Dehradun, October 28
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation authorities, in assistance with the district authorities, today carried out an anti-encroachment drive at Brahmawala in the Sahastradhara area in Dehradun.

As many as 80 or 90 illegal constructions were demolished during the campaign which continued throughout the day and also met with a stiff resistance by local residents.

There was a heavy deployment of the police along with the required machinery to ensure a smooth conduct of the demolition drive.

The Brahmawala area had been witness to a spurt in encroachments on the Dehradun Municipal Corporation land. While there has been a lot of hue and cry over these encroachments, the corporation was so far acting as a mute spectator.

There were also reports of the involvement of land mafia in these encroachments.

After repeated reports of encroachments being published in the media, the Mayor had assured a strict action on the matter.

The municipal authorities had previous day conducted on-the-spot inspection at Brahmawala, where a large-scale encroachments were revealed. This followed today’s anti-encroachment drive.

Of the encroachments demolished, many were made of bricks. 

Haridwar, October 28
Tourists moving towards Mussoorie from Dehradun will not have to necessarily cover the 30-km journey by road after the proposed rope way from the capital to the Queen of Hills, Mussoorie, is completed.

The project is in the final stages and shortly all the process and legalities will be completed and work will start. This was informed by the State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik. He mentioned the ropeway project as a dream project.

Minister informed that this is one of the priorities of state government and he himself is monitoring all the process and added that this will be a USP for the tourism industry of the state.

The minister fresh from his Chinese visit is thinking to put the Chinese model and concept wherever possible in the state too. Kaushik said like in Shanghai there is a stretch where all culture and tradition of China can be seen. He wants to replicate this and first pilot project is being developed in Rishikesh named Astha Path. “This will be in Public Private Partnership mode.

Also now four cities have been earmarked where museums will be set up. Kaushik, who is also Haridwar MLA, took strong cognisance of the central governments’ double standard in allotting of Kumbh funds.

He said that state government has got a letter from centre saying that out of Rs 400 crore allotted for the Kumbh, Rs 300 crore will be adjusted in the state’s budget plan which is unwarranted for. “While in other cities where Mahakumbh is held central government allots up to Rs 800 crore grant while in Uttarakhand’s case it is giving half the sum and now putting major part of that in state’s budget only which is totally unfair,” said Kaushik. 

Dehradun, October 28
In a major relief to senior Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana, all Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) prosecution witnesses today turned hostile in the Karanpur firing incident of October 3, 1994, during the statehood agitation.

It was on the fateful day that a mob violating curfew orders had gathered outside the house of Suryakant Dhasmana at Karanpur, then a leader of the ruling Samajwadi Party, and tried to burn it.

The police guards posted for the security of Suryakant Dhasmana by the then Uttar Pradesh government fired on the rampaging crowd in which a person was killed and another was injured.

It was alleged that Suryakant Dhasmana himself fired on the crowd resulting in the death of a person. Since there was so much hatred against the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh following the Rampur Tiraha incident on October 2, 1994, the case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under public pressure. While there were cases registered with the police from both sides, the CBI after investigation filed cases under Sections 304, 307, 201 and 34 of the IPC against Suryakant Dhasmana. The CBI had produced three prosecution eyewitnesses.

Ravinder Rawat, who was injured by a bullet, had turned hostile in July this year. He was again questioned and cross-examined today by CBI counsel Ashok Tanwar. He was shown the affidavit signed by him but Ravinder Rawat reiterated that he was made to sign the affidavit by the CBI lawyer when he was injured and was lying in hospital.

He testified again before the CBI court that he had not seen senior Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana with a gun in his hand when a mob attacked his house in Karanpur.

Ajit Rawat, a former Deputy Mayor of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation who was also a prosecution eye-witness, contended before the CBI Special Judge Narender Dutt that he had not seen Suryakant Dhasmana with a gun in his hand or firing on the crowd that was raising slogans against Mulayam Singh Yadav and Suryakant Dhasmana and throwing stones at his residence.

He also refuted allegations that he had turned hostile under pressure from Suryakant Dhasmana. He said that he had signed the affidavit given to the CBI in 1994 but he was not aware of the contents.

Similarly, Dhananjay Khanduri, another prosecution eye-witness, stated that he saw the agitated crowd and police guards on the roof of the house of Suryakant Dhasmana but did not see Dhasmana with a gun or firing on the crowd. He also stated that he was unaware of the contents of the affidavit signed by him in 1994.

All prosecution witnesses produced by the CBI in the Karanpur firing case have till date turned hostile. Interestingly, there were cases registered against four persons for arson and violence in the Karanpur firing incident on the complaint of Suryakant Dhasmana.

However, all cases registered against statehood agitators were taken back by the state government in 2004.

Dehradun, October 28
At least 12 persons were injured in a clash between two communities at Madarsi Colony here today. The police said they fought over some trivial issue but the exact cause of the clash couldn’t be ascertained. The police is yet to make any arrest in this case.

Sources said the clash started in the morning and continued throughout the day. Around 10 persons of one group and around four of the other got injured in the brawl.

They pelted one another with bricks.

