Infrared cameras to track tusker movement at Rajaji park
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
There seems to be no solution in sight on the killer railway track running through the 18 km stretch of the Rajaji National Park in the state. Nothing concrete could come up at the meeting presided over by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna except the decision to install infrared cameras. The other two suggestions of installing iron fences at blind curves and clearing bushes from 50m on the either side of tracks do not hold much ground. The Rajaji park authorities have been resorting to fencing techniques for long but these fences have failed to solve the purpose.

Taking into account the gruesome death of two female elephants that were killed early Sunday morning at the Rajaji National Park, the Chief Minister convened a meeting of officials of the state Forest Department, the park and the Railways, deliberating on the measures needed to be undertaken to ensure that no more elephant casualties take place.

Chief Minister Bahuguna issued directives to install infrared cameras to track elephant movement at the Rajaji for timely transmission of information. He also directed the officials to put fencing of iron guarders at blind curves and other vulnerable places. He asked the Railways to provide the scrap to Forest Department for fencing purpose. He also instructed to clear lantana and other bushes from 50m of area on either side of the tracks so that the tracks were clearly visible to the drivers. He also laid emphasis on improving communication network between the Forest Department and Railways.

The Railways, on its part, assured to issue five wireless sets to the Forest Department to get rid of frequency mismatch normally experienced during communication of elephant movements. Bahuguna also directed to organise counselling session for drivers so as to sensitise them towards wildlife and make them aware of rules and guidance.

Meanwhile, Railways officials raised the issue of lodging of FIRs against drivers. Bahuguna said the advocate general would be asked to examine the matter. He asked the officials to place proposal of double lining the tracks between Haridwar and Dehradun and electrification along with other proposals regarding the extension of the Kansro, Motichur and Raiwala station yards in the meeting of the State Wildlife Board. When informed that the Uttar Pradesh Government had not so far acquired land for the alternative route for Shatabdi Train between Delhi and Dehradun to reduce the travel time, Bahuguna said he would personally discuss the matter with the UP Chief Minister.

Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, Principal Secretary DK Kotia, Chief Forest Conservator RBS Rawat and Chief Engineer, Northern Railways, Lalit Kapoor, attended the meeting.

Decisions

• Installation of infrared cameras to track elephant movement
• Iron guarders fencing at blind curves at vulnerable places
• Clearing of bushes from the either side of the track
• Improvement in communication network between the Forest Department and the Railways

Cong may exploit Gairsain issue in LS poll: UKD (P)
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, January 15
Political leaders in the Kumaon region have welcomed with reservation the decision of the Bahuguna government to set up a Vidhan Sabha bhavan at Gairsain as they suspect the Congress-led government will exploit the issue in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

State BJP chief to be elected on Jan 18-19
Trivendra Rawat, Tirath Singh Rawat front-runners

Dehradun, January 15
Almost two months after the tenure of the state BJP chief got over, the party today announced that the process for choosing the new state president would be completed by January 19. Election for the state party chief was put off twice recently; first due to the death of senior party leader and former CM Nityanand Swami and the second time owing to Gujarat CM Narendra Modi's swearing-in last month.

The dates for the state party chief's election were announced by party's central election officer Thavar Chand Gehlot, state BJP election officer Kedar Joshi said.

The process for the election of the state party chief would be supervised by BJP national general secretary Vijay Goel, he said.

January 18 has been set as the date for filing of nominations for the post, scrutiny and withdrawals.

If there are more than one contenders for the post in the fray, election would be held on January 19 in which elected members of the party's state council from 17 districts would participate, Joshi said.

Hectic lobbying is on within the state BJP for the post of state party chief with the tenure of its current president Bishan Singh Chuphal having come to an end in November last year.

About 12 names are doing the rounds as contenders for the post but former MLA Trivendra Singh Rawat and former MLC Tirath Singh Rawat have emerged as the front-runners in the race, a senior party leader requesting anonymity said.

While Tirath Singh Rawat, who comes from the sangh background, has the backing of former Chief Minister BC Khanduri, Trivendra Singh Rawat has the support of another party stalwart and former CM Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

The party's central leadership is in constant touch with the state party leaders and considering at least half a dozen names which could provide strong leadership to the party in the state in view of the forthcoming civic body poll and the 2014 general elections, party insiders said.

