Chuphal accuses Bahuguna of poll code violation
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
Uttarakhand BJP president BS Chuphal today charged Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and the Congress with violating the model code of conduct by spending more than the expenditure limit allowed in the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection. He could have used this money for rehabilitation work in Uttarkashi and Ukhimath, he added.

While speaking at a press conference here today, Chuphal said the Congress had exceeded the expenditure limit of Rs 40 lakh per candidate announced by the Election Commission for the Tehri election. The Chief Minister had been saying that the state had no money but now he was spending crores of rupees on electioneering in Tehri. The Chief Electoral Officer should investigate the money spent on his 36 visits to Uttarkashi and Tehri when two helicopters were pressed into service for him and his ministers, said Chuphal.

He added in violation of the model code of conduct, the Chief Minister had been using his position and addressing state government employees in their offices. He had been urging the employees to vote for his son Saket Bahuguna. Even the Congress flag was put up at government offices, he said.

Chuphal accused the Chief Minister of failing to follow the principle of ‘raj dharma’ and neglecting the people of the state so as to ensure Saket’s victory in the Tehri byelection.

“All work has come to a standstill in the state as the Chief Minister is busy campaigning for his son. If this were not bad enough, the government failed to allocate the plan money for development activities in the state. All tender activities started by the BJP government have either been revised or reversed,” he said.

Later led by Chuphal, a delegation, including BJP leaders Satish Lakhera, Mukesh Mahindra and Balraj Passi, lodged a complaint with Chief Electoral Officer Radha Raturi against the Congress for violating the poll code.

Raturi said the matter would be investigated. She allayed the fear of the BJP leaders about bogus voting in the Tehri byelection. 

Congress has broken record of corruption, says Khanduri
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, October 8
On the last day of election campaigning for the Tehri parliamentary constituency bypoll, former Chief Minister BC Khanduri launching an attack against the Congress said it had broken all records of corruption in the past few years.

Khanduri, addressing a rally at Library Bazaar in Mussoorie, said the Congress had looted the government. The Congress government at the Centre was involved in 2G spectrum scam, coal scam and was facing several other corruption charges.

Khanduri further said the record of corruption had been broken during the Congress regime and the people would respond by voting in favour of BJP candidate Raj Lakshmi and ensure the victory for the BJP on October 10.

Khanduri also said people were reeling under the pressure of increase in prices, FDI in retail and capping of LPG cylinders and would give a befitting reply by electing the BJP candidate from the Tehri parliamentary constituency.

Mala Raj Lakshmi, BJP candidate from Tehri, addressing the rally said she spoke less and worked more. She refuted all allegations levelled by the Congress that she was not a good speaker and said she believed in working for masses rather than entering into unnecessary war of words.

She also said women of the state had struggled a lot during the formation of the state and would come out in large numbers to vote for her and elect her from Tehri. She appealed to the people that as she was the daughter-in-law of the constituency, people should come out in large numbers and press the button on the ballot for the BJP.

Mussoorie MLA Ganesh Joshi said the BJP would gain a massive lead from the Mussoorie constituency which would act as a nail in the coffin of the Congress government at the Centre too.

Senior BJP leaders Kailash Pant, Dinesh Badoni, Kushal Singh Rana, Anil Godiyal, Vijay Ramola, Kirti Shah and others were present on the occasion.

Tide turning against Cong: Smriti
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
National BJP President of the Mahila Morcha Smriti Irani here today criticised the Vijay Bahuguna-led Uttarakhand Government for terming the issue of escalating prices as insignificant and having no impact on the Tehri byelection.

She said such statements clearly showed that the government was not concerned about the problems of its people.

Addressing an election meeting at Patel Nagar today, she said: “Vijay Bahuguna is making statements without a sense of responsibility. The tide is turning against the Congress across the country.”

She accused the Congress of making false promises to the people of the state. Smriti Irani asked Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna not to make promises that would be difficult to fulfil.

Smriti Irani also held a meeting at Dakra in support of BJP candidate for the Tehri byelection Mala Raj Lakshmi Shah.

