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Gadkari’s formula to decide party nominees
CM tells officials to expedite ADB-aided projects
‘Charges against BJP baseless’
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Ministerial staff go on strike, seek promotions
Poll on mind, Bisht to lay stones of projects
US firm picks 18 ESTC students
Continuing
landslides on Bhawali-Almora road
Assessment
tax on houses
Mukhawana lauds govt steps for welfare of Dalits
Gram pradhans back Dharchula MLA
Ambulance staff strike on
Regional front leaders discuss seat sharing
Declining
Female Sex Ratio in Uttarakhand
Farmers demand link roads to villages
Work for success of Rahul’s rally: INTUC
Man held for harassing wife to death
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Gadkari’s formula to decide party nominees
Pithoragarh, December 20 “The BJP president has conducted a study of the political conditions prevailing in all Assembly constituencies by his own and this time his formula emerged after the conduct of the study is likely to have the final say in distribution of party ticket,”
said Joshi. The BJP general secretary said after becoming the party president, Gadkari has distributed party ticket for state assemblies on the recommendation of study on the winning ability of ticket aspirants. “The formula of the BJP national president brought good results in Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam Assembly elections for the party,” claimed Joshi. According to BJP sources, the national president always keeps the survey agency as a secret and keeps changing such agencies. “Even the top leaders of the party have no information of which agency has been deputed to survey the comparative situation of the BJP candidates in their respective constituencies and what are the social factors being faced by the candidates,” said Joshi. According to BJP sources, the tally of ticket seekers will be finalised from the state parliamentary board on January 2-3 next year. A panel of three names on each Assembly segment will be sent to the central parliamentary board for the final selection of the party candidates in Uttarakhand in the first week of January.
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CM tells officials to expedite ADB-aided projects
Dehradun, December 20 The Chief Minister, who has been conducting a review of the projects at regular intervals, has directed the officials that projects especially those related to water supply and sewerage be completed on a priority basis. He has told the officials that the common man should not be put to any inconvenience in the process of execution of
the projects. Director of the ADB-aided projects Radhika Jha said here that under the Uttarakhand Urban Development Project, works related to water supply and sewerage are being executed in Dehradun, Nainital and Haridwar, in the first phase at a cost of Rs 220 crore. In this phase, work is in progress after constituting four contracts of water supply and three of sewerage in Dehradun, one of water supply in Haridwar and four contracts of water supply in Nainital. Under the project, the work of planning to lay pipe lines and sewer lines on the main roads in the cities was completed between August, 2010, and August, 2012. The implementation of works on the contracts began in 2010. These pipelines were to be laid on the roads of the Municipal Corporation and the Public Works Department. The works could be commenced only after permission from these agencies was received. After the receipt of permission in January, 2011, and February, 2011, works related to road cutting and laying of pipelines was commenced. The reconstruction of roads where the pipelines were laid between February, 2011, and June, 2011, could not be taken up from July, 2011, to September, 2011, chiefly owing to the rainy season. After the rainy season, construction work on these roads was promptly taken up at a fast pace. Instructions had been issued to the different implementing agencies regarding preparation of details of pipeline-laying work from the beginning till the reconstruction of the dug-out roads in September, 2011, and their timely completion. The works on these roads had been completed by November, 2011. Under the project, an expenditure of about Rs 90 crore has been entailed in the different works, till December, 2011. It is worth mentioning that about Rs 79 crore had been spent in the period from the beginning of the project till September, 2011, and about Rs 11 crore has been spent in the past two months. An expenditure of about Rs 62 crore is proposed to be made on these works in this financial year.
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‘Charges against BJP baseless’
Dehradun, December 20 “The Congress is scared of the rising popularity of Chief Minister BC Khanduri and the works carried out by him. Therefore, it is levelling baseless charges against the party,” said Bahuguna in a statement issued here today. Harak Singh Rawat had recently questioned the government on fulfilling the announcements made during the Cabinet meetings when the government was forced to take loan from the market. He had also questioned a stone-laying spree by BJP leaders. Bahuguna accused the Congress of adopting double standards.
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Ministerial staff go on strike, seek promotions
Dehradun December 20 Devender Sundriyal, secretary of the association, said the Chief Secretary (CS) had assured to fulfil their demands when they went on indefinite strike from June 1 to July 13 this year. But even after five months, the CS had done nothing in this regard. The members went on strike time and again in the intervening period. He said they did not want to hamper the ministerial work, which was why they were boycotting work for a few days in between but now they were becoming apprehensive as the code of conduct, in the wake of the forthcoming Assembly elections could be announced any day, after which the state government would not be able to make any fresh announcements.
