Kanwar Mela
DIG Gunjiyal to oversee arrangements
Dehradun, June 20
DGP Vijay Raghav Pant has appointed Deputy Inspector-General, Dehradun Range, Sanjay Gunjiyal as nodal officer to monitor police arrangements during Kanwar Mela and Neelkanth Shravan Mela in Haridwar.

War of words between MC chief Uniyal, councillor Rawat
Mussoorie, June 20
The fallout of the altercation between councillor Virendar Rawat and MC president OP Uniyal, who nearly came to blows on the alleged charges of corruption levelled at the council meeting yesterday, was visible today.

Dehradun, June 20
The legislators and ministers belonging to the Congress-led government are going 'berserk' after assuming power in the state since March this year after the Assembly polls. There had been several instances in the past three months when ruling party ministers as well legislators misbehaved with public servants in a bid to bulldoze their way in getting things done, throwing away rules and regulations to the winds.

The latest incident where an Independent legislator from Tehri supporting the state Congress led government allegedly misbehaved with the Director, Primary Education, has led to a strike by employees of the Education Department in the state.

It was on June 18 that Dinesh Dhania, Chairman of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), reached the Education Directorate and asked Anil Kumar Negi, Director, Primary Education, to order some transfers. On his refusal to do so, Dinesh Dhanai got infuriated and allegedly abused him. This incident sparked protest amongst the Education Department employees, who went on a strike throughout the state today. Dinesh Dhania has denied the allegations.

It was not the isolated incident. Geeta Gairola, Project Director of Mahila Samakhya, who had taken action against an employee of her project based at Uttarkashi, had to face the ignominy of being called by Subodh Uniyal, a Congress legislator, one of the closest aides of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, to his office. She was asked to take back her decision regarding action against an erring employee in 'her own interest.' An upright social worker Geeta Gairola finds herself insulted and embarrassed by the political pressure being exerted on her.

The employees of the Education Department struck work and staged a protest demonstration at the Education Directorate against the alleged insulting behaviour of the legislator. The agitating employees wrote to the state Governor, Chief Minister and other senior officials, informing them about the incident and warned that elected representatives should behave properly with public servants, otherwise they would also be paid in the same coin. They demanded that Dinesh Dhanai should apologise for his behaviour, and if he fail to do so, the employees would chalk out their next strategy of agitation in a meeting to be held on June 24.

It was Uttarakhand Transport Minister Surender Rakesh from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who, soon after assuming office, 'raided' the Regional Transport Authority office here and physically searched the employees on the pretext of checking corruption. He confiscated money of some women employees, sparking protests by the employees. Some of the ruling party legislators had also been writing letters of commendation to officials with 'tainted' reputations, much to the embarrassment of the state Congress government.

Dehradun, June 20
Vipin Kumar, councillor from Ward No. 9, DL Road, of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, is running around to get bail after Sangeeta, who runs a beauty parlour in the same locality, filed a complaint at Dalanwala police station yesterday that he had been physically exploiting her for the past six years on the pretext of marrying her.

However, Vipin said it was a conspiracy to malign his image by those whom he had pushed out of the locality for running illicit liquor business.

He added when he was elected councillor from Ward no. 9, he was jailed for 15 days on a complaint of the liquor mafia operating in the area against which he had started a campaign.

However, he could not explain why the conspirators took four years to settle scores with him.

Vipin said the alleged victim was a widower, who had deserted her husband long ago before he died. He added his opponents too were helping Sangeeta in defaming him.

Sangeeta, on the other hand, blamed Vipin for maintaining physical relations with her on the assurance that he would marry her one day.

However, she said after she came to know that he was getting married to someone else within a month, she decided to expose him. She added she had also made up her mind to withhold her complaint two days ago when Vipin once again reassured her about marrying her. But a day later he again refused to marry her.

She then decided to approach the police to lodge a complaint against him.

Vipin, however, denied that he was getting married soon.

He said this episode had no impact on his reputation, as the people of the area knew him well and would not believe any false story. He added he would soon come before the media, but for the time being he had to look for bail.

Mussoorie, June 20
The fallout of the altercation between councillor Virendar Rawat and MC president OP Uniyal, who nearly came to blows on the alleged charges of corruption levelled at the council meeting yesterday, was visible today.

Rawat, who was in no mood to relent, alleged that MC president OP Uniyal, along with four councillors and Executive Officer Rohitash Sharma, were involved together in several financial irregularities and corrupt practices that had brought one of the richest municipal councils to bankruptcy. Rawat, fearing for his life, said that whenever he had opposed the misdeeds committed by the named councillors and the executive officer, efforts were made to gag his voice forcefully in the past.

