Khanduri on stone-laying spree
Tribune News Service

Nainital, November 10
Playing up the steps taken by his government to curb corruption, Chief Minister BC Khanduri has asserted that the BJP government, under his leadership, was committed to bringing about good governance and administration in the state.

Carrying on launching of projects and laying down foundation stones for the new ones, Khanduri visited the Almora and Kitcha areas of Udham Singh Nagar today.

He is utilising the time available before the poll is announced and the model code of conduct is implemented.

He claimed that his government had taken unprecedented steps by making the institution of Lokayukta meaningful and by implementing the Citizen’s Service Charter.

He laid foundations of schemes to the tune of Rs 6016.25 lakh. The projects dedicated to the public include Community Health Centres (CHCs) in the Dhaula Devi, Dhaulcheena and Havalbagh areas along with an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Khunt, a power station at Kosi and a transport office at Almora.

He laid foundation stones of a nursing college and a Food Craft Institute at Almora besides construction of several roads.

The Chief Minister said the government wanted to take the fruits of development to the last man in the society and underlined that the government had done an unprecedented job by starting a new department named Suraj, Bhrashtachar Unmoolan and Jan Sewa.

He added that to implement a decentralised model of development, the state government had been taking steps to strengthen the Nyaya Panchayats. He averred that laxity on developmental front would not be tolerated.

Khanduri also said his government had also introduced a transparent transfer policy in the state.

In Kitcha too, Khanduri laid foundation stones and dedicated schemes to the tune of Rs 32.26 crores. Addressing the concerns of the farming community, he said the price of sugarcane would be declared in the next couple of days and the pending payment of Rs 10 crore for the last season would be disbursed to them very soon.

Addressing a public rally, Khanduri said his government was committed to making Uttarakhand a Devbhoomi and was working towards addressing the grievances of the people. Here too he played up the recent enactment of the Lokyaukta Act and the decision to remove the Value Added Tax (VAT) implemented by the state on petrol to provide relief to the consumers.

Minister hints action against scam accused
Rajeev Khanna

Nainital, November 10
Cabinet Minister Gobind Singh Bisht has claimed that in the next 30 days, some of the ministers of the former state government led by Narayan Dutt Tewari could be behind bars.

The claim came from Bisht in Nainital where he came to chair a meeting for making preparations for the Jan Chetna Yatra being carried out by senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani that is expected to reach Haldwani on the evening of November 18.

Bisht claimed that the Justice BC Kandpal Commission set up by the state government to probe into 56 scams that had allegedly taken place during the Congress regime, had submitted its report and had clearly indicted the Congress leaders in 17 cases.

“The guilty leaders will be sent to jail. The charges on which the former ministers have been indicted include scams in disbursement of farm implements, getting works done by the Public Works Department (PWD), Transport Department etc. The report has been handed over to the Vigilance Department and action would be initiated against the guilty soon,” he said.

Ironically, the state government, led by BC Khanduri had been attacked by the Congress following the resignation of Justice Kandpal from the Commission. The Congress has raised doubts regarding the resignation of Justice Kandpal from the Chairmanship of the Inquiry Commission while apprehending a scam behind the untimely resignation. Congress leaders have reportedly said it seems that Justice Kandpal was under great pressure from the state BJP Government, which was in a great hurry to release the report of the Kandpal Commission for using it as a tool against its only rival in the Assembly polls.

Before the last Assembly elections in February 2007, the BJP had promised in its poll manifesto to probe into alleged cases of irregularities in various departments committed during the five years of Congress rule in the state. In all, there were 56 alleged scams that had taken place in various departments of the state government.

On coming to power, the Khanduri government had appointed a one-man Commission under a retired High Court judge Justice AN Verma who had quit in February 2008. This had been followed by the reconstitution of the Commission.

The statement made by Bisht is expected to raise a lot of dust in the days to come as the Congress is expected to answer him with a series of counter allegations pertaining to the alleged scams that have marked the tenure of the BJP regime in the state.

When asked about the charges of corruption being leveled against the BJP government, he said, ”The Congress should provide evidence in support of their charges and prove that there has been corruption during the BJP regime.”

Referring to the rally being organised by the BJP on the occasion of the arrival of Advani’s rath yatra, he said the BJP is expecting a turnout of more than 15,000 people at the Ram Lila Maidan in Haldwani.

He said the yatra is successfully drawing the attention of the people against corruption, inflation and the need to bring back Indian black money stashed in foreign banks.

Govt gets tough with anti-dam agitators
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 10
Environmentalists and locals who are in the forefront of the anti-dam agitation in Agustmuni continue to be harassed by the government machinery, members of the Uttarakhand Nadi Bachao Andolan (UNBA) have charged.

