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Nishank flags off Krishi Rath
Now, NCP demands Gairsain as state capital
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NCR corridor: Nod awaited for Haridwar, Haldwani
Convention calls for women to unite against injustice
Magsaysay Awardee Manhandling Case
Kumaon farmers left with barren land
PWD repair work at Kingraig Crossroad draws flak
Govt delaying zila panchayat polls: Krantikari manch
Cracker sellers to be issued licences
ITBP celebrates foundation day
140 examined at free health camp
Gurdwara celebrates founder’s day of Granth Sahib
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Nishank flags off Krishi Rath
Dehradun, October 24 Agriculture-linked studies will be provided at the kendra and information regarding the latest farming equipment and techniques will be shared. The kendra will be a role model for Uttarakhand and benefit farmers from other states as well”. He further added that as state weather conditions suited the growth of non-seasonal vegetables, and this could be a source of major earnings for the farmers. The target of introducing 50,000 farmers to herb and shrub cultivation had been made, while 15,000 farmers had already been introduced to it. The pharma city in Dehradun would lead to a mass consumption of raw herb-shrub materials. “The government is also working to promote sericulture as most of the silk coming to the country is imported from China. I hope farmers take to sericulture. I also appeal that all farmers take full benefit out of the government agriculture schemes,” Dr Nishank added. He also christened the new Kisan Bhawan as Veer Madho Singh Bhandari. Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said the need for a Kisan Bhawan was being felt for quite some time. The bhawan would also provide accommodation arrangements for the farmers. Irrigation Minister Matbar Singh Kandari, Vice-President of the Rajya Kalyan Parishad Subhash Barathwal, Vice-President of the Herb Shrub Council Dr Adiya Kumar and Pan Singh Rawat were also present on the occasion. |
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Now, NCP demands Gairsain as state capital
Haridwar, October 24 But, now the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also come out openly for Gairsain as permanent capital of Uttarakhand. In its farmers’ convention here, state party executives of the NCP announced their support for the Gairsain capital in Bageshwar terming it as the real identity of the hill state as well as in sync with the aspirations of people of the state who dreamt of a hilly capital for the hill state. The convention saw party executive post holders attending in large numbers from all 13 districts of the state focusing on Mission 2012 to gain vote penetration in the hill state where barring a few Assembly segments, the party has not been able to garner people’s vote. Speaking to The Tribune, sub-in charge of the NCP, Uttarakhand, Bhuwan Bhai Patel said the party had decided to make sure it made its presence in all 13 districts of the state as well as it was eying to contest almost 50-odd Assembly seats in the upcoming elections in 2012. Patel added that the party was taking problems of people of the state as its main agenda not giving assurances, but trying to work on a field to be with people in solving their woes. He said in this context party had already rallied to the state Secretariat and met state Governor Margaret Alva apprising her of the delay in the assessment of disaster losses as well as interim relief to the victims of flood, rain and landslides across the state. While pressing for Gairsain town to be declared the state capital, Manoj Dhyani, central spokesperson for the party, said the party very well realised the aspirations of the statehood agitators as well as people of the state and despite the formation of Uttaranchal as a separate statehood from Uttar Pradesh exactly a decade ago, Gairsain seemed to be an untouchable area for a majority of the political parties. “Despite two commissions set up by respective Congress and BJP governments, nothing has been done on their suggestions as they were used only as a time delay political tactic. But, the NCP is quite concerned over the real aspirations of the people of this hill state and will take this issue quite strongly in coming days,” said Manoj. The state NCP has also decided to stage a statewide agitation from November 12, the birthday of the founder of the NCP Sharad Pawar, on various state-related issues from natural disaster compensation, banning of big hydel projects paving way for smaller hydel power projects, waiving of loans for at least another year for farmers, providing them free seeds to declaring Gairsain as the state capital. Among other executive members of the party who addressed the convention were Vipin Nautiyal, Shailendra Kumar, Raj Singh Chaudhari and Dheer Singh. |
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NCR corridor: Nod awaited for Haridwar, Haldwani
Dehradun, October 24 Together with the cities of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Ambala in Haryana, Dehradun and Haridwar will be developed as alternate centres of growth. As these cities are within a commutable distance of Capital Delhi, these have been selected as counter-magnet towns. “We have already held a meeting with the National Capital Regional Planning Board members for inclusion of Dehradun and Haridwar in the counter-magnet corridor. Similarly, we are also trying for the inclusion of Haldwani, but as of now approval has been given for Dehradun city only, and we are expected to receive notification in the next couple of months,” said Nidhi Mani Tripathi, Additional Secretary, Urban Development. The move is expected to aid in the infrastructure development and also
