The Big Picture
State crying for better road connectivity since formation
As Uttarakhand goes to the polls at the end of the month, this issue is going to be a key factor in deciding who will form the next government
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, January 15
For a man identified with expanding the road map of India, Maj-Gen Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri (retd) is all set to face “roadblocks” during the poll campaign.

As the state goes to the polls at the end of the month, the road issue is going to be a key factor in deciding who will form the next government.

It is a well-known fact that development hinges on the linking of human settlements with roads. The state of Uttarakhand has been crying for better road connectivity ever since it came into existence. It is not that the projects were not cleared or money was not allocated for these projects, but somehow the much-sought roads, particularly in the hilly terrain of the state, have not come into existence. The government, over the past five years, has been taking refuge in the explanation that there have been inordinate delays in the transfer of forest land for the construction of patches of roads. The administration, in its media handouts across the state over the past five years, has been telling PWD officials to take up the issue with the counterparts in the Forest Department on a priority basis. Today, the voters want to know what the definition of priority means for the administration. Another aspect of the issue is that the officials from the state have failed to communicate things properly to the Centre through ideal plan proposals etc.

The government has claimed that from 2007 till September 2011, 13,504 km of roads have been built or re-built along with 371 bridges at a cost of Rs 4958.04 crore. But the key issue remains why there is a public outcry on the issue of roads.

The state has continued to witness one agitation after the other on the issue of road connectivity. During the more than two and a half years of the regime led by Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, there was a lot of talk about development but very little to be seen on the ground.

A case in point is the Bhawali-Almora road. This road was devastated in a rain-related disaster in September 2010. The people have been questioning that what was the Nishank government doing as the condition of the road that acts as an artery for the hilly districts of Almora, Bageshwar and even Pithoragarh remained pathetic for more than a year.

The second example that needs to be given is of the Haldwani-Nainital road which is one of the prime roads that witness a large number of tourists, including high-profile dignitaries and foreigners. This road was also damaged near Bhujiaghat at the same time and was not put in shape for more than a year during the Nishank regime. The roads in the interiors which include a large number of roads going to the remote villages continued to be in a bad shape.

Perhaps Khanduri is the best person to have understood the importance of the issue as the first thing he did on coming back as the Chief Minister was to get the roads back in shape. He promised and also delivered to a large extent when it came to the opening of the roads that had been closed on account of natural phenomenon. But the general feeling is that he was brought back too late.

The irony of the matter is that there are a large number of roads that people say were sanctioned during the previous regime of the Congress. Neither the Congress government executed the plan nor the succeeding BJP could turn these plans into a reality. The sufferers remained the people.

The government’s own mouthpiece released at the recent statehood day function states that a sum of Rs 36.50 crore had been sanctioned in the Budget for 2011-12 under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) Scheme for roads.

By September 2011, only three km of road had been constructed and 46 km rebuilt at a cost of Rs 5.56 crore. Similarly, under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the target for the current financial year was the construction of 650 km of road, of which only 202 km were built by September 2011 at a cost of Rs 78.03 crore.

Things today stand at a point that in several villages, particularly in Kumaon, the slogan most popular among the electorate is “Road nahin to vote nahin” (No road no votes).

There are several villages that have announced to boycott the elections after being disillusioned on the issue of roads. The villagers say that their decades old demand for road connectivity has remained unanswered till now. For them, the creation of Uttarakhand as a separate state has carried no meaning as their lives have been as miserable as they had been during the days when their villages were a part of the undivided Uttar Pradesh. 

Road map for ensuring law and order
Tight security for high-profile campaigners
Tribune News Service

Nainital, January 15
The electoral machinery has prepared a road map for ensuring law and order along with strict adherence to the model code of conduct once the process of withdrawal of names of candidates is over on Monday.

In Udham Singh Nagar, District Election Officer (DEO) PS Jangpangi has said that there would be no compromise on the security of the high-profile campaigners, who would be visiting the district in the days to come. He has ordered that once the final list of contestants is declared, the officials must lay emphasis on maintenance of law and order while ensuring implementation of the model code of conduct in letter and in spirit.

He has ordered that the functioning of the teams set up for static surveillance, media monitoring, flying squads etc. would be further intensified.

