Haridwar, August 22
Traffic jams on congested roads are a common sight with lakhs of pilgrims and tourists visiting the city everyday. The problem is aggravated by the encroachments, which have mushroomed in every nook and corner here.

With Maha Kumbh scheduled for early next year the administration is taking serious cognisance of the encroachment and is chalking out plans to make city free of the problem. Mela officer Anand Vardhan is concerned about the encroachments in Har-Ki-Pauri and old Haridwar region. Taking lessons from the past encroachment drives which were effective only temporarily mela officer this time wants support and cooperation of traders itself.

“Administration doesn’t intend to hurt any trader but encroachment is illegal and if these are removed with cooperation with local traders then it will facilitate crores of people visiting the city,” said Vardhan. Deputy inspector general (Kumbh Mela) Alok Kumar said that the main problem here was that while the population here has increased by 60 per cent in past decade, network of roads is the same.

“If Golden Temple can be clean and encroachment free why cant Har-Ki-Pauri” questions Alok Kumar further adding “This can only be done when every individual is sensitised towards the importance and sanctity of the place which is internationally renowned.”

Divulging his plan Alok said that upper road connecting Har-Ki-Pauri will be used as exit route and according to traffic theory it’s width should be in accordance with the municipality maps. He pointed that if this road is freed of encroachments and the width of the road is increased as it ought to be then majority of the traffic congestion problem will be solved.

Urging traders and local organisation’s support which is vital as seen in the Somwati Amawasya and Kanwar Mela district magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram lauded their previous efforts and said that administration isn’t anti-traders but it is in the interest of the city.

Meanwhile, administration is bifurcating permanent nature and temporary encroachments and in coming months will start the drive.

The Traders association has welcomed the step and assured the full cooperation. District head of Haridwar traders association Kailash Kesharwani said that they too are willing to remove encroachments and wished that force will not be required. “We want that the traders should be informed before takthe drive and they should be called on the spot,” said Kesharwani.

Haridwar, August 22
After Ayush Pradesh and Urja Pradesh, now Union Minister of State for Employment and Labour Harish Rawat has given a new synonym to the state terming it to make it a technical education Pradesh. He said to utilise the intellectual prowess and resources of the state ought to be made a higher education technical centre. And soon with opening of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Haridwar it will pave the way for the technical education in the state.

For the proposed IIM, the land identification, acquisition and other modalities are in last phase and soon Haridwar district will boast of an international-level Institute. Pointing that by 2020, the global demand of technicians will touch 4 crore mark in both developed and underdeveloped nations and to meet such a huge requirement the onus lies on countries such as India, who not only have the manpower, but also the skilled-technicians too.

“India is producing annually 1.25 lakh skilled technicians while it has one of the largest youth base nearing 75 per cent of total population. In such scenario more technical centres should be opened to meet the demand,” said Rawat.

Elaborating on the government’s plan to open high-level technical institutes in the state, Rawat said considering the limited resources due to the geographical condition of the state it’s imperative to have more technical institutes in the state so that the skills of the brainy youth of this state gets honed and the state contributes nationally and internationally.

Roorkee, August 22
All preparations have been put in place for the Students Affairs Counselling (SAC) elections, which will take place tomorrow at Indian Institution of Technology (IIT) here.

The elections take place every year to elect bhawan secretaries (BS), mess secretaries (MS) and councillors among students in all nine hostels of the institute.

On August 27, elected members will elect councillors’ executive.

Elections will held in two phases, where 9 BSs, 9 MSs and 53 councillors would be elected in the first phase while in the second phase the elected members would further elect the office bearers, including SAC president, general secretary,

joint secretary, treasurer and executive members, of the executive body.

For the first phase, polling will start from 8 am and culminate at 1 pm under the returning officer professor Ranvir Singh, said an official of Dean of Students Welfare office.

More than 5,000 students of the institute would cast their vote tomorrow.

“The elections of SAC hold every year in utmost discipline. The body looks after the welfare and other facilities of the students here,” said Dr HK Verma, deputy director of the institute.

The official said that a total of 237 students are in fray for the posts of BSs, MSs and councilors.

While one BS and one MS would be elected from each hostel, the number of posts for councillors would be varied.

Dehradun, August 22
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today directed director, Techinical Education, to present a proposal for setting up Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Pabo in Thailisain Assembly constituency represented by him.

Nishank gave these directions during a meeting here in which a delegation of elected representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions in the constituency apprised him of the problems of the people of the area. This was long pending demand of the people of Pabo and Bela Bazaar areas. He also approved upgradation of Rajkiya Kanya High School, Pabo to intermediate level besides directing secretary, School Education to fill four vacant posts in Government Inter College, Dadoli.

