Voting Rights of Tongiya tribes
SC/ST panel to approach govt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 18
The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission today said as the Forest Dwellers Act (2006) had not been implemented in the state the Tongiya tribes had been denied voting rights in the panchayat elections.

The villages inhabited by the Tongiya tribes had not been given the status of revenue villages, and as a result they could not vote in the panchayat elections. “We took up the issue in the last financial year but so far no progress had been made. We would now approach the government with our report,” said Suresh Rathore, vice-chairman of the commission, at a press conference here today.

He said besides questioning the authorities concerned about the lack-luster response to its communication about declaring the villages inhabited by the Tongiya tribes as revenue villages, the commission would undertake evaluation of various schemes under way in the state for the welfare of the members of the SC and ST communities.

“A statewide programme has been chalked out and during which the members will evaluate the progress of the schemes under the tribal sub-component and the SC sub-component plan, health schemes, education, construction of hostels and other schemes,” said Rathore.

Meanwhile, the commission led by Rathore disposed of 11 cases pertaining to the SC and ST communities during the last three days. “We received 30 cases from different departments and of these 11 cases were disposed of, while show cause notices were issued in five cases,” said Rathore. 

Rare documents, artifacts of Mussoorie
Historian vows to build museum at his house
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, April 18
A local historian, Gopal Bhardwaj, unhappy at the indifferent attitude of the state government and the Mussoorie Municipal Council (MC) towards setting up a museum in the town, has decided to build an archive gallery at his house.

Bhardwaj told mediapersons on the occasion of World Heritage Day today that he had sought assistance from the state government and the MC in this regard but received no reply. Following this, he decided to convert the barren area in front of his house on the Camels Back road into a museum. Bhardwaj has been involved in preserving more than 200 rare photographs and artifacts.

He said the need to set up a museum was being felt as most of the rare artifacts, photographs and documents related to the history of the town in his possession were showing signs of corrosion and deterioration. It was imperative for him to act quickly to preserve the rich material that depicted the rich history of the town.

He added another reason for setting up a museum was to showcase the rich heritage to the future generations. “I have in my collection a travelling pressure cooker and an oil lamp used by the famous hunter-turned conservationist, Jim Corbett, besides more than 200 Daguerre photographs of the town and the dignitaries who had visited it since early days of the British Raj. These materials needed to be preserved in a museum for others to see,” he said.

Bhardwaj said the museum would be dedicated to late Capt Fredrick Young, who discovered the town in 1814. He added the museum would be completed within two years. He planned to inaugurate it in 2014 to mark 200 years of the existence of the town.

Bhardwaj lamented that though the state government and the MC always claimed to preserve the rare history of the town, they had not responded to his proposal for a museum.

MC president OP Uniyal said the historian had also approached him but as the consent of the government was needed in this regard the fate of the proposal was uncertain. He, however, pledged his support to the historian for the construction of the museum on the Camels Back road. 

War of words between CM, Rawat persists
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 18
The war of words between Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna still continues.

After the salvo fired by Harish Rawat against the move to get an opposition BJP legislator resigned from the Assembly to pave the way for Bahuguna to contest and enter the Assembly, the Chief Minister when asked by mediapersons on his choice of seat had retorted that, "Whatever seat Harish Bhai will suggest, I will contest from there".

It was seen as a rebuttal of the move by Harish Rawat to make his entry into the Assembly difficult. Earlier, Pradeep Tamta, Congress MP from Almora and protégé of Harish Rawat, had advised the Chief Minister to contest from the hilly area.

In a statement issued here today, Harish Rawat said the Chief Minister had to choose his constituency and the entire party remained united with him. He further said there should be a full stop on all speculations in this regard as the Chief Minister had said his priority remained the development of the state.

In a sarcastic way, Rawat said there had been a lot of enthusiasm among party legislators to vacate their seats for the Chief Minister. However, if a BJP legislator vacates his or her seat after getting frustrated with the BJP's policies, then it should not be clubbed with the election of the Chief Minister.

He also said the issue of Lt Gen TPS Rawat (retd) who vacated his seat after resigning from the Congress for Chief Minister BC Khanduri in 2007 should not be seen in the light of the present circumstances.

Taking a dig at his arch rival Satpal Maharaj, he further said the party had fielded Surender Singh Negi to give a tough fight to Khanduri from Dhumakot, the seat vacated by T PS Rawat, but some of the senior Congress leaders of the area remained elusive during the election campaign.

Row over move to relax land ceiling for outsiders
Rajeev Khanna
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 18
The government proposal to allow ‘outsiders’ to buy more land in Uttarakhand is again snowballing into 
a controversy.

