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Sitting places of encroachers, vegetable sellers razed
Bribery Case Uttarkashi, Chamoli to have specialist docs
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Closure of Srinagar Hydropower Project
Blood donation camp
BJP Public meeting at Sitarganj
Pant files papers from Sitarganj
Works should be visible on ground, says Chief Secy
Zila panchayat chief alleges blackmail by BJP leader
Bahuguna congratulates Pranab Mukherjee
Kharif, vegetable crops hit in absence of rain
Ordnance factory staff hold protest
Employees of Ordnance Factory staging a protest in support of their demands in Dehradun on Wednesday.
Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir
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Sitting places of encroachers, vegetable sellers razed
Dehradun, June 20 When Congress leader Davinder Singh Sethi and vegetable sellers lay down before JCB machines, the work stopped. Sethi argued with Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Archana Gairwal that Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had ordered to stay the construction of veterinary hospital at the venue. He suggested to her to wait till Bahuguna came back from Delhi. Gairwal gave him three days' time to provide her with this order, otherwise, she said the construction of the veterinary hospital would start. The situation turned grim when Rawat ordered to fire at the protestors, but timely intervention of Superintendent of Police, City, Jaswant Singh, and Circle Officer, City, Navneet Singh, who asked the to wait for the ADM to arrive to take any final decision on the issue, saved the precarious situation. Rawat said he had carried enough police force and razed down the structure of vegetable sellers in the morning itself. The situation deteriorated when vegetable sellers entered the area at 1 pm. Rawat blamed the police for being inactive when the encroachers came inside. Chief Veterinary Officer Anand also reached the site. Davender Sethi, in his defence, said, “A large part of the surrounding land was distributed to Pakistan refugees long ago and the BJP government passed a directive in November last year about giving this chunk of land also to Pakistani refugees. These 250 vegetable sellers, Pakistan refugees, have been putting up their stalls for the last 25 years and cannot be removed.” Sethi also strongly opposed building a veterinary hospital in the area, which falls under the Cantt Board and said as per the guidelines set by the board in their area, nothing pertaining to animals, be it a dairy or veterinary hospital, could be constructed. He suggested such buildings should be constructed in those areas which were replete with animals. |
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Bribery Case
Dehradun, June 20 The former drug controller, who was suspended from the health department following his involvement in the bribery case, had come to the office two days ago. He forced the DG office to seek directions. “He would continue to remain suspended but according to the service rules, he would be able to draw minimum salary. But he cannot join duty,” said Dr RS Rawat, Additional Director. Dharam Singh was arrested in November 2011 while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 50,000 from Devrat Tyagi at his residence. Later, the state Vigilance had reportedly recovered cash amounting to Rs 2.11 crore from a locker of a bank which belonged to the former drug controller.—TNS
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Uttarkashi, Chamoli to have specialist docs
Dehradun, June 20 To strengthen the mother and child health programme under way in these districts, specialist doctors --- gynaecologists, paediatricians and anaesthetists --- would be appointed on a contractual basis, for which the provisions have been made under the NRHM. “Much depends on the response to our demand because last year we were not able to get specialists in Bageshwar, Uttarkashi and Chamoli. However, this year the salary has been enhanced to Rs 1 lakh per month along with monthly allowance of Rs 10,000,” said Dr Sushma Datta, Assistant Director (Health). |
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Closure of Srinagar Hydropower Project
Dehradun, June 20 Naithani, later, said the hydropower projects in the state were being opposed by several saints on religious sentiments which was not a good indicator for the development of the state. He said hurdles were being created in the way of power generation. “I have urged Sonia Gandhi to issue directives to revoke decision on Srinagar Hydropower projects. She, taking it seriously, said power generation played an important role in the development and there was a need for a serious consideration on hydropower projects of the state,” said Naithani. He said he had written a letter addressed to the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister, Union Forest and Environment Minister and Union Energy Minister, stating that if the multipurpose Srinagar Hydropower project was started, he would start
a hunger strike with project supporters from the state at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, from July 12 onward.
