Deal to sell religious property in Haridwar
Samiti threatens stir, wants culprits behind bars
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 10
The Akhil Bharatiya Dharamshala Raksha Samiti has decided to launch an agitation till those who had struck a deal to sell the land of the heritage Kushavrat Ghat and the Ahilya Bai Holkar Dharamshala are put behind bars.

It has also demanded the formation of a separate board that manages and looks after ancient dharmashalas, ghats, ashrams and other religious property in Haridwar, so that these are not converted into commercial buildings by land mafia.

The samiti has also sought a high-level judicial probe into the matter and a ban on the selling of dharamshalas, ashrams and other religious property in the pilgrim city of Haridwar.

Samiti chief Mahesh Gaud has submitted a memorandum to the district administration in which he has mentioned several cases of similar deals in the past, wherein dharamshalas, including the Lahore house, Bhutani Dharamshala, Asanand Bhawan, Prem Prakash Niketan and Meerut Dharmashala, had been sold and later demolished to turn them into hotels.

Gaud said due to the “laxity” of the administration a nexus between land mafia and property dealers, the traditional and religious city of Haridwar was turning into a commercial city.

Meanwhile, the Holkar community has also opposed this illegal deal with its state chief Vijay Pal writing to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in this regard.

In the letter, he said unless the CM ordered a high-level probe into the matter, administrative officials might try to conceal many facts as without their indulgence a mass-scale selling of religious and public properties could not take place in Haridwar.

The district administration has done the mapping (paimaaish) of the ghat and the Ahilya Bai Holkar dharamshala, which will be equated with the registry land deal done between seller Raghavendra Shikhola and buyer Arvind Kumar.

Tehsildaar Pooran Singh Rana said after this only it would come to light whether the ghat was also included in the sale deal as buyer Arvind Kumar was now claiming that he was only buying the dharamshala land not the ghat.

Restarting work on power projects challenge for CM
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 10
The Bahuguna government faces the first major challenge in the form of upcoming hydro projects in the state. While there is a stiff resistance from the environment lobby against the construction of new hydro projects, particularly in the Ganga, the government as a matter of policy seems to be in favour of new projects taking into account the involvement of locals in the projects and the growing demand of power in the state.

The Chief Minister’s open stance in favour of hydro projects comes at a time where confrontation between pro and anti-Vishnugad Hydro project lobbies are already out in open. Swami Gyanswaroop Sanand, previously known as Prof GD Agarwal who has launched a crusade to Save Ganga and has already been instrumental in scrapping 381 mega watt Bhaironghati, 480 mega watt Pala maneri, is strongly in favour of scrapping of the Vishnugad project.

Swami Sanand has now sought the scrapping of Tapovan Vishnugad, Sigoli Bhatwadi and Fata Bioanga hydro projects. Swami Sanand has said he will not attend the National Ganga River Basin Authority’s meeting till these three projects are scrapped.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand government is all set to advocate the re-start of hydro projects that were earlier closed on the pretext of environment concerns at the National Ganga River Basin Authority’s meeting.

The government has made it clear that it takes hydro project as means to increase power generation and employment opportunities in the state. Chief Minister Vijay Bhauguna on assuming power in Uttarakhand has held that the scrapping of hydro projects are proving detrimental to the development of Uttarakhand. He said Uttarakhand at the April 17 meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority would seek prompt re-start of the construction these projects.

On the other hand, villagers, who are employed in the Vishnugad Project, and staged a protest at Gopeshwar, are up in arms against any move to completely scrap the project. They see the project as means of development in the region and also as a source of livelihood.

The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation has so far spent Rs 300 crore in the underconstruction 444 mega watt Tapovan Vishnugad hydro project which is at Pipalkoti in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The Centre has till April 17 directed for the suspension of construction activity at this project.

Lok Sabha Poll
Harish pushes the ball in CM's court
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 10
Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat has said the people, who had accused him of bargaining for the key posts in the party and the Cabinet, should have demanded the post of Chief Minister of the state for him. “If I was given the post, I would not have bargained on other posts,” said Rawat.

