Land Acquisition Act, housing policy soon
Dehradun, July 30
To expedite land acquisition and overcome the shortage of houses in Uttarakhand, the government will soon come up with its own Land Acquisition Act and a housing policy. "The Land Acquisition Act of Uttarakhand will be framed in such a manner that it is beneficial for land owners, including farmers.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna chairs a review meeting of the Forest Department in Dehradun on Monday.

Marriage aid for 2 daughters raised to Rs 21,000 each
Dehradun, July 30
Various important decisions pertaining to the welfare of construction workers were taken at a meeting of the State Construction Workers Welfare Board held at the Vidhan Bhawan auditorium here today.

Health Dept staff observe strike
Haridwar, July 30
Employees of the Health Department, under the aegis of the Fourth Grade State Employees Union, observed a strike in support of their demands here today. District president of the union Shiv Narayan Singh said though they had been an integral part of the Health Department, they had always been neglected with regard to salary and facilities.

Sanitation workers accuse MC of ignoring seniority
Mussoorie, July 30
The decision of the Municipal Council to appoint a safai nayak at the post of sanitary inspector, although on a temporary basis, has invited the wrath of other employees of the Sanitation Department.

Members of INTUC raise slogans against Municipal Council officials in support of their demands in Mussoorie on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Heavy rain continues in Uttarakhand
Dehradun, July 30
Heavy rain continued in the state today, disrupting traffic movement at a number of Char Dham routes. The Rishikesh-Gangotri and Rishikish-Badrinath routes witnessed main blockages. However, the district administration, in assistant with Border Roads Organisation officials, managed to open the routes by the evening.

Downpour leads to flooding of Mussoorie roads
Mussoorie, July 30
Incessant rain today led to flooding of various areas in Mussoorie due to choked drains and culverts, causing inconvenience to residents and tourists. It also exposed inadequate arrangements made by the Municipal Council for the monsoon.

Khushbu, Bhoomika in badminton semis
Haridwar, July 30
The inter-district level badminton tourney entered its semifinal phase here today. The event being organised by the District Badminton Association is witnessing a whopping 450 participants in the teenage category.

CT Young, U'khand Police clash in final today
Dehradun, July 30
CT Young will clash with the Uttarakhand Police team tomorrow in the final match of the 3rd ONGC-BS Negi Memorial Football Tournament being played at Ambedkar Stadium here. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna will be the chief guest on the occasion.

Players in action during a match in the 3rd ONGC-BS Negi Memorial Football Tournament in Dehradun on Monday.

Fire in house on school campus
Mussoorie, July 30
Household goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in a fire that broke out in the house of a Class IV employee on the premises of Oak Grove School today. However, no one was hurt in the incident. The fire is suspected to have erupted due to short-circuit.

Protest against patwari
Dehradun, July 30
BJP councillor Sachin Gupta protested in front of the office of District Magistrate Ravinath Raman against a patwari for demanding money for issuing income certificates to slum dwellers under the Gora Devi Kanya Dhan Yojana.

MLA to take up transformer issue with govt
Dehradun, July 30
Raj Kumar, Congress MLA from Rajpur, has assured residents of the Bhagirathi Enclave Residents Welfare Society that he will take up the issue of installation of a new 250 KV transformer with the government to deal with the problem of power fluctuation in the area on the Balbir road in Dalanwala.

Harak Rawat, Naithani lock horns over deputation issue
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 30
The issue of doing “favours” to their near and dear ones has caused a tug of war between two senior state ministers. The problem started when Agriculture Minister Harak Singh Rawat, a party strongman, managed to get one of his “favourites” sent on deputation from the Education Department to his department.

Officials of the Agriculture Department were shocked when Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna ordered the transfer of Damyanti Rawat, block education officer, Sahaspur, and sent him on deputation as Director, Seed Certification Agency, Agriculture Department, on the "recommendation" of Harak Rawat.

Interestingly, the transfer orders of Damyanti Rawat were given by Chief Minister Bahuguna on her resume that was not even signed by her.

Flaying the decision, Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani said it was not legal as a no-objection certificate from the parent department was not taken in the case. He also refused to relieve her from the department. "She is an employee of the Education Department and without its consent, she could not be send anywhere. I am not going to give her permission for this deputation,” said Naithani.

However, Harak Rawat, defending his decision, said Damyanti Rawat was a qualified officer with MSc (chemistry) degree and was competent to hold the post. But he could not explain that being a specialised job, only agriculture experts were holding this position in the past.

“The order has been given by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. I am not concerned about the technicalities involved in the deputation,” said Harak Rawat.

However, when Bahuguna was asked about the controversy between the two ministers, he denied anything serious. “Every effort should be made to maintain dignity in the government,” he said today.

According to sources, serious efforts are on to resolve the issue with the intervention of the Chief Minister.

