Haridwar, April 21
While the century’s first Maha Kumbh is almost over with the completion of the fourth Shahi Snan on April 14, now doubts and allegations have once again started resurfacing from various quarters over the indiscrepancies of Kumbh funds.

Now main Opposition party in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly, the Congress has pressed for a Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) inquiry not only in the alleged corruption in the expenditure of Kumbh funds, but also in the April 14 accident-cum-stampede killing of seven persons at the Birla Ghat.

Speaking to The Tribune in an exclusive interview, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Harak Singh Rawat spoke in detail over the Kumbh and the party’s stance on this issue which, according to him, “Is not confined to one city, state or related with a single government”.

Citing his previous visits before the commencement of the Kumbh and during it, Harak Singh said at that time too the Congress had raised questions about rampant corruption and inferior quality of works in Kumbh funds and projects, but now they would go out with full force to expose the reality behind the Kumbh.

So when questioned whether the derailment would be too late as the Kumbh gets over this month, Harak Singh replied, “As the Kumbh started, everyone’s attention was diverted and as people from the host state we thought it better to agitate on a low pitch so that doubts and fears do not creep in the minds of pilgrims which would have hurt the Kumbh fair prospects”.

Challenging Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, the leader of the Opposition demanded a CBI inquiry into Kumbh irregularities as raised by the Congress and also in the tragic incident of April 14 that occurred during Shahi Snan. Harak Singh even questioned the mela administration and the state government role of not revealing the exact figures of people who had fallen into the Ganga in the stampede.

“We all know what results in most of the magisterial inquiries and the time they take. Gauging the sensitivity and magnitude of the Kumbh fair, instantly a CBI inquiry should have been ordered and if the BJP government is fair, why is it escaping from ordering a CBI inquiry,” said Harak Singh who is a legislator from the Lansdowne Assembly constituency.

He even termed the Chief Minister’s self-made demand of allocating Nobel Prize for the successful hosting of the Kumbh as immature and reflects self-praise mindset of the BJP government.

Roorkee, April 21
The leaving of the BJP and then joining the Congress by Laundara Nagar panchayat chairman Ram Kumar, two ward members, and several Dalit leaders has jolted BJP’s 2010 Assembly election strategy and bolstered Congress’ revival in the region.

Terming anti-common man policies and internal factionalism as their main reason to leave the BJP, Ram Kumar said the party had deviated from its policies and was catering to those who did not have any voter base, but were “influential” and “closer to party office-bearers”.

On joining the Congress, the chairman said the party was on a revival phase in Haridwar and it was due to its adhering to its pre-poll agenda and able leadership. He said people had already shown the BJP and the BSP the door by making Harish Rawat win by a record margin from the Haridwar constituency and now it was the turn of these two party legislators.

With the Congress barring the last parliamentary elections, wherein Harish Rawat won by a record margin, the Congress had performed poorly in the past couple of Assembly elections. Party legislator from Laksar Pranav Kunwar Singh hoped that this time the party would turn the tables.

“People are perturbed at the BJP-led government policies and want change. Hundreds of politicians and party workers from the BJP, BSP and SP are joining the Congress as this is the only party which is development oriented and pro-poor,” said Pranav Kunwar.

District Congress president Chaudhari Rajendra Singh said a large number Dalits and Muslims were joining the Congress as neither in the BJP nor in the BSP were these two minorities safe.

“They have been merely used as vote banks and secularism takes a back seat in both the BJP and the BSP, but its in the Congress where people from all sects and sections rights are safeguarded,” said Chaudhari Rajendra Singh while welcoming the newly inducted members in the party.

Among the ward members and heavyweight leaders, who took oath as Congress members, were Rajesh Valia, Nuru, Naresh Jatav, Krishan Pal Singh and Ramkumar. While those who welcomed the newly inducted party members included Vikas Saini, Amit Chaudhari, Islam, Sunil Valia and Jitendra Pawar.

Dehradun, April 21
British High Commissioner Richard Stagg today met Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva at the Raj Bhawan here.

En-course deliberations, Stagg discussed the tourism potential of Uttarakhand in the backdrop of increasing Indo Britain ties at national level. Exploring potential for coordination in news sphere between Uttarkhand and Britain were also came in for discussion.

It is noteworthy that Alva too had been member of Indo-British Round Table for long. Brigadier Brar (retd) was also present on the occasion.

Nainital, April 21
The cadres of the Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) are agitated over the treatment being meted out to them and are planning to hold a statewide protest toward the end of this month.

The 15,000-strong members of the PRD are seeking redressal of their concerns by the state government at the earliest.

Talking to The Tribune, president of the Kumaon Chapter of the PRD Samiti Dinesh Prasad said, “We held a protest at Almora yesterday and now we are planning a statewide protest towards the end of this month. We are seeking a regularised employment”.

He said the PRD cadres had been trained to do various jobs in various departments, but ironically most of them were not employed for a sufficient number of days. “We are asked to regulate traffic, help out in election exercises, do jobs in various administrative offices. Just as the state government has created a cadre of Shiksha Mitras, they can also create a similar cadre for us called Raksha Mitras,” he said, adding that the cadre could be used in border areas of the state.

“This will help in checking crime as a local person is better equipped to tackle situations in an area. Secondly, it will help in generating employment and preventing migration from the villages located close to the borders with China and Nepal,” he asserted.

The second main demand being aired by the PRD cadre is that a separate department be created to take control of their affairs. They say they should not be governed by the Youth Welfare Department. The agitators at Almora had pointed that although the PRD had been in existence close to two decades, they were still being given a step-motherly treatment. Very often their wages were delayed. They said the hike in their daily wages from Rs 120 to Rs 150 from this month was not enough to make ends meet.

