98 houses, 11 other buildings destroyed in Uttarkashi
Tribune News Service

Vehicles stranded in mud on a highway. PTI

Dehradun, August 9
The district administration of Uttarkashi has begun a survey and assessment of the devastation. As many as 98 houses and 11 commercial establishments have been destroyed in the aftermath of the cloudburst in Uttarkashi.

It will take at least a week’s time to asses the damage that has taken place in the remote areas. Rescue teams have started visiting these areas.

Today four aircraft and three IAF choppers and one private helicopter were pressed into service. “Since one MI-17 helicopter developed a snag, another helicopter from Jodhpur would be pressed into service,” said D.S Gabriyal, Additional Secretary and nodal officer.

Today 53 tourists were evacauated from Harisl, including five foreign nationals.

A total of 28 trucks have left for Uttarkashi carrying the equipment for the construction of Bailey bridge in Gangotri. An Army helicopter has already airlifted relief for Saeku, Aghora, Gajoli and Bhankoli villages of Uttarkashi.

A total of 219 families are living in 11 relief camps and health teams have already begun operations in the villages of Netala, Dokri, Bangoli, Aghora, Faku, Gazoli, Tilok, Sangamchatti, Naugaon and Akora located in Uttarkashi. The medical teams were the sent on August 4 and since then have been providing care to the affected people.

The vehicular traffic, too, has been started on the Badkote-Jankichatti route.

CM visits affected areas, faces villagers’ wrath
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who visited the disaster-affected areas of Uttarkashi, had to face the wrath of the people at Gangori yesterday.

Bahuguna reached Uttarkashi from New Delhi and visited the disaster-hit areas, including Matli and Gangori, and interacted with the affected people on Wednesday.

At Gangori, the affected people wanted to tell their woes to the Chief Minister but were not satisfied with his response. They alleged that even after four days, nothing had been done by the state administration to mitigate their sufferings.

The villagers were angry when the Chief Minister returned.They raised slogans against the Chief Minister and also burnt his effigy to mark their protest.

Earlier, Bahuguna reached an ITBP camp at Matli and sought the details of damages from the District Magistrate, Uttarkashi. He also reviewed the rescue and relief works being carried out by the District Administration. He directed officers of the BRO to carry out repair work of damaged roads at the Assi Ganga area on a war footing.

He asked the District Magistrate to complete the necessary proceedings for the repair of a bridge that was devastated in deluge at Gangori. He instructed the District Adminsitration to ensure sufficient supply of foods, medicines and drinking water in the affected areas. Bahuguna also visited relief camps and inspected the arrangements made for the displaced people.

He interacted with the affected people at Government Kirti Inter-College Relief Camp and assured them that proper arrangements would be made for their rehabilitation. He said they could stay in the relief camps till rehabilitation arrangements were made for them. He said all facilities would be provided to them in the camps. The Chief Minister also visited Tambakhani Tunnel where a massive landslide had taken place.

He also visited the Gangori area. Bahuguna said the state government was with the people and would provide to them all possible assistance. He said Rs 20 crore had already been sanctioned for the relief purpose.

Besides, he said the Centre had allocated additional Rs 150 crore for relief work. He said a Central team would visit the affected area to estimate the actual damage and prepare a report according to which the Centre would further allocate financial assistance to the state.

Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain and Principal Secretary, Industry, Rakesh Kumar were present.

Forest authorities promise all help to disaster-hit Uttarkashi
Jotirmay Thapliyal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
In an act of benevolence, the Uttarakhand forest authorities have decided to provide wood for re-construction of collapsed houses in disaster-struck Uttarkashi.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RBS Rawat, who was first of the few officers from Uttarakhand bureaucracy to reach cloudburst-hit Uttarkashi shortly after the tragedy, has expressed concern over large-scale devastation caused by flash floods in Bhagirathi and Asi Ganga rivers.

“The flash floods caused by the swollen Bhagirathi and Asi Ganga have caused most of the devastation, which is a matter of serious concern. Any change in the course of these rivers could pose a constant threat to structures along side banks in the future also,” RBS Rawat told The Tribune.

Rawat said apart from relief being provided by the state authorities, the State Forest Department had decided to provide wood under the provision of their traditional forest rights (Hak hakook) to the Uttarkashi residents, whose houses have been destroyed in the disaster.

He said the department had also started prompt repair works of a total of 27 forest routes that connect nearly 40 to 50 villages in Uttarkashi. “These forest routes need to be restored to ensure movement from these villages,” PCCF pointed out. These repairs will be done under district plans or calamity fund. He also dispelled the notion that the Forest Department only talked of conservation and was a stumbling block in development.

The Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forests also disclosed that as part of relief activities, forest officers of the rank of range officer and above presently posted in Uttarkashi will be offering their services in the relief and other works. “As the plantation works in the region have almost got completed, the Forest Department with a human resource in Uttarkashi that works in the interiors can prove to be of immense help in bringing relief to interior disaster-affected areas”, he explained.

On Forest Department employees’ decision to donate one-day’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Calamity Fund, the Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forests said a total of Rs 15 lakh would be collected through this donation in aid of Uttarkashi cloudburst victims, which will directly go to the fund. Taking the lead, the PCCF said he had already donated his one day’s salary for the purpose.

Rawat admitted that unplanned development could have catastrophic effects as revealed in Uttarkashi flash floods case and described the incident as an eye opener. “Encroaching upon rivers could be disastrous and any activity along with river banks needs to be checked”, he observed.

High alert in Almora areas as flow of river blocked
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 9
A high alert was sounded in lower areas of the Salt region of Almora district yesterday as the flow of the Ramganga river stopped for some hours and an artificial lake was formed after heavy boulders fell into it at Monkhal village.

Local administration officials said if rain continued for some more time, a four-km area between Chimtakhal and Machor would be in danger. “The road from Chimtakhalto to Machor has been closed as heavy boulders have blocked the 40-km stretch,” said Anil Chamayal, SDM of Salt subdivision of the district.

“The district administration has sounded an alert in Ajoli, Bhine, Bod, Talla Pinalot and Ratwar villages situated on the bank of the Ramganga as the Meteorological Department has forecast more rain,” said the SDM.

He added though the water level was gradually receding in the artificial lake that was formed two days ago near Bhine and Ajoli villages in lower parts of the Salt area, the alert had been sounded considering forecast of more rain.

State draws flak for poor spending on projects for minorities
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
The Central Government has rapped the Uttarakhand Government for poor spending under the minority development programmes.

Even after receiving funds, the state government has been laggard in fully utilising the funds allocated for the Multi-Sectoral Development (MSD) programme.

The Centre, under the 11th Five-Year Plan, allocated Rs 59.50 crore for two districts, Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar, having minority communities, out of which only Rs 32.36 crore was disbursed but the state could spend only Rs 17.97 crore till June 2012. Till February, it spent only Rs 6.09 crore or 20.03 per cent.

The utilisation certificates are still pending for 2010-2011. No funds could be released further. Uttarakhand has utilised only 50 per cent of the funds.

Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs YP Singh in his letter dated July 23 and addressed to the Secretary, Social Welfare (Uttarakhand), has questioned the state government for the delay.

The MSD programme is an area development programme which includes several schemes, targeted for the minorities living in 90 minority concentrated districts (MCDs) across the country. A district with at least 25 per cent of the minority population are categorised as MCD.

The Uttarakhand Government has so far not been able to set up PHCs, anganwadi centres and toilets since the launch of the MSD programme in the state. These had to be constructed under the MSD programme.

However, since coming to power at the state level, the Congress has announced steps for the welfare of the minorities, including setting up of the minorities encouragement fund and Maulana Azad Educational Finance Foundation.

While the government has been able to make allocation of Rs 1 crore for the foundation, no fund has been earmarked for the minorities encouragement fund.

In its maiden Budget, the government had promised to provide Rs 10,000 as special incentives to students from the minority communities who clear the board exams of Class X and XII in first division. It also promised scholarships to girls belonging to minority communities for higher education like medical and engineering which would be equal to tuition fees. In case of boys, the scholarship would be equal to half of the tuition fees.

Khanduri flays govt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri has expressed dismay at the absence of essentials at the relief camps set up in Uttarkashi for the cloudburst-affected people.

The former Chief Minister criticised the state government for being insensitive to the needs of the people who had been left homeless.

He also asked the government to come clear on the number of causalities. “Six days have passed and the state government has failed to come up with the exact number of deaths and the number of affected families,” said Khanduri.

Small and micro industries dept to be set up shortly
Tribune News Service

Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister

Dehradun, August 9
To give importance to small and micro industries, the Uttarakhand government will shortly come up with a separate department for these industries.

“We need to promote small and micro industries in the state for which a separate department would be set up. It would be able to sanction projectes worth Rs 10 crore on it's own. The approval would be sought in the upcoming cabinet meeting,” said Vijay Bahuguna, while briefing mediapersons at the end of the evaluation meeting of the Industries Department.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that the state government would prepare a mega industries project for big industries and the state-level Environment Evaluation Authority would be given statutory status.

He said that the subsidy given to khadi products would be increased to Rs. 5 lakh. He said that a concrete action plan had to be chalked out to attract entrepreneurs from the country and abroad. Approval had been given for SIDCUL Phase-2 at Sitarganj for which the NPCC would act as it's consultant agency.

