The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Health dept to act tough with non-performers
Dehradun, January 25
With a bid to usher in accountability and tighten the government hold on the private partners running the mobile diagnostic health units in the state, the Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare has begun withholding payments for not rendering promised services.

DSPs to be awarded police medal today
Dehradun, January 25
On the occasion of the Republic Day this year, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Girish Chandra Bijalwaan, will be awarded with the President Police Medal for distinguished service.

Farmers gherao forest officer, seek protection of crops from animals
Pithoragarh, January 25
Irked over destruction of their crops by wild animals on a routine basis and having no check on the free activities of these animals by Forest Department, despite repeated appeals to forest officials, the farmers of Garur valley today gheraoed the forest officer.

RLEK organises training camps for village women
Dehradun, January 25
The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a voluntary group organised a series of five training camps in Jaunpur (Thatyud) block of Tehri Garhwal district to train village women for the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state.

Protest by SC, ST communities
Dehradun, January 25
Members of the SC, ST and OBC communities staged a demonstration on Friday in front of the residence of Cabinet minister Pritam Singh in support of their demand for filling backlog of reserved posts.

Industrialists unhappy with lack of amenities, poor infrastructure
Haridwar, January 25
Despite extension of the special industrial package to Uttarakhand, lack of basic infrastructural facilities and rising crime in Integrated Industrial estate of SIDCUL, Haridwar, has failed to generate any excitement among the local industrial firms.

Book released
Haridwar, January 25
“Stick to moral values, character, ethics and principles rather than boasting about fragile items like money, property, designation or social status,” said Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Hari Chetanand Maharaj.

Meritorious service award
Dehradun, January 25
The state government to confer meritorious service award on Nilesh Anand Bharne, Superintendent of Police (SP), SCRB Police, Police Headquarters and Manikant Mishra, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Rural, Dehradun for their brave work during the post-Kedarnath tragedy rehabilitation work.

2 labourers found dead
Dehradun, January 25
Two labourers were found dead inside an under constructed house in the Raipur police station area here today. The police found empty bottles of country made liquor from the room where the labourers were found dead.

Roadways union to protest on January 30, 31
Dehradun, January 25
The Uttarakhand Roadways Karmchari Sanyukt Parishad has announced to stage chakka jaam on January 30-31 in support of their demand for hike in gratuity amount for the retired employees up to Rs 10 lakh.

Lawyer booked for sexual harassment
Mussoorie, January 25
A woman registered a case of sexual harassment with the Mussoorie police on Friday against a lawyer from Dehradun.

