Rich tributes paid to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Various functions were held on Martyrs’ Day today to commemorate the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

District chief of the Student Federation of India (SFI) Vipin Joshi said at a function organised by the federation at the Mittal Wedding Point that, “The trio are role models for the youth of this country and not many people could do what they did at a young age.”

The district vice-president of SFI threw light on the life and contributions of Bhagat Singh and other two martyrs and said the country could not forget their sacrifices and the people must learn selfless service from them.

The speakers on the occasion also blamed the successive governments at the Centre for ignoring the contribution of Bhagat Singh and his associates to the country and not giving them their due.

To commemorate the 83rd Martyrdom Day of the young martyrs, the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sena organised a candle march from Gandhi Park to Clock Tower.

The members of the Netaji Sangharsh Samiti observed a daylong fast to pay tribute to the revolutionaries.

The president of the group, Arvind Gupta, said the youth must not forget the sacrifices of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and should follow their ideals.

Meanwhile,Shiv Sena workers lit candles at Gandhi Park in Dehradun today to offer tribute to Martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev.

Shiv Sena leader Vishal Bedi said the life of Martyr Bhagat Singh would continue to inspire youth both in India and abroad.

He said Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev sacrificed for the country, which helped the country in achieving independence.

Shiv Goyla, Tarun Ahuja and Sagar Bhatia were prominent Shiv Sena workers who were present on the occasion.

Rawat leads Congress padyatra in Dharampur
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
The Uttarakhand Congress held a padyatra in the Dharampur Assembly area in Dehradun today.

Led by Chief Minister Harish Rawat, state Congress president Yashpal Arya and Cabinet minister Dinesh Agarwal, the padyatra passed through the Chandrabadni-Mohabbeywala and Kumaoni Mandir route of the constituency.

A small roadside rally was also addressed at Asharooree. Addressing the workers, CM Harish Rawat referred to the works done by the UPA government at the Centre. He also spoke about the welfare works being done by the state government. He called upon the party workers to apprise the commoners about the welfare schemes initiated by state government for the betterment of the people of the state. As per AICC directives, Congress workers in Uttarakhand are taking out padyatras at block level all over the state. 

Satpal Maharaj’s exit threat to state govt stability
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
The exit of senior Congress leader Satpal Maharaj, who is also Lok Sabha MP from Pauri Garhwal, from the party and joining the BJP has given a big jolt to the Congress. It has raised doubts about the stability of the Congress-led state government headed by Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

The manner in which Satpal Maharaj quit the party in utter frustration has also raised questions about the recent change of guard in the state.

In the last Assembly elections in January 2012 the Congress did well in the Pauri Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency comprising Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pauri Garhwal and parts of Nainital districts by winning 10 of the total 14 segments. However, the party high command did not consider Satpal Maharaj for the post of Chief Minister of the state. Vijay Bahuguna, Tehri Garhwal MP, was made Chief Minister amid protest from then Union minister Harish Rawat and his supporter legislators. Harish Rawat by aggressive posturing was able to get the maximum from the party high command much to the chagrin of Satpal Maharaj, a sworn political foe of Harish Rawat.

Harish Rawat was elevated as a Union Water Resources Minister while his supporter legislators were given important portfolios in the Vijay Bahuguna Cabinet. Moreover, one of his staunch supporters, namely Govind Singh Kunjwal, was made the Speaker of the state Assembly. Another of his supporter Mahendra Singh Mahra was sent to the Rajya Sabha.

Interestingly, the Harish Rawat supporters, including Govind Singh Kunjwal, made the life difficult for Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna. The natural disaster that hit the state in June last year gave another opportunity to the Harish Rawat camp to thoroughly malign Vijay Bahuguna and paint him as an incompetent leader who failed in providing relief and rehabilitation to the affected people. Finally, the group was able to convince party vice-president Rahul Gandhi that a change was necessary and Harish Rawat need to be made Chief Minister to boost the sagging fortunes of the party in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Harish Rawat started on a positive note by taking everyone along which was reflected in the good gathering at a rally addressed by Rahul Gandhi in Dehradun on February 23. However, the attempts by the Harish Rawat camp to undermine senior leaders, including Satpal Maharaj, his wife Amrita Rawat and senior Cabinet minister Indira Hridayesh, in corruption cases and then denying them their favourite departments resulted in further dissension.

