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Cabinet discusses Dixit, Sharma Commission reports
Swami bashes BJP on Kargil war
Swami Yatendranand Giri addresses ex-servicemen in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph |
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Canvassing in Army uniform irks BJP
Voters in high spirits, literally
Framboxx ties up with Seneca College
Players in action at Hukum Singh Memorial T-20 Cricket Tournament in Dehradun, on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir
Security up in Gujjar, Muslim areas
Welham’s Girls’ b’ball tourney begins today
Gardner tourney: Carman, St Jude’s triumph
Khanduri addresses rally over phone
Winners awarded at KV annual day
Soon, work at SKF’s Haridwar plant
Labourer’s wife has no money for surgery
Gangotri, Yamunotri opened for devotees
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Cabinet discusses Dixit, Sharma Commission reports
Dehradun, April 28 Complying with the guidelines of the Model Code of Conduct, the government officials refused to divulge any details about the proceedings of the meeting. However, highly placed sources revealed that discussions were held at length regarding the two reports. While the Dixit Committee report pertains to the issue of the permanent capital of the state, whereas the Sharma Commission report is about the alleged scams during the previous Congress regime. The tabling of both the reports in the state Cabinet during a time, when the elections are just a few weeks away, had raised many eyebrows. Notably, after taking over the reins of
Uttarakhand, the BJP government constituted RA Sharma (Retd) commission to probe irregularities into alleged 56 scams of the previous Congress government led by ND
Tiwari. Three weeks back, the Commission submitted its first report regarding the alleged irregularities in the horticulture department. Acting in pro-active manner, the Commission had submitted its second report to CM some ten days back. Reacting sharply to the timings of the submission of the reports, the Congress leaders accused the government of trying to get political mileage from the said issue. Congress MLA Dinesh Aggarwal said Sharma Commission is “untrustworthy” and can’t be relied upon. However, nullifying the accusations of the Congress, senior BJP leadership counter attacked the party stating that Cong leaders are scared of the reports because they are not clean. The state Health Minister and state spokesman Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said Cong leaders are “worried” and issuing misleading statements. He further said if the leaders are clean, they should welcome the submission of report. The BJP leadership also claimed that Sharma Commission report pertaining to Horticulture Department had indicted some government authorities during the previous Congress regime. As far as the Dixit Committee report is concerned, the report had come after a period of seven years. Dixit Commission was designated the job about the selection of a site for the permanent capital of the state. From past few months, parties like Uttarakhand Kranti Dal
(UKD) and Communists are building pressure on the state government to make the report public but to no avail. The CM had downplayed their demand stating that Dixit Committee report has several volumes and it would take time to scrutinise it before making it public. |
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Swami bashes BJP on Kargil war
Dehradun, April 28 The members of the Cell and BJP leaders had to face an embarrassing situation when the party candidate from Haridwar Yatendranand Giri started castigating the NDA government for the Kargil war that took the lives of as many as 475 Indian soldiers, out of which 70 were from Uttarakhand alone. "There is no reason to be proud of winning the battle. We lost our young officers and soldiers", said Giri, while addressing the rally. A visibly calm Giri said it was unfortunate that Indian soldiers had to launch an offensive to get hold of crucial posts in Kargil region, which were occupied by the Pakistanis. "Despite losing our brave and young soldiers, we feel proud of winning the battle. When the war was on, Indian soldiers should have been allowed to capture at least 10-15 km of the area falling in Pakistani territory," he said. Notably, while BJP leaders have never wasted any opportunity to get the credit of defeating Pakistan in the Kargil conflict, the aspersions cast by Giri have certainly put BJP in an embarrassing situation. Meanwhile, continuing his speech, Giri also criticised the decision of the release of 95,000 Pakistani soldiers captured by the Indian forces during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. "Indian government could have easily bargained with Pakistan and ensured that prisoners were only released after Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) was given to India," he said. Giri said although India had defeated Pakistan four times, successive Indian governments had failed to cash on the opportunity to bargain with Pakistan in the post-war talks. "The reason for saints like me to jump into the electoral battle is to ensure that such things do not happen in future," he said. Giri created a furore when he said people like Afzal Guru, convict in the Parliament attack case, should be tied with the tree and set ablaze in full public view. "There is no reason to keep perpetrators of the terror attacks alive", he argued. Meanwhile, there were just a handful of ex-servicemen at the rally. Ex-servicemen section of the population constitutes a major part of the electorate in the state and BJP had always claimed that they enjoy the support of around 55 per cent of the group. Besides, Khanduri and Member Parliament from Pauri Lt Gen TPS Rawat (retd) are both ex-servicemen.
