6 CNG stations, hike in grain quota for state sought
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 3
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has requested the Central Government to set up at least 6 CNG stations and increase the foodgrain quota for the state.

In a letter to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Jaipal Reddy, Bahuguna has requested to set up the CNG stations in Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Haldwani, Kashipur and Rudrapur in the first phase.

Expressing deep concern on the degradation of the environment due to the increasing number of vehicles, Bahuguna stated in his letter that it was adversely affecting the forest and wildlife.

He pointed out that there was many tourist destinations and large number of foreign tourists were attracted by the natural beauty and clean environment which provided foreign exchange to the state and employment opportunities were generated for the local people.

The CNG-powered vehicles would prove effective in controlling the problem of environment degradation. But not a single CNG station was currently available in the state, he said. In a letter to the Petroleum Minister, the Chief Minister said in the first phase, CNG stations must be installed soon in the fastest growing cities in the state viz. Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Haldwani, Kashipur and Rudrapur.

Vijay Bahuguna in a letter written to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies Professor KV Thomas has requested to allocate 22,570 MT wheat and 16, 928 MT rice per month, keeping in view the present population of the state.

He has stated that the state's population as per the 2011 Census was 1,01,16,752. Whereas, as per the 2001 Census, the state’s population was 75,84000 and the state was allocated 21,803 MT wheat and 3,432 MT rice. However, he said the existing quota of wheat was falling short by 767 MT and rice by 13,496 MT.

This shortage has adversely affected the APL card holders. He has requested the Central Government to consider the standards followed in UP which is 6.22 kg per family and also keep in view the geographical condition of Uttarakhand while allocating the foodgrains. It may be noted that Himachal Pradesh which has the same geographical condition is getting foodgrains according to standard of 5.34 kg per family.

Ansari Muslims issue diktat against wedding bands
Sandeep Rawat/TNS

Haridwar, April 3
In the first of its kind, diktat from Muslim community in Haridwar Ansari Muslims have announced Muslim weddings to be free from wedding bands and musical audio systems terming them as against their culture and traditions.

The diktat was issued by a panchayat of the Ansari-Ranipuriya community here at suburban area of Jwalapur, 7 km from Haridwar. The panchayat even warned that any one violating the panchayat order would be boycotted along with his family members.

Further, the panchyat has also termed videography of ‘nikaah’ as inappropriate, which was not in sync with the Muslim culture.

The diktat has created an uproar in the Muslim society with many modern Muslims coming forward against this issuance which has affected the image of the community.

Chaudhari Chotey Miyan Ansari, who had called the panchayat, told the TNS that the decision taken by the panchayat was appropriate, taking into consideration the western influence and vulgarity that had crept into younger lots.

“We don’t want our younger generation to deflect towards immorality. It is the responsibility of elders to guide them in aright manner,” said Chotey Miyan Ansari.

A major section of the Ansari community has come out in open against the declaration, terming it as a tyrant step that has given a blow to the progressive image of the Muslims residing in Haridwar.

Former municipal councillor Idrish Ansari, who holds a good reputation in the Ansari community, said the panchayat should have opted for other social malpractices.

Talking to the TNS, Idrish remarked that it would have been much better if the ban on liquor, dowry, pomp and circumstance was targeted.

“There are many social malpractices that we could target. Education is one sector where the Ansari Muslims are lagging behind. Just for the sake of media coverage, one should not go so far,” said Idrish while presiding over a meeting of the community.

The repercussions of the panchayat’s decision are also being felt on the musical bands as a majority of them belong to the Muslim community.

Mohammed Aaddil, owner of 40-year-old Ashoka Band, said that the decision was not right as thousands of people were related to this profession. He urged the panchayat to reconsider the decision.

Plan to convert land of closed resin factory into tourist resort
B.D.Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 3
In order to utilise its infrastructure lying idle at various places in the region due to closure of factories established there, owing to various reasons, the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) is now planning to convert the land, premises and buildings of a closed resin and turpentine factory at Champawat district into a forest tourist resort under public private partnership mode. “Nigam officials had written a letter to the state government in this connection in year 2006 after the factory had to be closed due to the non-availability of resin quota for the factory. However, the issue could not be pursued further,” said a nigam manager.

