6 families of tehsil complex refuse to shift to MDDA shopping area
Dehradun, May 15
The entire tehsil complex is shifting to MDDA shopping complex on Dispensary Road by May 19, but six families who are residing in one-room tenement at the back of complex are not ready to shift.

Mussoorie, May 15
Gandhian and social activist Anna Hazare, who launched the third phase of his Jantantra Yatra on May 13 from Rishikesh, reached Barkot in district Uttarkashi to garner support for his movement against corruption today.

Anna Hazare, addressing a huge gathering that comprised young and old from all walks of life, appealed to the people that the present political system was corroded to an extreme extent, and for a change, it required one person from every family from around the country to join the crusade against corruption.

Anna Hazare appealed to the people that to create awareness among the people against corruption being encouraged by state and Central governments, a team of around 6 crore youth will be gathered in one-and-a- half years, and with their help the change in the present corrupt system would be brought about eventually.

Anna Hazare said he had pledged to serve the country and it's people all his life, and this yatra was indicative of that pledge.

Anna Hazare also said that the government and the public representatives in Parliament had betrayed the wishes of the people by first passing a resolution to implement Jan Lokpal and then forgetting about it since the past two years, which was indicative that the political masters were not serious towards removing corruption. Therefore, a new wave of representatives were needed who were not governed by political parties.

Anna also informed the gathering that the Constitution of the country says that people had the right to elect their own representatives and not those forced through forming a political party or groups. Today political parties were giving ticket to tainted persons who were in turn getting elected and indulging in corruption, and this system needed a change. Anna said that around 170 tainted public representatives have been given ticket by respective parties in Parliament, which showed their indifferent attitude towards corruption and unethical political standards in the country Anna, mooting for electoral reforms, said that after the completion of Jantantra Yatra, he will seek answers from Election Commission on why it gave political parties such importance in elections instead of individuals, and that too against the spirit of the Constitution of the country, which clearly talks about the democratic rights of people and not of any party in particular. He also said that if need be he would at knock the doors of the Supreme Court in this matter.

Anna also appealed to people to stay away from corrupt means adopted by the political parties in elections and elect only those candidates who were honest and had a good character and were keen on serving people. He said the country was ready for a change in the political system, which would be free of any corruption, and the only thing required was of uniting against the corrupt forces in and around the country. Senior journalist and ex-Member of Parliament Santosh Bhartiya accompanying Anna Hazare on the tour said that the active members enrolled during the tour in Uttarakhand would be meeting on May 25 and discussing the future course of action in respect of the state.

According to sources, a national-level meeting will also be held at Bhopal on June 1 to discuss and review the status of the movement being run by Anna Hazare.

He also said that after the completion of the national tour, a jansansad would be held in New Delhi in the month of September to discuss the modalities and review the outcome of the yatra and draw a future course of action. A large number of volunteers filled forms and donated for the movement being run by Anna Hazare at Barkpot.

Anna Hazare left for Uttarkashi but the pace was very slow as the people thronged to meet him in person at small hamlets falling on the way here.

Mohan Singh Gaonwasi, a senior BJP leader, also extended support on personal level to the movement of Anna Hazare.

Haridwar, May 15
A Delhi-based girl on a visit to Haridwar has been allegedly gang-raped by five youths for five days.

The victim, who originally hails from Jharkhand and has been living at Laxmi Nagar, New Delhi, said she and her friend had come to Haridwar on a visit last week. They came in contact with a local woman, Sunita, who helped them in their stay and other arrangements.

The woman introduced them to five youths as her relatives. The youths allegedly took her to a secluded residential area and raped her for five days. They warned her of dire consequences if she tried to escape. The girl, however, managed to escape from their clutches.

She was helped by a local resident, Ravindra Bhatt, who took her to the police station after finding her in a sorry condition at Bhagat Singh Chowk.

Circle officer Rajesh Bhatt said the girl’s medical examination had been done and the report was awaited. He said on the basis of indications and clues given by the girl, raids were being conducted at various places and sketches made of some accused.

Dehradun, May 15
The entire tehsil complex is shifting to MDDA shopping complex on Dispensary Road by May 19, but six families who are residing in one-room tenement at the back of complex are not ready to shift. They have been provided two-room flats at Kedarpuram by the district administration. The six families of lower rung staff of tehsil complex are living in dilapidated one-room small independent houses behind the tehsil complex for many years.