Satpal Maharaj had been cribbing that the party high command failed to recognise his services while Harsh Rawat and his supporters, who had been aggressively working against the Bahuguna government, were given all positions. He was annoyed that Harish Rawat was able to snatch all positions for his men and finally became Chief Minister. Moreover, it was the fear of defeat in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections at the hands of his old political rival Major Gen BC Khanduri (retd) from Pauri Garhwal that prompted Satpal Maharaj to say goodbye to the Congress.

Satpal Maharaj had announced not to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Pauri Garhwal but it was believed that the party high command was insisting that senior leaders and sitting party MPs must fight.

His exit from the Congress has sent a negative message to the voters and raised questions about the vulnerability of the Congress-led state government, which is dependent on the support of the Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) comprising three legislators of the BSP, three Independents and the lone UKD legislator.

Among the 30 Congress legislators Satpal Maharaj has at least four legislators, including his wife Amrita Rawat, who could switch loyalty. Although the Chief Minister is in constant touch with them to placate them, their plan of action would be known only after the Lok Sabha poll.

Satpal Maharaj, who is also a spiritual guru and runs the Manav Dharma sect, has lakhs of followers in Uttarakhand and other states of the country. 

Haridwar Cong chief downplays verbal duel with former MLA
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 23
Chaudhary Rajendra Singh, district Congress president today tried to downplay the incident of a verbal duel with former legislator Qazi Nizamuddin at a party meeting in Roorkee.

Rajendra said yesterday's incident was unfortunate as inadequate sitting arrangements at the meeting were not made on his direction, but Nizamuddin made an issue out of it.

Rajendra Singh said Nizamuddin, who was earlier with the BSP, should stick to the party discipline and should give due respect to the presence of Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

“I never used a foul language during the conversation. Infact, Nizamuddin’s supporters behaved in an intimidating and aggressive manner. Though the Congress is a disciplined family, such minor differences do crop up at times. But we are united and will ensure the party’s win from the Haridwar constituency,” said Rajendra, a close aide of Harish Rawat.

Lashing at mediapersons of fuelling the whole matter, he said whatever was written in the newspapers or shown in the news channels, were misleading.

On the other hand, Nizamuddin said Rajendra used a foul language. He said he did not want to raise theissue any longer as the prime focus should be on winning the Haridwar seat.

Congress city president OP Chauhan said all party leaders and workers should ensure discipline at the party meetings and rallies, particularly during the presence of senior leaders, the Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers and legislators.

Satpal Maharaj makes LS contest easier for Khanduri
SMA Kazmi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Senior Congress leader and Pauri Garhwal MP Satpal Maharaj's exit has made the contest easier for BC Khanduri, BJP candidate from Pauri Garhwal, in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Both Satpal Maharaj and Khanduri have been locking horns from the Pauri Garhwal seat since 1991. While Khanduri won the seat four times (1991, 1998, 1999, 2004), Satpal Maharaj won twice in 1996 and 2009.

Khanduri was Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government while Satpal Maharaj was Union Minister of State for Railways and Union Minister of State for Finance during the HD Dev Gowda government at the Centre.

Khanduri is a popular leader in the constituency that has a large number of ex-servicemen voters.

On the other hand, the Congress is finding it difficult to find a suitable candidate from Pauri Garhwal. While Rudraprayag legislator Harak Singh Rawat could be a possible candidate, some Congress leaders are mulling the candidature of Lt-Gen Gambhir Singh Negi (retd), former Commandant, IMA, from the seat.

Notably, the Pauri Garhwal constituency comprising Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Pauri Garhwal bore the burnt of the natural disaster that struck the state in June last year. The people of the area are dissatisfied with the relief and rehabilitation effortsof the state government and are likely to vote for Khanduri. 

Pauri MP claims he provided relief to disaster-hit
Tribune News Service

Chief Minister Harish Rawat along with former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at a meeting with patry MLAs at Bijapur in Dehradun on Saturday.— PTI

Dehradun, March 23
Satpal Maharaj, who recently joined the BJP, today said he visited the disaster-torn villages in the state through road and trekking routes besides making frequent helicopter trips to the affected areas. He, however, got little help from the then Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Union Water Resources Minister and present Chief Minister Harish Rawat in his efforts.

