MDDA drive to legalise unlawful constructions gets good response
Seema Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, June 10
Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) is getting good response in its drive to convert illegal constructions in the city into legal, wherever it deems permissible, in its weekly compounding camps held in various parts of the city turn by turn. The department has already got revenue to the tune of Rs 3.50 cr by allowing more than 60 compounding cases under this campaign.

Vice-chairman RM Sundaram said there were 20,000 illegal constructions in the city, out of which 13,000 come under the permissible category. He said those constructions which had been built against permissible land use law could not be entertained under the compounding camps. He expressed satisfaction over the success rate achieved in these camps by saying: “By holding these camps, MDDA is reducing the burden of it's cases, earning revenue in return and also legalising the construction whereby the owner would now be able to avail loan, exercise mortgage or sell the house as well.”

He said it was important to rein in the illegal constructions in future so that such camps were not needed to be held. For this, he had pulled up officials at the Junior Engineer and Executive Engineer

level. He said: “The JEs/AEs would now be responsible for any illegal construction in their respective areas and would be punished henceforth. If they are alert, then such illegal constructions would not take place or can be controlled immediately.”

He said a Public Grievances Redress Committee has been floated to attend to the complaints with regard to illegal constructions from the public so that MDDA could take swift action against them.

He said he was aiming at strengthening in-house mechanism to control the problem of illegal constructions but added that unauthorised localities which had come into existence could never claim ownership of land unless political interference came to an end. He indicated that the illegal constructions were weaning away the precious land in the capital city and MDDA, too, was in dire need of land to build it's proposed housing localities.

17 DSPs transferred
Tribune News service

Dehradun, June 10
The Uttarakhand police has transferred 17 police officials of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

The police officials transferred include Dehradun DSPs Parmendra Dobhal, Prakash Chandra and Lalit Mohan who have been posted to Nainital, Bageshwar and Udham Singh Nagar, respectively, as per a police release.

Pauri DSP Harbans Singh and Swatantra Kumar from Chamoli have been sent to Dehradun.

Kishan Singh Hayanki from Chamoli has been posted to Almora 
and Uttam Singh Negi from Bageshwar has been posted to Haridwar.

Wild animals dying tragic deaths due to forest fires
Our correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 10
Two incidents which reflect how wild animals are dying tragic deaths while trying to escape forest fires in Kumaon region have come to light. A female leopardess was found dead with it's three unborn cubs at Ganai Gangoli area of Pithoragarh district. In another incident Kamala Devi of Bhumlai village near Lohaghat in Champawat district was attacked by a leopard when she came on the way of the animal, fleeing to escape the forest fire in her habitat forest, according to forest officials.

The first incident occurred near Ganai market in Pithoragarh district on Saturday when, on seeing the corpse of a leopard, some villagers informed the forest officers. The forest officers found a leopardess lying dead which had sustained head and bone injuries. “When the body of the leopardess was taken for postmortem, three still-born cubs were found in her womb, which she would have delivered within 10 days,” said Dr Rajiv Kumar, veterinary surgeon, who performed postmortem on the body of the leopardess. The forest officers said that the leopardess might have fled the nearby forest as it was under fire for the last week, and while crossing the road, it might have received head injuries, due to which she died.

“It is third such incident of death of a leopardess within three months of time. In the last two incidents, corpses of two leopards were found in different parts of the district,” said a forest officer in Pithoragarh.

In another incident of the same nature, a village woman, Kamala Devi, was attacked by a leopard that was fleeing the forest in Bhumalai area of Lohaghat subdivision of Champawat district. “ Kamala Devi, who has received injuries on her chest and arm, has been admitted to a nearby hospital and is out of danger,” said S.N. Tripathi, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Champawat district.

“The attack of the leopard on Kamala Devi came at a time when she was collecting fodder for her animals. The woman seems to have come in the way of the fleeing animal that was escaping forest fire," said a forest officer.

Speaker releases book on Harish Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 10
Do you know Harish Rawat had defeated former Union HRD Cabinet Minister Murli Manohar Joshi from Almora constituency in 1980-84 and then lost four times consecutively from the same seat before winning with record margin from Haridwar Lok Sabha in 2009 ? Or that his wife Renuka Rawat, too, contested from Almora in 2004?

All and more of this one can get to know in a book released today by Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Gobind Singh Kunjwal here at Chetan Jyoti Ashram in Haridwar.

Titled ‘Harish Rawat: Legacy of Struggle and Public Service,’ the book is written by Dinesh Kunjwal, former spokesperson, Uttarakhand Congress Committee.