However, when asked whose chances are the brightest among the names doing the rounds, a highly placed party source said whoever manages to get the support of the three former BJP chief ministers of the state- Khanduri, Koshiyari and Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, will finally emerge as the next chief of the state unit.

The three former BJP CMs are looked upon as pillars of the party and the next chief of the state unit, who has to pilot the party in the next general elections, must have their support, party sources said.

While Khanduri and Koshiyari have put forward their choices for consideration before the party's central leadership, Nishank still holds his cards close to his chest, they said.

The central leadership will try to build a consensus among the three former party CMs before putting the final seal of approval on one candidate.

Other prominent names lobbying for the post are Mohan Singh Rawat 'Gaonwasi', Naresh Bansal, Narendra Pal Rawat, Vinod Uniyal, Khajan Das and Ajay Tamta. — PTI

Two state firms get awards
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
Two Uttarakhand-based micro enterprises, Kumaon Earth Craft Self-Reliant Cooperative (KEC) and Devbhumi Natural Products Producers Company Limited (DNPPCL), have been awarded for their contribution to society at the Citi Micro Enterprise Awards (CMEA) ceremony in New Delhi on January 12.

While KEC bagged the Award for the Innovative Community Micro Enterprise, DNPPCL was named as the Best Rural Community Micro Enterprise.

United States Ambassador to India Nancy J. Powell together with CEO of Citi India Paramit Jhaveri and Governing Council members of the awards programme presented the awards to the enterprises.

Currently in its ninth year, the CMEA has focused on enterprises that are owned and managed by local communities, whether they are producer companies, cooperatives or self-help groups.

Additionally, the awards programme has also recognized promoters who have nurtured these community enterprises or who are supporting livelihood initiatives for the benefit of poor communities at large.

KEC and DNPPCL were both chosen from among several deserving entries due to their individual inspiring stories. Founded in 2005, KEC is a cooperative with a mission of creating livelihoods for socially and economically disadvantaged families, especially vulnerable women whose husbands have migrated and those with physical disabilities.

KEC produces and markets high quality, naturally dyed silk and wool textiles as well as natural dye extracts and pigments along with natural paints and crayons, which are sold in the domestic and international markets.

All raw material used by the enterprise is collected or grown locally, thereby benefiting the local small farmers. About 500 farmers, material collectors, dyers, spinners, weavers, knitters, tailors, pashmina sorters, finishing artisans, weaving support artisans and other stakeholders are involved in this process.

The main reason for KEC to win the awards is that it has used innovative means to be eco-friendly and energy-efficient in its production. It won the Innovative Community Enterprise Award for not only doing good for the community, but also the environment.

Rashmi Bharti, founder of KEC, said, "We are extremely happy that our innovations and efforts towards creating livelihoods for socially and economically disadvantaged families are recognized at such a prestigious platform. Currently, we have 500 beneficiaries, 95 per cent of whom are women. We aim to significantly increase this number and help the rural youth, especially young girls and socially vulnerable women, become self-reliant."

DNPPCL is a five-year old set-up which started as a processing and marketing enterprise for honey and organic spices. The company now sources honey, rajma, spices and oak tasar among a host of other locally produced goods from more than 4,000 rural women, spinners and weavers spread across the remote villages of Garhwal. It markets these organic products in the local market and also through big brand outlets. Besides providing economic value to sustainable farming and gathering, DNPPCL has also helped an economy that is largely dependent on migration, to increase the value of its land.

Shailesh Panwar, general manager, DNPPCL said, "We are proud and thankful to the CMEA for this recognition. We will continue to work towards our social mission of mobilising women and providing them capacity building to be able to undertake livelihoods in bee-keeping, growing spices, rearing tasar cocoons or weaving silk. We hope that our efforts will lend economic value to sustainable farming and gathering, thereby helping the local economy."

The number of women within the fold of DNPPCL has grown from 410 to 4,100 in three years and the enterprise aims to reach 10,000 primary producers by 2017 and achieve a turnover of Rs 3 crore by 2015.

Women oppose shifting of Mata Dhari Devi shrine
Sandeep Rawat
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 15
Women in the hill region are opposing the decision of the authorities to shift the Mata Dhari Devi shrine to a higher altitude. The authorities are shifting the shrine to save it from getting submerged in the Alaknanda when the work on 330 MW hydropower project begins. The women activists have started a movement in opposition of the decision.

