assembly byelections
Cong, BJP may prop up rebels in Someshwar, Dharchula
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 23
Both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are expected to face rebel candidates in the Dharchula as well as Someshwar Assembly byelections. While BD Joshi, a senior Congress leader of Dharchula, who was denied a position of a member of Block Development Committee (BDC), has announced he would fight the Assembly byelection from Dharchula, Rekha Arya, a BJP leader from Someshwar Assembly seat, has also announced she would contest the election from Someshwar. She has blamed the BJP leadership of deceiving her.

Rekha Arya, who made an entry into politics in Almora in 2003 and won the Zila Panchayat seat in Almora, contested Assembly elections from Someshwar in 2012 and was defeated. She took BJP membership on the assurance that she would be given the Lok Sabha ticket from Almora seat the following year.

“After I became a BJP member on March 26, 2013, I was assured by the party that my name would be considered on top priority for the Lok Sabha elections from Almora seat, but due to interference of a top RSS leader, my name was dropped,” alleged Rekha Arya. She was speaking at a press conference at Almora today. She expressed her intention to contest on a Congress ticket if the party decides in her favour.

According to Rekha Arya, when she protested before the party high command after her name was dropped from consideration for the Almora seat this year, she was assured she would be given ticket from Someshwar Assembly seat in the byelection after the seat gets vacant. “BJP leaders are again trying to deceive me and give ticket to the brother of BJP MP from Almora or other contestants,” charged Rekha Arya.

Congress leadership from Almora unit has consented on giving Rekha a ticket from Someshwar seat. According to Congress sources, Rekha has quite some following there. “As we have decided to recommend a ticket to Rekha Arya from Someshwar, the announcement may be made in the coming two or three days,” said Rajendra Barakoti, a Congress leader in Almora.

In Dharchula Assembly seat, the BJP has almost decided to give ticket to Congress rebel BD Joshi as the latter is warming up to BJP leaders with the intent of contesting against the Chief Minister from Dharchula seat. “BD Joshi has contacted me on the telephone and expressed his willingness to contest on a BJP ticket. If he takes up the party membership and then apply, his name may be considered from Dharchula,” said Prakash Pant, BJP state general secretary.

BD Joshi last week blamed the Congress and its top leadership in the state for dropping his name as a party contestant for BDC polls.

Banshidhar Tiwari takes charge as MNA on temporary basis
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Banshidhar Tiwari, secretary, Musoorrie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), has been assigned the charge of the Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (MNA) of Dehradun Municipal Corporation (DMC) on temporary basis.

Earlier, District Magistrate BVRC Purushottam, was the officiating MNA.

It may be noted that Tiwari was earlier holding the charge of officiating upper Mukhya Nagar Adhikari. Speaking to The Tribune, Mayor Vinod Chamoli said the move of giving additional charge of the MNA to some other department’s official was not correct as the MNA was a full time job that required a lot of attention and time.

“The entire work of the DMC revolves around the MNA and under no circumstances can a person with an officiating charge be able to do justice to the seat. Moreover, the officiating MNA is not given the financial powers as a result of which no new project can be implemented,” said Chamoli.

“We have taken up the issue of appointing a regular MNA with the chief minister several times, but to no avail. Around 90 per cent of the important staff positions are lying vacant at the DMC, which is hampering work to a large extent,” he added.

It may be recalled that following the removal of previous MNA Ashok Kumar, owing to his failure in tackling the deteriorating civic conditions, Purushottam was given an additional charge of MNA.

Now, since Purushottam was appointed as the private secretary to the Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaihah Naidu, Tiwari was given the additional charge.

In the past, some Congress councilors had also staged demonstration demanding the handling of portfolios by the officials on full-time basis. They had alleged that 
due to the additional charge being given to the officials from other government departments, the work was suffering at the DMC. 

Forest officials apprised of REDD plus programme
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Deforestation on large scale contributes to greenhouse gas emission besides fossil fuels. The Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD plus) programme under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) intends to provide incentives to developing countries for curbing deforestation and forest degradation besides sustainable management of forests. At the recently concluded UN climate change conference in Warsaw (Poland), countries agreed on a Warsaw REDD plus framework.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day training workshop on the programme for officers of Indian Forest Service at Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dr Alok Saxena, Additional Director, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), said the REDD plus programme could improve the lives of the people living in forest areas. “The local communities who have been conserving the forests for long can be benefited financially by REDD plus projects,” he said.

