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Cong MLA Dhami’s threat to quit triggers reactions
Cong MLAs dissatisfied as no devlopment work done: BJP
Dhami’s threat to quit an act of indiscipline: Bhandari
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SP asks regional parties to unite against BJP, Cong
8% DA hike for govt staff
Expedite work on Mansarowar yatra routes, DM tells depts
Swami Chidanand meets Shinde for Ganga cause
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Cong MLA Dhami’s threat to quit triggers reactions
Pithoragarh, June 6 The government was yet to implement the manifesto on which the Congress won the state Assembly election 18 months ago. However, the situation could be rectified even now, said Kunjwal while speaking to this correspondent over the phone from Nainital. He said he felt bad when Congress MLAs come to him asking him to intervene to get the problems of their people solved from the government. Some Congress MLAs even complained that government officials in their respective areas had not solved the problems of ration and kerosene, the Speaker added. Kunjwal said the state government should think about the situation and prepare plans to address the issues of the MLAs. “The situation can change if the government takes resentment of the MLAs seriously,” he added. The Speaker refused to answer a question that a change in the leadership of the Congress Legislature Party in the state could be a solution to the problems. “It is not for me to speak on the change in the leadership in the state as it is the prerogative of the Congress high command,” said Kunjwal. Asked about the recent statements of Dharchula MLA Harish Dhami, the Speaker said though he respected the judiciary, the treatment given by the government to Dhami during his 15 days in jail was not fair. He felt ashamed as MLA during this time. “After the Dhami episode, other MLAs of the Congress are now afraid that they may also get a similar indignant treatment from their own government,” he added. |
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Cong MLAs dissatisfied as no devlopment work done: BJP
Dehradun, June 6 Commenting on the state of affairs in the Congress in the wake of the threat issued by Harish Dhami that he would tender his resignation in case the government did not cooperate with him, BJP spokesperson Prakash Suman Dhyani said there was rampant dissatisfaction in the rank and file of the Congress as no development activity had been initiated in the state. “It is not only Harish Dhami, MLA from Dharchula, who has levelled charges against his government. Even Congress MLAs Manoj Tiwari and Himesh Kharkwal have sat on a dharna against their own government. Also, MLAs Kunwar Pranav Champion and Furkan Ahmed have accused the government of not paying attention to their area specific problems,” said Dhyani. He said even the president of the Uttarakhand Congress had shown his displeasure at the way the bureaucrats were performing. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt, too, has expressed dismay at the way the bureaucrats have been functioning in the state, “As the ministers are busy making money, bureaucrats have been given a free hand, which is not good for the state,” alleged
Bhatt. |
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Dhami’s threat to quit an act of indiscipline: Bhandari
Pithoragarh, June 6 Bhandari said Dhami’s utterances invited action from the committee but he was unable to do anything as no one had complained against Dhami in writing to the committee. He said, “According to set provisions, the committee can act only if some written complaints of any act of indiscipline in the party come before it.” He said as Congressman he felt a lobby had emerged which was working toward destabilisation of the Vijay Bahuguna government. “They have started talking in terms of ‘our group’ instead of terming it as ‘our government’ and showing commitment with each other in this destabilising pursuit,” said Bhandari. The Congress veteran said he personally felt this group had gone a step ahead of the opposition parties, specially the BJP, in proving that the Congress party was ridden by infighting and factionalism. “They are playing better than opposition in blaming the Congress government without fear of the party high command,” Bhandari added. Meanwhile, Dharchula MLA Harish Dhami said he had been raising his voice before the government to issue orders for the announcements made by the Chief Minister during his visit to his constituency last year, but not even a single order had been issued to implement the CM’s announcements in his area. “Even after my press conference last evening, no party leader has come to listen to me or my peoples’ grievances, though they are issuing statements that Dhami should go before party forum,” said the resenting MLA. |
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SP asks regional parties to unite against BJP, Cong
Dehradun, June 6 State party president SN Sachan deplored Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna’s statement regarding honouring statehood agitators who were now living outside the state. He said the Chief Minister could not provide facilities to his own senior party leader and former Chief Minister ND Tiwari, who had to live in Lucknow. He added the panchayat elections should be held according to the 2011 Census. Sachan said the state government should announce the date of panchayat elections so that people could get their caste and resident certificates in time. |
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Three die as car falls into Khoh
Dehradun, June 6 He was coming from Ekeshwar town, near Kulhar village, when two women requested for lift and boarded the car. While negotiating a turn near Aamsaur, 8 km from Kotdwar on the Najibabad-Buakhal highway, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it plunged into the Khoh. All three occupants, Anil Negi (36), Jasoda Devi (55) and her daughter Bina Devi (34), died on the spot. The SHO of Kotdwara police station, Anshul Chaudhary said the driver of the car was employed in the Army and was at present posted at Roorkee. He was identified by some papers in his pocket. The mother- daughter duo was waiting for a bus, but they could not get any transport as most of the private buses have been deployed on the yatra route for Badri-Kedar pilgrims. |
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8% DA hike for govt staff
Dehradun, June 6 The move would benefit 1.75 lakh employees and bring in an additional burden of around Rs 30 crore on the state exchequer. Bahuguna said his government was working for the welfare of the government employees and requested them to work wholeheartedly for the implementation of various developmental schemes at the grassroot level. He said the employees working sincerely would be rewarded but those not doing so would be punished. |