“The Chief Minister has to take many steps in the interest of the party so that it could be prepared for the Lok Sabha elections of 2014," said Rawat.

Rawat, who was on a tour to thank the voters of Champawat, Gangolihat, Almora, Kapkot and Dharchula for electing Congress MLAs, talked to this correspondent from Baram in Dharchula on the telephone today.

The disgruntled Congress leader, who is an MP from Haridwar, said the settlement between him and the Chief Minister did not depend on him but on the leadership. “If the Chief Minister does not agree with him on various matters and cancels the proposals, the things could not go ahead in the interest of the party and the state. For this, the Chief Minister will have to come forward for the consensus on various party and state matters," said Rawat.

The Union Minister said the common man of Uttarakhand had now started thinking that the party should do justice to Harish Rawat, who had been instrumental in bringing the party into power for two times after the creation of the state.

“We are even prepared to go to our ancestral village and take up farming for the rest of life as being the son of a farmer we have enough to have bread and butter," said Rawat.

“I am appealing to the people who have put faith in me not to be disappointed as despite being deprived of the CM’s chair, I’ll continue to be their partner in the fight for the development of the state,” said Rawat.

Women of Lohaghat up in arms against liquor shops
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 10
Women residents of Pul Hindola in the Lohaghat subdivision of Champawat district have intensified their agitation in support of their demand for the closure of a liquor shop opened by the state government in their locality. And at Chalthi town the women residents have threatened to launch an agitation against the liquor shop.

The agitation launched by a women’s organisation at Pul Hindola completed its 25 days today, while the women residents of Chalthi gave a memorandum to the visiting MLA of the area demanding the closure of the liquor shop.

“We have given an ultimatum to the local administration that if the liquor shop is not be closed by April 12, the women protesters will intensify their agitation,” said Basanti Samant, leader of the agitation.

Women are upset as the male members of their families consume liquor from this shop and have become addict. A resident of Kimtoli village, Bhaga Devi, said she had lost her two earning sons in a year due to easy availability of liquor at the shop. Now, she finds it hard to make both ends meet as there is no earning member left in her family. Her two dead sons left behind four school-going children. “Due to this shop not only male members of our families have become liquor addict, but also school students and unemployed youth have started consuming liquor. “The government, which cannot provide water to villagers, has destroyed many families in the area by opening this liquor shop,” said Usha Pandey, another woman leading the agitation.

The women in Chalthi village on the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh highway have also threatened the administration that if the latter fails to close the liquor shop in their locality, they will launch an agitation. “We have demonstrated three times in a month in support of our demand for the closure of the liquor shop. But if the government does not meets their demand they will start an agitation,” said Kamala Devi. The visiting MLA, Hemesh kharkwal, has assured the women that he will talk to the administration on the issue.

District Excise Officer, Champawat, Durgesh Tripathi has said if a liquor shop is closed at some location the smuggling of illicit liquor increases in that area. The consumption of illicit liquor harms the health of people and deprives the government of revenue. “The residents of the places where liquor shops have been closed following agitations are now demanding that these be reopened as liquor smuggling has increased there,” said Tripathi.

However, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Lohaghat, BL Firmal has said, “Keeping the threat of agitation in mind, the administration has informed the government about the situation. Now, it is for the government to take a decision on the matter,” said Firmal.

Diwakar Bhatt plans to form third front
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 10
Former Cabinet minister Diwakar Bhatt, who led activists during the movement for a separate state of Uttarakhand in 80s and 90s, has mooted the idea of forming a third front of regional and smaller parties in the state.

Recuperating from illness, Bhatt, who unsuccessfully fought from the Deoprayag seat on the BJP ticket in the Assembly elections recently, feels that had the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), the Bhrastachar Raksha Morcha, communist parties, the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch and the Uttarakhand Jan Morcha joined hands during the elections the political scenario would have been different in the state.