They said they had delivered on all fronts, including the management of the ongoing Kumbh at Hardwar.

The agitators rued that whenever they had tried to raise their voice against the injustice being done to them, they were threatened with being laid off.

Dehradun, April 21
All 13 secular and Left political parties will hold a nation-wide agitation against price rise on April 27.

Announcing this here today, state president of Samajwadi Party Vinod Barthwal called students, farmers, intellectuals and general public to join them in this agitation.

Barthwal pointed out that this was not the problem of some particular parties, but of the public and all should join them in the agitation.

He also said on April 26, the Samajwadi Party would organise a procession from the Gandhi Park here against price rise.

The CPI, CPM, LJP, Janta Dal (Secular) and the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party also shared the dais today. All parties would take part in the agitation against price rise together.

State secretary of the CPM Vijay Rawat said the issue of price rise had made the life of people tough and the party needed support of the public as well during the agitation.

The other parties’ members added that prices of petrol, diesel and fertilisers had skyrocketed and were troubling the people most.

Dehradun, April 21
Perturbed members of the Uttarakhand Panjabi Sangathan have requested the administration of the state Rehabilitation Department to allot the land at Prem Nagar at a nominal rate of discount as it was given earlier to refugees.

Addressing mediapersons, Devendra Singh Sethi, state president of the association, said the residents as well as the refugees were unable to deposit the amount of the land due to which the association had made a plea to the state government for sanctioning rebate on the prices of the land.

Another major issue that was discussed at the conference was of allotting land to the non-refugees residing in Patel Nagar, Prem Nagar, Racecourse and Uddham Singh Nagar for the past 50-60 years and of letting the passage of sewage water through underground nullahs at Mannuganj, Moti Bazar and Kalika Mandir.

Gurdeep Singh Kukki, city general secretary, Vijay Bagga, Anil Khanna, Gurdeep Singh Sondhi, Narender Sethi and other association members were present at the press conference.

Nainital, April 21
District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli has ordered that permission should be granted only after the proper verification to new vehicles for transportation from the mining area on the banks of the Nandhaur river. The orders were given at a meeting of the Mining Committee held here this morning.

He also ordered that officials of the Forest Department and the local administration should resort to effective checking of vehicles carrying mined items from the riverbed of the Gaula river, but at the same time they should ensure that frequent checking did not lead to endless traffic jams, which had become a routine feature in Haldwani.

Shailesh Bagauli also asked the Forest Department officials to conduct surprise raids to check illegal mining activities.

Asking the officials to keep a strict vigil on stone crushers, he asked them to ensure that the crushers should maintain an up-to-date record of their stocks.

An important decision taken at the meeting was that from May 10 onwards, the stone crusher owners will have to fill in ‘Form J’ released by the Mining Department before they take the produce out of the mining area.

This system will remain effective even after the current mining season.

Dehradun, April 21
Fifty-year-old Pooran was killed by an elephant in the Shyampur Range of Haridwar Forest Division of Uttarakhand during the evening hours.

In another incident, Rampal Singh was injured in a leopard attack at Baskot village of Pauri district today. He was admitted to a nearby hospital where his condition is stated to be out of danger.

On other hand, wildlife casualties also took place in the state.

A leopard was found dead near the Rajaji National Park. A carcass of a three-year-old leopard was noticed in a river by residents of the Banjarewala area near the Rajaji Park.

Dehradun, April 21
Members of the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh welcomed their national president Dil Kumari Bhandari at Gorkhali Sudhar Sabha here today. They organised a programme in her honour where she was garlanded and presented with flowers as well as mementos.

On the occasion, Dil Kumari also launched the first edition of Uttarakhand Parisangh Bulletin. She appreciated the efforts initiated by the association members to uplift the Gorkha community in Uttarakhand and thanked the hosts for conducting such a programme.

Brig NDS Bisht, vice-president, Col CB Thapa, state advisor, Bhupendra Adhikari, secretary, Durga Gurung, state president, Shiv Lal Ale, state general secretary, Suraj Rai, Col DK Khadka, Meneka Adhikari and the other association members attended the meeting.

Nainital, April 21
In a bizarre incident reported from Majhaula village near Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar, a man killed his father following a tiff over the possession of an ancestral house.

According to information, there was an altercation between Lalta Prasad and his son Manoj, who had come to his parents’ house from Delhi. Manoj demanded possession of the ancestral house following which there was a heated exchange of words between the father and the son. During this altercation Manoj allegedly picked up a brick and hit his father on the head killing him instantly. The accused has been arrested.

Dehradun, April 21
Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhawana Yatra took off from Congress Bhawan here today. The yatra will go to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and finally culminate at Perumbadur on May 21, on the occasion of martyrdom day of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Former Mahanagar Congress president Lal Chand Sharma said the rally was aimed to create communal brotherhood in the country.

He said the sacrifices made by Rajiv Gandhi for the country were unparallelled.

The yatra is being led by Rajendra Dubey of the Akhil Bharatiya Rajiv Gandhi Brigade.

Nainital, April 21
The district administration has warned the encroachers on the Mall Road in Nainital to remove their encroachments voluntarily or face seizure of their goods from tomorrow onwards.

According to Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Prakash Chandra, it has come to light that a large number of people are illegally selling various items by putting up stalls or simply displaying wares on the Mall Road, which causes a lot of inconvenience to pedestrians and some time leads to traffic jams.

He said the encroachments were temporarily removed whenever there was a combined drive undertaken by the police and the administration, but the vendors soon returned and the situation was back to square one. Besides causing inconvenience, these encroachments could also lead to serious accidents.

He warned that from Thursday onwards if the encroachments were not removed, the administration would forcibly seize the wares without any warning and take strict action against the offenders.