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It was always on the edge for Khanduri
Life at the precipice beckons women
Forests burning, dry spell to blame |
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Man booked
for fraud
Tree falls, 3 killed
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It was always on the edge for Khanduri
Dehradun, June 23 During his stint (two years, two months and 15 days) as Chief Minister, Khanduri faced more trouble from within his party than outside. After the BJP won the 2007 assembly elections and decided to install Khanduri as CM, there was stiff opposition from a section of the party led by former chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari. Central party observers had a tough time handling the dissidents. A disgruntled Koshiyari accepted the verdict of the central party but continued to oppose Khanduri. Khanduri won the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat four times in 1991, 1998, 1999 and 2004. He later won the Dhumakot byelection on becoming the CM in August 2007. While Khanduri tried to rule the state with firmness, bringing in order in the state administrative machinery, his party leaders and legislators plotted to pull the rug under his feet. Some of his decisions annoyed powerful lobbies and business families. His decision that an outsider could purchase only 250 square metres of land sounded the death knell of the booming real estate market in the state.
The fiscal mismanagement of his government in the first year led to squeezing of funds, adversely affecting developmental works. The management of the power sector was another problem area with the Khanduri government failing to bank power with other states in the summer of 2007. As a consequence, the state faced a severe power crunch in the winter of 2007-2008. The writing on the wall was clear in February 2008 when Lieut Gen TPS Rawat (retd) won the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha byelection on the basis of postal ballots, mainly of servicemen. Khanduri’s attitude also annoyed captains of the industry who felt he was not in favour of industrialists. Khanduri came up with an industrial policy for the hills. This was seen as indication enough that he was against industries being set up in the Terai region. Khanduri’s ties with his party legislators remained far from cordial. Being an Army man, he wanted discipline in office. This too annoyed party legislators and even ministers. Khanduri did try to please the RSS lobby by appointing a few among them as public relations officers but they were not given any worthwhile work. He brought in his trusted aides Parbhat Kumar Sarangi, an IAS officer, to run his office. After sometime, the RSS lobby too felt frustrated. The simmering discontent among legislators was exploited by the Koshiyari camp. And in August 2008, a group of more than 20 legislators stormed the party headquaters in New Delhi to complain against Khanduri’s style of functioning. As a compromise, the BJP high command decided to move Koshiyari to the Rajya Sabha and reprimanded Khanduri asking him to be more communicative with legislators and party functionaries. The stunning defeat of the BJP in the parliamentary elections losing all five seats in the state gave another chance to the Koshiyari-led dissidents to mount pressure on the party leadership for a change of guard. Khanduri owned moral responsibility for the defeat and offered to quit. Koshiyari precipitated the matters by quitting his Rajya Sabha seat last week only to take back his resignation following a stern directive from party leadership. It is anybody’s guess if the change of guard in Uttarakhand will benefit the state BJP. |
Life at the precipice beckons women Dehradun, June 23 In Uttarakhand, local tour operators are going all hog to attract discerning women travellers, offering them alluring packages. The urge to get away from the antiseptic environs of the hotel room was what prompted Prerna Sharma to explore the countryside. This brought her to the Garhwal hills. “I could have opted to relax in my hotel room and enjoy the services, but when opportunity came my way to trek up to Lata village in Chamoli, I was only too glad,” said Prerna, whose plan to go up to Kwari Pass was foiled by unexpected snowfall. Similarly, a women’s group took a trip to Sanakari and Osla villages on their way to Har Ki Dun in Uttarkashi. “For miles and miles, there was no sign of habitation. “We passed through breath-taking meadows and corn farms. I will cherish these moments for ever,” said Gauri the youngest member in the group. Said Sunil Kainthola of Mountain Shepherd, a tour and trekking company that arranged for Prerna’s excursion: “We believe that women are more than capable of taking such trips and why not? Most are independent and keen to explore. “What we offered Prerna was an experience in hassle-free travel. I’m sure next time she will be able to manage on her own.” Locals are being employed by trekking companies. Rather than working for unscrupulous tour operators, they prefer local companies. It was in 2006 that the company first organised a trek to Nanda Devi for women mountaineers. The mountaineers came from the US, Canada and Taiwan. “It was an invigorating experience as we were able to experience how tourism could be used to support lives and livelihood of local people,” said Claudia, a member from Canada. Nanda Devi Park was created in 1988 and in 2003 fringe areas were opened for 500 trekkers each year. As trekking trips demandphysical fitness and endurance, the initial pleasure begins to pall as one begins to trek further up the hills. It is here that the guides come useful. “Along with exhilaration there is a sense of vulnerability that becomes overpowering with fatigue setting in, but professional guides help you see through tough times. “ That you are in safe hands in the end is the only consolation that works for both men and women,” said Prerna Raturi, a keen trekker. |
Forests burning, dry spell to blame Dehradun, June 23 With monsoon nowhere in sight, the forest fires that have doused with intermittent rains are yet up again in the flames and with the soaring temperatures fire is likely to aggravate further. From the start of fire season this year (Feb 15) till date, the state has witnessed as many as 1,526 incidents of forest fires encompassing an area to the tune of 3,783.4 hectares of forestland. Apart from forest divisions, even protected areas like Corbett National Park, Rajaji National Park and Nandadevi biosphere have been affected due to the fires. The forest officials do not rule out tough days ahead if the temperatures continue to rise steadily and if there is no rain at the earliest. According to the chief environment officer Uttarkhand AR Sinha, who is entrusted with monitoring and remedial action for forest fires in the state, said taking into account the rising temperature and possibility of increase in frequency of forest fires, the forest officials are constantly monitoring the situation. Forest fire season this year has already resulted in several deaths with the incident in the VanPanchayat forests in Pauri Garhwal being the most gory where five villagers were charred to death while they were extinguishing the fire. |
Man booked for fraud Dehradun, June 23 Shad Ahmen had been allegedly extracting money from Shurveer by giving him false assurances of making him play a Ranji Trophy match. Shad Ahmen, a resident of Bihar had met Shurveer Singh six months back and for the past many months, he had been misguiding Shurveer. Ahmen has assured Singh of getting him selected in the Bihar Ranji Trophy team and help him obtain a certificate in this regard. But on his visit to Bihar, Shurveer came to know that there was no Ranji match in Bihar. Angered over the incident, Shurveer Singh decided to lodge a complaint against Shad Ahmen, who was booked under Section 420 and 406. |
Tree falls, 3 killed
Almora, June 23 The incident occurred yesterday when Ramesh Chandra, his wife Vinita and brother Girish Chandra had gone to a jungle where a huge pine tree fell on them, sources said, adding they died on the spot. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. — PTI |
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