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Despite terrorist attack threat, public places sans security
Sugar mills, farmer organisations reach compromise |
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Experts for rationalisation of forest classification system
Goats being sold for Id-ul-Zuha at Inamuallah Building in Dehradun
on Friday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir
SBI backed industries during meltdown, says DGM Maheep
India, Nepal join hands to check smuggling
Federation plans professional boxing in India
World fund lauds state’s efforts on job scheme
Students hurt in group clash
DM to manage 2 hospitals at Haldwani
Land grab: Man declares nephew dead
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Despite terrorist attack threat, public places sans security
Dehradun, November 27 The letters had threatened of serial blasts on November 28 in Dehradun prominently targeting these institutions of national importance. The police had conducted checks, along with dog squad, at the railway station on the day the letters were found, but the sources said a few police officials visited here in the evening only and the whole day there was no security personnel. A survey by The Tribune team found that there were no security personnel in the railway station, ISBT, district court campus and crowded markets. Even the metal detector machines, which were earlier there at the entry and exit points at the railway station, were missing now. The Dehradun police personnel conducted raids in the evening for the past two days at several places. While security arrangements have been tightened at the institutions, including Doon School, IMA, RIMC and ONGC, the other crowded places still need proper security cover. Though taking security measures was right at these institutions, the police could have also taken into consideration other sensitive places and could have done security checks or deployed cops there as well. Dehradun SSP Abhinav Kumar said, “It seems the work of some miscreants and so far, we haven’t received any threat from any known terrorist organisation. Even the letter sender hasn’t mentioned his name. However, we are taking it seriously and have beefed up
the security.” “Both the letters were same, but were posted from Chennai and Patna, respectively” added the SSP. However, the police is taking no chances and has engaged its teams on matching the handwritings with the letters received earlier in other states sent by some terrorist groups. Special commandos were also deployed at some places on Thursday. The police teams have been sent to other states for the investigations. The ONGC had received a threating letter on November 25 and handed over to the senior police officials. The letter had threatened of serial blasts in the city and had bore the name of dozen institutions and offices to which they had threatened to blow off. Doon School, too, received a similar letter threatening of serial blasts like Mumbai on November 28 on the school premises. The school authorities handed over the letter to the police and security has further beefed up. The security at the prestigious schools has already beefed up following disclosure by the American agencies that Headley, a USA-born terrorist held by them, had plans to attack Doon School and Woodstock School in
Mussoorie. |
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Sugar mills, farmer organisations reach compromise
Roorkee, November 27 Without consulting the farmers, the owners of three sugar mills here-Lakshmi Sugar Mill, Iqbalpur, Rai Bahadur Sugar Mill, Laksar, Uttam Sugar Mill, Libbarehri and the representatives of farmers, at their own, have agreed to fix sugarcane rate as Rs 215-220 per quintal while the state government is yet to announce the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of sugarcane. Now, many local cane growers have been alleging that some of their leaders had acted as agents of sugar mill owners which resulted in ‘not so good’ price for their product. Even the National General Secretary of Uttarakhand Kisan Morcha, Rakesh Aggarwal admitted that due to unfair role of some of the farmers’ representatives, they could not strike a proper bargaining with mill owners. “Some of the representatives did not play fair role during the talks with sugar mill owners,” said Rakesh. He also admitted that the farmers of the area were not happy over the development. “When we were fighting to get minimum Rs 250 per quintal as MSP so why they agreed on Rs 215-220 per quintal rate with mill owners,” said Noor Mohammad, a local cane grower. Last year, when the rate of sugar was Rs 1,600 per quintal, the price of cane was fixed at Rs 143-148 per quintal. Now the control price of sugar is Rs 3,700 per quintal whereas in open market it is being sold at Rs 40 per kg so the proportionate rate of cane should be fixed accordingly, he added. Meanwhile, with the starting of lifting the product by the mill owners, the cane crushers have also offering the rate over Rs 225 per quintal to the farmers. The high quality product fetches more price, over Rs 235 per quintal at these crushers. During the agitations by the farmers over the price fixation of cane few days back, the rate at the crushers were downed at Rs 170-180 per quintal.
