Rajaji park closes for five months
15,600 domestic and 1,642 foreign tourists visited the park
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 15
The Rajaji National Park, which witnessed a huge rush of domestic and foreign tourists since it was opened on November 15 last year, was closed for the next five months today. Spread in an area of 820 sq km and situated in the foothills of the Shivalik mountain range in three districts of Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun and Haridwar, this park is named after last Governor General of India C Rajgopalacharia.

Park ranger DP Uniyal, while locking the gate of the Chilla range in the Yamkeshwar block, Pauri Garhwal, told The Tribune that now the park would open on November 15 after the monsoon and maintenance.

The park is closed for five months as the monsoon arrives in the north region mostly in July and it seriously affects movement in the park area. With water-logged roads and muddy terrain in the park, movement becomes tough, especially for vehicles.

This season, 15,600 domestic tourists visited the park, which is more compared to the past two years. As many as 1,642 foreign tourists also visited it. The income of the park amounted to Rs 46.06 lakh.

Notably, the world famous park that came into existence in 1984 is home to 23 species of mammals, 315 kinds of birds, 40 odd species of reptiles and fish, besides Asian elephant (elephas maximus). According to park officials, various measures were being taken to make the park more wildlife and tourist friendly. Patrolling would start in the park area to maintain security and vigilance during next five months.

The tourists had written about their experiences in the register maintained at the park. Most of them loved the Asian elephant. Besides leopards, the tourists admired watching sloth bears, black storks among other species.

The Rajaji National Park is situated alongside the Ganga river canal in the Shivalik foothills with plains of Haridwar and Rishikesh on the sides. Its wildlife and flora and fauna put it in a unique category.

“Elephants attracted a large number of tourists, while we spotted a peacock, cheetals and varied species of birds in the park,” said Poonam Jha, who had a wildlife safari on the last day of the park season.

Purohits blow conch to protest power cuts
Youth wing of Rashtriya Krantikari Manch burns govt’s effigy
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 15
Perturbed at unscheduled power cuts in the city, teerth purohits, under the aegis of the Shri Ganga Sewa Samiti, today put forth their resentment by blowing conch at Har-ki-Pauri adjacent to the Ganga ghats.

Representative of the teerth purohits Saurabh Shukla, while lashing out at the state government, said it had failed to solve the problems being faced by the public.

Shukla alleged that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had even no authority and control over his Cabinet ministers as well as government departments.

“For ministers, there is no problem. But it is the masses who have to bear the brunt of power cuts,” said Kanhaiyya Khetadiya, a social worker.

In another protest against power cuts at Jwalapur, people belonging to the Muslim community staged a protest at Kathaira bazaar. Supporting their protest, the youth wing of the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch burnt an effigy of the government. Members of the wing said traders and farmers had incurred huge losses owing to unscheduled power cuts.

Sanwar Abbasi, city secretary of the wing, said if no action was taken to solve the problem, they would not allow any Cabinet minister to enter the city. "We will show them blackflags and will not allow them to participate in any programme in the city,” said Abbas.

However, executive engineer of the power corporation Rakesh Kumar said emergency roasting was being done from the main control room. He said electricity supply was comparatively better than before.

Officials posted on yatra routes told to be careful
Tribune News service

Dehradun, June 15
A month after the start of the Char Dham yatra, the state administration has woken up to ensure proper arrangements for the pilgrims. Commissioner, Garhwal Region and Chairman, Char Dham Yatra, Kunal Sharma has directed department officials to ensure necessary arrangements on the yatra routes. He warned that dereliction of duty by any official would invite adverse remarks in their Annual Confidential Reports.

Sharma instructed the officials of the Transport Department to ensure that all vehicles on the yatra routés were examined at Rishikesh and these should be allowed only after the report of the technical committee issued. He directed them not to use old buses for the yatra and ensure strict adherence to plying buses on fixed-time period.

He also asked them to establish temporary check-posts for vehicle checking. Instructing them to take all possible measures to prevent road accidents not only on the yatra routes but on other roads also, the Commissioner directed the officials to provide him with the report of magisterial probes of accidents so that further preventive measures could be taken.