provide financial assistance to the cash-strapped state that can even become economic centres. For implementation of the plan, special magnet authorities will have to be set up to ensure that the cities draw crowds away from the NCR. This included the setting up of integrated townships and also prepare a draft development plan focusing on the commercial growth in the area which includes the villages around it. Both cities of Haridwar and Dehradun will benefit from the plan as funds will be allocated for improving the infrastructure, transportation, potable water supply, sanitation, health and other facilities. The funding will be shared between the Centre and the state in the ratio of 75:25. The implementation of such a plan will be monitored for evolving harmonised policies for the control of land use and development of infrastructure in the NCR, so as to avoid any haphazard development and ease pressure on the capital. |
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Convention calls for women to unite against injustice
Almora, October 24 The participants at the two-day meeting, who have come from all across Uttarakhand, lambasted the BJP in the state for its failure to address the concerns of citizens and ignoring the plight of victims of the recent disaster across the state that was caused by incessant rains. The event began with the participants marching down the main bazar of the town shouting slogans in favour of equality for women and demanding an equal footing that has been guaranteed to women by the Indian Constitution. Before the speakers began the proceedings of the day at a public rally, the participants sang songs exhorting women of the state to come forward and claim their rights. The key speaker at the event was AIDWA state secretary Indu Nautiyal, who launched a verbal attack on Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank stating, "It is a matter of shame that when people of the state struggled for their lives as disaster was being unleashed on them by the incessant rains, Nishank was busy expanding his Cabinet. The government has not distributed even a fraction of the Rs 500 crore that was given by the Centre amongst the victims of disaster. Instead it has deducted salaries of employees and even the pensions being given to the statehood activists in the name of contribution towards disaster mitigation. Such disasters are not new in the state. But the governments have always waited for them to happen and have been shedding crocodile tears," she stated. Attacking both the BJP and the Congress for their insensitivity towards the genuine needs of people, she said the two parties were busy preparing for the 2012 polls while people of the state continued to suffer. The speakers at the rally raised issues concerning women of the state. Bacchi Devi of Chamoli hit out at the governments at the state and the Centre for failing to curb the spiralling prices. "The mountain regions of the state are witnessing a social degradation. Evils like dowry deaths, sexual assaults and female foeticide, which were unheard of before, are common now. The poor have no access to education and jobs are up for sale. It is time for people, particularly women, to stand together to fight this injustice," she said. Pushpa Kimothi of the same district said it was a pity that girls were not being given an equal treatment in society despite the Constitution guaranteeing the equality. "Despite faring better than boys in education, they are not being given an opportunity to pursue higher education and professions," she lamented. Leader of anganwadi workers in the state Harbhajan Kaur asserted that women must have access to good healthcare. "If we can fight for our other rights, we must also stand up for our right to give birth to girls and say no to female infanticide. It is well known that women are equally responsible for harassment of girls for dowry as they favour their sons and brothers in torturing another woman who is a newcomer in the family. We must say no to this involvement in crime," she said. The participants also criticised the economic policies of both the state government and the Centre saying that such policies are inhuman and anti-people. They demanded scrapping of the Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards and said everyone should have access to a reasonable quantity of items being given through the Public Distribution System (PDS) which needed to be completely revamped. They also criticised the move of the government to put an end to subsidies. |
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Magsaysay Awardee Manhandling Case
Dehrdun, October 24 Suresh produced a copy of that letter in the wake of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal’s (UKD) unwarranted behaviour with Magsaysay award-winner Rajender Singh on Friday for lending support to environmentalist Prof GD Aggarwal and activists instrumental in imposing a ban on these hydro-power projects. Suresh once again reiterated that the content of the letter made it quite clear that Nishank had asked the Prime Minister to cancel these hydro-power projects, writing that these projects were banned one and half years ago, but were being revived on the insistence of the NTPC. But if revived, the Ganga would have to pass through a 16-km tunnel which would go against the sentiments of people and was not good from the environment point
