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Cong to launch stir against BJP govt for failing people
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Police Memorial Day
Attack on dealer’s house shocks Haridwar
Norwegian band to rock at IIT-Roorkee youth festival
Prof Asha Pande brings laurels to state
Rahul to trek at Dayara Bugyal
9 mishap-prone areas to have first-aid facility
Yet another IIT projector stolen
RIMC cadets show skills in website-making
Meeting discusses circle rates of land
One dies in road mishap at Rishikesh
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24 pc hike in tariff of power projects
Dehradun, October 21 Now, the average tariff approved for 2009-10 for the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has been pegged at 56.8 paise/unit. Besides, the commission has announced an increase of 42 per cent in the expenditure of Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (PTCUL) for this financial year. “The 24 per cent jump is due to an increase in operations and maintenance expenses, which have increased substantially due to wage revision and payment of arrears,” said Vishwa Jeet Talwar, Chairman of the UERC, at a press conference held today. He said the approved expenditure for the Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (PTCUL) was 42 per cent, an increase of 5 per cent over that of 2008-09. Experts say as the purchasing cost of power will increase, it will be passed on to the consumers and generally efforts are made to come up with least tariff-shock plan. The Commission has also imposed a penalty of Rs 2 crore on the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd and Rs 1 crore on the PTCUL. “This was done due to delay in submission of tariff petitions and the penalty will be utilised for conducting technical studies that will go a long way in increasing efficiency for management, control in generation and distribution of power in the state,” said Anand Kumar, Member, UERC. The commission has also asked UJVNL to submit DPRs for comprehensive renovation, modernization and up gradation of power stations in order to increase their efficiency and life span within six months. Further the commission has asked the state government to appoint more electrical inspectors in the state so that projects of both PTCUL and UJVNL are cleared quickly. The Inspectors usually give safety clearance for High tension and Low-tension projects. |
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Cong to launch stir against BJP govt for failing people
Dehradun, October 21 A decision in this regard was taken at the executive committee meeting of the state Congress at Rudrapur town in Udham Singh Nagar district today. The dates when the agitation is to be launched will be decided later. Yashpal Arya, president of the Uttarakhand Congress, said a total of eight resolutions were passed at the meeting. In the political resolution, the Uttarakhand Congress termed the past two and half years of the BJP rule in the state as utter failure. “Since the very beginning after winning the assembly elections, the state BJP has been caught in an intense internal infighting, firstly for choosing their Chief Minister and then plotting to overthrow Gen Khanduri, who was first elected. “The people of the state, who expected better governance, were completely betrayed by the BJP and it was reflected in the Lok Sabha elections, which they lost badly,” said Arya. The political resolution further said whether it was the inclusion of names of the poor in the list of Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders or taking a stand on the hydroelectric projects that are lifeline of the state, the state BJP government has only dithered. “The hydroelectric projects are so essential for the development of the state, but under a conspiracy of the Sangh Parivar, the BJP government first stopped the Pala Maneri and Bhairon Ghati projects and then also got the Loharinagpala project stopped through exerting pressure from the right wing Hindu lobby. “People in Uttarkashi are agitating since they have lost jobs and employment due to the closure of the projects. But, the state government has kept mum,” the resolution added. The party also blamed the BJP government of tardy progress of the centrally sponsored schemes like JNNRUM and NREGA in the state. “They have not been able to spend the money given under these schemes,” Arya alleged. The Uttarakhand Congress also blamed the BJP government for deteriorating law and order situation and delay in the payment of prices to the sugarcane farmers while the anomalies in the
implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission to the state government employees also came in for criticism. The party also decided to focus on a membership drive in view of the next assembly elections scheduled to be held in early 2012. |
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Police Memorial Day
Dehradun, October 21 The Chief Minister also announced to enhance various allowances of police personnel, including increase in nutrition allowance to Rs 150 per month to each from the rank of fourth class to ASP, motorcycle allowance of head constable/constable to the tune of Rs 350, which was Rs 50 earlier. He also pledged to raise the police welfare fund from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore and also the police sports fund from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister also announced to hike the relief from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 to those policemen who suffered injuries while on duty. He said the countrymen were indebted to the security forces who had made supreme sacrifices for maintaining the external as well as internal security of the country. Director General of Police Subhash Joshi said 835 police personnel martyred since September 1, 2008, to August 31, 2009, in India, in which 15 police personnel were from the Uttarakhand Police. The state government had recruited 66 dependents of police personnel who died during their service, he informed adding that all non-gazetted police personnel had been covered under the Accident Insurance Scheme. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbash Kapoor, Ombudsman Justice MM Ghildiyal, chairman of the Police Complaint Authority Justice SN Srivastava, Minister for Agriculture Trivendra Singh Rawat, State Minister Disaster Management Khajandas and senior police officers were present at the function.
