Govt issues order annulling quota in promotions
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
The Uttarakhand Government issued three Government Orders today. While the first order annulled quota in promotions in government jobs, the second one called for setting up a one-man committee headed by Justice Irshad Hussain, a retired judge, for studying backwardness among the Schedule Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

The third order was aimed at placating employees belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes by seeking the creation of ex-cadre posts as an interim arrangement for ensuring them the benefit of promotion till the Justice Irshad Hussain committee files its report.

According to the first Government Order, in compliance with the High Court rulings dated July 10, 2012, all promotion vacancies in organisational structures relating to state public services would be filled without applying the roster, meaning thereby that promotions would be made without reservation to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Employees belonging to the general category, who had retired in July and August, 2012, would also be given notional promotion with effect from July 10, 2012.

The second order was relating to the constitution of a one-man commission to be headed by Justice Irshad Hussain, a retired judge of the Nainital High Court. The commission would study issues relating to ‘backwardness’, ‘adequacy (or inadequacy) of ‘representation’ and ‘maintenance of administrative efficiency’ as prescribed by the Supreme Court in the Nagraj case for providing reservation in promotions to the SC and the ST communities. The commission would submit its report in three months.

According to the third order, those SC and ST employees, who would have got promotion had the earlier scheme of reservation in promotions been there, would be appointed on promotion posts by creating ex-cadre posts as an interim arrangement till the final decision was taken by the government after the receipt of the report of the Justice Hussain Commission.

Notional appointments on the created ex-cadre posts would also be given to such employees, who had retired in July and August, 2012. After the receipt of the commission report if the government enacts a law to provide reservation in promotion to the SC/ST communities, that would be given with retrospective effect from July 10, 2012. In this case, the employees appointed on the ex-cadre posts would be included in their original cadre on promotion posts by creating additional posts without affecting any promotion already made.

After the receipt of the report of the commission, if the government is not in a position to enact a law to provide reservation in promotion to the SC/ST employees those appointed on the ex-cadre posts would be given an option to continue on higher posts till retirement or revert to their cadre on their original posts.

However, in spite of the orders the Uttarakhand Adhikari Karamchari Shikshak Sanyukt Morcha, which is opposing reservation in promotions, announced that it would continue with its agitation in protest against the government decision to create ex-cadre posts. It continued to boycott work for the second consecutive day today. The anti-reservation employees also had a face off with the pro-reservation employees at the Secretariat in Dehradun. Fortunately, the situation did not get out of hand and was limited to sloganeering on the both sides.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna yet again appealed to the striking employees to end their agitations in the interest of the public. He said the issue of reservation was social and statutory. The state government would ensure that there was no injustice done to any section of society, he added.

Bahuguna calls on Governor

Dehradun, September 5
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna called on Governor Aziz Qureshi at Raj Bhavan here today.

During the meeting, the two discussed the efforts of the government to provide relief to the disaster-affected people in the state, development works in various spheres and inconvenience being caused to residents due to demonstrations by government employees at various places. — TNS

BJP to raise issues of corruption, price rise during bypoll: Uniyal
'Calamity-hit people yet to get relief'
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, September 5
The state vice president of the BJP, Vinod Uniyal, speaking to the media on her brief visit to Mussoorie, said her party would raise the issues of price rise and corruption "induced by the Congress-led government at the Centre" during the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection.

The seat was vacated by the present Chief Minister after he won the MLA seat from Sitarganj.

Vinod Uniyal further said that it was over a month since the Uttarkashi disaster took place but the people are still waiting for relief, thus proving that the government had failed on all fronts in the state.

She also lambasted the Congress government for changing the names of programmes initiated by the previous BJP government, thus hurting the sentiments of the people of the state.

She also opined that if the Congress government did not mend it's way, then it would not last long and already the voices of opposition among it's own rank were on the increase.

Vinod Uniyal also met the local BJP unit leaders and completed the verification of the new active members inducted into the party. She informed that around 1119 primary members had joined the party, and it was targeting to induct about 100 new active members. She said that about 50 per cent of the verification work had been completed so far.

She was hopeful that this drive would bear fruitful results in the forthcoming Tehri Lok Sabha byelections for the party.

She also thanked the party for putting forth her name for candidature for the Tehri Lok Sabha byelections, and was of the view that the party by fielding a woman candidate from Tehri would be upholding the party’s desire to promote women in politics prominently.

