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State sports gets step-motherly treatment
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Nainital diary
Trials held for national baseball tourney
Baseball trials underway to select the state baseball team at the Parade Ground in Dehradun on Sunday.
A Tribune photograph
High-tension line breaks at Mokhumpur
Yagya held for world peace
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State sports gets step-motherly treatment
Dehradun, November 7 Unfortunately, sports has received a step-motherly treatment in Uttarakhand. Like political instability, which saw five Chief Ministers in 10 years, the Uttarakhand Sports Ministry also witnessed a change of guard frequently. Five Sports Ministers in 10 years. It all began with Narayan Singh Rana, followed by Pritam Singh, Rajender Bhandari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and at presently Khazan Dass is the Sports Minister. The coming decade demands special attention to sports in Uttrarakhand. The bygone 10 years saw individual brilliance from shooter Jaspal Rana, athlete Pankaj Dimri, long-distance runner Surender Bhandari, adventure sportswoman Reena Dharamshaktu, etc, to mention a few. These sportspersons brought glory to their home state Uttarakhand by excelling in their fields. But, as far as promoting sports in a planned way is concerned, the state government has failed miserably to do so. Neither the current Nishank-led BJP government is giving any attention to sports, nor the past Congress government gave any privilege to games in Uttarakhand. Before the creation of Uttarakhand, sports was limited to Dehradun, Nainital, Haridwar and Pitthoragarh in the hill districts of Uttar Pradesh. Though around 36 sports associations are currently affiliated to the Uttarakhand Olympic Association, sports still remains confined to the mentioned four centres. Leaving badminton, TT, athletics, tennis, basketball (occasionally) and boxing, none of the other association host the state championship. These state associations are merely acting as recommending agencies. They merely conduct selection trials to send the teams to national championships, without even hosting the state championship. Even the State Football and State Hockey Championship is yet to be organised in Uttarakhand. The big question is about the credentials of the various state associations. Most came into operation after the formation of the state. The sports associations are captured by influential persons from Dehradun and Nainital. Rather than putting some break on the dubious activities of these doubtful associations, the state government supported them fully making the situation wayward. Many bureaucrats are in key positions in different associations. Due to the influence of IAS officers, the sports associations remain unchecked in Uttarakhand. Even during the UP times, there was no policy for the promotion of sports in the hills and the same situation still prevails. During the Congress rule, BJP legislator Prakash Pant frequently raised the question of the misuse of funds by the State Olympic Association. Pant provided bank documents of Uttarakhand Olympic President Rajiv Mehta transferring a grant of Rs 11 lakh, provided by the state government for hosting state games, from the State Olympic Association account to his personal account. At that time the BJP had charged the Congress of providing cover to the accused Olympic Association office-bearer. The Congress provided a clean chit to Rajiv Mehta, despite all the noise. Pant now claims: “We are ready to conduct an inquiry into the financial regulation by the State Olympic Association, but we want somebody to raise the issue”. So, the commitment is missing. Nobody wants to nail fake and dubious sports associations. In basketball and volleyball, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) players dictate terms in Uttarakhand. With over a dozen international basketball players, the complete ONGC team represents the Uttarakhand state in national championship. Similar is the case in volleyball. The ONGC can do a lot of good to local sports by taking unit affiliation in basketball and volleyball. The ONGC has already taken unit affiliation to participate directly in the national championship (like Indian Railways, Army, Punjab Police) in football, hockey and TT. As a general practice, most state sports associations avoid hosting selection trials and state championship in Dehradun. They do this to conduct the event and trials at far-flung areas silently and to avoid the ire of alert sports lovers and the media. A big fight is going on between different groups to take control of cricket in Uttarakhand. The new state is yet to get the BCCI affiliation. The BCCI is deliberately lingering the issue by claiming that as more than one group have applied so they will not provide the affiliation. By delaying the issue, the BCCI has denied chances to budding cricketers from Uttarakhand to play at a higher level. This process has completed one decade and sports lovers, state leaders and public are more or less silent on it. Creating sporting infrastructure was never in the priority list of the state government. There are many international and qualified coaches in Uttarakhand, but there is intention to utilise their talent and expertise. The one decade of sports in Uttarakhand was miserable and saw how dead sports associations are captured to grab power. Let’s hope the coming decade will some positive change for a better future of budding sportsmen of the hill state. For this the state government needs to conduct an inquiry into the credential of various state sports associations and the persons controlling them. The state government could not complete the preparations for the South-Asian Federation (SAF) Winter Games slated to be held at Auli in Chamoli district for the past three years. It was hoped that the games would finally be held in early 2011 with the completion of the skating rink in Dehradun.