The DEO has ordered that checkposts be set up on the routes coming from the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh and strict vigil be maintained on movement of vehicles and personnel. Jangpangi has stated that besides the static surveillance teams, the mobile teams that have been set up must be put to use for surprise checks.

The officer in-charge for implementation of the code Anand Srivastava has related that action has been taken in 69 cases till now, while First Information Report (FIR) has been got registered in 10 cases. In addition to this, 10 vehicles have been seized for violation of the code in the district.

At the same time the officer in-charge of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) TS Martoliya has stated that the process of first randomisation has been completed and the officials have undergone the first phase of training. 

BJP launches damage-control exercise
Says rebels backing official candidates
Rajeev Khanna/TNS

Nainital, January 15
Rattled by the projected outcome of the infighting amid the rank and file of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party has undertaken a massive damage control exercise to send across a message to the electorate that everything is fine within the party. The party is now fielding the disgruntled elements before the media to convey that they are with the candidates who have been awarded the party ticket and are working for their victory.

At one such media briefing held in Nainital on Sunday afternoon, two senior party leaders from the district Dinesh Arya and BC Harbola had a tough time trying to convince the media about the real scenario. Their briefing had come at a time when barely a day before a ticket aspirant from the party, former minister in undivided Uttar Pradesh and senior leader Sri Chand, had gone on to abuse the party candidate Hem Arya in public. On Saturday, Sri Chand had lashed out at Arya, accusing him of several wrong doings in the public arena as well as in the party, much to the embarrassment of the party.

Prior to that even Harbola and some other senior leaders of the party had been allegedly abused in a party meeting just before the filing of the nominations by some close associates of Hem Arya. Questions were

also being raised about Dinesh Arya, who was also an aspirant for the ticket for remaining aloof all this while.

Apparently, at the instance of senior party leadership, Dinesh Arya and Harbola went on to convey that they are committed to the victory of the party candidate and would perform their duties as the party tells them. Dinesh is expected to be deployed by the party in Ramnagar.

Harbola could be seen looking for words when confronted with the question on Sri Chand having publicly abused Hem Arya. All that he could say was that there could have been personal reasons and temporary agitation for being denied the ticket. He even went on to say: “I think it is also an age factor.”

He also had a tough time answering queries with regard to the scenario in Bhimtal. When asked how the party would answer the public on having denied a ticket to Cabinet Minister Gobind Singh Bisht, whose

tenure was anyhow marked by a series of failures, he said: “We would tell the people that since he had not worked and the people did not want him back, we abided by their will.” 

Efforts on to rope in Priyanka for poll campaign
Tribune News Service

Priyanka Gandhi Vadhera

Haridwar, January 15
With Priyanka Gandhi Vadhera to start campaigning in Uttar Pradesh in the Assembly elections, the state Congress candidates are hoping that before January 28, when the election campaigns conclude, she would address a couple of rallies in the state as well.

Though her mother, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, will address a couple of rallies in the state, yet due to stronghold of Priyanka among youth voters and her dynamic charisma resembling her grandmother, Late Indira Gandhi, is compelling party leaders to press for her electoral tour.

Talking to the TNS, Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee vice chief Furkan Ahmed said while Rahul Gandhi had already led a pro-Congress wave in the state with the success of his rally at Parade Ground, Dehradun, and then Sonia addressing at Roorkee two days later, Priyanka’s charisma will be an icing on the cake for the party.

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Dr Harak Singh Rawat, who is embroiled in a diehard electoral contest in the Rudraprayag segment, remarked that they have communicated wishes of party workers to high command and ultimately its Priyanka who has to take the decision.

He further added that although pro Congress wave is in the state, yet having star campaigners definitely adds to upping the victory margin of the party candidates.

State kisan cell women chief Poonam Bhagat said if Priyanka comes then it would be a boost to the party workers morale and would have an impact on youngsters and women.

Ravish Bhatija, chief of the Haridwar Congress youth wing, who had accompanied Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadera during immersing of ashes of her father-in-law Rabindra Vadra at Har-ki-Pauri on April 7, 2009, said the wing members had send a written letter to 10 Janpath to make sure she holds an election rally in the state.

