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Doubt over quality of iron pills as kids fall ill
BJP leaders ignored at anti-Coke plant rally
Social activists vow to oppose Coke plant
Timely action by forest officials prevent fire from spreading
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''Mussoorie Medley'' that takes you down memory lane
Rift in UKD continues
Tirupati Venkateshwar Swami festival in city on June 2
ONGC, Dena Bank teams record victories in cricket
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Doubt over quality of iron pills as kids fall ill
Dehradun, May 29 The Uttarakhand Department of Health had launched the WIFS programme under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), after studies reported that around 70 per cent of school-going children suffered from anaemia. In January this year, the programme was launched in schools during which distribution of iron tablets was started among boys and girls under the supervision of teachers. However, with reports of children falling ill, doubts are being raised about the Department of Health and Family Welfare’s decision to go for sugar-coated iron tablets, which are relatively cheaper than the enteric tablets. “Though the sugar-coated iron tablets are cheap, these tend to have an adverse reaction on certain individuals who are susceptible to gastric attack or acidity, leading to nausea and uneasiness. However, after deliberating upon the benefits of treatment by administering the iron tablets versus the non- benefits of the treatment for tackling the endemic problem of anaemia, the benefits weighed heavily on the non-benefits,” said Dr YS Sharma, DG, Health and Family Welfare. Privately, the doctors said in case more incidents of children falling ill due to the consumption of the tablets were reported, it may jeopardise the programme. The enteric-coated tablets that disintegrate in the intestine are little more expensive than the sugar-coated tablets. “The cost of the enteric coated tablet at Rs 4.20 paise per 15 tablets would have proved a costly proposition for us, while the cost of sugar-coated tablets at Rs 14 paise per tablet is relatively cheaper,” said Dr Sushma Datta, Additional Director, National programme. The medicines were procured through Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL), a public sector undertaking. Alongside the distribution of tablets, experts point out that the purpose of the Department of Health would be served better if awareness was also raised on the need to eat iron-rich diet constituting vegetables and fruits.
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BJP leaders ignored at anti-Coke plant rally
Dehradun, May 29 Before the commencement of the civic body elections in Uttarakhand, the state BJP leadership had announced it's intention to oppose the proposed bottling project in Charbba. But after the elections went in it's favour, the party leadership did not raise the issue. But today led by Sahdev Singh Pundir, MLA from Vikas Nagar, national secretary Trivender Singh Rawat, former Cabinet minister Prakash Pant and other leaders of BJP leaders took part in the march organised by the local village leadership and NGOs. Clarifying it's position on the issue, pradhan of Charbba village said that their movement was spontaneous and they were not looking for political support. So while speakers from NGOs were invited to speak a few words on the issue, the
BJP leaders waiting in the wings to unleash a diatribe against the Congress were a disappointed lot as none were invited to come up on the dais. However, national secretary Trivender Singh Rawat said that the BJP was against the plant as the local people's views were not considered. ''The intentions of the Congress government have been thoroughly exposed as it is after big money and is unmindful of the ground realities,'' said Rawat.
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Social activists vow to oppose Coke plant
Dehradun, May 29 Suresh Bhai said the people of Uttarakhand would not tolerate the destruction of the green belt at Chharba for setting up the plant. He said the Coca Cola plant also planned to utilise the Yamuna river water, which would deprive a large number of villages in the region of water. He said water crisis
was already a big challenge in Uttarakhand and it seemed that the state
government only wanted to aggravate the problem. He said the Coca Cola company had a history of destroying agriculture wherever it has introduced its plant. He said a lot of people from the entire state of Uttarakhand and also from other parts of the country had come in support of the agitation started by farmers in Chharba against the plant.