Power staff boycott work over reservation issue

Dehradun, September 5
The Joint Coordination Committee of the three corporations of the power department today boycott work and lashed out at the government for not following the orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court against reservations in promotions.

The members also flayed the Centre for taking steps to amend the Constitution to facilitate reservation in promotions and demanded to cease the process immediately. The committee comprises members of the employees’ unions of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited and Power Transmission Corporation Limited. — TNS

Rs 5 lakh donated to CM Relief Fund
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Sri Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib has donated Rs 5 lakh to the Chief Minister Relief Fund. Representatives of the Darbar Sahib presented a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at his residence here today.

Bahuguna said Sri Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib was contributing to various areas of society. Besides, he added it was also contributing to the welfare of the disaster-affected people.

The delegation was comprised of Prof VA Baurai, VK Nautiyal and Chandrasekhar Pant. Baurai said the SGRR educational institutions at Purola and Badkot were extending services to the disaster-affected people. He assured the Chief Minister that the Darbar Sahib would continue to extend help to disaster-hit people in future as well.

Tehri byelection on October 10
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
The byelection for the Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat will be held on October 10 as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission.

The Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat was vacated by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna last month following his election as a member of the Uttarakhand Assembly from Sitarganj.

Bahuguna, who was the Tehri Garhwal MP, was appointed Chief Minister following the Congress party’s victory in the Assembly elections in March this year.

According to the Election Commission, the notification for the Tehri byelection will be issued on September 15. The last date of filing nominations will be September 23 while the scrutiny of the nomination papers will be done on September 24.

The last date of the withdrawal of candidature will be September 26. The polling will be held on October 10 and the counting of votes will take place on October 13.

The model code of conduct shall come into force with immediate effect in the district(s) in which the entire or any part of the parliamentary constituency going for the byelection is included. The poll code shall be applicable to all candidates, political parties and the government. 

UKD groups flay Panwar on support to govt
The leader has serious differences with the government on major issues
Seema Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
All disgruntled factions of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) have criticised the president of the parent body, UKD (P), Trivender Singh Panwar, for not withdrawing support to the state government despite having differences on major issues.

Panwar, who had earlier withdrawn support to the BJP-led state government, had cited the same reason of ‘difference of opinion’ while doing so, and later expelled Diwakar Bhatt, the then state minister for not resigning. Diwakar floated his own party , UKD (D). The parent party has been divided since then and today it has six factions.

Spokesperson for the UKD (D) Satish Semwal said, “Even in today’s scenario, the UKD (P) is opposing the decision of the state government to give ownership rights to West Bengal refugees in Sitarganj, while the natives of the state are being neglected. The party has also criticised the state government for not advocating its view strongly on the matter of original inhabitants in the High Court, due to which the cut-off date had been fixed as November 9, 2000, and not 1950.

Thirdly, leaders of the UKD (P) are also speaking against reservations in promotions, whereas the state government has not aligned itself with their stand on this issue. He said the reasons were strong enough to pull out from the state government, as Panwar did earlier.

Panwar, in his defence, said it would be too early to withdraw support to the state government which was just settling down. He emphasised that his party could oppose the state government by being in the government itself and need not to break the alliance.

President of UKD (Ekta) AK Gusain said Panwar was power hungry and wanted to cling to power, irrespective of issues. “While withdrawing support to the previous BJP government, Panwar had projected himself as the messiah of the party, who sacrificed the trappings of the power and pelf in the interest of the party and public. That façade, which was created basically to throw his rival Diwakar Bhatt out, has now been exposed.”

DB Uniyal, president of UKD (United), said Panwar was least bothered about the party and more concerned about his own petty interests.

He said it was Panwar and MLA Preetam Singh Panwar who decided to join the Congress government without consulting the rest of the party members, which was why he left the party. He said Panwar would only withdraw support when it suited him.

One of the founder-members and president of the UKD (Progressive and Democratic), PD Kuthiyal, said: “It was me and Bipin Tripathi who founded the manifesto of the party in the late 1980s. Since then I have been seeing Trivender Singh Panwar, BD Raturi, Diwakar Bhatt and Kashi Singh Aeri taking turns in being president of the party and dividing it for their vested interests. They never cared for the constitutionality of the party or consultations on important party decisions in the executive meeting. So people like them can never do ideology-based politics.”

