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Corruption sole achievement of BJP: Subodh Kant
‘Poll to be held as per schedule’
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Cong promises free power to poor women
Right to Not to vote
54 polling parties leave for duty
BDM (Delhi) lift cricket trophy
Republic Day celebrated with fervour
Life of a loner suits me,
ONGC to spend Rs 300 cr on Doon’s beautification
Three-cornered battle in Dwarahat
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Khanduri most honest: Advani
Mussoorie, January 27
Outlining several measures taken by the Khanduri government to curb corruption, Advani said the party was committed to eradicate corruption from the state. He also blamed the Congress for promoting terrorism and corruption in the country and appealed to the citizens to come forward to root out the menace. Elaborating on the future course of action if the BJP government comes to power in the state again, Advani said it would work towards developing the renowned pilgrimage centres of the state along with other development projects.
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Corruption sole achievement of BJP: Subodh Kant
Dehradun, January 27 He said even yoga guru Ramdev had accused the BJP government of demanding Rs 2 crore as a bribe to change a land use. Sahay said if the Congress was voted to power in the state, it would give impetus to tourism in the region. Describing the BJP as a communal party, Sahay said by raking up the Ram temple issue, the party had made it clear that it wanted to rake up communal tensions in the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh. He further said the BJP was “responsible” for the non-passage of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.
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‘Poll to be held as per schedule’
Dehradun, January 27 “Due to poor weather conditions in the snow-bound areas of the state, it was proposed to defer the elections there. But due to continuous improvement in weather and the forecast of clear weather between January 27 and 30, the elections will be held according to the schedule,” said Radha Raturi, Chief Electoral Officer, Uttarakhand. She said a total of 9,744 polling stations had been set up across the state, of which 1,794 had been declared as sensitive and 1,252 as hyper-sensitive. Raturi said for the conduct of a free and peaceful elections, 75 companies of central paramilitary force, 10,000 home guards from Uttar Pradesh, 2,000 home guards from Himachal Pradesh and 10,000 personnel from the state police had been deployed in the state. She further said those who had been deputed in the high-altitude areas for poll-related duties had been provided with sleeping bags and jackets. A helicopter had also been stationed at Sarsawa for rescue purposes in case of any eventuality, she added. Meanwhile, she said a cash of Rs 1.31 crore had been seized in various parts of the state so far. Besides, 12,777 litres of liquor was also seized, she said, adding that 97 cases of the poll code violation were also registered against various candidates. The Chief Electoral Officer said all government and non-government offices, schools, colleges, industrial establishments and shops would remain closed on January 30.
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Cong promises free power to poor women
Dehradun, January 27 Addressing a press conference here, Verma said the Uttarakhand Congress had come out with a manifesto that promised betterment of women in the state. She said by setting up of Women Finance Corporation Limited, 100 units of free electricity would be provided to the women. She said the Congress manifesto had also promised providing reservation to women in various spheres. She said the Congress government would also provide an amount of Rs 50, 000 to Below Poverty Line families to marry off their daughters. Verma asserted that winds of change were evident and the Congress would come to power in the state.
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Right to Not to vote
Nainital, January 27 The rule provides for a voter exercising his right of not to vote while getting his decision registered at the polling booth. Political observers say it can also be interpreted as the voter not finding any candidate suitable to be elected from his or her constituency. In fact, there are appeals being made on social networking websites by some voters who are disillusioned with the existing political class or the candidates fielded by various political parties to make use of the provision. There are also several queries being posed to the Election Commission on this count. In a letter written by the Under Secretary of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the Chief Electoral Officers of the five poll-bound states, it has been mentioned, “As explained therein, Rule 49 O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, states that if an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form 17 A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon, decides not to record his vote, a remark to that effect (decided not to vote) shall be made against the said entry by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark. The procedure to be followed in such cases is explained in Chapter XXIII of the Handbook for presiding officers (2009). This point should be explained during the training of poll personnel.” The letter further states, ”The above instructions shall be brought to the notice of all election-related officials, especially the presiding officers and polling officers for strict compliance of the prescribed procedure to deal with electors who decided not to cast their vote after signing in Form 17 A.” It has been mentioned that there have been complaints from several quarters that the polling personnel are not aware of the procedure in this regard, resulting in confusion in the polling station and inconvenience to the electors. The Commission has directed that the total number of electors who decide not to vote, invoking the provision of Rule 49 O, should be compiled for record purposes. The figures regarding the number of such electors will be indicated against account of votes recorded. “Instructions may be immediately issued to all returning officers to collect the said figures at the time of counting of votes. The information so compiled may be sent to the Commission indicating the total number of such electors constituency wise,” reads the letter.