Satpal Maharaj said he had ensured all possible relief to the affected people. His sons Shradaya Rawat and Suyash Rawat also visited the disaster affected villages and distributed relief material to the people. He added he constantly raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.

Maharaj said he discussed the issue with MLAs AP Maikhuri, Rajendra Bhandari, Dr Jeet Ram, Sundarlala Mandarwal, Ganesh Godiyal, Shailarani Rawat and Mantri Prasad Naithani for drawing an agenda for relief work. He added he had asked the then Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna for prompt action on the matter.

“I even ensured an increase in compensation to their owners of the mules killed in the Kedarnath disaster,” he added.

He added Chief Minister Harish Rawat, who was the Union Water Resources Minister earlier, did little for the disaster-affected regions.

Without amenities since 1947, villagers plan to boycott LS elections
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, March 23
Residents of over 12 villages in Chaijulla Patti falling under the Dhanaulti Assembly segment in Tehri district are waiting for basic amenities even after 66 years of Independence. They held a chaupal near Mussoorie today to decide on opposing the Lok Sabha elections. The affected villagers discussed the plan to oppose the elections till their demands were not met. However, they were divided on the issue.

Most of them were of the view that they should oppose the Lok Sabha elections but some of them said they should start by boycotting the panchayat elections to make their voice heard among the political class.

Gita Rawat, BJP pramukh of the Thatyur block, said it was true that the villagers had been waiting for the basic amenities but boycotting the elections was not a viable solution to meet the long-standing demands. They should instead talk to the public representatives and pressure them to accept their demands.

On the other hand, Surendar Singh Rawat showed his dissent at her remarks. He said the villagers should decide whether they wanted to boycott the elections or not. "If the villagers decide to boycott the Lok Sabha elections, they should also do the same with the panchayat elections where the public representatives are directly responsible for the plight of the villagers," he added.

The villagers reached a consensus that they should stay united and continue showing their resentment towards the political parties responsible for their condition.

About 24 villages, including Kolti, Malwana, Ladur, Kimoi, Kapolti, Tuneta, Jhinsi, and Baman Gaon, still lack a road.

Rai Singh Kaintura, Kamal Aswal, Surendar Singh, Mukesh Panwar, Satey Singh Rawat, Baldev Singh, Shailendar Singh Bisht and other villagers from the area were present at the meeting.

Cong stands united in state, says Rawat

Dehradun, March 23
Chief Minister Harish Rawat today claimed that the party stands united with all its MLAs intact and is ready to take on BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

“There are no fissures in the party as being speculated in a section of the press. The party stands united and is ready to take on the BJP with all its might,” Rawat told reporters here.

He said after Satpal Maharaj’s desertion, Congress MLAs in the state had displayed remarkable unity.

Interestingly, Rawat and his predecessor Vijay Bahuguna who behaved like arch rivals until recently joined each other for a lunch hosted by the latter at his residence along with over 12 MLAs considered close to Bahuguna and had a long discussion on recent political developments in the state. —PTI

Election panel engages sisters Tashi, Nungshi as icons
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
The State Election Commission has engaged the ‘wonder twin sisters’, Tashi and Nungshi, as its icons for Uttarakhand with the motto ‘vote for democracy’ to strengthen its awareness campaign for a greater people’s participation in the Lok Sabha elections.

Col VS Malik (retd), father of the twins, said in a press note issued here yesterday that the decision was taken to motivate the youths aged between 18 and 28, who form the majority of the voters in the state, to vote in the Lok Sabha elections.

“Chief Electoral Officer of Uttarakhand Radha Raturi hopes that the twin sisters’ association with the Election Commission will generate greater interest in the electoral process and encourage more people, especially youths, to come out to exercise their most powerful constitutional right of voting,” he said.

“For the twin sisters, who have already created four world records and a national record in mountaineering at a young age of 22, the general elections are their first chance to vote. And they are very excited to cast their votes,” added Col Malik.

“Shying away from voting thinking that it’s someone else concern disconnects a person from governance,” says a beaming Tashi.

