Speed up development projects, CM to Addl Secys
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 4
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has directed state government officials to ensure that people reap benefits of development programmes initiated by the government. He also advocated improving the law and order situation.

He was speaking at a meeting held with the Additional Secretaries of the state government at the Secretariat here today.

Bahuguna sought suggestions from the officers for better execution of works on administrative and government levels.

Chief Minister Bahuguna asked the officers to chalk out a concrete action plan for this. He directed them to review the works regularly and ensure their timely completion.

He authorised the district-level officials for the technical and administrative approval of development works up to Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore to the mandal level to ensure timely completion of works.

He instructed DMs and SSPs to improve the law and order situation. He expected better coordination between the police and the administration in this endeavour.

The Chief Minister not only obtained suggestions for improvement in governance but also heard the problems raised by the officers. He said all facilities would be provided to them for execution of their work. He said he would hold a meeting with the departmental heads and seek suggestions on the effective implementation of development work from them.

Bahuguna directed the officers to ready proposals of departmental projects for the next financial year. He also asked them to give special attention to allocated funds and projects related to skill development for the youth. He also directed them to maintain coordination among themselves.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister DK Kotia, Secretary to the CM SS Rawat, Additional Secretary to the CM Dilip Jawalkar and other senior officers.

Cabinet nod to payment of arrears to striking ANMs
Tribune news service

Dehradun, February 4
In a major decision aimed at giving relief to the agitating auxiliary nurses and midwives, the Uttarakhand Cabinet on Monday approved arrears payment for the period 1981-1995, while simultaneously deciding to constitute a committee of ministers to look into the demand for payment for the period 1995-2010.

The government also decided to increase the grade pay of constables and inspectors employed with the Department of Excise.

While briefing the media persons, Chief Secretary Alok Kumar Jain said that the Cabinet had agreed to pay the pending arrears to the ANMs and the committee comprising Health Minister, Education Minister and Finance Minister as members had been entrusted with the task of holding talks with the ANMs for the payment of arrears for the remaining period. “The Cabinet has also approved the hike in grade pay for the constables and inspectors in the Department of Excise. Their salaries have been brought at par with their contemporaries in Uttar Pradesh,” he said .

To give relief to the entrepreneurs engaged in river rafting, the government has exempted them from entertainment tax, which will be effective from September 2010.

Besides, the government has also exempted the activity of bungee jumping from entertainment tax.

Further, the government has decided to revise the minimum qualifications for private secretaries engaged in the state Secretariat from intermediate to graduate.

“The Cabinet has approved affixing of Uttarakhand in place of Uttar Pradesh in 265 laws that were in place in the state,” he said.

The government gave approval to the Uttarakhand Special Area for Tourism Development Bill that was brought before the Cabinet. Once this Bill is approved, the government will be able to create an authority for promoting tourism activities at Char Dham and Tehri lake.

Approval was given for the construction of state guest house and emporia in Mumbai on public-private partnership mode and the revised salaries of ministerial employees would be given from January 2013, instead of 2012.

Other decisions

• The grade pay of constables and inspectors employed with the Department of Excise raised
• Entrepreneurs engaged in river rafting exempted from entertainment tax, which will be effective from September 2010
• The minimum qualification for private secretaries engaged in the state Secretariat revised from intermediate to graduate
• The Uttarakhand Special Area for Tourism Development Bill approved

State Congress hails Rahul Gandhi’s elevation
Tribune News service

Dehradun, February 4
Uttarakhand Congress Committee, felicitating the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the party's vice-president, today resolved to make him the next Prime Minister of the country.

At the Sankalp Divas organised at the state Congress headquaters here today, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna congratulated Congress president Sonia Gandhi for taking the historic decision of making Rahul Gandhi as the party's vice-president.

He eulogised the party workers to work unitedly to win all the five Lok Sabha seats in the next parliamentary elections and help make Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister.

Uttarakhand Congress Chief Yashpal Arya, speaking on the occasion, said that casteist and communal forces should be defeated in the coming general elections. He appealed to the Chief Minister to honour the dedicated party workers by giving them responsibilities in the state government.

Uttarakhand Congress Committee unanimously passed the a sankalp proposal, welcoming the elevation of Rahul Gandhi. Senior Congress ministers, legislators, senior party leaders and a large number of party workers participated in the function. 

