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Differences surface in Cong Chintan Shivir
Water shortage in Ghansali
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Manch flays govt policy on domicile benefits Farmers resent revised sugarcane rates
BJP MLAs assured of security
Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra
Tea garden workers demand revision of wages Workers of various trade unions associated with hotels, tea estates and power employees hold a march in
support of their demands in Dehradun on Thursday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir Parties opposing new domicile policy flayed Pant condemns attempts to divide state Power staff hold rally BJP demands rollback of sugarcane price Ravi Shankar lived in Almora for 5 years Eye donation centre opened
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Differences surface in Cong Chintan Shivir
Dehradun, December 13 Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, state Congress chief and Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya, general secretary in charge Birender Singh, co-in charge Anis Ahmed were prominent speakers among several ministers who delved upon the achievements of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) particularly of its second tenure. Vijay Bahuguna called upon party leaders to carry forward the achievements of the Central as well as the state government to the common masses. He said the malicious campaign by the Opposition had created doubts in the minds of the common man about the achievements of the Central Government. He said most of the malicious campaigns by the BJP regarding 2-G spectrum and coal allocation had been found to be totally incorrect and exaggerated. He said his own government had been working tirelessly and taken several steps for the welfare of the common masses. Birender Singh, Congress general secretary and in charge of Uttarakhand affairs, also asked the party leaders to be prepared for the Lok Sabha electoral fight equipped with correct data and information to blunt the false campaign by the BJP among the masses. He said the party leaders should take all welfare schemes launched by the Central as well as the state government to the masses to win their confidence. Jagdambika Pal, a senior party leader and MP from Uttar Pradesh, said there was a lot of efforts needed to take on the Opposition campaign against FDI in retail and other issues. However, some party workers, particularly belonging to the minority community, raised slogans against the party leaders. They charged that they were being ignored since the party had come to power in the state. Some senior party leaders were also dissatisfied with the sitting arrangements. |
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Water shortage in Ghansali
Dehradun, December 13 "The Balganga rivulet would be tapped for providing water under the Gaungarh Gram Samooh Pumping Yojana. A total of 62 bastis are facing water problem in the lean summer periods and the programme would be addressed once this plan was through," said Naithani. He was replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Bhim Lal Arya from Ghansali. Misuse of money
In another question raised by BJP MLA Surinder Singh Jena, the issue of Rs 20 lakh allocated for Salth ( Almora -Kumaon) Assembly constituency was raised. The MLA pointed out that the amount of Rs 20 lakh for two pumping plans (plan sanctioned in 2006 by Jal Sansthan) was released in December last year when it was already announced that it would be taken under Sector Wide Approaches (SWAP) in November. "I would like to know why was the money released when the project was to be carried under SWAP. The result of this confusion is that the project has still not taken off," said Jena. The Minister said that the projects would be taken up next year. No water conservation policy
While replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Vijay Barthwal whether the government was contemplating preparing a water conservation policy for the state, Mantri Prasad Naithani said that the government was not preparing a water conservation policy. |
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Manch flays govt policy on domicile benefits
Mussoorie, December 13 The former president of Rajya Andolankari Samman Parishad Ravinder Jugran speaking to media persons in Mussoorie today, said that the government policy of providing the domicile benefits to the people residing before 2000 in the state due to the vote bank politics, and the decision was unconstitutional and against the stricture of the Supreme Court, which clearly states that only those persons would be considered as original settlers of the state who have been living before 1950 in accordance to the Article 5 under the Constitution of the country. Ravinder Jugran further said that the state government was trying to benefit land mafia and provide them the domicile benefits by keeping the cut-off date 2000 instead of 1950 against the Supreme Court directions leading to contempt of court. Jugran was of the view that the decision of the state government was acting against the Constitution and was divisive in nature, pitting the citizens of the plains against the hill people. He said that if the government does not roll back it's decision, then a similar situation would arise as in other troubled states of North-East. Another andolankari Jaiprakash Uttarakhandi said that the decision of the state government was of Draconian nature and a cruel joke on the original people of the state who have sacrificed their lives for the formation of the state. He also demanded a CBI enquiry in the Ponty Chadda case so that the faces of white-collared officials and politicians came to the surface. The members of the Andolankari Manch said that they would march to the Raj Bhavan in large numbers on December 17 in this matter and demand from the Governor to
direct the state government to act according to the Constitution of the country. Anil Godiyal, Gambhir Singh Panwar, Vijay Ramola, Hukum Singh Rawat, Puran Juyal, Dinesh Badoni, Sunil Raturi and others were
present.
