Flood alert in Haridwar, Rishikesh
Water released from Tehri dam
Help sought from Army, NDRF
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, August 23
A flood alert was sounded in the lower region of the Garhwal division after water was released from the Tehri dam today. The Ganga was flowing just below the danger level in Haridwar and the local people felt threatened thinking what would happen when more water was released from the dam.

Lower reaches of Rishikesh, Haridwar and Lakshar were alerted and regular announcements were made that water released from the Tehri dam could reach Haridwar by late evening.

About 830 cusecs of water was released from the dam at 11 am which reached Devprayag in Pauri Garhwal by 5 pm and was expected to reach Haridwar by 9 pm.

People living in areas along the Ganga were shifted to safer places. In view of the flood threat, the district administration was in touch with the Army and the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Noida.

At 7 pm today the Ganga was flowing just below the danger level at 293.6 metre with 1.08 lakh cusecs of water. Due to the water released from the Tehri dam, the water level in the Ganga in Haridwar could rise to 1.40 lakh cusecs, an increase of 32,000 cusecs.

District Magistrate, Haridwar, Sachin Kurwe held a meeting of administration officials and gave specific directions for disaster management to tackle any emergency arising due to water released from the Tehri dam.

Additional precautionary measures were being taken to ensure that the situation did not go out of hand in case the water level in the Ganga rises by the late evening.

“We are carrying out maintenance work on weak embankments on a war footing and the Irrigation Department has been directed to report to me about the water level in the Ganga round the clock,” said Kurwe.

Disaster Management Officer Dr Naresh Chaudhari told The Tribune that they were in touch with the Bengal Engineering Group, Roorkee, and the NDRF, Noida, in case a flood-like situation arose.

Though the Tehri dam authorities claimed that they were releasing water in a staggered manner, there was apprehension that a huge quantity of water from the dam could cause a flood-like situation in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Power bill waiver plan for domestic users
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
Amid a bleak power scenario in the state, the state government has announced to waive pending electricity bills of domestic power users and factory owners. It has also announced conversion of Rs 435 crore loan incurred by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) into equity.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the government had decided to waive Rs 230 crore of pending bill amount (as in July 2012) of domestic users, Rs 400 core of factory owners and also converting the loan of the UPCL into equity. The entire exercise of wavering loan of domestic consumers would come at a loss of Rs 80 crore to be borne by the state,” said Bahuguna while speaking to mediapersons today at the end of the review meeting of Power and Horticulture Departments.

He said the government had also initiated steps to curb line losses and pilferage of electricity in the state. “At least 40 per cent of the electricity is pilfered in the state and the highest number of such cases is reported in the Haridwar, Kashipur and Rudrapur districts. At least 12,000 FIRs have been registered against the culprits and adverse entries made in the service record of employees have been found guilty. We hope to maintain a strict vigil,” said the Chief Minister.

He said the government would soon put up information on the website about the duration of hours and areas where roistering would be carried out. The Chief Minister also said more micro power projects were planned in Dehradun, Satpauli, Sitarganj, Roorkee, Haridwar, Pithoragarh and Srinagar.

He also added that an environment assessment study was being carried by the IIT Roorkee of 56 micro hydel projects sanctioned by the previous government. “The report is expected to be submitted by the end of September after which the government would prepare the DPRS and invite bids to start the projects,” he said.

State’s objection to Sharda-Yamuna linking rejected
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 23
The National Water Development Authority has rejected an objection raised by the Uttarakhand Irrigation Department to the linking of the Sharda river flowing in the Kumaon region to the major rivers of north India under an ambitious project of the Central government. The Centre plans to link 30 Himalayan rivers to quench the thirst of western parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

“We have raised an objection that if the Sharda is linked to the Yamuna under the Central project, thousands of hectares of forestland will be destroyed and the state will get nothing from it. But the Union Water Resource Ministry has set aside our objection,” said DC Singh, Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department, Kumaon region

Irrigation officials said they recently received a blue print of the Sharda-Yamuna canal under which the Sharda would be linked to the Yamuna at Karnal in Haryana and from there the canal water will be diverted towards western parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

“To facilitate the linking of the two rivers, a 20-km long and 162-metre deep barrage will be constructed at Purnagiri in Champawat district of the Kumaon region,” said the Chief Engineer.

According to sources in the Irrigation Department, under the project a long canal would be constructed from Purnagiri in Champawat to Karnal in Haryana and the 200-km portion of it would be in Uttarakhand. “The canal having a capacity of 192 cubic metre per minute will pass through Khatima, Sitarganj and Kashipur, involving the Koshi and Ram Ganga rivers on its way. Small dams will be constructed on these rivers to facilitate the canal,” said DC Singh.