Dr Saxena urged the forest officers to document the carbon benefits flowing from the forests in the country and to develop a system of payments to the communities living in forests. Dr SP Singh, DDG (Administration), ICFRE, said capacity building was a must for forest officers and other front line forest staff. Dr TP Singh, Assistant Director General, Biodiversity and Climate Change, ICFRE, spoke on the importance of the REDD plus programmes. VRS Rawat, 
Additional Director, ICFRE, spoke on the importance of the REDD plus programme in international climate change negotiations.

Couple pens book on legendary Sam Manekshaw
Parwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Field marshal Sam Manekshaw may not be alive today, but for this couple he will always be with them and guide them through thick and thin.

Serving as the Aide-De-Camp (ADC) of the former Army chief for nearly six years helped Brig (retd) Behram M Panthaki gather a lot of memories of Manekshaw, whom he describes as a General for whom his men were the most important in the world.

In the city to be part of the golden jubilee reunion of his course that passed out in February 1964, Brig Panthaki (retd) and his wife Zenobia, now settled in Washington DC, shared the memories of the times spent with Manekshaw.

“My first tryst with the General was just before passing out of the Indian Military Academy. I had opted for the Gorkha Rifles (GR), but was given the Corps of Signals. That is when a senior officer asked me to speak to General Mankeshaw. I was not only given GR, but a few months later I was taken as the ADC of General Manekshaw. Since then I developed a strong bonding with him. Over the years we shared a lot of personal and professional secrets,” he said.

Sharing her experiences, Zenobia said, “He was the most humane soul I have ever come across in my life. Despite being a high-ranked officer, Manekshaw interacted with the troops on a regular basis and took every step to resolve their grievances.”

Zenobia recalled an incident and said once General Manekshaw told my husband that he would have a Parsi breakfast at our house. “Somehow despite the best efforts, the omelet didn’t turn out well. He told my husband to send me to my mother’s house and learn how to cook. I can’t afford to have a hungry ADC, Manekshaw told my husband,” she added.

The couple has together authored a book titled, ‘Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw: The Man and His Times’. They will donate the proceeds of the book to the organisations helping the war widows.

TET certificate holders stage demonstration
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
B Ed and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) cleared teachers held a protest at the Education Directorate here today. The protest was in support of their demand for increase in government posts of teachers. The protesters sought completion of the ongoing recruitment process at the earliest.

The general secretary of B Ed TET qualified association, Amit Kashyap, blamed the state government for deliberately delaying the recruitment process of B Ed teachers and playing with the future of thousands of educated youth.

Addressing members of the association, the speakers threatened to intensify the stir if the government did not pay heed to their demands. They said the government must finish the ongoing recruitment process in accordance with the notification issued.

Gajendra Joshi, Sumit Chauhan, Surendra Rawat, Rajni Kandari, Vijay Nautiyal, Suresh Negi and others were present during the protest.

Chakrata man caught with drugs, jailed in Malaysia
Shaurya Karanbir Gurung
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23
Languishing at the Pulau Pinang Prison in Malaysia, Sanjay Singh Chauhan wrote a letter to his father in October last year, informing him that he had been sentenced to death.

Twenty-three-year-old Sanjay, who belongs to Chakrata in Uttarakhand, had boarded a flight from Delhi to Penang, Malaysia, on September 28 last year. He was caught by the customs officials at the Penang airport for allegedly possessing 3 kg of a synthetic drug called Ice, which was hidden in a cavity of his suitcase.

In his letter, Sanjay wrote that he had been lured to transport the suitcase by Danish Khan, who allegedly works at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, and a Manipuri woman, Lalla Ramabati, aka Dinda.

Atar Singh Chauhan, a relative of Sanjay, in his statement given to the Delhi Police said Sanjay had met Danish and Dinda while he worked for a company called Premium Port Lounge Management Company Private Limited last year. The company runs business and first class lounges at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Sanjay was working as an attendant to passengers visiting these lounges.

