Transfer Policy for Docs
Govt to bring in law
Rajeev Khanna

Nainital, September 7
Having failed miserably over the past four and a half years to retain and appoint doctors in the remote and hilly terrain of Uttarakhand, the BJP government, towards the fag end of its tenure, is now talking of bringing in a law regarding a transparent transfer policy for the doctors. This was stated by Health Minister Bansidhar Bhagat during his visit to the Lake City on Tuesday evening. This was his first visit to the town since he was given the Health portfolio during the last Cabinet reshuffle.

When probed on the failure of the government in having done anything concrete with regards to a transparent transfer policy in the health sector, he was at a loss of words. All that he could say was, “It is sad.”

When asked further by The Tribune that prior to him, the Health Ministry had been with the Chief Minister, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, and yet nothing was done on this front, Bhagat said: “Maybe he was too busy with things.”

When countered that Nishank’s being busy with other things meant that health was down on the priority list of the government, the minister had nothing more to say.

He said he was now trying to frame a law to ensure that there was a transparent transfer law in place before the term of the state government was over.

The minister was candid enough to admit that the doctors are reluctant to go to the remote areas since there was no guarantee that they would be called back. He admitted that 80 per cent of the work force in the medical sphere was concentrated in the plains and efforts made at recruiting doctors for the hills had not borne the desired results.

“I am trying to put in place a law, not a policy, that will ensure that a doctor posted in a remote area is recalled to the main towns after a specified period. We are also building residential facilities for the families of the doctors working in the remote areas at Haridwar, Dehradun and Haldwani so that their families can stay there and their children can get proper education. We are also having interviews for doctors every Tuesday,” he claimed.

The minister also said the situation with regards to the shortage of doctors was set to improve in the next couple of years with 200 doctors passing out from the medical colleges in the state.

IAS officers given addl charge
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
There has been a change in the responsibilities of several IAS officers in the state. Uttarakhand Principal Secretary (Centrally Sponsored Schemes) S Raju has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary (Social Welfare Department) and Commissioner (Social Welfare). Principal Secretary (Planning, Transport and Industrial Development) and Commissioner (Transport) and Director (Industries) S Ramaswamy has been relieved of the charge of Commissioner and Director (Industries) and Transport Commissioner.

In charge Secretary (Panchayati Raj) PS Gusain has been given the additional responsibility of Commissioner and Director (Industries). In charge Secretary RC Pathak has been given additional charge of Commissioner (Transport).

Additional Director, Uttarakhand Administrative Academy, Nainital, and Additional Revenue Commissioner Avendra Singh Nayal has been given additional charge of Commissioner and Director (Employment).

Additional Director (Mandi Parishad), Labour Commissioner and Director Employment PS Kutiyal has been relieved of the charge of Labour Commissioner Uttarakhand and Director (Employment).

Protests on the rise in Kumaon
n Subdivision status for Muwani demanded n District status sought for Gangawali n Protest against non-inclusion of Thal in Didihat district
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 7
Snowballing effects of declaration of separate district of Didihat are being felt continuously in Didihat and surrounding towns as the people in many of these towns have started agitating for other small administrative units like blocks and subdivisions.

The protests have also been started by the people of the adjoining areas to demand inclusion of their areas in the new district.

The people of Muwani town in the Ramganga valley today blocked the Muwani-Thal road for three hours and the shopkeepers downed their shutters demanding the separate block and subdivision status for Muwani area.

“The people of Muwani have been continuously raising the demand for a separate block since 1965. The then Uttar Pradesh Government in 1992 had decided to look into their demands but nothing concrete happened,” said Ramesh Bamm, leader of the agitation and businessman of Muwani town.

In another demand for the area, the people of Muwani on Tuesday protested in the district headquarters demanding basic facilities for the area. “Due to non-responsive attitude of the administration, there had been lack of basic facilities in the area resulting in a large scale migration of villagers from this fertile valley,” said Naresh Joshi, coordinator of Himalaya Pariwar in the district.

The people of Berinag subdivision on Tuesday demonstrated in the town which was sponsored by several organisations. The demonstrators opposed the inclusion of the subdivision in new district and demanded the creation of separate district of Gangawali.

“The people of Gangolihat and Berinag are demanding a separate district of Gangawali. To include this subdivision in Didihat district has been seen as a conspiracy to scuttle the demand of Gangawali district,” said Dev Singh Kaira, president of the Berinag Vyapar Mandal.

