Mussoorie, June 10
The tourist season in Mussoorie hit it's peak this weekend with crowds coming in huge numbers to escape the soaring temperatures of the plains.

With the chronic problems of the town - lack of parking facility, drinking water scarcity and continuous fleecing of tourists by certain sections of the business community - resurfacing once again, the image of the “Queen of Hills” as a prominent tourist destination has taken a beating. The administration, the Tourist Department and hoteliers along with other bodies affiliated with the tourism industry have failed to address the concerns raised on numerous occasions in the past.

The fleecing of the tourists begins with taxi drivers, who, seeing the rush at Dehradun taxi stand, have increased their fares for Mussoorie without providing any rationale. Some tourists also rued the fact that the rate fluctuates according to the rush witnessed at the bus stand near the railway station, and the police personnell present there have also turned a blind eye towards such irregularities.

Once on the way to Mussoorie, the tourists have to stop at Kholhukhet to pay eco fee, which is collected in the name of preserving the environment of the town. However, many tourists are clueless of it's purpose and are of the view that the eco fee is sort of a penalty for visiting the town in their own vehicles. The answer to the question on objective of charging such fee in the first place is with either the Municipal Council that has levied the fee, or the Commissioner, Garhwal, who authorised it in the first place. After spending nearly half an hour at Kholhukhet, the tourists have to come to terms with the narrow roads at the entrance. The traffic congestion worsens at Library Bazaar point, where the additional vehicles on their way to Char Dham yatra and Kempty Falls create conditions that are more chaotic, and the tourists are once again at the receiving end of it.

The police, instead of guiding the tourists towards available parking, are busy serving tickets for parking on the road, leaving the tourists more enraged. At the parking places they have to suffer more as most of these are jam-packed despite few empty spaces that are reserved for heavy vehicles, allegedly in expectation of more parking fee from them.

With no place to park, the tourists are forced to enter Mall Road after paying another fee of Rs 100 but the condition here is no different. Many hotels do not have their own parking and advise tourists to park on Mall Road, thus resulting inmore traffic congestion. Mall Road that was the pride of the town and most sought after place for pedestrians has now turned into a fish market. Street vendors from around the region are seen selling items, including food, in the open to the tourists, thus risking a danger of major epidemic.

The scarcity of potable drinking water is adding to the health woes in the town as most of the hotels are forced to rent water tankers, which fill the water from dhobhi ghat spring that is already polluted and untreated, leading to increase in the cases of diarrhoea.

According Dr. Amit Yadav, medical official at the civil hospital, the hospital was receiving around 60 cases of diarrhoea out of 100 cases on a daily basis. Dr. VK Nauityal, health officer, Municipal Council, when contacted said frequent raids were being conducted on vendors and shops involved in such activities. They have penalised to the extent of confiscating goods, but whenever they try to start a drive against encroachment or such vendors, the local politicians start creating chaotic scenes and come to their support.

The fleecing of visitors by hoteliers and those running eating joints also becomes rampant during weekends. Certain hotels do not maintain a regular tariff card and charge at will.

Rooms that are available for Rs 500 to Rs 700 during other months are now available for anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 per day.

The members of Mussoorie Hotels' Association, however, are of the view that most of their members have rate cards placed at their receptions. The spokesperson of the association, Sandeep Sahni, informed that on the contrary the illegal guesthouses that have cropped up in every nook and corner of the town were indulging in fleecing tourists. He also said that such guest houses do not maintain proper travel registers and are also running without installing any CCTV cameras, which could be a major security risk in the near future.The police officials, when contacted, failed to give an appropriate reply on how many such guest houses were running in the town, but assured to investigate the matter on prioritiy basis.

The Municipal Council president, OP Uniyal, responding to the question of eco fee collection from the tourists, said that as the government was not supporting the councils financially, they have been forced to look for alternative avenues of generating revenue. The money collected in the name of eco fee is being spent judiciously in conserving environment by deploying additional sanitary staff. He further said that soon a machine will start functioning in the town that will collect the garbage and compress it for recycling, thus adding to the cleanliness of the town. For increasing parking facilities, he said that Municipal Council was ready to give land for the purpose but the government was not keen in funding such projects due to unknown reasons. Uniyal also said that the problems of the town can be solved only when all departments work with complete understanding and coordination; otherwise the only way for the town is downhill.

Haridwar, June 10
With northern India’s biggest Kanwar pilgrimage yatra scheduled to start from next month, the district administration has started gearing itself up for putting in place all the arrangements for smooth and peaceful conduct of this pilgrimage.

