Rlys begins anti-encroachment drive
Gives notices to 98 persons in Ramnagar
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 7
Having successfully got its land vacated from encroachers in Lal Kuan, the Railways has now started a similar drive in the Ramnagar area of Nainital district.

While the Railways is learnt to have given notices to 98 persons for vacating the land illegal occupied by them, it has also started an encroachment removal exercise in Ramnagar. Personnel of the Railways Protection Force (RPF) are reported to have razed some temporary structures put up on the Railways land on Monday.

They also rounded up seven persons for hampering their task. These persons were later let off after they sought an apology in writing.

The people affected by the action went on to protest outside the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

The drive has been started in view of the coming visit of General Manager of the North-Eastern Railways KBL Mittal on February 9. It is learnt that the Railways had given an warning to the encroachers on January 22 to vacate the land that has been illegally occupied by them.

The Railways has given notices to 98 persons and asked them to vacate the premises voluntarily. The Railways premises is spread over an area of 
more than 100 acres in Ramnagar.

Earlier in September last year, the Railways had started getting its land vacated from the encroachers in the Lal Kuan area.

Railways officials say the development projects, proposed by the Railways for the Kumaon region, are facing a roadblock in the form of large-scale encroachment of land belonging to it.

Official estimates say that almost 1.04 lakh square metres of land belonging to the Railways has been under encroachment in the zone between Kathgodam and Lal Kuan alone which needs to be restored to its owners.

Similarly, a large area belonging to the Railways has been encroached upon in the Ramnagar and Kashipur areas. A large number of unauthorised settlements have come up on this land.

Railways officials in the past had expressed surprise at the move of the administration to build roads to the illegal colonies that had come up on the Railway land.

The officials have been stating that they have a large number of projects lined up for this region to improve rail services. The Railways has been earning a handsome amount on the facilities provided in terms of freight carriage to the industries located in Kashipur and Rudrapur industrial hubs.

CM asks officials to utilise funds fully
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khanduri presided over the department-wise state annual plan 2011-12 review meeting today.

At the meeting held in Dehradun, Chief Minister Khanduri directed all the secretaries and the heads of departments to fully utilise the funds sanctioned before the current financial year comes to a close. He said that all heads of departments should ensure excellent quality of the works being undertaken.

He said that all departments should make the details of the work plan available to the Chief Secretary at the earliest.The Chief Minister said that it has often been noticed that some of the departments do not utilise sanctioned funds in proper time. He said that strict action would be initiated against those officials found indulging in such work practices. At the review meeting, the Chief Minister sought department-wise information and discussed issues related to progress of the schemes with the officials.

During the course of discussions, Chief Minister Khanduri asked the officials about the problems they were facing with in the process of spending the sanctioned budget. He directed the Chief Secretary to coordinate with the departmental secretaries and officials and conduct regular review of progress of the departmental schemes.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also directed the departmental secretaries to lay emphasis on increasing the sources of income of the state while formulating the forthcoming annual plans. He also directed the officials to formulate concrete work plans and work on them to increase the revenue income of the state.

Policy for teachers with effect from April
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 7
The transfer policy for employees of the Education Department, which was formulated by the state government before elections, is set to be implemented in the beginning of the next financial year.

Officials of the department are making preparations to implement the policy to remove discrepancies with regard to the transfers of teachers. The government faced allegations of rampant corruption over the issue and the policy had been framed to streamline transfers and bring about a qualitative change in the level of education across the state.

More than 150 Education Department officials from the Kumaon region attended a meeting on the issue at Bhimtal yesterday. Director, Basic Education, Anil Kumar Negi chaired the meeting.

The meeting was told that transfers would affected from April 1 onward. An appellate committee would be set up to decide cases pertaining to those teachers who claimed to be unable to go to the place of their new posting on health or other grounds. Negi assured the officials that the interests of the teachers, who had not been well, would be taken care of. The process of transfers is expected to be completed by June 5.

It was pointed out at the meeting that the teachers, who had been posted at one place for five years or more, would be transferred. The District Education Officers (DEOs) had been asked to prepare a portal having a database of all schools in their respective districts.

The tenure of the BJP government in Uttarakhand had been marred by allegations of corruption with regard to the transfer of teachers. The reason for this was lack of a transparent policy. BC Khanduri after he was reinstated as Chief Minister had expedited the process of a transparent transfer policy.

