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Pandey on backfoot over absentee RS members
Ex-servicemen eating into our jobs: Rakshak Dal
Police recruits held for blackmail
Recruits Brijmohan Singh and Sanjay being escorted to the court in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph |
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Draft panel wants Nyay Panchayats revived
DC seeks report on illegal colonies
Women rise for rivers’ cause
Check wild animals’ intrusion: Minister
Abhimanyu Academy register 7-wkt victory
Hockey: Forest Council win
SSP assures peaceful Moharram
Italian held for overstay
CM for separate force for hill states
Haridwar hotel gets 3-star certificate
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Pandey on backfoot over absentee RS members
Dehradun, January 6 Two senior Congress leaders —Satish Sharma and Satyavrat Chaturvedi — were elected to Rajya Sabha in 2003 during the previous Congress regime, but they neither attended any meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) nor took any interest in developmental works to be undertaken from their own MP fund. The issue has been troublingCongress workers who felt cheated by the two senior leaders as well as by the high command. Although none from the party dared to speak openly against the high command or these senior leaders, there has been an undercurrent of resentment against the attitude of these leaders. It was all the more felt by party leaders and workers at a time when the state Congress has been trying to rejuvenate itself before the Lok Sabha after getting an electoral drubbing at the hands of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Pandey admitted that it was ‘unfortunate’ on part of these leaders to have abandoned the state from where they were elected. When asked about the insensitivity of senior party leaders towards the electorate, as they failed to utilise their MPLAD funds properly, Pandey said these leaders are trying to spend the funds for developmental activities through their local representatives. However, he had no answer to their not coming even once to the state from where they were elected. “I could only say that it was ‘unfortunate’ on part of these leaders to have ignored the state,” he said. On the question of electing senior leaders to the Rajya Sabha from various states where they don’t belong to, Pandey said such decisions are taken taken according to circumstances. “Practicality in politics takes over principles sometimes,” he said. However, he said the feeling of Congress workers on the issue has been conveyed to the party high command. On the other hand, Pandey said the united face put up by the Uttarakhand Congress leaders at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) meeting at Kashipur was a welcome sign. “It was a warning signal to the ruling BJP that Congress workers would give a befitting reply to them in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said. Alleging that the ruling BJP was plagued by more infighting than the Congress, Pandey said the internecine war within Uttarakhand BJP has spilled over to the streets with legislators revolting against the Chief Minister BC Khanduri. “The legislators are openly fighting for the spoils of the office,” he charged. Pandey was categorical in claiming that under no circumstances would indiscipline be tolerated in the party ranks. |
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Ex-servicemen eating into our jobs: Rakshak Dal
Dehradun, January 6 Pranteeya Rakshak Dal’s district president Veer Singh Rawat put forward the plight of Dal members. He accused the state government of neglecting the Rakshak Dal members. “Ex-servicemen are being preferred for deployment at various state units for security rather than PRD members, which is adding to our unemployment figures,” Rawat observed. Manoj Vishwakarma, president, Zila Yuwak Samiti, recalled the role of PRD members towards successful conduct of Panchayat elections. He said that PRD volunteers from time to time have been working at various capacities for strengthening the security in the state.
Ravindra Jugran said the nation today stood at a crossroads as rising terror was fast engulfing the nation and said it was high time the youth joined hands in the fight against terror. Describing the youth as driving force in society, the State Youth Welfare Board vice-chairman said since Independence, youths had always determined the fate of the nation, whether it was during Emergency or the more recent statehood agitation. Earlier, district Panchayat Raj officer MM Khan said youths must work to take full benefit of the schemes under implementation in rural areas of the state.