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Attack on dealer’s house shocks Haridwar
Haridwar, October 21 In a daring incident in Meena Enclave, motorcycle-borne assailants opened fired indiscriminately at the house of a property dealer early this morning. Fortunately, members of his family escaped the attack. Bullets pierced window panes and walls of the house. As it was around 7:30 early in the morning, the property dealer, Arvind Chauhan was in the house with his family and everyone was busy in household works. The tutor of Chauhan’s children hardly had entered the house when the assailants stopped just outside the house and started firing. Hearing the sound gunshots, members of the family, who were in front rooms, lay on the floor to save themselves. The incident has left people in shock. They have demanded tighter security in the city. Meanwhile, Chauhan alleged that state Urban Development and Excise Minister Madan Kausik was behind the attack. Earlier, Chauhan had filed a complaint at the Ranipur police station that he was getting threat calls and there was a danger to his life. Taking cognisance of the complaint, the Ranipur police had provided security to him. SSP of Haridwar Sanjay Gunjiyal said the police was investigating the matter. He didn’t divulge much on the matter. Regarding Chauhan’s allegation against Kaushik, Gunjiyal agains said the police was investigating the matter. Two months ago, three contract killers had killed a BHEL executive in posh Shivalik Nagar by firing openly at him as he was taking out his car from the garage. However, the assailants were arrested. “This is unfortunate as the criminals are having a free hand and are openly firing and carrying out their nefarious designs while the police is just assuring residents of strict measures. A lot of this is to do with the VIP movement and security in the district and the police doesn’t have time for the security of the common man,” remarked Yogesh Sehgal, a neighbour of
Chauhan. |
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Norwegian band to rock at IIT-Roorkee youth festival
Roorkee, October 21 In the much-acclaimed festival, which is organised by IIT students on their own every year, the other celebrities, who have confirmed their participation so far include Bollywood’s new face Geeta Basra (“Train” fame), Punjabi pop star Jaggi D, satirist Ashok Chakradhar while talks are on with Sufi singer Kailash Kher, Kunal Ganjawala and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu. The festival, well-known for its top class events, including wargasm (the rock night), xhileration (the professional night), vogue (fashion parade) and thahake (the laughter extravaganza), has reportedly been declared by the state government as the Annual Youth Festival of Uttarakhand. Talking to The Tribune, Pradeep Sharma, convener of the programme, said the organisers had been expecting the participation of around 800 colleges from across the country in the festival. “We have sent invitation to 1,200 colleges. I think this year, over 2,000 students will take part in the function, which has as many as 22 events,” said Sharma, adding that competitions would be held in music, drama and panel discussion. The budget of the festival has been pegged at over Rs 20 lakh. “We have sufficient sponsors for the festival,” said Sharma. The board and lodging arrangements for the
participants will provided free of cost. A three-day event will kick off on October 29 following its inauguration by IIT-R director SC
Saxena.
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Prof Asha Pande brings laurels to state
She has been honoured by the French government for expansion of French language in Rajasthan and also for laying the foundation and furthering of Indo-French friendship events in both countries. Born and brought up in Almora district of Uttarakhand, Dr Pande holds Masters in French Language from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She is also founder director of the Master in European Studies at Rajasthan University, where she heads the Dramatics Department. “The award has certainly come as a pleasant surprise to me,” Dr Pande told The Tribune over the phone. She recalled her childhood days spent in Almora and said she was a regular visitor to the state. Dr Pande’s husband Ashok Pande is a 1973-batch IAS officer and is the state election commissioner of Rajasthan. So far, filmmaker Satyajit Ray, actor Amitabh Bachchan, sitar maestro Pt Ravi Shankar and environmentalist RK Pachauri had been conferred Legion de Honor. |
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Rahul to trek at Dayara Bugyal
Dehradun, October 21 Congress leaders and workers were on a wild goose chase yesterday following reports that Rahul had boarded the Shatabadi Express for Dehradun on Tuesday. Interestingly, Rahul got off to Dandera railway station near Roorkee and sped off towards Uttarkashi by the road keeping the Congress workers guessing at Dehradun, Mussoorie and Haridwar. However, Rahul, along with his entourage, reached Uttarkashi late evening and checked in a hotel. None was allowed near the hotel by special protection guard (SPG) personnel guarding the hotel. Rahul, along with his friends, today started off for a trek to Dayara Bugyal. According to reports, he would be staying there for two days before returning to New Delhi. |
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9 mishap-prone areas to have first-aid facility
