Dehradun, February 28
In a surprise change, the last day of the budget session of the state Assembly proceeded smoothly on Friday. The opposition legislators refrained from creating ruckus in the house.

Albeit BSP and Congress MLAs got agitated on certain issues, there was no walkout today and because of the smooth conduct, the question hour also proceeded in a proper manner.

Notably, Chief Minister BC Khanduri had been repeatedly accusing the opposition of acting in an irresponsible manner. He had strongly condemned the opposition legislators for unnecessarily stalling proceedings of the house. On the first day of the session, Khanduri had said because of the ruckus created by the Opposition MLAs discussions on several important issues could not be held.

However, undeterred by the remarks of the CM, the leader of opposition Dr Harak Singh Rawat said they were responsible and had never disrupted the house over any non-issue.

“When the ministers of the state government openly provided false information in the house, we are supposed to counter-question them. The Congress party is playing the role of a responsible opposition, but the ruling party tries to evade all relevant queries, as a result of which the house witnesses an uproar,” said Rawat.

Meanwhile, after the house reassembled for the last day of the budget session on Friday morning, the BSP MLAs stood up and expressed their anger over the deteriorating law and order situation.

Referring to the gang-rape of a Dalit woman in Bageshwar, the BSP MLAs alleged that crime rate is increasing and the government has miserably failed to take stock of the situation.

Thereafter, the Congress legislators alleged that zila panchayat members, owing allegiance to parties other than the ruling BJP, are being harassed. The Congress MLAs also shouted slogans against the government.

During the question hour, MLA SS Rawat asked the education minister Madan Kaushik to explain the logic behind installing computers in various government schools across the state notwithstanding the fact that these schools do not have power connections. Supplementing this, Speaker Harbans Kapoor asked the education minister to ensure the provision of power connections in all these schools at the earliest.

Firing another question at Kaushik, BSP MLA Surinder Rakesh asked him for a list of officers who are posted in Dehradun since five or more years, and also the reason for not transferring them. In reply, Kaushik said: “As many as 11 officers are working in Dehradun since the past five or more years and the government would consider transferring them as per the next transfer policy.”

Taking up the matter of appointment of Incharge Officers (education department), in place of District Education Officer and Block Education Officer at the District Level, Surinder Rakesh asked Kaushik to explain why the seniority criteria was ignored during appointments. The minister, however, failed to give any convincing reply.

In another question pertaining to the sports department, MLA Pritam Singh asked sports minister Rajinder Singh Bhandari to clarify whether the government is setting up any sports stadium of international standards in Uttarakhand. He also asked if there was any proposal to make an international-level sports stadium at Parade Ground in Dehradun. The Minister replied that the state government is setting up a sports stadium of international standards at Haldwani (Nainital).

“An amount of Rs 50 lakh has already been sanctioned for the first phase of work of the stadium, including preparation of the design,” he said, while adding that the matter pertaining to the stadium at Parade Ground is pending in the Nainital High Court. 

Haridwar, February 28
Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister, has urged Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to work unitedly so that the party once again comes to the power at the Centre under the leadership of Lal Krishna Advani. Koshyari is the election incharge of Uttarakhand and four other northern states.

In preparation of the forthcoming March 8 Sankalp Rally to be addressed by former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani in Dehradun, the former Chief Minister was addressing workers and executives of Haridwar district at Damkoti.

He said that to control inflation, terrorism and bring a sense of nationalism, it is imperative for the voters to elect the BJP in the coming parliamentary elections. “The BJP has shown in its five-year tenure under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s able leadership and in Uttarakhand under BC Khanduri, that this is the only party which is cadre-based and doesn’t hinge on one or two persons or family lineage,”said Koshyari.

Kamal Johra, chairman, Haridwar Muncipal Committee, who is facing trouble in the smooth conduct of the palika, apprised Koshyari that the atmosphere of the palika would not affect the BJP in the upcoming elections.

Meanwhile in Haridwar, speculations are rife that the party high command may change its candidate Madan Kaushik, the state cabinet minister and legislator from Haridwar.

Bhagat Singh Koshyari refused to comment on the issue and said that party workers are working wholeheartedly in each of the five constituencies in the state. 

Dehradun, February 28
In the backdrop of dwindling numbers of tigers, the World Bank is exploring the possibility of taking up the state of Uttarakhand, along with Karnataka, as part of its “Save The Tiger” initiative.

A four-member World Bank team is gathering thorough information from officials at the Tiger-famous Corbett National Park these days. The man-tiger conflict and territory struggle between tigers were some of the issues that came up for deliberations. The team members, comprising John Cydus Stacker, Andre Casibill, Dr Anup Joshi and Kumar Raghvendra Singh, also put up their suggestions in this regard.

The team members felt a strong need for exploring tiger potential across forest plains falling between rivers Sharda and Yamuna, the two opposite ends of Uttarakhand.

While revealing that as many nine species of tigers once existed across the globe out of which three have already gone extinct, the WB members said focused efforts were needed for the cause of tigers. The team also visited Kalagarh-situated Wild Life Training Centre.

The team had earlier held discussions with Chief Secretary Dr Indu Kumar Pandey. While the WB officials had expressed satisfaction with the safety of tigers inside the protected areas, securing a safe habitat in other forest areas was certainly a matter of concern and they sought a comprehensive programme for tiger conservation. The team, which is visiting tiger-inhabited states in the country, would be submitting a detailed report to the World Bank soon. 

Mussoorie, February 28
The Vintage Car Rally, which started from Kanyakumari on February 7, concluded at Sir George Everest Estate near Hathipaon in Mussoorie today.

As many as 26 participants of the rally reached Sir George Everest Estate in the afternoon and spent some time there. Due to the narrow and steep road, all participants could not make it to the estate in their own cars, but nonetheless, they hired taxis to reach the estate.

Many vintage cars were on display during this rally including Jaugar, Lagonda, Chevrolet, Benz and Mercedes Volvo while the participants were from Norway, Germany, Switzerland and other European countries, apart from India.

The participants will stay in Mussoorie today and are expected to leave tomorrow.

This rally was organised to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the “Great Arc” survey initiated in 1802 by Colonel William Lambert. Sir George Everest, to whom goes the major credit for measuring the Great Meridional Arc from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas, had his house and observatory at George Everest Estate in Mussoorie from 1832 to 1843.