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Illegal limestone mining continues on Mussoorie road
Mussoorie, June 6 The PWD contractors using JCB machines have left gaping holes in mountains and are using limestone and sleet on the sidewalls of the road being constructed here. The widening of the road has also come as a boon for the mining mafia. Local residents allege that trucks laden with illegally mined material move around all night without fear of the authorities concerned despite a ban imposed by the Supreme Court on mining in the area in 1984. The contractors are also dumping debris in the forest area, thus endangering trees planted by the Eco Task Force after the limestone quarrying was banned in the area. Member of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee Hugh Gantzer said if a contractor was using rocks on the sidewalls of road being widened, there was no harm. But it would be wrong if he was told to use stones brought from the river instead of rocks and he would be answerable to court. Supervisor, Mining Department, Piyush Kumar said the PWD had deposited some money in lieu of mining in the area during the widening of the road and if the contractor exceeded the limit, punitive action would be taken against him after measurement of the area mined. Executive Engineer, PWD, CM Pandey said they had deposited Rs 3 lakh to the Mining Department for stones and sleet being used by the contractor for the widening of the MacKinnon Cart Road and the remaining amount would be paid after the measurement of the material used. He said the contractors were already working at a rate 9 per cent below the assigned tenders, thus forcing them to use local stones and sleet for the purpose. Pandey clarified that in the agreement with the contractor there was no clause that only river stones would be used for the widening of the road. “The limestone and the sleet used for the widening of the road are of good quality and there is no harm if the contractor is able to save some amount by paying less,” said Pandey. He added Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Mussoorie, Dheeraj Kumar and the Mining Department had been apprised of the situation. The department has also sent a request letter to the Forest Department to allow dumping of debris on the Mussoorie-Dehradun road. The DFO said he had constituted a team that was investigating the matter in detail and punitive action would be taken if any contractor was found violating any law. General secretary of the central committee of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal Jaiprakash Uttarakhandi said the contractors were violating the Supreme Court order that had clearly banned the cutting of rocks above a gradient of 30 degrees. He added that lives of commuters were being threatened by use of limestone for the purpose of widening the sidewalls of the road. Jaiprakash alleged that the mining mafia was fearlessly exploiting the forest area where mining activity had been banned by the Supreme Court. He opined that the government was adopting double standards on the mining issue by as on the one hand the road contractors were being allowed to mine the area with impunity, on the other it was not allowing local residents to construct their houses by cutting a small piece of rock in the name of the Supreme Court order. |
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Expedite work on Mansarowar yatra routes, DM tells depts
Pithoragarh, June 6 Some track route camps were reported under repairing condition during a meeting held at Dharchula yesterday to review the arrangements of the yatra. “I have ordered the SDM, Dharchula, to inspect all arrangements at all camps and submit a detailed report to the district office by June 10,” said Dr Neeraj Khairwal, District Magistrate, Pithoragarh. According to the District Magistrate, the track route at Simkhola was filled with heavy debris and the work on railings from Bindakoti to Bundi was yet to complete, besides installation of bridges at Najang, Malpa and Thakti and in between Napalchu and Gunji on the track route of the yatra. “We have asked the BRO and PWD officers to complete the work before the pilgrimage begins on June 12,” the DM said, while briefing the mediapersons after a meeting with officers of the departments. Khairwal also reviewed arrangements for the Indo-China border trade which commences from the same route at the same time. He assured the traders that all their problems within the preview of district administration would be sorted out soon. “Traders have demanded simplification of steep track route from Garvadhar onwards and erection of tin sheds at Gunji and Kalapani for them during the trade period,” the DM said. |
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Conference focuses on cleaning Ganga
Dehradun, June 6 The main objective of the conference was to provide a platform to stakeholders to deliberate upon the status of the action taken, future roadmap to be followed and the responsibility of the industry towards a clean and green environment, with a special focus on the cleaning of the Ganga and to promote theme of World Environment Day-2013. The chief guest on the occasion was Uttarakhand Urban Development Minister Pritam Singh Panwar. Dignitaries who shared their views on World Environment Day were Prof R.C. Joshi, Chancellor Graphic Era University, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.B.S. Rawat and environmentalist Padma Shri Anil P. Joshi. Dr. Anil P. Joshi said ecology and economy should go hand in hand for the development of the nation. He said that gross environment product should be integral part of the GDP. During the conference, the Pollution Control Board released a book on environmental studies and the World Environment Day theme poster. Anil Taneja, Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce said, “There is a need for bondage between ecology and economy and there is a need for resurrection of the traditional wisdom and optimum deployment of the technological knowhow.” |
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Swami Chidanand meets Shinde for Ganga cause
Dehradun, June 6 “Both Ganga and Yamuna are associated with the faith and civilisation of the country and should be saved at any cost. We appeal to the government at the Centre and the states concerned to save the sacred rivers. Various schemes started by the Centre and the states in the past few years have left both rivers more polluted,” said Swami Chidanand. “The minister assured of full cooperation and said he will do his best to save the holy rivers,” he said. He also met Union Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat, who said the government was working towards finding a system to separate rivers and sewers for regular free flow in the Ganga and the Yamuna. |
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