Haridwar, July 22
For the first time in a decade, an anti-encroachment drive has entered into its third day, and without losing steam. Though today the police had to resort to a lathi charge at Devpura as encroachers tried to hinder the drive by sitting in front of earth movers as well as by manhandling the police personnel. Locals recall that in past dozens of such drives though started with a bang, many didn’t survive even few hours, either due to people’s resistance or political pressure.

Even pre-Maha Kumbh anti-encroachment drive was carried out at Bairagi Camp, Rodi Belwala and 
Pant Deep but just a few days after the drive encroachments cropped up again and now post-Kumbh 
these illegal slums and commercial establishments mushroomed up in large numbers.

But, with the city witnessing a flood-like situation in the recent 
spell of monsoon and the rainy season still to peak, the removal of encroachments from drainages, sewer lines and road side nullahs has become imperative.

The administration is finding it as a God-sent opportunity to carry on with the anti-encroachment drive as neither any political party nor local residents are opposing the action. Instead people are supporting the drive blaming the encroachers for severe water accumulation in the city on July 18 and 19.

Though a stiff resistance is being faced by the administration from ecroachers but those affected by the drive are finding them alone. Today the drive was carried out at three major places namely Kankhal, Bhoopatwala and Devpura situated on the main road.

Bhoopatwala traders, in protest against the demolition drive, observed a total bandh while at Devpura where the police had to resort to lathi charge, the situation got a little bit tense but soon normalcy was restored with administrative officers as well as local leaders pitching in to control the situation. Many protesters sustained injuries during the police action.

CO (City) Pankaj Bhatt, who remains present at the sites of the drive, said encroachers should understand that it is in the wellbeing of the city and Haridwarites.

In view of today’s opposition, additional deployment of police personnel was made at the sensitive areas to ensure the demolition continued unabated.

Leader of Opposition in the municipality Sanjay Sharma termed the administrative drive as oppression of the poor and weaker sections of society. He pointed out that influential persons, particularly belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party, had been spared in the drive.

Dehradun, July 22
The Uttarakhand Congress organisational elections have run into rough weather. Some of the senior Congress leaders in the state have challenged the very basis to the elections alleging large-scale irregularities in the very election process.

Disgruntled Congressmen yesterday met at Jain Dharamshala and unanimously passed a number of decisions linked to party organisational elections. Led by former MLA Kunwar Singh Negi, the Congress workers alleged that committed workers had been largely ignored in the election and those who did not even file their nomination papers had got plum posts.

The meeting also appealed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi to ensure adequate representation to women, Scheduled Castes, minorities, backward castes and state agitationists in the new Congress list of office-bearers for the state.

It was also decided to send a deputation of Congress workers, led by Negi, to the party high command to apprise them of the irregularities taking place in the Congress re-organisational elections in Uttarakhand.

On other hand, Dushyant Kumar Sharma, member, Uttarakhand Congress State Election Authority, asserted that organisational elections in the state were taking place smoothly and already in the last phase. He said booth, block and District Congress Committees had been formed unanimously.

Referring to voices of dissension within the Congress, Sharma said these voices were symbols of internal democracy in the Congress party. He, however, said it would have been better had the disgruntled party persons had raised their concern with party decorum.

Sharma said all sections of society had been represented in the organsational elections. He also held that it was now expected from the Congress workers to ensure a landslide victory for the party in the 2012 Assembly elections.

Dehradun, July 22
Another formidable voice of dissent has been raised within the Uttarakhand Congress against the organisational elections, particularly after a meeting of Dehradun dissidents’ camp. This time Congress MLA from Luxor in Haridwar district Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion has alleged bungling going on in the party’s electoral process in Hardiwar district.

In two letters written to Uttarakhand Congress in charge RK Dhawan and state’s organisational poll head Mukut Mithi, he has challenged the possible election of Rajendra Singh for the post of Haridwar District Congress Committee president. Charging Block Returning Officers (BROs) of not following democratic norms, he said the BROs have shown 
little concern towards democratic process of elections and rather did “selection” by just picking persons and making them delegates.

“They did not even visit the field areas assigned as block and on the contrary chose baseless and corrupt persons having allegiance to parties other than the Congress,” Champion said in his letter to Dhawan.

In another letter to Mithi, he alleged that the organisational election has been reduced to a mere selection, making a mockery of election. Champion also strongly supported election of a Muslim person as District president in Haridwar asserting that Muslims for a substantial part of the population in the district and need to get judicious representation in the Congress.

Joining Champion’s voice, Mohammed Islam, District Congress Committee, Luxor Block, president, too has written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking an election of a secular person to the post of District Congress Committee President. He even went on to accuse Union State Minister for Labour and Employment Harish Rawat of promoting an anti-Muslim candidate for the post. 

Dehradun, July 22
Members of the Communist Party of Marxist (CPM) held a demonstration from the Gandhi Park leading up to the District Magistrate’s (DM) office in the wake of their demand to strengthen the public distribution system (PDS). They submitted a memorandum to the DM.

Surender Singh Sajvan, District Secretary, said, “The PDS has eroded in the state because of which public is suffering unnecessarily. Hence, we demand that the essential items should be provided in the PDS outlets.

The parameters of according the below poverty line (BPL) status should be simplified to give maximum benefits to the poor families. About 35 kg grain should be given to all card holders without any delay”.

