Dehradun, April 2
The issue of hydel power projects in Uttarakhand is snowballing into a major controversy with the BJP Government in the state planning to move court and challenge the Centre’s decision to suspend Pala Maneri (480 MW) and Bhaironghati (381 MW) projects on environmental grounds.

A belligerent state government has also demanded supply of 1,000 MW of free power from the Centre for shelving the projects.

The decision to suspend the projects was taken on the recommendations of the Group of Ministers constituted by the Prime Minister. Environmental concerns raised by activists in the state have been corroborated by a special audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as well. The report, yet to be tabled in the state Assembly, has received the required assent from the Governor.

The CAG report, it is learnt, has severely criticised the state government’s decision to sanction 56 hydel projects, five of which have become operational. There are 200 more projects awaiting sanction and the report points out that not only will rivers face the threat of drying up, but diversion of 90 per cent water to these projects will also force people living on river-banks to migrate.

The state government, on the other hand, holds that Uttarakhand has a severe shortage of power and there is no reason it should not exploit its hydel potential of generating a whopping 15,000 MW of electricity. Suspension of power projects, it contends, would force industries out of the state and lead to migration from rural areas.

Dehradun, April 2
Surgical goods worth rupees lakhs gutted in a fire that broke out at Doon Surgical Emporium on Gandhi Road near Darshan Lal Chowk here today.All goods kept in the shop got destroyed in the incident. The fire caused due to short circuit in an inverter.

Fire officials said they had received the information of fire at 2 pm and had to press six fire tenders into service seeing the volume of the fire. It took more than half an hour to douse the flames.

According to shop owner Narender Bajwa, after closing the shop he had gone to Parade Ground for an exhibition when the fire broke out. He was informed by neighbouring shop owners of the incident after they saw the smog emanating from the shop.

He said he had recently ordered the goods to sell off but they all got gutted in the fire and nothing had left. The fire officials said the shop owner had claimed that he had suffered a loss of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh.

Meanwhile, during the fire operation several people gathered there and the traffic got disrupted leading to jam on Gandhi Road and Darshan Lal Chowk. 

Haldwani, April 2
Kumaon continues to be rocked by local-level protests on account of water woes. People of Bithoria and Lohriasal localities near Haldwani staged a protest yesterday against the damaged water supply pipeline.

They agitated at the mischief of people from other localities who had snapped the supply to their localities by stuffing pipelines with leaves at various places.

The residents of these localities are peeved at the fact that despite their repeated requests the pipelines in their areas that were laid decades back are not being maintained properly.

They have alleged that they are being forced to purchase water and the water supply tankers being arranged by the government are just meant for religious places.

They also pointed out that the government had installed a tube-well on private land and now the owner is not allowing them to take water from there.

In Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar, Congress activists protested outside the office of the Jal Sansthan against the erratic water supply. They said for the past one month, the residents are facing an acute problem on account of the erratic and untimely water supply.

They said repeated complaints on the issue of potable water shortage to the authorities concerned went in vain and it had become a routine for the administration to just make empty promises to the people.

They threatened to launch a full-fledged agitation if the concerns of the people were not addressed at the earliest.

Haridwar, April 2
After facing the poll debacle in consecutive two parliamentary elections and the internal chaos within the party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set eyes on the next parliamentary elections buoyant by the change in the leadership helm within the party.

The BJP is focusing in curbing the internal factionalism and focusing on making grass-root workers to work hard in their respective areas.

This was stated by newly appointed BJP national vice-president Kalraj Mishra in holy city attending a variety of functions. Terming the responsibility bestowed on him by party president Nitin Gadkari, Kalraj said responsibilities came with expectations and he would work to ensure people that he matched up to both responsibility and expectations.

Lashing at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) policies, Mishra termed these as anti-poor and pro-rich. He cited example of sky-rocketing price rises such as of pulses, fruits, edible oil, sugar and even salt, which, he said, due to economic policies these things were becoming a thing of luxury for poor and lower-middle class.

“The UPA has failed in all quarters and it has severely affected common man. All steps and policies are directly affecting the living and socio condition of people and a crisis has emerged for medium and lower strata of society to earn two time livelihood,” said Kalraj, a former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief.

On hyper activities of the Naxalites, Maoists and Pakistani agency ISI, Mishra, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said the UPA government had been totally unable to control their nefarious designs and ultimately innocent people were getting killed.

“While centre is unable to control this extremism and on the other hand it is bifurcating the nation by toying with Rajinder Sachhar Committee (report on Indian Muslims status) and Ranganath Mishra (for reservation in education-employment for the minorities) Recommendations,” said Mishra.

While on the ongoing Ganga hydle projects issue, the Rajya Sabha member said the state BJP government had been taking right steps to ensure the river sanctity of holy Ganga was maintained, but also advised the central government to make sure “it clears its stance and view on the Ganga hydel projects”.

