Govt comes to rescue of Harak Singh Rawat
Plans to remove depts from office-of-profit ambit
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 7
The state Congress government led by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has been trying to wriggle out of a ticklish situation on the issue of holding of three offices of profit by state Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat. The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a virulent attack on the Congress government to demand the resignation of Harak Singh Rawat for holding at least three offices of profit besides being a Cabinet Minister in the state.

Harak Singh Rawat, who is known to be controversial after becoming the Agriculture and Sainik Welfare Minister, has also taken over some offices under his department. He anointed himself as chairman of the Terai Seed Corporation. He also took over as Chairman of UPNAL, an agency looking after the welfare of the ex-servicemen in the state working under the Ex-servicemen Welfare Department. He was also the Chairman of the state seed certification agency.

The state BJP led by former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has taken up cudgels against the alleged misuse of his official position to get the offices of profit. A delegation of the BJP legislators also met the state Governor, Dr Aziz Qureshi, this week to seek action against Harak Singh Rawat.

They demanded that the Governor on the recommendations of the Election Commission should dismiss the membership of Harak Singh Rawat from the state Assembly.

Former Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also threatened to knock at the doors of the Supreme Court if the state government failed to take action against Harak Singh Rawat.

Caught on the wrong foot, the state government has been trying to wriggle out of the situation. According to official sources, it has been decided after several rounds of political consultations and advice by legal experts that the state government would remove these three positions occupied by Harak Singh Rawat from the ambit of office of profit retrospectively. It has been decided to bring in an ordinance removing these three offices from the ambit of office of profit.

A proposal in this regard will be sent to the Governor by April 8, 2013.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna defending Harak Singh Rawat said although he had been occupying three offices of profit, he is not drawing any salary of these positions and thus technically and legally he should not resign.

Interestingly, it has become a norm in Uttarakhand by the respective state governments headed by the Congress as well as the BJP to remove such offices from the ambit of office of profit. After the controversy arose on the Congress president holding an office of profit in 2006, the then Congress government headed by ND Tewari took out 23 such offices out of the ambit of office of profit to benefit party legislators holding such positions.

Similarly, the trend continued in the BJP regimes headed by Chief Minister BC Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank when more than 40 such offices were taken out of the purview of office of profit.

Taking a cue from the previous examples, the Vijay Bahuguna government also wants to get out of the controversy by bringing in an ordinance. However, it has to be seen whether it will be upheld by the judiciary if the opposition decides to go to the Supreme Court. 

Lobbying begins in Cong for MC poll ticket
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 7
The Congress ticket aspirants for the upcoming three-tier municipal elections are leaving no stone unturned to get it.

Despite stern directives from the national vice-president of the Congress Rahul Gandhi to the party leaders to not resort to appeasing politics, most of the candidates seeking the party ticket from Haridwar are trying to impress high-level leaders.

By holding rallies in support of state Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, Union Minister Harish Rawat, state party chief Yashpal Arya and Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat, the ticket aspirants are leaving no stone unturned to lobby for their candidature.

Today, a ticket aspirant for the post of Mayor and councilor booked two buses from Haridwar to Dehradun to meet state party chief Yashpal Arya. By this, they want to show their strength and popularity among people.

Jag Mohan, who is vying for the post of Mayor, said it was the pressure from party workers and local people that made him hire the bus.

He said, “I don't think this violates the directives of Rahul Gandhi. We are just going to meet the party chief and apprise him of our candidature.”

Mahesh Gaur, vying for the post of councillor from ward no 15, said it was not lobbying but a way to express the support he had for the party workers and voters.

On this, city unit chief OP Chauhan said the party workers should put forth their candidature on the party forum and before the election committee panel which would decide the name of the candidates.

"Resorting to show off is not the right way. Rahul Gandhi had strictly indicated during his Dehradun visit about maintaining inner party discipline, not lobbying for posts but working for the masses," said Chauhan.

Day of celebrations, protests in Kumaon 
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, April 7
Under preparations for the local body elections at the administrative and political levels, the Kumaon region on Sunday saw protests as well as celebrations at different places.

Bageshwar district, where a two-day annual Umesh Dobhal felicitation function kickstarted on Saturday with a Janyatra led by senior journalists of the region, also witnessed two protests today opposing the government move on statehood workers and mining leases issued to contractors, respectively, at the district headquarters and at Phusera village.