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Farmers resent revised sugarcane rates
Haridwar, December 13
said the Congress-led state government on one hand was fooling the public by claiming its pro-farmer policies and on the other, it had failed to increase the rate even above Rs 300. Lohan added that the government had upped the sugarcane loading tax by Rs 6 due to which farmers would have to suffer a major loss. "We will start an agitation if sugarcane rates are not hiked to Rs 400. Be it power cuts, insufficient supply of irrigation water or below market rates of land given to farmers whose land have been acquired by the government, its farmers who have to suffer," said Anuj Saini, general secretary, BJP farmers’ wing, Roorkee. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Progressive) has also ushered in their support to the farmers’ demand. Central secretary, labour cell, Uday Ram Semwal, said farmers and soldiers were the mainstay of the country and it was a duty to provide them with the best of the facilities. He pointed out that the Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna-led Uttarakhand government had made it sure that in the northern region, the state provided the highest support price for sugarcane which was laudable.
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BJP MLAs assured of security
Dehradun, December 13 While taking note of the matter raised under Rule 65 by the Opposition members who said security was not being provided to them, the minister said the government was committed to providing security to MLAs. She also told them they had been provided gunners but in case they wanted Y-plus security on the recommendation of the Leader of the Opposition, it could be given. But she cautioned, it should not be used as a status symbol. However, the MLAs insisted that they had not been provided gunners. Later, Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal also asked the government to take note of the matter and arrangement for security within a month. However, Hridayesh said the issue pertaining to withdrawal of false cases against the MLAs would be examined and no time limit could be given.
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Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra
Dehradun, December 13 Bhatt said the Chief Minister, who is also the Leader of the House, had announced on the floor of the Assembly in August that a committee headed by him would be constituted to oversee the preparations for the Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra. While the Leader of the Opposition would be the vice-chairman of the committee, the MLAs of the constituencies connected with the yatra would be made its members. “Though the committee for the yatra has been constituted, neither the Leader of the Opposition has been made its vice-chairman nor BJP MLAs hailing from constituencies connected with the yatra have been nominated its members. I do not know why even Congress MLAs have been excluded from the committee. The yatra will pass through Kapkote, Bageshwar, Nainital, Tharali and Karanprayag. Though the Chief Minister had promised that the MLAs would be nominated as members of the committee, they had been kept out. Is it a design or political vendetta that the Leader of the House has not kept his word,” said Bhatt. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Indira Hridayesh took note of the issue and said this religious and cultural yatra did not belong to any person but was for all. Everybody would be given due importance and the matter would be taken up with the government. Later during the recess of the House, Bahuguna surprised everybody by visiting the Leader of the Opposition in his room in the Legislative Assembly and even shared meal with the BJP members. |
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Tea garden workers demand revision of wages
Dehradun, December 13 Tea garden workers demanded revision of minimum wages, which, they alleged, was revised last in August 2002. They said it not been revised in the past 10 years against the labour laws, which rendered the revision of minimum wages compulsory in every five years. They said they also made their fresh recommendation three months ago in this regard but nothing was done. The tea garden workers, which mostly comprise of women employees, also demanded special amenities such as gloves, shoes and seasonal uniforms. The similar plea was made by hotel workers whose minimum wages were revised in April 2005. Both the associations expressed their inability to make both ends meet in the present salary structure. They alleged that their protests, dharnas, strikes and rallies failed to move the office of the Labour Commissioner. The tea garden union was represented by chairperson Chitra Gupta, general secretary Ashok Verma and other members, including Champa, Parvati, Premwati, Kalawati and Rajni Devi. The hotel workers included president Dharmanand, secretary Ramkumar Bahuguna, vice-president RP Badoni and members Virender Rawat, Sankal Prasad, Savant Singh, Shanti Prasad and Narender. |
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Parties opposing new domicile policy flayed
Dehradun, December 13 Addressing mediapersons in Dehradun today, Uttarakhand Sanyukt Sarv Samaj Sanghatan president Kunwar Japender Singh said there were forces in the state who wanted to divide people on the hill and plain lines for electoral gains and these forces were now opposing the new domicile policy of the state government. Referring to the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, Kunwar Japender Singh said the UKD needed to explain to the people as to why it had always been with the party in power. He also held the UKD responsible for the poor state of affairs in the 10 hill districts of the state. He said the sanghatan’s also favoured prompt construction of Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib at Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar. Pritam Singh Kulwanshi and Baljinder Singh were also present . |
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Pant condemns attempts to divide state
