Pitthoragarh, August 21
Animal sacrifice at the Bagwal fair of Devidhura, which is famous for its stone-throwing war, will be discouraged from this year after activists from the NGO, led by Maneka Gandhi, requested the organising committee and Champawat Zila Panchayat.

“We all, including Zila Panchayat member and Devidhura Temple Committee, agree that the traditional custom of animal sacrifice should be discouraged from this year,” said Prema Panday, chairman, Zila Panchayat Champawat.

Gauri Maulekhi, state coordinator of the NGO People For Animals (PFA), met the panchayat members and Devidhura Mela Committee in the presence of the District Magistrate, CMO on Friday and requested them to discourage animal sacrifice in the name of pleasing deities. “Instead, we requested people that they should hand over the live animal meant for sacrifice to our NGO and we will care for that animal till its natural life,” said Gauri.

The chairman of Zila Panchayat Champawat is personally against animal sacrifice and said it was wrong impression that the deities only be pleased by sacrificing animal at their alter. “Some years back, people of the hills even used to sacrifice a goat at the conclusion of Holi festival, but that tradition was gradually stopped and converted into the symbolic sacrifice of coconut,” said Panday adding that the animal sacrifice in the temples should also be converted into coconut sacrifice.

The coordinator of the PFA has planned to reach other temple committees in Kumoan where traditional animal sacrifice is in abundance.

“At Devidhura alone more than 500 goats and 50 buffaloes are sacrificed every year and many more innocent animals are sacrificed at the Kalika Temple Gangolihat, Chandikaghat Temple Pithoragarh and Kotgari in Berinag, which needs to be stopped,” said Gauri.

Dehradun, August 21
Chairman, Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission, Vijay Talwar has created ripples by remarking that it is high time the state should do away with the power banking system and opt for cheap power purchase instead. This suggestion was turned down by RP Thapliyal, Chairman, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, whereas Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, Chief General Manager, Operation Anil Kumar chose the middle path.

Talwar said the state had a bitter experience with power banking this year where despite the heavy power crunch at home turf, the state had to return the power to the states such as Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal by purchasing power even from private operators at high rates for the purpose. The city had to bear load shedding for four to six hours, the villages suffered from 10-12 hours and industries for as long as 36 hours.

"The situation of power shortage is going to exist in the state unless we churn enough power through hydro-power projects which does not seem happening in the near future, seeing the opposition to these projects coming from environmental agencies as well as NGOs. Keeping this in consideration, we should buy power from private operators at low rates which will supplement us power throughout the crisis. It will also save us from the unnecessary stress of returning when we ourselves battle with the shortage," said Pawar.

Talwar said he was in the middle of discussing the power purchase with several private agencies and hoped to crack some good deals as well. He also hailed the gas pipeline to be laid in Kashipur by GAIL.

His suggestions were not welcomed much by RP Thapliyal who said the banking always remained the cheapest option to choose from in comparison to buying it from private partners. He said, "We buy free of cost from other states and return it as per the agreement done. There is no involvement of money exchange. But if we opt to buy from private people, then it will cost us bomb which is not a viable solution".

Thapliyal expected a good winter for power generation this year, seeing a reasonably good rainfall which he said would replenish the river and better snow deposition. He also appreciated the record production of 557.628 MU in July, highest in rating since the state was formed. He credited it to the complete charge of all the hydro-power projects given to UJVNL from irrigation department.

Anil Kumar said the state had to go along both methods of banking as well as power purchase to cope up with the pressure of power demand. "Banking is the best when undertaken during low frequency and returned during high frequency. But since this cannot be gauged much earlier, so we have to depend on weather to make our assumption in this regard.

The banking alone can not full fill our requirement for power so we can not do without power purchase as well," added Manish Chandra, Executive Engineer.

Dehradun, August 21
The furore over the seven senior-level appointments made by former Managing Director BVRC Purushottam in the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) in July this year is not dying down.

The Manager and Supervisor Association of the nigam has already expressed strong resentment for overlooking the much-experienced and well-qualified staff of the nigam while making these appointments.

