Devotees from Nepal offer joths to Ganga
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News service

Haridwar, April 19
Its not only in India that the Ganga is revered as mother, but also in Nepal it holds immense religious significance for people.

This was aptly reflected when more than 150 devotees from Lumbi Aanchal in Nepal offered 1.51 crore lighted puja threads (joths) to the Ganga adjacent to the Braham Kund at Har-Ki-Pauri yesterday.

The lighted joths offered a magnificent spectacle as amid chanting of hymns the smooth flowing Ganga seemed illuminated. Notably, the Nepal Hindus perform rituals on the banks of the rivers like Narayani and Gandki in their country.

Pandit Pawan Nandan Gewalia and Dr Padam Prasad Suvida, both from Nepal, told The Tribune that these joths had been made by women in the past one year keeping in mind the religious rituals.

They said offering joths and prayers at Ganga Ghat brought to women devotees blessings of mother Ganga. They added of the 14 divisions of Nepal 10 were named after rivers.

The devotees left for Nepal today after performing rituals at the Shree Avdhoot Mandal Ashram here and the conclusion of Bhagavad Katha.

HC revokes Principal Secy's suspension
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 19
The Uttarakhand High Court has revoked its earlier decision regarding the suspension of Principal Secretary (Urban Development) Dr Ranvir Singh.

The recall of the decision followed an apology submitted by Dr Singh. The court made strong observations on the functioning of the administration before it withdrew its earlier order of April 9.

A High Court Bench of Justice Tarun Aggarwala had ordered the Chief Secretary or a competent authority in the state administration to suspend Dr Singh over a matter pertaining to 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 he had not been paid his dues. The court had ordered in 2009 that he should be made the payment with regards to 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 had 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 had led the High Court to take a strict view of the matter and order his suspension.

Joshi’s counsel Bhagwat Mehra told mediapersons, “The court has now ordered the Nagar Palika to make the payment of dues to Joshi with 6 per cent interest. The court took a strong view of the functioning of the administration. The Principal Secretary was let off after he came out with an apology.”

CPI (ML) leader jailed for code violations
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 19
A CPI (ML) candidate, who contested from the Dharchula Assembly constituency of this district last month, has been arrested under Section125 of the People’s Representation Act, and the IPC 153(A) for violating model code of conduct and sent to one-day judicial remand by first class magistrate in Didihat today.

Jagat Singh Martolia was found guilty of violating the model code of conduct and provisions of the People’s Representation Act during the elections as he held a public meeting in Baluakot and the Dharchula areas without taking permission from the election authorities.

First class magistrate Udai Pratap Singh remanded Martolia to judicial custody after arresting him when he surrendered in the court at Didihat.

SSB-trained jawans approach Chief Minister, demand jobs
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 19
Agitating Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB)-trained jawans have approached Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and requested him that the decisions taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary on December 19, 2011, on their issues and demands be implemented.

A delegation of the agitating jawans handed over a memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, to the local administration yesterday.

They said despite a decision taken at the meeting headed by the Chief Secretary that 100 of them would be recruited in the Disaster Management Cell, no one had been recruited so far. They added the process of an ECO Task Force, as decided, be started at the earliest so that 100 trained jawans could be recruited under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme.

They pointed out in the memorandum that though the Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam had started the process of registration through the Sainik Welfare Offices, it hit a roadblock on the issue of furnishing documents. The protesters said the government needed to understand that there was total secrecy about their training and no certificates had been issued to them. Moreover, a compact disc containing a list of trainees had been submitted to the nigam by the SSB Academy in Srinagar.

It was after the 1962 war with China that the SSB was constituted and asked to train bands of young men from villages on the border. These men were supposed to be used for gathering intelligence on developments on the border.

The jawans said by insisting on furnishing of certificates the nigam was bent upon denying them their rights. They had demanded that the list provided by the SSB Academy be honoured. They added that since it was difficult for all jawans to reach Dehradun on a day to attend the recruitment process, the process should be decentralised and carried out at the district level.

The jawans demanded that they be allowed to furnish certificates of age and educational qualifications only at the time of interview. They said since lists of trainees had not been submitted to the nigam by the training academies at Sarahan in Himachal Pradesh and Pauri, they be allowed to submit an affidavit and the same be honoured till the lists were obtained.

