Pitthoragarh, September 28
The Uttarakhand government has sought Rs 3,500 crore from the Central government to create rehabilitation infrastructure for 106 villages which have been declared highly sensitive to natural calamities, said Prakash Pant, state minister, here today.

According to Pant, this demand is in addition to Rs 21,000 crore sought on account of permanent property losses during monsoon this year in the state from the Centre. The state government had its own disaster budget of Rs 143 crore, including Rs 25 crore earmarked specially after the calamity struck this year.

The rains this year have washed away infrastructure built over the past 10 years in the state and it will take the government two years to restore it. More than 850 motor roads in the state have been damaged, especially in hilly districts “but we have opened half of them till date,” said Pant.

“The amount of Rs 500 crore given by the Union government to the state on account of calamity will be utilised in reconstructing permanent infrastructure in the state,” said the minister.

He said the government intend to rehabilitate the calamity-hit villages on the forest land near their villages and the Uttarakhand government wanted to purchase the forest land with the permission of the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment. “We have so far not finalised the requirement of land meant to rehabilitate these 106 villages. If the Centre gives us positive signal in this direction, we will do that,” said Pant.

Haridwar, September 28
Though the administration claims relief works are going on on a war footing and an assessment of the damage caused by the floods in Haridwar district is being done fairly, there have been reports of complaints by victims alleging bias in the process.

Apart from the affected people who are almost daily holding protests in the district demanding proper compensation, all political parties, barring the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), have demanded for speeding up the relief work.

With the Congress-led UPA Central government releasing initial relief of Rs 500 crore, state Congress leaders while visiting flood-affected areas are making it a point to apprise people of this grant.

Uttarakhand Congress committee general secretary Santosh Chauhan while visiting affected areas of Anand Van Samadhi, Saptrishi Ashram, Chandighat-Bairagi Camp, Gangdaspur, Pandit Puri and Rayasi pointed out that many villages were still bereft of the relief, putting question mark over the assessment of the damage being done by the administration.

“During the inspecting we received several complaints of relief not reaching in sufficient quantity while many BJP-dominated areas are getting bulk relief materials. Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank doesn’t let go any chance of complaining against the Central over relief amount. First the government should spend appropriately the given amount and then demand further,” said Chauhan.

With Zila Panchayat elections scheduled for the next month, parties don’t want to lose any issue.

At a meeting held in the city, former legislator Ambrish Kumar demanded waiving of loans of farmers living in the flood-affected areas. He said farmers were facing double blow as on one hand their crops had been devastated while on the other their belongings and property had been damaged in floodwater.

“Farmers are the backbone of our economy and so the government should waive their loans, provide free electricity for at least one year to them and ensure sufficient compensation to them for their crops loss,” said Ambrish while addressing the farmer wing of the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch.

Dehradun, September 28
Vijay Bahuguna, Lok Sabha MP from Tehri Garhwal, has accused the Uttarakhand government of not being serious about the relief and rehabilitation work in the state in the wake of the devastating brought by rains and floods this monsoon.

Vijay Bahuguna, Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha MP, addresses a press conference in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Talking to mediapersons here today, Vijay Bahuguna said the allegations by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about inadequacy of the Central assistance were false and misleading. Releasing a letter written by the Prime Minister to him, Bahuguna said the Prime Minister had assured all possible help to the state but the state government had failed to do its duty.

After the release of the interim assistance of Rs 500 crore by the Central government, the state government had to assess the damage and send the report to the Centre so that a high-powered Central team could assess the claims for the release of more assistance from the Centre.

“Sadly, state government officials are not able to reach the ground and the state government has failed to prepare a detailed assessment report. Without any assessment, the Chief Minister has started demanding Rs 21,000 crore, which is unfortunate,” he added.

Nainital, September 28
Congress President Yashpal Arya has attacked Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and his cabinet colleagues for politicising the relief effort in the state that has followed a large-scale loss of life and property in rain-related incidents. Arya has also demanded that the state government must give an account of the utilisation of Rs 600 crore provided by the Centre to the people of the state.

“Immediately after the first major incident of 22 children dying in the Sumgarh area of Kapkot in Bageshwar, the Centre had given an instant relief of Rs 100 crore which was followed by another Rs 500 crore recently. The state government had initially sought an aid of Rs 5,000 crore and just after three days the demand went up to Rs 21,000 crore. We just want to know what made them reach the golden figure of Rs 21,000. What was the survey or analysis that the officials did,” he said while talking to The Tribune from Ramnagar.

Arya said when the government had made a demand of Rs 5,000 crore, its officials had failed to make estimates and proposals beyond Rs 1,150 crore. He said the Centre would be willing to send in aid and provide every kind of help, but the state government should come up with an accurate tabulation of losses and proposals.

