Dehradun, December 5
Traditional mindsets continue to prevent a large number of women in becoming beneficiaries of the Janani Surakasha Yojana (JSY).The programme launched for pregnant women falling in the BPL category in the state is aimed at encouraging institutional deliveries by rewarding the mothers financially.

A centrally-sponsored scheme under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was introduced after modifying the existing National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS).

“The dependency of hill women on traditional methods and ‘dais’ prevents them from seeking institutional help. Things are gradually changing,” said Director, Health and Family Welfare, Dr Asha Mathur.

The scheme is aimed at increasing institutional deliveries in BPL families. Pregnant women falling in the BPL categories and above 19 years of age can benefit from this scheme for two live births. As Uttarakhand figures among the 10 low-performing states, the scheme is being implemented to reduce overall maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate. The total number of beneficiaries were 74,000 in 2009-2010, 33 lakh in 2010-2011 and 3.29 lakh in 2005-2006.

The JSY integrates cash assistance with ante-natal care during the pregnancy period, institutional care during delivery and immediate post-partum period in a health centre by establishing a system of regular check-ups by field-level health workers.

“Early identification of complicated cases and ensuring regular check-ups for high-risk patients are some of the high points of the scheme,” added Dr Mathur. The beneficiaries have to compulsorily get themselves registered with the health workers at the sub-centre/anganwadi/PHC for availing at least three antenatal check-ups, post-natal care and neonatal care.

Another thing going for the scheme is devising and ensuring transparent and timely disbursement of cash assistance to the mother and the incentive to the accredited social health activist (ASHA).

“In rural areas, the assistance package for the mother is Rs 700, while for ASHA, it is Rs 600. In the urban areas, the assistance package for the mother is Rs 600, while for ASHA, it is Rs 200,” said Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS), District Women’s Hospital, Dr Deepa Sharma.

Dehradun, December 5
Emphasis was laid on horticulture at a workshop on strengthening rural economy. It was organised jointly by the South-Asian Dialogue on Ecological Democracy, Tamil Nadu, Core Team National Adivasi Andolan and Finland Foundation.

Speaking on the occasion, environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna said forests could help in ushering economic prosperity in the country.

While Dr Anil Joshi, patron of the Himalayan Environment Studies Conservation Organisation (HESCO), said with modern technology, food processing could be adopted by farmers in a big way. He said traditional knowledge possessed by farmers too should be given preference while chalking out farming policies.

Farmer Bhuwan Pathak said to strengthen the rural economy, plantation could be an ideal activity. He said village economy could receive a big boost through plantation.

Social activist Praful Samantra from Orissa said villagers were losing land to big mining projects and industrialisation. Social activist Vijay Mishra from Bihar said Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi laid great stress on rural economy. 

Mussoorie, December 5
Reacting to the news published in The Tribune on December 3 that highlighted the fact that the statue of one of the most revered BJP leader Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay, which was installed recently at a park at Landour Bazar, was covered with an empty liquor carton, the Mussoorie MC, taking cognisance of the fact, got it covered with unbreakable crystal glass. The BJP workers had also raised this issue recently.

According to the MC officials, the empty liquor carton was put on the statue by some anti-social elements and as they came to know about it, the carton was removed and was covered with unbreakable crystal glass. “Now, the statue will be safe from monkeys and miscreants, who try to deface the statue,” he said. Residents and the BJP workers have appreciated the promptness with which the MC has initiated the action.

Haridwar, December 5
In view of its debacle in the last parliamentary elections as well as eyeing the forthcoming Assembly elections in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be eyeing the Scheduled Caste (SC) votes that have long been eluding it owing to varied reasons.

But now the party has geared up to attract this segment of voters so that its Mission 2012 gets accomplished fully. In this regard, party’s Scheduled Caste cell has actively started working to garner confidence of this segment of society blaming the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), two major SC vote-garnering parties, for their backwardness despite they being loyal to these twin parties.