Atar with advocate K S Negi had met Sanjay at the Penang prison on May 30 this year. According to Atar’s statement, Danish had introduced himself to Sanjay as a manager of GMR, which runs the IGI Airport. “Danish had induced him to pay Rs 50,000 for ensuring that his job continues, which was ending on May last year. Sanjay had transferred the money to Danish’s account,” reads Atar’s statement. Later, Danish took Sanjay to a company called Cargo International Aviation, which has its office in south Delhi’s Mahipalpur locality. There Sanjay was introduced to Riyadh Khan and Dinda, who worked for the company. Danish had allegedly informed Sanjay that he would be given a permanent job in Cargo International Aviation, if he delivers a small parcel of the company abroad. On June 2 last year, Sanjay allegedly went to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, via a flight from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur.

“At Johor Bahru, a woman named Judi, who is in charge of Cargo International Aviation in Malaysia, met him and took the parcel. For this assignment Riyadh paid him Rs 20,000 in July,” said Atar in his statement.

In September last year, Danish and Riyadh allegedly booked a Cathay Pacific Airlines flight ticket for Sanjay to Penang from Delhi. “Riyadh and Dinda gave Sanjay a suitcase containing branded clothes, which was to be given to Judi at Johor Bahru,” reads the statement.

Sanjay’s letter to his father mentions that he had checked the suitcase and didn’t find anything besides clothes. “The x-ray machine at the Delhi airport didn’t suspect anything in the bag. When I reached the airport at Malaysia, the authorities there told me that there is something stuck inside the cover of the suitcase. They broke it open and found two packets containing medicines. I didn’t know that the company indulges in this kind of business. I didn’t deliberately take these drugs. I was trapped by these people (Dinda and Danish), who were running a fraudulent company,” reads the letter.

Sanjay’s maternal uncle, Anand Chauhan, said Sanjay had informed Negi and Atar that there were at least 10 more boys like him who were sent to different countries with suitcases like the one he was carrying. “He does not know where they are,” says Anand.

Sanjay’s next date of hearing at the Malaysian High Court is on July 7. “Atar and Negi have also learned that his case is still at the trial stage. When he was arrested he was informed by the judicial court concerned that the punishment for possessing drugs is death. And he thought that he had been sentenced to death,” said Anand.

Last October, Sanjay’s family had approached the Delhi Police to lodge a complaint against Danish and Dinda. “The police checked the case and told us that because Sanjay was caught abroad and hence the case did not fall under their jurisdiction,” claimed Anand.

In January, Sanjay’s family wrote a letter to Salman Khurshid, the then External Affairs Minister. But they claim that they did not receive a reply to their pleas for bringing back Sanjay, according to Anand.

Finally, in May they lodged a complaint with the Uttarakhand Police. A zero First Information Report (FIR) was registered and it was transferred to the Delhi Police. A zero FIR can be registered at any police station across India, even though the crime did not take place under the jurisdiction of that police station.

Delhi Police sources said the FIR had been registered under the IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) at the IGI Airport Police Station.

The police, meanwhile, are investigating whether Sanjay is a victim or an accused in this “international drug racket” case. “We are looking at both angles. If he is a victim then we are determining who are the accused. But we are also probing whether he genuinely was not aware that he was carrying drugs. After all he had earlier carried such a suitcase in June last year,” explained police sources.

“Our prime concern is that the government should pursue this case and stall his death penalty, until our investigation proves that he is a victim or an accused in the case,” said the sources.

The local police have written a letter to their police headquarters, requesting for procurement of documents pertaining to the case, including judicial documents. The letter will be sent to the CBI. If the CBI approves the letter, then the judicial court in Delhi, will send a “letter rogatory” or letter of request.  

Search for bodies of disaster victims continues
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
The task force set up to recover the bodies of the victims of the Kedarnath tragedy last year will continue its operations on the Gaurikund-Rambara stretch.

After the recovery of human skeletons in the forests near the Kedarnath shrine on June 14 this year, the task force, headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) GS Martolia, started the combing of the 5-km stretch.

“We have recovered 47 skeletons from the forests between Gaurikund and Rambara in the past 10 days. We are searching every possible place, which might have been accessible to the victims of the tragedy for shelter,” said Martolia. However, the task force failed to find any skeleton in the past three days. “We will continue our combing operation in the Kedar valley till we are not fully satisfied,” said Martolia.

