Win is an endorsement of Cong policies: Bahuguna
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has said that his thumping victory in Sitarganj Assembly byelection was an endorsement of the state Congress government's first hundred days of rule in the state.

Talking to media persons on his arrival here today, Bahuguna said that the way people had expressed their faith in him, his responsibilities towards them had increased manifold. He further said that that the people of Sitarganj had preferred development over negative brand of politics done by the Opposition BJP. On the problems in Sitarganj, he maintained that though there had been a lot of industrial development, the area had lagged behind in agricultural sector; besides the people also had to face the agony of floods every year.

Speaking on the priorities of the state government, Bahuguna said that special attention would be given to the backward areas, which had remained untouched in the race of development. He said that effective implementation of development programmes would be ensured and all the issues pertaining to the development of the state would be advocated strongly before the Centre.

Chief Minister Bahuguna, after arriving at GTC helipad, went to his secretariat office and cleared pending files. He also discussed the matter related to the proposed meeting of the Planning Commission scheduled to be held on July 16 in New Delhi with Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain and issued important directives. He also took stock of the law and order situation in the State from DGP Vijay Raghav Pant.

Earlier, on his arrival along with Cabinet Minister Yashpal Arya, several Congress leaders, including MLA Umesh Sharma Kau and state vice president Suryakant Dhasmana accorded him a warm welcome. Meanwhile, at the secretariat, he was welcomed and congratulated by MLA Sunderlal Mandrawal, Pradeep Batra, Madan Singh Bisht, Dinesh Dhanay, Rajkumar, Kunwar Pranav Singh 'Champion' and Sarita Arya.

Bahuguna felicitated at Cong Bhavan
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
After his landslide victory in Sitarganj byelection, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was felicitated at Congress Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters in Dehradun today.

In his brief address to the party workers, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the people of Sitarganj had reposed their faith in him and now it was his duty to deliver. He said Sitarganj victory had also given the message to the people that politics in the name of hills and plains will not be accepted in the state.

Uttarakhand Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya said Uttarakhand will witness speedy development as the Chief Minister is now firmly in the saddle. Arya said the landslide victory for the Chief Minister at Sitarganj reveals the growing support of Congress policies and programmes in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana, who coordinated the programme, referred to the development programmes being initiated by Vijay Bahuguna government in the state.

A large number of Congress workers attended the felicitation ceremony at Congress Bhavan.

Prepare innovative projects for 12th plan: Chief Secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain has directed fellow officers to add innovative projects during the presentation of 12th Five Year Plan and the annual plan of 2012-13 before the Planning Commission. He also instructed them to project strongly and relevantly the development programmes, advantages of which the state was not able to avail of owing to its difficult geographical condition.

Jain was reviewing the proposals of the 12thFive Year Plan and the annual plan at the Secretariat here today. He said being a special category state Uttarakhand should get a grant for centrally-sponsored 38 programmes in the ratio of 90:10 and directed the officers to project this fact in a logical way.

The Chief Minister said the Central Planning Commission also be urged to provide compensation against expenditure borne by the state for eco services. He stressed on putting forward programmes prepared to generate livelihood through forestry, efforts being made for extension of education, necessity of hydropower projects, steps being taken in the direction of drinking water and proposals prepared with the participation of the private sector.

Hospital ignores advisory to promote generic drugs
Buys branded medicines for former CMs and judges, serving bureaucrats
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
For the wellbeing of former chief ministers, ministers, retired judges, serving bureaucrats and those who took part in the statehood agitation, Doon Hospital spends around Rs 1.25 crore every year to purchase branded medicines under the local purchase order, defeating efforts to promote generic medicines.

A Jan Asudhi store was opened near Doon Hospital and Principal Superintendents of government hospitals were advised to promote the use of generic drugs.

While a nationwide campaign has been launched to promote the use of generic medicines, in Dehradun former chief ministers, retired judges, serving bureaucrats, journalists and other well known persons (as defined by the Uttarakhand government) and their kin comprise 30 per cent of the beneficiaries who consume branded drugs procured under the local purchase order. Even patients belonging to the below poverty line (BPL) category consume drugs procured under local purchase that are prescribed by doctors of government hospitals.

Among the key beneficiaries of local purchase include former Chief Minister ND Tiwari for whom more than 20 types of special drugs for controlling blood pressure, diabetes and heart ailment are procured. A year ago former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami was also among the beneficiaries.