Bhatt told The Tribune that one year ago when the UKD broke into two factions -- the UKD (Democratic) under him and the UKD (Progressive) led by Trivendra Singh Pawar -- he wanted to resign but the mode and timing of taking support from the BJP-led government was not right.

It would have been better had Pawar generated a consensus among party leaders. “We had committed to supporting the BJP government in 2007 and hence it was not easy to backtrack without a substantial base,” said Bhatt at his Tarun Himalaya residence in Haridwar.

He added that he would try to regroup parties once again so that the people of the state could have a viable alternative in the next Assembly elections.

The veteran leader also expressed concern over factionalism and tussle witnessed in the Congress over Cabinet berths as this affected development works in the state.

Though Bhatt assured Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna of his full support on development and other issues concerning the state, he also gave a piece of advice to Congress leaders to not to showcase their infighting publicly.

He said he had no plan to join the BJP as this pact was done taking into consideration the political situation and wanted to unite smaller regional parties.

'Youth inclined towards western culture'
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Delegates at the concluding session at a seminar organised on Guru Jumbho's vision by members of the Bishnoi community in Haridwar. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, April 10
The youth of the country seems to be inclined towards western culture and is ignoring the Indian traditional values. The need of the hour is to make them aware about our rich past, culture and moral values.

Prof Mahavir Aggarwal, Vice-Chancellor of Gurukul Kangri University, said this at the concluding session of a three-day seminar held on various social issues.

Aggarwal said be it values, thinking or attire our youth seemed to be more western in outlook, which was a matter of concern.

He stressed on the importance of parental guidance and moral teaching and said initially parents and teachers were responsible for the right upbringing of the children. But in today’s busy life the children were surely provided with the best of the facilities, but we, somehow, lagged in providing them with moral upbringing, he added.

Aggarwal also emphasised on the need for having more such seminars, particularly related to historical or social or legendary figures that attained various feats but still maintained high moral standards and felt proud of being Indians.

Renowned litterateur Prof Ved Prakash Shastri suggested that the gurukul system of teaching be followed in India as Macaulay’s western education system had various flaws. Our culture, Hindi and other regional languages were deemed to be less important in comparison to English language.

Bishnoi community religious guru Peethadheeshwar Swami Rajendranand said revered guru Jumbho of the Bishnoi community preached ideals and values that were still effective.

Orators also cited instances from the life of Guru Jumbho, whose life and ideals still inspired people, while many emphasised on having good thoughts acquired through ‘satsang’ to lead a positive life. Acharya Krishan Nand, Babu Ram, Chandra Bhushan Bishnoi, Vijay Pal, Ishwar Singh, Swami Jaya Nand, Swami Prana Nand, Swami Sachdeva and Karmveer Singh were among others present on the occasion.

Lokayukta Bill
Cong flays Kiran Bedi’s remarks
Sandeep Rawat/ TNS

Haridwar, April 10
With Kiran Bedi, a core team member of Anna Hazare, warning the Congress-led Uttarakhand Government to move court if Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna tries to bring amendments to the Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill, Congress leaders have strongly criticised her comments terming these autocratic.

Kiran Bedi was here at Patanjali Yogpeeth yesterday when she made this comment in the presence of Swami Ramdev. Bedi said if Bahuguna tried to amend the Lokayukta Bill, passed by former Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri-led BJP government, she would move court.

Terming her remarks as interference into the constitutional and legislative authority of the state government, former state Women Commission chairperson Santosh Chauhan said Bedi was not superior than elected representatives having legislative powers.

Dr Chauhan said Bedi should first clarify over the inflated travel bills by travelling in economy class while getting the payment for business class from an NGO.

On Bahuguna’s comment of the exclusion of the lower judiciary from the ambit of the Lokayukta, Dr Santosh termed it apt as the lower judiciary was in the control of the High Court and similarly the High Court under the apex court. So their coming under the purview of the state Lokayukta was unconstitutional.