“The residents of Phusera village along with sadhus of the nearby muth, demand cancellation of soft stone mining leases in this areas as due to indiscriminate mining the villagers are being bereft of their valuable cultivable land,” said Prakash Giri Mahant of a nearby muth.

Another protest is being staged by statehood workers in the district headquarters who demand that despite their identification as statehood agitators on the basis of documents, the administration is not issuing them certificates declaring them as statehood workers. “We have decided to continue our agitation till our demands are met," said Devi Dutt Pathak, a statehood agitator.

Not only in Bageshwar district, but the protests were also witnessed in other parts of the region on Sunday. The agitators demanding roads and other facilities at Pankhu in Pithoragarh district continued their agitation on the third day today, the Shiv Sainiks from Hardoi district of UP protested at Tanakpur, demanding facilities for Purnagiri pilgrims.

“Despite thousands of pilgrims are pouring in in the Purnagiri temple daily, the local administration and the mela committee could neither give them sufficient drinking water, sanitation and viable track route to the steep hilltop temple, nor the state government could make the Sharda, where the pilgrims take a holy bath after darshan of Purnagiri Devi, pollution free,” said Ashok Kumar Shastri, district president of the Shiv Sena, in Hardoi district of UP, who reached Purnagiri on pilgrimage last evening.

Besides protests, the region has also witnessed some festivity on Sunday as a five-day mahotsava concluded in Berinag and another five-day festival began on the Indo-Nepal town of Jhoolaghat in Pithoragarh district.

“While the Berinag festival was concluded in the presence of Rajya Sabha MP and former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, the Jhoolaghat Mahotsava was inaugurated by another BJP leader Suresh Joshi,” said a source.

According to organisers, the five-day Maa Maheshani Jhoolaghat Mahotsava, which began on Saturday, will have cultural programmes, presented by cultural troupes of India and Nepal in the coming days, besides rafting programmes by local youths on the Kali river.

“The mahotsava will be concluded by BJP leader Bishen Singh Chufal, on April 11,” said Biplav Bhatt, organiser of the festival.

Umesh Dobhal felicitation function kickstarted in Bageshwar

Phusera villagers' protest demanding cancellation of soft stone mining lease

Statehood workers staged a protest

Five-day mahotsava ended in Berinag

Another five-day festival began in Jhoolaghat in Pithoragarh district.

Shiv Sainiks protested at Tanakpur, demanding facilities for Purnagiri pilgrims

DM holds meeting with poll officials
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 7
District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam held a review meeting with returning officers (ROs), assistant returning officer (ARO), in-charges and police officials in the wake of the civic poll in the district.

He said the work of nomination, withdrawal of papers and distribution of symbols to the candidates would be done by the RO and ARO. He directed in-charge, model code of conduct, Banshidhar Tiwari to remove the hoardings from the city barring those installed by the police. He directed all the SDMs and the Circle Officers to identify sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths urgently so that police personnel could be deputed accordingly.

The city SP would determine the sensitive and

hyper-sensitive booths in the city. A liaison police official would also be deputed for this purpose.

The DM also directed the SDMs to collect arms before the start of the election. He said if officials, entrusted with election-related work, failed to participate in the meetings, they must be sent notice. He directed the Chief Development Officers to brief the in-charges about their duties during the civic election. 

50 students felicitated on freshers’ party
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, April 7
A freshers' party was held at Mussoorie Public School here yesterday. Around 50 new students were felicitated by the alumini association of the school. The president of The Muplican Alumini Society of the old students, Nitish Agarwal, inaugurated the newly built art room, a school canteen and a library for junior students.

The alumini association also donated Rs 50,000 for the new PA system in the school.

Nitish Agarwal welcomed the newcomers and hoped that their stay in the school would be filled with excitement and adventure.

The students were also presented gifts by the association on the occasion.

The secretary of the alumini society, Ashwani Mittal, Pankaj Jain,Shalabh Garg,Kiran and Pankaj Agrawal and school principal Mukesh Lal were present on the occasion. 