In this regard Haridwar District Magistrate Sachin Kurwe inspected the Kanwar patri stretch, giving necessary directions to the concerned department officers. Sachin Kurwe at many points tread on foot to know better the conditions of the Kanwar stretch, which he found in shoddy condition at many points.

Directing subordinates to putting in place all arrangements in place by the last week of this month, the DM said that as the canvas of this pilgrimage is increasing by at least two-three billion in numbers, adequate arrangements have to be made, keeping in mind the number of Kanwariyas who will come to the city to fetch holy Ganga jal.

On finding heaps of garbage and filth at many points, including Jatwada Pull, Ranipur Jhal, Mohammedpur Jhal, Narsain and even at inner city cordon stretch, Kurwe strictly made it clear to municipal corporation officers to clean the stretch in the coming days. Irrigation Department, which manages this stretch, has been directed to re-construct the damaged Kanwar patri wherever it is found to be in dilapidated condition.

As mass food ‘langars’ are also organised during Kanwar pilgrimage for Kanwariyas, the DM has given clear instructions that no langar will be allowed on national highways as its obstructs the traffic flow and in view of many incidents in the recent past of Kanwariyas clashing with locals. They will only be allowed to be set up at Kanwar stretch only.

For this ADM Anand Shrivastav has been given responsibility to earmark such points on this stretch where it is viable to have langars and bhandaras for Kanwariyas.

Stress is being laid to ensure all the basic facilities like food, water, electricity, rest corridors, health camps, police guidance cells be placed on Kanwar patris so that Kanwariyas don’t tread or break into national highways.

Superintendent of Police Arun Mohan Joshi, Superintendent of City Police Kiran Lal Shaw, ADM Anand Shrivastav, officers of the Irrigation Department, Public Works Department, the municipal corporation, Jal Sansthan, Power Corporation and other nodal agencies were present during the inspection visit.

DM Kurwe told TNS that on June 20 he will be paying a visit again to the Kanwar patri to oversee the preparations done as per the directions given by him.

Haridwar, June 10
In the wake of the increase in the crime graph and the violation of traffic rules in Haridwar, the police has launched a checking drive at major intersections of the city.

This comes following the directions of SP (City) Kiran Lal Shah. In recent crime cases, it has come to light that stolen motorcycles are being used by miscreants to carry out nefarious activities.

Police personnel have now started checking the papers and licence of all drivers. Fines are also being imposed on those riding without number plates, licence, proper documents and helmet.

SP Shah said the checking drive would continue the entire month. Their aim was to make public aware of safe riding habits.

He said a number of deaths had been reported in the past few months due to non-wearing of helmets.

Circle officer Shah Jahan Khan said she would remain present at checking points like Chandra Charya chowk.

Shah Jahan said the drive would help check rising criminal activities in the city.

Social organisations have also welcomed the move and promised all cooperation to the police to generate awareness among local residents.

Uday Ram Semwal of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal said a majority of riders did not wear helmets and violate traffic rules. "We cannot always blame the police for this," he added.

He said a shortage of parking lots was also hindering the smooth flow of traffic in the city. Semwal said separate parking lots should be designated and those parking their vehicles in no-parking zone should be penalised.

Dehradun, June 10
The Sports Hostel team defeated Asian School by two wickets in a match during the Triangular Series Cricket Tournament under way at the Survey Cricket ground here today.

After wining the toss, the Asian School team elected to bat first. It scored 154 runs all out in 29.3 overs. Opener Rishab Mishra scored 38 runs while Saurabh Negi scored 37 runs for Asian School.

Satyam Chauhan took two wickets for 34 runs and Ashutosh took two wickets for 23 runs for the Sports Hostel team.

In reply, the Sports Hostel team scored 155 runs for eight wickets to win the match by two wickets. Sarthak scored 27 runs and Shekhar Bisht scored 23 unbeaten runs for the team. Manas Singh took three wickets for 28 runs.

Sidhant Arora and Shivang took two wickets each.

Dehradun, June 10
The volleyball team of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will visit Shanghai, China, to participate in the Asian Club Volleyball Championship from June 30 to July 8.

The team will attend a preparatory camp in Chennai from June 12 to 26 before proceeding to China. It will be for the first time that the ONGC volleyball team will participate in an international tournament.

A total of 17 Asian teams will be taking part in the tournament, according to a press release of the ONGC.

