|
|
|
|
|
Landslides kill 2 in Pithoragarh
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Ganga board to look after 26 ‘rein baseras’
‘Excesses’ by forest officials anger Gaumukh sadhus
Delay in Approving Rules
for RTE Implementation
Union Minister visits Doon
Nishank opposed to eco-sensitive zone in state
BJP forms poll, manifesto panels
Students call for stringent anti-graft laws
Notification issued for rights panel
Woman jumps into river with kids
Pithoragarh, July 27 A woman along with her two children jumped into the Kosi river today. She is a resident of Parkot village, Almora district. Though villagers managed to save the woman, the children are feared drowned. It is learnt that she took this step as she was unable to cope with domestic problems.
|
|
Landslides kill 2 in Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh, July 27 The departments concerned are unable to clear the roads due to bad weather conditions. A JCB machine operator died on the spot at Dhapa on a road under construction from Munsiyari to Milam after being hit by a big boulder. He was killed on the spot while clearing the debris from the road. “The deceased, a resident of Haryana, had been working as JCB operator in a private company involved in the construction of the road from Munsiyari to Milam,” said district administration officials. A truck driver, Johar Singh Dhami, a resident of Mota Haldu, Haldwani, was killed on the spot at Nachni village on the Thal -Munsiyari road when his truck skidded off the road due to debris. The truck was returning from Munsiyari after delivering LPG supply there. Roads to Chaudans and Byans valleys of Dharchula subdivision of the district remained blocked on the 17th day today causing hardships to the people living there as they faced shortage of foodgrains. Due to fresh landslide at Chetalkot, the 6th batch of returning Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims had to wait for six hours and could cross the place at 3pm after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) men removed the debris from the road. According to information given by the disaster management department of the district, the condition of the villages of the Chaudans valley are being considered seriously by the district administration as the road linking the Tawaghat area with the Vyans valley has remained closed at Tintola for the 35th day today. “Villagers of the upper Darma area have now started facing shortage of foodgrain as the Samkot road has been closed for a month,” said Rudra Singh Oanda, a senior BJP leader of Munsiyari. “The crisis has further deepened as five other local roads of Munsiyari have been closed for the last one month,” added Panda. In the Ladia valley of Champawat district, potato farmers have threatened to start an agitation demanding compensation for their damaged crops as according to them their potato crop has been destroyed by the excess rain in their area. “The small and marginal cultivators of potato assembled at Holi Piplati village in Champawat district on Tuesday and demanded a compensation package for their damaged crops,” said Tulsi Devi , a BDC member of the area. |
|
|
Kanwar Mela
Dehradun, July 27 Nishank directed him to be alert for ensuring successful conclusion of the Kanwar Mela. He added the Uttarakhand Police had its distinct image as “Mitra Police” and it should be maintained. The CM said nobody should be troubled without valid reasons and added that strict action should be taken against the troublesome Kanwariyas. Nishank also directed the DIG to stay careful in view of the terrorist activities in the country, so that no untoward incident took place in the state. Nishank said the form of the Kanwar Mela had become highly sensitive and challenging in terms of law and order because of the increasing number of the Kanwariyas at the last stage of the Kanwar Mela. The CM laid stress on conducting effective anti-sabotage checking at the temples, ghats, parking places, crowded places, market places, Haridwar railway station, bus stand and at langars. He added the Mobile Police Force posted at the Kanwar route should find out on-the-spot solution to the problems in case of any accident there. He said the police communication system should be kept active during the mela. The continuous co-ordination should be maintained with the officials of the border districts. Continuous and intensive checking should be ensured under the supervision of the gazetted officers at international borders, the CM directed. DIG Seth apprised the CM that about 1.15 crore Kanwariyas reached various pilgrim places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Pauri Garhwal, whereas about 16 lakh Kanwariyas had reached Neelkanth Mahadev so far this year. According to him, about 1.5 crore Kanwars are expected to reach Haridwar this year. He said the national highway faced tremendous pressure of two-wheelers and four-wheelers during the Kanwar Mela every year. Besides, Dak Kanwariyas were also very sensitive in terms of the security system. He added that an effective security system had been in place in the whole mela region by dividing it into Super Zone, Zone, and Sectors. |
|
|
Ganga board to look after 26 ‘rein baseras’
Dehradun, July 27 As the university has been conferred the central status, the government has decided to end the arrangements and give this charge to the board. Chairing a meeting of the Sparsh Ganga Board today, Chief Secretary Subash Kumar said the 26 ‘rain baseras’ would now be brought under the board. Besides, the government has also decided to constitute Ganga sewa samitis for the management of waste of cities and towns located on the banks of the Ganga. To ensure that the waste is properly disposed of, the government has asked all District Magistrates to set up trenching grounds for the disposal of waste. Besides, the approval would be required from the board to carry out any activity on the banks of the Ganga. The Secretary has asked the Culture Department to ensure that there is coordination between all departments. The Departments of Urban Development, Rural Development, Higher Education and Tourism are already assisting the board. The Sparsh Ganga Board was created to keep the Ganga clean. Those present at the meeting included Commissioner (Kumaon) Kunal Sharma, In Charge Secretary (Culture) NS Negi, Additional Secretary (Forests) Sushant Patnaik, Director (Culture) Beena Bhatt and OSD (Sparsh Ganga Board) Prabhakar D.
