch of Rishikul Brahcharyashram and the whole land is registered in the name of the Vidyapeeth. The Rishikul Vidyapeeth was established by Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya in 1906 to propagate the Vedas, yoga, philosophy, numerology, Puranas and Sanskrit among the students free of cost. In 2005, the then Congress government had also mooted the proposal but backed out of the opening of the university on the Rishikul land. There are about 300 students and 13 teachers presently at the vidyapeeth. Students also voiced the lack of facilities and utilisation of college ground revenues on them. “The Rishikul ground hosts exhibitions, camps and other functions.
The revenue from these events should be utilised for free education and food for the students,” said
Dhiraj Upadhyay, head of the Students Vidyapeeth Union. The students had earlier given a memorandum through the city magistrate to be forwarded to the Chief Minister. Among the students present at the agitation were Dinesh Bhaskar, Mahavir, Chandrasekhar, Pati, Manoj, Vivek, Jagdhish, Prakash, Pathak, Rakesh, Pankaj Sunil and
Pramod. |
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Exhibition on road safety
Dehradun, January 4 With the help of posters and pictures, efforts were made to make the general public aware of rules that need to be followed while driving on roads. “Through pictorial representation, we tried to tell the general public why it is necessary to follow rules while driving. They were encouraged to wear helmets,” said Rajiv
Srivastav, chief executive officer of the Sansthan. The organisation also distributed posters, manuals about road safety rules. “We distributed 250 manuals and posters to generate awareness,” said
Srivastav, added that during the 18-day drive eye tests for truck and bus drivers would also be held. |
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Football: Eleven Star lift trophy
Dehradun, January 4 Nigam managed to take a lead in the 15th minute of the game by a goal scored by Arun Gusain. But Nigam found an equalisers soon to level the score 1-1. The goal was earned by Vijay Negi in the 19th minute of the game. There were many good moves made by both the teams to score a goal but none of them could succeed. The score remained 1-1 at half time. In the second half both the team tried long range shots to take a lead in the match. The Eleven Star took procession of the game in the second half to dominate the play completely. In the 58th minute, Eleven Star forward took a curving shot from the D-top but was missed. In the 68th minute, Eleven Star was on the attack again but its forward fumbled and missed the goalpost by a distance. It was Satya Prasad for Eleven Star in the 78th minute who neatly placed a cross into the nets making the score 2-1. |
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National School win cricket final
Dehradun, January 4 Batting first, National School scored 186 runs in their allotted 30 overs. Chand Babu was the top scorer with 46 runs while Vabhav Bhatt scored 36 runs. For Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Raj Kumar was the pick of the bowlers, he took three wickets. Chasing the target of 186 runs, Abhimanyu Cricket Academy team was all out for 144 runs. Vabhav Pawar was the top scorer with 34 runs. Nitin was the outstanding fielder for National School of Cricket and was instrumental in four run outs. Meanwhile, in another match that was played at 57th District Cricket League Garhwal Sport Academy beat Doon Champ by 38 runs. |
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Karate: Rakesh, Rakhi get brown belt
Haridwar, January 4 The winners were accorded martial arts belts. Blue-Red belt was awarded to Raghunandan Nath, Virender Kumar and Shashi Kumar. Yellow belt was given to Ishan Bhardwaj, Anmol Tyagi, Ishita Tandon, Sanjiv Kumar, Ankit Chaudhari, Shruti Singh, Vikram Kumar, Ashushri and Khushi while Rakesh, Murender Nath, Amit Kumar, Sanjiv Shrivasava, Rakhi Gupta, Meenakshi Tyagi, Ishita Tyagi, Pallavi Chauhan, Gurmit Singh bagged the brown belt in the event. All-India Karate Kino-Kan Federation of India general secretary, Dr. JS Khan lauded the talent and efforts of the participants and said Karate is a fine example of self defence, fitness, agility, concentration and health. Haridwar coach, Amit Kumar performed some martial arts techniques-bouts and stunning actions at the prize giving ceremony. |
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Dehradun, January 4
Haridwar, January 4
