Dehradun, November 11
The Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) is once again going to demolish structures in the newly-constructed MDDA shopping complex on Rajpur Road. This time, 45 toilets will be demolished by the authorities. Before this, 200 shops on each floor were partially demolished and reconstructed.

The MDDA has distributed the space of these toilets to shopkeepers who had been objecting to the allocation of less space in the shopping complex than what they had on Chakrata Road. However, vice- chairman, MDDA, RM Meenaxi Sundaram, said three new toilets would be provided at each of the five floors. He said, “Forty-five toilets for five floors are unnecessary and sheer wastage of space. Hence, these would be dismantled. The space had been utilised in distributing the additional space to the shopkeepers.”

Interestingly, these many public toilets are not there in the whole city. It is not for the first time that the MDDA has wasted money in building structure and then dismantling it in the very complex. On earlier occasion too, it partially dismantled around 200 shops on each of the five floors. The authority had built shops of same sizes but when the shops were distributed to the shopkeepers, they protested over being given less space than what they had surrendered to the MDDA on Chakrata Road. Since their shops were varying in sizes on Chakrata Road , MDDA ultimately had to relent.

Then the adjoining walls of the shops were dismantled once again and sizes of shops were changed to what shopkeepers had on Chakrata Road. But despite the new altered configurations, the shopkeepers were not happy and still complained that they had been given 10 per cent less space. Former vice-chairman of the MDDA BVRC Purushottam, in whose time the shops were demolished, was transferred and Sundaram took over him.

Sundaram saw the solution of the problem lying in large number of toilets built on each floor. However, there was no pragmatic approach behind it.

The process of distributing space is almost complete. Shashi Kant Goyal, president of the Chakrata Road Shopkeepers’ Association, said, “The space of one toilet is distributed to two or even three shopkeepers as was due to them. One may buy the space from the rest or sell off the property collectively and that is how the shopkeepers are going to make sense out of a small space allocated to many of them by the MDDA.”

Dehradun, November 11
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kewal Khurana today inspected the entire stretch of Paltan Bazar and the Dhamawala market to ensure whether each team of two constables deputed in front of each jewellery shop on the occasion of Dhanteras was properly executing

their duties and other policemen were removing the encroachment.

Khurana questioned the constables about the responsibilities given to them.

He also talked to shopkeepers, especially jewellers, about the safety arrangements made for them. He had a word with customers shopping in the bazaars as well.

He also ordered to remove the auto-rickshaws which had barged into the market. Many rehris or hand-carts were also removed.

Khurana said, "It is on Dhanteras than people do a lot of shopping at jewellery shops. So to ensure security and safety of the jewellery shops and the customers, I had deputed two constables in front of each of these shops.

The constables who are deputed there are also supposed to see that no theli or other vehicles are parked here and there in the bazaars. They have been instructed to check on suspicious elements."

The city police could also get sufficient workforce to handle the twin task of safety and anti-encroachment drive. Khurana said it being Sunday, those police personnel, who generally were deputed to bring convicts to the district courts, were available today.

Besides them, the trainee constables were also deputed for the similar task.

He said parking was a big problem in the congested market.

"There is no parking space around Paltan Bazar except at the Tehsil complex. Until a concrete solution is not worked out, people have to be allowed to park their vehicles at one side of the market", said the SSP.

It is through the congested lanes of the markets the miscreants have managed to have easy escape from the police. Khurana also wanted to ensure that the anti-encroachment drive did not fizzle out like scores of earlier ones.

"I will continue to depute police personnel in the entire the Paltan-Dhamawala Bazaar stretch to remove those who either sit or carry things on their carts to sell stuff in the bazaars and obstruct space. Unless, the drive is not carried out on consistent basis, it will not sustain."

Dehradun, November 11
Folk dances from Garhwal enthralled the audience on the last day of Virasat-2012, a cultural festival, last night. The dance group first performed ‘Mandanh’, followed by ‘Chachari’, a dance in which artistes form a human chain as they dance.

The second performance of the evening was that of Ziya Azazi and his representation of the whirling dervishes called, “Dervish in progress”. He was born in 1969 in Antakya, Turkey. Since 1994, he has been based in Vienna, Austria. He speaks Arabic, English, German and Turkish.

Ziya Azazi and his troupe held the audience spellbound with an entirely different Austrian-Sufi flavour.

The next performance was by Murray Molly from Ireland. His repertoire includes escapology, clown, comedy, magic, fire manipulation, fakirism, pyrotechnics and contortionism. The show began with interaction with the audience. By building the crowd with the techniques of theatre and clown, he formed a bond with the spectators. After winning the crowd’s confidence, the show began with Murray’s stunts. From Australian stockwhips to hilarious contortionist’s stunts of squeezing his entire body through a toilet seat, Murray enthralled Doonites. A comedy piece with members of the audience was followed by the grand finale, his most impressive, original and spectacular sword swallowing stunt.

