Pitthoragarh, November 6
State BJP President Bishan Singh Chufal, Cabinet minister Prakash Pant and UKD leader Kashi Singh Airy celebrated Divali with people of their constituencies. “I have always wished to be with my people in my Didihat constituency during every festival and after meeting district-level workers here, I am leaving for Didihat today to wish my voters a happy Divali,” said Chufal.

Pant visited local colonies to wish people a happy Divali and distributed gifts among them. “I find this opportunity to solve the problems being faced by the people of my constituency and on the pretext Divali meeting I noted down their day-to-day problems and will try to solve those,” said Pant.

Airy used this opportunity to look into the problems of villagers of La Jhekla, victims of last month’s natural disaster at Munsiyari and celebrated Divali with them. “It is our duty as public figure to remain with the people who are struggling for their existence,” said Airy.

Pitthoragarh, November 6
Uttarakhand Congress President Yashpal Arya has said the decision to close down hydro-electric projects under construction in the state should be evaluated in the context of the future needs of electricity of the state and nation as well as the investment on them.

Talking to this correspondent over the telephone from Haldwani today, the Congress President said the state needed electricity for its future industrial needs and employment generation. “Only hydro-electric projects are being related with pollution, whereas the Uttarakhand government is unable to check illegal mining in the state which is gulping up villages and their agriculture,” said Arya adding that the projects which were in their first and second phases of construction should be completed.

Commenting on the completion of 10 years by the Uttarakhand state, the Congress President said the state was yet to become as per the dreams of those who had scarified their lives for its creation. “The fighters for the state wanted the government to reach people’s doorsteps, to have education and employment for every family and roads constructed. But these things are lacking in the interior parts of the state where neither education nor essential services like roads and electricity are available, forcing people to desert their villages and migrate,” said Arya.

The Congress President said his party during their power between 2002-2007 tried to establish some basic work on these lines, but the foundation of infrastructure development and employment had been wiped out during the past three years. “Unemployed youth whom the Congress had provided technical education to help them find honorable work in the industrial estate are now working as bonded labourers in factories,” said Arya.

Arya said the Uttarakhand government had no policy or will power to sort out the problems of disaster-hit people which occurred every year. “During the initial years of the state we had indicated 109 villages which were highly sensitive to natural calamities and needed to be shifted, but the BJP government did nothing in this direction, except issue statements,” said Arya adding that hundreds of people in the state were living in tents and facing shortage of consumer goods, kerosene etc, but the government was only issuing statements. “They are demanding Rs 21,000 crore from the Central government and making a provision of only Rs 25 crore in their supplementary budget. They are not in a position to make use of the first instalment of Rs 500 crore issued by the Centre,” said Arya.

Commenting on the preparation of the Congress party for the 2012 election in the state, Arya said the Congress would contest the election on only one issue, and that was the issue of development and corruption-free state. “It is the BJP which changes the issues every time, but the Congress has only one and constant issue of development and providing employment to every household,” said Arya.

The Congress president said he was not in the race of becoming the Chief Minister of the state. “The Congress has many big leaders and the Congress high command will select the leader out of them. I am only a humble Congress worker following the orders of the Congress leader Sonia ji,” said Arya. 

Pauri Garhwal, November 6
Uttarakhand has been facing natural disasters due to heavy rainfall, landslides, cloud bursting and floods. Though relief and compensation aid process is going on, yet there are hundreds of affected people who are still facing immense problems as they are living in tents beneath the open sky.

As per the Disaster Management Ministry data in Uttarakhand, about 1,050 families are living in tents as their houses were either destroyed due to the disaster or they left their homes in view of the lurking danger to their residential establishments. They have been living in government relief camps or temporary tents.

The misery of these 1,000 odd people, apart from government delay in providing relief, is further aggravated by the chilling winter season which is in its initial stages in plain areas of the state, but has already set in in hill districts.

Though these 1,050 odd families have been granted compensation amount from the disaster fund, yet residences of these families are not in a safe condition to live in, and to reconstruct settlement for them has become a complex issue for both the government and the families.

Many of these houses fall under those earmarked villages which are to be totally shifted as these are in the danger zone and living there is quite dangerous. As per government data, a total of 233 villages in the state have been marked as hyper-sensitive villages which need to be displaced in view of their being prone to disasters.

To rehabilitate these families and villages, now the government is looking at the Forest Department land, which is without forest cover, to settle these families. Informing about this, Disaster Management and state Cabinet minister Khazan Das said the suggestion of Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had been accepted by the government of India and a committee had also been formed which was looking into the technicalities and process of this aspect.

Apprising that the loss in Pauri Garhwal district had been estimated at about Rs 75.65 crore, Khazan Das said the district had released a sum of Rs 20 crore as initial compensation grant from the relief fund.