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Blood donation camp
Dehradun, June 20 The camp was led by GM, Operations, Genus Power Infrastructure Ltd, Haridwar, RK Sud, along with administration team headed by Sanjeev Luthra. Employees of the company enthusiastically participated in the camp. A total of 57 units of blood were donated. Sud said Genus Power was part of the Kailash group of companies that was committed to human values and social causes as part of its corporate social responsibility. The Kailash group manufactures various world class products like invertors, electric meters etc. |
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BJP Public meeting at Sitarganj
Pithoragarh, June 20 “We are going to present all proofs of payment of huge sums of money used in purchasing BJP MLA Kiran Mandal before the Election Commission and, surely, the Bahuguna government will fall before July 8,” said Bhagat Singh Kosiyari, Rajya Sabha member and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Speaking at a well-attended public meeting at Sitarganj Ramlila ground before the nomination of Prakash Pant from Sitarganj Assembly seat, the BJP leaders said that the Congress had tried to muzzle democracy in the state by introducing the tradition of horse trading.” The party is putting this challenge before the voters of Sitarganj to answer these questions as they have the opportunity to judge this change of nature of politics in the state. “The BJP is seeking mandate over this political pollution in the state from the voters of Sitarganj Assembly seat,” said Suresh Joshi, general secretary of the state BJP Almost all senior BJP leaders, including it’s state president Bishen Singh Chufal, Bachi Singh Rawat, Ajay Bhatt, Bhagat Singh Kosiayri and several legislators were present at the meeting. "It is not the candidate, but the entire BJP that is fighting the election to oust the horse trading brand of politics of the Congress,” said BJP state president Bishen Singh Chufal. The BJP leaders have alleged that the development works started by BJP for the poor in the state have been stalled by the Congress and, instead, it has started promoting horse trading of MLAs of weaker sections of society with the lure of money to break other parties. “The position of law and order in the state has worsened since the Congress came into power and continuous shortage of electricity, water and cooking gas has hit the people,” said Ajay Bhatt, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.
Pant files papers from Sitarganj
Dehradun, June 20 Pitted against Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Pant is banking on his clean image and political experience. Pant had lost to Congress candidate Mayukh Mahar from his home constituency of Pithoragarh in the last Assembly election held this year. Accompanied by former Chief Minister BS Koshiyari, Uttarakhand BJP president BS Chufal and MLAs from neighbouring constituencies, Pant filed the nomination papers with the returning officer. Earlier Pant’s supporters held an impressive rally in support of their leader. They said the people of Sitarganj would teach a lesson to the Congress and the BJP would emerge victorious. |
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Works should be visible on ground, says Chief Secy
Dehradun, June 20 Chairing a review meeting of the works undertaken by the Agriculture, Horticulture, Mini Irrigation, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, Cooperative, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Irrigation Departments, he said the works ought to be visible on ground. He directed department officials to prepare a monthly action plan and meet the set financial and physical targets. He said the next meeting would be convened to review the works completed as per the set target. Reviewing the Horticulture Department, he said there was vast potential in this sector through which farmers’ income could be increased. Expressing his dissatisfaction over the working of the department, Jain directed the officials to present a concrete work plan within 15 days. Jain said responsibility ought to be fixed for the officials looking after the budget of various projects. Anybody found playing with the farmers’ rights would be dealt stringently, he warned. He said 25 mandis were being established in the hill region and food processing units were also being set up to increase farmers’ income. Laying emphasis on the cluster farming of horticulture produces, the Chief Secretary said the farmers would get the wholesale rates at the local level in the mandis to be set up. Taking serious note of crop damage caused by wild animals, Chief Secretary Jain asked the officials to prepare concrete strategy to resolve the problem. He directed Principal Secretary (Forest) M Ramaswami to prepare an action plan in 15 days. The Chief Secretary was apprised that one rescue centre each had been set up in Garhwal and Kumaon regions for monkeys and a team was formed for the sterilisation of animals. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Om Prakash, Secretary (Irrigation) NS Negi, Secretary (Animal Husbandry) RC Pathak, Secretary (Finance) Radha Raturi, Secretary (Cooperative) PS Gusain, Additional Secretary (Forest) Sushant Pathnaik and other senior officials. |
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Zila panchayat chief alleges blackmail by BJP leader