Saket seeks support of advocates
Tribune News Service

Dehradun October 8
Congress candidate for Tehri Lok Sabha byelection Saket Bahuguna today met members of the Dehradun Bar Association (DBA) to seek support of the advocate fraternity for his candidature.

On this occasion, State Minister for Planning, Dinesh Aggarwal, vice-president of the Congress Suryakant Dhasmana and MLA Rajpur Road Rajkumar were also present.

For being an advocate in the Supreme Court once and later practising as advocate for corporate affairs, Bahuguna pleaded support from the fraternity. He said he was from a family where his father, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, had also his roots in the legal profession.

He said he would raise the issues pertaining to the welfare of the state in Parliament, if elected. He advocated for creating another industrial town after SIDCUL, saying the expansion of industries would give sufficient work opportunities to advocates in the corporate sector. He assured the DBA his best efforts in meeting their demands.

President of the DBA Surinder Pundir demanded those 2,000 advocates who participated in the statehood struggle to be honoured by the state government. Bahuguna assured him of taking up the cause with the state government.

Pundir was of the opinion that Dinesh Aggarwal, who had been an advocate, also extended help whenever the DBA asked for it and praised the Chief Minister for announcing annual fund of Rs 50 lakh to the DBA and insurance of Rs 5 lakh per advocate. He hoped that Saket would also pay attention to their issues.

Aggressive campaigning strengthens Mala Raj Lakshmi’s position
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
The last few days of aggressive campaigning by the Uttarakhand BJP has brought the party candidate Mala Raj Lakshmi Shah in contention for the Tehri byelection.

As BJP leaders managed to put up a semblance of united front against the Congress, it now remains to be seen how successful the party is in exploiting the latent anger against the cap on subsidised cylinders, inflation and poor relief work in Uttarakashi to its advantage on the polling day.

Throughout the period of electioneering, the muscle and money power of the Congress was on full display as ministers were marshalled to campaign for Saket Bahuguna. Against this, the BJP banked on the charisma of the erstwhile royal family of Tehri whose last ruler Manvendra Shah had consistently come good.

“We could not match the government and minister-level mobilisation of the Congress. Our energies would have been sapped had we followed them. Then our budget too is limited, after all it is a byelection. But, our campaign evolved in the last phase and we are waiting for the silent voters to vote against the Congress,” said a senior BJP leader.

Banking on the backlash against the government for poor relief work in Uttarkashi, the BJP leaders are hopeful that it would also influence some segments in Tehri. “The BJP is in a comfortable position in some assembly segments in Tehri and Uttarkashi but everything depends on the booth level management and our party workers ability to bring a large number of voters out of their houses to vote,” said BS Chuphal, Uttarakhand BJP chief.

On test will also be Munna Singh Chauhan’s popularity, who has rejoined the BJP and is likely to influence the party fortunes in several assembly segments.

But aware of a tough contest in Dehradun district, the party of late had been working on strengthening its position in Vikasnagar, Sahaspur and Rajpur assembly segments.

“It will be a tough fight in Dehradun district which has the maximum number of voters. In one particular assembly segment, the inactivity of our own MLA may cost us dear,” said a BJP leader.

On the face of it, the BJP is also jittery about the last-minute desertion by its booth-level workers in several places and has especially sent teams from other parts of the state to monitor them. 

MLA, AICC member seek vote for Saket 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
Chairman of the Uttaranchal Forest Development Corporation and Khanpur MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion today said the Congress candidate for the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection, Saket Bahuguna, would emerge victorious. He urged the Tehri voters to support Saket.

Champion, while addressing mediapersons in the city, said, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and his son Saket Bahuguna would work for the development and welfare of the people. They would be rewarded by the people of the state for their policies in the Lok Sabha election in 2014.

“The people have the right to support whosoever delivers goods and reject those who do not perform. These are the norms of the corporate world,” he said.