Their another major demand is that a proposal for providing pension or one-time financial help be prepared for eligible candidates above 45 years of age instead of 60 years. The jawans also wanted a 10-year age relaxation for recruitment in government services or as Home Guard jawans as they fell in the category of those having special training.

The protesters said if the government failed to fulfil their demands in the next 15 days, they would resort to an agitation, disrupt the Kailsah Mansarovar and Char Dham yatras, gherao the nigam office and block rail traffic.

Women leaders back CM on power projects
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 19
Despite facing opposition from various quarters on the issue of green signal to hydro electric projects on the Ganga and its tributaries in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is getting support from within the party on this stand.

To usher in their support, women wing leaders of the party held a special meeting on this issue, expressing support to the Chief Minister in this regard.

Presiding over the meeting, veteran women leader Dr Santosh Chauhan pointed out that hydro electric projects were in the larger interests not only of the state but also of the country as power was essential.

She appreciated the development vision-oriented stance of the CM, adding that it also reflected the opinion of party workers as well as of the common public, which wanted development.

“All are in favour of uninterrupted flow of the holy river and maintaining its sanctity, but some pseudo-environmentalists and a section of saints, mostly from outside the state, are trying to exploit the sentiments of the people in the name of the Ganga.This stance is deeply impacting the development of the state while youths migration from hilly districts is drastically on the rise” said Chauhan,former women state commission chairperson.

District Congress women leaders Suman Aggarwal and Rama Chaudhary also called for a balanced approach that should be adopted while creating dams which were quite instrumental in keeping floods under control.

All participating women leaders also signed a supportive letter to be forwarded to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, party state chief Yashpal Arya and Ganga River Basin Authority key members.

Forum to conserve Himalayan ecology on cards
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 19
Despite the third meeting of the Ganga River Basin Authority headed by Prime Minister concluding without any significant results, a group of nature lovers have come forward to generate awareness and conserve the Himalayan ecology.

The forum is not only confining its drive to Uttarakhand or neighbouring hilly states, but also has mooted an idea of all Himalayan nations to form an organisation on the lines of SAF, G-5, to cater to the Himalayan ecology.

In this regard on April 22, a seminar on conserving the Himalayan ecology is being organised at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh by a forum, Himalaya Vahini.

Talking to The Tribune, national coordinator of the Himalaya Vahini Vijaypal Baghel said, "Conserving the ecology is not only the work of the governments but also of each individual as the Himalayas provide us water and natural flora and fauna which is imperative for the existence of life on earth.”

“We have invited all Himalayan state delegates and environmentalists from the country, be it Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram or other North-Eastern states. Apart from this, we are getting confirmation from Himalayan countries like Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet as we want to give this initiative a global outlook,” said Baghel.

At the convention, Parmarth Niketan chief Chidanand Muni Maharaj and Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Gobind Singh Kunjwal will be the chief guests, which will dwell on varied topics related with Himalayan conservation. Besides a plantation drive, expansion of Himalaya Vahini branches in other states and countries will also be done.

Eminent environmentalists who have been working for conservation of ecology, nature and Himalayan diversity will be felicitated with “Himalayan Ratna” award, for which a panel of experts is in place.

Rana Ranbeer Rana has been appointed Uttarakhand chief of the forum while Uday Ram Semwal and Aadesh Marwadi are special executive members of the Himalaya Vahini.

Move to allow ayurvedic docs to prescribe allopathic medicines 
Tribune news Service

Dehradun, April 19
Uttarakhand Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi yesterday said to tide over the shortage of allopathic doctors in the state, the government planned to bring a proposal in the Cabinet to allow ayurvedic doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines.

Negi said despite the Supreme Court stressing on maintaining the sanctity of different streams of medicine, the Himachal Pradesh government had allowed the allopathic doctors to prescribe allopathic medicines. “I know allopathic doctors are opposing the proposal, but we have to provide services. And if ayurvedic doctors are willing to go to the hill areas, we will bring the proposal so that they could prescribe allopathic medicines,” said the minister at a meeting at the Vidhan Sabha here today.

Around 250 ayurvedic doctors are already deployed in health centres in the state but they are prevented from prescribing allopathic medicines.

Negi said, “A government order will be issued soon to allow even pharmacists to prescribe Schedule H medicines. We have to look at all legal aspects before issuing the order. We are envisaging a bigger role for pharmacists in the launch of telemedicine in the state. At the same time, stringent action will also be taken against quacks.”

