Pithoragarh, July 13
Ration supply to 13 villages in the Darma valley in Dharchula subdivision has been hit due to the blocking of a road following landslides near Dar village.

Villagers, who have been facing food shortage for the past 15 days, maintained that taking advantage of the situation, shopkeepers of the nearby Tawaghat market are selling essential goods at higher prices. “Wheat flour which is generally sold at Rs 16 per kg is now being sold at Rs 35 per kg, Similarly, rice is being sold at 45 per kg, which is beyond the purchasing capacity of the poor,” said Aan Singh Rokaya, a zila panchayat member.

The worst hit villages include Goo, Tidang, Marcha, Nagling, Baling, Dugtu and Dantu.

“The villages in the Darma valley get ration supply from the nearby Tawaghat market. However, due to landslides on the road, the mule caravan which carries ration to these villages has not been able to cross the road for the past 15 days,” said Rokaya.

He further said he, along with eight other villagers, also submitted a memorandum to the SDM, Dharchula, today.

Dharchula SDM Abhishek Tripathi also admitted that ration supply to the villages of the Darma valley had been hit for the past 15 days. He further said they were hopeful that ration would reach the villages in the next eight days.

The SDM said they had also instructed the company constructing the motor road to clear the debris in the evening everyday so that villagers could cross the road to reach their respective villages.

Dehradun, July 13
Lack of stringent anti-adulteration laws allows adulteration in food stuff in Uttarakhand and the level of adulteration goes up during the Char Dham Yatra in the state, says a report prepared by the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS).

On the Yamnotri-Gangotri route, 82 per cent of the samples, collected by the scientists from SPECS were found adulterated. In all, 430 samples were found adulterated out of a total of 522.

“With anti-adulteration drives rarely held by the Health Department, there is no fear of being caught and the level of adulteration increases during the yatra season. It was the highest on the Gangotri-Yamnotri route,” said Dr Brijmohan Sharma, Secretary, SPECS.

The organisation conducted a sample survey of food stuff along the Char-Dham routes.

In Kumaon, the adulteration level stood at 75 per cent and in all, 1432 samples were collected.

The adulterants comprising mobile oil in mustard oil etc could give rise to life threatening diseases like liver problem, ulcer, hair loss, paralysis and cancer among others.

Along the Char Dham routes, 1053 food samples were collected of which 859 samples (81 per cent) were found adulterated. On the Kedarnath-Badrinath route (80 per cent) 429 out of 531 samples were found adulterated. “We have been conducting sample surveys of food items along the Char Dham routes annually, since 2005 the adulteration level has increased,” said Dr Sharma. He called for stringent measures against adulterators and regular anti-adulteration drive in the hills.

Dehradun, July 13
The Uttarakhand Government has decided to give more facilities to freedom fighters and their next of kin. The government will set up a freedom fighters’ building on the Jogiwala bypass in Dehradun besides giving free medical facilities to them in private nursing homes also.

These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar at the Secretariat here today. The Chief Secretary directed that the identity cards of freedom fighters should be considered a certificate to give reservation to next of kin of the freedom fighter concerned in educational institutions.

It was also decided to give identity cards to the married daughters of the freedom fighters. The next generation of the freedom fighters would also be entitled to stay at government guest houses and inspection bungalows.

The Chief Secretary summoned Dehradun District Magistrate Sachin Kurve, who suggested that a 1 bigha plot could be made available for the freedom fighters’ building on the Jogiwala bypass.

The Chief Secretary directed the Higher Education, Technical Education and Medical Education Departments to issue the necessary notification regarding recognising the identity cards of the freedom fighters for the purpose of reservation in educational institutions to their wards.

He gave an assurance that a government order would be issued soon allowing the first generation next of kin of freedom fighters free travel in state roadway buses. He also gave an assurance that a decision would be taken in 15 days on the issue of state honours to the wives of the freedom fighters at the time of their death.

A decision to provide free medical facilities in government hospitals to the dependents of freedom fighters would also be taken soon. The Chief Secretary said the issue of providing land or houses to those freedom fighters who did not have such a facility would be looked into. Rgarding a demand made by freedom fighters to rename various intersections after famous freedom fighters, the Chief Secretary said all District Magistrates had been instructed to do this.

