Dehradun, July 20
Power cuts in the state and the BJP government’s failure in handling the traffic problem in Haridwar today dominated the proceedings of ongoing Budget session of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.

Dissatisfied with the explanation of the state government, Opposition MLAs resorted to heavy sloganeering against the BJP government and also created ruckus in the well of the House.

Another issue that was the highlight of today’s proceedings was the discharge of industrial waste inside the earth by industrial units operating from Bhagwanpur industrial area, Haridwar.

As the House re-assembled after a two-day break, BSP MLA Qazi Nizammudin raised the issue of the traffic chaos in Haridwar during the ‘Kanwar Mela’, Kumbh and other religious festivals.

He said that because of the heavy rush in Haridwar during the festivals, the national highway gets choked. He asked whether the state government had formulated any traffic plan to sort out the problem.

Answering Qazi’s queries, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parkash Pant said that they had chalked out a long-term plan for the four-laning of the National Highway connecting Haridwar.

“Besides, alternate routes and traffic diversions are always made during religious festivals when there is a rush of pilgrims in the holy city,” he told the House.

Nizammudin was, however, not satisfied with the arguments of Pant and said that despite traffic diversions, commuters get struck for hours in traffic jams.

Nizammudin added that the four-laning of the national highway cannot be completed by January next year when Mahakumbh will get underway. Hence, the government must come out with some solution before the start of the Mahakumbh.

Another issue that led to a heated debate in the House was of power cuts being imposed in the state. Congress MLA Pritam Singh asked the state government to make it clear in the House whether power cuts were being imposed in residential areas or not.

When Parkash Pant said that power cuts were being imposed only in commercial areas, former state power minister and Congress MLA Amrita Rawat stood up and minced no words in flaying the state government.

Rawat claimed that Pant was not telling the truth and power cuts were being imposed in residential areas too. Flaying Pant for misinforming the House, Rawat along with Congress MLAs rushed to the well of the House and chanted slogans. BSP MLAs, including Qazi Nizammudin, also joined the Congress legislators.

This was followed by extreme chaos in the assembly.

Then, BSP MLA Surinder Rakesh stunned the entire House when he claimed that 90 per cent industrial units operating from Bhagwanpur industrial area in Haridwar were discharging their entire industrial waste in the earth through deep bores.

“Underground water will get polluted if this is allowed to continue which will lead to serious health problems,” he said while asking the state government to respond.

Though Parkash Pant tried to pacify the Opposition by claiming that industrial units in Bhagwanpur had installed effluent treatment plants and that testing is also done at regular intervals, but to no avail.

Gauging the seriousness of the whole issue, Speaker Harbans Kapoor directed the state government to submit a detailed report in this regard on July 22.

Dehradun, July 20
Various associations of Uttarakhand state agitationists today staged a joint protest outside the State Legislative Assembly demanding that Garsain should be made permanent capital of the state with immediate effect.

The protesters also tried to barge into the assembly, but the police prevented them from doing so. In the process, a minor scuffle also ensued.

Ever since the Dixit Commission report was tabled in the assembly, pro-Garsain activists have been protesting against the government as the report has rejected Garsain as the site for relocating the permanent capital of Uttarakhand.

Various associations have also submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in this regard. A copy of the memorandum released to mediapersons mentioned that people of Uttarakhand had never accepted Dehradun as the state capital.

“There has already been a long delay in making Garsain the capital of Uttarakhand. It will be wrong to delay it further,” opined Shamsher Singh, Kamal Joshi and Kamla Pant, who represented various associations.

Haridwar, July 20
Citing Lucknow and Allahabad High Courts as being too far and posing problems galore for the common man, a delegation of advocates from Meerut Bar Association in a symbolic ‘Kanwar Yatra’ reached Haridwar today.

They prayed for the establishment of an additional Bench of the High Court in Uttar Pradesh in addition to Lucknow which is a Bench of the Allahabad High Court. The group, which had approximately 100 advocates on two wheelers, started from Katchari gate, Hanuman Mandir, Meerut. They were given a warm reception at Haridwar.

The advocates prayed at Har-ki-Pauri and took some Ganga water along. They prayed for the establishment of a High Court Bench in Meerut.

Advocates felt it ironic that from Meerut, the Allahabad High Court lay at a distance of 720 km.

“Litigants from the lower strata of society face problems which will be solved by having a Bench at Meerut,” said former Meerut Bar Association general secretary Mukesh Walia.

Dehradun, July 20
Almost a year after announcing reduction in additional stamp duty by one per cent, the state government has finally issued a notification to this effect.

