Dehradun, July 2
To protest against the recent price hike of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG, all opposition parties, namely the CPI, CPM, Samajvadi Party (SP) and the BJP have decided to declare Bharat Bandh on July 5 (Monday).

The CPI, CPM will jointly held the protest with the SP. A meeting of these three political parties was held here today which was attended by CPM state secretary Vijay Rawat, CPI secretary Samar Bhandari, Spokesperson for the SP RP and Harjinder Singh from Janata Dal (U).

SP state president Vinod Barthval said it had become difficult for common man to survive in the prevailing condition of escalating prices. The government needed to rollback recent hike of fuel, he added.

Vijay Rawat, too, reiterated the same stance saying that their party was the first which started rotest against inflation in the state. He said they would urge shopkeepers, traders and transporters to halt their services on Monday.

BJP state president Bishan Singh Chufal said their party would make sure that transportation and availability of essential services continued on the bandh day. He said, “We have given responsibility to 22 party-bearers of districts to make this bandh successful. We will also hold a working committee meeting on July 7 and 8. On 8, a rally would be held which will be addressed by Party national president Nitin Gadkari on the issue of price rise.”

Haridwar: Rising inflation with surging food, fuel prices the Congress led United Progressive Alliance has been criticised by opposition parties in the district for its failure to control the inflation.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samjawadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has termed the extreme rise in price as a blow on the faith reposed by common man in UPA to produce an able governance.

Lashing out at the Central government’s inability to control the prices the BJP district chief Om Prakash Jamdagni has termed the Congress as a party of rich.

Stating that BJP will stage statewide protests Jamdagni informed that party leaders are chalking out strategies to expose the dual face of the Congress.

The SP also is reacting sharply to the uncontrollable price rises by organising a protest rally and then submitting a memorandum to the city magistrate. The party workers held a protest at Jwalapur sub-urban recently blaming the UPA government for its collective failure.

The Bahujan Samaj Party legislator from Bahadrabad Assembly seat has also termed high price rises as one of the major failures by the Congress led UPA alliance.

Haridwar July 2
The recent hike in fuel prices especially diesel and petrol has affected everyone’s life directly or indirectly. It’s repercussions are also being felt in the pilgrim city as truck ferrying rates getting raised by almost 10 per cent directly affecting the rates of the consumer goods.

Fare hike comes in the wake of recent petrol-diesel rates being raised by the Central government and in Haridwar since almost two years back in 2008 truck operators have changed their truck ferrying charges.

This 10 per cent increase in truck ferrying, overloading charges is a decision taken by the Haridwar Truck Owners Welfare Association, and now from this month onwards charges for ferrying trucks nationally will be more costly.

Citing almost six to ten rupees hike in diesel, the truck owners complain that in this time of price rise they were also compelled to increase their truck charges to earn a living.

Informing the Tribune about their stance HTOWA president Mohammed Yassin said due to unprecedented rise in fuel prices, they were forced to levy the surcharge. “Petrol-diesel price rise are changing drastically with reports coming of further hiking of diesel by at least Rs 3 by the Central government then there was only one option left for us that is to hike our rates,” said Yassin.

The Uttaranchal Industrial Association chairman Harendra Garg opined that petroleum products rates directly affect the industries as their production depends majorly on these fuels adding that frequent change in petro product prices may also affect industrial business.

Now, the trucks ferrying Integrated Industrial Estate situated SIDCUL factories goods price will also be affected with this hike. Office secretary Rao Ayyaz said petro fuels are directly related with the goods prices and so the goods they ferry are bound to get costlier.

He cited that new rates have come into effect from yesterday only citing example of a hired truck rate to Bengalurru which was earlier approximately Rs 30, 000 would now be costing the hireRs 33,000.

Pitthoragarh, July 2
Indian traders involved in the Indo-Tibet border trade have demanded from the Uttarakhand government that the designated trade officer should be permitted to visit Taklakot Mandi inside China so that he could take stock of real condition of Indian traders during this trade there.

“Our traders face several difficulties in the Tibetan mandi of Taklakot and Purang during their stay for the trade. The trade officer should feel and understand the difficulties the traders are facing so that he could report to government about the real nature of the trade,” said Padam Singh Raypa, president of the Bharat Tibet Vyapar Samiti based at Dharchula.

Even trade officer and SDM of Dharchula Navneet Pandey feel until Indian officers see the traders’ plights there in Tibet he can not really assess the need of the goods demanded by Tibetan clients. “When the traditional economy and taste of people inside this border area and adjoining areas in Tibet has changed, our traders are bound to trade on traditional goods only and are suffering losses,” said Pandey, adding that since last year he has been asking the Uttarakhand government to permit him to go into Tibet with the traders and review their needs but no permission has come so far.