Eyewitnesses said draggers and sticks were also used in the clash.

The injured were later admitted to the Doon Hospital. According to sources, such clashes are common in the colony as people of two or three communities reside here.

A few days ago, a clash had occurred between two communities. 

Haridwar, October 28
The indefinite fast undertaken by Dayanand, a saint of Matra Sadan, came to an abrupt end late last night when the police forcefully took him away, along with a Shiv Sena leader, from the protest spot. From early morning, speculations were rife that the police would have to end the saint’s strike considering his deteriorating health.

Dayanand has been protesting against the quarrying being illegally carried out in the Ganga ghats, specially those falling in the Kumbh mela area for past two weeks, and has also been demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter citing involvement of the administration.

Led by tehsildar Pooran Singh Rana and station house officer, Kankhal police station, Navin Semwal, police personnel at around 9 pm entered the Matra Sadan in Jagjitpur and persuaded Dayanand to accompany them.

After experiencing resistance from the saint and the other people present there, the police, by force, took him in the ambulance and admitted him to the district hospital. Shiv Sena district chief Devendra Prajapati has also been admitted to the hospital. But Dayanand has stuck to his fast and has not taken any food.

Earlier in the day, there were speculations that Dayanand would be moved to a hospital, but police action was deferred as mediapersons thronged the Matra Sadan.

The saints there had a quarrel with doctors who had come for the medical check-up of the agitators.

But the police refrained from taking any action in the presence of the media, but late at night, stormed the sadan and completed the operation in a few minutes notwithstanding the resistance of the sadan residents.

The administration said that due to the deteriorating health of the protesters, they had to take this step.

Now, a new lot of protesters has replaced Dayanand at the sadan in support of the agitators and against the police action. Swami Yagyanand Brahmachari has begun a fast demanding expulsion of the Kankhal SHO.

“We are opposing corruption and illegal activities but instead of stopping it and saving the Ganga, the administration is trying to stop the persons who are holding a non-violent protest” said Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya principal Bhola Jha. 

Dehradun, October 28
Newly recruited jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) took oath after completing their six-month training at a passing-out parade held on the ITBP premises here today.

A total of 445 non-general duty candidates passed out of the training centre today to join the force. Hari Singh, DIG, who was the chief guest took the salute at an impressive march past held on the occasion. The recruits also took an oath to serve the nation. The maximum number of recruits were from Haryana. The state had 105 recruits while Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan had 67 and 59 recruits, respectively.

Congratulating the new recruits, the chief guest urged them to be always ready to serve the nation in the fight against terrorists and Naxalites.

Earlier, welcoming the chief guest, Commandant of the ITBP Ashok Kumar said the recruits went through 24-week rigorous training. He said six trainees were given awards for being the best in various disciplines. They were Vijay Kumar (indoor) Lalit Kumar (PT) Rajender Kumar (weapon and firing) Rajpal (drill) Ajay Singh Bisht (overall best trainee) and Neeraj Kumar. 

Dehradun, October 28
Seeking the resumption of quarrying at riverbeds of the Kosi and the Davka, the Transport Kalyan Samiti, Ramnagar, today staged a series of protests. It said livelihood of as many as 50,000 persons was put to stake due to the closure of quarrying on the two riverbeds.

While submitting a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, agitating members of the samiti, comprising both transporters and labourers, threatened to intensify their agitation if the quarrying was not resumed at the earliest.

The protesters, who staged a blockade at Bhagat Singh Chowk, were not pacified even after repeated attempts by tehsildar Rakesh Tiwari, leading to disruption in traffic flow.

The agitators also took out a protest march that culminated at the Terai West Divisional Forest office. DFO PK Patro said the picture regarding lease of rivers would be clear in first week of November.

Even in Dehradun, the blanket ban on quarrying seems to have set the debate in motion over its ill-effects on public. While there are many who may lose employment due to any more continuance of the ban, even the general consumers will face problems due to soaring construction material prices.

Leading one such protest in Dehradun, Congress MLA Dinesh Agarwal expressed concern over casual attitude of the state government vis-à-vis ban on quarrying. They said Congress workers had also submitted a memorandum in this regard. 

Dehradun, October 28
Seeking labour-friendly policies, the Uttarakhand State Joint Trade Unions Coordination Committee today held a dharna at the Gandhi Park, Dehradun.

Submitting a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister, the agitators said the recession had hit the workers hard and thus it was important on part of the central government to come up with worker-friendly policies.

Dehradun, October 28
The police today arrested two students who had looted a house in broad daylight at Anupam Vihar in Basant Vihar a few days ago. One is a BBA student while the other is studying in a senior secondary class.

The police recovered about Rs 4,000, a DVD player and a gold chain from their possession. The duo had looted these items from the house.

According to the police, the thieves have been identified as Kapil and Robin, both of Muzaffarnagar. They had entered the house on the pretext of collecting a towel, which, they said had fallen in the gallery of the victim.

The woman of the house who was alone at the time of the incident let them in but as soon as they entered the house they started ransacking it. Within 15 minutes, they looted the items and fled away.