SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
D E H R A D U N    E D I T I O N

Doon DM, other officials honoured for successful Winter Line Carnival
Mussoorie, January 13
Associations of traders and hoteliers in Mussoorie yesterday felicitated the District Magistrate, Dehradun, BVRC Purushotam, and other officials by presenting them citations and shawls for their proactive role in making the recently organized Winter Line Carnival a grand success.
District Magistrate BVRC Purushotam (left) being felicitated in Mussoorie on Sunday, for his role in making the recently organised Winter Line Carnival a grand success. District Magistrate BVRC Purushotam (left) being felicitated in Mussoorie on Sunday, for his role in making the recently organised Winter Line Carnival a grand success. A Tribune Photograph

Governor completes address without disruption for first time
Dehradun, January 13
Governor Aziz Qureshi today created a history of sorts when he managed to complete his address to the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly without disruption by the Opposition.
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal welcome Governor Aziz Qureshi on the opening day of the Assembly session in Dehradun on Monday. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal welcome Governor Aziz Qureshi on the opening day of the Assembly session in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph






EARLIER EDITIONS



Only few lines dedicated to Lokayukta Bill
Dehradun, January 13
On the first day of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly session, the members were confused whether it was a special session or the government was giving a short shrift to the Lokayukta Bill.

Cabinet fixes upper age limit for state examinations at 40
Dehradun, January 13
The state Cabinet at a meeting held at the Legislative Assembly today fixed the upper age limit for all candidates appearing in the state competitive examinations to 40 years, raised the honorarium of PTA teachers from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000, increased the term of the Chairmen of the state commissions, approved the Rafting and Kayaking rules and regulations. It also formed a committee for giving more powers to the state government utilities like the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

BJP legislators hold protest march
Three BJP legislators sitting on a dharna in support of their demands outside the state Assembly on the opening day of the session in Dehradun on Monday.Dehradun, January 13
BJP MLA Bhim Lal Arya along with other with party MLAs Adesh Gupta and Yatiswaranand held a protest march towards the Assembly in support of their demands.


Three BJP legislators sitting on a dharna in support of their demands outside the state Assembly on the opening day of the session in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph

11 police officials transferred
Dehradun, January 13
The city SSP issued transfer orders of 11 police officers here today. According to the orders, Sub-Inspector Ganjendra Bahuguna has been transferred to the homicide cell from Vikasnagar police station and sub-inspector Ravi Saini has been shifted to Vikasnagar police station from the Special Operation Group (SOG).

AAP leaders unaware of party’s possible merger with Raksha Morcha
Aaam Aadmi Party's state spokesperson Ranveer Chaudhri addresses a press conference at Hindi Bhavan in Dehradun on Monday.Dehradun, January 13
Amid reports of the Raksha Morcha headed by TPS Rawat merging with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), state AAP leaders have claimed that they are unaware of any such development and only the central leadership can speak on it.


Aaam Aadmi Party's state spokesperson Ranveer Chaudhri addresses a press conference at Hindi Bhavan in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Congress unit working as private syndicate
Mussoorie, January 13
Rebel Congress workers opposing the decision of the government to nominate the ward members for Municipal Council said the Mussoorie Congress unit was working as a private syndicate at the behest of few individuals who were not even the primary members of the Congress.

Tourists headed to Dhanaulti caught in long traffic jam
Tourists caught in a long traffic jam at Dhanaulti near Mussoorie on Monday.Mussoorie, January 13
Tourists, who were hoping to have a joyful day playing in snow, were a disappointed lot as they were stuck in a long traffic jam on the road to Dhanaulti yesterday.



Tourists caught in a long traffic jam at Dhanaulti near Mussoorie on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Mussoorie MC demands share in green bonus
Mussoorie, January 13
The Central government’s announcement of green bonus for Uttarakhand has encouraged various local bodies to demand their share as an incentive for preserving the environment in and around Mussoorie.

UPA govt adopted anti-youth policies, says Anurag Thakur
National President of the BJP Yuva Morcha Anurag Thakur addresses a convention of the party’s youth wing in Dehradun on Monday.Dehradun, January 13
BJP Yuva Morcha President and Member of Parliament (MP) Anurag Thakur today said the present UPA government at the Centre had failed to address the concerns of the youth of the country.



National President of the BJP Yuva Morcha Anurag Thakur addresses a convention of the party’s youth wing in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Class IV health workers demand promotions
Haridwar, January 13
Class IV employees associated with the Uttarakhand Medical and Health Services have demanded promotion, filling of vacant posts of lab assistant, panchkarma assistant, darkroom assistant, yoga and natural therapy.

Over 3 lakh to appear in board exams
Pithoragarh, January 13
A total of 313,544 students will appear in the Uttarakhand board examinations for high schools and intermediate colleges from March 24 to April 12, said Dr DK Mathela, secretary of the Uttarakhand Council of School Education, at Ramnagar yesterday.