The last performance of the evening was Sufiana Quwwali by Mohd Ahmed Warsi. Warsi Brothers are excellent representatives of the Quwwali form of musical expression. They belong to the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana of Quwwals. They are a very popular Qawwali musical group, consisting of brothers Mohammad Ahmed Khan Warsi and Khalid Hussain Khan Warsi.

They were accompanied by their next generation - son Waris Nawab Warsi Sahib. Their singing is best known for the purity of raaga’s, measured tones and taals which are special to original Delhi Gharana Gayaki.

Mussoorie, November 11
The effects of price rise was visible in the markets of the town with consumers cautiously spending money on goods. Dhanteras, considered as an auspicious occasion to buy new things, especially gold, marks the beginning of the Diwali festivities.

According to a myth, Dhanteras is celebrated in honour of Dhanvantari, the physician of gods. He is believed to have emerged with a pot of ‘amrit’ during ‘samudra manthan’.

The buying of utensils, according to a theory, relates to the myth of Dhanvantari emerging from the ocean with a pot in his hand. For he is the physician of gods, cleanliness and hygiene are an integral part of the festival.

The shops were decked up with array of decorative as well as consumable items. Despite high volatility and prices of the yellow metal hovering high, rush was seen at jewellery shops also since early morning.

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Praveen Panwar, owner of a gold shop at Landour Bazaar, was of the view that due to the soaring prices of gold, the demand was on a decrease. “The consumers who used to buy ten grams were settling with only one-two grams of gold this year due to an increase in the price,” added Panwar.

The sweet shop owners also rued at the effect of negative publicity of sweets in terms of adulterated food being sold this time around.

Sunita, a housewife, said she had come to market with high hopes but considering the exorbitant price of goods, she settled for only few metal items.

However, the increase in prices did not have any effect on children who were seen hobnobbing crackers shops with their parents.

The police was on a strict vigil in the town to avoid any untoward incident.

Dehradun, November 11
The Unison World School organised its 5th annual prize distribution function yesterday. The chief guest on the occasion was Dorothy McGinty, headmistress, St Francis College, Letchworth, UK. P Wilkinson, deputy head, St Francis College, Letchworth, UK, also graced the occasion.

The programme commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by the chief guest.

Principal Veena Singh read out the annual school report.

The programme began Ganesh vandana, which was exquisitely choreographed. The Indian orchestra display in which the young girls exhibited their skills on Indian instruments and classical singing held the audience spellbound. The students staged a musical ‘Vritant- The story of India’. This ballet depicted the long history of India which has been long and chequered.

The ballet was based on Indian freedom struggle.

The show became a spectacular sight with the charmingly choreographed Kathak presentation. The show on western orchestra drew a worthy ovation from the audience and it showcased the international educational spirit of the school.

The chief guest gave away the prizes to the students for their outstanding accomplishments and released the school’s yearbook ‘Quintessence’ along with an anthology of poems ‘Reflections’, which is a collection of poems written by the budding poets of the school.

Huzaifa Rather, a member of the first alumni, Unison World School, was declared the student of the year- 2011-2012.

The chief guest encouraged the educational community and said, “Girls of today will become leaders of tomorrow.”

Sports Minister Dinesh Aggarwal was also present on the occasion.

Dehradun November 11
The Doon Girls' School and Dehradun Boys' School held their annual sports day function today which was attended by director Indira Goswami and attended by chief guest, District Sports Officer, Dr Dharmendra Bhatt. The programme started with march past and track events of 50 mts, 100 mts, relay and hurdles.

The children who won 50 mts were Nitya, Nafisa, Kushagra, Parneet and Manpreet. Those who made to 100 mts were Tanisha, Tushar, Tajvi, Parth, Devarshi and Amrit.

The other group of talented children who won relay race were Sonam, Gurman, Saniyal, Kashvi and Kevin, Kushargra, Vaibhav and Mukund. In hurdles, Mahvish, Mayank, Aditya and Amrit won the race.

They displayed yoga, PT, skates, karate and aerobics.

In the end, Bhatt gave away the prizes and praised the children and the staff of the school.

Dehradun, November 11
The Indian Cambridge School, Dehradun, has celebrated its 22nd foundation day. Chief guest senior Uttarakhand bureaucrat Sunil Kumar Mattu appreciated the quality of education being provided in The Indian Cambridge School. He said the school education was the very basis to ensure qualities in an individual. Industrialist Dr S Farooq called upon the teachers to ensure the students learn values in life.

Earlier, Principal Albert Temple read out the annual report. He informed the gathering about the activities that had taken place in the school in the past one year.

Students also gave a presentation of cultural programme which was appreciated by the audience. A play on the life of Mother Teresa was also staged. Chairman, The Indian Cambridge School, Mohammed Ilyas, was also present on the occasion.