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Timely action by forest officials prevent fire from spreading
Mussoorie, May 29 According to the DFO, Mussoorie, Dheeraj Pandey, the department received information of smoke emanating from the civil forest area near Mussoorie lake around noon and without any delay the subordinate officials reached the site and doused the fire before it could spread to the adjacent reserve forest area, thus averting a major disaster to the ecology here. Dheeraj Kumar also informed the media about the forest fire arrangements and said that due to better forest management in place this year, the Mussoorie forest division has remained fire free till now, barring few minor incidents. However, with the mercury soaring and intensity levels high for occurrence of forest fires, the whole forest machinery has been put on high alert. The DFO also rued the fact that many owners of private forests were not concerned for the well-being of forests lying in their estates, and in order to curb the forest fire menace, two estates have been served notices for not cooperating with the Forest Department in dousing the forest fires few days back. Pandey, speaking further, said that most of the forest area in and around Mussoorie was with private owners who have only caretakers to attend to any incident of forest fires. Therefore, serving the notice had become imperative to make them aware them of the consequences. Dr Pandey said that a notice will be given to all state owners to provide telephone numbers of the caretakers of the estates and assist the department wholeheartedly so that forest fires can be curbed on timely basis. Pandey also informed the media that a 10-year private forest management plan was also being proposed where the Forest Department would provide support and incentives to the private estate owners for managing the forest area in a much better way. He also said that Forest Department with the help of 16 wireless base sets and 60 handsets was keeping a close watch on the forests so that they can respond to any forest fire incident without any delay. He said that Forest Department was soliciting support from self help groups, Van Panchayats and additional forest guards who were being paid Rs 100 on daily basis to control any such forest fire incident in Mussoorie division.
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''Mussoorie Medley'' that takes you down memory lane
Mussoorie, May 29 The book published by Niyogi publishers was earlier released in paperback edition, and now has been incarnated in hardcover limited edition, including the new front and back covers with a liberal sprinkling of fresh anecdotes and new images in order to satiate the desire of the fans who wanted to keep it duly autographed and safe in their treasure trove in Mussoorie. According to the author Ganesh Saili, the book begins in the spring of 1808, when Captain Hyder Jung Hearsey became the first visitor to get a view of the Garhwal Himalayas from the top of Landour hill. Up until that day, for centuries, the Himalayan foothills have been summer retreat, where the ''chaans'' or temporary thatched shelters of the local herdsmen were the only signs of human habitation. One has to leave it to the British, who came up via Rajpur, moved in and claimed credit for 'discovering' the hill station. As early as 1838, the indefatigable traveller Fanny Parks in her diary describes her climb to Mussoorie in a palanquin: ''Such beautiful rhododendrons! They are forest trees, not shrubs, as you have them in England. The people gathered the wild flowers, and filled my lap with them. I could not help sending a man from the plains, who had never seen a nettle, to gather one; he took hold of it, and relinquished his hold instantly in excessive surprise, and exclaimed, 'It has stung me; it is a scorpion plant!’'' ''Mussoorie Medley'' has its own bouquet of stinging nettles where the Himalayan foothills come alive in a fast-paced, scintillating account of Mussoorie’s evolution. With the patience of a historian, Saili marshals his facts with long years of research. The book also mentions the details about the humble beginnings of Capt. Young’s shaky shooting-lodge, to the stiff-upper-lip diaries of Lady Emily Eden. The reader moves down the corridors of 200 years, a tour de force on Mussoorie where gossip, anecdotes, famous landmarks and odd balls enliven this nostalgic walk down history lane. Ganesh Saili in the book states: ''If you walk past Douglas Dale spring on to the old bridle path to Barlowganj, look below at Glenbrook and Happy Garden. It was once home to the handsome Raja Lal Singh of Punjab. He was ‘escorted’ out of Lahore on December 14, 1846, at the culmination of the first Anglo-Sikh War for his own safety and arrived here in the fall of 1852. His three sons Ranbir, Balbir and Tegh Bahadur Singh inherited his vast estates in Mussoorie and Doon. It was his grandson, the youngest Tegh Bahadur’s son, Col Kunwar Shamsher Singh who by a single personal cheque in 1947 stopped the British from liquidating Doon Club. May God bless his soul!” Adding more to it he says: “Further down the bridle path, after the aqueduct, before the bend near Wymper’s Pool, stands Sikander
Born of a Rajput mother and a Scotsman, he lived like a Moghul, preferring to be addressed by his formal title: Nasir-ud-Dowlah Colonel James Skinner Bahadur Ghalib Jung. But to those around him, he was simply ‘Sikander sahib’ or Alexander the Great. He raised Skinner’s Horse on 23rd February, 1803, choosing for them the bright yellow tunics or the ‘Clothes of the Dead’ as warriors who had sworn that if they could not win, they would do battle and die.'' The book testifies the author’s love for the town and the mountains. This lovely, well-designed, eminently readable, illustrated book tells the story of the founding and coming to being of what was once known as ''the Queen of Hills.'' Ganesh Saili earnestly narrates the disturbing nexus of the builder-contractor which together is slowly but surely ruining the last vestiges of ''the most beautiful of hill stations of India.'' The book also laments the loss of bungalow-styled Kenneth Lodge to pragmatic Mahajan Villa; wisteria-clad Catherine Villa to monolithic Jas Apartments; turreted Fairlawn Palace to pin-cushioned Kamal Towers; tin-roofed Heaven’s Club to a characterless Shipra; brick-clad Madelsa House to a concrete Tibetan nunnery and honey-suckle-laden Rosemary Cottage to plastic-palmed Oasis Hotel.''