AAP-Cong have a secret pact: Kiran Bedi
Former Police officer Kiran Bedi immerses the ashes of her father in the Ganga in Haridwar on Monday.Haridwar, January 13
Kiran Bedi today lashed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to stick to his anti-Congress stance.




Former Police officer Kiran Bedi immerses the ashes of her father in the Ganga in Haridwar on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Direct election of zila panchayats sought
Pithoragarh, January 13
The Republican People’s Front and the Democratic Republican Employees' Federation here today demanded a direct election to the posts of presidents of zila panchayats and block development committees, instead of an indirect election.

CCTV cameras to monitor security on Makar Sakranti
Police personnel during a briefing at the Town Hall in Haridwar on Monday.Haridwar, January 13
The local administration has made elaborate security arrangements in view of a large number of people expected to take a holy bath in the Ganga on the occasion of ‘Makar Sakranti’ here tomorrow.



Police personnel during a briefing at the Town Hall in Haridwar on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Sanskriti varsity student wins gold medal in yoga tourney
Haridwar, January 13
Shloka Kumar of Dev Sanskriti University clinched the gold medal in the 20th International Yoga Championship organised by the Tourism Department of Pondicherry in Pondicherry recently.

Declare leopard man-eater, demand Didihat villagers
Pithoragarh, January 13
Villagers from Didihat to the Muwani valley today assembled at Didihat subdivision and demanded that a leopard that had killed six persons and injured seven others in the area in the last 18 months be declared a man-eater.

Students from Haryana present a cultural item during the closing ceremony of the state-level scouts and guides rally at MKP PG College in Dehradun on Sunday.
Students from Haryana present a cultural item during the closing ceremony of the state-level scouts and guides rally at MKP PG College in Dehradun on Sunday. Tribune photo: Abhyudaya Kotnala

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi being felicitated after she sent a 'chadar' for the famous Dargah Kaliyar Sharif situated at Kaliyar village in Haridwar, at her residence in New Delhi on Monday.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi being felicitated after she sent a 'chadar' for the famous Dargah Kaliyar Sharif situated at Kaliyar village in Haridwar, at her residence in New Delhi on Monday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Asaram followers flee after handing out literature
Mussoorie, January 13
Two unidentified supporters of Asaram Bapu, who is languishing in a jail on the alleged charges of sexual assault along with his son, Narayan Sai, distributed literature blaming the Christian missionaries, cigarette and liquor manufacturing companies for carrying out the campaign against Asaram to tarnish his image.

Peanuts, bonfires mark Lohri celebrations
Mussoorie, January 13
The Punjabi community gathered at Library Bazaar to celebrate Lohri with fervour and gaiety in the city today.

New body of Anna Hazare morcha
Dehradun, January 13
The Anna Hazare’s Jantantra Morcha constituted a new state-level executive committee of its Jan Sansad Abhiyan Samiti, which would organise a statewide awareness campaign about the Lokpal Bill in Uttarakhand.

Shelter lodge owners oppose sewerage tax
Haridwar, January 13
The owners of shelter lodges and ashrams at Bhoopatwala have opposed the new sewerage tax.

Govt did little to get state assets from UP’
Dehradun, January 13
The Uttarakhand Nagreek Manch has accused the state government of doing little to get back state properties from Uttar Pradesh.

MAD inspects Neshvilla road
Dehradun, January 13
Making a Difference (MAD), a group of youths, visited and inspected the Neshvilla road here yesterday with an objective to bring changes in terms of civic beauty and waste management.

 

 





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Doon DM, other officials honoured for successful Winter Line Carnival
Tribune news Service

Mussoorie, January 13
Associations of traders and hoteliers in Mussoorie yesterday felicitated the District Magistrate, Dehradun, BVRC Purushotam, and other officials by presenting them citations and shawls for their proactive role in making the recently organized Winter Line Carnival a grand success.

The local community acknowledged the role of the district administration officials following a report published in the Tribune titled “Winter Line Carnival a success, thanks to DM and his team” on January 3.

The report highlighted the painstaking efforts made by the district administration officials in organising the carnival with an objective to restore the confidence of the tourists who were shying away from the hill town following the natural disaster in June last year.

The members of the traders and hotel unions thanked the District Magistrate and his team for showing deep interest and working tirelessly day and night to ensure a successful carnival that led to a big influx of tourists into Mussoorie.

Purushotam elated at receiving the citation and the award thanked the two associations saying that he along with other officials merely performed his duty.

He thanked the fellow officials and the sponsors for their support to the Winter Line Carnival. He said due to their efforts they were able to achieve the goal of showcasing to the world that Uttarakhand had risen from the calamity and was ready to greet tourists again.

