Dehradun, March 3
Preparations for Bharatiya Janata Party’s “Vijay Sankalp Rally”, scheduled for March 8, are in full swing and the party’s rank and file is working hard to make the event a big success.

Since the rally would mark the formal launch of the election campaign in Uttarakhand, the top brass of the state BJP is supervising the preparations and has instructed the party cadres to ensure that at least 50,000 people attend the rally. The rally would be attended by a galaxy of BJP leaders, including their national president Rajnath Singh, party’s prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishan Advani, Chief Minister BC Khanduri, former Himachal Pradesh CM Shanta Kumar, Rajya Sabha member Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and state BJP chief Bachi Singh Rawat.

BJP general secretary (organisation) Naresh Bansal said the March 8 rally would be massive and as many as 50,000 people from across the state are expected to converge at the Parade Ground, which is the venue for the rally.

While disclosing that people from the block level would also be attending the rally, Bansal said the event would set the election mood and its success would charge up the party activists for a massive campaign in Uttarakhand.

BJP incharge of Uttarakhand affairs Krishan Murari Moghe said preparations for the rally are in full swing.

“In wake of the fact that the state government will complete its two successful years on March 8, the rally has been fixed for this date,” he said.

During the rally, the state-unit of the BJP would also be handing over Rs three crore purse to LK Advani. In wake of this, the exercise to collect the amount from its members is in full swing.

Senior BJP leaders said after the rally, the party would lay emphasis on propagating achievements of the Khanduri government. State BJP chief Bachi Singh Rawat, who is contesting from Nainital, said there main poll plank would be “Good work of BJP government in Uttarakhand and failures of the UPA government”.

Rawat claimed that the general masses were extremely happy with the development works undertaken by BJP government.

Dehradun, March 3
A few days after being conferred the National Tourism Award for being the best-managed wildlife tourism park in the country, the Corbett National Park authorities seem to be hiding the recent recovery of a part of the ivory tusks that had been stolen from its museum around ten months back.

A patrol party had recovered a tusk on January 7 this year, but the matter has since then been kept a guarded-secret by the authorities, for reasons best known to them. Sources said the tusk was among the two that were stolen from Corbett Museum on June 12 last year.

Unidentified miscreants had then barged into the Corbett Dhangarhi Museum during the night and had decamped with two tusks that were the most precious among the exhibits at the museum.

The matter came to light the next morning when the night watchman saw the main entry door of the museum broken.

He later informed senior authorities, and a complaint by Chandan Singh Parihar, forest guard, was registered with the local police.

Significantly, while one tusk had a length of 152 cm, weighed 18 kg 200 gm and had a circumference of 36 cm, the other was 158 cm long, weighed 18 kg 600 gm and had a circumference of 37 cm. The cost of the tusks is reported to be in lakhs.

Police, along with Corbett authorities, have since then had a tough time trying to track the culprits.

Albeit they held an extensive combing operation in the forest areas in close vicinity, no leads were found. Services of dog squads have also been sought, but to no avail.

Notably, complacency on part of Corbett authorities has been attributed to be the main reason behind such thefts, as no proper security arrangements are in place at the museum.

Albeit deputy director of the park CK Kavidayal admitted that a tusk has been recovered, he did not comment further.

However, the reasons behind keeping the recovery of the one of the tusk a guarded-secret for over a month now has certainly put a question mark on the working of Corbett authorities. 

Dehradun, March 3
The 145-year-old Government Doon Hospital was today formally awarded the ISO 9001:2008 standards certificate by Dr JN Sahay, advisor, ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India.

Dr Sahay said: “To ensure that the hospital continues to follow the requirements laid down by the ISO, independent checks of the hospital can take place any time.”

He said the hospitals should conform to the norms laid down by the Indian Public Health Standards and the certificate was a confirmation that the best medical practices were being followed.

Doon Hospital went through qualitative changes after it was selected for an ambitious project of National Health System Rescue Centre with focus on best practices in clinical and  non- clinical areas of hospital management “towards patient satisfaction”.

Since the last couple of years the number of patients coming to the hospital OPD has been on the rise. In 2004, the number was 3,63,941 and in 2008 it went up to 5,69,628. The utility of bed service in 2004 was 104.9 and in 2008 it went up to 157.93.

Also in the process is a disaster management room.

“A process has been developed for systematic handling of disasters and a disaster management room has been prepared for the same along and an alarm system installed to activate the disaster management code,” informed Dr PL Joshi, DG, health. 

Dehradun, March 3
Government nurses owing allegiance to the Uttarakhand Nurses Service Association have postponed their stir with the Model Code of Conduct for elections imposed in the state.

“We have postponed our stir till a later date as the election code has been evoked. Also, we have received an assurance from the DG’s office that our demands have been placed before the State Pay Commission committee,” said Anjana Bhowmick, general secretary of the association.

She said the nurses appointed in district hospitals and health centres in 13 districts of the state had been agitating against the “callous” approach of the department. They nurses had earlier been on a two-hour protest daily and had threatened to step up the protest by going on an indefinite stir from March 9 if their demands were not met.

. “However, if the government fails to take action on our demands after the polls, we will resume our stir,” said warned Bhowmick.

The nurses are demanding salary upgradation, washing allowance, boarding allowance and uniform allowance on a par with their counterparts at the Centre.

Haridwar, March 3
In a bid to get some leverage from the ticket brawl in BJP and derailment of announcement of candidate by Congress for the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat, the Samajwadi Party members have started hectic activities to woo voters in the constituency. They are also inducting new members into the party fold.

