The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Police to set up peace committees
Dehradun, May 27
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Garhwal Range, Amit Sinha, today convened a crime review meeting of Circle Officers (COs) of Dehradun district in the wake of the forthcoming Panchayat polls in the state. Superintendent of Police (SP) City and SP Rural were present at the meeting.

DUTY-BOUND: DIG Amit Sinha holds a meeting with police officers in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Bureaucratic reshuffle in state
Dehradun, May 27
Uttarakhand government has done a bureaucratic reshuffle in the state. Principal Secretary S Raju apart from the departments being held by him presently has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary and Commissioner, Forest and Rural Devolvement.

Tiger population on the rise in Uttarakhand, Karnataka
Dehradun, May 27
In a major boost to tiger conservation in the country, signs of presence of tigers have been recorded in the north-eastern state of Nagaland. The revelations came as part of all India tiger census under way in the country whose outcome is likely to be announced during October.

Drain-cleaning operation leaves residents, commuters fuming
Dehradun, May 27
The half-hearted approach of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) in cleaning the drains and making them monsoon ready is costing heavily to the public who have to bear the brunt of the smelly silt spreadingall around.

EYESORE: Muck and garbage removed from a drain lying on Raipur Road in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Girls outshine boys in class X, XII board exams
Dehradun, May 27
Girls continued to dominate in the class X and XII board exams. The results of the Board of School Education, Uttarakhand, were declared here today. The results were declared by Education Director CS Gawal at the Ramnagar-based Uttarakhand School Education Council.

CM lays stone of 22 development projects worth Rs 253 crore

Dehradun, May 27
A few hours before the notification of the panchayat elections came into implementation in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat today laid the foundation stone of total of 22 development projects totalling to over Rs 253 crore.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat lays the foundation stone of various development projects planned across the state, at a function in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Tributes paid to Jawaharlal Nehru
Dehradun, May 27
Chief Minister Harish Rawat paid floral tributes to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on his 50th death anniversary in a function held at Old Jail Campus, here today. Nehru was imprisoned in the Dehradun jail during freedom struggle. He garlanded a bust of Pandit Nehru at the Old Jail Campus now known as Nehru ward.
REMEMBERING THE GREAT: Chief Minister Harish Rawat garlands a statue of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Nehru ward of the erstwhile jail, where he was imprisoned during the freedom struggle, on his death anniversary in Dehradun on Tuesday

REMEMBERING THE GREAT: Chief Minister Harish Rawat garlands a statue of late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the Nehru ward of the erstwhile jail, where he was imprisoned during the freedom struggle, on his death anniversary in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Villagers fail to extract Yarsa Gumba due to fresh snowfall
Pithoragarh, May 27
Changing weather in the Himalayan areas has hit the efforts of those who go to the high Himalayan meadows to extract Yarsa Gumba. Fresh snowfall on the reaches has barred them to extract the prized drug as the areas where the drug is found are still under snow.

U’khand BJP MPs await Cabinet expansion
Dehradun, May 27
After failing to find a place in the newly constituted Cabinet of PM Narendra Modi, the BJP MPs from Uttarakhand are now waiting for a Cabinet expansion to fulfil their aspirations and are also seeking solace in the appointment of Uma Bharti as Cabinet Minister for Water Resources and Ganga cleaning.

Glorious innocence: Girls from Maharashtra wait for their performance during the All-India Dance and Theatre Festival underway in Dehradun on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Congress: Modi ignored state in govt formation
Dehradun, May 27
Congress spokesman Dheerandra Pratap today charged the BJP with ignoring Uttarakhand in the new Union government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said residents of Uttarakhand felt cheated as no BJP parliamentarian from the state was considered for a Cabinet berth by the NDA government.

BJP, Congress usurping relief funds: CPI
Mussoorie, May 27
Samar Bhandari, a national member of the CPI, speaking on the sidelines of a function in Mussoorie said the Congress and the BJP were involved in corruption and usurping the funds meant for the disaster affected people in the state.

CM assures development funds to MC councillors
Dehradun, May 27
A delegation of Municipal Corporation's Councillors' Association submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Harish Rawat at the Bijapur guest house here yesterday. Rawat assured the delegation that the state government would take every possible step to address their grievances.