Besides, even the health sector has been facing problems in the absence of a clear cut transfer policy. Doctors and teachers generally refrained from going to remote areas, particularly hill terrain.

Transfers no solution to doctors’ shortage: PMHS
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
The transfer policy for doctors framed by the Khanduri government may not be able to send doctors to the hilly areas of the state.

Experts say instead of simply demarcating the hilly and plain areas in the state, the transfer policy has introduced a concept of demarcating inaccessible and accessible areas equally in both plain and hilly areas. The manpower shortage is more acute in the hilly districts of the state.

“The transfer policy has placed Uttarkashi in the accessible area, when it actually falls in the hilly area and there is acute shortage of doctors in the entire district. Similarly, Raipur town, a few kilometres from Dehradun, figures in the inaccessible area. The policy should have addressed the issue of compulsorily sending young doctors to the hilly districts at the start of their careers,” said Dr DP Joshi, general secretary, Provincial Medical Health Services (PMHS).

Besides, experts fear once the policy is implemented, the doctors, who are already serving in the inaccessible areas, will be keen to shift to the accessible areas but it will be difficult to transfer the doctors serving in the accessible areas to the inaccessible areas.

“Most likely, they will prefer to go on a long leave or even quit. Already there are cases of 200 doctors who have been missing from duties for a long period now,” said a senior official.

Against the total strength of doctors in the state, 70 per cent of the doctors are concentrated in the districts of Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital. The shortage of doctors is acutely felt in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Champawat, Bageshwar, Tehri, Pithoragarh and Pauri.

Brought just months before the Assembly elections, the transfer policy, if implemented by the new government in its present form, may not be able to provide solution to the perennial problem of the shortage of doctors.

Poor working conditions and low salaries continue to dog the government.

“The issue of better salaries to doctors continue to be ignored by bureaucrats. There has been a persistent demand of according pay parity with the Central Government doctors. The government has been non-committal on the issue,” said Dr Joshi.

New traffic plan hassles commuters
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
Commuters are facing a lot of problems in following the new traffic plan prepared by the Traffic Department for six important locations of the city, which have been made one way. Most of the commuters have no information about the new plan.

The Traffic Department sensed the difficulties being faced by the people on Curson Road due to the altered plan and decided to go with the previous one. At Dharampur, it faced a stiff resistance from traders.

Himanshu Shah, a traffic official, said, “Dharampur traders insisted on allowing two-wheelers to ply on the old route as they were not permitted to go to Dharampur from Aggarwal Bakery. We tried to convince them by telling them that the people of the area would benefit from it the most as it would ease traffic jams.”

He, however, said the plan prepared for Curzon Road had to be changed as it turned out to be non-feasible and led to more jams in the area. “The new traffic plan banned the entry of vehicles from Curzon Road, but allowed it from Municipal Road for Brightland School and the Coronation T-point and the Birmani T-point. Now, the vehicles have again been allowed to ply on Curzon Road,” he added.

The vehicular movement was also banned from Survey Chowk to DAV College and Karanpur Chowk; Manoj Clinic to Convent School; Saharnpur Road to Kanwali Road; and exit from Balbir Road to Araghar.

The people seemed perturbed by the new plan while commuting in the morning hours when they had to hurry to reach their workplaces. It now took them more time to ply on the one-way road. Shah justified the move saying, “It will take people some time to get used to the new traffic plan. They may have to travel a little more, but traffic will be faster and hassle-free. It will also save on fuel.”

Khanduri also in Delhi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
Today it was the turn of Chief Minister B.C Khanduri to head for Delhi, giving rise to speculation of a possible report on the party’s chances in the just concluded January 30 polls.

His visit comes a day after former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank’s visit.

Party sources say the Chief Minister is expected to provide a report on the election and is also expected to give his take on the charge of election sabotage levelled by former chief minister Nishank.

After failing to get support from his party, Nishank had rushed to Delhi to hold talks with the senior party leaders but now with Chief Minister B.C Khanduri also in Delhi, it remains to be seem if the central leadership of the BJP would be able to put a cap on the infighting that seems to have taken hold of the Uttarakhand BJP.

“It seems unlikely that the party leadership would take disciplinary action immediately. They would rather wait for the election results. But all this infighting has damaged the image of the party which seems to be in a complete disarray,” said a BJP leader.

