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Poll Pitch
Cong candidates fear internal sabotage
Meanwhile, BJP unmoved, holds poll meet
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Soon, e-ticket for state buses
Info panel summons govt officials
Firing Incident
Jhanda Sahib hoisted, mela begins
Faith accompli
Helpline launched on Consumer Day
Women must have say in policy planning: Expert
BA, B.Com admit cards uploaded
Wonder Year kids rock at Annual Day
DAV Inter College win kabaddi title
Bear kills man in Tehri
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Poll Pitch
Dehradun, March 15 Eversince the Uttarakhand unit of the BJP announced its candidates for the five parliamentary constituencies, a considerable chunk of Dal leaders are exerting pressure on the party leaders to withdraw support from the ruling BJP. Currently, UKD is alliance partner of the BJP and one of its legislators Diwakar Bhatt holds the post of a cabinet minister. The issue has risen after the Dal leaders had demanded two parliamentary seats - Tehri and Nainital - from the BJP. However, showing scant regard, the BJP fielded its own candidates from all five parliamentary constituencies. Subsequently, the Dal announced to contest elections from all the constituencies. The leaders, however, turned down the request of BJP to support their party candidates, but as far as decision of withdrawing support is concerned, no decision has been taken as yet. Even if Dal pulls out of the government, BJP is comfortably placed in the state assembly, and even if three legislators of the Dal withdraw their support, there would be no threat to the government. But the Dal candidates may cause a dent in the BJP vote bank. In the last Lok Sabha elections, UKD, the biggest regional party in Uttarakhand, had fielded its candidates from four parliamentary constituencies - Almora, Haridwar, Tehri and Nainital - and managed to garner 43,899 votes. Party insiders disclosed that UKD's rank and file is in favour of parting ways with BJP. Sources further said a majority of the party activists are of the opinion that the Dal should withdraw support from the BJP, as the alliance was causing damage to the party. "The BJP has completely overlooked the demands of the UKD, especially the one related to making Garsain the permanent capital of Uttarakhand. Besides, they had not bothered to leave even a single seat for the UKD. Under these circumstances, withdrawing support from the BJP government will be in the larger interest of the party", said a Dal leader on condition of anonymity. It is also learnt that a meeting convened by the Dal leaders to discuss the crucial issue in Pauri Garhwal district today remained inconclusive. Senior party leader Kashi Singh Airi presided over the meeting. Giving details, party's spokesman Virinder Mohan Uttarakhandi said, "Party president Dr. Narain Singh Jantwal could not attend the meeting due to his busy schedule. Hence, the decision regarding withdrawal of support will now be taken in the next meeting scheduled to be held in a couple of days." Sources in the Dal also said a section of the leaders having proximity with MLA Diwakar Bhatt are not in favour of withdrawing support. Senior party leaders are trying to persuade Bhatt to support the demand of the party's rank and file to part ways with the BJP.
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Cong candidates fear internal sabotage
Dehradun, March 15 It will be an uphill task for the Uttarakhand Congress to stem dissidence. More than the ruling BJP, Congress candidates face the danger of sabotage at the hands of party ranks. The Congress in the state stands divided into two factions: one owing allegiance to veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari, now Governor of Andhra Pradesh, and the other led by former state Congress Chief Harish Rawat. There are other smaller factions too. In Garhwal Vijay Bahuguna from Tehri and Satpal Maharaj from Pauri face internal dissent. In Tehri Garhwal, local Congress legislator Kishore Upadhaya was one of the claimants to the Lok Sabha ticket. Belonging to the Harish Rawat camp, he is a die-hard opponent of Bahuguna. Similarly, Congress legislator from Chakrata Pritam Singh, also of the Rawat group, is not favourably inclined towards the official party candidate. In Pauri Garhwal, Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand assembly, Harak Singh Rawat, a legislator from Lansdown, was in race for the Pauri Garhwal ticket. He is unlikely to work wholeheartedly for the official nominee. Satpal Maharaj faces opposition from former state minister Surinder Singh Negi of Kotdwar who enjoys considerable influence in his area and was dead against Maharaj. Similarly, former legislator Pardeep Tamta, a protégé of the Harish Rawat, is the Congress candidate from the Almora (reserve) seat. He faces opposition from the Tiwari camp. Harish Rawat, who is seeking a party ticket from Haridwar, has been facing opposition from the Tiwari camp. The party organisation in Haridwar is appointed by state Congress chief Yashpal Arya which is opposed to Rawat. The party high command has yet to take a decision on Haridwar and Nainital Lok Sabha seats. “We are cautious; every seat is important. We will be appointing observers for each assembly segment and none, whether a leader or a worker, involved in anti-party activities will be spared,” warned Narendra Singh Bhandari, former state education minister and chairman of the state Congress disciplinary committee.
