Strict action assured in cases of traffic violations
Haridwar, December 9
Day-to-day traffic jams, violation of traffic rules and haphazard parking will be dealt strictly by the city traffic police. This was stated by Superintendent of City Police Kiran Lal Shaw here today while on a field inspection of the city’s busiest intersections in Ranipur.

Dehradun, December 9
Along with setting up of mobile teams at inter-state borders for the collection of commercial tax, the Uttarakhand Cabinet today gave approval for the computerisation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) and also hiked pension for workers by bringing amendment in the Building and other Workers Construction Act rules and regulation.

While briefing the mediapersons about the decisions today, chief secretary Subash Kumar said the existing 22 check posts at inter-state borders would be completely phased out by April 2012, paving way for the creation of mobile teams. “It will help in improving surveillance and ease congestion at inter-state borders. The existing staff will be adjusted in the new system. The team members will be provided with GPS-based hand held devices for tracking the activities of the freight carriers,” said Kumar.

Out of the 22 border check posts, 16 are located at the inter-state border and six at railway station.

Dehradun, December 9
The Uttarakhand youth’s growing inclination towards joining the officer cadre of the India Army can be gauged from the fact that 10.44 per cent of the total Gentlemen Cadets (GCs), who will pass out from the IMA tomorrow, are from the state.

This was revealed in the demographic statistics of Gentlemen Cadets released by the IMA authorities for the passing out candidates of 129 regular and parallel courses today.

The most populated state of the country, Uttar Pradesh, however, leads the table with 108 GCs belonging to the state. Uttarakhand with 64 GCs stands a proud second. The youth of the tiny hill state of Uttarakhand, with a population of more than 1 crore, have shown some excellent results in terms of its representation in the academy in recent years. Sources reveal that a total of 367 GCs belonging to Uttarakhand have passed out from the Indian Military Academy in the past three years.

Coming to Haryana, 63 GCs from the state will pass out from the IMA tomorrow. The state stands third in the list. There are 48 GCs from Maharashtra, 37 from Rajasthan, 32 from Delhi and Bihar, 31 from Himachal Pradesh, 30 from Kerala and 29 GCs from Punjab.

Similarly, 25 GCs from the trouble-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir will pass out from the IMA whereas nine GCs are from the terror-hit state of Manipur in the North East. There are 21 GCs from West Bengal and 19 GCs each from Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Nine GCs are from Tamil Nadu and eight from the southern state of Karnataka.

Union Territory of Chandigarh has 6 GCs, Jharkhand 6 and Gujarat 5 in the passing-out batch.

Besides, there are 2 GCs from Nepal who have opted to join the Indian Army. According to the Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty, Nepalese citizens can be absorbed as commissioned officers in the Indian Army.

Haridwar, December 9
Day-to-day traffic jams, violation of traffic rules and haphazard parking will be dealt strictly by the city traffic police. This was stated by Superintendent of City Police Kiran Lal Shaw here today while on a field inspection of the city’s busiest intersections in Ranipur.

Local traders and residents apprised the traffic police chief about the day-to-day accidents occurring at Chandracharya-Ranipur-Bhagat Singh intersection which is the busiest commercial hub of the city.

Along side Bhagat Singh intersection, which is the gateway to the industrial region of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and SIDCUL, the road is in dilapidated condition, as just above it passes the old railway track and, as the under bridge is quite narrow, heavy vehicles get stuck, resulting in massive jams.

Chief of the Heera Complex Traders’ Association Uday Ram Semwal informed Shaw about the haphazard parking of two and four-wheelers as well as by autorickshaws, which has severely affected the business of the traders.

Chief of the Chandracharya Traders’ Association Mridul Kaushik pointed out that a number two-wheelers were being stolen from the stretch.The traffic superintendent assured regular policing of the area.

Subdivisional officer of the Municipal Corporation was also called at the site. He said paucity of funds delayed carrying out road broadening work but assured that as soon as the budget was passed, the stretch would be levelled properly.

Talking to TNS, Shaw said that he had called a meeting of officials of the Municipal Corporation, the National Highways Authority, BHEL and the Public Works Department in this connection and would be writing to the District Magistrate to ensure broadening of the stretch.