From now on, people buying property in notified urban areas of the state would have to pay eight per cent stamp duty instead of the earlier nine per cent. The step is part of the government move to completely do away with the additional duty.

Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri had, in his budget speech last year, announced to reduce the additional stamp duty from two to one per cent. But the same could not be notified as the Governor returned the Bill sent for his assent on the grounds that it should be brought in the form of money bill as provided in Section 39 (1) of the amended Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973.

The total stamp duty payable before the notification included seven per cent basic duty and two per cent additional stamp duty.

The state Stamp Duty and Registration Department collects the additional duty on behalf of the local bodies, including municipal committees and municipal corporations as well as development authorities like Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), to carry out various development works in areas under them.

According to the notification, the revised share of local bodies and development authorities would now be 0.50 per cent each. Earlier it was 1.25 per cent for the local bodies and 0.75 per cent for the development authorities.

Sources said the total revenue collection to the department was likely to come down by Rs 25 crore per annum on account of one per cent reduction in the duty applicable to all documents related to sale, gift, exchange, agreement to sell or lease of immovable property.

The rural areas would, however, remain unaffected as no additional stamp duty is levied on any kind of property transaction there. So the reduction would benefit people in notified urban areas only.

The Stamps and Registration Department is the third biggest revenue grosser in the state after commercial tax and excise departments.

The trend of revenue collection that was increasing steadily since 2001 when Uttarakhand came into being, slumped in 2007-08 when the department collected Rs 424 crore as compared to Rs 546 crore in 2006-07. Since then, the trend has been similar. This fiscal, the department collected Rs 56 crore in April and May, which is Rs 8 crore less than the corresponding months of the last financial year.

Notably, Chief Minister Nishank had recently announced exemption of the remaining one per cent additional duty in his budget speech in the assembly. But it would come into force after the government notification in this regard. So complete exemption might take some more time as the related bill is yet to be tabled in the assembly.

Dehradun, July 20
The state government today made a strong case before the Union Planning Commission for a massive dose of financial assistance in the form of a special economic package on the pattern of north-eastern states.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank justified the grant of the package to Uttarakhand in a meeting with secretary, Planning Commission, Subhash Pani at Bijapur guesthouse here.

He underlined the need for the special assistance to strengthen basic infrastructure, drinking water, power, and health services.

Nishank asked Pani for release of Rs 1,195 crore for the purpose, apart from Rs 500 crore for upcoming Maha Kumbh Mela at Haridwar as well as construction of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS).

During the discussion, the CM highlighted that the state was facing financial burden of Rs 1,800 crore on account of implementation of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.

He also justified the financial assistance to organise Maha Kumbh because the religious event, which attracts millions of devotees as well tourists from all over the world, was a matter of national importance.

“The Union government should compensate all this in the form of special economic package,” he said.

The strategic location of the state, which shares international borders with China and Nepal, has made it a very sensitive place from the national security point of view.

Moreover, three-fourth of its total area is under forest cover, which has made it environmentally very fragile. Due to this, there are natural limitations for developmental activities. All these conditions make it a fit case for special economic package, added Nishank.

On his part, Pani assured the CM about early decisions on various proposals submitted by the state government to ensure overall economic development. He said all the issues raised by the CM would be considered seriously in the meeting of the Planning Commission to be held in New Delhi soon.

Pani also assured separate grant for rehabilitation facilities in border districts of the state.

Dehradun, July 20
There are a total of 255 leprosy patients in Dehradun district while the prevalence rate of leprosy was 0.5/10,000. All the leprosy patients are receiving Multi-Drug Treatment (MDT) that is free of cost. At present there are 81 (Multi Bacillary- 58, Pauci Bacillary- 23 patients) leprosy and two Pauci Bacillary patients.

At a meeting of District Leprosy Control Committee, Dr GC Baunthiyal CMO said that all the leprosy patients are getting free treatment and most of them are now free from disease. He said that till the month of April this year, 24 (Multi Bacillary-15, Pauci Bacillary-9) new leprosy patients were found and between April-June 22 (Multi Bacillary-14, Pauci Bacillary 8) patients were detected.

“Any body part not experiencing sensation and having a patch should be tested for leprosy. And patients should go for treatment as it is curable,” said district leprosy officer, GS Rauthan.

He said that from time to time camps are held for leprosy patients where dressing and medicines are distributed. While the committee is running awareness drive in ‘malin bastis’.

GS Rauthan said that awareness has now become the focus of leprosy prevention programme. To generate awareness rallies, group meeting and quizzes are held in schools. At Chakrata and Vikasnagar blocks a quiz competition was held. Quiz and rallies to generate awareness were held in Doiwala block also.

