Haridwar, July 9
The case of abduction of three-year-old Sangeeta from Mumbai for begging purpose in Haridwar had hogged the national limelight. It has also exposed a beggars' racket that has almost become a trade in the pilgrim city of Haridwar.

Owing to Haridwar being a religious/spiritual place of importance, besides being pathway to major shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, known as Char Dhams, Hem Kund Sahib and proximity to Piran Kaliyar, the city has become a hub of beggars as people come here with religious aspect and tend to donate more than they normally would do.

At any point of time at Braham Kund, Har-ki-Pauri, adjacent Ganga ghats, railway station, bus station from where Sangeeta was recovered, and congested pilgrim-tourist-oriented markets, one can find a large number of beggars from infants to old persons, either sitting or lined up for begging.

Earlier, various drives for identification of beggars had been carried out in Haridwar but no one took notice of the fact that the children could have been forced to beg.

In fact, prior to big fairs such as Maha Kumbh, Ardh Kumbh, Kanwar yatra and religious festive baths in which millions throng Haridwar, the administration carries out an eviction drive of beggars, taking them away from Har-ki-Pauri mela zone. But within days they again mushroom, which signifies lack of administrative seriousness and planning.

The identification drives carried out in the recent past have also not been of much help as the police has not looked into child-trafficking angle. Many such children, when asked about their parents at various points in the city, failed to give a satisfactory answer.

Raju, an eight-year-old, begging at the railway station after he was given sweets, informed TNS that his uncle forces him to beg. He also pointed that his uncle says that if any foreigner is seen, he should follow him/her until the person gives some money or anything.

But now with Sangeeta's case coming to light, the Haridwar police has initiated a process of identification of beggars.

Talking to TNS, SSP, Haridwar, Arun Mohan Joshi, said that police was looking into human trafficking aspect, particularly young children being kidnapped or forced to pursue begging, which is a crime, and the police will deal as per law if anyone is found indulging in such activities.

Though he accepted that one cannot rule out a child-beggar racket functioning in the region, he added that from time to time the police had carried out identification drives in the city, in which no such fact had come to light.

Meanwhile, though Maharashtrian Sangeeta was recovered easily by the Haridwar police, the whereabouts of about 80 missing children of Haridwar are not known.

What is more striking is that of 25 pc of the children are below the age of six. Though the police has also used the media and Internet to give information about these missing children, success has yet to be achieved.

Dehradun, July 9
Though senior BJP leaders are throwing their weight behind to save Dhari Devi Temple, they may have ignored an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report that did not find merit in the antiquity claims of the temple. It could not qualify to be declared as a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act.

Soon after visiting the temple in May 2012, experts from the ASI had found “no value in the temple” and the temple to be around 50-60-year-old and as such, it could not qualify to be termed ancient.

“The temple had undergone renovation from time to time and even the area around the temple could not be declared as a protected site as no ancient remains around the temple could be found,” said the report.

After Bharat Jhunjhunwala, an anti-dam activist settled in Srinagar, had written a letter to the Government of India, urging the ASI to declare it as a protected monument and also declare the area around the temple as a protected site, Superintending Archaeologist (Dehradun Circle) Atul Bhargav had submitted the report.

A representative of GVK Company had discussed various options with the district administration, including transplanting and elevating temple to protect it from submergence. “We had suggested that the temple located at a height of 590 metres, would be further raised by 21 metres. With assistance from IIT Roorkee, the elevation was planned. The plan involves chunking and later raising its height. There was no opposition to the plan by the locals when it was unveiled last year,” said Santosh Reddy, Deputy Director, GVK Company. On a previous occasion during a dam building exercise, the National Thermal Power Corporation had undertaken chunk-lifting of a temple at Tapovan near Joshimath.

Besides, transplanting of ancient temples has been successfully undertaken by the ASI in Andhra Pradesh. “The ASI had transplanted the ancient temple located at Nagarjunkonda Valley (Andhra Pradesh) built in third century AD and the 11th century Papanasi group of temples which had been dismantled and re-erected about four km at Alampur in Andhra Pradeshdue to a threat of submergence under the Nagarjunasagar Dam,” said Bhargav. As the temple was not the protected monument, the help from the ASI was not sought.

Interestingly, Vishveshwar Pandey, chairman of the Dhari Devi temple committee, has also come in support of the elevation plan of the temple and even asked the BJP to stop politicising the issue.

“Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri had given his consent in 2009 for the uplifting of the Dhari Devi temple. We are surprised at the turn around made by Khanduri,” said Padma Shri Avdhash Kaushal, chairperson, RLEK.

Haridwar, July 9
The Haridwar police seems to be riding on a success spree, as in the past three days it has solved three major cases of crime. Today the police nabbed two robbers who, along with seven assailants, had barged into a house in the posh Shivalik Nagar colony with the motive of theft.

The incident occurred yesterday when at H Cluster in Shivalik Nagar, seven assailants barged into a house in broad-daylight. But a woman saw them forcing their way into the house and raised the alarm, alerting neighbours and passersby. The thieves tried to get hold of the women but let them go when they saw neighbours coming to the rescue of the women.

The thieves ran away in a white Indica car in which they had come but not before snatching a cellular mobile set of one of the women. Instantly, the Ranipur police flashed the news via the control room, alerting all nearby police stations and checkposts of the Indigo car number UA 07 H -0101, in which the assailants fled.

Various teams comprising Special Operations Group and Ranipur police were formed to conduct searches and raid operations in nearby Shivalik Nagar, Tehri Vistapith, Subash Nagar and Ranipur Jhal stretch. The car was recovered near the cremation ground in the neighbouring Subash Nagar colony.