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Experts for rationalisation of forest classification system
Dehradun, November 27 This comes at a time when the FSI recently mapped the forest types of India on the scale of 1:50,000 under a national-level project doing away with diagrammatic A-4 sized map, showing zones where 16 types of groups could be found. This has been done using remote sensing and GIS to make forest types maps of districts, states and country. Conducting a mammoth exercise, the then top foresters of the country, Champion and Seth, in 1968 divided Indian forests into six major groups followed by 16 type groups and further sub-dividing it into 200 types, including subtypes and variations of forests. The disclosure came at the National Forestry Conference held here recently. Scientists of the FSI held that the preliminary examinations had indicated for a rationalisation and revision in the classified scheme enunciated by Champion and Seth. Top FSI officials Subhash Ashutosh and RK
Bajpai, while presenting their paper “Need for Revision of Champion and Seth Classification System”, did not rule out the possibility of a coherent regrouping of the classification. “As the classification is an attempt to formulate better management strategies for specific types at each level of the classification schemes and a coherent re-grouping, it seems plausible,” they said. “The imperatives of a rationalised and revised classification system include possible facilitation in recognition of types of forests for better management, minor and insignificant differences in the determining factors of several types, relative predominance of only a few type groups,” they pointed out. Interestingly, this is for the first time that FSI officials have hinted enough for a revision in Champion and Seth classification system of forest types and evidently hints for more compact and comprehensive classification of great utility. |
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Id-ul-Zuha: Boom time for goat sellers
Dehradun, November 27 The goat sellers were brimming with enthusiasm after a goat was sold for record Rs 1 lakh a day before. Mohammad Yusuf, a goat seller from Muzzafarabad said, “On an average, the goats are selling from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 each.” He came with 25 goats, and most of them were already sold in last two days, and he was confident of disposing of the remaining ones by tonight. Such is the brisk business these sellers are doing while catching on to the buyers looking for a good deal. Abdul Qayyum, another seller from the same city said, “I am happy on having made good profit this time. I have already sold two goats for Rs 12,000 each which I had bought for Rs 3,000 from Paith, village in Saharnpur.” He said that it was the native of villages in belt of Saharanpur and Muzzarabad, whose main occupation is to rear these goats and sell them off for festivals like Eid or general consumption. The sellers who were selling on the road for last three days said from early in the morning till late at night, the buyers keep dropping in to buy the goats. Mohammad Usman, who came for the first time said, “I had been incurring losses in my village in Saharanpur. On my friend’s suggestion, I came here and, made money by selling goats at good price.” The sellers were happy but it was the buyers who felt the pinch in the pocket. Says Nasir, a buyer, “Every year, the price increase a bit. Now, it has become quite difficult to buy even one goat at reasonable rates.” He was seen haggling with sellers, who were holding a horde of goats. CM extends wishes Dehradun: Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has wished the Muslim community on the eve of Id-ul-Zuha festival. In a message, the Chief Minister said that the festival of Id-ul-Zuha symbolised sacrifice. He further said that the state had a rich tradition of observing festivals of all communities with brotherhood. He hoped that the communal amity and respect for all religions would continue. — TNS
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SBI backed industries during meltdown, says DGM Maheep
Dehradun, November 27 He said, “When the entire world, especially the giant banks world over, crumbled under the pressure of recession, it was the Chinese and Indian banks, specifically the SBI, which survived the catastrophe. In such a time, the SBI still recruited 35,000 persons in the past one year and had targeted 25,000 new recruitment. The bank also gave support to small and medium industries through various relief packages and plans.” He said that in the past 206 years of the existence of bank, it opened 12,000 branches and in the next five years it would add 10,000 branches to it. Similarly, he said that it would take the existing number of ATM from 15,000 to 25,000 by 2010. Talking about the status of the SBI in the state, he said that the tally of 337 SBI branches would be increased by 50 more branches and similarly 200 new ATM would be set up besides the existing
207 ATM. Kumar took pride in telling that it was the SBI who despite being the oldest and largest bank, was as tech savvy as other
new entrants. “No other bank but the SBI could provide salary to 48,000 employees of the ONGC on a click of mouse on the same day throughout the country. We also achieved the same feat for all government employees of the state as well.” He also mentioned about the facility of smart card, which resolved the problem of opening new bank accounts in small villages of the state. The facility launched in the Pitthoragarh has enabled the villagers to carry any kind of transaction with a small size smart card at their doorsteps. |
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India, Nepal join hands to check smuggling
Pitthoragarh, November 27 They have also decided to have equal vigilance on the smuggling of drugs across the border besides checking human trafficking and smuggling of wildlife organs and banned herbs. Pitthoragarh District Magistrate NS Negi told the Tribune after taking part in the meeting between officers of both countries at Darchula in Nepal today. “Besides these issues, we also raised the issue of counterfeit currency being smuggled via Nepal into Indian territory,” said Negi adding that the officers from both countries also agreed to facilitate each other by opening all five suspension bridges linking India and Nepal in Pitthoragarh district. “Indian officers also raised the issue that any Nepali citizen entering India should be given an identity card. Nepali officers replied that they were already issuing identity cards to Nepali citizens above the age of 18 years, but to make it necessary is to be decided by both countries,” said Negi. “As we have no problems on boundary pillars and crimes across the border in this hill side of India-Nepal border, the Indian delegation suggested that cultural cooperation should be strengthened between two countries in this part of the border,” said Negi. The meeting was attended by District Forest Officer (DFO), Commandant SSB, commandant ITBP; in charge of Intelligence Bureau and Superintendent Engineer, PWD besides District Magistrate and SP Pitthoragarh. From the Nepal side, the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Baitari district, Keshav Prasad Ghimire, and CDO Darchula DP Sharma besides other officers from their army, police, road construction, electricity, forest and custom departments participated in the meeting. “The long-standing issue of three more bridges on Kali river across the India-Nepal border was also raised. These bridges have been proposed at Lali, Dhaukanda and Jhoolaghat area for which the preparation from the Indian side are almost complete but waiting clearance from the Nepali side,” Negi added. |