He said around Rs 90 lakh was spent on the carnival while the income generated was around Rs 15 crore, thus proving that the event was a grand success.

He hoped that the Winter Line Carnival would become an annual feature with an equal participation from the local community to ensure that more tourists come to Mussoorie every year. He also said now the focus would be on improving the basic infrastructure like parking and drinking water supply in the hill town so that tourist could have a hassle free stay here.

Member of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board Sandeep Sahani commended the efforts of the district administration officials and said the carnival was able to revive the local economy to a large extent.

The other officials felicitated on the occasion were ADM, Dehradun, Harak Singh Rawat, SDM, Mussoorie, Sonika Meena, Circle Officer, Mussoorie, Jaya Baloni, and Regional Tourism Officer YS Gangwar for their role in the carnival.

Local Municipal Council president Manmohan Singh Mall, ward members, president of the Hotel Association RN Mathur, president of the Traders’ Association Rajat Agarwal and others were also present on the occasion. The carnival was held from December 27 to 30 and several famous artistes like Sivamani, Lucky Ali, Bobby Cash, Shibani Kashyap and Bikram Ghosh performed.

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Governor completes address without disruption for first time
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
Governor Aziz Qureshi today created a history of sorts when he managed to complete his address to the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly without disruption by the Opposition.

In the last 13 years there have been very few instances when the Governor was allowed to complete his address without disruption. But today was one of those days when the opposition benches preferred to flash placards about the poor law and order situation in the state and selective targeting of BJP MLAs allegedly by the government agencies.

Qureshi touched upon the government’s intentions to bring a strong Lokayukta Bill and strengthen the existing Right to Essential Service Act. While highlighting the achievements of the state government, the Governor dedicated the major part of his speech to the steps taken to alleviate the suffering of the people of the state and provide succor to pilgrims, who were left stranded in the aftermath of the mid-June natural calamity. “So as to provide immediate relief to the people, an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh was extended to the family members who lost their next of kin in the flash floods and an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh was extended to those whose houses were damaged,” he said.

Qureshi said about 4,009 pilgrims went missing in the flash floods and the government had so far issued 3,471 death certificates to the family members of the dead.

Barring a small intervention by BJP legislator Arvind Pandey, who raised the issue of harassment of BJP MLA from Rudrapur Rajkumar Thukral, the opposition benches remained rooted to their seats. But soon after the address was over, the Leader of the Opposition, Ajay Bhatt, patting his own back said outside the House that the strategy of the Opposition had been successful. “We have often been accused of not allowing the House to run but today we changed our strategy and heard the Governor’s address. Had we not taken such a step, the Congress government MLAs would have left for New Delhi as the Congress is engaged in the oust Chief Minister campaign,” said Bhatt while speaking to mediapersons.

The Legislative Assembly will now reconvene on January 20 and 21 when important Bills would be tabled.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hriyadesh said, “As BSP leaders wanted to participate in the national convention of their party on January 15 and the Congress Working Committee meeting is also slated to be held in New Delhi on January 17. The Assembly will reconvene on January 20 and 21," she said. 

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Only few lines dedicated to Lokayukta Bill
Tribune News Service

The Leader of the Opposition, Ajay Bhatt, addresses mediapersons in the Assembly building in Dehradun on Monday.
The Leader of the Opposition, Ajay Bhatt, addresses mediapersons in the Assembly building in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, January 13
On the first day of the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly session, the members were confused whether it was a special session or the government was giving a short shrift to the Lokayukta Bill.

Call it lack of interest on the part of the Uttarakhand government or its preoccupation with the rumour of a change of guard, only three to four lines in the Governor’s address summed up the government’s intention and its commitment to bring a strong legislation in the state.

So much so the minuscule space and lack of prominence given to an important legislation failed to catch the eyes of former BJP Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and the Opposition, which even questioned the intention of the government on the issue.

“The government’s commitment to eradicate corruption is missing. The minuscule lines can be easily ignored,” said Ajay Bhatt, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. However, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna dismissed the Opposition’s charge and said the opposition benches did not read the Governor’s address properly.

Ajay Tamta, BJP MLA, said, “We were under the impression that the Lokayukta Bill will be tabled in a special session, but after today’s advisory committee meeting, the Bill most likely will be introduced on January 20.”

Interestingly, the government had all along been maintaining that a special session of the Assembly would be convened to table the new Lokayukta Bill, but according to the notification issued under section 174(1) by the Governor, there is no mention of the special session, “A permission has been sought for convening the third session of the third Legislative Assembly, but it is not for a special session,” said an officer in the office of the Speaker.