The CM also called upon the elected representatives to conduct surprise checking of ongoing government construction works in their respective areas to ensure the quality. Responding to another demand, he summoned file of Ayurvedic Hospital proposed to set up in Molkhal Block of Thailisain two years back.

The CM also gave a nod to the proposal of establishing a pisciculture centre at Pabo. He gave Rs 1 lakh to prepare a road between Pinani and Kundal Lok from his discretionary fund.

Dehradun, August 22
The state school education department today clarified that the recent statewide transfer list of teachers should not be treated as order.

Apparently, this has been done to clear the confusion created by mass transfers of schoolteachers allegedly under political considerations.

School education secretary Rakesh Kumar has issued the instructions to clarify that the list of such teachers is purely a case of administrative permission. As such, it would be erroneous to consider it as transfer order.

The department had recently finalised a list of 850 teachers. But, the problem mainly arose because more than one teacher was allotted to a school either against the same post or no vacancy existed.

As per the instructions, director and additional director, education, Garhwal and Kumaion divisions, will issue the transfer orders only in the case of a vacancy.

For this, no teacher will be put in waiting list for more than three days.

No Siksha Bandhu/Shiksha Mitra or adhoc teacher, whose names have been included in the list, would be issued relieving order. In case of single teacher schools, the transfer would be effective only after serving teachers is relieved.

No relieving or joining order would be issued in the case of transfers in the Vikasnagar assembly constituency till the poll code expires.

Sources said this happened because recommendations for transfers that were made under the political considerations. This created a chaotic situation unfolded at the time of issuing transfer orders.

“The official clarification is just a face saving exercise. Ideally, care should have been taken while preparing the list,” said an officer.

The major part of the problem is related to transfers sought by primary and junior schoolteachers. They were not transferred out of the district as they belonged to the district cadre till last year.

Dehradun, August 22
Uttarakhand School Education Board (USEB) has introduced Hindi as a compulsory subject in the current academic session in all the schools affiliated to it.

With this, the Class XI students would now study three language subjects instead of two.

Joint Secretary USEB Pardeep Rawat said that in addition to Hindi, the intermediate students of humanities stream would have the choice of electing any two languages included in the curriculum of the USEB.

Due to implementation of CBSE pattern at intermediate level in all the government schools in the state since 2006, the students could elect only two languages in this stream

Though the state government had enacted Uttarakhand School Education Act in 2006, but practically, the school education system here was still conducted as per the rules of the UP School Education Board. The new Act came into force in the state after the government issued its notification on July 10,2009.

Under this, Hindi has been made compulsory, added Rawat.

Dehradun, August 22
Poly Kids preschool, located at Dalanwala today organised H1N1 presentation at their campus. The presentation was conducted by Dr DK Juneja, child specialist and paedetrician, who is specially dealing with cases related to swine flu and their testing, in CMO office.

He said this was the first school in Dehradun where they were conducting this type of seminar. It was a positive step towards awareness direction and other schools should follow the same.

He said tree or four schools could club together and organise such awareness seminar for the benefit of parents. He said until now there had been three cases of swine flu that were detected and the first case was in May 2009. The reports, which have been sent, are taking 10 to 12 days. Presently, there are only two test centres in India - Delhi and Pune.

Sample report of Raunak Singh, who died suspecting Swine Flu, is still awaited though more than 10 days have been passed. He said medicines like Tamiflu, Fluvir were available with the government. Such medicines were in capsule form and now the syrup was also available for children. In severe cases these medicines were not effective since the dosage took time and immediate action was only possible with the help of injections that were not yet available for treatment.

Dr Juneja also presented a slide show presentation on H1N1 virus and people were intimated about the precautions to be taken to avoid getting infected.

Dehradun, August 22
Dr Jagdish Kishwan, who left the coveted post of Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, to be repatriated to his parent Jammu and Kashmir cadre, will go down in history as a personality who organised the third world towards extracting a fair deal from the developed nations in the ongoing United Nation’s Framework of ‘Climate Change Negotiations’.

Being at the centrestage eversince climate change issue had been in thick of deliberations, Dr Kishwan has been most sought after personality among the developing nations for his thorough understanding of the climate change negotiations and his ability to put their concerns effectively and in a convincing manner.

Since he took the cause of developing nations vis-à-vis reward for forestry conservation, Dr Kishwan, now and ex-director of the General Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education has visited over by a dozen nations prominently Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Nairobi, Kenya, Austria, Cambodia and Surinam, who seek his advice towards putting forward their pleadings before the United Nation Framework of Climate Change Convention meetings.

