Eco Task Force jawans, IAS trainees plant saplings near Kempty
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, September 8
On the eve of Himalayan Day to be observed on September 9, more than 200 jawans from 127 battalion of Eco Task Force along with 268 IAS trainees from Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and 150 students from Government Inter College, Kempty, planted around 1000 saplings near Bungalow ki Kandi village, near Kempty, today.

They also took oath to save the Himalayas from environmental degradation on the occasion.

Himalayan Day, which is observed on September 9, with an aim to create awareness about issues related to the mountain chain, would be celebrated in Delhi this year.

The Commanding Officer of Eco Task Force, Colonel Hajraj Singh Rana, speaking on the occasion said that the eco task force was formed with an aim to create environmental awareness and green the mountains by planting saplings on a large scale in the Himalayan region. He also said the Eco Task Force had done a commendable job of planting trees in and around the region and the change was visible as the area looked much greener than before. He also said that if other organisations also made an effort in preserving environment, the cases of natural disaster occurring frequently in the Himalayan region would decrease rapidly. He also informed the media that due to the commendable work done by the Eco Task Force, the unit will be honored with Earth Award soon.

Major TR Roy, Major Vikram Yadav, Subedar Major Govind Singh, Subedar Dileep Kumar, Dhanpal Singh, Manmohan Singh, Surendar Singh and Gram Pradhan Khushi Ram were present on the occasion.

Women protest shortage of doctors in Dharchula
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, September 8
Women of Dharchula town today held a protest against the shortage of doctors at the community health centre even though two newborn babies had died at the hospital due to lack of sufficient medical attention.

The protesters led by Lila Bungyal, chairperson of the Mahila Utthan Samiti, sat on a dharna in front of the office the SDM for two hours and later submitted a memorandum to him. “We have warned the administration that if a woman doctor is not appointed at the community health centre within next 15 days, the women of the town will launch a long-term agitation,” said Bangyal.

A baby born to Durgesh Devi, a resident of Gothi, died last night due to lack of medical attention. The baby had developed cough and other ailments soon after the birth. “Earlier also a newborn had died due to the non-availability of doctors and natal care,” she said.

MAD submits survey report to Khanduri
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 8
Making a Difference (MAD), a voluntary group, today submitted its report on the children of Bihari Basti, a slum colony here, to former Chief Minister BC Khanduri at his residence today.

MAD, which has been working in Dehradun for more than a year, had conducted a survey at Bihari Basti, Raipur Road, between the time period of April-July. The survey aimed at bringing to notice the children living in the slum, ascertaining the number of children who go to school and those who don’t, trying to understand and coax the children to attend school through the Right to Education and identifying adequate solutions to tackle the necessary issues in collaboration with the state government.

The 41-paged report was presented to Khanduri by Rajat Pandey, cofounder, and Anurag Chauhan, general secretary of the association. Khanduri, lauded the MAD team for its efforts.

In the past four months, MAD had visited the basti at least 23 times and had organised food pandals, nukkad nataks for awareness, distributed free books and had also organised a free health check-up camp for the betterment of the kids and the people living in the basti.

Include promotion quota Bill in Schedule IX: Dalit body
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 8
President of the state Bhartiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi Jaipal Singh said today that after making amendments to the Quota in Promotions for SC/ST Employees Bill, the Centre should make efforts to include it in the Schedule IX of the Constitution.

Addressing a press conference here today, Jaipal Singh charged that most of the times in the confidential reports of the SC and ST employees, adverse entries were made by officials to deny promotions of them. “To ensure that such incidents do not happen and the members of the SC and ST communities get benefits of reservation even in promotions, the government should, after bringing suitable amendment in the quota in promotions, include it in the Schedule IX,” he said.

He also charged the state government of failing to fill the SC/ST backlog in the state, especially in state government jobs despite the pledge in the assembly from time to time.

He said in 2010, against the total 837 sanctioned posts for group A, 298 posts were filled and 539 continue to be vacant. In group B, against1,171 sanctioned posts, 558 posts have been filled and 613 are vacant. In group C, against the 26,510 sanctioned posts for SC, 17,101 posts have been filled and 8,652 posts continue to lie vacant. In group D, against the sanctioned 7,701 posts for SC, 6,637 posts have been filled and 1,596 continue to be vacant.