“For fair providing of relief aid, apart from the Central government, the state government has also formed separate committees at the state, district and block levels to ensure that the aid reaches the needy as well as is uniform and fair,” said Khazan Das.

The minister also said till date the state government had a total amount of Rs 624 crore as disaster relief fund comprising both Central and state government relief aid grants. Notably, the UPA-led Central government had granted Uttarakhand Rs 500 crore relief aid grant, while the state government had released Rs 124 crore from its side for relief works.

Pitthoragarh, November 6
Former volunteers of the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB), also known as Guerillas, have announced that they will not allow the inauguration of the famous tri-nation Jauljivi Fair, which is scheduled to be begin from November 14, by any political personality of the government to press their three-point demand of giving them employment in the SSB and laying out a pension structure for those who are overage for government services.

“All volunteers from border towns of Jauljivi, Dharchula, Jhoolaghat and Baluakot and the Talla Bagar area will gather at Jauljivi on November 14 only to prevent Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, who has been invited by the authorities to inaugurate the fair, from inaugurating it,” said Deepak Bhatt, district president of the organisation.

“The government is recruiting home guards, eco-policemen, forest guards and village chaukidars, but the SSB volunteers, who have spent their life for the sake of nation in organising Guerillas watching on the border, are getting no representation in these recruitments. This shows the apathy of the government towards these volunteers,” he said.

The Dharchula administration is fully aware of the threat of the SSB volunteers, but is adamant to invite the Chief Minister to the fair. “We have chalked out a strategy for the security of the VVIPs or VIPs who will visit to inaugurate the historic fair and have ordered the Dharchula and Jauljivi police to take care of any disturbance during the inauguration ceremony of this six-day festival,” said RS Rana, Dharchula SDM.

Dehradun, November 6
There is the possibility of the activities of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) in the Terai region and adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh.

According to reports, the Punjab police has alerted the state and the UP police regarding the same. However, the Uttarakhand police here has denied of having received any such alert.

As per the reports, the Punjab police has claimed that the two outfits are in the process of recruiting youths in identifying places in Uttarakhand and adjoining districts of UP.

This information was revealed during the interrogation of two men of these outfits, who were arrested in UP by its anti-terrorist squad last month. The two organisations are in the process of reorganising and using certain places in UP and Uttarakhand as hideouts.

Places like Haldwani, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar in the state have been mentioned to the investigators by the two arrested accused during the interrogation, the report further added.

Sources in the state police told The Tribune that there were no circumstances in the state, at present, for such activities to prevail and only some isolated incident could be there, if possible.

However, taking into cognisance the amount of violence in the state during the time of militancy in Punjab, such activities may pose a serious threat in future. Other than Haldwani, Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital, even places like Doiwala in Dehradun had also witnessed a large scale of violence incidents at that time, the police sources added.

Kumaon Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ram Singh Meena denied having received any alert in this regard. “In the last meeting with the DGP this was talked of, but at present we haven’t received any such alert,” said the IGP. He added that the police here had also not found any such activities being run in the Kumaon region. 

Mussoorie, November 6
The taste of Divali sweets became sour for many members of the Congress women’s wing due to the infighting that has broken out among the workers on the issue of the nomination of Geeta Kumain at the post of city president in Mussoorie.

The nomination has invoked a sharp response with sitting city president Bharosi Rawat calling this nomination as completely illegal. In a press note addressed to state Women Congress president Sarojini Kaintura, Bharosi has alleged that the nomination at the post of city president is illegal and against the guidelines of the party, hence it should be revoked immediately. Bharosi in the letter said the nomination of Geeta was done clandestinely and the local unit had been kept in the dark. She said due to this illegal nomination, the party members were agitated and also feared the consequences leading to the 2012 Assembly elections. Hence, Bharosi demanded the cancellation of the nomination till the time issue was not resolved.

City party president Bhagwan Singh Dhanai also consented with Bharosi and informed that the local unit was not taken into confidence and the decision was taken in haste. Dhanai said generally the local unit was consulted before appointing any person in the town, but no such meeting was conducted by the state women party wing. The unit should have been dissolved first and then the nominations process should have been considered which was not done in this case.

The nominated president, refuting the claims, said she had been appointed by the state president in consultation with district president Madhu Semwal. She also counter alleged that there was no question of consulting with local unit as the decision of the state president was the final in any post selection in the party. Moreover, the state unit had demanded the names for various posts in district and when no name came forth from Mussoorie, she being district secretary was nominated at the post of the city president.

It seems that the Congress has been divided with this row that fails to phase out soon. Several members have also signed the letter addressed to Mussoorie MP Vijay Bahuguna, district and state president of Congress women wing in support of Bharosi Rawat.