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Meanwhile, BJP unmoved, holds poll meet
Dehradun, March 15 Giving details, BJP state spokesman Vishwas Dawar said the party leaders expressed satisfaction with the election campaign. He said the party is making best efforts to reach out to people in the hills and remote villages. "Our door-to-door campaign is going well. We intend to reach out to every household to make the electorate aware about the achievements of the Khanduri government and the failures of the UPA government," he said, while adding that the campaign is gaining momentum with the each passing
day. Dawar said during today's meeting, the unused coupons issued for collecting funds for the Rs 3 crore purse that was presented to party's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani during the Vijay Sankalp Rally were taken back. "And the money collected from the used coupons were accounted for in order to ensure transparency in the collection process," he said. |
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Soon, e-ticket for state buses
Dehradun, March 15 The corporation has already purchased 200 e-ticket machines for the purpose, and initiated training for drivers and conductors. According to Deepak Jain, general manager, Uttarakhand Transport Corporation, with changing times it had become all the more important to provide the best of amenities to passengers and, therefore, the concept of e-ticketing was introduced. He informed that the department had already purchased as many as 200 e-ticketing machines. Interestingly, the State Transport Corporation does not want to take any chances this time after its
e-ticketing experiment, introduced exclusively for hi-tech buses, had earlier failed miserably due to faulty machines. Jain admitted that the department was also working to strengthen facilities for passenger. He said they were sensitive towards the concerns of passengers and any complaint linked to the amenities would be taken seriously. |
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Info panel summons govt officials
Dehradun, March 15 The commission had dispatched notices to all state public information officers, departmental heads, secretary, general administration and director, NIC, among others taking the news report as a complaint. Public Affairs Centre, an NGO, had conducted a survey of 500 state government departments in the country during December and January. It had put Uttarakhand among the category of states that had poor compliance rate as far as providing information through the web was concerned. While the NGO’s report has shown Uttarakhand in a bad light, according to the statistics provided by the commission, the disposal of total appeals and complaints was around 98 per cent. According to the State Information Commission, it had started digitising manuals in 2005. “As many as 19 PIOs have digitalised the manuals and posted them on the website,” the commission sources said.