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Russian ban on Gita draws people’s ire
Haridwar, December 20 Sanskrit scholars, pundits, academicians and several organisations have condemned the move and their view on the holy epic, which is recited and revered by billions of
Indians. Uttarakhand Sanskrit Academy vice-chancellor Professor Mahavir Aggarwal termed this “ignorance of some people” who didn’t know what the Gita is all about and the teachings of Lord Krishna given to his disciple Arjuna
really means. The demand of making the holy epic as “national book” has also been made with Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Pawar) activists staging a protest in the city. Pointing out that playing with the sentiments was seen in western countries but for the first time, Russia, which is regarded as a time-trusted friend of India, such a controversy had arisen, the UKD activists demanded an instant apology from the Russian side. Uday Ram Semwal, central secretary of the party, pointed out that Gita is for all to be followed. “Even Mahatma Gandhi used to say that the impact of Gita has been tremendous on me and so are billions of Indians. What the court has done is totally uncalled for and Christian Orthodox Church should explain what the points are there on which they
have any doubt”, said Semwal. Rana Ranvir Singh termed the ongoing controversy a failure of the Congress-led UPA government. He said that just a few days back, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was on an official state visit to Russia and it’s quite shocking that in his presence only such an controversy erupted and the Russian government was silent over this issue. |
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Poll on mind, Bisht to lay stones of projects
Nainital, December 20 According to the programme released by his staff, the minister will be dedicating a health centre to the people at Okhalkanda and would lay the foundation stone of the Danigadh-Manuvakhola bridge. The next day the minister will be holding a Janata Milan programme besides dedicating to the people newly built classrooms at a school and a community health centre (CHC) at Lavaddova. He will be spending the next three days on a public relations drive. The minister is expected to recontest from the area although the name of his costituency has changed to Bhimtal from Dhari in the new delimitation while a large portion of the constituency remains the same. His decision to go around laying foundation stones and dedicating projects to the public at the eleventh hour is being viewed with skepticism by the people of
the area. Although Bisht has been a frequent visitor in the area over the last five years, his performance has always been viewed with skepticism. He is one minister who while having the charge of Education Minister had made statements about several schemes that were “outlandish”. For example, he had talked of giving wrist watches to girl students so that they could reach school in time. His tall claims with regards to development in the area, which happens to be among the most remote and backward in the entire Kumaon region, had been contested only last month by the women residents. A large number of women residents from the Bhimtal, Bhawali and Ramgarh areas had disputed the claims made by Bisht. Speaking at an interaction with mediapersons, he had made tall claims with regards to the development activities in Ramgarh, Okhalkanda, Dhari and Bhimtal that form his present as well as the expected new constituency. He had claimed that he has got new roads made, hospital buildings built and upgraded, started new colleges besides several other works. The women had stated that while there were hospitals and health centres, there were no doctors or paramedical staff. There were schools where teachers did not go. There were tanks with no guarantee of a regular supply of water. The women had also pointed out that there were no test facilities at health centres and the people had no option but to go to the private hospitals in
Haldwani. |
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US firm picks 18 ESTC students
Haridwar, December 20 At ESTC 18 students were selected by American Power Convergence, which has its sub-unit in Rudrapur. The company HR took interview of more than 60 students out of which 18 were given on-hand job appointment offer. Students hailed from hilly districts of Pauri Garhwal,
Tehri Garhwal, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and rural areas of Haridwar district who couldn’t afford the costly professional courses but were given full assistance under this
NABARD project. ESTC student coordinator Rishu Rihan informed TNS that the students selected had just completed their courses in hardware networking, computer software and mobile repairing. HR Gopal Anand appreciated the immense talent among the students who lacked the educational environment earlier due to various reasons but have acquired the practical knowledge in their respective training programmes. Meenakshi Negi, a student hailing from the hilly Garhwal region, said her life changed when she began to take training in the centre and now finally has able to stand on her feet, helping her father in family
earnings too. The centre run by charitable trust yjr Meeree Te Peeri coordinated by Gagan Sharma and Mehtab expressed happiness over the student’s overall performance.
