Nainital, November 1
State Education Minister Gobind Singh Bisht had a firsthand experience of degrading education set up in the state when he paid a surprise visit to two schools in the Bindukhatta area of Nainital district yesterday. The minister was shocked to find all teachers, including the principals, absent from these two schools.

An embarrassed minister directed the District Education Officer to initiate an immediate inquiry against the erring teachers and ordered that their wages for the day be deducted from their salaries.

According to officials, Bisht decided to pay a surprise visit to two government schools at Ghoranala in the Bindukhatta area the and discovered that the principals, vice-principals along with 10 teachers were missing. The minister had visited the school 40 minutes before its scheduled time of closure.

After announcing that stringent action would be taken against the erring teachers, Bisht said a laxity on the part of teachers would not be tolerated at any cost. He said: “My drive of paying surprise visits to various schools in the state will continue and an instant action will be taken against teachers who are found to be erring.”

College principal suspended for ‘no fault of his’

Meanwhile, the Principal of Bazpur Degree College had to pay a heavy cost for being sick as he was suspended following a visit of the Vice-Chancellor of Kumaon University, Prof Vijayant Pal Singh Arora, even as he had taken prior sanction for leave and had handed over the charge to a subordinate. Although this incident had taken place on October 27, it came to light only on Saturday evening.

The college principal, who had recently been transferred to Bazpur from Rudrapur, had been on leave since October 23. After getting various tests done, he had been admitted to Sushila Tewari Memorial Hospital at Haldwani on October 26. Officials say that the matter is being looked into at the administrative level. 

Pitthoragarh, November 1
The long-awaited work on the extension of the Naini-Saini airstrip in this border district is likely to start soon with the Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank laying the foundation stone for the project here today. The work on the widening of the airstrip to 300m is to be carried out at a cost of Rs 56.64 crore.

“This much-awaited extension will now enable the 24-seater planes to land on the air strip,” said Uttarakhand Minister of Planning Parkash Pant, who hails from Pitthoragarh.

The foundation stone laying ceremony was marked by protests by the villagers who were demanding an entry point to three villages around the airstrip to their respective villages, besides opening of a hospital and providing jobs in Civil Aviation Department.

The Chief Minister Nishank also laid foundations of two motor roads around the airstrip costing a total amount of Rs 26 lakh.

The Naini Saini airstrip in Pitthoragarh was constructed in 1995 when Moti Lal Vora was Governor of Uttar Pradesh. Though the smaller aircrafts have been landing on the airstrip successfully, the airstrip was not opened for commercial flights on the ground that it was unsafe for such flights. “With this 300 meter widening, this airstrip will now be able to have commercial flights,” said Parkash Pant. More than 10 villages around the airstrip had given their land for the purpose, but they are seeking jobs as they have been rendered jobless after their fertile land was taken over for the airstrip. 

Dehradun, November 1
Gyari Dolma, deputy speaker of Tibetan Parliament-in-exile today said she was neither content nor dissatisfied with the way the Tibetan issue was moving. “It is a lonely road for those who follow the non-violent and truthful path, but there is always light at the end of a dark tunnel and we too are hopeful that one day the issue would be resolved,” she said.

She was speaking today on the concluding day of the National Conference on India-Tibet Friendship Society. She said that Tibet is in a state of crisis as there is gross violation of human rights, “Though the People’s Republic of China has initiated several development programmes but they are a cover for denial of human rights to the vast majority,” she added.

Reacting to the execution of four Tibetans on October 24, this year she termed it the most heinous crime committed by the Chinese establishment. “Their basic duty is to protect the lives of people and provide them with basic rights. The innocent people were executed for having participated in the 2008 peaceful protest march. The act has once again exposed the evil designs of the Chinese government that believes in the power of bullet,” Dolma said.

She said that the baseless territorial claims made by the Chinese government from time to time on some areas of Independent India clearly points to it’s expansionist designs, a smaller nation like Tibet can never be secure under intense pressure,” emphasised Dolma.

Speaking further she said that Tibetans under the guidance of Dalai Lama were still optimistic of a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

On the occasion the members also gave a call for observing 2010 as Himalaya Bachao-Tibet Bachao year and also mark March 23 as Kailash Mansarovar Bachao day. 

Haridwar, November 1
The police has arrested three persons with fake currency worth Rs 55,000. Exactly a month ago, the Haridwar police had nabbed two persons from Bihar for their involvement in fake currency racket.

The three accused Pawan, Praveen and Pankaj hail from Haridwar and have confessed of their involvement in trying to cash on the fake currency notes in the city.

They said that they used to get Rs 5,000 for every 50,000 they used to encash and have been involved in the trade for quite some time.

They also said they don’t know the whereabouts of the person who used to supply them faked notes and are used to this illegal work in lure of easy money.