Theft of equipment disrupts telecom services in Doon
Dehradun, May 27
Telecom service providers have lodged three complaints with the police against rampant thefts of TRX cards and damage caused to the telecom network and equipment in several areas like Doulipur, Bulakhwala, Sorna, Horawala and Chandrabani in Dehradun district.

Protest by Sikh community
Dehradun, May 27
The Sikh community of Dehradun under the aegis of Guru Singh Sabha held a protest against the alleged insult to Guru Granth Sahib in Haryana and submitted a memorandum for the prime minister through the district administration here today.
RELIGIOUS ANGER: Sikh community members hold a protest at the District Magistrate office in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Cellphones recovered from thief
Dehradun, May 27
Dalanwala police claimed to have arrested a mobile and vehicle thief and. It recovered mobile phones and one Activa scooter from him here yesterday. According to the police, Sandeep has been committing thefts to meet his expenses towards purchase of drugs, as he is a drug addict.

Anganwadi workers hold protest
Dehradun, May 27
Dozens of Anganwadi workers protested in support of their pending demands at district headquarter campus here today. The agitators have threatened to intensify their agitation if the state government does not accede to their demands soon.

3 held for gang-rape
Dehradun, May 27
Three persons allegedly ganged-raped one woman of their own village in the Vikasnagar police station area on Monday night. The incident reportedly took place at Rajawala village and the police have arrested the three accused on the complaint of the victim.

18-year-old boy drowns
Dehradun, May 27
An 18-year-old boy drowned in Kamalta Lake near Maldevta. The deceased has been identified as Divanshu Upadhay, a resident of Nathanpur. He, along with three of his friends, had gone to Maldevta for picnic.

Plan to instal 3.6-diameter telescope in Nainital
Pithoragarh, May 27
Prof Srikrishna Joshi, well known physicist of the country and a Padma Bhushan awardee in 2003, has said the installation of a telescope at Devsthal in Nainital will be a milestone for the astrophysicists of the country and abroad.

FCI beat Jaipur XI by seven wickets
Dehradun, May 27
FCI, Delhi, registered a comfortable 7-wicket win over Jaipur XI in a match in the ongoing 32nd All India Uttarakhand Gold Cup Cricket Tournament being played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy ground here today.

ELEGANT SHOT: A batsman plays a shot in a match in the All India Uttarakhand Gold Cup Cricket Tournament played at the Rangers College ground in Dehradun on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

