Dehradun, October 25
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath today assured the Indian Military Academy (IMA) authorities that an underpass on the National Highway-72 would be built that splits the academy.

He was addressing the Gentlemen Cadets and officers at the IMA here today.

Kamal Nath, who is an alumni of the Doon School, and did his graduation from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, spoke on the invigorating subject of the world economy and India. The audience was enlightened with the informative topic and all benefited from the minister’s prowess and acumen on the subject.

The minister was briefly given update on the IMA and the problem of the national highway splitting the IMA campus in two parts. The minister has conveyed to the authorities his assurance and will be taking up the initiative for constructing the underpass. This will go a long way in facilitating the linking of the IMA campus and make it as one complete whole and also obviate the problems faced daily by civilians and Gentlemen Cadets when traffic has to be held up at the crossings during training hours.

This, linking of the two campuses, is also important from the security point of view, keeping in view the present threat scenarios.

Another offset benefit of the subway creation will be saving of manpower in terms of security guards and traffic policemen.

Dehradun, October 25
Researchers and scientists from India and Italy have agreed to set up a joint Indo-Italian forum or centre having focus on water, climate change and human and institutional capacity building after a three-day Indo-Italian workshop on impact of climate change and anthropogenic on soil and water resources held at the IIT, Roorkee.

In a press conference at the Department of Hydrology, IIT, Prof Himanshu Joshi, Chairman of the workshop, mentioned that one of the most important and immediate impact of global warming would be the change in local and regional water availability and its quality, since the climate system is interactive with the hydrological cycle.

He said the magnitude of this would affect, at large, the food production, power generation, soil erosion, floods, droughts, rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and ecosystem. “These effects need to be evaluated as early as possible because of the great socio-economic importance of water and other natural resources,” added Professor Joshi.

The researchers and scientists have agreed amongst themselves to initiate the process of establishment of MoU between selected institutions, explore scope for joint participation of collaborating partners in research or other assignments and 
projects and knowledge sharing on topics of mutual interests.

The major thrust noticed amongst the researchers was on research and development (R&D) activities in various identified areas related to climate change and its impact on soil and water resources.

Soon, the proposed recommendations emerging from all six valedictory sessions will be send to ministries and institutions for consideration said Professor Joshi.

“If the government of Italy and India agree to our recommendations and both countries form a collaboration, we should be here in another year and half with certain funds to begin the work in collaboration and would also appreciate the exchange programme between the researchers and scientists of both countries,” said Dr Massimo from Italy.

There are some similarities between Italy and India’s climate changes. Dr Giovanni Maria Zuppi, Director, CNR-IGAG, said the chemical found in the pollution in Italy and India appeared to be quite similar and also the Italian Alps were quite closer to the Indian mountains in the features a bit which brought lot of common problems to the countries, Braguglia Camila, scientist, CNR-IRSA.

The three-day workshop was to evaluate the current status and progress achieved so far in handling multi-disciplinary issues within the framework of global and national policies of climate change. During the workshop the problem of both countries were also discussed at large.

The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Italian Institution, CNR - Water Research Institute, through the Italian Embassy, New Delhi.

The Italian delegates appreciated the construction and the water regulation work by the canal side in Roorke, Haridwar and Rishikesh, which Dr Salvatore Lombadri, Professor, University of Rome, and scientist, CNR- IGAG, said it was a first-hand experience for all of us to see and visualise the work impact in the region with all efforts of departments involved.

Dehradun, October 25
To assess the damage caused by rains in the tiger-famous Jim Corbett National Park and any possible inclusion of Lansdowne Landsdowne forest division into the Corbett region, a high-level coordination committee constituted recently by the National Tiger Conservation Authority to strengthen tiger conservation in Uttarakhand, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh will be on a visit to the state on October 29.

Uttarakhand is the first tiger range state being visited by the five-member committee headed by National Wildlife Board Member Bijendra Singh. Apart from Bijendra Singh, the committee comprises VP Singh, Member of Parliament from Rajasthan, Rajpal Singh, wildlife expert also from Rajasthan, Ravi Singh, Secretary-General, WWF, and Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, Tiger Conservation Authority of India.

