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Illegal sale, purchase of religious properties continue unabated in Haridwar
Tourists miss high-powered binoculars at Lal Tibba
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Mussoorie fails on the civic front
3 held for duping traders
Work of over 300 artists on display
Proposal to appoint ANMs at primary health centres
Dehradun
Diary
Doon Civic Blues A well-maintained park in Ward No. 59, Dehradun.
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Illegal sale, purchase of religious properties continue unabated in Haridwar
Haridwar, April 8 Buying and selling of religious properties have become almost a routine affair with even government employees coming onto the radar, who give official look to the fake change of name of religious properties, making huge share of profits from such deals. Though selling of religious properties such as dharmashalas and those of public usage were prohibited by the previous BJP led state government, yet selling of Kushavrat ghat which holds immense religious significance to commercial buyers has highlighted the need of having special monitoring of such religious properties. Though Ahillya Bai Devi Holkar Trust, which looks after the dharamshala and other properties, is now making an excuse that they don’t have any role in selling of the dharamshala or ghat, another aspect came to light that on August 2, 2009, when trust member Raghavendra Shikola had given on lease of amount of Rs 2000 annually Kushawrat ghat and adjacent small rooms to Arvind Kumar, who was trying to buy the whole Kushavrat ghat and Ahilya Bai Dharamshala. Now Arvind is saying that only dharmashala’s selling deal was being done and not of Kushavrat ghat as is being made out by some organisations.He said that he along with the seller Raghavendra Shikola submitted all the deal and property-related papers to the District Magistrate. Akhil Bharatiya Holkar Maha Sangh, in view of the secret deal of selling Kushavrat ghat and adjacent Ahilya Bai Hokar Devi Dharamshala, which is related to the royal Holkar Indore dynasty, has demanded seizing of the whole property and has also written to several parliamentarians related with the community as well of Uttarakhand to raise this issue in Parliament, as it has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of the people. Even the rooms of dharmshalas were broken to give them a facelift of shops in the 80s, though later the then Joint Magistrate Ghansyam Pant had in his verdict termed the construction as illegal, citing the narrow lanes of the dharamshala. When Haridwar Development Authority officials were contacted, they couldn’t give satisfactory reasons as to how the shops were made, particulary in the western and northern parts of the dharamshala premises, where rates run now in crores. Talking to TNS, HDA vice chairperson said that this aspect is also being looked into. He pointed that during Maha Kumbh 2010 he had given orders to stop the digging work being taken in and around the Kushavrat ghat owing to religious significance of this ghat. Demand of acquisition of all dharamshalas is also now being made from state government by various organisations. Ramesh Chandra Sharma, secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Dharamshala Prabandhak Sabha, has written a letter to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in this regard, demanding that all the deals of dharmashalas made out since creation of the state should be cancelled with immediate effect as mass scale corruption has taken place with a nexus between some so-called religious people, commercial builders and government officers. District Magistrate D Senthyl Pendiyan informed that as the current selling deal has been made on basis of a supplementary deed which has only Madhya Pradesh government representatives, while in the original deed the Government of India was also taken as representative of the trust in 1962. The administration has written to both Central Government and the Government of Madhya Pradesh to provide full details, records and papers regarding this deed. Meanwhile, normal ‘karm kand’ and ‘sanskar’ and other rituals are still going on at the Kushavrat ghat while in view of the ongoing tension, additional police personnel have been deployed at the ghat area. “Property papers, old maps,documents are being assessed. Also, the total property of trust and benaami records are being inter checked by the investigating team,” said SDM Harbeer Singh of administrative team looking into this matter.
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Tourists miss high-powered binoculars at Lal Tibba
Mussoorie, April 8
The binoculars had been installed by the Mussoorie Municipal Council in 1965. Abhinav (13), a tourist from Dehradun, said he had heard a lot about the place and wanted to experience the view of the snow-covered peaks and the villages around the region. However, he was disappointed at finding that binoculars were not available and the gates of the place were shut. Another tourist, Aashish, from Delhi said he had heard a lot about the panoramic view of the Himalayas through the high-powered lenses of the binoculars that had been brought from Japan. It was a disappointment to find the gates shut. Advocate RD Gupta, a resident, who had come to the place with his relatives, lamented that after treading a long way uphill, they found that the binoculars were not there. He further said the authorities should have placed a sign board at the start of the steep climb to Lal Tibba so that people would not have faced such inconvenience. Local historian Gopal Bhardwaj, reminiscing the period when the binoculars werw installed, said, “Municipal Council president Hukum Singh Panwar was a pioneer in bringing Japanese binoculars at the site in 1973. Later, the device was shifted to its present location. The tourist had to insert a 50 paisa coin to watch the view up close in two minutes. The device was operated automatically. Over the years, the Municipal Council has been unable to maintain the device. It leased it out to a contractor for five years and it has remained under him since then.” He added that it was sad to know that the Mussoorie Municipal Council, considered one of the richest council in Northern India, was unable to maintain and upkeep the equipment of a heritage value. He said the MC should make an effort restore its old glory. MC president OP Uniyal said the issue would be discussed at the next review meeting.
