Amit Negi unhappy over slow pace of development works
Our Correspondent

Mussoorie, May 24
Additional Secretary, Tourism department, Amit Negi, yesterday took subordinate officials to task and vented his ire at them for not heeding to the decisions taken at the previous meeting regarding the development works in Mussoorie.

Amit Negi, while reviewing the development works undertaken by various departments for the convenience of the tourists in a meeting held at a hotel in Mussoorie, looked agitated at the inordinate delay and directed the officials to increase the pace or else face dire consequences.

The MC president, Manmohan Singh Mall, being critical of Sulabh International said that they were assigned the task to upgrade and manage the public toilets in and around Mussoorie but they had failed in the task to do so.

He demanded that Sulabh International return the work of public toilets to Municipal Council so that it can repair the toilets on its own cost as the season was picking up with every passing day.

The decision to introduce battery-operated rickshaws in Mussoorie were also discussed where Amit Negi directed the officials to have a talk with the rickshaw-pullers and create consent so that the rickshaw-pullers are ready to accept the change with ease.

Amit Negi also sought explanation from the Electricity Department on the delay in laying the wires underground in the town to which the executive engineer responded by saying that the funds have not been released yet for the task.

The upgradation and beautification of the tourist destinations such as Bhatta Falls, Lal Tibba, Gun Hill etc also came in the discussions held here. The Pey Jal Nigam officials were also directed to repair the roads on priority basis. Amit Negi directed officials to complete the task discussed here within one week.

However, most of the residents of the town are sceptical at any concrete outcome and believe that the previous meetings held in the past five years have yielded no result.

The offcials from various departments were present on the occasion.

taken to task

z Additional Secretary, Tourism department, Amit Negi, reprimanded officials for the inordinate delay in execution of development works undertaken by various departments for the convenience of tourists

z He also sought explanation from the Electricity Department on the delay in laying of underground wires in the town

z Municipal Council president Manmohan Singh Mall criticised Sulabh International for its failure to upgrade and manage public toilets in and around Mussoorie

Bahuguna govt fairing better than BJP regime: Furqan
Tribune New Service

Haridwar, May 24
The Congress-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has a commendable tenure so far as it has carried out mass development works.

Parliamentary Secretary and Congress legislator from Piran Kaliyar Furqan Ahmed said this while giving away bicycles to girl students under the Balika Siksha Protshan Yojana at Government School at Bharapauri Bhuri here today.

The Piran Kaliyar legislator said the Bahuguna-led government had fared better than the previous BJP government in the spheres of industrial development, agriculture, health, education, tourism, infrastructure and law and order.

He added the proposal to construct Assembly buildings at Gairsain and Dehradun was aimed at creating a balance between the hill and plain areas.

Furqan gave away bicycles as part of the Uttarakhand government scheme to motivate girls for higher studies. He said it was an appreciable step as educated girls could give a better direction to society and the country.

“Especially in rural areas and far-flung hill areas, the number of girls having access to higher school studies is quite low. But with such schemes under which bicycles are being provided to girls in plains and cash to girls in the hill region, surely this ratio will improve,” he said.

Furqan said not much should be read into a verbal duel between Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Gobind Singh Kunjwal and state ministers. The dignity of the honourable Speaker should be maintained by everyone, he added.

Meanwhile, District Education Officer Ram Krishan Uniyal said the Chief Minister would give away bicycles to girls in the Bhagwan Pur block on October 28.

Rs 8,500 crore annual plan of state insufficient: Avdhash
Tribune News service

Dehradun, May 24
The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a voluntary organization, has termed as inadequate the Rs 8,500 crore annual plan of the state approved by the Planning Commission of India. “Uttarakhand has miserably failed in convincing the Planning Commission to enhance the economic package. To raise just Rs 300 crore more than last year is nothing but eyewash because more than this amount have to distributed in the form of arrears of salaries as well as enhanced DA to state government employees and the local self governance employees as well,” said Avdhash Kaushal, chairman of RLEK.

He said to ask for green bonus as compensation to the stalled hydroelectric projects was nothing but a half-heartedness attitude of the state government. All those projects like Loharinag Pala (600 MW) which has been handed over to the state government for which a Group of Ministers headed by Pranab Mukherjee very clearly recommended to the Prime Minister that, “In view of the fact that substantial work on the project has been done and significant expenditure incurred, it was decided that this project may be allowed to continue”. Now, if the stalled projects like Bhaironghati (381 MW) and Pala Maneri (480 MW), which have all clearances, start the entire production shall be the ownership of the Uttarakhand Government. All these three projects can bring much more economic stability and self dependency on the energy front and are also in the interest of industries and employment generation.