Speaker Gobind Singh Kunjwal termed the life and achievements of Harish Rawat as inspirational for any one as it emanated from a farmer’s family in remote Mohanari village of Almora.

He appreciated the efforts of Harish Rawat in separate Uttarakhand statehood movement as well as reviving Congress in the region, post-Rajiv Gandhi’s death, when there were only two legislators of Congress from the whole Uttarakhand, to bringing it into power in 2002.

Revered religious guru Jagad Guru Ramanandacharya Swami Hans Vedacharya Maharaj, presiding over the book launching function, said Harish Rawat was an ideal example of communal harmony and mutual cultural heritage of India.

“As he(Rawat) has been working for all sections of society, spreading communal harmony and instilling patriotism, loyalty towards party by winning Haridwar Lok Sabha where both Hindus and Muslims lived together, he gave the world a good message,”said Jagad Guru Ramanandacharya.

Terming the book as a good work, wife of the veteran Congress leader Renuka Rawat cited several examples of her husband which set him apart frozm normal politicians.

“It has been a life of tribulations and achievements for him, being a block head from Almora to rising as Union Cabinet Minister. Working for poor, backward classes, minority and needy has been the forte of my husband,”said Renuka Rawat.

Lauding the writer Dinesh Kunjwal, Mahant Ravindra Puri said that the book depicts Harish Rawat in a natural way, which itself means the book is successful in making a deep impact on the readers.

Prithvi Raj Chauhan’s birth anniversary celebrated
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 10
Various functions were organised to mark the 920th birth anniversary of 12th century Rajput clan king Prithvi Raj Chauhan here today.

Union Minister for Agriculture Harish Rawat, at a function at Rajpur dharamshala, termed Prithvi Raj Chauhan as the king who led by example instilling feelings of patriotism, bravery and united India.

A function was organised at Samrat Prithvi Raj Chauhan Postgraduate College, Rohalki Kishanpur, in which state Cabinet Minister Surendra Singh Negi was the chief guest.

Jwalapur legislator Chandreshekhar Bhattewala and Ranipur legislator Aadesh Chauhan also graced the occasion.

Chief of the organising committee Dr Pooran Singh Chauhan, Prem Chand Jain and director Pyare Lal Chauhan said for the past 12 years, the college was annually organising a programme on the anniversary of Prithvi Raj Chauhan to make sure that his deeds and contribution to society stayed on.

A special function was also organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Maha Sabha in which renowned personalities from the Rajput community participated.

Former Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Swami Chinmayanand and former Uttarakhand Women Commission chairperson Santosh Chauhan were the chief guests on the occasion.

Among others who spoke on the occasion included national chief of the Maha Sabha Digvijay Singh, Mahendra Singh Tomar, Ratan Singh Chauhan, Harish Pal Pundir and OP Chauhan.

UKD (P) holds meeting to rejuvenate party
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
The disgruntled leaders of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) who had been expelled from the party held a brainstorming meeting in the city today.

They constituted a committee to make efforts to rejuvenate the party in which Lalit Bisht was appointed head of the committee, ex-district president of UKD (P), NK Gusain, as head of Garhwal region, and Hem Pant as head of Kumaon region.

Slamming the leaders of UKD (P) for picking a few selected ones and expelling them from the party, Gusain said the party was not the property of any one who could throw out those who worked tirelessly for the growth of the party. Hence, they would fight it out vehemently and do everything needed to save the party.

Lalit Bisht said the day was not far off when their party would be reduced to history if it was not protected from intra-party rivalries. He said it was because of the stubbornness of some leaders

that that the party had reached such a juncture.

Those who were present on the occasion included Nathilal Semwal, Bhupender Rawat, Lalit Negi, Amit, Akash and Bhuvan Joshi. 

SC teachers’ convention
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
Kumaon-Garhwal Scheduled Caste Teachers' Welfare Committee today held it's convention in Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun today.

Chief guest Suresh Rathore, vice chairman, Uttarakhand State Scheduled Castes Commission, said he was making all efforts to ensure that backlog vacancies were filled at the earliest in the Education Department. He said the commission was pro-actively working towards safeguarding the rights of deprived sections of society.

BSP MLA from Jhabrera Haridas said since BSP was sharing power in Uttarakhand, the party will ensure the Dalits in the state get their due rights. He said his party will also ensure the funds given to the state under special component plan were utilised under all circumstances.

