Dehradun, July 26
As part of the Kargil Day function, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today felicitated family members of the Kargil martyrs even as he reiterated his government’s commitment towards the welfare of the ex-servicemen in the state.

In his address at the function held in Dehradun, Nishank disclosed that his government had sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the construction of the Uttarakhand State War Memorial as mark of respects of the defence martyrs. He said a one-time grant for gallantry award winners had already been increased substantially by the state government. He said the ex-servicemen had also been given tax exemption on purchase of vehicles, such as scooters and cars.

Nishank said his government had also decided to construct Sainik Rest Houses at every district apart from constructing a hostel in Dehradun for children of the war widows. He reminded that Uttarakhand was the first state in the country where the ex-servicemen were being appointed block representatives and were being given honorarium to the tune of Rs 4,000.

“The housing assistance grant amount payable to widows of the soldiers killed in action and the soldiers relieved from service on grounds of physical disability has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh. The grant amount given to ex-soldiers of the Second World War has also been increased from Rs 2,000 per month to Rs 3,000 per month”, he said.

Describing Uttarakhand as the land of warriors, Nishank recalled that 75 martyrs out of the total 526 martyrs of the Kargil War belonged to Uttarakhand. He said the youth of the state had always made supreme sacrifice for the sake of the nation.

Family members of 21 Kargil martyrs as well as 41 gallantry award winners were honoured at the function. While many gallantry award winners were present, a few were represented by their family members.

Among those honoured prominently included RS Gupta, father of Kargil martyr Major Vivek Gupta, Ram Payari, wife of the late Hawaldar Jaman Singh, Asha Bhandari, wife of the late Rifleman Vijay Singh Bhandari, Parvati Devi, wife of the late Jaideep Bhandari and Kirti Chakra awardee Col Inder Singh Rawat (retd).

Earlier, the Chief Minster also offered tributes to the martyrs after reaching the Kargil Martyr Memorial situated at Gandhi Park, Dehradun.

Dehradun, July 26
The Panwar faction of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) held its 33rd convention recently where the party passed five resolutions: demanding that the Governor dismiss the state government for its failure on many fronts; create a third front in the coming Assembly elections; denounce the attempt to give Central university status to Govind Ballabh Pant University; create small districts in the state; and reject the proposal to extend retirement age from 60 to 65.

Party president Trivender Singh Panwar also demanded action against the persons responsible for the Bora food scam in the state.

Informing mediapersons about these resolutions at a press conference held in the city today, Panwar said, “The state government led by the BJP has completely failed in executing its constitutional obligations. Be it the matter of seeking extension to the state government committees by a year, to create an affiliating university in Garhwal, rejection of the decision to appoint the fifth Information Commission by the Governor or cancellation of the decision to upgrade local bodies in Haridwar and Haldwani as municipal corporations by High Court - all these incidents suggest the failure of the state government in performing its constitutional duties.”

Cashing in on the weaknesses of the state government, the UKD (Panwar) is engaged in winning the support of like-minded parties in order to float a third or regional front in the Assembly poll of 2012.

“We have already got a go-ahead from the CPI and former MLA Munna Singh to form a united regional party which will give stiff competition to national parties.

“All these efforts are not aimed at achieving personal ambitions, but to safeguard the interests of the public and their aspirations for development,” he added.

Depreciating the attempts to convert Gobind Ballabh Pant Agriculture and Industrial University, Pant Nagar, into a Central University, Panwar said, “The BJP and Congress, the parties that have put forward this proposal, are not able to digest the fact that 80 per cent of the people of this state study and exercise control over grade III and IV jobs in this university. But we will not let their nefarious designs succeed.”

On the issue of carving out more districts in the state, he said, even after 10 years of the formation of the state, no new district or block had been added by various state governments.

To usher in development and stop migration from remote villages, he demanded the creation of new districts. He announced that his party would create new districts - Yamunotri, Pratap Nagar, Narender Nagar, Chakrata, Kotdwar, Ramganga, Khatima, Kashipur, Roorkee, Didihaat and Ranikhet - after coming to power.

Pithoragarh, July 26
On the 12th anniversary of the Kargil war with Pakistan in 1999, various programmes were organised by the Pithoragarh district administration today to pay tributes to the brave soldiers who laid their lives for the sake of the country. The war widows and their children were felicitated on the occasion.

Floral tributes were paid to the Kargil martyrs at a function organised at Maharaja Park by the Army where senior civil, ex-servicemen and Army officials participated. The programme was organised at the memorial erected by the 69 Mountain Brigade to commemorate the win of the Maharaja K Peak of Pakistan in the war of 1965.

A parade by contingents of the Army, police personnel and NCC cadets was also held. After the parade, three widows of the Kargil martyrs from the district, namely Leela Devi, widow of Jawahar Singh, Tanuja Devi, widow of Kishen Singh, Shanti Samant, widow of Girlish Samant, and Kuna Devi, mother of Kundal Singh Belal, were honoured by the District Magistrate MC Joshi and Brigade Commander of the 69th Mountain Brigade, Brigadier Sunil P Bode.

