Dehardun, July 24
Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists today unlocked the gate of DAV (PG) College to allow the college management to restart its normal functioning. The ABVP decision followed an assurance given by district administration to carry out an inquiry into the alleged sale of property by the college management and various financial anomalies within 15 days.

They had also submitted a memorandum containing their demands along with details of college property to the sub-divisional magistrate present on the occasion.

But the ABVP state vice-president, Jitendra Rawat, resolved to carry on their protest unless the government resolved the whole matter.

He said that ABVP’s decision to open the college gates was to help the students take admission into the college.

Ashok Kumar, the principal of the college, appealed to the students to end their protest and resolve their issues through talks.

But students refused to obey his orders, maintaining that college gate will only open once the government sets up an inquiry in this matter.

Yesterday, activists also had a detail discussion with the Chief Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal, over the issue.

In another incident, DAV management today issued a fax to the college administration declaring to resolve the issue of college principal in a week’s time.

National Student Union of Indian (NSUI) and a session of college professors had demanded to appoint new principal to the college who had full powers.

This demand had resulted in a rift in the college management.

To resolve this issue DAV management has asked for a week’s time to resolve the whole issue.

For the time being Dinesh Kumar will be the acting principal of the college whereas Ashok Kumar will have all the powers. 

Dehradun, July 24
Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) is mulling insurance of students on rolls of its affiliated technical education institutes. The initiative would be first of its kind in the state.

The university authorities have taken up the idea with the managements of the institutes for the purpose but nothing concrete has emerged yet.

But efforts are on to convince them about need of such an arrangement. The idea is brainchild of the UTU Vice Chancellor Prof DS Chauhan who feels that it was duty of the university as well as the concerned institute to help a student continue studies in case of unforeseen loss of financial support.

The university has proposed that the insurance could be done from the amount being charged from the students for providing medical facilities to them. The students should not be charged under any other account head to avail this facility.

The basic motive is to avoid disruption of studies on account of untimely death of parent of a student or in the case of a student's accident.

At the preliminary stage, it is being proposed that in case of accident depending upon its seriousness, the insurance amount up to Rs 10 lakh should be provided for medical treatment of a student.

“The idea was fairly successful when implemented during my tenure as Vice Chancellor of Uttar Pradesh Technical University.

“I strongly believe that education of a student should not suffer due to expiry of the parent bearing his educational expenses," said the Vice Chancellor.

Roorkee, July 24
With the completion of the ongoing process of admissions at the Indian Institution of Technology (IIT), here the authorities have issued instructions to check ragging in the campus as well outside the premises.

As per the fresh directions of University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations on curbing ragging in higher educational institutions, all the students and their parents have been asked to furnish the affidavits, mentioning that he/she would not be indulge in any activity, which comes under the definition of ragging in the UGC draft on ragging.

Apart from that, anti-ragging squads, which consists professors, security staff and other staff members have been deputed all around to keep vigil on ragging activities in and around the campus.

“We have put all the freshers in a separate hostel where they can get all the goods of their daily needs from a makeshift shop. No senior student off the institute is allowed to visit the hostel during odd hours.

Similarly, no fresher can go to the room of any senior student for the time being,” said Dr HK Verma, deputy director of IIT and chairman of Anti-RaggingCommittee.

All the freshers have been instructed to reach in the hostels till 9 pm for attendance and after that nobody is allowed to go outside. This arrangement would be put in place till the formal introduction session takes place in August, added Dr Verma. The anti-ragging squads would also check the menace outside the IIT premises.

“We have seen that sometimes students of outside colleges involve in ragging of IIT freshers outside the premises. So our squads would also keep vigil outside the IIT gates and if anybody found in such case, we would seek police help to deal with outside students”, said Dr Verma.

The phone numbers of anti-ragging committee members have been displayed at various places in the premises for the help of the students. The institute has adopted a stricter move against the ragging. 

Dehradun, July 24
Repeated adjournments marked today’s proceedings of the budget session of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly. Furious over deteriorating law and order situation, Opposition parties, mainly Congress, went to the extent of terming the state government as “impotent” in this regard.

“Arun Shukla, a Ramnagar resident, who threatened Congress MLA from Rudrpur, Tilak Raj Behad, of dire consequences and was booked under section 506 (Punishment for Criminal Intimidation) of the IPC convened a press conference in the state capital yesterday and the police failed to arrest him,” said leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha Dr. Harak Singh Rawat.

Interestingly, Shukla called a press conference at a hotel in Dehradun yesterday, but left the venue mid-way.

On July 22, Behad had threatened to immolate himself outside the residence of Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank in case Shukla was not arrested.

On Behad’s complaint that Shukla had threatened him of dire consequences on several occasions over the phone, a case under section 506 of IPC was registered against Shukla at Rudrpur Kotwali police station on July 14.

Police also procured warrants against the accused from the Court, but so far no arrest has been made. The probe is being undertaken by CB-CID now.

Meanwhile, as the House proceedings started today, visibly agitated Congress MLAs created uproar over the issue. Even BSP legislators supported the protesting Congress MLAs.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Harak Singh Rawat said: “By organising a press conference right under the nose of the administration and that too in the state capital, Shukla has proved that there is no fear of the police in the minds of anti-social elements.”

He asserted that the press conference was a direct challenge to the state government. He demanded that Nishank should come to the House and give a statement on the issue. Dr Rawat further stated that if the accused was not to be arrested, why Nishank gave a false assurance to the Opposition that action would be initiated in three days time.