Harak Rawat, a party strongman, has been courting controversy since the formation of the state. He had quit as a minister during the Congress regime led by ND Tiwari, when a woman had alleged that he had fathered her son. However, the charge was not proved in a DNA test conducted by the CBI.

During the previous BJP regime, an FIR had been lodged against him for allegedly usurping the land of a poor farmer when he was the Revenue Minister. It was alleged that he managed to get the land transferred in the name of his wife and close associate Luxmi Rana through forgery. But Harak Rawat denied the allegations and said he had legitimately bought the land.

Meanwhile, the deputation issue took another turn today when Sahdev Pundir, BJP legislator from Sahaspur, where Damyanti Rawat is posted, stormed into the office of the Director (Education) and staged a dharna against her deputation. He alleged that the government had been doing favours without caring for the common people.

MLAs, ministers flying to London, courtesy Uttarakhand Olympics Association
Neena Sharma/TNS

Dehradun, July 30
They may be in different parties but when it comes to managing the ticket to London Olympics, Congress MLA Subodh Uniyal and Madan Kaushik from the BJP seem to have hit the jackpot by arriving first at London Olympics from Uttarakhand.

Both have never been connected with sports but they could not miss the golden opportunity of being witness to the sporting extravaganza.

To give them company, Uttarakhand Sports Minister Dinesh Agarwal will be flying to London at 2 am followed by Rural Development Minister Pritam Singh.

Finance Minister Indira Hriyadesh will also leave for London on August 7.

Thanks to the largesse of the Uttarakhand Olympics Association, MLAs and ministers have managed to find a place for themselves and enjoy an extended visit to London. Sources claim that at least two ministers have also made requests for their family members and there requests have been taken care of by the association.

“We have provided tickets for two Cabinet ministers' family members. These were late requests but have been accommodated,” said an official. Though, the Uttarakhand Government is claiming that complete cost of the visit is being borne by the Uttarakhand Olympics Association, it has no reply to the Cabinet ministers' tours to foreign shores in the span of five months and the outcome of the ministers and MLAs latest trip to London.

The first to hit the foreign shore was Transport Minister Surinder Rakesh, who went to Australia on a study tour and diligently presented his report on his return to Dehradun. This was followed by Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat’s trip to the Middle East. Now, three Cabinet ministers will be flying to London to witness Olympics.

In the midst of the ministers and MLAs making a scramble for London Olympics, Gurmeet Singh, who hails from Bajpur (Udham Singh Nagar), will be competing in the 20 km walk in Olympics. He is the lone Olympic medal hope from Uttarakhand.

Land Acquisition Act, housing policy soon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, July 30
To expedite land acquisition and overcome the shortage of houses in Uttarakhand, the government will soon come up with its own Land Acquisition Act and a housing policy. "The Land Acquisition Act of Uttarakhand will be framed in such a manner that it is beneficial for land owners, including farmers. We will also frame an investor-friendly policy to address the shortage of houses so that the housing needs of all sections of the society are met," said Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, while speaking with mediapersons today during the evaluation meeting of the Housing and Forest Department.

Uttarakhand is facing a shortage of around 1 lakh-8 lakh houses. The housing policy will be discussed on September 15.

Further to strengthen the local bodies under the 74 amendment, the government will soon bring a government order empowering the urban local bodies and Municipal Corporations to pass the maps of houses (construction).

As of now, the Musssorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) has been entrusted with the authority. Besides, it was decided to absorb the MDDA employees, appointed on ad hoc basis, who have more than 20 years of service.

"Soon, the Special Area Development Authority and the Mussoorie Dehradun Devlopment Authority will be merged to become a single authority for which an Act would come into place," said Bahuguna.

A traffic mobility plan with parking lots for Dehradun was also discussed during the meeting.

Marriage aid for 2 daughters raised to Rs 21,000 each
Tribune News service

Dehradun, July 30
Various important decisions pertaining to the welfare of construction workers were taken at a meeting of the State Construction Workers Welfare Board held at the Vidhan Bhawan auditorium here today.

It was decided at the meeting held under the chairmanship of Labour Minister Harish Chander Durgapal to increase the monetary assistance provided for the marriage of two dependent daughters of registered workers from Rs 11,000 to Rs 21,000 each. The financial assistance provided for the last rites of a worker was also enhanced from existing Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

The minister directed the officers concerned to hold camps to educate the public about various welfare schemes launched by the state government for workers. He said the next meeting of the board would be convened after the camps were held so that experience gained there could be shared and used to chalk out a concrete action plan.

The minister urged owners of companies present at the meeting as members of the board to ensure the welfare of workers and follow the directions of the Nainital High Court in this regard.

It was also decided at the meeting to reduce eligibility time frame for construction workers to avail of the benefits of welfare schemes after registration to three months. Earlier, a worker was eligible for welfare benefits after one year.

Labour Commissioner PS Kutiyal, Additional Secretary, Finance, Kunwar Singh Chauhan, Additional Secretary, Labour, RP Fuleria, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Government of India, KC Guru and state president of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Sunderlal Uniyal were present at the meeting.