of view. He also emphasised that it was the high time that the UKD held a workshop with its activists to train them for their conduct in the public because the way they misbehaved with guest celebrity, who have initiated campaign for cleanliness of the Ganga, has brought disgrace to the state. |
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Kumaon farmers left with barren land
Pitthoragarh, October 24 “In our area, the Ram Ganga and its tributaries Khachar, Quthgar, Kalaron and Nayar have swept away more than 12 hectare of fertile land in the rain and the farmers in our village are a bit disappointed as the rabi sowing is soon going to begin,” said Diwan Singh, a farmer at Dhudhaliya Mahar village in the Chaukhutia region of Almora district. “Whereas every high-altitude village near our valley will sow palthi in the next season, our village will be out of this as the entire set of land has been disturbed due to rain causing a loss of thousands of rupees to the farmers,” said Devendra Deva Pradhan of Qurie Jimia village. Not only has the future economy been shattered in the region, the displaced villagers of Qurie Jimia and Jaiti in Almora will have to face the crisis on their existence imminently as they are facing the fear of wild animals around their tents and the chill of the cold season is nearing day by day. “Here 10 families living in the Jaiti forest area in the tents provided by the district administration are facing the threat of wild animals which frequently enter our territory,” said Pratap Ram, a villager living in a tent in Jaiti forest are after his house was fully damaged in the rain. “We have demanded tin sheds for our safety from the government, but it has been turned down by the forest people and the local administration,” said Krishan Ram, another villagers living in the tents. The villagers at Dar village in the Darma valley are witnessing landslides almost everyday around their village despite the rainy season is off. “The 140 families living at Dar village needs to be rehabilitated in the Tarai region as being situated on zone-V of earthquake fault this village is developing the symptoms like the village of Qurie Jimia in Munsiyari, where movement of inner plats have disturbed the surface land,” said Pradeep Tamta, Almora MP, who visited the village recently. But the Bageswar district administration has shown some wise moves as the District Magistrate has ordered to the PWD, RES and district panchayat that every construction should be done only after recommendations of geologists. “We want geological surety and photography and video-graphy of the projects so that these could remain strong and viable incase of heavy rains and landslides,” said DS Garbiyal, Bageswar District Magistrate. The Haldwani-Almora road, which has been washed away in 25-km-long patch from Kakrighat onwards, was opened for light vehicles today. “The road likely to be opened for heavy vehicles in one or two days,” said Suvardhan, Almora District Magistrate, adding that after this vital road opening, Almora town would receive more tourists and the supply of essential goods like LPG gas. |
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PWD repair work at Kingraig Crossroad draws flak
Mussoorie, October 24 According to the students and traders, the PWD was neglecting the repair work at Kingcraig which had been dug by the Jal Santhan for laying the sewerage pipeline and indulging in the repair of Kingcraig Library Road that was in a better condition in comparison to Kingraig Picture Palace Road. The students cornered PWD Assistant Engineer AS Rana and demanded to begin the work of the said area immediately as Central Minister of Labour and Employment Harish Rawat was also scheduled to visit on October 21. Former college union president Nitin Dutt requested the officer for immediate repairs, which fell on deaf ears. The traders and students then began raising the slogans against the department and blocked the road for a few moments resulting in a long traffic queue. The traders of the area also said they were forced to take in the dust arising from the damaged road on a daily basis which had affected their business adversely. Mussoorie Hotel Association president Sandeep Sahni and former state Congress secretary Manmohan Singh Mall also arrived at the scene in support of the demand. Mall said as the Central Minister of Labour and Employment was scheduled to visit the college they had already informed the department, but due to the lackadaisical approach of the department no action was inititaed. |
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Govt delaying zila panchayat polls: Krantikari manch