Dr Kishwan’s first major success came during the Bali negotiations, when through his pleadings he ensured inclusion of “policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.”

This proved to be a shot in the arm for the developing world as they are now all set to benefit with the new inclusion.

Even Pakistan had invited Dr Kishwan over the same issue. However, the visit could not be formalised as the relation between the two nations turned sour at that juncture.

Dehradun, August 22
The National Institute for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bangalore, Dr Shekhar Seshadri, a Bangalore-based child psychiatrist, today said the sexual rights of mentally challenged should be protected and given due attention.

He was speaking at a lecture titled - “Sexuality and the Lives of the People with Intellectual Impairment” - organised by Latika Roy Foundation.

Favouring an enabling and rights-based approach while tackling the sexuality of the mentally challenged, Dr Sehadri said the issue needed a multi dimensional approach and there could not be one view on it, adding that, “We do not have a formula for it, but we have started debate on the issue and are giving options to people and parents who otherwise thought sexuality was a taboo word so far mentally challenged persons are concerned.”

He said there was a lot of confusion in the parents’ mind, whether they should suppress sexuality, “Usually the subject is debated in the realm of able and mainstream society keeping out the mentally challenged. The approach is deficient, an indicator of patriarchal society that views the sexual act as only the concern of mainstream society,” Dr Seshadri said.

Coming if support of providing scientific, medical and research-based guidance to the parents of the disabled, he said choices should be given so that they led a happy and satisfied life.

Dehradun, August 22
Shivalik Club’s dream, to make it to the super league stage, came to an end as it lost to Sundarwala Boys team by 2-1 at the District Footbal League here today.

Sundarwala Boys team was on attack right from the beginning and launched a sharp attack in the 5th minute of the match.

Due to the lack of finishing Sundarwala team failed to score a goal. As the game progressed towards the first half, Sunderwala efforts paid as they scored first goal in the 31st minute through Abhishek Rawat.

In the second half, Sushil Rawat scored an equaliser for his team in the 51st minute of the match making it 1-1. P Negi stuck for Sundarwala team in the 56th minute making it 2-1.

In the second match at the league Eleven Star team defeated Khalanga Boys by 2-1.

Dehradun, August 22
Sonam won the gold in the 55 kg District Judo Competition for women organised by District Sports Office, here today.

Results:

In 25 Kg: 1st Shikha Rana of Orona’s International (gold), 2nd Puspa of Doon Angel (silver) and 3rd Shivangi Negi of Charmwood School (bronze).

In 30 Kg: 1st Kajal of Narishilp (gold), 2nd Mansi of Guru Nanak School (silver) and 3rd Jasvir of Guru Nanak School (bronze).

In 35 Kg: 1st Archana of Narishilp Mandir won (gold), 2nd Sabita of Narishipl Mandir (silver) and 3rd Jyoti of Rajkiya Inter College (bronze).

In 40 Kg: 1st Sabita of 58 GT School (gold), 2nd Rashmi of Narishilp Mandir (silver) and 3rd Preeti of Shri Guru Ram Rai School (bronze).

In 45 Kg: 1st Samiksha of Kendra Vidhyalaya No 2 (gold), 2nd Sumitra of Nari Shilp Mandir (silver) and 3rd Saloni of Unisson World School (bronze).

In 50 Kg: 1st Priya of Guru Nanak Inter College (gold), 2nd Jamuna of Rajkiya Inter College (silver) and 3rd Kahkasha of Unisson World School (bronze).

In 55 Kg: 1st Sonam of Narishlip Mandir (gold), 2nd Supriya of Kalsi GIC (silver) and 3rd Amika of Unisson World School (bronze).

Dehradun, August 22
Udham Singh Nagar knocked out the Uttarkashi team by 3-1 at the u-19 Ram Bahadur Chhetri Memorial state-level football championship here today.

It proved to be a one-sided match as the sharp and agile Udham Singh Nagar team gave the Uttarkashi team their first jolt in the 10th minute of the match. It was Raja for the Uttarkashi team that scored first goal in the 10th minute. In the 12th minute, the Udham Singh Nagar team was close on scoring a goal as it forward penetrated the Uttarkashi defence but to miss the goal by a whisker. In the 22nd minute, the Uttarkashi team scored an equaliser through Rahul.

In the 30th minute, Kamlesh scored the second goal for the Udham Singh Nagar team making it 2-1 before the half time.

In the second half, the Udham Singh Nagar team launched a number of attacks on the Uttarkashi team to put the defence under pressure. The Udham Singh Nagar team finally succeeded in scoring a goal in the 65th minute to win the match through Kamlesh again to make it 3-1.

In the second match the SAI Hostel team beat Bageshwar by 3-1.