CBI goes through documents but refuses to comment
Mussoorie, January 10
The three-member team from the CBI headed by Inspector IMS Negi arrived at the office of the Mussoorie Municipal Council to probe into the alleged graft charges levelled by petitioner Vinod Thapliyal through a PIL filed in the High Court.

PM to address meetings in Rudrapur, Rishikesh on Jan 20
Dehradun, January 10
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to address election meetings during Uttarakhand Assembly polls at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district and Rishikesh in Dehradun district on January 20.

Dehradun January 10
It was on Tuesday that 19 candidates of various parties filed their nomination forms, among whom Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, former Chief Minister, also filed his forms for the Doiwala seat.

The others were Pritam Singh of the Congress, Arjuni Devi of the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha (URM) for Chakrata, Chander Mohan, Independent, for Vikasnagar, Sahib Singh Pundir of the BSP for Sahaspur, Umesh Kumar, Independent, Bahadur Singh Rawat of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal for Dharampur, Umesh Sharma Kow of the Congress, Shiv Sagar Thapa of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party for Dharampur, Rajiv Gupta of the Rashtriya Jansahay Dal for Dehradun Cantt, Capt Mohan Lal Bangwal, Independent, Sanjay Goyal of the Samajwadi Party for Mussoorie, Prem Prakash of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party, Anuj Dimri, Independent, Manish Nagpal, Independent, Savan Chand Ramola of the Janata Dal United for Doiwla, Prem Chand Aggarwal of the BJP, Ram Sharan Bhatt, Independent, and Shobha Ram Raturi of the Sainik Samaj Party for the Rishikesh seat.

As compared to yesterday, Tuesday’s was a lacklustre affair in the DM building at Dehradun, where ex-Chief Minister and BJP leader Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank did not come with a rally of his supporters as was expected. He left them at Race course and came with a few supporters at the District Magistrate office in a car to file his nomination papers. In his inimitable style, he said his government made umpteen good and historic decisions for the public welfare because of which the BJP would once again regain power in the state.

On the question that his removal from the position of Chief Minister would affect his prospects at his constituency, he said the change in the guard was purely the decision of the organisation and it would not cast any shadow on the work done by him for the people of the state.

Umesh Sharma Kow, Congress candidate and former deputy mayor, came garlanded with a cavalcade of his supporters, who danced away on the dhol beat while ranting slogans, wishing victory for Sharma.

District Election Officer/District Magistrate Dileep Jawalkar said a total of 33 nomination forms were received by different candidates in Dehradun district today - 2 in Vikasnagar, 5 in Sahaspur, 2 in Dharmapur, 5 in Raipur, 3 in Rajpur, 4 in Dehradun Cantt, 5 in Mussoorie, 6 in Doiwala and 1 in Rishikesh.

Pithoragarh: A large number of Congress candidates, including Mahendra Singh Mahra, Govind Singh Kunjwal, Manoj Tiwari, Rajendra Barakoti, Narain Ram Arya, Mayuk Singh Mahar, Harish Dhami; BJP stalwarts Bishen Singh Chufal, Geeta Thakur and Chandan Ram Dass; Congress rebel candidate from Someswar Rekha Arya; BSP candidate Madan Singh Mahar and UKD (P) candidate Kashi Singh Airy filed their nomination papers before returning officers of their subdivisions in the Kumaon region yesterday.

In Pithoragarh, Congress candidate Mayukh Singh Mahar filed his nomination papers before returning officer Ram Dutt Paliwal. Mahar was the lone candidate to file his papers from the Pithoragarh seat yesterday. Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha candidate KN Kapri also filed his papers.

For the Gangolihat Assembly seat, Narain Ram (Congress) and Geeta Thakur (BJP) filed their nomination papers before the returning officer PC Dumka. At Dharchula, UKD (P) leader Kashi Singh Airy and Congress candidate Harish Dhami filed their papers.

In Almora district, while Congress candidates Manoj Tiwari, Govind Singh Kunjwal and Rajendra Barakoti filed their nomination papers from Almora, Jageshwar and Someshwar seats, respectively, Shobha Joshi of the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha could not file her papers as she could not reach the office of the returning officer in time.

