No benefits for 7 villages under new DMC delimitation proposal 
Dehradun, December 17
Seven villages and approximately 70,000 people of these areas under the Dharampur constituency will not be able to avail the amenities offered by the Dehradun Muncipal Corporation (DMC).

Dehradun, December 17
The traders of Chakrata Road have decided to hold a candlelight march tomorrow from Chakrata Road to Prabhat Cinema to register their protest against the sluggish pace of development on the project.

President of Chakrata Road Traders' Association Shashi Kant Goyal said the shopkeepers had been given 20 per cent less space in the new shopping complex than what they had on Chakrata Road. Some of the shopkeepers had not been distributed shops as yet.

The process of conversion of Nazul land into freehold had not been completed as yet. Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) was not clearing the maps of the premises built on the remaining land on Chakrata Road, he added.

The shopkeepers were being charged for parking in the MDDA shopping complex while they were promised free parking there, said Goyal.

He complained that the state government was forcibly imposing a new development plan on them. He also rued the deplorable condition of the MDDA shopping complex which, he said, lacked proper electricity, toilet, lift, sanitation and safety facilities.

Dehradun, December 17
Seven villages and approximately 70,000 people of these areas under the Dharampur constituency will not be able to avail the amenities offered by the Dehradun Muncipal Corporation (DMC).

It was on the insistence of the MLA, Dharampur constituency, and state Minister, Dinesh Aggarwal, that these villages were excluded in the new list, which otherwise incorporated 39 villages under the new delimitation proposal of the DMC. These seven villages are Sevlakhurd, Khurdkala, Pithuwala, Bharuwala Gram, Banjarawala, Mothorowala and Mohabhewala.

In the wake of election of the new DMC Board, which is due around

March-April next year, the survey was conducted to incorporate the new emerging residential colonies or villages or those which got left out earlier from under the domain of the DMC. While addressing a press conference, Mayor Vinod Chamoli said: “The state government made it clear that either we abandon the entire project of DMC expansion or else we exclude the seven villages which come under Minister Dinesh Aggarwal’s constituency. So we chose the former as we could not sacrifice the interests of the rest of the residents, who want to avail the benefits of the DMC.” He rued that it was because of the internal politics of the Congress that people of the seven villages would suffer and not have facilities of better roads, electricity, sewerage etc, and would also not benefit from the Centre or international agencies-sponsored development schemes.

Dinesh Aggwal countered it, saying that the villages which were

incorporated under the DMC in the last delimitation process never witnessed any infrastructure development. He said the people of these seven villages themselves opposed inclusion in the DMC in the first place. He said he himself would take care of the development of the villages which came in the ambit of his constituency.

Chamoli said it was with his persuasion that another Congress MLA Umesh Kao who, otherwise was opposing merger of the villages of his constituency into the DMC, agreed for delimitation.

Under the new proposal, now it is the major part of Raipur and Mussoorie consitutuency which has been expanded, with the inclusion of 39 villages and a population of 93,679 people. As per the census of 2001, the total population under the DMC was 5,41,000.

The area which earlier was confined to 32 sq km was expanded to 66 km in the last delimitation.

Under the new expansion, it will increase up to 90 km. Similarly, the ward number too will exceed from 60 to 70 wards.

Chamoli also pulled up Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) for not forwarding any proposal to include the newer settlements into the domain of the DMC.

He said: " The MDDA and DMC are co-related. If the MDDA set up the residential areas, then the DMC maintain them. The MDDA premises itself does not come under the DMC. Similarly, Transport Nagar has not been included in the new delimitation arrangement.” 

Haridwar, December 17
The incidents of elephant intrusion into various parts of Haridwar and Rishikesh don’t seem to be stopping as several reports of elephants entering agricultural fields, highways as well as intimidating human beings are coming to light almost on a daily basis.

Along with rural areas the intrusion of jumbos into the urban areas is coming to light in these twin cities, which has created fear among the people, particularly those living in the vicinity of Rajaji National Park and the Shivalik forest terrain.

The forest and park administration has geared itself up, but as the elephant is a protected animal in this world-famous park, the authorities have to adopt a balanced approach by taking steps to avoid human-animal conflict.

Several precautionary methods are being adopted to lessen the wild acts of the jumbos in these affected areas, particularly on the Dehradun-Rishikesh highway corridor. The tuskers have often uprooted trees that have medicinal property.

The footprints of the elephants are also being taken into account to understand their main corridor and whereabouts. Tibdi Forest Ranger MS Negi said that information was being collected about the activities of the violent tuskers. He acknowledged that human interference in the traditional zones of elephants is one of the major reasons for their unruly behaviour.

Meanwhile, the fear of wild tuskers has now gripped people of the Swargashram area falling in Pauri Garhwal district, which is abuzz with pilgrims and tourists. Falling under Gohri range, Swargashram area is now being threatened by jumbo intrusion, making local people remain indoors.