“Last time when she was in Haridwar, she was quite curious to know about the party’s prospects in Parliamentary elections, at that time too we had urged her to attend an election rally during Assembly election time and we are hoping that she gives her consent,” said Bhatija while charting out names of youth activists who will be attending Sonia Gandhi’s rally at Lido Press Ground in Roorkee. 

Tapan Sen calls for state funding of candidates
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 15
Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) ideologue and Rajya Sabha member Tapan Sen today called for state funding of candidates in both Parliament and Assembly elections, to fully eradicate corruption as ill- practices like illegal funding being done by political parties were rampant

In an exclusive chat with The Tribune, Tapan Sen even questioned the Election Commission’s limit of Rs 11 lakh expenditure for a single candidate, saying that in India when majority of the population was reeling under the poverty line, only the rich and influential could spend this amount.

“Just Lokpal Bill and Lokayukta Act won’t do much good to Indian democracy. If one is serious on corruption, then the first political set-up should be cleaned. But here, too, money is the prime ingredient. How come a worker or a common man can contest an election, where Rs 11 lakh is stipulated by the EC itself,” asked Sen, a former general secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

Lashing out at Congress-led UPA Government, Sen said that the fragile economic policies of the government had made life miserable for the common man. He said that pro-Capitalist policies meant that deceptive steps such as MNREGA, Food Security Bill or Pension Regulatory Bill remain as cover for the Congress during elections, which hide their real Capitalists approach.

On the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttarakhanand and UP, the veteran comrade said that as the party was contesting 6 Assembly segments, he was hopeful that the party would win in a couple of segments, while in the rest the party ideology would make inroads.

He also termed the party Politburo decision to not to allow the then Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu to accept the proposal by United Front to be Prime Minister of India in 1996, as vital turning point in the party’s pan-India presence efforts, but said that still in 2004 “we had 63 MPs and now we are eyeing political base in newer states too.”

He termed the party’s dismal performance in West Bengal and Kerala Assembly elections as anti- incumbency factor with Nandi Gram violent movement being politically motivated by Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. 

Punjabi mahasabha slams Cong, BJP
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
President of the Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha Subhash Kohli slammed both Congress and the BJP for not including any of the five demands made by him before these parties in their manifestoes.

The demands include giving status of the fifth dham to Hemkund Sahib, status of second state language to Punjabi, establishment of Punjabi academy in the state, allotment of land to build community house in Uttarakhand and 15 seats to people of Punjabi community in the Assembly election.

Kohli seemed more miffed with the Congress as he said he had personally met the state Congress in charge Ch Virender Singh and state president Yashpal Arya who assured him of taking two out of five demands, but did not mention even a single one in the manifesto. He said his party would back Punjabi candidates but would decide about the rest later on after a thorough analysis. 

Poll Snippets
Youth held for transporting poll material

NAINITAL: A youth has been arrested for allegedly transporting election material without the required documents. According to information, Amit Panwar of Rajpura in Almora was arrested during a routine check on the Bhimtal-Ranibagh road in Nainital district. It was found that he was transporting a large amount of election material allegedly for Shobha Joshi who is contesting the Assembly poll as an Independent candidate. The car in which the material was being transported has also been impounded. — TNS

Registration of case against four officials ordered

NAINITAL: Peeved at their absence from a training programme for carrying out the poll duty, District Election Officer, Nainital, Nidhi Mani Tripathi has ordered the registration of a case against four erring officials. She has also ordered that departmental action be taken against the guilty officials. The officials were supposed to take part in a two-day training exercise being conducted at MB Postgraduate College in Haldwani. Those who were found to be absent have been identified as Satish Chandra Joshi, Rakesh Chandra Bamrada, Jai Prakashj Verma and Prithvi Singh. — TNS

Medical board constituted

NAINITAL: The election machinery, Champawat, has constituted a medical board under the Chief Medical Officer to look into the complaints of officials with regard to the performance of poll duties on medical grounds. It is learnt that the officials coming up with a plea that they would not be able to go to the remote areas for poll duty on medical grounds would have to appear before this board and it is only on the recommendation of the board that they will be granted relief from performing the designated duty. — TNS

Tiwari addresses meeting through cellphone

DEHRADUN: Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari addressed a public meeting at Bhimtal in Nainital district through a cellphone. Tiwari sought votes for Congress candidate from the Bhimtal constituency Ram Singh. He asked the people to vote for the Congress and carry forward the works of development started by him. — TNS