Uttarakhand BJP president and party candidate Bishen Singh Chufal filed his papers at Didihat while BS Negi of the BJP filed his papers from the Jageshwar seat before the returning officer at Almora.

At Bageshwar, BJP candidate from Kapkot Balwant Bhauriyal, along with BSP candidate Karam Singh, filed his nomination papers and Chandan Ram Dass and BR Dhauni, candidates of the BJP and the BSP, respectively, filed their papers from the Bageshwar seat.

In Champawat district, Congress candidate Mahendra Singh Mahra filed his nomination papers from the Lohaghat Assembly seat. Madan Singh Mahar and Govind Pandey, BSP candidates, also filed their papers from Champawat and Lohaghat seats, respectively.

In Almora district, Congress candidates Ranjit Singh Rawat and Karan Singh Mahra filed their papers before the returning officer, Ranikhet, while BJP candidates Surendra Singh Jeena and Narendra Singh Bisht filed their papers from the Salt and Dwarahat Assembly seats, respectivley.

Dehradun, January 10
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to address election meetings during Uttarakhand Assembly polls at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district and Rishikesh in Dehradun district on January 20.

Vijay Bahuguna, Tehri Garhwal Cong MP, announced here today that the Prime Minister’s visit would depend on the security clearance by the Special Protection Group (SPG). Congress president Sonia Gandhi will also be visiting Tehri Garhwal and Roorkee on January 17. Gandhi could not visit Uttarakhand on two earlier occasions. She could not make it to attend the laying of foundation stone of Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line at Gauchar in Chamoli district on November 9, 2011. Later, she also could attend the party’s rally at Haldwani in the last week of December.

Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary, would also be visiting Uttarakhand on January 23 and 24, attending at least six meetings at Uttarkashi, Srinagar, Garhwal, Pithoragarh and Almora.

A large number of Central Congress leaders, including Congress chief ministers would also be attending at least 65 public meetings throughout the length and breadth of the state during the next fortnight. 

Dehradun, January 10
BJP leader and ace shooter Jaspal Rana, who is a close relative of senior party leader Rajnath Singh, joined the Congress here today.

Birender Singh, general secretary and in-charge of Congress affairs in Uttarakhand, and party MP from Tehri Garhwal Vijay Bahuguna made this announcement at a press conference here.

Rana, an Arjuna awardee, had fought the 2009 parliamentary elections on the BJP ticket from the Tehri Garhwal seat but lost to Vijay Bahuguna. Rana’s sister is married to Rajnath Singh’s son. Rana’s father Narayan Singh Rana was a minister in the interim government of Uttarakhand in 2002.

Rana told mediapersons that he had been impressed by the appeal of Rahul Gandhi, who had motivated scores of youth across the country to join the Congress. “I have not joined the Congress to fight elections and will work as a common worker of the party. I have not taken this decision in haste but after due deliberation. I have been talking about joining the Congress for the past one year,” he said.

Rana criticised the BJP and said it did not use his services in the last three years. “I wasted three precious years as the party did not gave me any work nor invited me to any of its functions or programmes,” he added.

Asked what prevented him from gong to Tehri after his defeat in the elections and working for the common people, Rana said he was no ordinary man and the party deliberately ignored him.

He thanked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for accepting him as a member of the party.

Mussoorie, January 10
Rebel MLA and BJP Housing Development Minister Khajan Das, who was denied the ticket by the BJP from Rajpur constituency, levelled direct allegations against BJP senior leaders for being anti-Dalit and conspiring against Dalit leaders by refusing them ticket in the state elections from the party.

Khajan Das, who has already declared his candidature as an Independent candidate from Rajpur, speaking to the media on his visit to Mussoorie yesterday, said that the denial of the Assembly ticket to Dalit leaders of his stature by BJP in the elections has revealed the true face of the party.

Khajan Das also said that the denial of ticket to Kedar Singh Fonia, another Dalit leader from Garhwal, meant that he was also sidelined by senior BJP leaders under a conspiracy, and this alienation would have a cascading effect in the elections.

The BJP leaders from Dahanaulti have taken a serious view of the anti-Dalit remarks of Khajan Das.

