Ministerial rank posts for five MLAs
Three are Harish Rawat's loyalists, one belongs to BSP; two take oath
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has finally given the much-awaited positions to four of the party legislators and one legislator from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), an ally of the state government, here today. Three legislators- Narayan Ram Arya, Manoj Tewari and Himesh Kharakwal, owe their allegiance to Union Water Resource Minister Harish Rawat.

Chief Minister Bahuguna administered oath to Congress MLAs Manoj Tewari and Himesh Kharakwal as parliamentary secretaries at the Vidhan Sabha here today.

Congratulating both of them, he that this would expedite development works.

Both the parliamentary secretaries will be attached to the office of the Chief Minister. While Manoj Tewari has been given the Higher Education Department, Himesh Kharakwal will look after the Forest and Environment Department.

Earlier, Bahuguna told mediapersons that a decision had been taken to allocate responsibilities to five MLAs, namely Narayanram Arya, Manoj Tewari, Himesh Kharakwal, Haridas and Rajendra Bhandari. Birender Singh, Congress general secretary, and in charge of party affairs in state, and senior party leader Rashid Alvi were also present at the press conference.

Bahuguna said the field of responsibilities to these three remaining legislators would be decided soon as per their capacity. He said looking into the requirements of corporations and boards, these appointments would be made for the development of the state. He said Manoj Tewari and Himesh Kharakwal had been allocated responsibilities and the remaining three would also be given responsibilities soon. One of the Congress legislators Narayan Ram Arya was earlier appointed as parliamentary secretary but he had refused to take oath. It will be interesting to see which positions will be offered to him.

The Chief Minister said several far-sighted important decisions were taken in the nine months of Congress rule. He said to ensure effective execution of development works on the grassroot level senior officials and district-level officials were reviewing the works. All minister-in-charges had been directed to visit their respective areas regularly. The ministers had also been asked to visit places to take stock of the situation.

The Chief Minister said in a bid to expedite development process, a core group had been constituted under the Chief Secretary in which principal secretaries/secretaries of the PWD, Finance, Irrigation, Industry and Power Departments have been included. The core group will review the development projects and submit report to the Chief Minister every 15 days. 

Cabinet Meeting
Now, restaurants can make beer
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
The Uttarakhand Cabinet today approved the policy for setting up a micro pub brewery in the state.

Now those restaurants that possess bar licences will be able to manufacture alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer in the state. The policy is aimed at encouraging tourism and earning revenue for the state.

According to the policy, the alcoholic content for beer has been set at 5 per cent. Besides, only those restaurants will be allowed to establish micro pub breweries that already possess bar licences and here too, non-alcoholic beer will be encouraged.

According to conservative estimates, the government hopes to earn a revenue of around Rs 18 lakh from on micro pub brewery in a year.

The Cabinet also approved establishing of bottling plant for which provisions already exist in the 2012-2013 excise policy. Under the provisions, the liquor being supplied from outside the state will be bottled in the state and a fee will be charged for the same. However, no bottling plants will be set up in areas where liquor is banned.

Further, the government also approved the Uttarakhand Hotel Act (amendment) 2012 and one-time waiver scheme for marriage halls and owners of banquet halls.

The Cabinet also approved running of third shifts under the self-financed scheme at all Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state and framing of rules for compulsory registration of marriages under the Uttarakhand Marriage Registration Act (2012).

House adjourned sine die
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
The Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die today by Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal after more than a week-long winter session.

On the last day today, the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly passed the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicles Taxation Reforms (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Transport and Civic Infrastructure Cess Bill 2012, the Uttarakhand Single Window Facilitation and Clearance Bill 2012, the Uttarakhand Water Tax on Electricity Generation Bill 2012, the Uttarakhand Flood Plain Zoning Bill 2012, the Uttarakhand Revenue Laws (Amendment) Bill 2012 and the Uttarakhand Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) (Amendment) Bill 2012.

Opposition members staged small walkouts and termed the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicles Taxation Reforms (Amendment) Bill and the Uttarakhand Transport and Civic Infrastructure Cess Bill 2012 as black laws, while they were being passed.

However, the passage of the Uttarakhand Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill 2012 was deferred due to the objections raised by both Opposition BJP members and the Congress members and ministers about certain provisions in the Bill.

On the recommendations of the Leader of the House and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, the Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Govind Singh Kunjwal referred the Bill to the Standing Committee of the House. The committee will now present its report before the next Assembly session.