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54 polling parties leave for duty
Dehradun, January 27 He said 134 parties would be leaving for the far-flung polling stations of Dehradun on Saturday. He further said the polling would be held on January 30 from 8 am to 5 pm.
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BDM (Delhi) lift cricket trophy
Dehradun, January 27 Bhiwani Bulls won the toss but invited the Delhi team to bat first. The Delhi team scored 254 runs for 7 wickets in 40 overs. Nitish Rana was the top scorer with 70 runs while Shakib Alam scored 69 runs (not out). Sandeep Tanwar, Pawan Sharma and Pramesh took a wicket each. In reply, Bhiwani Bulls were all out for 205 runs losing the match by 49 runs. Amit Vashist who scored 60 runs was the top scorer. Shakib Alam who scored 69 (not out) also did well by taking four wickets for 44 runs. Rohit Saini took three wickets for 48 runs. Shakib Alam was adjudged as the man of the match. Harshvardhan Negi of the Uttarakhand Police was given the award of the best batsman. Ramesh Prasad was declared as the best bowler of the tournament and Amit Vashisht of Bhiwani Bulls as the man of the tournament. DS Mann, President of Doon International School, gave away the prizes to the winners.
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Republic Day celebrated with fervour
Dehradun, January 27 The Governor first hoisted the Tricolour at the Raj Bhavan and took the salute from Army, ITBP, SSB, Homeguards and PRD personnel. Amid the beautiful and inspiring patriotic tunes played by the army and police bands, the governor conferred the Utkrisht Sewa Medal on Company Commander JC Pathak, DIG PD Bhatt, DIG Rajesh Shah and DIG Nirvikar. She greeted the people of the state and exhorted them to exercise their right to vote in the Assembly elections. The chief guest gave away the certificates and gifts to the children. Later, saplings were also planted. The highlights of the an hour-long programme were a Maharashtrian dance by girl students and two patriotic songs. HARIDWAR: Various functions were held in the district on Republic Day yesterday. The Tricolour was hoisted at government buildings and private one’s too with people seen holding flags on their hands. At Roshanabad, District Magistrate Haridwar D Senthyl Pendiyan hoisted the Tricolour and took the salute of the march past. On the occasion, cultural programmes were also organised. Veteran freedom fighters from the district Nand Lal Dhingra, Shukla Chandra and Ram Krishan Verma were also felicitated on the occasion by the District Magistrate, recognizing their contribution during the fredom movement. At BHEL-Ranipur, a grand Republic Day function was organised, where hundreds of people were present to see the marching contingents of the CISF, schoolchildren as well as colourful cultural programmes. Executive director of BHEL Virendra Pandhi hoisted the flag and took salute of the parade. Rama Dhar Gautam, recepient of Prime Minister Shramjeevi award and Shram Shri award, was felicitated. Annual Vishwakarma awards given to BHEL employees namely Raj Beer Singh, Vinod Kumar, Manful Singh, VK Sharma, Ravi Kashyap, MC Sharma, Balesh Kumar, Bhuvendra Kumar, MP Singh and IV George. Various schools also celebrated Republic Day with the flag hoisting ceremony, followed by patriotic cultural song and dance extravaganza. A grand carnival was organised at Academic Heights-Bachpan Play School, Jagjeetpur, where students and their parents took part. A fancy dress show was also organised, wherein kids appeared like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mother Teresa, Sonia Gandhi, Sachin Tendulkar, Rani Laxmi Bai, Tatya Tope, Tipu Sultan and Anna Hazare. School director Nitin Ahluwalia, Krishan Sharma, Sandeep Ahluwalia, Meena, Arpita Deowari, Kunika Arora among others coordinated the whole event. Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Mayapur, also organised a colorful Republic Day programme on its school premise. Patriotic songs were followed by the flag hoisting ceremony, Saraswati Vandana and singing of the National Anthem.
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Life of a loner suits me,
says author Allan
Dehradun, January 27 So it was indeed befitting that the writer soaked in the news of having been confirmed the Padma Shri Award for Literature among those who have collaborated with him in giving shape to his ideas; first at home and then in his books. “I have shared an enduring relationship with my gardener who is yet to come to terms with the fact that I earn a living by writing. Most of the time, he has seen me pottering around the garden or sitting in the languid winter’s afternoon sun. But since the announcement has been made, he is quite pleased,” said Allan. Unlike writer Ruskin Bond’s all pervasive love for Dehradun and Mussooorie, Allan’s enduring love for Dehradun has always been understated. It appears now and then in his book, Red. In fact, he hit upon the title of the book while looking for a can of red paint at the local hardware shop. He later used it to paint his pantry at home, “Bright colours have always inspired me. This house that belonged to my mother, who taught at a local school here, has deliberately been painted in bright colours,” he said. The writer, whose books has won the Commonwealth Best Book Prize, Sahitya Akademi Award and has also figured on the bestseller list, still believes that in India, the readership for English novels is limited. “As the writer struggles to give shape to his ideas through books, he may not be sure of their success. All he is doing is conveying an idea that may or may not strike a chord with the reader. The fact that my book, The Everest Hotel (1998), figured on the bestseller list may not mean that ten thousand copies of the book have been sold. This figure is insignificant outside the country,” said Allan. Living in his own world that he has created for himself in Dehradun, Allan said it offered him plenty of time to think and contemplate. “The life of a loner suits me perfectly,” he said.
