Dehradun, June 28
Annoyed at the state government’s “ignorance” towards their demands, the Uttarakhand IV Grade State Employees Association held a rally at Gandhi Park today. They are on strike for the past 23 days.

Later, a meeting was also held between representatives of the association and the Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr Uma Kant Panwar, but it failed to yield any result.

District president of the association, DS Bhandari, said the state government was only giving “fake” assurances and had “failed” to do anything.

He further said: “Employees throughout the state have been given the ACP benefit from September 1, 2008, whereas we have been given from March 24, which is not fair.”

District secretary KK Shukla said the CM was “not bothered” about the grievances of thousands of employees who were on strike. Shukla also flayed Transport Minister Vandhi Dhar Bhagat for allegedly thrashing protesting employees in Haldwani and reminded him of his constitutional position where he sworn in to listen to the people’s problems and deliver justice to them.

Others who addressed the gathering included Manvar Singh Negi, Govind Singh, Pramod Kumar, Ramlakhan Maurya and Ravi Kumar.

NAINITAL: Agitating employees of the Class IV category and those employed at the District Collectorate organised a protest here. They were supported by government employees from other offices. Braving heavy shower, hundreds of employees gathered at the statue of Pandit Gobind Ballabh Pant and raised slogans against the state government.

Later, they walked through Mall Road to the Collector’s office, where they handed over a memorandum addressed to the CM to the administration.

Class IV employees have been agitating for the past several days demanding pay parity with their counterparts employed by the Central Government. The Collectorate employees have been demanding the restructuring of the administrative set-up.

They said the administration continued to be run according to the rules framed in 1956.

According to them, their work load has increased manifold since new districts and tehsils came into existence. They are demanding a uniform set-up across the state.

Pithoragarh, June 28
Irked over the hike in the prices of petroleum products, cadres of the BJP, along with the Hindu Jagran Manch, today staged a protest in the town.

“The Central Government has once again proved that it only cares for corporate houses and has nothing to do with the poor,” alleged Verendra Waldia, general secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha.

He said to expose the “wrongdoings” of the Central Government, the BJP Yuva Morcha would hold protest rallies in all district headquarters from July 1 to July 20. “A protest against the Union Government will also be organised in New Delhi on August 9,” added Waldia.

The UKD (Panwar faction) also organised a protest at the district headquarters against the rising of prices of petroleum products and took out a protest rally.

“If the situation continued, the poor will have no other option than to cut trees for fuel needs and the Union Government will be responsible for it,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami, general secretary of the party.

Meanwhile, the Congress held protests at Pithoragarh and Champawat holding the state government responsible for Swami Nigmanand’s death and the non-availability of essential commodities in the interior areas of the state.

“After the death of Swami Nigmanand, it has become clear that the BJP government in the state is responsible for the illegal mining in the Ganga. It has also exposed the double face of the government, as it had been claiming to clean the Ganga for long,” alleged Ramesh Chandra Punera, a Congress worker.

Haridwar: Despite the state government slashing VAT on LPG cylinders and diesel, the public is still feeling the heat of the hike made by the Union Government last week. A series of protests are being organised in the city by different political and social organisations and people over the price hike and the non-availability of LPG cylinders.

Protesters blocked Ranipur chowk in New Haridwar today and lashed out at the Union Government for having “failed” to solve the problems of the common man. BJP workers are also staging regular protests with its different wings holding rallies and dharnas to register their protest against the price hike.

Communists are also registering their protests opposing the “capitalist-oriented” policy of the Central Government. Leftists also took out a rally from Bhagat Singh Chowk today.

RC Dhiman, an office-bearer of the CPM district unit, alleged that: “The Central Government is playing into the hands of billionaires who don’t even come out to cast their votes during the elections.”

Nainital, June 28
While beginning the preparedness for holding the forthcoming Assembly poll, the Nainital administration has ordered a survey of polling booths located at greater distances and those having an excessive number of voters. The orders in this regard were given by District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli to the Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) and Tehsildars of the district at a meeting held on the premises of the Lake Development Authority (LDA) yesterday. Besides the officials, the meeting was attended by representatives of various political parties.

Bagauli has asked the officials to submit a report to him once they have completed the survey of such polling booths.

The Tehsildars have also been asked to carry out a survey of such buildings where the polling stations had been set up in the past and which had been damaged during the prolonged monsoon last year. He made it clear that the polling stations that had been located in such buildings in the past would be shifted elsewhere.