After raising initial objections, the Opposition members became amenable when informed by the Cabinet Minister Yashpal Arya who tabled the Bills that both the Uttarakhand Water Tax on Electricity Generation Bill, 2012 and the Uttarakhand Flood Plain Zoning Bill 2012 were brought by the previous government and could not be passed due to the model codes of conduct.

Vehicles Taxation, Infra Cess Bills black laws: BJP

Dehradun, December 14
Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Ajay Bhatt today dubbed the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicles Taxation Reform (Amendment) Bill and the Uttarakhand Transport and Civic Infrastructure Cess Bill 2012 as black laws that would increase the burden of taxation and affect the tourism activity in the state. Initiating the discussion and the Leader of the Opposition Ajay Bhatt said some provisions in the Uttarakhand Motor Vehicles Taxation Reform (Amendment) Bill would add to the tax burden.

“At the time of presenting the Budget, the Uttarakhand Government had claimed that it was a zero-tax budget, but it has cleverly raised taxes in the middle when a few months are left for the presentation of the new budget. I would suggest that the government remove the harsh provisions and refer the Bill to the Standing Committee,” said Bhatt.

While speaking against the Bill, BJP MLA Madan Kaushik said ultimately the hike on tax would be passed on to the people and the new rates announced by the government on different vehicles were too steep,” he said.

However, the Uttarakhand Minister for Transport Surinder Rakesh termed the objections raised by the opposition members as baseless.

“After a gap of 14 years, the taxes were being raised and the changes have been brought in the interests of the state. Through the Bill, a single tax will be charged on all motor vehicles, a similar tax slab has been fixed for vehicles plying in the hills and plain areas (thereby removing the discrepancies between the hill and the plain areas)," he said.

The minister said by imposing the Green Cess on vehicles, the government plans to curb pollution and create a pollution-free environment in towns and cities. The minister also said the refresher course for private drivers started by the state government was being conducted at the behest of the Central Government which was worried about the increasing number of accidents in the state. The opposition members also opposed some provisions in the Uttarakhand Transport and Civic Infrastructure Cess Bill 2012 and said the Cess Bill would impede tourism activity in the state.

“When we were part of Uttar Pradesh, this Act was brought in '91 and barriers were erected everywhere that created problems. I oppose the 11(3) provisions in the Act that gives right to the government to set up new barriers on any road in the state by issuing a gazette notification,” said Kaushik.

The opposition members also criticised the government for subcontracting the work and not using the government chowkis for collection of cess.

Replying to the opposition charges, the Uttarakhand Minister for Transport Surinder Rakesh said ordinance had already come into effect on December 1 this year and so far the government had not encountered any difficulties.

“We have brought the Act to strengthen the system further. This could be termed an achievement of our government,” said Rakesh.

He also tried to allay doubts of the opposition members that the work of collecting of cess would be through private contractors. “This is an optional arrangement, the cess will be collected through government chowkis,” he said. — TNS

Report on Gairsain House

Dehradun: The Deputy Speaker of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly Dr Anusuiya Prasad Maikhuri has submitted a survey report regarding the probable sites for the construction of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly building in Gairsain to the government. The Deputy Speaker has in its survey suggested Sarkot, Parvari, Saliyan, Rithiya, Sintoli and Hargarh as possible sites for the construction of House and other buildings. 

No rift with Anna, Kejriwal: VK Singh
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
Former Army Chief General VK Singh has ruled out differences between Gandhian Anna Hazare and his associate and now Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

Interacting with mediapersons in Dehradun, General VK Singh (retd) denied reports of differences with Gandhian Anna Hazare and its former associate Arvind Kejriwal. "Only a few days back, I was with Anna Hazare in Benaras and he too denied any differences with Arvind Kejriwal", he pointed out.

When asked as which party or organization he was inclined to join to forward his anti-corruption movement, General VK Singh (retd) said he favoured those who wanted to bring right changes in the country. He also categorically held that he had not yet thought of contesting elections. He said youths in particular must come forward to weed out corruption.

He said the Army was efficient enough to meet the challenges. He said the Army was like an insurance policy, "Better you invest, the better you are secured". Responding to a query, former Army Chief said he would be coming out with a book on his experiences in the Army and life by September next year.

On support price for sugarcane, Gen VK Singh (retd) said the government before fixing the support price for sugarcane should first get an estimate of the cost incurred by a farmer in growing sugarcane.

"Further, a reasonable profit should be added on to it to get the right pricing", he said. He also expressed reservations over the entry of FDI in the retail sector in the country.