The shrine is revered as a local deity of the region.

The decision is facing opposition ever since the news of shifting of the revered shrine of Mata Dhari Devi, situated on the Rishikesh-Badrinath highway, 19 km from Srinagar town in Pauri Garhwal, has broke out in the region.

After protesting at Srinagar and on the shrine premise, the women activists have now reached the lower Garhwal division to generate awareness about the impact of disturbing the religious and local sentiments attached with the deity.

Inspired from the Chipko movment, the women are generating awareness about their concern for the revered shrine by holding forum meetings alongside the Ganga ghat as well as making a tableau of the shrine, which they will take to Prayag, Allahabad, in the ongoing Maha Kumbh.

GVK Company that is carrying out the 330MW hydropower project on the Alaknanda in Srinagar is also planning to shift the shrine which is based on a mountainous terrain.

This has evoked strong resentment among the local people, devotees and saints who are strongly opposing the move.

In this regard, women villagers and activists from the Dhari Devi region and Yamuna, Alaknanda and Mandakini river basins have formed a joint banner to raise the issue.

“We want to give message to the people that if the Dhari Devi shrine is shifted from its original place due to monopoly of a private company, then in near future more such heritage shrines will be targeted by the corporate, which is making money by damaging ecology of the region,” said Beena Chaudhary of the Dhari Devi area while talking to The Tribune.

Sushila Bhandari from the Mandakini river basin expressed shock that both Centre and the state government had been biased towards local people of Garhwal who are forced to migrate or get displaced in the name of numerous hydropower projects that are sanctioned in the Himalayan belt.

“Our very original tradition is being targeted in the name of hydropower projects. In hills, we have no electricity, potable drinking water supply, health facility, proper education structure or adequate rehabilitation scheme for those who get affected due to hydropower projects,” said Bhandari.

To raise the issue at the Prayag Kumbh, these activists have approached noted saint Swami Achutyanand Maharaj in Haridwar, who is helping them in making a tableau of the shrine, which will be taken to Allahabad so that a mass consensus gets generated over this issue.

Former Minister Mohan Singh Rawat ‘Gaonwasi’, who has been lending support to the save Dhari Devi shrine movement as well as bringing many a deities idols to Haridwar for holy Ganga, opined that owing to ecological, cultural and religious importance of the state, a special policy needed to be formulated.

Use IT to give maximum info to public: Chief Secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain has laid emphasis on making the use of information technology in providing maximum information about government activities to the general public through the website of the department.

Jain was chairing a meeting of the Suraj, Corruption Eradication and Public Service Department at the Secretariat here today.

Jain directed the officers concerned to keep the department website updated by uploading the maximum information on it. He directed the officers to appoint one nodal officer each in every department to update the website. These departmental nodal officers would maintain coordination with the nodal officer appointed by the government.

The Chief Minister instructed the officers to upload on the website all information about the contract up to Rs 25 lakh and above, supply of items up to Rs 10 lakh and above, land allocation, the Mining Policy, land transaction, direct recruitment, promotion and seniority, details of departmental promotions, domicile certificate, caste certificate and information relating to the public private participation (PPP) mode.

Additional Secretary of the Suraj, Corruption Eradication and Public Service Department Nitesh Jha apprised Jain that complaints and problems could be lodged at the government, District Magistrate and department head levels. The applicants, along with his personal particulars, could register their complaints with the details of departments concerned, officer or tehsil. The applicants would be given an Id (identity) along with a receipt for his complaint. The officer registering the complaints would have the login Id and the password and also options to accept, reject or forward the complaints. The applicants could attach the relevant documents along with the complaints. He would also receive mails in his Id and SMS alerts. Meanwhile, the officer concerned would also receive mails and SMS alerts.

Director General, Information, Dilip Jawalkar said the department had prepared the website and all matters for scrutiny had been put online. He said billing and payment processes had also been computerised.

Awareness drive on Ganga, Himalayas begins
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 15
To generate awareness regarding the Ganga, the Himalayas, shrines and the local hill culture of Uttarakhand, under the aegis of revered Swami Achutyanand of Bhuma Peeth, a massive awareness drive was started in Haridwar today.

Informing about this revered spiritual guru, Swami Achutyanand Maharaj of Bhuma Peeth said to generate awareness among people, saints, devotees and tourists about the conservation of shrines, the Ganga and other heritage shrines, this drive is being organised.