He said that Sitarganj would be developed as an auto hub. He said the IIM was being established in 200-acre land at Kashipur and educational activities would be developed in 250 acres of land there.

Chief Minister Bahuguna directed the officers to implement single-window system and redress problems of entrepreneurs on a priority basis. He also approved a grant of Rs. 4.5 crore under integrated hill industry policy. He instructed the officers to form a separate mining directorate to increase revenue resources.

He directed the Mining Department to follow scientific ways so that mining did not affect environment and more revenue was generated. He said that khadi village industry and small & micro industry should maintain coordination and develop a common brand so that their products could be marketed efficiently.

UKD(P) protests against Ramdev
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
Leaders of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) protested before the office of the District Magistrate today against keeping the photo of Ramdev’s aide Balkrishan alongside great freedom fighters of the country at Ram Leela Maidan in New Delhi. Ramdev has begun his agitation against corruption today.

Senior leader Latafat Hussain said Balkrishan had been implicated in a criminal case.

Hence, it was improper on the part of Ramdev to keep his photo with celebrated freedom fighters and martyrs of the country on the protest site.

The move had saddened public of the country, he added and demanded legal action against Ramdev.

Website to give price update of non-timber forest products 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt today launched Non-Timber Forests Product Market Watch, a web-based price information dissemination system, aimed at monitoring trade in non-timber forest products (NTFP) in the country. The web portal, developed by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), provides market prices of 20 important NTFPs, including medicinal plants like Ashwagandha, Bel, Chirayata, Atis and Satavar, which are being extracted in the country. The portal is available at <http://ntfpmarketwatch.icfre.gov.in>.

The Governor said the portal would help farmers and tribals to watch market prices of non-timber forest products in the country.

He also expressed concern about adverse changes in the environment and encouraged the scientists to find solutions to the environmental and ecological problems. He stressed upon the role played by the NTFPs in poverty alleviation among the tribals and other residents of forest fringe villages by providing a means of livelihood to them.

Forest products like lac, honey and tassar could play a major role in the generation of income for the people dependent on forests, especially in Naxal-affected areas. They could also encourage the people to refrain from Naxalism and extremist activities,” he said.

The Governor asked the scientists to help the forest communities to realise the potential of the woods in providing income and employment.

Dr VK Bahuguna, Director General, ICFRE, said the main objective of the initiative was primarily to provide actual market price information to the farmers, forest fringe villagers and poor tribals involved in collection of NTFPs and NGOs in order to get actual cost price of the products for primary collectors and cultivators.

Bahuguna said the information on prices of NTFPs shall be updated periodically and the portal would be expanded to include valuation, utilisation and other lesser known aspects of the products, besides price statistics of other NTFPs. He emphasised that the user agencies should use the information made available for the benefit of the forest dependent communities for providing them a better source of livelihood.

Saibal Dasgupta, Deputy Director General (Extension), ICFRE, made a presentation about the activities of the council on the occasion.

Grant under tourism job scheme raised
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
The Uttarakhand government today decided to increase the grant under Veer Chander Singh Garhwali Paryatan Rozgar Yojana from the existing 25 per cent to 33 per cent.

At an evaluation meeting today, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the beneficiaries would now get Rs 15 lakh, instead of Rs 10 lakh, according to the terms of the previous plan.

Beside, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and Kumaon Vikas Nigam would now be merged into one unit. "The merger would give a distinct identity to Uttarkhand tourism and help in brand building,” he said.

The state government has decided to totally waive mountaineering fee, prepare an action plan for better arrangement of public lavatories in main tourist spots, including Char Dham Yatra, and explore possibility of operating guest houses of PWD, Irrigation and other government departments in the PPP mode.

Bahuguna said the Centre had sanctioned Rs. 160 crore for tourism development in Uttarakhand, tenders for ropeways at Yamunotri-Jankichatti and Purnagiri-Chulighat had been received, while 16 other places had been identified for ropeways.

To encourage rafting and other adventure activities, Bahuguna advocated integrated tax collection system and directed the officers to bring a proposal of beach camping policy in the Cabinet.

The Chief Minister said that the government would consider bringing the proposed Eco-Tourism Board under Tourism Department. He said that arrangements would also be made for the proper training of tourist guides.

Bahuguna directed the officers to maintain high sanitation standards at Char Dham, Hemkund Sahib, Piran Kaliyar and other tourist places. Bio-degradable toilets would be constructed at Kedarnath route and a master plan would be prepared to construct lavatories at Char Dham routes under which high standard toilets would be constructed in every 10 to 15 km distance, for which a budget of Rs. 24 crore had been proposed. He also asked officials to organise a tourism mart at New Delhi and invite prominent travel agents of the country in the mart.