Champion lampooned the BJP saying it had failed to perform. It could not give electricity. The farmers were not given a justified price for their sugarcane produce. He said the BJP kept denouncing the Congress for irregularities in the allotment of 56 hydropower projects but could never expose one. He eulogised the policies of the Congress saying the party generated employment and former Chief Minister ND Tiwari invested Rs 50,000 crore in developmental projects in the state.

Champion said inflation, an issue which the BJP was using against the Congress in the election, was a worldwide phenomenon, which had a cascading effect on India as well.

The Khanpur MLA said his team was seeking support from the people of Tehri, on historical fact that 250 years ago Tehri king Praduman Shah had implored Landora king Rambayal Singh for help during a war. Rambayal Singh had reciprocated by sending hundreds of his soldiers and Shah won the war. He appealed to Tehri voters to pay back that favour by casting vote in Saket’s favour. 

Our Correspondent from Mussoorie

All-India Congress Committee (AICC) member Ramkaran Singh Chauhan campaigned for Congress candidate for the Tehri bypoll Saket Bahuguna here yesterday. He appealed to the people, especially the Rajput community, to vote for Saket on October 10. He said Saket was the most capable candidate from Tehri who would ensure development in the region.

He further said once the Congress candidate was elected from Tehri, he would urge the government to provide reservation to economically backward members of the Rajput community.

Cong workers go door to door in Mussoorie
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, October 8
On the last day of the electioneering, Congress workers started door-to-door campaigning from Tehri Bus Stand to Library Bazaar and sought votes for Saket Bahuguna today.

They also held a rally. Speaking at the rally, Sarika Pradhan, senior Congress leader and once close aide of former Chief Minister ND Tiwari said Saket was an apt choice for member of Parliament from Tehri as he was young and well-versed in constitutional procedures.

She said if Saket won in the bypoll, the youth power would come to the fore with a bang in the state. She also said the Congress achieved new heights during the tenure of ND Tiwari as Chief Minister and same could be repeated if Congress won from the seat here.

She further said earlier Vijay Bahuguna served from the constituency and now Saket was ready to serve them if elected.

Senior Congress leaders Manmohan Singh Mall, Jot Singh Gunsola, BP Kukreti and others were present on the occasion. With this rally, the campaigning for the elections has come to an end and now the fate of the candidates are left in the hands of the voters of the constituency. 

Congress youth wing reviews poll preparations

Mussoorie, October 8
Members of the Congress youth wing today gathered at Congress Bhavan here to discuss ways to ensure victory for the party in the Tehri byelection. They also discussed the ways to increase the youth participation in the forthcoming local bodies’ election namely that of the Municipal Council.

Members of the Youth Congress, NSUI and Congress Sewa Dal reviewed the preparations at booth level.

While addressing the gathering, president of the Mussoorie Youth Congress Anuj Gupta said youth played an important role in politics and for that it was important to take member of every community into confidence.

District president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTAC) Sudhir Dobhal said the workers and the labour class also had an important role to play in the election. — OC

Shoorveer Sajwan, CM differences come to fore
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
On the last day of election campaigning for the Tehri byelection, the ruling Congress held 12 public meetings in the Rajpur, Raipur and Mussoorie Assembly constituencies here today.

During the election campaign, the differences between former Uttarakhand Congress minister Shoorveer Sajwan and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna came to the fore.

Amid reports of differences between the two leaders, senior Congress leaders, including Birender Singh, AICC general secretary in charge of the state, along with state Congress chief Yashpal Arya, went to the residence of Shoorveer Sajwan to placate him who was reportedly unhappy. Later, Birender Singh issued an order making him in charge of the campaign committee.

Meanwhile, Saleem Akhtar Ansari, state president of the Peace Party, announced the support of his party to Congress candidate Saket Bahuguna. He said it was necessary for his party to support the Congress to stop the communal forces.

The family members of Saket Bahuguna, including his wife Gauri and aunt Reeta Bahuguan Joshi, also went door to door in different parts of the city to seek votes for the Congress.

Officials leave for Tehri poll duties
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
A total of 182 polling parties left for their destinations to conduct the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection.

