Involve local people in forestry schemes, says Harish Rawat
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing, Industry and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat has called upon forest officials to ensure social empathy in planning and implementing forest management policies. He said locals, particularly the poor, should be involved in the forestry schemes, as they were the protectors of the forests.

Harish Rawat was addressing a convocation of the 2010-12 batch of the Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun, at the Forest Research Institute here today. He reminded the officials of the support that forest guards enjoyed in the past when with a single call they could garner support of the entire village in fighting forest fires.

Rawat said varied and rich natural resources that the present generation had received from the ancestors should be preserved for posterity.

The Union minister also gave away course completion certificates to the office trainees. Principal, Central Academy for State Forest Service, Dehradun, Ashish Rawat said in two years of training, the officer trainees were taught 19 academic subjects besides field exercises on working plan, road alignment, forest survey and engineering. In addition to it, 150 days of study tours were also conducted in the forest areas of Eastern, Western, Southern and North India. Course director Kunal Satyarthi read out the course report.

A total of 40 officer trainees, including 19 woman, passed out of the Central Academy for State Forest Service Dehradun. Eighteen officers were from Andhra Pradesh, nine from Madhya Pradesh, two from Maharashtra, one from Mizoram and 10 from West Bengal.

On the occasion, Krishna Priya G was given the Ministry of Environment and Forests prize. Krishna Priya received a silver medal for standing the best all-round trainee officer. She also received another silver medal for proficiency in ecology.

Boddu Praveena received a silver medal for proficiency in forest management. She also received P Srinivas prize in forest protection and tribal welfare. Dr Ravindranath Reddy received RC Kaushik prize for proficiency in soil management and the Central Academy of State Forest Service prize for proficiency in forest engineering and surveying.

Additional Director-General of Forests in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest AK Bansal and state Principal Chief Conservator of Forest RBS were also present.

IAS officers file immovable property details, hide value
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
While 81 IAS officers of the Uttarakhand cadre have filed the details of immovable property for 2011, but barring a few, almost all IAS officers have failed to provide information about the market value of their property.

Heading the list, Chief Secretary Alok Jain, who also held the finance portfolio before taking over as Chief Secretary while judiciously declaring the details of three flats owned by him in New Delhi, Ghaziabad and Dehradun, has failed to mention the market value of these possessions. He has even omitted mentioning the market value of the properties owned by him jointly with his brother in Mussoorie (Oxford street) and at A-7 Rajpur Road.

Similarly, seniormost IAS officer Vibha Puri Das, who is posted in the Central Government, while giving details of immovable property has mentioned owning 0.58 hectare of agriculture land in Pachawa Doon (Dehradun), another 0.3 acres of land in Dehradun and land and house in Mansinghwala-Gujrara but has omitted the value of the market cost of these properties.

On the other hand, Chairman of the Revenue Board Subhash Kumar ('77 batch) has mentioned the annual income earned by him annually from his inherited property in Mani village, Lahaul Spiti (Himachal Pradesh), at Rs 1 lakh annually. He has also mentioned the value of his house located in Vasant Vihar at Rs 50 lakh, which was the same in 2010.

But he has omitted mentioning the value of land that he owns (2 nalli) in Kausani (Bageshwar).

There are no changes in the property details of Principal Secretary Rajiv Gupta who is posted in New Delhi and of Manisha Panwar, Secretary, medical education and school education. In 2011 and 2012, both do not own any immovable property, according to the details submitted by them.

Significantly, Principal Secretary, Industries, Rakesh Sharma has been unable to pay the premium for 450 sq metre of land in Noida since 1998 after a dispute with the society. He also possesses a plot measuring 1200 sq ft in New Delhi’s the Mayur Vihar area, valued at Rs 1.85 lakh that has now been sold.

According to the property details filed by Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dilip Kumar Kotia, he would be in full possession of a flat whose total cost is Rs 23 lakh located in Noida. So far, he has paid a total instalments of Rs 1.5 lakh. Beside he has so far paid an instalment of Rs 4.19 lakh for a flat in Noida (Jaypee Greens) whose total cost is Rs 45 lakh.

Secretary to the Chief Minister SS Sandhu has put the value of his house that he owns in Dehradun at Rs 92 lakh. According to the details submitted by him, he also owns a shop in Saharanpur, plots in Amritsar and Mohali.