Six villagers in Almora suffer from diarrhoea
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 9
Six residents of Airari village in the Dwarahat block of Almora district have been admitted to a local hospital with symptoms of diarrhoea, sources in the district administration and the local medical department said.

According to information, a team of doctors had gone to the village to check the people for the epidemic as many villagers, including children, were said to be suffering from the water-borne disease. “Diarrhoea has spread in the village mainly due to consumption of contaminated water and food by the villagers,” said Dr SK Raturi, medical officer at the primary health centre, Dwarahat.

The sources said 43 persons from Airari village had been treated by the team of doctors. “After most of the patients complained of stomach pain, the doctors advised them to desist from using contaminated water,” said Raturi.

The villagers said the disease spread when they partake of food at a religious function held in the village on Sunday. “Besides, 300 residents of the village are using water available at a nearby source, which has become contaminated during the rain,” said Tej Singh Adhikari, gram pradhan of Airari village.

The visiting doctors said they had distributed chlorine tablets among the villagers and instructed them not to consume stale food.

Statehood activists threaten to intensify agitation
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 9
The organisers of the 16-day agitation have announced that they will intensify the stir from August 16 if the Uttarakhand Government does not accept their demand for new parameters for identifying activists of the statehood movement.

“We have four demands, including the extension of the tenure of the Statehood Activists Identification Committee, which had ceased to work in 2011. We also demand that all those persons who had gone to any police station during the agitation and remained there even for one day be declared as statehood activists,” said Jodh Singh Bora, organiser of the agitation.

He said they had launched the agitation and more neglected statehood activists were joining them as they had not been evaluated by government panels formed for the purpose.

The protesters are demanding that the people who were part of the Delhi march on the night of October 2, 1994, be also declared as activists of the statehood agitation as they had faced police lathis. “We have also demanded that the tenure of the Statehood Activists Identification Committee be extended and those people who had gone to jail during the movement due to their criminal activities but got themselves declared as statehood activists be identified and their pension and other benefits be stopped,” said Bora.

Three held for selling child
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
Gobind Singh, resident of Shanti Vihar, was arrested by the Patel Nagar police for selling his two-year-old son Saurabh to Mohammad Ali of the same area. Ali had bought the child for Rs 30,000 for his married daughter who was childless. It is on the complaint of Shobha, Saurabh’s mother, that the police arrested Gobind Singh, Mohammad Ali and mediator Rajnath. The child was handed over to his mother.

Girl commits suicide

Priyanka Chauhan, 17, daughter of Sanjay Singh Chauhan, committed suicide by hanging in Shivalikview colony on Tuesday night. The police could not decipher the reason behind the suicide.

Thieves beat advocate

Three accused in a theft case threatened and beat up an advocate on the court premises openly on Wednesday. Amarpal, Harmeet and Inderjeet, who had come for hearing in the theft case which they committed in 2009 in the shop of late Jaspal Singh on Chakrata Road, threatened and later thrashed advocate Sukhbir Singh for appearing as a witness in the case. Sukhbir has filed a complaint against the accused. They have not been arrested on the complaint as yet.

Freedom fighters honoured on Kranti Divas
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 9
Freedom fighters hailing from Haridwar district were honoured today by the city Congress Committee on the 70th anniversary of Kranti Divas.

Veteran freedom fighters Sumal Chandra Magan and Nand Lal Dhingra, who participated in the pre-independence movement and were sent to prison by British on several occasions, were felicitated on the occasion.

In his address, Magan referred to various instances of freedom struggle in Haridwar, visits of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru to the state, and the atrocities of British rule.

Magan termed the Quit India Movement as a decisive movement of Independence, which uprooted the British colonial rulers from the Indian territory.

Both the freedom fighters also recalled the undivided India in which Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and people from other sects mutually fought against the British.

Felicitating both the freedom fighters, city chief OP Chauhan said present generation needed to take inspiration from the contribution of these two.

Floral tributes to all freedom fighters of the country were also paid on the occasion.

Meanwhile, in another related function, Uttarakhand Statehood Fighters Forum also paid tributes to the martyrs and freedom fighters who participated in the Independence movement. Veteran Uttarakhand statehood agitator Mahendra Singh Aswal along with forum founder JP Pandey lighted ‘diyas’ at Har-ki-Pauri.

Lawyers call off protest outside Parliament
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 9
President of the Dehradun Bar Association Surender Singh Pundir said yesterday that they had called off their protest against the Higher Education and Research Bill outside Parliament during the monsoon session.

He said they had taken this decision as Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had assured them of amending the draft of the Bill.

Addressing the media here today, Pundir said the protest which was to be held on a call given by the Bar Council of India had been called off.

Pundir said Sibal had assured them that the power of the BCI or state bar councils would not be curtailed and their interests would be safeguarded in the amended Bill.