They have already issued an ultimatum that if these appointments, where they alleged that the rules had been blatantly flouted to give favours, were not revoked, they would resort to indefinite strike.

GMVN vice-president Raghunath Singh Negi has undertaken the task of holding the bull by its horns by ensuring the exit of the MD with whom he does not see eye to eye and getting reinstated the dismissed 81 employees related to mining work. He has vowed to bring about transparency in the matter through an inquiry.

Seeing the impact of Negi’s resoluteness in getting things done his way, the new appointees are shaken and insecure about their jobs. They have begun opposing in muted tones.

These positions are of Chief Audit Officer, Deputy General Manager, Operational Tourism, Manager, Agriculture and Horticulture Marketing Produce, Deputy General Manager, Tourism (Administeration), Chief Manager/Regional Manager, Accounts Offficer, and Manager, Operational Ropeway.

The incomplete column of qualification, published in the newspapers with regard to these posts, gave rise to misgivings. The written tests were done away with and character certificates, too, were not deposited in some of the cases.

The most controversial among these posts was of Babita Badola, a receptionist in the nigam, who was elevated to the position of the Chief Manager through these vacancies. The woman fumed on being questioned about it and said she got the appointment on the merit of her work experience of 15 years in the GMVN office and qualification of masters degree in tourism management. Indeed, she lacked the desired qualification of three-year experinece as Supervisory Manager in any of four-star or above hotels or same experience in any of the IITA/PATA recognised travel agencies.

Similar is the case with Renu Bisht, appointed as regional manager, who informed of her long innings of seven years in Narula, a fast-food outlet in the city, and degree course in hotel management, but she too lacked the desired qualification like that of Badola. She complained that Negi never felt it necessary to contact them to see their side of things before going public denouncing their appointments.

Trilochan Nautiyal with masters in tourism management from Meerut, some experience in Oberoi Group of Hotels in Delhi and a resort in Mussoorie and teaching experience in a local institute, cribbed about the fickleness of their jobs saying, “I gave a miss to my appointment as a teaching faculty in a government institute in Garhi Cantt to opt for this one in the GMVN. I’m determined to strike back as I, like others, fulfil the norms of minimum requirements”.

The association is counting days to see these appointments declared as null and void. Association secretary Surender Bahukhandi said, “The deliberate way in which the advertisement was published only in the local edition was aimed to conceal the notice from people all over the state. Most of our manager group working in different parts of the state did not come to know of the vacancies. Then the positions were deliberately projected as ‘contractual’ to discourage the regulars, many of whom were already working as managers in the GMVN for the past 15-20 years, but at least they knew that just after these appointments were finalised, the appointees were dispatched letters of making them regular after one year of service. This was a clear case of deception”.

DS Negi, Manager of Rishikesh Tourist Guest House of the GMVN, said he, who worked for the GMVN for the past 22 years, never got a promotion. This opportunity to become Chief Manager, too, slipped away. Others too complained that ever since they joined the GMVN, they were never promoted.

BD Petwal, president of the union, said they were not ready to play second fiddle to those much junior who had been made their bosses. “If we are not given justice, then 70 Managers, along with the entire staff of 90 tourist rest houses, will go on an indefinite strike,” he added.

Dehradun, August 21
Resentment in ex-servicemen predominant Uttarakhand seems to be on the rise. President of Dehradun Ex-Services League, Brig KG Behl (retd), on behalf of a large population of ex-servicemen of the state, has written a letter to the Prime Minister highlighting the plight of ex-servicemen in the country, who have spent prime time safeguarding the frontiers of the country.

Brigadier Behl alleged that the Ministry of Defence was consistently maltreating armed forces personnel, and their genuine issues relating to pay, pension and welfare matters have either been swept under the carpet or called sub judice, when actually they are not so, creating discontentment.

Raking up the issue of the Pay Commission, he argued that the issues of the status and anomalies of the various Pay Commissions, especially since the 4th Pay Commission (1986), have been dealt with in such a cavalier fashion that today there is utter despair and discontentment amongst armed forces personnel.