A Cabinet minister has hinted recently that the state government is considering relaxing the ceiling of land that residents of other states could purchase in Uttarakhand from the existing 250 sq mt to 500 sq mt has stirred a hornet’s nest.

The issue has become a hot topic of debate and the entire opposition is speaking against the proposed move.

During the Narayan Dutt Tewari-led Congress government this limit stood at 500 sq mt, but former Chief Minister BC Khanduri reduced it. The BJP had hyped on Khanduri’s decision on the land ceiling as in the interest of the local poeple.

With the Congress raking up the issue once again, a war of words has started between the Opposition and the government. Reports suggest that the Opposition is bent upon stalling any move in this direction. In fact, the BJP, the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party (UPP), the Uttarakhand Lok Vahini, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) and the Left parties have accused the government of behaving like a property dealer.

Talking to The Tribune, state general secretary of the CPI (M) Vijay Rawat said, “We support the view of the UKD on the issue that the ceiling for outsiders to buy land Uttarakhand should not be relaxed. We want the government to follow the pattern adopted by Himachal Pradesh.”

He said, “The neo-liberal policy followed by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is aimed at helping the corporate world. Land and power are the only resources that the government can offer.”

Rawat said the Khanduri government had taken over more than one million acres of benami land. It should have ideally given the land to its original owners, the gram sabhas. He added attempts were now being made to give away the land available in the state.

The Assembly Speaker, Govind Singh Kunjwal, was evasive when asked about the issue. He said if there was investment for public welfare it should be promoted but land should not be given away just for developing venues of recreation for a few individuals.

Discussion on challenges of management practices
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 18
A seminar was organised by the department of management studies, Dev Bhoomi Institute of Technology, Dehradun, on “Contemporary issues and challenges for sustainability of management education and its applications”, here today.

The introduction of the seminar was given by Meera Sharma, HoD, management department, and convener of the seminar, with a note of gratitude to Sanjay Bansal, Chairman, and Prof TK Mukherjee, Devbhoomi institute, for their support in organising this seminar.

Dr VK Jain, Vice-Chancellor, Doon University, who was the chief guest on the occasion. Eminent experts — Prof Dr M Thenmozhi, IIT, Madras, and Dr Smita Jha, IIT, Roorkee --- enlightened the participants with their thoughts and views on the sustainability of management education and its application. They emphasised the quality of teaching and research and development in the field of management.

A large number of researchers and students from other colleges also participated in the seminar and contributed their research work.

Maj-Gen Lalji D. Singh (retd), Adviser, Dr AK Jaiswal, Director, Prof Pankaj Choudhary, Director (academics), Sangita Gandhi, Registrar, Dr Parul Goel, Director, Divya Aggarwal, coordinator, Nitesh Tomar, academic coordinator, Manish Kumar, Dean, and all faculty members of the department extended their valuable contribution for the conduct of the seminar.

GMVN manager to serve at Badrinath Temple
Opportunity comes after 97 years, granted six-month leave
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 18
Senior Manager, Tourism, Sushil Prasad Dimri of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), has got the rare opportunity to be the main assistant of Chief Purohit of Badrinath Temple this year. His family's turn to don this mantle came after 97 years.

Residents of four villages - Dimar, Umatta, Ravi Gram and Paki of Chamoli district — become main assistants of the Chief Purohit of Badrinath Temple turn by turn. As per the tradition set by Sri Guru

Shankaracharya, the chief priest of the temple comes from a Namboodripad family from Kerala and the main assistant from any of these villages. Dimri explains: “We, too, originally hail from Kerala and were known as Demrascharya. But after our ancestors came with Shankaracharya for Badrinath, they settled down here in these four villages. The surname evolved from Demrascharya to Dimri over the years.”

Dimri has taken leave from office for six months till the temple closes down in the winter. Though Badrinath Temple is slated to open on April 28, he is supposed to carry the oil of the sesame seeds which will be extracted in the presence of daughter-in-law of Tehri dynasty in her abode at Narender Nagar, Rishikesh, as per tradition.

A pot (kalash) containing this oil will be then taken to his village and, thereafter, to Pandukeshwar on April 27, where Badrivishal, deity, rests in his winter abode, and will then be taken in a palanquin to Badrinath on April 28, when the temple opens for public for six months. The oil pot will then be kept before the deity in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The main responsibility of Dimri will be to make the preparation for mahaabhishek (mega prayer ) on the opening day and subsequent aarti or prayer on subsequent days. He will get 2 per cent of what is offered in the plate containing lilting diyas by the devotees. Above the mundane, Dimri and his family are rejoicing for this phenomenal opportunity coming their way. “I never knew that I could be chosen from my family after 97 years to serve the deity from so close. Lakhs of people come from far-flung areas to get a glimpse of him. It seems this birth of mine and my family has become blessed with this one turn in my life.”

