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Cong bent on bagging Rs 40 crore package
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, May 19
Having missed the opportunity once of availing the Rs 40 crore Central package as a reward for adopting the Prof Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations on restructuring the cooperative sector in 2004, the Congress government has again begun efforts to retrieve the hefty pay package that was to come through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
As a first step the government is likely to bring amendments in the Cooperative Act and then make it's case before the Central government for retrieving the financial package. “As the time given by the Central government to comply with the directions in this regard have already lapsed, we will once again take up the matter with the Central government to give us the package. At the same time, we have also initiated a process for adopting the recommendations of the Vaidyanathan Committee and may issue an ordinance in the coming months. The Cabinet has also extended the tenure of government-appointed officials of cooperative societies to only six months,” said Yashpal Arya, Revenue Minister. Significantly in 2004, the Congress government had signed a memorandum with NABARD and the Central government as a tripartite agreement for adopting recommendations and in return the state was to receive a package of Rs 40 crore for revamping the cooperatives. But playing the role of the spoilers the cooperatives opposed the the Vaidyanathan Committee recommendations since it meant restructuring the cooperative sector to depoliticise, democraticise and professionalise through the facilitating legislating. The opposition by the cooperatives resulted in lapse of the agreement that was valid till 2009 and even given an extension till 2010. “The Vaidyanathan Committee was critical of the non-professional attitude of the cooperative societies. He had recommended that the societies' function as Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARD) and should be answerable to the General Registrar Finance,” said Dr PS Gusain, Secretary, Cooperatives. Once the government adopts the recommendations of the committee, it would not be able to tinker with the term of the societies that would be for the period of five years, and even the percentage of woman members in the societies is likely to go up.
fund hunting
- In 2004, the Congress government in Uttarakhand had signed a memorandum with NABARD and the Central government as a tripartite agreement for adopting recommendations of the Vaidyanathan Committee and in return the state was to receive a package of Rs 40 crore for revamping cooperatives.
- But the cooperatives opposed the recommendations since it meant restructuring of the cooperative sector to depoliticise, democraticise and professionalise it. The opposition by the cooperatives resulted in lapse of the agreement that was valid till 2009 and even given an extension till 2010.
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Govt lacks vision, stability: Bhatt
Tribune News Service
Haridwar, May 19
Ajay Bhatt, newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly, has termed the two-month tenure of the Congress-led coalition government in the state as lacking both in vision and stability.
Bhatt, a former Health Minister, was here in Haridwar today for the first time after he was appointed the Leader of the Opposition. He lashed out at the state government and said instability and factionalism in the Congress and the Cabinet had disappointed the people of Uttarakhand who had voted the party to power. The Leader of the Opposition expressed shock over the withdrawal of many development schemes started by the previous BJP government. He said the state government approach was a blow to the democratic norms and would severely affect the development of the state. “Be it the transfer policy which ensured transparency for all, the Atal Khadyan Yojana or the creation of four new districts for better administration and development of these areas, the BJP government had taken landmark decisions. But now the Congress-led government is working on negative lines to revoke these decisions. It should understand that it’s the people of the state who will suffer due to its negative policies of revenge. The Congress its repercussions in the coming elections,” said Bhatt, legislator from Ranikhet. Asked whether factionalism in the party led to delay in his appointment as the Leader of the Opposition, Bhatt said there was no factionalism in the BJP and within hours of his appointment by the party high command he got calls from former Chief Ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and BS Koshyari and minister Madan Kaushik and several legislators.
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Bahuguna lays stones of development works
Assures people of a dam on the Song river
Tribune News service
Dehradun, May 19
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna laid the foundation stones of development works worth more than Rs 31 crore sanctioned under NABARD for the Raipur area at a function at Tunwala here today.
Besides, Bahuguna also laid the foundation stones of three projects of the Public Works Department (PWD) and inaugurated the construction of the Chuna Bhatta-Adhoiwala road. He also announced 39 development projects for the Raipur area. The Chief Minister, on the request of Raipur MLA Umesh Kumar ‘Kau’, assured the people of the construction of a dam on the Song river at a cost of Rs 250 crore. The development works under NABARD included modernisation of the Kalanga canal, widening and strengthening of the Miyawala canal road, Raipur-Nathuwala canal road, Lower Nathuwala road and the Balawala canal road. The works to be undertaken by the PWD included Khairi Mansingh, Do Nali road, the construction of a road from Nehrugram Chowk to Sati at Garhwali Colony and the Badrish Colony main road. Bahuguna said the state government was committed to development and he would ensure comprehensive development works. He added the government under the JNNURM would develop Dehradun as a beautiful city and various projects were being undertaken in this direction. The Chief Minister urged the people to keep an eye on the development works and contact him directly in case they found any irregularities. He said due to the mistakes of the former government the development works were stalled in the state. Bahuguna said all hydropower projects approved by the Central Government where a large sum of money had been spent would be completed so that the revenue of the state could increase. Irrigation Minister Yashpal Arya, MLA Nav Prabhat, president of the Uttarakhand Cooperative Federation Pramod Kumar Singh, District Magistrate Ravinath Raman and CDO Sushil Kumar were also present on the occasion.