A programme was also organised by the Sainik Kalyan Parishad at the Municipal Hall where Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Prakash Pant honoured relatives of the Kargil war martyrs, including their widows and parents.

The minister also awarded the winners of an essay competition held on the subject of “Contribution of martyrs in the unity and integrity of the nation” among schoolchildren of the city.

In various educational institutions of the district, the Kargil Martyrs’ Day was also observed. The educational institutions organised debates on the topics of sacrifices made by the armed forces for the sake of the country since independence.

“We organised a poster competition in our school which depicted the sacrifices of the armed forces in major wars,” ML Joshi, president of the Public Schools Association of Pithoragarh.

Dehradun, July 26
The expansion of medical services in Uttarakhand using innovative methods continues to be on top of the state government’s agenda.

In pursuit of that goal, the Health Department will soon press into service dental ambulances and 104 telephone medical consultancy service.

The absence of dental services in the state had often forced rural folk to seek the help of untrained doctors. Now, a part of the problem will be taken care of by the two dental ambulances in the state.

The mid-size ambulances equipped with a dental OPD will be pressed into service this financial year in three districts of Garhwal and three districts of Kumaon that have a sizable Schedule Caste population.

“The state government has already made an allocation of Rs 1 crore for the ambulances. The total estimated cost of a single ambulance is expected to be around Rs 7 lakh,” said JDS Rana, Joint Director (Dental). Each ambulance will be equipped with a dental chair and X-ray facility.

Sources said that in view of the shortage of dental staff, the government may go for public-private partnership.

The 104 telephone consultancy service is expected to help the old, infirm and the poor who may not be in a position to access medical care.

“The plan is to connect these people immediately to doctors and provide them consultancy. A call centre equipped with medicos and other staff will be set up on the lines of the 108 service. The modalities are still being worked out,” said Dr Piyush Singh, Director, National Rural Health Mission.

While the Health Department is working out the modalities for the 104 service, sources said that the NRHM may make available the software containing information about the diseases and the medicine to be given, according to certain parameters.

The 104 service and the 108 ambulance services are likely to be housed together. “In case a patient requires immediate care, the 108 ambulance will be used to ferry him to the nearest primary health centre or sub-centre,” said Piyush Singh.

Dehradun, July 26
Uttarakhand senior BJP minorities leader Shadab Shams today sought action against Leader of the Opposition Harak Singh Rawat for his alleged role in the forcible occupation of the land belonging to a Muslim at Shankarpur village in Vikasnagar tehsil of Dehradun district.

He alleged that 106 bighas that originally belonged to a Muslim had been fraudulently transferred in the name of Dipti Rawat, wife of Harak Singh Rawat, and Lakshmi, a person known to the Leader of the Opposition.

Shams, addressing the medi here, said: “If action is not taken against Rawat within a month, then we will go on a fast”. “We will meet the Chief Minister in this regard and urge him to take action against Rawat. An FIR had been lodged in this regard at the Shaspur police station,” he added.

Dehradun, July 26
Members of the Uttrakhand Rajya Nirman Senani Manch staged a protest in favour of their demands at the District Industries Centre, Dehradun, here today.

A large number of protesters across the state gathered to express resentment against the corruption cases that held back the upliftment of the society. They took out a rally from Patel Nagar Chowk till the District Industries Centre and gheraod Chief General Manager of the centre.

They also locked down the District Industries Centre and gave a memorandum to the Director, Industries, demanding a probe into the matter of corruption in the department.

J B Karki, the convener of the manch, led the protest. He accused the department of having corrupt officials that had committed irregularity in their work

The protesters called for a probe into the matter within eight days or else they would intensify their agitation.

Dehradun July 26
A group of 50 Congressmen, most of them Muslims, joined the Samajwadi Party (SP) today at party office in the city.

State president, SP, Vinod Bharthwal asked the Centre and the state government for showing generosity in implementing the recommendations of the reports of the Sachar Committee and the Rangnath Mishra Committee to give justice to the community.

Welcoming the new members in the party fold, Bharthwal said these recommendations were presented by these committees long ago to improve the condition of the Muslim community, but these were still lying in cold storage.

“Muslims are skilled artisans but there participation in the employment has been relegated to mere 1.5 per cent from 26 per cent since Independence. The governments at the Centre and the state needed to be more sensitive toward them,” he said.

Bharthwal also flayed the state government for its inability to utilise the Centrer and state funds for carrying out the development work. He said, “The state government had some Rs 7,800 crore pending to spend on developmental activities, which it has not been utilised till date. It now seems impossible to do so in two months, as at present the rainy season is in full swing and in November the Code of Conduct will be enforced in wake of the Assembly elections. Last year too, 50 per cent fund had lapsed, which is shameful.”

The collapse of wall, just built four months ago near Parade Ground, exposed the shoddy work and corrupt practices of PWD officials, he said.

He announced that the party would hold a review meeting to discuss party candidates and a future strategy for the Assembly elections in Udham Singh Nagar on July 28, Haridwar on July 30 and Dehradun on August 1.