In order to encourage Asha workers to take up leprosy detection cases, the central government is offering honorarium of Rs 500 and Rs 300 for those who detect Multi-Bacillary and Pauci Bacillary cases.

Dehradun, July 20
As the process for getting central status for HNB Garhwal University is on, the university is streamlining its rules and regulations.

It has decided to withhold the result of the college students who deposit their examination forms late.

It has expressed concern over the delay on part of DAV (PG) College, Dehradun, towards filling of examination forms as it has become a regular feature with the college.

But this move seems to have little effect on some students.

Sumit Sharma, a student of BA-II, is not worried. “The university has held back my result but I am not the only person who is facing the problem. There are others as well.”

Sumit is sure that the university will declare the result under pressure from the students union as was done last year.

However, Vikas Gusain of B.Com III was worried about his result. “I am sure that I have secured good marks but now, I have to wait for my result.

“Once the students leaders take up the matter, the university will have to bow and will declare the result soon.”

State president of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) Sangram Singh Pundir, said, “The NSUI unit has decided to submit a memorandum to the HNB Garhwal University requesting them to declare the result just this time and forgive the students for their mistake.”

Meanwhile, Akhil Bhartiya Vidiyarthi Parishad (ABVP) student leader Virandra Gusain said, “Last year, the students union had forced the university to declare the result.

This year too, we will take up the issue. Presently, we are agitating against financial anomalies in the college.

“After this, we will call for an indefinite close down in the college unless the government take DAV (PG) administration in its hands.”

Dehradun, July 20
A five-day Forest Research Institute’s training programme on “Cultivation practices of forestry and medicinal plants” began at Shyampur village in Ambiwala region of Premnagar, Dehradun, today.

Inaugurating the programme, Deputy Director, Education, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Omkar Singh said the council was working to establish a Van Vigyan Kendra and a model village in every state for better dissemination of technology to people.

He disclosed that Shyampur village in Premnagar was being developed as a model village by the institute. “The farmers must benefit from research and the training programme aims at that,” he said.

Trilok Singh Bisht of Bagwaan Gram Udhyog Samiti said a trend towards cultivation of medicinal plants has been noticed, which was commendable.

FRI’s publicity and liaison officer Dr Pramjeet Singh asked the farmers to put into practice whatever they learn during the programme.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the training, Dr Ombir Singh apprised farmers about methods for upkeep of saplings and seeds. Another speaker, HP Singh focused his address on medicinal plants.

Farmers from Ambiwala, Malhan, Palio, Baniyawala, Karbari, Ratanpur, Shishambara, Barowala and East Hopetown, Devipur, would take part in the training programme.

Dehradun, July 20
Continuing its regular film shows on Sundays, Reach Talkies, a renowned film club of Dehradun, screened ‘Bicycle Thieves’, the 1948 classic directed by neo-realist Italian director Vittorio De Sica, here yesterday.

The film is supposed to have inspired a whole generation of filmmakers including Satyajit Ray. Ray acknowledged the influence of ‘Bicycle Thieves’ on the making of his first film ‘Pather Panchali’.

‘Bicycle Thieves’ is the best-known neo-realist film, a movement begun by Roberto Rossellini's ‘Rome, the Open City’ (1945), which attempted to give a new degree of realism to cinema.

De Sica shot only on location in Rome and instead of professional actors used non-actors. For example, Lamberto Maggiorani, the leading actor, was a factory worker. Among the numerous film enthusiasts present on the occasion were SK Das, former Chief Secretary and presently the Chairman, Uttarakhand Public Service Commission, and Tarun Chakraborty, executive director, ONGC.

Dr Achintya Pal, Chief Geophysicist, ONGC, and the Secretary of the Film Club, talked briefly about the director and the film.

He thanked ONGC for the infrastructure that makes the screenings possible. Special mention was made of Navin Khanna for providing logistic support.

As many as 20 persons have already become members of the film society.

Reach Talkies will be showing movies by renowned film directors like Truffaut, Goddard, Bertolucci, Rosallini and Satyajit Ray every Sunday at 4 pm at the KDMIPE mini-auditorium in ONGC, Kaulagarh Road campus.

Dehradun, July 20
Rajender Aggarwal of Rajender Nagar, Sandeep Kumar of Dalanwala, Harish Raturi of Prem Nagar, Ashima Kapoor of Clement Town and Sapna Khanduja of Rajander Nagar localities will be the first five customers to get the delivery of the Nano in a day or two.

Tata Motors started delivering the cars through its distributors across the country on July 18.

