Mool Niwas certificate Issue
Govt sets up panel to clarify its position
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 31
After Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik sought to give a political colour to the issue of “mool niwas”, the Uttarakhand Government has set up a committee to clarify the government’s stated position.

Kaushik had recently demanded that the necessary provision be immediately scrapped as it was detrimental to the interest of the students residing in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar where the “mool niwas” certificates were not being issued.

Soon after the creation of the state in 2001, a government order was issued for job seekers as well as admission seekers to furnish permanent residency certificates for jobs in Uttarakhand and admission to government colleges wherever seats are reserved under the state quota. This was aimed at protecting the interests of the bona fide residents of Uttarakhand.

But this year, while advertising for admission to two medical colleges (Srinagar and Haldwani) and to nursing colleges, the Health Department asked for the “mool niwas” certificates besides the permanent residency (permanent home) certificates.

So far no government order has been issued clarifying the meaning and category of an individual under the “mool niwas” norm. So it is unclear how this the “mool niwas” norm came to be clubbed along with the requirement of the permanent residence certificate.

Meanwhile, the Medical Education Department maintains that a needless controversy has been created over the “mool niwas” issue. “We are already through with the counselling for both the colleges. Where were the students compelled to furnish only the ‘mool niwas’ certificates. The admission-seekers can either submit ‘mool niwas’ or permanent residency certificates. In fact, there were certain sections that had even raised a hue and cry about the stipulation of 15-year mandatory stay for procuring the permanent residency certificate. This provision has been there since long and was introduced to protect the interests of the students of Uttarakhand,” said Vinita Kumar, Principal Secretary, Medical Education.

Devisaud Bridge submerges again; 50 villages cut off
Alternative Dharasu-Devisaud route has also remained closed with landslide debris blocking the road at several places
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, August 31
The rise in the level of the Tehri Dam lake that has now crossed the 817-meter mark has led to the submergence of the Devisaud bridge in Chinyalisaud. More than 50 villages in Tehri and Uttarkashi districts have once again been cut off from the rest of the world. Residents of these villages have been facing difficulties in getting food supplies and medical treatment, etc.

The alternative Dharasu-Devisaud route has also remained closed with the landslide debris blocking the road at several places.

The villagers lamented the fact that the area comprising Gamri-Dilchi Patti and some areas of Pratap Nagar, that fall under Tehri and Uttarkashi districts, are cut off from the rest of the world due to the submergence of the Devisaud bridge every year.

The state Congress vice-president, Jot Singh Bisht, said on September 26, 2010, the Supreme Court had passed an interim order directing the state government and the Tehri Hydro-power Development Corporation (THDC) to keep the connectivity of the area intact by constructing new bridges at Ghonti, Dhobra and Chinyalisaud, setting one year as the deadline for the completion of the construction of new bridges.

Following that the Centre had released additional funds worth Rs 110 crore but the state government is yet to begin planning for the construction of the required bridges.

Disaster Management and Agriculture Minister Trivender Singh Rawat said the work on the construction of new bridges at Dobra and Ghonti had begun but the work on the Chinyalisaud bridge had been delayed due to incessant rain in the state. The additional boats have been pressed into service for ferrying villagers across the Tehri Dam lake, added Rawat.

Timber smugglers beat up four forest
personnel in US Nagar
Tribune News Service

Nainital, August 31
Yet another incident of people involved in illegal felling of timber allegedly attacking personnel of the Forest Department has come to light in the Nanakmatta area of Udham Singh Nagar.

The incident happened close on the heels of the alleged beating up of department personnel by people involved in encroachment on forest land near Ramnagar.

According to information, on late Monday night, four personnel of the department were allegedly attacked when they tried to intercept six timber smugglers who were trying to flee with blocks of sagaun wood on their motorcycles.

An official posted at the Sutliath forest post has reported to the police that he, along with three others, was allegedly fired at by the smugglers with countrymade pistols. One of his colleagues, Chandrashekhar Bhatt, was injured in the attack. He has also given the registration number of one of the motorcycles on which the accused had fled to the police. Investigations are on in the matter.

Meanwhile, the Ramnagar police has registered a case against 54 persons in the incident related to the alleged thrashing of Forest Department personnel by villagers of Shivnathpur Naibasti near Maldhanchaur on late Sunday night.

Lower-rung department personnel have flayed senior officials for not taking the matter of frequent attacks on personnel of lower cadre seriously. This led to senior officials approaching the police for the early arrest of the accused.

They complained that in the past one month, there have been six attacks on lower- rung personnel who work in the field at the ground level. They have demanded that the accused in the incident that had taken place on Sunday be arrested before September 4 failing which they would resort to a day-long strike and stage a protest outside the office of the Divisional Forest Officer.

A team of Forest Department personnel, led by Ranger Satish Chandra, was not only allegedly thrashed with sticks by a group of villagers but were also pelted with stones when they had gone to Shivnathpur Naibasti village near Maldhanchaur on coming to know that one of the villagers was constructing a permanent structure there.

