Dehradun, May 20
The BJP made a clean sweep winning all 12 seats of the District Planning Committee (DPC) from the prestigious Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) the results of which were declared today.

Along with the DMC, the BJP also won the Vikas Nagar Municipal Area DPC membership. The faction-ridden Congress party was unable to open its account, the only consolation being the lone membership of Rishikesh.

In all, 24 candidates were in fray for the 12 seats from the DMC Area with the BJP and Congress pitching in 12 candidates each.

Amita Singh, councillor from Mohit Nagar (53) polled 35 votes, followed by Neeraj Sethi Councillor, Niranjanpur (45), who polled 33 votes and Santokh Singh Nagpal, councillor from Kalika Mandir (18), polling 33 votes were the main vote catchers for the BJP.

From the Rishikesh municipal area, Brijpal Singh Rana of the Congress (12 votes) and Rajneesh Sethi from the BJP (14 votes) were declared elected. In all, three candidates were in fray for the two seats.

From Vikas Nagar Municipal Area comprising Vikas Nagar, Herberpur and Doiwala with 23 votes and one seat, Rani Bansal of the BJP emerged victorious garnering 12 votes.

However, the scene was totally different for DPC membership of Dehradun Zila Panchayat. The group supported by Madhu Chauhan, President of the Dehradun Zila Panchayat, won all 14 seats, with the BJP and Congress giving outside support. Abha Barthwal, member, Zila Panchayat Raipur, polled the highest number of votes (31).

In all, 26 candidates were in the fray and 33 votes were cast. One vote was declared invalid.

The counting began at the Town Hall of the DMC in the presence of District Magistrate Senthil Pandiyan. The voting and counting was held on the same day.

In Uttarkashi district, of the 12 seats, the Congress won 11 seats from the zila panchayat and the one lone seat of Nagar Palika.

In all, 247 candidates were in the fray for DPC membership elections in the state.

Nainital, May 20
The Congress-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) combine have swept the District Planning Committee (DPC) polls held today.

Out of the total 21 seats in the offing in Nainital district, the Congress-BSP combine wrested 15 seats thus entering the committee with a thumping majority.

Of the 21 seats, 14 were to be filled by members of the zila panchayat where the Congress already had a majority. Of the remaining seats, four were to be filled by Haldwani Nagar Palika members and one each from the Nainital, Ramnagar and Lal Kuan Nagar Palika.

The member chosen from the Lal Kuan seat will represent the municipal bodies of Lal Kuan, Bhawali, Bhimtal and Kaladhungi.

The seat from Nainital Nagar Palika was bagged by Prem Sagar of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while that from Lal Kuan was bagged by a BJP member Vinod Srivastava. Congress candidate Jitendra Singh Bisht emerged victorious on the Ramnagar seat.

All four seats of Haldwani Nagar Palika were bagged by BJP members - Jogendra Rautela, Mahendra Nagar, Harimohan Arora and Radha Tewari. Tewari was declared winner through a lottery system after there was a tie for the fourth seat.

The seats represented by zila panchayats were swept by the Congress-BSP combine. The candidates that emerged victorious were Anil Kumar Arya, Kamlesh, Ganesh Arya, Geeta Joshi, Gita Bisht, Gopal Singh, Chani Ram, Tara, Tara Dutt, Pradip Singh, Priyanka, Yamuna Bora, Satish Chandra and Sanjay Sah.

The polling for the DPCs was held by the preferential system. This is the first time that DPC polls have been held in Uttarakhand.

It had earlier been decided between the Congress and the BSP leaderships that of the 14 zila panchayat nominees, 13 from the Congress and one from the BSP would file nominations.

Of the 26-member zila panchayat, the Congress has 14 members, BJP has eight, BSP has two and there are two Independents.

Mussoorie, May 20
As the news of Congress rebel candidate Jasvir Kaur’s victory as DPC member reached Mussoorie, the camp of Palika President OP Uniyal camp burst into jubilation.

Sweets were distributed as Jasvir’s supporters heard that she had defeated her nearest rival, the official Congress candidate Subhasini Barthwal by a margin of two votes.

Jasvir was garlanded when she reached the Library Bazar Chowk. Jasvir thanked her supporters and said she would work for the development of the town.