Today, in Haridwar, the party’s strategy was in fully evident when party’s state chief Bishan Chufal, Uttarakhand party in charge Thawar Singh Gehlot, national president of the SC cell Dushyant Kumar Gautam, legislator Ajay Tamta, along with several party representatives, attended a seminar held on the occasion of Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s death anniversary.

Lashing at the Congress party for failing to uplift the socio-economic status of SC people in the country, Gautam termed the Congress as the real culprit behind the present condition of SC people as despite they being a permanent vote bank for the Congress, its party leaders never really thought so for this backward class.

“The post-independence Congress only used Scheduled Castes during the elections and never catered to uplift their social condition which later diverted towards the BSP, but now again they have been dithered as the BSP has also toed the Congress line of taking political mileage from this segment,” remarked Dushyant.

On Mayawati’s spending spree on Ambedkar parks round the state, Dushyant alleged that by using Ambedkar’s name, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was trying to hide her personal failure, both in political terms and in the eyes of Dalits. “Had she any good intention, she should have allocated the huge amount for these parks on developmental projects for the SCs, but she wants her statue everywhere, forgetting that Ambedkar never vied for such pleasures, but only for people’s love,” quipped Gehlot.

Remembering the contribution of Bharat Ratna awardee Dr Ambedkar, Chufal said without the immense contribution of Baba Saheb, India’s Constitution wouldn’t have taken shape. It is the sole pillar of our strong democracy to which the whole world looks up to.

Terming Ambedkar as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and social architect too, Chufal added, “He fought throughout his life against social discrimination and it was only during the non-Congress Central government when the BJP supported the VP Singh Government from outside that Baba Saheb, as he was fondly called, was accorded thehighest Indian civilian honour”.

Legislator Tamta highlighted the various beneficiary social schemes run for the SCs by the BJP government and urged people to go for development and good governance which BJP-run state governments in several states were ably demonstrating.

Dehradun, December 5
Delay in fixing sugarcane rate has triggered immense anger among the farmers in Uttarakhand even though the sugar mills have opened in the state.“Now the time has come for farmers and their organisation to be united and go for agitation against non-fixing and announcing of rate for sugarcane farmers,” said Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)president Ajit Singh.

Addressing a press conference at Roorkee, he alleged that the sugar mill officials and the state government were hand-in-glove and exploiting poor farmers who had agitated, but all in vain.

Ajit Singh further stated that this tussle was there last year also among the farmers and the sugar mill owners and the farmers were the losers in the end as the rates that they got were much below their expectation.

Supporting the farmers on this ongoing delay of fixing the sugarcane rates he said, “This is the biggest injustice towards the farmers and their families who are dependent on the revenue from this crop for the next crop that they are to sow”.

Criticising the state government, he said this year they should have decided on the rates before the crushing season seeing the loss suffered by them due to the recent floods. He further said like last year the RLD had carried out a demonstration in Delhi and soon if the rates were not announced they would hold the same again this year.

“The BJP government is crushing the farmers purposely,” said Surinder Singh, a farmer. In this connection the farmers association also approached the SDM, Roorkee, and handed over a memorandum to him.

He also said this was a deliberate practice each year by the government to force the farmers to sell the sugarcane at much lesser rate. He also threatened that if in the next 72 hours the rates were not out, the farmers would go for an agitation outside the mills. Further, he said, the Iqbalpur mill was offering Rs 205 per quintal, which was not justified. 

Dehradun December 5
Agitated members of the Rashtriya Rajiv Gandhi Sena staged a protest in favour of their demands at the Gandhi Park here yesterday.Under the leadership of Susheel Rathi, state president, the protesters accused the state government of ignoring corruption in the state.

They also sought the easing out the process of getting identity cards of the local people, speedy allowances to the rain-affected people and 70 per cent reservation for the local youth in the industries.

Haridwar, December 5
High-end information technology (IT) and web services are making banking-related work much easier in cities, the same cannot be said about this in rural areas, villages and hill districts of the state owing to lack of knowledge and infrastructure required for the application.