Earlier, president of the Kumaon-Garhwal Scheduled Caste Teachers' Welfare Committee Madan Kumar sought immediate filling of vacancies reserved for SCs in the Education Department. He demanded reservation also in the transfer policy of the state.

Tharli MLA Jeet Ram asked the gathering to collectively fight for their rights. He said Dalits must work unitedly.

Vice president, Kumaon-Garhwal Scheduled Caste Teachers' Welfare Committee, Manohar Lal Bharti, earlier welcomed the participants to the convention.

Engineers discuss problems with department head
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
The Electrical and Mechanical Diploma Engineers' Association of the Irrigation Department held its fourth convention here today. Members of the association put forth their demands with regard to promotion, various allowances, housing problems, transfer issues and other related matters before VK Tamta, Head of the Department, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

RP Semwal, general secretary, said the pace of promotion from the executive engineer level to the superintendent engineer level was slow, whereas their contemporaries in the civil category were promoted after 16 years’ of services.

Semwal demanded that all vacancies in the category of junior engineers must be filled in time. He said in the past 12 years, ever since the state was separated from Uttar Pradesh, neither the properties of the Irrigation Department had been separated nor the seniority lists of assistant engineers of both the electrical and mechanical wing could be settled down.

He also demanded the disposal of issues related to medical allowance, travel allowance and conveyance allowance. He said the service regulation of the state Irrigation Department had not been prepared in the past 12 years of the formation of the state.

Semwal also brought up long-pending issues related to the regularisation of services, transfer policy and norms related to seniority before Tamta.

He expressed displeasure over the laxity of department in replying to their queries and correspondence.

First batch of Mansarovar pilgrims enters Tibet
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 10
The first batch of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra comprising 47 pilgrims entered the Chinese territory of Tibet at 7.30 am today.

The batch was received by the Chinese authorities at the Lipulekh pass and taken to Pala from where the batch members were later taken to Taklakot for the first night’s stay there.

According to sources in the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the second batch of 51 pilgrims today reached the first trek route camp of Sirkha from the base camp of Dharchula.

The members of the batch will stay at Sirkha today and resume their 82-km track route journey tomorrow.

Janmanch calls expelled BJP leader Shailendra political novice
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
Following expelled BJP leader Shailendra Rawat's recent charges against Uttarakhand Janmanch, dubbing it as an extreme left organisation, Janmanch has made a scathing attack on Shailendra, describing him as political novice.

Uttarakhand Janmanch spokesman Shashi Bhushan Maithani termed Shailendra Rawat a frustrated politician. He said Uttarakhand Janmanch had supported former CM BC Khanduri's anti-corruption crusade for a cause but never shared any platform with him when he was chief minister of the state. He said throughout the elections, Uttarakhand Janmanch never gave any statement in favour of BJP and Congress. Janmanch has clarified that it was a pro-hill organisation and was above party politics.

Maithani said Shailendra Rawat has always believed in politics of treachery and knows little about the politics and programmes of Janmanch. He reminded that Left has always seen Uttarakhand Janmanch as a fascist organisation. Maithani said Uttarakhand Janmanch has always raised issues concerning betterment of people of Uttarakhand. He said Janmanch will continue to support construction of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand and asserted that it was even supporting Congress for its pro- hydropower project stand.

It is noteworthy that Uttarakhand Janmanch had played an important role in creating public opinion in favour of BC Khanduri when he was out of power in the state, particularly over the issue of corruption.

Elephant tramples couple to death
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
An elephant today trampled a couple to death in the Biwiwala forest area in the Rishikesh region of Uttarakhand. The deceased, whose identities are yet to be ascertained, had gone to the forest to collect fuel wood during morning hours today, but did not return till late evening.

Their bodies were later recovered from the forest area.

The police and the Dehradun forest division authorities reached the forest area and took the bodies in their possession. The Biwiwala forest area in Rishikesh is vulnerable to frequent man-animal conflicts.

Office-bearers elected
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10
The Uttarakhand Peyjal Nigam Computer Operators' Association today elected its new officer-bearers.

Mahesh Bhatt has been elected president, Chandan Singh Rawat secretary, Atul Ashish vice-president and Neelam Rawat treasurer.

Surendra Prasad has been appointed head of the Kumaon unit of the association. All elections took place unanimously.

New president Bhatt has pledged to work for the fulfilment of long- pending demands of the employees. Bhatt said he would work to ensure the regularisation of the services of contractual operators working with the Potable Water Department.

Supervising the election proceedings, All-India Trade Union Congress district president Jeet Singh promised all support to the association and said he would look into their genuine concerns.