Haridwar, July 13
With just a few days to go for the Kanwar Mela in Haridwar, the police has geared up to manage a rush of Kanwariyas who will be thronging the city to fetch Ganga jal.

In view of terror threat, personnel of the state police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident. The administration is expecting 1.20-25 crore kanwariyas during the two-week fair.

Various departments are organising meetings to make sure that all preparations are made prior to the beginning of the fair. The police department also organised a meeting today for Kanwar force that will be manning the Kanwar route from the Narsain border in Roorkee to Rishikesh.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Garhwal range) Deepak Seth, where various issues regarding route diversion, security, traffic and the allocation of duties were discussed.

The Haridwar SSP said the area where the fair would be organised had been divided into super zone (ultra sensitive), simple zone and sectors. Security arrangements had also been made at railway stations, bus stations and sensitive areas, where all activities would be monitored through CCTV footages. Goods of all passengers would also be checked for security reasons. Water police personnel would man ghats along the Ganga river and canal.

Rakesh Rawat, GRP station police officials at Haridwar railway station, said Kanwariyas would not be allowed to travel on the roof of trains.

Dehradun, July 13
Most of the water schemes handed over by the Peyjal Nigam to the Jal Sansthan have raised a big question mark on the quality of work undertaken by the Peyjal Nigam.

The automation supervisory control data and acquisition system and pumping (surface or high head) schemes have failed to function, so are the pumping plants in different parts of the state.

These schemes were handed over to the sansthan on the orders of the state government after taking stock of the schemes on the directives of the World Bank that is funding these.

“The authorities at the Jal Sansthan were resisting the takeover of these schemes because the pumping plants are in poor shape and the automation system of sewerage plant has completely failed in Haridwar,” said PC Kimothi, Secretary Appraisal, Jal Sansthan.

Besides, the Peyjal Nigam has also failed to transfer records of the works it had carried out in the past 10-15 years. It is believed that the Peyjal Nigam had deliberately gone for high-production schemes without worrying about the utility aspect.

The Peyjal Nigam arbitrarily initiated several schemes without taking the views of the advisory board constituted by the government. Prior to the handover of the schemes, the Jal Sansthan had suggested modalities that were turned down by the government.

As of now, the Jal Sansthan has already taken over the New Tehri Town Pumping Scheme with certain riders that include the deployment of the Peyjal Nigam staff, which has again become a bone contention between the two.

To tide over the problem, the government has set up a one-man committee headed by former IAS officer Indu Kumar Pande to look into the problems of both organisations and also to upgrade the status of the Jal Sansthan. 

Dehradun, July 13
General secretary, Uttrakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar faction), Shanti Prasad Bhatt, addressing a press conference at his party office, accused the Deputy General Manager, Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, Roorkie, Kamal Kant of giving tenders to his elder brother illegally.

Bhatt said as former chairman, Uttrakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, Yogender Prasad was being sued for giving project tenders to his daughter, the same yardstick should be applied in case of Kamal Kant as well, who gave tenders related to Chamoli, Haridwar and Srinagar region to his brother.

Kamal Kant in his defence said, he made the mistake of giving tenders worth Rs 48,000 to his brother in 2005, as he was not aware about the rules, but, thereafter, he never repeated the mistake. Bhatt did not buy his version and emphasised that the officer continued to give tenders to his brother.

Bhatt also pulled up UPCL for showing losses in hundreds of crores every year. He said, “Being an energy state, the residents should be given a royalty of Re 1/per unit, but I was told that it was not possible as the UPCL is running into losses.

If big companies like Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL charges Re 1 from public by spending Rs 5 from their own pockets and still earn profits in billions, then how the UPCL, which spends only 35 Paisa/per unit after one-time initial investment and charges Rs 2.50 from its customers, is running into losses.”

Corporation officials should be made accountable for the losses, not the poor public.

Bhatt also came to the rescue of a contractual employee, Savita Thapliyal, who was ill-treated by an officer on the UPCL premises. He demanded strong action against the officer, who, he said, had tried to mislead the authorities by saying that he did not know the woman employee.