Develop Moriana Top as hill station, say locals
Candidates ignored the issue during elections
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, February 7
Moriana Top, situated at an altitude of around 7,000 feet and more than 50 km from Mussoorie in the Dhanaulti constituency, has all the features to be developed as a popular hill station.

Residents of Than, Aabli, Sabli and Bhanswari villages around Moriana Top say with the completion of the Mussoorie-Nagun-Bhavan-Uttarkashi road, which has reduced the distance from Dehradun to Gangotri, had given them the hope that the candidates contesting the Assembly elections from the Dhanaulti seat would take it up as an important issue on their poll agendas.

However, they were shocked to see that no candidate raised the issue even once. The ridges of Moriana Top covered with snow could give the nearest hill station of Mussoorie a run for money.

S. Chauahn, a resident of Bhanswari village, situated a few kilometres below Moriana Top, say the candidates lost the opportunity of raising the issue of creating a new hill station of Moriana Top during the elections as it could have got them more votes. They instead were focused on regional and caste equations in the segment.

Chauhan said the ridges and the vast expanse of terraces at Moriana Top, if developed properly, could serve as an alternative to the nearest hill station of Mussoorie and ease congestion and traffic there considerably.

“Moriana Top with a Himalayan view on the one side and a Doon view on the other, besides its pristine forests of oak and chir pines could become an important tourist destination and create a large number of jobs for the locals. But, shockingly, the candidates completely ignored the issue,” added Chauhan.

Rebel Congress candidate from Dhanaulti Jot Singh Bisht refuted the charge and said while in the Congress he had raised the issue and tried to get the development of not only Moriana Top but also Naag Tibba and lakes to promote tourism included in the party manifesto, but was sidelined. This forced him to leave the Congress and fight as an Independent candidate.

Bisht said micro planning was not in the scheme of things of the national parties and “I have promised that if elected from Dhanaulti, I will create around 5,000 jobs in five years by developing areas like Moriana Top”.

Congress candidate Manmohan Singh Mall and BJP nominee Mahavir Rangad said their parties were committed to developing new tourist places in the state, but as caste and regional issues assumed importance in the elections here, other issues became secondary.

With the fate of the candidates sealed, the people of Dhanaulti earnestly wish their demand for the development of Moriana Top as a hill station, besides other areas are fulfilled in the next five years.

Gurukul Kangri varsity to host seminar on environment
Tribune News Service

Haridwar February 7
World famous Gurukul Kangri University will hold an international conference this month on environment.

A seminar entitled ‘Green Technology for Environmental Rehabilitation’ will be held, which will be attended by experts from the country as well as from foreign countries in large numbers. The seminar will be organised from February 11 to 13 at Engineering and Technology wing of the university.

In the conference more than 500 research papers will be read out. The papers will be related with the subject. Researchers hailing from different universities, institutes and research centres are expected to attend the seminar.

Chairman of the conference RD Kaushik said that for the past decade, the engineering wing of Gurukul University has been making constant efforts to provide students a global platform and this conference is a part of that process.

While Vice Chancellor of Gurukul University Swatantra Kumar said that since pre-Independence Gurukul has been a leading national university, and now with change in time, it is providing moral-aided education with technical prowess.

In the conference apart from science-technology experts from the fields of economics, mathematics, Indian philosophy, those well acquainted with Vedic philosophy will also be participating, dwelling on other topics also, giving the seminar a broader perspective.

“This conference will be specifically focussing on carbon emission gases and their negative impact on the environment. Also, we will initiate planting of trees by people, though our department has been doing it on regular basis,” said conference coordinator MM Tiwari at a press conference.

Among others who spoke at the occasion were Prof AK Chopra, Dr RD Kaushik, Dr Vivek Goyal, Dr Ajay Malik, Mayank Aggarwal, Vipul Sharma and Tanju Garg.

Lead bank in US Nagar told to prepare
loan and work plan
Tribune News Service

Nainital, February 7
The administration in Udham Singh Nagar district has directed the lead bank in the district to prepare the loan and work plan for the next financial year at the earliest.

At a meeting held in Rudrapur on Tuesday, District Magistrate PS Jangpangi asked lead bank officer Vishambhar Dayal to ensure that these plans were prepared well in time so that the targets can be

achieved in the district. Jangpangi also asked Chief Development Officer (CDO) Balkrishna to ensure that the bank managers participate in all the review meetings at the block and district levels. He has ordered the bank managers to open the account of 45,000 pensioners in the district in the CBS branches so that their pensions get credited to their accounts immediately on release.

