Participants in the Miss Radiant Skin contest pose for a photograph in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

1,300 units of blood collected at UPES camp
Dehradun, September 26
A three-day 5th annual voluntary blood donation camp organised by the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in association with the IMA Blood Bank and Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital concluded here today.

Volunteers of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies who helped organising a blood donation camp in Dehradun on Wednesday.

KV (IMA) victorious
Dehradun, September 26
In a match during the 4th ONGC Ram Babu Chetri Memorial Football School- level Tournament being played at Ambedkar Stadium here, Kendriya Vidyalaya, IMA, defeated Shri Guru Ram Rai (SGRR) Public School, Patelnagar, in a tie- breaker after both teams failed to score after the end of stipulated time.


Players in action during a match in the 4th ONGC Ram Bahadur Chettri Memorial Inter-school Football Tournament in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Garhwal Star beat BSC Boys 1-0
Dehradun, September 26
In the District Dehradun Football League being played at Rangers Ground, Garhwal Star defeated BSC Boys 1-0 today. Sumit scored the lone goal for Garhwal Star in the 32nd minute of the match. Despite several attempts, BSC Boys could not score the equaliser.

A match in progress during the Dehradun District Football League in Dehradun on Wednesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Dehradun, September 26
The stalemate over the disbursement of salaries to four women employees of the Dehradun Muncipal Corporation (DMC), which are lying pending for four months, ended today.

Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Ashok Kumar has given an assurance to sanitation and other employees, who had been on agitation against this since Saturday, that the salaries of the four women would soon be released.

At the request of Mayor Vinod Chamoli, Ashok Kumar held a meeting with the protesters and assured them of releasing their salaries soon.

These women were given jobs on a contract basis after their husbands’ death. Their contract is renewed by the Urban Development Department after every 90 days.

Ashok Kumar said till their contracts were renewed, their salaries could not be released. And the renewal of the contracts got delayed owing to the model code of conduct in place in the wake of the Tehri byelection.

Clearing doubts over tearing up a sanction letter related to the pending salaries, he said, “The contents of the letter had been tampered with. I have ordered a probe against DMC employees, who had prepared the letter.”

Earlier, BJP councillors staged a protest in the Mayor’s room demanding a solution to the deadlock. Following this, Chamoli asked the MNA to come to the office and solve the matter.

Dehradun, September 26
Fourteen candidates remained in the fray for the October 10 Tehri Lok Sabha bypoll in Uttarakhand after the process of withdrawals came to an end here this evening.

A total of 23 candidates had filed nominations for the seat out of which two were rejected during scrutiny and seven withdrew, Uttarakhand's Chief Election Officer Radha Raturi said. Prominent among those who have withdrawn nominations are BJP nominee Mala Raj Laxmi Shah's husband Manujendra Shah, who had entered the fray as a dummy candidate for his wife, and Janata Dal (S) candidate Gopal Verma who pulled out of the fray in favour of the Congress nominee.

A tough battle appears to be on the cards on the seat where the Congress has fielded Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna's son Saket Bahuguna against BJP nominee Mala Raj Laxmi Shah, the daughter-in-law of the erstwhile Tehri royal family.

Shah's father-in-law Maharaja Manvendra Singh had represented the seat for a record eight times in the Lok Sabha.

The ruling ally Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) continues to be in the fray for the bypoll.

"There is no question of my pulling out of the contest. Be it Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna or Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, no one can buy me up," UKD (P) chief Trivendra Singh Panwar, who is contesting from the seat, said when asked whether he continued to be in the fray.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had appealed to him yesterday to follow the coalition dharma and withdraw in favour of the Congress nominee.

"The UKD gave support to our government and we gave it a ministerial berth. Now it is time for our ally to return the gesture by withdrawing its nominee from Tehri," the Chief Minister said at a poll meeting in Uttarkashi district yesterday. — PTI

Mussoorie, September 26
The BJP opened its election office for the Tehri bypoll at Mall Road here today. Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi, while inaugurating the office here, said women would play an important role in the victory of the BJP in the forthcoming Tehri bypoll.

Joshi further said the high command of the party had directed the MLAs to ensure an increase in vote percentage of the BJP in every Assembly falling in the Tehri parliamentary constituency and he had been assigned the task from the Mussoorie segment so that Mala Rajlakshmi was able to win with convincing margin. Speaking to mediapersons, Joshi said the Congress was flouting the laws and modal code of conduct and was enticing voters financially. He said this ploy would not work as the issue of the price rise and capping of the LPG gas cylinder would act as a nail in the coffin of the Congress.

He further said the people of Mussoorie were literate and aware of the misdeeds of the Congress and had made up their minds to show the Congress a mirror in the Tehri byelections similar on the lines of Assembly elections here.

He also appealed to the people of Mussoorie to come out in large numbers and help the BJP in defeating the Congress in bypoll.

Joshi also said the Congress was banking on money power in the bypoll whereas the BJP had people's power behind it which will ensure the victory for the party in the forthcoming Tehri elections.

Joshi also said the youth and the trading community were enraged at the recent decision of introducing the FDI in the country as it would lead to a large scale employment.

Former organisation secretary Kailash Pant, speaking on the issue of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) group also fielding its candidate in the elections, said Trivendar Panwar was acting on the directions of the Congress and was assigned with the task to cut the BJP votes but the people were aware of such games and would give a befitting reply in these elections.

Pant also said the Congress was playing with fire by adopting the caste politics tactics just to win the bypoll but it would miserably fail in its ploy as voters of Tehri were educated and understood such conspiracy.

Speaking on Matbari Singh Kandari leaving the BJP, Pant said it was the BJP that elevated him from the post of block pramukh to a minister. "Kandari will realise his mistake after the conclusion of the elections as he would be sidelined in the Congress forever,” added Pant.