The committee will be meeting Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and would subsequently visit the Corbett tiger reserve and adjoining Lansdowne and Ramnagar forest divisions to take stock of tiger issues affecting the region. The issue of the inclusion of Landsdowne forest division into the Corbett region can also be taken up during the deliberations. Rehabilitation of villages to be moved out of the Corbett region, damages caused to the reserve during rains, obstacle free corridors and welfare of staff working in the range will be some of the issues to be taken up during the dialogue.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, committee chairman Bijendra Singh said the committee was very hopeful of a positive outcome of talks with Uttarakhand Chief Minister to safeguard the larger interest of tigers. He said the Chief Minister had recently while appointing Indian cricket team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Honorary Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand had announced state’s willingness to taken more steps for wildlife conservation and tiger in particular.

An Uttarakhand resident himself, Brijendra Singh’s contribution to the Corbett has been immense. He has held the coveted post of Honorary Wildlife Warden of Corbett for the past four decades and keeps a long wildlife track record in the state. He has been instrumental in exposing anti-wildlife activities in the Corbett on a number of occasions. The wildlife conservationists in Uttarakhand too are looking forward to the team’s visit. 

Dehradun, October 25
Disbursement of pensions to about 6,000 persons, who were expecting the money before Diwali, could be delayed as the Treasury Department is facing "problem" in working on the software provided by the National Information Centre (NIC) for the purpose.

The department, which is already short on staff, however, is working out the details and the amounts to be paid manually.

According to sources, the reason behind the delay in payment is the software provided by the NIC for pension-related works. The sources claimed that similar problems were encountered earlier also.

Besides, the staff shortage too was affecting the working of the pension distribution, said an official.

PC Khare, Chief Treasury Officer, said, "We are facing difficulty due to the software provided by the NIC".

He, however, maintained that the staff was working overtime and efforts were on to cover, at least, 2,500 pensioners before Diwali. The department aimed at covering all pensioners by the end of November.

On the other hand, the NIC said the software was okay and had no problems.

NS Negi, Technical Director, NIC, said the software had been checked properly. "We have provided this software to the department as additional benefit but they were not able to make its use properly," he added.

As per the Sixth Pay Commission, the pensioners were to be paid the arrears in three instalments of 60 per cent in the financial year 2008-09, 30 per cent in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

Dehradun, October 25
Agitated with the government for not providing the facilities that were announced for them in 2006, the National Sugar Federation, Uttarakhand, held a protest here today. They also submitted the memorandum in the office of the Chief Minister demanding to solve the matter immediately or they would come on roads in a large number to remonstrate.

Talking to mediapersons, Heera Singh Bisht, state president, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), and National Sugar Federation, Uttarakhand, said the then Chief Minister had made an announcement for the employees of sugar mills that 50 per cent of inflation allowance would be added to their basic salary, but the same had not been implemented yet, though the same had been executed in all the offices other than their mills.

The federation further demanded the government to provide job to the dependent of the deceased, along with the salary fitment, medical allowance, salary increase after the job of seven years, to provide permanent job to the ones who are working with the organisation since long, to stop outsourcing with the immediate effect, should be provided according to the Sixth Pay Commission as paid in Haryana, time scale promotion to be started and the rules for the pension and bonus should be improved. 

Dehradun, October 25
Agitated for not getting identity (I) cards from the government, statehood agitators from Bageshwar district today submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank requesting him to do the same as soon as possible.

Talking to mediapersons outside the Secretariat, Birender Bajetha, president of Rajya Andolankari Parishad, said there were as many as 352 agitators who were waiting to get I-cards.

He said the state government should immediately ask the Chief Secretary to provide I-cards to the people who had got registered in the list of statehood agitators in 2006-2009.

He even appealed the Chief Minister to mark a CBI inquiry against the notice issued by the district administration to Puran Chander, who was kept in captivity under Sections 107, 116 and 151 of the CrPC in 1994, under the Sanyukt Sarvadaliye Uttarakhand State Agitators Sangharsh Samiti, so that truth could be known.

