Dehradun, November 26
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has said PCS officers have an important role to play in the implementation of his vision-2020.Addressing the inaugural session of the Association of Uttarakhand PCS Officers (Executive) held here today, the Chief Minister said PCS officers had a pivotal role in the governance and they should understand the pain of the poorest of the poor to bring positive changes in society by having a positive work culture and thoughts.

For making Uttarakhand an ideal state of the country, the Chief Minister emphasised on fixing the accountability of PCS officers and setting of new goals for them. The new work culture should manifest itself in the better administration of the state, he added

Nishank said the officers should not only have a polite and sympathetic attitude towards the common man but should also take strict action against anti-social elements. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) is the nodal officer in a tehsil and he will be held responsible for all activities of all departments falling under his jurisdiction.

He directed Principal Secretary (Personnel) Shatrughan Singh to issue guidelines to all District Magistrates in this connection. He assured the Additional Secretaries of the PCS cadre that a laptop would be provided to each one of them.

On the issue of promotion of PCS officers, he said the PCS cadre post would be increased from 94 to 120, which would enable the PCS officers to have more opportunities of promotion. The CM announced that four PCS officers would shortly be promoted to the IAS cadre.

He said the seniority list of the PCS cadre should be issued every year and directed the officers of the department concerned to do the needful in this connection.

The Chief Minister released a souvenir of the association “Aarohi” on the occasion. President of association PS Jangpangi said the SDM and other PCS officers should be equipped with necessary powers so that they might be able to discharge their duties more effectively. He also apprised the Chief Minister of promotion, seniority list and some other problems. Secretary VK Dhaundiyal put up a memorandum of the association related to the problems faced by the officers and also laid emphasis on increasing the quota of promotion to the IAS cadre to 50 per cent. He said the vacant posts of CDOs and ADMs should be filled immediately. He also said in view of the judicial powers of the PCS officers, they should be allowed other allowances.

Dehradun, November 26
Protests against the Centre and state government over the sugarcane support price continue by different political parties and sugarcane associations in the city.

Today, the Samajwadi Party (SP) burnt the effigy of the state and central governments against the ban on quarrying of riverbeds and not declaring of the support price of sugarcane.

The protesters demanded that Rs 250 per quintal price should be fixed as the support price for sugarcane. Under the leadership of Gulfam Ali, district president of the party, and Mulayam Youth Brigade president Suleman Ansari, the members gathered in front of Gandhi Park and raised slogans against the governments.

They marched to the Clock Tower and burnt the effigiwa of the state and central governments.

Ansari said the crushing of sugarcane couldn’t be done as sugar mills were closed. Consequently, the sowing of wheat had also got delayed.

He said people had lost employment due to the ban on quarrying of riverbeds. Due to the step-motherly treatment, the state was suffering losses in crores.

Ambrish Kumar, former legislator, addresses residents on the Jwalapur issue at Har-ki-Pauri. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaud

Haridwar, November 26
The row over the Kumbh Mela area doesn’t seem to be nearing an end. Once again, residents of the sub-urban township of Jwalapur have staked their claim over Kumbh Mela funds.

Terming the role of Jwalapur as pivotal during the Maha Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, other annual holy baths and Kanwar mela, residents have warned that they will intensify their protest if the mela administration and the state government do not carry out developmental works under the Kumbh funds.

Several organisations and outfits too have demanded inclusion of Jwalapur in the Kumbh mela area. The Uttarakhand Kranti Manch had held several protests and meetings with the mela administration and state government.

On Wednesday, former Haridwar legislator Ambrish Kumar lent his support to the movement. He sat on a day-long indicative protest at Har-ki-Pauri and accused the mela administration of neglecting Jwalapur.

Addressing residents of Jwalapur and activists of his newly founded Vikas Manch, Ambrish said while the Kumbh Mela area was as large as 130 sq km area, it was surprising that the township of Jwalapur had been kept out.

“Jwalapur is the trade city of Haridwar and well connected to Ranipur, Shivalik Nagar and the industrial area of SIDCUL. It is the most dense sub-urban area in terms of population,” said Ambrish.

Ambrish, who was the former state chief of the Samajwadi Party, also lashed out at the state government for not being serious about the Maha Kumbh.

He said the preparations for the world’s biggest fair were not up to the mark and questioned the state government’s attitude and the mela administration’s working.

He said with barely a month left for the start of the fair, not more than Rs 100 crore had been spent.

“Infrastructure and civic facilities are the need of the hour in Jwalapur. Although the area bears a major part of the pilgrim population and traffic pressure during Kumbh, yet it is being neglected,” remarked JP Pandey, chief of the Uttarakhand Kranti Manch.

Haridwar, November 26
Though liquor sale and consumption is prohibited in Haridwar, it’s easily available here and in the past few days hundreds of bottles of liquor had been seized by the police in the city.

The Kotwali police today arrested a person with 1,500 quarters of liquor. On a tip-off from an informer, the Kotwali police laid a trap and arrested the person with a casket of liquor worth thousands of rupees.