Dehradun, April 2
Congressmen enraged over dismantling of bus stop near its headquarters by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) team during a drive against illegal hoardings yesterday made Mayor Vinod Chamoli to promise to make a new one in the area. The move also resulted in making Mayor to order marking of bus stops to be dismantled and retained in the next 15 days.

Former city Congress president Lal Chand today met Mayor with some fellow Congressmen and expressed the party’s displeasure over removal of the bus stop. He said, “The bus stop was being used by the Congressmen who would come from far away places as a sitting place, besides general public. We asked Mayor, who expressed his ignorance about who gave the order to destroy it, to built a new bus stop on the place. He agreed to our proposal.”

Mayor talked of building a bus stop in the area but not exactly on the same place. Chamoli said, “The bus stop was wrongly built at the roundabout hampering the traffic. SP (City) ordered to dismantle it as the shopkeepers were complaining that the bus stop obstructed the view of their shops.

So, now when the Congressmen came complaining to me, I suggested to make a new one in the vacant lying land near the Congress office on Rajpur Road, which will neither interrupt the traffic flow nor come in the way of shopping complex. I asked them to give me their written approval in this regard.”

The bus stop which hitherto was being used by the advertisers had now become the DMC‘s property, giving it all rights to dismantle it.

“We give rights to advertisers to build bus stop to use it for advertisement for five years. After that it becomes the DMC property automatically,” he explained. To tackle with the bus stops issue built at random places, Chamoli also ordered his team to come up with a list of the bus stops needed to be removed or retained in the next 15 days so that the issue did not generate another controversy. This would also coincide with the implementation of fresh hoarding policy going on concurrently. 

Pitthoragarh, April 2
If the Centre wants to maintain a free flow and purity of the Ganga from Gaumukh, where it originates, to Haridwar, it should erect a parallel river flow of the Ganga up to Haridwar and should leave a portion of water for hydro projects. This proposal was made by Prakash Pant, Uttarakhand Water Resources Minister, at a press conference here today.

Pant, who was referring to the proposed recommendation of the group of ministers regarding scrapping of the two hydro power projects, namely Pala Maneri and Bhairon Ghati, by the Centre, said the Uttarakhand government had not received any order from the Centre to stop work on these projects yet. “The decision will affect the state government as these two projects that are to be built by the state government can produce 861 MW of power and a sum of Rs 80 crore has already been spent on these by the state so far,” said Pant. He alleged that the Central government had been biased against the state government as work on the Lohari Nagpala project had not been stopped since it was being built by the National Thermal Power Corporation, a Central government undertaking company.

Referring to the demand of the Akhada Parishad that the closure of the projects would lead to a free flow of the Ganga, Pant said the Centre did not cater to their demand. “The Union government has stopped work on the two projects on the pretext that the stretch form Gaumukh to Lohari Nagpala is eco sensitive. This alone will not fulfil the demand of the parishad for maintaining a pure flow of the Ganga because the bacteria which keeps the Ganga pure has died after the river water was stored in the Tehri reservoir,” said Pant.

The Uttarakhand minister said it the Centre had concerns for a free and pure flow of the Ganga, it should not have constructed the Tehri Dam as it had not only helped in the death of the bacteria but also had disturbed the free flow of Ganga up to Haridwar, which should be the main concern for any Hindu. “The Centre should have allowed the construction of old projects and banned the new ones on the Ganga as these projects are under-construction stage according to the old policy of the Union government,” said Pant

Haldwani, April 2
Raising their voice against spiralling prices, the activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) sat on a dharna at the Buddha Park here on Friday.The protest was held under the leadership of the Uttarakhand in charge of the CPI(ML) Dr Raja Bahuguna and senior farmer leader Bahadur Jangi.

Addressing the party cadres, Bahuguna pointed that the survival of a common man would become difficult if immediate steps were not taken by the government to curb rising inflation.

Hitting out at both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he said that inflation was the result of the pro-capitalist and pro-imperialist policies being pursued by these parties.

He said that agriculture was being ignored in successive Five Year Plans of the Congress regime and with the new economic and industrial policies coming into being, farmers were being uprooted for developing special economic zones (SEZs) and corporate farming.

In his address Jangi, who is the convener of the Terai Bhabar Kisan Sabha, said that by increasing the prices of petrol and diesel in the Budget, the Congress has made it clear that it has nothing to do with the problems being faced by the ‘aam aadmi’.

Attacking the BJP, he said that the party, while talking of launching an agitation against rising prices, has done nothing to give some relief to residents of the state where it was in power.

Mussoorie: BJP workers gathered near the SBI branch in large numbers to protest against the rising prices and anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. The BJP workers, led by Rajpur MLA Ganesh Joshi, launched a signature campaign demanding form the Centre to bring the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities to a substantially low level.

The BJP workers also persuaded tourists who joined the signature campaign eagerly. A tourist from Phagwara, Randhir Singh, and members of his family said the price rise had broken the back of the medium and rural class of the country.

