Dehradun, May 31
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank expressed displeasure at the status of regular supply of water and electricity in the state and also of the schemes pertaining to development and welfare of the public through video conferencing with district-level officers in the Secretariat here today.

Reviewing the status of drinking water in the state, the Chief Minister said despite proper availability of funds with the Jal Nigham and Jal Sansthan, the drinking water infrastructure facilities had not been enhanced.

Taking a serious note of the lapses, he ordered that necessary action should be taken against the officials found guilty. He was displeased with the slow pace of works of the Jal Niham in Pauri Garhwal district, which could spent only Rs 9 crore as against the balance amount of Rs 85.46 crore as on April 1, 2010. He directed the Chief Secretary to look into the matter and take action against the concerned Xen within three days.

During the review, it was brought to the notice of the CM that Construction Unit-2 of Jal Niham and Kotdwar Division did not utilise the fund despite its availability. The CM directed the CMD of Jal Sansthan to recruit the requisite staff as soon as possible, so that shortage of staff should not hamper the drinking water supply.

He said if any financial and administrative decision was required to be taken for extension of infrastructure facilities in supply of drinking water and electricity, it should be passed by the cabinet within two-three days, so that the public should not feel any inconvenience.

While reviewing the status of Almora district, the CM directed all District Magistrates to ensure water supply in the villages facing problem of water supply through tankers, labourers and all other possible means.

The CM directed the Additional Secretary, Drinking Water to make available Rs 25 lakh each to all the District Magistrates in natural disaster head; and in view of scarcity and problem of water in Almora district, sanction Rs 50 lakh immediately for the district.

Nishank said he wanted to see the compliance of all directions within a week of the video conferencing. He said the problems of the public at the Nyay Pachchayat level should be attended to and their grievances should be redressed immediately by a team of officers including BDO, headed by the DM or SDM. He said the DMs concerned would be held responsible for the slow progress of any department in future.

Nishank also directed the Chief Secretary to review the status of drinking water and developmental schemes and plans in every 15 days. He added that people in large numbers attend his Janata Darshan programmes, because their problems were not redressed at district and division levels. 

Dehradun, May 31
As part of preparations for protest against the Uttarkhand BJP government’s alleged anti-people policies, the Mahanagar Congress Committee held a meeting at the Congerss Bhawan here today.

Addressing the meeting, Uttarakhand Congress President Yashpal Arya called upon party workers to ensure their presence in the party protest march from the Gandhi Park to the Secretariat slated to take place in Dehradun on June 3.

He said the protest march to the Uttarakhand Secretariat was aimed at exposing the state BJP government’s irregularities, in particular those linked to the allotment of hydropower projects allotment scam. Arya also asked party men to expose the incumbent BJP government before the people.

The meeting was attended by mahanagar office-bearers of the Congress, besides apart from Congress councillors from Dehradun.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Disciplinary Committee secretary Naveen Joshi led the party workers in meeting people in parts of Dehradun to garner support for party’s secretariat protest progamme.

He, along with other party members, met residents at Govindgarh, Garhi Cantt, Vijay Park, GMS Road, Patenagar, Rajendranagar, Mohitnagar and Indira Nagar areas and sought their participation in the protest.

Mussoorie, May 31
In a forum discussion held at a hotel near Kulri Bazar on World No Tobacco Day under the aegis of the Yusuf Meherally Biradri Centre, youth from various walks of life pledged to refrain from tobacco consumption completely.

The speakers of the forum also laid stress to decrease the effect of tobacco in the daily life of millions in the country and save them from dreadful diseases.

Chief guest on the occasion Press Club of Mussoorie president Bijendar Panwar said tobacco companies had done enough harm and now were luring young schoolgirls into the net of smoking. He also said women comprised about 20 per cent of the world’s more than one billion smokers. Hence, they were seen as a major target of opportunity for the tobacco industry, which needed to recruit new users to replace the nearly half of current users, who would die prematurely from tobacco-related diseases.

Rashtra Sewa Dal national general secretary Jabbar Singh said tobacco was a bane for society and mass campaign should be carried on a war footing to educate people about the harmful effects of its consumption.

Jabbar Singh was of the view that in Uttarakhand itself the tobacco business had grown three-fold and the government was earning more than Rs 80 lakh in taxes, hence it’s commitment towards controlling tobacco consumption was questionable.