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Police recruits held for blackmail
Dehradun, January 6 Both of them were held on charges of blackmail and have been remanded to 14-day judicial custody by the District and Sessions Judge. As per information, the accused harassed two students; made their obscene MMS clip and later started blackmailing them. IG Garhwal Ashok Kumar said Brijmohan and Sanjay were recruited in the police force just a month back and were undergoing training. On Sunday evening, Brijmohan and Sanjay entered the THDC Colony, Patel Nagar, on pretext of conducting a verification drive. In one of the flats they found a boy and a girl whom they threatened to arrest on charges of “obscenity”. Thereafter, Brijmohan and Sanjay forced the students to get into a compromising position and made their MMS clip. When the latter requested them to delete the clip, the policemen demanded Rs 3,000. The helpless students paid the money, but the very next day the boy was asked for Rs 5,000 more. The accused also called up the girl and allegedly asked her to spend one night with them. However, when the accused again went to the flat of the student to collect the money, they were caught on camera. Subsequent action was taken on the news report published in this regard today. |
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Draft panel wants Nyay Panchayats revived
Dehradun, January 6 The state Panchayati Raj minister BS Chufal chaired the meeting yesterday which was attended by 17 of the 21 members of
the committee. “Though still at the preliminary stage, the proposal for revival of Nyay Panchayats for solving village-level cases and disallowing anganwadi workers and PDS owners from contesting Panchayat elections may be included in the final draft,” said DP Devrari, district Panchayat Raj officer, Tehri, who also attended the meeting. Since 1947, there had been a provision for Nyay Panchayats in the Uttar Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act which was adopted by Uttarakhand. However in 1982, it became defunct as no one had turned up for the hearings. “If the Nyay Panchayats are constituted in Uttarakhand, it would be of immense help as small cases can be heard at the village level. It would help villagers save time and money, especially in the hills where the geographical position prevents frequent travelling,” informed OSD Panchayat, Uttarakhand Institute of Rural Development, Udham Singh Nagar. Panchayat Raj Department officials pointed out that it would be some time before the state finally has its own Act. The delay has already taken place at the level of drafting a proposal. The constitutional process would also take some more time. Despite the delay, the enthusiasm of the members who are part of the committee for state tours has not waned. The committee members in November last year had visited Himachal Pradesh to study the functioning of Panchayat Raj institutions. It is believed that another visit is also in the pipeline. It also figured at the recently held meeting. The members of the committee will again be leaving on a study trip to West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka to get an overview of the functioning of Panchayats. The tour is slated to take place at the end of January. |
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DC seeks report on illegal colonies
Dehradun, January 6 The district administration has devised a mechanism to make village-level revenue officials accountable for any such irregularity in areas under their domain. The District Magistrate Amit Singh Negi today sent a letter along with a specially prepared performa to all sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) of the district to have information about such encroachments documented. The patwari or lekhpal concerned would be required to furnish information about any illegal colony in his area, and whether Special Area Development Authority (SADA) or Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has approved it. Importantly, besides the name of the coloniser, both the revenue officials must specify action taken by them if the colony is illegal. Both would also have to write their names, cellphone numbers, name of their area and revenue villages covered under it. “Even if there is no direct involvement of these village-level officials in allowing such encroachment, we assume that such illegal activity is in their knowledge. So we evolved this mechanism to have regular information about status of the land as well as to ensure accountability. These officials cannot escape responsibility,” said Negi. Notably, there are more than 400 villages in the district and each patwari looks after land records of 15 villages. When asked whether the move followed some specific complaints, Negi said it was the outcome of suo moto notice taken by the administration on the basis of reports appearing in the media. As per the new mechanism, these officials cannot escape responsibility for the encroachments that came up in their areas in the past. “I have asked all the SDMs to submit reports, as per the information submitted in the performa, during the meeting to be held on January 19 in my office,” added Negi.