Jasvir Kaur got six votes while Subhasini Barthwal could garner only four votes. One vote was declared invalid.

The DPC elections in Mussoorie had become a prestige issue not only for candidates, but also for Mussoorie MLA Jot Singh Gunsola and OP Uniyal.

Uniyal was supporting Jasvir, while Gunsola was behind Subhasini.

With this win, Uniyal has emerged stronger. Uniyal supporters see this as beginning of the end of Gunsola’s stint as MLA of Mussoorie.

Political analysts believe that Uniyal, who fought on a BJP ticket for Palika President, will have more say in district planning with member whom he had supported. The BJP is now trying to get Jasvir Kaur into its fold.

Haridwar, May 20
Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Municipal Committee claiming to have an upper hand in today’s District Planning Committee (DPC) elections till noon, the results in the afternoon proved that there was a marked difference in claims and reality.

The Congress-led Opposition made a clean sweep in the 30-member Haridwar municipality. Five members were elected by today’s poll with the ruling BJP having to fight a Congress-led combined Opposition.

The names of the winners are Dr Prem Pratap, Ashok Sharma, V Ansari, Rajkumari and Dr Satya Narayan Sharma.

Yesterday, the BJP, realising the importance of DPC elections, had convened a high-level office-bearers’ meeting where Uttarakhand BJP chief Bishan Singh Chufal had addressed BJP ward members and district members.

A whip was issued on the occasion by district party chief Om Prakash Jamdagni to the party councillors.

BJP DPC in charge for this election Anil Arora termed the loss as unexpected stating that introspection needed to be done behind the reasons why the party lost despite being in power.

Leader of Opposition in the municipality Sanjay Sharma has termed the results as sign of unity within the Opposition.

Nainital, May 20
Senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler has attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for doing politics on the issue of tackling Naxal violence. Asking the BJP to refrain from playing politics on the issue, he said, “It is time for everyone to come together to get rid of the menace.”

He was particularly critical of BJP leader Arun Jaitley for his comments on the Home Ministry’s handling of the issue. “I do not think that anybody should play politics. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister are doing their best to address the issue and Jaitley is doing politics,” said Tytler who was here on a brief visit.

Replying to a query on the issue, he said that poverty and unemployment played a role in the ideology of violence taking root among the tribal population in the naxal-affected states and programmes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) can play a big role in helping the deprived sections of society.

When asked whether he thought that MNREGA and other schemes were introduced a bit too late and after these people had been disappointed by successive governments at the Centre and the states where they reside, he tried to be evasive and said, “When it has come, it is bringing results. At least, credit must be given to people who thought of it.” He underlined that the menace of Naxalism has to be dealt with collectively.

He said the country today was doing well economically and it has money to spend on developmental projects. He claimed that the process of taking the fruits of development to the masses had started and the government is taking health care, education and food security to the masses.

He said the recently introduced Right to Education would yield very good results in a decade and India would emerge as the most intellectual power in the world by 2020.

The Congress leader said that the Central government is now moving towards bring Acts on Right to Health and Right to Food.

Tytler was critical of the various state governments, including Uttarakhand and Bihar, for their improper implementation of centrally sponsored schemes like the MNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, Indira Awas Yojana and Midday Meal schemes.

Hitting out at the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, he said, “Over the past four years, he had managed to generate a positive public perception whereas the truth is something else”.

On being asked about the blame game between the Centre and the various state governments on the improper implementation of centrally sponsored schemes, he said that the two sides would have to come together and take the benefits to the people.

“It is not any party’s money, but the money belongs to the people. They must get it,” said Tytler while underlining that very often, the state governments are in an embarrassing situation when they have to submit an audit report for the utilisation of grants given by the Centre.

On being asked about the ending of industrial package for Uttarakhand and the Forest Conservation Act becoming a hindrance in development of the state, he said the five Lok Sabha members of the state should take up the issues with the Centre which was willing to help the people of the state.

Haridwar, May 20
The Sewa Dal, a Congress organisation outfit, is conducting a five-day training camp in Haridwar.

Normally, politicians don’t have much to do with physical fitness, but catering to the demand of the times, the Sewa Dal has incorporated physical fitness and yoga in its training regimen.