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Continuing landslides on Bhawali-Almora road
Nainital, December 20 At a meeting held here today, District Magistrate Nidhi Mani Tripathi constituted the committee comprising the SDM, Kaushyakutauli, the executive engineer of the National Highways Authority of India, the circle officer of the Bhawali police, a geological expert and the regional transport officer (RTO). The committee would be monitoring the stretch regularly and submitting its report on daily landslides over the next one week. Tripathi said if the landslides did not cease, traffic movement would take place via an alternate route connecting Almora to Haldwani. She has asked NHAI officials to submit the reports being sent by them to their officials to the district authorities also. She has also called for the regular deployment of the police on this stretch to provide security to the travellers. She has asked the SSP to address the issue. Tripathi has also ordered administrative officials and those from the Public Works Department (PWD) to constantly monitor the traffic movement on this stretch so that there is no untoward incident. DS Nabiyal, executive engineer of the NHAI, told the officials present that a geological survey of the area that had been carried out recently had shown the area to be extremely sensitive geologically. Tripathi has called for a survey to be done under the leadership of Charu Pant of the geology department of Kumaon University. She has once again reiterated that no vehicle be allowed to ply on this stretch at night. |
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Assessment tax on houses
Dehradun, December 20 People of wards number 1, 2, 13, 14, 25, 26 33, 38, 49 and 50 registered their objections before UP Nagar Adhikari NK Pandey, Executive Engineer Ravi Pandey, Dinesh Sharma, AP Sisodhia, Tax Superintendent Rajesh Naithani and Surender Gupta. The hearing will continue till December 24 to take note of objections of people of all the wards, after which a report will be submitted to the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari to finalise new rates. The rates for the AST had been published in local dailies in the month of February last year. The process came to a halt after the state government led by former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had closed down the entire process but it was resuscitated again this month after BC Khanduri took over reins in his hands. Under the AST, the residents are supposed to give detailed information about their houses, including covered carpet area, open space and their own assessment of the tax as per the rates released by the DMC. The corporation will also conduct its survey, picking random houses of various wards to corroborate the information furnished by the residents and also for its own record. It will also take into account the vacant plots in the
localities. |
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Mukhawana lauds govt steps for welfare of Dalits
Haridwar, December 20 The state Cabinet-ranked chairperson was on a visit to the city today taking meetings with the officials. At the state guest house, Bhagwat Prasad Mukhwana was given a grand reception by municipal and Valmiki community organisations. Speaking to The Tribune, Mukhwana pointed that the state government had taken several landmark decisions for the grade-D employees. He said that now the workers coming in this category would be given gratuity and other allowances in sync with the state employees, which will benefit more than 8000 such workers across the state. “Be it time-bound hike, ACP, medical benefits and giving us respect, our government has done in just five years what the Congress at the Centre didn’t do in more than 50 years,”said Bhagwat, who pointed out that living conditions of the health employees had improved in the past
five years. Vice-chief of the Valmiki Morcha Banarsi Lal thanked Mukhwana for his efforts in making sure that the Uttarakhand Sanskrit University be renamed as Bhagwan Valmiki University, recognising the efforts of Valmikis towards Sanskrit language. The Nikay Karamchari Sangh and the Safai Karamchari Sangh, too, gave a grand welcome to the chairperson. |
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Gram pradhans back Dharchula MLA
Pithoragarh, December 20 “I have applied for Congress ticket from this seat, which has become general this time. But, if the party does not give me ticket from the seat, which I have represented for two terms, my people have decided to field me as an independent candidate and they are determined to send me to the Assembly for the third time,” said Rajbar. Rajbar is a member of the Raji tribe, also known as Ban Rawats, the forest-dweller community of the eastern Himalayas, which has been declared as a primitive tribe and have only 560 members at present. The gram pradhans from the Dharchula and Munsiyari regions today met the sitting MLA and requested him to contest the elections for the third consecutive time. “The people of the area are impressed with his simple and inclusive behaviour and want him again to represent the poor people of the area in the assembly,” said Mohan Singh Koranga, a gram pradhan from Munsiyari and secretary of the Gram Pradhan Sangathan, Munsiyari, who led a delegation of pradhans from Munsiyari to request Rajbar to contest the elections again. The people said they wanted Rajbar to reject party ticket even if he gets one and contest as an independent as he did in two earlier terms. “It will be easy for him to become a minister if he gets elected as an independent as according to the predictions, the independents will have a say in the formation of the next government this time as no political party will be getting absolute majority,” claimed Puran Ram, another gram pradhan from Munsiyari subdivision. “I have sanctioned 36 roads in my constituency during my 10-year term as MLA, but due to the area falling under the Askot wild life sanctuary, work on any of these roads could not start. But my people understand that and are with me,” said
Rajbar.
