Dehradun, February 26
In a decision which could have far-reaching implications regarding the fate of the hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand, the Nainital High Court today stayed the order of the Union government to suspend work on the 600 MW Lohari Nagpala hydroelectric project being built by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) on Bhagirathi river.

A Nainital division bench of Justice PC Pant and Justice BS Verma granted an interim relief on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Rural and Litigation Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a Dehradun-based NGO, which had sought immediate resumption of work on the hydel project which was suspended by the Union government on February 19.

“The division bench staying the February 19 order of the Union government suspending the work of the Lohari Nagpala project stated that such an order could not be operational until passed by the proposed Ganga River Basin Authority,” Kartikey Hari Gupta, the counsel for the petitioner RLEK said.

The Union government had suspended the work on the project following an indefinite fast by environmentalist Prof GD Agarwal from January 13 in New Delhi.

Prof Agarwal had been earlier on an indefinite fast in June 2008 at Uttarkashi demanding a total ban on any hydroelectric projects between Gangotri and Uttarkashi to save the Ganga.

His fast has revoked a response from Hindu organisations and under pressure, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Uttarakhand suspended two of its projects namely Pala Maneri and Bhaironghati.

The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) had in an earlier petition also challenged the decision of the state government to suspend its work on the Pala Maneri and Bhaironghati projects in the Nainital High Court.

RLEK pleaded that the suspension of the work would be against the development of the region as well against the well-being of the residents of the state.

Following the suspension of the work on state government projects, the Union government declared Ganga as a national river and formed a High-Level Expert Group (HLEG) to examine the ground situation of the river and give its recommendations on the availability of water and other objections raised by Prof Agarwal.

The group recommended that 16 cumecs of water should flow in the riverbed of Bhagirathi at all times. Meanwhile, the work on the Lohari Nagpala project by the NTPC continued uninterrupted.

Prof Agarwal raised objections on the constitution of the HLEG and resumed his fast on January 13 in New Delhi.

As Lok Sabha elections are near and the Union government did not want that the Ganga should become an poll issue with the right wing organisations, it was decided to suspend the work on NTPC Lohari Nagpala project. Prof Agarwal ended his fast on the 38th day.

Dehradun, February 26
The state government has decided to give monetary assistance to the 46 persons against whom cases were registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during the statehood agitation in 1994.

While making an announcement in this regard during the third day of the Budget Session of the Assembly, parliamentary affairs minister Parkash Pant said as many as 22 of them, who were booked by the CBI and lodged in jail, would be given Rs one lakh each.

“Seven aandolankaris, who were booked by CBI and a chargesheet was filed against them in the court but no arrest was made, will be given Rs 75,000 each.

“For 17 other aandolankaris, against whom CBI registered cases but no chargesheet was filed, will be given Rs 50,000 each,” announced Pant.

During the statehood agitation, CBI had registered three cases in Mussoorie, two in Tehri and one in Dehradun and had booked 46 protesters.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, opposition MLAs accused the ministers of giving “false” information with respect to the questions being raised by them. The agitated Congress MLAs created uproar in the house, as a result of which the house had to be adjourned twice.

Soon after start of the third day of the session, agriculture minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had to eat a humble pie, as a question pertaining to his department was “suspended” because the minister had not done his homework and was not prepared to answer it.

Congress MLA Pritam Singh asked Rawat regarding the status of the Uttarakhand Mandi Act. In reply, Rawat said although the Mandi Act has been made but the state is still following the Mandi Act of the Uttar Pradesh. However, Speaker Harbans Kapoor intervened and suspended the question, while issuing directions to Rawat to clarify the matter in a proper manner later on.

Another question pertaining to the department of social welfare, asked by BSP MLA Surinder Rakesh, also led to heated arguments between the ruling BJP and opposition legislators. Rakesh had asked social welfare minister Bishan Singh Chufaal why the government was not spending funds sanctioned for the welfare of schedule castes under the Special Component Plan.

In reply, Chufaal said even after the end of the financial year the funds do not lapse.

However, opposition MLAs said in a written reply for another question, Chufaal had accepted that the budget of Rs 55.86 crore, 285.37 crore and Rs 328.17 crore for the financial year 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08, respectively, was lapsed.

“This clearly implies that the minister was misleading the entire house,” alleged the BSP legislators. Soon after, opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the house and created a ruckus, due to which the Speaker had to adjourn the house.

When the house resumed at around 12.30 pm, leader of the opposition Dr Harak Singh Rawat raised the issue of the alleged corruption in the passport office. “Passport officer Jay Kumar demanded a bribe and also made obscene comments when a woman approached him for getting the passport for her son.

“While the Congress workers were booked on charges of vandalising the office, so far no case has been registered against the officer,” he alleged. 

Dehradun, February 26
In order to review the party’s preparations for the Lok Sabha election, BJP in charge for Uttarakhand Krishan Murari Moghe, who was in Dehradun yesterday, convened meetings with the legislators and ‘dayatvdharis’ (those holding minister level posts).

Addressing mediapersons at the party office today, Moghe said people from every constituency of the state would attend the Vijay Sankalp Rally scheduled for March 8, the preparations for which were in full swing.

“The state government will complete its two years on March 8; therefore the rally has been fixed on that date. BJP president Rajnath Singh and party’s prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishan Advani will be coming for the rally,” he said.

Moghe said BJP has already announced its candidates for the five parliamentary constituencies and the party’s election campaign committee would be looking after the proceedings.

He said the party had launched a door-to-door campaign on February 25.

“Under the campaign ‘Ghar-Ghar Jao’, activists would be going door-to-door to spread awareness about policies and achievements of the two-year-old BJP government,” he said.

Regarding the impasse over the ticket for Haridwar parliamentary constituency, Moghe said the party had announced education minister Madan Kaushik as the official candidate. “So far party’s central leadership has not talked to him over the issue,” he informed.

Notably, factionalism in Haridwar unit of BJP had come to fore with saints, having allegiance with BJP, demanding replacement of party’s nominee Madan Kaushik with Swami Chinmayanand, who is former union minister of the state of home in the national democratic alliance (NDA) government.