BJP: Centre cold to cloudburst victims
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
The state BJP has expressed surprise over Rs 150 crore assistance for the Uttarkashi cloudburst victims provided by the Centre.

State BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal today reminded that during the Varunavat hill landslide in Uttarkashi, the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the Centre had provided Rs 250 crore but the Congress-led Centre had adopted an insensitive attitude towards the Uttarkashi tragedy.

He accused the Centre of always giving a step-motherly treatment to Uttarakhand.

Chufal, who visited various villages in the cloudburst-hit Uttarkashi, said there were no arrangements to distribute and store the relief materials.

He said the state government was not even properly informed about the statistics of the deceased and injured persons.

He said Uttarkashi was facing worst times as family members of deceased victims had been forced to dispose of the bodies directly into the Bhagirathi river due to lack of wood to perform last rites.

Chufal said it was strange that the administration was providing kerosene to the victims in disposable plastic glass.

He said in some cases, the administration had failed to even locate the dead.

He revealed that the Bhatwari region of Uttarkashi was still to get relief material.

Chufal, however, appreciated the Army and the Border Roads Organisation. He also held that the RSS and other non-government organisations were actively participating in the relief activities in Uttarkashi.

Govt has done little for landslide-hit villages

Dehradun, August 19
A team of CPI (ML) members that visited the calamity-hit Bhaithi and Jhimargaon villages in the Dharchula region of Pithoragarh district have accused the state government of doing little for the two landslide-hit villages.

District CPI (ML) secretary Jagat Martolia, who led the team, said no administrative official found it necessary to visit Bhaithi and Jhimargaon villages.

CPI (ML) members found 21 families who have been constantly affected with landslides in Jhimargaon for the past three years and were still to be rehabilitated.

Even in Bhaithi village, 40 nalis of land provided to four disaster-affected families have been lost in the recent landslides. He said these families were today not even getting potable water facilities. — TNS

Bailley Bridge at Gangori opens to traffic today
BRO Chief Engineer lauded for speedy construction
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain has appreciated BRO Chief Engineer KK Rajdan for the speedy construction of Bailley Bridge at Gangori. He also lauded ITBP jawans for carrying out relief works on a war footing and with great dedication.

Despite incessant rain, 150 jawans were engaged in constructing 180-ft-long bridge. BRO Commander UK Pandey said construction was almost over and the bridge 
would be opened to traffic on Monday.

The Chief Secretary said the bridge would connect hundreds of villages that were cut off due to the recent cloudburst.

It would also connect the Gangotri national highway to Uttarkashi. At Bhatwari, the construction of 110-ft-long Valley Bridge was almost over and it would open soon. The bridge would facilitate transportation of heavy machines for the repair of damaged roads at Bhatwari, Agoda, Gajoli, Bhankol, Dasda and Gram Sabha Nald.

Jain said the BRO was continuously working at Dharasu Band and the Nalu Pani sliding zone.

The Chief Secretary is personally monitoring relief works at Uttarkashi and taking information about the situation.

Bahuguna govt weak: Khanpur Cong MLA
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Describing the Vijay Bahuguna government as weak, Khanpur Congress MLA and state Forest Development Corporation Chairman Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion has put question mark on his very own party’s government, asserting that bureaucracy was at the helm of affairs in the state.

Champion, who just a few days back returned from London Olympics, claimed that he had stood as the fittest Sports Minister of the state, keeping in view his sports background.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun, Champion today said the Congress government in the state was weak. Citing example, he said despite his repeated pleas to the state Chief Secretary to take up the issue of renewal of the permission for quarrying in the Gola, the Kosi, the Dabka and the Sharda with the Centre, little efforts had been made by the former. That’s why, he said, he was forced to take up the issue with Union Environment and Forest Minister Jayanti Natarajan.

He pointed out that even as the chairman of the state Forest Development Corporation, he was just a titular head of the corporation as the real powers vested in the bureaucrats like the General Manager and Managing Director.

Referring to the recent transfers in the state Forest Development Corporation, he said it was done at the behest of the General Manager without his consent by the virtue of power vested in the GM. “I have now taken up the matter with the Chief Minister and asked him to bring a cabinet note so that the State Forest Development Corporation Chairman could be bestowed with executive, finance and administrative powers,” said Champion, adding that he would not even hesitate to bring private member bill in this regard.