Besides Tiwari, former Chief Minister BC Khanduri, former district judge Indira Ashish, Justice KD Sahi (retd), Justice IK Malhotra (retd), Justice Kandpal (retd), Justice Krishna Kumar (retd), Justice AK Kakkar (retd) and his wife Meera Kakkar, Justice PV Rai (retd), Justice MC Ghildiyal (retd), Uttarakhand Labour Minister Durgapal and Principal Secretary S Raju.

Among the few drugs purchased under local purchase and consumed by Tiwari include Glimer, Acitron-2 Rozat-F, for Justice Krishna Kumar (retd) Natrilix-SR and Diamicron SR. The local purchase is done by government hospitals and Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) in the districts for those drugs that are not available in the depots of the hospitals.

Further, while drugs account for more than 70 per cent of out-of-pocket medical costs for most of the patients, easy accessibility of generic drugs at government hospitals in Dehradun has not found favour with the masses.

“A view has gained ground that generic medicines are inferior in quality, the ‘try as much as you can’ myth has been perpetuated by the medical fraternity and the local purchase order further deepens it. There are few takers for generic drugs sold at the Jan Aushdi store in the vicinity of Doon Hospital,” said Dr KC Pant, a senior physician.

Besides Doon Hospital, other hospitals in the state capital, including District Women’s Hospital and Coronation Hospital, too have a separate budget for local purchases.

Minister inspects Science City project
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Uttarakhand Science and Technology Minister Surendra Singh Negi has stressed on the need for making use of science and technology in the speedy development of Uttarakhand.

Inspecting the Science City project at Jhanjhara in Dehradun, Negi said the project that was coming up on a joint initiative of both Centre and the state will be a milestone in promotion of science in the state.

Later presiding over a meeting of the Science and Technology Board in Dehradun, Negi called for ensuring public participation while undertaking exploitation of the state’s natural resources.

The minister also laid emphasis on river bank filtration asserting that it could be means to get pure drinking water for the people of the state. He also pointed out that even if 3 per cent of rainwater was conserved in Uttarakhand, the drinking water scarcity could be redressed to a big extent.

CBI chargesheet attempt to frame me, Baba Ramdev, says Balkrishan
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, July 12
Vice-Chancellor of Patanjali University Acharya Balkrishan has termed the CBI chargesheet against him in a fake passport case as a “deliberate” attempt by the premier investigation agency to frame him and yog guru Swami Ramdev.

Balkrishan in a statement said the CBI for the past one year had been trying to frame him in false cases so as to pressure him and Ramdev as they had come out openly against the failure of the Congress-led UPA government to bring back black money from foreign countries.

Balkrishan, who has been charged with submitting fake documents to procure an Indian passport and citizenship, said he had done nothing wrong and illegal and adhered to the law of the land.

He criticised the Congress for misusing the CBI for witch hunting and said since Ramdev staged an agitation at Jantar Mantar in June last year, he had been on the radar of the CBI, the police and other government agencies like income tax and vigilance.

“We are being pressured through these agencies as we have the guts to speak against the inability of the government to control corruption and bring back black money stacked in foreign bank accounts.

“We have the support of millions of Indians who want a corruption-free government and country. Our agitation from August 9 will be nationwide. Despite intimidating tactics like the CBI chargesheet, we are not going to give up our satyagraha mode of agitation,” said Balkrishan.

Meanwhile, Balkrishan has come under fire from various organisations for putting up hoardings in the city urging Kanwariyas to follow rules while he himself was facing various charges.

The hoardings carry the logo of Uttarakhand Police without its permission. The hoardings having a huge picture of Balkrishan urge Kanwariyas to follow religious ethics during the Kanwar yatra, cooperate with the police, abide by the rules, shun tobacco and drugs and complete the pilgrimage peacefully.

Mela police in-charge SP Kiran Lal Shah said the police had urged various religious gurus and socio-religious organisation to help it in the smooth conduct of the Kanwar fair. Hence, these organisations had installed hoardings, which had a good impact on the Kanwariyas. But the Congress and the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal criticised the hoarding and termed these as a deliberate attempt by Balkrishan to portray himself prominently.

City Congress chief OP Chauhan said when a person was himself facing charges of law violation, how he could urge millions of Kanwariyas to follow rules and regulations.

“Uttarakhand Police too needs to avoid such a person, whom it has been serving notices, questioning in various cases related to fraud and cheating. On the one hand, Balkrishan goes underground whenever the police serves notices on him or calls him up for investigation, on the other he spends a huge sum of money to put up big hoardings for giving social messages,” said Uday Ram Semwal, central secretary of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Progressive).

Wildlife Film Festival from July 30
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
For the first time, Uttarakhand will be a witness to an Environment and Wildlife Film Festival from July 30-August 04, 2012.