“We will then mark the separate lot for parking, will install traffic lights and deploy traffic police personnel, who will even impose fines on those who violate traffic laws,” said Shaw. He further added that already at two major stretches of the city - Devpura and Rishikul traffic lights - had been installed and traffic police was first making people aware about the methodology of the traffic lights.

Dehradun, December 9
A dilapidated building situated near Tehsil Chowk, which also houses five shops, was demolished by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) today to widen a roundabout under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Scheme. The shopkeepers did not retaliate except Ashfaq Ahmad who had procured a stay order from the district courts by evening but by that time most of the shop was demolished. Though Ahmad, who is an arms dealer, said his 70 articles along with other tools were lying in the shop, the DMC team, headed by Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (AMNA), continued the demolition process with the help of a JCB machine.

The AMNA said a list of the articles had been prepared by the police and those would not be destroyed in the process. He accepted that a very heavy almirah containing arms could not be moved out of the shop and was lying in the portion which had not been dismantled yet. He said it would be safely taken out before demolishing that portion.

It was when Ashfaq, who was raising a hue and cry for his articles and other equipment, the other shopkeepers too started saying that the DMC did not inform them about the demolition.

Rawat, on the other hand, said notices regarding demolition were served on the shopkeepers a month ago.

Dehradun, December 9
A round-table conference on the herbal sector was jointly organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation at Doon University here today.

Presiding over the meeting, GIZ Senior Programme Officer Subrota Rai took stock of progress made in Uttarakhand in the sector of medicinal plants. He disclosed that GIZ was an implementing agency and was working along with the Uttarakhand Government in the sphere of agri business. He held that the aim of the conference was to bring the diverse stakeholders of the sector, mainly cultivators, industry, institutions and researchers, to a common platform and share the road map, which has been mutually agreed upon, with the government.

Former Uttarakhand Chief Secretary RS Tolia called for efforts to redress the problems of farmers engaged in cultivation of medicinal plants. He pointed out that Uttarakhand had the highest number of registered medicinal plant cultivators in India but their problems were getting little attention. He, however, held medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) in Uttarakhand could lead to creation of big employment opportunities.

“Medicinal and aromatic plants in Uttarakhand have the highest export potential for cultivated species. These can be seen as one of the key sectors for providing employment and income to the hill people and a resource base for herbal industries which can give Uttarakhand wide recognition in the global arena,” he pointed out.

Former Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University AN Purohit said Uttarakhand had a potential of becoming a leading state of the country in the cultivation of aromatic plants. He emphasised need for a comprehensive study on policy interventions for the growth of the aromatic plants sector.

Dehradun, December 9
Deputy Inspector General Sanjay Gunjiyal has provided new routes for holding protests and demonstration near the VIP area at Cantonment Road and directed SSP GN Goswami to follow the new pattern for the convenience of the VIP-movement and people living in the area.

He made the alternate plan when residents of areas near Cantonment Road complained of perpetual trouble and blockage of their movement to him.

Gunjiyal said the barrier, which was installed before a police post at Hathibadkala to halt the demonstrations of political parties and organisations, also obstructed the entry of people on the other paths leading from the road. He suggested the route toward Vijay Colony, phase II and near Hathibadkala ideal to put up the barrier, which would not impede the roads in Vijay Colony Phase I and II. This will also not cause inconvenience to the residents of Shakti Colony, Hathibadkala colony and those living around the area. Even if in opting for this route, Survey Road gets blocked, then Johri village-Anarwala route at Rajpur could always be utilised as an alternative route for the VIP movement, he suggested.

Beside this, GMS Road and Chakrata are also other alternative routes in the prescribed alternate plan.

He said, “With the suggested plan, the residents and the working people of the localities will be able to commute peacefully. Even if demonstrators try to surge ahead across the bridge, the wall of the cantonment area will prove to be a barrier for them. The cantonment police deputed near the VIP premises will further control the movement of demonstrators.”

Dehradun, December 9
On the occasion of Foundation Day of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) today, Mayor Vinod Chamoli remembered the leaders of the state and the nation whose statues had been in a dilapidated condition. Chamoli said a number of statues would be installed across the city at a cost of Rs 10 lakh.

Addressing mediapersons, he said: “The master plan of a pilot project to build flats for slum dwellers is being implemented, so is the master plan to make Dehradun a solar city. The widening of roundabouts and the Chakrata road is under way. The obstructions coming in the way of reconstruction of roads after laying water pipes and sewer lines have been removed,” he said.

