Dehradun, May 5
Leader of Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Harak Singh Rawat today sought resignation from Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on moral grounds in the aftermath of the expose of the alleged scam in the allotment of hydro power projects. He also demanded a CBI probe into the entire allotment irregularity.

Addressing mediapersons in Dehradun, Rawat accused the BJP government of even selling the Ganga and the Yamuna to liquor barons. “Maximum projects allotted have gone to a few individuals, including liquor barons,” he said.

Announcing a major protest programme against the Nishank government, the Congress leader said he would be staging a symbolic fast at Triveni on the banks of the Ganga tomorrow followed by another fast at Har-ki-Pauri on May 7. “Similarly, fasts will be undertaken by me at Deoprayag on May 10, Srinagar May 11, Rudraprayag on May 13 and finally I will hold a fast at the Gandhi Park in Dehradun on May 14,” he added.

Congress legislature party leader Rawat accused the ruling BJP of resorting to a large-scale corruption in the allotment of hydro power projects to private companies. He said the BJP had crossed all limits of corruption by putting the very resources of the state on sale. He also made it clear that the Congress won’t allow the BJP to sell state’s assets to benefit a few persons. He said the true face of the BJP had been revealed due to scam.

He reiterated that the Congress would continue with its struggle against corruption and would take the hydro power projects’ allotment issue to the people’s court.

Meanwhile, Congress workers, under the banner of different party units, today burnt effigies of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank at two different places in the city in protest against the alleged irregularities in the allotment of hydroelectric projects in the state by the state government.

Led by city Congress chief Harish Virmani, party workers burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister at Ashley Hall Chowk and raised slogans against the state BJP government.

Workers of SC/ST Cell of the Congress also burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister in front of the Congress Bhawan here today. Led by Sharvan Kumar Rajoria, president of the SC/ST cell of the city Congress, party workers raised slogans and alleged that allotment of hydroelectric projects smacked of favouritism and corruption.

Haridwar: In addition to the allegation of misuse of Kumbh funds, the Congress has opened another front against the state BJP government - discrepancies in allotment of hydel projects across the state.

A mass awareness drive to expose the rampant corruption prevalent in the state is also being carried out to bring it to the common man’s notice.

Under this, street shows and plays will be enacted highlighting the corruption and anti-common man policies of the BJP state government.

In Haridwar, protests are being staged and condemnation is pouring in from various outfits of the Congress cornering Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, further aided by a sting operation carried out by a television news channel.

Demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into both the Maha Kumbh and hydel projects, Harak Singh Rawat, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, said the downfall of the BJP government was inevitable and the public had now seen the difference in governance between the previous Congress-led state government and the current BJP government.

Reiterating his pledge that if in the next Assembly elections, the BJP bagged even 15-odd seats, he would opt out of active politics, Harak Singh Rawat said that public money was being wrongly utilised. It would be a matter of time that people would themselves take to the streets against the corrupt government, he said.

Several protests were held in Haridwar district by Congress activists in Haridwar, Roorkee, Lakshar and Mangalore. Protests in Haridwar city were held separately by the city Congress and Youth Congress.

Party spokesperson Tej Prakash Sahu addressing party workers said the present government had made all sort of records in corruption and malpractices in its 38-month tenure.

At the city’s posh and busiest intersection Ranipur Mod, Youth Congress activists burnt an effigy and staged a dharna.

Raising slogans against the BJP government, the workers blocked traffic and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for first indulging in corruption and then keeping mum on the issue.

“Not only is the Congress demanding an explanation from the CM, but the whole of Uttarakhand that had posed faith in the BJP to govern the state. Our doubts in the hydel projects issue have been reaffirmed. The ball is in the BJP government’s court to either clarify or just quit,” said Ravish Bhatija, city chief, Youth Congress.

Among others who addressed the gathering were JP Sharma, Virendra Shramik, Subash Gupta, Arthur Mashiha, Mohit Namani and various other organisational executive members.

Dehradun, May 5
The issue of hydro power projects’ allotment by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has taken another interesting turn with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank claiming that the projects have not been allotted and the process is on before signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the parties.

