CM cajoles Haridwar voters to shower ‘love’ on his daughter
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 14
Chief Minister Harish Rawat today obliquely pressed for his daughter Anupama Rawat’s candidature from the Haridwar parliamentary seat for the Lok Sabha elections saying “the people of the holy city have showered their love on me during my five-year tenure as MP and they should continue to do so with my family members too”.

The Chief Minister attended various public functions in Haridwar today. He, however, ensured that he did not get into another controversy after the Election Commission served a notice on him for the violation of the model code of conduct for staying at the state guest house at Bijapur.

Harish Rawat attended a Holi Milan programme organised by the media fraternity at a hotel here. He tried to meet as many people as possible in the function as most of them were Congress activists. He wished the people on Holi and said the festival of colour, hope and change bring happiness to them.

The Chief Minister also watched a cricket match at the Rishikul ground. He said the youth was the pillar of the Indian democracy and urged them to take up academic, sports and social works to take India forward.

The presence of Congress leaders like Ram Vishal Deo, OP Chauhan, Purushottam Sharma, Sanjay Mahant, Mahant Rishiswaranand, owner of the Chetan Jyoti ashram, at the Rishikul ground made it look like a party show. The Chetan Jyoti ashram was the election office of Harish Rawat during the 2009 parliamentary elections.

Notably, Harish Rawat had organised many cricket tournaments in the district during the past two years. He also gave away prizes to the winners as well as playing kits and sports gear to the teams. This was termed as sports diplomacy, particularly during the Assembly elections in 2012 when Rawat’s supporters and the local Youth Congress unit organized several cricket tournaments in the district.

Meanwhile, the BJP has criticized the Congress and Harish Rawat for trying to influence voters through Holi programmes and cricket tournaments.

District BJP president Kuldeep Gupta said as the majority of the people present at the functions attended by the Chief Minister were Congress members, it amounted to the violation of the model code of conduct. Though these events were social, the presence of a large number of Congress leaders made them look like party shows. Divisional president of the BJP Vikas Tiwari said Harish Rawat was in Haridwar for a padyatra two days ago and now he was trying to influence voters by attending sports events.

LS poll: CPI, CPM hesitant to support SP in state
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
While the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced its support to the Left parties in the Tehri and Pauri parliamentary constituencies, they are hesitant to support it in the other three Lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand. The people of the state have strong opinion against the SP for its repressive policies during the statehood movement.

The Left parties had announced their candidates for the Tehri and Pauri Garhwal seats a week ago. Narendra Singh Negi is the CPI candidate from the Pauri Lok Sabha seat while Shiv Prasad Devli is the CPM candidate from the Tehri seat.

The SP had forged an alliance with the Left parties at the national level on several occasions in the past. It has its base in the plain districts of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar and is hopeful of making a mark in the Nainital and Haridwar Lok Sabha seats. It had held the Haridwar seat in the past.

CPI state secretary Samar Bhandari said the SP had extended its support to the Left candidates in Tehri and Pauri. He added the Left would discuss the reciprocal support at a meeting slated to take place at March end.

However, Bhandari did not commit support to the SP and said the Left parties were in favour of a broader alliance against the Congress and the BJP in Uttarakhand.

He said the BJP and the Congress had been cheating the people of Uttarakhand.

The UKD had also given an offer of an alliance, which was also under consideration.

Road nahi toh vote nahi villagers warn parties
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 14
With the Lok Sabha elections nearing, residents of remote villages in Kumaon are making the best use of the time to draw the attention of the administration and the government towards the lack of basic amenities in their areas. They have threatened to boycott the elections (Road nahi toh vote nahi) if their long-pending demands are not fulfilled.

Residents of eight villages near the Bageshwar district headquarters today visited the District Magistrate’s office and submitted a memorandum with regard to the boycott of the parliamentary elections. They are demanding the construction of a connecting road in their area.

“Residents of Shishakhani, Leti, Chanapani, Boorgaun, Gwalkuri, Saamdhar, Ghatgar and Patlibagar villages are forced to walk several kilometres in the absence of a connecting road. They have taken up the issue with the authorities concerned several times, but to no avail. This time they have decided to boycott the elections in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government and the authorities," said Ramesh Singh Janauti, convener of the Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti.