Notably, the task force, comprising 22 members, has collected DNA samples of every skeleton found from the forests of the Kedar valley and cremated them.

The DNA samples have been sent to a forensic lab in Dehradun. 

Himalayan Tsunami

• 47 skeletons recovered from forests between Gaurikund and Rambara in the past 10 days.

Panchayat polls: Preparations for third phase complete
Tribune News Service

Polling parties prepare for the third phase of the panchayat polls at Doiwala near Dehradun on Monday. A Tribune photograph

Dehradun, June 23
The State Election Commission has completed preparations for holding the third and final phase of panchayat elections for 2,548 gram panchayats tomorrow.

In the final phase, elections will be held for 16,721 posts of members of gram panchayats, 2,548 posts of pradhans of gram panchayats, 1,034 posts of members of kshetra panchayats and 134 posts of members of zila panchayats, falling in 30 development blocks of 12 districts.

A total of 2,886 polling centres and 3,777 polling booths would be set up for the final phase. The elections have been held for 59 development blocks in 12 districts of the state. In the first phase, 69.59 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase while the second phase saw 70 per cent voter turnout.

Remarks against Shirdi Sai Baba create furore
Tribune News Service

Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati

Haridwar, June 23
Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, the head of Hindu “maths” Jyotish Peeth and Dwarka Peeth, stirred up a controversy by making a controversial statement about Shirdi Sai Baba today.

Shankaracharya said Sai Baba should not be worshipped as god as it was a conspiracy hatched by some foreign organisations to weaken the unity among Hindus. He said the construction of temples in the name of Sai Baba across the country was as an attempt to weaken the Shri Ram temple movement.

Citing the Sanatan Dharma, he added that in Kalyuga there was no mention of any other incarnation of Lord Vishnu except Kalki and Lord Buddha.

Meanwhile, the controversial statement evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters. Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad spokesperson Baba Hatyogi said he respected Jagadguru Shankaracharya and if devotees found solace in the teachings of Sai Baba, then they should not be stopped from worshipping him.Saint Sachivanand of the Sant Kabeer Panth sect said the God was one and religion should not be made a trade.

Meanwhile, many Sai Baba followers said Adi Shankaracharya had established four “maths” but never criticised any religion or sect so Swami Swaroopanand should not hurt religious beliefs of others.  

Wedding hall owners meet Vinod Chamoli
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Irked over the illegal wedding point sealing drive being conducted by the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA), members of Dehradun Mandap Keeper Association met Mayor Vinod Chamoli and sought his intervention.

Harbhajan Singh Anand, president of the association, said the MDDA should not seal old wedding points that fulfil all requirements. “A majority of the wedding points comply with provisions relating to ample parking space, sanitation and sound pollution. In fact, the wedding points are also a major contributor to the government exchequer by way of taxes and bills. Despite this, the MDDA is bent upon closing all the wedding points in the city,” he said.

“The wedding points located in the rural areas are also not being spared. Any wedding that takes place at such a place is conducted only after getting a no-objection certificate from the authorities concerned. Since 2006, none of the building plans submitted by the mandap keepers have been cleared by the MDDA,” said Anand.

Assuring the members of a solution, Chamoli said those wedding points that do not fulfil the requirements pertaining to parking space and electricity would be sealed. “MDDA should also regularise those wedding points that fulfil the requirement, besides clearing the backlog of building plans,” said the Mayor.

CM urges Centre to provide 100 satellite phones

Dehradun, June 23
Chief Minister Harish Rawat today urged the Centre to provide 100 satellite phones to Uttarakhand. The CM, who is admitted to AIIMS, Delhi, following a spine injury, wrote to Union Home Minister Rrajnath Singh that the state should be provided satellite phones for effective communication during any disaster-like situation.

He said the state fell under high seismic zone and had witnessed flash floods a number of times. He said it had become necessary to prepare for such situations in future. Harish Rawat said satellite phones and the licence to use them were required for better disaster management in the state. — TNS

Polling parties leave for Pithoragarh, Champawat
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 23
Polling parties today left for their respective election booths for the third phase of the three-tier panchayat elections to be held in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts on June 24.