Subdivisional Magistrate Ranjana Verma said the families had no option but to shift to Kedarpuram. A new building at Kedarpuram has been constructed which has two-room flats sanctioned for the families of tehsil employees for the last one year. Since these families were not shifting, their flats have been occupied by encroachers.

Verma said the entire tehsil building would be demolished to give way to the construction of an elaborate parking space for the shopkeepers and customers of nearby areas. In such a situation, even these houses would be dismantled.

The families have been resisting shifting for the past one year. Verma said pressure was once built up by District Magistrate on them but then he got busy with his other engagements and the matter could not be attended to thereafter.

The structures of these six tenements are not safe either. These can fall down any time. Besides, the residents did not have any toilet facility for all these years. They use common general toilet in the tehsil complex. A resident, Luxmi Negi, admitted that the safety of grown up girls was at stake once the entire complex was razed to the ground.

She, however, complained that the flats, where they were being shifted, were at far end in the city. Another resident, Gyan Devi, said it would become difficult for their children to commute to their schools from Kedarpuram.

At present, the families are living in tehsil building, which is in the centre of the city and in the middle of prominent Paltan Bazaar and other connecting markets. Their concerns about being far away from the city and facing hurdles regarding office, market and schools might be genuine, but there is no way they can continue to live in a worn-out building and put their lives at stake.

Haridwar, May 15
With the Char Dham yatra having commenced on May 13 and the summer tourist season on, the district police has started a drive to check vehicle theft incidents.

Vehicle thefts have been on the rise in the past few months. With a large number vehicles of devotees moving towards the upper reaches of the Garhwal hills from Haridwar to Shri Badnrinath, Shri Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, the district police is keeping a tab on the movement of vehicles via CCTV cameras and random checking of vehicles.

Yesterday, the police recovered one Indica car and eight motor cycles from an alleged gang of thieves near the Chandi Ghat bridge (Indira Gandhi setu) during checking. Three persons were arrested from the bridge when the checking team, on suspicion, sought vehicle papers from them. Instead, the three drove their car towards Gurukul Kangri village, breaking the police barriers.

The police finally nabbed them from the village and, on interrogation, they revealed their identity. Those arrested are Aaftab, a resident of Nagina,Bijnore, Imran Shyohara of Bijnore and Deepak Sharma from Dehradun.

SSP Arun Mohan Joshi praised the Shyampur police personnel. Joshi said the accused used to work in the daytime as whitewash painters and identify prospective target vehicles during that time.

Later, at night, they would allegedly steal vehicles with the help of Deepak Sharma, who is an expert in unlocking vehicles. They then would hide the vehicles for a few days in a rented accommodation either in Bijnore or Haridwar before selling them in the markets of Bijnore, Saharanpur and Muzaffarnagar.

Dehradun, May 13
Circle Officer, City, Harish Chand Sati, today gave strict directions to hotel owners and wedding point owners not to allow music in the functions after 10 at night. Holding a meeting with them here today, he said instructions regarding this had been passed on to them in several meetings held on this issue. But neither all hotels nor wedding point owners were following the instructions.

The wedding point as well as hotel owners complained that the guests in the weddings or other functions insisted on continuing DJ music after a few drinks. In case they resisted, then the guests indulged in a ruckus and violence.

Some were of the opinion that usually the dancing sessions in weddings started at 9 or 10 at night, owing to which the families put pressure on prolonging the music play. Fearing a backlash or drop in business on turning down their request, they forget the deadline of 10 pm. They were of the opinion that if this regulation becomes compulsory for all, they would face no problem in sticking to the time. — TNS

Dehradun, May 15
A delegation of Muslims, led by vice-president of the state unit of the Congress Suryakant Dhasmana, met Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at the latter’s residence here today and sought immediate allotment of land for a graveyard in Dehradun.

The Chief Minister directed Dehradun District Magistrate BVRC Purshottam to search for appropriate land for setting up a graveyard for Dehradun Muslims.

Muslims in Dehradun have been demanding a new graveyard for the community for long. The existing graveyard has no more space left to conduct burial.

Dehradun, May 15
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today held a meeting regarding the transfer of land to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) at Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district of the state.

Land has to be given to the SSB with the approval of the Uttarakhand Cabinet. He said that keeping in view the strategic location of Uttarakhand, the state government was keen to give all support to security forces.