“Our government representatives should not forget that the elections are near and buying of luxury cars by our ministers and constitutional heads and also purchase of choppers at the cost of the poor man will rebound on them,” said Kaushal.

He said it is time to solve the problems of power, water, roads and school and take steps for the welfare of the minority communities like Van-Gujjars. “RLEK is running many schools only for these minority communities. Surprisingly, the state government has not agreed to giving even one rupee or free uniform, books, mid-day meal to the children of Van Gujjars, which, otherwise, are mandatory,” he added. 

Work on Bowla power project to start in June
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 24
The work on the Bowla-Nandprayag Hydropower project will start in June. The Rs 3,060 crore project will produce 300 MW of power. Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar met the chairpersons of the Central Water Commission and the Central Electricity Authority with regard to the approvals for the project in New Delhi today.

The Chairperson of the Central Water Commission, Rakesh Kumar, assured him that the authority would give clearance to the project by May 31. The Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority, S. Bakshi, said the project would be approved by June 15.

After getting the techno-economic clearance from the Central Electricity Authority, the Uttarakhand government can start work on the project.

Water, power crisis hits Pithoragarh, Champawat, Almora
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 24
Hill districts of Pithoragarh, Champawat, Almora and Bageshwar are reeling under a severe water and electricity crisis for the last two days as electricity supply to these districts was suspended as the power lines were being repaired at Aowala in Bareilly.

According to sources in Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand, electricity supply to these districts remained disrupted for 6 hours for two consecutive days, as the lines were being repaired at Bhawali. “We have informed the people and Jal Sansthan officers in advance about the proposed cut and advised them to make alternative arrangements for water distribution as the lift schemes in all four districts would have stopped functioning due to the power cut,” said Rajesh Maura, a PITCUL officer.

The plain areas of Champawat district, Tanakpur subdivision, valley areas of Pithoragarh, Almora and Bageshwar district reeled under high temperature ranging between 35°C to 40°C in these areas, and power cuts added to the worry of the people.

In Pithoragarh district Jal Sansthan officers have advised the residents to arrange for drinking water for the next two days as due to 6-hour declared power cut and additional undeclared cut. “We have asked the people to store water for the next two days as 9 hours’ electricity supply to lift schemes would not be enough to provide sufficient water to the town,” said VK Mishra, Executive Engineer of Pithoragarh Jal Sansthan.

BJP caters to all sections of society, says Rathore 
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 24
Suresh Rathore, who has been made Bharatiya Janata Party’s Scheduled Castes Cell All-India general secretary, has said that he will try to live up to the expectations of the people and party high command by earnestly working for the interests of Dalits.

As Rathore was vice-chairman of Uttarakhand Scheduled Castes-Scheduled Tribes Commission in the previous BJP-led state government, he said that the works carried out during that tenure made the party high command to bestow another major responsibility on him.

“BJP caters to all sections of society, while Congress-Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party only see Dalits as a vote bank.Otherwise, since Independence more than 55 years Congress has ruled but nothing has changed in terms of quality of life and rights given to Dalits,” said Rathore.

Pointing that Dalits are in a sizeable number in Haridwar constituency, he said that Congress MP Harish Rawat will not have an easy say this time as last time in 2009 he lured them with false assurances.

“Now everything has been exposed. Harish Rawat did what Congress has been doing for decades, vote bank politics. I will expose him by making an Assemblywise visit to the constituency and also propagate the BJP ideology and pro-Dalit steps taken during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government,” said Rathore who last year turned spiritual guru by being bestowed with the title of “Ravi Dasacharya”.

Arriving in the city as party workers welcomed him with great enthusiasm, Suresh Rathore urged party workers to make the upcoming ''Jail bharo andolan'' a mega success in the district.

“Dalits will play a pivotal role in this nationwide party movement. Public is perturbed by anti-common man policies, inflation, corruption scams, and silence by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has only led to chaos. Only BJP can provide able governance in the Centre as well as in the state,” remarked Rathore while attending a party workers’ meeting to review the strategy for “Jail bharo andolan”.

