State directed to complete civic elections before May 5
Govt issues notification for reservation of seats
Hot post Mayor of DMC
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 28
With announcement of reservations in the various seats of civic bodies in the state, the race to get party nominations, particularly for the post of Mayor of Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC), has started. The state government, after a direction from the Nainital High Court, has started preparations to hold the civic body elections in the state. Disposing of a writ petition, a Double Bench of the High Court has directed the state government to complete the elections of the civic bodies before May 5.

As a first step, the state government on Tuesday night issued a notification for the reservation of seats in the civic bodies. Although the state government has upgraded five more towns of the state to municipal corporation level, the most prestigious election would be fought for the position of Mayor of Dehradun Municipal Corporation. Besides being the capital city of the state, Dehradun was the only one municipal corporation after the formation of the separate state of Uttarakhand in 2000. The Dehradun municipal body was elevated as a Municipal Corporation after the formation of the state and the first ever election for the post of Mayor was held in March 2003.

Riding on the wave of Congress Party, which also won the state Assembly elections held in February 2002, Manorama Sharma Dobriyal of Congress was elected as the first Mayor of Dehradun, defeating the BJP candidate. Congress Party was defeated in the second state Assembly elections held in February 2007, paving the way for the BJP government in the state. In the second election for the Municipal Corporation held in March 2008, BJP's candidate Vinod Chamoli defeated Congress candidate Surat Singh Negi.

Now after the Congress has again formed the state government following Assembly elections held in January 2012, there is hectic lobbying going to get the party nomination for the post of Mayor. Various factions in the state Congress are trying hard to get the party ticket for their own candidates.

As per the notification of the state government, the post of Mayor of Dehradun Municipal Corporation has not been reserved and it remained a general seat. This has led to a fight amongst various city Congress leaders having their areas of influence in the city to get the party ticket.

According to party sources, it was Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and his son Saket Bahuguna who would play a decisive role in deciding about the party ticket for the post of Mayor. Since Dehradun city forms part of the Tehri Garhwal parliamentary constituency, which was earlier represented by the Chief Minister himself, he would have a decisive say in finalising the name of the party candidate.

After the defeat of his son Saket Bahuguna in the Tehri Lok Sabha byelection held in October 2012, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna is cautious in his approach about civic polls. Since these elections are being held before the crucial Lok Sabha polls of May 2014, the Congress Party as well as the Chief Minister are serious to ensure the victory of the party in the civic polls throughout the state. For the post of Mayor of Dehradun, the personal prestige of the Chief Minister is also at stake.

Several candidates are in the race to get Congress nomination for the post of Mayor of Dehradun. Suryakant Dhasmana, vice-president of the Uttarakhand Congress Committee, is a front runner. Dhasmana, who has been a political leader of the Dehradun city, had fought the election of the chairperson of the Dehradun municipality way back in 1996. Fighting as an Independent, he lost to BJP's Vinod Chamoli. He has been doing politics in the city for the past more than two decades. Dhasmana is also considered close to Bahuguna camp in the state Congress politics. Manorama Sharma, a former Mayor of Dehradun, is also a strong contender. She was the first Mayor of Dehradun Municipal Corporation winning the elections in March 2003. She had been president of the Uttarakhand Mahila Congress and an office-bearer of the All India Mahila Congress. Union Minister of Water Resources Harsh Rawat is supporting the candidature of Manorama Sharma. Ashok Verma, presently the Leader of the Opposition in the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, is another contender for the post. He has been a city councillor and also considered close to Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. It is believed that the Congress would decide about its candidate for the post after the declaration of polling schedule on April 2.

Two of six Mayor posts reserved in U’khand
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 28
After a long exercise, Uttarakhand has finally decided on reservation in various civic bodies that are to go to polls shortly.

In the six municipal corporations, four mayoral posts have been made general while two have been reserved. Similarly, among 28 municipalities, 14 posts of chairman have been categorized as general while three have been reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC), four for Other Backward Castes (OBC) and seven have been reserved for women.

For the 38 posts of head of nagar panchayats in the state, 20 have been declared as general, six reserved for women, six for the SC and six for OBC.

While the posts of Mayor in the Municipal Corporations of Dehradun, Haridwar, Roorkee and Haldwani have been made general, in the Kashipur and Rudrapur MCs these have been reserved for the OBC and the SC, respectively.

Uttarakhand Local Bodies Minister Pritam Singh Panwar, Urban Development Secretary MH Khan and Additional Secretary Dilip Jawalkar finalised the reservation policy after a marathon meeting on last Tuesday.