Sharma also directed officials of the PWD and the Director General Border Roads (DGBR) to give more attention to the maintenance of the roads and to construct parapets and install traffic signs on strategic spots. He directed them to give immediate attention to the construction of roads from Badrinath and Fata to Gourikund.

He expected reports of arrangements made by the respective officials on the yatra routes and directed them to review the work done by them so that the shortcomings could be taken care of in the next yatra season.

He directed the officials to set up medical assistance centres with availability of oxygen cylinders at every 3 km distance on pedestrian routes. He also directed to depute two additional doctors at Kedarnath. He instructed all SDMs on the yatra routes to remain present at their duty places till the completion of the yatra season.

He sanctioned Rs 30 lakh to the District Magistrate, Uttarkashi, Rs 20 lakh each to the District Magistrate, Rudraprayag, and District Magistrate, Chamoli, Rs 6.20 lakh to the District Magistrate, Tehri, Rs 9.20 lakh to the District Magistrate, Dehradun, and Rs 1.03 lakh to Sulabh International for sanitation arrangements on the yatra routes.

DIG Sanjay Gunjyal asked the officials to conduct comprehensive checking of the vehicles and give a special attention to check overloading.

Regional Tourism Officer Yogendra Gangwar said till June 11, 3,06,946 pilgrims had visited Gangotri, 3,05,737 had visited Yamunotri, 4,31,785 visited Kedarnath, 6,36,356 visited Badrinath and 71,334 pilgrims had visited Hemkund so far.

Call to consider Harish Rawat for President’s post
Tribune News Service

Congress activists take out a rally demanding Haridwar MP Harish Rawat to be considered for the post of President in Haridwar on Friday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, June 15
Though Union Minister of State for Agriculture Harish Rawat had lost the race for the Chief Ministerial post of Uttarakhand to Vijay Bahuguna, now his name is being raised by Congress workers for the post of President of India.

Party workers urged Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi to consider the name of Harish Rawat, who has been a seasoned Congress politician having a long experience in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, adding that by having Rawat as President, the whole country would benefit from his vast experience.

Making this demand, party workers today carried out a massive protest in Haridwar along with a signature campaign to be handed out to Sonia Gandhi and other United Progressive Alliance leaders.

Also making a point that by having a hilly region candidate for the Presidential post for the first time, it would cater to the aspirations of people of hilly states. Leading the signature campaign, Congress leaders also cited the secular image of Harish Rawat, who is regarded as the messiah of the minorities and Dalits comparing him to former Uttar Pradesh CM Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna.

City Congress chief OP Chauhan and leader Sanjay Chopra said it's high time that they gave credit and recognition to Harish Rawat who was the most suitable candidate for the post from Uttarakhand. They also urged other four parliamentarians from state, KC Singh Baba, Pradeep Tamta, Satpal Maharaj and Vijay Bahuguna to press forth the name of the Haridwar parliamentarian for the President’s post.

BJP to win Sitarganj bypoll, says Chufal
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June15
BJP chief Bishen Singh Chufal has claimed that his party will win the Sitarganj byelection as the Congress has started neglecting other communities there to prove itself as the champion of the Bengali community.

“The Congress is cheating even the Bengali community as it has plans to use it merely for votes,” said the BJP chief here today.

Before departing for Dehradun, the BJP chief said the entire state was in the grip of electricity, cooking gas and drinking water shortage and the total focus of the government was on the Sitarganj seat.

“The whole focus of the Bahuguna government is on to save the government as it is facing crisis from within its own party,” alleged Chufal.

The BJP chief described the past three months of the Bahuguna government as disappointing for common man and said the government, which could not provide essential facilities to common man, had no right to stay in power.

“Our party has been protesting against the state government's policies for the past three months and as the people of the state have now been aware of the reality of the government, we will continue our protests in the state,” said Chufal.

The BJP chief said the party would stage a nationwide protest against the anti-people policies of the Congress government on June 22.

The BJP chief said after taking decision on the party candidate from Sitarganj, the entire party leaders would be active to defeat the Chief Minister and create history.

Land rights to Bengali migrants unfair, says TPS Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 15
The Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha has criticised Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for the Kiran Mandal’s episode and later his induction into the Congress and granting land ownership rights to Bengali migrants. The morcha said the step would have deep repercussions in future.