On his recent visit to London Olympics, Champion categorically held that he had gone with his family to the event on his own and had incurred his own expenses. “I have been a nationally acclaimed sportsperson and was most qualified to represent Uttarakhand in the Olympics, but the state government preferred the Sports Minister who neither had sports background nor seemed to be interested in sports,” he said. He said he could have been an excellent Sports Minister had he not been sidelined when the Cabinet was formed.

Responding to queries, Champion said he would also shortly seek audience with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and put forward his grievances.

During the press conference, he said he had been winning from the Khanpur Assembly constituency on his own with little support from the Congress.

Gabla Puja festival kicks off in Darma valley
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 19
Gabla Puja, annual religious festival of the Rang tribal society residing in the Darma valley of the high Himalayas of Dharchula subdivision of this district, began after installation of the idol of Gabla devta.

The deity is considered a form of Shiva by these people. Gabla Puja was started by a senior member of the Rang society at Dantu village of the valley.

The religious ceremony, which had been attended by Nrip Singh Napalchayal, state information commissioner and member of the community, is being celebrated at Duktu village in the high Himalayan valley which is at a distance of 154 km from the district headquarters and 64 km from Dharchula subdivisional.

"The festival was inaugurated on August 17. Gabla Pujan is the main ceremony for which the idol was be raised at 7.30 am on Saturday followed by the worship of the deity," said Krisna Singh Firmal, a member of the Rang society.

According to Firmal, thousands of members of the Rang community had the glimpse of various local deities brought by local youths on the occasion.

The tribal Rang people consider local deities as their protectors. This will be followed by the installation of a statue of Jasuli Buri Sokyani, a woman from the community who is famous for getting 200 dharamshalas constructed in the 18th century.to create the lodging facility for the tribal people, who used to travel from Haldwani Mandi to Tibet during the old barter trade days.

"The inauguration will be done by chief guest Napalchyal," said Firmal.

According to the information, after the religious ceremony, an annual general meeting of the Rang community will be held on August 21 at the same village.

"We invite each and every member of our community , wherever he resides for this AGM every year. Most of the invitees, some even from foreign countries, spare time to attend the meet, in which the annual programme of welfare of the community are planned," said Sundar Singh Bonal, senior member of the community.

BJP leader expresses concern over rising crime in Doon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 19
Senior state BJP leader Ajay Bhatt has expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation in Dehradun.

In a statement issued here today, Bhatt said the government had failed to check deteriorating law and order situation in the city. The incidents of thefts had witnessed unprecedented rise in the past few months.

He alleged that the government lacked determination to deal with the problem. "Congress leaders face rampant factionalism and keep a little interest in resolving public issues", alleged Bhatt.

He said 20 thefts had been reported in Dehradun in the past two months. "Police personnel are busy providing security to Congress leaders and are least concerned about the common man," he added.

Bhatt said even on other fronts, the government had failed miserably. The state was reeling under an acute power crisis and industrialists were bearing the brunt of it.

Ajay Bhatt his party would take up law and order, power crisis and other issues in the coming state Assembly session.

He claimed that the BJP was committed to the welfare of the people of the state and would repeatedly raise public welfare issues.

He claimed that the BJP in Uttarakhand was playing a role of constructive opposition.

Villagers protest shortage of teachers
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 19
Residents of the Ganai Gangoli area of Pithoragarh blocked the Askot- Karanprayag road for over three hours today in protest against a shortage of teachers in Government Intermediate College in the area.

They said the building of the college was also in a dilapidated state, risking the lives of students.

"We blocked the road today to draw the attention of the government towards the vacant posts of teachers of chemistry, physics, biology, English, Hindi and history in the college," said Chandan Bani, who organised the protest.

He said earlier, they had submitted a memorandum to the administration demanding the recruitment of teachers and also threatened an agitation from September 6 if it failed to do so. However, when officials gave no attention to their demand, they were forced to stage a protest today, he added.

Bani further said the Parents-teachers' Association had taken the agitation route to draw the attention of the government towards their-long pending demand.

Meanwhile, traffic movement to Almora, Bageshwar and Karanprayag remained suspended for many hours as villagers gathered there in the early morning.

The traffic was restored only after Tehsildar Khayali Ram and senior police official GL Shah reached the spot and gave an assurance to the protesters that their demands would be taken up with the administration.