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Tehri Lake to be linked with tourism and jobs: CM
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, May 19
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has said that people of Tehri had made great sacrifices for the country in the power sector and they would be compensated by the comprehensive development of their area.
Bahuguna, addressing a public meeting during his visit to Tehri today said that Tehri Lake would be connected to tourism and employment. He disclosed that a grand project was being prepared with the support of Union Tourism Ministry with the budget of Rs 250 crore to develop Tehri into a tourism hub and also to generate employment opportunities for the local people. He said that on the lines of Himachal Pradesh, a horticulture market would be developed and food processing units set up to promote agriculture in Tehri district. He said that cluster farming would also be encouraged. Chief Minister Bahuguna also made several announcements, including Rs 50 lakh for Sem Nagaraja Temple at Pratapnagar, Rs 10 lakh for the Press Club and financial assistance to madrasas. He also inaugurated 4 development projects and laid foundation stones of two projects worth Rs 27.54 crore. He inaugurated Yuva Kalyan Bhawan. Chief Minister also participated in the programmes of Press Club and Bar Association. Also present on the occasion were Cabinet Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, Tehri MLA Dinesh Dhanai, Pratapnagar MLA Vikram Singh Negi, Narednranagar MLA Subodh Uniyal, Congress leader Kirti Singh Negi, Zila Panchayat Chairman Ratan Singh Gunsola and District Magistrate Ranjit Kumar Sinha.
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Charges, counter-charges fly thick and fast
Tribune News Service
Haridwar, May 19
With allegations by BJP of so-called kidnapping being done by Congress of their Sitar Ganj legislator Kiran Mandal, a series of accusations have started between the two parties over this matter.
While the Congress wants to have a tit-for-tat political ploy that BJP had enacted in 2007 when the then Congress legislator from Dhumakot, Lt General (retd) Tej Pal Singh Rawat, was lured into BJP, the saffron party now seems to be in a dilemma whether to openly accept the shifting of Kiran Mandal towards Congress or criticise their legislator, too. Today, newly elected Leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt accepted that there is something going on between Kiran Mandal and Congress leaders, stating that if Kiran Mandal had any problems, then he should have first apprised the party high command. 'He is being forcibly lured by every other means, be it financially, threats or prospects of getting government privileges. Though I don't have any official information of his hideout yet, it is clear that Congress is resorting to poaching and undemocratic strategies," he alleged. If Mandal has any problem, the party high command and every party worker would take to the street to solve his problem," said Bhatt in Haridwar during his brief stay at the state guest house, Damkoti, on way to Dehradun. Retracting on this, state Cabinet Minister Surendra Singh Negi denied any poaching strategy and said that if any legislator of BJP is not happy with his party and in view of development wants to be a part of the Congress, then he doe not see anything wrong in this.
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Check black marketeering of LPG, foodgrains: Ambrish
Tribune News Service
Haridwar, May 19
Hundreds of local residents, including women, protested at the District Food and Supply office here today against black marketeering of LPG cylinders and shortage of foodgrains in government-run fair price shops.
The protest was held under the aegis of the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch. The protesters lashed out at the state government and the district administration for failing to control the black marketeering of LPG cylinders and foodgrains meant for sale through ration depots. Manch founder Ambrish Kumar termed as anti-poor the government policy to reduce the 1 kg sugar limit per person to meager 250 gram under the public distribution system (PDS), as a majority of the people buying foodgrains from fair price shops was poor. He said if sugar and kerosene oil were not made available to the poor at the fair price shops, what else the state government could provide to them. “Serpentine queues are seen on the premises of the gas agencies, but no one in the government seems to be concerned. Ration shops too are witnessing a huge rush, but they too are facing foodgrain shortage. “Ministers proclaim that a sufficient allocation of foodgrains, kerosene oil and LPG to the people has been made, but in reality these essential items are sold on the black market, thus widening the gap between demand and supply. Neither the government nor administrative officers are interested in addressing the problem,” said Ambrish, a former legislator. The protesters gheraoed the office of the District Food and Supply Officer. Social activist Murli Manohar, who was among the protesters, said there were a large scale discrepancies in the list of the below poverty line (BPL) families as many well-off people close to BJP and Congress legislators had been included in the list. Aaftari Salmani, a local, said he had been waiting for the delivery of an LPG cylinder for the past two days but had to return empty-handed. The gas agency manager claimed that there was a shortage of LPG supply but at the same time he supplied domestic gas cylinders to hotels. A memorandum was submitted to the District Food and Supply Officer demanding prompt action against the black marketeers and surprise checking of the fair price shops and the LPG agencies throughout the district.
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