“When you don’t vote, you also don’t care who comes to power. And then obviously you cannot hold those in power accountable for poor governance. This becomes a kind of vicious cycle,” said Nungshi.

“For us this is the biggest honour and puts a big onus on both of us to fulfil such a big responsibility,” said the sisters. The Election Commission has already featured Tashi and Nungshi in advertisements in the print and electronic media. 

Sec 144 imposed in Dharchula
Thrashing of MLA leads to tension between tribal, non-tribal communities
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, March 23
Two platoons of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) along with a number of civil police personnel have been deployed and Section 144 have been imposed in the Dharchula and Kalika areas of Dharchula subdivision where people are holding an agitation for the arrest of those who allegedly beat up MLA Mahendra Singh Budiyal and indulged in violent activities on Holi.

The police said it were raiding various possible hideouts in the area to arrest 19 hooligans who were allegedly involved in two incidents of violence on Holi.

“Thirteen persons are wanted in connection with an attack on BJP leader Mahendra Singh Budiyal in Dharchula while six others are wanted for a violent incident at Kalika town of the subdivision after Budiyal was beaten up,” said a police circle officer.

“We have deployed two platoons of the PAC along with sections of the civil police at Dharchula and Kalika as the tension started taking a communal turn. Members of the tribal community and the OBC community were opposing each other in the standoff,” said Harish Chandra Sati, circle officer, Pithoragarh, who returned from a visit to the tense areas.

Sati said the tension between the two tribal Bhotia communities and non-tribals started after some youths thrashed Mahendra Singh Budiyal. Budiyal is recovering at a Haldwani hospital.

“As tribal youths and women started protesting demanding the arrest of those who attacked Budiyal, non-tribal youths in Kalika areas demonstrated against the inclusion of the names of some shopkeepers of the Kalika area in the case. This led tension between the two communities,” said the police officer.

He added after the imposition of Section 144 in the two towns, the situation had become normal. “We are also talking to senior citizens of both communities to maintain communal harmony,” he said.

The police started taking the situation seriously after the women from both communities reached the Pithoragarh district headquarters and submitted memorandums demanding the arrest of the culprits. “The women organisations of both tribal and non-tribal communities are also protesting in front of the sub-divisional magistrate’s (SDM) office demanding the arrest of the culprits,” said Sati.

MAD volunteers clean Sahastradhara area
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Over 50 volunteers of Making a Difference (MAD), an organisation of city youths, held a cleanliness drive at Sahastradhara here today.

They expanded the activity outside the picnic spot area and also covered the adjoining places of Sahastradhara. After three hours of cleaning work, the volunteers collected hundreds of kilograms of assorted garbage, which was dispose of with the help of the Municipal Corporation.

It may be noted that the group is known for conducting cleanliness campaigns and has shown a significant progress in cleaning the Tamsa river flowing through the Tapkeshwar temple.

Scores of volunteers, many of them from the Dehradun Institute of Technology and Graphic Era Hill University, participated in the cleanliness drive. 

Fortis doctors save woman with rare heart disease
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Doctors at Fortis hospital here performed a life-saving surgery on a 22-year-old woman suffering from a rare congenital heart disease.

The surgery, a first of its kind in the state, was aimed at repairing the total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), a defect in which veins from the lungs get attached to the heart in an abnormal position, leading oxygenated blood to enter or leak into the wrong chamber.

Dr Saurabh Juneja, Dr Yogendra Singh and Dr Pakaj R Ingole performed the surgery.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Dr Juneja, cardiac surgeon, said "TAPVC is a rare congenital defect and only 50 per cent of infants with the disease survive beyond three months. Early surgical intervention in the only solution to the disease."

Parikarama on 3rd day of Jhanda Mela
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
A 'nagar parikarama' was taken out on the third day of Jhanda Mela in Dehradun today. Mahant Devendra Dass led the devotees in the parikarama.

Starting on the premises of Shri Darbar Sahib, the parikarama passed through the Saharanpur Chowk-Kanwali Road route and reached Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bindal, where it was given rest for a while. The devotees, meanwhile, recited hymns and took the blessings of Mahant Devendra Dass.

The parikarma then passed through Darshan Lal Chowk, Tehsil Chowk, Prince Chowk and reached Lakhi Bagh, where it took another halt at Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bhandari Bagh.

