Dehradun, February 28
Srinagar Medical College is once again in the centre of a storm. This time around it is on the issue of security for doctors after the Principal of the college was attacked by some miscreants.

Some miscreants entered the Principal’s office on Friday and assaulted him. In protest the entire staff of the medical college went on strike.

“The Uttarakhand Government should immediately implement the Security Act so that doctors feel safe. The Act is already in place in several states and should be implemented,” said Dr PD Sharma, Medical Superintendent of the college.

Shedding light on the incident, he said on Friday a patient, who was admitted to the hospital, suffered a heart attack which resulted in his death. “None of the family members protested at that time. But on the second day they created an ugly scene at the office of the Principal, blaming him for the patient’s death and physically assaulting him,” Dr Sharma said.

In fact, the medical fraternity has been clamouring for a Security Act on the pattern of Andhra Pradesh that will ensure them safety. “This is not an isolated case. In the past too, doctors have been attacked, but this incident would not have occurred, if the government had passed the Act,” said Dr DP Joshi, general secretary of the Provincial Medical and Health Services Association (PMHS).

Earlier too, the college was in the centre of a storm when the Principal of the college, Dr Sudhanshu Mishra, had tendered his resignation on the issue of delay in issuing a government order regarding financial powers.

“The matter has been sorted out and the Principal is back in the saddle. There was a delay in the release of the government order,” he said. 

Dehradun, February 28
Four labourers of the Nepali community died and five others, including a local man, got injured when they came under debris while cutting a part of a hill during a project of Laghu Vidyut Nigam Limited at Sangam Cheti in Uttarakashi district this morning.

The four died on the spot and the five injured have been admitted to a local hospital. The deceased have been identified as Tulsi Bahadur (24), Santu Bahadur (22), Shyam Bahadur (25) and Shyam Bahadur (35). The police said the injured though critically affected, were out of danger.

The incident occurred at about 11 in the morning when the labourers were cutting the hill. But all of a sudden a part of the hill collapsed and the nine persons came under it.

Sources said no arrangements were available for first aid or medical help at the spot. Police and local administration officials rushed to the place after the news came to their knowledge.

The cops retrieved the bodies and pulled the injured out of the debris after much struggle. The four labourers had died on the spot and the rest five were taken to the hospital.

Officials said the company which had undertaken the project had got the group insurance of the labourers done and they would be paid compensation.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Arun Mohan Joshi told The Tribune about the incident and confirmed the names of the deceased.

No responsibility of the incident was fixed by the authorities till the time of submitting this news report. 

Dehradun, February 28
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank presented the first Rajya Vigyan Utkrishtata Puraskar (State Science Excellence Awards) to child scientists on the occasion of Vigyan Diwas (National Science Day), at Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya here today.

Around 78 students from all over the state were awarded in various categories at the ceremony organised under the aegis of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre and Pahal institution.

The CM on the occasion said such an awards scheme would encourage the talented student scientists. He announced the highest award of Rs 1 lakh each for the best child scientist selected from the senior and junior age groups from the next year onwards. Besides, the CM also directed officials to give away awards to the science teachers, who imparted training to these young scientists.

Addressing the students, Chief Minister Nishank said the students should come forward to undertake study and researches in the fields of climate change, bio-diversity and information technology.

Dehradun, February 28
A large number of Shiksha Mittars (associate teachers) of the state government, who had been staging a dharna in front of the state Assembly, were today lathicharged by the police.

The Shiksha Mittars had been staging the dharna to press the government to fulfil their demand for regularisation of their services. They had blocked the main road since the morning.

When police officials, after two hours of persuasion, failed to deter the agitating teachers from blocking the traffic, they resorted to throwing water on the protesters with water canons. Then the police had to lathicharge them. A large number of protesters suffered injuries in the police action. Even the women teachers were not spared.

Many of the agitators were arrested and the injured were admitted to several city hospitals.

Lalit Dewedi, president of the state unit of the Shiksha Mittar Association, condemned the lathi charge on the peaceful protesters of the association.

He alleged that for the past 10 years they had been agitating to get permanent appointment as teachers but the state government had been ignoring their demand on one pretext or the other.

Dehradun, February 28
Law (second semester) students of the local DAV (PG) College today protested against the college authorities after they found the question paper of their second examination had been set according to the old course.

They have asked the college authorities to conduct the examination again.

One of the protesting students, Sushil, said the law students of second semester, who reached the examination centre to take their exam on February 26, found the question paper had been set according to the old course. The same thing happened today, he added.

He said the college authorities asked them to take the examination according to the given question paper only, but we didn’t agree to it. “The college authorities are not taking the matter seriously and are trying to play with our future,” he added.

Principal of the college BL Nautiyal said the problem was on the part of the university that had not sent the proper question papers. “The college is waiting for the proper question papers to reach and whenever we get these, we will hold the examination accordingly,” he said.

Dehradun, February 28
Governor Margaret Alva visited traditional watermills (gharats) operated by voluntary organisation Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) in the Garhi Cantonment area and also toured the HESCO's Vigyan Gram (Science Village) at Shuklapur village, near here, today.

Taking a stock of different techniques developed by HESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of India, the Governor said, “It is important to provide employment to rural youth, economically empower women and develop cottage industries on the basis of locally available material and incorporating modern technologies in the process”.

The Governor viewed technical chulas (fire places), solar equipments, gharat watermills, fruit-processing units and lantana utilisation units developed by HESCO in Shuklapur. She also discussed issues such as self-employment and income generation with trained women members of the Women Initiative for Self-Employment (Wise) group, garbage pickers and the Wise Bank. The Governor asked the women to mobilise more women members and help in their economic empowerment.

Alva also praised different products prepared by women, such as biscuits made of gharat flour and pickles etc. She also appreciated the process of marketing of these products through garbage pickers, who give these products in exchange for garbage instead of cash.

The Governor also informed about her meeting with the Union Minister for Renewable Energy Sources last week, during which she held discussions with him on availing multi-pronged benefits from the traditional gharats through incorporation of modern technology in their functioning.

In the initial phase, a work plan would be drawn up under the aegis of HESCO and Petroleum University for identifying 100 water mills and developing these as multi-purpose utility models, she said.

Dehradun, February 28
BEE BEE XI got the better of Amba XI by 10 runs in the Uttarakhand Cup Beehive Challenger League held at Matawala Bagh here today.

Batting first, BEE BEE XI scored 113 (all out) in 19.1 overs. Raju (47), Nominath (18) and Rohit (15) were the principal scorers for the team. Bharat and Prakash of Amba took two wickets each.

While batting second, Amba could score only 103 runs for six wickets in 20 overs. Prakash (27) and Sonu (24) were the main scorers. Nominath of BEE BEE got two wickets.

Also, Uttarakhand Cricket Association (UCA) defeated Himalayan Cricket Academy. The latter had set a target of 115 runs. Batting second,the UCA scored 117 runs with the support of Pritam (29), Manoj (21) and Sunny (18).