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Willing to share Nano details with Rawat, says CM
Dehradun, April 28 Reacting to allegations levelled by Congress candidate from Haridwar seat Harish Rawat, the CM said senior Congress leaders should refrain from making baseless allegations. "He has alleged that I compromised with the interests of Uttarakhand. Neither he knows me fully nor he is aware of the developments regarding Nano. I do not succumb to pressure," he said. Khanduri said he did not want to discuss details of the Nano project going to Gujarat, but if Congress leader Harish Rawat wants he could share On the other allegation that industrial development has become a casualty in the past two years of BJP rule, Khanduri said figures reveal that many industries have come to Uttarakhand in the past two years, but due to shortage of land some of the bigger companies, seeking large land, could not be accommodated. "It was only a unit of Honda that has decided to shift from Uttarakhand, that too due to different reasons. The charge of flight of industry from Uttarakhand is imaginary," said Khanduri. Regarding the claim made by Harish Rawat that he would get the industrial package given to Uttarakhand extended from the present 2010 to 2015, the CM said Rawat should first get back the package earlier given to the state till 2013. "I had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh four times in this regard and he could not do anything. Can Harish Rawat do it?" he questioned. "It is the incompetence of the previous Congress state government and the present United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre on all fronts that the Congressmen are trying to camouflage in the elections," he charged. The CM alleged that it was an open secret that the previous state government indulged in corrupt practices, spoilt the work culture and tarnished the image of Uttarakhand in the entire country. "The Sharma commission set up to inquire into the 56 alleged scandals has given its report in two cases and will soon submit the entire report," he said. Asked whether reports of Sharma Commission are being used to settle political scores, Khanduri said he was against any witchhunt and appointed a Commission that could independently go into the cases and unearth the truth. "I am for action against those guilty and against any political witchhunt," he added. On his aggressive election campaign, he said he was going to people with his two years of work and telling about future plans of his government. Khanduri also informed that talks with Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) are on and resignation of Urban Development and Food and Supplies Minister Diwakar Bhatt has not been accepted. |
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Canvassing in Army uniform irks BJP
Dehradun, April 28 But this time, former Uttarakhand Animal Husbandry Minister Mantri Parsad Naithani, who is election incharge of the Congress candidate Satpal Maharaj from Pauri Garhwal seat, has struck a new idea to impress ex-servicemen. Naithani has been campaigning for the Congress candidate wearing an Army uniform and been addressing election meetings, which has annoyed the BJP leadership. Khanduri has criticised Naithani for donning Army uniform for election campaigning. "This is an insult to the Army and an offence. Even an Army man is not entitled to wear the uniform after retirement," Khanduri said. However, unperturbed by the criticism, Naithani, who has hogged the limelight in the past also by his unusual moves, has been campaigning in Ramnagar assembly segment of Pauri Garhwal seat wearing an Army uniform. When asked about his move, Naithani said he has been fighting against the dictatorship of the two BJP generals - Khanduri and TPS Rawat - as a foot soldier of the Congress. "There are a large number of soldiers who find themselves at the receiving end of the whims and fancies of these two generals. I am determined to fight as a soldier," he said. Earlier, during the Congress regime, when Naithani was Animal Husbandry Minister in the Tiwari council of ministers, he removed all the chairs in his office and started sitting on the floor. But his fad continued only for a few days and he himself started sitting on his official chair after a few days. He also announced to make Uttarakhand a "Dog State" by exporting high-attitude 'Bhotia' dogs to other countries to earn foreign exchange.