Dehradun, October 21 Giving details of an in-house study undertaken by the GVK EMRI, its COO Anoop Nautiyal said nine accident-prone areas are the DIT College turn, Mokhampur railway crossing, Haridwar Bypass crossing, Laxman Siddh Mandir, Kalsi crossing, Selaqui industrial area, Ballupur Chowk on the IMA Road, Balliwala Chowk and Bindal Bridge. “We have identified these areas for providing first aid to injured as the first few hours are crucial for their survival in the event of an accident. We need to set up first-aid facility at these points,” said Nautiyal. Since the inception of 108 EMS (Emergency Management Services) in Uttarakhand, it has been able to attend to as many as 14,459 injured till October 15. |
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Overheated, car catches fire
Haridwar, October 21 According to eyewitnesses, about 12 in the noon, the car
(Maruti 800, 1990 model, numbering DL-2C 1786) parked at city’s busiest intersection Chandracharya Chowk suddenly went into flames. The owner of the car,
Shabbu, a resident of Jwalapur, who was accompanied by two other passengers, swiftly got off the car when they noticed flames on it. Nearby shopkeepers tried to extinguish the fire, but to no avail. Though the fire brigade reached the spot within a few minutes, the fire had engulfed the car completely. Station fire officer SK Sharma said the fire occurred due to overheating of the engine. “The owner of the car also informed that the car engine used to get heated. There was no gas cylinder or CNG fitted on it,” Sharma added. |
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Nurses stay away from work over shifts
Dehradun, October 21 Incensed over callous approach of the Health Department, nurses owing allegiance to the Uttarakhand Nurses Services Association did not report to work after 2 am and also abstained from emergency services. State president of the association SK Singh said the government had failed to accept their two-point charter of demands. Anjana Bhowmick, secretary of the association, said time and time again the agitation was called-off after receiving assurance from top bureaucrats and the health minister, but no measures were taken by the department to fulfil the demands. She further added that staff nurses appointed in the district hospitals and the health centres in all 13 districts were furious over the callous approach of the department. The nurses were demanding implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and allowances. Patients admitted to the hospitals were the worst affected due to strike and the nurses have decided to boycott night duty and even protest against alternative arrangements made by the hospital authorities. However, Dr RK Pant, CMS, Doon Hospital, said alternative arrangements had already been made by bringing in contractual nurses to take charge of the wards in the absence of nurses. |
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Yet another IIT projector stolen
Roorkee, October 21 Today’s incident of alleged theft of an LCD overhead projector from the Electronics and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department came close on the heels of three such incidents taking place this week. Earlier, two such projectors had been stolen from the Electrical Engineering Department this week. The cost of the projector is said to be around Rs 35,000. “The police has been informed about the incidents,” said KP Singh, security officer of the institute. On the growing incidents of theft on the campus, the security officer maintained that it could be the handiwork of internal persons. “In fact, repair work is on in many departments. These departments remain open till late hours, making these vulnerable to thefts,” added Singh. The institute has changed its security agency recently. Besides, all entry points of the institute have been closed except two main gates to check the incidents of theft. |
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RIMC cadets show skills in website-making
Dehradun, October 21 1 Presentation - 10 points 2 Designing - 10 points 3 Link between pages - 10 points 4 Features - 10 points The other factors that governed the judgement of the websites were - colour combination, back button, use of different softwares, the features, simplicity, data, photographs, videos, etc. The judges for the competition were Col H Dharmarajan, Sena Medal, Commandant, RIMC, Lt Col Rajesh Nathawat, Adm Officer, RIMC and UP Dalvi. Co-ordinator of the event was Vineet Mattews assisted by Neeraj Negi (informatics faculty, RIMC). The competition enhanced the creativity of the cadets as they came up with different ideas that may be incorporated to improve the designing of the websites. Col Dharmarajan said he was sanguine to saw even more enthusiasm in such competitions. The final standings were: First - Ranjit - cadets Utkarsh and Piyush Kumar Second - Shivaji - cadets Karan and Siddharth Third - Pratap - cadets Sabyasachi and Piyush Fourth - Chandragupta - cadets Aditya and Rishav Raj. |
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Meeting discusses circle rates of land
Dehradun, October 21 There was an unanimous decision to hike the circle rates at the commercial important areas by 20 to 30 per cent and increasing the rates by 7 to 15 per cent in the agriculture areas. The meeting also held that there should not be much of difference in circle rates of land in a particular locality. The industrialists participating at the meeting categorically held that circle rate for land in industrial areas should not
be hiked. The meeting was held on the directions of the Prinicpal Secretary, Finance. |
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Dehradun, October 21