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Ecology Campaign in Villages Radha Bhen, head of Lakshmi Ashram, has encouraged hill women to hold padayatras for saving the state’s rivers Neena Sharma Tribune News Service
Dehradun, January 6 Witnessing the drying up of the Kosi, that once rippled down the mountains, was what galvanised rural women into action. The movement gained momentum with the involvement of Radha Bhen, head of Lakshmi Ashram, who encouraged them to organise a padayatra for saving the rivers in the state. In mid 2007, a group of women held a padayatra along the Kosi. Starting from the Pinnath forest, they covered the valleys of Someshwar, Mansa Nala and Lodh. “Where ever the women went, they were given a tumultuous reception, From a small group of 10, the movement gained in strength and it was then decided that similar padayatras would be held for the other rivers of Uttarakhand,” explained Radha Bhen, also chairperson of the Gandhi Peace Foundation. Hence, another padayatra was organised in January this year. Members of other NGOs and pressure groups also lent support to the yatra. The padyatra ended on January 15 at Ramnagar. “We did not spend a penny on the yatra. The villagers provided us food as well as shelter,” said Pamela Chatterjee, who has been associated with the ashram for the last 17 years. She also provides solutions on development issues to farmers at Bagri-Jauna, a village near Kausani. The drying up of rivers in Uttarakhand has not only engaged the interest of environmentalists, but also that of layman. “Not only do the rivers sustain us, but they cater to our spiritual needs too. Environmentalists claim that a major reason for the reduced river flow is climate change in the last few years. Besides, the cutting of broad-leaf species has attributed to environmental degradation,” said Pamela. A British woman of English and German descent by the name of Sarla Bhen laid the foundation of Laxmi Ashram on the insistence of Mahatma Gandhi for imparting education to hill women. She later joined the freedom movement. Sixty years after her death, her pupil Radha Bhatt, on taking over the reins of the ashram, has begun engaging local women in “ jal, jungle and jamin” matters. Now mahila sangthans in villages have become so efficient that whenever a fire rages in forests, they not only hasten to inform the authorities, but also try dousing the flames themselves.
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Check wild animals’ intrusion: Minister
Dehradun, January 6 In his keynote address at the refresher programme of the officials of the state agricultural and animal husbandry departments, organised by leading fertilizer company, Indian Potash Limited, here today, Rawat said farmers brought this to his notice during his visits to several villages. “One can imagine the plight of farmers, who toil hard to raise their crops braving the vagaries of nature, when their crops are damaged by wild animals,” he said. He asked experts to intensify research on devising methods by which the animals could be kept at bay without infringing upon wildlife protection rules. “The problem has acquired wider proportions due to the vast forest cover in the state that is inhabited by various species of wild animals. Hence, finding scientific ways to contain the menace is the need of hour,” said Rawat. He also drew attention to some indigenous methods evolved by farmers, but these can only be used over a limited area. For example, in some villages, farmers told the minister that spraying of cow urine in their fields helped in keeping out wild animals. “But this should be subjected to scientific verification,” he added.
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District Cricket League Our Correspondent
Dehradun, January 6 Batting first, Doon Soldiers had a good start, with both its opening batsman contributing 39 runs for the first wicket partnership. Thereafter, they lost 2 quick wickets in a span of one over with the team score at 54 runs. Further, none of the upcoming batsmen occupied the crease for long. With Abhimanyu bowlers bowling a tight line and length, the Doon Soldiers batsmen had no answer. Doon Soldiers team was bundled out for 137 runs in their allotted 40 overs. For Abhimanyu team, bowler Rajkumar was on fire as he claimed 3 wickets giving away just 30 runs in his 8 over spell. Rajkumar ripped through the middle order of Doon Soldiers. He claimed the wicket of Virat in the 9th over and subsequently made Navin his second victim who scored freely for Doon Soldiers to make 20 runs in 27 balls. Prince was his 3rd wicket at 23rd over of the match. Other bowlers supported Rajkumar well, Vipin, Priyanshu and Shashank took 2 wickets each. The opening batsmen of Abhimanyu Cricket Academy contributed 25 runs in just 2.1 overs, before Paritosh was declared LBW. Swaraj and Ravi Negi hammered Doon Soldiers bowlers to all corners scoring at brisk pace as their team reached 55 runs in the fifth over of the match. At the end, it was an easy 7-wicket victory for Abhimanyu Cricket Academy.