SP state chief Ambrish Kumar, the probable candidate from the constituency, today lashed out at the state government's working and assured a slew of measures that he would undertake if voted to power.

Ambrish demanded that Doiwala area be declared as an industrial one as it has been deprived of its share and neglected for years, although it's a key point that joins Dehradun-Rishikesh and Haridwar.

He said considering Haridwar as an old seat of higher learning and a new industrial hub, there is a simultaneous need to upgrade old institutions as well as keep up with modern times. Pointing towards the slow pace of work of the prestigious All-India Institute of Medical Sciences building in Rishikesh, Ambrish said it's the common man who is affected by such delays.

“An AIIMS-like institution will help not only the people of the state, but also from nearby states,” he said.

Dehradun, March 3
Within four days, the police here has arrested two of the five accused who had murdered watchman Shiv Prasad.

The accused have been identified as Rajesh and Arab Singh alias Sajan. However, Beerpal, Randhir and Brijesh are still absconding.

On February 27, Shiv was murdered after he tried to nab the thieves who were chopping sandalwood trees on Kalidas Road.

Addressing a press conference today evening, Dehradun SSP Amit Kumar Sinha said acting on a tip-off the cops today nabbed Rajesh and Arab Singh from village Chandrabani.

Some sandalwood pieces were also seized.

During questioning, the duo confessed to their crime and said Beerpal had called them from their village on February 22.

The SSP said after chalking out the plan to chop sandalwood tress from Kalidas Road, all the five accused reached the place at around 12.30 am on February 27.

“When the accused were chopping the trees, Shiv started shouting, following which, they murdered him,” said Sinha.

Dehradun, March 3
An Army jawan allegedly killed his father, and injured his wife and other family members with a khukri (sharp-edged weapon) over a minor tiff in Bichai village of Champawat district, here yesterday.

The incident took place when Sanjay Joshi, a jawan with the 6th Kumaon regiment, who had come to his village on a holiday, had an altercation with his wife. “Annoyed with his wife, Sanjay attacked her with a khukri and injured her,” said the Champawat police officials.

Officials added that when his parents and uncle intervened, he attacked them too.

Sanjay’s father Bhavani Dutt Joshi, who was seriously injured, was rushed to the hospital where he was declared brought-dead.

The jawan, who is posted in Jammu and Kashmir, has been arrested.

Haridwar, March 3
Sports lovers here have condemned the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore. Old-timers say the attack reminds them of 1972 when during the Munich Olympics 11 Israeli athletes were kidnapped and later killed by a terrorist organisation called Black September.

Cricket Association of Haridwar president Neeraj Kumar blamed the Pakistan government and Pakistan Cricket Board for the incident. Despite the conditions in Pakistan, they had pressed the Lankan team to tour Pakistan.

Major Sohan Singh Negi (Retired) said the attack was pre-planned and prima facie there was a major security lapse. “The bus carrying the team was not bullet-proof. Had it been one, the players could have been saved from harm,” he said.

While cricket fans are enraged over the attack. Umesh Dimri, an ITC employee representing the ITC cricket team, said: “Sportsmen are an asset and belong not just to a particular nation, but the entire world.”

Terming it a black day in the history of sports, Dr SK Batra of SMJN College said the terrorists used the Lankan players to world attention “but they don’t know that this act will unite world opinion against them.” He said the incident had proved the India’s decision not to tour Pakistan right.

Sports coordinator Shiv Kumar of Gurukul Kangri University said it was time that terrorism was listed as a world threat. “Terrorism has blotted the sports field too and whenever we host a tournament, we will have to ensure that minuscule problems are attended to.”

Students coming out of their examination centres were aghast to hear of the incident. “I am not quite able to concentrate after seeing visuals and hearing news about the attacks.

“Indian team’s security should be beefed up in New Zealand as terrorists can strike anywhere,” said Surabhi Rawat, a student with Delhi Public School student

Dehradun, March 3
Pradeep’s blazing inning of 128 runs helped Garhwal Sports Academy register a massive 205-run victory over Khurbura Eleven at a match during the 57th District Cricket League underway at the Survey Stadium, here today.

It was a scintillating performance by Pradeep, who hit 128 runs off 87 balls. Pradeep smashed 12 fours and six sixes in his innings to help his team pile a mammoth total of 321 runs.

Earlier, Garhwal Sports Academy opener Aadil gave them a solid start. He smashed a quick-fire 76 runs of 42 balls. Lower down the order Pankaj chipped in with a useful 40 runs off 14 balls. For Khurbura Eleven, Ravi bagged four wickets.

Chasing 322 runs in their allotted 35 overs, Khurbura Eleven lost their first wicket with the score on nine. Atul was the top-scorer with 36 runs off 56 balls.

For Garhwal Sports Academy, Surender took three wickets, Abdulla and Bharat picked up two wickets each. The whole team was dismissed for 126 runs.

In another match played between ICFAI University and Rao Cricket Academy at OFD ground, the former won by two wickets.

Batting first, Rao Cricket Academy scored 147 runs in 30 overs. Ashish Pal was the top-scorer with 36 runs off 56 balls. Ashwani supported him well on the other end and made 20 runs.

Chasing a modest target of 148 runs, ICFAI University team reached the target in 28.4 overs. It was a fine start by their team openers who contributed 36 runs of the first nine overs.

Parinay was the first to go after making 14 runs.

First-down batsman Manish made a handy contribution for his team.

He made 32 runs. For Rao Cricket Academy team Ashish took five wickets.

In the end, it was an easy three-wicket victory for ICFAI University.