Pithoragarh, March 16
The extension work on the Pithoragarh airstrip has been delayed despite the claims made by the state government that this strip will be ready for commercial flights by 2012.

“A sum of Rs 60 crore was assigned to the UP Infrastructure Development Corporation, which has abandoned work after a year and spending nearly Rs 1.50 crore. At present the extension work has been stopped,” said District Magistrate (DM) Pithoragarh NS Negi.

Over 70 per cent of the cutting work on the airstrip had been finished. The company involved in the extension work would now need the Detail Project Report (DPR), for which the Civil Aviation Department of the state government would need a consultancy partnership to prepare the DPR of further work.

“As the Chief Minister had announced during his visit to the district last week the appointment of a new consultancy partner for further work on the airstrip, it seems that the extension work will start soon,” said the DM.

“If this pace of work continues, the assigned work cannot be completed even by 2020, whereas the government has set a deadline for 2012,” said Rajendra Singh Rawat, a senior BJP leader of the district.

The 1,500-metre-long airstrip at Naini Saini in the district was constructed in 1993. Later, finding it unable to land commercial jets, the government decided to extend it to 3,000 metre, the work was assigned to the UP Infrastructure Development Corporation which had abandoned the work owing to reasons unknown.

Nainital, March 16
Just as Holi celebrations are on, the administration across the region has once again woken up to the menace of adulterated khoya being supplied to sweet shops. Over the past two days, the administrative authorities in the region had carried out a series of raids, particularly in the areas bordering the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh, and had seized massive quantities of adulterated khoya and other milk products like cottage cheese, etc.

In the latest raid at Kashipur, the authorities are learnt to have confiscated khoya and cottage cheese weighing about 4 quintal. It was being brought to the region from Bijnore district. About 1.5 quintal of the adulterated cottage cheese was seized from a public transport bus. It was to be sold at the local mandi on Tuesday morning.

In yet another seizure, 2.5 quintal of khoya, which was being brought in a small truck, was confiscated. The driver of the vehicle, on being confronted by the team of the Food and Supplies Department at Kunda Tiraha, tried to flee from the spot, but was trapped near Tumadiya Dam. He said the consignment had been loaded on behalf of a person who had got off the vehicle while it was being chased.

The authorities dumped the adulterated food products into the Dhela river. Just a day before, the authorities had recovered huge quantities of adulterated milk products being brought from the Sitarganj side.

Pithoragarh, March 16
Nearly 10 per cent of wheat crop in valleys of the Pithoragarh district are now in the grip of yellow rust disease, which was gradually spreading making the already marginal hill farmers wary about their rabi crop this year, informed Dr RK Singh, agricultural scientist at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pithoragarh.

According to scientists, yellow rust (puccinia striiformis) entraps wheat and other sensitive crops, when the temperature and humidity are in abundance and sometimes when the clouds evade rains in the condition of sufficient humidity. “Compared to last year, this year humidity in wheat fields remained sufficient due to good rains, making the crop sensitive to this disease which is likely to spread to potato and tomato crops as well,” said Dr Singh.

According to District Agriculture Officer D Kumar, the main wheat growing valleys of the district were in the grip of this disease. ”In the Nachni and Muwani valleys of the district, wheat crop in 12 hectares has been badly damaged by this disease and if not prevented, the remaining 110 hectares is likely to be damaged,” said Jeevan Singh Danu, a progressive farmer of the area.

Kumar said his department was cautiously taking notes of the disease at a day-to-day level.

“We have advised the farmers to use 0.1 per cent spray of Propico Nazol, the medicine prescribed by the agriculture scientists of Pantnagar Agricultural University,” added Kumar.

Hardiwar, March 16
With India having a huge pool of workers, the need for conserving and protecting their rights has assumed greater proportion. Keeping this aspect in mind, labour unions have been pressing for more facilities and sops, apart from the implementation of the labour laws.

This was evident in the Indian Trade Union Congress (INTUC) meeting here where veteran trade union leader, national chief of INTUC and Congress Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh in Upper House, Gongalla, Sanjeeva Reddy addressed the unions at BHEL.

He said unless the workers got united, were made aware of their rights and unions came under one banner, the company management would keep trying to minimize their rights and facilities.

“It’s a matter of pride for me to work for the hardworking, suppressed, exploited labour class members who are the real players but get only a bit of what the companies earn in excesses,” said Reddy.

