Dehradun, November 18
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank taking a strong exception to the delay in the realisation of power dues and tax, directed senior officials to launch campaigns to get outstanding dues from defaulters and meet their revenue targets.

At a meeting of the senior officials held here today, the Chief Minister expressed displeasure at the delay in the realisation of power dues from private users and institutions. He asked the District Magistrates to launch campaigns to realise the power dues from bigger defaulters and asked the officials to report to him about the measures in this regard within three days.

The state power corporation has yet to realise Rs 900 crore as power tariff from private institutions and Rs 500 crore from various government department and institutions. The Chief Minister asked the Managing Director of the Uttarakhand Power Corporation to ensure 100 per cent recovery from bigger defaulters taking assistance of the district administrations in respective districts.

Nishank also called for strengthening of the posts to realise Trade Tax. He further said the state government had to bear the added burden of Rs 2,500 crore per annum due to implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations to the state government employees and need more sources to get more revenues to meet the expenses.

The Chief Minister said in an effort to enhance the revenue generation, poor people should not be targeted, but wealthy and rich should be made to pay for the goods and services. He said the ban on quarrying and picking in the rivers of the state had also led to the losses to the state to the tune of Rs 65 crore per annum. He asked the Chief Secretary to oversee the case in the high court in an effective manner to get the stay vacated on quarrying on the riverbeds of the state.

He also called for effective measures to check pilferage in the Trade Tax and need to realise Trade Tax target of Rs 150 crore for the current year. He also increased the target of National Saving Scheme from Rs 300 crore to Rs 500 crore.

Officiating Chief Secretary NS Nachpliyal, Finance Secretary Alok Jain and Secretary Planning Radha Raturi were present in the meeting.

Nainital, November 18
District Magistrate (DM) Shailesh Bagauli has directed officials of the Power Department to make the power lines in Kakod and Patrani villages in Okhalkanda block functional within a week, failing which he will initiate criminal proceedings against the department as well as the contractor.

Residents of the locality had pointed out at a camp organised by the district administration that although the lines had been laid down, there was no power supply.

Bagauli also instructed officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) to complete the building of roads in Okhalkanda Block for which the funds were already available. The camp had been organised for the redressal of public grievances at Lugar village on Wednesday.

Asking the officials of various departments present at the camp to execute the works regarding which people have been complaining in a time-bound manner, the District Magistrate said people should opt for working under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) as this would also help in the development of their respective villages.

People of the region came up with a series of complaints related to the development of their respective villages. One of the main demands aired by them was for opening a bank in the region. Residents of Badaun pointed to the broken drinking water supply line, and those from Lugar wanted an aanganwari centre for their village.

People of Kakod wanted the reconstruction of Naithna drinking water line following which Bagauli ordered a fresh survey for the purpose. He also promised to write to the state administration regarding the upgrading of the middle school at Badaun to a high school.

The other demands of the people included making Lugar a revenue village, construction of a motorable road between Harishtal and Lugar along with Simlia to Sanani.

A spokesperson for the district administration claimed that 80 applications had come up at the camp, out of which most were disposed off at the spot. He said 30 persons filled out forms to avail benefits under various schemes of the Social Welfare Department and five persons were given disability certificates at the camp.

Dehradun, November 18
In the backdrop of rising incidents of man-animal conflict, the compensation policy of Uttarakhand forest authorities in wildlife attack cases is proving to be farce.

Wildlife-rich Corbett National Park and its territorial divisions still have to pay Rs 55 lakh as compensation to the victims in various wildlife attack cases. These involve cases of deaths and injuries to humans and loss of livestock and crops.

The protected area of Corbett and its territorial divisions stands as a perfect example to reveal the sorry state of affairs.

Corbett and its adjoining forest authorities have to pay an amount of over Rs 26 lakh as compensation for victims of 1,029 man-animal conflict cases.

This includes 422 cases of crop damages involving an amount of Rs 2.82 lakh, three cases of human deaths entailing an amount of Rs 45,000 and a staggering 604 cases involving Rs 23.69 lakh linked to livestock losses.

The territorial Ramnagar forest division in Corbett periphery has similar depressing statistics. This division has to pay an amount of Rs 23 lakh involving 598 cases for the period from October 2007 to August 2009.

Similarly in Terai west division, from as many as 70 cases, the division has to pay Rs 5.08 lakh as compensation. Director, Corbett National Park, Vinod Singhal, admitted that delays in payment of compensation were a matter of concern. “Such delays further fuel animosity of villagers towards wildlife,” said Singhal.

Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden KL Arya said budgetary constraints were a factor behind delays in payment of compensation. “We have sent a proposal to the tune of Rs 2 crore to the government and, hopefully after the approval of the proposal, all pending compensation amounts will be delivered,” Arya said.

Calling for a prompt compensation policy, Dr Hem Singh Gehlot, conservationist working in Terai Arc Landscape, said such delays added to the hostility between man and wildlife. “Long-drawn paper works and lack of budget lead to delays in the payment of compensation that is certainly not in the interest of wildlife,” Gehlot said.

Recollecting his experiences as WWF representative in Terai, Dr Gehlot said, “We used to provide a small part of compensation amount at the very spot whenever a man-animal conflict happened. This amount was later reimbursed by forest authorities, thus ensuring immediate relief for the victim.”

Interestingly, taking into account the sensitivity linked to man-animal conflict in the state, Uttarakhand wildlife authorities had recently hiked the compensation amount for victims of wild animal attacks.

Dehradun, November 18
Notorious tiger poacher Totharam, alias Birbal Bawaria, has been nabbed. This is for the third time that the smuggler has been arrested from the state.

In a joint early morning operation of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), the Uttarakhand Police and the Terai East Division, Totharam of Panipat and his associate Naresh, a resident of Bansaba, were arrested from the Khatima forest range in Champawat district.

“Acting on a tip-off, the WPSI, along with the forest authorities in assistance with the Uttarakhand Police, nabbed Totharam when he and his associates were laying trap in the Khatima range,” said WPSI coordinator, Uttarakhand, Rajendra Aggarwal.

The team also seized a steel trap, a semi-made steel trap, two sharp knives, a net, two antlers, two mobile phones and a motorcycle.

Head of the Bawaria poaching gang active in the Kumaon region, Totharam hails from a family of tiger poachers. He was arrested in 2004 from the Banbasa region by Terai East Division officials when he was found in possession of tiger skin. Similarly in 2003, he was arrested and a leopard skin seized from his possession.

His sister Dilpo, too, was recently convicted to five years rigorous imprisonment by a court in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, for a 1992 tiger case. She had earlier also been convicted in November 2005, by a court in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, for carrying the skin and bones of a tiger that was killed at Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2005.

Totharam has been frequenting Nepal and is considered to be part of an international poaching racket. He is also considered to be linked to Dariya, another notorious wildlife smuggler, who hails from Hariyana.

A day earlier, the forest authorities in Kumaon had issued a red alert in forest areas bordering Pitthoragarh after two youths were arrested by the Moradabad police from the region and two leopard skins seized from their possession. Security was also strengthened in the checkposts of Ghat, Sera Ghat, Jauljibi, Jhulaghat and the Dharchula bridge linking Pitthoragarh district to Nepal.

Dehradun, November 18
The 229th Corps Day of Engineers was celebrated by all sappers at the 501 Field Survey Engineer Group officers mess in Dehradun. A large number of serving and retired officers attended the function.

One of the oldest Arms of the Indian Army, Corps of Engineers dates back to 1780, when the two regular pioneer companies of Madras Sappers were raised. Subsequently, the group of Madras, Bengal and Bombay Sappers were formed and merged on November 18, 1932, to form the Corps of Engineers.

The Corps of Engineers has excelled in multifarious activities in war and peace.

It has to its credit one Param Vir Chakra, one Ashok Chakra, one Padam Bhushan, 38 Param Vashisht Sewa Medals, two Maha Vir Chakras, 13 Kirti Chakras, three Padam Shris, 88 Ati Vishist Sewa Medals, 25 Vir Chakras, 93 Shaurya Chakras, six Yudh Sewa Medals.

Dehradun, November 18
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court today rejected the bail plea of the accused policemen involved in the infamous Ranbir encounter case.

Former Dalanwala station in charge Inspector Santosh Kumar Juyal and Ara Ghar police post in charge GD Bhatt, both accused in the alleged fake encounter case, along with five other policemen arrested by the CBI, had filed a bail plea in the court.

The court rejected the bail of all seven accused policemen involved in the case.

It is pertinent to mention that a local court had transferred the case to the CBI Court.

On Monday the bail hearing of the policemen was postponed for Tuesday. The court had yesterday reserved its judgement and pronounced it today.

It is also learnt that the CBI had completed the investigations in the case and was also likely to make the arrest of the rest of the accused soon. A total of 14 policemen were chargesheeted in the case and five of them were arrested by the CBI.