The department is agog over this. General Manager, GMVN, Vinay Shankar Pandey, said: “The department has happily accorded him six months' leave to serve at Badrinath Temple. All of us are happy for him.”

Maintain communal harmony, says DM
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 18
Newly appointed District Magistrate, Udham Singh Nagar, Brajesh Kumar Sant has called for maintaining a vigil at attempts to vitiate the atmosphere of communal harmony in the sensitive areas of the district.

He issued the orders at his first meeting with his subordinates in the administration during which he was apprised of the prevailing situation in every tehsil. He also took stock of the available infrastructure in every tehsil.

During the meeting, Tehsildar, Kitcha, Manish Kumar Singh raised the issue of the shortage of patwaris. He provided an update with regard to the distribution of land to the relocated Bengali populace in the Transit Camp area, besides the developments regarding the 400 acres of ceiling land available at Fazalpur Mehraula.

SDM, Bazpur, Jai Bharat Singh brought to his notice the problems pertaining to the bad condition of roads, encroachment on government land and illegal mining. The DM asked him to lay emphasis on checking the movement of overloaded vehicles and the maintenance of law and order.

The SDM, Kashipur, NS Kwiriyal took up the issue of traffic jams and providing proper lighting on the roads. He also raised the issue of the shortage of traffic personnel.

The SDMs of Sitarganj and Khatima apprised the new District Magistrate of the status of land belonging to the members of the Tharu community. As reported in the past, large tracts of land belonging to Tharus are at present under the illegal possession of people from other communities.

The problems arising on account of the ongoing agitation by the Patwaris was also taken up at the meeting. It was pointed out that people are facing extreme hardships in obtaining documents from the Revenue Department on account of the agitation.

Bodies of married woman, child found
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, April18
The body of a new-born male child, who seems to be the victim of his own mother's brutality, and two persons, including a newly married woman, were found in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, six passengers were injured in an accident in this part of Kumaon .

According to police sources in Dharchula, the body of eight-day child was found near a village of Dharchula town by the police on Tuesday. The killer had brutally cut the body into pieces, packed these in a polythene bag and thrown it in a field at a village near Dharchula. "From initial investigation, the police has found that the child seems to have born out of illicit relations and the woman had fled to Nepal after killing the boy," said MS Durgapal, police inspector of the Dharchula police station.

In another incident, the body of a newly married woman was found hanging from a tree in Thiklana village of Bhasia chana block of Almora district on Tuesday. "Prima facie inquiries have revealed that the woman, who belongs to Silkura village of the same block, has committed suicide," said Pratap Singh Routela, revenue sub-inspector of the area.

An injured old man was found on Takula Road of the Someswar area of Bageshwar district on Tuesday. He was taken to hospital where he died later. The police has suspected it a hit and run accident. "The old man had received head injuries," said a doctor in the hospital.

Six members of the family of the SDM deputed in Haldwani were injured at Danya town of Almora district as an Alto car, carrying them to Haldwani from Dharchula, fell into 30-metre gorge on Tuesday. 

Villagers seek relief for crops damaged by tuskers
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 18
Villagers living near the Sharda river in the Tanakpur subdivision of Champawat district have asked the Forest Department to compensate them for crops destroyed by wild elephants.

As due to the summer heat the elephants from the Sharda range in Tanakpur forests move frequently between the Sharda and the forests in search of water, they eat and destroy rabi crops in the villages falling in the area. “Since 2009 wild elephants from the forests of the nearby range having been destroying crops in Hawalkhera, Nayak Goth, Bastia, Gainda Khaali, Ucholigoth and Aambagh villages, but the Forest Department officials have not paid heed to their complaints about this menace,” said Kamala Chand, sarpanch of Aambagh village of the Tanakpur subdivision

The officials said, “The elephants come to the river for drinking water and as they pass through the villages they eat and destroy crops.” “No incident of elephant attack on people had been reported since 2009 when Mohan Chandra Sharma, a resident of Thalkhera village, was killed by an elephant. But the elephants destroy crops in the villages situated near the river during night every year,” said SDO, Sharda forest division.

The forest officials have advised the villagers to use chili paste and crackers to disperse the elephants, but the later are demanding compensation for their destroyed crops. “As an electric fencing erected by the UREDA to keep elephants away has failed to stop the animals from entering the villages, the villagers have no option but to demand compensation from the Forest Department for the destroyed crops,” said Zahira Khatun, sarpanch of Manihar Goth village.