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Firing Incident
Dehradun, March 15 After entering a verbal scuffle over a minor accident on EC Road on March 12, Mann had allegedly shot Jagmohan Singh Negi, president of the Manch, who had remained active during the statehood agitation. Negi suffered the
bullet injury in his left leg and was admitted to hospital. Addressing the gathering, state general secretary of the Manch Ramlal Khanduri said it must be investigated whether Mann had a licence for the weapon. “If it is licenced weapon, it must be cancelled without any delay,” he demanded. He alleged that the past history of Mann was
also dubious and strict action should be initated against him without any delay so that he is brought to book. The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate Amit Singh
Negi. |
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Jhanda Sahib hoisted, mela begins
Dehradun, March 15 Earlier, the Jhanda Sahib precincts were abuzz with activity. Led by Mahant Devender Das and the priests of the Darbar Sahib, elaborate ceremonies were performed in which the flag was worshipped amid lighting of incense and chanting of hymns. Then it was the turn of circling the mast with scarves and covers. Pilgrims holding the mast in their hands stood in rows, mindful of the fact that it should not touch the ground. “Despite being busy in covering the mast since morning, there was no faltering of effort. Even while it is quite heavy, the activity continues. People keep lending hands automatically,” said Navin Dangwal, a resident of Dehradun. At the end of the ceremony, ‘surma’ ‘tazib’ and ‘elaichi dana’ were distributed as ‘prasad’ among pilgrims. “The ‘surma’ is prepared at the Darbar Sahib and usually people with eye ailments and in their middle age benefit from it,” said Darshan Kumar Saini, a pilgrim from Ludhiana. This year, around 50 pilgrims from Canada and the United Kingdom too participated in the ceremony. “Few others have come from Canada and America but they usually make private arrangements for their stay,” said Vishnu Kumar Nautiyal, coordinator, Darbar Guru Ram Rai. While the Darbar Sahib was full of people, other devotees were found sampling the fare on offer at the market. Despite langars being held around the clock, some pilgrims were seen sampling local food. The Jhanda Mela too got under way today. An hour-long firework display, organised by the Darbar Sahib Seva Samiti and Darshani Gate Dukandar Samiti, was held. |
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Faith accompli
Dehradun, March 15 The covers that are tied around the Jhanda Sabha mast comprise white, yellow and saffron-coloured muslin, cotton, satin and velvet clothes. “A total of 41 cotton and muslin, 21 satin and one ‘Darshani’ covers are wrapped around the mast. The velvet and ‘Darshani’ covers are usually 40 metres in length while the simple ones are 26 metres long,” said BP Saklani, officer incharge, Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib. The devotees have to deposit between Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 for the ‘Darshani’ cover and for the velvet one, the amount is Rs 5,000. Feeling elated at the turn of events, Kartar Singh said that his prayers had been heard. “Due to the blessings of Guru Ram Rai, my children are doing well and there is all-round prosperity in our family. Several generations of our family have been coming to the Darbar Sahib. I am hopeful that my grandchildren too will follow suit,” said Kartar. Next year, Darbara Singh of Noormahal in Jalandhar district will have the privilege of offering the ‘Darshani’ cover. Jasbir Saini of Delhi will do so in 2011 and a resident of Dehradun, Ram Niwas Mukesh, in 2012. The queue is so long that bookings have been completed for the velvet cover till 2079. In the bookings made today, Sarup Singh of Kurali in Ropar district made the booking for 2079. Not bothered about the bleak chance he has to offer the velvet cloth, Sarup Singh said, “I am already in my mid-seventies and my grandson is one-year old. I am hopeful that when our turn comes, my grandson would do the needful.” “We have much to thank the Darbar Sahib for. I used to earn Rs 80 not long ago but things brightened up after we began coming here. Today, we have two shops and our welding business is doing fine,” explained Sarup Singh. Interestingly, the Darbar Guru Ram Rai does not issue a receipt for the bookings. “I have deposited Rs 9,000 for the velvet cover and my father’s name has been registered in the record book,” said Gurmeet Singh, son of Sarup Singh. The pilgrims value these covers immensely. The Darbar distributes the old covers as ‘prasad’ among them. “We take them home and keep it at the place of worship,” said Kanta of Ropar. |
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Helpline launched on Consumer Day
Dehradun, March 15 Congress media incharge Suryakant Dhasmana said, “Making people aware of their consumer rights is the need of the hour, particularly when nearly 95-99 per cent of the world population comprises consumers.” Dhasmana expressed his concern about the time-consuming process of consumer courts of India in proving