“Since the creation of the state, no MLA or MP has ever visited the villages. There are no medical facilities there. Villagers are finding it difficult to educate their children in the absence of good schools. They are forced to migrate to other areas," said Janauti.

Pratap Singh Manral, another member of the delegation that met the DM today, said although a road was sanctioned in 2011 and the PWD also carried out surveys three times, the construction work was yet to begin.

About 3,000 voters in the Danda Kaknai area in Champawat district have also given a boycott call, ‘Road nahi toh vote nahi’.

According to villagers, 11,000 persons are suffering due to lack of the road in the area. “We have to travel three hours to reach the main highway to get essential goods," said Narayan Singh Mahar, a former pradhan of Kaknai village.

Efforts on to persuade Satpal Maharaj, Vijay Bahuguna to contest LS poll
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
The Uttarakhand Congress is making efforts to persuade two senior Congress leaders to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. While Satpal Maharaj, MP from Pauri Garhwal, have refused to contest from his existing seat, former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna does not want fight the Lok Sabha elections from the Tehri Garhwal seat.

In a statement issued here today, Satpal Maharaj clarified that neither he nor any member of his family would contest from the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha seat. He said the party could give the ticket for Pauri Garhwal to any dedicated worker. He added the successive Congress Chief Ministers had not acted on his repeated pleas for faster reconstruction work after the natural disaster and giving posts to senior and dedicated Congress workers in the last two years.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said a difference of opinion and grievances in a party were a common thing. He added both Satpal Maharaj and Vijay Bahuguna would abide by the decision of the party high command.

Uttarakhand Congress president Yashpal Arya said efforts would be made to persuade both leaders and their grievances would be addressed. 

Rehabilitation work halts in absence of EC approval
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, March 14
The work to construct protection walls along the Kali and Gori rivers in Dharchula, Munsiyari and Pithoragarh subdivisions of the district before the monsoon this year have hit a roadblock. The Election Commission have refused permission to the project and the tenders floated by the Irrigation Department for the work have been cancelled, as it violates the model code of conduct.

“Even if we get financial sanction when the election code of conduct ends, we will not be able to construct the walls before the monsoon this year,” said an the Irrigation Department official.

Meanwhile, disaster victims fromTawaghat, Khotila, Dharchula, Gothi, Naya Basti, Charchum and Baluakot in Dharchula subdivision and the residents of Baram and Jhoolaghat towns have expressed disappointment over the cancellation of the tenders for the work.

The Contractors' Association in the district has said the entire exercise of cancelling the tenders was done only to benefit a particular political party. “The project was mooted to benefit a particular political party,” said Tara Chand, president of the association.

“We had to cancel the tenders for the work as we neither have administrative or financial permission for the work nor the Election Commission gave us the permission to open tenders,” said PK Dikshit, Executive Engineer, Irrigation Construction Department, the nodal agency for the construction of protection walls along these rivers before the monsoon.

Dikshit said the department had prepared 22 projects at 45 selected places along the rivers the works in Munisyari, Dharchula and Moonakot blocks of the district. They expected financial sanctions for the works to the tune of Rs 208 crore. “We had floated tenders in advance, on the instructions from the government but cannot open them in absence of the permission from the Election Commission,” he said.

The protection walls have to be constructed along these rivers that had caused large-scale devastation in the residential areas during the natural disaster last year.

Oak trees under attack from pest in Mussoorie
Ajay Ramola
Tribune News service

Mussoorie, March 14
Oak trees are facing attack from the notorious pest called 'shoot borer' of the beetle family, resulting in their untimely death. Oak trees have an emblematic value to the urban mountainous landscape of Mussoorie.

The incident was first reported by senior citizens and travel writers, Colleen and Hugh Gantzer, when they found the fast-drying leaves and dried-up twigs on an oak tree near Padmini Nivas, the first sign of the tree infested by the pests in Mussoorie. Two to three trees were also found to be affected by the pest attack near their residence called Oak Brook. Sensing the urgency they immediately summoned the Forest Department officials, said Gantzers.