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Jharipani Falls victim of admn neglect
Mussoorie, November 7 The falls is about 10 km from Mussoorie on the Mussoorie-Jharipani Road and the Dehradun station is the nearest railway station. A refreshing 30-minute walk from the Jharipani market to the falls promises to leave the visitors spellbound. It lies at an elevation of about 5,000 ft and is surrounded by rich flora and fauna. There are a variety of Himalayan birds nesting in the serene environment surrounded by gushing free flow of water that cascades from an amazing height. Visitors have to trek around 1.5 km on the road to reach the falls, nestled in the forests of oak and pine. A rare sight of khaleej pheasants is an added attraction. One is astounded at the pristine beauty of the falls that’s in no way less when compared to the Kempty and Bhatta Falls situated around Mussoorie. The peace and clean air at the spot rejuvenate and relaxes the mind and the body. The falls, if developed as a tourist spot, can generate much-needed employment for the local residents in addition to increasing the revenue of the Nagar Palika. But, the development should not be at the cost of natural environs of the area. According to Trek Himalayas owner Nilambar Badoni, the Jharipani Falls has the potential of becoming an ideal spot for bird-watchers, nature lovers and trekkers. He said in the ’70s and ’80s, he organised several treks to the falls which were much appreciated by the tourists, but due to a lack of basic facilities like a proper road and public utilities, the trek could not gain popularity. Another factor that led to the decrease in its popularity is the sewage being discharged into the falls by schools and luxury hotels situated in the area. Badoni opines that the department should first get the area cleaned and then impose severe penalty on the polluters. A trek on the Rajpur-Jharipani-Barlowganj route should be developed with a halt at the Jahripani Falls. All these steps could make this place attract tourists, locals as well as foreigners, who are on the lookout for such peaceful places. He adds with caution that the government should also ensure that it does not get converted into another mess like the Kempty Falls which is not only a costly spot, but crowded too. A tourist entry limit has to be fixed so that it does not turn into another fish market and the serenity of the area is maintained, he added. Mussoorie Taxi Association president Hukum Singh Rawat also reiterated the fact that the falls, if developed, could become another tourist spot and his union was ready to promote it in a big way. Mussoorie Palika President OP Uniyal, who visited the falls recently, reaffirmed the fact that his board was keen on developing the falls and after completion, it would be one of the best tourist destinations in the area. Uniyal said the 2-km road leading to the falls, that was developed partially by the Forest Department, had been handed over to the Nagar Palika, Mussoorie, recently. It was being developed further. Uniyal also elaborated that he had called experts to take visit the place and suggest on the design and landscaping of the area keeping the environment in mind. He said an eco-park, botanical garden and limited shops selling local products of the area were also being planned at the falls, along with parking facilities. He appealed to the residents of the town to offer their valuable suggestions so that the place could become a unique tourist destination.
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Nishank goes all out to regain sagging popularity
Rajeev Khanna Tribune News Service The recent visit of Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank threw up more questions than answers on the issue of disaster management and the relief operations that are underway in this region of the state. Those present at a meeting are still not able to gather why Nishank chose to hold an unscheduled review and that too in media glare. The grapevine is that he was apparently conveyed about the losing popularity of his government and the failure of the government to take preventive action and on account of the delays in the opening of roads at several places. Even as Nishank went about pulling up one official after the other those present could be seen whispering and trying to figure out that whether the reprimand was a genuine concern for the people or for public consumption as it was well known that the event would be prominently picked up and reported by the media. Incidentally, the officials could be seen giving the impression that all was well in Kumaon. After the meeting, junior-rung officials and others present at the event could be heard saying: “If all is well on all fronts, it is perhaps the people who have gone insane and are cribbing for things without any rhyme or reason. As for asking us officials to deliver in an ideal manner can he ensure that we get the spares and other tools required in time.” In all the episode gave an impression that it was a public relations exercise of Nishank aimed at improving the sagging image of his government. Town looks up to Gujarati tourists
Tourists from West Bengal did turn out to be face savers as far as the autumn tourist season in Nainital is concerned. The tourism industry and those in the related vocations are now looking up to tourists from Gujarat to make their day after Divali. The pattern during the autumn season in Kumaon is that the tourists from West Bengal form the core of the visitors during the Dasehra and Durga Puja holidays. Meanwhile, it is the people from Gujarat who constitute the major part of visitors in the fortnight after Divali. The season had begun on a dismal note with hardly five per cent of the tourists turning up and even the Durga Puja celebrations in Nainital proved to be a damp squib. This had followed the Naina Devi fair being a complete washout with only the local participation. But, the tourism got a boost when tourists from West Bengal eventually turned up and the October’s arrival closed at approximately 30 per cent of what was expected. However, bookings pouring in for the days after Divali, the region is expecting a good rush in November. Kamal Jagati of the Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association says: “The income from these two months normally goes into the maintenance and renovation of our premises. We are looking forward to a good rush in what is left of the season”. With the Commonwealth Games on in the national Capital that time, it was being conveyed and expected that Kumaon would attract a large tourist inflow, particularly with the schools in Delhi having holidays. However, the failure of the administration to open the main roads before the onset of games prevented the tourist rush.