BJP, Cong colluding on Raipur Vidhan Sabha proposal, alleges Aeri
Tribune News Service

Dehradun May 24
President of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Aeri faction) Kashi Singh Aeri castigated both BJP and Congress for the proposal of a Vidhan Sabha building at Raipur. Aeri at a meeting called at the party office here yesterday said the BJP’s support for the proposal mooted by the Congress to construct a Vidhan Sabha building at Raipur was an insult to the public and aimed at crushing the dreams of statehood agitators.

He said, on the one side, the state government inaugurated a Vidhan Sabha building at Gairsain where the Leader of the Opposition was also present at the function. This understanding between the two parties showcased that they were doing vote bank politics on the issue.

Aeri said they would not let the government inaugurate the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan at Raipur. He added the UKD would go to the public and begin a vigorous public movement on the issue. 

A housing complex for those over 60
Tribune News Service

Analjit Singh, Chairman of Max India, along with Tara Singh of Antara Senior Living at a press conference in Dehradun on Friday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Dehradun, May 24
Max India Limited, one of India's leading multi-business corporate, today launched it's new business venture, Antara Senior Living Limited, focused on progressive seniors over the age of 60. Antara will create vibrant residential communities that offer ''Lifestyle with Life Care.'' The first senior living community spread across 20 acres will be located at Dehradun and will be ready for its residents by 2015.

The Dehradun community, spread across 20 acres with a view of the picturesque Mussourie hills, has been designed to meet the unique needs of seniors by creating a hassle-free lifestyle combined with access to comprehensive health services. Antara Senior Living's value proposition is to create a fun and active lifestyle for their residents. The inspiration is to enjoy life and be healthy while ageing. Antara's value proposition is based on offering five dimensions of wellness, environmental, physical, social/emotional, intellectual/occupational and spiritual.

Being built at a cost of Rs. 520 crore, this community will comprise apartments between the range of Rs. 1.25 cr to Rs 4.5 cr. There will also have 3 penthouses priced at Rs. 7 crores.

Speaking at the launch, Analjit Singh, Chairman, Max India Group, said:''Today, as a group entity, Max India Group has the second largest presence, amongst all our locations, at Dehradun (second only to the NCR region). Our multi super speciality hospital is commemorating its first anniversary. Max Life Insurance and Max Bupa Health Insurance have a significant presence in the region. In a way it is befitting that Antara, our senior living initiative, is making it's debut in Dehradun. A pioneer in it's domain, Antara will redefine the way seniors live in India. It will be our consistent endeavour to serve with a sentiment of sevabhav, excellence and credibility, the three defining values of our group."

It is estimated that more than 3 out of every 5 households today is nuclear (National Family Health Survey) and that seniors who live alone face a lot of challenges. Their number one fear is that of their own security and often the largest threat to seniors is their own domestic staff. In a recent survey by Helpage India, 14% of senior citizens living in major cities of India have faced some form of physical abuse. It has been found that managing a household in India is also very difficult for seniors, given the significant time and effort required to complete basic tasks along with the challenge of finding reliable domestic staff. 

Detained MLA moved to Haldwani hospital
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 24
Harish Dhami, Congress MLA from the Dharchula assembly constituency who is under detention since May 18, was today admitted in Shusheela Tiwari Medical Hospital, Haldwani, after he was find suffering from hypertension and diabetes. The doctors treating him at the District Hospital, Pithoragarh, referred him to the higher medical centre.

“We have received a nod from the judicial magistrate of Didihat in this connection. as Dhami has been suffering from hypertension and diabetes, which are not treatable at district hospital,” said GB Bisht, Chief Medical Officer of Pithoragarh.

The Didihat court, which had earlier refused bail to Dhami had asked Pithoragarh district hospital doctors to furnish Dhami's daily medical reports the day after he was admitted to the hospital.

“After the doctors at district hospital found Dhami suffering from hypertension and diabetes, we have been writing to the court for permission to admit him at some higher medical centre. After three days of waiting we got permission from the court and sent him to Haldwani this morning,” said the medical officer. 

Two IPS officers shifted
Tribune News Service

Dehradun May 24
Three Indian Police Service officers were transferred today. Anant Shankar Takwale, SSP, Udham Singh Nagar, was posted as SP, Vigilance, at the Vigilance Headquarters in Dehradun city while Riddhim Agarwal, Commandant 31st BN PAC, Rudrapur, was transferred as SSP, Udham Singh Nagar.

Sweety Agarwal, SP, Vigilance Headquarters, Dehradun, was transferred and posted as Commandant, 31st BN PAC, Rudrapur.