“The accused is not being arrested due to political pressure,” alleged Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Yashpal Arya.

Amidst the chaos, the Speaker adjourned the house thrice. When the zero hour started in the afternoon, the Congress MLAs against started protesting on this issue, following which the House was adjourned twice.

Later, speaking to mediapersons, Dr Rawat accused the government of patronising anti-social elements. Referring to yesterday’s armed robbery in Vasant Vihar, Congress MLA Dinesh Aggarwal said the law and order situation had deteriorated a lot in the state.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parkash Pant said by the time police got to know about Shukla’s press conference, he had fled from the spot.

“As assured by the CM, the accused will be arrested but it is certainly not in the interests of the state to create a ruckus in the House on a mere issue of a case under section 506 of IPC,” he told mediapersons. 

Dehradun, July 24
District unit of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) today blocked traffic and organised demonstration against Dikshit Commission recommendations on the permanent state capital issue. The protestors led by UKD advisor Latafat Hussain and senior statehood activist Furkan Ahmed blocked the traffic at Prince Chowk and burn the effigy of Commission to mark their protest.

Sticking to their party’s stand of making Gairsain as the permanent capital, the protestors alleged that the Commission’s recommendation of Gairsain being unfeasible choice was misleading.

The traffic was held up for some time creating problems for the commuters. The passengers travelling in some long route buses had to bear with the situation before the protestors called off the blockade. Traffic cops on duty helplessly watched the protestors.

Since the Commission report was tabled at the ongoing budget session of the Assembly, UKD has been organising demonstration against it. Its workers even tried to barge into the Assembly premises on the issue. The protestors today again reiterated their party’s resolve against acceptance of the report.

UKD leaders alleged that the report went against the concept for which Uttarakhand was created. They resolved to start statewide agitation on the issue. 

Dehradun, July 24
Yoga trained youths staged protest outside Uttarakhand State Assembly even while continuing with their dharna at the same venue for 224th day today. Led by Ganesh Bhatt president of Yoga Parishikshit Society, the Yoga trained youths sought creation of posts for yoga teachers within government schools.

Gaurav Mishra, protesters, said that they will continue with their protest till their demand was met by the government. They also pledged to continue with their dharna till their concerns were addressed.

However, the protesters welcomed the government’s decision to include yoga as a subject in schools. 

Dehradun, July 24
Uttarakhand forest minister Bishan Singh Chufal has said while plantations during the monsoon are important, it is important to ensure these are maintained for the next five years so as to increase their chances of survival.

Addressing a vanmahotsava in Dehradun today, he said while plantations continued to be a regular exercise with the forest authorities year after year, it was all the more important to ensure that these plantations were safeguarded at least for the initial five years so as to increase their survival rate.

“Going by the forest department claim of having undertaken 25,000 hectares of plantation every year since the past 50 years, the state should today have had immense forest cover. But that is not the case. Evidently, something is lacking in the maintenance of these saplings,” Chufal pointed out.

He called for photographic records to ensure the saplings were well-maintained. Referring to the ill-effects of forest degradation, the minister said the degradation of forests was causing problems of potable water and soil erosion.

Local MLA Dinesh Agarwal said the Forest Survey of India report revealed that the tree cover in Uttarakhand was just 40 per cent.

Referring in particular to Dehradun, Agarwal said the city had lost most of its trees to rampant urbanisation as also its exclusive variety of rice and litchi fruit. He said plantation programmes should not be limited to the forest department.

Principal chief conservator of forests RBS Rawat emphasised on spreading awareness among schoolchildren on the importance of conservation. He said the degradation of forests had resulted in climatic change.

Conservator of forests, Shivalik circle, Rajendra Singh, thanked the guests. Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation MD KL Arya was among the prominent speakers.

As many as 2,000 saplings of 200 species were planted today on the first day of the Vanmahotsava.

Dehradun, July 24
Little Star team registered a narrow 1-0 victory over Khalanga Boys at the District Football League match, here today.

Little Star scored the goal in the eighth minute of the match. It was a fine cross from the right that Varun neatly placed in Khalanga Boys goal.

Thereafter, Khalanga Boys team made repeated attempts to find an equalizer in the first-half, but failed.

Even in the second-half, Little Star team managed to hold on to their slender lead.

In the second match 6/8 Gorkha Rifle team registered a 2-0 win over Garhwal Boys. Gorkha Rifle team came close to scoring a goal in the 16th minute, but the opposition defense denied them the opportunity. At the end of first-half, both teams were locked at 0-0.

However, in the second-half 6/8 Gorkha Rifle team stepped up a gear and scored two goals to secure victory. 

Dehardun, July 24
ONGC Union and District Football Association would organise the Ram Bahadur Chhetri Memorial (u-19) Inter-District Football Championship in Dehradun from August 21 to 29.

As many as 16 teams will take part in the championship.

Executive director, Employee Relations, at ONGC, Sushant Vats said 12 teams from different districts of Uttarakhand, one from Sports College (District Unit), Dehradun, one combined team from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Dehradun, and two local u-19 teams would take part in the championship. He said the tournament would be played on a knock-out basis.

Two trophies would be given after completion of the tournament; first the Ram Badhur Chhetri Memorial Trophy for winners and the second the Dwarika Nath Dhawan Fair Play Trophy.

Prizes would also be given to the highest goal-scorer, best midfielder, best defender and best goalkeeper.

The state team for the National Under-19 Championship would be selected after the tourney.