Bajetha also stated that the administration should not fix the time limitation for the facilities provided to them. 

Almora, October 25
General secretary of the All-India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) Sudha Sundararaman has dwelt upon the need for a major social reforms movement across the country in the present scenario.

Addressing the delegates at the opening session of the fourth state-level convention of the AIDWA here last evening, she said women needed to come together to ensure that the society in totality got the benefits of right to food, economic security, work and other essentials.

In her hour-long speech that had followed a public rally of the organisation where speakers from across the state had raised women-related issues in particular, Sudha said, “Women must keep in mind that no major change or movement is possible without their involvement. They have been a part of all movements whether they are of the working class, farmers, anganwadi workers or any other. There is a conscious attempt to show women as weak which must be denounced and the unknown women fighters of the Independence movement must be brought to light now”.

She elaborated on modern-day misnomers that the share of women in the total employment across the country is on an increase. “It is true that more and more women are getting jobs. But what kind of jobs are they getting? Most of these are in the unorganised sector with no guarantee of basic minimum wages. A large number of them get employed as domestic help where they face all sorts of exploitation. A recent survey has pointed out that there has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of women employed as domestic help only in Delhi over the past five years,” she said and pointed out that women working from their houses doing odd jobs like stitching, making handicrafts etc had seen a fall in comparative incomes over the past almost 15 years.

“In all, the living condition of women has not improved despite all changes over the past two decades. Hence, we demand special laws and an increased role of the government in ensuring equality for women,” she pointed out.

She claimed that on the one side the government was reluctant to give proper employment to women and on the other it was ready to enroll them as volunteers in various sectors like health and was willing to pay mere honorariums to them. She asserted that the government views and perceptions needed to be changed.

The AIDWA leader also hit out at the government for shedding its responsibilities continuously over the past few years. It was pointed out that the government was shying away from giving quality education and health facility to the masses and was compelling them to take these facilities from the private sector by paying hefty amounts, thus ignoring the Indian Constitution. “The government is not investing in the social security and there is a need to review these issues. Corruption in various public-oriented schemes also needs to be exposed,” said the general secretary.

The participants at the convention focused on the status of women in the state and the challenges being faced by them. They discussed the reasons for the lower participation of women in the political and social setups of the society.

Issues related to honour killings, sexual assaults, killing for dowry, female foeticide and domestic violence were also taken up and the participants discussed how to sensitise the society on these issues. 

Mussoorie, October 25
The concluding day of ophthalmologists’ conference, NZOS and Uttara Eyecon 2010, jointly organised by the North Zone and Uttarakhand Ophthalmological Society, attended by a large number of eye specialists which was a path breaking and eye-opener for the delegates. More than 700 doctors, including more than 200 hundred experts who shared their experience, attended the conference this year. More than 200 papers were presented by various eye surgeons.

All-India society former president Dr HK Tiwari, while terming the conference a great success, said it had been eye-opener for all, including him.

Dr Tiwari said the amount of scientific deliberations gone in the conference would help in enhancing the knowledge of the eye surgeons which would serve all when they go back in the field. He firmly stated that the delegates’ duty was to eradicate blindness from the country.

Citing examples of other countries like Australia, he said 1 per cent of blindness in Australia meant only a few thousands, while in India it turned out to whopping millions.

Dr Tiwari speaking about the dilemma in using new innovations occurring on yearly basis said the machines bought today became obsolete after a year. He also advised the doctors that while buying a machine they should measure the benefit to the patient accruing from it.

He said the delegates should carry forward the camaraderie shown in the conference at their workplace so that more and more patients reaped the benefit and they would achieve their right to sight 20:20 vision.

Chandigarh PGI docs get awards

Scientific Committee North Zone Ophthalmological Society Chairman and Professor, Advance Eye Centre, PGI, Chandigarh, Prof Jagat Ram said three eye surgeons from Chandigarh under his leadership had won the Dr Premchandra Award.

