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MPLAD funds lie unused in flood-hit Pauri
Food, medicines more important than prayers at Kedarnath: Khanduri
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Congress ex-servicemen’s cell to hold conventions
BJP names district heads for LS polls
Roadways employees stage dharna, demand promotions
Election fever grips MPG College
SSP visits DAV College, reviews security arrangements
Matra Sadan seeks action against quarrying mafia
Leopard attacks villagers near Jim Corbett Park; women on warpath
Gorkhalis to celebrate Hartalika Teej
Minor girl raped
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MPLAD funds lie unused in flood-hit Pauri
Dehradun, August 29 With only eight months remaining for the tenure of the present Lok Sabha to end, out of the Rs 11.50 crore released by the Governemnt of India under the MPLAD scheme, the MP from Garhwal has incurred an expenditure of only Rs 4.23 crore. While a majority of funds released under the MPLAD fund continue to remain idle with Satpal Maharaj, Harish Rawat incurred an expenditure of Rs 11.84 crore and has very little unspent funds in his kitty. Similalrly, K.C Singh Baba, MP from Nainital, has spent 44.52 per cent of the funds allocated to him under the MPLAD fund. BJP MP from Tehri Garhwal Mala Rajya Laxmi has utilised 70 per cent of her funds allocated for her constituency under the MPLAD fund. She has incurred an expenditure of Rs 8.16 core. A total of Rs 8.76 crore was released against the projects presented by the MP. On the other hand, MP from Almora (SC) Pradeep Tamta was able to utilise 65.30 per cent of the funds by spending Rs Rs 7.51 crore. Under the scheme, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency. In view of the enormity of the disaster in Uttarakhand, several MPs from other states have expressed their keeness in spending a portion of their MPLAD fund for contributing towards rehabilitation work in Uttarakhand according to the guidelines of the MPLAD fund. |
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Food, medicines more important than prayers at Kedarnath: Khanduri
Dehradun, August 29 ''Instead of serving the devastated people of the calamity-hit areas, the preoccupation of the government is on resuming prayers at Kedarnath. Even after two months, relief and medicines have not reached the people,'' said Khanduri while speaking with mediapersons today. The former Chief Minister who had extensively toured the disaster-hit areas said that wherever he went there were no government officials. ''Even after two months of the disaster, the government is not in control of things at the state, district and village levels. The main routes have not been repaired, as a result the relief is not reaching the people,'' said Khanduri. Terming the Food Security Billcheme of the UPA government as an election gimmick, former Chief Minister BC Khanduri said that all the claims made by the party that it was aimed at giving relief to the poor were hollow. ''If the UPA-led Congress government was serious about providing cheap ration to the people, it could have brought the Bill in the beginning of its second term. But in order to gain electoral mileage, the UPA timed the scheme when few months are left for the general election,'' said Khanduri. He said that instead of bringing the new scheme the government could have continued with Antodya and Anapurna schemes launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. ''With the launch of the Food Security Bill, I do not know what would happen to the fate of the people covered under the previous schemes. It could endanger the interest of these people,'' said Khanduri. On being asked if he would be standing for the coming elections despite the fact that on an earlier occasion he had said that he was not in favour of people over 75 years contesting the Lok Sabha seats, the former Chief Minister said: ''I would abide by the party's decision and would stand for the elections, if the party so desires. I had made these comments in my personal capacity. But these were misconstrued, suggesting that I was quitting politics, which is not the case,'' he clarified. |
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Compromise on quality not be tolerated: Negi
Haridwar, August 29 Inaugurating a housing colony at Homoeopathic Hospital, Roshanabad, 15 km from here, Negi said the state government was keeping tabs on all development works and projects under way in the state with its main emphasis on ensuring quality. The minister warned nodal agencies and contractors involved in these projects that if they found compromising on the quality of works, they would have to face strict action and they might be blacklisted. He said the state had suffered a massive damage in the mid-June natural disaster and to bring things back on track, development and reconstruction works would have to be carried out on a large scale."It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that such works are carried out on a war footing and without compromising on quality, the minister said. He also accepted that far-flung areas in the state were yet to get the desired relief. He said the Centre as well as the nation had been helping the state to recover and they were hopeful that normalcy would return soon. Meanwhile, Negi, a legislator from Kotdwar (Pauri Garhwal), also laid stress on ayurvedic and homoeopathic therapy. Legislator Hari Das discussed the benefits of the homoeopathic and ayurvedic treatment which had no side-effects. Ranipur-BHEL legislator Aadesh Chauhan said Uttarakhand, particularly Haridwar, had emerged as the hub of ayurvedic, homoeopathy and yoga. Among others present on the occasion were Dr Shailesh Pandey, Dr Kiran Kandpal, Dr Deepak Bisht, sub-director (homoeopathic) Rajendra Chaudhari and other medical officers of the district. |
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Congress ex-servicemen’s cell to hold conventions
Dehradun, August 29 President of the cell Capt Balbir Singh Rawat told mediapersons here today that the conventions would discuss issues of ex-servicemen living in the state.