This was stated at an open forum held for acquainting the common man of varied banking-related issues and clearing their doubts, problems and taking suggestions put forth by the customers. Highlighting various steps taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and banks, regional head of the Syndicate Bank Sanjeev Narang said when for the first time agricultural finance was started by the Syndicate Bank in the country, it transformed the agricultural set up too.

“As from then, the farmers are able to take loan from the bank and purchase agro equipments and quality seeds. It made agriculture easy. Therefore, the need of the hour is to bring information technology to the rural areas,” said Narang.

Participants of the forum also put forth their queries and gave suggestions like opening up of a foreign exchange service in the world-renowned pilgrim city. While answering the queries of the participants, senior branch manager Anand Singh Chauhan Kankhal said with mass usage of information technology banking sector was witnessing mass changes with e-banking, making it easy to transfer money from their homes on just a click of mouse. RK Aggarwal, Swami Hans Prakash, Rajendra Das, Krishna Puri, Navneeti Kaur, Shobha, DN Juyal were present on the occasion.

Dehradun, December 5
Several educationists in Dehradun have sought the Chief Minister’s intervention to bring an end to the practice of animal sacrifice in the Bhookhal Mela of Pauri Garhwal.Several educationists, led by Welham Boys School Principal Dev Lahiri, St Joseph Academy Principal Brother George and DS Mann from Doon International School, today met in Dehradun and called for collective strategy to keep check on gruesome animal sacrifice in the Bhookhal Mela of Pauri Garhwal.

Lahiri suggested for the sensitisation of the locals towards such a heinous form of sacrifice. He sought an active role of the media in checking such practices. He said the educationists in Dehradun could even approach senior BJP leader LK Advani for his intervention in asking the state BJP government regarding the issue.

The efforts of these educationists comes at a time when the mela is all set to begin and the proposed animal sacrifice taking place on December 11. Gauri Maulekhi from the People for Animal disclosed that if not stopped, a total of 5,000 goats, buffalo bulls and countless birds would be sacrificed in a gruesome manner at the hands of drunken devotees.

Nainital, December 5
A demand for making Haldwani a district has been raised. A large number of residents of the town, that is referred to the “Gateway of Kumaon” and is the nerve centre of the region, demanded that a new district be carved out with its headquarters in Haldwani.

Speakers at the meeting said with the district headquarters currently being at Nainital, people faced a lot of problem going to the Lake City for their work.

They also said Nainital district was too big in size and needed to be bifurcated for proper administration.

The speakers demanded that areas like Ramnagar, Kaladhungi, Lalkuan, Bindukhatta, Chor Galiya, Gaula Par and Shantipuri be made a part of the proposed district. They claimed that residents of these areas were in favour of the proposed arrangement.

The meeting held under the banner of the Haldwani Zila Banao Samiti ended with the participants submitting a memorandum to the local administration that was addressed to the Chief Minister and the Governor of the state.

Dehradun, December 5
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) on Tuesday asked the Delhi-based company SPML, that won the tender of solid-waste management, to submit a reply within three days mentioning their course of action for the waste management with the quoted amount for the next 15 years.

The SPML recently had won the bid by quoting Rs 350 as tipping fee. All MC employees are doubtful of the company’s ability to do the work, as the amount quoted by them is very less.

MNA Sushil Kumar, Senior Health Officer Gurpal Singh, UNA Neeraj Pandey, XEN Ravi Pandey and two SPML representatives attended the meeting. 

Dehradun, December 5
A nurse, in her 20s, alleged that a doctor on the pretext of marrying and providing her a job, had been sexually exploiting her for the past nine years.Dr Bharat Kishore is posted as Additional Director (Medical Education) in the Directorate of Family and Health Planning, while the nurse has been working with him. She has alleged that she had been raped several times in the past nine years, said the police. She said Dr Kishore had promised to marry her and on this pretext had sexual relations with her.