	Panchayat poll from June 18 Model code of conduct comes into force as state EC accepts dates suggested by government Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 The state Election Commission will hold elections under the three-tier Panchayati Raj system for 89 blocks of 12 districts in the state from June 18. The model code of conduct for these elections has been imposed from today, the Election Commission said on Tuesday. “The commission has accepted the dates suggested by the government. Accordingly, the election schedule has been released by the commission today. Barring Haridwar district, the voting in 89 blocks would take place on June 18, June 21 and June 24. The counting would be held on June 27,” said Suberdhan, Commissioner, State Election Commission, speaking to mediapersons. Earlier, the elections were to take place in September 2013. These were postponed due to reconstruction work underway in disaster-affected areas. The polls were rescheduled for March 2014 but could not take place then. “After the Supreme Court's intervention, the state government was again tasked to prepare a new schedule for the elections in June,” he added. In the first phase, elections would be held for 28 development blocks. In the second phase, elections would be conducted for 31 development blocks. The third phase would feature polling for 30 development blocks. A total of 46,94,689 voters, of whom, 23,13,974 are female and 23,80,715 are male, would directly elect 49,337 members of gram panchayats, 7,657 pradhans of gram panchayats, 3,054 members of kshetra panchayat and 389 members of zila panchayats. Unlike the general elections and Assembly polls, for the panchayat elections, only ballot boxes would be used. “The voters would be using four ballot papers to elect their representatives. This kind of facility is not available with Electronic Voting Machines. Hence, all over India, for the panchayat elections, ballot boxes are in use,” emphasised Suberdhan. He said 8,387 voting centres and 10,516 booths would be set up for the elections. “The security arrangements would be in the hands of the state police. These would be evaluated by holding discussions with DMs and SSPs after the last date of withdrawal of nominations,” he said. The schedule Date of Nomination (for all three phases): June 2 to 5 Scrutiny of forms (for all three phases): June 6, 7 and 9 Withdrawal of nominations (for all three phases): June 10 Distribution of symbols (first phase): June 11 Distribution of symbols (second phase): June 14 Distribution of symbols (third phase): June 17 Voting (first phase): June 18 Voting (second phase): June 21 Voting (third phase): June 24 Counting of votes (for all three phases): June 27
	2008 panchayat elections Candidates told to submit spending details Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Acting rather late against the candidates who had fought the panchayat elections in 2008 and failed to submit the details of spending on their election, the State Election Commissioner Suberdhan today said the candidates would be disqualified for these elections if they fail to submit the details by June 2, the date of filing of nominations for the June panchayat elections . Brushing aside reasons for the delay in action against the defaulters, the commissioner said: ''I cannot comment on the delay in action as I was not the election commissioner at that time. However, we have issued strict warning to the candidates that they should file the expenditure details of 2008 elections by June 2, or face disqualification,'' he said. Suberdhan said: ''The candidates will have to give details of the expenditure within 30 days of their election and this would be strictly imposed for the upcoming panchayat elections,'' he said. Meanwhile, the model code would be effective in rural areas but the ongoing works and works under way in disaster-affected areas for which tenders have been floated would not be affected by the model code of conduct.
	Police to set up peace committees Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Garhwal Range, Amit Sinha, today convened a crime review meeting of Circle Officers (COs) of Dehradun district in the wake of the forthcoming Panchayat polls in the state. Superintendent of Police (SP) City and SP Rural were present at the meeting. The Circle Officers were told to set up peace committees in every police station area and organise meetings with the residents of each locality to ensure smooth conduct of three-tier Panchayat polls scheduled to take place in June. The police officers were also directed to identify sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths and find out the reasons behind their sensitivity so that corrective measures could be taken to normalise the situation in such polling booths. The officers were instructed to hold regular meetings with the police station heads, those in charge of police posts and beat constables and ensure that every police station prepares a point-wise plan for the polls. The issue of rising incidence of crime in Dehradun was also discussed. The COs were asked to take strict action to curb crime in their circle areas.
