Centre, state failed to handle natural disaster, says Modi
Addresses election rallies at Srinagar, Almora, Rudrapur 
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 3
BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today lashed out at the Congress- led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at the Centre and the state Congress government for their failure to handle the natural disaster in Uttarakhand last year in which thousands of pilgrims and tourists died.

Addressing election rallies at Srinagar, Almora and Rudrapur in Uttarakhand today, Narendra Modi said that the Central Government remained totally insensitive to the tragedy while the state Congress government remained a mute spectator to the immense tragedy.

He claimed that he wanted to help the people during those tragic days but could not due to politics indulged in by the Congress Party.

Talking about the plight of the farmers at Rudrapur in the Terai region of Kumaon, he charged that the farmers in the country were committing suicide while the soldiers defending the borders were also suffering humiliation but the UPA government in the last 10 years had done nothing for them.

''Earlier the slogan was Jai jawan, jai kisan given by Lal Bahadur Shastri, but the now the slogan of the UPA government is Maar jawan, maar kisan,'' he said.

He charged that the Central Government had completely failed to ameliorate the lot of farmers and was a complete failure on all fronts.

He said that the state Congress government in general and the UPA government at the Centre in particular had failed in developing tourism infrastructure in the hill regions of the country despite these being naturally beautiful places.

''The places which were described as Switzerland of India by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, are a neglected lot even today despite the fact that Congress had ruled the country for 65 years,” said Modi.

Lashing out at Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Modi claimed that the government of “mother and on is going out to be ousted this time as the voters of country have understood the ground realities.

Even today this government is cheating the ex -servicemen on the issue of one-rank, one-pension,” said Modi. Narendra Modi claimed that if BJP came to power, the first priority of the government would be to bring black money from abroad to be utilised for the welfare schemes for poor people of the country.

Modi claimed that his party is going to capture all the five Lok Sabha seats in the state. “ We have promised to develop agriculture in the Terai region and revive its greenery and to take care of farmers who are dying under Congress rule,” said Modi while speaking at a rally held at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district in support of party candidate Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

Modi must give development facts in public speeches: Rita Bahuguna Joshi
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
Implementing one-rank one-pension (OROP) is among the few beneficiary schemes commenced during UPA-II regime for improving social and economical status of ex-servicemen throughout the country.

The economic growth continues to improve in the country and special focus was laid down by Union Government for improving infrastructure in the country.

Addressing the media persons here today, former state president of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, said that BJP prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi should judiciously give facts and figures on development issues while addressing public rallies throughout the country. According to her, Gujarat model of development cannot be implemented in any part of the country.

Expressing his views, national president of Congress Ex-Servicemen Cell, Maj Ved Prakash (Retd), said that social and economical status of ex-servicemen of the country were improved due to various beneficiary schemes implemented during Congress rule in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, former Commandant of Indian Military Academy (IMA), Lt Gen G.S. Negi (Retd), said that out of total budget of Rs. 2,700 crore sanctioned for OROP, Rs. 500 crore was sanctioned in the first phase. He claimed that ex-servicemen of the country, irrespective of their retirement-year, would be benefited after implementation of OROP.

Vice-president of Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee, Suryakant Dhasmana, said that BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's four public rallies that were held in the state today were a flop show.

CM all for development in various sectors
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, May 3
Chief Minister Harish Rawat said the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre wants India to figure among the developed nations of the world and similarly the state government wants Uttarakhand to one of the progressive state of the country.

Addressing an election meeting in support of Almora candidate Pradeep Tamta, Rawat said his priority was to get development back on track, for which his government had already started doing the groundwork by taking a record number of decisions in a short span of time.

“Rehabilitation of disaster-affected families of the state is our top priority,” said Rawat.

He also claimed that his party was going to win all five seats in the state. “After the Lok Sabha elections are over, the state government will start giving shape to the decisions taken in February,” Rawat added.

The Chief Minister said when he saw the vision of linking Pithoragarh town with the aviation network of the country some 25 years ago, people said he was befooling the district as it was impossible to have air service in the district. “Today when I see the air strip at Naini Saini coming up, I remember those critics,” said Rawat.