“I had questioned their own sincerity towards combating the disaster in the state. I was proved right when they made a provision of a mere Rs 25 crore for disaster management in the supplementary budget that they presented a week back. They should desist from throwing the ball in the Centre’s court every time and instead get down to work sincerely for providing help to the disaster-struck people across the state,” he said.

Arya has also attacked the state government for its failure to prevent the washing away of more than 7,000 acres of fertile agricultural land in the Terai belt of the region by not taking any preventive and timely steps.

Arya said he had asked all activists of the frontal organistions of the Congress to actively participate in the relief operations in the state. He has even asked the social organisations to help out the people in this hour of distress.

Dehradun, September 28
Security was beefed up at sensitive places of Uttarakhand today, following rejection of the Ayodhya title suit verdict deferment petition by the Supreme Court.

Sources said 12 additional companies of the Police Armed Constabulary (PAC) had been deployed at the sensitive places. Dehrdun, Haridwar, Roorkee, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar have been identified as sensitive.

The police has already been making special arrangements for security in the state. The police has had talks with different groups and communities asking them to follow restraints following the court verdict and cooperate with the police.

The police sources said either way the verdict could create trouble. Though the situation was not like neighbouring UP, the cops were not taking any chances.

Pitthoragarh (OC): The district police administration has increased border checking at all five entry points from Nepal to the district and imposed Section 144 in the district keeping the High Court verdict on Ayodhya which is to be announced today.

“We have also identified sensitive points of illegal entry from Nepal into the district on the entire India-Nepal border from Garbiyang to Pancheswar and have asked for the cooperation of the SSB on the matter,” said Nilesh Anand Barane, SP Pitthoragarh.

According to the police, every suspicious person and point in and around the district is being watched so that no anti-national or anti-social element disturbs social harmony in the district.

“We have also taken the help of social leaders and senior citizens from all communities to maintain peace and harmony in the district after the announcement of verdict by the High Court,” said SP Pitthoragarh. 

Dehradun, September 28
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva addressed a fresh batch of students from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) here today.

In her inspiring address to the students of the new academic session, the Governor urged them to take full advantage of the various facilities and opportunities that had been extended to them at the university. "However, at the same time, do not forget about the plight of thousands of other students who either do not have the means to reach higher educational institutions or have no facilities," she said.

The Governor said education was a strong medium to bring about revolutionary changes in society. She told the students to demystify knowledge and research so that these could benefit the common man.

The Governor said awareness was essential for new discoveries and knowledge in the fast-changing global scenario. She said the new students should take the commencement of the academic session as an opportunity to explore new frontiers. "They must strive hard to excel in their chosen subject of study. I hope that they will take up fresh challenges to come out with flying colours".

"Major opportunities await the students of this university and I am sure that professionals trained at this institution will prove to be able engineers, managers and researchers in the fast-growing Indian energy and transportation sector," she said.

On the occasion, the Governor felicitated 19 employees who had completed five years of dedicated service and gave away awards to three achiever students. 

Dehradun, September 28
Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva conducted an on-the-spot inspection of the selected site for establishment of the proposed cultural centre in Dehradun.

The 8-acre piece of land situated near the Institute of Hotel Management in the Garhi Cantonment area of Dehradun was termed as the “most appropriate” by the Governor, for establishment of the centre.

The ambitious project has been planned with a view to providing a comprehensive platform for presenting a glimpse of the state’s rich arts, culture, literature and traditions before guests from within the country and abroad. Under the project, construction of various facilities, including a library, conference hall, children’s auditorium, art gallery, parking, provision for marketing and exhibition of state’s handicrafts and cafeteria, among other things, is proposed.

Dehradun, September 28
The two-day national conference on “Science and Technology Applications in Tourism Sector focusing on Uttarakhand Opportunities” on the occasion of World Tourism Day at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, organised by the Centre for Mountain Tourism and Hospitality Studies (CMTHS), HNB Garhwal University, concluded today.

Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Governor of Mizoram Lt Gen MM Lakhera (retd) had jointly inaugurated the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Lakhera compared the development milieu of Uttarakhand and Mizoram on various grounds, focusing on tourism and emphasised on the use of cultural significance in tourism promotion.

Nishank highlighted the future plans of the Tourism Development Board for tourism infrastructure and setting a high-level committee for sustainable tourism development in Uttarakhand under the chairmanship of Prof Bagri.

BK Goswami, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, touched upon the need to develop wellness and medical tourism.

Applications of GPRS, GIS and Remote Sensing Technology could be used for the success of tourism, Dr Rajendra Dobhal, Director, Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, said.

Prof SK Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Garhwal University, also recommended the use of science and technology in the field of tourism and hospitality management.

Prof Inderjeet of Delhi University talked about the need of sustainability of tourism experiences while using technology-driven methods.

Prof Kamal Manaktola, Director, American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, New Delhi, stressed on the need to enhance guest satisfaction by using CRM and other technology in hotels and other hospitality outlets. The application and use of social networking sites for hotel marketing was getting geared up, he opined.

