ADB-funded water project to provide record connections
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 28
Along with replacing of old, leaky water supply system in the city of Dehradun under the Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Investment Programme (UUSDIP), complete verification of existing water connections both in the commercial and household category is also under way.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded project once complete would give respite from leakage problems but also provide record of water connections . "Out of a total of 160 km area to be covered through pipeline laying, work is under way in seven zones comprising Dalanwala, Laxman Chowk, Chander Nagar and Khurbura in the first tranche. So far, new pipes have been laid covering a stretch of 70 km. The deadline for the project is 2016," said M.H Khan, officiating Deputy project director (UUSDIP).

While laying the network of water pipes in the city, the engineers are also maintaining record of the households and commercial establishments having water connections. "The one time exercise is aimed at legalising connections and providing coverage to households and commercial establishments. Leakage of old pipes which is around 50-60 per cent is expected to be over once the process of removing old pipes is complete," said Khan.

However, as the work progresses in the core zone of the city, including Paltan Bazar, the problem would get exacerbated as the digging progresses in thickly populated areas in the coming days. "At the moment, we are facing problems while carrying work in Khurbura in a narrow lane measuring five feet. The discomfort to the residents cannot be avoided. But we have established grievance redressal system. Around sixty cases have been disposed of and cases against contractors for carrying out substandard work too are being addressed," said S.K Jain, Executive Engineer, Project Implementation Unit (Dehradun-I) Water Supply.

Besides, Rs 4 crore would be spent for replacing the old tubewells pumps. These pumps would be equipped with automated starter panel. In 28 places the pumps have been changed while in 10 locations the old pumps are still running. There are a total of 78 pumps that would be changed. The upgraded pumps would become more efficient in pumping ground water.

Police strategy to check duping of bus passengers
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 28
Following the initiatives taken by the Indian Railways, the police has chalked out a strategy to deal with the increasing instances of passengers being duped after being made to consume eatables or drinks laced with drugs.

Talking to the mediapersons during a visit to Nainital, DGP Vijay Raghav Pant had told his subordinates to get in touch with the officials of the Transport Department on the issue. The idea is to get the conductors in buses to announce to the passengers at the beginning of the journey to be careful of unknown people and not to accept any eatables and drinks from them during the travel.

“We will definitely take up this matter with the transport authorities. Apart from the conductors telling the passengers, similar announcements can also be made with the public address system at various bus stations also,” he said, while pointing that generating awareness amongst the common people is the best way of dealing with the menace.

Pant said a similar exercise was being carried out by the Railways successfully at various railway stations where frequent announcements are made on the platforms to this effect.

Besides making announcements, the police also plans to get stickers and posters printed and put up at various public places asking passengers to beware of unknown persons asking them to join them over a cup of tea, cold drink or snacks.

Pant further stated that the police authorities in the state are also taking up the matter with their counterparts in the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh. In most of the instances it has been found that the victim is drugged at one place and comes to know of his losses at another after regaining consciousness. Hence, very often the crime is committed in one state and reported in another, which leads to certain functional problems.

Incidents of people being duped after having consumed eatables or drinks with unknown people while on way to their destinations while being rendered unconscious are being reported on a daily basis in the region. Very often the victims are poor labourers returning home with the money that they earn while being employed outside the state. The incidents have come to be known as zaharkhurani.

Traffic violations go on unchecked in Haridwar
Sandeep Rawat/TNS

Haridwar, April 28
Traffic violations seem to have become a norm in the city these days as the police has failed to ensure strict adherence to rules.

Over speeding, driving without helmet and not adhering to trafficlights have made travelling on roads dangerous. This is happening despite the fact that the city has an SP, Traffic.

Last year, about 50 major accidents took place in the city periphery. In case of four-wheelers, the drivers were not wearing seatbelts or were driving fast. In case of two-wheelers, the riders were not wearing protective helmets, taking turns without giving indicators, crossing from the wrong side and over speeding.

Such is the gross violation of traffic rules in the city that one hardly sees any two-wheeler rider wearing a helmet or anyone following trafficlights installed at the two intersections. Moreover, women could also be seen violating traffic norms. The traffic police had carried out an awareness drive in schools and colleges in the past few months but that did not seem to have desirable effect. SP, Traffic, Kiran Lal Shaw told The Tribune that the awareness drive had failed to have desirable effect and it was high time that traffic rules be implemented strictly and offenders penalised.

He said the local people, who were caught violating traffic rules, and even political parties had protested penalties, the levying of fine was not a fool-proof method. Bathing during festivals when lakhs of people throng the city is another reason that it witnesses traffic violations. Moreover, traffic personnel are posted on national highways to ensure that traffic pressure on road to Har-Ki-Pauri and inner city lanes was regulated. Social activist Uday Ram Semwal said, “Unless we (residents) take traffic laws seriously and realise that it is in our benefit that we follow traffic rules that sanity could be restored on roads.

SP for Garsain as summer capital
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 28
President of the Samajwadi Party in Uttarakhand Vinod Barthwal, at a press conference held at the party office here yesterday, advised Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to spend more time in the state than in Delhi. He suggested to the Chief Minister to call a meeting of opposition parties to discuss important issues.

Barthwal said it was high time that the new government settled the issue of capital of the state. He demanded that Dehradun be made the winter capital and Gairsain the summer capital of the state.