Meanwhile, proposals were put forth by officials for increasing the number of polling booths in various Assembly segments. As per the proposals, the number of booths are to be increased to 113 from 99 in Lal Kuan, 113 from 116 in Bhimtal, 142 from 129 in Nainital, 153 from 134 in Haldwani, 149 from 118 in Kaladhungi and 121 from 115 in the Ramnagar constituency respectively. These proposals are to be forwarded to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by the administration.

Bagauli said a proposal for shifting 67 polling booths from the buildings where these were set up earlier would also be sent to the ECI.

He asked the representatives of all the political parties to submit the lists of their booth-level agents to the District Election Office at the earliest. At the same time the officials were directed to ensure that the names of former and present public representatives figure in the voter lists.

The representatives of the political parties have been asked to verify the voter lists at their level also so that there is no problem while polling is being conducted.

Dehradun June 28
The Sarv Pardesh Gurdwara Management Committee today slammed Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for his alleged anti-Sikh attitude.

It has decided to hold a meeting in New Delhi on July 17 to prepare its strategy to strengthen the Sikh community living outside Punjab. Addressing a press conference here today, national president of the committee Jagdish Singh Jhinda flayed the CM and alleged that he was meting out step- motherly treatment to Sikhs in the state, as he was indifferent on the issue of Gyan Godhari Gurdwara in Haridwar and was trying to ‘demolish’ Gurdwara Sant Sagar in Haridwar saying it was built on forest land.

He expressed concern on the “safety” of gurdwaras under the state government. Jhinda called upon the Sikh community across the country to gather in New Delhi on July 17 to chalk out a strategy to strengthen the community at the political, social and religious levels.

He also appreciated state president of the committee Harvinder Singh Laadi for constituting district-wise panels in the state.

Vice-president of the committee Inder Jeet Singh Chugh alleged that Nishank was not willing to do anything on the Gyan Godhari episode. He said they would not bear the “torture” and would cast their vote in favour of that party which would give five-seven seats to Sikh candidates in the Assembly elections, as more than 3 lakh Sikhs lived in Uttarakhand.

Harvinder Singh, Davinder Singh Sethi and Jasveer Singh were also present on the occasion.

Pithoragarh, June 28
The Indian and Nepalese officials have agreed to remove the encroachments done by their respective citizens on the no-man’s land on India-Nepal border adjoining Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. A meeting was held between the officials of the two countries here today.

“After we found a large number of Nepalese citizens cultivating the no-man’s area at Melaghat in the district, we handed a list of encroachers to the Nepalese officers and invited them for the on-the-spot inspection,” said BR Purushotam, District Magistrate of the district.

On the complaints of the Indian officers, the Nepalese officers reached Melaghat on Monday and inspected the land between boundary pillar no, 12 and 17 and found a large number of Nepalese citizens cultivating wheat, paddy and maize on the land.

“The Nepalese officers agreed that the no-man’s land has been encroached upon by their citizens and promised action from their side,” said BS Chalal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Khatima who accompanied the inspection team of the officers from both the countries.

“We have inspected the encroachments done by our citizens and by Indian citizens as well and both of us have agreed that the encroachments will be removed in the presence of a team of officers from both the countries after the lists encroachers are exchanged,” said BS Mahra, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Kanchanpur district of Nepal.

Dehradun, June 28
Hundreds of Congress workers participated in the “Satyagraha Yatra” led by state Congress president Yashpal Arya in the Nainidanda block of Pauri Garhwal district today.

Earlier, Arya was received by party workers led by Dhirendra Pratap of Dhumakot in a traditional style with the beating of traditional drums amid heavy rain.

Arya was presented with a sword and pagri on the occasion. Addressing party workers, Arya lambasted the state government for its “failure” on all fronts. He said more than four-year rule of the BJP would be remembered as a “dark period” in the history of Uttarakhand.

Terming the state government as the most incompetent and corrupt, Arya called upon the people to vote it out in the forthcoming state Assembly elections.

Arya, who is leading the yatra, was flanked by party leaders Surendr Singh Negi and Mantri Prasad Naithani, both former ministers, Vijay Saraswat, Virendra Bisht, Laxman Lamgadia, Sher Singh Naulia, Jitendra Vidyalal, Ramsharan Nautiyal and others.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Arya said he was confident of the Congress victory in the poll. He said the Antyodaya Yatra started by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was a “farce”. Later, the Satyagraha yatra reached Kotdwar town in Pauri Garhwal.