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Ambulance staff strike on
Dehradun, December 20 The ambulance services today received all 2,504 calls, of which 241 were emergency. “We failed to provide assistance in response to these calls. If the field employees did not call off their stir by tomorrow evening, we will issue termination orders. In Dehradun, we will be able to operate five ambulances with the help of PRD jawans who have already reported for duty,” said Manish Tinku, state head of the EMRI 108 emergency ambulance services. Besides, the management was starting new recruitment from tomorrow and had already conveyed to the striking members that strict action would be taken against them, he added. In the Purola, Jaspur and Berinag areas of Uttarakhand, the “Kushiyon Ki Sawari ” run by the 108 ambulance services the under National Rural Health Mission ( NRHM) programme were stoned. “We have received reports that these mini vans were stoned,” said Tinku. However, the 650 filed employees running 126 ambulances have refused to budge. “The state has been promoting the emergency ambulance services as a major achievement but has done nothing to improve the condition of the employees,” said Roop Singh, emergency medical technician and member of the Dev Bhoomi EMT Pilot Welfare Association. He said unless their demands were met, they would continue with their stir. |
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Regional front leaders discuss seat sharing
Dehradun, December 20 Bhandari said they had decided to hold a meeting with President of the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha TPS Rawat on Wednesday to work out some kind of agreement over the distribution of seats and make an announcement about seats for the first phase of announcements in the next three or four days. He did not disclose much on the talks held on the seat issue among themselves today and said much depended on the discussions to be held with TPS Rawat tomorrow. Both Bhandari and Vijay Rawat condemned the decision of the Election Commission to allow booths to be set up by political parties outside polling stations. They said the decision would only benefit the big political parties. |
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Declining
Female Sex Ratio in Uttarakhand
Dehradun, December 20 The proposal was to be okayed at the meeting of the state supervisory board headed by the Uttarakhand Health Minister. “As we have a number of private ultrasound centres in the state, approval has to be sought for issuing directives for making the information open for scrutiny. The state advisory board was to meet in December for approving the plan but the meeting was cancelled” said Piyush Singh, Additional Secretary, Health. The declining female child sex ratio in the state has prompted the Uttarakhand Health Department to step up vigil on the ultrasound centres in the state in the aftermath of the districts earlier reporting healthy female child sex ratio too reporting a drop in the female child sex ratio. “We have asked the districts to hold regular meetings under the PCPNDT Act and also allow inspection of ultrasound centres twice a year in all districts,” said Singh. According to the latest Annual Health Status Report, the sex ratio at birth (SRB), denoting the number of female live births per 1,000 male live births, is the lowest in Uttarakhand. Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand has reported the lowest sex ratio along with two other districts. It was 764 girls to 1,000 boys at birth. Four more districts of Uttarakhand reported a sex ratio at birth lower than 800. Significantly, the National Family Health Survey-III had recorded the IMR at 42. The Uttarakhand Government plans to bring the IMR to 30 per 1,000 live births in 2012. Though the PCPNDT Act is in place in Uttarakhand, there have been certain difficulties in the implementation of the Act. Firstly, in the prenatal sex selection, the persons seeking the illegal service and the service provider are in agreement about the need to defeat the provisions of the law. The unavailability of evidence or a witness is the main hindrance in punishing the errant doctors. |
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Farmers demand link roads to villages
Pithoragarh, December 20 They are demanding that their villages be linked to roads and highways so that they could sell their produce at reasonable prices. “If the authorities failed to fulfil our genuine demands, Himalayan beans and potatoes will continue to decay every year and we will be forced to leave farming and find jobs in nearby towns,” said Harish Dhami, leader of the protesting farmers. Krishan Singh Firmal, a farmer of the Darma valley, Dharchula subdivision, said due to the lack of road connectivity from Madkot to Bona in Munsiyari and from Dar to Tidang in the Darma valley, more than 24 villages that grew
beans and potato had been facing many problems. “Potato and bean growers of Bona, Tomak and Golfa villages in Munsiyari and more than six villages of the Darma valley have to travel 6-40 km with their produce to reach the main road. This year despite bumper potato crop in these villages, the farmers are not in a position to sell it in the market,” said Harish Dhami. R. Rajesh Kumar, Pithoragarh District Magistrate, has taken the issue seriously and instructed PWD engineers to complete the road from Madkot to Bona and from Dar
onwards to make the farmers sell their produce in the market.
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Work for success of Rahul’s rally: INTUC
Dehradun, December 20 Presiding over the meeting, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Women’s wing state president Deepali Mahal asked party workers to collectively work for the success of Rahul Gandhi’s rally in the state. She accused the state BJP government of making announcements just to befool the people. Another speaker Kamala Tomar said the people of Uttarakhand had made up their mind to oust the BJP government in the state. She asked the INTUC workers to work for ensuring success to Rahul Gandhi’s rally.
— TNS
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Man held for harassing wife to death
Pithoragarh, December 20 The sister of the deceased also told the police that the in-laws of the deceased had twice demanded
Rs 50,000 from her father for running some computer business in the town, said Amit Srivastava, Circle Officer of
Pithoragarh. “The FIR has been lodged by the father of the deceased and Kamal Sing (husband)
and Parwati Dev(aunt) have been named in the FIR. We have arrested the husband and looking
for the aunt,” said the police.
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Dehradun, December 20
Haridwar, December 20
