Dehradun, April 2
Visually challenged persons in Uttarakhand will soon be able to demand work under the demand-driven Central Government-funded Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) here has prepared a module for visually challenged persons equipping them with necessary information about the Centre schemes, so that they can, too, demand job under the scheme.

“We have already undertaken such an exercise in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where at least 40 visually challenged persons have been trained to demand job under the MGNREGS,” said Anuradha Dalmia, Director, NIVH.

Carrying out works under the MGNREGS such as building water harvesting tanks, carrying out plantation and other activities mandated under the scheme, the emphasis is on group activity making it conducive for visually challenged persons to contribute their bit in these group-centric jobs.

“Though it is a challenge for blind persons to work in an environment that is not conducive to their condition, the NIVH is committed to exploring opportunities for them. With some creative thinking we expect to open doors for the blind even in this scheme,” said Dalmia.

The training and placement cell of the institute has successfully developed devices such as a 6-inch measuring tape, a measurement square and other equipment based on tactile sensitivity. “We will shortly be organising a training in Dehradun, followed by the districts of Tehri and Uttarkashi. Our experience in Kanpur has been good and the experiment will be replicated here. The 100-day job promised under the MGNREGS can be beneficial for the blind. But as the MGNREGS is not designed for the disabled persons, the institute will act as a facilitator and train the blind persons to demand jobs,” said Jagdish Lakhera, training and placement officer, NIVH.

Together with providing training, the institute will also take up the survey of the area and involve the gram pradhan and the block development officer in ensuring that they are given jobs which are safe.

As the NIVH runs training courses for visually challenged persons, it has a ready data bank of persons who could be trained to exploit the opportunity of demanding jobs under the MGNREGS. “Around 5,000 individuals who failed to get training or jobs will be able to benefit from the demand-driven MGNREGS,” added Lakhera.

Dehradun, April 2
On World Autism Day today, the Chairman of Raphael, Air Marshal BD Jayal (retd), emphasised the need to diagnose autism as soon as it sets in a child for extending the right kind of support and intervention.

Speaking at a workshop organised at Raphael, Jayal said: "We need to improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from this disorder. The symptoms start manifesting when the child is three-year-old. Due to the lack of information, symptoms go undiagnosed. We need to increase awareness about autism in our community,” added Jayal.

He said: "It was incumbent upon us to give voices to millions of children who are undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed and who are looking for the right kind of support and intervention."

Carolyn Reed stressed on the need to integrate children in the mainstream. “Unless there was concerted awareness about autism, society will continue to discriminate against persons suffering from it,” she added.

She said it was caused by brain dysfunction and not by bad parenting or neglect. Eighty per cent of those affected by autism were boys and it was found throughout the world. “It may occur alone or with accompanying problems such as mental retardation or seizures,” Reid explained.

A National Trust film on autism was also shown to the audience. The session concluded with a discussion and information to the audience regarding famous people with autism. The workshop was coordinated by Priyo Lall, head, Special Education, Raphael.

Mussoorie, April 2
One person was killed and another injured when a truck fell into a 100-feet gorge near the Lakshman Puri area on the Dheradun-Mussoorie-Dhanaulti road around 1 pm today. The truck was returning after unloading construction material in the Lal Tibba area.

The ill-fated truck that fell into a deep gorge near Mussoorie on Monday; and (right) local residents with the body of the conductor.

Dehradun, April 2
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna directed the state Chief Secretary to make a list of "easy and difficult region" in a pragmatic manner so that the Uttarakhand Annual Transfer Act 2011 could be made more effective.

He stressed on the periodic transfer of government employees to far-flung places in the hill region to ensure a balanced development in that part of the state.

Bahuguna convened a meeting with the Chief Secretary and senior officials on this issue. The representatives of seven employees unions were also present who gave their suggestions on this matter. He directed Principal Secretary, Personnel, Utpal Kumar Singh, to study these suggestions and make the desired alteration department-wise.

On this occasion, Revenue and Irrigation Minister Yashpal Arya, Food and Supply Minister Pritam Singh, Agriculture Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar and Additional Secretary Arvind Singh were present on the occasion.

The representatives of employees union included Prahlad Singh, president of the Rajya Karamchari Sanyukt Parishad and Navin Kandpal of the Diploma Engineers Mahasangh and Dinesh Bhandari of the Rajya Nigam Mahsangh. Meanwhile, Bahuguna also met the delegation of jewellers who came from Haridwar. He informed them that he had already sent their demands to Union Finance Minister Pranav Mukherjee. 