The village is said to be an encroachment on forest land. When they reached the spot, they were surrounded by villagers who allegedly beat them up with sticks and also pelted them with stones.

While personnel have accused the villagers of resorting to violence, villagers have alleged that department officials had entered a house in an inebriated state and misbehaved.

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra
Last batch reaches Dharchula
Tribune News Service

Pithoragarh, August 31
The last and 16th batch of the pilgrims going to Kailash Mansarovar today reached the base camp at Dharchula. The batch has 43 members, including 11 women,” said Sanjeev Rolpa, liaison officer of the batch.

The pilgrims took lunch at Pithoragarh after reaching there from Almora. At Pithoragarh, the batch was flagged off by Prakash Pant, state Cabinet minister.

According to the yatra officer at the base camp of Dharchula, a total of 761 pilgrims, including 188 women, undertook the yatra in 16 batches beginning from June 1. “The batch will enter Tibet on September 7 from the Lipulekh Pass and after staying inside the Chinese territory for 12 days it will return to India on September 19,” said Bachi Ram Arya, yatra officer.

According to the officer, this year a record number of pilgrims were found unfit to proceed further at the Gunji camp by the ITBP doctors. “Sixteen pilgrims were sent back by the ITBP doctors while two pilgrims discontinued the pilgrimage due to personal reasons,” he added.

Admn mulls steps for SSA implementation
Tribune News Service

OFFICIALS TOLD TO n Tabulate attendance in schools n Submit fortnightly report to the DM office n Supervise the distribution of books n Ensure construction of ramps for physically challenged students

Nainital, August 31
The Nainital administration will initiate a series of measures for the proper implementation of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

To begin with, District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli has asked Block Education Officers (BEOs) to personally visit various schools in their respective areas and tabulate the actual attendance there. They have been asked to submit a fortnightly report to the District Magistrate office.

At a meeting of the district-level consultative committee on the SSA held here yesterday, Bagauli underlined that coordinators responsible for the implementation of the flagship programme of the Centre at the level of block resource centres and community resource centres would be drawing adverse remarks in their career record if they failed to do their job in a proper manner. They have been asked to submit monthly reports on the schools located in their areas. Responding to reports of textbooks not reaching various schools in the district, Bagauli has ordered the BEOs to personally supervise the distribution of books in these schools.

Officials of the Education Department have been asked to sort out matters pertaining to the transfer of forest land for the construction of schools in coordination with Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs).

They have also been asked to get the incomplete construction works of various schools done at the earliest and submit utilisation certificates regarding money allocated to various schools to purchase furniture.

The district managed to spend only Rs 21.61 crore of the allocated 35.68 crore during the last financial year under the SSA. This year, Rs 40.32 crore has been allocated under the scheme.

Bagauli has underlined that toilets to be constructed in various schools must be built at places where there is a proper availability of water. As many as 110 schools will be electrified this year and officials have been asked to start the process of filling relevant forms for the purpose.

To address the concerns of physical challenged children, officials have been asked to ensure that ramps are built in schools where such students are studying. Public representatives present at the meeting demanded that the details of the works undertaken under the SSA must be provided to them.

‘Himalaya Divas’ on September 9

Dehradun, August 31
Himalayan organisations, under the banner of Hum, will observe ‘Himalaya Divas’ on September 9 across the country.

The organisations will also press for the setting up of an independent ministry to tackle the problems being faced by the Himalayan states.

Addressing a press conference today, the patron of the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), Dr Anil Prakash Joshi, said the main function would be held in Dehradun. “We will press the Central Government for the setting up of a separate Himalayan ministry so that due attention is paid to the problems being faced by the Himalayan states. We will also release a Himalayan policy and other policies prepared with the help of the people,” he said.

The divas will be observed in 300 places and among the non-Himalayan states Karnataka and Kerala will be participating. — TNS

Demand for instituting award in name
of Umakant Tripathi
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, August 31
The former president of the Uttarakhand Andolankari Parishad Ravinder Jugran has alleged that neither the government nor the administration was interested in conserving the memories of the Uttarakhand agitation, as even after 17 years of the Mussoorie police firing incident in which seven protesters, including DSP Umakant Tripathi, were killed at Jhoola Ghar on September 2, 1994, no award has been instituted in his name.

Jugran said he would extended his full support for the institution of an award in the Police Department in honour of Tripathi. He said during his tenure as the president of the Uttarakhand Andolankari Parishad one year ago, a recommendation was sent to the government to institute an award in the name of Tripathi. The Police Department had also positive on the recommendation.

Jugran said he would also take up the issue with the Chief Minister during his scheduled visit to Shaheed Sthal in Mussoorie on September 2.

Jugran said need was also being felt to identify the statehood agitators who have remained unnoticed till now due to the callous attitude of the administration. Jugran said the issue of naming roads after the martyrs of Uttarakhand had not been taken up seriously despite the recommendations of the Mussoorie Municipal Council several years back, leading to a sense of dejection among the kin of the martyrs.

