Haridwar, June 7
Despite yoga guru Ramdev’s agitation against corruption hogging limelight at the national level, the second phase of his agitation, which is undergoing in Haridwar, lacks that bit on the support from the masses. The second phase of his agitation, if continued for the next few days, will be a matter of deep concern for the master planners of this movement.

While the yoga guru drew more than a lakh people in just 36 hours at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, since his arrival in Haridwar on June 6, if one takes into account the common man who is not associated with Ramdev in any way, their number hasn’t exceeded more than 1,000. The fact is quite contrary to the fan following Gandhian activist Anna Hazare drew at Jantar Mantar for his Jan Lok Pal Bill agitation.

This can be attributed to the way these two movements have been carried out: While Hazare’s movement was led by social activists not having affiliations with any party, the ongoing ‘satyagraha’ by Ramdev is having support and backing of saffron outfits like the BJP, RSS and the VHP. This has made the common man, who doesn’t want to be involved in any social agitation involving political colour, staying away from the movement.

Even at the Yagyashala at any point of time if one counts the number of people, it may not exceed 500, of which 75 per cent are those associated with the yoga guru through Patanjali Yogpeeth, Divya Pharmacy, Yog Gram, Bharat Swabhiman Trust and Patanjali University.

While yesterday Uttarakhand BJP chief Bishan Singh Chufal met the yoga guru, today it was former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari who, along with many state cabinet ministers, met Ramdev.

Mussoorie, June 7
Members of the All-India Rahul Brigade and the Youth Congress demanded strict action against Ramdev for allegedly conniving with communal forces with a motive to destabilise the Government of India through his “Satyagraha”.

At a press conference held at Congress Bhavan today, All-India Rahul Gandhi Brigade state president Sunit Rathore alleged that Ramdev was no seer but a landlord who had usurped the land on which Patanjali Yogpeeth had been established in Haridwar through dubious means. The land belonged to a trust previously and should have been transferred in the name of another trustee after the death of the main trustee, but Ramdev got it transferred in the name of Acharya Balkishan. The matter is prejudice. Apart from this Acharya Balkishan, who is a resident of Nepal, has an Indian passport showing the place of his birth in Haridwar, which was against the rules, he added.

Rathore said Balkishan had also obtained a licence for carrying a pistol and a rifle through illegal means. Ramdev’s “Satyagraha” against black money was a farce and he was playing in the hands of the BJP and the RSS. Rathore demanded that the Central Government set up an inquiry in this matter and take stern action against the yoga guru, who was misleading his followers on the pretext of black money.

Dehradun, June 7
The Uttarkhand Police will soon be setting up a crime and criminal tracking network and system. An amount of Rs 5.36 crore has been sanctioned by the Centre for the purpose. A data base of criminals and their crime record will be collected in the system. It will help track the criminals.

Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, who chaired a meeting at the Secretariat here today, said all police stations would be linked with the police headquarters online.

He said Uttarakhand was ahead of other states in the introduction of e-governance, adding that all tehsils and developments blocks of the state would be linked with the district headquarters and the Secretariat.

He further said the cooperation of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, and the National Informatics Centre was being taken in introducing the tracking system.

As many 26 companies had submitted their proposal in this regard, he said. After a pre-bid conference, suggestions had been incorporated and a tender for the purpose would be invited on June 27, he added. He said modern equipment would be installed in the system and the services of experts would be taken.

During the meeting, Principal Secretary (IT) Rakesh Sharma said efforts were being made to place all departments related to the IT under one roof. He said keeping this in mind, the IT Park in Dehradun was being expanded. The system would be set up at the IT Park, he added.

He further claimed that the distribution of caste certificates, domicile certificates and other necessary certificates would soon be ensured from 670 Atal Adarsh villages of the state. The process of the computerisation of all “nyay panchayats” was on, he said.

He also informed that 67 locations had been identified for the setting up of v-set in the state, resulting in the proper communication system during the disaster.

Additional Secretary (IT) Ravinath Raman, Joint Secretary (Home) JP Joshi, Additional Director-General (Law and Order) SK Bhagat, DIG (Communications) GD Pant, DIG (Kumaon) Amit Sinha and representatives of the National Informatics Centre and the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, were also present during the meeting.