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Mussoorie fails on the civic front
Mussoorie, April 8 Despite the tall claims made by the administration to resolve the pending development issues, such as parking and upgrading other facilities in the town prior to the tourist season, nothing seemed to change, leaving the hapless tourists at the receiving end. The historic Mall Road on which stalwarts such as the former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri had once walked, looked more like a fish market due to the encroachment by street vendors, of which most of them had come from outside to make quick money during the extended weekend holidays. The Municipal Council, despite its claims of banning plastic carry bags from April 1, failed to control the menace as the roads were littered with them, presenting an ugly face of the town that is popularly known as “Queen of Hills.” The commuters park their vehicles on Mall Road according to their liking, not even sparing the spaces with “No parking” signboards. The tourists were also seen flouting one-way rule near Cambridge Book Depot with impunity as none from the police authority was there to man the area.The police assistance booth established on the Mall Road by force that takes pride in calling itself “Mitr Police,” remained vacant, leaving the hapless tourists at the mercy of the locals, who have to provide them the much-needed help. The murals erected on the Mall Road by both Municipal Council and Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) under the beautification project has left a bad taste as they have not been repainted from the past several years. The other mural depicting several horses near Padmini Nivas, that was erected a couple of years back by MDDA after spending around Rs 1 lakh, has also begun peeling off from a number of places, indicating the sub-standard work done by the authority. Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi in a review meeting held earlier had warned the officials to complete the pending development works before April 10 but it seems officials are yet to put their best foot forward as most of the work on improving public amenities and manning traffic still required a lot improvement. Mussoorie Hotel Association secretary Ajay Bhargav was of the view that the four days' rush was just a trailer in which administration failed miserably for the moment and feared the complete picture will emerge when the season will be at its peak beginning May 1. When contacted the executive officer, Municipal Council, Rohitash Sharma, said that the all the works under Municipal Council were on and all pending works would be completed around the scheduled date, that is April 25.
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3 held for duping traders
Dehradun, April 8 Poddar of Bihar used to make bulk purchases of computer, laptops and other electronic items with Anil Kumar and Rajnish Kumar who are close kin and live in New Delhi, cheated traders with cheques which was later bounced in banks. The trio had committed cheatings in Indore, Delhi and Dehradun. In Dehradun, they first won over the confidence of shopkeepers by purchasing computers and electronic items by paying cash. Later, they started giving cheques. They also opened an office in the name of Patanjali Computer Centre in Nehru Colony. It was just z few days ago before March 16, they bought items worth Rs 80 lakh from 25 shopkeepers, most of them had shops in Capri Trade Centre. It was after the shopkeepers deposited cheques in the bank, these got bounced which created jitters among traders all of a sudden. It was on March 16 the traders went to their office at Nehru Colony to enquire about the matter which was found locked. After traders lodged complaints in the matter, the police and SOG teams were sent out to search the accused. It was today the police arrested the accused from Nehru Colony. The articles recovered from them include laptops, computers, hard discs, DVDs, 22 passbooks and two ATM cards. The traders appreciated the police teams for nabbing them.
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Work of over 300 artists on display
Dehradun, April 8 The concept behind the exhibition is to incite the artists to bring out inner feelings and aspirations in opposition to the concept of masks that hide the human expressions and emotions. The exhibition has brought out this idea beautifully in the form of paintings, graphic arts, photography and sculpture. The Governor, on witnessing the magnificent display of masks, remarked, "Each mask tells its own story and this is a mind-boggling display of artistry. Every art lover must visit the gallery." This exhibition has been successfully organised at Lalit Kala Akademi Gallery in Delhi and the Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal. The exhibition will now be held in Italy, Singapore and Pakistan.
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Proposal to appoint ANMs at primary health centres
Dehradun, April 8 According to the Health Department, the proposal is likely to be brought in the Cabinet. The government is expected to follow the previously discarded proposal of deputing one health worker and 2 ANMS at the
PHCs. In the process the government is expected to hire male health workers, a post abolished amid criticism, some years back. Along with deputing male health workers, the 1745 new posts of ANMs would also be created.