Rawat informed the media the undignified attitude of the MC president at the council meeting held on Tuesday where Uniyal tried to assault him physically has left him dejected. Therefore, he was contemplating to resign from the post of councillor within 15 days.

Rawat, opening the Pandora's box of corruption, accused that MC president and his coterie have been involved in corrupt practices in most of the projects pursued by them in the past 4 years.

Elaborating further, he alleged that the four members named above had acted as touts in the installation of computerised hydraulic barrier on the Mall Road. The bollards had been purchased at a phenomenal cost of Rs 65 lakh, which was far too much than it's original cost, thus indicating towards financial embezzlement committed in the whole project.

He also said that the MC president had conspired with four members and the executive officer in the act of demolishing the Clock Tower and entering into an illegal deal with Mumbai businessmen with an intention to usurp Rs 19 lakh fraudulently.

He alleged that most of the projects were still pending and no agreement with the contractors was being signed till the time the commission of 5 per cent was not paid to the MC president. He said that the four members were involved in the act of omission and commission along with the executive officer.

Rawat further said that most of the charges of corruption levelled against the council were already under judicial scrutiny and he would not hesitate from becoming witness for the prosecution in all such cases.

When questioned by the media on why it took so long for him to come out in the open, Rawat said that he was busy collecting facts and as now he was satisfied with the documents in his possession, he thought of bringing the matter in public domain. Rawat said that if the members along with the president stood in the elections next year, he would oppose their candidatures vehemently.

He clarified that he there was no hidden electoral agenda in his tirade against the members and the MC president as he only wanted the truth to reveal itself so that the accused persons were exposed in the eyes of the public. He denied contesting for any post in the council in the near future.

When contacted the four members and MC president Uniyal named by Virendar Rawat refuted all the allegations levelled by him and said that most of the projects were passed unanimously in the council in which Rawat was also one of the signatories.

MC president Uniyal, councillor Kedar Singh Chauhan and Sushil Aggarwal said that Rawat himself had usurped the MMC land at landour Bazaar and as council officials they were trying to take back the land he was applying pressure tactics to divert their attention from the real issues.

MC president Uniyal further counter alleged that the real motive behind Rawat's false allegation was that he was trying to create undue pressure on him in order to provide projects to the persons of his liking. Uniyal said that Virendar Rawat had lost his mind and he should consult a good psychiatrist before levelling false charges against the council members and him.

On the other hand, the residents of the town are saddened with the attitude of the representatives elected by them and were of the view that present MC had lost the faith of the people.

Dehradun, June 20
As part of corporate social responsibility, the State Bank of India, Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, today distributed ceiling fans to primary schools.

Branch Manager Deepak Gupta said a total of 10 ceiling fans were handed over to the two government primary schools at Mokhumpur. She said the SBI would continue with charitable works.

Usha Devi, Gram Pradhan, Mokhumpur, expressed gratitude to the SBI for providing ceiling fans to the schools. She said with summers already at its peak, the ceiling fans had come a big respite for the students.

Dehradun, June 20
A two-day free astrology consultancy camp began at Shagun Wedding Point, Sahastradhara Road, here today.

Inaugurating the camp, Shankaracharya Rajrajeshwaram from Kankhal, Haridwar, expressed concern over dwindling faith on astrology in society.

He expressed hope that the camp would give adequate promotion to astrology.

President of the Prashar Jyotish Shodh Santhan PPS Rana said jyotisacharyas from Almora, Haldwani, Roorkee and Dehradun were participating in the camp.

Dr Pankaj Kishore Gaur, Dr Sushant Raj, Acharya Kishore Ghildhiyal, Dr Lalit Mohan Joshi, Dr SR Bansal and Acharya Ramesh Semwal were present during the inauguration ceremony

Dehradun, June 20
HCA, Dehradun, will take on Lucknow in the final of the Uttarakhand Youth Twenty20 Cricket Tournament being played in Dehradun.

In the second semi-final today, the Lucknow team beat Meerut by 2 wickets, thereby ensuring its place in the final.

Batting first, the Meerut team was all out at 85 runs. Dharmendra was the highest scorer with 16 runs followed by Vishal, who contributed valuable 13 runs to the Meerut’s team score.

Mayank of the Lucknow team took 3 wickets.

Batting next, the Lucknow team easily got to the target, thereby ensuring 2-wicket win for itself. Ankit was the highest scorer with 21 runs.

As of Meerut bowlers, Akshay took 4 wickets.