The then UP government had installed two resin factories in Uttarakhand -- at Tilwara in Garhwal and Champawat in Kumaon -- during the eighties to create jobs for the local youth in the forest processing sector, but due to the policy of open auction of resin in hill forests adopted by the government after April 2003, the quota of resin allocated to these factories was stopped and the nigam was told to take resin out of auction, which was beyond nigam’s capacity as big players from factories from plains came to compete with the nigam. “Before that policy, the nigam used to get 35,000 quintals of resin under it's special quota to run the factories based at two places,” said Dinesh Gururani, president of the employees’ union of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

The Nigam officers said that if the government agrees with the proposal, they would like to convert the 10 acres of leased land to make a forest resort and motel at the place for the use of forest loving tourists from the country and abroad. “As the land can be used for forest purposes, it can probably be used to have forest tourist resorts in place of the closed factory. The Forest Department can take back the leased land given to the nigam,” said Ramnarayan, Regional Manager, Tourism, at KMVN.

But the employees' union of the nigam wants to run these factories as resin and turpentine factories under the of Kumaon and Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigams, like these used to be run before 2006. “The Uttarakhand government should initiate in allotting quota of resin out of nearly 2 lakh quintals of production of resin per year from the forests of the state, as the factories used to employ more than 200 employees, who have gone without employment after these factories closed down,” said Dinesh Gururani, president of KMVN Employees’ Union.

The nigam officials say that they will propose to the government to permit construction of a forest hotel and resort on PPP mode if the government is not willing to issue quota of resin to run the factory.

Wrongly-parked vehicles to be challaned
Admn to take steps to remove encroachment upon roads
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 3
The Almora administration has decided to take steps to check traffic congestion and encroachment in the town.

Joint Magistrate Sonika, at a meeting held at Almora yesterday, said the administration would not tolerate encroachment on roads. It was decided that any shopkeeper found encroaching upon Kali Sadak and Mall Road would be dealt with sternly. Similarly, vehicles found parked in the no-parking zones on the LR Shah road would be challaned. Vehicles parked in an improper manner on the taxi stand link road would also be fined.

Sonika asked officials of the Transport Department, Executive Officer of the municipality, personnel manning the taxi stand and the police to carry out an inspection and a survey of the taxi stand link road and the taxi stand at Dharabaula to identify places for proper parking and submit a report.

Another major decision taken at the meeting was to prohibit the movement of vehicles in Lala Bazaar, which is the arterial market of the town, from 8 am to 8 pm. However, the vehicles would be allowed to move in case of emergency during this period as well. It was also decided that besides challaning the offenders, the cost of towing away the wrongly-parked vehicle would be realised from them.

Sonika ordered the officials of the Tourism Department to carry out regular inspections at establishments related to tourism. The Tourism Department had been asked to identify hotels that were not registered and make them get registration in a fortnight. Any hotelier found not maintaining records properly would face legal action. At the same time, the officials of the Forest Department were told to ensure that all commercial establishments, particularly hotels, had fire-fighting arrangements in place. The hoteliers were told to prominently display their registration certificates and ensure that the guests write in the register their details properly while furnishing a proper identity proof.

Sonika also ordered that steps be taken immediately to check fleecing of people by taxi operators and private transporters, particularly during the peak tourist season and festivals. The taxi operators were told to paste fare lists on their vehicles for the convenience of the people hiring their services. Traders of Lala Bazaar were ordered to keep dustbins outside their shops.

Candidates told to furnish details of Assembly poll expenses
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 3
The contestants of the recently held Assembly elections from Nainital have been asked to furnish their poll expenditure details by April 5. Orders in this regard have been issued by District Magistrate and Chief Election Officer Nidhi Mani Tripathi at a meeting of the candidates, representatives and expenditure observers held in Haldwani last afternoon.

The candidates have been asked to furnish the details of the expenses incurred at the Disaster Management Office in Nainital after duly filling various forms and vouchers along with an affidavit. The original bills supporting the expenditure claims of the candidates are to be attached to these forms and vouchers. This is required for easy attestation of the details that are furnished by the candidates.

Along with the documents supporting the expenditure claims, the candidates have also been asked to submit the bank passbook of the account opened by them for contesting the poll and also a bank statement. Two clerks have been appointed solely for the verification of these details that are to be furnished by the poll candidates.