Polling will be held in one block of Champawat and three blocks of Pithoragarh. Meanwhile, polling parties that conducted the first and second phases of the elections have returned to the block headquarters and deposited the ballot boxes in strongrooms. Bin, Moonakot and Kanalichina blocks in Pithoragarh will go to polls on 
Tuesday.

“For over 43,452, 35,705, and 34,716 voters in theBin , Moonakot and Kanalichina blocks, respectively, two gazetted officers, five inspectors, 60 sub-inspectors, 34 head constables and 515 constables have been deputed at polling booths,” said Roshan Lal Sharma, SP, Pithoragarh.

As many as 65,216 voters in Champawat block will elect 104 gram pradhans, 36 BDC members and six zila panchayat members. “ We have been ordered to seal the Indo- Nepal border adjoining the district on Tuesday,” said AK Upadhaya, returning officer for the district.

“Amid heavy security, the strongrooms will be opened on the day of counting,” said the District Election Officer, Pithoragarh. 

Voting for vacant posts in July

Dehradun, June 23
Uttarakhand Election Commissioner Suverdhan yesterday said the election for vacant posts of Gram Panchayat member and Gram Panchayat Pradhans will take place at the end of July.

Addressing a press conference in Dehradun today, Uttarakhand Election Commissioner Suverdhan said a total of 14,942 posts of Gram Panchayat members and 24 posts of Gram Pradhans are vacant as no one contested for these posts in the Panchayat elections currently underway. He said a proposal had been sent to the government for holding elections to these vacant posts in July.

Suverdhan pointed out that the first two phases of panchayat elections have passed off peacefully and only the third phase is now left.He said while 69.59 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase, 70 per cent votes were polled in the second phase. — TNS

Better civic amenities during Ramzan sought
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Members of Tanzeem-e-Rehnuma-e-Millat today staged a protest over water and power supply as also sanitation problems. A memorandum was submitted to District Magistrate Chandresh Yadav.

Addressing the protesters, the organisation’s president Latafat Hussain said the situation in the state capital was pathetic and the departments concerned were doing nothing to improve the situation. It was getting worse with each passing day, he added.

“With the onset of the festive season, power, water and sanitation conditions are likely to deteriorate further. Neither the state government nor the local administration is taking any step to control the situation,” he said.

The protesters requested immediate intervention of the authorities to solve the problems so that the residents could enjoy the festive season.

Kanwar yatra: State police seek help 
from UP counterparts
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 23
The Uttarakhand Police have sought cooperation from its Uttar Pradesh counterparts for managing rush during the Kanwar pilgrimage beginning next month. Nearly 2 crore Kanwariyas are expected to throng the city to fetch holy water from the Ganga.

A majority of these Kanwariyas come from Uttar Pradesh. Those from Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab also use the Gaziabad-Badrinath Mana and Muzaffarnagar-Haridwar NH-58 to enter Haridwar.

Managing and diverting traffic is a tough task during the Kanwar pilgrimage, and therefore the state police have sought help from its UP counterparts.

A meeting of police officials from both states was held at the city control room, near Har-ki-Pauri, here yesterday. It was presided over by Uttarakhand ADGP, law and order, Ram Singh Meena.

It was decided that police officials from both states would remain in touch regarding the movement of Kanwariyas and other activities. A traffic diversion plan during the peak Kanwar days, especially during Dak Kanwar, was also discussed.

Haridwar SSP Sadanand Date said since Maha Shivratri and Alvida Juma were falling on the same day, the police of both states was required to be more vigilant. A discussion on a district-wise traffic diversion plan and security arrangements was also held. It was also decided that the yatra on the Kanwar patri, a track adjacent to the Ganga canal, will not be allowed during night hours.

Uttarakhand DIG, Garhwal Range, Amit Singha, SP, Pauri, Ajay Joshi, SP (Haridwar city) Surjeet Singh Pawar, SP (Haridwar rural) Ajay Singh, SP, Dehradun, Ajay Rautella, SP, Tehri, Mukhtar Mohsin, IPS trainee, Haridwar, Tripti Bhatt and city circle officer Chandra Mohan Negi were present on the occasion. From Uttar Pradesh, DIG, Saharanpur, N Ravindra, District Magistrate, Muzaffarnagar, Kaushal Raj Sharma, SP, traffic, Meerut, PK Tiwari, ADM, Gaziabad, attended the meeting.

