The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	The Big Picture Man-animal conflict no poll issue Jotirmay Thapliyal Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 19 The Uttarakhand political parties may have given a little space to man-animal conflict issues in their respective manifestoes but for people living in both hill and plain areas of the state, the issue holds paramount importance. The Uttarakhand BJP government had some time back given special instructions to ensure timely payment of ex-gratia to kin of those killed in wildlife attacks apart from compensation to those injured or whose crops had been damaged by wild animals. Leopard attacks have killed a large number of people in the state and so have the marauding elephants. There have been instances when people have burnt leopards alive and poisoned elephants in frustration. Villagers also have to bear economic losses due to abandoning of agriculture. Interestingly, wildlife issues have seldom got prominence in the poll agenda of political parties in the state. Manifestos of major political parties of the state, the BJP and the Congress, have hardly come out with policy or programmes linked to man-animal conflict. The regional party, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, has been frequently raising man- animal conflict issues but the party representation has been minimum in the state Assembly and that’s why they have never been in a position to implement its programmes. According to the Uttarakhand Wildlife authorities’ figures, during the past 10 years, wild animals have killed more than 300 persons and injured over 800 persons. Out of these, leopards killed 200 persons and injured 356 whereas a total of 80 died and 63 were injured in elephant-attack cases. Similarly, bears killed 13 and injured 368, tigers killed 10 and injured 19 while wild boars killed two and injured five persons in the past decade. While the department acknowledges that the rise in human-wildlife conflict is causing the affected people to develop a hostile attitude towards the wild animals, parties in power have seldom taken the remedial measures. Even the rising problem of monkey menace that has now reached urban centres has found no solution. The state Forest Department has proposed to establish a monkey rehabilitation centre but the project is still to see light of day. The compensation paid to persons suffering damage from wildlife has been doubled as a result of which the department now pays 1 lakh to the family members of an individual killed in conflicts between wild animals and man. The payment of compensation has also been decentralised up to the divisional level in addition to which order passed by the state chief wildlife warden that has empowered divisional forest officers under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Section 9, to get rid of wild boars and blue bulls which have been marked as wild animals causing destruction of crops. But political parties are still to come up with harsh reality of man-animal conflict and not taking up the issue on their priority list.
	Harish promises loans for jobless Our Correspondent Pithoragarh, January 19 Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat today said that if the Congress came to power, it will soon start a scheme under which unemployed youth in the state will bank get loans up to Rs 1 lakh for self-employment, without interest on it. “Besides this, the Congress Government will also increase the kanyadan amount from Rs 25,000 at present to Rs 1 lakh. The Congress Government will bear full expenses of the girl child from the date of her entering the school till getting her settled in life by this scheme,” said Rawat, who was addressing a public meeting in support of local Congress candidates in Dharchula and Didihat Assembly seats of the district. The minister said that the Congress will get the Dharchula and Munsiyari region the status of OBC area.All the communities living there could grow equally. “ The Dharchula and Munsiyari areas of this border district have suffered much after the closure of Indo-Tibet trade, as only some communities have got the benefits. If Congress comes to power this time, the entire area will get the economic benefits of the developmental schemes and job quota,” said Rawat. Addressing a public meeting at Didihat in favour of party candidate Revti Joshi, Rawat said that the BJP Government did nothing for the development of the state but only promoted it’s communal agenda. The riots at Rudrapur this year are a proof of the party agenda in the state, alleged Rawat. The Congress leader added that the Congress will make a separate district of Didihat immediately after forming the government in March and sanction full budget for the construction of infrastructure by one year. Rawat blamed the BJP Government for misusing the Central funds allocated to it for development of the state. “The BJP Government proved it’s corrupt practices by changing chief ministers after corruption scandals,” said Rawat. He further said that the Congress will give pension to old people after they attain the age of 55 years. “The compensation package for every section of society is the aim of the Congress if it comes to power after the elections,” he added. Later, talking to the media, the Congress leader said that his party will get more than two-third seats in the elections and form the government on it’s own in the state. “The people of the state have now understood that it is the Congress only that can get them a better life and better future,” said Rawat.
	Trivender, Umesh Sharma to test new turf Neena Sharma/TNS Dehradun, January 19 The stage is set for an interesting contest between the BJP’s Trivender Singh Rawat and the Congress’ Umesh Sharma on the new Raipur Assembly seat and only time will tell if Sharma emerges a giant killer or Trivender Singh triumphs by scoring a hat-trick, but from a new Assembly seat. Before that, the candidates will have to surmount several hurdles, including altered boundaries, new voters and electoral dynamics requiring different set of poll strategies. Trivender Singh Rawat, who was elected twice from the Doiwala Assembly seat, was forced to look for a new seat after the realignment and bifurcation of Doiwala seat. However, the MLA will also have to battle anti-incumbency factor as the new seat also comprises areas from his erstwhile seat. “The sitting MLA only makes an appearance at the time of elections. I rarely met him during the last five years. The improvement in infrastructure in our area was undertaken by the Mayor,” said Madhusudan, a resident of Mata Mandir. The Raipur seat was created after bifurcating the Doiwala seat into Dharampur and Raipur Assembly seats. Now, the new seat comprises 40 per cent of the area of Doiwala and additional areas from the Rajpur as well. A total of 19 gram sabhas and 39 Municipal Corporation wards that were part of Doiwala have been added. Besides, nine Municipal Corporation wards that were part of the Rajpur have also been included in the Raipur seat. It also includes nine slums called malin bastis. The Congress has always banked on the voters living in the malin bastis, but after the BJP introduced a slum reorganisation policy, the BJP candidate is hoping to cut into the vote bank of the Congress. “I shifted base after a major portion of my erstwhile Doiwala seat was hived off to create Raipur seat. The slum policy announced by our government will help the poor get lease rights. I think this a major initiative of our government. As my area comprises large part of farmland. I would like to strengthen the hands of the farmer by introducing agriculture extension activities,” said Trivender Singh Rawat. Undaunted Congress candidate Umesh Sharma is banking on the work undertaken by him as Deputy Mayor and councillor. “I have good personal contacts with my voters and I am aware of their problems. I think the issue of caste certificates was not given the urgency it deserved. I will work towards its resolution,” said Sharma. Political analysts say during the general elections in 2009, the voters of this area played a decisive role in the victory of Vijay Bahguna, MLA from Tehri (Raipur is part of the Tehri parliamentary constituency). It remains to be seen if the honeymoon period continues for the Congress.