The people of Thal town also held a procession in the town today demanding the inclusion of whole town in Didihat district.

“Thal town, which is spread across the Ram Ganga river, has been divided into two subdivisions of Berinag and Didihat. We want the whole town to be included in one district and subdivision of Didihat,” said Trilok Singh Bhaisora, chairman of the Sarv Daleey Vikash Aur Sangharsh Samiti, Thal.

“If the entire town will not be included in the proposed Didihat district, the people of Thal will boycott the Aassembly elections due next year,” added the samiti in a memorandum which has been sent to the Chief Minister of the state.

Delhi Blast
Alert sounded in state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
A high alert has been sounded in the state following a powerful blast outside the Delhi High Court today. The police chiefs of all the districts have been asked to carry out checking drives at all the sensitive places in the state.

DGP Jyoti Swaroop Pandey told The Tribune that there was a standard operating procedure, which we are following. Security has been beefed up at all the important places.

In the state capital, the police conducted a thorough checking at important places today. A police team, led by SP(City) Jaswant Singh, conducted the checking. A dog squad, bomb disposal squad took part in the drive.

The SP said the checking was carried out at the district courts, District Magistrate (DM) office, post office, Clock Tower, railway station, bus stand and the ITBP complex. “In the aftermath of the blast in Delhi, a high alert has been sounded in the state. We have been patrolling all the important institutions and places,” the SP added.

CM condemns terror attack

Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has condemned in strong words the terrorist attack in New Delhi and termed it as a cowardly act.

He has prayed for eternal peace to the souls of those killed in the attack and expressed his sympathies to the members of the bereaved families. The Chief Minister has also wished speedy recovery to those injured in the blast.

Terming the terrorist attack as highly unfortunate, Nishank said preventing such an incident in the country’s capital is a major internal security challenge. He added the Government of India would have to take firm measures to crush the forces that are bent upon bringing instability in the country.

While mentioning the Mumbai attacks, he said the occurrence of such incidents in quick succession had put a question mark on the working pattern of the security agencies. Nishank has directed the DGP, to maintain a high vigil at the Nainital High Court complex and other important places in the state.

Assembly Poll
First list of 21 nominees of UKD (D) out
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
The UKD (Diwakar) here today released its first list of 21candidates for the forthcoming state Assembly elections.

Party president Diwakar Bhatt will be contesting two seats, Haridwar and Tehri Garhwal. The party will also launch a public awareness programme in Kumaon from September 20 to make its residents aware of the party’s achievements. It will be launched under the leadership of acting president Luxman Singh Chufal. From October 2, an awareness programme will be launched in the Garhwal region under the leadership of former president BD Raturi.

Addressing a press conference here today, BD Raturi, a senior party leader, said they would contest all 70 seats in the state. “Members of the working committee have prepared a list of candidates. During a final adjustment with the BJP, some names may be withdrawn, but we will contest the maximum seats,” he added.

Raturi claimed that the party was instrumental in getting various welfare schemes launched in the state.

He claimed that the state government might wanted to take credit for these schemes, but in reality, it was Revenue Minister Diwakar Bhatt who was instrumental in executing government orders in this regard.

He also expressed hope that the matter of the party symbol would be settled by September 16. “Even if we failed not get the symbol, we will contest the elections for being a regional political party,” he added.

Acting president of the party Luxman Singh Chufal, who was also present on the occasion, denied being a part of a third or regional front.

Demand to reserve 15 seats for Punjabis
Team meets state Cong, BJP chiefs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
A delegation of the Dehradun unit of the Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha met state president of the BJP Bishan Singh Chufal and state president of the Congress Yash Pal Arya separately to urge 15 seats to people of the Punjabi community in the coming Assembly elections.

Harish Narang, general secretary, Uttranchal Punjabi Mahasabha, said, “The Punjabi community make 27 per cent of the total population of the state. We told both leaders that if they field our people, Punjabi voters will ensure their victory to the Legislative Assembly.”

He said they also demanded land to build community centres or inns for the Punjabi community. “As the land or plots have been given to people of other communities such as Gorkhali or Kumaoni to build their community centres, the Punjabi community should also be given the same. Our people have to stay in expensive hotels in the state.”

He said they also urged the leaders to include their demands in their respective manifestoes as well. The leaders assured them to look into their demands positively.

The delegation comprised members Rakesh Oberoi, SP Kochar, RS Rajan, NK Dutta, HS Anand, Gurdeep Singh, Guljar Singh, Sewa Singh, Amarjeet Sinhg and Phoola Singh.