“Our traders are in competition with their counterparts from Central Asian countries on the old silk route, who are selling the modern goods useful for Tibetans whereas our traders are bound to sell only traditional goods which are of no use today,” said the trade officer.

Nepali traders also trade with Tibetans during this period and are selling goods of modern usage and earning big profits. “If the Government of India could revise the list of importable and exportable items for Indian traders these profits can be diverted towards Indian traders,” said the trade officer. The trade officer said if Indian officers could go into Tibet he could assess the need of Indian traders to go into other marts of western Tibet to sell there goods. “In the absence of the spot review of this trade since 1992, the Indian side could not assess new marts of western Tibet,” he added.

Nainital, July 2
Peeved over certain women representatives of public being represented by their husbands at various forums, the Uttarakhand Commission for Women is planning to write the state government to take immediate steps to check this practice and treat it on a par with forgery.

Vice-chairman of the commission Geeta Thakur said here today, “It is really a pity that we have pradhan pati, sarpanch pati and block pramukh pati (husbands of gram pradhans, sarpanches and block presidents) representing them in various meetings at the administrative level. There are instances that the husbands take decisions on their behalf. Such practices need to be stopped and the women public representatives need to understand that they are representing the public with certain powers entrusted. The husbands have no rights to use that power.”

Geeta said, “We are going to take up the matter with the state government at the earliest asking them to take measures to stop this practice which is nothing but forgery in a different form. If the husband goes ahead and signs at the place where his elected wife is supposed to do, it is obviously a case of forgery and needs to be dealt with in a similar manner.”

She further said the commission was going to take up issues concerning women of Uttarakhand with the National Commission for Women (NCW) at a meeting scheduled to be held on July 5. This is the first time that there would be an interface between the two institutions. “We want them to know that there is a need to set up stay homes for women who are victims of atrocities in the state. We will also be seeking budgetary provisions for making women aware of their legal and other rights. We also want to involve the aanganwadi workers in making women in the villages aware of things and also to help them report cases of rape and other atrocities to the police. We are also aiming to get the police officials to train these aanganwadi workers on how to help the victims reach them,” she added.

Referring to the recent tie up of the commission with the 108 EMRI

emergency health service which will help women facing atrocities or abuse get their complaints registered by dialling the number 108, Geeta divulged that a police personnel will accompany the ambulance to reach the victims.

She said in cases of rape or other atrocities, the women would not have to go to the police station but would get their complaints recorded while being transported and being given first aid inside the 108 ambulance.

“This will also help in checking cases where women at times try to register false complaints as she can always be confronted later with whatever she got recorded in the first instance,” she said. She added that at least 35

per cent of the complaints of dowry lodged by women across the state

were found to be false and the recording of their version through GPRS

would help check this. She said since the tie up with the 108 service, 84 women complainants had got their complaints lodged.She was very critical of the attitude of the police towards the women who are victim of various atrocities and seek legal redressal.

She accused the police of tampering with the complaints and evidence in several instances, besides helping the accused in various matters flee by the time a police team arrives to arrest him.

Dehradun, July 2
After waiting for nearly two years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) yesterday managed to install its own man as Chairman of the Uttarakhand Wakf Board despite protests from other members of the board at the elections held here today.

It was a peculiar situation for the BJP government on the issue of formation of the state Wakf Board since it came to power after the Assembly elections in 2007. With less support in the Muslim community, the ruling BJP found it hard to get members of its choice.

As per the Wakf Act, the board that manages the Muslim religious properties could have a total of 11 members. Out of these the nominated members could not be more than those from elected bodies like Legislature, Parliament or Bar Council.

Two Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators namely Shahzad and Mohd Tasleem were made members while Razia Baig, president of the Bar Council of Uttarakhand, also made it to the board by virtue of being elected Muslim member of the Bar Council. Three members were elected from the “mutawalis” (caretakers) of various mosques and Muslim shrines.

The state government fearing that it would not be able to get its own person elected as chairman in the case of elections, nominated six members under various categories in clear violation of the Wakf Act.

“They cannot have more nominated members than the elected ones in the board,” claimed Razia Baig.

However, Uttarakhand Social Welfare Minister Matbar Singh Kandari, who looks after the Muslim affairs, was interested in having Rao Sharafat Ali as chairman who was nominated by him to the board.