He said 20 shopkeepers have been rehabilitated near Raipur bus stand and 24 near Rispanapul. They had been removed from Pant Road, Lansdowne Chowk, Kolagarh Chowk and the Tibbet market.

He said work at Trenching Ground, burial ground at Lohiya Nagar, Town Hall at the DMC at a cost of Rs 150 lakh and the beautification of the Gandhi Park and the Clock Tower at a cost of Rs 36 lakh were going on at a good pace.

Under the Basic Service to Under Poor (BSUP) scheme, the construction of 1,250 houses has been proposed out of which 89 houses have been built and 125 are under construction. Similarly, out of a total of 150 night shelter homes and flats for the dwellers of slum colonies to be built under the Rajiv Awas Yojana, 80 units have been built, he added.

Dehradun, December 9
The Pune-based Institute of National Integration, which trains teachers of the armed forces on matters of religion, will be shifted to the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, shortly.

At a customary briefing held at Chetwode Hall at the IMA a day ahead of the main passing-out parade today, the Commandant, Lieut-Gen Manvender Singh, disclosed that the Institute of National Integration, which was based at the National Defence Academy, Pune, would be shortly shifted to the IMA here.

The Commandant said there was a hope for early start of construction of an underpass beneath the busy Chakrata Road that cuts apart the Academy campus with an adequate amount being released for the purpose. He said the academy was in touch with the Defence authorities at the Centre to ensure a speedy execution of the underpass project, which held much importance for the academy from the security point of view.

On the possibility of area-wise expansion of the IMA, General Singh said they had requested the Uttarakhand Government for the acquisition of vacant land near the academy and were awaiting a response from it. He, however, categorically held that the IMA was not interested in expansion towards the residential areas.

The Commandant disclosed that a total of 615 Gentlemen Cadets and eight Foreign Gentlemen Cadets will pass out from the academy tomorrow. The Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lieut-Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, will be the reviewing officer at the parade.

Dehradun, December 9
A remembrance ceremony was organised at the war memorial of the Indian Military Academy(IMA) here today to pay tributes to the brave alumni of the IMA, who sacrificed their lives in keeping with the tradition of patriotism and sacrifice.

The Commandant, IMA, Lt-Gen Manvender Singh, along with other officials and members of the martyrs’ family laid a wreath at the war memorial.

Five officers, Lt-Col CN Nanjappa, Lt-Col Nitin Bhatia, Maj PK Jindal, Maj Gurphej Singh and Lt Manoj Kumar Mishra, who attained martyrdom recently while operating at different places were also remembered. Members of their families were presented with mementos.

Martyrs, Lt-Col CN Nanjappa and Lt-Col Nitin Bhatia of 2041 Utility Helicopter Flight (3 MADRAS), attained martyrdom while carrying out an air patrol to validate capability of heli-borne operations close to the Indo-China border on April 21, 2011.

Maj Pawan Kumar Jindal of 26 RAJPUT sacrificed his life on May 4 while carrying out practice firing of hand grenades of his troops at the Garhi Ranges at Naushera in Jammu and Kashmir.

Maj Gurphej Singh of 13 MAHAR attained martyrdom on July 21 in the Northern Glacier under OP Meghdoot while trying to rescue his fellow Army men.

The youngest officer to have attained martyrdom is Lt Manoj Kumar Mishra (June 2011).

Dehradun, December 9
A day ahead of the Spring Term 2011 Passing-Out Parade of the Indian Military Academy, a multi-activity display was organised at the Polo Ground of the academy today.

The reviewing officer of the passing-out parade, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieut-Gen Jagath Jayasuriya, graced the occasion. The Commandant of the IMA, Lieut-Gen Manvender Singh, the Deputy Commandant and chief instructor, Major-Gen TS Gill, also witnessed the activities along with military and civil dignitaries, parents and members of the Gentlemen Cadets’ families.

The multi-activity display started with the flag hoisting and mounted salute. This was followed by exciting show jumping, aero-modelling display, kalaripayattu (Kerala’s martial art) and tent pegging. A splendid show of para motors was displayed by the team also known as “The Dare Devils”. Equestrian and PT display was also put up by Gentlemen Cadets along with a dog show and skydiving demonstration by the alumni of this academy.