More than 30 papers were presented among which Dr Anupam, Dr Indu Khurana and Dr Jaspreet from the PGI, Chandigarh, were adjudged winners.

Dr Anupam, one of the awardees, said she presented the papers on glaucoma valve and its efficacy and intricacy that would help a patient immensely in controlling the pressure and reducing providing relief to the patient.

Dehradun, October 25
Constructed at huge costs trauma centres continue to be non-functional in Uttarakhand. Considering Uttarakhand’s regular brush with disasters, the trauma centres could have proved beneficial, but they remained under utilised even during the July-August disaster in the state.

The trauma care unit constructed by Chief Medical Superintendent, District Hospital, Gopeshwar at a cost of Rs 1.49 crore was non functional in an area prone to road accidents. As a result, accident victims had to be referred to considerably distant places like Srinagar and Dehradun. It was even indicted by the Comptroller Auditor General of India.

The concept of trauma centres well-equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services was first mooted by the state medical authorities to fill gaps in the medical infrastructure that has yet to reach remotest areas.

Despite clearance for 16 trauma centres, of which most have been constructed, these have remained non-functional in the absence of manpower. A holistic trauma centre with specialists round the clock remains a pipe dream.

The government is gradually learning that running these centers is not only extremely expensive, but non-availability of medical staff may bring to naught the best intentions of the government.

The construction work at six centres was completed during 2009-2010. These are at Kashipur, Rishikesh, Almora, Vikas Nagar, Roorkee and Gopeshwar.

“We have dearth of medical and paramedical staff at the moment, but our doctors in the Emergency are equipped to handle any case. I think the centres located a distance from hospitals may pose a problem as staff cannot be easily deployed there,” said Dr HC Bhatt, DG, Health and Family Welfare.

The average cost on the construction is between Rs 69.70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh, but after failing to attract manpower for the trauma centres, the Health Department is also looking to privatise them. But a proposal is yet to be sanctioned by the government.

In Uttarakhand, most deaths are caused by accidents, and trauma deaths are mainly due to crashes and suicides. Health experts say a dedicated trauma centre on the highway should have been the top priority, but the government has failed in a holistic approach.

“A well-equipped trauma centre fulfills the role of timely care. Though accidents and emergency departments are widely available in larger cities, there is considerable variation in quality and accessibility,” said Dr Manu Jain, anesthetist and in charge, ICU. 

Haridwar, October 25
With tension already gripping the Jagjeetpur area following the occurrence of a dispute between Matra Sadan and the Dalit community of the village over a piece of land, today, in a clear violation of the status quo ordered by the administration, the villagers erected a tent at the disputed site and squatted there in protest. At noon only did the administration dispersed the agitating villagers.

This sudden stance by the villagers has further aggravated the situation in the village which has been in the news for the past few days due to claims by villagers to the piece of land that reportedly belongs to Matra Sadan Ashram. The villagers have been performing last rites of their dead at the said place for quite sometime.

A few days ago, the villagers had even tried to build a boundary wall on the land and had picked up an altercation with the ashram people. The police and PAC personnel deployed at the site intervened to prevent the situation from getting aggravated.

Matra Sadan Ashram saints, terming the act as a gross violation of the administrative order. They showed to media persons various documents in proof of the land being theirs only. They had given the land to the National Botanical Research Institute for a project on the Ganga only.

Administrative officials said the survey mapping of the disputed land would be done and urged the villagers to exercise restraint otherwise legal action will be taken against them. 

Mussoorie, October 25
In a tragic incident, an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan Dharmendar Singh, aged 35 years, son of Mohan Singh of Bharkola village, Ranikhet, committed suicide last midnight by hanging himself with a chunni of his wife in the rented house at Spring Road due to some family altercation.

The jawan was working as a cook in the ITBP. On the fateful day, after serving officers the whole day, as it was also the foundation day of the force, returned home and after some argument with his wife went inside and hanged himself. It is believed that Dharmendar had left given up liquor for the past five months, but due to additional pressure of the founder’s day might have taken a sip or two, thus angering his wife which led to a quarrel.

He has also left behind a note citing that his wife should be given a job.