In the elections today, Ali was elected as chairman of the Uttarakhand Wakf Board, as four elected members Shahzad and Mohd Tasleem and Razia Baig boycotted the election protesting against the move by the government.

“It was a clear violation of the act and blatant misuse of power by the state government. It clears indicate the intentions of the state government towards Wakf properties.

We have given a written dissent and would also knock the doors of the high court to challenge the decision,” said Razia Baig.

Haridwar, July 2
Despite tall claims by the administration of making the Maha Kumbh area a green zone, after the passage of more than two months of completion of the mela, there seems to be no action in this regard. But now Divya Prem Seva Mission took the task in their hands.

Initially, the mission visions to plant, at least, one lakh trees in the 130 sq km Kumbh area and its quite serious regarding this matter, as it is in conversation with political parties, social organisations, institutions to join hands in making city a greener one.

Thus, to ensure more genuine participation of common people, the mission activists will be urging people specially on their birthdays, marriage and other festive occasion to make the day memorable with planting saplings making oneself more sensitive to the trees.

Speaking to The Tribune, Harit Bharat general secretary Vimal Kumar divulged on the ways to make people more aware about the trees.

He said to indulge more and more people every Sunday in the mission there would be a planting drive carried out for every alternate month for students, political, social organisations to help in planting and caring saplings in the coming years as well.

To give a fillip to the movement on July 4, the mission will be celebrating the day as Harit Bharat Sankalp Divas as a prelude to commencement of the green movement.

“Our main motive is to plant more and more saplings and also taking care of these for our coming generation,” said founder of the mission Ashish Gautam.

The Mission is roping in Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. BJP national chief Nitin Gadkari will participate in the drive with the Chief Minister scheduled to pant tree on July 9. 

Dehradun, July 2
Uttarkhand Congress leaders today staged a demonstration at Mussoorie Dehra Development Authority’s office at Pritam Road alleging promotion of illegal constructions in Dehradun under patronage of the BJP leaders.

Led by senior Congress leader Suryakant Dhasmana, the Congress workers also gheraoed RK Sudhanshu, vice-chairman MDDA, and sought strict action against illegal construction in the city. Dhasmana in particular referred to constructions at Johri village, Dilaram Bazar and Yamuna Colony areas. He said the MDDA secretary had been informed of these illegal constructions nearly three days back but the action was still to come. Dhasmana alleged that a BJP MLA in particular was promoting illegal constructions.

The MDDA VC RK Sudhanshu said the authority would take serious action against all illegal constructions. He also assured to ensure action against the illegal constructions pointed out by the demonstrators.

Scores of the Congress leaders, including Upendra Thapli, Prashant Khanduri and Diwan Singh Bisht were prominent among the protesters. 

Haridwar, July 2
With the Kanwar yatra of Haridwar becoming a major fair in the northern India a high-level meeting was held here today between Uttarakhand and neighbouring Uttar Pradesh administrative officials, wherein preparatory and security aspect was dwelt in large.

Both states dwelt on in having better coordination during the upcoming Kanwar yatra that begins July 26.

Though as was scheduled the higher administrative officials of Uttar Pradesh districts lying on the border of Uttarakhand didn’t turn up which made the meeting focus on preparations within the state boundary limits in particular that was presided by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Rajiv Gupta.

For the first time in the history of the Kanwar yatra since it assumed larger proportion in the late ‘90s, kanwariyas will be directed to tread on Kanwar-Patri. With this special track a massive traffic congestion with the kanwariyas treading on main highway roads will be avoided as well as the conflicts and accidents that almost are now a regular feature of the Kanwar yatra.

Inspector General, Garwhal range, MA Ganapathy directed police personnel to patiently tackle any untoward incident involving the kanwariyas. It was also decided in the meeting that this time a 10 per cent increase in mela force would be enhanced to meet out the increasing number of kanwariyas.

While last ,year apart from district police additional, the mela police numbering 3,500 were deployed on the Kanwar route. IG Ganapathy also assured of having a separate Rapid Action Force for additional security back up during this 15-day yatra.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Gunjiyal said this time the police would be more strict on those kanwariyas who would be found flouting law and traffic rules. The SSP said the kanwariyas found with lathis, hockey sticks, weapons, loud horns and DJs on their vehicles would be stopped at the state boundary itself.

He said no one would be allowed to break the rules in the name of religion shield and informed that the anti-encroachment drive was being carried out to ensure people didn’t have much problem during the fair.

