|
|
|
|
Nainital tourist season peaks, so does fleecing by hotels, eating joints
|
|
|
Inside Story of Sanitation Workers’
Akranta beat Uttarakhand Tigers 1-0 in tough match
45-day football camp concludes
Winners of the sub-junior category of the All-India Talent Series Tennis Tournament in Dehradun on Thursday. A Tribune photograph
Uttarakhand Challenger Cup
|
|
Nainital tourist season peaks, so does fleecing by hotels, eating joints
Nainital, June 24 The administration, Tourist Department and the hoteliers along with other bodies affiliated with the tourism industry have failed to address the concerns that have been raised on numerous occasions in the past. To begin with there is no rational fare for the shared or fully hired taxis starting from the Kathgodam railway station and Haldwani to
Nainital.
The fleecing of tourists continues unabated. Once inside Nainital, traffic snarls are a major headache. People coming from outside do not bother about traffic rules and cause such jams by halting their vehicles wherever they feel like on the narrow roads. Despite their best efforts, the police, which is already short of manpower, is unable to ensure a smooth traffic flow through the day. In addition to this is the fleecing of visitors by the hoteliers and those running eating joints. Certain hotels do not maintain a regular tariff card and charge at will. Rooms that are available for Rs 500 to Rs 700 during other months are now available for anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 per day. This correspondent is also witness to the hoteliers getting separate tourist season menu cards printed with exorbitant prices for food items. A cup of tea that would otherwise cost Rs 5 in a low budget hotel is being served for Rs 12 these days. Talking to The Tribune, the spokesperson for the Nainital Hotel Association Kamal Jagati said: “We ensure that our members maintain a proper tariff card. But, there are certain people outside our association who are bringing a bad name to the entire industry.”
He further charged that the Tourism Department had been doing virtually nothing to promote tourism in the place. Pointing to the other problems like management of traffic, etc, he said: “Emphasis has to be given to building parking places outside the city and promoting shuttle services to the heart.” Ironically, a special meeting convened by the district administration with tour operators, hoteliers and restaurant owners in the first week of April to address these problems has failed. District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli had said in view of limited parking space, the parking lots must be utilised to the optimum and a maximum number of vehicle owners must be encouraged to park their vehicles at the parking lot developed at Sukhatal from where a shuttle service was needed to be started to bring the tourist into the town. A unanimous decision had been taken to regularise the taxi rates so that the tourists were not fleeced. The District Magistrate had also said the Nagar Palika must issue proper licences to photographers, hotel guides and those offering horse rides to the tourists which must be produced before the police when asked for. It was also announced that a special drive would be undertaken to check the illegal functioning of certain guest houses and hotels that are operating without proper licence. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), MS Bangyal, had said all hotels must install close circuit television cameras (CCTV) at their reception and must display a proper tariff card. This too has remained a pipe dream. Bagauli had also ordered that the public toilets managed by the Lake Development Authority (LDA) must be put in order and proper power and water supply be ensured. But, the condition of these toilets at several places is pathetic.
|
|
Inside Story of Sanitation Workers’ Stir II
Dehradun June 24 “My only crime was to make sanitation workers lift garbage from each household against their willingness. And I dared to check workers and supervisors at their sites and took them to task on being found absent. It was especially supervisors who conspired in spreading this rebellion as they were minting money from sanitary workers for marking them present in the attendance registers when the workers were actually absent from their work places,” he said. Rawat also felt that he had been made a scapegoat in the entire sequence as despite after having admitting his fault and asking for forgiveness in the very beginning, the strike continued to intensify with the workers stressing on their other demands. In a way, he felt that the sanitary workers used this opportunity to pressurise the government to give in to their demands while dragging his name in the backdrop. Mayor Vinod Chamoli, who had been backing him in this drive, too disappointed Rawat later by not coming to his aid. While appreciating Rawat, the Mayor had said: “I selected him among all and brought him here because of his past record”. But, he too washed his hands off the controversy saying that since the workers did not come to him for their problems, he would also not meddle in the affairs. “Rawat did not get the Mayor’s help, but surely got associated as the Mayor’s man by those who did not have good terms with the Mayor. The Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (MNA) too is one among them. The MNA was also not pleased with Rawat for overriding him in the sanitation drive and working at