The training-cum-skill camp is focusing on politics as well as physical wellbeing. From the mental aspect to having a social service mindset, Dal activists are being trained wholly to make them look different from workers of common political outfits.

Informing The Tribune about the training camp, state convenor Rajesh Rastogi said the Sewa Dal had a long tradition and as a grassroots level organisation of the Congress, the onus was on the Dal to churn out the best activists who later joined the mainstream Congress.

“So we thought it better to include yoga and physical fitness in the schedule so that mentally and physically Sewa Dal activists don’t lag behind,” he said.

Baba Hath Yogi Digambar said the Sewa Dal was a disciplined outfit and such training camps solidified the Congress and thus indirectly the country.

National trainer of the outfit Kumari Pyari Jaan emphasised on the need of inculcating political, spiritual, mental, physical, social, cultural and human qualities in activists to make them complete humans.

Uttarakhand chief organiser of the Sewa Dal chapter Ram Rawat said such camps developed social harmony as well as political culture which went a long way in ensuring the credibility of any reputed organisation.

Among those who addressed the session include OP Chauhan, Chaudhari Rajendra Singh, Ishwari Devi, Rajesh Shivpuri, Satya Narayan Sharma, Sangeeta Bharadwaj, Prabha Ghai, Rao Iffaq, Ravish Bhatija, Rajeev Chaudhari among others.

Dehradun, May 20
When all in the capital were rejoicing on their accomplishments of scoring well in the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and Indian School Certificate (ISC) exams yesterday, Aruj Singh was getting himself examined by a neurosurgeon at the Max Hospital, Delhi.

Aruj, 18, a student of Class XII, Doon School, is an extraordinary youngster who made a clean sweep in his ISC examinations by scoring 87 per cent in commerce stream in spite of being paralytic below his waist.

“Aruj met with a road accident on January 21, 2009, that made him paralytic from his waist down.

“He was in a critical state and bed ridden for about six months. In that incident, he fractured his left shoulder, right arm and had his spinal chord injured. He doesn’t even remember how accident happened or whether he got banged with a vehicle due to the memory loss of that particular incident,” said Aruna Singh, Aruj’s mother.

Aruj had never been studious in academics, but was a bright student in school.

He had represented his school in boxing at the district level, had been a debater and was director of school’s drama committee. He developed interest in studies just two-three months before the examinations.

While talking to The Tribune, Aruj narrated how things happened and what made his gusto alive within him.

“Me and my mother are happy with my result as neither of us was expecting to even get passing marks without attending a single class in school. Schoolteachers and the council were not even letting me sit for the examinations without 75 per cent attendance.

“In fact, my mom suggested to me to take one-year gap and prepare myself for the next year. I met the council members thrice and somehow managed to convince them for giving me the permission for the examinations”.

“No teacher, no school authority helped me with class notes and exercise. It was my doctor, Dr Vaish, and Headmaster of Doon School Peter Mc Laughlin, who motivated me to, at least, appear in the examination.

“I never attended classes and entirely relied on self-studies. I took home tuitions for three subjects - accounts, economics and English. I could do well in my board examinations as I had no pressure on my mind to score 90 or 90 plus,” said Aruj.

Despite his bad health, Aruj was focused on studies and was determined to prove others that being physically challenged is not a curse.

In his free time Aruj loves to watch movies and listen to music. His daily regime comprises exercise, yoga and meeting friends in the evening.

In fact, he aspires to become a lawyer and has just appeared for CLAT examinations to seek admission in the Law College of Hyderabad or Bangalore.

Passion and determination are the two greatest factors that can make anyone sail through any circumstances in life.

Similarly, Aruj is one great example that teaches one to be optimistic and sanguine in life. He has set an example for other numerous children who are victim of illness or other physical deformities.

Dehradun, May 20
While cricket associations in the state are locking horns over BCCI affiliation, cracks have resurfaced even in associations linked to football, the sport that once gave Dehradun an identity at the national and international levels. This has only aggravated the sufferings of the players.

Both the old Dehradun Football Association (DFA) and present DFA registered with the Uttarakhand State Football Association (USFA) have fixed identical date, May 27, for the teams to register with them for the district league.