Hugh Gantzer told The Tribune that "Oak trees aere an important source of shelter, shade for a large number of birds and animals. They also fulfil the requirement of fodder for the livestock of the locals. The oak trees are also important as they bind the limestone rocks and enrich other trees through exchange of nutrients. Therefore, it is imperative to save these trees that are on the verge of dying in Mussoorie."

He feared that if the pest attacks were not checked these could spread to other oak groves in the area as the insect multiplies quickly and feeds continuously.

The DFO, Mussoorie, Dhiraj Pandey, said after receiving reports of the pest attacks three scientists were summoned for a detailed study. It was found that around 22 trees were attacked by the shoot borer pest of the beetle family in Mussoorie.

The scientists after identifying the trees have begun the treatment exercise on around 22 oak trees by injecting the appropriate pesticide to stop it from spreading further.

''The subordinate forest officers have been armed with the pesticide and directed to begin the treatment as soon as they find any oak trees infested with such disease in the Mussoorie forest division,'' said the DFO.

Saplings planted on Sikh Environment Day
Tribune News Service

Members of the Kendriya Shri Guru Singh Sabha plant a sapling to celebrate Sikh Environment Day in Dehradun on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, March 14
The members of the Kendriya Shri Guru Singh Sabha observed Sikh Environment Day here today by planting tree saplings at Gandhi Park in Dehradun.

The Sikh Environment Day was part of the Gurgaddi Diwas celebration of seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai, who worked for the conservation of environment.

Brijendra Pal Singh said as part of commitment for healthy environment, seventh Sikh Guru Har Rai had set up 52 fruit orchards in Keeratpur Sahib in Punjab 350 years ago. Harpal Singh Sethi, Amarjeet Singh Bhasin and HS Kukreja were present on the occasion.

Doon varsity students plan to organise fast
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
Students of Doon University are planning to take their struggle to the next level with organising a fast against the government decision to change the name of the university to Maharishi Valmiki University.

"We are still discussing our future strategy. We will surely intensify our agitation against the government decision. We are planning to sit on a fast but it is to be decided how many students will join it," said one of the protesting students.

Meanwhile, a section of university students resumed attending classes in the wake of the forthcoming annual examinations. However, the ongoing protest had affected the overall studies on the Kedarpuram campus of the university.

On the other hand, the government is steadfast on its decision with the members of the Valmiki community warning the government against succumbing to pressure.

Music extravaganza marks end of fraternity week

Dehradun, March 14
The annual fraternity week at Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Technology and Science (SGRRITS) concluded here today. Students danced to the tunes of Bollywood music, pop music and folk music. They also walked the ramp.

The performance by the Ratna Priya group of the MBA department was appreciated by everyone. Dr NK Singh, principal of SGRRITS, initiated the programme. He said the students must prove their abilities in all fields. The chief guest gave away awards to the winners of various competitions.

Prof Brij Singha, acting director of SGRRITS, congratulated the faculty members and students for making the event a success. — TNS

Kumaon club celebrates Holi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
Members of the Kumaon Cultural Club celebrated Holi with local residents, yoga students and visitors from across the world at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh today.

Both Indian and foreign tourists participated in the traditional singing and dancing with enthusiasm.

Spiritual guru and ashram head Swami Chidanand Saraswati blessed the gathering with words of inspiration.

He said: “Let the celebration be one in which we play together, pray together and pledge to work together to bring strength and stability back to this rich, traditional and sacred land, which is home to people from all walks of life."

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, president of the Divine Shakti Foundation, highlighted the ethos and history behind Holi. She said it was a celebration of defeat of evil by good and of dispelling of darkness by light.

“Holi is also known as the festival of love. But goodness, light and love are not merely external links like the powder colours,” she added.

The participants smeared each other's faces with organic and herbal colours. Organic sweets prepared with jaggery were also distributed.

Two arrested with 10 quintals of spurious khoya
Tribune News Service

The spurious khoya seized in Dehradun on Friday A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, March 14
The police today arrested two persons and seized 10 quintals of spurious khoya that was brought for sale from Muzaffarnagar.

The accused, Mahipal and Kalam, were transporting adulterated khoya in a utility vehicle. The police have registered a case against the duo.