The BJP leaders said that Khajan Das had lost his senses and wa making such allegations to hide his disgust

for not getting the ticket from Rajpur assembly constituency.

Khajan Das remarks have not gone well with the party as the leaders are of the view that Khajan Das was making such remarks under the influence of the Opposition.

They also said that it was BJP that gave important portfolios such as education, youth, welfare and sports along with disaster and housing ministry in the past five years during the tenure of both Nishank and Khanduri, respectively, but Khajan Dass, instead of performing his duties, was busy dancing in the local festivals of Jaunpur in Dhanualti constituency. The BJP

leaders also said that the charges of Khajan Das about BJP being anti-Dalit were not only baseless but also preposterous.

Meanwhile, Khajan Das is preparing to file his nominations as an independent candidate from Rajpur constituency.

It is important to mention that Khajan Das, who contested as BJP candidate from Dhanaulti, had to leave after his home constituency was de-reserved and had sought his candidature from Rajpur.

Dehradun, January 10
Dehradun District Congress Committee member Godavari Thapli today quit the Congress and announced her candidature from the Mussoorie Assembly seat.

Announcing her resignation at a press conference in Dehradun, Godavari Thapli alleged that despite working sincerely for the welfare of Mussoorie Assembly region, she had been denied the ticket by the Congress Party.

“I am today submitting my resignation from the Congress and will be contesting the Mussoorie seat as independent,” Godavari Thapli said. She said a large number of Congress workers would be shortly leaving the Congress in Mussoorie and backing her in the elections.

Nainital, January 10
The Terai area of the state comprising Udham Singh Nagar and parts of Nainital district is popular for springing up political upsets in elections.

In the past, several heavyweights belonging to various parties have had to bite the dust despite having a good reputation and high positions. It is with this fact in mind that the observers will be viewing the Assembly elections.

Congress heavyweight and former state Cabinet minister Indira Hridayesh lost from Haldwani in the last Assembly poll to another heavyweight Bansidhar Bhagat of the BJP despite having had a head start.

Even the former Chief Minister and senior-most Congress leader from the state, Narayan Dutt Tiwari, was defeated by Balraj Passi in the Lok Sabha poll in 1991. There is a strong opinion in this part of the state that had Tiwari won the poll, he would have been a strong contender for the post of Prime Minister after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The present president of the state unit of the Congress, Yash Pal Arya, lost to Lakhan Singh of the BJP from the Khatima seat in the 1991 Assembly poll in the erstwhile Uttar Pradesh. He again lost to Suresh Chandra Arya of the BJP in the 1996 
elections.

Even a present Congress heavyweight, Tilak Raj Behed, lost to Narayan Dutt Tewari from Haldwani in the 1991 elections. At that time Behed was a BJP candidate and the Haldwani seat comprised Kitcha, Rudrapur and Gadarpur.

Indira Hridayesh had earlier suffered defeat on the seat as a Janata Party candidate in 1977 at the hands of Dev Bahadur Singh of the Congress.

The present Lok Sabha member from the Nainital parliamentary constituency, KC Singh Baba of the Congress, too had suffered defeat from Kashipur in three Assembly poll. He lost once as a Janata Dal candidate to Rajiv Kumar of the BJP in 1991 and again to the same opponent on a Congress ticket in 1993. In 2002, he had lost to Harbhajan Singh Cheema of the BJP.

In the current Assembly poll too there are chances of a couple of upsets owing to massive infighting going on in the Congress as well as the BJP.

Pithoragarh, January 10
Normal life in this border district and in adjoining Champawat district remained paralysed as the two main highways connecting these areas with the border areas of these districts have been closed due to heavy rains and subsequent snowfall in the district during the last 48 hours.

“As the road to Munsiyari and to Didihat have remained closed for the last four days, normal life in the these towns have been paralysed as the supply of essential goods has been disrupted, ” said Sanjay Pant, a resident of Didihat town. The Didihat road has been closed at Rangaun after heavy boulders fell on the road on Tuesday, killing 10 jeep passengers.