"The entry of FDI in the retail sector needs to be reconsidered", he observed.

Earlier, addressing ex-servicemen of Uttarakhand at a convention held in Dehradun, Gen VK Singh (retd) asked them to stand united and play an active role in the development of Uttarakhand. He said the ex-servicemen must stand against corruption strongly whenever they encountered corruption.

Convener of the convention Surendra Singh Pangtey, Lt Gen TPS Rawat (retd) and PC Thapliyal were present on the occasion.

Amrita Rawat fails to satisfy BJP MLAs' queries

Dehradun, December 14
Tourism Minister Amrita Rawat yesterday failed to satisfy BJP MLAs Vijay Barthwal and Prem Chand Agarwal when they asked her about the steps being taken by her government to improve the facilities at the Neelkanth temple (Yamkeshwar) and whether the government was keen on notifying the Kanwar mela.

In her reply, the minister said no separate budget was being allocated for keeping the temple clean by the Department of Tourism. The arrangement was being made at the panchayat and the temple committee level. Later, when the minister was questioned why the number of visitors had declined in 2011, the minister’s reply that it was due to Kumbh Mela did not satisfy the ministers.

The minister maintained that the department had collected data on the number of visitors visiting Neelkanth on the basis of occupancy at hotels and dharmashalas. This dissatisfied Agarwal who said there were no hotels at Neelkanth and due to poor facilities, the kanwars who visit during the month of ‘sawan’ were forced to spend the night under the open sky. The minister, however, insisted that the kanwars never stayed back and left after offering water in the temple.— TNS

Lakhwad power project gets Centre's nod
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
The Union Government has given the final approval for the 300 MW Multipurpose Lakhwad Hydropower Project.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna expressed contentment on the approval and said after the completion of the project, the state would become self-sufficient in power.

Besides, neighbouring states too would be benefited by power supply and water for irrigation, he said.

Bahuguna said the Lakhwad project had been pending since long and the continuous efforts put up by the state had borne fruit.

Chairman, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited, Subhash Kumar, said the Lakhwad project was a joint venture of the Centre and the state government and would be constructed by the UJVNL with the budget of Rs 3,966 crore out of which the Centre would provide Rs 2,578 crore and the Uttarakhand government would invest Rs1,388 crore.

After the completion of the project, it would be capable of irrigating 39,123 hectare land per year. The project would be completed in 4 years, he claimed.

Cong forms 31-member task force

Dehradun, December 14
The Uttarakhand Congress has constituted a 31-member task force to ensure that the decisions taken at recently concluded party's Chintin Shivir are implemented.

Uttarakhand Congress spokesman Dhirendra Pratap disclosed that former state minister Yogendra Khanduri would be the convener of the task force. Further, Yashpal Arya, Vijay Saraswat, Mahendra Pal Singh, Narendra Singh Bhandari, Hira Singh Bisht, Suryakant Dhasmana, Navprabhat, Ganesh Godiyal, Tilak Raj Behad, Surendra Arya, Rajendra Bhandari, Manoj Tiwari and Lalit Faraswan are its prominent members.

He said the task force would hold a review meeting every month to asses the progress made in the implementation of decisions taken at Dehradun Chitin Shivir. He said the force would also expose the BJP and other opposition parties over the false propaganda being spread over issue of corruption and FDI. —TNS

Paramjeet Singh chief of state BKU
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
National president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), Dr Bhanu Pratap Singh, has appointed Paramjeet Singh Pamma state president and Pradeep Singh Bobby general secretary of the state unit of the BKU.

Bhanu Pratap Singh said the state unit of the BKU had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna with regard to their 12 demands. The main among these included the clearance of the pending payment of sugarcane produce, the MSP of sugarcane be fixed at Rs 300, 50 per cent subsidy in manure, the exemption of debt for small-scale farmers owning less than 5 acres, the Directorate, Agriculture, not to be shifted out of Dehradun and the availability of seeds at cheaper rate. He said if their demands were not met within six months, they would launch a statewide agitation.

Green light to work on Jamrani dam 
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, December 14
The possibility of construction of the proposed Jamrani dam in the the Bhabar area of Haldwani has gone one step ahead as the detailed project report of the proposed dam on the Gaula river has been prepared after the electricity regulatory committee has approved its construction.

“The file of the proposed dam will now be sent to Dehradun, where after getting approval by the Irrigation Ministry, the proposal will be sent for the environmental clearance to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Government of India, New Delhi,” said DC Singh, Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department.

