RSS workers form human chain in Haridwar
Dehradun, December 2
Workers of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) today formed a human chain from Har-ki-Pauri to Sighdwar in Haridwar as part of the ‘Ganga samagrah’ programme for the cleanliness of the Ganga. After Ganga pujan and havan, the workers of the RSS held hands and formed a human chain to highlight the cause of the Ganga cleanliness.

Shivanand warns of fast against quarrying
Dehradun, December 2
Swami Shivanand of Matri Sadan, Haridwar, has alleged that unbridled quarrying had been taking place on the Ganga riverbed in connivance with the Haridwar administration.

Students take walk to Khalanga War Memorial
Dehradun, December 2
SpicMacay organised a heritage walk to Khalanga War Memorial for the students of Doon International School and the Purukul Youth Development Society today.

Academic Heights Public School sports day
Dehradun, December 2
Academic Heights Public School in Haridwar yesterday organised it's annual sports day.

Dehradun, December 2
The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) achieved major success by completing the survey of the shops situated on Chakrata Road and also the houses behind this road, which will be dismantled to give way for a six-storey high shopping-cum-housing complex on this road. The Chief Minister has asked the MDDA to submit to him a complete report by the month-end with regard to the shops and houses to be dismantled, survey details, compensation amount and financial implications, along with a blueprint of the re-development plan.

Earlier, the shopkeepers were not coming forward to talk about the re-development plan. Not only were they prepared but were also shown slides of the drawings of the buildings and the infrastructure in the surrounding area.

Elated over the positive response of the people concerned in this regard, Vice-Chairman, MDDA, RM Sundaram, said: “It is only a fraction of people who are opposing the re-development plan. Most of them, especially those who live behind Chakrata Road, are quite keen on being a part of the plan. They readily gave us all the details required for the survey.”

He said the houses at the back will also be merged into the plan to get a broader area of land. The opposition of some of the disgruntled elements has also been quelled by aptly using valid technical points. Sundaram said: “Those who are raising voices against the re-development plan will be

in problem if the government order (GO) released on Chakrata policy is taken into consideration. Many of them do not have adequate portions left on Chakrata Road. So, by that yardstick, they cannot be provided shops in the new shopping complex. Despite this, we are still taking them into fold.”

President of the Chakrata Traders' Association Shashi Kant said the people who resided in old houses at the back of Chakrata were certainly happy to get new accommodation on the front side of the road, but other than that, the traders were not keen on the re-development plan.

Sundaram said the traders were thinking that they could build two to three-storeys on their shops, while they must understand that sooner or later, they would have to be removed in order to get wider space for the ever expanding city. He said a single-storey shop was soon going to be a thing of the past in the wake of shrinking space and burgeoning population.

He said the MDDA would soon submit the report as sought by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in a month. The promptness shown by Bahuguna in the matter is indicating that the project would soon be implemented on the ground.

Dehradun, December 2
Traders of Paltan Bazaar and Chakrata Road have geared up to oppose the traffic restrictions imposed by the city police and announced closure of shops till 2 in the afternoon on Wednesday if relaxation in traffic was not provided.

SSP Kewal Khurana made it clear that if the traders created inconvenience for public or damaged public property, he would take legal action against them and could go as far as arresting them under the National Security Act.

President of the State Traders’ Association Umesh Aggarwal said, “The police should not prevail upon traders like dictators and rather look out for a midway whereby the traffic can be streamlined and the business of the traders also does not suffer.” He said given to the constraint on parking of two-wheelers in Paltan Bazaar, the footfall of the customer had fallen by half. He said the two-wheelers must be allowed entry in Paltan Bazaar and a couple of cuts must be provided in the stretch from Clock Tower till Bindal Pul.

He said the traders would first talk to the SSP; if matter was not solved, then they would also hold discussion with the DGP and if deadlock still continued, then they would take to agitation and closure of shops on Wednesday.

SSP Khurana said he had no objection if the traders held protest against him. He maintained that if they disturbed public peace and put them into convenience, then he would not hesitate in taking stringent measures, including arresting them under the non-bailable National Security Act. 

Dehradun, December 2
Making a Difference - By being different (MAD), an association of youngsters primarily teenagers working on various environmental and social fronts in the city, conducted another clean-up and awareness campaign at the garbage dump near Krishna Palace cinema hall in Dehradun.

MAD volunteers assembled at Astley Hall during morning hours and from there they moved to the garbage dump on Chakrata Road. They were shocked to see that though this was their second drive in seven days, the dump was back on the spot.

The brigade soon began their operations at the garbage spot. On the one hand when association workers were busy cleaning the garbage, a few people could be seen coming with their polythene packets in hand to dispose the waste illegally.

"What irritated us the most is the fact that despite the Doon Valley Waster Management waste collection van patrolling this area regularly, people are still bent on polluting the environment", said Akhilesh, a MAD volunteer.

As MAD members were busy battling the combine of polythene, biodegradable waste, plastic and rubbish, they were shocked to note that people had thrown their household waste in polythene bags.

"When people throw household waste in polythene bags, cows in search of food consume these bags. This leads to a very painful death for the animal," said Gaurav Sharma, another MAD volunteer. As the drive progressed, 12 residents of Chakrata also came forward to meet and appreciate MAD members. They pointed out that those who actually polluted the area came from distant localities.