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Cabinet fixes upper age limit for state examinations at 40
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
The state Cabinet at a meeting held at the Legislative Assembly today fixed the upper age limit for all candidates appearing in the state competitive examinations to 40 years, raised the honorarium of PTA teachers from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000, increased the term of the Chairmen of the state commissions, approved the Rafting and Kayaking rules and regulations. It also formed a committee for giving more powers to the state government utilities like the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN).

According to sources, the government decided to fix the upper age limit for all candidates hailing from the state and outside the state at 40 years for all state competitive examinations.

Earlier the age limit for the non-state subjects was fixed at 35 years and for the state subjects at 40 years. The disparity had led to litigations in the Nanital High Court.

It also decided to fix the tenure of presidents of various commissions at three years and that of the vice-presidents at five years.

The government also approved the rules and regulations for the river rafting and kayaking activity and the rules and regulations for doing business in the hill areas.

A decision was also taken to constitute a four-member committee comprising ministers to deliberate on giving more powers to the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) to give them more freedom to perform better and achieve greater efficiency. 

Other decisions

  • Honorarium of PTA teachers raised from Rs 7,000 to Rs 15,000
  • The term of presidents of various commissions fixed at three years and that of vice-presidents at five years
  • Rafting and Kayaking rules and regulations approved
  • A four-member committee formed for giving more powers to state government utilities like the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam

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BJP legislators hold protest march
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
BJP MLA Bhim Lal Arya along with other with party MLAs Adesh Gupta and Yatiswaranand held a protest march towards the Assembly in support of their demands. Drawing attention towards the lack of development activity in Ghansali, BJP MLA from Ghansali Bhim Lal Arya said: “I have been demanding road in my area but the district administration is not cooperating.”

Gupta and Yatishvranand demanded waver of loans of sugarcane farmers hailing from his constituency. They also protested against the policy of targeting BJP leaders in Rudrapur.

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11 police officials transferred
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
The city SSP issued transfer orders of 11 police officers here today. According to the orders, Sub-Inspector Ganjendra Bahuguna has been transferred to the homicide cell from Vikasnagar police station and sub-inspector Ravi Saini has been shifted to Vikasnagar police station from the Special Operation Group (SOG).

Sub-Inspector Pratap Singh, who was the head of the Dharmawala police chowki, has been transferred to the homicide cell. Sanjeev Thapliyal will take his position as the new head of the Dharmawala police chowki.

Sub-Inspector Chandra Naithani has been shifted to Mussoorie police station from the Jogiwala police chowki and Naresh Rathore has been made the new head of the Jogiwala police chowki.

Manibhushan Shrivastav has been made the new in charge of the SOG.

Inspector Vimal Tamta has been made the new in charge of the homicide cell while Dinesh Chandra Bothiyal has been shifted to the District Crime Record Bureau (DCRB) from the homicide cell.

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AAP leaders unaware of party’s possible merger with Raksha Morcha
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
Amid reports of the Raksha Morcha headed by TPS Rawat merging with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), state AAP leaders have claimed that they are unaware of any such development and only the central leadership can speak on it.

“We have not been informed about the merger and Raksha Morcha leaders might be in touch with our central leadership. The final announcement will be made on Wednesday,” Ranveer Chaudhary, state treasurer of the AAP, told The Tribune. He said AAP leader Sanjay Singh would be coming to Rishikesh on Wednesday and the final decision on the merger of the morcha with the AAP might be taken in his presence.

Meanwhile, the office-bearers of the AAP have refuted the recent reports in the media that party has no functional set up in Uttarakhand. They claimed that the party had a state executive committee in the state.

“We have a state executive committee functioning in the state, which was formed in the presence of Arvind Kejriwal. The claims made by some people that the AAP has no set up in Uttarakhand is totally false,” said Ranveer Chaudhary.

He said state convener of the party Harish Chandra Arya along with two spokespersons, namely Satish Sharma and Umesh Tiwari, were authorised to speak on the party matters to the media. 

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Congress unit working as private syndicate
Rebels allege party controlled by individuals who are not even primary members of Congress
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 13
Rebel Congress workers opposing the decision of the government to nominate the ward members for Municipal Council said the Mussoorie Congress unit was working as a private syndicate at the behest of few individuals who were not even the primary members of the Congress.

Congress workers in the opposition: Balbir Singh Chauhan, Bharosi Rawat, Poonam Colinson, Harbhajan Singh, Ramesh Rao, Bhagwan Singh Rawat, Kashmiri Lal, Arvind Sonkar, Sunil Panwar and Youth Congress President Anuj Gupta alleged the due process was not followed while determining the names for the nomination of ward members in Municipal Council at Mussoorie and those selected were people who had no role in the party, during a press meet held at a hotel in Mussoorie yesterday.