BSP Lok Sabha president, Tehri, Sunil Sonkar was of the view that tobacco companies should be fined or they should construct cancer hospitals in every district of the country as penalty. He also said the weaker section was adversely affected by tobacco consumption due to lack of awareness.

Press Club of Mussoorie vice-president Neema Kant said smoking was more harmful to women than men, especially during pregnancy period. She also said tobacco companies were targeting adolescent girls to consume the slow poison which should be contested vehemently by the society at large.

Former MPG College president and NSUI member Narendar Panwar said people should unite and a massive campaign against tobacco consumption should be launched.

Yusuf Meharally Biradri Centre state coordinator Mohsin Tanha said in the country women in rural areas used tobacco more than their urban counterparts. The figure revealed that only 0.5 per cent women smoke in urban areas, while in rural areas its figure was 2 per cent. About 8 per cent women chewed tobacco, but one in 50 men had the habit of using it. Almost 12 per cent women in rural areas and 6 per cent women in the urban region used smokeless tobacco. In India, 10 per cent of the world’s smokers or one million people were expected to die every year due to habitual using of tobacco.

Nainital, May 31
The Nainital police has booked a resident of Fatehgarh in Farrukhabad Jeetendra Shakya, along with his two brothers and two friends, for attempting to kill his wife. The accused had allegedly strangled his wife and pushed her down a cliff near Nainital yesterday.

According to victim Poonam, her husband had called her up while she was attending a relative’s marriage in Lucknow and called her to the Charbagh railway station. Meeting her at the appointed place with his two brothers Shivendra and Shailendra, besides two friends, he told her to accompany them to Nainital. He also told her that he was going to give her a surprise.

The victim told the police that a few kilometres before Nainital, she was given a cold drink, which had some drug in it, that made her lose consciousness. This was around 2 am. She came back to her consciousness after four hours only to find herself lying in a ditch with strangulation marks on her throat. She managed to climb up to the road, where someone gave her a lift till Nainital and later she was admitted to the hospital with the help of the police.

Dehradun, May 31
Seeking reinstatement, state ayurvedic employees started an indefinite relay fast outside the state Ayurvedic Directorate at Shastri Nagar here today.Manoj Chandola and Virendra Pant participated in the first day of the hunger strike. The agitating employees alleged that they would continue with their protest till their genuine concern was addressed by the higher health authorities.

As many as 138 ayurvedic employees are demanding their reinstatement after they were removed unceremoniously by the authorities.

The protesters had some time back got a relief from the Nainital High Court that had directed for stay on the orders for removal of these employees. The protesters also later burnt the effigy of the director.

Dehradun, May 31
The picture on the resignation of Leader of Opposition Ashok Verma has not been clear which he gave in the wake of the party’s defeat in the District Planning Committee (DPC) elections. In muted tones, Verma and Congress leader Yashpal Arya indicated Verma’s exoneration, but they steered clear of giving any clear reply in the matter.

When asked Verma said, “I am hearing that the party has refused my resignation, but I personally neither asked nor got any clarity in the matter. Though yes, today Yashpal Arya while addressing me as Leader of Opposition gave me the responsibility of protesting at the Secretariat over the state government’s failure on number of issues on June 3”.

Verma said he would welcome his party’s decision and would continue to work in the interest of the party.

Arya said Verma gave his resignation on moral grounds accepting his failure to contain the cross voting which led to the party’s defeat in the DPC elections. To find out the black sheep in the party who were involved in the cross voting, he said a committee had been constituted of three members, namely ex-MLA Subodh Uniyal, general secretary PCC Virender Bisht and former minister Mohan Sharma.

The committee will submit its report in the first week of June after which the party will decide course of action against the erring councillors and only then the decision on Verma’s resignation would be made final, he said.

The councillors which remained embroiled in the controversy over cross voting and Verma’s resignation drama seem nonchalant about these issues now. Vinay Kohli, councillor, said, “No one among us asked for Verma’s resignation. It is the party which will decide on his role. We too have no issues with him as he has rich experience of past 20 years of working in the MC”. 

Dehraun, May 31
Councillor Sachin Gupta submitted a memorandum to the Drinking Water Department regarding the paucity of water in Sayyed Muhalla.

The water supply in the area is being disrupted for the past many months. He said water came only for two hours a day and at a very low pressure.

The MLA of the area was doing the needful with mini tube wells, but the department lacked the will to supply requisite quantity of water, he added, and asked for a policy on the matter.

If action was not taken in time, then he threatened that the residents would bring this issue to the notice of the water minister and the state government.