Sanand held, taken to AIIMS
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 28
The district administration today stopped Gyan Swaroop Sanand from moving towards Srinagar in Garhwal to assess the impact of hydropower projects on the Alaknanda.

Initially, Sanand was taken to the state guest house at Roorkee but in the evening he was shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, for medical reasons.

Sanand boarded a private vehicle along with social activists and environmental scientists from the Matra Sadan ashram at Jagjeetpur, 5 km from Haridwar, this morning. However, the district police stopped him from moving towards Srinagar to maintain law and order as his visit was being opposed by pro-dam supporters.

As Sanand remained adamant on visiting the Alaknanda valley, the police arrested him near Har-Ki-Pauri on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway and took him to the state guest house at Roorkee.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SBM) Harbeer Singh and SP, City, Dr Yogendra Singh Rawat monitored the whole situation while Sanand was being taken to Roorkee.

The SP said in view of opposition to Sanand’s visit by the pro-dam supporters the Garhwal administration stopped him in Haridwar itself.

Meanwhile, the Matra Sadan inmates condemned the administration action terming it a deliberate attempt to curb Sanand’s movement.

Swami Shivanand, head of the Matra Sadan, said they condemned police action and warned that they would launch an agitation if the police continued with such oppressive actions.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Kranti Manch asked Sanand to look into the pollution level in the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh where he belongs.

JP Pandey, chief of the manch, while sitting on a one-day dharna, said the Ganga needed to be cleaned but it was also important that employment and electricity were provided to the people of the state for which hydroelectric projects were good options. He added if the government could provide alternate employment and revenue generation options, only small hydropower projects could be built.

SC ruling on state employees' petitions
R Sedhurman
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, May 28
In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has ruled that neither the Uttarakhand government nor the state High Court could entertain employees' pleas pertaining to the period prior to the formation of the state on November 9, 2000.

A Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya gave the ruling while setting aside a Uttarakhand HC verdict directing the state government to promote an official, Umakant Joshi, to the post of General Manager (Class-I grade) with retrospective effect from November 16, 1989.

The HC had issued the direction following the withdrawal of adverse remarks in the officer's annual confidential report for 1995-96 and the order of punishment issued in 1999. The revocation order was issued in 2005 with the approval of the Uttarakhand Governor. Following the withdrawal of the punishment order, his promotion with retrospective effect from 1989, when Joshi's juniors and contemporaries were promoted, could have been undertaken only by the Government of UP and not by the State of Uttaranchal (now the state of Uttarakahnd), the SC pointed out. "Therefore, the HC of Uttarakhand, which too came into existence with effect from November 9, 2000, did not have the jurisdiction to entertain the writ petition filed by Joshi for issue of a mandamus to the state government, the apex court held. The SC delivered the verdict while allowing an appeal filed by the state government challenging the HC order and disposing of the connected petitions. The court, however, gave Joshi the liberty to approach the Allahabad HC, seeking remedy.

Chinks in legislative party meeting of BJP
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 28
Hit by the factionalism prior to the Uttarakhand Assembly session, the Congress failed to hold the meeting of the legislative party while the meeting of the BJP legislative party was thinly attended, bringing to the fore the fissures in the party.

While the meeting of the BJP legislative party proved to be a damp squib with 12 MLAs keeping off and preferring to attend a parallel meeting at the house of former Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

It was left to the Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt to state that Uttarakhand state in charge Thavar Chand Gehlot had arrived late so most of the MLAs could not attend the meeting.

A section of the MLAs in the BJP had opposed the nomination of Ajay Bhatt as the Leader of the Opposition in the House. However, fearing thin turnout, the Congress, particularly the Chief Minister, preferred not to hold a meeting.

Facing similar problems, the BSP held a meeting of legislative party chaired by Haridas whose nomination as leader of the opposition of the BSP legislative party in the House has now been accorded recognition by Speaker of the Uttarakhand Assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal.

During the last Assembly session, a feud had erupted between BSP leaders as Transport Minister and BSP MLA Surinder Rakesh was supporting Haridas as the leader of the BSP legislative party in the House while at the same time Uttarakhand BSP chief had nominated Sarbat Kalim Ansari as leader of the BSP legislative party in the House. 

BJP prepares for Bharat bandh
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 28
The Uttarakhand BJP has begun preparations for making the Bharat bandh, the call for which was given by the central leadership of the party in protest against the hike in petrol, a success in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand BJP chief BS Chuphal said all the district units of the BJP have been instructed to begin making preparations for Bharat bandh on May 31.

He termed the hike in petrol price carried out by the Congress government at the Centre as unjustified. "The Congress bluffed the common masses with it's slogan of being a well-wisher of the aam admi but the policies unleashed by the Congress government in the last couple of years have exposed them," said Chuphal.

Chadar offered at shrine on behalf of CM
Tribune News service

Dehradun, May 28
A delegation of Muslims from Uttarakhand offered a chadar on behalf of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at the famous Sufi shrine of Khawaja Moinuddin Chisiti at Ajmer today.