Senior Congress leader Balbir Singh Chauhan revealed that a fabricated letter dated December 6, 2013 - written by a Mussoorie hotelier who was not even a primary member of the party - on the letterhead of a local Congress unit president Satish Dhaundiyal to the Chief Minister, recommending the names of Subhasini Bartwal, Sunil Bakshi, Umesh Vaish and Javed Khan, with a rider that the names had been approved by the Urban Development minister Pritam Panwar for the post of Municipal Council ward members in Mussoorie, was against the guidelines of the party.

Another senior Congress leader Sunil Panwar said the Congress had been reduced to a mere syndicate and was harming its own poll prospects in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He added: the letter written by the hotelier for recommendation showed that the views of the active Congress workers carried no weight and they were wasting their valuable time in the party.

Panwar alleged this collusion between the local businessman and a few party officials was detrimental for the party. He asked the senior Congress officials to quash the decision of nominating the said ward members and start the process afresh.

When the President of the local Congress unit Satish Dhaundiyal, was contacted, he said the letter of recommendation for the nomination of ward members was sent by him after consultation with the party workers and no other person had any role to play.

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Tourists headed to Dhanaulti caught in long traffic jam
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 13
Tourists, who were hoping to have a joyful day playing in snow, were a disappointed lot as they were stuck in a long traffic jam on the road to Dhanaulti yesterday.

With no snow visible in Mussoorie that had melted on Saturday morning when it fell, tourists headed for the neighbouring hill resort of Dhanaulti. However, they were disappointed as they were stranded in a long traffic jam from Buraskhanda to Dhanaulti for more than six hours.

Mukesh, a tourist from Saharanpur, said he along with his family had planned to go to Dhanaulti to see the first snowfall of their lifetime but had to return seeing a long traffic jam on the road as the stranded vehicles were unable to move at Buraskhanda, 7 km before Dhanaulti.

Tourists from Haryana, Punjab and Delhi, who were caught in the traffic jam, had to a harrowing experience. They blamed the police for not making adequate traffic management arrangements considering the possibility of a heavy rush of tourists to Dhanaulti following the snowfall.

“The traffic police should have been stationed at various points on the road to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. The traffic jam resulted in chaos and we were forced to return without having a glimpse of snow,” said Preeti, a tourist from Punjab.

The problem was also aggravated due to the ongoing strike by revenue police officials that left the district administration helpless.

However, some tourists parked their vehicles on the road in a haphazard manner and walked to Dhanaulti to enjoy the snow, thus adding to the traffic problem.

The tourists, who were fortunate to come out of the jam, had to stay in Mussoorie overnight after returning from Dhanaulti. 

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Mussoorie MC demands share in green bonus
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 13
The Central government’s announcement of green bonus for Uttarakhand has encouraged various local bodies to demand their share as an incentive for preserving the environment in and around Mussoorie.

Following private estate owners' demand for a share in green bonus, the Municipal Council, Mussoorie, has also now demanded its share for preserving the forest areas falling under its jurisdiction.

MC president Manmohan Singh Mall said the council had given around 1,000 acres to the Forest Department for the Mountain Quail Benog Sanctuary a decade ago and had not received any compensation for it. However, with the announcement of green bonus for the state, the MC is justified in demanding a share in it for preserving the environment in Mussoorie.

The president of the Aglar Yamuna Ghati Vikas Manch, Shoorvir Singh Rawat, demanded green bonus for around 200 villages in the Aglar-Yamuna valley. He said these villages had made sacrifices while preserving forests hence their demand for green bonus was justified. He added the van panchayats in these villages should be strengthened through funds received by way of green bonus.

However, senior BJP leader Munna Singh Chauhan said the state government should consult carbon credit agencies before demanding funds under green bonus. He 
said the per capita industrial income of the state was very less and the Centre should consider this fact for determining green bonus and set a criteria favourable for the state.

Cabinet ministers Pritam Singh Panwar and Mantri Prasad Naithani said funds should be set aside for local bodies and village panchayats as such organisations had played an important role in preserving the ecology of the state. They also said the government was preparing the modalities to spend the funds to be received under green bonus.

The Central government had recently announced that under a new mechanism green bonus would be given to the states to maintain and enhance the forest cover. Uttarakhand has large areas under forest which has significantly contributed to environment preservation and in order to encourage other states to contribute to the environment the Central government mooted green bonus.

As per the last available report, India’s forest cover stood at 21 per cent of the total land area. This includes about 2 per cent of land under high density forests, 10 per cent under medium density forests and 9 per cent of degraded forests. The green bonus initiative by the Central government would help convert the degraded forests into medium forests and medium forests to high density forests in the next 10 to 20 years.

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UPA govt adopted anti-youth policies, says Anurag Thakur
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 13
BJP Yuva Morcha President and Member of Parliament (MP) Anurag Thakur today said the present UPA government at the Centre had failed to address the concerns of the youth of the country.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a state-level youth wing convention of the BJP that commenced today. Thakur slammed the Congress-led UPA government at the Center for its economic policies and said it would be remembered for its anti-youth policies.