Nainital residents join hands to save Naini lake
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, February 4
Residents of Nainital have come together to save the shrinking Naini lake, which is the lifeline of this tourist town. The residents charted out an action plan at a meeting organised last evening to pressure the administration to take measures to save the lake. As part of the action plan they gheraoed the Deputy Commissioners’ office today.

“According to reports of the Survey of India, the depth of the Naini lake was once 50 metres and was recorded at 27 metres in 2005. The shrinking of the water level has posed a threat to the existence of the lake, which is the lifeline of tourism in the city,” said Dr Shekhar Pathak, a retired professor of Kumaon University and a Padma Shri awardee.

According to Pathak, due to uncontrolled constructions in the watershed area of the lake the flow of water to the lake is gradually depleting. This has led to fall in its water level every year. “The local civic body and the administration have been helplessly watching illegal constructions supported by influential people going on in the city,” said Pathak.

The residents said numerous rivulets originating from three adjoining mountain ranges, which had been the traditional sources of the lake, had gone dry due to insufficient rain and snowfall in the last few years. “Of more than 24 rivulets, which supply water to the lake, only three have water at present and the rest of them have dried up. This situation has arisen due to the linking of sewer lines directly to these rivulets which is pushing 10 lakh litres of dirty water into the lake,” said the speakers at the meeting.

According to sources related to the Nainital Lake Development Authority, the water level in the lake had shrinked 5 feet this month and the deltas which used to appear in April due to the summer heat had appeared in February.

Dr Ajay Rawat, a well-known environment activist of the town, said until constructions in green belts of the town were stooped and heavy constructions in the city strictly prohibited, the crisis facing the lake could not be resolved. “Violation of court orders on construction in green belts and decreasing snowfall and rain are the main cause of the shrinking water level in the Naini lake,” said Rawat. 

Trained jobless teachers protest
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 4
Trained unemployed teachers have protested in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts against the Education Minister’s orders of outsourcing the primary education. The protesting teachers said the minister’s intention was to cheat the trained unemployed teachers, as despite their availability in the state, the department was going to outsource them.

State Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani had last month issued a statement expressing his intention to outsource the jobs of primary teachers in the state, as the recruitment process was being delayed by the state Public Service Commission.

“We want the minister to issue a notification, giving a chance to trained unemployed teachers to work in government schools,” said Dhermendra Kumar Daural, a protesting trained teacher in Pithoragarh district.

The unemployed trained teachers have resolved that if the government goes ahead with the proposal of appointing teachers from outside, their agitation will be intensified. “If right candidates are available in the state then what is the need to outsourcing,” asked a protesting teacher.

Members of the Shiksha Mitra Sangathan, who also participated in the protest, said they had contributed to the Education Department for 12 years as primary teachers, but today they were being neglected on the pretext of the Right to Education Act, which makes the teacher’s ability test an essential requirement to be a primary teacher in the state. “The government should find ways to appoint these Shiksha Mitras as primary teachers in state government schools and give them emoluments like an assistance teacher. We have sacrificed good part of out life in the service of the primary education in the state,” said Hira Singh Samant, president of the Shiksha Mitra Sangathan in Champawat district.

Training for J&K forest staff begins at FRI
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 4
A week-long training on nursery technology and plantation management for frontline staff of the J&K state Forest Department being organised by the silviculture division of Forest Research Institute began here today. The programme will conclude on February 8.

The training was inaugurated by Dr PP Bhojvaid, Director, FRI. He said it was a matter of pride that the FRI was conducting the training for J&K Forest Department personnel.

He said plantation was a very important activity of forest department of any state and raising good and healthy nursery stock was very important to ensure the success of plantations. AS Rawat, head, silviculture division, said the training would be practically oriented to demonstrate seed collection, processing, vegetative propagation and nursery techniques. Dr Manisha Thapliyal, who is coordinating the training programme, gave the details about the training for the J&K SFD. The training programme is being conducted on the request of the J&K government.

The participants who have come from Jammu and Srinagar will be enlightened about the seed collection, nursery and plantation techniques, bamboo propagation, establishment and management of seed orchards, management of diseases and pests of nursery and plantations of broad-leaved species as well as conifers.

On the occasion, Dr Dinesh Kumar, Dr Ombir Singh and other officials of the silviculture division were also present.