Interestingly, sources reveal that senior Congress leaders in the state wanted a favourable reservation policy in the local bodies. While Union Minister for Water Resources Harish Rawat wanted that the posts of Mayor in two Municipal Corporations in Haridwar be made general, Finance Minister Indira Hriyadesh was in favour of making the Haldwani Municipal Corporation general. Both of them succeeded in their efforts.

Taif Khan reinstated as Youth Cong gen secy

Dehradun, March 28
Taif Khan's suspension as Uttarakhand Youth Congress general secretary has been revoked, PCC spokesperson Dhirendra Pratap said.

"Taif has shown due diligence towards organisational responsibilities and tasks assigned to him in the past one and a half months. Hence his suspension is revoked and he is back as IYC's state unit general secretary," Pratap said, quoting a communication from Indian Youth Congress national president Rajiv Sathav.

Taif Khan was removed as general secretary of the state unit of the Congress' youth wing in February this year following a complaint that he was not attending organisational meetings as per schedule of the party.

"He was reinstated as general secretary after it was found he is one of the most dedicated and front-line workers of the youth wing of the party," Pratap said. — PTI

Purnagiri pilgrims not allowed to move during night
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, March 28
The Tanakpur administration has decided to ban journey of Purnagiri pilgrims during night after the mela starts on March 29 after a stray elephant crushed to death villagers at Thwalkhera village near the Purnagiri route at Tanakpur in Champawat district last evening.

“Prakash Pandey of Thwalkhera village was killed by a wild elephant when he was returning to his village after taking part in a Holi procession nearby the village,” said Deepak Pandey, younger brother of the deceased who was with him at the time elephant attacked his brother.

Irked at the incident, the villagers of Thwalkhera village blocked the Purnagiri road in protest and demanded their security from the wild elephants.

“As the Purnagiri fair is beginning on March 29, we are insecure as elephants can get provoked and attack stray villagers near the route,” said Hema Joshi, Gram Pradhan of the village.

According to the villagers, the wild elephants have taken seven lives in the area out of which three were from the village.

“Despite these killings by elephants, the Forest Department has done nothing to protect the villagers,” said the Gram Pradhan.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Bahuguna government and local MLA Hemesh Kharkwal has inspected the spot of attack and instructed forest officers to prepare a project to install solar power fencing proposal along with the close-circuit cameras on the village boundary to protect the village from the attack of these stray elephants.

“I have also instructed the Forest Department to deploy a special combing force of the department to protect the Purnagiri pilgrims during the 3-month fair,” said Kharkwal.

Wildlife experts have attributed these attacks on human beings to the closure of elephants corridor which used to exist between the Bagmati river of Nepal and the Yamuna in India.

“Due to encroachment and construction on this corridor by human beings, the man-animal conflict has increased and elephants are straying into human settlement in search of food and are being provoked by men,” said Dinesh Pandey, a wilelife expert and WWF officer.

According to Pandey, the state government has selected 11 wildlife corridors in 2006-07, but none of these corridors have been notified till date by the department.

“The Bom elephant corridor, which lies between India and Nepal at Tanakpur, could not be opened till date despite some initiatives last year. This is causing elephants attack on human beings as the elephants have confined to a particular area which does not suit their behaviour,” said the wildlife expert.

Banbasa villagers to hold protest from today
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, March 28
Villagers of Banbasa in Champawat district who had organised a protest dharna against the one-side widening of national highway which passes from the area on March 16 have decided to resume it from March 29. According to the villagers, the national highways authorities have not paid any heed to their concerns.

“We are on protest as the national highway authorities have taken the land for widening of the highways only at one side of the road while it would have been taken from both sides as per rules,” said Ummed Singh, protesting leader.

The villagers said if the highways authorities would take land for widening of road from both the side less number of farmers would be rendered landless in the area.

The villagers are demanding from the national highways authorities to change the alignment of the road enabling it to have land from both sides.

“The NH authorities have not taken the villagers concerned in confidence before finalising the widening project of the road.” said Ummed Singh.

Date of application for Haj extended

Dehradun, March 28
The last date for submission of applications for this year's Haj pilgrimage has been extended from March 20 to March 30.

People aspiring to go on the Haj pilgrimage can now submit their applications latest by March 30 instead of March 20, Uttarakhand Haj Committee chief Haji Rao Sher Muhammad said here today. The date had been extended for the convenience of the Haj pilgrims, he said, adding that the process for issuing passports to the applicants had also been simplified.

They were being issued passports on the very day their police verification reports were being received, the state Haj committee chief said.

Announcing that efforts were under way by the committee to increase the limit on the number of the Haj pilgrims in a year beyond 2,000, Muhammad said he had sent several letters in this regard to the Prime Minister, the External Affairs Minister and the Chief Minister and was optimistic about a positive outcome.