Haridwar, November 18
A massive protest was held by employees of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Ranipur, seeking fulfilment of their demands. Employees of both major plants HEEP Heavy Electricals Engineering Limited and CFFP Forgery Plant staged a dharna.

Under the aegis of the BHEL Workers Union, agitating employees demanded wage revision and instant solution of their five-point demands letter. Their main demand is a uniform wage revision. Union members alleged that for the past three years despite reminders and protests no heed had been paid towards the wage revision.

Lending support, Hindu Majdoor Sabha joined hands with the BHEL Shramik Union, BHEL Karyalaya Majdoor Sangh, Central Foundry Forge Karmachari Union and other affiliated unions of BHEL in the protest.

Joint secretary of the union Umesh Kumar said, “Wage relativity should be maintained as per on January 1, 1992. We demand that the wage of contractual workers also be fixed by a joint union, change in promotional policy with lessening by 1 or 2 years in all grades and maintenance of at par agreement between both sides,” said Umesh.

The joint union has warned that it will go on strike on November 25 if their demands are not resolved in the meeting of the management to be held tomorrow.

Dehradun, November 18
The third day of the platinum jubilee celebrations of St Joseph Academy beautifully showcased India’s rich cultural diversity here today. The chief guest for the function was D Senthil Pandiyan, Dehradun District Magistrate, who was welcomed by P Khanna, senior coordinator of the school.

The programme began with lighting of the lamp by the chief guest, who was accompanied by school Principal AJ George, parents, students and other distinguished guests.

Following it was the traditional prayer dance after which students of Class V presented a koli dance (Maharastrian dance form). Keeping in sync with the magnificent culture of India, the cultural extravaganza was made all the more exciting and worth watching with Haryanavi and Rajasthani folk dances.

Junior section students presented hip-hop and break dances on the latest tracks. In the later hours of the programme, various dances, instrumental music, Hindi and English dramatics delighted the gathering.

Schoolchildren from J&K, who are special guests of the state Governor were also present at the occasion. Veena Kalia, senior English teacher, along with student anchors kept everybody engrossed in the programme. Merry celebrations came to an end with Head Boy Nishant Singh thanking the chief guest.

Dehradun, November 18
Governor Margaret Alva has called upon the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to come forward and work for restoring normalcy in the state.

She said the youth should work for peace so that the citizens of the country could live without any fear.

The Governor was interacting with school students from Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, who were on a tour to Dehradun today.

The students are on a tour with the Army as part of Operation Sadbhawana. The Governor hoped that the tour would be fruitful and memorable for the children who would be able to acquaint themselves with different cultures and places and feel proud to be an Indian.

She said J&K had unparallelled natural beauty, but peace alone would bring development required in the region. The Governor exhorted the youth to make India strong despite having different cultures, languages and foods.

The students sang patriotic songs on the occasion. Capt Jitendra Raturi, who accompanied the students, said the 24 schoolchildren had been selected from various schools of remote Mendhar tehsil and the aim of the tour was to acquaint them with the country.

Haridwar, November 18
It seems that sugarcane issue seems to be becoming a major controversial issue for the Central government too. Farmers and various political parties are taking the agitational route. Sugarcane farmers seem quite anguished at the Central government’s ordinance regarding sugarcane rates.

They are not satisfied with the suggested rates and are demanding making it at least in the Rs 250-plus bracket. After a series of protests at various tehsils today, farmers under the banner of the Samajwadi Party protested at the City Magistrate office and gave a memorandum in this regard.

Terming it as a gross injustice, farmer leaders said neither the central nor the state government was taking their matter seriously and their families were living in utter distress due to insufficient sugarcane rates.

Farmers also complained that sugarcane mills did not pay them on time which made them suffer from both sides.

Rekha Valmiki, state vice-president of Samajwadi Party, lashed at respective governments for not paying heed to the plight of sugarcane farmers. She said, “Every year farmers have to take to the streets demanding a fair price, but every time despite the growing inflation and higher sugar rates in the market, sugarcane rates are put at such rates which don’t recover even the effort and resources put in by the farmers”.

Meanwhile, Union Minister for Employment and Labour Harish Rawat has written a letter regarding sugarcane issue to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi. In the letter instant intervention from them have been sought.

The Union minister has also sought giving directions to private sugar mill owners for buying sugarcane at higher rates than the state suggested rates. “I totally agree with sugarcane farmers’ demands and am trying to solve this problem as soon as it can be,” said Rawat.