District Election Officer-cum-District Magistrate Ravinath Raman said sector magistrates, zonal magistrates and security personnel also left with them. He said those who were to join in far-fetched locations had left a day before. He said employees of various departments had been engaged in poll duties.

Raman had recommended legal action and suspension of a returning officer of booth number 169. He said, “Returning Officer Shayambir Singh, who is a lecturer in a local college at Bhagwanpur, received the election-related material on yesterday but later he declined to receive an EVM and joined the election duty.”

He said he had recommended his suspension on the grounds of carelessness.

More Champawat farmers take to new vegetable varieties
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 8
A total of 250 more farmers will be added to the group of progressive farmers in Champawat district, who have started cultivation of advanced varieties of vegetables instead of traditional crops for which the Vivekanand Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhanshala, Almora, has done a survey.

“We have selected farmers with the help of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra and the Horticulture Department working under the national agriculture modernisation project in the district,” said Dr KK Sharma, agriculture scientist working with the project. According to information, 250 farmers have already started using vegetable varieties under the project, being developed under the national agriculture modernisation project. “We are satisfied that farmers in Lohaghat and Champawat districts are showing keen interest in the project and taking to vegetable production on commercial lines instead of loss bearing traditional crops,” Sharma said.

“We have introduced seeds developed by the Vivekanand anushandhanshala in Almora and it has been found to be the most suitable for the land in Champawat district,” he added. “Besides the farming of BL-10, 11 varieties of pea, BL-3 variety of onion, and BLT-4 variety of tomato, the farmers are also cultivating advanced varieties of capsicum for the local market. The farmers, who are taking to vegetable production under the project, are also being trained by experts in how to eradicate various diseases which affect these crops,” Sharma said.

“The farmers, who have taken to the new way of cultivating vegetables, are now earning Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.50 lakh per annum, which could not be possible under the traditional crop system,” said Khim Singh Mahara, a farmer at Gumod village in Lohaghat subdivision of the district. 

56 plastic surgeries performed at camp
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 8
Almost 56 plastic surgeries of patients with burn injuries have been performed so far at the ongoing free plastic surgery camp held by the Rotary Club of Ranipur here.

Nine plastic surgeons from Germany are lending their services at the free camp being organised at Mela Hospital.

Lauding the efforts pitched in by the Rotary Club and the expertise being provided by German doctors, state Health Cabinet Minister Surendra Singh Negi, on his visit to the camp, said providing surgery free of cost to patients was a highly appreciable effort.

The minister urged other voluntary organisations to take a leaf from the camp as not only Rotarians but also German surgeons were providing their services free of cost. He said this should be an inspiration for those doctors who do not want to serve in the hilly and rural areas of the state.

Project chairman of the Rotary Club, Ranipur, Sanjeev Mehta, who has been instrumental in organising the camp for the past five years, attributed its success to all volunteers and doctors involved in the cause.

He added that patients from many states of the country and also from Nepal visited the camp for treatment.

Till now, more than 500 free operations have been performed in the past five years during the camp.

“We are also creating awareness among people as many times burn injuries occur due to lack of preventive measures. Precaution is imperative to avoid such burn injuries,” said Mehta.

He lamented the approach of local doctors who were invited for a free training session by German doctors but none arrived.

Dr Pandey’s book released
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 8
Uttarakhand assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal released book ‘Uttrotar Adhuniktavad Aur Samaj Parivartan’ written by well-known social scientist Dr Ravi Bhushan Pandey here today.

On the occasion, Kunjwal said the modernisation also brought along a series of problems with it. The Gandhian ideology could strike a balance between development and problems emerging out of it. He said in today’s competitive world, the challenges had increased.

Pandey has completely rejected the notion of modernisation, saying the information technology and science had exploited the society which had led to creating distance among people. He said his book would provide a new direction by guiding people about the changes triggered by modernisation and its consequences. He also emphasised that the civilisation and society were complementary to each other, therefore the changes could be effected through civilisation only.