“The youth of the country is in distress in the wake of widespread unemployment. They are looking towards Narendra Modi to bring in a change in the country’s policies, which can put the economy back on track,” claimed Thakur.

Asked about the rising clout of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) among the youth, he said any new group could enter politics, but the country’s youth knows that only a decisive and strong leader like Modi could deliver and live up to their expectations.

“The BJP won 70% of the legislative Assembly seats in the recently held elections in four states, reflecting a rising acceptance and popularity of Narendra Modi in the country," said Thakur.

He added the BJP would give ticket to promising youths in the forthcoming General Elections in the country. Thakur also demanded the resignation of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for the graft charges against him. He said it was an open and shut case of corruption against Virbhadra Singh.

Later, he addressed the BJP’s youth convention and asked the party cadre to gear up for the Lok Sabha elections.

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Class IV health workers demand promotions
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 13
Class IV employees associated with the Uttarakhand Medical and Health Services have demanded promotion, filling of vacant posts of lab assistant, panchkarma assistant, darkroom assistant, yoga and natural therapy.

The employees protested at the Har Milap District Hospital under the aegis of Fourth Class State Employee Union here yesterday. They wore black ribbons to show their resentment.

General secretary of the union Dinesh Lakhera said they welcomed the recent move of the Uttarakhand Health Directorate to promote the Class IV employees. He said they also demand that similarly state Class IV health employees should also be given their due promotions.

Staff nurses should be given additional nutritious food wage, laundry wage, risk wage, Rs 10 lakh insurance and one month arrear as was being given to police personnel by the state government, Lakhera added.

President of the Fourth Class State Employee Union Manvar Singh Negi warned that if the state government did not fulfil their demands immediately they would be forced to start an agitation.

Lakhera said, "The union members will be working till January 15 wearing black ribbons. In case their demands are not fulfilled, they will boycott the work. From January 17 to 25, the agitating employees will boycott work daily for two hours. The union will hold a state-level working body meeting in Dehradun on February 3 to chalk out the future strategy."

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Over 3 lakh to appear in board exams

Pithoragarh, January 13
A total of 313,544 students will appear in the Uttarakhand board examinations for high schools and intermediate colleges from March 24 to April 12, said Dr DK Mathela, secretary of the Uttarakhand Council of School Education, at Ramnagar yesterday.

He said of the total students appearing for the board examinations about 1,38,709 students would appear for the intermediate classes while 1,74,835 students for high school.

"The number of students appearing in the exams has increased by 4,000 and those appearing for high school exams has decreased by 6,000 this year," he added. — OC

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AAP-Cong have a secret pact: Kiran Bedi
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 13
Kiran Bedi today lashed at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to stick to his anti-Congress stance.

Bedi, a close aide of Anna Hazare, was on a personal visit to Haridwar to immerse the ashes of her deceased father at Har-ki-Pauri. She alleged that the Congress and AAP had made a secret deal, post-Delhi Assembly election results.

Calling for a development-oriented political set-up, the Magsaysay Award winner favoured the Gujarat development model of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.

Bedi said votes in favour of the Aam Aadmi Party would directly benefit the Congress against whom the former had come to power. But now the AAP was sitting in government with the support of the Congress.

Asked about the speculation of her joining the BJP and even contesting the Lok Sabha election, she refrained from commenting. On the recent stampede-like situation at the Delhi Secretariat during a janta darbar, Bedi cautioned Kejriwal to refrain from such hasty decisions.

She said the public of Delhi as well as of the country expected something different from the AAP, but it failed to resist the temptation of governance and joined hands with the Congress, which created hurdles in the Anna Hazare-led anti-graft movement. 

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Direct election of zila panchayats sought
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, January 13
The Republican People’s Front and the Democratic Republican Employees' Federation here today demanded a direct election to the posts of presidents of zila panchayats and block development committees, instead of an indirect election.

The leaders of two groups held a joint conference here to promote their agenda for the next panchayat elections. They said the Scheduled Castes community would be given due representation if the elections to the posts of presidents of zila panchayats and block committees were held directly. The direct election of panchayat bodies would also help in reducing caste-ridden beliefs, said GR Tamta, national coordinator of the Democratic Republican Employees' Federation. 

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CCTV cameras to monitor security on Makar Sakranti
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, January 13
The local administration has made elaborate security arrangements in view of a large number of people expected to take a holy bath in the Ganga on the occasion of ‘Makar Sakranti’ here tomorrow.

As lakhs are expected to throng the pilgrim city, the district administration has bifurcated the core Brahma Kund, Har-ki-Pauri mela area into various zones and sectors for better monitoring.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras will be used to keep vigil round the clock from the City Control Room (CCR) tower.