The arrested person, Mukesh is a resident of Bijnore, but for quite sometime had been living in Haridwar in the Lal Taura bridge area. Several bags carrying liquor quarters were seized from him.

Yesterday, English liquor worth lakhs was confiscated by an Excise Department team from two liquor smugglers. The liquor was brought from Chandigarh.

The two arrested persons, Ajit Singh of Muzaffar Nagar and Karamvir from Haryana, were in a car (HR-06 G 5266) were going towards a hilly bypass route when the team, led by Inspector Sanjay Chauhan, stopped the car and recovered English liquor worth Rs 1.5 lakh.

Last week 200 bottles of liquor were seized by by the Haridwar police. These were being brought to the city for sale.

Pitthoragarh, November 26
Panic gripped the Medical Department and local public schools as four students from Don Bosco School and a manager from another public school were admitted to the district hospital with swine flu-like symptoms and were kept in the isolation ward.

Pitthoragarh CMO Laxman Singh Tolia informed this correspondent about the development.

“We have sent the samples of blood of all five persons to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, for further diagnosis and the patients have been advised to keep aloof until the results of samples come,” said Pitthoragarh Tolia.

The CMO said the four students from Don Bosco School have gone to Kathgodham in Nainital to take part in a symposium where the father from Khatima Public School John Justin, who died on November 21 due to swine flu was also present. “These children said they shaked hands with John Justin and after his death ran into panic as after returning from symposium they were suffering from mild cold and cough. Their parents admitted them to a local hospital suspecting swine flu,” said the CMO.

Another person, a manager of local public school, recently returned from Dehradun after taking part in a meeting organised by the Red Cross were he also met delegates from across the country. “When this person suffered cold and cough in throat, he came to hospital suspecting swine flu,” said the CMO, adding that the result of the blood samples sent to the NICD, Delhi, are awaited.

Even before this incident, four more cases of swine flu-like symptoms were reported in the district but did not test positive. “To take precaution against this diseases, we have not only sounded a general alert in our hospitals but also opened a swine flu cell in every PHC and district hospital making the physician the nodal officer to trace and treat swine flu,” said Tolia. 

Dehradun, November 26
The Health authorities have sent three samples of patients for testing for influenza A (H1N1) virus to NICD, New Delhi. Two samples are from Dehradun and one from Pithoragarh. So far the authorities have sent 348 samples and there are 85 positive confirmed cases in the state.

The state Nodal Officer Integrated Disease Surveillance Project, Dr Pankaj Jain, said: “One sample is of a 48-year-old patient from Pithoragarh and two of persons belonging to Dehradun.”

He said the results of reports of four students hailing from Pitthoragarh, who had undergone test yesterday for suspected H1N1 virus, were negative.

Dehradun, November 26
It was a rare feast for cultural aficionados of the city yesterday. The occasion was the release of second edition of “Khuchkandi”, a book written by famous folk singer Narinder Singh Negi, so also “Chachdi-Jhamako”, written by Nand Kishore Hatwal.

Both these books contain songs that are both evocative and carry the essence of the hill life that is full of lyricism, music and beat.

Famous author Vidya Sagar Nautiyal released the books and they have been brought out by Winsar Publications.

Speaking about his book, Negi said all 51 songs were earlier available in cassettes or CDs. “Uttarkhandis settled abroad can enjoy the songs in book forms. It is a special gift for my admirers who have been avid listeners to my songs both in India and abroad,” Negi said.

Hatwal, who has worked extensively on the art and culture of Uttarakhand, said: “I have collected the different ‘Chachdi-Jhamako’ being performed in different parts of the state. It is a popular song and dance form,” said Hatwal.

Dehradun, November 26
It seems that not only neighbouring state criminals, but also criminals from the neighouring countries have become a pain for the Uttarakhand police.

The state police that is already on its toes due to the coming in of inter-state criminals has now criminals operating from Bangladesh to trouble them.

The four Bangladesh national dacoits, including a mastermind who had struck at a house in Rishikesh, are regular visitors to Dehradun and after committing robberies and dacoities they go back to their country, the police revealed today.

There have been some incidents involving Bangladesh nationals in the past as well. But with this revelation, it has come to light that such gangs have made Dehradun its soft target.

Police sources say after interrogating the two accused who were arrested yesterday and getting hints from its source, they have got vital clues that when the gang was planning to strike in the state.

One of the robbers Wazid Ali, alias Bunty, a native of Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested yesterday, was the brother-in-law of the gang leader. According to the police, Wazid gave clues that when the gang was expected to strike in Doon.

Circle Officer said Jagdish Singh that we were keeping a tap on them and whenever they come to Dehradun again to commit some crime we would nab them according to the information of our source.

Wazid also told the police that the four had fled to Bangladesh after eight to 10 days of committing dacoity. They had committed several robbery and dacoity incidents earlier as well.

The four have been identified as Noore Islam, Aslam, alias Rokan, Masoom and Afzal. While the police had already arrested the two in this connection, other than Wazid, it had also nabbed Shahid who allegedly gave the robbers refuge at his house.

They had looted the house of Shalini Verma of cash and ornaments worth lakhs in Rishikesh in January this year.