The BJP government has been under attack for allegedly allotting 56 projects up to 25 MW (total capacity 956 MW) to various companies, including cycle manufacturers and even distillers. Opposition parties, particularly the Congress and the BSP, took up the issue in a big way in the last assembly session and demanded an inquiry by the CBI in the whole allotment.

The Chief Minister was again under fire following a report in a news channel about the allotment and an allegation by Rattan Singh Gunsola, former Tehri panchayat chief belonging to the BJP, that he had given money for getting some of these projects.

This again has infuriated the Opposition parties and even forced the state BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal to seek an explanation from Gunsola.

On the other hand, Nishank said a committee under secretary-level officials had been formed to look into the objections raised on the allotment process. “After the clearance of objections, MoUs would be signed with the respective companies about the self-identified projects. Till then, not even a single hydro power project will be allotted to anyone,” the Chief Minister added.

Asked about the bureaucratic hurdles created for those companies which wanted to invest in power generation in the state, Nishank said he would look into the matter.

ABVP activists burn tyres as mark of protest against the Rishikul management in Haridwar on Wednesday. Tribune photos:Rameshwar Gaur and

Haridwar, May 5
Situation at Rishikul Ayurvedic Medical College was in control today as cops cordoned off the college premise. Sound of police jeeps’ siren replaced the echo of ambulances’ siren at the college hospital and cops in khakis outnumbered white apron-clad doctors.

Support for the students has been pouring in from various student as well 
as political outfits. Today, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s city unit took full control of the students’ agitation.

Ayurvedic students of 2008 batch held a protest and vociferously demanded the arrest of Principal Pradeep Bharadwaj and his resignation too. They met District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram and apprised him of the whole situation. They also urged him to take the matter to Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. A memorandum in this regard was submitted to him listing three main demands of the suspension of the Principal, acquittal of the arrested students and a probe into the whole episode.

Agitating students squatted on the road near the college gate and blocked the one-way traffic for half an hour. They raised slogans against the college management and pledged to be part of the agitation till their demands were fully met.

Secretary of the city unit of the ABVP Shiv Chaudhari said the parishad demanded an investigation into this matter, release of arrested students and punitive action against the college employees responsible for the whole incident.

Though the NSUI too has come in support of the agitating students, terming the arrest of 40-odd students as an extreme step, it also lashed out at the police for being lenient to students having affiliation with the ABVP while arresting only those with the NSUI background.

State general secretary of the NSUI Pramod Khari said while on one hand politics was being played by the college management, on the other the police was also acting as BJP’s agent.

Later in the evening, seeing no response to their agitation, the students once again gathered on the college premises and burnt the effigies of teachers blaming them for their failure in examinations due to low marks allocation in practicals.

“This is totally not fair on the part of the college management. First they gave us less marks and blamed us for poor academic performance, and then had many of us arrested putting another blot on their careers,” said Neetu Upadhyay, an Ayurveda student.

Meanwhile, OPD services remained closed for the second consecutive day today, inconveniencing patients coming from nearby villages and suburban areas.

Dehradun, May 5
The two-day workshop on National Children Science came to an end on the premises of Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidhyala here yesterday. The workshop was organised with the collaboration of the National Science and Technology Communication Council of the Department of Science and Technology, the People Association of Hill Area Launchers (PAHAL) and the Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology (UCOST).

Prof RC Pandey, president of the organising committee, chaired the ceremony. Ashok Kumar Pant, state coordinator, Kamla Pant, K Sharma, N Punetha, Dr Dhingra and 60 others participated in the workshop, throwing light on the research work of little scientists of the school and their work.

The chief guest of the ceremony was Pushpa Manas, state Education Director, who appreciated the initiative taken by the organising committee in promoting science and technology among school students.

Eminent experts like Dr MM Kimoti, Director, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC), Dr Kalyan Singh Rawat, Dr AK Biyani, Dr N Punetha, Dr BN Pandey, senior scientist, CSIR, Dr M Madhu, Dr DC Badoni, Dr Santosh Kumar and Pramod Kumar Pandey presented their work. They shared their experiences with students.

