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Teenagers set an example for govt to follow
Qureshi takes oath as Guv tomorrow
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Assures rural development
Bahuguna to hold Cabinet meeting at Gairsain
Illegal quarrying on DM's priority list
Preparations on to receive tourists
ICFRE employees seek redressal of pension problem
Kajal, Ayush bag gold in Judo championship
Athletics meet for special children
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Teenagers set an example for govt to follow
Dehradun, May 13 They are determined to save the few ones left in the city from the onslaught of pollution or neglect. Eighty students of various boarding and day schools commenced their clean-up drive at Tapkeshwar canal or Tamsa canal on the stretch extending from Bijapur Dam to Dakra across Tapkeshwar temple at 7 in the morning today. They collected over 15 quintals of assorted garbage from this single stream, which is the source of water supply for the town but now is filled with garbage. Their collective efforts attracted onlookers and devotees of the temple, whom these youngsters enlightened about not clogging the stream with items out of superstition or faith. They were fully supported by the priest of the temple with spades and refreshments. Distinguished environmentalist and British national Jodie Underhill helped in the procurement of the necessary equipment such as gloves, bags etc and gave support to them tirelessly in the drive. The major irritant was the unresponsive and insensitive attitude displayed by the Cantonment Board. CEO of the board who promised to help them with a truck and workers sent merely a truck without any workers. These children, students of prestigious schools, were in a way forced to lift and carry all the 1500 kg of garbage from the river to the truck themselves. The founder of MAD, 18-year-old Abhijay Negi, student of LLB Hons. from National Law University, Jodhpur, and an alumni of Brightlands School, said: “ Many of the erstwhile perennial streams are now beyond any scope of revival. It is certain that the streams flowing below the Bindalpul and Rispinapul are now dead with all their biodiversity. We have no streams from east canal to west canal. MAD has now solemnly resolved that it would not allow those few streams which have survived to meet the same fate.” The volunteers included boarders from Summer Valley School and students from various schools such as Brightlands, St. Joseph’s, Pine Hall, Cambrain Hall, St. Thomas, St. Jude's, Scholar’s Home, Doon International School, Carman School and youth from Doon University, DIT and Graphic Era.
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Qureshi takes oath as Governor tomorrow
Dehradun, May 13 At Raj Bhavan, he was welcomed by Principal Secretary to the Governor Ashok Pai and Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain. Qureshi was given the guard of honour by a contingent of the Provincial Armed Constabulary on the lawns of Raj Bhavan. Talking to mediapersons, he said Uttarakhand was a beautiful state with simple and hard working people and this would go a long way in helping it become an ideal state. Qureshi said there were immense possibilities for development in the state. The all-round development of the Char Dhams would be his priority, he said. "I will fulfill my responsibility in the state keeping up the dignity of my post," he said.
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Assures rural development
Haridwar, May 13 He also talked of an overall development of rural areas to make sure all-round development of the state takes place, the main motive for which it was bifurcated from erstwhile Uttar Pradesh. Qureshi arrived here today on his way to Dehradun, where he will be sworn in as Uttarakhand’s new Governor. He arrived in Shatabadi Express at the Haridwar railway station where he was given a warm welcome by the Congress workers and local people. He assured all-round development of the districts of the state, adding that he will also pay a visit to Char Dham shrines in Garhwal hills to have a look at the facilities and problems that devotees face.
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Bahuguna to hold Cabinet meeting at Gairsain
Dehradun, May 13 Addressing the Annual Convention of INTUC in Dehradun, Bahuguna said Gairsain was a symbol of backwardness as far as development was concerned and thus he had now decided to hold a Cabinet meeting there on October 2 as part of the government’s commitment towards development of the backward areas of the state. Vijay Bahuguna also held that the state government would pay encouragement allowances to the state employees posted in the border areas. He said the government would very soon implement the Wage Board recommendations for the welfare of government employees. He said Uttarakhand had a pro-industry environment and the state government was serious towards the welfare of industrial workers. Bahuguna said the coordination between workers and entrepreneurs was necessary to enhance the industrialisation in the state. He said industrialists should take advantage of the industry friendly conditions in Uttarakhand by setting up more industries here. Advising the workers not to resort to agitations, he said the state government was serious towards their welfare and rights and would try to resolve their problems on a priority basis. He said arrangement for a separate fund of Rs 100 crore would be made for the development of backward development blocks. Bahuguna pointed out that Uttarakhand had to purchase power from other states at high cost despite having potential to sell power to other states. “We will take appropriate measures to improve the situation in this direction,” he said. Earlier, Uttarakhand INTUC president Hira Singh Bisht handed over a charter of demands to the Chief Minister seeking salary for state sugar mill workers on a par with state government employees, a check on Labour Laws violations, increase in the minimum wages of Aganwadi workers, regularisation of contract or daily wages workers, ending of contract system of employment in the state and removal of irregularities in salary of workers in various corporations. Uttarakhand Planning, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister, Dinesh Agarwal, Minor Industries Minister Harish Durgapal, National President of INTUC Dr G Sanjeeva Reddy and former MLA Jot Singh Gunsola were present.