The delegation was sent by the Uttarakhand government and was led by Maulana Zahid Raza Rizvi. The other members of the delegation included Sibte Nabi, Hanif Gandhi, R.A.Khan and Maulana Mohammad Ghulam Nabi Noori. The delegation, after offering the traditional chadar at the mausoleum, prayed for the wellbeing of the people of Uttarakhand. 

Govt planning to hike compensation amount
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 28
The Uttarakhand government is contemplating raising the compensation amount paid as in case of attack by wide animals. In a written reply to a question raised by Malchand, BJP MLA from Purola, today in the House, Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who also holds the portfolio of forest and wildlife, said the government was keen to raise the compensation amount paid to the victims of wild animal attack.

The MLA had raised question about the compensation amount being paid to the villagers who have been facing wrath of animals. The Govind Pashu Vihar sanctuary falls the MLAs Assembly segment and the villagers of the nearby villages have been victims of animal attack and crop destruction.

In his reply the Chief Minister said compensation (one time claim) is paid to the victims in the following categories: Seriously injured, Rs 15,000, partially (handicapped), Rs 25,000, fully handicapped, Rs 1,00 000. In case of the death of minor, Rs 1,00,000. In case of death of death of adult, Rs 1,00,000. Further, in case of death of a member, the family is sanctioned Rs 5000 as immediate aid by the concerned forest office.

Berozgar sangathan starts indefinite fast

Dehradun, May 28
The members of the BPEd Parishikshit Berozgar Sangathan started an indefinite fast in front of the state Assembly in support of their demands here today.

The trained BPEd members of the sangathan had been sitting on a dharna for the past four days to press the state government to absorb them in the government service. However, the members decided to convert their agitation into a fast on the opening day of the Budget Session of the state Assembly. —TNS

No funds with UTC to purchase new buses
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 28
Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) is currently struggling with the crisis of good buses. Almost 50 per cent of a total 1041 buses under UTC have run the mandatory 8 lakh kilometres after which the buses are advised to be replaced. In the corporation, a demand for 400 new buses was placed long ago but has not been met, citing paucity of funds.

General Manager, UTC, Deepak Jain said they had been pursuing the case of purchase of 400 new buses for the last one year but the matter had been dithering on the ground of shortage of funds at the state goverment level.

Jain said the old buses remained parked in the workshop most of the time and also consumed more petrol and demanded more maintenance.

It affected the financial condition of UTC, which is already incurring losses to the tune of Rs 25 crore. In the last few years only 230 buses had been added to the fleet.

State Transport Minister Surender Rakesh said he was aware of the urgent need to change the old buses and was now himself following the matter.

He said: "I have given directions to keep the UTC buses fully packed with the passengers so that the corporation could get revenue to become independent in its financial decisions.

Besides purchase of new buses, we are also working on limiting the movement of the buses of other states, which would directly mean that our buses will have cent per cent passengers."

He said an increase of bus fare from 18 to 27 paisa had increased the monthly revenue of UTC from Rs 22 crore to Rs 25 crore and expected to go higher after the purchase of new buses.

Guv meets Jagadguru, attends Ganga aarti
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 28
Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi met Jagadguru Shankaracharya Sharda Dwarka Peethadheeshwar Saraswati Swaroopanand in Haridwar this evening.

Qureshi arrived at the Kankhal ashram of Shankaracharya where he sought the blessings of the religious guru with Shankaracharya offering him a traditional shawl.

Qureshi also apprised Shankaracharya of his recent visit to Sri Badrinath Dham and the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. Both held a close-door meeting too at the Shankaracharya ashram and later met the common public.

Later, the cavalcade of the Governor moved towards Braham Kund, Har-Ki-Pauri, where he took part in the Ganga aarti. Qureshi was all praise for the spiritual and religious significance of Har-ki-Pauri as hundreds of people were present during the aarti.

In view of the high-profile visit of the Governor, elaborate security arrangements were in place with SSP Arun Mohan Joshi, SP City YS Rawat and SP Traffic Dr KL Shaw being present at the ashram and Har-ki-Pauri to monitor the arrangements.

Congress activists as well as the local people gave a warm welcome to the Governor with many terming his taking Ganga waters and being present at the Ganga evening aarti as giving the whole world a message of communal harmony and brotherhood.

BSF staffer scales Mt Everest four times
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 28
Ace mountaineer and three-time Everest climber Lavraj Singh Dharmashaktu became the first resident of Uttarakhand who scaled the highest peak of the world,(29035 feet) for the fourth time on Saturday.

"The eight-member team of mountaineers from round the world, which has the task of cleaning the base camps, reached the peak at 4.40 am on May 26," said Rina Kaushal Dharmashaktu, his wife and herself an ace mountaineer from New Delhi.

"Lavraj, a resident of Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district and employee with the BSF, had done it for three times earlier in 1998, 2006, 2009. "He has become the first Indian to have climbed the Mount Everest for four times," said Rina.