“Strict action should be taken against those who are indulging in corruption in the PDS shops. The committees made of local people should be created to keep vigil on unscrupulous people. It must be made mandatory to display a rate list and availability of the items in each PDS shop. All fake legal cases imposed on activists, who led movements for the availability of food, should be withdrawn,” added Sajvan.

Dehradun, July 22
Amidst uproarious scenes, the public hearing for the proposed 252-MW Devsari Hydro-Electric Project on the Pindar river in Chamoli district was cancelled today even as the local police authorities took the Matu Jan Sanghatan president in custody.

The cancellation came after local villagers strongly opposed the hearing on the ground that they were not informed of the public hearing in advance nor were they provided with sufficient documentary support to understand the subject.

The Chief Development Officer, Chamoli, present at Dewal finally directed for the cancellation of the public hearing taking into account the large-scale protest against the hearing by the villagers.

As many as 3,000 villagers gathered at Dewal today. The irked villagers alleged that they had not even informed of the public hearing. They said they had little information on the Devsari project and even Satluj Jal Vidhyut Nigam Limited company officials had done a little to provide them with necessary information. After much of hue and cry, the CDO, Chamoli, finally ordered for the cancellation of the hearing.

Meanwhile, reports reaching here from Chamoli confirmed the arrest of Vimal Bhai, president, Matu Jan Sanghatan, who has been at the forefront against the construction of Devsari dam. 

Dehradun, July 22
People on Wednesday were left in a quandary between the traffic snarls and jam-packed roads, specially during the daytime when schools get over.The traffic congestion on road networks occurred due to overcrowd and is characterised by slower speeds, great consumption of time and serpentine queues of vehicles.

“The EC Road, Subhash Road, Haridwar Road, Sahastradhara Road, Rajpur Road and Chakrata Road are the most traffic-prone areas in the town. The situation gets worse when the schools in these locations get over during the daytime,” rued Rohil Verma, a businessman, who runs a hardware store on the Haridwar Road.

Another complainant is Arti Vashishth, mother of two kids who study at Bala Hissar near the EC Road. She asserted on Tuesday that she got stuck in a road congestion on the Subhash Road while taking her kids home. “The traffic made me late by 45 minutes while reaching home. At certain times the situation gets worse when the administration as well as the system are unable to tackle the problem efficiently,”complained Arti.

However, to get rid of the troubles, the administration is contemplating to commence with the changing of school timings. Schools located near the main roads and in the adjoining streets will be paid primary attention. Due to schoolchildren, the streets and roads get crowded causing inconvenience to other passers-by.

According to officials of the City Traffic Control Department, the closing time of schools will be changed by 10 to 15 minutes. The high traffic is caused due to the overcrowding and rush of commuters at the same time. For further process, a meeting with the district administration will be called up soon, while the traffic police has been given instructions to list down names of all schools.

“The roads and intersections on these are also prime problem areas. Extreme traffic congestion sets in due to the narrow and less capacity of a road. Diversion of routes and training to traffic cops are the ways to avoid the inconveniences,” he asserted.

Dehradun, July 22
The family and activists supporting the cause of liberating Sandeep Dangwal, Merchant Navy officer in the captivity of Somali pirates, has decided to halt their pressure-building measures till August 8. The German shipping company on whose ship Sandeep and 19 other Indians were present has asked for an extension of 15 days to allow them to make a last-ditch attempt in striking a deal with the pirates to get the entire crew free.

In a meeting held with activists at Shahidi Chowk, the family requested them to postpone all demonstrations till August 8. “Our ultimate objective is to see Sandeep free once again. If the shipping company is asking us for a time of 15 days to get the entire crew liberated, then I think we must support it. The company has asked us not to spearhead any public demonstrations for the time being as they fear that over exposure may make the pirates hike their demands and spoil all efforts”.

The activists nodded in tandem to the family’s request, but as per their prefixed plan, they went to meet Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank. By the time of filing this report, they were waiting for the CM.

Dehradun, July 22
Padma Shri and patron of the Himalayan Environment Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) Dr Anil Joshi said today that entrepreneurship activities for rural youth living in border areas was the only way that could keep the youth gainfully occupied, proposing that Nehru Yuva Kendras (NYKs) be transformed as technology centres in the state.

Worried about the trend currently sweeping the country in which the youth were being lured into arms struggle, Dr Joshi said the spirit of entrepreneurship, in which technology played a key role, should be promoted actively by the state and Central governments.

“Our Nehru Yuva Kendras located in different places can function as technology centres. We need to link these with local resources and I am optimistic that our youth will not think of quitting the villages,” added Dr Joshi.

He expressed these views while interacting with Secretary (Home Ministry) and Youth Welfare AK Upadhyay and Joint Secretary of the Youth Welfare Naveen Verma, who visited Shuklapur and other villages adopted by HESCO to get first-hand knowledge about the technologies being set up at these villages.

The officials evinced a keen interest in the gharat (watermill) set up at Kaluwala and interacted with Rajesh Kumar who is successfully running it. After Kaluwala, they moved to Lacchiwala and inspected Lantana Centre where they met Kishan Gurang, who despite being handicapped has set up the centre that is utilising wild weed for making home furniture. At Barotiwala village the members were impressed with another gharat being run by Beer Singh, who has also set up rice husking and cotton combing units.

At Ambiwala village, where a fruit preservation centre is being run, the officials met Kala Bisht, the woman behind the centre.