The minister issued orders for the immediate deployment of the medical staff at Beronkhal, Satpuli and Pabo areas and regularising emergency ambulance services in Chamoli district.

Later, the minister launched a website (doonmedicalservices.org) on medical and health services. Now, information regarding the services being provided by the government sector in Dehradun district could be accessed at the website. It would also give information about Doon Hospital, Coronation Hospital and SPS Hospital, Rishikesh. 

Kalapani border with Nepal peaceful: ITBP
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 19
Despite the claims by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna that besides the Barahoti border with China in Chamoli district, the Kalapani border with Nepal in Pithoragarh district is also witnessing hostilities from across the border by anti-India elements active in Nepal, the Indian paramilitary forces guarding the Kalapani border post with Nepal in this district have claimed that Kalapani has remained peaceful since 1998.

According to ITBP sources, a platoon of the Indo-Tibet Border Police has been guarding this border post on the Indo-Nepal border, but it has witnessed no such activity from the Nepal border for the past 12 years.

“In 1998, some Nepal Maoists, led by the Young Communist League, a frontal organisation of the Nepal Maoists, tried to lead a march, claiming Kalapani, to be part of Nepal but their attempts were foiled as they could not get much support even from their own public,” said an ITBP officer, deputed at the Kalapani border post.

According to administrative officers of Dharchula subdivision, under which the Kalapani border post falls, the area of Nepal bordering Kalapani is peaceful and no activities of any political outfit have been witnessed. “During the past 18 months, I have not witnessed any political activity from across the border and the area from Dharchula to Kalapani are peaceful after the Maoists have come to share power in that country,” said Abhishek Tripathi, SDM, Dharchula.

Child labourers rescued

Dehradun, April 19
The Chamoli and Rudraprayag police yesterday rescued two teenaged child labourers hailing from Bihar from a construction site at Nandprayag. They were engaged in petty jobs.

Acting on the information provided by the Uttarakhand Child Rights Protection Commission, the Rudraprayag and Chamoli police managed to rescue the children who hailed from Saharsa district in Bihar.

“Shankar and Debu Sharma, who were brought to Uttarakhand by Balaram Sharma, a contractor, had been given ill-treatment. The boys had managed to get in touch with their parents through telephone and narrated their plight,” said Ajay Setia, Chairman of the commission.

The surveillance by the police helped in tracking the current location of the children who were then rescued from Nandprayag in Chamoli district. — TNS

Launch of Agni V Missile
Satpal Maharaj greets countrymen 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 19
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence Affairs and Uttarakhand Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj has greeted the countrymen and the Defence Research and Development Organisation scientists in particular for the successful launching of the Agni V ballistic missile.

In a statement issued today, Satpal Maharaj said after the successful launching of missile, India had joined the league of countries possessing the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) technology. He said only five nations had the ICBM technology.

He said after two more tests, Agni V Missile will be handed over to the Army. He greeted the Defence Adviser and DRDO head, Dr VK Saraswat and his team.

Jandev Darshan yatra takes off
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 19
The Jandev Darshan yatra being organised by the Sangh Parivar under the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tarun Vijay got off from Haldwani today. The yatra aims at preparing a report on the facilities and infrastructure required for the next year’s Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra.

The yatra had been flagged off by BJP President Nitin Gadkari on April 9 and would go up to Dev Prayag.

The report prepared at the end of the five phase yatra will be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna suggesting better

infrastructure and facilities for Raj Jat yatris.

A website dedicated to the yatra was also launched by General Secretary of the BJP Dharmendra Pradhan yesterday in Delhi.

The website, www.shrinandarajjat2013.com, would be providing details about the preparations and route for the Raj Jat. Tarun Vijay has stated that the Raj Jat would have people from all organisations and parties participating in it. He thanked Bahuguna for his support to the Raj Jat and pointed out that Lok Sabha member from Nainital KCSingh Baba had been associated with it for a long time.

The yatra would be moving across Haldwani, Bageshwar, Garud, Deghat, Gairsain, Adi Badri, Bedni Bugyal, Karanprayag and Dev Prayag.

At the starting of the yatra in Haldwani, a demand for Rs 1,000 crore for the Raj Jat was raised by the organisers pointing out that since a large number of people from across the world would be participating in the event, the Centre must see that best of the facilities and infrastructure was made available to them.