	Bureaucratic reshuffle in state Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Uttarakhand government has done a bureaucratic reshuffle in the state. Principal Secretary S Raju apart from the departments being held by him presently has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary and Commissioner, Forest and Rural Devolvement. Further, Principal Secretary S Ramswamy has been relieved of the post of Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment, and instead given the Department of Watershed Management. He will, however, continue to hold the office of Principal Secretary, Planning, Forest and Environment, External Aided Projects, Programme Implementation, Agriculture and Agriculture Education. Principal Secretary, Sainik Welfare, Dairy Development, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Sheep Rearing, Ranbir Singh, has also been given charge of Principal Secretary, Environment and Forests. Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, Excise, Vigilance and Chairman Uttarakhand Infrastructure Development Board, SS Sandhu, has been relieved of the post of Principal Secretary, Excise, and instead given additional post of Chairman, Minorities Welfare Corporation. Similarly, Principal Secretary Radha Raturi will now, apart from her current departments, will also be looking after the post of Principal Secretary, Excise. Principal Secretary MH Khan has been given additional charge of Principal Secretary, Home and Prisons. Secretary Uma Kant Panwar has also been given additional charge of Secretary, Energy and Alternate Energy.
	Tiger population on the rise in Uttarakhand, Karnataka Presence of the big cats also recorded in Nagaland Jotirmay Thapliyal Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 In a major boost to tiger conservation in the country, signs of presence of tigers have been recorded in the north-eastern state of Nagaland. The revelations came as part of all India tiger census under way in the country whose outcome is likely to be announced during October. Tiger biologist and senior scientist at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Qamar Qureshi, who has been part of WII-led tiger census in the country from the very beginning, disclosed they have come across footprints of tigers in Nagaland that are close to Assam. ''Tigers flourishing in Jeypore forest areas of Assam have started entering Nagaland. Forest areas of Nagaland touching Jeypore have also started showing signs of presence of tigers,'' Qureshi said. He said tiger population in the country was on the rise with some states like Uttarakhand and Karnataka having flourishing population of the striped cats. He said it was all the more important to take tiger population for its heavy density areas to the areas where there still is a potential for tigers. Large parts of Assam share borders with Nagaland and further with tigers in substantial numbers also in Kaziranga in Assam, their spillover coming to Nagaland cannot be ruled out. Interestingly, Nagaland's Karbi Anglong area is connected with Assam's Kaziranga that is known of its immense wildlife wealth. WII 2008 tiger census report has put the tiger population at 70 in the North East and the latest figures are bound to see an increase in number of tigers. Efforts have also been undertaken in recent years to strengthen joint wildlife conservation efforts between Nagaland and Assam. Significantly, the tiger census in the country under way presently laying much focus on North Eastern states, where lack of infrastructure and logistics support have proved to be a stumbling block in coming up with tiger figures in the seven sister states. The enumerators are also this time banking on genetic-based tiger count system. Qureshi informed that apart from camera traps, genetics-based tiger count is also be put to use in the North East, where infrastructure and logistics support that facilitate conduct of census are major challenges. Out of six tiger reserves in the North East, three are in Assam, that include Kaziranga tiger reserve, Manas tiger reserve and Nameri tiger reserve, two in Arunachal Pradesh, Namdapha tiger reserve and Pakhui tiger reserve, and one Dampa tiger reserve is in Mizoram.
	Drain-cleaning operation leaves residents, commuters fuming Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 The half-hearted approach of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) in cleaning the drains and making them monsoon ready is costing heavily to the public who have to bear the brunt of the smelly silt spreadingall around. Residents and commuters on the Raipur road are having a harrowing experience crossing the km-long stretch with filth, garbage and silt from the drain sticking to their feet or tires of the vehicles. Apart from this, the dry silt is flying all around, making it impossible to travel by foot or on a two-wheeler. Admitting that there is a delay in clearing the silt, DMC Health Inspector RK Singh said that it takes around three-four days before the garbage is cleared off the roads. ''We don't have the specialised vehicles to collect the wet silt. We have to wait for 4-5 days for the garbage to dry up and clear. We understand that many times, the cleared silt goes back in the drain and causes discomfort to the passersby, but we are helpless in this case. It is a continuous process that is repeated every fortnight to keep the broad drains clear of the silt and continuous flow of water,'' he added. Nightmare Residents and commuters on Raipur Road are having a harrowing experience crossing a km-long stretch as filth, garbage and silt from the drain stick to their feet or tyres of their vehicles. Officialspeak We don't have specialised vehicles to collect wet silt. We have to wait for 4-5 days for the garbage to dry up and clear. At present, we are helpless in this case RK Singh, DMC health inspector