Commencing from tomorrow from Haridwar, the procession will reach Prayag, Allahabad, where Kumbh fair is going on.

“The Himalaya-Ganga belt is facing threat due to hydropower projects, urbanisation, tourist spots and lack of concern from the government and even people. Nature should not be targeted in name of urbanisation otherwise the natural calamities occurring in the region will accelerate,” said Achutyanand Maharaj.

This royal procession will be accompanied by various organisations hailing from Garhwal with major tableaux of shrines being the major attraction. The local folk culture will also be exhibited by local artistes.

The route of this procession will be Roorkee-Purkaji-Muzaffarnagar-Shahpur- Shamli-Bagpat-Gaziabad-Noida-Vrindavan-Firozabad-Itaai-Kanpur and Prayag, Allahabad.

Achutyanand Maharaj added that keeping the tradition of Adi Jagad Guru Shankarcharya this mission is being launched that will try to get support of saints currently in Kumbh apart from generating awareness among the people.

UKD (P) workers pray for good sense for govt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
On a day when Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal laid the foundation stone of a new Assembly building at Gairsain, workers of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar) held a ‘buddhi shuddhi’ yajna here yesterday in support of their demand for the permanent capital status for Gairsain.

The party workers alleged that the state government was befooling people and playing with the sentiments of the statehood agitators. They said even after 12 years of the creation of Uttarakhand, all successive state governments had failed to have a permanent capital of the state.

They said while the Chief Minister and the Speaker laid the foundation stone of the Assembly building at Gairsain, another Assembly building would come up in Dehradun. They criticised the state government for its stand on permanent residents of the state. Party spokesmen Virender Mohan Uttarakhandi, Pramila Rawat and Latafat Hussain and other senior leaders were also present on the occasion.

State on growth track, Chief Secy to Nepalese team
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 15
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain said Uttarakhand had made a remarkable progress in various sectors since its formation, significantly in per capita income and the growth rate.

Chief Secretary Jain, addressing a delegation of 26 senior civil service officers from the Nepal government here today, said the difficult geographical condition of Uttarakhand had posed hindrances in infrastructural development and also the Environment and Forest Act affected development projects.

He said nevertheless, the Uttarakhand government's efficient financial management and effective policies had resulted in the growth in the state's Annual Plan. The Central Planning Commission had approved Rs 8,200 crore for Annual Plan 2012-13.

Jain said considering the difficult social, geographical and economic condition of Uttarakhand, the Central Government was approached for allocation of development projects in 90:10 ratio i.e 90 per cent of the expenditure was borne by the Centre and 10 by the state government. He said owing to 65 per cent of land under forest cover, the state faced difficulty in development process. Despite all these, the state had made progress in per capita income, Jain said.

Saint Baba Amir Giri remembered
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 15
A special function was held today at Hari Pur Kalan where saints remembered the contribution of revered saint Baba Amir Giri. Addressing a gathering of saints, Swami Vinod Maharaj emphasized on the ancient Indian tradition of Guru-Shishya in which respect and carrying forward the legacy of the teacher was given importance.

The maharaj said in the same manner, Baba Amir Giri imparted knowledge to his disciples, the same need to be followed by them too so that his teachings get spread manifold.

He cited Baba Amir Giri's disciple Mahant Vinod Giri's example who is taking forward the legacy of his guru by doing social-humanitarian-charity work.

Mahamandaleshwar Premanandji Maharaj said the saints life was for human welfare only. While Sadhvi Mata Chandra Kanta Saraswati said the Indian culture was resembled by saints and it's due to saints like Baba Amir Giri, who offered his life for social works that this culture got developed.

Pt Nyay Mitra Sharma of Bharat Mata temple said one good disciple paved way for many, so it's imperative that guru-shishya tradition needed to be followed ethically.

At the tribute function, among others present were Swami Madhvanand Giri, Mahant Bholapuri, Mahant Randhir Giri, Swami Narayanji Maharaj, Swami Hari Ballabh Shastri, Mahant Jamuna Giri.

Traders, BJP activists hold protest

Haridwar, January 15
Local people, traders and activists of the BJP today staged a protest at City Control Police Tower, near Har-ki-Pauri, against the rising chain snatching incidents in the city.