Doctors working in one place for 10 years to be transferred
Dehradun, July 16
The upcoming annual transfer plans in the Health Department are expected to solve the problem of shortage of doctors in 13 district hospitals of the state.

5 killed as vehicle falls into river
Dehradun, July 16
Five persons travelling in a vehicle were killed and three other were injured when their vehicle plunged into the Bhagirathi in Uttarkashi district last night.

Dehradun July 16
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) at its board meeting today decided to increase the existing house tax by 12 per cent on old houses and 10 per cent on old slum colonies.

The house tax on houses which were built around 2008 will be charged according to rental value assessment which was fixed and passed by board members in 2008 but the policy somehow could not be cleared by the state government.

The new houses in slum colonies will also be covered under the rental value assessment but with 25 per cent rebate. The board also passed the proposals already cleared by the state government with regard to giving land free of cost to identified landless freedom fighters, the Blind Care Institute for Rs 1 lakh and hand over the possession to Deen Dyal Sansthan free of cost where it is already running near Deen 
Dyal Park.

The meeting began on a contentious note. Mayor Vinod Chamoli got miffed to see Congress councillors sitting ahead of tables rather than behind.

He asked them to maintain the decorum of the board and returned to his room without presiding over the meeting. The Congress councillors ranted slogans against the Mayor and the DMC. The BJP councillors too replied back in the same tone.

In aggression, the Congress councillors also threw tables and chairs and sat on the ground. Then Mayor, the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari and the Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari reached the hall and urged the Congress councillors to sit on chairs instead to discuss the serious issue of house tax. The Congress councillors continued to sit on the ground throughout the meeting.

An employees union led by president Nam Bahadur too, meanwhile, announced to keep the entire premises locked in protest against the councillors’ alleged misbehaviour. Union members too started raising slogans. 

The entire premises, where the deliberations on the controversial issue of house tax were to be held, witnessed the councillors and the employees indulging into politics.

Later at the meeting, the councillors of both parties were unanimous on not increasing tax more than 10 per cent whereas the Mayor was of the view that since the house tax had not been increased in the last 14 years, it must be increased to 25 per cent.

He said the increase on the tax would be cut after the people came with their objection.

He implored the councillors to refrain from vote bank politics and think for the welfare of the DMC while deciding the increse about house tax.

He said in view of inflation and requirement to carry out development projects, the DMC needed revenue in terms of house tax. The members remained adamant on their stance.

The Mayor then diluted his stand and suggested to keep the increse at least 15 per cent which was ultimately brought down to 12 per cent.

With the inclusion of 58,000 new houses and slum colonies under house tax, the renvenue of the DMC is expected to increase from annual Rs 3 crore to 20 crore.

Dehradun, July 16
The upcoming annual transfer plans in the Health Department are expected to solve the problem of shortage of doctors in 13 district hospitals of the state. A large-scale shake up will be administered to doctors who have remained entrenched in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and the Terai region of Nainital for the past 10 years.

Among the district hospitals, the Health Department would give top priority to filling of posts of specialist in district hospitals of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri, Pauri, Gopeshwar and Bageswhar. “We will be transferring doctors, mostly specialists, who have stayed in Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun, Haridwar and the Terai region, to the interior districts of the state to serve at CHCs,” said Dr RS Rawat, Additional Director (administration).

There are around 80-100 doctors concentrated in Udham Singh Nagar, Dehradun and Haridwar, and around 20-25 doctors posted in different primary health centres (PHCs) and CHCs of the hill areas.

They will be shifted during the annual transfers scheduled to to take place after July 31.

Significantly, the Health Department is flooded with requests from cabinet ministers and key MLAs to post specialists in their districts.

“After the cancellation of the Transfer Act, the transfer policy is being followed to affect transfers this year. Already, 101 senior medical officers (specialist cadre) have been promoted and we are hopeful of filling the posts of specialists. As of now, only 32 per cent of the specialists have been deployed in the districts,” said Rawat.

Meanwhile, the Health Department will also deploy deputy chief medical officers in the districts so that the work of the over burdened Chief Medical Officers (CMO) could be taken up by the deputy CMOs. In several districts, the posts of deputy CMO are vacant.

Haridwar, July 16
With chants of Har Har Maha Dev, Bum Bum Bholey, vehicle-borne Kanwariyas, known as Dak Kanwars, drove on their destination routes fast to ensure their pilgrimage was completed on time.

This thrilling time-bound aspect gives their journey an adventurous as well as dangerous touch. The Kanwariyas have set a time limit to reach their homes so that they can offer the holy Ganga jal at the respective Lord Shiva temples.

They consider it auspicious to abide by the time limit.

Display hoardings and boards are put up on vehicles in which they travel.

Mostly, the running Kanwariyas have whistles in their mouths to alert passersby to clear the way for the Dak Kanwars.

Local people throng the Kanwar route in large numbers to see the Dak Kanwars.

City-based writer Kamal Kant Budhkar, on the changing trend of Kanwar pilgrimage, pointed out that since 2000 onwards, there has been a tremendous rise in the number of vehicle-borne Kanwariyas.

Dehradun, July 16
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi today before his meeting with the Planning Commission.

Bahuguna apprised him about the situation in the light of stalling of the hydroelectric projects in the state and demanded adequate financial help for the state.

The Chief Minister also told the Prime Minister about the loss incurred due to forest fires and natural disasters in the state.

The Chief Minister also sought his help in rehabilitation of 232 villages affected by heavy rains and floods in 2010.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave him a patient listening and assured that despite limited means, the Union government would try to help Uttarakhand in every respect.