According to Rina, the expedition has been sponsored by an international environment society to clear the debris deposited on the base camps on all four camps en route to the Mount Everest by mountaineers of several expeditions gone there earlier.

"The mountaineers from the UK, the US, Spain, Russia, India, Yugoslavia and Nepal took part in the cleaning expedition. Lavraj has been sponsored by Woodland company," said Rina.

Doon to have Vedic Jyotish Sansthan's branch
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 28
The Bharatiya Vedic Jyotish Sansthan, an all-India institute, teaching Vedic astrology based at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, will open its branch in the state which will be named as Uttarakhand Aadhyatma Ayam Jyotish Sansthanam.

The branch will be opened in Dehradun, Sansthan managing director Purushotam Das Aggarwal said at Almora today.

Aggarwal was speaking to mediapersons after the conclusion of two-day Jyotish sammelan organised by the sansthan here.

The Jyotish conference, which was attended by scholars from Haryana, UP, Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, said due to half knowledge of the Vedic astrology, present day astrologers had deviated from the Vedic tradition of astrology, which needed to be saved.

"The astrologers, who solemnised Vedic weddings, are not matching the basic nature of the horoscopes of brides and grooms, instead they are matching their tendencies which are not scientific and these marriages are some time ending in divorce," said Lalit Mohan Joshi, organiser of the meet at Almora.

Scholars present in the conference pledged that they will establish a scientific base of the Vedic astrology. The proposed branch of the Jyotish sansthan would fight to establish same scientific bases in prevalent body architecture, house architecture, Asthan and falit Jyotish," said Joshi.

According to the organisers, the programme, this was first of its kind in the Kumaon region and was attended by the Vedic scholars from Sampurnanand Sanskrit Viswavidyalaya, Varanasi.

Rising mercury dries up water sources in Kumaon
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 28
Widespread forest fires and an acute shortage of drinking water, besides non-availability of cooking gas have forced the people to agitate on roads, thus paralysing life in many areas of the Kumaon region.

According to offices of the Meteorological Department in Pithoragarh, Champawat, and Nainital districts, the rising temperature is not only drying natural water sources but also making the normal life in the hill areas difficult. “The temperature in the tourist city of Nainital, which is thronged by tourists to escape hot weather conditions in the plains, was 30.5°C on Sunday, making it the hottest day of the year. If we compare the temperature of the last three years on May 27, we find that it was 25°C in 2009 and 25.5°C in 2010, while this year it reached 30.5°C, thus beating the three years’ record,” said a spokesman for the Meteorological Department.

The tourist town of Almora recorded 34°C yesterday which was the maximum temperature of the year in the city. “The widespread forest fires and haze created by them are the main reason for the increasing heat in the town,” said the spokesman.

In Champawat town, the temperature reached 30°C on Sunday. This had dried up natural water sources and stalled the drinking water scheme meant for the town. “As the water sources have dried up, we can only provide 42,000 litres of drinking water to the residents of the town while a minimum of 1 lakh litres are needed every day,” said a Jal Sansthan officer.

The forest fires are visible in Almora, Ranikhet, Champawat, Lohaghat, Kanda, Bageshwar and Chaukhutia in the Kumaon region. “Besides, negligence on the part of villagers, the incomplete work to control fires by the Forest Department has increased fire incidents in the forests of the Kumaon region,” said SP Singh, DFO, Champawat.

Residents of Pithoragarh town are getting only 40 per cent of the required drinking water daily due to forest fires and drying up of natural water sources. “The forest fires and the rising temperature in the valley have contributed to the water crisis in the town. The Thuligar rivulet has almost gone dry due to heat and disturbance in its catchment area,” said a Jal Sansthan officer in Pithoragarh town.

The Pithoragarh Jan Manch has threatened that it would launch an agitation against the administration from June 1 if the water supply did not improve. “The Pithoragarh Jal Sansthan has spent more than Rs 2 crore in the name of changing the pumps under the scheme which lift water from the Saryu river to Pithoragarh town. But still the availability of drinking water is worsening day by day,” said Bhagwan Singh Rawat, a leader of the manch.

Awards to panchayats

Dehradun, May 28
Panchayati Raj Minister Preetam Singh today gave away awards to districts Haridwar and Kshetra panchayat, Champawat, Kshetra panchayat, Bajpur (Udham Singh Nagar), gram panchayat, Charba (Dehradun), and gram panchayat, Naunda (Nainital), for 2011-2012 under the Panchayat Raj Empowerment Accountability Intensive Scheme (PEAIS).

These PEAIS award constituted by the Central government is awarded to those panchayats that fulfil norms like planning and financial management, facilities to citizens and regular meetings held by the panchayats. District panchayat (Haridwar) bagged the first prize and was given the prize money of Rs 25 Lakh;, Kshetra panchayat, Champawat, got Rs 15 lakh; Kshetra panchayat, Bajpur (Udham Singh Nagar), got Rs 15 lakh; gram panchayat, Charba (Dehradun), Rs 6 lakh; and gram panchayat, Naunda (Nainital), Rs 6 lakh. — TNS