Meanwhile, the party unit is working with the two presidents at one time.

Dehradun, November 6
Three persons were killed by an elephant at Khandgaon in the Rajaji National Park on Divali night. These deaths are a result of a saga of unkept promises and long-drawn rehabilitation that has not yet seen the light of the day.

To secure the all-important Chila Motichoor elephant corridor, the Rajaji National Park had some time back started working to facilitate the shifting of Khand villagers by mooting a rehabilitation package.

The elephant corridor that falls in Rajaji in Uttarakhand connects the western and eastern parts of Rajaji and is vital for the long-distance movement of pachyderms.

The movement presently is hindered due to physical obstructions that prominently include Section III of Khand village.

A memorandum of understanding between Park officials and Khand villagers had been drafted. It entails shifting of 32 families to the Kalapani area between the twin townships of Rishikesh and Haridwar.

The rehabilitation process is on the lines of Tehri Dam oustees’ rehabilitation which prominently involves land in replacement for land while ensuring all basic civic amenities at the new site of rehabilitation and value to the tune of assessment of property.

Rajaji National Park Director SS Raisaily opined that the Park has been working long towards securing this key elephant corridor and subsequently, reduce man-animal conflict in this area to a minimum.

“We are already in the process of rehabilitation and assessment of properties though the district authorities so as to ensure proper compensation to the affected families apart from providing land in lieu of land to them,” Raisaily said.

The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has been instrumental in brokering talks between the Khand III village families and the Uttarakhand Forest Department and convincing the former for rehabilitation.

Dr AK Singh, a senior WTI officer and former Uttarakhand coordinator, said the Chila Motichoor corridor held much significance for movement of both elephants and tigers. The securing of the corridor would facilitate elephant movement leading to the ending of isolation of herds of elephants. This would facilitate long-term viability of male breeding of elephants, he said.

Around 27 hectares have been earmarked for rehabilitation in Kalapani that will be provided to these Khand III villagers who are Tehri Dam oustees and were settled in the region in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

Conservationist and former WWF Uttarakhand head Dr Hem Singh Gehlot said securing wildlife corridors held much importance for the sustenance of wildlife.

Expressing concern over rising human interference in the form of habitations and encroachments in wildlife corridors across Uttarkhand, Dr Gehlot said elephants have large requirements and cannot be confined to one forest and thus, the corridor would play a key role in ensuring free and long movement of these jumbos.

He said the sole solution to checking growing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in the Corbett region was to safeguard the corridors.

Despite all this, the shifting of the villagers still seems to be a far cry. The Diwali night incident of an elephant killing three persons is grim reminder that any delay in the rehabilitation of Khand villagers is only inviting another disaster.

Dehradun, November 6
Three persons, including two children, were trampled by an elephant in Khandgoan in Motichoor Range of the Rajaji National Park.

The incident happened on Divali evening when an elderly couple at Khand village was having a stroll along with their three grandchildren when they came face to face with an elephant.

While the man managed to take one of his grandchildren away from the reach of the beast, the woman and the other two grandchildren were not quick enough and trampled to death.

Agitated over the deaths, the villagers today gheraoed Rajaji National Park Director SS Rasaily and Deputy Director Swaran Kumarand and other officials when they reached the village to take stock of the situation.

BS Negi, president of the Khandgaon Visthapan Sangharsh Samiti (KVSS), alleged that the delay in the rehabilitation of Khandgaon villagers was the reason behind rising man-elephant conflict.

He pointed out that the male elephant which killed the woman and two children on Divali night had also chased other villagers last week.

Negi said they had also met Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and also Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) RBS Rawat.

They had submitted memorandums to them seeking early relocation, but, so far, the authorities had not taken any action. He said they were now left with no choice but to start an agitation.

On the other hand, Rajaji National Park officials are manning Khandgoan to avert any untoward situation that may arise due to the three deaths there.

Dehradun, November 6
The Dehradun Film Society will organise a Turkish Film Festival on weekends from November 14.

The film movement in Dehradun was started with the formation of “Reach Talkies” - Doon Film Society in May 2009 by four film buffs to promote good cinema, popularly known as art cinema, New Wave cinema or parallel cinema.

Such movies have a good storyline, fine acting and excellent direction, but in spite of critical acclaim and international awards, very few find takers for commercial release and can be viewed only during international film festivals. The attempt by these four Doonites was to bring this kind of cinema to the film lovers of the state capital.

The Doon Film Society was formally launched on July 5, 2009, with a Japanese film “Rashomon” by Akira Kurosava. Since then, 40 films have been screened, showcasing the works of renowned directors like Roman Polansky (USA), Vittorio di Sica, Roberto Benigni, Bernardo Bertolucci and Giuseppe Tornatore (Italy), Ingmar Bergman (Sweden), Jean Renoir (France), Oliver Herchbiegel (Germany), Wong Kar Wai (China), Sabiha Sanmar and Shoeb Masur (Pakistan) and Gavin Hood (Africa).