RRMRA win by 4 wickets
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy (RRMRA) registered a four-wicket win over DPSI, Meerut, in the ongoing Under-19 Continental Cricket Cup match at Tanush Cricket Academy here today.

After winning the toss and electing to bat first, DPSI, Meerut, scored 110 runs with Ankit scoring the highest 43 runs. Deepak made 17 runs. For RRMRA, Anil Bhandari and Nikhil took three wickets each.

In reply, RRMRA got off to a good start.

Opener Nikhil remained unbeaten on 63. For the Meerut team, Amit took the highest three wickets.

In the second match of the day, Green Rock defeated Rising Star by five wickets. After being put to bat first, Rising Star made 97 runs.

Pollard (24) Mari (16) and Vishal (12) were the main contributors for Rising Star.

Chintoo and Rahul took three wickets each. Ankit Dhama’s inning of 50 runs ensured victory for Green Rock as they achieved the target easily. 

Cong workers protest rail fare hike 

Dehradun, June 23
Congress workers today expressed resentment against the rail fare hike as they presented flowers to station superintendent of Dehradun railway station, SD Dobhal, here today.

The activists lamented that the Union Government had not taken a good decision by announcing hike in rail fares.

The party activists led by chief of state Congress Committee, Kishore Upadhayay, presented flowers to Dobhal. The activists expressed concern that the prices of essential and general commodities would also increase with the hike in freight charges.

The activists threatened to intensify their agitation, if the BJP-led NDA Government did not quash hike in rail fares soon.

Lal Chand Sharma, Vijay Chauhan, Ashok Kohli, Anoop Kapoor, Arjun Sonkar, Anand Tyagi, Nagesh Raturi, Rahul Sharma and Mukesh Kumar were also present on the occasion. — TNS

SDRF recovers bodies of house collapse victims

Dehradun, June 23
State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) personnel have recovered bodies of three persons who were trapped under debris after two houses collapsed during heavy rainfall on Friday at Saima village in Chamoli district.

The SDRF has recovered the bodies of Kamla Devi and her two children, Harendra and Abhishek. On Friday, two houses in the village reportedly collapsed due to heavy rainfall and three people were feared trapped under the debris. — TNS

Staff outsourced by UPNAL await salaries
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
The employees outsourced by the Uttarakhand Poorv Sainik Nigam Limited (UPNAL) as lab and office assistants under the Rashtriya Mahyamik Siksha Abhiyan (RAMSA) are irked over not receiving their salaries in the form of honorarium since March 2012.

Bhavesh Jagudi, state president of the UPNAL, said yesterday the affected employees had been serving various schools and colleges in the state for the past several years, but despite that, they have not received their salaries in the form of honorarium amounting to Rs 7,757 since March 2012 till June 2014.

He said several families have not been able to admit their children to school due to the paucity of funds.

He demanded that the UPNAL officials should release salaries of the employees at the earliest.

The UPNAL officials said they did not receive the budget and as soon as the amount is received, the employees will be paid without any delay. 

Three tragic deaths reported from KumaonOur Correspondent

Pithoragarh, June 23
Pre-monsoon rain, swollen rivulets and rivers were among the causes of deaths in Kumaon region in the past 24 hours.

According to police sources, in Lohaghat sub-division of Champawat district, two youths, Ankit (12) and Gaurav (15) were swept away by a swollen rivulet near their village when they were trying to cross the rivulet. “After a passer-by informed the 108 emergency medical service, the youths were brought to a local hospital where they were declared brought dead,” said Manoj Raturi, a police inspector at Lohaghat police station. After postmortem, the bodies have been handed over to their relatives for last rites.

In Ramnagar area, Ravi Kumar, resident of Moradabad, drowned in the swollen Kosi river when he entered the river to take a bath. The body, which was found in the river after two hours, was handed over to relatives of the deceased after postmortem.