The motor road to Munsiyari from the district headquarters is closed since the last four days after heavy snowfall blocked it at Kalamuni hilltop, which still has more than 3 feet of snow on it. “The people of

Munsiyari town and adjoining villages were traveling to district headquarters via the Madkot alternative road. After the Madkot alternative road also closed on Monday, the people of Munsiyari are now completely cut off from the mainstream communication,” said Lok Bahadur Singh Jangpangi, a local social worker in Munsiyari.

The subdivision administration has also admitted that since the last four days, the supply of essential items like LPG cylinders, vegetables and daily groceries has been hit due to this road block. “We have now repaired the snow cutter available with the PWD, local division, and are using it to clear the road as soon as possible,” said J. Rathor, SDM, of Munsiyari. The local residents have also complained against irregular supply of electricity as the Power Department has cut off the supply due to heavy snowfall.

“This local power which used to be from Suringar micro hydroelectric scheme project is now being supplied from the main grid as this micro hydroelectric project has been closed due to snowfall,”said an officer of the electricity distribution circle in Munsiyari.

The district headquarter town of Pithoragarh witnessed 7.2 mm of rainfall in the last 48 hours, which resulted in dropping of the temperature down to 1.8 degree Celsius. “The lower areas of Munsiyari like Girgaun, Kwiti, Ratapani and Betulidhar witnessed heaviest snowfall of the region this time. Light to heavy snowfall was also witnessed by the Kailash Mansarowar route in Vyans valley and Chaukori and Berinag areas of Berinag subdivision of the district,” said Kamal Kumar Pandey, in charge of the local meteorological unit.

According to the district election office, 13 polling booths situated in Munsiyari and Dharchula region of Dharchula Assembly seat have witnessed 2 feet of snowfall in the last 48 hours. “These snowbound polling booths have have made it clear that if the weather remains the same on the poll day, it would be difficult for voters to reach the polling stations,” said the SDM, Munsiyari.

In champawat, the district has witnessed 18 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, disturbing normal life in the district. “As there has been heavy snowfall in the higher areas of the district, the motor transportation between Mornaula and Dhanachuli has been disrupted and the district is reeling under a wave of cold after the temperature in the district dipped to zero degree Celsius in some places,” said Dr S.P. Singh, an agriculture scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Champawat. Dr Singh termed the snowfall as a boon for agriculture of the district. 

Haridwar, January 10
An awareness rally was carried out by school students in the city, urging people to take the pledge to eradicate the virus of polio forever from the country.

Organised under the aegis of the Rotary Club, Kankhal students of Swami Nityanand Saraswati Vidya Mandir took out the rally from Saptsarovar region.

With placards, posters and banners in their hands, students urged people to cooperate with the government’s mission in completely eradicating the polio virus and also sought help in bringing minor children to polio drop centres.

Later, addressing the children, RK Saxena, chief of the club, said that in most of the other parts of the world the virus of polio was now no more but in India, despite the deadline, “we have not been able to fully eliminate this virus from our land.”

“In several parts of the country incidents of polio virus have been cropping up, which has affected the polio mission.

It cannot only be left to the government or medicos to deal with it. With mutual cooperation and mass awareness, we can achieve a polio-free India target,” said club member George Kutti Krishan Moorti, who had come from Cochin.

Swami Dev Anand Saraswati, school head, Ganga Dhar Pandey, Ashok Chauhan,Sangeeta Gar, Anil Dewan and Sunil, among others, apprised children about polio campaign.

Dehradun January 10
On the occasion of World Hindi Diwas today, Rajbhasha mukhyalay held a day-long rajbhasha sammelan at Keshav Malviya Petroleum Exploration Institute of ONGC in Dehradun here today. A large number of Hindi littérateurs from Delhi, authors and poets had gathered to participate in the function.

The programme commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. Following it was the welcoming of the guests and felicitation ceremony of the littérateurs. Later, at a symposium conducted by the ONGC, writers recited poems written by the poet and paid tributes by celebrating Hindi Diwas on the occasion.

The participants appreciated the efforts of the ONGC in preserving the world class Indian heritage of Hindi poems and writings through the celebration of the day and demanded that such an event should be promoted among students so that children could learn from the richness of the language used by the poet.