Samajwadi Party demands service act
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
The state unit of the Samajwadi Party (SP) has demanded service act in order to check corruption in the state.

Addressing mediapersons in his party office today, party president Vinod Barthwal said, “It is necessary to implement service act in the state to end corruption and provide timely services to people.”

He also touched upon the issue of the capital of the state saying even after 11 yeas of formation of the state, the decision over the capital of the state had yet not been finalised.

“After a few months, the code of conduct will be declared, then the Chief Minister will not be able to make any announcement on this issue. This issue will thus continue to be pending”, he said. The party will stage protests on the issue of corruption and inflation on September 20 throughout the state.

Official machinery sings about govt achievements
Tribune News Service

Nainital, September 7
The state government has started fielding its official machinery at the district level for propagating its achievements and the developmental programmes launched by it.

In the first event of this kind, the top brass from the five departments of the administration appeared before the media at Nainital under the leadership of District Magistrate Shailesh Bagauli.

Bagauli, along with the top officials from the Health, Social Welfare, Education and District Supplies Departments, shared the achievements with regards to the different schemes introduced by the state government. Bagauli said: “The purpose of this interaction is that the people must know what is being done for their welfare and they should avail the benefits of these schemes”. He laid particular emphasis on the monitoring of various schemes.

Referring to the implementation of the Atal Khadyann Yojana, a flagship programme of the state government, Bagauli said the implementation of the scheme was being monitored both at the field and at the headuarters level. He said: “We call up villagers from our Disaster Control Room and gather the feedback with regards to the supply of food grains under the scheme”. Responding to the reports about the supply of rotten food grains under various Public Distribution Schemes (PDS), he said: “There are standing instructions that no rotten food grain would be distributed”.

The maximum concerns aired by media persons at the meeting were about the health scenario. The CMO, DS Garbyal, disclosed that the district had a shortfall of 40 per cent with regards to the sanctioned posts of doctor. He pointed out while there were ayurvedic and homoeopathic doctors available at most places, the shortage is mainly of allopathic doctors who are being arranged through all possible means.

Responding to a query with regards to the reports and complaints of 108 Emergency Response ambulances dropping patients at the doorstep of private hospitals at Haldwani that go on to fleece the people, Bagauli said he would get the matter investigated.

Stress laid on crop intensification
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
Experts have said the System of Crop Intensification (SCI) can considerably address the issue of food security and can prove to be a boon for farmers with small landholdings and scarce water resources.

At a state-level workshop on “Addressing Food Security in the Uttarakhand and Bundelkhand regions through the System of Crop Intensification”, Dr BS Bisht, Vice-Chancellor, Pant Nagar University (Kumaon), said the results of the SCI technique were encouraging and wherever it had been adopted the farmers were able to get 50 per cent more yield than that what they used to get by adopting the traditional method of agriculture.

“Pant Nagar University and the People’s Science Institute had together introduced the SCI technique on a pilot basis in the select villages of Tehri and Dehradun in 2006. Now, a total of 7,535 farmers in nine districts are using the SCI technique on 413.6 hectares,” said Dr Bisht.

While agronomists from the University of Wegningen (Netherlands) William Stoop emphasised the need to promote the technique as a complete package and also take the views of farmers while introducing the technique.

On the other hand, Dr Ravi Chopra, Director, People’s Science Institute (PSI), said the System of Crop Intensification, which had been introduced for the rice and wheat crops, has now been introduced for beans, coarse grain and soyabean in the state.

HILTRON chief dispels rumour of its closure
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
Chairman of Hill Electronic Corporation Limited (HILTRON) Luxman Singh Chufal criticised the state government for not providing any financial help to the corporation.

While signalling to some rumours regarding closure of HILTRON circulating around, Chufal said these rumours were false.

Addressing mediapersons on the HILTRON premises today, he said, “HILTRON is running neither in profit nor loss. It is also not getting any help from the Centre and meeting all its expenses from the income generated from its own resources.”

He rued the apathetic attitude of the state government in promoting the corporation. “There are 3,549 trainees who are getting computer training from 49 computer centres of HILTRON throughout the state. We want to touch the target of 200 centres in near future. Besides, we also wish to expand our reach to the rural sector but for that we need 50 per cent subsidy from the state government for our project. I have written several times to the Chief Minister and met higher officials in the Secretariat but of no use.”