Mussoorie Muncipal Council president OP Uniyal, senior BJP leaders Kushal Singh Rana, Nafees Ahmed, Roop Chand Sharma, Sarojini Kaintura, Sita Panwar and others were present on the occasion.

Mussoorie, September 26
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today said the BJP was like a worn out Ambassador car. He was on a visit to Damta in Uttarkashi district, 60 km from Mussoorie, to seek votes for his son Saket Bahuguna, Congress candidate for the Tehri parliamentary byelection.

Addressing the gathering here, the Chief Minister said the BJP was a worn out party just like an Ambassador car while the Congress by fielding a fresh and youth candidate in form of Saket was like a new Innova vehicle, which would not only run fast but also function properly.

Bahuguna said if the Congress wins the byelection, the state would be in a position to get a large number of development projects sanctioned for the Tehri constituency from the Centre.

He praised Saket saying his education and work culture would help him in solving the problems of Tehri people.

Cabinet ministers Harak Singh Rawat, Preetam Singh Chauhan and others were present on the occasion.

Dehradun, September 26
Uttarakhand BJP general secretary Suresh Joshi today said the the six-month rule of the Congress in the state had been a flop shop with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna resorting to divisive politics.

“The strike by Uttarakhand employees demanding implementation of the HC ruling quashing a quota in promotions completely divided the rank and file of the bureaucracy. As if this was not enough, Bahuguna has now announced publicly during a recent election meeting that the High Court order on granting domicile for the Other Backward Castes will be implemented in the state. The Chief Minister deliberately made this announcement to influence the voters in the Tehri parliamentary constituency,” said Joshi, while addressing a press conference.

He said the Chief Minister had become a master of making announcements during the elections and then forgetting them once they were over.

“He did it for the Sitarganj election and now he is adopting similar tactics for his son’s election. When he was MP of Tehri, Bahuguna did not implement a single scheme. He did not even find time to meet the people. After becoming the Chief Minister, he announced the setting up of the Tehri Development Authority but so far no work has been done. Now soon after the candidature of his son was announced, he has again latched on to the authority completely forgetting that people are battling with day-to-day problems for which he has no solution,” he charged.

Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank today canvassed for BJP candidate Mala Raj Laxmi Shah at the Paltan Bazar urging the businessmen to vote for the party candidate. Raj Laxmi Shah, who accompanied the former Chief Minister, said she would look after their interest as a head of the family. “I look upon you as part of my family and will stand by you in your hour of need. She also held an election meeting at Old Nehru Colony.

Dehradun, September 26
The Uttarakhand BJP has lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Office that announcements by the Secretary Food and Civil Supplies that a cooking gas bottling plant will be set up at Vikasnagar and by Director Education CS Gawal that 3,000 teachers will be appointed amount to violation of the model code of conduct. BJP spokesperson Mukesh Mahindra said copies of the announcements had also been forwarded to the Chief Election Office.

“Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is misusing his office and taking the help of officials to make announcements to facilitate his son Saket Bahuguna in the Tehri byelection. This is a peculiar situation where the office of the Chief Minister is being misused to make people-friendly announcements to benefit the Congress candidate for the Tehri parliamentary byelection when the model code of conduct is in place,” said Mahindra.

The Chief Election Office said the complaint was being examined.

Dehradun, September 26
A three-day 5th annual voluntary blood donation camp organised by the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in association with the IMA Blood Bank and Shri Mahant Indresh Hospital concluded here today.

The camp was a student-driven activity conducted under the umbrella of the Directorate of Student Affairs of the UPES.

Last year, the UPES was the highest donor in the entire state & Western UP for the third consecutive year. Blood donation has become one of the annual features of the UPES.

Director, Government Relations and Media Affairs, UPES, Arun Dhand, said students and staff of the UPES had once again made them proud by collecting 1,300 units of blood during this three-day camp.

Earlier, the camp was inaugurated by Chancellor SJ Chopra on September 24. Prof Utpal Ghosh (Pro VC), Director, Student Affairs, Brig AK Sharma, Manish Madaan, overall coordinator, Anshu Paliwal, Ashutosh Dora, AP Mishra and Dr LMS Negi, Dr Soumya and Girish Devtuliya were present.

Dehradun, September 26
In a match during the 4th ONGC Ram Babu Chetri Memorial Football School- level Tournament being played at Ambedkar Stadium here, Kendriya Vidyalaya, IMA, defeated Shri Guru Ram Rai (SGRR) Public School, Patelnagar, in a tie- breaker after both teams failed to score after the end of stipulated time.

The final score card read 5-4 in KV IMA's favour.

Surya, Himanshu, Ajay, Dhananjaya and Nishant scored for the KV, IMA, team, whereas Kumar Chetri, Ankit, Sushant and Niskhil scored for SGRR Patelnagar.

In the second match, KV, Birpur, defeated Doon International School 6-4. Shekhar, Debashish, Shekhar and Mirangam scored for Doon International School.

For KV, Birpur, Rajat scored 2 goals and Subham, Kuldeep, Chunamani and Vipin scored 1 goal each.

Dehradun, September 26
In the District Dehradun Football League being played at Rangers Ground, Garhwal Star defeated BSC Boys 1-0 today. Sumit scored the lone goal for Garhwal Star in the 32nd minute of the match. Despite several attempts, BSC Boys could not score the equaliser.

In the next match, Indira Club was given a walkover as the Ordnance Factory team failed to turn up on the ground. Bajrang Club will clash with 3/1 Gorkha Rifles and Kasiga boys will take on Sports Hostel tomorrow.