Morcha chief Lt Gen Tej Pal Singh Rawat (retd) told mediapersons here today it was not only the people from Bengal but also from Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Tibet that had been rehabilitated in various parts. It was not fair to give them landownership rights.

Terming it as a precedent that is violating the law as well as the sentiments of the people of the state, Rawat, a former Tourism cabinet minister, said it was unfair that for political benefits and vote bank, a state Chief Minister was resorting to unfair practices.

On the opposition of hydro projects on the Ganga and related tributaries, chief advisor of the URM SS Pangti questioned objectives, drives, movements and agitations being carried by the section of saints opposing these projects.

Pangti even asked agitating saints to have an open debate with the URM on this issue, citing various reports that the Ganga is holy from its source Gaumukh till Rishikesh but from Haridwar, the purity samples fail to meet the requisite standards.

Former Garhwal Commissioner SS Pangti said massive projects like Tehri dam should have been made prior to proper rehabilitation of the affected people.

Dry weather hits fruit, vegetable crops
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
The fruits and vegetables bounty in the state is at risk as dry weather conditions have been prevailing for long. Pre-monsoon rainfall is necessary for mango, lemon, litchi and other fruit crops and too much of dryness in the air adversely affects their size. It will be the vegetables grown in the rain-fed areas in the state that will be under threat of wilting if the dry conditions persist.

“The splitting of fruits has been reported from many places due to a dry spell. It is essential to maintain humid conditions by spraying water, but farmers do not have such artificial mechanism for spraying their orchards. By the time the monsoon arrives, the litchi season will be over,” said Dr BS Negi, mission director.

Besides both litchi and mango crops were also hit by storms that lashed several parts of the state in April and May. “We are expecting low litchi production due to the early stormy weather and even the mango fruits may not be as high as last year,” said Negi.

Madni blames Centre for losing quota case in SC
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, June 15
The general secretary of the Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind Mahmud Madni charging the UPA government for its shoddy handling of the reservation issue for the Muslims in the Supreme court said that the government had deceived the Muslim community by not pursuing the matter seriously.

Madni said that due to the shoddy handling of the case in Supreme Court by the UPA government, the apex court rejected the proposal to create a 4.5% minority sub-quota within the 27% OBC quota for backward Muslims groups in government jobs and admissions to colleges, including IITs.

Mahmud Madni speaking to mediapersons on his brief visit to Mussoorie slammed the government and alleged that the UPA government had raised the issue only to garner votes in UP Assembly elections. He also said that the Muslim community would never forget this deception and teach the party lesson in the next general elections.

Madni said the UPA government had raised the issue only for electoral gains for which the Muslim community would never forgive and give a befitting reply through ballot in next general elections.

Kailash Mansarowar Yatra
Third batch of 44 pilgrims reaches Dharchula
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 15
The Kailash Mansarowar yatra is in progress as the third batch of 44 pilgrims has reached the base camp of Dharchula today. According to base camp officials, the batch will reach the trek route camp of Sirkha on Saturday and will start the pilgrimage from there.

The base camp officials said all 51 members of the second batch of the pilgrimage had been found medically fit by Indo-Tibetan Border Police doctors who conducted the second medical test on the pilgrims at Gunji on Thursday.

"After being declared medically fit by the doctors, the pilgrims took part in a plantation programme at Gunji and planted saplings at Mansarowar Van at Gunji," said an official.

"The first batch of Mansarowar pilgrims, which is in Tibet and has been divided into two separate groups for the darshan of the holy mountain of Kailash as well as the circumference of the sacred lake of Mansarowar, is busy in doing parikrama of the holy mountain, said a base camp source from Dharchula.

Pithoragarh prepares to tackle natural disasters
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 15
Pithoragarh district administration has started preparing for disasters like flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rains as the monsoons are coming near. The district administration held a meeting regarding the preparations for rains yesterday. The meeting of concerned officers was chaired by Chief Development Officer of the district Raghav Langhar.

The CDO instructed the district disaster management officer to prepare a resource map of the sources available to rescue relief and rehabilitate the disaster victims during monsoon. "We have prepared a list of places which are sensitive from the point of flash floods and land slides, and made it available to each department, which has been listed in the resource map of last year,” said PK Dikshit, nodal officer designated to prepare the resource map.