Emphasising on the need of having bargaining power, Reddy said workers had lost their bargaining power after the implementation of neo-liberal policies in the early 1990s. After that, programmes and policies of both the Central and state governments were framed to protect the interest of the big business. In the process, workers' interests ere forgotten.

Earlier, welcoming parliamentarian Ashok Kumar Singh, BHEL INTUC termed him as a visionary who had been working for the labour class for decades bringing smiles to millions of families.

Suraj Pal, general secretary, City Congress Committee, said with globalisation and industrialisation, though there had been a surge in labour employment, yet mass discrepancies had cropped up.

At the function present were trade union leaders and employees of BHEL, apart from local organisational unit members of INTUC. But the presence of district chief and other executive post bearers put speculations on the rift in the organisation itself. 

Dehradun, March 16
General Manager (GM) Rajesh Naitani of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) was suspended by the management for failing to get two ropeways repaired, one from Nikochi to Duchanu and the second from Thunara to Kashta, in Uttarkashi district. The officer was directed for the repair work in August 2010, but the work was still pending which led to fury among local people.

The GMVN had been declared a working agency to undertake the task of building 24 gravity ropeways in various districts of the state costing Rs 290.79 lakh.

After two-and-half years of the release of sanction, it was found that in most of the places, the ropeway work was either not completed or not repaired if broken. Taking a serious note of the lapses, the management took the stringent action against the alleged erring officer and suspended him. 

Dehradun, March 16
Devoid of regular financial aid, medical care and legal aid, short-stay homes and Nari Niketans in the Kumaon region have become prison cells for women battling domestic violence.

In the six districts of Kumaon, Pithoragarh, Almora, Nainital, Bageshwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat, there are two short-stay homes, one Swadhar centre and two Nari Niketans, which have been set up to provide shelter to women who are victims of violence, human trafficking, mentally unsound, widows and those afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

However, the condition of almost all the homes is poor. These women are deprived of legal, medical and other aid that will make their life worthwhile and also make them financially independent.

In a study conducted jointly by the Sajha Manch of Kumaon and the OxfamIndia Trust from November 2009 to November 2010 the condition of short-stay homes has been described as far from good. The Social Welfare Department or NGOs run these homes.

“In the scheme of things these short-stay homes should provide succour to the bruised and battered women, but there were listless women forced to spend their time at these homes,” said Risha Sayeed, a lawyer from Lucknow who is the person behind the compilation of the report.

Besides, in some districts, at the Nari Niketans, which are meant for the women who were rescued from brothels, mentally unsound women have also been lodged.

Nainital, March 16
With the Holi celebrations picking up steam across the region, the Lake City witnessed a riot of colour amid the presentation of different forms of Holi celebration.

The three-day Holi Mahotsava, which was organised by the Yugmanch, a cultural organisation, kicked off with a bang. The event started from the Naina Devi temple near the Flats Grounds where troupes drawn from various places had gathered.

The first troupe was from the remote Kanikot area of Champawat district. The “Holiyars” from the region gave a very impressive presentation of the Khadi Holi, which is a unique form of celebration, mainly in villages of the hilly terrain. Khadi Holi is the cultural counterpart of the Baithaki Holi across Kumaon. The Baithaki Holi celebrations start several days before the Dulhandi with classical singing of thumris being the hallmark in which the Raslila of Lord Krishna is often at the core. In Khadi Holi, the participants move around, quite often in a circular dance formation, eulogising different gods and goddesses. Yugmanch is amongst the pioneers in reviving the Khadi Holi tradition, which was being forgotten.

The second troupe was from Almora. Its artistes presented dances to folk songs. These songs were mainly on the celebration of the festival of colours with references to the gods celebrating the festival in their own manner.

It was the performance of Holi of the Barsana region that took the audience by the storm. The artistes from Song and Drama Division of the Etah Kasganj area of Uttar Pradesh presented the Holi celebrations of Radha and Krishna. The presentation was marked with a liberal use of colours and lively singing and dancing. The costumes of the characters of Radha and Krishna were very attractive and so were the dance movements of all the participants.

These troupes after initiating the celebrations at the temple marched singing and dancing to the stage at the Ram Sevak Sabha where they presented a stage show. A presentation of Khadi Holi was also given by students of the local CRST Inter College. The Mahotsava is to continue over the next two days.

Haridwar, March 16
While on one hand the traditional Vrindavan Holi celebrations are on in a part of the city, on the other scantily clad dancers dancing on Bollywood numbers like “Sheila ki jawani” and “Munni badnam hui” are pulling crowds at the functions held till late night.