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Time to put your best foot forward
Dehradun, April 28 “We launched our summer collection on April 1. We have got open bellies, flip-flops in all interesting shades. New designs keep coming in every week and the price varies between Rs 399 to Rs 1,000,” said Rakesh, salesperson at a footwear shop. Bata, a reliable brand known for its comfortable footwears has launched its summer collection starting from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000. “Bata has launched Dr Scholls unisex sandals, an orthopeditian from Germany, which are especially meant for people who are suffering from joint aches. Floaters are also selling like hot cakes. Fashion footwear’s by Bata are made of genuine Italian leather,” said Sumit, manager Bata. High-end brands like Reebok, Nike, Puma, are offering trendy shoes and floaters, which are excellent to beat the heat and tiredness. “This season we have introduced floaters which are soft from inside and are tough from outside. The honeycomb shaped cushion base floaters, which is the latest range by Reebok is based on the hexalite technology, which costs Rs 3600. “They are huge hit as they absorbs sweat and shock completely from the areas of pressure,” said Dependra Joshi, sales executive at Reebok. Osho chappals, the chappals, which got their name after famous spiritual guru Osho, are one of the most comfortable and chic chappals to be worn with any outfit. Moreover, being priced at Rs 100 it’s got a massive sale in the city. “These chappals are available in almost all every colour and being comfortable and stylish women of all age groups love to flaunt these during summers,” said Praveen a footwear shop owner. |
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Voters in high spirits, literally
Dehradun, April 28 The seizure of smuggled liquor costing Rs 32 lakh during the past one month and recovery of 720 bottles of countrymade liquor from the house of a former general secretary of the SC cell of the Congress, Jaipal Jatav,for in Rishikesh yesterday goes on to show that candidates do try to allure the electorate by distributing free liquor. Sources say a major chunk of the smuggled Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) comes from Chandigarh, where it is available at almost half the rates than in Uttarakhand. Liquor is also smuggled from neighbouring border districts of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh. In order to check the menace, the Dehradun police has held meetings with the police officials of Chandigarh and neighbouring border districts. Despite this, liquor is being brought into Uttarakhand from Chandigarh and distributed in hill areas. The popular brands being smuggled are 8 PM, McDowell and Silver Peg. While the cost of a carton of 8 PM, McDowell and Silver Peg is priced at Rs 3,300, Rs 2,580 and Rs 2,130 respectively in Dehradun; the cost of these brands per carton in Chandigarh is Rs 1,500, Rs 1,550 and Rs 1,400 respectively. SSP Amit Kumar Sinha says if the police of border districts sets up barriers and remains vigilant, it should help check the smuggling of liquor from Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal
Pradesh. |
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Framboxx ties up with Seneca College
Dehradun, April 28 Seneca a world-renowned college for training offers over 144 courses in different streams. A total of over one-lakh students graduate through its eight campuses in Toronto, Canada, every year. “It is recognised as a leader in the animation, visual effects and gaming education sectors and many of its alumni are renowned artists recognised by world audiences for excellence in their crafts. “And with a motive to provide students this kind of exposure and opportunities here in the city we are offering a postgraduate certificate in animation, visual effects and gaming in India. “Also we have joined with industry’s visual effects expert Biju D for a unique programme ‘The Fablefx’ a two-month full time learning experience that will create the next generation of production ready visual effects artists in India,” said Sanjay Chaturvedi, coordinator public relations at Frameboxx. To produce quality, under the degree certificate programs, batch sizes are limited to a maximum of 25 students for a rigorous two-term course. “Stringent enrollment criteria will ensure quality students and only those with genuine talent and an eye for creativity. At the end of the course, each team would be showcasing their completed films in front of a panel consisting of studio heads and professionals who will analyse and deliver the results. “As far as future is concerned we are expecting lot of students to take up this course in the city,” added
Chaturvedi. |
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T20: Delhi, U’khand win