On a tip-off from the Kotwali police nabbed the three while they were trying to buy things with the fake currency in the local market.

The police recovered Rs 100 and 500 denomination currency notes.

Last month on October 1 police had arrested three persons with fake currency worth Rs 68,000. The money used to come via Nepal but police has failed to arrest the master minds behind the whole racket.

The number of incidents of fake currency notes is on the rise in the district and this seems to be becoming a major headache for the administration.

With Mahakumbh just two months away and crore of people expected to throng the city, its being feared that fake currency racket may utilise the opportunity in circulating fake notes.

Meanwhile, the Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Gunjiyal has urged people to immediately inform police if they get to know about fake notes while transaction or particularly traders if they have suspicion. 

Haridwar, November 1
With the arrest of Matra Sadan saints who were protesting against the illegal quarrying being done on the Ganga riverbed, the issue now seems to be taking a new turn with villagers of the area now warning the administration of taking any steps to stop quarrying in the region.

Villagers of Missirpur, Ajitpur, Jagjeetpur, Katarpur, Jiyopata, Bhogpur have taken a united stance to protest against any step by the administration and the government to stop quarrying on the Ganga riverbed in the region. They have formed a samiti, which will take forward their cause.

Farmer leaders and village representatives have urged the district administration not to take any action which affects the quarrying in the area as it is linked with their livelihood. They are also alleging Matra Sadan saints of trying to divert attention of people and the administration as they want to close a stone crusher and to do so they are raising the bogey of the Ganga pollution. They also allege that the district administration has not recovered about Rs 25-lakh revenue from Sadan and if it continues then they will also not deposit the revenue.

Though acknowledging that due to quarrying there is pollution in the holy Ganga, the villagers opine that it’s minimal considering the sewage and polythene materials that get into the river Ganga daily.

“Why single out our villages only when this is prevalent in the whole Ganga course? If the administration thinks that by banning quarrying in the Ajitpur and Missirpur villages pollution will stop in the Ganga, then it’s unrealistic,” says farmer union leader Sushil Chauhan.

The villagers point out that more harm is being done to the Ganga by the sewage pipe lines that are mingling directly in the holy river and quarrying plays a small role in polluting the river in comparison.

Head of the samiti Manoj Chauhan also points that apart from the sewage and industrial waste polythene plays a pivotal role in polluting the Ganga.

“Livelihood of a majority of residents is linked with the khanan and if it’s totally stopped then either alternative employment should be provided to them or government should be prepared to face a stern protest from our side,” said Manoj Chauhan.

The samiti members are also planning to apprise administrative officials and environmentalists about the minimal pollution that occurs due to quarrying in comparison to other pollutants.

Prof Rajendra Aggarwal in his recent visit to Matra Sadan had termed the quarrying on the Ganga riverbed as harmful from scientific point of view and opposed this process along with Magsaysay awardee Rajendra Singh.

Meanwhile, arrested Saint Brahmachari Dayanand and Brahmachari Yagyanand continued their fast for sixth consecutive day in succession in prison and Matra Sadan respectively. The saints and social activists protesting against the Ganga quarrying have got support from the National Ganga Basin Authority too.

Nainital, November 1
Taking stringent action against erring officials involved in the revision of ration cards in Nainital district, District Magistrate Shailesh Bagouli has ordered for writing adverse entries in the career record of three officials.

According to a government spokesperson, the District Magistrate has expressed unhappiness over the way the work is being carried out on this front. Those facing action are the block development officer at Haldwani and regional food officer and supply inspectors at Haldwani.

The District Magistrate has once again underlined that the work for revision of ration cards needed to be expedited and there was no scope of laxity. He said the officials, who were slacking in doing their jobs, would be facing action.

There are more than 2.36 lakh ration cards that are to be revised in Nainital district. Of these, only 77,000 cards have been revised till now.

According to the information available, there are 72,000 ration cards that are up for revision in Haldwani development block and out of these only 4,000 have been revised till date.

In Haldwani town itself, there are 57,000 ration cards that are to be revised and out of these only 16,000 have been revised.

Dehradun, November 1
Governor Margaret Alva presented Helen Keller and Any award to different disabled students and teachers at a function at Raj Bhawan here today. Governor speaking at the function organised by the Deaf Welfare Association, Dehradun, said deafness could be overcome by proper education andtraining.

Rajat Nautiyal of Bajaj Institute of Learning, Maya Rawat of Asha School, Birpur, Shivans Goyal of Goyal Rawal Nursing Home and Vivek Keswani from Roorkee School of Deaf were presented Hellen Kellar awards by the Governor. 

Dehradun, November 1
Realising its e-governance goals, Dehradun-based Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has achieved another milestone in Information Technology by successfully conceptualising e-champions as the last phase of training programme for e-champions that begins tomorrow.