The nagar parikarama then reached Saharanpur Chowk and concluded at Shri Darbar Sahib.

Home guard jawan ends life
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
A home guard jawan allegedly committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance at Maldevta in the Raipur police station area here yesterday.

The victim, Rajneesh Ramola, had been missing since Friday evening and his body was found in the jungle in the Maldevta area this morning.

According to the police, Rajneesh was under mental stress for the past couple of months and preliminary inquiry showed that he committed suicide.

A bottle of liquid poison was reportedly found near the body.

The body was sent to hospital for a post-mortem examination.

A case has been registered in this regard.

Migration from villages a major problem
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 23
State Information Commissioner Vinod Nautiyal has expressed concern over migration from remote and hill villages of the state.

Nautiyal, while speaking at the concluding session of Pravasi Panchayat-2014 here today, said the lack of job opportunities, insufficient number of hospitals and the non-availability of good schools had forced villagers across the state to migrate to other cities and towns in search of better facilities.

"Even 13 years after the formation of the state, villages are still deprived of the basic infrastructure," he said.

Swami Chidanand Muni of Parmarth Niketan Ashram said the development of the hill state required joint efforts of government and private sectors. It was very important to create employment opportunities in the state.

Pauri resident Dr SK Badauni, who is a professor in Delhi University, said he had been living in Delhi since 1970 but was constantly working on the improvement of water supply in his village in Uttarakhand.

He said industrialists and influential people based in metro cities were setting up farm houses in the towns of Uttarakhand but the youth of the state were migrating to other metro cities in search of employment, which was ironical.

Legislator Aadesh Chauhan, Shailendra Rawat, Janardhan Budakoti, Rajesh Thapliyal and Yogam Bar Singh Rawat also put forth their thoughts on the issue.

Shaheed-e-Azam remembered
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 23
Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh was remembered on his 83rd death anniversary here today. Various programmes were organised across the city to pay tributes to the martyr.

At a programme, central secretary (labour cell) of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) Uday Ram Semwal shed light on the life of Bhagat Singh.

The CPI and the CPM also jointly organised a remembrance programme. Munirka Yadav, a senior CPI leader, said the youth must learn a lesson from Bhagat Singh's life life.

Members of various organisations garlanded the statue of the martyr at the Bhagat Singh square at Ranipur.

Khushwant was enchanted with Ganga aarti
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 23
Noted writer and journalist Khushwant Singh, who died on Wednesday, was quite enchanted with the spiritual aura of Haridwar city. He used to attend the Ganga aarti at Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri.

Ganga sabha purohits and office-bearers said Khushwant Singh never accepted the VIP treatment nor did he perform any religious rituals or rites. He used to silently watch the Ganga aarti.

Former legislator Ambrish Kumar, who was quoted by Khuswant Singh in his weekly column, said he got a chance to interact with the writer during a public school function at BHEL.

Ambrish said as he was an avid reader of his regular articles and books. He had a good interaction with Khushwant, which he still fondly remembers.

Kumar describes Khushwant as a writer who always talked straight and his penned thoughts always struck direct chord with the readers.

Members of the Aam Aadmi Party too paid tributes to the Padma Shree writer.

District coordinator JP Baduni said the void left with the demise of the veteran writer was hard to fill.

Workshop for cops on AIDS awareness
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
With an aim to sensitise police personnel about AIDS, the State AIDS Control Society organised a workshop on awareness and AIDS prevention at Dehradun police lines here today.

Police officers and personnel from the police lines attended the workshop.

Experts spoke on the myths associated with AIDS and the ways to control and prevent the disease. Dr MP Mumgai gave a presentation on the symptoms of the disease.

The police personnel were told that about 5,786 AIDS patients had been registered in Uttarakhand and the number was higher in rural areas due to lack of awareness about the disease.

Convener of the programme Sanjay Singh said people who take drugs through injection were at a higher risk of getting infected with AIDS.

The experts also spoke about starting a large-scale awareness campaign across the state to sensitise people about the disease.

Gorkhas seek OBC status
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
The Bharatiya Gorkha Federation submitted a memorandum of their demands to Chief Minister Harish Rawat here today.