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Rift in UKD continues
Dehradun, May 29 Aeri has already called a meeting on June 2 to constitute a new working committee at the city level in the party premises. In case he forms the new working committee of his party, then he loses the ground to participate in the party convention called by Panwar on July 24 and 25 where election for president is to take place and, thereafter, other procedures such as working committees at various level will be formed. Just a couple of days ago, Aeri had said that he had given word to Panwar about his participating in the convention called by him. Taking strong reservation on Kashi’s statement, Panwar said: “ If Kashi Singh Aeri constitutes a new working committee, then there is no question of his participating in our party convention. If he takes this step, then our dialogue process to achieve unification will also stand cancelled.” According to reliable sources, Trivender Singh Panwar has reiterated his demand before Aeri that he should be accepted as president of the party in the convention to be held in the month of July. Aeri has completely denied this possibility. He categorically told Panwar that the party convention had already been held where he was chosen as the president of the party. So any other election for the position of president of the party would now be invalid. Aeri has now begun distancing himself from his own position regarding participating in the party convention by Panwar group. He is under pressure from his own supporters not to do so, because if he participates in Panwar’s convention, then the one convened by him will stand null and void; so will his election as the party president.
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Tirupati Venkateshwar Swami festival in city on June 2
Dehradun, May 29 During the meeting with the president and secretary of Tirumala Tirupati Dev Sansthanam and other concerned officials, Purushottam said, “The devotees can get a glimpse of Tirupati Venkateshwar Swami at Lord Venkateshwar Wedding Point on June 2 between 5.30 am to 8 pm. The festival will be celebrated as per the rituals where 80 pandits would come from Tirupati Balaji to hold the ceremonies." The chairman of Dev Bhumi Telugu Association, Raghva Mihir, said the idols of the deity would be included in the festival, being organised by Tirumala Tirupati Dev Sansthanam Avam Dev Bhumi Telugu Association. Mihir said the same festival was also being organised at various other places in the country and abroad. He talked of building a new temple of Tirupati Swami in the city soon. In the meeting, Purushottam directed SP City and traffic inspectors to regulate traffic on the day of the festival for the convenience of the devotees. He directed Additional District Magistrate to send invitations to the important people of the city so that they could seek the blessings of the deity. The meeting was attended by ADM Harak Singh Rawat, SP City Dr Jagdish Singh, SP Traffic Inspector Virender Singh Rawat, District Information Officer Ajay Mohan Saklani, secretary, Dev Bhumi Telugu Association, VVLN Sharma and joint secretaries D Chiranjivi and SV Surya Narayana.
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ONGC, Dena Bank teams record victories in cricket
Dehradun, May 29 In the first match played at Rangers College ground here, ONGC trounced Can XI, Kathmandu, by 9 wickets. Batting first after winning the toss, Can XI, Kathmandu, was bundled out for mere 58 runs in 21 overs. Saurabh Kumar took four wickets for 12 runs. In reply, ONGC team made 63 runs for the loss of only one wicket in 6.1 overs to win the match by nine wickets. Praveen Gupta remained not out on 37 runs while Saurabh Kumar made 25 runs. In the second match played at Abhimanyu Cricket Academy ground, Dena Bank beat Uttarakhand XI by five wickets. Batting first, the home team made 215 runs for nine wickets in 40 overs. Opener Abhimanyu scored 82 runs while Kunal Chandela scored 77 runs. Chandra Paul took three wickets for 34 runs. In reply, Dena Bank team scored 217 runs for the loss of five wickets in 39.4 overs to win the match by five wickets. Chetan Bisht scored 68 runs. S.L. Sabharwal and Sunil remained unbeaten on 52 and 55 runs, respectively.
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Mussoorie, May 29