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ONGC to spend Rs 300 cr on Doon’s beautification
Dehradun, January 27 Addressing a press conference in Dehradun on Republic Day, Sudhir Vasudeva said the ONGC had stepped up efforts in recent times and managed to create more than 2 billion tonnes of hydrocarbon reserves in the past 10 years. He said, however, big finds were still elusive as big gap still remained in achieving the strategic goal of doubling of hydrocarbon reserves. Vasudeva said the ONGC was also looking into alternative sources of energy like hydro-power and solar energy. “A survey was in progress to tap the potential for run of river projects in the country apart from setting up of a wind energy project in Rajasthan as we have successfully established one at Gujarat”, he said. He also disclosed that within the next 2 to 3 years, more than 5000 ONGC executives would retire and thus the ONGC planned to go in for aggressive recruitment plan. He said the ONGC had inducted 3500 persons in the past 3 years and planned to recruit 3,000 more in the next 2 years. Referring to welfare of the retired employees, Vasudeva said the ONGC had best medical facilities for its retired employees. He said the ONGC management was looking into the pension-related grievances of the retired employees and was planning to come up with a corpus fund to address this concern. He again rejected any possibility of shifting of the ONGC headquaters from Dehradun. “ONGCians keep emotional attachment with Dehradun as it was here the ONGC came into being. Dehradun was our janambhumi and there is no question of its shifting”, he pointed out. He said the ONGC spent 2 per cent of its overall profit on corporate social responsibility. Vasudeva held that the ONGC planned to beautify Dehradun which would start with beautification of Rajpur Road. This will be followed by sprucing up of Chakrata Road, Inter-State Bus Terminus and Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun.
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Three-cornered battle in Dwarahat
Nainital, January 27 Sitting legislator of the UKD (P) Pushpesh Tripathi is pitted against Madan Bisht of the Congress and Narendra Bisht of the BJP on the seat which is witnessing a high-pitch campaign. Also in the fray is PC Tewari of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP) who is expected to play a A young and dynamic Tripathi has certain distinct advantages on his side. To begin with, he enjoys the reputation that he inherited from his father, Bipin Chandra Tripathi, who was a stalwart of the undivided UKD and was closely identified with the agitation for the creation of a separate state of Uttarakhand. At present he is identified more as Bipin’s son than a UKD leader in this constituency. But the recent split in the UKD that resulted in the freezing of its symbol is a drawback which he would have to overcome to retain his seat. The Congress candidate is riding high on the shortcomings of the sitting legislator with regard to the works that he could not get executed despite the UKD being an ally in the government for a major part of the tenure of the BJP-led state government. On the other hand, the BJP candidate is promising what his party has been conveying across the state. A sitting block chairperson from Bhikiyasain, he is well versed in local issues as well. Tewari of the UPP claims to be getting support from the people who are disillusioned with all the three above mentioned forces. The UPP has been desperately trying to fill in the void that has emerged with the downslide of the UKD as a credible regional force. The UKD’s saga is a sort of a paradox in the Indian polity over the past two decades. While regional forces have grown across the country, the UKD has slid from being a force that was at the forefront of the statehood agitation to one desperately fighting for its survival. The UPP has taken up the issues which the UKD failed to capitalize on. These include issues like making Gair Sain the permanent capital of the state, issues pertaining to the community rights over natural resources etc. Dwarahat is an area where the migration of the youth and water crisis are two major issues. With a large number of water schemes that had been damaged during the rain- related disaster of 2010 still lying non-functional or semi-functional, the area has been in a grip of crisis. Agriculture has also suffered on account of there being no facilities. With no employment avenues, the youth has been migrating to other states. High consumption of liquor by the men folk has been another issue, particularly with the women voters who have been agitating time and again for a prohibition against the sale of liquor. The place boasts of an engineering college that is reputed high in this part of the country but in the world of the Internet and high-technological advances, the present students feel out of place in a town where there are a few facilities available.
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Dehradun, January 27
Dehradun, January 27
Dehradun, January 27
He said his being the Chief Minister was an honour for the people of the state.