BJP fails to name Leader of Oppn
Dehradun, March 27
With the state BJP unable to zero in on a leader who would lead the party in the House, the services of the Leader of the Opposition were missed on the first day of the session of the Uttarakhand Assembly.

Govt proposes allowance to jobless youth
Dehradun, March 27
As promised in its party manifesto, the Congress government today proposed to provide Rs 750-1,500 as unemployment allowance to the jobless youth of the state and several schemes for the upliftment of members belonging to the SC and minorities communities.

Dehradun, March 27
With the state BJP unable to zero in on a leader who would lead the party in the House, the services of the Leader of the Opposition were missed on the first day of the session of the Uttarakhand Assembly.

Despite holding meetings with the Central leadership, the BJP has failed to name the Leader of the Opposition for the Assembly that is already in session.

No doubt the rebellion in the Congress took centre stage, the Uttarakhand BJP, too, was not untouched by strife that has delayed the selection of the leader. As different groups within the Uttarakhand BJP try to foist their own candidate, the Central leadership has taken no decision.

“There are several contenders for the post of Leader of the Opposition. It will take some time before the selection is made,” said BS Chuphal, state BJP president.

Party sources claim senior BJP leader and former speaker Harbans Kapoor, Ajay Bhatt and Madan Kaushik are in the line for the post but with different groups unable to bury their differences consensus has failed to emerge.

Senior leaders maintain that the BJP is still contemplating on a strategy for taking on the Congress government. “The party had fielded a senior most leader Harbans Kapoor for the election of the Speaker but it failed to wean away the BSP and Independents from the Congress,” they said.

Dehradun, March 27
As promised in its party manifesto, the Congress government today proposed to provide Rs 750-1,500 as unemployment allowance to the jobless youth of the state and several schemes for the upliftment of members belonging to the SC and minorities communities.

Presenting the government’s agenda in the next five years in the House during the Governor's address, the Bahuguna government promised to take steps towards providing unemployment allowance --- Rs 750-1,500 per month --- to the jobless youth who are registered at the employment exchange for the past three years. It also promised to provide 50 per cent more allowance to girls and those from the science stream.

The Bahuguna government also proposed to set up Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Technical University in the state where seats would be reserved for members belonging to the SC community and students from Uttarakhand.

In Doon Univiersity and IIT, Roorkee, chairs dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar would be established. It also proposed reservation for the SC and ST communities in private medical and technical institutions. The government would bear the cost of education in these institutions.

In fulfilment of the Prime Minister’s 15-point programme for the minorities, it proposed to link the Minorities Finance Commission with leading banks.

For the promotion of Urdu language, separate departments would be set up at Kumaon and Garhwal Universities. A full-fledged ministry on minority affairs would be created.

The government would also set up Urdu and Persian boards and to promote education among the minorities communities, the Maulana Azad Education Finance Foundation would be set up that would extend loans to the members of minority communities.

To provide employment to women members of the minority communities, financial assistance would be given through self-help groups and loans for establishing small- scale industries.

The government also promised to provide traditional rights to Van Gujjars residing in the forests. It also promised to develop Piran Kaliyar and Hemkunt Sahib as pilgrimage entities.

Dehradun, March 27
Dehradun bandh call given by the Dehradun Sarafa Mandal in protest against imposition of 4 pc customs duty on jewellery trade in the recent Union Budget remained partially successful in main commercial area of the city around Clock Tower and was not found effective in the rest of the city today.

The shops, hotels/restaurants, petrol pumps and cinema halls, which remained closed in the morning in the area around Clock Tower such as Dhamawala, Paltan Bazar, Chakrata Road, Rajpur Road and Estely Hall, began operating by the afternoon. A shopkeeper in Estley Hall said he closed his shop to show solidarity to the cause of the jewellers only till the afternoon as the issue of imposition of excise duty had no bearing on other trades and there was no sense in losing business without logic.

The shopkeepers of Indira Market declined to extend their support to the bandh and resisted the attempts of forcible closure vehemently, saying that the jewellery shops did not protest when gold prices escalated from Rs 14,000 to Rs 30,000. So they have no right to lodge a protest now for their own selfish reasons and demand support from other shopkeepers.

Praveen Jain, president of Dehradun Sarafa Mandal, said: “With the increase in custom duty from 1 to 4 per cent, the jewellery traders who earlier used to pay Rs 30,000 would now have to shell out Rs 1,20,000 for per KG of gold. The levying of increased customs duty could be justified for big retailers or brand jewellers but the small traders involved in this business would not be able to sustain their business this way.”

He said the jewellers, in year 1962, too, fought against the imposition of customs duty which was rolled back in 1990. Now once again, it had been set in motion this year.

President of Doon Udyog Vyapar Mandal Vipin Nagliya, acting president of State Traders Association Umesh Aggarwal, president of Prantiya Udyog Vyapra Mandal Smiti Anand Swaroop Gupta, Anil Goyal, former Speaker Harbans Kapoor and senior Congress leader Heera Singh Bisht supported Dehradun Sarafa Mandal today.