While city Congress chief OP Chauhan said with the Congress-led Central Government enacting the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill the inclusion of the judiciary in the Lokayukta or Lok Pal was unnecessary.

Non-payment of Dues
HC orders Principal Secy’s suspension
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 10
The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the suspension of Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Dr Ranvir Singh. The order in this regard was given to the Chief Secretary or a competent authority on a par in the state administration by Justice Tarun Aggarwala.

The matter pertains to the payment of retirement benefits by the Nainital Nagar Palika to Devendra Joshi who had taken voluntary retirement.

Joshi had approached the court in 2008 stating that his dues had not been paid. The court had ordered in 2009 that he should be given his retirement dues.

However, the dues were still not paid to him and he had once again approached the court following which the court had asked the Principal Secretary (Urban Development) what steps had been taken by the department in this direction. The court had sought these details by March 19 this year.

However, neither the dues were paid to Joshi, nor the court was apprised of the steps taken in the matter by the Urban Development Department. This led the court to order Dr Singh’s appearance in person.

Dr Singh did not appear and his counsel stated that he was not well. This led the High Court to order his suspension.

UJVNL MD given
Indira Gandhi Sewa Ratna Award
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 10
Managing Director, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), GP Patel, has been awarded the prestigious Indira Gandhi Sewa Ratna Award 2012 in New Delhi. This award is given by All India Economy Survey Award Council to those meritorious personalities from various fields who have achieved excellent progress in their respective fields. G.P. Patel received this award from Justice IM Quddussi, Justice of Chattisgarh High Court.

It is notable that after Patel took over the charge as Managing Director of UJVNL , it set new records by generating a record 5261.823 million units (MU) of energy against the annual target of 4760.50 MU, which is the highest ever of a year since the establishment of the UJVNL in financial year 2011-12.

Sensing the limitations of hydropower, he showed foresight by laying foundation stone of gas-based power plant at Kashipur in district Udham Singh Nagar of Uttarakhand. This project is a joint venture of UJVNL and GAIL (India) Ltd. Earlier, an MoU was also signed between both regarding establishment of gas-based power plant in Haridwar and Kashipur district of Uttarakhand.

Char Dham Yatra
Finish all works by April 20, says Chief Secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 10
The Chief Secretary today organised a meeting to discuss preparations for the Chardham Yatra beginning from April 24. He directed officials to complete all works by April 20 and ensure that all facilities related to electricity, water, traffic and parking are adequate.

He said all construction and sewer-related work must be completed before the yatra season. He directed to constitute a forum of residents and hotel owners of Mussoorie to create a better coordination among them.

He also directed for the proper collection of garbage and disposal by building a trenching ground outside Mussoorie.

He instructed officials of the MDDA, the Nagar Palika and the Sulabh International to oversee basic arrangements related to toilets.

Sufficient numbers of doctors should also be deputed, he added.

Rawat: Need to develop aviation sector in hills
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 10
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat has called for the development of the aviation sector in the hilly areas so that various places could be linked by air.

He has also called for the development of railways in these areas. Rawat was addressing a public rally along with other Congress leaders in Charauj of the remote Lamgarah area, Almora, today.

He announced that a meeting of agriculture ministers of various Himalayan states would soon be convened to develop agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry in these areas. He stressed upon the need to check the migration of people from the hilly areas of the state.

Newly elected state Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal expressed concern over the fall in democratic values. He said an effective strategy was required to check the growing trend of alcoholism among youths of the region.

Lok Sabha member from the area Pradeep Tamta stressed upon the need for water conservation to combat water scarcity in the region.

More wheat, rice for state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 10
The Union Government has made an additional allocation of 3,000 MT of wheat and 3,000 MT of rice to Uttarakhand for the Char Dham Yatra staring on April 24.

Prof KV Thomas, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has directed his ministry to release the additional quantity of foodgrains to the state immediately. The allocation has been made in view of request received from the state government in this regard, according to a press release of the Press Information Bureau, Government of India.