Haridwar, October 24 With the zila panchayat term ending on October 20, the political parties had geared up for the elections, but now they have to wait for sometime more. Severe criticism has been pouring in from various quarters with the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch organising a meeting in this regard here. Lashing out at the state government’s decision, terming it as unconstitutional which has hurt the very principles of the democracy, founder of the manch Ambrish Kumar said the BJP-led state government in fear of an electoral defeat had postponed the elections. Citing the Constitution’s 73rd Amendment Act in 1993, Kumar pointed out that there was a provision in which the respective governments were bound to hold elections in the time limit. He said while in this case before the completion of the current zila panchayat term the government should have declared the election date. Instead, the BJP government had violated the Constitution norms and precedence. “Section 243 (G) of the Constitution states that within five-year completion from the very date the first meeting of the zila panchayat is held, elections have to be organised and to ensure mass participation in the 11th Schedule list 29 working forms are illustrated which should be handed over to panchayats by the state government, but this has not been adhered to which is a sheer violation of the Constitution itself,” said the former legislator from Haridwar. Remarking that with the panchayat elections not being held on a regular basis with even the gap extending to 10-17 years. The very concept of the Panchayati Raj as envisioned by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi seemed to be in oblivion and political opportunism and have taken priority over the grand concept of Mahatma Gandhi that revolutionised the villages. In this regard, the post-flood situation, where farmers in the plain areas and people in the hill areas due to landslides are still reeling under problem, the manch will hold a mass protest in the District Magistrate’s Office against the state government policies on November 11. |
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MC staff oppose outsourcing to fill posts
Dehradun, October 24 “The government should choose the staff out of the well-qualified senior officials instead of outsourcing it,” said Bhupinder Singh Rawat, president of the union. The union also discussed other demands during the meeting. Talking to The Tribune, Rawat said, “We will arrange a one-day summit to review the demands which we plan on proposing to the government”. The union also wants the government to implement the staffing pattern on the local bodies as well. “We also want that the employees should be given the ACP benefits,” he further added. The service rules have not been clarified by the adminstration. The union also demanding that the government should keep daily wagers on a permanent basis. |
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Janta Express coaches derailed
Dehradun October 24 While the train was moving to the next line, the buffers of the two coaches got entangled while detaching the connecting iron rod, derailing the compartments. “As the entire train was empty, there is no reason to panic. Railway workers have cleared the tracks now and the two derailed coaches are back on the track. The Shatabdi Express and the Janta Express were behind the scheduled time,” said OP Singh, Station Master. |
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Cracker sellers to be issued licences
Dehradun, October 24 This measure has been taken to avoid any untoward incident. Kurve has affirmed that those interested to sell crackers could submit their applications till October 25. The sale will be permitted only in open places i.e. the Parade Ground for the Dalanwala area, Ram Lila Ground for the Cantt area, Dasehra Ground for Prem Nagar and ITI Ground for Patel Nagar. Kurve has directed the officials to ensue that only license holders would be permitted to sell crackers in the district. |
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ITBP celebrates foundation day
Mussoorie, October 24 Ippon highlighted the achievements of the force and emphasised the ever-changing security needs of the country. He said the jawans should be prepared for any outcome and confront with full responsibility. He also read out names of the jawans and officers and presented them with a memento. Congratulating the forces, Ippon said, “The ITBP is ready for any situation of combat or disaster”. Several sports and cultural programmes like the jalebi race and sack race were organised. A meena bazar was also held for the families of officers and
jawans. |
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140 examined at free health camp
Dehradun, October 24 Dr Sanjay said due to lack of awareness, a simple health-related problem turns serious and then the costs begin to escalate. “General awareness is the one and only remedy by which a disease can be controlled in it’s nascent stage,” he said. Gynaecologist Sujata, who examined women patients, said as most of them did not take care of their diet, they suffered from backache and even bone-related deformities. |
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Gurdwara celebrates founder’s day of Granth Sahib
Dehradun October 24 A nagar kirtan was organised where hymns were chanted and verses from the holy book were narrated. The devotees were enlightened with the principles of Granth Sahib. The preachers also appealed the masses to follow the path of righteousness as inscribed in the holy book. Harish Rawat MP of Haridwar, Dinesh Aggarwal, MLA of Laxman Chowk, and Suryakant Dhasmana, a senior Congress leader, were present on the occasion. |
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