Illicit liquor seized

As part of a campaign against the smuggling of illegal liquor in Dehradun ahead of Holi, the Dehradun police arrested five persons from different places and seized illicit liquor from their possession here today.

Acting on a tip-off, the Dalanwala police arrested liquor smugglers Mohan, Surendra and Neelu from DL Road and seized 44 bottles of illicit liquor.

On the other hand, the Patel Nagar police arrested Bhojram from the industrial area with 16 bottles of liquor.

The Vasant Vihar police arrested Afzal and seized 150 bottles of illicit liquor from his possession.

All arrested persons have been booked under the Excise Act.

Sahni is president of state hotel association 
Tribune News service

Mussoorie, March 14
Sandeep Sahni, member of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, was unanimously elected president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Uttarakhand at its annual meeting held here yesterday.

The association said hoteliers from the state discussed ways to promote tourism post-natural disaster in the state.

The members stressed the need to regulate religious tourism in the state, introduce the biometric identification system to keep a close watch on the movement of the tourists in case of a disaster.

Other executive members elected ae SP Kochar (patron), Deepak Gupta (state secretary), Dinesh Shah (senior vice-president), Manu Kochar, Amit Vaish (vice-presidents), Rajesh and Ashutosh (joint secretary), Ashish Goyal PRO for the Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

All-India Hotel Federation president SM Sherwani was the chief guest on the occasion. He congratulated the new team and said the hoteliers from around the country would try to support the Uttarakhand association so that it could overcome losses suffered due to the natural calamity last year.

Sherwani said the state government would try to make substantive efforts in supporting the hoteliers by giving tax rebates in order to bring in more tourists this year.

He demanded that a single window system should be introduced for giving licences to the hoteliers in order to make the process easy. He said every resident of the state should chip in to promote Uttarakhand so that it could regain its old glory.

Sherwani said as the domestic tourism was expected to double by 2017, the state Tourism Department in this competitive age should devise ways to attract tourists to various destinations of the state.

Sandeep Sahni said they would act as a pressure group and guide the Tourism Department on ways to increase tourism in the state. He added the association would also try to assist the government in branding and promoting tourism in the country and abroad.

Sahni demanded better roads, air and rail connectivity to attract more tourists from other parts of the countries. He said a comprehensive tourism policy was the need of the hour to attract tourists, which would also help in generating employment avenues for the local youth.

Airy likely to be UKD candidate from Nainital

Pithoragarh, March 14
UKD leader Kashi Singh Airy is likely to contest from Nainital in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

According to party sources, while the process of selecting candidates from Pauri, Tehri and Haridwar is in the final stage, the names for the Nainital and Almora seats are still under consideration. “We will contest all five seats in the state. We are also mulling an alliance with Left parties in the state,” said Airy. Airy said they had appealed to parties fighting for the cause of the common man to come together. — OC

Sector magistrates to submit report on polling stations
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 14
District Magistrate D Senthyl Pendiyan has directed sector and zonal magistrates appointed in the Haridwar constituency in view of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections to submit their inspection and assessment report on polling stations by March 20.

During a meeting held at the city control room near Har-ki-Pauri, Pendiyan said elaborate arrangements should be made to ensure peaceful and well-managed elections.

Toll free numbers, 1950 and 01334-239031, have also been established, wherein any complaint with regard to the polls could be made.

SSP Sadanand Date, Chief Development Officer Vishnu Singh Dhanik, Assistant Divisional Magistrate Harak Singh Rawat, ADM, Administration, Jeevan Singh Nangiyal, City Magistrate KK Mishra, SP Surjeet Singh Pawar and circle officer Chandra Mohan Singh Negi were also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate also inspected the flood-hit areas and directed officials to speed up flood-control projects.

Work on ropeway projects to begin soon
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, March 14
The work on the much awaited three ropeway projects from Janki Chatti to Yamunotri, Kaddukhal to the Surkanda Devi temple along with the Pornagiri temple, near Tankapur will begin soon.

Additional Director of the Tourism Department AK Dwivedi said two companies from Mumbai and Delhi had been assigned the task of completing the project.

With the completion of these projects, the devotees would be able to visit the shrines without trudging the long trek. The proposed ropeway project from Janki Chatti would be built by Topworth Infra ltd, a Mumbai-based company. While the other two ropeway projects would be constructed by a private company from Delhi.