Congress candidate from Almora seat Pradeep Tamta alleged that the BJP manifesto had nothing for the Himalayan states, but it was his relentless fight in the last five years, which yielded green bonus to all Himalayan states.

“Out of Rs 1,200 crore allocated under the head of this green bonus, 100 crore has already been released by the Union Government,” said Tamta.

Tamta said the beginning of construction of Tanakpur to Jauljibi motor road and categorisation as a national project of Tanakpur-Bageshwar and Ramnagar-Chaukhutia rail projects are his other successes, which would benefit the area immensely in future.

Gorkha morcha lends support to BJP
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 3
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), a party fighting for a separate Gorkhaland, has extended its support to the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Bimal Gurung, national president of the GJM, today urged the Gorkha community in Uttarakhand to vote in favour of the BJP candidates to ensure that Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister.

Gurung said Modi had recently assured a GJM delegation that if the BJP comes to power at the Centre it would fulfil the longstanding dreams and aspirations of the people of Darjeeling hills. He accused the Congress of going back on its promise of carving out a separate state of Gorkhaland and said while the UPA took a decision to form Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh as the 29th state of India, it forgot its promise about Gorkhaland.

Harka Bahadur Chetri, national spokesperson of the GJM and legislator from the Kalimpong Assembly segment, said there were a large number of people of the Gorkha origin living in various states of the country and they would all vote for the BJP. “We have a substantial number of voters belonging to our community living in Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar, Nainital, and Almora parliamentary constituencies in Uttarakhand. We can decide the electoral fortunes of any party. 

Congress scooter rally flagged off
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
After flagging-off a scooter rally organised by the Congress, former state president of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, said youths should create awareness among voters to cast their votes responsibly, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

She claimed Saket Bahuguna was the most deserving candidate among all contesting candidates from the Tehri parliamentary constituency. Joshi said various beneficiary schemes would be launched for welfare of the women and youth, if the Congress was once again voted to power at the Centre.

The scooter-rally commenced from Bindal bridge under Cantt Vidhan Sabha constituency, and passed through Yamuna Colony, Kishan Nagar Chowk, Ballupur, Vasant Vihar, Panditwari, before culminating at the Congress Bhawan, here today.

Speaking at the occasion, Arun Chamoli, general secretary of Congress Mahanagar cell, said participants vowed to ensure Bahuguna’s victory in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. He claimed that Congress candidates were receiving good responses from voters across the state.

Chamoli said party activists were going door-to-door to campaign in Tehri parliamentary constituency, and assured voters that their grievances would be addressed, if Bahuguna was voted to power in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Vipul Nautiyal, Dinesh Maithani, Anjana Walia and Lakhi Ram Bijalwan were present during the meeting.

BJP workers campaign in Garhi Cantt Dakra area
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, May 3
BJP workers today campaigned door to door in the Garhi Cantt Dakra ward No. 6, Lahar Gali, Durga Mandir, and Dakra Bazaar and sought votes for Mala Raj Lakshmi Shah, party candidate from the Tehri Garhwal parliamentary constituency.

The BJP workers led by Devendar Pal Singh, party vice-president of the Garhi Cantt Dakra area, met the people and distributed pamphlets seeking vote and support for Mala Raj Lakshmi.

Devendar took stock of the campaign process and stressed on the booth management. He alerted the party workers against possible attempts by other party candidates to lure voters by doling out money or other ways. He said they should report to senior party leaders and the Election Commission any such dubious activity they noticed in the area.

Later Devendar told mediapersons that the party workers had been directed to remain present at all booths along with the booth-level agents and other party officials on the polling day on May 7.

Cantt board ward member Vishnuprasad, general secretary of the BJP women's cell Prabha Shah, party leaders Lata Gupta, Anita Data, Som Bahadur, Kushal Thapa, Govind, BJP youth wing leaders Ankush Prasad Lodha, Mayur Thapa and others were present on the occasion.