“As if the illegal arrests of Sushila Bhandari and Jagmohan were not enough, the government is now adopting strong arm tactics to break the resistance of the agitators who have been organising peaceful sit-ins,” said Prof JP Pachauri, member of the UNBA at a press conference today.

He said to deter Sushila Bhandari from carrying out the agitation, some persons allegedly at the behest of the authorities had even tried to set her tent on fire. “The tent was being used for seeking shelter at night by the agitators but after the incident, a tin shed has been put up,” said Pachauri.

Affirming it, Sushila Bhandari said to protect the Awami forests in the Agustmuni valley, around 60 people from her village had been staging peaceful sit-ins.

“The government has even threatened my husband and son so as to indirectly pressure me. I was detained for 65 days, the authorities just whisked me away one day and detained me and later released me on personal bonds,” charged Sushila.

Sushila said she was raising her voice against the gross violation of human rights.

“Those at the helm of power make decisions without realising that the dam will destroy our forests, homes and farms. Our rights on our natural resources have been frequently violated,” she said.

The locals and the members of the UNBA have been protesting against the tunnel-based 99MW Singoli Bhatwari hydroelectric project which will endanger their villages. “A 12-km-long tunnel is being built for this project. This tunnel will affect 32 gram sabhas directly of which 13 gram sabhas are in danger,” said Suresh Bhai, member of the UNBA.

The UNBA will organise padyatras throughout the state in support of the villagers protesting against the tunnel-based hydroelectric projects in the Mandakini River Valley.

Minister: 3 districts to be developed as agriculture models
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 10
The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre is committed to removing corruption from the country and it will bring in three Bills, including effective Lok Pal and Judicial Accountability Bills, during winter session of Parliament, said Harish Rawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs while addressing media persons at Lohaghat town today. He was in the town to inaugurate a five-day cultural festival.

“The government does not oppose the organisation which has started a battle against corruption in the country, but this organisation will have to prove itself of being politically non-aligned,” said Rawat.

He said to promote agriculture in the hills and to create more job opportunities, the Union Government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 132 crore in the Twelfth Five Year plan for Uttarakhand.

“This money will be spent on the promotion of animal husbandry and establishment of chilling plants in the cooperative dairies in the state,” said Rawat .

“The district of Champawat in the Kumaon region and Uttarakashi and Chamoli in the Garhwal region will be developed as agriculture model districts in the Twelfth Five Year Plan. The Union Agriculture Ministry has sought proposals from the Uttarakhand government in this regard,” said the Union Minister.

Rawat also blamed the state government for not availing itself of the advantage of the schemes run by the Union Agriculture Ministry for the farmers of the state.

“We have continuously been asking them to publicise the Union Government schemes for agriculture promotion in the hills and the schemes related to the National Horticulture Mission and commercialisation of animal husbandry in the the hill region of Uttarakhand state,” said Rawat.

The Union Minister assured the residents of the town that the Centre had sought a detailed project report from the state government about setting up a potable water scheme for the town of Lohaghat near the the Saryu river.

Anna expresses sympathy for stampede victims
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 10
Gandhian Anna Hazare, who was scheduled to visit Haridwar as part of the centenary celebrations of Shantikunj founder Pt Shri Ram Sharma Acharya, has expressed sympathy with the family members of those killed in the stampede. Hazare had written a letter to Shantikunj head Dr Pranav Pandya, which was brought personally by Kumar Viswas, a core member of Team Anna.

In the letter, Anna stated that he prayed to God for the peace of the departed souls, strength to the affected family members and recovery of good health of the injured.

Though millions of Anna fans, who were waiting for the Gandhian’s visit to Haridwar, felt disappointed on the untimely canceling of the Gayatri festival, will soon be able to see the anti-graft activist as he will be visiting Shantikunj very soon.

Talking to The Tribune, Kumar Viswas said Anna Hazare would be soon visiting Haridwar, particularly Shantikunj, as he was almost set to come to the city to participate in the Gayatri family festival but as soon as the news of the stampede came he decided to delay his visit.

On the statement of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi over the assurance of Jan Lokpal Bill as given by the Prime Minister,the young activist said the fight against corruption would continue as assurances won’t serve the cause.

“We (Team Anna members) are being targeted both on the professional and personal front as we are with Anna in this anti-graft movement. But we are undeterred as public knows everything and the outpour during August Ramleela Maidan is a proof of that,” said Kumar, who urged the youth of Uttarakhand to take active part in Anna’s movement.

10 lakh take dip in Ganga on Kartik Poornima
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 10
More than a million devotees thronged the pilgrim city of Haridwar on Kartik Poornima to take a holy dip in the Ganga.

The whole mela zone was bifurcated into 9 zones and 27 sectors with heavy deployment of police personnel. The Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) was put on high alert while a bomb disposal squad, a sniffer dog squad, a cavalry squad, motorcycle-borne special snipers and elite commandos deployed at the important-sensitive sites of the mela zone.