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Federation plans professional boxing in India
Nainital, November 27 Talking with The Tribune on the sidelines of the ongoing Federation Cup Senior Women Championships here, Col PK Muralidharan Raja, secretary general of the Indian Boxing Federation
(IBF), said: “We plan to start the India Series Boxing in 2011. Right now we are in the process of setting up franchises in six cities. The event will be held on the IPL format in which players from outside the country would also contest.” “However, the federation would put an age bar on boxers who participate in the event. We would ensure that a young boxer first gives his best in the amateur category and goes on to represent the country in Asian and World Championships. Only then he can enter the professional circuit. We cannot have 17-year-olds entering the professional circuit straight away.” He also disclosed that the IBF was in the process of calling for a tender from a professional marketing agency that would help in getting funds for promotion of the game as well as popularising it in the country. “Four top companies - the
IMC, Percept, IOS and Leisure Sports - have already shown interest in taking up the venture,” he said. “They see a lot of opportunity in the sport. Besides it being a full time career, it has now started offering money also,” Col Raja pointed. |
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World fund lauds state’s efforts on job scheme
Dehradun, November 27 Dr Kanayo F Nwanze, president of the IFAD, who is leading a four-member delegation on a tour to Uttarakhand, said yesterday that an IFAD review had found that works being done in Uttarakhand were the best in the country. “The effect of work done under the Himalayee Ajeevika Sudhar Priyojana has now started showing results,” Nwanze said. The IFAD president also met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who requested him for increasing investments in IFAD projects running in Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister also asked the IFAD president to make 100 per cent IFAD share for Uttarakhand in the places where it was extremely urgent. Nawanze also met Vijaya Barathwal, Uttarakhand’s Minister for Rural Development. Country’s programme manager Matya Prair said the pariyojana had completed its initial phase and now there was a need to proceed towards bank linkage and venture capital so as enterprises established by the village community might get forward and backward linkages. Project Director Vijay Kumar said the project had progressed significantly towards improving livelihood of the people and its positive impact was being felt on ground. The IFAD-financed pariyojana is working with 42,690 poorest families in 959 villages of 17 selected blocks in five districts of the state, including Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli and Tehri. |
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Students hurt in group clash
Dehradun, November 27 The police also had to resort to mild lathi charge to scatter the students. The injured were admitted to the Doon Hospital and some of them got released later. The students, including girls, were in civil dress and all had school bags
with them. The incident happened when the people were standing in queue to collect tickets. However, one of the students was pushed by other in the queue and the former beat the latter, along with
his other friends present there. The beaten student called on his friends later and attacked the group members who had beaten him. The agitating students also ran inside the hall and created ruckus. Theatre officials called the police and the cops had to resort to mild lathi charge to control the
students. The police couldn’t arrest any of them as most of them had fled inside the hall and the police couldn’t identify them among other
students. |
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Association holds rally, submits memo
Dehradun, November 27 The members gathered at Gandhi Park from where they moved in procession to the Secretariat, submitting a memorandum to the Principal Secretary (Health) Keshav Desi Raju. Their main demands include formula of same work, same pay be taken into consideration for implementing the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. Raise in travel allowance from Rs 75 to Rs 500 per month. Auxillary nurses and midwives to be promoted as health workers, doing away with district cadre. Creation of posts of block supervisors (both male and female), raise in salaries of part-time midwives from Rs 500 to Rs 2,000 and posts of block supervisors be created at the community Health Centers (CHC). The general secretary of the association Usha Negi said they would be forced to launch a hunger strike if their demands are not met. |
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DM to manage 2 hospitals at Haldwani
Nainital, November 27 Bagauli has asked top-level officials at these hospitals to get a separate society registered and call the newly constituted management committees for a meeting in the next 10 days. Bagauli inspected the facilities at the Women Hospital today and informed that the ultrasound machine that had been lying out of order for sometime has been made functional again. He said that the construction of new buildings for the hospital will be completed within the stipulated time frame. |
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Land grab: Man declares nephew dead
Dehradun, November 27 The matter came to the light to victim Kalu’s notice a few days back when he returned from Haridwar. His uncle, Gulab Singh, claimed that the land that belonged to his nephew was his. Kalu today met SSP Abhinav Kumar who directed the area police station concerned to lodge an FIR. |
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