Rawat sought a proper representation for ex-servicemen in governance and said it was a matter of concern that no member of the community had been given a ministerial berth in the state government. He added the ex-servicemen’s cell of the party could be rejuvenated by a proper representation to its members in the
government. Rawat said he had informed the party high command about the concerns of the ex-servicemen in the state. He added that he had even demanded that at least three posts be reserved for the ex-servicemen in the Pradesh Congress Committee.
Rawat asserted that the ex-servicemen would play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of five Lok Sabha seats of
Uttarakhand. MC Bhatt and Digambar Singh Baloni from the Congress Ex-servicemen Cell were also present at the news conference. |
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BJP names district heads for LS polls
Dehradun, August 29 In district
Haldwani, Naresh Bansal is in charge, in Pauri JS Negi and Rajni Kukreti is co-in charge, in district Nainital Prakash Pant is in charge and co in charge is Mamta
Paladiya, in Uttarkashi Dhan Singh Rawat is in charge, co-in charge Shailender Bisht and in district Rudraprayag M.Lal is in charge and co-in charge is Bhaskar
Nainthani. |
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Roadways employees stage dharna, demand promotions
Dehradun, August 29 The employees are demanding promotions and posting of three office assistants in all three depots in the region, besides benefits of Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme to class three and four employees. They are also demanding generators in the depots. The employees alleged that since five days they are agitating for their demands but none of the senior state government officials have cared to talk to them They threatened that unless their demands are met, they would be constrained to intensify their agitation. |
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Election fever grips MPG College
Mussoorie, August 29 However, factionalism in the National Students' Union of India was witnessed as the two warring groups fielded their own candidates for the post of president and vice president with both sides claiming to be the rightful claimants to the post. The NSUI group, which is supported by the local unit of the Congress Party, fielded its candidates Nirmal Panwar for the post of president, Shivam Goswami for the post of vice president and Manjit Rana for the post of general secretary. Shivam Goswami reiterated his claim that Nirmal Panwar along with him were rightful claimants from NSUI and as the other group claiming to be from NSUI had worked against the interests of Congress in the recently held Municipal Council elections, it had no claim of representing the NSUI whatsoever. On the other hand, the other group from NSUI, which is being supported by the rebel Congress candidate Megh Singh Kandari, who contested the MC elections but lost, also fielded candidates for the four posts of college students' union of the MPG College. From the Megh Singh Kandari group, Neeraj Sajwan filed his nominations for the post of president, Rajesh Sajwan for the post of vice-president, Varuna for the post of joint secretary and Vikas for the post of treasurer. The group has also entered into seat adjustments with the student wing of All India Students Federation (AISF) for two posts. Amit Lekhwar filed his nominations for the post of vice-president and Mukesh for the post of university representative here from AISF. The supporters of the Megh Singh group showing the letter of approval sent by the district president of NSUI Vineet Bhatt said that their candidates were the rightful claimants from NSUI and the other group was raking the issue unnecessarily at the behest of some senior Congress leaders of the town. It seems that the contest this year for the college students’ union would see interference of senior leaders who are supporting either of the group in some or the other way. The nomination process ended in the evening around peacefully barring a few minor incidents of scuffle among the student groups here. The police station, Mussoorie, in charge himself was present with one platoon of PAC to avoid any untoward incident during the nomination process. |
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SSP visits DAV College, reviews security arrangements
Dehradun, August 29 It is to be noted that that 2 temporary outposts of police have been made inside the campus and 1 company of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) is stationed at the college along with 4 Cheetah units. According to SP, City, Jagdish Chandra, additional force would be placed after the conclusion of the nomination process from August 30 to 31. The SSP also gave warning to the students to remain peaceful during the run-up for the elections and he said that strict action would be taken against all such miscreants who try to create problems during the election. |
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Matra Sadan seeks action against quarrying mafia