The teams have been divided into four polls and the ONGC team has been placed in pool “C” with Kazakhistan, Indonesia and Kuwait.

THE past fortnight in Uttarakhand politics was action packed. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna looking, for a safe Assembly seat, was able to manage one for himself. He has announced to contest the Sitarganj Assembly byelections scheduled to be held on July 8. After more than two months of efforts, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was able to win over the BJP legislator Kiran Mandal representing Sitarganj Assembly seat in Udham Singh Nagar district. In the present political dispensation in the state Assembly where ruling Congress, having a razor thin majority, it was really difficult to get an Assembly seat vacant from one of the Congress legislators. The problems for the Chief Minister were compounded by the dissidence of senior party leader and Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat, who has been licking his wounds after being denied the top position after the state Assembly elections.

Chief Minister Bahuguna, weary of the reaction of the powerful Harish Rawat camp in the state Congress, in his byelection, decided to win over an Opposition legislator, that too from a constituency where his detractors have minimum influence. Sitarganj Assembly segment, having a majority Bengali migrant population, was found most appropriate. The main demand of BJP legislator Kiran Mandal to give ownership rights on the leased government land to Bengali migrant community was met by the state Congress government. The second demand to grant Scheduled Caste status to “Namo Shudras” from amongst Bengali migrant community was referred to the Central government for action by the state government.

This paved way for Kiran Mandal to resign his seat last month. Chief Minister Bahuguna also tested the waters by holding a public rally last week at Sitarganj, which was well represented giving him further confidence to contest from the Terai region of Kumaon. The coffers of the state exchequer were also opened to start a number of development schemes in Sitarganj Assembly segment worth more than Rs.50 crore to ensure that there are no hurdles for Vijay Bahuguna to enter the state Assembly. Being a Lok Sabha MP from Tehri Garhwal, he has to enter the state Assembly within six months of becoming the Chief Minister of the state. Apart from doing all the spade work at Sitarganj, Vijay Bahuguna has also taken care of his possible political rivals.

He has also won over Narayan Pal, two-term Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator from Sitarganj, who lost the elections this time. Narayan Pal who has been expelled from BSP has reportedly joined hands with the Chief Minister.

Interestingly, Bahuguna family belongs to Garhwal region and Vijay Bahuguna as well his father Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna fought their electoral battles in the Garhwal region. Earlier, Union Minister Harish Rawat who belonged to Kumaon region had decided to contest Lok Sabha elections of 2009 from Haridwar seat and won. Vijay Bahuguna would also like to emulate his political opponent to electoral success.

With the induction of Harak Singh Rawat as a minister in the Bahuguna ministry, the process of ministry formation after the state Assembly polls has been complete. A lone position of minister was laying vacant since Harak Singh Rawat insisted on becoming Deputy Chief Minister. For Harak Singh Rawat, an ambitious politician who has the guts to take challenges, it has been a roller coaster ride in politics. Starting from BJP and becoming the youngest minister in undivided Uttar Pradesh in the eighties, he has been with the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Janata Dal and then finally the Congress. He won twice from Lansdown Assembly segment in 2002 and 2007 Assembly polls. In 2002, he was Revenue Minister in the N.D.Tewari ministry but had to resign following allegation by an Assamse girl of fathering her child. After DNA test, her allegations were found untrue and Harak Singh Rawat got a clean chit.

After his win in 2007 elections, he was made Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly. In 2012 Assembly polls, he was given the party ticket from Rudraprayag, a tough seat but he managed to win and was a front-runner for the post of Chief Minister. But following the decision by the party high command to give the reins of the state to Vijay Bahuguna, Harak Singh Rawat demanded the post of Deputy Chief Minister, which was denied by the party high command. In his public utterances, Harak Singh Rawat openly criticised the state government and even said that he had taken a vow before deity Dhari Devi that he would not accept any position less than Deputy Chief Minister. But with the passage of time, he became restless and started lobbying hard with active support of Union Minister Harish Rawat to get the vacant ministerial position. There was pressure on Chief Minister Bahuguna by other factions of the party to get the ministerial berth for their own legislator.

Apart from the pressure exerted by Harish Rawat, who described the Congress government incomplete without Harak Singh Rawat, it was the fear of the party high command that denial of ministerial berth could force Harak Singh to jump the fence that acted in his favour.

With Sitarganj byelections fast approaching, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna also wanted Harak Singh Rawat in good humour and on his side.

(By SMA Kazmi)