The most revered Holi function among both the devotees and common people is the Vrindavan-Braj Raslila portraying Radha and Krishan. Artistes from Vrindavan have been roped in by the Vichar Jagrati Manch to add to the attractions at the Holi fest in Haridwar.

Indian Idol contestant Ravi Tripathi too performed at a function. He termed his experience of participating in the famous reality show as a learning step, which had eventually improved his vocal skills as well as changed his personality. Now, he had become more positive, he added.

The Haridwar Distributors Association organised a Holi Milan programme at the Geet Gobind Banquet hall while at Radha Krishan Dham, the Janseva Sangthan held a cultural program. People participated in both the programmes in large numbers and greeted each other.

Veteran thinker PS Chauhan, former Principal of SMJN College, points out Haridwar and Holi both seem to be related with each other with bonhomie and brotherhood witnessed among people of varied sections and communities during the Holi celebrations. Though Westernised culture has crept into our society, there should be a balance in view of the pilgrim status of the city, he added.

Dehradun, March 16
Members of the Defence Instruments Employees Union began their indefinite hunger strike to put pressure on the state government to accept their long-pending demands.

Addressing the gathering, general secretary Puran Singh extended his support to the union on the hunger strike.

On the first day, president Vimal Singh Negi, vice-president CL Kaathor, organising secretary Kul Bahadur Karki, vice-president of the working committee Atar Singh, secretary Anil Sharma and secretary of Joint Collaboration Committee AS Chauhan, sat for the hunger strike. Earlier in the month, the union had held a series of protests from March 7 to 11. 

Dehradun, March 16
Governor of Uttarakhand Margaret Alva has said conserving, propagating and practising traditional knowledge acquired through real-life experiences have become all the more relevant now.

Alva was the chief guest at the inaugural session of a three-day course organised by the Navdanya's Bija Vidyapeeth (School of the Seed) on Women's Wisdom and Traditional Knowledge here today. Alva said it was vital to disseminate traditional knowledge and its numerous benefits on a continuous basis among the future generations to keep alive India's glorious traditions, civilisation and history.

Alva said Mother Nature had bestowed her riches on Uttarakhand and the natural resources in combination with traditional knowledge systems could be utilised to foster fresh avenues of growth and development in the region. Discussing the long-term sustainable benefits of rural lifestyle based on nature and natural principles, the Governor said, “It is grossly improper to refer to development only in terms of industrial development. The use of natural resources through appropriate technology in combination with the traditional knowledge systems can be utilised to reduce the drudgery of the common man to a great extent”. She said the university would have to work in this direction. "Redressal of problems through bookish knowledge alone is just not possible," she added.

Drawing attention towards the dreadful living conditions of women in hill regions, Alva expressed hope that mutual exchange of traditional knowledge based on experience would bring about the desired changes in the society.

Addressing participants at the course being organised to establish a communication channel between grandmothers, mothers and daughters through a transgenerational dialogue at Grandmother's University, the Governor made several mentions of nature, scope and benefits of traditional knowledge and also narrated her own experiences on the theme.

Alva said western technologies, scientific researches and concepts were mostly out of sync with the Asian region, especially India, because it was here that we had the time-tested glorious concept of the family system.

Navdanya's founder Dr Vandana Shiva said, “Knowledge based on experiences gained by our grandmothers and elderly women over their lifetime helped us in living a healthy life”.

Alva also conferred the Raj Rajeshwari Award on Dr Shiva. The award is given by the PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the State Planning Commission.

Those who were present on the occasion included renowned environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna and his wife Vimla Bahuguna, Vice-Chancellor of Grandmother University Usha Maira, ADC to Governor VK Krishna Kumar, senior women citizens from different parts of the state and researchers from abroad.

Pithoragarh, March 16
A special operation group of the Dharchula police on Tuesday arrested a person with the bile of four Himalayan bears which the man was trying to smuggle to Nepal from the Jauljivi Bridge on the Indo-Nepal border.

“The weight of this bile is nearly 130 gram and the man arrested has been a known smuggler from the Munsiyari area where bears are being killed to extract bile from them,” said NA Bharane, SP, Pithoragarh. Bear bile is used in the Chinese and Tibetan medical system for many ailments related to pregnant women and also in some stomach diseases.

“The culprit, Rajendra, a resident of Gandhi Nagar near Bangapani in the Munsiyari subdivision, has been arrested and charged under the Wildlife Protection Act. The police is trying to investigate whether he operated singlehandedly or in a group and also from where he managed this bile,” said Bharane.