Avoid digging roads in monsoon: Chief Secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
To avoid inconvenience to the public during the rainy season, Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain has directed the officials concerned to avoid digging of roads to lay sewerage pipelines and to fill up the ditches dug up for the same at the earliest.

He said anyone found not doing their work sincerely would be dealt stringently.

Chairing the general body meeting of the Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Investment Programme Agency today, he asked the officials to blacklist all defaulter contractors. Expressing discontentment over the slow pace of works undertaken by the Peyjal Nigam, he said responsibility for this would be fixed and erring officials would be dealt accordingly. Taking a firm stand against erring contractors, he said any of them found not working as per the set standard and not completing the works in stipulated time frame would be blacklisted and information about them would be sent to other states too.

Taking serious note of works taken for the development of urban areas, Jain said as the works were related to public welfare, officials found slack in their duties would not be spared.

The Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Investment Programme worth Rs 2,250 crore was initiated in 31 cities of Uttarakhand for 2008 to 2016 with Asian Development Bank (ADB) paying 70 per cent of the expenditure and the rest of the 30 per cent by the state. The work was to be completed in four phases.

Apprising about the progress of the work, Secretary, Urban Development, Umakant Panwar said the works were being closely monitored and notices had been served on the defaulter contractors and FIRs lodged against them.

He said so far fine amounting to Rs 70 lakh had been recovered from them. Monthly review meetings were also being held to ensure speedy work and spot visits were being conducted regularly.

Panwar said all preparations had been completed to launch 15 works of the second phase worth Rs 643 crore.

Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli, Principal Secretary, Peyjal, S Raju, Additional Secretary, Urban Development, Radhika Jha, Additional Secretary, Forest, Shushant Patnaik, Additional Secretary, Finance, MC Joshi and other senior officials attended the meeting.

Three-phase traffic plan for Kanwar mela
4,000 policemen, along with RAF, PAC personnel to provide security
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 26
With just 10 days to go for the Kanwar yatra to begin, a three-pronged traffic plan has been chalked out to provide a smooth flow of traffic and unhindered movement of Kanwariyas. The Kanwar mela administration has chalked out a traffic plan similar to the one adopted for the Mahakumbh taking into consideration traffic woes faced during previous years due to the movement of Kanwariyas, particularly Dak Kanwars.

SP, Haridwar city, Dr Kiran Lal Shaw told The Tribune that the traffic plan was applicable in three phases from July 4 to 11, July 11 to 15 and July 16 and 17 when the Kanwar fair would end with the offering of the Ganga water at Lord Shiva temples on Shravan Mahashivratri.

As the initial movement of the Kanwariyas during the first phase was usually normal, the roadways buses would operate from the Rishikul grounds to avoid traffic congestion on the inner city roads.

From July 11 and 15 as the rush of Kanwariyas increases, vehicles, particularly buses, coming from the Bijnore-Kotdwar side would be stopped at the 4.2 point at Neel Dhara where they would be parked at the adjacent Bairagi mela land.

While vehicles coming from the Dehradun side would be parked at the Motichur-Doodhadhari parking lot, the traffic flow from the Delhi-Roorkee side would be routed through the Lakshar-Desh Rakshak intersection to Kankhal till Hari Ram Intermediate College where parking would be provided.

Traffic going towards Dehradun would be diverted via the Chilla range in the Yamkeshwar block of Pauri Garhwal towards Rishikesh, while vehicles going towards Hari Ram Intermediate College would be using the same route to move towards the Roorkee-Delhi region. From July 12 onwards the vehicular movement would be one way only.

The entry of buses and heavy vehicles would be prohibited in the city region during the most sensitive third and last phase on July 16 and 17 when Dak Kanwars arrive. Vehicles moving towards Dehradun would go via Chila-Rishikesh only with those coming from the Delhi side would be routed via the Bhagwanpur-Imlikheda-Aurangabad stretch.

Meanwhile, an adequate deployment of police and paramilitary personnel would be made for mela duty in Haridwar district. More than 4,000 Uttarakhand Police personnel would be deployed and they would be assisted by personnel of the 2 Rapid Action Force and the 14 Provincial Armed Constabulary. Besides, a sufficient number of police personnel would be kept as a reserve force.