MAD members also told the local shopkeepers that they needed to understand that their business stood to lose the most due to this open garbage dump.

They asked them to prevent people from other areas from using the open area as a dumping ground.

The MAD team also performed a street play laying stress on the importance of cleaniless of the city.

After the drive was over, the Dehradun Municipal Corporation sent in their vehicle to collect the waste from the volunteers and the efforts of their disposal were coordinated by secretary, MAD, Abhinav Bahuguna

Dehradun, December 2
Workers of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) today formed a human chain from Har-ki-Pauri to Sighdwar in Haridwar as part of the ‘Ganga samagrah’ programme for the cleanliness of the Ganga. After Ganga pujan and havan, the workers of the RSS held hands and formed a human chain to highlight the cause of the Ganga cleanliness.

Naresh Sharma, a local RSS leader, said similar human chains were formed in different parts of the country to highlight the issue of preservation of the Ganga.

He said the RSS was fully committed to save the river.

BJP legislator Adesh Chauhan was among those who participated in the human chain.

Dehradun, December 2
SpicMacay organised a heritage walk to Khalanga War Memorial for the students of Doon International School and the Purukul Youth Development Society today.

The walk gave students a chance to flip through the pages of history.

Power dynasties, wars and battles, monuments and memorials are available in every history book but the real impact of those historical events can be felt only when such monuments are visited. A walk to the local monument or war memorial is a must whereby youngsters get an insight into the glorious past of the place they live in. With this unique notion, the SpicMacay is holding heritage walk programmes in various schools of the city.

Indian history has witnessed many battles. One of the crucial battles, the Battle of Khalanga (also known as Kalinga and Nala Paniko Ladai, literally 'Drain water battle'), which is famously known as the Anglo-Gorkha war, was fought between the British army and Nepal's gorkha soldiers in 1814 and a war memorial was erected in memory of its foe. It was a memorial erected by the British army in memory of their opponent the Gorkha regiment. The history about the memorial made the students’ curiosity multiply and Ajay Sharma of SpicMacay, who led the students, narrated the background of the battle that was fought between 1814 and 1816.

The astonishing bravery and sense of honour with which the Gorkhali army fought the battle moved the British and this was the reason for erecting a memorial to honour both the Gorkha army and the British General Gillespie.

The story behind the war, the untiring efforts of the Gorkhas in protecting the fort, the rock solid attitude of the Gorkha general Bal Bhadra Singh, the absolute superiority of British cavalry under General Gillespie, the morale of Gorkhas, their fighting technique, mobility, tenacity, vigorous offensive spirit and above all, their ability to sacrifice for the cause fascinated the students. The words inscribed in the memorial say ‘A tribute of respect for our gallant adversary Bal Bhadra Singh and his brave Gorkhas’, the finest accolade for any soldier.

Though the battle was lost, the pain, the agony suffered, the courage and the confidence of the Gorkha regiment left a lasting impression in the minds of the students. The students of Doon International School and the Purukul Youth Development Society will never forget the walk to the war memorial which bears a history of many unsung heroes. The students could feel the sentiments behind the construction of the memorial and through this walk, they could hear the echoes of the fighting soldiers which would linger in their minds for days to come. 

Dehradun, December 2
Marshall School, Dehradun, today celebrated its 46th founder's day.

The chief guest, Doon University's Vice-Chancellor VK Jain, lauded the quality of education being imparted at the school.

He said Dehradun had always been known for its quality education and asserted that Marshall School was still keeping to that reputation.

Jain also gave the prizes to the students who have excelled in academics.

Earlier, founder president Marshall School G C Juyal greeted the chief guest VK Jain.

He also apprised him of the activities of Marshall School.

Students on the occasion performed the drama 'Christmas Carol'. Some students also performed Kathak and Bharatnatyam which was appreciated by the audience.

Dehradun, December 2
The All India Punjab National Bank Employees' Association (AIPNBEA), Dehradun Circle, today held it's triennial convention, which was presided by PNB Circle Head Ashok Aneja.

En-course of deliberations, Ashok Aneja appealed to the bank officials to continue with their work for the welfare and growth of the bank.

He also assured that AIPNBEA would leave no stone unturned in addressing all genuine concerns of PNB officers.

Other issues discussed on the occasion included increasing disciplinary and vigilance cases, staff shortages in branches and other monetary issues, particularly linked to pay revision. The meeting at length also discussed challenges before banks.

AIPNBEA Dehradun Circle Head PR Kukreti coordinated the convention. Dilip Saha, Pradeep Kumar and Ajay Jaitly were some of the prominent senior national-level office-bearers who attended the conference.

Dehradun, December 2
Students of Samarth Special School, Haridwar, took out an awareness rally on the occasion of World Disability Day today.

Three legislators from Haridwar, Madan Kaushik, Adesh Chauhan and Swami Yateshwaranand, flagged off the awareness rally.

The students made tableaux depicting their works in rehabilitation centre of the school. Neeraj Verma, a student of the school who had won a prize in America, and Asaf Ali and Jaya Sharma, who had won Governor's medal for participating in the Scouts and Guides, also participated in the awareness campaign.