	Girls outshine boys in class X, XII board exams Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Girls continued to dominate in the class X and XII board exams. The results of the Board of School Education, Uttarakhand, were declared here today. The results were declared by Education Director CS Gawal at the Ramnagar-based Uttarakhand School Education Council. A total of 3,14,058 students were registered for the class X and class XII board examination. Out of these 1,74,862 appeared for the class X examination while 1,39,196 appeared for the class XII board exam. Vijay Lakshmi Goswami of Nanakmatta-based PPSVM Inter College topped the class X board exams by securing 95.6 per cent marks. Daughter of Pooran Nath and Asha Goswami, Lakshmi scored 91 marks each in Hindi, English and Sanskrit, 100 marks in mathematics and 97 in social science. With a close margin of 95.2 per cent, the second spot was shared by Ashlesha Thapliyal and Pushkar Bora. A student of Birja Inter College Chinyalisaur in Uttarkashi district, Ashlesha scored in Hindi (96), English (97) mathematics (93), science (95), social science (95) and Sanskrit (80). Pushkar Bora, a student of Vivekanand Inter College in Almora, scored 93 in Hindi, 99 in Sanskrit, 98 in mathematics, 90 in science, 96 social science and 82 in English. The third spot was shared by Nikesh Singh Rangar and Aroma Indus who scored 95 per cent each. A student of Lakheswar-based SGSVM Higher Secondary School, Rangar scored in Hindi (98), English (91), maths (98), science (96), social science (92) and Sanskrit (86). Aroma Indus scored a total of 475 marks out of 500. A student of Almora -based Vivekanand Inter college, she scored in Hindi (98), Sanskrit (96), mathematics (95), science (95), social science (91) and English (74). Abhinav Rawat, a student of Dehradun-based Reeta Government Inter College topped the state in class XII with 92.80 per cent marks. His subject wise score is Hindi (91), English (76), mathematics (100), physics (99) and chemistry (98). The second spot was shared by Aman Saini, a student of Kashipur-based TRRRSVM Inter College, and Aayushi Verma, a student of TSSBVM Inter college in Kashipur. The duo scored 92.20 per cent to retain the second spot. Aanchal, a student RLS Chauhan Inter College, Jaspur (Udham Singh Nagar), stood third in the state by scoring 91.80 per cent. Her subject-wise score was Hindi (88), English (92), physics (94), chemistry (95) and mathematics (90). Proud moments Vijay Lakshmi Goswami of PPSVM Inter College, Nanakmatta, topped the class X board exams by securing 95.6 per cent marks. Abhinav Rawat, a student of Reeta Government Inter College, Dehradun, topped the state in the class XII board exams with 92.80 per cent marks.
	CM lays stone of 22 development projects worth Rs 253 crore Inaugurates new tehsil of Aadi Badri in Chamoli district Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 A few hours before the notification of the panchayat elections came into implementation in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat today laid the foundation stone of total of 22 development projects totalling to over Rs 253 crore. Interestingly, though the schemes are to be implemented all over the state, the foundation stone laying ceremony for all the schemes took place in Dehradun. These prominently include Rs 100 crore for upgradation of Hari Prasad Tamta Arts and Crafts Centre, Almora, and Rs 10 crore for construction of Pandit Nain Singh Mountaineering Training Centre at Munishyari in Pithoragarh. Further, improvement of interconnecting roads in Nainital city will be also be ensured apart from bettering road side furniture and other beautification works. Widening of Bhandarpani road from Ramngar to Kosi Barrage in Nainital region will also be undertaken. Moreover, in Tehri district, construction Raichauri Nakot motor way will be undertaken. Foundation stone for several other development projects for Pauri and Dehradun districts were also laid. The Chief Minister also inaugurated newly formed Aadi Badri tehsil in Chamoli district and various beneficiary schemes and projects for the welfare of local residents. He inaugurated the Anwala-Ramganga pumping project worth Rs 65.49 crore, a 33/11 KV sub-station at Tawaghat in Dharchula tehsil of Pithoragarh district, a multi-purpose dam project at Doiwala in Dehradun, and sub-stations at Bhaniyanwala, Lal Thappad, Doiwala, and Dharchula. The Chief Minister said Rs 169.51 crore had been sanctioned for the repair of damaged potable water pipelines in the disaster-hit areas of the state. The Peyjal Nigam, and the Jal Sansthan would lay 466 and 699 potable water pipelines, respectively. The officials concerned had been instructed to expedite development works in the disaster-hit areas of the state, he added.
	Tributes paid to Jawaharlal Nehru Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Chief Minister Harish Rawat paid floral tributes to the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on his 50th death anniversary in a function held at Old Jail Campus, here today. Nehru was imprisoned in the Dehradun jail during freedom struggle. He garlanded a bust of Pandit Nehru at the Old Jail Campus now known as Nehru ward. Recalling Nehru?'s contribution, Rawat said he was harbinger of world peace in modern India. He said Nehru's contribution during the freedom struggle was commendable. In another remembrance ceremony held at Congress Bhawan, Congress leaders paid floral tributes to Nehru. They remembered his contribution for the development of India. Party workers vowed to follow his footprints. They said everybody should contribute for overall development of the nation. Among those present included president women cell pradesh Congress committee, Sarojini Kainthura, former Mahanagar chairman, Lal Chand Sharma, Manish Kumar Nagpal, Tota Ram Kala, and many more.