Waste management practices, eco-toilets and other examples were substantially put forward by Delhi University professor Dr Kumar Ashutosh in the discussion.

“Conservation perspectives and natural resource management through scientific approach is of immense importance to gauge the magnitude of the pros and cons of tourism industry in India,” said Prof Mohinder Chand, Kurukshetra University.

Dr Punit Gautam, Bundelkhand University, highlighted the components, usage of technology and alternative management for holistic and sustained efforts by tourism stakeholders.

Acharya Balkrishan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Patanjali, said that Patanjali University was committed to community development and tourism promotion in the sacred land of Uttarakhand by giving everyone equal opportunities.

Dehradun, September 28
It was down the memory lane for famous writer Ruskin Bond, as he launched the book, “Memoir of Dehradun”, by GRC Williams at Doon School here today as part of the school’s 75-year celebrations.

In 1955 Bond was invited by the Literary Society of the School to deliver a talk. “My first book was released at that time and now I am happy to be back again. I must say the curiosity that I detect in the boys today is reminiscent of the first time I came here,” said Bond.

He had a word of praise for GRC Williams’ seminal work on Dehradun. “The book is more than a 150 years old and has stood the test of time, but the Doon that Williams wrote about at that time consisted of a cluster of villages. Today it has grown by leaps and bounds. I am sure Williams would not be able to recognise it,” said Bond.

Head Master of the school Peter Mclaughlin too had a word of praise for the book saying that it was a mine house of information. “It is the stuff that history books should be made of. Written in quaint English style, it even mentions that there were 177 Irish men and women in 1874 in Doon, most of them engaged in imparting education,” stressed Peter.

Later, a panel discussion was held with JS Pandey, Director-General Police, Uttarakhand, Air Marshal BD Jayal (retd), Sandeep Singh and Ranjit Sikand participating. The panelists focused on the town, the changes taking place and suggested steps needed to make it more livable.

The Head Master of the school, on his part, assured the panelist of the school’s commitment to preserve beauty, history and heritage of the city.

The book has been published by Natraj Publishers that has been associated with the school since the ’60s. “It seems that the popularity of the town and the school go hand in hand. It becomes more apparent while one is travelling,” said Upendra Arora of Natraj Publishers. 

Mussoorie, September 28
Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Vice-President Raghunath Singh Negi, on his inspection visit to Hotel Garhwal Terrace, said his first priority was to provide employees all benefits accruing to them.

Negi, speaking to the media, said the employees of the department had been a neglected lot due to the apathy of the bureaucracy and he had been fighting for them since his appointment as Vice-President.

Negi also said his first objective was to provide the respect to the employees which they duly deserved.

Outlining his vision further, he said his next goal was to improve the infrastructure of more than 50 guest houses run by the GMVN and repair the damages incurred during the recent incessant rains.

He also said the Garhwal Terrace unit of Mussoorie had posted good results with a net profit of Rs 60 lakh this year. He, however, admitted that some units were under loss and efforts were on to turn these into profitable units.

Negi said the GMVN was established with the vision to provide employment to youth of the state and had been successful in doing so till now.

When questioned about the sick units run by the GMVN, he said as it was an era of competition, their products did not match with private players in the competition. But he would look into it and try to revive these in due course.

Negi directed the officials at the hotel to refurnish the hotel so that tourists were provided the best amenities during their stay. He left for Dhanaulti Guest House inspection later. 

Mussoorie, September 28
Around 100 proposals, some with little amendments after deliberation by ward members, were passed in the Palika Board meeting held here today. The proposal of an honorarium of Rs 6,000 for contractual employees was also decided in the meeting after a few objections by members.

Ward member Kedar Singh Chauhan said the employees should be paid in accordance with the labour laws, to which Mussoorie Executive Officer Rohtash Sharma replied that they could pay the sum according to government orders only. The ward members left the decision on the Palika President.

The board also passed several proposals of road construction at Bhilaru, Polo Ground, Bansi Estate-Kandi Gad etc. The proposal of railing at Mussoorie Girl School was also passed. The work amounting to several crores was passed without any objection in the town.

Nand Lal, Jai Kumar Gupta, Dinesh Badoni, Rajwant Rawat, Kanta Bisht and others were present on the occasion. 

Dehradun, September 28
A labourer, in her early 20s, was allegedly raped by two persons in the slum area opposite Vijay Colony here yesterday. The victim reported the matter to the police today.

In her complaint to the police she alleged that yesterday when she went to attend a call of nature near her house, the two persons raped her. She later reached home and narrated the incident to her husband, also a labourer.

The victim and the accused, identified as Ramtez and Lal Chander, hail from the same village of Barabanki district, Uttar Pradesh, and work as labourers in Dehradun.

A case under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered in the Dalanwala police station.

The Station House Officer of the police station said they had registered a case of rape and started the investigation in the matter.