Dehradun, April 28 The first match was played between Chandigarh and Delhi teams, which the latter won by six wickets. Batting first, Chandigarh scored 64 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Paras was the top-scorer with 18, followed by Gill who made 7 runs. For Delhi, Omprakesh picked up four wickets in three overs. Shanabad supported him well on the other end to claim two wickets. Chasing 65 runs, Delhi team reached the target with six wickets in hand. First-down batsman Shahid was the top-scorer with 22 runs followed by Shanabad, who made 12 runs. For Chandigarh, Virendra took two wickets. In the second match Uttarakhand defeated Haryana by ten wickets. Batting first, Haryana could only manage 64 runs in their allotted 20 overs. Opening batsman Gagan Cheema was the top-scorer with 12 runs, followed by Shahib who made 9 runs. For Uttarakhand RP Singh took two wickets. Ravi and Ajaad took one wicket each. In reply, Uttarakhand reached the target with 10 wickets in hand. Their opener Yogendra smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground to make 47 runs. The other opener, Vijay, made 12 runs. Meanwhile, the match played between Uttarakhand and Haryana yesterday ended in a tie. Haryana won the toss and elected to bat. The team scored 139 runs in the allotted 20 overs. Vijay Rana scored 32 runs, hitting five fours in his innings. Sahib Singh chipped in with 20 runs. From the Uttarakhand team, Vijay was the top scorer with 44 runs. In the second match, Uttar Pradesh team outclassed Rajasthan. They won the match by eight wickets. Batting first, Rajasthan team could only manage to score 58 runs. |
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Security up in Gujjar, Muslim areas
Roorkee, April 28 The Jhabrera assembly constituency, where there is maximum presence of Gujjars, has 28 highly sensitive polling centres while the number of sensitive polling stations is 23. In Khanpur assembly constituency, as many as 22 centres have been declared highly sensitive against the total of 27. The rest of the stations have been declared sensitive. As many as 111 polling centres have been marked as highly sensitive and 107 as sensitive in the Roorkee region alone. Similarly, Muslim-dominated areas will also be a challenge for the police during the last phase of polling. The Manglore constituency, which comprises around 80 per cent Muslims, is another pocket where police has to take stringent measures to maintain law and order. The number of highly sensitive and sensitive centres in Manglore is 20 and 17, respectively. Peeran Kaliyar and Bhagwanpur (both Muslim-dominated pockets have 15 highly sensitive and 19 sensitive, and 21 highly sensitive and 22 sensitive centres, respectively. “Yes, I agree that these areas are highly sensitive, but we are prepared to face any kind of situation on the day of election. “Extra forces will be deployed in big numbers in these sensitive pockets to prevent any untoward incident. Senior police officers will remain there till the end of polling,” said Ajay Joshi, SP (Rural). |
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Welham’s Girls’ b’ball tourney begins today
Dehradun, April 28 The third edition of the tournament will end on May 2. Team that will be participating in the tournament are Welham Girls’ School Blues, Welham Girls’ School White, Hope Town Girls’ School
(Dehradun), Punjab Public School (Nabha), Moti Lal Nehru School of Sports (Rai), Modern School (New Delhi), Mayo College Girls’ School
(Ajmer) and Woodstock School (Mussoorie). Capt (IN) VK Verma (Retd), principal and director of Motilal Nehru School of Sports,
Rai, Sonipat, Haryana will be the chief guests on the occasion. The opening ceremony of the tournament will showcase a Rajasthani dance
‘Kalbelia’. Three matches will be played after the introduction ceremony. Two semifinal matches will be played on May 1 and the final match will be played on May 2. The final match will be followed by a Karate Kata demonstration. |
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Gardner tourney: Carman, St Jude’s triumph
Dehradun, April 28 In the first match, Carman School got a walkover over The Heritage School. In the second match, St Jude’s School defeated Doon Public School by four runs. Batting first, St Jude’s School scored 50 runs in six over. Chasing the victory target of 51 runs Doon Public School was could only manage to score 46 runs. In the third match Brooklyn School emerged victorious against Carman School, Premnagar. Batting first, Carman School set a target of 63 run before Brooklyn. Brooklyn School achieved the target with four wickets in hand. In the last match, Carman School, Dalanwala defeated Bala Hissar Academy by six wickets. Bala Hissar Academy set a target of 41 runs for Carman School, Dalanwala. Carman School, Dalanwala achieved the target with six wickets in hand.