Eighty two acres of land of the SSB in Uttarakashi, Chamba and Satpuli had been transferred to the government in 2007 and in lieu of that, land was to be given to the SSB in the eastern border area of the state. In January 2013, the SSB had informed the Chief Minister about this. The CM said the matter would be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting.

Dehradun, May 15
The Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha has expressed concern over the shrinking of agricultural land in Uttarakhand.

Addressing a press conference here today, state president of the sabha Purshottam Sharma said 65 per cent of the state population was still dependent on agriculture, but only 8 to 9 per cent of farm land was available, which was a matter of concern.

He said shrinking agricultural land was also the main reason behind speedy migration from the hilly areas of the state. He accused the Uttarakhand Government of undertaking no efforts to save farm land in the state.

Referring to the declaration of eco-sensitive zone in Uttarkashi by the Centre, Sharma said both the BJP and the Congress were playing politics over the issue. He said the declaration of the eco-sensitive zone would hurt the interests of the local people and had an adverse impact on their livelihood sources.

Sharma said the kisan sabha would also oppose the proposed Coca Cola plant at Vikasnagar.

He said they had already extended support to the ongoing agitation of Vikasnagar farmers against Coca Cola.

Meanwhile, Sharma released a booklet on agriculture scenario in Uttarakhand on the occasion. Vice-president of the state unit of the sabha Indresh Maikhuri said they would soon release a document on adverse impact of hydroelectric projects on people and the environment in the state.

Ashish Kandpal and Yatin Kala of the sabha were also present on the occasion.

Dehradun, May 15
A delegation of Lachiwala residents today met District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam to take up the issue of the acquisition of their land by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for widening work.

Some residents of the area who belong to the Boksa tribal community said they had not even got compensation for the land acquired by the NHAI. Subdivisional Magistrate Ranjana Verma, who was present there and had earlier handled their cases as a special land officer (SLO), said: "Despite having no right to sell off their land, people belonging to the Boksa community did the same. Following this, the mutation process of the land could not be completed. This is posing problems in acquiring land in some cases."

Ranjana said she facilitated a deal between sellers and buyers in many cases, where the former returned the money to the latter. However, ever since she left as SLO and joined as SDM, many such cases were lying pending.

The District Magistrate has now called a separate meeting of people belonging to the Boksa community to find a solution to their problems.

Some residents complained that earlier, NHAI officials had told them that only a 22-m area on both sides would be widened. However, they were now widening 30 m.

The District Magistrate directed officials to hold a camp in the area on Friday, where officials of the departments concerned would address the problems of the residents.

One of the residents complained that a official engaged in the acquisition process was allegedly demanding commission to facilitate the release of the compensation amount to land owners.

Following this, the District Magistrate asked SLO Gunwant to ensure that nobody under him indulged in such malpractices.

Dehradun, May 15
Students of The Indian Cambridge School today organised a cleanliness awareness campaign at Dehradun railway station as part of the school's community service initiative.

Students reached the station early in the morning. While the station was chock-a-block with passengers, students holding placards apprised the passengers about the importance of cleanliness at the railway station.

A group of students staged a short skit in Hindi at the lobby and reservation areas. They distributed pamphlets among the passengers.

School Principal Albert Temple said even though the efforts of these students night have been just a drop in the ocean, it certainly went down well with many who observed them at the railway station. “The fact that they ran out of pamphlets speaks for itself”, he added.

Dehradun, May 15
Uttarakhand Sports Minister Dinesh Aggarwal today handed over cash incentives to 124 sportspersons in the state for excelling in international and national sports competitions. Among those honoured were 14 sportspersons who have won medals at international competitions for the country. Cash awards totalling over Rs 21 lakh were distributed to them.

At a function held here, Aggarwal reiterated his commitment to working for the promotion of sports in the state. He said the government was also taking an initiative to improve the sports infrastructure in the state.

Aggarwal said emphasis was being laid on bringing out sports talent among women. He said a sports hostel for women sportspersons was being set up in Haldwani.

He said the Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun was being upgraded and mini stadiums were coming up in other parts of the state. He said Rs 80 lakh had already been released for the Sports Stadium at Srinagar.

He also disclosed that he was undertaking efforts towards ensuring staging of the prestigious football's Santosh Trophy in Uttarakhand in 2014.

Rajpur MLA Rajkumar, Uttarakhand sports secretary Ajay Pradhyot and a large number of sportspersons were present on the occasion.