GMVN eyes Rs 2 cr from Char Dham yatra
Seema Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, April 18
Package tours offered by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) for the Char Dham yatra are already booked up to June 10. They will generate revenue of Rs 2 crore as compared to Rs 80 lakh last year. June onwards, the rush of pilgrims decreases drastically during the monsoon as rain triggers landslides and road blocks.

General Manager, GMVN, Vinay Shankar Pandey gave credit to preparations made in advance for the yatra for increase in business this year. He said, “We began online booking in January. Twelve public relation officers of GMVN, who have been stationed at various locations in the country, too have been directed to mobilise resources and use marketing skills to inform potential tourists about the marvel of the Char Dham yatra and the facilities offered by GMVN at its tourist rest houses. Besides, frequent meetings with managers and employees of 47 rest houses, who have been deputed along the yatra route, too have helped a great deal in resolving problems relating to infrastructure and furnishing. Hence, advance preparations have brought good business for us this year.”

Nainital DM asks officials to list problems
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 18
The administration in Nainital district has started listing issues that will be taken up with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna during his proposed visit to Haldwani on April 20.

At a meeting held here yesterday, District Magistrate Nidhi Mani Tripathi asked officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) to make proposals for the repair of the roads that were in a bad state so that money could be sought from the state administration.

She ordered that the proposals should be ready for digging new tube wells in those places in Haldwani where there is a frequent water scarcity. Tripathi directed the officials of the Jal Nigam, the Jal Sansthan and the Asian Development Bank that is executing several water projects, to work in tandem and prepare a joint proposal.

The officials of these departments have been asked to submit a working plan to meet the water scarcity challenge in various parts of the district in the months to come. Emphasis has been laid on preparing a separate working plan for the rural and urban areas.

The officials have also been ordered to prepare a brief note on the progress of various schemes and projects being executed by them along with the availability of funds for it.

Tripathi also ordered that all departments prepared a brief on the schemes that were being hampered on account of the delays in transfer of forest land. The officials asked to put a noting on these briefs so that the state government could be apprised of the problems related to the land transfer.

At the same time, the officials had been asked to prepare a report regarding the steps taken to resolve the matters pertaining to the transfer of forest land with regards to projects like construction of a stadium, a driving school and an Inter-State Bus Terminus in Haldwani.

They had also been asked to prepare status reports with regards to the condition of Rakasiya Nullah that wreaked havoc during monsoons and construction of bridge across the Gaula river.

Similarly, the officials of the Social Welfare Department had been asked to prepare a status report with regards to the payment of pension to various beneficiaries along with the availability of funds.

They have also been asked to prepare a brief on the status of processing of fresh applications. 

NSC, Helax (B) teams win matches

Dehradun, April 18
The National Sports College cricket team and Helax (B) Cricket team won their respective matches in the 60th Dehradun Cricket League Tournament played at Abhimanyu Cricket Academy here today. In the first match, National Sports College cricket team defeated Secretariat XI by 114 runs. Secretariat XI won the toss and put the NSC team to bat first. The NSC team scored 187 for five wickets in 30 overs. Opener Pushpraj and Tushar scored 54 and 41 runs, respectively. Lalit Joshi took three wickets for 36 runs.

In reply, Secretariat XI was all out for 73 runs losing the match by 114 runs. Opener Bhupender was the top scorer with 18 runs. Sanyam took three wickets for nine runs.

In the second match, Helax (B) defeated Institute of Technology and Management (ITM) by 27 runs.

Winning the toss, the Helax (B) team scored 184 for six wickets in 25 overs. Opener Jatin scored 113 runs in 80 balls. Nadeem took three wickets for 32 runs for the ITM team. In reply, ITM scored 157 runs for the loss of eight wickets losing the match by 27 runs. Parmod was the top scorer with 35 runs. Ranjit took three wickets for 26 runs. — TNS

Workshop on neuromuscular facilitation concludes
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 18
A two-day workshop on neuromuscular facilitation concluded at Dolphin (PG) Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences here today. The resource person for the workshop was Dr Harpreet Singh of Neurosciences, AIIMS, New Delhi, who is a California-trained instructor and has been conducting PNF workshops all over India for the past eight years.

PNF is the name for a method of physical therapy which characterises exercises concentrating on the natural pattern of movement, using body’s receptors as internal stimuli with application of carefully measured resistance to the patients movements.

The workshop was attended by students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Various PNF exercises were demonstrated for upper limbs, lower limbs and trunk. In addition, mat exercises and gait training was also demonstrated to the participants.

The organising members Dr Prosenjit Patra, Dr Sunil Bhatt, Dr Vivek Chauhan, Dr Deepti Warikoo, Dr Deepti Dhar, Dr Tanu Gupta along with students participated in the workshop.