Badoni. |
|
|
‘Excesses’ by forest officials anger Gaumukh sadhus
Dehradun, July 27 Even skirmishes took place between forest officials and a sadhu identified as Swami Nirmal Das. Nirmal Das alleged that he was stopped from proceeding to Bhojwasa by the forest authorities and was even manhandled. Saints of the Gangotri-Gaumukh region today gathered at Gangotri city and accused the forest department of frequently troubling them. Protesting sadhus say they had been living in the caves in the Gangotri-Gaumukh area for many decades and the forest authorities had been allegedly troubling them ever since the setting up of the Gangotri National Park. “The forest authorities often restrict our movement even forcing us out of the park on some occasions”, said Swami Nirmal Das who accused the Gangotri Park authorities of manhandling him. He threatened to stage a hunger strike starting from the day of Mahashivratri in the month of Sawan. Another sadhu Swaroop Brahmachari also threatened self-immolation if the Forest Department did not stop troubling them. However, the Gangotri National Park authorities denied any type of exceses on sadhus. “We are always compassionate towards sadhus and never
maltreat them. However, Gaumukh, in particular, being environment sensitive, the entry of visitors have to be curbed as per norms laid down by the state government”, IP Singh, Director, Gangotri National Park, argued. Significantly, the BJP government has already made some concessions in the initial draft of restrictions on visitors entering the Gaumukh region. Fifteen to 20 entrants out of the 150 visitors allowed per day as Gaumukh has been exclusively reserved for sadhus and saints. |
|
|
Delay in Approving Rules
for RTE Implementation
Dehradun, July 27 The Ministry of Human Resource and Development has refused to make allocations in the range of Rs 33-Rs 35 crore to be given to the state towards uniforms, transportation, etc. “The rules are still with the finance committee and have to pass through two more channels before these are approved by the state Cabinet. We are still awaiting allocation of finances from the HRD Ministry. Though the Act is already in place, the rules have been pending approval by the Cabinet for the past one year and later these have to go through the Assembly,” said BP Nawani, Administrator (Right to Education). Under Section 12C of the Right to Education Act, the Centre has ensured a reservation of 25 per cent seats for the children belonging to the weaker sections of society in all the unaided government schools. The state governments are required to repay this school expenditure incurred on children’s education from Class I to Class VIII. According to sources, the amount in the range of Rs 33- Rs 35 crore is expected to be increased, once the government begins enrolling students in other classes under the Act. Right now 25 per cent seats would be allocated in class I in all the unaided government schools. Under the provisions of the Act, the Central Government is committed to sharing the financial burden incurred on the implementation of the Act. “The transport facility and the provision of escort is for those areas that are far away from schools. The Central funds will be utilised for paying towards the transportation and escort to the students,” said Nawani. The delay has also affected admissions of the children belonging to the weaker sections to public schools as the schools are demanding immediate reimbursement of money spent on educating these children under the 25 per cent quota. The Uttarakhand Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules -2011 were formulated a few months ago and were later put on the state website. |
|
|
IMPOSITION OF VAT
Dehradun, July 27 The merchants who met the Additional Secretary and the Principle Secretary, Finance, in the day have been told to meet the Chief Minister in this regard. The Traders’ Association has also extended support to them. Despite heavy rain, the merchants continued their dharna near Sabji Mandi. Shopkeepers of Paltan Bazar, Chakrata, Araghar, Dharampur , Karanpur, Prem Nagar also kept their shops closed. Anil Gupta, president of the Cloth Merchant Association said, the imposition of VAT might not seem a heavy tax, but it involved many other implications. They would have to register themselves under Form 16 for each purchase and sale. Besides, they would have to maintain complicated VAT accounts. General secretary of the association Gajender Vasan said the Central Government had already passed a resolution related to the Good and Sales Service Tax (GST) and was going to enforce it any time. President of the Doon Trader Association Vipin Nagliya said they would meet the Chief Minister in this regard. |
|
Union Minister visits Doon
Dehradun, July 27 On her maiden visit to Dehradun today, Krishna said the state government should ensure that adequate budget was allocated to the cells created in the
districts. “The Act has been aimed at striking at the root of violence taking place inside the homes,” she said while chairing a meeting of the Department
of Women and Child Development. The minister also called on the state government to ensure that all the Central Government schemes for women and children were implemented in totality. “The Central Government is keen on assisting the states for carrying out schemes for the benefit of women and children in collaboration with non-government organisations,” she said. Later, state Women and Child Development Minister Vijaya Barthwal also apprised the Union Minister about the various schemes introduced by the state government for the welfare of women and children. “The women of the state face specific problems, more so due to the unique geographical conditions, as such require special schemes. The Central Government should keep in mind the geographical conditions while formulating schemes for the hills,”