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Infighting within Cong over allocation of ministries
THE Congress-led state government has been in saddle since March 14 when Vijay Bahuguna took the oath as Chief Minister but the infighting within the Congress ranks has failed to subside. The latest fight has been on the allocation of ministries in the government. While the coalition partners - two Independents, one from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the lone Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) - got berths in the Bahuguna ministry, many senior party legislators could not find place in the ministry. In the given political dispensation where the Chief Minister has no elbow room to manoeuvre, many districts also remained unrepresented in the ministry. The allocation of portfolios by the Chief Minister last week also added fuel to fire. Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat commanding the support of 17 party legislators had started a dharna at his New Delhi residence in protest against the decision of the party high command. However, after the intervention by party bigwigs, Rawat had been placated and two of his close associates were adjusted. Govind Singh Kunjwal was made Speaker of the new Assembly while Mahendra Singh Mahra, another supporter of Harish Rawat, was given the ticket of the Rajya Sabha. Rawat also bargained hard to get ministerial berths for his supporters. But Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna also played his cards well and did not oblige Harish Rawat-supported ministers in giving important portfolios. He decided to keep most of the important portfolios like power, PWD and forest with himself. Some of the Harish Rawat-supported ministers, Indira Hariydesh and Dinesh Aggarwal, were miffed at the allocation of portfolios. Indira being a senior minister gave vent to his feelings but continued to work but Dinesh Aggarwal has been sulking for not getting important portfolios. He has been given the charge of information technology and planning. He has not yet started functioning. The issue of allocation of portfolios also led to another war of words between factions led by Harish Rawat and Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj. Pardeep Tamta, Almora Congress MP and stanch Harish Rawat supporter, criticised the Chief Minister for not being fair to Dinesh Aggarwal and Indira Hariydesh. He said most of the "creamy" ministries were denied to them. Reacting to the allegations, Amrita Rawat, State Tourism Minister and wife of Satpal Maharaj, took offence to the word "creamy" ministries. She charged that Harish Rawat should stop his politics of blackmail and asked whether his ministers only want "creamy" ministries or want to serve the people. Meanwhile, the party high command has also constituted a committee headed by Union Defence Minister AK Anthony to look into the performance of the party in the state Assembly elections. This has again given an opportunity to factional leaders to blame each other for the below expected performance of the party in the elections. Another senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, who was in the race for the post of Chief Minister, remains unhappy as his demand of getting the position of Deputy Chief Minister has not been met by the party high command. Harak Singh Rawat, who was the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing assembly, after failing to get the top post has announced that he would never become a minister. Interestingly, he said he had taken a vow that he would take the oath either as Chief Minister of Deputy Chief Minister. The state Cabinet has 11 ministers and a slot remain vacant most probably for Harak Singh Rawat. But the stalemate continues. To add to the woes of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Union Minister Harish Rawat has lend his support to Harak Singh Rawat for the post of Deputy Chief Minister but the party high command has yet to reach a decision about the vacant slot. BY SMA Kazmi
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Doon Civic Blues Seema Sharma Tribune News Service
Dehradun, April 8 Area councillor Chandan Singh Negi said the residents faced many hardships for decades due to this drain. Their houses were situated along the drain and the overpowering stench from it had made their life difficult. It had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. "After becoming the councillor of the area, I took up this issue first. I got the entire drain cleaned and got pipes and chambers installed to treat groundwater. And after this, the drain was covered. No one can now make out that a nullah ever existed here," the councillor said. Haripriya, a BJP activist and resident of the ward, said: "The cleaning and covering of the drain, which had become a blot on the face of the ward, was an uphill task, which has now been accomplished. All credit goes to the area councillor." Negi has also got beautified three parks in the ward — two in Ram Vihar and one in Rajender Nagar. Mahesh Jugran, a resident of Ram Vihar, said: "A piece of land in the area where a park has now come up was lying abandoned for long. Bushes had grown all over the place. But now with the coming up of the park, residents are very happy." Tara Devi Rawat, a resident of Rajender Nagar, said: "Earlier, the park in their area was ill-maintained. But now fencing and swings have been installed and elaborate sitting arrangements have also been made." Prajyesh Kumar Yadav, a resident of Friends' Colony, who had been facing water crisis in the area, said: "Ever since drinking water pipelines have been replaced, water scarcity has come to an end." The councillor further said sewerage lines in most of the areas had been laid down. Roads had also been recarpeted.
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The mad rush of tourists in the hill town of Mussoorie due to extended weekend brought with it all the shortcomings of the administration and the Municipal Council into the forefront once again.
Despite the tall claims made by the administration to resolve the pending development issues, such as parking and upgrading other facilities in the town prior to the tourist season, nothing seemed to
change
Residents of Gandhi Nagar, a slum colony, which comes under Ballupur (Ward No. 59) have heaved a sigh of relief ever since a long and wide open drain in the area has been covered. An amount of Rs 32 lakh had been spent from the District Planning Fund to treat the drain scientifically before it was covered.
Residents of Gandhi Nagar, a slum colony, which comes under Ballupur (Ward No. 59) have heaved a sigh of relief ever since a long and wide open drain in the area has been covered. An amount of Rs 32 lakh had been spent from the District Planning Fund to treat the drain scientifically before it was covered.