As devotees after taking the holy dip at Har-ki-Pauri pay obeisance at the Mata Mansa Devi temple, sector magistrates of various zones have been tasked with regulating and controlling the rush of pilgrims at the trolley ropeway. Their approval will be necessary for the movement of the trolleys up and down.

A special ambulance and medical team will be stationed at the CCR tower, which is just opposite Har-ki-Pauri at Subash Ghat.

Ganga ghats are also being cleaned regularly with fire engines and firemen deployed on the mela duty.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate, Haridwar, Dr Nidhi Pandey, has wished the people on festive occasions of Eid-e-Milad “Barawfat” and “Makar Sakranti”. Nidhi in her message said these festivals give the message of mutual love, harmony and brotherhood. She prayed to the Almighty for the well being of the people on the occasion

As part of a drive, 509 vehicles were challaned across the district for traffic rule violations and Rs 58,600 received from 509 challans.

On the direction of Haridwar District Judge Kumkum Rani a special legal aid camp will be held at the Panchayat Bhawan at Jaitpur village in Lakshar tomorrow. Villagers will be apprised of various social welfare schemes being run by the government. Besides, a free health check-up camp will also be organised.

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Sanskriti varsity student wins gold medal in yoga tourney
Tribune News Service

The Dev Sanskriti Yoga contingent being felicitated at Shantikunj in Haridwar on Monday.
The Dev Sanskriti Yoga contingent being felicitated at Shantikunj in Haridwar on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Haridwar, January 13
Shloka Kumar of Dev Sanskriti University clinched the gold medal in the 20th International Yoga Championship organised by the Tourism Department of Pondicherry in Pondicherry recently.

Shloka won the medal in the 21-25 age group outclassing 171 yoga participants in the event.

Pondicherry Governor Virendra Kataria and the founder of the Art of Living, Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, presented the medal and a certificate to Kumar.

A 10-member contingent from Dev Sanskriti University represented Uttarakhand.

Dr Pranav Pandya, president of the Shantikunj, said Shloka had not only made Uttarakhand proud, but also the country. Spiritual guru Shail Didi said yoga enhanced one's personality.

Dr Suresh Varnval, head of the Yoga Department of Dev Sanskriti University, said the institution had made a golden start with this year’s yoga calendar.

He added many more such laurels were awaited from the yoga students.

Dr Sunil Yadav and Dr Bhawna Shrivastava, who accompanied the yoga contingent, said they were now preparing for the upcoming Inter-University Yoga Championship in Kurukshetra, Haryana.

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Declare leopard man-eater, demand Didihat villagers
Our Correspondent

People protest at Didihat subdivision in Pithoragarh on Monday.
People protest at Didihat subdivision in Pithoragarh on Monday. Tribune photo: Sanju Pant

Pithoragarh, January 13
Villagers from Didihat to the Muwani valley today assembled at Didihat subdivision and demanded that a leopard that had killed six persons and injured seven others in the area in the last 18 months be declared a man-eater.

“The villagers became infuriated after the leopard attacked a 12- year-old boy at Banara village two days ago. The boy was saved due to the timely intervention of villagers. He was badly injured and is struggling for life at a Haldwani hospital,” said Jodh Singh Bora, a statehood activist , who led the demonstration of villagers.

According to villagers, even after repeated complaints to the Forest Department about the leopard killing people, neither the leopard had been caged nor declared man-eater. The village women had stopped going to forests to collect fodder for their cattle and the people were not ready to travel even short distances after evening hours. “Even candidates preparing to contest the panchayat elections from these villages are afraid of campaigning after the dusk,” said Bhagwan Rawal, a villager from panic-ridden Banara village of Didihat.

Forest officials said they could recommend a leopard to be declared as man-eater only if it had killed at least three persons, but it seems there were more than one leopard active in the area, which were attacking the villagers. It was difficult to identify one man-eater leopard.

The villagers said the leopards prowling in the area had also so far killed 24 domestic animals. “We have warned the department if it fails to cage the leopards or declare them man-eaters, they will be forced to launch an indefinite agitation at Didihat,” said Bora.

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Asaram followers flee after handing out literature
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, January 13
Two unidentified supporters of Asaram Bapu, who is languishing in a jail on the alleged charges of sexual assault along with his son, Narayan Sai, distributed literature blaming the Christian missionaries, cigarette and liquor manufacturing companies for carrying out the campaign against Asaram to tarnish his image.

Taking advantage of the crowd, they fled the scene after distributing the literature. They were intercepted by the local intelligence unit officials near Library Bazaar, today.

The intelligence officials confiscated the literature in which it was stated that Asaram Bapu and Narayan Sai were arrested at the behest of the false tirade carried out by a section of the media, under the influence of liquor and cigarette lobby.