A case under Sections 376, 420, 323, 506 and 380 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in the Nehru Colony police station. SHO Bhaskar Shah said the police had received the complaint and was investigating the matter.

Sources said the nurse had been contemplating lodging a complaint for the past few days and she approached the police with a written complaint today.

Dehradun, December 5
Confusion prevails over the allocation of cadre to 72 doctors with more than 20 years of service as neither the Uttar Pradesh or the Uttarakhand government is willing to own this, even though there is paucity of medical staff in the state.

Despite the fact that these medical officers have rendered services in both states, the first shock was delivered by the Uttarakhand Government that said it did not possess papers confirming the status of the medical officers lobbing the ball in the Uttar Pradesh Government court. Since then, the issue has been oscillating between the two governments with the Centre asking them to sort out the issue among themselves.

The issue came to the centerstage only when the doctors began to feel the pinch. Most of them were denied promotions, while others in this prevailing uncertainty even retired.

“Ten years after the creation of the state we were suddenly told in 2009 that we did not have any cadre in 2009. When the matter was brought to the notice of the state government, it promised immediate redressal. But one year has passed since then and there is no solution in sight. Some of the doctors have even retired. Whom do they turn to for pension?” said Dr DP Joshi, one of the aggrieved members and working in the Doon Hospital.

The doctors say that at the time of the creation of the state, they had opted for Uttarakhand cadre, but now the government was claiming that they did not possess documents confirming their status. “It speaks volumes about the apathy of the government. After all, we had already made our options known. Now comes the news that we do not have any cadre,” said Ram Prasad Rawat, one among the 72 doctors who is facing cadre blues.

Significantly, there are other 72 doctors from Uttar Pradesh who were asked to stay back to overcome a shortage of doctors. They are rendering their services in different parts of the state and have no problems with promotion. 

Haridwar, December 5
After five days of the shocking accident that took toll on 10 members of a family, Union Minister of State-rank and Haridwar MP Harish Rawat visited the Jwalapur-based family members and assured them of appropriate government help.

Harish visited all houses of the youths who got killed in the accident that happened on November 30 at Gaindhikhata on the Bijnore-Haridwar National Highway.

Harish informed mediapersons that during his meeting with Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, he took up the issue and the CM had also showed his concern.

“The relief will be announced by the government soon,” assured Rawat. Earlier, he went to enquire about the condition of the injured, who survived the fatal accident, in the Jollygrant Hospital.

Nainital, December 5
Following in the footsteps of his cabinet colleagues and going on an inaugural spree as the Assembly polls draw near, Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a series of facilities for the development of animal husbandry in the region on Saturday.

The minister announced at a function in Bhimtal that the procedure for the recruitment of veterinary doctors would be initiated very soon and the shortfall of the veterinary doctors across the state would be taken care of. Rawat announced that the government was recruiting 45 doctors at present, while the recruitment process for the remaining posts would be started soon.

Rawat also announced the decision to reduce the price of cattle feed from Rs 996 per quintal to Rs 975 per quintal. He reiterated that his government was in the process of establishing India’s first bovine research and technological research at Rishikesh.

The minister claimed that the Sarkar Janta ke Dwar programme started by former Chief Minister Major-Gen BC Khanduri (retd) had been a major success that had helped developmental schemes reach people at their door steps in a transparent manner.

The facilities inaugurated by Rawat on Saturday are located at Bhimtal, Sinauli, Satbunga, Kool, Unchakot, Deyari, Bhiyal Gaon, Kafoora, Ritha and Ramgarh. The minister also disbursed cheques to beneficiaries of various schemes who were present on the occasion.

Referring to the contentious issue of relief distribution amongst the victims of rain-related disaster that had struck the region recently, the minister said the state government was providing all possible help to the victims.

When asked about victims getting a paltry amount for land worth lakhs that had been washed away, he said the compensation had been given as per the Central norms. He added that the government had paid an additional 25 per cent above the amount laid out in Central norms.