UKD factions may unite; leaders planning a third front 
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 8
Being the flag-bearer of the separate Uttarakhand statehood movement, regional outfit Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, owing to mutual differences and self-interests, is now partitioned into three outfits. But now these outfits are realising their mistake with efforts of reunion on the anvil.

First it was former Cabinet minister and chief of UKD (Democratic) Diwakar Bhatt, who voiced for the revival of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, the parental body. Now the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Progressive), too, has mooted coming together of all the factions so as to give national political parties a fight by forming a potent third front.

Though Diwakar Bhatt and UKD (P) central chief Trivendra Singh Pawar are at loggerheads with both publicly holding each other responsible for the bifurcation of the parental body, yet it seems peace signals are being sent from both sides.

Today, Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P)'s central secretary labour cell Uday Ram Semwal called on all the factions to unite under the banner of the original body.

Talking to The Tribune Uday Ram Semwal said that both Congress and BJP catered to personal and party aspirations, only letting people of the hill state down. “The UKD had led the statehood movement in a systematic manner where motive was to gain statehood only. But after the formation of a separate state, the BJP named it Uttaranchal but failed to give a visionary approach as was done during the formation of Himachal Pradesh,” he added.

Later, the Congress under the ND Tiwari regime also couldn't usher development in hill districts as was expected and, subsequently, the BJP government shuttled between BC Khanduri and RP Nishank's factionalism only, said Semwal.

Meanwhile, district leaders of the UKD (P) and the UKD (D) decided to unite and hold a meeting so as to form a strong Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and have a major say in the upcoming Lok Sabha 2014 elections and later 2017 state Assembly elections.

Jamshed Khan of the minority cell of the UKD (D) pointed that it was in the interest of people of the state that UKD emerged as a strong, unified and leading regional political party.

It is now up to prominent leaders like Kashi Singh Airi, Diwakar Bhatt, Trivendra Singh Pawar and AK Gusain of various factions to arrive at a mutual agenda-based programme.

“Even the public wants a strong regional front in which Uttarakhand Kranti Dal can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the hill state," said Khan.

Sudha Bahuguna likely to be Cong nominee
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News service

Dehradun, September 8
With the announcement of Maharani Raj Laxmi Shah, daughter-in-law of Maharaja Manvendra Shah, erstwhile ruler of Tehri state, as the BJP candidate for the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection scheduled to be held on October 10, there is likely possibility that Sudha Bahuguna, wife of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, would be the Congress candidate. However, a formal announcement of the Congress candidate was expected next week.

Birender Singh, Congress general secretary and in-charge, would be visiting Dehradun on September 10 and it was expected that a final decision would be taken after his visit.

It was believed that Bahuguna, who vacated the Tehri Lok Sabha seat after his win in the Sitarganj byelection from Udham Singh Nagar, would have a major say in deciding the party candidate for the seat. Bahuguna, who represented Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat, was made the CM after a razor-thin Congress victory in the state Assembly polls in March this year. As per the constitutional requirement, Bahuguna had to enter the state Assembly within six months of being elected as CM.

After the resignation of BJP legislator Kiran Mandal from Sitarganj and the subsequent bypoll in which Bahuguna won by a record margin in July, the stage was set for his resignation from the Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat. He resigned on July 23, 2012, from Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat.

According to Congress sources, Sudha Bahuguna, wife of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, and Saket Bahuguna, his eldest son, are the front-runners for the party nomination. With Maharani Raj Laxmi entering the fray as BJP candidate, it was believed that the party would settle for Sudha Bahuguna to take on the Maharani.

Already, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has done ground work in keeping the seat in the family. Congress candidates of all the 14 Assembly constituencies falling under Tehri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat as well as the three district units of Dehradun, Tehri and Uttarkashi have already recommended the name of Sudha Bahuguna for the seat.

However, it would not be a cakewalk for Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for getting nomination for his family member, as his arch political rival Union Minister Harish Rawat is campaigning for Kishore Updhaya, a former Tehri town legislator. The Congress has another candidate in ace shooter Jaspal Singh Rana, who joined the party at the behest of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi before the 2012 Assembly poll.