“It happens because of the absence of armed forces personnel at the decision-making level, be it at the Pay Commissions, government defence committees or within the ministry of defence, to pursue agenda and represent correct facts. This needs to be implemented forthwith like the USA and other countries where defence officers are inducted in the Ministry of Defence and other committees and commissions, so that their problems can be projected correctly and justice can be done to them,” Brigadier Behl points out in the letter, copies of which he has sent to Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, and AK Antony, Union Minister of Defence.

The Brigadier has also suggested setting up a commission comprising 30 per cent serving defence personnel, 30 per cent retired defence personnel and 30 per cent Ministry of Defence bureaucracy and the remaining 10 per cent other experts on pay and pension matters, all under the Chairmanship of a retired Supreme Court judge to examine and resolve all matters relating to defence personnel in a time-bound manner, including one-rank one-pension issue.

Dehradun, August 21
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said to tide over tight power situation in the state, his government is exploring alternative sources of energy and is also depending on the central government to provide 2,000 MW of free power supply from the Central pool.

The state government is already holding discussions with Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and desired infrastructure is being set up for the entry of gas supply in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, "We will be exploring all these options, besides urging the Central government to compensate us with free supply of electricity. I will be holding extensive discussions with the Central government on this issue and if need be my entire cabinet will go to New Delhi to press our case," said Nishank at a press conference here today.

Besides the state would be able to get 1,000 MW of power from two separate locations in the state, he added.

Concurring with the Central government's decision to scrap the 600-MW Lohari Nagpala power project, Dr Nishank who had earlier urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to scrap the project said the controversial project would have led to tunneling of 16 km of the river Ganga, impeding the flow of the Ganga. “We are committed to the uninterrupted supply of the Ganga and are in favour of small dams. The Central government's Lohari Nagpala project would have fulfilled most of our energy needs, but we have to protect the river Ganga which is already a world heritage and already two projects viz Pala Maneri and Bhairav Ghati, which are in our kitty have already been shut. We are not in favour of big dams and extensive tunneling of rivers," he said.

It may be mentioned that environmentalist GD Agarwal is already on a indefinite fast at Matresadan in Haridwar since July 20, demanding complete withdrawal of power projects on the Ganga.

Dehradun, August 21
Most of blocks of gram panchayat in Dehradun have either failed to submit their social auditing report to the District Development Officer (DDO) or provided incomplete reports. This was disclosed in a social audit that was conducted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) in June.

Admitting the same, a senior official told The Tribune that the social audit was concluded in all blocks on June 30, but the Block Development Officers (BDOs) were yet to send the reports to the DDO. “The department has already issued three letters to these blocks to submit the report of social audit soon. Some of blocks have sent incomplete social audit reports, while a few of them have failed to do so. The department has sent another letter to the BDOs asking them to submit their reports by August 10, but this time again they failed to do so” said the official.

“The social audit was completed in June. We are still preparing its reports. It will take five more days to send the reports to the DDO,” said Vikas Nagar BDO Dhami Lal.

Two issues, a need for increasing the Manav Divas and the wages for the job cardholders, were also raised during social audit held under MNREGA.

The social audit includes the assessing of physical and financial gaps between needs and resources available for local development. Besides, it deals in creating awareness among beneficiaries and providers of social and productive services.

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, along with foreign children, at the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun on Saturday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, August 21
A group of European and Indian-origin students learning Hindi language and Sanskrit today met Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank giving an ample evidence of their interest in the Indian culture and proficency in the language.

While interacting with the students, the Chief Minister said the ancient Sanskrit language held a special place in the culture and history of the country and should be given a pride of place here.

The students from Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, Italy and England recited poems and bhajans, impressing the Chief Minister who also recited a poem that he had composed 30 years ago.

Veronik from Hungary recited a Hindi poem that she had translated on landing in India. Lyudmila from Bulgaria recited a Bhajan and other members too sang popular songs and bhajans.

Introducing the group, Dr Anil Joshi of Akshram that facilitated the trip said that a special contest is organised to select children who could be part of the exchange programme, “The aim is to encourage interest in Hindi and Sanskrit language and the process is started early," said Dr Anil Joshi of Akshram. Dr Navin Lohani, Pankaj and coordinator of the group Apoorva were present on the occasion.