Cold hits campaigning

DEHRADUN: Cold wave conditions have affected election campaigning in Uttarakhand. There has been very little canvassing so far primarily due to inclement weather. Banners, flags and posters are also so far missing due to the Election Commission’s curb on rising expenditures. Meanwhile, state excise officials are taking extra precaution along the state borders to check any unlawful movement of liquor into the state. — TNS

BJP’s itinerary for campaigning

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand BJP has released the itinerary for the national leaders who would be campaigning extensively in the state during the elections. BJP Chief Nitin Gadkari is expected to address a maximum number of rallies and meetings in the state, beginning on Januray 18 at Ranipur in Haridwar. He would address an election rally in Vikasnagar and Rishikesh on the same day. He would also address rallies on January 22, 23 and 24 at different places. — TNS

Meeting of party representatives

DEHRDUN: A meeting of party representatives was held on Saturday with returning officer Dilip Jawalkar. The representatives of the parties were given information about the conduct of poll agents and maintaining expenditure registers. The Election Commission has made it mandatory for all candidates fighting the elections to maintain expenditure records to the last detail. The representatives were also given information about the procedure to be followed while applying for no objection certificate for campaigning. — TNS

Dharchula MLA Rajbar faces tough fight this time
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, January 15
Gagan Singh Rajbar, sitting Independent legislator from the Dharchula Assembly seat in Pithoragarh district, faces an uphill task on the seat this time as it has been de-reserved in the delimitation exercise. He has won from here twice earlier.

Rajbar will be facing a tough challenge from Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) stalwart Kashi Singh Airy, Khushal Singh Pipalia of the BJP and Congress candidate Harish Dhami and eight others, including the candidates of the BSP, the CPI (ML) and the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha.

The people allege that two-time MLA Rajbar has done nothing for the area, as he won the elections on the support of non-tribals who did not prefer the Bhotiya tribal people. “Rajbar, a daily wage tribal earlier, had constructed a house for himself and bought property during his two Assembly tenures, while his community people were fighting for survival,” said Ganga Dutt Dwivedi, a resident of the Talla Johar area of the segment, which has been carved out of Didihat and included in the Dharchula seat this year.

But Rajbar’s supporters say despite being an Independent MLA he tried to do his maximum for the area. “The Dharchula MLA was always available to every resident of the area during his 10 years of tenure. He had linked most of the villages with road,” said Kailash Koranga, a student leader and Rajbar supporter.

The alarming problems of migration from villages situated along the China border and the destruction of their wool economy after the closure of trade with China in 1962, have never been solved by respective governments. “As tribal people have already shifted to other professions in the last 50 years, migration will be the main issue with the voters,” said Lalit Pant, an economist working on tribal economy.

The issue of reducing the limit of the Musk Deer Sanctuary to facilitate development work in 111 villages affected by it is also a major issue being addressed by every candidate contesting from the seat. “Due to this notification of the Musk Deer Sanctuary, the villages in the areas have not seen any infrastructure development,” said Kashi Singh Airy, UKD (P) candidate.

Congress candidate Harish Dhami is also focusing on the same issue of reducing the limits of the sanctuary. Rajbar claims he has highlighted the issue so much that it could become a subject of public discussion. “I am the first public representative from the area who took up the issue of lack of development of the area due to the sanctuary with the Central government,” says Rajbar.

The Dharchula Assembly constituency has 70,031 voters, the number of women voters is 35,417 and the male voters 34,614. This seat has 15 per cent tribal voters, who are the deciding factor, as they are sensitive to their demands and more organised. Despite this Rajbar, whose own community of Ban Rawats has only 200 voters, could win the seat twice in the past due to the non-tribal voters, who are organised against the tribal Bhotia candidates. The non-tribals allege that the Bhotia community is enjoying the benefits of reservation for the Scheduled Tribes unlike other communities which have been suffering due to the closure of the trade with China since 1962.

But the BJP has other idea of the area. The party announced that if it comes to power again it will demand a special package for the development of the area. “I will try to settle landslide-affected villagers on the land, which has been recovered by the government by scrapping a British time law,” said Khushal Singh Pipalia, BJP candidate.