	Man threatens to bomb IMA, arrested Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 25 The Dehradun police arrested a person from Patel Nagar area here today who had allegedly threatened to bomb the Indian Military Academy (IMA). The police received a complaint along with a copy of letter from the IMA authorities on January 24 morning after which Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kewal Khuranna formed teams to nab the culprit in view of the forthcoming Republic Day parade in Dehradun. The police then started investigating the names and the phone numbers mentioned in the letter and arrested a person namely, Amarnath from Patel Nagar today afternoon. The police said Amarnath was a ‘tantrik’ and many books related to black magic were found from his house. The police said Amarnath wanted to trap his relatives in a police case, which was why he deliberately put their names in the letter before sending it to the IMA.
	Get your names enrolled in voters' list, DM tells govt staff Tribune News Service Haridwar, January 25 In view of a substantial number of government employees being on duty for election purposes, these employees will be availing their voting rights by casting via postal ballot procedure. For this it is essential to have the names enrolled in the voters' list to ensure they too cast their votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections. This was stated by District Magistrate Nidhi Pandey, who is also the district election officer. Nidhi added that for this all government employees as well as their family members needed to be above 18 years of age and should fill up the requisite forms, attaching colour photographs, birth date certificates and other voter identity proofs. This they will have to submit at the nearest block level office. In case their voter identity cards got lost or got damaged, they can submit another form with Rs 25 charge to get a renewed voter identity card. Giving a warning to those who already had a specific area voter identity card but were applying at another place, the district election officer said that this will amount to legal action as per election office sections and will be strictly dealt with. Meanwhile, to generate awareness among people about getting voter identity cards and drawing them towards casting their votes, an awareness march was carried out from Gobind Ballabh Pant Park, Devpura, towards Har-ki-Pauri area. On the eve of the 65th Republic Day, DM Nidhi Pandey wished the people of the district, saluting the freedom fighters who played a pivotal role in Indian Independence movement. As per the DM office, liquor shops will be closed in view of Republic Day tomorrow.
	Health dept to act tough with non-performers Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 25 With a bid to usher in accountability and tighten the government hold on the private partners running the mobile diagnostic health units in the state, the Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare has begun withholding payments for not rendering promised services. The department has withheld payment totalling around Rs 3.21 crore for the last two years beginning from 2012 to 2013. The mobile diagnostic health units are operational in the state since 2009 and are providing diagnostic services such as ultrasound, X-ray, ECG and pathology in all the 13 districts of the state. The private partner, Jain Video on wheels, is running services in 11 districts, and another private partner, Rajbhara Medicare Private Limited, is running them in two remaining districts. Along with providing services to pregnant women and diagnostic services, it was mandatory upon the private partners to conduct at least 15 camps in one month. But due to the absence of the penalty clause in the memorandum of understanding signed between the government and the private partners, the government could not initiate action against the private partners. So last year the memorandum of understanding was revised and the penalty clause was imposed. ''The services rendered by the partners ought to be according to the terms and conditions of the agreement signed between the Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare and the private partners but there were several lapses, including failure to conduct at least 15 camps in a month in the districts but in the absence of penalty clause they went scot-free,'' said Surinder Singh Negi, Uttarakhand Minister for Health. Now with the imposition of the penalty clause, the government has withheld payment to the tune of Rs 2.17 crore in 2012 and Rs 1.4 crore in 2013. The private partner Rajbhara Medicare Private Limited continues to be the biggest defaulter and has failed to conduct health camps in the last five months.
	DSPs to be awarded police medal today Dehradun, January 25 On the occasion of the Republic Day this year, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Girish Chandra Bijalwaan, will be awarded with the President Police Medal for distinguished service. He is presently working as the chief security officer of the Secretariat and the state Legislative Assembly. Five more police officers namely, DSP Lalit Mohan Upreti, DSP Munna Lal Chauhan, Inspector Mayaram, Sub-Inspector Bhuwan Chnadra and Sub-Inspector Mal Chandra will be conferred with police medal meritorious services. Dhan Singh and Pratap Singh will be awarded with the fire service medal. — TNS
	Farmers gherao forest officer, seek protection of crops from animals Our Correspondent Pithoragarh, January 25 Irked over destruction of their crops by wild animals on a routine basis and having no check on the free activities of these animals by Forest Department, despite repeated appeals to forest officials, the farmers of Garur valley today gheraoed the forest officer. The villagers said that their valuable crops were being destroyed by these wild monkeys and boars. “Despite being one of the fertile valleys of Bageshwar district, we are being forced to remain without food security as our crops are being destroyed by these animals,” said Laxmi Datt Pandey, a villager from Silli village of the valley. According to the villagers, they have been requesting the department for a long time to make arrangements to check the continuous attack of wild animals on their crops, mainly on the Rabi crops and cash crops which give not only sufficient food security to the villagers but also local employment to youth. ''We have now decided to move the High Court at Nainital to seek arrangements of protection of our crops,'' said Pandey. According to the villagers, the wild animals were destroying the Rabi and cash crops of vegetables in the villages of Silli, Patli, Kausani, Kulao, Sainu, Bhateria, Dhena Simar Thakla and Devnai villages of fertile Katyur valley of the district, which was once considered grain bowl of Bageshwar district.