Besides, a bomb disposal squad, a sniffer dog squad, snipers and Bengal Engineers Group sappers would be deployed along with Jal Police personnel at Ganga ghats.

A letter had been sent to the 31st PAC, Badhat, to provide its expert services to save drowning people. Hundreds of Kanwariyas were saved from drowning at various Ganga ghats last year.

Employees body demands administrative reforms panel
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, June 26
The Democratic Republic Employees Federation of India, a national-level organisation of employees belonging to the SC, ST, OBC and minority communities, has said if the government wanted to check corruption in the country, it should constitute an administrative reforms commission instead of introducing a Jan Lokpal Bill.

It says Jan Lokpal Bill is allegedly an instrument in the hands of upper caste communities to impose their dictatorship on weaker sections. “We demand even word ‘Lokpal’ deleted and replaced by administrative commission,” said GR Tamta, newly elected chairman of the federation while briefing mediapersons after a two-day conference that concluded today.

The national conclave was inaugurated by a retired High Court, Justice SS Salve, and chaired by nation convener of the conference Rao Sahib Mohan. Uttarakhand SC/ST Commission chairman Chanar Ram and Almora MP Pradeep Tamta also took part in the meeting.

GR Tamta said it was passed in the two days’ sessions of the conference that a 28-point resolution be sent to the President of India requesting her to accept it. The proposals of which would be helpful in rooting out social inequalities in polity and society. “We have requested the President of India that if the government wants equality in society it should end a dual education pattern prevalent in the country,” he said.

Besides, the resolution includes giving an equal quota of SC/ ST and OBC category officers as secretaries in state governments, giving insurance benefits and pension to senior citizens of these classes, and filling all back-log posts of SC/ST and OBCs vacant in state and Central governments by a special drive. “We have also requested the President that the process of privatisation of public sector companies be immediately stopped as it entailed an end to reservation for these classes ensured by the Constitution. The government should initiate a new land settlement in the country under which, after finishing traditional rights of the privileged sections of societies, the land on which the weaker sections are living could be regularised in their names,” said Tamta.

“The two-day conclave also discussed mental torture of Sunita Devi, chairperson of the Pithoragarh Zila Panchayat, by some members of an upper caste belonging to the BJP. It demanded action under various sections of the SC/ST Act 1989 be initiated against those who were regularly torturing Sunita as these elements had behaved in a similar manner with former chairperson of the zila panchayat Ranjana Devi,” said Tamta.

‘Too early to assess govt’s working’
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Harish Rawat today sought a minimum of six months to comment on the progress made by the Vijay Bahuguna government in Uttarakhand that completed 100 days in office recently.

In an informal interaction with The Tribune on the sidelines of the convocation of the Central Academy of State Forest Service College, Dehradun, today, Harish Rawat desisted from making a direct comment on the working of the Bahuguna government.

Asked about the performance report of the Bahuguna government on the completion of its 100 days in office, Rawat said while every day the government was taking the state to a new height of development, 100 days were still too early to comment.

“Every day of the Congress government in Uttarakhand is a success. Nevertheless, there should be at least six months’ time to give some assessment of the working of the government,” he pointed out.

On the ongoing standoff over the issue of construction of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand, he said the state too aspired to be part of development process in the country and should not be taken up with negative approach. He said while the state understood the importance of the Himalayas and the Ganga, a negative approach towards development of Uttarakhand must be shunned.

“I have written to the Prime Minister appealing him for a policy of development for Uttarakhand that should not have a negative basis,” he said. “Only don’ts cannot be part of a development policy”, he said. Rawat said he had strongly advocated Green Bonus for Uttarakhand apart from electricity grant for border districts of the state.

While giving best wishes to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for the Sitarganj byelection, Rawat said he himself has been to Sitarganj on the day of nomination and was hopeful of a landslide victory for the Chief Minister.

Shivanand Nautiyal remembered
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
Uttarakhand Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi said the role of late Dr Shivanand Nautiyal both in politics and social service was unparalleled. He said even after facing hardships in his early life, Nautiyal rose to an honourable position in politics. Negi was addressing a gathering after giving away Dr Shivanand Memorial awards at a function organised by Dr Shivanand Foundation in Dehradun today.

