Now, CM’s constituency seeks district status
Tribune News Service

Pauri Garhwal, October 30
While the new districts announced by former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank are yet to take official form, the demand for a new district is fast gaining momentum, though this time from present Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri’s constituency.

The people of Dhumakot in Pauri Garhwal district from where Khanduri is a legislator are now looking to their premier representative to pay heed to their demand, particularly in view of the coming elections. Some organisations are of the view that if a systematic movement is carried out in the next few weeks, prior to the implementation of the model code of conduct, Khanduri can make announcement of a separate district of Dhumakot.

Under the aegis of the Young Unemployed Organisation (YOU), an agitation has been started in Dhumakot tehshil to press for the creation of Dhumakot district. The people of the area have cited the lack of development, tough hilly terrain and aspirations of the local people as reasons for their demand for a separate district.

The demand assumes significance as Khanduri is slated to visit Dhumakot on November 2, his first visit to his assembly segment since he assumed charge as Chief Minister for the second time. Also he is sure to contest from this seat once again and he can’t easily ignore the aspirations of the people of his constituency.

Manish Sundriyal, representative of YOU, while addressing a gathering at the Tehsil complex, said their demand for a separate district was very much legible as was that of Kotdwar, Ranikhet or Yamunotri.

“For the past 64 years nothing much has changed in the region when compared to other tehsils as no political party or leader has been serious about development of the Dhumakot region. As for the first time a big political leader like Khanduriji is representing the area in the state Assembly we have decided to up our movement as for us it’s now or never,” said Sundriyal.

Social activist Kuldeep Rawat said Dhumakot has been primarily a backward region and be it road, water supply, power, irrigation facilities, transport or even visits of political leaders, who were seen in the are during elections only, the region was one of the backward ones in the whole state. So only a separate district status can change the fortune of the people of Dhumakot.

The residents have decided to submit memorandums via different organisations to Khanduri during his tour of the Assembly segment.

Lokayukta Bill diversionary tactic of BJP: Cong
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 30
With the Assembly elections just a few months away, the Congress has attacked Major-Gen Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (retd)-led BJP government in Uttarakhnad for misleading the people on the issue of corruption.

The Congress leadership has charged the Khanduri government with trying to hoodwink the people of the state by bringing about the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill 2011. The attack came at the two-day Trainers Training Workshop of the Congress workers which began at Dhikuli, near Ramnagar, on Sunday morning. Party in charge for Uttarakhand Chaudhary Birendra Singh told the party leaders that they must convey to the masses that bringing about this Bill was a mere diversionary tactic of the BJP. He underlined that the institution of Lokayukta had already been established in the state during the tenure of former Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari.

He said by trying to bring in this new Bill, the BJP government merely wanted to divert the attention of the people from the load of scams and scandals that had marked the tenure of the BJP government in the past four and a half years.

At a Cabinet meeting held on Saturday, the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill 2011 was approved following incorporation of a few amendments to the existing Lokayukta Act. The Bill would now be tabled in the two-day special session of the Assembly beginning from October 31.

The government claims that the proposed Bill aims at getting rid of the shortcomings inherent in the UP Lokayukta Act adopted by the Uttarakhand Gvernment earlier.

Sources in the party disclosed that the Congress leaders in their address at the meet also laid emphasis on the party presenting a united face during poll campaigns. Till now, the party has successfully made several shows of strength among the public by presenting a united face but within the party turmoil has been reported at regular intervals.

The two-day workshop being organised at Dhikuli is an attempt of the party to galvanise its leadership for the ensuing battle. The party aims at training its leaders to ensure a good performance in blocks, districts and Assembly segments. Senior party leaders from the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi are expected to train the leaders from the state. Those expected to deliver their expert opinion on various aspects of poll management include Mukul Wasnik, Suresh Pachauri, CP Joshi and Girija Vyas.

Those attending the workshop included members of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), all legislators from the party, former ministers and representatives from blocks and Assembly segments.

The party leaders from the state are being apprised of the achievements of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre and how to highlight these achievements before the electorate. They are also being told about taking to the masses the failures of the state government, particularly the instances of financial irregularities and total non-performance.

Send it to a select committee, says NGO
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
In the first reaction on the proposed Lokayukta Bill to be presented in the Uttarakhand Assembly on October 31 by the state BJP government, Avdhash Kaushal, Chairperson, Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), Dehradun, a premier Non-Governmental Organization of Uttarakhand, has termed it “discriminatory and unconstitutional”.

He demanded that the Bill should be sent to a select committee and not be passed in haste for political reasons by the BJP government.