A festival of Iranian films was held with the screening of four films, including “Colour of Paradise” and “Baran” (Rain) both directed by Majid Majidi.

In the coming months, members will get to see cinema from Spain, Russia, Mexico and Taiwan. Film appreciation courses are also being planned to educate members to understand and appreciate art cinema better.

Famous actor, director and social activist Tom Alter was appreciative of the work of Reach Talkies and has offered to organise a children’s film festival in Dehradun in April next year in association with the Doon Film Society.

The venue at the Vasant Vihar Club was not able to serve the members from the main town and beyond well. Now an additional venue at Muse Art Gallery, Ground Floor, Hotel Inderlok, Rajpur Road, has been added to allow the Doon Film Society to screen movies on Sunday mornings.

Entry to the film society shows is only for the members. As the aim is to create awareness among Doonites by reaching out to a larger audience, entry is free for all till the end of December 2010 at both venues.

Dehradun, November 6
The Dehradun police is searching for the three absconding miscreants who had killed a youth after a dispute in a gambling incident on Thursday night, a day before Divali, in the Chander Nagar area.

The youth was killed after an altercation between two groups of youths in a gambling turned into virtual full-scale fight. As many as three persons of a group were injured, with one among them succumbing to the injuries. The police has, so far, managed to arrest one Shivraj.

Meanwhile, as a retaliatory action, family members of the deceased today attacked the house of the attackers burning down a Maruti car and other articles kept at the house.

However, the family members had, by then, fled from the spot. 

Dehradun, November 6
As part of the Uttarakhand Formation Day, District Magistrate (DM) Sachin Kurve presided over a review meeting at his camp office here today.

The District Magistrate directed Chief Medical Officer (CMO) RK Pant to conduct health camps at every block level. He also asked the CMO to make November 14 pulse polio campaign a success.

Kurve also directed Derhadun Chief Executive Officer Indudhar Borayee to ensure the success of the programmes to be held at nyaya panchayat Level. He asked the Nodal Officers posted at the Atal Adarash Gram Panchayats to hold constant review of the welfare schemes being conducted at the gram panchayat level.

The District Magistrate also directed for the conduct of a meeting on November 7 at the camp office at 11 am to be attended by the PWD, Jal Nigam, Jal Sansthan, Irrigation and Power Departments. He said all departmental officers would be presenting their list of damages caused to the infrastructure of their respective departments during recent rains.

Project Director of the District Rural Development Authority Dr RS Pokhriyal, District Panchayat Raj Officer MM Khan and Assistant Social Welfare Officer Ramawataar Singh were present at the meeting. 

Dehradun, November 6
Camps for the disabled will now be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Doon Hospital.

At a meeting organised here today, District Magistrate Sachin Kurve directed Assistant Social Welfare Officer to organise a camp for the disabled on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Doon Hospital so that problems pertaining to pension and distribution of artificial limbs could be sorted out on priority basis.

He said the Assistant Welfare Officers deployed at block headquarters would have to make arrangements for ferrying the disabled from the Development Block Headquarters to the Doon Hospital.

Camps for the disabled will be held on November 10 for the benefit of Vikas Nagar Development Block, on November 24 for Doiwala Development Block, on December 8 for Kalsi Development Block and on December 22 for Sahaspur Development Block.

During these camps, the disabled will be issued certificates and helped in filling applications for various welfare schemes for them and provide artificial limbs. 

Pitthoragarh, November 6
Winter crops in Himalayan villages of the district are now facing a damage threat by Himalayan black bears, that are not only attacking the crops of potato, palthi, maize and other root-based vegetables, but also the villagers who are coming in their way.

“Almost one-fourth crop of palthi, a rare cereal grown in high-altitude villages of the Darma Valley, has been damaged in the attack of these bears, for which the villagers have no solution at present,” said KS Firmal, a resident of Filam village in the Darma Valley of Dharchula subdivision.

According to Manoj Chandran, District Forest Officer (DFO), during this season more than a dozen incidents of bear attacks on human being have come to light. “These incidents mostly occurred in Munsiyari-Dharchula areas where Himalayan black bears have come down from high-altitude jungle due to increasing cold season,” said the DFO.

The forest officer said either by accident or deliberately, if disturbed during its meal, the Himalayan black bears attacked human beings. “This is the season when the crop of maize gets prepared on the fields and the black bears come to eat it,” said Chandran.

The Himalayan black bears get aggressive if human beings disturb their cubs and during the present season they are mostly accompanied by their cubs.