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Illegal quarrying on DM's priority list
Haridwar, May 13 Already a specific Kanwar mela plan is being chalked out keeping in mind the record 1.20 crore kanwariyas coming to the pilgrim city last year to fetch Ganga jal. Sachin Kurwe, who was the joint magistrate during last Kanwar yatra, while talking to The Tribune stated that he was analyzing the main problems people faced during yatra. With illegal quarrying being done on a large scale in the district, despite ban on quarrying on Bishanpur Kundi and Bhogpur Ganga riverbeds, the District Magistrate said he would look into this aspect and take stringent steps so that no illegal quarrying takes place. He also gave a warning to the quarrying mafia that his working style was different. So law violators would be strictly dealt with. As traffic problem is a major hindrance in ensuring the smooth flow of traffic on national highways for the Char Dham yatra and other annual religious baths in the city, Sachin Kurwe said a specific plan would be charted out to ensure devotee-tourists flow was easily managed with the minimum inconvenience to the local residents. For this, an anti-encroachment drive needed to be initiated but for that, local people and political-social-trader organisations need to support this drive as in long term, this was in the interests of the city only, said DM Kurwe. Recently several controversial disputes regarding the selling of religious properties have come to light on which the DM said he would first get into details of these disputes like Kushavrat ghat, Rotari Rangshala, Gurukul Kangri land dispute among others and would then only take a decision or write to the state government to have a specific directive on such issues. Meanwhile, as per directions of Sachin Kurwe, for the first time the information on the availability of ration would be given to BPL card holders via SMS. Kurwe has directed administrative officials to make a list of at least 10 people in every village who will be informed via SMS.
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Nainital Diary The summer season is on and Nainital is keenly awaiting tourists with its arms spread wide open. The arrival of tourists is expected to rise from the second fortnight of May and will hit the the peak in the middle of the next month. With the schools being closed for summer vacations, this is the time when most of the tourists tend to visit the Lake City. The administration and the police authorities have geared up to meet the challenges that come along with the tourists every year. The town is being spruced up and railings around Mall Road are being painted afresh. The police authorities too have got signboards and instructions painted at various places just to avoid the inconvenience caused to the tourists. In fact, there are daily rounds of meetings that are taking place to address the issues concerned with tourism promotion. Amid all this, the administration has launched a 10-day-long exercise aimed at cleaning the town. The message being given out is that since the livelihood of the locals depends on the Naini Lake which is the lifeline of the town, it is they who would have to come forward to conserve and preserve the water body. The children from various schools around the town are the flag bearers of the initiative while efforts are also being made to involve the tourists in the exercise. The tourist season this year has been delayed on various counts. The hoteliers point out that the arrival of tourists from the middle of April to middle of May has been less than 50 per cent of what it has been during the preceding years. One of the reasons being attributed for this has been the extended winters of sorts. With the temperatures being relatively cool even in the plains till about a week back, the tourists are assumed to have postponed their visits for the time when the summer is at its peak. The indication in this regard is that there is no availability of seats in the month of June in trains. The second reason attributed to the lesser arrival of the tourists has been the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. Knowing that India is a country where cricket is a religion, there is a possibility that people, cricket buffs in particular, might have postponed their holiday for a while. The hoteliers are also ruing that the irrational tax structure in the state is having its toll on tourism. They point out that since the taxes being imposed on the industry are high and eventually get transferred to the consumer, the consumer would prefer to visit destinations abroad for the same amount he is being compelled to shell out here. The hoteliers from the town had recently called upon Finance Minister Indira Hridayesh in the matter and got an assurance from her that the matter would be addressed. ...there 's a way
It has been known for centuries that where there is a will, there is a way but there hardly a few people in the public life who show the will to find a way. But the newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sadanand Daate seems to be making small differences in the day to day life of Nainital. He seems to be trying to convey in clear terms that he is serious about what he intends to do. On his arrival to the town, he had announced that would be trying to streamline the traffic chaos in the town. Well, the signs on no-parking have come up at relevant places. Efforts are visible when it comes to making people park their vehicles at the designated places. To make a point, Daate has been seen taking command on management of traffic at times at the conjested points like the Tallital Bus Stand. The second thing that he had announced was about the police playing an active role in promoting tourism. Although the separate Tourist Police Posts are still to come up, the routine Police Post at Mallital has a counter to address the concerns of the tourists. Pamphlets and brochures on tourism are on display and there are police personnel
available to help out the tourists and clear their doubts. Although there is some resentment in some police personnel on being having to carry out an additional task, the system otherwise is working out well.