	Paid news storms local dailies Rajeev Khanna/TNS Nainital, January 19 Despite having put in place a stringent set of measures, the Election Commission has till now not succeeded in curbing the menace of paid news. While the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) set up in every district have been somewhat useful in keeping track of the advertisements that are appearing in the media, both print and electronic, they have simply failed to stop or even report at length the manner in which news is being presented after the “deals have been struck”. The stringers working for most of the media houses at the ground level are being pressurised to strike deals with the contestants. Those dilly-dallying the matter are threatened with a black out or a negative coverage that turns into a positive one the moment money changes hands. Observers pointed out, “Why is it that only candidates of a few selected parties are seen on the television screens carrying out their door-to-door campaigns and why is it that only some candidates are preferred for campaign trails? For example you do not have one-to-one interviews of candidates who are fighting on some principles and representing parties that are small. For that matter, even Independents with some weight are simply being ignored.” It is also being pointed out by sources within the media industry that in most of the channels that have mushroomed just during the poll season across the state, the one-to-one discussions with the candidates are coming at a hefty premium. In certain other cases, sources reveal that the candidates have told them to approach them around January 25 when the campaigning is expected to hit its peak. A candidate who has paid the media houses is being assured that nothing that makes him or her uncomfortable would be shown or carried. For instance, the incident of a former minister and also a ticket aspirant of one of the mainstream parties publicly humiliating the official candidate on the Mall Road in Ninital simply went uncovered by almost every local daily.
	Cong criticises BJP, Team Anna Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 19 The Uttarakhand Congress has criticised the BJP as well as Team Anna for failing to have a Lokayukta in Gujarat for the past 11 years. State Congress spokesperson Surender Aggarwal, in a statement, alleged that Team Anna had been silent on the alleged corrupt practices and scandals of the state BJP government. He further said the BJP had to give answers to the people of the state on the issue of removal of Khanduri in 2009 and then again bringing him back in 2011. He asked how Khanduri had become a necessity for the BJP in the elections while the same party dumped him two years ago. Aggarwal claimed that the writing was on the wall for the ruling BJP and an electoral defeat is in store for them.
	POLL SNIPPETS Bollywood numbers a hit in campaign Nainital: Towns in Terai are perhaps the only places in the state where some colour is visible with regards to the ongoing electoral exercise. With stringent measures put in place by the Election Commission to check poll expenditure, most of the constituencies are witnessing a dull electoral scene. The previling cold conditions have added to this phenomenon. But in the Terai, one can still come across campaigning through the traditional modes of donkey carts and rickshaws as appeals are made to the voters to cast their votes in favour of a particular candidate. These appeals are well-laced with popular numbers from the Bollywood. Some of them hit out at the opponents in a subtle manner. For example, an old song that is still popular among those opposing the Congress is from the blockbuster made by Manoj Kumar in the seventies, “Roti Kapda Aur Makaan”. The lyrics hit out at spiralling prices and go as “Baaki jo bacha tha wo mehengai maar gai?.” Poll no deterrence to marriages Nainital: District Election Officer in Nainital Nidhi Mani Tripathi has stated that the people are free to organise marriage parties while the election exercise is on. However, they must ensure that these events do not assume a political colour. She has come out with the explanation in the face of several doubts being aired by the public with regards to taking out marriage processions and organising marriage feats while the Model Code of Conduct is in effect. She has stated that vehicle passes for marriage processions on the day of the polling can be obtained from the office of the Returning Officer of a constituency. There are a large number of weddings scheduled for January 30 on which polling is to be held. Barefoot until UKD gains power Pithoragarh: Tara Chand of Baluakot in the Dharchula Assembly seat has not been wearing shoes and moving barefoot since 1991. He said he would not wear shoes until the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a regional party, came into power in the state. “I have vowed not to put on shoes till the UKD comes to power and Kashi Singh Airy becomes the Chief Minister. I had taken the vow at a party conference in 1991 and since I did not wear shoes,” said Tara Chand , a resident of Baluakot, the original village of Kashi Singh Airy, who is seeking mandate from the seat this time. Tara Chand (55) hopes that his dream of seeing Airy as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand seems imminent this year although he could not see the party in power as it had become weak and fractured. “Even if Airy does not become the Chief Minister of the state, I will continue to be barefoot till I see my dream comes true,” said Tara Chand.