Pithoragarh, June 7
The tribal traders, who are willing to go to Tibet for the Indo-Tibet border trade, are unhappy at the delay in the appointment of customs officials at Gunji. They have said the start of the trade is already delayed this year.

“If we reach the mandi before the customs officers reach there, we will have to wait for them,” said Padam Singh Raypa, president of the Traders Association.

“The customs officials have been told to reach the mandi. The trade passes could not be issued to the applicants as the ministerial employees are on a strike,” said Dr Abhishek Tripathi, designated trade officer.

The traders said it was upon the customs officers to prepare a list of the goods to be carried to Tibet and issue the valid documents for the export of goods. “As the trade is getting late due to the strike and other reasons, the traders have now started exerting pressure on the administration to make alternative arrangements to issue the trade passes to them or remind the customs officers to reach Gunji as early as possible,” said Raypa.

The Indo-Tibet border barter trade was resumed in 1992 after a gap of 20 years. The trade runs at the 17,500 feet high Lipulekh Pass in this district between June and September every year. “The trade is meant for the tribal traders only, as the government wants to revive the economy of the border villages through it,” said the trade officer.

Dehradun, June 7
Workers of the Congress today burnt an effigy of yoga guru Ramdev at Ashley Hall Chowk here. Led by Anil Negi, general secretary, Dehradun Mahanagar Congress, the workers alleged that Ramdev was befooling people. They sought a probe into Ramdev’s assets and also accused him of amassing a huge wealth through fraudulent means.

Negi said Ramdev wanted to destabilise the Congress Government at the Centre and corruption was just a lame excuse. Vivekanand Khanduri, Devendra Singh, Vineet Tyagi, Om Prakash and Prakash Negi were prominent Congress workers who took part in the protest.

Nainital, June 7
The woes of those travelling between Kumaon and the state capital of Dehradun have increased with the washing away of a large stretch of the road near Sherkot in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh.

This has increased the distance, travel time and expenses of travellers.

Buses between the two destinations are now plying via Moradabad.This has increased the travel distance between Kumaon and Haridwar or Dehradun by no less than 60 km. Those travelling by bus are having to shell out extra money for covering this distance.

The tract of road was washed away on Monday following the release of water from a small dam by personnel of the Irrigation Department of UP. This led to the disruption of traffic between the two destinations.

Travel between Haridwar and Kumaon has been a tedious task since the last monsoon when there was massive damage to the road infrastructure. At several places the roads continue to be in bad shape.

At places where repairs are being undertaken, the pace of work has been very slow. Passengers now prefer travelling by train which has added to the pressure on the trains that run packed on the route.

Nainital, June 7
The three-day vacation training programme for schoolchildren at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) facility in the Manora Peak area, Nainital, concluded today with participants being provided an insight into the world of optical technology by ARIES Director Ram Sagar.

Participants were provided with detailed information on a 1.04-metre telescope at Manora Peak and a 1.3-metre telescope at Devasthal. They were also told about the 3.6-metre telescope being installed at Devasthal and the 30-metre world’s biggest telescope being installed at Monokiya in Hawaii, in which ARIES is also a partner.

Senior scientist at the institute, Dr Wahabuddin, told the participants about the events taking place on the surface of the sun like flares etc. He also told them about the observations made from the 15-cm solar tower telescope.

Dr Manish Naja from ARIES told them about the issues pertaining to the pollution of the atmosphere, greenhouse gases and changes in the climate.

Dehradun, June 7
The Sevanirvit Rajkiya Pensioners Sangathan, Uttarakhand, staged a dharna in support of their demands at Gandhi Park here today.

The association members said they had not been given pensions by the state government. “The government is denying us pensions on the pretext that we are natives of Uttar Pradesh. How can we be natives of UP when our houses and children are here? We have documents to prove this,” said PD Gupta, state general secretary.

The members are also agitated over the non-payment of medical reimbursement and 10 per cent dearness allowance.

“We should be given pension benefits along with medical reimbursement since we were part of the historic 94-day strike for the statehood agitation. It’s disgraceful to see that we are not considered a part of Uttrakhand,” he added.