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Hockey: Forest Council win
Dehradun, January 6 ICFRE team mounted pressure on SFS team in the very initial minutes of the game and scored its first goal in the 18th minute of the game. It was a goal done by Sharad Negi for ICFRE who received a pass from the right and neatly placed the ball to the right corner of the goalpost giving his team a 1-0 lead in the match. SFS failed in the first half but failed and could only find an equaliser for itself in the second half. It was a fine field goal done by Sonu in the 3rd minute of the second half to level the score 1-1. But SFS delight was short lived, as ICFRE came back strongly to take a lead for the second time in the match. It was an excellent deflection by CP Mathani in the 46th minute that gave a decisive lead to ICFRE team. SFS failed to reduce the lead for the second time and lost the match to ICFRE by 2-1. ICFRE topped its pool with six points of three matches, winning all its matches. Whereas, SFS has just gained 3 points from its three matches, registering one win and play one draw.
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SSP assures peaceful Moharram
Haridwar, January 6 SSP has taken several meetings this week in this regard and is undertaking security meetings so that Moharram is conducted peacefully. SSP held meetings at Roorkee, Laksar in the Haridwar district with leaders of the Shia Muslim Community. He has also directed policemen to keep patience and respect the sentiments of the people during the Moharram procession. About the change in routes of Moharram procession SSP said “In the city and sub-urban areas, the ‘Tajiyas’ will be carried out on the older routes as per the traditions”. Regarding the height of the
‘Tajiyas’, SSP advised the organisers to keep the height low to avert any untoward incident. Muslim representatives urged the SSP to take measures against the hooligans who drink and cause nuisance during the procession. SSP assured them of adequate security during the procession. At Laksar too, SSP organised a meeting with the Muslim representatives for smooth conduct of the
Moharram. MLA Haji Taslim thanked SSP for his initiative and assured full support to the administration during
Moharram. Present at the meeting were CO Pankaj Bhatt, SDM Uday Singh Rana and local representatives. During the Eid festival last month, SSP took special measures for peaceful conduct of the festival in the district. |
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Italian held for overstay
Mussoorie, January 6 Luca Mazzia has been residing in Mussoorie for the past several years. However, local intelligence officials found today that his visa, which was issued in 2003, had expired in May 2004. But he continued to stay illegally in India and did not inform the police. Even the passport of Luca had also expired on June 25, 2005. Luca was quite upset after his arrest. Showing an identity card of a press association, he claims to be a freelance journalist and said that several years ago, he fell sick and in the meantime, his visa expired. He accused the police of highhandedness and said, “After my visa expired, I visited the foreigners registration office at Dehradun several times to pursue my case but the authorities took no action.” Luca, who was shouting in the local police station here, said, “Terrorists are roaming freely in India but I am being harassed.” Meanwhile, the authorities said that a detailed investigation will be conducted to find out about Luca and his activities. The police has also arrested the owner of the hotel where this Italian was staying and charged him with concealment of facts. Hotel owners are duty bound to submit regular reports to intelligence officials about the stay of any foreign nationals in their hotels. |
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CM for separate force for hill states
Dehradun, January 6 Putting forward this proposal during the meeting of the Chief Ministers of different states on the issue of internal security held under the headship of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Uttarakhand CM said that in order to prevent infiltration from across the border and also to put a check on the fake currency being smuggled into the country, there is an immediate requirement for setting up Mountain Security Force (MSF). He also said the Union government should provide full financial assistance for MSF. “The force would help in checking illegal activities from across the border in remote hill areas of the states,” asserted Khanduri. The CM further said that setting up such a force would be extremely helpful for Uttarakhand, as the state has 275 km and 300 km long boundary with Nepal and China respectively, wherein a constant vigil has to be maintained. Chief Minister Khanduri advocated the introduction of the system of national identity cards. |
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Haridwar hotel gets 3-star certificate
Haridwar, January 6 Prakash Pant said it is a landmark day for the city and added that this will pave way for more such category hotels in the city. General manager of the hotel RR Upadhyay, said the hotel has been upgrading itself for past one year to meet the requisite criteria and has added some facilities which are in sync with a 5-star hotel. The hotel has made a waste management plant in the premise and a state-of-the-art cold storage with laundry facility in the hotel itself. As the serving of wine and non-vegetarian food is prohibited in the city, the hotel will also not serve these items. |
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Two police officials Brijmohan Singh and Sanjay were today dismissed and subsequently arrested after a vernacular published their photographs while accepting money from a
student.
Dehradun, January 6