she said. |
|
Nishank opposed to eco-sensitive zone in state
Dehradun, July 27 He said the employment opportunities would also get shrunk in process, thus directly affecting
the youth in this border area of the country. Bhasin categorically held that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had been opposing the zone from day one. “The Chief Minister has objected to eco- sensitive zone during his meeting with the Prime
Minister and also in the subsequent meetings with the then Environment Minister Jairam
Ramesh”, e pointed out refuting Congress MP Vijay Bahuguna’s charges that the Uttarakhand
Chief Minister was backing eco-sensitive zone. |
|
BJP forms poll, manifesto panels
Dehradun, July 27 BJP state general secretary Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said the list was declared on Tuesday by Bishan Singh Chufal. The members who are part of the Election Committee include incumbent Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, former Chief Ministers Maj-Gen (retd) BC Khanduri and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and Nityanand Swami. The other members are Manohar Kant Dhyani, Bachi Singh Rawat, Puran Chand Sharma. State general secretary Dhan Singh Rawat, Naresh Bansal, Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Balraj Pasi, Ajay Tamta, Kusum Kandwal and Shyamveer Saini. Former BJP president Bachi Singh Rawat has been made coordinator of the Election Manifesto Committee. While Cabinet ministers Prakash Pant and Trivender Singh Rawat, Suresh Joshi, Ajay Bhatt, Prof NS Bhandari, Teerath Singh Rawat, Jyoti Prasad Gairola, Vinod Uniyal, Ramkrishan Rawat, Suresh Rathore, Tejpal Singh Panwar and Col CS Nautiyal are also members of the committee. Finance Committee members are Bishan Singh Chuphal, Manohar Kant Dhayni, Anil Goyal and Ved Prakash Gupta. Significantly, Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay has not found a place in any of these committees. However, the BJP said the leader had not been sidelined. |
|
Students call for stringent anti-graft laws
Haridwar, July 27 A number of youngster are coming forward to take pledge not to use corrupt means in their lives and to support the members of the civil society who have waged a war against corruption. At a convention held here today, student leaders and representatives from various colleges of the city called for stringent anti-corruption laws to check corruption. Prior to the convention, students took out a march in the city. After passing through streets, it culminated at the District Magistrate’s office where the students submitted the copies of a memorandum to the official concerned to be forwarded to the President and the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and prominent members of the civil society. In the memorandum, the students have demanded that black money be brought back and declared national asset. Student leader from Garhwal Naveen Pant said it seemed politicians and bureaucrats had taken for granted the youth’s voice as almost every day new scams came to light, but now we would not bear this all. The Youth Against Corruption (YAC), a forum fighting against corruption, has also lent its support to the students’ campaign against corruption, terming it as a positive sign for the society which thinks the youth is not carrying out its social responsibilities properly. Student leaders who spoke at the forum were Varun Baliyan, Satvinder, Ankit Sharma, Rahul Thakur, Dushyant Rana, Suraj Lakhani, Gaurav Giri, Himanshu Sharma, Sachin Gujjar and others. |
|
|
Notification issued for rights panel
Dehradun, July 27 Besides a writ petition was also filed calling for the setting up of a state human rights commission. “After getting the Governor’s nod, the notification has been issued for the setting up of the commission. Soon the appointments would be made. The commission would be headed by a chairman and two members,” said Rajiv Gupta, Principal Secretary (Home). The term of the commission members would be for a period of five years and there is no bar on their reappointment. Earlier, the committee headed by Shambunath Srivastav, Chairman of the State Police Complaints Authority, and eight members gave their recommendations on the composition of the commission. The Central Government has provided a clause in the Protection of Human Rights Act that the state governments, if they deemed fit, can set up
their own human rights commissions. |
|
|
Bank union protests against privatisation
Dehradun, July 27 BP Mamgai, convener said, “We deny the Khandelwal Committee report which recommends employees’ salaries to be fragmented into many other allowances and prohibition on employment to the deceased employee’s kin, which has posed a severe crisis of livelihood before them.” Other than that by giving permission to the industrial sector to open and run banks, the government was handing over the banking sector in the hands of the businessmen. The way various works in banks were being given to private contractors further endorsed the government policy in this direction.” He also signaled towards other grievances too, which, he said, had made life miserable for them. “Many vacancies are pending in the banks which are deliberately not fulfilled. The bank employees do not have fixed timing, which has spoiled their social life. By acknowledging the World Bank as the base for increasing the investment, the probability of intervention of the World Bank too has increased manifolds,” he said. |
|
Woman jumps into river with kids
Pithoragarh, July 27 Almora SP Puran Singh Rawat said the woman, Poonam Arya, was out of danger. The incident took place at 11 am. After seeing the woman jumping into the river, passersby raised the alarm. Some of them jumped into the river and saved
her. — OC |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Classified | E-mail | |