The police said they were not aware of incident but were enquiring about the incident from the local intelligence officials.

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Peanuts, bonfires mark Lohri celebrations

Mussoorie, January 13
The Punjabi community gathered at Library Bazaar to celebrate Lohri with fervour and gaiety in the city today.

The celebrations started with the Lohri pooja. The community members said prayers and offered groundnuts and sweets to each other. A cultural programme was also organised under the aegis of the Punjabi Mahas-abha, Mussoorie, amid the beating of traditional drums near Gurdwara Singh Sabha.

Gidda and Bhangra presentations added colour to the event. The ‘Dula Bhatti’ story was also narrated. — TNS 

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New body of Anna Hazare morcha
Tribune News Service

A member of Anna Hazare's Jantantra Morcha addresses a conference in Dehradun on Monday.
A member of Anna Hazare's Jantantra Morcha addresses a conference in Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune Photograph

Dehradun, January 13
The Anna Hazare’s Jantantra Morcha constituted a new state-level executive committee of its Jan Sansad Abhiyan Samiti, which would organise a statewide awareness campaign about the Lokpal Bill in Uttarakhand.

The members of the Jantantra Morcha said the newly formed executive committee would expose the widespread corruption in the state, besides keeping a close watch on bureaucrats and politicians to ensure effective implementation of the Lokpal Bill.

Former IAS officer Chandra Singh has been made the patron of the committee while Nishit Saklani will be its spokesperson. Shispal Singh Bisht, Santosh Kumar Gupta, Usha Bhatt, Rajesh Badoni and Umesh Chandra Gusain will be the coordinators.

Moreover, 18 members from across the state have also been included in the committee.

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Shelter lodge owners oppose sewerage tax
Tribune News Service

Dharamshala committee members demand a waiver of sewage tax from the Jal Sansthan officials in Haridwar on Monday.
Dharamshala committee members demand a waiver of sewage tax from the Jal Sansthan officials in Haridwar on Monday. A Tribune Photograph

Haridwar, January 13
The owners of shelter lodges and ashrams at Bhoopatwala have opposed the new sewerage tax.

Opposing the latest move of the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan to fix Rs 13 per lavatory seat in shelter lodges and ashrams, a delegation under the aegis of the RegionalDharamshala Management Committee met the Executive Engineer, Jal Sansthan, DK Singh.

The committee members apprised the Jal Sansthan official that despite Haridwar being a pilgrim city where tourists come regularly, the saints-dominated Bhoopatwala area was less frequented by pilgrims.

Gopal Singhal, a member of the committee, said a heavy rush of tourists was witnessed in Bhoopatwala only during the Char Dham yatra and the remaining six months were off season.

Anil Mishra, a ward councillor, said the sewerage line was laid in the city during the Kumbh fair and the Ardh Kumbh fair, the funds for which were approved by the Central Government.

He said it was inappropriate to levy a new sewerage tax on the shelter lodges and ashrams.

Ashram representatives of Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Saptsarovar, Parmarth Niketan ashram in Bhoopatwala and Geeta Kutir, Haripur Kalan were also present during the meeting.

Vikas Tiwari and Shyam Pundir, representatives of shelter lodges and ashrams, said owing to religious sanctity of Haridwar, the Jal Sansthan should refrain from levying any such tax.

Meanwhile, the Executive engineer said owing to huge amount being spent by the government and loan also being taken by the Central Government regarding sewerage treatment projects, it was imperative to levy taxes. He said if the tax was not levied, it would be difficult to raise the running and maintenance cost of the plants.

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Govt did little to get state assets from UP’

Dehradun, January 13
The Uttarakhand Nagreek Manch has accused the state government of doing little to get back state properties from Uttar Pradesh.

Convener of the manch Shankar Singh Bhatia told mediapersons here yesterday that it was strange that even after more than a decade of the formation of the state, it was still to get control over its assets. He added Uttar Pradesh even today had control over river waters of the state.

He said the Nainital High Court in 2009 had directed Uttar Pradesh to return Uttarakhand assets but the then Chief Minister Mayawati challenged the judgment in the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court in its recent order turned down the Nainital High Court's decision. This is all due to the indifferent attitude of the state government that did not effectively take up the matter," he added. Bhatia alleged that even the Congress-led UPA at the Centre was more inclined towards UP due to a large number of parliamentary seats. — TNS

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MAD inspects Neshvilla road

Dehradun, January 13
Making a Difference (MAD), a group of youths, visited and inspected the Neshvilla road here yesterday with an objective to bring changes in terms of civic beauty and waste management.

“We have already given eight suggestions to the civic authorities on how to improve the condition of the Neshvilla road.

The activity was meant to examine the feasibility of each of our suggestions,” said Abhinav Bhatia, a member of the group.

The group members did a site inspection of the main Neshvilla road dump. —TNS

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