Tripathi has declared that the details of expenses incurred by every candidate would be made available online for public scrutiny. Despite almost a month having been passed after the election results were declared, very few candidates have furnished their expenditure details which is a requirement underlined by the Election Commission.

MLA directs officials to finish pending works by April 20
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, March 3
The newly elected MLA from Mussoorie, Ganesh Joshi, at a meeting held at hotel Garhwal Terrace here today, directed officials of various departments to complete all development works before April 20 in view of the upcoming tourist season.

The newly formed Picture Palace Traders Association highlighted the problems being faced by its members due to the ongoing sewerage project in the town. It complained about lack of coordination among various departments resulting in erratic work and nuisance. The traders raised the issue of the pathetic condition of public toilets and lack of parking facility and demanded immediate action in this regard.

President of the association Hardev Singh, while welcoming Ganesh Joshi, raised the issue of traffic congestion at Picture Palace that had forced them to form a separate association.

Hardev said Picture Palace was the gateway to Mussoorie, but due to an indifferent attitude of various departments the residents and the shopkeepers had to face traffic jams. He added the debris of the sewerage project strewn all over the place also posed a threat to the life of the shopkeepers, as a shopkeeper died recently due to it.

Hardev also raised the issue of entry of vehicles of locals to Mall Road after 5 pm and demanded that they should be allowed to commute up to their homes.

The traders and other public representatives raised the issue of erratic work being carried out by the Pey Jal Nigam in the town. They said most of the roads dug up for laying sewage pipelines had not been paved yet. The traders also demanded that mast lights should be installed at Picture Palace as the area remained pitch dark during night.

Rajendar Rawat suggested that the Pey Jal Nigam should install readymade sewage chambers too if it wanted to speed up the work. Responding to the suggestion, Executive Engineer SC Jain expressed his inability to do so due to technical reasons.

The public representatives also raised the issue of incomplete works on roads endangering the lives of people, especially on the Mussoorie-Dehradun road.

The MLA heard the public representatives and directed the officials concerned to complete all pending works before April 20. He said if they failed in their duty, strict action would be taken against them. The president of the BJP local unit, Roop Singh Kathait, Shravan Kumar, Ganesh Godiyal, Vijay, Rajendar Rawat, Kushal Rana and others were present at the meeting.

Nanital admin takes steps for safe transportation of schoolchildren
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 3
The Nainital administration has taken measures with regard to the transportation of children studying in various public and private schools. The steps have been taken in view of the safety of children and check traffic jams when schools get over.

District Magistrate Nidhi Mani Tripathi recently held a meeting with the managements and principals of various schools to discuss the issue.

She has asked the school managements to apprise the district authorities of the time and date when the residential schools get closed and reopen for the next academic session.

She said the parking arrangements for those who come to drop or pick their wards should be put in place in Haldwani.

It has been noticed that whenever schools close, reopen or there is a function in school where parents are invited, the traffic management becomes a nightmare for the Traffic Police.

The roads in the town are not only narrow but are also incapable of handling a volume of traffic which adds on the already high number of tourist vehicles and taxis that ply in the town round the year.

Cattle die, crops perish due to hail
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 3
Three domestic animals were killed and vegetables and new fruit-bearing flowers were destroyed in the Saryu valley of Bageshwar district as heavy hailstones lashed the valley in a sudden turn of weather today.

“In Gansi village of Kapkot, Bageshwar district, three cattle heads belonging to families of Bhagwan Singh, Bhagwat Singh and Mahiman Singh died after these were lashed by hailstone continuously one hour in the forest where these animals were grazing,” said Mahiman Singh of Gansi.

According to villagers of the Saryu valley in Bageshwar district, the hailstones lashed bean, peas, onion and cabbage crops for one hour and destroyed these.

The weather in other parts of the eastern Kumaon region of Berinag, Dharamghar and Nachni areas witnessed light rain with thunderstorms resulting in darkness for some time during the day.

The villagers have appealed to the administration to issue relief package to the vegetable farmers as it happens to be the only source of their livelihood in this valley area. “We have ordered the Patwari of the area to submit the repots of losses to the farmers after a survey,” said Feencha Ram, SDM, of Kapkot.