Lt Col DS Khadka, federation’s president, later told mediapersons here that among their demands the main was related to the inclusion of all Gorkha castes in the OBC list of the Centre.

“We are also demanding the status of a linguistic minority for the Gorkha community. A Khalanga-Nalapani war memorial and Bawli ki Garhi in Pithoragarh should be declared national protected monuments,” he added. 

Special sanitary drive in Doon
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Taking stock of the deteriorating sanitary conditions of the state capital, a special drive was taken out by the authorities of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation here yesterday.

Following the festival of Holi, the cleanliness drive launched in the city was derailed owing to the high rate of absenteeism of the sanitary workers. However, to control the situation, the District Magistrate and acting Mukhya Nagar Adhikari BVRC Purshottam asked the DMC officials to conduct rounds of the city and monitor the ground situation by visiting the spots.

Speaking to The Tribune, Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Banshidhar Tiwari said that the MNA had asked the officials to monitor the work and keep a tab on the workers. ''We admit that the garbage situation had gone out of hand for 3-4 days owing to the holidays by the sanitary staff due to Holi. But now the 
situation is back on track and we would ensure that such a situation does not take place again in future,'' he added. 

Tigress found dead in Terai division
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
A tigress was found dead in the Terai central division of the Forest Department yesterday.

Sources in the Terai central forest division said the body of a tigress was found by a patrol party. The tigress might have died four or five days ago as the body was decomposed.

The forest authorities ruled out any foul play and said the exact reason of the death would be known after the post-mortem.

CM inaugurates hotel
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurated a hotel named 'Four Points' by Sheraton Group on Rajpur Road here today.

After inaugurating the hotel, the Chief Minister said "It is our great pleasure to welcome 'Four Points' by Sheraton in our state. We would also like to see this world-class chain of hotels in other cities of Uttarakhand."

Speaking about the hotel, Dr Sanjeev Bhambri, Managing Director, 3B Infrastructure Private Limited, said "Our goal was to enter the hospitality space with a state-of-the-art brand hotel in a vibrant city like Dehradun."

UPNL chief meets Guv over ‘appointment scam’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Lt Gen MC Badhani (retd), chairman of Uttarakhand Purv Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL), met Governor Aziz Qureshi yesterday and apprised him about the matter involving the 'appointment scam' in the nigam.

"Nearly three weeks ago the Governor had instructed Chief Minister Harish Rawat to order an enquiry into the matter. The Chief Minister in turn had told Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar to initiate an enquiry and also suspend nigam's Managing Director Brig AN Bahuguna (retd). However, till date nothing has been done," said Lt Gen Badhani.

"The Governor had assured me of necessary action in the coming days. It is an important issue and I am sure that the appointment issue is just the tip of the iceberg. If an enquiry is conducted much more would be revealed. The matter is of grave concern as Uttarakhand has a large number of ex-servicemen and serving personnel," he said.

The issue of irregularities in recruitments came to light when members of the Sanyukt Karamchari Mahasangh in January objected to 32 appointments made on a contractual basis in the Medical College outsourced from UPNL. The objection was raised on the basis that the candidates were allowed to join duty nearly nine months after the issuance of contract letters. The joining letter was issued in May 2013. Formed in 2004 with an aim to provide employment to the ex-servicemen and their dependents in Uttarakhand. The UPNL has been outsourcing jobs in various government departments and private players since then. The appointments made via the nigam are on a contractual basis. 

Forestry day celebrated

Dehradun, March 23
The Forest Research Institute in Dehradun celebrated International Forestry Day on Thursday.

Environmentalist Vandana Shiva spoke about the importance of forests in environment conservation. She stressed involving communities in forest conservation.

Director, FRI, Dr PP Bhojvaid, said through International Forestry Day celebrations, the institute intended to sensitise both students and society as a whole about the significance of the conservation of trees for bettering the quality of human life.

An exhibition was organised at the information centre to mark the occasion. FRI Deemed University also organised a debate competition for its students. — TNS

Tech fest ‘Cognizance-2014’ concludes at IIT, Roorkee
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Three-day tech extravaganza ‘Cognizance-2014’ at IIT, Roorkee, came to an end today with hundreds of technology innovators showing their out of box thinking and innovations.