Notably, last time about 70-75 kanwariyas turned up at the Ganga ghats in Haridwar to fetch holy water to offer in their respective temples of Lord Shiva. At the meeting present were District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram, city Magistrate Archana Grehawar, SP (City) Asim Srivastava, along with other state department officials. 

Mussoorie, July 2
Gokul Chand, the grandfather of eight-year-old orphan Sarla (name changed), whose modesty was outraged by youth from the same village in Purola, is running for the pillar to the post seeking justice, but to no avail.

The incident happened on June 8 and the perpetrators are still at large despite being reported in the Purola police station.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, Gokul Chand, a resident of Mandad village, Barkot tehsil, Purola police station, Uttarkashi district, stated that one Kailash Prasad, son of Shanti Prasad from same village, tried to molest his granddaughter at Deragi Jhani village near Nairyuka even attempting rape on June 8.

The orphan child stays with her grandfather and belongs to the Scheduled Caste community was on looking after the produce of tomatoes in her aunt Sangeeta Devi’s fields when Kailash tried to molest and rape her by taking her to a cowshed nearby forcefully.

She was saved by timely intervention by her aunt and the perpetrator managed to escape. The victim family tried to file the report at the Purola police station on June 9 but were refused and the FIR could only be reported after the intervention of BSP leaders of the area on June 15. The case was registered under the SC/ST Act, Sections 376,511,504, and 506.

Gokul Chand alleged that the perpetrators were roaming freely till date and no action had been initiated by the Purola police.

He alleged that local police was not taking interest in the case due to reasons unknown and try to save the perpetrator Kailash in the case. He demanded immediate arrest of the perpetrator. He also said if the administration failed in this matter, they would be forced to knock the doors of the National Human Rights Commission, Women Commission and the SC/ST Commission.

BSP Tehri Lok Sabha president Sunil Sonkar said the case was registered only after the pressure of the BSP otherwise the police was trying to bury the matter. He further said if the police failed in arresting the person in question, the BSP would launch a massive agitation in the state so that justice was not denied to the family members from the weaker section.

Dehradun, July 2
As part of the fifth foundation day celebrations, Uttaranchal Graming Bank (UGB) opened four new branches at Gairsain in Chamoli, Purola and Chinyalisain in Uttarkashi and Kedarpuram in Dehradun. With the opening of these four branches, the branch network of the bank now stands at 129.

The Kedarpuram branch in Dehradun was inaugurated by Doon University Vice-Chancellor Prof Girijesh Pant.

The bank was established on June 30, 2006, by the amalgamation of Ganga Yamuna Bank, Alaknanda Bank and Pitthoragarh Gramin Bank. Its authorised capital was subscribed by the Central government, the State Bank of India (SBI) and the state government in the ratio of 50 per cent, 35 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively, with the SBI becoming its sponsor.

Chairman of the Bank Threesh Kapoor highlighted the numerous milestones reached by the bank in its short, but eventful existence of four years.

Five eminent residents of the state were also given UGB Honour awards for distinguished service in their respective fields of activity. They are Basanti Bisht (folk art), Suchit Narang (classical music), Aloke Ulfat (theatre and art), Chandraprabha Aitwal (adventure sports) and Mukti Datta (rural development and women empowerment).

The bank also presented trophies to several branches for their outstanding work during the previous financial year. These include Burnigaad, Sahiya, Korwa, Vikas Nagar, Rajpur Road, Dehradun, Pitthoragarh and Banbasa. Also three branch heads namely, Praveen Kumar Goyal (Tarlijoli), BBS Rawat (Kandakhal) and Dinesh Chandra Dhyani (Banbasa), were declared the best managers.

Earlier in the day, keeping its tradition of encouraging fine art and photography, the bank organised a special exhibition of select photographs in the UGB Art Gallery at its headquarters. The exhibition displayed prize-winning photographs from the Uttar Pradesh Lalit Kala Academy. The photographs were “Fingers” by Vinay Paralkar from Mumbai, “Light Arts” by Mukesh Dewatwal from Dewas (MP), “Ultimate Achievers” by Asis Sanyal (Kolkata), “Raining Colours” by Shalini (Lucknow) and “Tree Roots” by Upendra U (Indore). Some photographs titled “Rock Crystal” by veteran Dehradun photographer, GL Aggarwal.

Director General of Police (Rules and Manual) Aloke Lal, a photographer and artist of a great repute, inaugurated the exhibition. The bank’s art gallery has been a boon to local artists, including photographers who were encouraged to display their work at the bank’s art gallery.

As part of its social responsibility, the bank organised a blood donation camp in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association. Over 30 bank employees and others donated blood.