District president NK Gusain, Shailaish, Latafat Hussain were also present.

Nainital, July 13
Having been awarded the title of “Nirmal Nagar” and receiving prize money of Rs 50 lakh, the Municipal Council in Nainital has chalked out a programme to boost the sanitation in the town. It has immediately charted out various policies and proposals for the cleanliness of the town.

In a celebratory press conference held here on Wednesday, Chairman of the Municipal Council Manoj Joshi announced that the sanitation workers and officials, who helped the council win the award, were to be honoured and 10 per cent of the prize money would be used for giving bonus to employees. Uniforms would be issued for the sanitation staff along with gum boots, gloves and raincoats.

“Workers sometime resist wearing the uniform. We will be strict about this now,” said the Executive Officer (EO). Digital cameras were to be installed at the prime locations to monitor the activities of workers in charge of collecting garbage. In addition to this, there is a proposal for installation of 10 spittoons to better the town’s hygiene.

Mukesh Joshi announced that smaller utility vehicles would be bought which will be able to run smoothly on narrow roads and reach out to areas like Snow View, Hanuman Mandir and Alma House.

Three motorcycles would be bought for cleanliness supervisors to allow them greater mobility. A total of 25 walkie-talkies were to utilised to enable these employees to be better connected.

“A sophisticated system for monitoring the attendance of employees will be set up soon. A special boat will also be designed to get rid of all rubbish in the lake. This is being done on the lines of the boats being used for keeping the Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh clean,” he added.

“This prize has brought great responsibility with it. We need to keep up our work so as to win it again the next year,” said Mukesh Joshi.

Despite having won the award and things having improved over the years, there was still lots that need to be done on the sanitation front in the town. The lakeside and Mall Road were perpetually littered with corn cobs, leftover food and plastic cutlery. The Tallital main market road was stained with tobacco and strewn with pan masala packets and cigarette stubs with no dustbin in near sight. The garbage collection needed to be further strengthened in various localities of the town.

Dehradun, July 13
State president, Samajwadi Party, Vinod Barthwal at a press conference held at the party office on Wednesday said they would hold a campaign against inflation and corruption on Thursday in Roorkie, July 21 throughout the state and last week of July in Udham Singh Nagar.

In the first week of August, the party would also hold a public awareness campaign to apprise people about the programme and policies of the party.

Barthwal said the state CM should present a white paper describing about the number of public announcements he made and the ones which were actually implemented.

Barthwal lamented about the neglect of the state in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

He also wondered at the involvement of the CM in dictating transfers of the schoolteachers at all level, which, he said, could be decided by higher officials of the Education Department. Barthwal also demanded better upkeep of Parade Ground.

Dehradun, July 13
The city president, Uttrakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar faction), Bahadur Singh Rawat demanded better facilities for Nai Basti, Chander Nagar, which, he said, was affected by bad roads, heaps of garbage and poor streetlights.

Rawat asked for regularisation of the colony, repair of roads, sufficient sweepers to clean the roads and relocation of the postmortem house.

Nainital, July 13
The Forest Department has stepped in to provide a safe environment to King Cobras that are tending to their eggs in the Baliyanala and Jeolikote areas of Nainital.

Following an attack on a female King Cobra in Baliyanala recently, officials have been told to keep an eye on miscreants to avoid such incidents in the future.

It has also been conveyed that offenders would be booked under the Wildlife Protection Act. Posters have been put up at several prime locations advocating the cause and creating awareness about the nesting snake. An attempt is being made to educate local residents about the female King Cobra.

King Cobras play an important role in keeping the population of other snakes down.

Their presence is an indicator of the health of the ecosystem, signifying a healthy forest. Research work relating to this species is being carried out on this very specimen found in Jeolikote.

Anup Sah, a wildlife photographer and environmentalist, expressed his resentment over the deteriorating state of wildlife protection in the region. “Poaching and hunting is a common practice here. Animals are being exploited. The Forest Department needs to formulate policies to check the exploitation of the flora and fauna,” he says.