One more suspected poacher held Mussoorie, July 27 Following the arrest of two suspected poachers, who had recently managed to escape leaving behind two leopard skins, the day before yesterday, another suspected poacher was arrested by the officials of Mussoorie Forest Division today. The fourth accomplice is still at large. A suspected poacher with a gun who was arrested by forest officials in Mussoorie.

ABVP holds march against graft
Dehradun, July 27
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members in schools and colleges took out a march today in Dehradun against rampant corruption in the country. After the march, members of the ABVP submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate for the President of India.

Fighting tooth and nail: Two children fight over alms at a busy crossing in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Rural Water Supply, Sanitation Scheme
World Bank team visits Dehradun, Tehri areas
Dehradun, July 27
The Uttarakhand Government is implementing a rural water supply and sanitation scheme through community participation. Uttarakhand is the first state of the country that is improving the effectiveness of rural water supply and sanitation through decentralised implementation involving the local communities.

Safai Karamchari Ayog chief visits Mussoorie
Tells officials to address problems of sanitation workers within 15 days
Mussoorie, July 27
Chairman of the Uttarakhand Safai Karamchari Ayog Bhagwat Prasad Makwana on his visit to Mussoorie today was appalled to see the living condition of the sanitation workers residing in various colonies here. He also inspected the newly constructed building at Strawberry Bank, which was leaking.

A player in action in a match in the Dehradun District Boys and Girls Table Tennis Tournament played in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

RIMC squash c’ship results
Dehradun, July 27
The results of the inter-house squash championship played at the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) on the second day were as follows: Under 13 years: Winner: Cadet Punit Jatrana (Shivaji section), Runner-up -- Cadet Shikhar (Pratap section)

Firm meets safai supervisors
Dehradun, July 27
A team of Doon Valley Waste Management Limited today held a meeting with all supervisors of safai karamcharis here today. The company is is almost ready to launch the door-to door garbage collection facility.

Kanwariyas fool cops to reach Mussoorie
Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 27
Despite the ban on Kanwariyas’ entry into Dehradun and Mussoorie, they are leaving no stone unturned to gain entry into the city and to have a gala time at the Queen of the Hills. Groups of Kanwariyas can be seen changing on the roadside at a distance from a police checkpost in order to look like tourists. This way they enter the state capital and then head towards Mussoorie.

Kanwariyas are also flouting all the traffic rules in the city. Seldom are they seen wearing helmets and they often ride triple on bikes. Most of the cars and the bikes driven by them san valid number plates. Keeping this in mind, the state capital police had banned their entry into Dehradun and Mussoorie early this month. According to the police, they had created a ruckus in the past and thus it was decided to divert them to the outer routes.

The police said traffic violations and brawls with the locals involving Kanwariyas and the music systems fitted on Kanwariyas’ vehicles playing on full volume created a lot of problems in the city.

Shweta Choubey, Circle Officer (Traffic and Mussoorie, Rajpur Road), said: “Different teams have been constituted at police stations and police chowkis to prevent the entry of Kanwariyas into the city. Those who manage to sneak into the city are challaned and their vehicles are impounded”.

“To divert the Kanwariyas to the routes on the outskirts of Dehradun, we have earmarked four zones. The policemen deployed at these zones divert Kanwariyas to the routes on the city outskirts, thus prevent them from creating any sort of nuisance for the city residents,” Choubey added.

Collapse of Pavilion Ground Stairs
Team from pvt firm takes samples of material used
Report expected within 15 days
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 27
A team from Shri Ram Institute, a Delhi-based private company, today samples of the material used to construct a staircase at the Pavilion ground near Lansdowne Chowk which collapsed twice within a week of its construction. The report is expected to come within 15 days.

MC Khandpal, Senior Executive Engineer, along with his team collected three bags of bricks, a bag of the mud used, one bag of plaster and a bag of the mixture of concrete.

Earlier, the PWD had collected the samples. But, according to reports, the samples were not taken by department officials. They had further asked a contractor to take the samples and put the same in bags, which had also not been sealed on the spot.

Interestingly, none of the PWD officials who were involved in the collection of the samples earlier, were present today. Those who were present included BC Binwal, investigating engineer (PWD), Rajvanshi, assistant engineer, Manoj Chaudhary, junior engineer, and a contractor from RG Buildwell Engineers.

Sanjay Bhatt, central spokesperson for the Uttarakhand Jan Sena, said: “I had sought information under the RTI Act regarding action taken against those who were involved in the construction of the staircase. My file went to almost every officer and the answer I got stated that no action has been taken. It clearly states that though every official knew about the same, they ignored the matter as it was associated with the Chief Minister’s office.”

One more suspected poacher held
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, July 27
Following the arrest of two suspected poachers, who had recently managed to escape leaving behind two leopard skins, the day before yesterday, another suspected poacher was arrested by the officials of Mussoorie Forest Division today. The fourth accomplice is still at large.

The forest officials, after grilling the two suspected poachers caught earlier, were able to arrest Gulab Singh of Bhal village in Tehri Garhwal district with the gun which was used to kill the leopards.

Gulab Singh, while speaking to the media, said he had killed the leopards one year ago and was trying to sell the skins to dealers. He said the deal was struck for around Rs 9,000.

Komal Singh, SDO, said the hunt is on for the fourth accomplice of the suspected poachers and he who would be caught soon.

ABVP holds march against graft
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 27
The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members in schools and colleges took out a march today in Dehradun against rampant corruption in the country. After the march, members of the ABVP submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate for the President of India.

The march started from Lord Venkateswara temple here and after passing through Gandhi Park and Clock Tower, it culminated at the DM’s office where they submitted a memorandum against corruption.