Union Environment and Forest Ministry had mooted the concept of e-champions to further e-governance goals. The concept entails identification of a few non-information technology people among the employees who, after their training on e-governance, act as change agents towards fulfilling the cause of e-governance in their organisations.

ICFRE had some time back identified 24 e-champions for its nine institutes in the country and has started the series of training programmes within a period of one year.

Starting from Dehradun, the e-champions have already undergone training programmes in the cities of Bangalore, Shimla and Jorhat. The final phase of training that begins in Dehradun tomorrow will culminate on November 7 and will finally bring the e-champions training to a conclusion.

The very concept of these e-champions lies with the fact that they are initially no way linked to information technology. Their sole criteria of selection is the potential to take lead and an inclination towards office productivity tools like MS Word, email and the Internet.

Now, after the last phase of training in the city, these e-champions will be fully equipped to further the spread of e-governance among their colleagues.

The IT management cell of ICFRE headed by Dr Harish Kumar has already taken giant strides towards attaining its complete e-governance goal set for 2015. Dr Kumar said the conclusion of training for e-champion could not come at more appropriate time particular when the ICFRE has just completed creation of one of its kinds Data Centre.

Referring to e-champions, Dr Harish Kumar project director (e-governance), ICFRE, said these change agents would be of great help to ICFRE towards adoption of Indian Forestry Research Information System.

The ICFRE’s ambitious e-governance roadmap calls for putting all its services online by 2015.

With data centre now coming into existence, a paperless ICFRE would be go online with additional introduction of digital democracy in 2010.

Apart from e-champions, the last phase of training beginning tomorrow is being participated by 
several of top IT scientists. 

Dehradun, November 1
When the effects of global warming are affecting human lives, use of organic things are the best way to lead a  healthy life. Be it clothing, decorative items, eateries or transportation, it’s our responsibility to save earth from disaster.

Anelu, 33-years-old girl from Nagaland, is one of those kinds of people whose sole aim is to save environment. She has been winning several hearts by her art-of-making decorative items from Bamboos and natural flowers. She is doing a commendable job at Saras Mela-09, as it’s the second time she came to the city.

Specially her hand-made flowers of wool, corn peel, peepal leaves and softwood are the eye-catching products in the mela.

Anelu is a graduate in political science and started her business in Nagaland about seven years back.

She, along with few other women, has formed a small self help group named - YOHO - where she makes baskets, chairs, wall hangings, pen stands, flower stands and flowers.

She said: “We are here to display and sell our bamboo work. The flowers are made from solawood (a kind of softwood found in Nagaland), which are washable and flower stands are made from bamboo.

“We also prepare wedding gowns and gift items for special occasions like Christmas.

“By now, the sale of my products are not going really good as compared to the last year, but I assume that the sale would rise up in next three four days to come.

'We are bit unhappy with the administration and the organisers as they haven’t arranged for decent accommodation for us (artisans). I’ve come here with my younger brother and looking forward for a better response in the coming week,” she added.

Work done by Anelu and other women in Nagaland is quite fascinating and inspiring.

The art of making such beautiful decorative items requires lot of hard work, patience and endurance. We must try to promote such remarkable work by the women residing in the remote areas of the country.

Their skills and manufactured products are an epitome of finesse and diligent labour.

Dehradun, November 1
The Uttaranchal Apradh Nirodhak Samiti, Dehradun, today held their central convention here at Hindi Bhavan. Renowned former freedom fighter captain RL Avasthi presided over at the event as the chief guest. He inaugurated the programme and gave an informative speech.

During the convention, Apradhnirodhak Samiti chairman Dinesh Jain said they had passed many bills in the favour of the public. He also made the gathering aware of the progress this smitit is making.

The other members of the smiti were also present at the convention. 

Roorkee, November 1
An old man was found murdered at his residence at Lehboli village, 12 km from here, this morning. Victim Sukhbir Singh Kaushik (80) was having his hands and feet tied with a cord and mouth stuffed with a cloth.

The matter came to the light when his servant came to his house in the morning. Two empty syringes were also lying near the body.

The police was informed of the incident by Sukhbir’s son Surinder Kaushik, a resident of Roorkee.

The police has started investigations after registering a case under Section 302 at Manglore police station.

The body was handed over to the relatives after the postmortem. No arrest has taken place so far.

Dehradun, November 1
A day after arresting a South African, whose visa had expired, the police this morning arrested a Nigerian who was staying in the country on a fake visa.

According to investigating officer Himansu Pant, the police arrested Nice Onieue about 3 am from Rattan Palace hotel. The Nigerian told the police that he had come here for sightseeing and his visa had expired early this year.

He said somebody got him a new visa made which expired in 2010, but he didn’t know that the visa would turn out to be fake. The police said other documents produced by him were also found fake. He has been booked under different sections. The police today produced him in a local court.