“The Central government has given an assurance to the state that when the project is completed it will be given compensation for the land acquired for the project, besides sufficient canal water for its irrigation needs,” he said.

The sources said the National Water Development Authority constituted to implement the ambitious project was yet to work out how the Sharda-Yamuna link canal would pass through the Ganga canal at Haridwar.

“According to the blue print of the project, a 60 MW power house will also be constructed at Purnagiri and the power generated with the help of the canal water will fulfill the needs of the state,” said DC Singh. 

Quota in Promotions
Govt employees hold dharnas in Kumaon
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 23
Employees of all departments of the state government sat on a dharna on the second day of their agitation at Pithoragarh and Almora district headquarters today. They urged the state government to implement the order of the Supreme Court abolishing reservation in promotions in government jobs.

In Almora, 15 employee representatives from various government departments sat on a dharna in front of the office of the District Magistrate in support of their demand. “We are organised under the Adhikari Karamchari Shikshak Sangharsh Morcha and will continue the dharna till our demand is met by the government,” said Chandra Mani Bhatt, spokesman for the morcha.

In Pithoragarh, only employees of the Education Department sat on a dharna. “The morcha has decided that the protest will be followed by a dharna by employees of all departments till September 5. Later an indefinite fast will be started to force the government to implement the order of the Supreme Court,” said NS Kanyal, coordinator of the morcha in Pithoragarh district.

The work in government offices was badly affected in Champawat district for the second consecutive day today due to the employees’ agitation. “We condemn the statement of local MP Pradeep Tamta that reservation in promotions in government jobs for the SC and ST communities should continue. He should retract his statement keeping in mind the plight of lakhs of talented employees in the country who are being denied promotions because they do not belong to the reserved categories,” said Jagdish Singh, convener of the agitation in Champawat district. 

Honour Supreme Court order: SP chief
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
State president of the Samajwadi Party Vinod Barthwal has expressed displeasure over the formation of a committee by the state government to consider the issue of reservation in promotions in jobs. He also slammed the state government for its slow response to the disaster caused by a cloudburst in Uttarkashi and the agitation of teachers.

Barthwal said Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna must honour the Supreme Court order quashing reservation in promotions. He added Bahuguna should not yield to pressure of the groups which were favouring reservation in promotions as it would create frustration and friction among employees.

He ridiculed review meetings held by the state government from time to time saying these were being used to make hollow announcements where action was not taken on the ground level.

Barthwal targeted bureaucrats saying they had become complacent and were not visiting hill areas to check development works or even places affected by calamities like Uttarkashi. He demanded a concrete solution to the issues of hundreds of teachers (Shiksha Mitr) who had been protesting for a long time. He said these teachers had been working in far flung schools in hills and plains. They should be given a reasonable pay scale and designation by the state government. 

Protest by teachers
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
The members of Uttarakhand Adhikari Karmachari Shikshak Sangarsh Morcha held a protest at the secretariat, demanding the implementation of the High Court order quashing quota in promotions.

In view of the protest there was little work at the secretariat and most government offices. The office bearers of the morcha said they had given one week's time to the state government to decide. “ In case the government fails to accept the High Court ruling, we would be forced to intensify our stir,” said G.B Bhakuni, president of the morcha.

Since the last three days the functioning of the offices has come to a halt. Similar protests were held at all district headquarters.

OBC certificates to be valid for 3 years
Polytechnic institutes, engg colleges, schools to be built on PPP mode
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
The validity period of Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates issued by the state government will now be for three years instead of six months.

Polytechnic institutes, engineering colleges and schools on the CBSE pattern will be built on the PPP mode in which 50 per cent seats will be reserved for students of the SC category.

These decisions were taken at a review meeting of the Social Welfare and Minority Welfare Department chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at his residence on Wednesday. Bahuguna said the benefits of all welfare programmes launched under the Social Welfare Department should reach the last person.

He said he would visit four Muslim-dominated areas next month and review works undertaken in the last 10 years in those areas. He directed the Secretary, Social Welfare, to identify those four areas, including one from Dehradun, two from Haridwar and one from Udham Singh Nagar.

Bahuguna directed the officers to increase the validity period of OBC certificates to three years from the existing six months. He said one school each in Haridwar and Sitarganj would be built on the PPP mode with 50 per cent reservation for the students of the Scheduled Castes.

Similarly, an engineering college and a polytechnic would be established on the PPP mode with similar reservation provision. The schools run on the Ashram pattern would have Class VI to X run by the Education Department while Class I to V would be abolished.