CM reiterates resolve to provide speedy justice in state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 7
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who is participating in the conference of Chief Ministers and High Court Chief Justices at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, today reiterated his government’s resolve to provide speedy justice to people. The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Chief Justice of India Justice Altamas Kabir were present on the occasion. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India.

Bahuguna said the Uttarakhand government was committed to make available speedy and accessible justice to the people. He said the government was keen on playing its role in the legal reforms. The government was in constant touch with the Nainital High Court and resolved problems on a priority basis, he said.

The CM said Uttarakhand had comparatively less number of pending cases. He said the government had made a 10 per cent increase in the posts in the legal service cadre and 23 new courts had also been set up in the state.

He said the state government was committed to improve infrastructural facilities in courts.

The budget for the purpose has been allocated. A committee, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, has been set up. A high court Registrar is a member of the committee which will look into the availability of land for courts and for development of the infrastructure. In 2012-13, the state received Rs 8.29 crore from the Centre for improving infrastructure of courts.

Bahuguna said as the pending number of cases was relatively less in Uttarakhand, there was no proposal to set up rural courts in the state. The juvenile justice board has been constituted in every district under the Juvenile Justice Act 2000. State juvenile homes are functional in Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Pauri, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Almora for boys and in Dehradun, Pauri, Tehri and Nainital for girls. 

Be pro-active in politics, Vaishya community told
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 7
A two-day annual working body meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Mathur Vaishya community concluded here today.

Over 200 representatives from more than five states were present at the meeting.

The meeting was held at Mathur Vaishya Dham, Bhoopatwala, and community members who have been working for social and religious causes were felicitated on the occasion.

Addressing the meeting, national chief of the Akhil Bharatiya Mathur Vaishya Maha Sabha Darshan Lal Gupta said community people were playing a big role in bringing about social reforms.

Urging the community people to take pro-active part in politics, Gupta said honest, hard working and sensitive candidates of the community should contest the upcoming municipal elections.

He said menace of corruption and change in system could only be brought by being a part of the political system.

Chief of the women wing Chidesh Gupta said the sabha had been working on for eradication of social malpractices like female foeticide and women literacy.

The next grand convention of the community will be held at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

Among others who addressed the gathering were Sant Kumar Gupta, RN Gupta, Sudhir Gupta, Shiv Kumar Gupta, Ramesh Chand, Ram Prakash Gupta, Antriksh Gupta, Vikram, Babu Roshan Lal and Kusum.

War of words between Rawat, Bahuguna again

The latest war of words between Union Minister of Water Resources and Haridwar Lok Sabha MP Harish Rawat and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has broken the lull that was prevailing between the two ruling Congress leaders of the state for the past six months.

Harish Rawat fired the first salvo by writing a letter to Chief Minister Bahuguna showing his utter disappointment at the attitude of state government officials towards giving land to several Central Government projects in Haridwar. Giving examples, Harish Rawat alleged that the state government had delayed giving land to the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) battalion and construct ESI medical college and hospitals in Haridwar.

He also alleged that the state government had lost the opportunity to have the Central Flower Research Institute due to lackadaisical attitude of the state bureaucracy. Similarly, he charged that there was delay in getting land for the Deoband-Roorkee railway line and in pursuing the issue of having the Central Sugarcane Research Institute at Haridwar. Rawat also pointed towards the delay in the Haridwar-Roorkee gas pipeline.

Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was prompt in giving a detailed point wise rebuttal of the allegations levelled by Harish Rawat.

He clarified that the state government had been earnestly pursuing each and every project and had given land or identified land for the central projects but there had been delay on the part of the Union Government.

He advised Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat to use his good office as a Union Cabinet Minister to get these projects expeditiously implemented in the state.

It was after a gap of nearly six months that Harish Rawat has attacked the state Congress government. He had been keeping silent on the state government after his elevation as the Union Cabinet Minister of Water Resources.

It was believed that Harish Rawat had chosen to attack the Chief Minister and his government at a time when the Congress would be going into an important electoral battle of civic elections in the state on April 28. Being one of the most shrewd and seasoned politician of the state, Harish Rawat has tried to portray himself as a party leader who is not aligned with the state Congress government.

Knowing fully well about the political repercussions of the anti-incumbency factor of the Congress government in the civic poll, Harish Rawat has taken a posture where he is known as a rebel against the Congress ruling dispensation.