DAV PG College ABVP president Anshul Chawla said the march had been organised all over India against corruption. He claimed 4,000 students took part in the march that held in Dehradun.

“Everyday one or the other scam comes to light. Until the government checks corruption, their movement will continue,” he added.

Rural Water Supply, Sanitation Scheme
World Bank team visits Dehradun, Tehri areas
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 27
The Uttarakhand Government is implementing a rural water supply and sanitation scheme through community participation. Uttarakhand is the first state of the country that is improving the effectiveness of rural water supply and sanitation through decentralised implementation involving the local communities.

Rural communities are planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining various water supply and sanitation schemes. In view of the success of the novel scheme launched by Uttarakhand, the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are also planning to replicate the scheme. Apart from Tanzania, no other country in the world has such a unique project.

A World Bank team called on Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar at the Secretariat and commended the state for adopting a sector-wide approach.

The World Bank team, comprising Rollend Rolo, Governess Adviser, Smita Mishra, Ranjan Samntre and Neelbadi Shah, visited the villages of Dehradun and Tehri districts today. During their visit to Uttarakhand, the team would assess the physical achievement of the role model.

At a meeting with the World Bank team, the Chief Secretary apprised its members that he himself visited the far-flung areas of Uttarakhand and got appreciation of the project. With the participation of women and creation of job opportunities for almost 9,000 local people, the condition of villages has improved, he added. He said: “The project has been aimed at reaching the ‘unreached’ who live in complex, diverse and highly risk-prone mountainous areas”.

The Chief Secretary said under the project, a highly innovative and instructive system had been designed to ensure good governance and full accountability.

Subhash Kumar said the project had been aimed at providing drinking water supply to 8,270 habitations. So far, 3,167 habitations had been covered under the project and an additional 4,75,616 individual household latrines had been constructed. A total of 462 gram panchayats had been conferred Nirmal Gram Puraskar.

Principal Secretary, Drinking Water, Utpal Kumar Singh, senior officers of the Peyjal Nigam, the Jal Sansthan and the Project Management Unit (Swajal) were present.

Safai Karamchari Ayog chief visits Mussoorie
Tells officials to address problems of sanitation workers within 15 days
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, July 27
Chairman of the Uttarakhand Safai Karamchari Ayog Bhagwat Prasad Makwana on his visit to Mussoorie today was appalled to see the living condition of the sanitation workers residing in various colonies here. He also inspected the newly constructed building at Strawberry Bank, which was leaking. Shocked at the sub-standard construction, he directed the Executive Officer to initiate strict action against the contractor concerned.

Later at a meeting held on the Municipal Council premises, Makwana heard the problems of the sanitation workers and directed the officials concerned to solve them on a priority basis. Makwana was aghast at the problems faced by the sanitary workers in the town and balmed the lackadaisical approach of the officials of the local body and the Jal Sansthan.

Makwana told the officials to pull up their socks. He also directed Executive Officer Rohtash Sharma to expedite the pending matters related to the sanitation workers within 15 days.

Phool Kumar apprised the Chairman of the vacant posts of sanitation worker in municipal council. Makwana, when enquired about the minimum wages and safety gear being provided to the workers involved in the cleaning of sewerage, was told that the Jal Sansthan officials were not paying the minimum wages to them, nor they are provided with any safety gear to be used while cleaning sewerage. The sanitation workers also complained that no health checkup had been organised by the Municipal Council so far. Makwana directed the Health Officer to organise a health camp for the workers within 15 days.

When informed that the clerical posts reserved for the schedule castes had been filled by persons from the general category, Makwana immediately sought explanation from the Executive Officer and directed him to provide full report within 15 days.

Later, speaking to the media, Makwana said he was not satisfied with the nonchalant approach of the officials and strictly warned them to expedite the pending matters on an urgent basis otherwise punitive action would be taken against them.

RIMC squash c’ship results
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 27
The results of the inter-house squash championship played at the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) on the second day were as follows: Under 13 years: Winner: Cadet Punit Jatrana (Shivaji section), Runner-up -- Cadet Shikhar (Pratap section)

Winner: Cadet Tomthin (Chandragupta section), Runner-up -- Cadet Mohit Bansal (Ranjit section), Winner -- Cadet Mridul Rawat (Ranjit section), Runner up- Cadet YS Shrivastav (Chandragupta section), Winner- Cadet Kapil (Chandragupta section), Runner-up - Cadet Abhay Singh (Ranjit section)

Under 17 years: Winner: Cadet Tarun Dhanik (Pratap section), Runner-up - Cadet Amit Rai (Shivaji section), Winner -- Cadet Gurvir Talwar (Pratap section), Runner-up - Cadet Shashank Dahiya (Shivaji section), Winner -- Cadet Samarth Singh (Shivaji section), Runner-up - Cadet Shivam Sisodia (Pratap section), Winner - Cadet Vivek Boora (Chandragupta section), Runner-up - Cadet Mayank Kumar (Ranjit section), Winner - Cadet Chitiz Panwar (Ranjit section), Runne-up - Cadet Kush Kumar (Chandragupta section), Winner - Cadet Pratyush Sharma (Ranjit Section), Runner-up - Cadet Sai Ganesh (Chandragupta).

At the end of the day, the scores were as follows:

Pratap section- 8 points, Ranjit section - 18 points, Shivaji section - 8 points and Chandragupta - 18 points.

Firm meets safai supervisors

Dehradun, July 27
A team of Doon Valley Waste Management Limited today held a meeting with all supervisors of safai karamcharis here today. The company is is almost ready to launch the door-to door garbage collection facility.

They met the supervisors and asked them to help them to provide proper services to the residents. Sources said the company wanted the help of the experienced workers from the MC. — TNS