Pithoragarh, December 13 He said the present hue and cry on the matter of permanent residence came after the court gave its decision on a writ petition two months ago, which was on acquiring an OBC certificate to be able to take the Uttarakhand government jobs. “The court decision was on the basis of constitutional provisions and the UP Reorganisation Bill line, as neither the provision of deleting or including other backward castes in the list of new state were made at the time of passing the bill, nor were included later by respective governments. “The list of the OBCs that we received from UP had 64 castes. Of this, eight castes were not found in Uttarakhand but the state was compelled to include those, as the list had to be followed under the provisions of the UP Reorganisation Bill. The inclusions at the legislative level and prohibition at the administrative level prompted judicial activism to get their appointments in government jobs on the basis of the quota,” said Pant. He said every resident of the state had an equal right on government jobs under the Constitution. “We have accepted 65 Scheduled Castes and five Scheduled Tribes defined in the 5th Schedule of the Constitution via the provision made under Section 24 and 25 of the state Reorganisation Act,” said Pant. He added as the Supreme Court had ordered on the cut-off date for the SC/ST communities that the certificate would be issued from the state where they were born, the question of giving permanent residence certificate to others did not arise. |
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Power staff hold rally
Dehradun, December 13 General secretary of the UPEA KR Kashyap said, “The 90 per cent of demands of UJVNL employees are similar to those of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL). When these demands are addressed by the government, then the demands of employees of UPCL and PTCUL will also get solved. This is the reason why the unions of the three corporations participated in the rally today.” Their combined demands include restriction on the privatisation of the Power Department, reinstatement of electricity boards, which are declared null and void by the Electricity Appellant Tribunal, power supply to farmers on affordable rates and formation of a holding company of all three power corporations headed by a chairperson and a managing director. The members who participated in the rally included KR Kashyap, KS Negi, MN Nautiyal, Pradeep Kansal, Yogesh Pandey, Avtar Singh and Anil
Juyal. |
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BJP demands rollback of sugarcane price
Dehradun, December 13 Senior BJP leader and MLA from Haridwar Madan Kaushik initiated a discussion under Rule 58 in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly and said the government contention that the SAP was Rs 5 more than last year was a ruse as a day after the SAP was declared it raised transport charges for sugarcane to Rs 5.25 paise “In one stroke, Sugarcane Development Minister Surinder Singh Negi has taken away what the government claimed to have given to the farmers two days ago. There is anger among 1.72 lakh farmers in four districts of the state who are waiting for relief from the government. But the government has amply displayed its insensitivity towards the demands of the farmers,” said Kaushik. BJP legislator Prem Chand Agarwal said lack of sincerity on the part of the government towards farmers was on full display. “The government had adopted similar tactics in the past also. In view of the Tehri parliamentary elections, the government had first removed VAT from diesel and petrol but later revoked the decision as soon as the elections did not give favourable results,” said Agarwal. Another BJP legislator Rajesh Shukla also highlighted the problems being faced by the sugarcane farmers due to reduction in the command area after the creation of the state. He demanded that the government should stop the practice of sugar cooperatives charging Rs 15 per kg on sugar bags from the farmers and Rs 3 per quintal on the sale of molasses. BSP member Sarbat Karim Ansari also pointed out difficulties being faced by the sugarcane farmers due to rising costs. The Minister for Sugarcane Development said the government was aware of the problems of the farmers. “The SAP is fixed on the recommendation of the committee comprising farmers as members. The condition of sugar mills is not good. The interests of both farmers and sugar mills have to be taken care off while fixing the SAP and the Opposition cannot call us anti-farmer,” said the minister. “As soon as we came to power, we waived Rs 230 crore of dues of farmers towards sugar mills. Besides, the SAP and transport charges are fixed by the committee and there is no binding on the
farmers to pay the transport charges. They are free to make alternative transport arrangements,” said Negi. Dissatisfied with Negi’s statement, the opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the House. However, Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal accepted the statement and adjourned the House till 3 pm. |
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Ravi Shankar lived in Almora for 5 years
Pithoragarh, December 13 “On the persuasion of Govind Ballabh Pant, the then Chief Minister of the United Province (present Uttar Pradesh), Udai Shankar and Ravi Shankar reached Almora town in 1938 to open a dance centre as Udai wanted to teach classical dance at some remote part of the country. Hence, he opened a cultural centre in the Pataldevi locality of the town,” said Shah, who also used to attend the programmes at the centre as a volunteer. He said the Shankar brothers stayed in Almora for five years, during which Ravi was involved with the centre as a sitar player. “I was also present at Udai Shankar’s studio when Ravi Shankar married his co-artist Laxmi,” remembers Shah. He said as both brothers had married inter-caste, orthodox society did not recognise their marriages and the locals slowly started keeping away from their centre. “Gradually, the centre closed down and Udai Shankar left Almora with his team of artistes in 1943,” Shah added.
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Eye donation centre opened
Dehradun, December 12 Principal, Guru Ram Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, Dr SK Ghildiyal said the centre would pave the way for eye donations in the state.
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Dehradun, December 13
“As the provisions of the state Reorganisation Bill were not discussed in Parliament at the time of creation of the state, the provisions of cut-off date for permanent residents and of other backward castes remained the same as in Uttar Pradesh,” said Pant.