Local residents have taken this matter with the Rajaji Park range officials, and taking cognisance of this matter, park officials have increased vigil by stationing employees around the area where the intrusion is being reported.

Informing about the steps taken by park officials, a forest employee said that the routine vigil by park guards had been increased, covering these.

While the Taxi Sumo Union, owing to movement of elephants on the Rishikesh-Dehradun road, have urged forest authorities to take adequate steps to bring respite from the fear on the highway as it is affecting their business, besides causing danger to their life.

Convener of the union Madan Mohan Sharma said that with the killing of one of their union drivers by elephants last year and other incidents of wild elephant intimidating their vehicles, they were risking their lives to ensure passengers reached their destinations. But a long-term solution was needed to provide safety of the drivers and passengers on the national highway.

Meanwhile, in Haridwar several areas like Jagjeetpur, Missirpur, Katarpur, Panjan Hedi, Pathri and Tibdi are quite affected by the elephant menace. Pachyderms are ravaging crops, destroying walls and intimidating local people and forest guards when they try to shoo them off.

In the Jagjeetpur area on the main road, elephants have been sighted by villagers and students of four schools falling along this road. Their movement has raised security concerns among the parents and school managements as thousands of school students take this route towards the city with a large nomber on three- wheeler autorickshaws, which can be easy target of the wild elephants.

As a result. the authorities of DAV Centennary and Shiv Dale schools are taking precautionary methods, particularly early in the morning during school opening time, as these days it is quite foggy and the visibility is low.

Divisional forest officials inform that the department has alerted it's employees and have urged local people to inform the forest employees as soon as they see or suspect elephant movement in the area.

Mussoorie, December 17
Congress MLA from Narendar Nagar Subodh Uniyal speaking on the sidelines of a function in Mussoorie said the UKD and the Opposition were misleading the people of the state on the issue of reservations in promotions for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and issuing of domicile certificates to the residents before 2000.

Speaking to mediapersons in Mussoorie, he said the state government was keen on providing permanent residential certificates to those who were residing in the state before 2000 and not the domicile certificates.

He said as per the Constitution, only those who had property in Uttarakhand before 1950 could be the domicile residents of the state, while the rest would fall in the permanent residents category, therefore the stand of the government was in accordance with the judiciary and the Constitution.

However, the Opposition and the UKD were indulging in petty politics and misleading the people for their own vested interests.

Speaking on the issue of reservations in promotions for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, he said the government was only following the order of the High Court in the matter.

Subodh Uniyal further said the state had developed more under Narayan Dutt Tiwari in comparison to the BJP regime and under Vijay Bahuguna led government, the state was on the similar path of development.

Subodh Uniyal also revealed that the government was considering a project of constructing a tunnel to join the four famous religious shrines of Gangotri, Yamnotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath with each other to reduce the distance thus providng relief to the devotees._

Dehradun, December 17
It was a memorable day filled with nostalgia for the officers who passed out of the Indian Military Academy on December 10, 1962, as they celebrated their Golden Jubilee reunion at their academy.

Of the 490 officers, including six foreign officers, 97 officers attended the re-union. The gathering included two former Lieutenant Generals and 13 former Major Generals with Lt Gen RK Nanavatty (retd), being the seniormost. They reunited for three days from December 15 to 17 to rekindle their old memories at the alma mater.

The main events on the itinerary during the emotional homecoming were course photographs, visit to the museum and the IMA campus, jubilee dinner, address by the Commandant and wreath laying at the IMA War Memorial, where all officers paid homage to the martyrs who fell in the line of duty and brought honour and glory to this nation and to the Indian Military Academy.

The highlights of the event remained the emotional and heart rending get-together of the officers wherein they re-lived the time spent together during their training at the IMA almost five decades ago. Nostalgia brought tears of affection in most eyes when the officers recalled the wonderful times spent together in the academy as young cadets.

Time indeed stood still for the officers and their lady wives who got together to cherish an era gone by and each one of them could be seen beaming with pride at the contribution they had made to the Army. To mark the occasion, the Golden Jubilee course also presented a memento to the Indian Military Academy.

Dehradun, December 17
The Panipat team defeated Little Masters’ Cricket Club, Dehradun, by 79 runs to enter the semi-finals of the Banke Lal Sah Memorial Under-15 Cricket Tournament played at Rangers’ College ground here today.

The Panipat team won the toss and elected to bat first.

The Panipat boys scored 206 for six wickets in 20 overs. Tarun scored a brilliant 100 runs to help his team score an imposing total. Ajay took two wickets for 29 runs.

In reply, Little Masters’ Cricket Club, Dehradun, was all out for 127 runs in 18.5 overs. Opener Shubham was the top scorer with 38 runs.

Vikas took three wickets for 12 runs while Amit and Sachin Ruhal took two wickets each.