justice. “Today we need to bring some amendments in the Consumer Protection Law for speedy judgments. “We need to make it more effective and less time consuming, for which Time Bound Justice Process is required as is done in Right to Information Act,” said Dhasmana. He also called for imposing penalty on the authorities if in case process of imparting justices is delayed. He further stated that India is the world’s second largest market with huge number of consumers living here and the country provides laws for
safeguarding the right of its people. But every good law has its loopholes, which results to delayed justice to the consumers. Therefore, it is important to impose time constrain with consumer protection law. Earlier, the president of the samiti, Balwindar Singh said the samiti has been working for the last three years for the welfare of the consumers. He expressed his concern over the adulteration in edible and other consumer products, for which he made consumers responsible. He said the most of the consumers are least bothered about quality of the products they buy. This ignorance on the part of the customers help cheaters evade laws. Harjeet Singh, general secretary of the samiti, convened the function. |
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Women must have say in policy planning: Expert
Dehradun, March 15 Convenor, Dr Zainab Rehman presented a set of recommendations that include; Ensuring that women are made part of policy planning. “Empowerment of women can only take place if their views are elicited for chalking out women specific policies,” she said. Besides more avenues should be provided for women and their education should help them in taking up important decisions independently and special measures be taken for women’s education (technical). Earlier during the technical session Elvy Dass, Dept of Economics MKP PG College said while the enrollment ratio of women in higher education in India has increased from a mere 10.87 per cent in 1950-51 to 40.40 per cent in 2005-06, the participation of women in decision making is still not very significant. “The consequences of a gender stereotyping of occupation suitable and not suitable for women can also be observed through a comparison of the technical and non-technical streams of education,” she said. Dr Saraswati Singh former Lecturer of MKP PG College Women while presenting papers on ‘Empowerment and Psychodynamics’ said the right set of values inculcated in women when young by their mothers can be decisive in shaping their outlook. Similarly, men too need to be educated at young age to respect women,” she said. During the two-day seminar resource persons including Maj Gen (retd) Chander Nandwani gave a lecture on career options in the Army. Dr Rajesh Bahuguna from Law College (Prem Nagar) said legal literacy is must for women. He said large number of women is opting career in Law. While Dr Bulbul Dhar James from Department of Jamia Millia while presenting paper on ‘Empowerment, challenging existing power relations’ stressed for the empowerment of women at all levels, physical, economical and social.
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BA, B.Com admit cards uploaded
Roorkee, March 15 Prof HK Verma, Uttara Portal administrator and principal investigator of e-governance project, said that the applicants can take a print out of their admit cards from Uttara Portal from tomorrow. The website address is www.uttara.in”. |
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Wonder Year kids rock at Annual Day
Dehradun, March 15 “We have been working with children from last three months for the annual day preparations and we made sure that every child participates, said Monika Virmani, administrator, wonder year. The solo tabla performance was enjoyed by guests. The function ended with a dance performance on Oscar Award winning ‘Jai Ho’. “This day holds lot of importance in our lives, and we are glad that parents and kids had a great time today,” said Monika. |
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DAV Inter College win kabaddi title
Dehradun, March 15 In the first match between DAV Inter College and SGRR College, DAV Inter College won the match 32-19. In the second match between Balawala team and Guru Nanak Boys Inter College, Guru Nanak boys won the match 41-30. In the third match, DAV Inter College defeated Balawala by a margin of 12 points. The final score was 23-11. SGRR College beat Guru Nanak Boys 16-14 in the fourth match. The fifth match was between SGRR College and Balawala team. SGRR College won 23-7. In the last league match, DAV Inter College defeated Guru Nanak Boys Inter College 11-8. |
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Bear kills man in Tehri
Dehradun, March 15 While, the wild bear caught Gajendra, his accomplice managed to run away. Villagers found Gajendra’s body in a cave. He was rushed to the Doon Hospital where he was declared brought-dead.
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The main attraction of the day was a cinematic performance by children of playgroup, nursery and LKg. Children performed on various Hindi movie songs. Starting from famous old movie song ‘Aree jara hat jaare natkat’ to the latest peppy dance numbers like ‘Singh is Kinng’.