Bihar Deputy CM told about ICFRE tech
Wants knowhow of Poplar trees for farmers of the state 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi today visited the Forest Research Institute and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education offices in Dehradun.

The Director-General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun, VK Bahuguna, informed the Deputy Chief Minister about the technology developed and other ongoing forestry research works being done by the ICFRE and its institutes countrywide.

He stressed on the works undertaken by the Institute of Forest Productivity, Ranchi, for the ultimate benefit of the states of Bihar and Jharkhand.

Sushil Kumar Modi appreciated the activities undertaken by the ICFRE in north Bihar on the introduction of poplar for sustainable income generation to the farmers following agro-forestry techniques. He further requested Bahuguna to provide technical support on commercialisation and utilisation of poplar through industrialisation. He also sought his advice to incorporate poplars in rotation forestry in other suitable land of Bihar.

Modi further requested the Director-General to impart training on 'monitoring of forest plantations in Bihar' to the forest officials, farmers and other end users.

He urged that research support be provided to the Bihar State Forest Department on the pattern of support provided to the Punjab State Forest Department by the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.

Modi invited Bahuguna to visit Bihar and finalise the future programme on the above aspect.

Modi also visited the Timber Museum, Non Wood Forest Product Museum, Central Nursery and poplar plantations of FRI.

Modi showed a keen interest in root trainer technology for raising quality seedlings. He proposed to send forest officials and farmers to undergo “nursery training” in the FRI with a special emphasis on agro-forestry models. He was accompanied by other senior officers.

Chamoli stresses on strict compliance of traffic rules 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
As part of World Road Traffic Safety Day observation, Sanjay Orthopedic Centre organised a public awareness lecture programme in Dehradun today.

Chief guest, Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli, stressed on importance of strict compliance of traffic rules. He said road mishaps can be considerably reduced if the traffic rules are adhered to by both the motorists and pedestrians.

Chamoli said the children need to be inculcated at an early age about importance of traffic rules. He said the traffic rules had been formulated for the safety of the people.

In his keynote address, BKS Sanjay from Sanjay Orthopaedic Centre disclosed that as per World Health Organisation report, 1.4 lakh persons across the globe lose their lives every year in road accidents. He said the entire family gets ruined if a sole earning member of a family loses life in a mishap.

He reminded that in many cases of road accidents, it was found that the driver was deprived of adequate sleep. He said many a time in order to earn more money, the driver continued with driving for long hours and accident is the final result.

Sanjay said in many cases even alcoholism on part of drivers leads to mishaps. He said a drive under influence of alcohol delays reflexes and that could be disastrous while driving a vehicle.

SP has emerged as third alternative in state, says Sachan 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
State president of the Samajwadi Party (SP) SN Sachan while addressing mediapersons here yesterday took credit for the success of the candidates supported by his party in the civic bodies’ election recently. He said the SP had emerged as the third alternative in the state.

Sachan said the candidates supported by the SP who won the elections are the Mayor of the Roorkee Municipal Corporation, chairmen of the Jhabrera and Harbartpur nagar panchayats. The SP candidate was elected chairman from the Kilakhera Nagar Panchayat.

He added two SP candidates, who lost the election by a small margin, were the mayoral candidate for the Haldwani Municipal Corporation (1,200 votes) and a candidate for the post of member of the Luxar Nagar Panchayat (400 votes).

Sachan announced the re-entry of Anil Jetli into the SP. He was appointed state vice-president of the party and in charge of all frontal organisations. Jetli had earlier joined the Congress.

He said the next target of the party was the Lok Sabha elections to be held next year. He said the state in charge and national secretary of the party Mohammad Aslam Khan was reshuffling the positions of the in charges of the Lok Sabha constituencies. The district and working committees had been dissolved with immediate effect but the chairmen of these bodies would still be operative.

Other frontal organisations had also been dissolved. However, chairpersons of the Samajwadi Mahila Sabha and the Samajwadi Purvjan Sabha would continue to work.

He said no office-bearer of the youth wing would be above 35 years of age and not below 30 years. He said soon the state unit would be revamped after holding a meeting of the party parliamentary board.

Sachan said the party would field candidates on all five Lok Sabha seats. The Haridwar, Nainital and Tehri Lok Sabha seats would be their main targets. He added senior Congress leader ND Tiwari should fight the Lok Sabha election on the SP ticket or the party would field its candidate against him. 