Delhi-Kathgodam AC train soon
The Railways is expected to give yet another boost to the tourist flow to the region. The institution plans to introduce yet another air conditioned train between Delhi and Kathgodam. It is expected that the service will start from December. Besides helping in management of tourist inflow, the train will also provide relief to the locals wanting to travel to the national capital. With the roads in a mess, people prefer travelling by train. It is learnt that the train will ply between Kathgodam and Anand Vihar station in Delhi. It will leave Anand Vihar at 6 am and reach Kathgodam at noon. It will then leave from Kathgodam at 3.45 pm and arrive at Anand Vihar at around 11 pm.
Traders insensitive to public welfare
A section of the trading community in Nainital is earning a bad reputation for its insensitivity to issues of public welfare. Recently, the intelligentsia and other sections of society were shocked to see announcements being made from a car that no shopkeeper should allow any person from outside Nainital to squat outside his shop to sell anything during the Divali season. The announcement came as a large number of traders while giving two hoots to the norms on encroachment had gone about encroaching the entire passage in the main markets in their bid to earn that extra buck during the season. The local civic body as usual decided to stay mum and the traders issued a veiled threat to anyone who would try coming to sell small wares on roadsides. “It is like saying that only we will fleece the people of the town and we have the sole rights to do so. As it is a well-known fact that the shopkeepers sell most of the things at premium here and sellers coming to sell earthen wares and other decoration stuff will be selling it a bit cheaper,” was a common refrain from the general people who heard the announcements being made.
Doonagiri temple
gets facelift
The Almora administration is taking effective steps for sprucing up the premises of the Doonagiri temple to make it a major tourist attraction. A beautification exercise of the temple and its adjoining areas is under way in full swing these days. The administration plans to spend a sum of Rs 1.1 crore in the process and till now Rs 20 lakh has been utilised in the process. The railings have been laid and tin sheds have been erected besides the repairing of the stairway. Once the work is over the destination that is strategically located near both Ranikhet and Dwarahat will be promoted with aggression for the tourists to come and enjoy the scenic charm of the region.
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Trials held for national baseball tourney
Dehradun, November 7 The following have been selected to represent
Uttarakhand: Ashwani Chaudhary, Sumit Gusain, Navjot Singh Rana, Puskkar Rana, Ashwani Kumar, Sashank Singh, Vineet Chaudhary, Priyank Badola, Ravinder Pal Singh Mehta, Sunil Kumar, Gokul, Ankur Pardhan, Amit Negi, Arjun Parsad, Gopal Singh Bisht, Mahender Singh Farswan, Vipin Bisht (coach) and Deepak Mehra (manager). The following have been selected for the Uttarakhand junior baseball team to participate in the National Junior Baseball Championship to be held at Kolkata from December 1 to 5. The team is as follows: Narender Singh, Himanshu, Satyam, Ravi Pandey, Shubham, Rajat, Pritam, Manjeet, Prashant Singh, Bhanu Parkash, Karan,Parveen, Ashutosh, Sukhwinder, Tanuj, Amit Chauhan (coach) and Shasank Singh (manager). The following is the senior women Uttarakhand team to participate in the Indore nationals: Mamta, Priyanka, Bhavna Bora, Neeta Tomar, Vaishali Maurya, Sonam Mehta, Kamini Bhatt, Kiran Rawat, Luxmi Gusain, Nasem, Neha Suyal, Punam, Nitika, Ruchi Singh, Aishwarya, Puja Koli (coach) and Punam Tomar (manager). The members of the junior girls team are Komal, Kalpana Tomar, Mansa, Aarti, Saraswati, Bhandari, Bhagirathi, Puja Negi, Ashmita, Reeta Rodiyal, Venisha Thapa, Ragini Bhatt, Shanti Bhatt, Sunita Madhwal, Ruchita, Meenkshai Gusian, Priyanka, Sushila Rana (coach) and Ravinder Pal Singh
Mehta (manager).
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High-tension line breaks at Mokhumpur
Dehradun, November 7 The incident took place at around 7.15 in the morning. A high-tension line in the Mokhumpur area on the outskirts of Dehradun city broke with a loud bang. Some alert pedestrians informed the Police Control Room of the happening and subsequently the matter was brought to the knowledge of Uttarakhand Power Corporation officials. The power was immediately cut off and the corporation staff rushed to the site of the incident. The Shivmandir area where the wire broke was cordoned off and repair works started on a war footing. A major tragedy was averted as there was no heavy traffic on the main Dehradun-Haridwar road during the morning hours and also as the day was a Sunday. A large quantum of traffic can be seen every day on this important Dehradun-Haridwar highway.
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Yagya held for world peace
Dehradun, November 7 The programme was presided over by Harbans Kapoor, Chairman of the Vidhan Sabha, while Sachidanand Sharma, president of the Bharat Vikas Parishad and guest of honour, and Geeta Thakur, Vice-Chairman of the State Women’s Commission, were present. The organisation also held an artificial limbs camp for those who had rendered incapacitated by accidents. Madhu Makhuri, secretary of Gokul, said the society’s artificial limb centre at Harrawala was inaugurated in January, 2010, and since then 85 persons had been benefited.
— TNS
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Dehradun, November 7