Kaushal said on the one hand the proposed Lokayukta Bill said the Chief Minister, all ministers in the Council of Ministers, all legislators (subject to the Article 194 of the Constitution of India), all government servants of Uttarakhand (including All-India Service Officers), lower judiciary, former Chief Ministers, former ministers and retired officers would be covered under the purview of the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill 2011, while on the other hand, the proposed Bill under the heading “Investigation and prosecution against the high functionaries” said “No investigation or prosecution shall be initiated without obtaining permission from all members and the chairperson against any of the following persons -- the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, a member of the Council of Ministers and any member of Uttarakhand legislative Assembly”.

Avdhash Kaushal opined that the provision was impossible when the practical situation arose. Moreover, it meant that if any one member out of 6 or 8 was not favoring the investigation and prosecution against the high functionaries then the investigation would not take place. Then the whole logic of this Bill would be defeated.

“This Bill is fully discriminatory and unconstitutional because before the law everyone is equal. Equality before the law is the basic principle of the Indian Constitution so you cannot differentiate between high functionaries, middle functionaries and lower functionaries,” said Avdhash Kaushal.

“The proposed Bill says that the elected members and employees of local bodies and co-operative societies and commissions (which are at present headed by the retired senior High court judges) are covered under the purview of the Lokayukta. But at the same time the Bill has left many other authorities like the police complaint authority (in the Bill it is mentioned as development authority)”, added Kaushal.

This Bill is specially designed for the “State” but seemed as if it is blindly copied from the Jan Lokpal Bill when the question of removal of a chairperson or a member of Lokayukta comes. As according to the Bill “The Chairperson or any other member of the Lokayukta shall only be removed from his office by the Governor on the recommendation of the SC on any of the grounds which are mentioned in the Bill”.

But at the same time when this Bill is proposed for the “State” and they get salaries and allowances from consolidated funds of the state, then why to go to the Supreme Court and why not to the High Court. They cannot ignore the presence of the High court as this is unconstitutional.

“The proposed Bill has many weaknesses, looks very ineffective, discriminatory and most importantly it is against the principles and spirit of the Indian Constitution. So it should not be passed in haste. It should be referred to the standing committee. The opinion and views of experts and members of the civil society should be taken in details. The government has drafted this Bill under the supervision and guidance of Arvind Kejriwal who is ignorant about the law. The Bill seems that it is only targeting the bureaucrats”, said Avdhash Kaushal.

Bill flawed: Panwar
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
President of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar) Trivender Singh Panwar flayed the state government for taking unilateral decision in the matter of the Lokayukta Bill. Addressing a press conference in the party office today, Panwar said, “There is no point in calling an all-party meet on the Lokayukt Bill when Chief Minister BC Khanduri had already got the Bill passed in the Cabinet. It should have been other way round where Khanduri should have taken all major recognised political parties into confidence and talked to civil groups as well before passing the Lokayukt Bill in its present form.”

Panwar called the Bill flawed and said, “The Bill does not cover some 50,000 NGOs which are operating in the state and are usually headed by the wives or relatives of higher officials.”

He also pinpointed that the CM tried to hoodwink people by making a provision whereby strong action could be taken against civil servants and ministers through a majority voting by a team of 11 members but needed cent per cent voting to remove the Chief Minister of the state.”

Panwar said Khanduri passed the Bill in haste only to get publicity before the Assembly elections. He questioned his integrity saying, “If the Chief Minister is serious about corruption, then he should order an inquiry into scams related to Kumbh Mela and SAF games and take

action against tainted ministers and bureaucrats. But he did none of these.”

Khanduri woos ex-servicemen
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri has called upon ex-servicemen of the state and their family members to play an active role in the development of the country as well as the state.

Inaugurated a rally of ex-servicemen organised at the initiative of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment in the auditorium of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University at Srinagar Garhwal today, the Chief Minister said all should seek inspiration from the disciplined way of life of the soldiers and their spirit of a total sacrifice for the sake of the country.

Praising the contribution of the soldiers in the security of the nation, he said even after their retirement, the ex-servicemen could play a valuable active role in the all-round development of the country and the state while remaining active in public life.

Khanduri said being a soldier himself, he was well aware and accustomed with the spirit of sacrifice of the soldiers. He said the state government, while making respectable enhancement in the incentive amount to be given to award winning soldiers, had increased the grant amount given to the different medal winning soldiers in Uttarakhand by 200 per cent.

On the occasion, while giving assurance to continue working in the interest of the soldiers, the Chief Minister said Uttarakhand was the first state in the country to give a maximum grant to soldiers in their lifetime.

He said a representative on an honorarium of Rs 4,000 had been appointed in every block to resolve the problems of the soldiers and the facility of mobile phone had also been provided to him to coordinate with the respective authorities. The state government had helped raise four companies of Eco-task force out of its own resources, he said.

He hoped that ex-soldiers would help develop the villages and serve as an example to other residents, while continuing to maintain the training and character acquired during the service period. On the occasion, the Chief Minister gave financial assistance to widows and wives of ex-servicemen.