Jangpangi expressed his displeasure at the absence of some bank officials and said that their absence resulted in non-achievement of the purpose of such meetings.

He has asked the lead bank officer to carry out the annual reviews and make sure that the targets set for the current financial year are achieved.

Deputy General Manager of the Reserve Bank of India Pramod Kumar has asked Dayal to decide the agenda for the meeting and said that the problems faced with regard to the loans and banking be prominently

put up in the agenda. He said that letters sould be written to officials of those regional banks which are not delivering on the Credit Deposit (CD) ratio. Keeping in mind the industrialisation in the district, he asked the banks to exploit the opportunities available with regards to the loans.

Dayal disclosed that against the annual target of Rs 2700 crore, loans to the tune of Rs 1569 crore had been disbursed till December.

He claimed that the CD ratio in the district was 110 per cent, which is 7 per cent more than the previous year.

‘Quicken pace of road development’

Dehradun, February 7
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar has called for bringing speed in road construction works in the border areas of the state.

Presiding over a meeting with Border Roads Organisation officials in Dehradun today, Subhash Kumar directed Garhwal and Kumaon commissioners to establish coordination with the officials of Border Roads Organisation, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force and Central Public Works Department and hold regular review meetings to review construction progress. The Chief Secretary sought details about Gatiyabagad Lipulekh road, Munishiyari Milam and Gunji Kalapani roads of the Kumaon region. He said better roads in border areas of the state will check migration from these areas. He also discussed Mana Musapni, Ghastoli Ratabona and Malari Kirtidogala border roads in the Garhwal region of the state. — TNS

ITBP team rescues trapped porters
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 7
Five porters, who had gone with an ITBP team to the high-altitude post of Gunji on the Indo-China border but trapped there due to heavy snowfall last week, have been rescued by an ITBP rescue team on Monday.

According to ITBP sources, the rescuer from the 7th Bn of the force brought the porters back from Gunji despite heavy snow on the track route to Gunji.

“Our soldiers used ropes to rescue these porters and took them safely to Dharchula, the base camp,” said Vishwa Mitra Anand, Commandant of the 7th Bn of the ITBP.

According to the ITBP weather unit, the snowfall in the high-altitude areas of the Himalayas in this part has broken the records of past 10 years during this season.

“The Gunji area, which did not receive even slight snowfall in the past 3 years, has still 2 to 3 feet of snow there,” said the ITBP official.

Due to the snowfall, the ITBP has deputed four teams comprising 4 to 5 personnel in each team, to rescue the trapped villagers and jawans on this route.

“The route between Garbyang and Gunji has been affected by heavy snow due to which the road has been broken at several places,” said the commandant.

Pant blames party men for stabbing him in back
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 7
After former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, it is now senior Uttarakhand minister and BJP leader Prakash Pant, party contestant from the Pithoragarh Assembly seat, who has alleged foul play by his own party men against him in the elections.

He alleged that he had been a witness to a conspiracy against him but remained silent keeping the dignity of the party in mind. “Some big leaders in the party had campaigned against me during the elections to defeat me on the instance of some state level officer-bearers which was condemnable,” Pant told this correspondent here today.

“But I will not lodge a complaint with the party high command for the sabotage against me and will face these people in the public forum,” said Pant.

Pant further alleged that a section of party workers in Pithoragarh remained either neutral or pro-opposition during the elections.

He sensed the conspiracy but remained quiet as his protest would have spoiled his chances further and also of party candidates at other seats.

“But our people have decided to expose these elements after the elections,” said Pant.

Villagers oppose compost plant
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) faced opposition from the villagers of Shishambada at Selaqui and owner of Himgiri School for developing the trenching ground-cum-compost plant in the area.

Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (AMNA) Harak Singh Rawat tried to assuage their concerns but they remained adamant in not letting DMC construct a trenching ground at the place. They stopped the contractors from building a wall around the land.

Rawat said the trenching ground and compost plant will treat the garbage and make dry fuel from the inert garbage which falls neither in the category of bio-degradable nor non-biodegradable.

“DMC had been working on this proposed plan for the last five years and as per the rules of such an activity, construction of any commercial and residential property was banned within half km radius of the ground. Still people flouted the norms and built the school, commercial buildings and houses as well. Now they have begun protesting over it. Above all, the villagers who live far away from the land have got involved in the dispute.”