	Villagers fail to extract Yarsa Gumba due to fresh snowfall BD Kasniyal Pithoragarh, May 27 Changing weather in the Himalayan areas has hit the efforts of those who go to the high Himalayan meadows to extract Yarsa Gumba. Fresh snowfall on the reaches has barred them to extract the prized drug as the areas where the drug is found are still under snow. “We are not in a position to extract the drug from all possible places, as the fresh snowfall is not letting the fungus sprout from caterpillars,” said Narayan Singh Dhami, a villager from a village of Drama valley. The villagers are still waiting for the fungus to come out at some areas of traditional extraction. Till last year the fungus used to sprout in the middle of May, but this year the snow has still covered tracts which grow Yarsa Gumba in the meadow of Panchachuli. “If this condition prolongs till the monsoon reaches the area, thousands of villagers who had gone to extract the drug will incur heavy losses to their livelihood as this is the only livelihood for the villagers for the last decade,” said Narayan Singh. The villagers from over 60 villages of Dharchula and Munsiyari subdivisions go to higher reaches of Himalayas these months to extract Yarsa Gumba drug , which is used in Tibetan medical system for aphrodisiac purposes. ''These thousands of villagers, with two months ration with them, are living in tents for the last one month at 12,000 feet high meadows , waiting for the melting of snow cover,” said Phirmal. Some altercations have also occurred among the villagers who are camping at these heights to get monopoly over the tracts, where the drug is extracted from.
	U’khand BJP MPs await Cabinet expansion Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 After failing to find a place in the newly constituted Cabinet of PM Narendra Modi, the BJP MPs from Uttarakhand are now waiting for a Cabinet expansion to fulfil their aspirations and are also seeking solace in the appointment of Uma Bharti as Cabinet Minister for Water Resources and Ganga cleaning. Along with MPs from Uttarakhand, MPs from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan were also overlooked, which in turn has given rise to expectations and a possibility of a future Cabinet expansion among BJP leaders. “All is not lost, we are hopeful that at least one of our MPs would find a place in the Cabinet, whenever the PM goes for an expansion in the near future,” said Khazan Das, vice president of the BJP. However, the omission of BJP MPs from the Cabinet has come as a let down for the party that was hoping that an MP from Uttarkhand, if included in the cabinet, would be able to serve the interest of the state better, especially when the state was still recovering from the mid-June disaster last year. “Narinder Modi has already promised a separate policy for the Himalayan states. It would be interesting to watch how it enfolds in the coming days. Had one of our MPs found a place in the Cabinet, it would have helped the cause of the state. But we are happy that senior BJP leader Uma Bharti whose love for the state is well known has been entrusted with the responsibilities of an important Department of Water Resources and Ganga Cleaning,” said Ajay Bhatt, Leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly. Though Uma Bharti has climbed down on several issues, there is certainly a degree of unease on the future of power projects and how the newly elected minister would navigate the issue. More so after the state government has decided to approach the Supreme Court for starting of stalled projects. Several projects were stalled after the mid-June disaster. “We are happy that cleaning of the Ganga has gained importance under the new government, ” said Ravi Chopra of People’s Science Institute.
	Congress: Modi ignored state in govt formation Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Congress spokesman Dheerandra Pratap today charged the BJP with ignoring Uttarakhand in the new Union government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said residents of Uttarakhand felt cheated as no BJP parliamentarian from the state was considered for a Cabinet berth by the NDA government. Dheerandra Pratap told mediapersons here that the elected BJP parliamentarians from the state had failed to make their presence felt at the national level. He said octogenarian Maj Gen BC Khanduri (retd) was also not included in the Narendra Modi Cabinet despite the fact that he was a senior and experienced MP. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately sanction Rs 4,000 crore for carrying out development works in the disaster-hit areas of the state. Dheerandra Pratap said the proposed Vidhan Sabha session on June 10 would prove helpful in ushering in development in hill areas of the state. Former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had held a Cabinet meeting at Gairsain in Chamoli district for the first time and now an Assembly session was scheduled there. He added that the Congress-led state government was committed to the overall development of the state.
	BJP, Congress usurping relief funds: CPI Tribune News Service Mussoorie, May 27 Samar Bhandari, a national member of the CPI, speaking on the sidelines of a function in Mussoorie said the Congress and the BJP were involved in corruption and usurping the funds meant for the disaster affected people in the state. “The Congress Party in power was busy usurping the funds that was collected following the natural disaster last year and the silence of the BJP on the issue is indicative that it was also the silent partner in the share of the funds meant for the disaster-affected region in the state,” he added. He demanded that the Central Government should come up with a white paper and explain to the people of the state about how the funds were being utilised till now. He said the BJP was now in the Centre and if it cared for the disaster affected people, it should take more proactive stand on the issue, instead of being a silent partner to the Congress in the state.