Commandant of the Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre Brigadier Sarad Chandra while proposing a vote of thanks said the Chief Minister had operationalised various schemes and programmes for the welfare of the ex-servicemen by going much beyond the resources of the state.

He also thanked the Chief Minister for the grant of 22 bighas of land and financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh for the construction of a Warrior Girls and Wives Hostel.

Those who were present on the occasion were Srinagar (Garhwal) MLA Brijmohan Kotwal, Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University SK Singh and Principal of Medical College Sneh Lata Sood.

Temporary bridge built on Gaula river
Tribune News Service

Nainital, October 30
With the construction of a temporary bridge on the Gaula river near Amritpur, villagers of the area have got a respite. They can now cross the river without any fear of an accident, at least till the next monsoon sets in. The original Amritpur-Pasauli hanging bridge had been devastated in the monsoon and since then residents of the area had been crossing the river on a daily basis by risking their lives. It is a miracle of sorts that no untoward incident took place all this while.

The most vulnerable section that had been crossing the devastated hanging bridge were students of government schools of Ganja and Aamiya villages. The parents had been compelled to spend several hours under stress till their wards reached home safely. These children used to cross the river by hanging on to the wires and ropes on the broken bridge with the river in full spate flowing under them.

The problems being faced by the residents of the area on account of the bridge having been devastated had been highlighted by the media both at the local and national levels. With the bridge having been devastated in the third week of August, assurances had been given by the administration that it would be repaired soon. However, nothing had been done so far.

After the devastation, the then District Magistrate, Shailesh Bagauli, had travelled extensively in the rural areas around Haldwani to take stock of the damage done by the rains and had visited the Amritpur-Pasauli hanging bridge that was devastated.

Kedarnath’s palanquin reaches Ukhimath
Tribune News Service

Pauri Garhwal, October 30
The palanquin of Baba Kedar of the world-famous shrine of Kedarnath reached the Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath today at 11:30 am where for the next six months of winter, till the opening of the portals of the Kedarnath temple in 2012, the rituals at statue of Lord Shiva will be performed.

Prior to reaching Omkareshwar, the palanquin was well received at Guptkashi where the residents of the nearby villages welcomed the procession with gaiety. The villagers of Doli Shersi, Badassu, Fatta, Mekhanda, Bhyung, Narayankoti and Nala were present in large numbers.

Meanwhile, at GuptKashi, as a welcome gesture, a two-day “Shri Kashi-Kedar Mahotsava” is being organised at Government Intermediate College. Inaugurating the festival, Zila Panchayat Chairman Chandi Prasad Bhatt termed the festival as an initiative to spread the culture of the region.

He said apart from a large number of people from India foreigners too come to know about our rich cultural heritage through such festivals. Such festivals paved the way for development of tourism in the state.

Chief of the organising committee Vipin Semwal said this festival was being organised at Guptkashi for the past three years and the turnout is an ample proof that it was living up to the motive for which it had been conceived.

Apart from cultural programmes, exhibition and a mini-fair are attracting a large number of people from the region as well as other parts of the country.

Lata Shukla, an arts teacher who has exhibited her paintings at the fair, said such platforms were rare in the region and as they got wide coverage and appreciation from the visitors, they work hard for their paintings to be put up at the fair.

Notably, this year a total of 5,70,000 pilgrims visited the Kedarnath shrine situated in the Garhwal Himalayas.

CM opens projects at Thatyur
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, October 30
Chief Minister BC Khanduri, who is on a whirlwind tour of the region, inaugurated and laid foundation stones of several development projects at the headquarters of the Jaunpur block at Thatyur today.

Khanduri arrived at Thatyur at 1.30 pm and inaugurated the PWD inspection house. He also inaugurated several roads, including the Doodhli-Dibogi-Gandhiyal road and the Almas-Bhavan-Nagun road, in the region.

Addressing a gathered in Dhana village near Thatyur, he said the menace of corruption had been hindering the development of the state. He claimed that his government was committed to eradicating corruption by drafting an effective Lokpal Bill.

He, however, also urged the people of the state to bring about change in their attitude if they wanted to ger rid of this menace.

On health services in the state, he said with the opening of Srinagar Medical College, the problem of doctors’ shortage would be solved and it also would help improving health services in the state.

On the Rishikesh-Karnprayag railway track project, Khanduri said the Congress wanted to take credit for the project, whereas it was BJP leaders who had raised the issue in Parliament on several occasions. He claimed that it was due to the efforts of these leaders that the project had got the Central nod.

Being critical of the Congress for inviting UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for the inauguration of the railway track, Khanduri said it would have been ethically correct if the Railways Minister or some representative from the Central Government would have been invited for the inauguration of the project.