A sales manager with a Delhi-based mobile company died near Haldwani today when the car he was driving met with an accident involving a truck. “The car driver Puran Singh (40), who was going to Almora from New Delhi, died on the spot. His father Laxman Singh (65) was injured seriously,” said Kailash Bhainsora, a police inspector in Haldwani police station.

Meanwhile, according to information received from Rudrapur, the body of a 27-year-old youth was found by a tree near a factory. Police believe it to be a case of suicide and probe is on.

5 feared drowned in Alaknanda

Dehradun: Five persons were feared drowned in the swirling waters of the Alaknanda at Benakuli village in Chamoli on Sunday evening.

The mishap took place when the temporary rope bridge the victims were using to cross the river collapsed. The deceased are Manish, Sooraj, Kuldeep, Nabbu and Manoj, all residents of Chamoli district.

The bodies are yet to be recovered as the administration could not launch a search operation last evening. It started on Monday.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has expressed grief over the accident. He has directed the district administration to hold a probe into the mishap. — TNS

No respite from traffic snarls in Mussoorie
Tribune News Service

A traffic jam on the Mussoorie-Dehradun road on Monday. A tribune photograph.

Mussoorie, June 23
Traffic snarls continue to be an everyday affair in the town despite tall claims made by the administration that all bottlenecks would be removed prior to the start of the tourist season.

Commuters using the Kholukhet stretch are the worst hit as long traffic jams due to an eco-tax barrier there is a common sight. The problem aggravates on the weekend when people from the nearby cities and towns, including Dehradun, also head to Mussoorie to get relief from the searing heat.

On the King Craig-Kempty Falls route, tourists have to wait for several hours. Vehicles move at a snail’s pace.

Local residents blame the local administration for this inconvenience, as they feel, it has failed to chalk out a plan to streamline traffic.

Madhusudan, a local resident, said despite clear directions of the Dehradun District Magistrate and the SP (city) regarding the removal of bottlenecks before the advent of the tourist season, there was no respite in sight from traffic snarls in Mussoorie .

He said they had been demanding adequate parking facility in the town for the past several decades, but nothing had been done so far.

On the other hand, circle officer, Mussoorie, Jaya Baloni said they were making all efforts to streamline traffic. He said they were chalking out a new traffic plan.

MC president Manmohan Singh Mall said a proposal with regard to the construction of a new parking lot had been sent to the administration several times, but nothing had been done so far. 

State grapples with shortfall in number of IAS officers 
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Efficient running of the government is being hampered by a shortage of IAS officers in the state. Uttarakhand is struggling with the shortfall for the past five years.

Against the sanctioned strength of 120, the state has only 78 IAS officers. Of these, 14 are on central deputation.

The shortage is acute at the level of additional secretaries as against a requirement for 44 officers, the state has only 11 additional secretaries.

Similarly, against the sanctioned strength of 21 secretaries, only seven secretaries are holding portfolios. As such, the governance is largely dependent on six principal secretaries holding the charge of important portfolios.

“If you have too many portfolios, you cannot devote much time to one particular issue. At times, an emergency may arise in two departments at the same time. An officer holding dual responsibilities cannot be expected to deal with two different subjects at the same time,” said Subhash Kumar, Chief Secretary.

With fewer bureaucrats, several officers are burdened with multiple responsibilities. The situation is such that a secretary posted as the director in a department is also the secretary of another department. Similarly, an IAS officer posted as secretariat in Dehradun is also forced to take care of outdoor work which creates problems. As of now, Shailesh Bagauli is Additional Secretary in three departments, director in three departments, managing director in two departments and programme manager in one department.

After the natural disaster in the state last year, there is an urgent need to send officials to the affected districts. However, the government’s choices are limited as most of the officers dread to go to difficult districts.

“At times, an IAS officer may not posses the requisite qualities and may not be capable enough to be posted as District Magistrate. However, with this kind of shortfall and limited options, he is anyhow posted,” said a senior official.

Grim scenario n Against the sanctioned strength of 120, the state has only 78 IAS officers. Of these, 14 are on Central deputationn Against a requirement for 44 additional secretaries, the state has 11

• Against the sanctioned strength of 21 secretaries, seven secretaries are holding portfolios.