Mayor’s advice”. Congress councillors who supported the strike too were seen giving Rawat advice as to how to run the corporation. Ganesh Dandwal said if he had taken councillors and the MNA in confidence and got this project passed in the Board meeting, he would not have seen these days. Secluded by all, Rawat had to put up with repeated insults meted out by the sanitation workers and their leaders. Roughed up at a meeting with the District Magistrate, he again faced the showdown in the presence of the MNA. This time, he lost his cool and locked horns with union leaders, and the MNA, who was watching both parties, intervened when it came to exchanging blows between them. To win his brownie points, the same union leader Chander Mohan Kala who was slinging mud at Rawat in the meeting room came out and asked the crowd of agitators to condone Rawat as he had admitted his mistake. Rawat was also made to address the crowd and he addressed them saying: “The purpose for which we had started off (of garbage collection and sanitation) was not served, as it led to a strike instead. It is better that we sink our differences and bitterness and get together once again”. The crowd too reciprocated to his gestures. But, the smile remained missing on his face, as he had been tarnished and insulted all through. In the whole bargain, the MNA won the game hands down in the end for ending the 15-day strike in one single day by scoring over a situation where union leader Kala had got weakened, aggressive Rawat had become submissive and the Mayor who tried to prevail over the situation with his announcement of dissolving sanitation workers’ samiti was again silenced with MNA’s single stroke. (Concludes)
|
|
Akranta beat Uttarakhand Tigers 1-0 in tough match
Dehradun, June 24 It was a neck and neck competition with the two tough sides. The first half went barren despite a number of good attempts. The teams displayed a good game which fully entrained the spectators. However in the second half, Pradip of Akranta took the rival team by surprise and dismayed it netting one in the 41st minute. The strikers of Uttarakhand Tigers tried in desperation to score a goal but they failed to get success. Meanwhile, in tomorrow’s league match, BC Milan will take on the Uttarakhand Club. Garhwal Sporting, Shivalik Club play goalless draw
It was a goal-barren day at the District Football League, as the two matches played today ended in a goalless draw on the Police Lines ground. Garhwal Sporting and the Shivalik Club played the first match, which finished on 0-0 draw. Also, in the second match efforts of the Indra Club and the Gypsy Club to score goals proved fruitless. No goal came throughout the match. Garhwal Boys and the Will Youth Club will meet tomorrow in the first match. While XI Star and Little Star will play the second match.
|
|
45-day football camp concludes
Dehradun, June 24 He was assisted by other coaches, including C Ali, and Hemant Thapa. Since the camp started, several sports lovers and known names gave their time and important tips to the kids. Today, on the final day of the camp, a friendly match between two teams of girls of under-14 age categories was organised at Marshall School. The participants in the camp were presented with certificates and prizes. Vice-Principal of the school and social activist Rajnish Jayal said, “The camp received a good response from kids and in coming months we are going to organise a football league at the junior level”. “Our endeavour has been to promote the game in Dehradun. We are doing our bit towards it and will organise such football camps in future as well,” added Jayal.
|
|
Mayuk u-12 champ of All-India tennis tourney
Dehradun, June 24 While in the under-14 boys’ doubles final, Rawat paired with Dhruv Pal of Uttarakhand to attain the title trouncing Alok Arnav and Atish Jain of the same state. Earlier, in the boys’ under-12 singles semi-finals, Rawat beat Upmanyu Sinha (Gujrat) 6-0, 6-1 and Abhishek (Delhi) defeated Mritunjay Badola(Uttarakhand). Dhruv and Rawat routed N Vignesh (UP) and Arnav Alok (Uttarakhand) 6-1, 6-0 and Alok Arnav and Atish Jain, both of Uttarakhand managed to beat Arup Goyal and Aditya Malik of the same state 4-2, 2-4, 13-12 in the boys’ under-14 doubles semi-finals. The winners were given away prizes at the academy. Meanwhile, the boys’ under-14 singles final have been shifted, which was scheduled on June 25, due to rain.
|
|
Raw Academy register 4-wkt win
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, June 24 The Raw Academy invited Tanush Academy to bat after winning the toss. The latter set a target of 194 runs in 30 overs. Gajender (68 off 63) was the mainstay of the team’s innings. Manish (35) and Ravinder (28) also chipped in helping the team raise a fighting total. In the bowling department, Kiran of Raw Academy captured three while Sanjay got two wickets. Ashwani and Amit pocketed one wicket each. Chasing the target, Raw Academy’s Amit thumped rival team bowlers with a blazing knock off 98 off 74. Ashish (16) and Aakash (10) too chipped in to achieve the target at the loss of six wickets. Ravinder took two wickets. Manish, Varun and Digge got one wicket each.
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
A 45-day football practice camp concluded at Marshall School, EC Road, here today. The camp was organised to promote football in the region.
A large number of children in the age group of six and 17 years attended the camp with a keen interest.