Dehradun, August 21
The festival of Raksha Bandhan, which binds the most beautiful relationship of love and trust, is round the corner and the number of people visiting the local post office has increased, which otherwise witnesses fewer people. More than 5,000 letters of rakhi have already been sent till now at the General Post Office (GPO) here.

Nowadays, a large number of people could be seen standing in the queue at the post office waiting for their turn to post their letter. In spite of harsh rain at various places one can see a long row of people waiting for their turns.

Talking to The Tribune, SS Bhatt, Manager, GPO Business Development Centre, said, “With the festival of Raksha Bandhan approaching nearer thousands of people are visiting the post office to post their rakhi letters every day. Otherwise few people visit here on a daily basis. It is only during the festival season that more people start thronging the post office”.

He said the department today received more than 15,000 rakhi letters from various post offices in the city, out of which around 10,000 were rakhi letters. “Approximately 5,000 letters have been posted daily at the GPO only,” Bhatt stated.

The rate of speed post is Rs 25 for the outside places and Rs 15 for the local areas.

According to the data collected by the sources, people prefer speed post in comparison to normal letterbox, especially during the festival season, as this procedure makes them sure for the safe delivery and that, too, on time.

“In comparison to speed post, only about 3,000 rakhi letters are received in letter boxes that are available in various parts of the district,” he added.

Deepa Mehta, a resident of the Race Course Road, said she had to wait for around one hour for her turn to come. “I visited the post office near my house to post a rakhi to my brother, who stays in Jammu, but had to wait for one hour which otherwise takes 10 minutes only”.

“Speed post is the best option during the festival season as there are chances that letters can be lost in normal post,” Neelima, another city resident, said.

Nainital, August 21
The absconding school teacher from Haldwani accused of murdering a woman teacher in a primary school at Mauna village in the Ramgarh area on August 15, surfaced at a distant relative’s place in the Gaula Paar area after consuming poison and slitting both wrists.

According to information, accused Dinesh Hadiya is currently undergoing treatment at a government hospital under police protection. He is learnt to have turned up at the residence of Tara Tewari last morning.

Seeing that he had slit his wrists and consumed poison, Tewari rushed him to the hospital and informed the police.

Hadiya is accused of going to Mauna, along with an accomplice, where he strangled Deepa Maroliya after attacking her with a sharp-edged weapon. Deepa of Bhotia Parav in Haldwani had been working as an assistant teacher at the primary school in Mauna for the past five years. The woman had allegedly been of friendly terms with Hadiya, who was teaching at a government school in the Vanbhoolpura area of Haldwani for the past several years. The two had been visiting each other regularly.

It is learnt that Hadiya went to visit Deepa on Sunday evening at Mauna and after a heated exchange of words allegedly hit her on the head with a sharp-edged weapon and then strangled her. He had been at a large since the incident. The victim’s body had been discovered lying in a pool of blood by a woman of Mauna village who had gone to visit her.

It is being alleged that Deepa’s murder was committed as a part of a calculated strategy as the accused had been promising to get married to her, but postponing the move. It is being assumed that he chose to reach Mauna village along with an accomplice by car on August 15 as he knew that Deepa’s room mate was not present in the house. It is learnt that the car being driven by the accused was purchased by Deepa after availing a loan.

Haldwani and Ramgarh areas have been witnessing public protests demanding the arrest of the accused over the past five days.

Dehradun, August 21
A training on road safety was imparted to drivers of 108 ambulances at the IDTR, Motor Driving Institute. Secretary and Commissioner Transport Dr S Ramaswamy distributed certificates to the drivers on the successful completion of the course.

Secretary and Commissioner, Transport, expressed the hope that the training being imparted at the IDTR would help inculcate road safety rules among the drivers. So far the institute has provided training to drivers of the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation, City Bus, Truck Union etc. Director of the institute Puneet Khurana said simulators had been installed at the institue to provide training to the learners.