Dehradun, June 28
Two women were feared drowned while crossing a river in spate in Uttarkashi district last evening.

According to information, six women, all residents of Baghi Brahmpuri village, were returning home after sowing rice in their fields. Since there is no bridge on the Jalkuri in the district, they were crossing the riverbed when suddenly the water exceeded in the river. All the women started drowning.

On hearing the cries of the women, some of the villagers jumped into the river and saved four women.

However, two women could not be traced.

One of the rescued woman, Rukmini Devi, is stated to be in a critical condition and is under treatment at Dhontri Public Health Centre.

Haridwar, June 28
The preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, which is held every year during the auspicious month of Shravan, have begun. The kanwar fair of Haridwar has become the largest fair in the northern India with a record number of more than 90 lakh kanwariyas from different states coming to the city to fetch the holy Ganga water. The mega fair begins from the second week of July.

A special mela cell has already been put in place with the Superintendent of City Police, Dr Kiran Lal Shaw, made the kanwar mela in charge. Both the district administration and the Police Department have been planning strategies for a smooth conduct of the fair for the past few months.

The core mela zone, comprising Brahamkund, Har-ki-Pauri and adjacent ghats, is being inspected by the police to identify sensitive points. The focus of the police will be to ensure that a stampede-like situation is avoided during the yatra and react quickly if any untoward situation arises.

Mobile police teams, which will be well equipped with the latest wireless sets, will be deployed in the region.

Talking to The Tribune, Dr Shaw said as the big crowd comprising kanwariyas, pilgrims and local residents during the yatra season make the mela core zone prone to stampede and violence, the two-wheeler “Chetak” squad of the police would be aided by on-foot mobile police personnel who will be present across the mela area.

“Personnel of the intelligence agencies and police wings, dressed as kanwariyas, will be present in the crowd,” said Shaw as he inspected the Har-ki-Pauri area.

During the past week, Senior Superintendent of Police Kewal Khurana had held meetings with local residents, saints, industrialists, traders, owners hotels and restaurants and truck operators to get their suggestion for a smooth hosting of the fair.

One of the problems for the mela administration apart from the security aspect is the kanwar bazar where millions of kanwariyas stay for a brief period.

Last year, the kanwar bazar was held at the Pantdeep ground adjacent the Dehradun-Haridwar national highway. But, the decision to hold bazar there proved to be wrong as there were massive traffic jams on the highway. Now, the district administration is contemplating shifting the kanwar market to the Bairagi camp area, which has sufficient open space.

Executive Officer of the Municipal Corporation BL Arya said:

“Traders are opposing the shifting of the kanwar bazar from Pantdeep to Bairagi camp because of their business interests.”

Dehradun, June 28
A two-day meeting of Principal Chief Conservators of Forests of different states concluded today with the participating states agreeing to adopt the joint forest management (JFM) charter.

Giving information on the decisions, Director-General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, VK Bahuguna said it was resolved that the Central Government instructions on constituting JFM committees by the gram sabhas should be strictly followed. Concurrently, it was suggested that the Panchayat Act should be amended in each state to recognise the JFM committees.

It was decided that legal back-up to the JFM committees should be given by the states.

The acts and rules of states such as UP, Karnataka and Uttarakhand may be adopted as models. It was also felt that due to the special feature of JFM as a joint management framework there should be a separate JFM chapter within the state Forest Act.

Further, the ICFRE should within a period of 30 days collect details of state notifications, enactments, proposed acts and resolutions providing legal back-up to the JFM committees.

The ICFRE would compile the status report of the JFM as per the programme circulated by the DG, Forests, PJ Dilip Kumar to the states separately and publish it as a JFM update for wider public circulation.

“In order to strengthen the JFM programmes the ICFRE will conduct an impact assessment of the JFM on the health of forests and biodiversity and the economic and social status of people. The ICFRE will also conduct research as needed to develop technological packages for the JFM programme”, Bahuguna said.

Each state Forest Department should constitute a team of officers and others headed by the nodal officer of the JFM to conduct a performance audit of the JFM committees, the status of implementation of the micro plan and the utilisation of village funds, and suggest recommendations for further strengthening and improving the programme. NGOs, academicians and members of society may be associated with this team.