He had earlier fought the Tehri Lok Sabha elections in 2009 on BJP ticket but lost to Bahuguna. However, despite a long list of contenders, it is believed that Sudha Bahuguna, wife of Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, could be a dark horse. According to party sources, Bahuguna is seriously contemplating pitching Sudha Bahuguna as party candidate from the Tehri Lok Sabha seat.

Sudha is no stranger to the Tehri Garhwal seat as she has been looking after all political work of her husband in the entire constituency. 

Raj Laxmi Shah is BJP candidate for Tehri bypoll
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 8
The Uttarakhand BJP today picked Raj Laxmi Shah, daughter-in-law of former ruler and former BJP MP Manvendra Shah, as the party candidate for the October 10 Tehri byelection.

The Tehri parliamentary seat was declared vacant on July 24 after CM Vijay Bahuguna resigned. He later contested the Assembly poll from Sitarganj early this year.

After former Chief Minister BC Khanduri, whose name figured on the top in the list and who refused to contest the byelection due to indifferent health, Laxmi Shah emerged the natural choice.

The member of erstwhile Tehri royalty, who hails from Nepal and is also referred with the honorific title of Rani Tika Shah, made her political debut a few years back. She became active after her husband Manujender Shah (son of Manvender Shah) lost the Tehri by poll in 2007 to Congress candidate Vijay Bahuguna. However, he was denied the ticket in the 2009 parliamentary election.

Banking on the charisma of the erstwhile Tehri royalty, the BJP has once again reposed faith in the Tehri royal family. Before his death in 2007, Maharaja of Tehri Manvendra Shah had the distinction of representing the Tehri parliamentary seat for several decades, earlier as a Congress and then as BJP candidate. In 1998, Manvendra Shah defeated Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna.

“The Tehri royal family members, who are also custodians of the Badrinath Temple, inspire awe and respect among the masses. This is bound to work in favour of the BJP; besides the Nepali connections of Raj Laxmi Shah would help the party garner votes in Dehradun and Mussoorie,” said BS Chufal, Uttarakhand BJP chief. 

Cong, BJP failed to provide good governance, says ex-MLA
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 8
Former legislator Ambrish Kumar today lashed out at the Congress and the BJP for having failed to provide good governance in the state.

Launching a movement under the aegis of the Rashtriya Krantikari Manch here today, Ambrish alleged that leaders of both parties lacked visionary approach, which had affected the development of the state.

He urged manch activists to go door to door to make people aware of “corrupt governance” of both parties.

Ambrish said the time had come when the public should openly come out against these parties. He alleged “most of the ministers are busy adjusting their loyalists on top posts. Be it hill or plain rural areas, only political class, mafia and business class is making merry. The common man is approached only during the elections.”

Co-founder of the morcha Murli Manohar said a third front was the need of the hour.

Bhatt flays Cong for ‘poor’ relief work in Uttarkashi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 8
Leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt criticised the Congress for poor relief work under way in Uttarkashi.

At a press conference today, Ajay Bhatt said the relief had not reached several affected villages in Uttarkashi and at least villagers living in 8 villages around Keslu valley in Uttarkashi were on the verge of starvation. “The local administration has failed to reach these villages and the fear of starvation is looming in front of them,” said Bhatt, who returned from Uttarkashi after his second visit.

He also demanded that the road linking Gangotri that continues to bear the major brunt of vehicular and other traffic needs to be strengthened and should figure among the long-term plans of the government.

Bhatt said the government should also focus on the Varunavrat treatment plant and take help of scientific institutions in this regard. 

Bandh in Pithoragarh against quota
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 8
A complete bandh was observed in Pithoragarh town on the call of the Udhyog Vyapar Mandal in support of the employees protesting against reservation in promotions in government jobs. District chief of the mandal Shamsher Singh Mahar said all markets, hotels and restaurants remained closed throughout the day in protest against reservation in promotions.

Later, officer-bearers of the mandal organised a public meeting at the old bus station in the town. They told the gathering there that reservation had now become a national issue and was no longer an employees’ issue alone. “It has become our issue now. It is set to affect our future generations if the UPA government at the Centre gives constitutional validity to it,” said Mahar.