CMS Vatavaran, one of the most prestigious film festivals across the globe that has successfully positioned India as a vibrant destination for environment and wildlife film-making, has finally come to Uttarakhand and will hosting a film festival in Dehradun.

The inauguration ceremony in Dehradun is slated for July 30 at the Governor House followed by a round table conference at Manthan Hall in the state forest headquarters, the very next day.

On August 1, panel discussion on biodiversity will be held at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. Further a film-making workshop will be held on subsequent days at Doon University.

This, apart from environment and wildlife-centric films, will be screened at various venues across the Dehradun during the period. Some of the films are also expected to be based on environment and wildlife issues of Uttarakhand. Biodiversity conservation will be the theme of Dehradun film festival. The last edition of the festival was held in 2011 in Delhi.

India’s one and only environment and wildlife film festival – CMS Vatavaran - began its maiden run in 2002. It served a dual purpose – generating awareness on environmental issues, and lending recognition to the endeavours of environment and wildlife filmmakers.

The initiative has been supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

According to CMS Vatavaran, organisers said environment awareness in Uttarakhand kept much importance as the region had been facing environmental problems on account of various factors, including the stress caused by human activities, such as tourism, construction of dams and roads, mining and other developmental projects, overexploitation of aromatic and medicinal plants for commercial purposes, destruction of habitats, deforestation, lopping and over-grazing. Pollution, indiscriminate use of pesticides and illegal trade and trafficking of wild animals in the commercial market have also had an adverse impact on the environment and ecology of the region.

After Dehradun, the film festival is slated to travel to Jaipur, where the festival will be staged in September.

5 poor kids sent to Bal Graha
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
Five children, who were found to be living in a pitiable state in Pauri Garhwal district, have been sent to Dehradun on orders of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The commission led by its Chairman Ajay Sethia visited Pauri on May 15 and come across seven children of Jaisingh and Usha Devi, resident of Thalisen in Pauri Garhwal district, who were leading a pitiable life. It had on the spot directed the District Child Welfare Committee to send these children to Bal Graha, Dehradun.

Subsequently on June 5, the Child Line again informed the commission about the pitiable conditions of these children. Immediately swinging into action, the commission sought a report from the District Pauri Child Welfare Committee. The committee informed the commission about the death of two of the seven children.

The deceased two children were 5-year-old Pradeep and 11-month-old Sonia.

4 die in accidents in Kumaon
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, July 12
Four persons died at various places in the Kumaon region today.

According to the Almora police, the body of 20-year-old youth Navin Kumar was recovered from a gorge in the Rani Dhara area of Almora. “The youth was the resident of Garur Bazar of Bageshwar district and had come to Almora with one of his companions only to enjoy the day without giving any information to his parents,” said Jamuna Datt Pant, a revenue police officer.

In another incident that took place at Diuri Bharna village of Pithoragarh subdivision of the district, a 32-years youth Narendra Kalauni died after he slipped from his roof early this morning. The youth sustained serious injuries and was admitted to Pithoragarh district hospital. He succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, said the police.

A 32-year-old youth, who had attempted suicide at Dharchula on July 4 and had been admitted to Haldwani base hospital, succumbed to his burn injuries at the hospital. “The youth had received more than 80 per cent burn injuries and had been taken to Haldwani as Pithoragarh district hospital has no advance facilities to treat him.” said Susheel Kumar Joshi, Sub-Inspector, at Haldwani.

Another 32-year-old youth Baldev Datt, said to be mentally unstable, who had set himself ablaze on July 3 at Morari village in Champawat district, died at Khatima hospital.

“The youth, who had been referred from the Community Health Centre at Champawat on July 4 to a private hospital at Khatima, had received 90 per cent burn injuries,” said Rajat Bhatt, a medical officer at the hospital.

Jain reviews work on CSI building
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 12
A building of the Civil Services Institute (CSI) is being constructed with a budget of Rs 14.88 crore on the Rajpur-Mussoorie bypass in Dehradun.

The premises spread over nine hectares will include the main building, a multi-purpose hall, a cottage, a swimming pool and a tennis court in the 1.5 hectare area.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, while reviewing the construction progress of the CSI building at Secretariat, said the building should be eco-friendly. He said a green belt would also be developed and the building should replicate the architecture of the mountain region so that the visitors could understand the genre.

The meeting was attended by Secretary, Urban Development, Umakant Panwar, Additional Secretary, Finance, MC Joshi, Additional Secretary PWD, Amit Negi, Director, Sports, UC Kabarwal, Additional Secretary, Sport, Ajay Pradhyot, District Magistrate, Ravinath Raman, and other senior officials.