According to the irrigation engineer, the Jamrani project, which will generate 14 MW of electricity, will be constructed to the tune of Rs 1,400 crore on present valuation. “As we have already received hydrological sanction from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, we hope the environmental approval will not be delayed,” said DC Singh.

The second phase of the Jamrani project, which was proposed in 1975, for solving water and irrigation problems of the Bhabar area, has been hanging fire for the past 35 years as it could not get environmental approval till date.

Nityanand Swami's ashes immersed in Ganga
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 14
The ashes of the first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Nityanand Swami, who died two days ago, were immersed in the Ganga here today.

The immersion rituals were performed by his daughter Jyotsana Sharma's son, Vinayak, at Sati Ghat, Kankhal.

Besides members of his family, relatives and close friends, local BJP activists, OSD Yogesh Aggarwal and Nilesh Kumar were also present.

The former CM had a deep connection with the pilgrim city of Haridwar. He would visit the city quite often and it was this city from where he had contested his maiden parliamentary elections. During his stint as the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council chairperson, he had visited the city various times.

Yoga guru Ramdev's aide Acharya Balkrishan also paid homage to the leader and was present throughout the rituals.

Local people, too, remembered Nityanand Swami’s contribution in giving shape to development.

Senior politicians recalled the elections in which Nityanand Swami had impressed all with his simplicity, morality, political knowledge and development-oriented vision.

Former Haridwar legislator Ambrish Kumar said Nityanand Swami was always concerned about the development of the Haridwar region.

First CM of Uttarakhand remembered
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 14
The All-India Tasmia Educational and Social Welfare Society organised a mushaira here last evening. A two-minute silence was also observed in memory of the departed soul, who was remembered for his work and honesty.

The poets who presented their poems in the mushaira included Imam Ramzi, SN Badoni, Aman, Raj Bakhshi, Nameem, Ajan Kapoor, Ikram Dllahi, Narendra Sharma, Shadal Ali, Ravinder Seth, Zahid Bismel, Harsh Nidhi Sharma and K Daudi.Imam Ramji compared the programme while poet RK Bakhshi proposed a vote of thanks.

Ramdev backs drive against adulteration 
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 14
Yog guru Swami Ramdev has extended his support to an anti-adulteration-cum-awareness drive being spearheaded by Jugat Mission chief Swami Ganga Das here.

At a meeting between the two saints held at Patanjali Yogpeeth, 15 km from Haridwar city, Swami Ganga Das apprised the yog guru of the ill-effects of adulterated milk being supplied in the market these days.

Swami Ganga Das urged Swami Ramdev to help in creating awareness among consumers as well cooperate in carrying out a pan-India movement that involved shunning of all milk-related products until adulteration practice got completely eradicated from the society.

Citing huge resources at his disposal and the mass following the yog guru has, Swami Ganga Das said, "Adulteration is also a form of corruption that slowly nails human body. While terrorists directly kills innocent people, adulteration slowly kills human beings. Ignorance, lack of awareness, loopholes in law, particularly consumer laws, are paving way for mass adulteration in our consumer products," said Ganga Das.

Responding to the initiative of the Jugat Mission, Swami Ramdev lauded the efforts and social work being done by the charitable foundation in the country.

He called on for a joint effort in this regard as adulteration was costing many a life in India.

Sadhvi Sushila cited the opening of more Patanjali Ayurvedic outlets which supply pure milk in the country, as these are the products that have guaranteed purity and freshness.

Appreciating move by top cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir in featuring awareness advertisement campaigns against adulteration, Swami Ganga Das.

Girl loses leg in Haridwar train accident 
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 14
A girl lost her one leg in a mishap while boarding a train at the Haridwar railway station here today.

The incident occurred in the afternoon when 17-year-old Khushnuma, daughter of Rafiq Ahmed, resident of Kiratpur, Uttar Pradesh, stepped down train to fetch drinking water.

When the train started and she tried to board the train, she slipped and fel on the track. Her leg was crushed by the train.

Her other leg was also wounded.

Policemen and media photographer rushed to the spot with tan ambulance when they got to know about the accident. Khushnuma was rushed to the district hospital.

The family members of the girl said they were on their way to Dehradun when the train stopped for sometime at the Haridwar railway station. Khushnuma went out to fetch water and when the train started and she did not come back, they started looking out for her when suddenly they heard a girl’s cry.

The incident has prompted the railway station superintendent to make announcements at the stations at regular intervals.