Interestingly, Harish Rawat has a lot at stake in the civic poll, since two cities namely Haridwar and Roorkee will have elections for the newly created Municipal Corporations this time. Both these cities are part of the Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency represented by him.

He would like to ensure that his own candidates are pitted in the poll and they also do well. Since crucial Lok Sabha elections are also scheduled in May 2014, Harish Rawat finds himself under tremendous pressure to score a victory in the Lok sabha poll.

By criticising the state Congress government on the issues involving the Haridwar Lok Sabha constituency, he has tried to distance himself from the alleged lethargy and undoings of his own state government. He has also tried to portray that he has done a lot for the Haridwar being a Union Minister for the past four years by bringing in many Central Government projects.

He has also cleverly tried to pass the blame on the non-implementation of all these projects on to his own Congress government.

Interestingly, Harish Rawat was denied the position of Chief Minister by the party high command after the Assembly elections' victory of the Congress in Januray 2012. Instead Vijay Bahuguna, Congress MP from Tehri Garhwal, was chosen to lead the state as Chief Minister in March 2012.

Harish Rawat and his supporter legislators had risen in revolt against the decision but were later placated by the party. While his supporter legislator were adjusted as ministers in the state government or other positions, Harish Rawat himself was elevated in the last Union Cabinet reshuffle as a Cabinet Minister of Water Resources.

Since then there was a lull in the “political skirmishes” between the Rawat and Bahuguna camps. Chief Minister Bahuguna has been more than willing to accommodate Harish Rawat during the past one year.

But the recent salvo by Harish Rawat and the prompt reply given to him by the Chief Minister indicate that the war of words between these two senior leaders will escalate in the run-up to the Lok Sabha poll.

—SMA Kazmi 

BJP observers meet probable MC candidates in Mussoorie
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, April 7
Observers from the BJP reached the town today to gauze the mood of the party workers while determining the candidates for the civic poll in Mussoorie. The observers had a detailed discussion with the probable Municipal Council presidential candidates 10 in number along with various aspirants for the ticket at ward levels in Mussoorie.

The probable candidates namely Mohan Lal Baundiyal and Rajkumari Giri presented their credentials in front of the observers and assured them of the victory.

Around 10 probable candidates have staked their claim for the post of Municipal Council president in Mussoorie. With so many candidates in fray, the infighting among the local level party leaders have come to fore which could affect the outcome against the party in the elections.

For the ward members there was less rush as only one or two probale candidates staked their claim today.

The BJP observer Mohan Lal Baundiyal speaking to the media said party workers owed their allegiance to the organisation and after the declaration of the candidates they would work unitedly to bring victory for the party. He also said all candidates would be declared by April 9.

Meera Suyal and Suraj Thapli have staked their claim from Jharipani, Manoj Rengwal from Barlowganj, Amit Bhatt, Manoj Kharola from Raj Mandi, Shah Jhan Kureshi, Sunita Goyal from Landour, Suman Panwar, Jashoda Panwar from Nagar Palika ward, Trilok rana, Roop Chand Sharma from Kulri, Sarojini Kaintura, Dinesh Gusain, Arvind Gusain and Sunita Singh from Kacheri. Vijendar Rawat, Satya Prasad Joshi and Kuldeep Rawat from Library Bazaar,Vaijanti Mala from Charlville, Rakesh Kanujia from Polo Ground and Seema Sharma from Bhadraj are also in the fray for various wards in the town.

Sudhanshu takes over as Kumaon Commissioner
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, April 7
The 40th Commissioner of the Kumaon region, RK Sudhanshu, will focus on enhancing facilities and infrastructure to increase the tourist flow to the region, especially in those areas which are hitherto neglected and have potential to be a tourist hub in the region.

Talking to mediapersons after taking charge as the new Commissioner today, Sudhanshu said his priority would be to get the roads renovated keeping in view the flow of tourists in the region round the year. “Besides, the next on my list of priorities is to implement government development plan in backward regions where people lack basic infrastructure and cannot compete with other regions of the state due to this backwardness,” said the Commissioner.

Sudhanshu said he was aware of the developmental problems of the region, as he had worked here as Nainital District Magistrate, Ranikhet Joint Magistrate and the Chief Development Officer in the district.