A person was also arrested near the car, the number plate of which was missing. On further interrogation the arrested person, Sanit, resident of Khatauli, Muzzafarnagar, confessed to his involvement in the theft attempt.

He informed that his accomplices had run towards the Ganga canal direction.

The police team also took information about the attire, physical features and weapons from Sanit, on the basis of which at Ranipur Jhal, police personnel disguised as Kanwariyas on Kanwar route, took a person in custody for interrogation. He was found hiding behind bushes.

Jwalapur police official Rakesh Rawat was informed about this incident, who called on SOG team for further interrogation, during which the suspect named Robin alias Tony accepted his involvement in the failed theft attempt.

The police also recovered from Tony's bag a local pistol, ammunition and a Nokia cellular set, which belonged to one of the women who had seen them barging into the house.

Senior Superintendent of Haridwar police Arun Mohan Joshi told TNS that four days back Tony, along with one of his accomplices Ankur, had done a recce of the Shivalik Nagar to carry out the theft.

Tony had then called on his other partners Ravindra, Kanhaiyya, Mohan, Pintu and Ankur, all residents of Saharanpur. Pintu and Ankur were on a Pulsar motor cycle, while all others were in the car.

The police chief further added that the car which was used in this theft belonged to a person in Dehradun, but initial information revealed that he had sold this car a year back.

Various police teams have been sent to Deoband, Bad Gaon, Khatauli in Saharanpur district to nab the missing culprits. A police case has been registered at the Ranipur kotwali under 394, IPC.

Mussoorie, July 9
The fire safety department conducted a drive to identify the shortcomings in fire safety measures adopted by various government departments and found several shortcomings in Mussoorie today.

The inspection began early this morning in which fire safety department officials inspected several government organisations, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam office situated near Rialto Cinema, Doordarshan and Aakashvani Kendra at Sisters Bazaar, the Indian Technology Management Institute at Landour Cantt, the SDM office and the Survey of India office at Landour Bazaar.

Inspecting the fire equipment at the Survey of India office, the fire department found in the office that fire extinguishers had not not refilled since 1998 and most of the extinguishers were of old technology that had been declared redundant due to its side-effects.

According to fire department team leader Bharat Singh Aswal, the fire safety equipment were also missing at the Indian Technology Management (ITM) institute managed by the Defence Ministry at Sisters Bazaar. He said the institute had sent the requisition for the equipment to the headquarters but had not received them as yet.

The fire department acting strictly against the erring government institutions had served on them a notice and directing these to install the equipment.

Mussoorie, July 9
With the onset of the monsoon season, the local administration has also geared up the preparation for mitigating the affects of disasters likely to occur in the town.

Mussoorie SDM Ram Jee Sharan Sharma, in a meeting on the disaster management in the wake of the monsoon season, directed the officials of various departments to work as a cohesive unit while dealing with any disaster.

The SDM directed the Fire Department and the Jal Sansthan to identify the places where the fire tending vehicles were unable to reach due to narrow lanes and install hydrants so that they did not have to face the non-availability of water.

He also directed the veterinary department to work in coordination with the Health Department and NGO People For Animals in carrying out dog sterilisation drives in the town.

Sharma informed the media that one JCB machine had been put on alert in case of any disaster and the PWD Department had also been directed to keep the two JCB machines under them in the state of preparedness so that the relief measures could be expedited without any delay.

Dehradun, July 9
A delegation led by former Uttarakhand Kranti Dal ( UKD) MLA N S Jantwal met Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhavan, Nainital, today and submitted a memorandum asking for a master plan for the conservation of all areas in Nainital district.

The Governor said a meeting had been held at the Raj Bhavan last week where the matter of conservation of the Naini lake and all other lakes in the region had been discussed with officials and citizens of Nainital.

Another delegation led by Kumaon in charge of Wakf Board Zakir Hussain met the Governor and submitted a memorandum demanding the creation of the post of a chief executive officer for the board. They complained about the mismanagement of funds of the Wakf Board due to the carelessness of district administration and all additional Wakf commissioners.

Dehradun, July 9
Irate workers of National Students Union of India ( NSUI) stormed Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy and created a ruckus in protest against the alleged arbitrary fee hike by the academy here today.

Led by Swati Negi, a NSUI local leader, workers reached the academy and started raising slogans against the fee hike by the school administration.

They had heated arguments with the management and principal of the school. The NSUI workers ransacked some furniture of the school.

The Dehradun district administration had decided to withdraw the registration of the school on the complaint of the parents against fee hike.

Dehradun, July 9
A total of 130 boys from different parts of the state attended the trials of regional academies of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) hosted here today.

The preliminary screening was done by local coaches, headed by former Indian player Amar Bahadur.

The trails began with the registration, followed by a seven-a-side match. There was great enthusiasm among young kids to attend the trials at the Police Lines ground.

Devendra Bisht, secretary of the District Football Association, said, “We were expecting 50-60 boys but the overwhelming response has thrilled us. This is a great opportunity for Uttarakhand boys to make it to the AIFF football academy.”

The local coaches did the initial screening and the AIFF coaches will be coming to Dehradun for the final selection on Tuesday. The trials will also offer the national coaches to get a glimpse of the local football in the Doon valley.

Dehradun is attracting attention of reputed football academies operating in the country.

Last year, the Chandigarh Football Academy had come here for talent hunt and this time the AIFF has shown interest in the local boys.