Pithoragarh, June 20 On the other side, the BJP members of the zila panchayat today submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate requesting him to intervene in the working of the civic body. According to the BJP members, the husband of the chairperson of the zila panchayat had been interfering in the working of the civic body. “Sunita Devi’s husband has even pressed her wife to stop the construction works passed in the general body meeting of the panchayat, as he wants these to be allotted to contractors of his own choice,” said Bhandari, who is also a zila panchayat member. Meanwhile, Sunita Devi refuted the allegation saying her husband was not interfering in the day to day working of the civic body. She said the BJP members got agitated when she refused to grant Rs 10 lakh for the Kanalichina Mahotasva organised by Bhandari in his area last week. “I had left the BJP after its district level leaders started torturing me and demanding Rs 30 lakh just after I took charge of the zila panchayat one year ago,” said Sunita Devi, who was elevated to the zila panchayat top post as a BJP member. But she left the party and joined the Congress alleging torture by the BJP members. “How the BJP exploited former zila panchayat chief Ranjana Devi and ousted her when she refused to toe its line is well known and today’s incident is a proof that the BJP members of the zila panchayat are still continuing with their policy of blackmailing Dalit leaders as they can’t tolerate Dalit empowerment,” said Nirmal Lohia, a Dalit leader of the Congress the district. |
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Bahuguna congratulates Pranab Mukherjee
Dehradun, June 20 Bahuguna said Mukherjee was a political leader of big stature with no comparison. He added Mukherjee was a good friend of his late father Hemvati Nandan
Bahuguna. The Chief Minister said under his leadership the nation would get a new direction and benefit from his long experience during his political career in different
ministries. Uttarakhand Congress Committee president and Irrigation Minister Yashpal Arya was also present on the occasion.
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Kharif, vegetable crops hit in absence of rain
Pithoragarh, June 20 According to agriculture scientists at Pant Nagar University, the hill region is heading towards a big crop failure situation as after the loss of the rabi crop due to lack of rain during the winter, the kharif crop is also awaiting a similar fate. “The lack of pre-monsoon rain has created the situation this year though the rain usually occurs in the second week of June,” said Dr HS Kushwaha, meteorological scientists at Pant Nagar University The weather scientists attributed the absence of the pre-monsoon rain to global warming. They said due to rise in hot weather conditions the rain during the winter and the pre-monsoon rain as well were evading this part of the Himalayas. “Theglobal phenomenon of increasing heat is absorbing moisture, which is an essential condition for the pre-monsoon rain to happen in time,” said Dr JS Rawat, a professor of geography at the Sobhan Singh Jeena Campus College of Kumaon University at Almora. The agriculture scientists said the whole agriculture in Pithoragarh, Almora, Champawat and Bageshwar districts was rain-fed and the rain had evaded these districts during the rabi and kharif crop seasons this year. “Even the seven per cent irrigated area under cultivation in these districts have gone dry as the rivers irrigating these tracts have gone dry,” said Kushawaha. |
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Ordnance factory staff hold protest
Dehradun, June 20 Uniyal also sought immediate payment of house rent allowance to the employees who had constructed their houses through house building loan. Union secretary Inder Singh referred to the problems being faced by the staff due to the lack of adequate medical facilities at Ordnance Hospital. He said the management even did not undertake any efforts to ensure effective maintenance of roads and other civic amenities inside Factory Estate. Another speaker, SB Nautiyal, said wrong policies on part of the factory management were causing losses to the factory. DK Sudi, SPS Rawat, Lekraj Gurung and Dilip Bhandari were prominent union members who participated in the
dharna. |
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The police, administration, politicians and the public swung into action at the four-bigha land of District Rehabilitation Department today in the afternoon
State BJP leaders have alleged that the new brand of politics introduced by the ruling Congress Party and it's Chief Minister has given a bad name to the state and set a wrong precedent for the future of politics.
“We are going to present all proofs of payment of huge sums of money used in purchasing BJP MLA Kiran Mandal before the Election Commission and, surely, the Bahuguna government will fall before July 8,” said Bhagat Singh
Kosiyari, Rajya Sabha member and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister.
Members of the Ordnance Factory Employees' Union staged a dharna at the main gate of the factory here today.
Addressing the gathering, union president Anil Uniyal said the factory management was not providing timely promotional to the staff. Several posts were lying vacant but the management was not interested to fill these posts through promotions.