“The delivery of cars in Dehradun got delayed due to the unprecedented traffic due to the Kanwar Yatra. We expect these five cars to reach us either today or tomorrow,” said Rakesh Oberoi of Oberoi Motors, the authorised distributor in Uttarakhand.

Though 747 customers in Dehradun have been selected for delivery in the first lot, only five turned out to be luckier than others.

The excitement, however, was palpable among other customers because many of them will be the first-generation owners of the world’s smallest car.

Dehradun, July 20
‘Hindi Rachna Path’ became the meeting point for well-known Hindi writers and poets who recited their poems and read short stories at a well-attended session at a local hotel.

The session was held under the aegis of the Hindi Sahitya Akademi. Four sessions were held in which Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari, Girdhar Rathi, Sher Singh Bisht, Dinesh Kumar Shukla, Dr Bhudinath Mishra, Vijay Gaur, Rati Saxena and Ramesh Prajapati participated.

Vijay Gaur recited lines from his famous poem ‘Bhed’, Ramesh Prajapati from ‘Nigrani Karo Chaand’ and ‘Therao Sameh’ while Rathi Saxena recited ‘Sapne Dektha Samunder’ among others. To become a full-time Hindi writer or a poet continues to be a difficult call though Hindi language newspapers are flourishing in the country.

One cannot survive solely on the merits of one’s talent, said Girdhar Rathi.

Expressing these views at the sidelines of a session by Hindi writers and poets, Madhya Pradesh-based journalist, writer and poet Girdhar Rathi said, “Though there is no dearth of good Hindi and vernacular language writers and poets but financially, it may not be viable.”

He added that Indian writers in English have made a mark both in India and abroad because there is a large audience that is appreciative of the English language.

“English writing has suddenly acquired prestige. And, the language is widely understood and read. This is not to say that the writers are not talented,” said Rathi.

Literary organisations do good work if they provide a platform to writers and poets but they cannot give an impetus to creativity.

It is the writer or the poet who is responsible for creating a movement.

“Much depends on the attitude of individuals who run institutions. If they want the organisations to be alive and kicking, they should keep away from politics,” added Girdhar. Awards are a tricky business and, in no way, do they judge the popularity and talent of a writer. “It is a kind of lottery system where luck and chance play an important role,” said Rathi.

Girdhar Rathi’s literary works include a collection of poems titled ‘Aant Ke Sanchay’, a collection of criticism, a travelogue on China - ‘Survival’, an anthology of Hindi poetry translated into English by Daniel Weissbort.

He also edited Samkalin Bhartiya Sahitya between 1992 and 2004 and was associated with two international journals.

Dehradun, July 20
The match between Doon Challenger and Bajrang Club ended in a 1-1 draw at the District Football League here today.

The lack of finishing touch denied Doon Challenger a win in the match despite being the hot favourite. Inexperienced Doon Challenger players missed out on numerous scoring opportunities. In the first half, Doon Challenger came close to scoring in the seventh minute.

The move created from the right flank almost earned them their first goal but the team forward let the opportunity slip.

In the 13th minute, Challenger forwards failed to avail another chance created from the right. Bajrang Club tried unsuccessfully to penetrate the strong defence of Doon Challengers. It was a goalless first half.

In the second half, Doon Challenger was on the offensive right from the beginning and continuously kept the Bajrang Club defence under pressure.

In the 50th minute, their efforts paid off as Doon Challengers scored their first goal through Himanshu. But they failed to hold on to the lead. Barely two minutes later, Bajrang Club scored the equaliser through Pradeep.

In the second match, Khukri Club registered a 4-0 victory over Khalanga Club. Dipesh was the star performer for his team.

Khukri Club played aggressive football right from the beginning and scored their first goal in the 34th minute of the match through Dipesh. At half time, Khukri led 1-0.

In the second half, Khukri Club came with a better strategy to increase their tally by three. Dipesh scored the second goal for his team in the 55th minute.

Three minutes later, Khukri team’s Sagar found the net to make it 3-0. Dipesh scored his third goal in the 65th minute to help his team register a 4-0 victory over Khalanga Club.

Mussoorie, July 20
Oak Grove School defeated Central School for Tibetans (CST) in the final of senior division of a soccer tournament organised by the Mussoorie School Sports Association here.

In an absorbing soccer match held at Oak Grove School today, Oak Grove senior team defeated their rivals 2-0.

In the junior division CST defeated Mussoorie Modern School by an identical margin to lift the trophy.

The award for the best players in the senior division were given to Imran from Oak Grove, Ajatya from Mussoorie Modern and M Sage from CST.

In the junior division R Sagapu from CST, Rajat Aggarwal from Mussoorie Modern were awarded as the best players.