Ministers to look after work in CM’s absence
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Surendra Kumar, media advisor to Chief Minister Harish Rawat said the cabinet ministers would look after the Chief Minister’s office related work on rotation basis, till he recuperates from his illness. The roster of cabinet ministers would be finalised by the party high command.

Addressing mediapersons today, Kumar said Indira Hridayesh, state Finance Minister, has been given the authority to sort out all the inter-ministerial pending cases with help of Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar.

He said Hridayesh was given the powers to sort out issues related to the government employees after a discussion with the cabinet ministers.

He said the residents were requested to submit their applications to Chandan Singh Jeena, officer on special duty (OSD).

He said instructions were given to the officials to take effective steps to address the grievances of residents. Principal Secretary SS Sandhu would monitor the grievances cell.

Officials were also told to expedite the reconstruction work of the damaged infrastructure in disaster-hit areas of the state, he said.

He said the state government had demanded 100 satellite phones from the Union Government with an aim to carry immediate relief works. 

‘Grievances of statehood activists will be addressed on priority’
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Kishore Upadhayay, newly appointed chief of the Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee, paid tributes to statehood martyrs at a function at the Martyrs memorial here today.

He assured statehood activists that steps would be taken by state government to address their grievances.

He said the state government would address grievances of statehood activists on priority. He said concrete decisions would be taken for overall development of Uttarakhand. Upadhayay said the state government is committed to improving social and economical status of statehood activists.

He said giving instructions to officials is a regular feature of ensuring development of higher areas in the state. Upadhayay assured the gathering that infrastructure damaged in disaster-hit areas would be repaired soon.

NSA gets rousing welcome in Haridwar
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 23
National Security Adviser Ajeet Dobhal was given a warm welcome at Haridwar railway station as he returned from his native town of Pauri late last evening.

Ajeet Dobhal, formerly with Intelligence Bureau, was on a two-day visit to his birthplace Ghidi village in Pauri Garhwal. There, he attended rituals linked to the village deity at Bal Sundari temple along with his wife and other family members.

The cavalcade of the NSA created a buzz at the railway station as apart from locals, pilgrims from outside and tourists also wanted to have a glimpse of Dobhal.

He stood in a queue with his family members to board the train while Government Railway Police and security commandos tried to make way for him.

GRP station in charge Naveen Chandra Juryal said the NSA had given strict directives that no additional security or other privilege should be accorded to him.

Talking to TNS, Dobhal said he had visited Pauri after a gap of 23 years, but felt quite content after performing the ritual and meeting local villagers.

On question of dilapidated roads leading to his village, Dobhal said public representatives should give attention to this aspect. Many families in his village have been migrating outside owing to lack of basic infrastructure and employment.

Seven hurt in road mishaps
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 23
Seven persons were injured in two road accidents on Badrinath Highway last evening.

In the first mishap that took place near Kalthari, three persons, identified as Nitish Maithani, Vijaya and Jagdish Prasad, were injured when their vehicle rammed into a stationary car while negotiating a sharp turn. The injured are residents of Kameda village in Rudraprayag district.

In another accident, a multi-utility vehicle plunged into a 20 m ditch near Shivpuri. Two women, Kusum and Deepa, sustained serious injuries in the mishap. The victims were on their way to Dehradun from Joshimath.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has directed the district administration to provide all possible help to the injured. 

Forest fire threat to Kolti water station
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, June 23
The Kolti pumping station that provides potable water to Mussoorie is under threat due to a fire raging in the forest just below Lal Tibba here. The fire has been raging since Friday night and has spread across a vast expanse of the forest in the Kolti area.

Villagers of the area said if the fire was not controlled it could spread to the Kolti water pumping station, affecting the water supply to Mussoorie. It was also spreading to the cemetery thus posing a threat to the houses around it, they added.

Dheeraj Pandey, District Forest Officer, Mussoorie, said forest guards and rangers found it difficult to control the fire due to windy conditions prevailing in the area. 

SI test on July 6

Dehradun, June 23
The examination for 288 posts of sub-inspector in the civil police will be held at 18 centres across the state on July 6.

The exam will be supervised by district police heads, commandants of Provincial Armed Constabulary companies and Indian Reserve Battalion. Notably, 10,320 constables and head constables of Uttarakhand Police will also appear in the exam. — TNS