According to Mussoorie BJP media manager and secretary Kushal Singh Rana, the petition will be submitted to the President on April 21 Musoorie BJP president Roop Singh Kathait, Palika President OP Uniyal, Madan Mohan Sharma, Vijay Ramola, Mohan Petwal, Satish Saklani and others were present on the occasion. 

Haridwar, April 2
While millions of people taking holy dip in the Maha Kumbh make it the greatest fair on the earth, religious and spiritual rituals lend it a unique identity.

Today, hundreds of saints were made Naga Sanyasis in Haridwar. The religious ceremony was performed at Panchayati Shri Nirmal Niranjani Akhada amid religious rituals.

The sight at Mayapur on the Ganga ghat was unique with saints with tonsured heads sitting in lines and performing mass ritual to get into the fold of Naga Sanyasis giving up all worldly relations.

The ritual is so tough that before becoming Naga Sanyasis all of them have to do pind daan for their family members which means they assume they have submerged their family relations and have no connection with their parents, relatives and worldly affairs.

Dehradun, April 2
In the aftermath of center’s decision to stop construction of Pala Maneri and Bhairoghati projects on River Bhagirathi in Uttarakhand, Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and an eminent environmentalist Chandi Prasad Bhatt has sought re-consideration for all proposed and under-construction hydro-power projects in the state.

Union Forest and Environment Minister a day back had announced stopping construction of 48 MW Pala Maneri and 381 MW Bhairoghati projects on River Bhagirathi for environmental reasons.

In his first reactions to the development, Bhatt, one of the founders of the Chipko Movement, said there was an urgent need to reconsider hydro projects in the higher Himalayan regions.

“All proposed and under-construction projects on Alaknanda, Dholi and Gori rivers in the higher Himalayan region need to be reconsidered. These projects fall in highly seismic active fifth zone. Further, the very destruction of Chai village due to Vishnuprayag project in Chamoli district reveals adverse impact of these projects on the environment,” said Bhatt. He pointed out that even water bodies in close vicinity had gone dry in the recent times due to Tapowan Vishnugaad Project. Similarly, proposed projects on Gori and Dholi rivers in Pitthoragarh district needed to be re-consideration.

He, however, agreed that the state government must be taken into confidence by the centre while arriving at such major decisions. Bhatt admitted that a decision forced was never long lasting.

While favouring a transparent policy for hydro projects, Bhatt, also a recipient of Padam Bhushan, said it was important that the both geological and other environment studies undertaken before the start of hydro-power projects must be made public. He said the very fact that these studies were being done have often been questioned time and again.

He also suggested for fixing accountability for delays in the construction of projects and even for its consequential adverse impact on the local environment at later stage. He also welcomed centre’s commitment to the environment of the region. 

Dehradun, April 2
Recruitment rallies to recruit youth in the Army, Navy and Air Force would be held at various places in the state. Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj, who is also a 
member of the standing committee on defence, said Union Defence Minister AK Anthony had informed him about holding of the recruitment rallies for the armed forces in the state.

According to Satpal Maharaj, recruitment rally for the Army would be held at Almora from April 1 to 8 and from May 1 to 5 at Joshimath and from May 7 to 9 at Berinag. Entrance tests for the Indian Navy would be held between April 5 and 13 at Dehradun. Similarly, recruitment rallies for the Indian Air Force would be held at Almora and Srinagar Garhwal in June and September, respectively.

He, however, said there could be a change in the dates due to unforeseen reasons.

Dehradun, April 2
On completing 10 years in organising events and trade fairs, Real Host, in collaboration with Events Paradise, today started Uttaranchal Trade Mahotsav-2010 at the Parade Ground that will be on till April 11. The mahotsav will showcase daily cultural programmes, fashion shows, display and sale of electric goods as well as IT consumer products.

Sanjay Singh, Managing Director, Real Host, said the mahotsav was organised in active participation of various departments of the state government. The prime attraction of the trade fair will be IPL cricket matches on TV screens at the venue for all cricket lovers. 

Dehradun, April 2
Uttarakhand BJP state council and executive meetings will be held in Dehradun on April 5 and 6, respectively. To be held under the presidentship of Bisan Singh Chufal, party’s parliamentary board leader and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, BJP’s national organisational secretary Saudan Singh, vice-president Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and state BJP in charge Krishna Murari Moghe will be attending the meetings.

Uttarakhand BJP state council meets once every two years and it will be first time that the meeting is being held after Chufal took over as state president of the party and Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank assumed chief ministership.

According to Narendra Pal Singh, state BJP office incharge, the state council meeting will have participation of all Uttarakhand ministers, legislators, district 
panchayat and block heads and other party office-bearers. The council meet will be followed by a party state executive meeting, which will be attended by all 151 delegates. Advani will be reaching Uttarakhand on April 3. He will be staying at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh. Senior BJP Leader Sushma Swaraj and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan will also be in Dehradun to attend these meetings.