Muhammad said second time Haj pilgrims had been permitted to undertake the pilgrimage on certain conditions like no subsidy would be given to male companions accompanying a female or a 70-year-old pilgrim going on the journey.

Those accompanying such Hajis would also be charged full air fare for their onward and return journeys, he said, quoting a communication from the Ministry of External Affairs dated March 21.

Such Haj pilgrims with someone accompanying them on the journey would also have to give a written undertaking on a proforma affidavit prepared by the Mumbai Haj Committee in this regard prior to the journey, the state Haj committee chief said. — PTI

Civic Polls
Jan Kranti Dal for unity among small parties
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 28
Uttarakhand Jan Kranti Dal president BD Raturi today called for unity among regional forces to provide formidable challenge to national parties in the coming civic bodies elections in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun today, BD Raturi said with the civic bodies elections slated to be held shortly and even three-tier panchayat elections were round the corner, it was important for the regional forces to come together and gave a united challenge to national parties like the BJP and the Congress.

Raturi sadid the Jan Kranti Dal was already in process of holding dialogue with a number of regional forces with an aim to setting up a joint front. He admitted that due to personal ambitions of certain leaders, regional parties had got weakened in the state.

He also alleged that so far one-year rule of the Congress government in Uttarakhand had been disappointing. He said the state government was not serious to development and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna seemed only interested in safeguarding his government.

He said while a large number of villages in the hills was still devoid of roads, the health infrastructure was completely absent in the number of villages in the state. “Even the unemployment allowance scheme started by the state government is farce and meant to befool the unemployed in the state,” Raturi pointed out, adding that only 1 per cent of unemployed was benefiting from the scheme.

Patron of the Uttarakhand Jan Kranti Dal and former minister Diwakar Bhatt also said a strong regional option could throw a challenge before the national parties in the state. He asserted that migration continued to take place in the villages of Uttarakhand unabated and the governments in power so far had failed to check it.

Diwakar demanded that the Gairsain should be declared as the permanent capital of the state. He said a majority of the people of the state were in favour of declaring Gairsain as the permanent capital.

He also accused the state government of misleading the people on the domicile issue. He said Jan Kranti Dal was of the strong view that only those residing in the Uttarakhand region since 1950 should be considered as domicile resident of the state.

Tarun Vijay celebrates Holi in Tokyo
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 28
Uttarakhand Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay, who is on a visit to Tokyo, Japan, these days celebrated Holi with non-resident Uttarakhandis.

Tarun Vijay, along with his wife Vandana, exchanged pleasantries with the Holi revellers. In his brief address, Tarun Vijay said the people of Uttarakhand had made a mark in all spheres of life whether living in any part of India or abroad. A large number of people of Uttarakhandi origin are employed at various hotels in Japan.

I sing ragas through the flute, says Chaurasia
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Pandit Hari Parsad Chaurasia performs at a SpicMacay function in Dehradun on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, March 28
When world renowned flute player Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia picks up his bansuri, it sings. “We never play the bansuri but instead sing different ragas. The sound that emanates from the bansuri is akin to singing and this humble bamboo instrument is unlike any other instrument,” said Chaurasia, who belongs to a family of wrestler but took up flute playing.

“I began my career as a singer but found my voice not suitable for a vocalist. It was the humble bansuri that allowed me to fulfil my dream of becoming a singer,” said Chaurasia, who was in Dehradun on the invitation of SpicMacay.

The virtuoso exponent of bansuri cannot help but extol the virtues of the flute that can be found every where. “The language of music is universal. Take the case of a humble flute, you will find its different variants all across the world.

But nothing surpasses the Indian bansuri in its appeal and simplicity. It is an everyday thing; a bamboo pipe with holes to control the movement of air. It was the favourite instrument of Lord Krishna,” he said.

Chaurasia demystifies his approach to music saying, “I am still learning and have not approached the end. I feel I have launched myself to learning the basics and am a beginner. It gives me immense pleasure to promote the Indian classical music and share whatever little I know,” he added.

Though the acclaimed flutist had a brush with Hindi films in the early phase of his career, he had kept himself away from the hustle and bustle of the film industry. “After composing music for director Yash Chopra’s film ‘Silsila’, I did not feel the need to prolong my association with the film industry. But come the festival of Holi, as the song ‘Rang Barsey’ is played by all radio stations and television channels the memories of my association with Amitabh Bachchan are rekindled. It was on my prodding that Amitabh sang the song. I happened to hear him humming a tune when he was sitting alone in his room,” recalled Chaurasia.

He performed at Welham Girls School and the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (NIVH) today. He performed Rag Multani and Rag Desh at the NIVH. Ustad Rashid Mustafa accompanied him on the tabla and Debopriay on the flute.