The training will help the frontline staff to learn and subsequently use modern techniques of raising and maintenance of nurseries for better survival, field planting and scientific management of improved stands for enhanced seed production.

Bhojan matas’ memo to Governor
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 4
A seven-member delegation of the Uttarakhand Bhojan Mata Organisation, led by state president Usha Negi, met Governor Aziz Qureshi here today and presented an eight-point memorandum of demands to him.

The demands included increase in honorarium, 10 casual leaves and depositing of honorarium in the bank accounts of bhojan matas.

The Governor gave them an assurance that the government would be directed to take suitable action on their demands. Besides Usha Negi, members of the organisation, who were part of the delegation, were Kalpeshwari, Jagdish Gupta, Muniya , Sombala , Antodevi and Shakuntala.

Constable found absent from duty, suspended
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 4
SSP, Haridwar, Arun Mohan Joshi has suspended constable Soudesh Kumar, who was on night duty at the City Kotwali, for being absent from duty. He has also sought an explanation from Kankhal Station House Officer (SHO) Pradeep Bisht for not providing sufficient information regarding delay in investigation in several criminal cases.

He took the strict action during a surprise inspection of various police stations falling in the periphery of the city.

The SHO failed to provide a satisfactory reply to the SSP regarding investigations in various recent criminal cases.

The SSP sought an explanation from Bisht on not being provided sufficient information in the criminal cases.

He also gave strict directives to ensure the presence of police personnel on night duty at police stations and also mobile patrol teams on two-wheelers called “Cheetah”.?.

Joshi also inspected the barrack, ammunition maintenance, sanitation, lighting, the women help desk and the mess facilities and found these tobe satisfactory.

Rishikha, Varun win b’minton single titles
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, February 4
The district-level badminton championship in the Under-16 category concluded at City Sports Complex here today. The championship saw more than 100 players participating in the two-day event held in girls and boys category.

In the girls category, Rishikha Tomar emerged victorious, who was the favourite contender.

While in boys’ section, it was Varun Bharadwaj who with his excellent overall play bagged the coveted title.

In doubles event boys, Tarun and Aniket emerged victorious while in girls doubles, it was duo of Harishita Arora and Khusbhoo who won the title.

District sports officer Sunil Dobhal gave away prizes to the winners and he lauded the competitiveness and fair play showed by the young sport players.

Rajesh Mallah, Mintu Singh and Thakur Singh Rana were match referees and coordinators for the final events.

Khusbhoo, winner of girls single and doubles events, said she had been practising a lot for the championship and wanted to do big in state-level tourneys too.

Players also expressed satisfaction over the schedule and playing facilities provided during the championship.

Nepal civic body’s team holds talks with Chamoli
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 4
A delegation from Nepal comprising members of Ratna Nagar local body, led by their chairman Narayan Van and convener Parvati Nevpane, who are also members of Mel Milap Samiti, came to meet Mayor Vinod Chamoli today. This group of 32 members exchanged views regarding the structure and functions of the local body in both countries. Narayan said local bodies in Nepal had conflicting relationship with the state. He demanded decentralisation of power.

He said since the constitution of their country was in the making, he came on a study tour to Dehradun to gather information regarding local bodies and the Municipal Corporation here. He called the mutual interaction fruitful.

Chamoli welcomed the group and had extensive informal talks with them. He said: “Local bodies in Nepal have more powers than those in Uttarakhand. In Nepal, local bodies have been entrusted with powers regarding forests, health, judiciary and other departments. There are five councillors in each ward against one in Uttarakhand. However, a clash with the state over supremacy is same between both the countries.”

The delegation, which toured surrounding scenic cities such as Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Haridwar, will later return to Nepal. Their trip was felicitated by members of Gorkha Adhar Sangh. 

13 cows crushed to death under trains
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 4
A total of 13 domestic animals were killed after being hit by speeding trains in the Motichur area under the Raiwala police station last night.

According to the Railway authorities, a herd of cows was roaming on a railway track when it was hit by two trains.

Earlier, two elephants were crushed to death after being hit by the speeding Janshatbadi train in the same area last month. The authorities claim that villagers had been advised to keep their animals away from the railway track during night but they did not heed to the advice. The authorities are contemplating taking action against such erring villagers.