The CDO has also instructed to update the district control room for disaster management and orders enlisting day-to-day information concerning the disaster in the control room. "The CDO has also instructed to inspect the availability and readiness of instruments put at subdivision level to face the challenge of natural disasters during monsoons,” said the nodal officer.

8 lakh attend Purnagiri fair
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 15
More than 8 lakh pilgrims participated in the three-month Purnagiri fair which concluded here today.

Champawat Zila Parishad chief Prema Pandey declared the fair closed officially. It is organised at a steep mountain near Tanakpur in Champawat district every year.

It had begun on March 10. Over 8 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy shrine of Goddess Punna Giri this year. A large number of devotees were from Nepal, said Prema Pandey.

The Railways had also already started a special train for the pilgrims from Pilibhit railway station. The services of the train have also been withdrawn.

President of the Purnagiri Mela Committee Kishen Tiwari said despite the closure of the mela officially, pilgrims were still coming to the shrine.

“As the district administration has withdrawn the facilities that were being provided for the devotees, the latter would have to face difficulties,” Tiwari.

Harish Rawat presides over review meeting
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat today presided over the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting held here.

The progress made in the Central schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Swaran Jayanti Rural Employment Programme, Indira Gandhi Awaas Yojana, Pradham Mantri Sarak Yojana and others were reviewed by the minister.

Referring to the MGNREGA, Rawat said flood protection programmes linked to the Bindal, Sushwa, Rispana and other rivers must be included in the programme. The Union Minister also sought adequate action from the authorities towards protecting villagers from wild animal attacks.

Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Development Minister Pritam Singh also attended the meeting.

‘Let bypoll take place without opposition’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
The Uttaranchal Punjabi Mahasabha has urged political parties in the state to let the byelection for the position of Chief Minister take place without any opposition.

Rajiv Ghai, state president, said the people of the state were aggrieved with the acute potable water and electricity crisis. Industries are on the verge of closure.

At such a juncture, he said, it was not right to streamline all the focus on the byelection of the Chief Minister.

The entire machinery was committed to the election where code of conduct was enforced in the state.

He said the Opposition parties must get over the petty politics and think in terms of public wefare.

Pulse polio campaign
Tribune News Service

Dehradun June 15
Dehradun District Magistrate Ravinath Raman held a meeting with officials related to pulse polio campaign to be held on June 17. Raman said the polio drop would be given to children aged between 0-4 in the four blocks of Raipur, Doiwala, Sahaspur and Vikasnagar of Dehradun district. He directed officials to cover maximum number of children under this campaign. He also directed District Education Officer to keep all the schools in the blocks open so that people could come to give polio drop to the children. He stressed on effective publicity in industrial areas and slum areas about this campaign.

Folk singer Kabutri Devi admitted to AIIMS
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 15
In the wake of the instructions of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, renowned state folk singer Kabutari Devi has been admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, today.

Bahuguna had a talk with Prof Ramesh Deka, Director, AIIMS and Dr DK Sharma regarding proper arrangement for her treatment. The expenses of the treatment would be borne by the state government.

The Resident Commissioner Office and state doctors posted in Delhi extended all necessary help for the admission of Kabutari Devi to AIIMS.

According to the doctors attending upon her, her condition is stated to be stable.

Rs 100 crore for Ayush hospital

Dehradun, June 15
Facing paucity of funds and absence of any scheme, Ayush under the Ayurvedic department is expected to receive a boost from the Centre’s sanction of Rs 100 crore.

Under the Centre’s scheme for Himalayan states, the Centre will provide Rs 100 crore for establishing a 50 bed Ayush hospital and also provide a recurring fund for five years that will go for the payment to medical staff and nurses.

“The hospital will be set up at Harrwala where the ayurvedic university is proposed. The 9.996 acres has already been transferred to the ayurvedic department,” said Dr Pooja Bhardwaj, DG, Ayush. — TNS

Guv writes to Petroleum Minister

Dehradun, June 15
Taking a serious view of the shortage of LPG cylinders in the entire Kumaon region, state Governor Aziz Qureshi has written a letter to Union Petroleum Minister Jaipal Reddy.

The Governor has requested him to direct the oil companies to ensure proper and adequate supply of Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene and LPG cylinders in the entire Kumaon region. — TNS