himalayan day celebrations
Politicians pledge to conserve Himalayas
Tribune News Service

A rally being organised on the occasion; and students of Nanhi Duniya perform at Rang Himalayas.

Dehradun, September 9
As part of Himalayan Day celebrations, political leaders cutting across party lines today pledged to collectively work on issues concerning Himalayas.

Led by environmentalist Anil Joshi, political class of Uttarakhand that included former Chief Minister and Haridwar, MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Uttarakhand Cabinet ministers and Congress leaders Harak Singh Rawat and Mantri Prasad Naithani, Opposition Leader Ajay Bhatt, state Congress president Kishore Updhayaya, state Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana and BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi shared the stage for the common cause of conserving Himalayas in a programme organised today at Dehradun Municipal Corporation auditorium by the Himalaya Bacho Samiti.

Addressing the gathering, Haridwar BJP MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank yet again raised the issue of a separate ministry for the Himalayan states in the country. He said he had raised this issue in the Lok Sabha, which was supported by MPs cutting across party lines. “Himalayas are not just protector of Himalayan states but the entire country,” Nishank pointed out.

Students of Nanhi Duniya perform at Rang Himalayas.

Joining the issue, state Congress vice president Suryakant Dhasmana asserted political leadership across the state needed to come together and Himalayas today were the most sensitive issue. He lamented that in 14 years of its inception, political leadership in Uttarakhand had failed to come out with any policy and programme to effectively deal with natural disasters. He said political leadership must today take a pledge to work on issues concerning Himalayas.

Manti Prasad Naithani recalled efforts of environmentalist like Sundarlal Bahuguna towards conservation of environment in Himalayas. Referring to natural disasters, he said one needed to learn a lesson from countries like Japan that had taken effective mitigation measures to deal with the challenge of volcanoes. BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi said a glaring example of effects of climate change and rampant urbanisation are the facts that Dehradun no more produces best of Basmati rice and the litchi fruit.

Environmentalist and Himalayan Environment Scientists Conservation Organisaton (HESCO) founder-president Anil Joshi and guiding force being observation of Himalayan Day said the time had come for the country to look into the concerns of Himalayan states that today are saviours of environment. He said it was very important that people residing in Himalayas are made part of the policy decision in the conservation issues.

Sambahav Natya Manch activists on the occasion gave a presentation on life and work of “Gaura Devi.” The play informed the audience about the life of Gaura Devi and how she was inspired to save the trees in her native Reni village of Chamoli Garhwal, which later transformed into world famous Chipko movement. Famous Jagar singer Basant Bisht on the occasion gave a presentation based on environment.

Earlier in the day, a rally was staged in Dehradun which throughout the city. The rallyists held placards in their hands that appealed for conservation of the Himalayas. A large number of people from different parts of Uttarakhand took part in the rally.

MSME policy in the offing
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Offering several incentives to spur industrial activity in the less developed hilly districts of the state, the state government is in the process of finalising a policy for Medium and Small Scale Enterprises (MSMEs). The Department of Medium and Small Scale Industries has already prepared a draft policy that has now been referred to the committee of ministers headed by HC Durgapal, Minister of Industries.

“The different facets of the policy would be evaluated and it would take another 10 to 15 days for it to be brought before the Cabinet,” said MH Khan, Principal Secretary, MSME. The Committee of Ministers headed by HC Durgapal, Minister of Industries and three Cabinet Ministers, have been entrusted with the task of examining the draft policy.

The policy lays emphasis on skill development and has identified potential sectors for development of MSMEs, comprising handloom, hosiery, textile, pharma, khadi, floriculture, food processing etc. It offers incentives like capital investment subsidy, interest subsidy, employment-intensive subsidy and venture capital assistance. The MSMEs will also be entitled to VAT in the first five years after production starts. To give fillip to industrialisation in the hilly districts, the policy sets out to categorise districts into A, B and C categories.

Remote districts comprising Pithoragarh, Chamoli and Uttarkashi have been included in category A (most remote), where capital investment subsidy will be higher — 40 per cent for micro enterprises and 25 per cent for small and medium enterprises.

The category B has been assigned for districts such as Pauri, Tehri and Bageshwar. The capital investment subsidy will be 30 per cent for micro and 20 per cent for small and medium enterprises. In category C, areas such as Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar find a place, wherein subsidy of 25 per cent for micro units and 15 per cent for small and medium enterprises would be offered.