Rawat is awaiting further orders from higher officials to follow the case further.

Bharatnatayam no cakewalk: Pratibha
Neena Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, February 7
On stage Bharatnatyam dancer Pratibha Prahlad is a mixture of quite composure. But off stage the very fact that Indian form of dance and music is not given due recognition rankles her deeply and she tries to emphasise on the uniqueness of Indian dance form.

“There is a general tendency to term cinema churned by Bollywood as representing Indian culture, which is a misnomer. Hindi cinema is purely entertaining and transitory. It’s effect is shortlived,” said Pratibha Prahlad, while speaking with The Tribune. She was in Dehradun at the invitation of SPIC MACAY and performed at the Olympus High School.

She goes on to say that along with the Indian success story in the field of science and technology, the history behind Indian dance and music forms should be retold again and again.

She is the face behind the Delhi International Art Festival that she has been organising for the last five years as Director. Pratibha adds: “The festival brings around 20 countries on one platform. It is my way of contributing towards the promotion of art.” Her contribution was even acknowledged by the Government of India that released a commemorative envelope and a stamp in her honour.

But lack of patronage and funds are a dampener for an artist who may not hail from a family of artists and for Prahlad it was no different. “None of my family members were professionally engaged in music or dance; so when I stepped into this world, there were anxious moments. I had to work hard to carve a niche for myself. Playing it safe, my parents indulgently asked me to also continue with my studies in mass communication so that I had something to lean on. But I guess, I was destined to become a dancer,” she emphasised.

A multi-faceted personality, Prahlad says Bharatnatayam can be learnt at any age. “But it is no cakewalk. There is no gain without pain. All dancers learn to live with pain; it is the reward of learning something that would only die with you,” she said.

An avid follower of the political scene, Prahlad said while the anti-corruption movement managed to wake up the sleeping middle class, it lost steam midway. Corruption cannot be curbed if you continue pointing fingers at others.You have to look inward, emphasised Prahlad.

DGP orders probe into beating up of thief by cops
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7
Director General of Police Jyoti Swaroop Pandey has ordered for a CID enquiry into alleged beating of a history-sheeter and hardened thief Santosh alias Matte, resident of Nai Basti, by police personnel when he was caught at Subhash Road on the tip-off from an informer.

Santosh was banished from entering into the state under a policy framed during the election where state police had blocked entry of all hardened criminals during election even if they were on parole or out of jail. Santosh was seen in the town today as his expulsion duration had also expired. The police suspected him for playing a pivotal role in two recent theft incidents in Claimentown area.

A guitar, two watches and Rs 5000 were found stolen from Garg Hostel on February 4 and two bags of clothes containing jewellery from the house of one Anurag Singh the very next day.

When the police caught him today, he tried to run away by jumping over a wall. The police caught hold of him and beat him up. Some witnesses made a video film on mobile and released it to a local news channel.

DGP, who came to know of it, ordered for a CID enquiry.

Circle Officer Claimentown Lalit Mohan Upreti admitted that it was wrong to beat up the thief but said his attempts to run away made the cops angry.

Cong leader Sardar Singh Rawat remembered
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, February 7
More than 200 persons from all walks of life today gathered at Government Inter- college, Nainbagh, 50 km from here, to pay tributes to Congress leader and former block pramukh Sardar Singh Rawat on his 11th death anniversary.

Cutting across party lines, leaders offered floral tribute at the statue of the late leader, who is remembered as ‘Vikas purush’ as he transformed the backward region of the Jaunpur block, especially Nainbagh, into a bustling town.

Most of the candidates who contested from the Dhanaulti seat in the Assembly elections held recently also praised development works carried out by Sardar Singh Rawat.

Congress rebel from Dhanaulti Jot Singh Bisht said it was due to the efforts of Sardar Singh Rawat that there was Government Inter-college in the region.

He further said on his 11th death anniversary today, the majority of the political leadership of the region had resolved to follow in the footsteps of the great leader and develop the region according to the aspirations of the people, generate employment and raise their standard of living.

The son of the late Sardar Singh Rawat thanked the people for remembering his father and said he was committed to carrying forward the good work done by his father for the region.

Interestingly, Congress leaders from Nainbagh present on the occasion were all praise for Jot Singh Bisht, thus raising questions on their loyalty to the party.

BSP leader Mohan Nirala and Gulab Singh Rawat were also present.