Since wee hours of the morning, thousands of devotees from various states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, had started thronging Ganga ghats to take a holy dip on the pious occasion.

As per administrative figure, the number of devotees by evening touched a mammoth 10-lakh mark, with thousands still entering the city till the filing of the report.

In view of the Gayatri festive tragedy, today’s bath assumed more significance with the state government and the district administration taking no chances.

Garhwal Commissioner Ajay Nambiyal and Deputy Inspector General-Garhwal Sanjay Gunjiyal monitored the whole-day proceedings and assessed the arrangements yesterday by holding a special meeting at CCR towers.

1500 cops manage the festival
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 10
Taking a cue from the Shantikunj episode, the police laid special emphasis on security, crowd management and traffic regulation during the Kartik Poornima festival today. The festive bath passed off peacefully despite 15 lakh people thronging the city for the occasion.

At all strategic points, particularly those near the Har-ki-Pauri, entrance points to the mela zone and on the bridges, police personnel were deployed to ensure that devotees did not stand at a place for more than 10 seconds. The Mahakumbh plans were employed today though initially in the morning heavy traffic jams occurred on the Haridwar-Dehradun national highway.

Immediately, additional traffic police personnel were deployed at the intersections on the highway with Superintendent of Traffic Police Kiran Lal Shaw himself monitoring the traffic movement.

Heavy traffic vehicles were diverted to other routes a few kilometres before Har-ki-Pauri.

Local residents too didn’t have any problem due to traffic management as otherwise in past during such festive baths there used to be traffic pressure on inner city roads.

SSP Pushkar Sailal also lauded the efforts pitched in by the state police personnel in ensuring the mega festive bath passed off peacefully.

Circle Officer Shahjahan Khan said more than 1,500 police personnel managed the Har-ki-Pauri mela area while CCTV-camera monitoring was done round the clock.

“The police personnel worked round the clock managing the traffic and crowd. Had they been given responsibility at the yajnashala during the Gayatri family celebrations, the tragic stampede wouldn’t have taken place,” said former State Women’s Commission chief Santosh Chauhan.

Play depicts life, works of Darwin
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 10
A play titled “Darwin Tujhe Salam” on the life and struggle of Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, was staged here today. It was the 6th stage show of the play enacted here by artistes of the Sambhaw Manch, Dehradun.

The play depicted the life and works of Charles Darwin, events related to his concept of theory of evolution and struggle to establish it among the scientific community and church of the time.

“The more than one-hour-long stage show depicted how the troubled child Darwin, whom his father wanted to make a priest or a doctor, had a natural leniency towards the crabs and other minor species during his childhood and how he presented it in a scientific conference in 1863 amid opposition from the church which believed that the world had been created by God in seven days, which was a contrary thought to that of Darwin,” said Dr Ashok Pant, a avid theatre enthusiast.

The drama, specially meant for school kids, was directed by Abhishek Mandola of the Sambhaw Manch.

“We tried to create an impression among the students out of the show that extraordinariness is the product of not only the vision but also the capacity to resist on the assumption one stands for during his initial days,” said Mandola.

According to the organisers, the last show today was organised for the citizens of the town and common people who became inspired by the life of the scientist who created the theory of survival of the fittest in his book, “the Origin of species” which are still relevant despite two centuries have passed.

“The whole show was in the style of flash back in which the old Darwin narrated his story and how he struggled against the church to establish his theory which he concentrated and developed during his 5 year-long study in an island in the Atlantic region,” said Dr Ashok Pant. 

Statehood agitators up in arms
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 10
Statehood agitators in Champawat district are up in arms over negligence of their sacrifices by the administration despite their being genuine statehood fighters as per the documents submitted by them to the administration.

“I have spent seven days in prison during the statehood movement, but I was offered a fourth-class government job despite being qualified for a third-class government job. Even the pension meant for the statehood agitators have not been given to me so far. I have now decided to move the court,” said Prem Chand, a statehood fighter of Banabasa town of Champawat district.

The statehood agitators have blamed the administration for depriving them of the dues announced by the state. Those with their names mentioned in the first information report lodged by the administration during the statehood agitation have not been given the status of the statehood agitators. The district administration officials asserted that out of 210 statehood agitators identified so far, 39 had been given government jobs, while 8 persons who had declined to join the government had been awarder government pension.

Drug inspectors get power

Dehradun, November 10
Dr SS Sandhu, Secretary, Health, has given a go-ahead for empowering the Senior Drug Inspectors of the Kumaon and Garhwal divisions, thereby ending the monopoly of Drug Controller.

Earlier, the Drug Controller was entrusted with the task of issuing and manufacturing for both the divisions. Now, Drug Inspector Surinder Singh Bhandari would be the in charge of the Garhwal division and Drug Inspector Hemant Singh Negi, of the Kumaon division. — TNS