Spreading its wings to the international arena, the event promotes technology, scientific thinking and innovation among students. This year the event showed the changing times and how smartphones, tablets and applications were the future of technology.

Various off-beat events attracted participants like ‘ignite’, which showcased case studies of some of the present day startups with challenging problems and ‘silence calling’ which encouraged students to study the lives of the differently-abled and think of innovative solutions to make their lives a little bit easier.

Speakers like Dr Tabassum Jama, principal scientist at CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research), R K Khandal, fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London, William Baker, chief structural engineer of the Burj Khalifa, Pawan Agarwal, management guru and founder of the Dabbawala Association of India, and many other distinguished speakers shared their experience and success stories with the students.

Workshops like android and augmented reality and biometric fingerprinting were an instant hit with the students that generated curiosity and interest. 

Leopard cat found dead
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, March 23
A leopard cat was found dead by roadside near Jaypee Bend in Mussoorie yesterday. The Forest Department say a vehicle may overrun and killed the member of the feline family while it was crossing the road.

Locals say they mistook the body of the leopard cat as that of a leopard and informed the Forest Department.

The forest officials rushed to the spot and confirmed that the body was that of a leopard cat and not a leopard.

District Forest Officer (DFO), Mussoorie division, Dr Dheeraj Pandey, confirmed that the body was of a male leopard cat of around 1 or 2 years' old. The DFO said prima facie it seemed that the animal was overrun by a vehicle.

"The body has been sent to the veterinary hospital for a post-mortem examination as the animal falls under the Schedule 1 of the Forest Act," said the DFO.

Rao academy beat Doon Tuskers by 107 runs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Rao Cricket Academy defeated Doon Tuskers by 107 runs in a match during the 62nd Dehradun District Cricket League here today.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Rao Cricket Academy displayed a brilliant batting performance and made 242 runs at the loss of 3 wickets.

Opener Sumit Sethi scored a century before getting out at 106 runs.

The next batsman, Amit, scored quick 82 runs. For Doon Tuskers, Ranjeet, Neeraj and Lalit took 1 wicket each.

In reply, Doon Tusker showcased dismal batting performance and except Prashant’s 40-run inning, no other batsman could stay in the crease for much longer.

The team was bowled out at 135 runs. For Rao Cricket Academy, Sumit took 3 wickets whereas Sanjay Kumar and Dipankar took 2 wickets each.

LMC team win by 3 wickets

The LMC cricket team defeated the Graphic Era cricket team by three wickets in the ongoing 62nd Dehradun District Cricket League played at the Ordnance Factory playground here yesterday. Batting first, the Graphic Era team scored 201 runs with Ankit scoring the highest 53 runs, followed by Devendra's 31 runs. Akhilesh took four wickets for the LMC team.

In reply, the LMC team got off to a good start with the opening batsmen chipping in with good innings. Akhilesh scored 58 runs while Shubham made 18 runs and the team easily achieved the target for the loss of seven wickets.

TN victorious in beach volleyball

Tamil Nadu lifted the beach volleyball trophy in the men’s category while Andhra Pradesh emerged victorious in the women’s category in the championship held at Shivpuri on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh on Sunday.

The men’s final match was played between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In the women’s category Andhra Pradesh girls defeated the Uttarakhand team in straight sets to qualify for the Asian Championship.

The winning teams were given a reward of Rs 21,000 while the runners up were given Rs 11,000.

Creating sports infrastructure priority: IOA Secy
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 23
Rajiv Mehta, Secretary-General of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA), said his first priority would be to improve the sports infrastructure in Uttarakhand and hold the National Games here. Mehta was on his first visit to Dehradun after taking over as Secretary-General of the IOA.

“We are planning to organise the National Games in Uttarakhand in 2018 or 2020 and we will have to work together to build international-level stadiums for holding such big events,” said Mehta. He stressed on improving infrastructure and facilities for budding sportsmen in the state.

He said he would meet senior officials of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) regarding the setting up of a centre of excellence in Uttarakhand and coaching facilities in Dehradun.

Mehta said he would ensure that sufficient money was allocated to the State Sports Federation for the development of sports in the state.

He applauded the initiatives of the Volleyball Federation of India in holding the beach volleyball championship in Rishikesh.