Former chairman of HILTRON Kashi Singh Aeri, who is now with the UKD (Panwar) faction, also held a press conference on the same lines about the state government’s apathy toward the government undertaking which is under the administrative control of the Department of Information Technology of the state government.

Prisoner gives cops the slip
Tribune News Service

Nainital, September 7
A person undergoing life imprisonment at Sitarganj Open jail in Udham Singh Nagar managed to flee from the police custody in Haldwani where he had been brought for treatment.

It is learnt that 32-year-old Naresh Ram, who is a resident of Mona kanda village in Champawat, was serving a life imprisonment in the Sampurnanand Shivir prison in Sitarganj in cases of murder and attempt to murder.

He is a patient of epilepsy and had been brought to the Base Hospital at Haldwani for treatment on Tuesday afternoon.

He was to be shown to a neurologist. Before the doctor could be consulted, he managed to give the police personnel the slip.

A case in the matter has been registered in the Haldwani police station.

The incident is being investigated by the Circle Officer at Sitarganj.

It is barely over a week that two prisoners had managed to flee from the Suddowala Jail in Dehradun. They are yet to be nabbed.

Cheshire Home’s Founder’s Day celebrated

Dehradun, September 7
A cultural programme marked the 55th Founder’s Day of Cheshire Home today. Dressed in colourful dresses, inmates of Cheshire Home welcomed the guests with Saraswati Vandana followed by a dance titled ‘Dharti meri mata’.

Later, students of River Dale School and Play Pen School presented song and dance programmes. Visually impaired children from Sharp Memorial School also presented a scintillating folk dance. In his address, Chief Guest Vijay Dhasmana, Vice-Chancellor of Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, appreciated the work being done for the welfare of residents and efforts being taken by the staff to train mentally challenged inmates. — TNS

RIMC shooters win 22 medals
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
In the recently concluded State Shooting Championship held at the Jaspal Rana Shooting Range here, shooters of Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) performed exceedingly well by winning 22 medals (11 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze).

The following cadets won their medals in respective categories:

Peep sight air rifle: Cadet Akash Yadav- Gold, Cadet Kumar Vikram- Silver and Cadet Rajat Tripathi- Bronze

Air pistol: Cadet Ravi Pathak- Bronze

Peep sight air rifle (Boys): Cadet Gaurav Kumar - Gold, Cadet Prakhar Kaushik- Silver

Open sight air rifle: Cadet Mani Shankar- Gold, Cadet Mohammed Salman- Silver, Cadet Akhil Negi - Bronze

Sub-Junior: Peep sight air rifle: Cadet Shivtej Sawant- Gold, Cadet Prince Robin- Silver

Open sight air rifle: Cadet Yashasvee Raj- Gold, Cadet Neeraj Maurya- Silver

Air pistol: Cadet Atul Tiwary- Bronze

Col. Pankaj Kumaria, Commandant, RIMC, was impressed by the exemplary performance given by the cadets. He congratulated all participants and motivated them to raise their benchmark even higher. He also congratulated Khushi Ram, Officer In charge, shooting, and coach Havaldar Rana Pratap for their continuous dedication towards shooting at RIMC.

Welham Boys, Doon International in final
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7
Welham Boys School will lock horns with Doon International School in the boys’ final of the District Basketball Championship-2011 tomorrow.

In the girls’ final, Welham Girls School will take on Convent of Jesus and Mary. In the boys’ semifinals held today, Welham Boys School thrashed The Doon School 46-20. Yuvraj of the winning team scored 10 points while A Thakram scored 12 points for The Doon School.

Also, Doon International School got past Summer Valley School 21-18 in the second semifinal.

U’khand Police victorious

Dehradun, September 7
Uttarakhand Police defeated Garhwal Sporting 3-0 in a super league match of the district football league here today.

Ashok (38th minute), Saurabh Rawat (45th) and Naveen Chetri (60th) were the scorers in the win. Garhwal Sporting could not retaliate throughout the match and lost the battle.

Meanwhile, Akranta will face Wills Youth Club in another super league match tomorrow. Adhoiwala Boys will take on Uttarakhand Police on September 11 in the final. — TNS

RIMC beat Doon Valley School 1-0

Dehradun, September7
Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) got the better of Doon Valley Public School 1-0 on the fourth day of the RIMC Soccer Cup Tournament here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, The Doon School beat Col Brown School 2-1. Sharan Seth scored both goals. Vidya Mandir Moravian Institute defeated Maharashi 2-0. Another match between The Asian School and Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya ended up in a draw. — TNS