But the catch is that a team that registers itself with the old DFA will not be affiliated and cannot participate from the district and the state, according to officials of the present DFA and the USFA.

Annoyed with the present DFA on various issues, primarily that there was no transparency in the elections of its office-bearers, several clubs and known names of football had joined hands against it.

The old DFA had conducted a meeting in this regard yesterday, in which it selected its vice-presidents, joint secretary and organising secretary and fixed the last date as May 27 for registration of the teams with their association.

The present DFA claims that the team registered with it will only be affiliated, thus putting a ban on others. While the old DFA claims that they don’t see it as the affiliated body and if any issue of banning the team crops up, it would not hesitate even to take the matter to court.

“Many clubs were disappointed complaining that no elections were held in the present DFA and there is no transparency either.

“Last year, a ban was imposed on Eleven Star by the present DFA and was also lifted without any intimation or discussion with any club,” alleged Anand Joshi, newly appointed organising secretary of the old DFA.

“The attitude of the present DFA is not right due to which our local players are suffering. In the Dehradun team, which mainly includes policemen and hostellers, locals are given no chance,” alleged vice-president Gopal Bhardwaj and joint secretary Tejpal Singh.

Devender Bisht, general secretary of the present DFA, has refuted these allegation and said the elections were being held according to proper guidelines.

He also categorically said only the teams registered with their club would be qualified. And even the Dehradun district team would be sent by them since they were the only registered body to the USFA, which is affiliated to the All-India Football Federation.

Echoing same views, USFA secretary Syed Akhtar Ali said there was no question that the teams not registered with the DFA played from district and the state teams.

Last year, 33 teams had registered themselves with the present DFA while the old DFA has claimed that about 17 to 18 club teams were registered against the former and they were present during the meeting yesterday.

Dehradun, May 20
Sushil Rawat scored another brace today to sail the Education Department home with 3-0 win over the OLF in a league match of the Institutional League Football Tournament played on the Pavilion Ground here today.

All three goals came in the first half. While the Education Department achieved success, the rival team kept trying till the last minute of the game. The OLF could make very few attempts.

Anand Rawat struck the first goal in the seventh minute. Star of the team Sushil Rawat scored the next two goals. He struck the second and third goal in the 21st and 27th minute, respectively.

Tomorrow Uttarakhand Sports Power Group will lock horns with the OFD in a league match at the same venue.

Dehradun, May 20
The second Narendra Singh Kharola Memorial Football Tournament will be held from May 22 to 29 at Ambedkar Stadium on the Kaulgarh Road, ONGC.

The tournament will be played on knock-out basis at the district level. As many as 15 teams have confirmed their participation for the competition, while one club is still to confirm its participation.

Addressing a press conference, Dharmender Kharola, son of Narendera Singh Kharola, said this was the second league of the district-level tournament being organised in the memory of his late father and for the next year they were planning to hold an All-India level football tournament.

He further said, Narendra Singh represented India and played for the East Bengal Club, Kolkata, for several years. He played with the stalwarts of the Indian football team, including PK Banerjee, Chunni Goswami, Peter Thangaraj and Shyam Thapa.

He worked with the ONGC and was one of the founder members of Vijay Cantt Sporting Club, Dehradun. Baijnath, GM (ER), ONGC, will be the chief guest and Jaidev Bisht, former Olympian and Dronacharya awardee, will be the guest of honour.

Dehradun, May 20
A summer football coaching camp at the zone No. 4, Pavilion Ground, which started on May 16, is underway in full swing. This camp is being held by the Grassroots Sport Foundation which is organising 12 such camps in different parts of Dehradun.

Budhimaan Thapa, president of the foundation, said as many as 90 budding players had registered themselves for the camp, out of whom 70 were turning up every day. The players would be divided into three under-16 teams and they would take part in a football tournament to be organised when the camp would conclude.

Famous names in football, including Tejpal Singh Rawat, Moshin Khan, Satish, Madan Negi and Rajender Rawat were coaching the children.

Budhimaan said the coaches had been kind and doing the job voluntarily for the sake of promoting the game. It was a 21-day-long camp and timings for the camp were 6 am to 8 am.