Local residents and devotees have welcomed the move and said the ropeway projects would shorten the distance to the shrines.

Former zila panchayat head sent to jail

Pithoragarh, March 14
The Chief Judicial Magistrate today sent former Pithoragarh Zila Panchayat chairperson Ranjana Devi to jail for lodging a false FIR in 2012.

“Ranjana Devi was sent to jail as she failed to turn up for the hearing of the case and repeatedly defied the summons sent to her by the court,” said HC Sati, Circle Officer, Pithoragarh police. — OC

Nanhi Duniya promoter gets award

Dehradun, March 14
Chief promoter and executive of Nanhi Duniya, Kiran Ulfat Goyal, was honoured with Sarva Chakra Puraskar on her outstanding contribution for the progress of the nation on the occasion of international summit on "Individual achievements and social responsibilities" held recently in Delhi.

Expressing her gratitude for the recognition, Kiran Ulfat Goyal dedicated this award to her parents who founded Nanhi Duniya movement before Independence in Dehradun. — TNS

Women’s library opened
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
A women’s library was opened at Gender Resources Centre of Mahila Samakhya here today.

Director, Doon Library, Prof BK Joshi, Garhwal folk singer Narendra Singh Negi and MKP (PG) College Principal Indu Singh jointly inaugurated the library.

Professor Joshi said the library would of immense help for women who want to pursue higher studies.

Mahila Samakhaya director Geeta Gairola expressed hope that the library would be fully utilised by students and researchers.

Protest against MP Mala Raj
Tribune News Service

Members of the Youth Congress burn an effigy of Tehri Garhwal MP Mala Raj Lakshmi at Estley Hall Chowk in Dehradun |on Friday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, March 14
Uttarakhand Youth Congress leaders led by Shivesh Bahuguna burnt the effigy of Tehri Garhwal MP Mala Raj Lakshmi at Ashley Hall in Dehradun, here today.

The protesters accused Raj Lakshmi of misusing her MP discretionary fund. They alleged that the fund was meant to serve the constituency and not for individual’s close relatives. 

Rishab Jain, Sandeep Sharma and Mahesh Sachdeva were prominent among those who burnt the effigy.

Students burn effigy of Garhwal varsity VC
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 14
The students of DAV PG College burnt the effigy of Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University in front of the college gate here today against the university’s decision for not accepting the examination forms of students who failed to submit the forms with in the stipulated time.

The protesting students said over 5,000 students from different streams had been deprived of submitting the examination forms.

They demanded that the university must allow the students to submit their examination forms.

Vineet Bhatt, Alok Negi, Mohan Bhandari, Vikas Negi, Manoj Negi and Vinod Rana were also present.

Officials inspect tourist spots in Mussoorie
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, March 14
Officials from the Mussoorie Municipal Council, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and the Tourism Department here today conducted a joint inspection of tourist destinations to revamp them before the start of the tourist season.

The officials visited Lal Tibba, Bahuguna Park and Library Bazaar in the town to devise ways to upgrade these tourist spots.

Juhi Chawla immerses brother’s ashes in Ganga
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 14
Bollywood actress Juhi Chawal and her sister-in-law Anuradha Chawla immersed the ashes of Bobby Chawla in the Ganga here today.

Juhi Chawal's brother Bobby died at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai on March 9 after remaining in coma for four years. Talking to The Tribune, she said, “Spirituality and devotion are very important in one's life. Worldly things and temporary.”

She said, “I am feeling relieved after immersing my brother's ashes in the Ganga. Spiritually I am still connected with my brother. I feel he is still here.”

Accompanied by her husband Jai Mehta, Juhi was visibly calm while witnessing the rituals being performed by her sisiter-in-law.

Juhi has a deep connection with Haridwar. She is a follower of Maa Anand Mayi. She is also a regular visitor to Arya Ashram at Mayapur, adjacent to the Ganga ghat, which is owned by one of his relatives. After performing the rituals and spending some time in the city, Juhi and her family left for Mumbai in the evening.

Most of the scenes of “Arjun Pundit” (1999) starring Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla were shot in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Pauri Garhwal and Dehradun.