Bahuguna said camps would be organised to redress the grievances of van gujjars in which the presence of officers from all the departments concerned would be mandatory. He directed the officers to ensure that pension disbursed by the Social Welfare Department should be directly credited to bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

He instructed all departments to furnish reports in one month on the welfare schemes undertaken by them for the SC and the ST and the breakdowns of the amount spent on the schemes.

Secretary, Social Welfare, MH Khan said the process had been started for the effective execution of the Chief Minister's Minority Self-employment Scheme launched to improve economic condition and encourage self-employment among the Muslim youth.

He said loan would be provided for these schemes on low interest rate (6 per cent) and 25 per cent grant be provided. An approval of Rs 4.34 crore had been received for proposals of 65 madrassas for aid from the Minority Ministry which had been due since long.

Decision on sugar mills flayed
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
The Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have slammed the state government's decision to run sugar mills under the Public Private Partnership mode.

State secretary of the Communist Party of India Samar Bhandari and state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have appealed to all trade unions and farmer organisation to launch an agitation in protest against the decision.

Computerised PDS still a dream
Food and Civil Supplies employees resist move 
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
A hassle-free delivery of ration under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) at fair price shops by swapping a card as part of the IT-enabled initiative may not become a reality in Uttarakhand due to apathy of the Food and Civil Supplies Department that is not geared up for a change towards a more transparent and accountable system.

While the software for the TPDS is ready, there has not been any move on the part of the Food and Civil Supplies Department to form financial, technical and management teams that will help the existing manual system to go the digital way.

“We are ready with the software but there is a real danger of the system collapsing midway if the efforts are not made to train employees to work on the system. There is an opportunity to redefine and revamp the entire public distribution system by doing away with bogus card holders, but the Food and Civil Supplies Department employees are resisting the change. They are fearful that the technology will challenge their authority,” said a senior government official.

Steps have to be taken to officially validate the number of ration card holders and the existing fair price shops so that the food entitlements reach the beneficiary at the lowest level.

“We are moving from a manual system to an automatic system that is being resisted by the employees. The government needs to select motivated and bright district supply officers for undertaking a tour of Maharashtra and some South Indian states and visit the shops for witnessing the change at first hand,” he added.

At the top level due to a Supreme Court ruling, there is an urgency to move on to e-enabled TPDS for which the state has already allocated Rs 5 crore, but the government is yet to wake up to the fact that the IT-enabled system requires its sanction and rules and regulations have to be framed by the Food and Civil Supplies Department. Till date, it is uncertain whether the Census 2011 or the Aadhar data will be used for marking the beneficiaries.

Once the e-enabled TPDS system is in place, the Uttarakhand government will be able to monitor the entire supply chain, completely cutting the role of the middlemen.

Shiksha mitras protest outside Naithani’s home
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
Seeking regular appointments, the agitating shiksha mitras today staged a protest outside the residence of Uttarakhand Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani in Dehradun.

The shiksha mitras reached the Yamuna colony residence of Mantri Prasad Naithani during morning hours and staged a massive demonstration. The police had to use mild force, before a delegation of shiksha mitras was allowed to meet the minister. Uttarakhand Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani assured to give due consideration to the demands of the shiksha mitras.

The BTC-trained shiksha mitras are demanding appointments to the post of assistant teacher in the state government schools. Presently they are being employed on a daily wage basis.

Tributes paid to cultural activist Girda in Kumaon 
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, August 23
Girish Tiwari, alias Girda, a famous folk singer and cultural activist, was remembered in the Kumaon region on his second death anniversary yesterday.

Remembering his contribution to the field of cultural promotion, speakers at the Nainital Press Club said Girda’s contribution to the field of culture in the Kumaon region was immense and his devotion to the cause of the poor would inspire the youth in future.

Girda was not only a cultural activist but also a man guided by an ideology that inspired him to fight for the poor, said Rajiv Lochan Shah, a senior journalist and himself an activist.

In Almora town, a meeting was organised at the Nagar Palika meeting hall that was addressed by various organisations and some political parties. Later the Nagar Palika Parishad organised a photo exhibition on Girda’s life and contribution. It was inaugurated by Shobha Joshi, chairperson of the Nagar Palika Parishad.

Girda’s feats include his stiff opposition to the social system that is exploitative, as he was in the real term a watchman of the interests of the common people, said PC Tiwari, president of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party.

Girda was also remembered at Dwarahat and Bairti in Almora district and Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts. Girda had contributed to the formation of Uttarakhand but what he envisioned of the state was not happening even after 12 years,” said Ghanshyam Joshi, a senior journalist in Bageshwar.