Installation of mobile tower in Jauljivi
Residents block road, hold protest
Tribune News Service

Pithoragarh, August 31
Two demonstrators were held in the district headquarters here on the occasion of the visit of the Chief Minister of the state on Tuesday.

According to district administration sources, the people of the border town of Jauljivi and nearby area of Devalthal held a demonstration in the district headquarters on Tuesday when the Chief Minister reached there to address students of local PG college on the occasion of the annual function of their college.

The people of Jauljivi blocked the road between Munsiyari and Jauljivi for four hours at a bridge on the Gori river, demanding installation of a mobile tower in the Jauljivi area.

“We have agitated thrice, demanding a mobile tower in the area in absence of which 8,000 consumer have been deprived of the mobile service in this border town,” said Lila Bangyal, president of the Mahila Sansthan, Jauljivi.

In another protest held at the district headquarters, the people representing all 46 villages of the Devalthal area reached the district headquarters to protest against the likely inclusion of their area in the proposed Didihat district.

The protest was held under the banner of the Tehsil Banao Sangharsh Samiti, Devalthal.

“After the statement of BJP state chief and Didihat MLA Bishen Singh Chufal on the inclusion of the Devalthal area in Didihat district, the people are agitated as they do not want to be included in Didihat district as the proposed district’s distance from the Devalthal area is double than the distance to Pithoragarh district,” said Jagdish Kumar, organiser of the protest. The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate.

Later, the people of Jauljivi ended the blockade and handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the SDM of Dharchula, who was going to attend his programme, demanding a mobile tower near the town.

“If the government does not accept our demands seriously in a month’s time, than a hunger strike will be started in all villages of Jauljivi town,” said Ram Singh Pal, a local resident of Jauljivi town.

Id celebrated with traditional fervour

Nainital, August 31
The festival of Id-ul-Fitr marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour here today. Following the sighting of the moon on Tuesday evening signifying the end of fasting during the holy month, hundreds of Muslims gathered at the Flats Grounds outside the Jama Masjid to offer the traditional namaz.

The Lake City bristled with festive activities and wore a colourful look throughout the day as people from all faiths went about wishing their Muslim friends.

The prayers were held amid bright sunshine as hundreds of non-Muslims had also gathered near the Flats Grounds waiting for the Namaz to be over so that they could greet their Muslim friends.

Those selling balloons, toys, etc, did a brisk business as children went around buying these articles with the Eidi given to them by the elders.

Following the prayers the people had started visiting the homes of their friends for a round of Id goodies that range from “sevain” to “zarda” and “biryani”. A large number of Muslims also proceeded to the graveyard to pray for the deceased in their families and their ancestors.

The unique thing about Id prayers in Nainital is that they are held in a ground surrounded by a mosque on one side and a temple, a gurdwara and a Methodist church on the other sides thus offering a brilliant example of communal harmony.

Ironically, despite there being a considerable population of Muslims in the town and its adjoining areas, Nainital does not have an Idgah for special Id prayers. Reports of celebrations have also poured in from across the region. — OC

Kanwar police personnel honoured in Haridwar
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 31
After managing a whopping record of 1.40 crore Kanwariyas in just two weeks in Haridwar last month, Kanwar police personnel were honoured by the saint community for conducting the mega fair peacefully.

To appreciate the work done by the Kanwar administration, a felicitation function was organised at Dakshin Kali Peeth by saint Kailashanand Brahamchari this evening in the city. The function saw participation from senior administrative officials, including district magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram and all higher officials of the district police, including Inspector General of Police Alok Sharma, who was the mela in charge during four-month-long Mahakumbh held last year in Haridwar. With the police work going almost unnoticed at such big fairs in Haridwar, being acknowledged by saints and civil society was a moment to cherish for the cops too.

As SSP Kewal Khurana in his address said today it seemed that people noticed their work and boosted their morale to make sure that they manage the future fairs much better. As the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway was not closed for the first time in the past two decades during Kanwar fair, this year’s Kanwar cell police in charge SP Dr Kiran Lal Shaw was given the major credit for conducting the fair peacefully.

Informing about the planning for the Kanwar fair, Shaw said months before the fair, they had drawn traffic plan and other aspects in advance. Though the decision of plying Kanwariyas on the specific ‘Kanwar patri’(stretch) was taken just three days before the fair with the administration pitching in round the clock to make sure the stretch got viable for commuting.

“It’s one of the toughest jobs to manage millions of Kanwariyas in a short span, who throng the city to fetch holy Ganga water. We have to be more patient, cautious and physically tough too. But this time there was no violence, highways were not closed, local public didn’t get affected and a record number of Kanwariyas came. Thanks to each jawan who performed the Kanwar duty” said Dr Shaw who has now been given SP Traffic charge.

He also gave citation, shawl and appreciation letters to the deserving Kanwar force personnel at the function, which was well-attended by different sections of the civil society.