He referred to devastating fires spreading in forests in Chamoli, Tehri and Pauri and demanded stern action against the forest rangers and District Forest Officers who watched hapelessly enormous damage being done to the green gold and could not control the fires. Barthwal castigated the Bahuguna government for its sluggish approach in repairing damaged roads.

The SP president also criticised the government for its alleged failure to ensure the proper implementation of the Right to Education Act.

He demanded that a statue former Chief Minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna be installed in the Vidhan Sabha and a big project be named after him.

Talking about the party affairs, Barthwal said he would hold a meeting on May 1 to decide on important issues and finalise the preparations for welcoming Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the city.

Meanwhile, new faces were inducted into the party on the occasion. They included Ashwini Mudgil, Meera Kumari and two BSP leaders Mukesh Chaudhary and Deepak Som. District presidents of Pauri and Uttarkashi units of the party were removed for their unsatisfactory performance.

Karnataka trekkers leave for Panchachuli peaks
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, April 28
A group of 25 trekkers form various schools of Karnataka today left for Panchachuli peaks (group of five peaks) from the base camp. "The trekking to five peaks in Darma valley of the district, which is being operated under PPP mode, will have 25 teams this year before rains, from various parts of the country, mainly from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore,” said Aamod Nagnyal, co-organiser, Himalayan Adventure, an organisation which organises adventure tours to these peaks every year.

The 54-km trek route to these five peaks in this part of Himalayas has now 35 km walkable route and 20 km motorablr road up to Sobla camp.

The trek route mincludes five camps from Pangu to base camp. These are Pangu Dar, Sela, Nagling, Baling and Duktu. According to KMVN sources, every year more than 300 trekkers from across the country visit Panchchuli; their tours are organised by various groups as it has been given under PPP mode by the government.

Bazpur residents take up problems with MLA
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 28
Residents of Bazpur took up the issues plaguing their area with MLA and Cabinet minister Yashpal Arya today.

Their main issue was nuisance being created by vehicles transporting mined material. They said the vehicles had become a threat to the lives of the people.

The residents said these vehicles were invariably overloaded and damage the roads on which they ply. They demanded that the plying of such vehicles be prohibited on the main roads passing through the area.

They said in the recent past, many accidents had been reported due to the reckless movement of the vehicles. Concerned over the gravity of the problem, Arya has directed officials and the police to identify a separate route for the movement of such vehicles.

The other major issue raised by residents of some of the colonies was with regard to a high-tension power line that goes over houses. They have demanded that the line be removed.

Satyavan Garg, while speaking on behalf of local traders, raised the issue of unscheduled power cuts, which is having a negative impact on the business.

Another key issue raised by the people pertained to the establishment of a fire brigade station in the town. As of now, fire brigade vehicles have to be rushed from adjoining towns.

Residents also demanded the repair of those handpumps that are lying defunct, the beautification of the bus stand and making the buses moving on the Kashipur-Rudrapur road to pass via Bazpur so that the transport problem is addressed.

They complained of LPG gas shortage in the area. The farmers from the region took up the issues of pending payment for their sugarcane crop and proper supply of bags at wheat procurement centres.

They also drew the MLA's attention towards the poor state of basic amenities in the area. Arya promised to take up the issues raised during his visit at the highest level in the state administration.

BJP day-dreaming to return to power, says Harish Rawat
BD Kasniyal

Harish Rawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture

Pithoragarh, April 28
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat today asked the BJP to stop day dreaming that it would return to power due to infighting in the Congress.

Harish Rawat said the Congress was a well organised party and the government would complete its five-year term. “BJP leaders are making false statements about the state government headed by Vijay Bahuguna. As the government is just one month old, it will take some time to get used to old patterns of things,” said Rawat while addressing party workers during a brief stay in the town today.

The Union minister, who was here to launch a book on freedom fighters from the district, said writers should write about the people who were working silently for strengthening the nation. “I hope the writers will take an initiative to write about silent revolutionaries working to bring a change in social sectors of the nation,” said Rawat.

Later addressing party workers, Rawat said he had been working relentlessly to get his loyalists accommodated in the government and succeeding. He added some of his supporters had been adjusted in the government on comfortable posts, while others were being accommodated. “I will not leave my workers, whatsoever, political fate I may have to face in the party,” said Rawat.

The Union minister said the state had the potential to create jobs for unemployed youth in the tourism sector like northeast states where tourists feared to go 20 years ago. “We have to follow the example of Sikkim, which has developed its tourist sector and is today providing jobs in abundance to local youths due to booming tourism,” said Rawat. 

General Ghosh visits St Joseph’s School
Tribune News Service

Nainital, April 28
The chief of the Western Command, Lt Gen Shankar Ghosh, while playing down the queries on a rift between the Army and the government, said there was no time at the field and formation levels to consider such reports.

While stating that the forces at the ground level are high on fitness levels and morale, he also sidestepped the issue of there being a storm over the reported movement of the Army to Delhi a couple of months ago that had been reported by a national daily. “Defence Minister AK Antony has given a clarification to Parliament on the issue,” he said. The Defence Minister had stated yesterday that the Army movement that was referred to in reports was a routine exercise.

On the issue of Tatra controversy, he said the matter was being investigated while the trucks were being used by the Army.

General Ghosh was in Nainital today on a visit to the St Joseph's School where he had studied till 1966. He inaugurated a Trust that has been set up by the former students of the school for further improving the education facilities in the premier institution.