Haridwar, April 2
The striking labourers of Satyam Auto and Rockman, a subsidiary of auto giant Hero Motocorp, started an indefinite dharna outside the District Magistrate's office at Roshanabad here today. The labourers had been on strike for the past two weeks in support of their demand for the reinstatement of 30 sacked workers. Thirty workers were sacked when they tried to raise the issue of workers' exploitation.

The striking labourers also gave a memorandum to the District Magistrate and demanded a clear reply from the managements of the two companies regarding the reinstatement of the sacked workers as well as a rise in minimum wages up to Rs 10,000 from current Rs 5,500 
per month.

Sanjay Kumar, secretary of the Rockman Majdoor Union, said factory managers were exploiting workers by making them work for 12 to 14 hours. At the same time, they had employed contractual labourers to ensure that production did not suffer as more than 1,000 workers were on strike.

Jitendra Singh of the Shramik Union of Satyam Auto said earlier Sub-divisional Magistrate Harbeer Singh had mediated between them and the management in which the workers were assured of a pay hike, but nothing happened later.

"We are forced to resort to agitation as in the present times of high inflation we are not able to feed our families at a meager salary of Rs 5,000, while the factory production has been rising constantly," said Harbeer while leading the striking workers towards the District Magistrate's office. 

Dehradun, April 2
In the silver jubilee year of the International Award for the Young (IAY) people, silver and bronze awards were awarded to 70 young persons who had excelled in the fields of social service, community service, sports, expedition and development of new skills, while in school, at a function held at Doon School on Saturday.

John May, Secretary General of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International and himself a gold award winner, gave away awards to the students from Doon School, Welham Boys School, Hope Town School, Raphael, Purkul Youth Development Society, Sapera Basti School, Unison World School etc. Speaking on the occasion John May said the aim of the award is to tap the potential of the youth while still in school so that they become committed citizens and do not shirk from decision making in their adult lives.

“During the academic year, the individual prepares a road-map in four areas and tries to excel; the award is about empowering the youth,” said May.

The Headmaster of Doon School, Dr Peter Mc Laughlin, said time and time again the academicians are confronted with the question whether there was enough challenge in young people’s life and whether schools should focus exclusively on grades. “The awards such as the IAY help offer variety of challenges to discover himself, helping him fit into the life to be led after school,” said Peter.

Youngsters between 14 and 25 years can enrol and have to develop skills, do service, undertake adventures and other physical activities in order to achieve the award which is of three levels, bronze, silver and gold. The gold award would be given on a later day. The award began in UK in 1956 where it is known as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Today it has over 7 million youngsters enrolled across 144 countries. The chief patron of IAYP in India is the Vice President M. Hamid Ansari while the National Director is Sandeep Dutt.

A total of nine students from Welham Boys, three from Unison World School and five from Doon School won the silver level award. —TNS

Dehradun, April 2
Members of Beghar Andolan Samiti protested before the Vidhan Sabha building along with several homeless people from Rishikesh, demanding homes for poor people under Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna. President of the organisation Dheeraj Bhardwaj, who earlier observed fast for the homeless people of Haridwar, took up this issue today for homeless people of Rishikesh.

He gave a memorandum to the Personal Assistant of Urban Development Minister Pritam Panwar, who assured him a meeting with the ministerb tomorrow.

Bhardwaj said: “The state government must begin constructing flats for people of the poor sections who are earning meagre salaries and are living on rent in one-dingy room with their big families. They would never be able to afford a house of their own unless and until the state government extends help to them.”

He said the homes had been built for poor people in many other states under Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna but this scheme has not been implemented in Uttrakhand till now.

According to him, there are 573 homeless people in Rishikesh, 2,700 in Haridwar and 3,800 in Dehradun. He had gone on fast four times for 4 to 7 days on the same issue since 2010. 

Dehradun, April 2
Dinesh Rawat Cricket Academy (DRCA) defeated Rising Star by 18 runs in a match in the 60th Dehradun District Cricket League here today.

After winning the toss, the DRCA team elected to bat first and scored 150 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 28.3 overs. Manan and Sachin remained the top scorers with 21 runs each. For the Rising star team, Manoj took three wickets. Nitin and Vishal took two wickets each while Nari and Shubham took one wicket each.

Chasing the victory target, the Rising Star team made 132 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in 26.3 overs. Ankit and Nitin were the highest scorers for the team and contributed 35 and 26 runs, respectively. For the DRCA team, Saksham took four wickets. Deepak took three wickets while Shubham took one wicket.