	RLEK organises training camps for village women Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 25 The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a voluntary group organised a series of five training camps in Jaunpur (Thatyud) block of Tehri Garhwal district to train village women for the forthcoming panchayat elections in the state. The training progammes were organised by the trainers of the RLEK from January 19 to 23, 2014. Fifty per cent of the panchayat seats in the state are reserved for women. The main aim to organise the camps is to empower rural women and the elected women representatives as change makers in the pre-election as well as post election phase. The women would then usher in the democratic decentralisation at the grassroot-level to enhance the capacities of poor rural women to raise their voice and take collective action to strengthen the democracy. A total of 25 such awareness camps are being conducted, five each in Raipur, Doiwala, Sahaspur in Dehradun district, Bhagwanpur block in Haridwar district and Jaunpur (Thatyud) block in Tehri district. These camps are supported by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI). More than 1,350 women are going to be capacitated directly towards strengthening the democracy and ensuring security and stability in the governance over a period of two months. These interventions are mainly targeted for the empowerment of women and enhancement of their decision making power in the local self governance. “There also exists a lack of political will to devolve the power to the panchayats as enshrined in the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. Uttarakhand is the only state which does not have its own Panchayati Raj Act till today. This further relegates the role of panchayats as their functions are curbed or usurped,” said Padmashree Avdhash Kaushal, Chairperson of the RLEK. The camps sensitised the voters on the importance of participation in the election process as voters, processes of voting, procedure in cases of election malpractices, how to cast vote, enrolment and updating of the voter’s lists etc. The importance and relevance of exercising the right to franchise, procedure for casting votes and the significance of secret ballot were also discussed. “The RLEK is going to establish five women help desk in each block for the first time women candidates for filing the nominations for the upcoming elections in Dehradun and Tehri districts. It will also conduct trainings on leadership development, gender and advance training of elected women representatives,” said Damini Bhargava, a senior trainer.
	Protest by SC, ST communities Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 25 Members of the SC, ST and OBC communities staged a demonstration on Friday in front of the residence of Cabinet minister Pritam Singh in support of their demand for filling backlog of reserved posts. Under the aegis of the SC, ST and OBC Backlog Committee, the protesters gathered at Gandhi Park in the morning and later staged a demonstration in front of the minister's residence. They also handed over a memorandum to the minister. State president of the committee Kamlesh Bhatt, Dinesh Chauhan, Sunil Dobhal and Khusi Ram were prominent among the protesters.
	Industrialists unhappy with lack of amenities, poor infrastructure Haridwar, January 25 Despite extension of the special industrial package to Uttarakhand, lack of basic infrastructural facilities and rising crime in Integrated Industrial estate of SIDCUL, Haridwar, has failed to generate any excitement among the local industrial firms. A meeting in this regard was held with the district administration and SIDCUL association at CCR tower, where association representatives put forth their woes, here on Thursday. Poor connectivity of roads as well as bad condition of roads both leading to SIDCUL and inner roads, was raised by the representatives. Relating it with loss of goods ferried as well as cause for many accidents, corporate representatives demanded priority action to this aspect from the district administration. Bhagwanpur Industries Association representatives raised the issue of water drainage system at Raipur-Lakhobari area, setting up of a fire service sub-centre and bus services to this industrial hub. — TNS
	Book released Tribune News Service Haridwar, January 25 “Stick to moral values, character, ethics and principles rather than boasting about fragile items like money, property, designation or social status,” said Maha Mandaleshwar Swami Hari Chetanand Maharaj. The revered saint spoke during the launch of autobiographical notes cum poems of late Geeta Nagrath ‘Anandi’, titled ‘Tere Se Bhi Haseen Hai Baghiya’, here on Friday at Gupteshwar Shiva temple at Shiv Lok colony. Swami Nitya Shuddhanand Maharaj, general secretary of Rama Krishan Param Hans Mission, and Swami Chetanand urged people to live a pious life as late Geeta Nagrath lived and more importantly practiced herself. Ex-legislator Ambrish Kumar said the soul and conscience of a human being matters more rather than any external object. Noted literati Dr Radhika Nagrath said the book described the pious life led by Geeta, where she devoted herself to the Almighty, social causes and remained concern for others. Radhika, who had compiled the book, said she tried to put in the real thoughts penned by Geeta and the poems itself pointed to the deep spiritual-religious bliss the poet had, particularly after she devoted herself to Rama Krishan Param Hans Mission. Social activist Sunil Dutt Pandey said Geeta Nagrath led a spiritual life, who devoted her life to the moral values and principles of ‘Advainta’. He added that the intricacies of life, spirituality, ideals, dharma and moksha, were portrayed in a simpler way in the form of poetry.