Negi recalled Nautiyal’s contribution to the development of the Uttarakhand region as Hill Development Minister in the then Uttar Pradesh government and said he took an initiative towards establishing a number of colleges in the backward areas of Pauri Garhwal district. He always stressed on quality education. Nautiyal would continue to inspire the youth of Uttarakhand, added Negi.

Former Chief Minister ND Tiwari recalled his association with Nautiyal and described him as a determined personality always willing to help others. Dr Shivanand Nautiyal Foundation president and late leader’s son Divya Nautiyal said the foundation every year honoured personalities that have worked for the betterment of society. He added he was trying to follow in the footsteps of his visionary father.

Filmmaker Shiv Painuily, senior journalist and freedom fighter Ram Pratap Bahuguna, social activist Bhagwati Gupta, Mahant Devendra Das and PC Joshi were among those honoured on the occasion.

Former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami, Padamshri Leeladhar Jagudi and former bureaucrat SS Pangtey were other prominent persons present at the function.

Thalassaemic centre in Doon Hospital soon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
The pressure exerted by parents of thalassaemic children seems to have the desired effect on the Doon hospital authorities that have agreed in principle to start a separate thalassaemia centre.

With more than 56 thalassaemic patients requiring blood transfusion, due to shortage of beds at the hospital, patients face inconvenience especially those coming from far-off places.

“A dedicated centre at the hospital will ensure thalassaemic patients receive immediate attention and there will be beds available separately for the patients,” said Dr BC Pathak, Principal Superintendent, Doon Hospital.

According to the hospital authorities, the centre would come up on top of the TB ward for which the construction is expected to start soon.

There has been a consistent demand by parents for this kind of facility and to make themselves more vocal the patients are also in the process of setting up a thalassaemic society. All thalassaemic patients get free blood transfusions. Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen.

Already the Society for Haemophilia patients has managed to prevail upon the Uttarakhand Government to make necessary drugs available free of cost for haemophilia patients.

NABARD to finance projects of Rs 400 crore
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
National Agricultural Bank and Rural Development (NABARD) will fund projects worth Rs 400 crore in the current financial year in the state. The fund will be utilised for the constructions of roads under the PWD, tubewells, canals under the Irrigation Department and hydropower projects under the Power Department.

Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, while chairing a meeting of the committee of NABARD at the Secretariat here today, directed the officials concerned to prepare detailed project reports on time.

He expected suggestions from NABARD on its contribution towards the development of the state. The Chief Secretary approved projects for the PWD worth Rs 300 crore, the Irrigation Department worth Rs 150 crore and that for the Power Department worth Rs 127 crore.

The Chief Secretary directed the Power Department to bear the expenses of the interest to be paid against the fund received from NABARD.

He said the Jal Vidyut Nigam would construct three hydropower projects of 23 MW capacity. The projects would begin generating power by 2017.

Deer stuck in Ganga canal, rescued
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 26
A deer got stuck in the Ganga canal near the Damkoti state guest house this morning. However, after a four-hour rescue operation, Rajaji National Park and Haridwar forest division officials managed to rescue the deer. It has been kept on the Tibdi forest range premise as it has sustained several injuries.

The deer was first noticed by people residing nearby Damkoti bridge near the Alaknanda ghat. When they tried to shoo it away, the deer went towards the deeper side of the canal and got stuck. The people immediately reported the matter to forest officials, who reached there with requisite equipment to trap the animal.

Forest officials said the deer might have come with a group and seeing human movement, it tried to cross the canal and got stuck in the deep waters.

Hotelier held for trespass
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 26
Gulshan Kukreja, a hotelier, was arrested by the Cantt police today along with two labourers for breaking the gate of Charsirmaur Estate owned by another hotelier Tribhuvan Singh Bhandari at Kaulagarh with JCB at 3 am on Monday.

Kukreja who had bought land near Bhandari's land used the pathway through latter's estate to reach his patch of land. When Kukreja asked to allow him to go across it on his vehicle, Bhandari refused him the permission. Infuriated over the denial, Kukreja reached with JCB machine and two labourers and broke the entry gate of Bhandari's estate. Bhandari called up the police, who then arrested Kukreja with two labourers on the spot.