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Dehradun football fans keep asking for more
Local bodies feel neglected
Engg corps returns from rafting expedition |
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Agitators bother about media attention only
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Dehradun football fans keep asking for more
Dehradun, October 12 A majority of these football lovers include retired persons, who are accustomed to coming to the pavilion ground for the past 30 or 40 years, just to witness matches. They give their critical views on matches and point out mistakes committed by a team in a match. They proudly talk about the history of the Dehradun football and take pride in frequently orating the names of famous football players that Dehradun has produced. Some of them talked to The Tribune on the last day of the league. HS Kohli, who has retired from the ONGC, has been coming to the pavilion ground since his childhood. He had tried his hand on many games, but of all football remains his favourite sport. Sharing his opinion about the game, he said: “Dehradun football has improved itself consistently and the standard of the game has got better in the past few years. But, still a lot needs to be done for the game, like providing a good playing field to the players and there should be more funds allocated for the game for its improvement. He disclosed that he is awaiting for another football tournament to begin soon. Another hardcore football fan, Nar Bahadur Gurung, who is above 60 years of age, said: “The tournament is an occasion for football fans to gather at the spot and witness the match in company of other old-time footballers and have some interesting chit-chat among them”. He feels that Dehradun still have enough potential to produce good players, but one just need to provide them with good facilities and exposure”. A veteran athlete, BS Rawat, who had won gold in 100m, 400m and triple jump in veteran category, said: “Efforts should be made to organise big tournaments in football in order to give a better exposure to budding football players. The public still has the same craze for the game. One just needs to promote the game property”. DS Bisht, another football fan, said: “Recently a state-level u-19 football tournament was held in Dehradun. The tournament saw three Dehradun teams making it to the semifinal stage and later the final was set between both Dehradun teams. That itself speaks volumes about talent that Dehradun have in the game”. Anup Nautiyal, who witnessed all football matches of the league, said: “District Football League was one of the best sports events this year. There was a high-level of competition during the league and the number of participating teams has increased”.
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Local bodies feel neglected Dehradun, October 12
Deliberations among the representatives of as many as 63 local bodies and the government and bureaucracy represented by Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik and Secretary Anup Wadhawan, respectively, took off on a bitter note. The local bodies accused the government of doing a little to make them financially well off and carry forward public-welfare schemes. Leading the diatribe, Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli today accused the Urban Development Secretary of creating stumbling blocks in a smooth functioning of his corporation. “It is unfortunate that even to purchase 200 rickshaws to make Dehradun look clean, I have been time and again hounded by the bureaucracy for no rhyme or reason,” Chamoli argued.
Chamoli said the nature of local bodies’ work was quite different from other corporations. “We have to provide amenities and we cannot deprive people of certain things even when in financial constraints,” he said. Countering Chamoli’s charge, Wadhwan argued that the ministry was sensitive to the issues raised by the local bodies. He revealed that the matter linked to arrangements for finances for the implementation of pay commission’s provisions would also be in consideration of the State Finance Commission. However, Kaushik reaffirmed his commitment for empowerment of the local bodies. He said the local bodies had full backing of his ministry and it had started a series of schemes for providing better amenities in cities not covered under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission. He disclosed that the plan for the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Path Prakash Yojana, a scheme to lighten up cities, was being prepared and would soon come be implemented. In order to encourage a positive work culture, the urban development ministry has also introduced Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Award for municipalities putting up best performance while delivering services to people. The award carries a one-time consolidated amount for the winning municipality. The Urban Development Minister has also asked local bodies to avail benefit from the Integrated Housing and Slum Development programme. At present, only two municipalities of Pauri and Shrinagar have submitted the DPRs for availing benefits under the scheme. Regarding the rising number of vacancies in the local bodies, which is affecting their work, Kaushik said he knew of this and his ministry was working to ensure that vacancies were filled at the earliest. In the meantime, works would be carried out through outsourcing and contractual employees. Interestingly, the meeting also pooh-poohed government’s slogan of “Green Uttarakhand Clean Uttarakhand”, asserting that this can only be achieved if the issues and challenges before the local bodies were taken up and resolved on a priority.
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Engg corps returns from rafting expedition Rishikesh, October 12
In a bid to showcase the Army’s spirit of adventure, the rafting team of the Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering (EME) has successfully undertaken and completed a four-day path breaking expedition along the Ganges in the lap of the Himalayas. The expedition was flagged off in by the Director General of EME, Lt Gen AKS Chandele, AVSM, yesterday at Rishikesh. The expedition which was flagged off from Rudraprayag on October 8, 2009, as a part of the 9th Corps Reunion Celebration of the Corps of EME was aimed at motivating the youth of the country to join the Indian Army, besides promoting adventure activities across the Himalayas. During its four days of treacherous journey along with the serpentine maneuvers of the holy Ganges amidst the pristine surroundings of the Himalayas, the expedition faced the wrath of tearing rapids. It covered a total distance of 158 km in the massive water of the frothing Ganges along the route. The route had a number of breathtaking rapids of the order of grade 4 to 5 and deep falls with rocky projections and negotiating these was a real test of nerves, said the team leader. For this expedition, the brave hearts of the Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME), led by Major Vishal Ahlawat, a veteran of adventure activities, had been engaged in rigorous pre-expedition training cum equipment check exercise at Rudraprayag. The team comprising six officers and 25 other ranks were handpicked from various EME units deployed all across the country.
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Agitators bother about media attention only Dehradun, October 12 Media attention-hungry protesters, who claim that it is a day-long protest, just wait for media personnel to reach there and pack off at about 1 in the afternoon. The protesters rather than making the aim of their cause primary, concentrate on catching the media eye. Generally, the protesters start their campaign at about 11 in the morning when media personnel start pouring in. As soon as some media personnel reach the protest site, they start posing for a photograph adjusting their chiefs towards the centre and most of the time they are seen pushing their colleagues to get themselves photographed. However, as soon as those particular media personnel leave, the protesters start chitchatting or joking among themselves, hardly paying any heed to what the protest is about and how serious it is. And when another media group comes there, the protesters again start raising slogans and get active with
their protest. As the photography is done, they again get back to their normal chitchat. “What is happening? Is anyone serious about the protest or do they just come to get publicity? It is simple - just raise a tent and gather about 12 or 24 persons
and get your news published in the next day’s newspapers,” quips an elderly resident of the area. It has been assumed that in such protests most of the protesters
don’t even know what is the protest about? The reason being that most of them are even invited or obliged to attend the protest and given allurements in return. The protests are only making it inconvenient for the visitors who come to the park. Issues taken up by these protesters don’t really concern the public. And surprisingly, at such a large gathering no arrangements of security are made. On Saturday also, two protests were held at the park. One by the Uttarakhand State Congress Committee and the
other by the National Student Union of India (NSUI). The Congress protested against corruption in the Minor Irrigation Department while the NSUI raised its voice
against the police for releasing the accused on bail who attacked Sangram Singh, state president of the party, on September 18.
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Dehradun, October 12
Referring to government’s announcement to ask the local bodies for making financial arrangements on their own for the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s norms in their respective local bodies, Chamoli said the financial crunch being faced by most of the local bodies was a fact in everybody’s knowledge. “Now, asking them to make financial arrangements by themselves seems humorous,” he said, adding that even the Dehradun Municipal Corporation was not in a position to provide the benefits recommended by the pay commission to its employees on its own. 