Dehradun, December 28
A ban on the manufacture, store, distribution and sale of gutka, pan masala and other food products containing nicotine will be imposed on the state from January 1. The ban will be effective for a period of one year.

State Health Minister Surinder Singh Negi said the decision was being taken in view of the harmful effects of these products on a health. Though on October 17, the Commissioner of Food Safety had issued the ban order, it was revoked the next day owing to pressure from the gutka lobby. However, the government had then said the manufacturing companies were being given time to get rid of their stocks.

According to the Health Department, nearly 30 lakh persons in the state consumed gutka and were suffering from serious diseases like oral cancer. “The preventive measures are being taken in the interest of the state, as the habit of consuming gutka is increasing. Close to 30.7 per cent of the population in Uttarakhand is consuming gutka or products containing nicotine and tobacco. Youths are getting habituated to chewing gutka and it is high time we take remedial measures,” said S Ramaswamy, Commissioner, Food Safety and Principal Health Secretary.

Meanwhile, as the Food Safety Authority will be entrusted with the task of monitoring the situation arising from the ban, the shortage of staff at its end is bound to be felt. “The structure for the Food Safety Authority has been approved a few days ago. The rules and regulations are still being prepared and now we have also started training the existing staff to impose the ban. The task is daunting but not difficult,” said a senior official.

Dehradun, December 28
The state government continues to dither over implementing the suggestions made by the State Child Rights panel for ending child labour and child beggary in the state.

“The commission had also suggested undertaking a survey from university students for identifying children engaged in child labour in the state but no progress has been made so far. It was agreed upon that a district-level task force and rescue teams to monitor child labour will be set up by November 14, but these have only been formed in Almora and Tehri districts,” said Ajay Setia, chairman of the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.

The apathy of the government can be gauged from the fact that 100 days have passed since the meeting and no action has been taken.

In view of the involvement of children in beggary, especially in Dehradun, where they can be seen begging at Prince Chowk, Darshan Lal Chowk and other traffic cross-sections, it was decided to undertake a joint inspection by the police, Department of Social Welfare and Department of Labour but none of the departments have come forward. “A team could have been formed to see if children were being forced into beggary and action could be taken under the Juvenile Justice Act,” said Setia.

It was also decided to set up a child helpline with the help of the Health Department.

Above all, it was principally agreed upon to incorporate the directives issued by the commission from time to time as part of the state-wide action plan, but the plan is still pending. “The commission does not know the status of the plan. After examination by the Department of Labour, it was to be brought before the Cabinet,” said Setia.

The commission had also suggested putting up hoardings against child labour at bus stands and railway stations but the proposal has not seen the light of day. —TNS

Dehradun, December 28
In the backdrop of the New Delhi gang rape, artists today used the medium of paintings and poetry to lodge their protest.

The painting exhibition was held at the Heritage School and organised by Snehil, an NGO. The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Sudha Pande, former VC of Sanskrit Vishwavidyalya. The paintings vividly depicted the sorrow of women who are subjected to ill-treatment at the hands of a patriarchal society.

Poets and poetesses, Amber Kharbanda, Dr Ramvinay Singh, Kamleshwar Mishra, Dr Vidya Singh, Savitri Kala, Beena Benjwal, also raised the issue through their poems. —TNS

Dehradun, December 28
The Uttarakhand Public Works Department Regular Workcharge Employees Union today held its convention in Dehradun where the speakers prominently demanded an increase in grade pay for the field PWD employees.

Presiding over the convention, Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the state government was sensitive towards the concerns of the state PWD employees. He said the State PWD had an important role towards improving infrastructure like roads in the state.

Earlier, Uttarakhand Public Works Department Regular Workcharge Employees Union state president DP Dimri said the long-standing demand for the higher grade pay for the field employees of the PWD was still to be fulfilled. He reminded that even the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh was providing higher grade pay to the field PWD employees.

Dimri said uniforms were not being provided to the field employees which was a matter of concern. Anand Singh Shah, general secretary of the union, also spoke on the occasion.

A large number of PWD employees attended the convention. 

Dehradun, December 28
Real Host will take on Whispering Willows in the final of the Uttarakhand Youth Twenty 20 Cricket Tournament to be played tomorrow at Ordnance Factory Ground, Dehradun.

In the first semifinal match played today, Whispering Willows defeated Secretariat Uttarakhand by 29 runs. Batting first, Whispering Willows scored 121 runs losing all its wickets in the process. Manish scored the highest 29 runs.

As of Secretariat Uttarakhand bowlers, T H Khan and Haidar took 3 wickets each. Batting next, Secretariat Uttarakhand was all out at 92 runs, thereby ensuring 29-run win for Whispering Willows.

In the second semifinal, Real Host won its match against Rajendra Sports Club by 6 wickets. Batting first Rajendra Sports scored a total of 78 runs. Sagar scored highest 37 runs. Pawan of Real Host took 4 wickets. Batting next, Real Host easily achieved the target losing just 4 wickets in the process, thereby ensuring itself a 6-wicket win.

Dehradun, December 28
Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister Pritam Singh Panwar today said the elections to the local bodies would be completed by April 2013.

“The notification for the reorganisation of boundaries of the local bodies had been issued and some proposals are under consideration for the approval,” he said while speaking with mediapersons.

The minister said the process of reorganisation of boundaries of the Haldwani and Haridwar Municipal Corporations was underway and the elections to the corporations would also be held at the same time.

He said the inclusion of villages in the local bodies would be undertaken according to the desires and needs of the people and would not be forced upon them.

On the issue of work under under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the minister said around 40-45 per cent of the work was now complete under the ADB.

He blamed the performance of the previous contractors in the delay and tardy work.

Dehradun, December 28
The CPI (ML) has expressed condolences over the death of senior communist leader of Uttarakhand Kamla Ram Nautiyal.

Standing council member of the Uttarakhand CPI (ML) Indresh Maikhuri said Nautiyal’s role in various people’s movement in the state would be remembered.

He also reminded of Nautiyal's commitment to the Left ideology. "Even other parties tried to lure Nautiyal but he never deviated from his ideology," Maikhuri said.

Dehradun, December 28
In the 7th Abhishek Dabral Memorial Football Tournament being played at Survey Ground here, the Doon Star team beat Gorkha Boys 7-6 in a tie-breaker after both the sides were levelled at 2 each at the end of the stipulated time.

For Doon Star, Balwinder (25 minute) and Sanjay Singh (45 minute) scored the goals while Shyam (10 minute) and Sanjay (15 minute) scored the goals for Gorkha Boys. Finally, the match was decided by a penalty kick. Balwinder, Raju, Sanjay, Gajju and Sunil scored the goals for Doon Star, while for Gorkha Boys, Albert, Aman, Praveen and Ashish contributed the goals. Thus, the final score line read 7-6 in Doon Star's favour.