Dehradun, May 5
The Survey of India registered one-sided 10-wicket victory at final over Ordnance Factory Depot (OFD) to win the title of the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee (CGEWCC) Cricket Tournament held at the Survey’s cricket stadium, here today.

The OFD scored 174 runs in 25 overs batting first. Deepak (43) and Chirag (38) mainly scored for the team. Rakesh and Ashok Rana got two wickets each for the winning side.

The Survey of India achieved target in 20 overs with no loss. Openers Satender Rawat (99*) and Ashok Rana (55*) scored in the win of the team.

Dehradun, May 5
Being referred to as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s “last over specialist” bowler, Joginder Sharma loves batting on mats in the Uttarakhand Gold Cup Tournament in Doon.

“I like the matting here. This is the third time I am playing in the Gold Cup tournament and it has been a good experience. I was adjudged the best bowler and the best batsman in the last tournaments I played here,” said Joginder who is leading the Haryana Colts team in the championship.

He has been called as Dhoni's “last over specialist” for turning the fate of the game in his team’s favour, bowling the last over of a fair few matches under Dhoni's captaincy, both for the Indian team and the Chennai Super Kings.

Joginder has been away from cricket for two years due to an injury during the IPL tournament in 2007-08 and is pinning hopes on his hard work to don the national cap once again.

“I am playing cricket after two years due to an injury. I am working hard and it is the only thing that can cement my place into the national side,” said Joginder who played in the IPL and the Duleep Trophy after recovering from his injury.

Joginder who was the part of Chennai Super Kings that won the IPL-3 final attributed the success of the team to the good combination of players in the side and the captaincy of a captain, cool Dhoni.

“We had really a good combination in the team and the comeback we made in the IPL was the deciding factor. Under the captaincy of Dhoni there was no pressure on us and he handled the team really well,” he added.

“The T20 Indian cricket team led by Dhoni is the best team in the World Cup since the Indians also carry the experience of the recently concluded IPL,” felt Joginder.

Dehradun, May 5
Host Guru Nanak Academy will face Marshall School and Colonel Brown Cambridge School (CBS) will lock horns with Sanskar International School in the semifinals to be played tomorrow during the ongoing Inter-Council School Sub-Junior Boys Hockey Tournament.

In today’s match, the Sanskar International School beat Aryan School 4-2. Ashish scored in 3rd, 7th, 20th and 36th minutes of the game.

In a narrow win, Marshall School defeated MIS 1-0. Aman Negi scored for the winning team in the 18th minute game.

In the third match of the day, CBS posted a one-sided win over GRD Rajpur 3-0. Mayank netted two goals in the 5th and 7th minutes. Gaurav Deshwal also scored a goal in the 10th minute. 

Players attempt a basket at the All-India Inter-School Girls' Basketball Tournament in Dehradun on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, May 5
Host Welham Girls School (Blue) and Modern School, Delhi will battle it out tomorrow in final to decide the winner of the 4th Welham Girls School Golden Jubilee All-India Basketball Tournament.

Both the teams today won their respective semifinals. Welham Girls Blue team beat MGD Girls School, Jaipur 54-26. It won quarters 19-17, 33-17, 38-23 and 54-26.

While in the second semifinal, Modern School, Delhi, beat Motilal Nehru School of Sports (MNSS), Rai, Sonepat 49-34. Disha of the winning team emerged as top scorer with 13 points.

Earlier MNSS, Rai, Sonepat beat Ashok Hall Girls Residential School, Majkhali, Almora 28-12. Manisha of the winning side scored eight points also Disha of the losing side scored eight points.

In another match, Modern School, Delhi trounced Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls, Jaipur 39-18. Gauri topscored with 16 points. 

Dehradun, May 5
Eleven Star became the fourth semifinalists beating Sunderwala Boys 2-0 in a quarterfinal encounter of the ongoing 4th RB Singh Memorial Football Tournament held on the Pavilion Ground here today.

Lokesh (8th minute) and Tarun Kumar (15th minute) scored for the winning side.

Sunderwala Boys’ all attempts to score a goal foiled by the strong defenders of the Eleven Star team.

Tomorrow the Shivalik Club will lock horns with Vijay Cantt in the first semifinal.