Insulate litchi, mango trees with water, farmers told
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
With day the temperatures remaining on the higher side, horticulture officials have asked farmers to insulate litchi and mango trees by providing adequate water.

As the day temperature has been soaring, it could prove disastrous for the mango and litchi trees that are now laden with fruits. “Farmers should spray water on litchi trees to prevent the fruit from breaking during maturity, while mango trees should be sprayed below with water,” said Amar Singh, District Horticulture Officer.

He said if the litchi trees are not sprayed with water, hot winds cause fruit cracking and subsequently damage the pulp during maturity. “In order to ensure excellent quality of litchi fruit, adequate moisture should be provided in orchards,” said Singh.

Litchi trees suffer heavy flower and fruit drop between flowering and fruit maturity due to occurrence of hot winds during the summer. The officials say that due to high temperatures in April and now in early May, when the temperature touched 37°C, the rose scented variety grown in Dehradun is susceptible to fluctuation in soil moisture, leading to splitting of the rind.

“It spells trouble for orchard owners, who usually get half the price for their crop. That is why it is important to maintain the moisture conditions in the orchards,” he said.

86 towns, 220 villages face water crisis
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 11
Nearly 86 towns and 220 villages in the Kumaon region are facing an acute water crisis due to the drying up of natural water sources.

It has been revealed in a survey carried out by the Kumaon Jal Sansthan.

According to the survey, the situation is likely to become worst if rains did not start by June 15. The water problem in the region is the result of an increase in the temperature, which has led to the drying up of natural water sources.

“The survey had been carried out following the instructions of the government,” said JR Gupta, superintendent engineer, Kumaon Jal Sansthan.

Almora is the worst affected with 22 urban localities and 105 villages of the district facing an acute drinking water crisis.

In Champawat district, 37 urban localities and six villages are reeling under water shortage.

Gupta said they had sent the survey report to the state government and the sansthan had also started preparations to tackle the crisis.

DM’s appeal to Army on land
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
District Magistratre BVRC Purushottam held a meeting with residents of Mithi Bedi village, in which representative from the Army, Major Kutti, and MLA, Mussoorie, Ganesh Joshi, also participated. Purushottam assured Major Kutti that the district administration would prepare the entire proposal of land transfer to the Army at Kolu Pani shortly and asked the Army not to trouble residents by that time.

It was found that 62 families in the village had been allotted patta (lease land) on six acres of Army land in 1991 by the state government. The Army began a survey in 1997 and later claimed that the land belonged to it. Eight months ago the Army issued notices to the residents to vacate the land. When people began to protest, Joshi supported them and pressurised the government to look for alternate land in lieu of Mithi Bedi to be given to the Army. Major Kutti said once the proposal was ready, the Army would see whether it was in the vicinity of IMA or not.

Circle officer asks traders not to obstruct traffic
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
Circle Officer, City, Harish Chand Satish, yesterday met traders around Saharanpur Chowk, Adat Bazaar and Prem Nagar to appeal to them not to obstruct traffic with encroachment or trucks for off-loading and loading goods. Satish said: “On Saharanpur Chowk trucks come to load haystack from the Punjab Bhusa Store. Traffic is hindered on the road till the loading is complete. A few metres ahead, timber merchants line up their wooden logs, which leaves little room for parking on roadsides.

Similarly, he said the traders at Adat Bazaar were violating traffic rules by continuing to load and off-load goods in big vehicles on road in the day time.

He said city buses too were taking short route and plying on wrong side to save time and distance on Sahaanpur Road. He said he talked to Additional Regional Manager, Transport Department, to issue strict guidelines to bus drivers on the matter.

Khanduri flays govt for power rate hike
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
Former Chief Minister BC Khanduri has condemned the Congress-led state government for affecting a hike in electricity charges at a time when the public was already bearing the brunt of inflation.

Khanduri said in order to provide relief to the people, the previous BJP government had reduced VAT on petrol and kerosene. “But the Congress-led government had announced reduction in VAT only to reap electoral benefits and after it lost the election VAT was again imposed,” he said. 

Kotiyal sworn in Information Commissioner
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 11
Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi today administered the oath of office to Rajendra Kotiyal as an Information Commissioner at a ceremony in the Raj Bhavan here.

The Uttarakhand Information Commission now has one Chief Information Commissioner and four Information Commissioners.