Dr Shakti Shail, acting vice-president of UKD (Chufal group), too, reiterated the same sentiments.

Strong judicial process a must to strengthen democracy, says CM
Lays stone of Lokayukta Bhawan on Sahastradhara Road
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said a strong judicial process and dedicated executive was a must for the strengthening of democracy. He called on officials to work as per the rule and decorum so that there were minimum public grievances.

After laying the foundation stone of Lokayukta Bhawan on Sahastradhara Road, Bahuguna said the Lokayukta was carrying out his responsibility of redressing public grievances after investigating them minutely. He said the investigation of allegations should be carried out properly. He said levelling allegations and character assassination had become a common practise.

The Chief Minister said the menace of corruption had permeated deep into the system and to get rid of it, a change had to be brought in people’s thinking. He said corruption could be eradicated only by positive thinking and collective efforts.

Bahuguna said public welfare was the main objective of the state government and it would carry out its duty without any obstacle.

He said everyone should respect court decisions and urged the workers not to resort to agitations but support the government as it was working for the welfare of workers.

The Chief Minister also planted a sapling at the foundation site. He said soon an international standard sports stadium would be constructed near Sports College. “The government wants events like the IPL to take place here like in Dharmasala,” he said.

The Lokayukta, Justice MM Ghildiyal (retd), said the Lokayukta played an important role in checking corruption taking place under administrative activities.

Sports Minister Dinesh Agarwal, Small Scale Industry Minister Harish Durgapal, MLA Umesh Sharma, Justice BC Kandpal (retd), GS Rawat, Justice Rajesh Tandon (retd), Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, Information Commissioner Vinod Nautiyal and Vice-Chairman, Public Service Tribunal, BK Maheshwari were present on the occasion.

Landslide
Gangolihat villagers face shortage of essential items

Pithoragarh, September 5
More than 12 villages in the Gwasikoti area of Gangolihat subdivision are facing an acute shortage of the essential commodities as the road that links the area with other places is blocked for the past few days due to a landslide.

“After a landslide on the Nainoli-Naini road recently, the road was closed. However, the department concerned did not make efforts to reopen it, resulting in a shortage of the essentials items in the area,” said Dani Ram Gwasikoti, Gram Pradhan of the village.

“We have informed the local SDM and urged him to get the road cleared at the earliest," said the Gram Pradhan. — OC

Class IV staff seek revision of pay scales
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Uttrakhand Fourth Grade State Employees' Association gathered in the compound of Dehradun Municipal Corporation today while announcing work boycott in the wake of their two demands of revision of grade pay and benefit of aggregate career promotion (ACP).

While addressing the employees of various departments, state president of the association, Manwar Singh Negi, said the state government had not taken any decision on their demand of grade pay of Rs 1800 effective from January 1, 2006, and benefit of ACP as was given to other employees of the state government epartments.

He said if the government did nothing on their demands, they would hold a meeting on September 13 to decide about the next course of action. 

Sethi pulls up Kapoor for protest against poor state of roads
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Davinder Singh Sethi, secretary, Uttrakhand State Congress Committee, pulled up former Speaker and MLA, cantonment, Harbans Kapoor, today for holding a protest at the Secretariat on Friday against the poor state of roads in the cantonment Vidhan Sabha area.

Sethi said: “It was Kapoor who made Asian Development Bank agency and Jal Nigam dig up roads on a large scale in the cantonment area to lay down water pipes. He also took credit for this in the state Assembly election and won it. Now he is slamming the government for not covering the roads, whereas it is a common knowledge that the carpeting of roads cannot be done in the rainy season.” He said it was comparatively easy to dig roads with help of JCB machines but equally difficult to lay down pipes and carpet them. Kapoor should have let the work be done, which would not have created such a situation in the area. He also suggested that he should spend MLA funds to get the road repaired.

He said the Chief Minister had sanctioned the construction of a 25-km road in the cantonment area and given directions to the ADB to expedite the carpeting work after the monsoon.

DGP wants govt to relax rules for DSP’s appointment
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
DGP Vijay Raghav Pant urged the state government to provide relaxation in the service period under the police service regulation so that the appointment against the 25 vacancies for the positions of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) could be made in the state.

The posts had been lying vacant as the officers under the Provincial Police Service (PPS) had not completed the required number of service years in order to be eligible to be promoted as DSP.