Besides the sanctuary and rehabilitation issues, the construction of proposed hydroelectric projects in the area and the reservation of the entire area under the Scheduled Tribes category as has been done in the Chakrata subdivision of Garhwal are the main issues of the mainstream parties contesting form the seat. “Our party will give priority to giving compensation to unemployed youths of the area and a substantial honorarium to Aasha and Bhojan Mata workers of the area,” said Dhami.

To ensure the availability of teachers and doctors in the area is on Dhami’s priority list.

Of the 131 polling booths in the constituency, 19 are situated at a height of more than 7,000 feet, and none of the candidates have toured that area till date as they normally focus on lower valley regions only.

BJP releases manifesto today

Dehradun, January 15
Due to astrological reasons the Uttarakhand BJP had deferred releasing the party manifesto for the Assembly elections, but now with the “mal maas” ending on Sunday, the Uttarakhand BJP would make an auspicious beginning by releasing it’s manifesto tomorrow. After being taken by surprise by the January 30 poll dates announced by the Election Commission, the party was forced to willy-nilly participate in the process of selection of candidates and file nominations.

According to BJP party sources, then, too, the BJP candidates undertook extensive consultations with their astrologers so that an opportune time and date could be selected for their nominations. Similar strategy could be attributed behind the party’s decision to release the party manifesto on January 16. — TNS

Youngsters come up with ‘Why this dhokadhari ji’
Rajeev Khanna

Nainital, January 15
Kolaveri di, the song that has become an anthem of sorts particularly among the youth, has assumed political overtones during the poll season in the state.

Some youngsters have come up with their own version of the song that went viral on the net immediately after its release in November last year. The versions that have been put up by the youngsters of the state hit out at the existing political scenario in the state and attack the political class for having let down the masses since the state came into existence. These versions have been posted on Internet by those who have produced them.

An interesting version has been created by a group of youngsters from Nainital. Penned by Hem Bhatt and Anupam Upadhyay, Devendra Bisht has come up with an excellent rendition to the music provided by Nadeem Siraz.

The song talks about the prevailing gloomy picture all around just when elections are around the corner. It relates to the fact that once again the time of promises and lies is around. While talking about the disillusionment of the people since the creation of the state, it makes an appeal to the masses to participate in the electoral process.

The song has liberal use of English and Kumaoni dialect.

It hits out at the political churnings that the state has witnessed in the 11 years of its existence and how the dreams of those who fought for its creation have been dashed by the political class. It makes reference to the prevailing unemployment and the factors that compel the youth to migrate to the other states. The writers of the song say that their purpose of creating the song would be achieved only if the state registers more than 80 per cent of polling. Those involved in bringing out the version have expressed gratitude to Dhanush who has created the original song for a Tamil film in Tanglish (a mix of Tamil and English).

There is another version put up by a youth from Khatima named Aman Aggarwal. His version too takes on the political class for having cheated the people of the state on every front. In fact its lyrics go as “Why this dhokadhari ji” (why this betrayal). 

BJP candidate’s car impounded
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, January 15
A Maruti 800 belonging to BJP candidate from Gangolihat Geeta Thakur has been impounded by the election authorities.

The vehicle was being used for campaigning without prior permission of the authorities concerned, according to a press release of the election office.

“The vehicle is with the Thana, Gangolihat,” said District Election Officer R Rajesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, an Alto has also been impounded in Dharchula and three other vehicles have been challaned by the Dharchula police as they were also being used for campaigning without prior permission. “Eight boxes of foreign liquor have also been seized in Aincholi village near the district headquarters,” added the poll officer. 

Congress accused of belittling martyrdom of Delhi policeman
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
The state BJP today raised the Batla House encounter issue and accused the Congress of belittling the martyrdom of Mohan Chand Sharma, a Delhi policeman who hailed from Almora district. Sharma had died in the shootout.

Interacting with mediapersons here, state BJP spokesperson Vishwas Davar said by describing the Batala encounter as fake, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh was trying to bring shame to a Uttarakhandi, who sacrificed his life for the nation.

“Union Home Minister P Chidambaram says the encounter was genuine whereas Digvijay Singh has been repeatedly terming the encounter as fake,” Davar said.

He also condemned black ink attack on Ramdev.