Haridwar, August 29 In a media brief held at Matra Sadan Ashram in Jagjeetpur village, 5 km from Haridwar city, founder of the ashram Swami Shivanand in presence of noted environmentalist-turned-sant Prof Guru Das Aggarwal, aka Swami Sanand, pointed a finger at the alleged liaision among quarrying mafia, administrators and politicians. Swami Shivanand said that the illegal act is going on at a mass scale in Haridwar and it can’t be done without the quarrying mafia having a nexus with some corrupt public representatives and administrators. He expressed fear that quarrying mafia may try to kill Swami Sanand as he has been coming in their way by observing the ‘tapasya’ mode of agitation for the past one month. Swami Shivanand alleged that the earlier quarrying mafia succeeded in poisoning late Swami Nigamanand, who was on a 108-day hunger strike against the issue of allowing quarrying on Ganga ghats. He appealed to the Environment Ministry, Indian Government, Uttarakhand government, Forest Department and district administration to reign in the quarrying mafia in Haridwar. |
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Ex-ICFRE chief calls on Governor
Dehradun, August 29 The Governor congratulated him on his new appointment in Tripura. Prof VK Jain, Vice-Chancellor, Doon University, also met the Governor and sought his direction in some important matters. |
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Leopard attacks villagers near Jim Corbett Park; women on warpath
Pithoragarh, August 29 The leopard had attacked and injured Vimla Devi, a resident of Basitila village, near the Corbett Tiger Reserve, on August 27. “When the leopard was killing animals, we did not react. Now, it has started attacking women. We have to take action as our women go to forests daily to collect fodder for our cattle,” said Prema Devi, a woman from Basitila village. The villagers said the leopard first attacked Sanjay Gopal, a resident of Samalkhalia village, in March this year. “Thereafter, it attacked Budh Singh of Sawaldey village and Suresh Arya of Kania village. Though the villagers had brought the matter to the notice of the tiger reserve officers, the latter did nothing to capture the animal,” said Prema. However, the villagers today returned only after the tiger reserve authorities assured them of immediate action to trap the leopard. “We have decided to install traps near villages where it is attacking villagers and tranquilise it. Once the leopard is caught we will release it into the forest,” said MC Upayadhya, warden of the tiger reserve. Forest officers said they had tried to catch the leopard earlier after receiving complaints from villagers. But when they laid traps the animal changed places frequently. He started attacking villagers in the forest. “This is the reason why village women were angry with the Forest Department,” said a source in the western forest division of Terai. |
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Gorkhalis to celebrate Hartalika Teej
Dehradun, August 29 Addressing a press conference here today, Gorkhali Hartalika Teej Utsav Committee President Puja Subba said a cultural programme would be organised at Shahid Durga Mall Park, Garhi Dakra, on September 1. She said apart from Teej celebrations, Teej queen and Teej princess titles will also be decided at the programme. Puja Subba said a competition on Gorkhali delicacies will also be organised for the young community members. Congress leader Saket Bahuguna will be the chief guest at the celebrations. Hartalika Teej is celebrated by women of Gorkhali community for well being of their husbands. Even unmarried girls celebrate Hartalika Teej to fulfil their wish to find a suitable partner.
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Minor girl raped
Dehradun, August 29 The girl is being treated at the local government hospital. Anil Joshi, Station House Officer, Kotdwar, said the girl’s father informed the police that his daughter was raped by his younger brother, Sukhdev (27) at night.
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former Chief Minister BC Khanduri today said that instead of providing food and medicines to the affected people, the government was needlessly preoccupied with the issue of resuming prayers at Kedarnath temple.
The Uttarakhand Congress Ex-servicemen’s Cell will organise conventions in all districts in September to mobilise support of a large number of ex-servicemen living in the state for the Congress ahead of the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
The sit-in by the Uttarakhand Roadways Karamchari Sanyukt Parishad entered its fifth day today. The roadways employees are sitting on a dharna in support of their demands outside the regional office of the roadways on Gandhi road here.
The Mussoorie Post Graduate (MPG) College was in the grip of election fever as the candidates from various students' union filed their nomination papers for the post of president amid beating of drums today.
Matra Sadan Ashram, leading a social campaign against illegal quarrying being done on Ganga river bed, has demanded stringent legal action against the quarrying mafia who are raking in moolah at the cost of the holy Ganga and ecology.
Among the five MPs representing Uttarakhand in the 15th Lok Sabha, Satpal Maharaj, representing Pauri Garhwal, has been miserly with the funds allocated for his constituency. Union minister Harish Rawat, representing the Haridwar constituency has emerged on the top by spending 102.96 per cent of the funds, including the interest earned on the amount.