	Anganwadi workers hold protest Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Dozens of Anganwadi workers protested in support of their pending demands at district headquarter campus here today. The agitators have threatened to intensify their agitation if the state government does not accede to their demands soon. A memorandum highlighting five pending demands was submitted to Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, through district magistrate. The agitators gathered at district headquarters campus and shouted anti-department slogans. The agitators demanded to reinstate take-home ration facility and sought hike in perks. The agitators said that it has become extremely difficult for them to store ration at anganwadi centres, as few centres are functioning in the verandah. The agitators demanded to increase the building rent by Rs 3000 and Rs 750 in the industrial and urban areas, respectively.
	3 held for gang-rape Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 Three persons allegedly ganged-raped one woman of their own village in the Vikasnagar police station area on Monday night. The incident reportedly took place at Rajawala village and the police have arrested the three accused on the complaint of the victim. According to the police, taking advantage of the darkness on Monday night, the three accused, Neetu, Rashid and Rinku, broke into the house of 35-year-old woman and allegedly gang-raped her. Reportedly, the victim then told the incident to the villagers who informed the police about the assault. Later, the three accused were hunted by the police and were arrested while they were trying to escape. The police are claiming that the three accused are drug addicts and were sent to jail after being presented before the court. Meanwhile, the victim has undergone a medical test and she also registered her statement before the magistrate.
	18-year-old boy drowns Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 An 18-year-old boy drowned in Kamalta Lake near Maldevta. The deceased has been identified as Divanshu Upadhay, a resident of Nathanpur. He, along with three of his friends, had gone to Maldevta for picnic. According to his friends, he jumped into the lake and disappeared. They reported the matter to the Maldevta police control room. Later, divers were called from Rishikesh, who retrieved his body. His father died four years ago.
	Plan to instal 3.6-diameter telescope in Nainital Our Correspondent Pithoragarh, May 27 Prof Srikrishna Joshi, well known physicist of the country and a Padma Bhushan awardee in 2003, has said the installation of a telescope at Devsthal in Nainital will be a milestone for the astrophysicists of the country and abroad. Dr Joshi was speaking during the inauguration of a planetarium at the Aryabhatt Research Institute of Observational Sciences (AIRES) in Nainital. He said the Rs. 210 crore project given to the institute would help boost astrophysical and astronomical studies world over. For these studies the physicists from across the world would visit Nainital. “Aires has done a remarkable work in the last 10 years. It has stalled a 1.3 diameter telescope for space observation and installed a state of the art library and science centre,” said Dr Joshi. Acting director of the institute Dr Bahauddin said the installation of mega telescope was delayed due to transportation and other hurdles posed as the project was located in a remote and inaccessible area.
	FCI beat Jaipur XI by seven wickets Tribune News Service Dehradun, May 27 FCI, Delhi, registered a comfortable 7-wicket win over Jaipur XI in a match in the ongoing 32nd All India Uttarakhand Gold Cup Cricket Tournament being played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy ground here today. Jaipur XI lost the toss and was put into bat first. They scored 191 runs in 40 overs with Robin Bist scoring the highest 39 runs, followed by 38 runs in as many balls by Sidhant Dobhal. In the end, Rituraj's 22 runs helped Jaipur XI in setting a fighting score. For FCI, Rajender Bist took 2 wickets in the innings. During the chase, the batsmen of FCI put up a brilliant bating show. Nitin Saini and Paras Dogra who scored unbeaten 77 and 58 runs, respectively, and won the match for their team. Akhil Lamba took 2 wickets for Jaipur XI. In the second match of the day, CWC, Delhi, defeated NER, Lucknow, by 7 wickets. CWC, Delhi, won the toss and asked the Lucknow team to bat first. Opener Saurabh Dubey played a majestic knock of 151 runs in 106 balls while Prashant Awasthi scored 40 runs, helping their team to place a huge score of 267 runs on board. While chasing the huge total, the CWC team got off to a brilliant start with both openers Amit Beri and Shashank Negi scoring 84 and 41 runs, respectively. Sultan Ansari came up with a match-winning knock of 108 runs in just 88 balls. Sultan also won the man of the match award.