Health Dept staff observe strike
Tribune News Service

Employees of the Health Department under the banner of the Fourth Grade State Employees Union stage a protest in Haridwar on Monday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, July 30
Employees of the Health Department, under the aegis of the Fourth Grade State Employees Union, observed a strike in support of their demands here today. District president of the union Shiv Narayan Singh said though they had been an integral part of the Health Department, they had always been neglected with regard to salary and facilities.

“We took casual leave today to protest against mere assurances from the higher authorities. Even the Health Minister has not fulfilled his promise of addressing our issues. We work for more than the stipulated hours but get a meager salary,” said Narayan while addressing the protesters at the camp office at the Mela hospital.

District general secretary of the union Dinesh Lakhera said the government should resolve their issues regarding salary and other anomalies.

Lakhera alleged that mass discrepancies were detected during the tenure of Pharmacy Superintendent Dr Vijay Jetli and a high level probe should be ordered into the matter.

The protesters warned the government that they would intensify the protest if their demands were not met in time.

KK Tiwari, Naresh Verma, Mohit Manocha, Vinod Kashyap, Sadashiv Teg Bahadur, Prem Chand, Ram Prakash, Gobind Singh, Chandra Prakash, Mahesh Kumar, Rajendra Teshwar, Manoj, Kusum Bala and Bina were among those who participated in the protest.

Sanitation workers accuse MC of ignoring seniority
Oppose appointment of safai nayak as sanitary inspector
Ajay Ramola

Heavy rain continues in Uttarakhand
Rishikesh-Gangotri and Rishikish-Badrinath routes witness blockages
Tribune News Service

Downpour leads to flooding of Mussoorie roads
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, July 30
Incessant rain today led to flooding of various areas in Mussoorie due to choked drains and culverts, causing inconvenience to residents and tourists. It also exposed inadequate arrangements made by the Municipal Council for the monsoon.

Stagnant muddy rainwater could be seen on the roads at Picture Palace, near State Bank of India in Kulri Bazaar and Library Bazaar. Contrary to the claims of the MC, most of the culverts were choked with mud and polythene bags and rainwater was flowing on the roads, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk through the areas.

MC president OP Uniyal said most of the drains had been cleared of debris before the onset of the monsoon.

He, however, added the work was still pending in some areas due to paucity of staff.

Directions had been given to the officials concerned to complete the remaining task in a day or two, Uniyal said.

Khushbu, Bhoomika in badminton semis
Tribune News Service

A match in progress in the U-15 girls’ category of the Inter-District Badminton Tourney in Haridwar on Monday. Tribune photo: Rameshwar Gaur

Haridwar, July 30
The inter-district level badminton tourney entered its semifinal phase here today. The event being organised by the District Badminton Association is witnessing a whopping 450 participants in the teenage category.

Badminton matches are being played in four age categories: U-13,U-15,U-17 and U-19.

Top favourites of the title in girls category Khushbu, Bhoomika and Garima have made it to the semifinal stage while in boys category Varun, Tarun and Vasu will lock horns at the knockout stage.

Organising committee chief Suman Kumar said enthusiasm among the teenagers could be gauged by the number of participants which was above 400.

Bhoomika, aged 15, a top-seeded player of the tournament, said the competition was growing by each year with players benefiting from the state-of-the-art sporting complex in the midst of the city helping them immensely to train in badminton.

Football Tournament
CT Young, U'khand Police clash in final today
Tribune News Service

Fire in house on school campus

Mussoorie, July 30
Household goods worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed in a fire that broke out in the house of a Class IV employee on the premises of Oak Grove School today. However, no one was hurt in the incident. The fire is suspected to have erupted due to short-circuit.

The fire started around 11 am in two rooms of Mohammad Yunus, who works in Oak Grove School. He along with his family members was not present in the house when the incident occurred. The police said Yunus’s neighbours saw smoke coming out of the two rooms and raised the alarm.

Fire engines rushed to the school but by then the fire had engulfed the rooms. “Firemen with the help of two fire engines took half an hour to control the fire. Household items, including television sets, a refrigerator and furniture worth lakhs of rupees, were gutted in the incident,” said a Fire Department official from Mussoorie. — OC

Protest against patwari

Dehradun, July 30
BJP councillor Sachin Gupta protested in front of the office of District Magistrate Ravinath Raman against a patwari for demanding money for issuing income certificates to slum dwellers under the Gora Devi Kanya Dhan Yojana.

Gupta said, “A girl who is class XII pass and whose family’s annual income is Rs 21,206 is entitled to get a fixed deposit of Rs 25,000. After five years, she will get Rs 39,400 under the scheme. However, when slum dwellers went to the patwari to get income certificates, he allegedly demanded money from them.” The DM assured Gupta that he would look into the matter. — TNS