Mussoorie, March 27
Butcher Khana residents, who were involved in a brawl with Mussoorie Wakf Board members over the issue of encroachment and illegal construction of a tin shed in which four members were injured, created ruckus at the SDM office and police station today.

They alleged that the administration had not initiated any action against the members of the Wakf Board who indulged in violence while trying to evict a poor family and demolish the shed without any prior notice.

The Butcher Khana residents gathered in a large number and marched to the police station after the SDM office and raised slogans against the administration for not acting on their complaint against the Wakf Board members.

They also presented a memorandum to the acting officials of the Wakf Board through the SDM office, Mussoorie, demanding the suspension of the Wakf Board committee no 22 and 29 of Mussoorie as it was involved in financial bungling and harassing the poor residents.

The residents entered the police station where they had heated exchange with police officials on their lackadaisical approach in the matter.

Salim Ahmed, resident of Butcher Khana, said the land at Butcher Khana belonged to the Wakf Board and the residents had been paying their taxes and other dues from time to time.

But the new committee had been involved in corruption and threatening the residents with dire consequences such as demolition and violence forcing them to live under fear.

The residents also warned that if no action was initiated against the corrupt Wakf board members, they would take to streets.

Wakf Board secretary Arshad Ali said they had gone to Butcher Khana for demolishing an illegal structure after reciving a complaint but a few residents hindered the legal process by resorting to violence.

He refuted the allegation of corruption against him and other members and said they were diverting the issue as they had not paid rents as yet and were indulging in illegal construction.

Police officials informed the media that a case had been registered from both sides and charges would be framed after investigation.

Four persons were injured on March 25 when the Wakf board members had gone to Butcher Khana to demolish the tin shed erected illegally.

Mussoorie, March 27
The bandh call given by gold traders under the banner of Swarnkar Sangh evoked a mixed response in Mussoorie today.

The Swarnkar Sangh had solicited support from Mussoorie Traders' Association as gold traders from the country were up against the decision of raising excise duty and other taxes on gold ornaments.

The shops at Landour Bazaar remained closed but the traders from Kulri and Library Bazaar opened their shops around noon.

The members of Swarnkar Sangh also presented a memorandum addressed to the government in the Centre through the SDM office in Mussoorie, demanding to roll back of the decision taken by the Finance Minster in the recent Budget.

The president of the Sangh, Surendar Singh Panwar, lambasting the government said that the increase in taxation of the gold traders was unjustified and it should be rolled back without any further delay. He

also said that due to the nationwide protest the government had already lost several crores of revenue so it should consider their demand with a sympathetic view.

The tourists and the residents alike had to face inconvenience due to the bandh for a few hours. Normalcy returned after noon when the traders reopened their shops once again.

Mussoorie, March 27
Residents of Mussoorie have lodged a protest against the setting up of barricades near the Mandakini guest house in Lakshman Puri. The area falls under the Landour Cantonment Board.

The authorities have set up the barricades in the wake of rampant illegal construction, which had also been highlighted by the media a few days ago.

Agitated residents of Lakshman Puri, led by CP Baloni, elected vice-president of the board, gathered near the area where the barricades have been set up and raised slogans against nominated Army officials, including the board president, Maj Gen Ranvir Yadav.

They termed it as dictatorial exercise which was against the law.

Baloni, who is supporting the residents' agitation, said the road where the barricades had been set up led to the cremation ground, Khachar Khana, and was used not only by cantt board residents but also by the people living in the civilian areas. Erecting barricades on the route was uncalled for, which would be vehemently opposed till they were removed.

He alleged that Major General Yadav was acting in an autocratic manner.

He said due to these barricades, even the drivers of two-wheelers were finding it difficult to pass through them.

He has also sought the intervention of the Mussoorie SDM in this regard.

Army officials were not available for comment.

Dehradun, March 27
In the ongoing 4th Uttarakhand Cricket Cup 2012 held at Rangers Ground, Dev Bhoomi Cricket Academy (DBCA), Haldwani, defeated Himalayan Cricket Academy (HCA), Dehradun, by 54 runs here today.

Winning the toss, DBCA elected to bat first and scored 240 runs in 33.2 overs. Rohit Choudhary amassed 97 runs in 57 balls and was the highest scorer for the DBCA team. Manu and Umang scored 46 and 35 runs, respectively, and contributed for the team's victory.

For the HCA team, Keshav Negi took three wickets, Sheeshpal took two while Shekhar, Manish, Sheetal and Kiran took one wicket each.

Responding to the DBCA score, HCA fell short of the target by 54 runs and lost the match with a total score of 186 runs in 33.1 overs.

Manish and Shrishti remained the highest scorers for the team, scoring 31 and 28 runs, respectively. The rest of the batsmen could not stay on the wicket for long, leading to their defeat.

For the DBCA team, Manu took three wickets, Brij Mohan and Manish two wickets while Ravindra, Haider and Rohit took one wicket each. 

An NSS volunteer donates blood at Uttarakhand Sanskrit University in Haridwar on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Blood donation camp
Tribune News Service