Uttarakhand Khel Parishad president Narayan Singh Rana, block pramukh Geeta Rawat, former MLA Lakhi Ram Joshi, district president of the BJP Vinod Suyal and senior BJP leader Manvir Singh Negi were also present.

CPI (ML) seeks railway line for Kumaon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
In the backdrop of United Progressive Alliance Government chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s proposed visit to the state for laying foundation stone for the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line on November 9, the state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) had also demanded laying of foundation stone for the Tanakpur-Bageshwar-Joljeebi railway line in the Kumaon region.

At a meeting of the CPI (ML) held in Pithoragarh today, CPI (ML) speakers even accused the local Pithoragarh MP Pradeep Tamta of failing to take up the Tanakpur-Bageshwar-Joljeebi railway line with the Centre.

Criticising Pradeep Tamta for undertaking no efforts towards ensuring laying of railway line, CPI (ML) Pithorogarh district in charge Govind Kaflia alleged that the MP had failed to take up railway line issue forcefully within the UPA.

“Pradeep has for long been advocating a separate policy for the Himalayan states in the country, but he did not take any initiative for laying of the railway line in his own constituency of Almora Pithoragarh”, Govind Kaflia said.

He said the CPI (ML) on Monday will be submitting a memorandum addressed to the President to the District Magistrate, Pithoragarh demanding the President’s intervention for the laying of the line.

MP flays BJP over project

Dehradun: Garhwal MP and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence Satpal Maharaj has asked the ruling BJP not to indulge in negative politics over proposed laying of Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway track in the state.

In a statement issued here today, Satpal Maharaj said the people of Uttarakhand knew very well about the efforts undertaken by the Congress to ensure that the proposal to lay the railway line from Rishikesh to Karanprayag saw the light of the day.

He said he as Union Minister of State for Railways on August 14, 1996, had made an announced about the survey for laying of the railway track. He said no BJP leader ever made any effort in this regard.

He disclosed that the Railway Budget presented on February, 2010, even released Rs 40 crore for the survey which concluded by September, 2010. The senior Congress leader said the track would be laid within a period of five years. — TNS

Jwala Devi temple fair held
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, October 30
Devotees today gathered in large numbers at the Jwala Devi temple to celebrate the 19th religious-cum-tourism fair. The temple is situated on Benog Hill, about 5 km from here.

The festival, organised by the Maa Jwala Devi Mandir Samiti, Mussoorie, began with the temple priests offering flower petals to the Goddess and performing the religious rituals. The symbolic flame was also kindled.

A cultural programme was organised under the aegis of the Durga Vahini Kala Manch, Mussoorie, and Gandiala village and it was much appreciated by the devotees.

The chief guest on the occasion, former Mandi Samiti president Upendar Thapli, along with his wife Godavari, sought blessings of the Goddess.

Manch irked over neglect of statehood agitators
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
The Uttarakhand Rajya Andolankari Manch has expressed concern over neglect of statehood agitators by the state government.

Presiding over a meeting of the manch at the Martyrs’ Memorial here, Jagmohan Negi, its president, alleged that the successive governments in Uttarakhand had ignored the concerns of statehood agitators. He said while many statehood agitators were still to get pensions, the others had been denied concessions in public transport fares.

Deepak Faraswan raked up the issue of rampant sale and purchase of land in Uttarakhand. He called for stringent laws for curbing the sale and purchase of land by outsiders in Uttarakhand.

Prithvi Singh Negi said the present political parties in Uttarakhand had failed to realise the dreams of the statehood martyrs. He said the corruption had seeped into the government machinery in Uttarakhand and the genuine concerns of the people were nowhere on the government’s agenda.

Society for thorough probe into Rudrapur riots
To stage dharna in front of Assembly tomorrow
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 30
Demanding a thorough probe into the Rudrapur riots on October 2, members of the Minority Welfare Society today announced to stage a dharna in front of the state Assembly on November 1.

Sibte Nabi, president of the society, expressed solidarity with the families of those killed during the riots.

He also urged the state government to give a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the victims and adequate compensation to those whose shops and business establishments were burnt or looted.

He said members of all communities were expected to participate in the dharna.

Injured tiger yet to be traced

Dehradun, October 30
The Corbett Park authorities in Uttarakhand are still to trace the tiger that was injured after being hit by a speeding vehicle in the adjacent Ramnagar forest division a few days back.

After failing to locate the injured tiger, the Corbett Park authorities have now put up camera traps in both Ramangar and Terai Central forest divisions that fall on the periphery of the Corbett Park.

Six teams of foresters have also been deployed in the two forest divisions to locate the tiger. Conservator of Forests RS Bisht leading the combing operations disclosed that they were still to locate the injured tiger.

He said the injured tiger could have travelled long inside the forests. A few days back a tiger was hit by a speeding vehicle on the busy Haldwani-Ramnagar Road in the Corbett region. The injured tiger subsequently escaped in the forests. — TNS