The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) also organised a meeting to remember Girda at Dwarahat. It praised his contribution towards the creation of the state. “It is difficult to fulfil the void created by Girda’s death two years ago as his spirited work for the common people of the state was matchless,” said Anand Singh Bisht, organiser of the meeting. The departed poet was also remembered by scores of social activists at a hall on the GIC road in Pithoragarh town. 

Ambulance service to be renamed
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today reiterated that the Deen Dayal Upadhyay 108 Emergency Ambulance Service would be renamed giving due credits to the Centre, which was funding the scheme.

Bahuguna said the ambulance services were being funded by the Centre under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), but the BJP government had not only named the scheme after Deen Dayal Upadhyay but had also refused to acknowledge the role of the NRHM.

He also said schemes would be renamed in honour of heroes who had national and state importance. He stated that Sri Dev Suman was a popular hero in the state. But he said schemes named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would not be renamed.

The Chief Minister also added that the decision to run the four sugar mills in the state on the public-private mode had been undertaken as it was becoming increasingly difficult for the government to bail them out.

Meanwhile, Bahuguna invited the BJP MLAs who staged a dharna today at the Secretariat for talks.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Gadarpura Arvind Pandey, senior BJP leaders Harbans Kapoor, Banshi dhar Bhagat, Ganesh Joshi, Prem Chand Agarwal and others staged a sit-in at the Secretariat in protest against the government’s decision to shut the Gadarpur sugar mill and run four sugar mills on public-private partnership.

Raiwala shopkeepers demand land for building new units 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
Some of the total 81 shopkeepers of Raiwala whose shops will be dismantled to widen the main road by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) met District Magistrate Ravinath Raman today in this regard. The shopkeepers demanded some land from a vacant plot in the area for building new shops. Raman asked them to send him a proposal regarding this through the gram panchayat.

These are the shopkeepers who had been doing business on roadside for the last four decades. They do not own land but built shops on the land of the gram panchayat to whom they pay a monthly rent. JN Dimri, shopkeeper, said:" The officials of the NHAI refused to give us any compensation. They

contended that since we do not own land, we will not get any compensation for the land, except the money for dismantling the shops constructed by us. We were in a fix as we have been earning our living through these shops for the last four decades."

He said that they wanted some portion of the plot, around 18 bighas of land in the area, which had now been handed over to the Sports Department to build their shops. The District Magistrate assured that if the proposal was passed by the gram panchayat, then he would make efforts to provide them some land from the plot. Now the shopkeepers have to mobilise support from panchayat members to get things in their favour.

BJP memo to Governor on govt attempt to rename institutions
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
Protesting against the Congress government's decision to rename Deen Dayal Upadhayay Affiliating University as Sri Dev Suman University and five Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Navodyaya Vidyalayas after Rajiv Gandhi, the BJP leaders led by former Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri today submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Uttarakhand.

Charging the Congress government with playing politics, former Chief Minister Khanduri said the Bahuguna government should rise above petty politics and not use educational institutions to further the interest of the party. "Above all, the Chief Minister's statements that both Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee are not national leaders and have nothing to do with Uttarakhand is deplorable," said Khanduri.

He said during the tenure of the BJP, the leaders of all the parties were given due respect and none of the names were changed to suit the BJP.

The leaders also apprised the Governor about the Kotdwar incident in which the BJP MLA was allegedly beaten up by Congress workers.

Nod to international power project uncalled for: Pant
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, August 23
Uttarakhand Planning Minister Prakash Pant here today described the approval given by the Uttarakhand Cabinet for the construction of long-awaited international multipurpose power project at Pancheshwar on the Sharda river in Champawat district as uncalled for.

Pant said as parties of the project were the Government of India and the Nepal government, the state involvement had no meaning for this international project.

“This decision of giving no objection to this project has been taken by the government without requirement from any party and is only to show its fake commitment in the power sector while it has failed to deliver the required power to the state this whole session,” he said.

“If the state government is committed to this project, it should take care of 25,611 citizens from 61 villages of three border districts of India, who will be displaced by this project,” said Pant.

According to the former minister, the demands of the state government of giving it the right to purchase 50 per cent of the total generated electricity out of the project and 13 per cent free of cost were also unrealistic as the negotiations could be held between the parties only.

Sethi renominated panel state coordinator
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 23
The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions has renominated Harpal Singh Sethi as state coordinator of the panel for a period of one year.

This was stated by Sukhbir Singh of the commission yesterday. Sethi will inform the commission about any complaint of deprivation or violation of the education rights of the minorities as guaranteed under the Constitution.

He will also work to spread awareness concerning the education status and right of the minorities to carry out functions that may be considered necessary for the promotion of education rights of the minorities in Uttarakhand.

Sethi will also initiate research projects on problems and needs of the minority community to identify factor relevant to the educational development of the minorities.