Drive against landmines
A strong messenger is the one who plays the most important role when it comes to generating awareness. The passion required to undertake a challenge in life for the sake of others is there in him or her and this passion is the driving force behind the tough initiatives that are undertaken. A man with a similar passion was there in the Lake City some days back. Ludo Maria Walter has been moving around the globe on a bicycle to generate awareness against the landmines. The most ironical part is that he himself uses an artificial limb as he had lost a leg in an accident 28 years back. It was the passion to set an example before a paralytic friend named Staney and to campaign against the use of landmines, particularly after he came to know the havoc that these mines have caused in the third world countries like Cambodia, that has driven him on and on. Till date, he has done more than 50,000 kilometres on his bicycles. He came to Nainital finding the reference of the town in the tourism journal, Lonely Planet, and his stay was extended in the town as he awaited new parts for his bicycle. A Belgian Ludo gave up the profession of a teacher and a part-time electrician to pursue his mission. He even decided not to marry while he was pursuing it. By Rajeev Khanna
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ICFRE employees seek redressal of pension problem
Dehradun, May 13 At a joint meeting of technical staff association, the ministerial staff association and scientist association from the ICFRE institutions held here today, the employees squarely blamed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for doing injustice to them. Elaborating on the concerns of ICFRE employees, Technical Staff Association’s secretary CM Sharma said since its creation in 1991, the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) has been working as an autonomous organisation of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, through a Cabinet note that ensures to provide autonomy to the research and development in the field of forestry and environment science analogous to either the Indian Council of Agriculture Research or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. “But even after 20 years of its formation, no efforts have been made to bring it to either of the patterns (ICAR or CSIR). The situation has seriously been affecting both the moral of the permanent employees and research outcomes of the ICFRE. In fact, the deviation from the Cabinet note clearly indicated a violation of the government orders,” Sharma observed.
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Kajal, Ayush bag gold in Judo championship
Dehradun, May 13 The winners were given away the medal by president of the Uttarakhand Olympic Association Rajiv Mehta, sports officer Dharmender Bhatt, and Principle, Pestle Weed School, Prem Kashyap. The girl players in the age group of 4-14 years, who won gold medals in various categories are- Kajal Panwal in 20 kg, Priyanka of DAV School in 25 kg, Shikha Rana of Drona School in 30 kg, Unnati Sharma of DAV School in 35 kg, Mansi Harbola of DAV School in 40 kg, Pallavi Rajput in 40 kg, Sheel Negi of DAV School in 35 kg, Shivani Rawat in 40 kg, Deepa Chaudhary in 50 kg, Shivangi Pandey of DAV school in 55 kg, Supriya Negi in 60 kg, Manisha Bhatkaria of Unison in 60 kg. Boys in the age group of 4-14 years, who won gold medals in the different categories are- Ayush Rawat of DAV School in 20 kg, Aman Gupta of DAV School in 25 kg, Saurav Singh of DAV School in 30 kg, Ankit Panwa of DAV School in 35 kg, Mukul Bhatt of DAV School in 40 kg, Shivam Mittal of ST Joseph School in 40 kg, Mayank Kandpal of DAV school in 35 kg, Ishan Bangwal of DAV School in 40 kg, Shubham Petwal of DAV School in 45 kg, Saurabh of DAV School in 50 kg, Abhay Rana of Drona School in 55 kg, Vishal Bisht of DAV School in 60 kg and finally Anurag Rai of Drona School in the +60 category.
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Athletics meet for special children
Haridwar, May 13 Participants from all districts of the state paticipated in various events like discuss throw, shot put etc. Local legislator Aadesh Chauhan, who was the chief guest on the occasion, appreciated the efforts of the participants. He said such events helped special children to show their talent.
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Dehradun, May 13
Dehradun, May 13