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Khanduri addresses rally over phone
Dehradun, April 28 Khanduri, who could not make it to the rally in support of party candidate from Pauri parliamentary constituency TPS Rawat, addressed the gathering through the mobile phone. On account of increasing forest fires these days there is thick fog cover in the sky, which has made it difficult to commute on helicopter. However, when Khanduri was told about the situation, he immediately called up one of his party leaders present at the election rally, who put the phone in front of the mike for people to hear. In his ‘mobile’ address, Khanduri said price rise, corruption and internal security are main election issues and people will vote UPA out of power because they have failed to handle the situation. — TNS
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Winners awarded at KV annual day
Dehradun, April 28 Principal GP Gaud presented the annual progress report and highlighted the achievements of the school in various fields. He also mentioned the name of students, who brought laurels for the school in the field of engineering, medicine and mass communication. Students who were outstanding in the field of sports were awarded. Senior students enthralled the audience with Rajasthani folk dance and songs. Junior students presented “Pyaar ki Ganga bahe”, which was appreciated by the audience.
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Soon, work at SKF’s Haridwar plant
Mumbai, April 28 The company said it would invest Rs 150 crore and employ 200 persons. "SKF's move to increase production capacity through the Haridwar plant signifies our commitment to customers and will allow SKF to further increase its shares in the developing two-wheeler and automotive market," SKF MD Rakesh Makhija said. The facility is spread over 10 acres and will have a production capacity of 40 million bearings.
— PTI |
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Labourer’s wife has no money for surgery
Dehradun, April 28 Saloni was referred to Delhi where she was recommended heart surgery. The operation would cost a hefty amount of Rs 4 lakh, which her family can’t afford. Doctors have recommended that the operation should take place latest by April 30 under any circumstances or else it may be too late to operate upon her. With meager resources, Saloni now finds herself in helpless situation. Her husband, Padam, is a labourer and earns a Rs 2500, per month. The couple has a five-months-old child. |
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Gangotri, Yamunotri opened for devotees
Dehradun, April 28 The doors of the temples situated at the origin of the Ganga and the Yamuna were opened for the devotees to mark the festival. This also signifies the onset of the summer season. Char Dham Vikas Parishad vice-president Suratram Nautiyal said the doors of the two holy temples were opened yesterday at exact 12.15 pm and 12.30 pm, respectively, in the presence of hundreds of saints and devotees. The doors of the other two pilgrimage centres of Kedarnath and Badrinath will be opened on April 30 and May 1, respectively.
— PTI
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Sikh Sewak Jatha
Dehradun: Uttam Singh was appointed president of the Sikh Sewak Jatha, Dehradun, and Sewa Singh Matharu unanimously appointed general secretary of the jatha at a meeting organised here on Tuesday. Matharu said the jatha would organise Guru Gobind Singh Parkash Utsav beginning July 5 at Guru Nanak Niwas. —
TNS |
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The election rally organised by the Ex-Servicemen Cell of Bhartiya Janata Party at Miyawala area, which falls under the Haridwar
parliament- ary constituency, turned out to be a platform for NDA bashing, here today.
Willing to share Nano details with Rawat, says CM