The work was getting affected in different districts and units because of the pending vacancies. DGP said, “It is after the approval of the state government, the process of promotions of the related officers would begin.”

The PPS officers of the batch before 2005 would be benefited from the order, Pant added.

Doon to have alternate roads
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
The city will have alternate roads at the Rispana river from the Vidhan Sabha to Nagal Helodrum and from the ISBT to the Cantt road.

PWDs and Urban Development Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain chaired the meeting. A comprehensive mobility plan was presented and issues pertaining to the constructions of flyovers, railway overbridges, ring roads and by-passes in the city were discussed.

Jain directed the officers to conduct a survey at the Rispana and Bindal rivers through a team of specialists and explore a possibility of constructing the roads with private participation.

Jain said the number of vehicles entering the city through the Haridwar and Saharanpur roads were increasing. He said the traffic could be diverted from the outskirt of city to the Chakrata or the Mussoorie road.

He added the overbridge at the Mohakumpur railway crossing had been approved and its construction would provide relief from traffic jams.

He directed to construct a y-shape elevated road from the end of the Mohakumpur railway overbridge to the Jogiwala chowk with a service-lane under it. Jain added Rs 2 crore would be provided from the Special Plan Assistance for the project to be constructed with the budget of 95 crore.

He said Rs 70 crore each had been already sanctioned from the SPA for the construction of the flyovers at the ISBT, Balliwala and the railway overbridge at Bhandari Bagh.

He said this would also help to control pollution to some extent. He added the Chakrata and Saharanpur roads would be connected by an alternative road. The vehicles coming from Saharanpur and heading towards Vikasnagar or Paonta Sahib would directly go from Clement town without entering the city. Similarly, the vehicles going towards Mussoorie from Haridwar would take Jogiwala bypass and reach the Rajpur road.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, PWD S Raju, Secretary, Urban Development Dr Umakant Panwar, Staff Officer to Chief Secretary MC Joshi, Additional Secretary, PWD, Amit Negi and other senior officials.

DMC to charge commercial tax from mobile phone companies
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
The Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) will levy commercial tax on the mobile tower companies which had installed towers on the land belonging to the DMC.

The corporation will impose tax on all the commercial buildings as per the new circle rate. Mayor Vinod Chamoli said, “The mobile tower companies had installed mobile towers on the DMC land without giving any prior tax. Hence, we decided to send notice to all of them. The companies will have to deposit tax within a stipulated time of one month. A legal action will be taken against those who go against the notice.

He said the tax imposed on the commercial buildings such as hotels/restaurants, shops would be charged as per the new circle rate. “Soon we will assess the circle rate as per the specifications of the commercial premises set up on the DMC land and charge the tax accordingly, he said.

Teachers’ Day
Godavari, Sangeeta win poetry competition
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Sarvgun Society held poetry and painting competitions in a joint function involving students of primary and middle-level government schools of village Galzvadi to commemorate Teachers’ Day. The first prize winner in the category of junior group of class IV to VI was Godavri, and the senior group of class VII to IX was Sangeeta in the poetry competition.

Similarly, Rajat won the first prize in the senior group and Manoj Kumar in the junior group in painting competition.

The students also planted saplings. They were also given material for painting. Secretary of an NGO Rahul Rawat explained to students about the significance of personality development and the role of teachers in students’ life.

St. Joseph’s, DAV Public School win matches
Tribune News service

Dehradun, September 5
St. Joseph’s Academy, Convent of Jesus and Mary School, DAV Public School, St. Thomas College and St. Jude’s School registered victories in the 8th Gardner Silver Jubilee Inter-School Basketball Tournament for Girls - 2012 being played at the multi-purpose auditorium of St. Thomas College here today.

St. Joseph’s Academy defeated Jaswant Modern School 14-10, while Convent of Jesus and Mary School beat Moravian Institute 28-11. DAV Public School trounced Grace Academy 12-08, while St. Thomas College beat Summer Valley School 22-07. In the last match, St. Jude’s school defeated Wynberg Allen School, Mussoorie, 15-10.

Sahaspur resident commits suicide
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 5
Yogesh, resident of Sahaspur, who worked in a factory, today committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan in his house.

According to the police, Yogesh was not keeping good relations with his wife and was under acute stress. When his wife had gone to work in another factory, he committed suicide at home. Later, when she came back home, she saw him hanging from the ceiling fan. He belonged to UP.