Govt may give land to Coca Cola at Sitarganj
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
After Coca Cola company's plan to set up a bottling plant at Chharba (Vikasnagar) was stalled by the villagers on environmental grounds, the Uttarakhand government is now contemplating providing new land to the MNC at Sitarganj in the Kumaon region.

The move comes in the wake of Coca Cola's decision to look for an alternative site for its proposed bottling plant.

Worried that the MNC may have second thought about its project, in order to placate the MNC the government too has begun to look for the alternative site.

"We have been told that the MNC needs land where there was surplus surface water and possibly in an industrial area. We have zeroed on the Sitarganj industrial estate but the final decision would be taken only after holding deliberations at the highest level," said a senior official in the Department of Industries.

It may be recalled that the Bahuguna government had signed an agreement with the beverage giant to push for industrialisation in Vikas Nagar by giving 25 acres of land at Chharba village. This decision was met with fierce opposition from the villagers and the local panchayat even passed a resolution against the proposal.

Further, the Nainital High Court too had asked the state government to give back the 25 acres of land belonging to the villagers.

Since then the project in which the MNC had claimed that it was willing to invest more than Rs 600 crore has been in a limbo.

Now, with the new dispensation under Chief Minister Harish Rawat looking for an alternative site and zeroing in on Sitarganj, it may help in speeding up the industrialisation of Sitarganj, which also happens to be the Assembly seat of former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna. 

AAP forms human chain to lay stress on casting votes
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
Anoop Nautiyal, Aam Aadmi Party contesting candidate from Tehri parliamentary constituency, along with his supporters formed a human chain in order to create awareness on the importance of casting votes here today. The human chain was formed from Gandhi Park to Clock Tower in Dehradun.

Speaking on the occasion, Nautiyal said that the higher areas of the state lack basic amenities. He lamented that the state lacks development activities and villagers are traversing several kilometres to fetch their basic needs. He claimed that AAP candidates are gaining popularity among electors.

Nautiyal assured the gathering that he would take various decisions for overall development of constituency, if he is voted to power in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

The activists requested residents to cast their votes in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Former IAS officers SK Das and Vibha Puri Das, Ranveer Chowdhury, Sanjay Bhatt, Abhir Khan, Kamal, Atul Handa, Vinay Gupta, Ritu Dimri and Ganesh were also present.

5,521 challaned in a month for not wearing helmets
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sidhu reviewed the working of the City Patrol Unit, which has completed more than a month of its operation in Dehradun, at the Police Headquarters today.

“The patrol unit has done exemplary work in ensuring road safety and enforcing traffic rules in the city with zero tolerance approach against traffic violation,” said Sidhu. The unit has issued 5,521 challans to violators who were not wearing a helmet. Around 95% motorists in the city are wearing helmets, due to strict discipline created by the unit, claimed the DGP.

According to Sidhu, during the interaction with the 57 City Patrol Unit personnels, they were applauded for their handwork and were sensitised to be polite with the commuters.

We are going to provide the patrol unit personnels with tazer guns and on their request, their bikes would be equipped with disc brakes and self-start facility, said the DGP. On lines of the City Patrol Unit, Haridwar too is going to get its own patrol unit within the next three months and the recruitment process has already begun.

Cops search Sangwan's house in Sonepat
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3
An 18-member team of the Uttarakhand police reached Sonepat today and searched Pradeep Sangwan's house in Sector 49 there. The City Magistrate, Dehradun, had issued a search warrant against Pradeep Sangwan, owner of Joyland Water Park, in a rape and blackmail case filed against him.

“The police team seized the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer, two mobile phone memory cards and a mobile phone from Pradeep Sangwan's house for further investigation," said BS Sidhu, DGP, Uttarakhand.

The police team handed over to the Sonepat police a copy of the non-bailable warrant issued by the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Dehradun, against Pradeep Sangwan three days ago.

Notably, Pradeep Sangwan, who runs Joyland Water Park in Dehradun, is the son of late Kishan Singh Sangwan, a three-time MP from Sonepat.