Khan said for the first time, the views of the state pollution board, revenue department and commercial tax department had also been solicited. “For wider consultation, views of departments and those of members of associations headed by businessmen were also taken,” he added.

Haridwar MC to act against encroachers
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 9
Vipra Trivedi, Mukhya Nagar Adhikari (MNA), Haridwar Municipal Corporation, has warned those who have encroached upon the land and properties of the civic body. The MNA has got freed an encroached upon farmland near Salempur, by razing crops grown over it.

The encroachers want to occupy the land by first growing crops and then claim their ownership on the civic body’s vacant land.

Signages are being put up at the civic body properties, warning encroachers of stringent legal action.

Similarly, the MNA has started demolition drive against the illegal hoardings put up by advertising mafia across the city.

Vipra Trivedi and Mayor Manoj Garg have urged Sadanand Datte, Senior Superintendent of Police, Haridwar, to provide adequate manpower and security personnel to make the drive successful in the civic body periphery.

Mayor Manoj Garg has asked councilors to earmark the illegally occupied properties of the civic body.

Trivedi said the civic body was suffering huge financial losses due to illegal occupation of the land and henceforth violators would be strictly dealt.

Hoardings illegally put up across the city are also being removed. Ward councilors Aman Garg, Upendra Kumar have expressed displeasure over the mayor’s attitude on the illegally occupied Municipal Corporation properties and land.

Both alleged that the mayor was quite soft over this issue as many properties were illegally occupied by the BJP men. Mayor Manoj Garg refuted the allegation said opposition councilors were maligning his image and he was reviewing the demolition drive as well as approaching the legal route to free the civic body properties illegally occupied for years.

Demand for removal of freeze zone clause gathers momentum
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, September 9
The demand for the removal of the “freeze zone clause”, which is allegedly hampering the construction activities in Mussoorie, is gaining momentum. The residents said with an increase in population new housing schemes had become an imperative. However, due the “freeze zone clause” followed by the Mussoorie Dehradun development Authority (MDDA), the residents are finding it difficult to construct even a room.

Upendar Lekhwar, a local resident, said a lot of ambiguities have surfaced due to the clause as some residents have been permitted to carry out construction activities in the zone while the others had been denied the same.

He said the MDDA used Uttarkashi earthquake of 1991 as an excuse to stop construction activities and in 1996, introduced the clause that meant that no construction activity could be taken up within 150 meters on the either side of the zone. The Supreme Court Monitoring Committee member Hugh Gantzer said the only solution to the problem was a separate master plan in which the activities entitled for each area were defined according to the carrying capacity of the town.

He further said the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) had conducted a study on the carrying capacity of the town some years ago and the findings could have been taken into account while preparing the master plan for the town but nothing was done.

“If you do not have a master plan then it turns out be free for all and endangers the integrity of the town,” said Gantzer.

Local Congress unit president Satish Dhaundiyal said according to the government order of May 31, 1996, the freeze zone falls within certain defined boundaries of Mussoorie hills and restricted residents living outside the periphery of the zone from carrying out construction activities. Dhaundiyal said Chief Minister Harish Rawat had already directed the officials concerned to find out a solution to the problem so that the residents did not face any harassment. Atul Gupta, Executive Engineer, MDDA, said the clause was introduced to preserve the fragile environment of the town. Due to opposition to the clause, residents have been demanding a re-look into the issue and a meeting, headed by the MDDA vice-chairman, will be held during which the residents will give their suggestions tomorrow.

Ardh Kumbh Fair
Officials discuss mela arrangements
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 9
A day after Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi seeking a package budget of Rs 1,000 crore for the Ardh Kumbh fair scheduled for 2016, today, an inter-departmental meeting of higher officials was organised in Haridwar. The meeting related to preparations for the mega fair.

Proposed projects worth close to Rs 1,000 crore were discussed during the meeting, wherein mutual cooperation between four districts — Pauri Garhwal, Tehri Garhwal, Dehradun and Haridwar was sought, as the Kumbh mela zone falls in these districts.

Garhwal Commissioner CS Napalchiyal presided over the meeting in which the District Magistrates and District Police Chiefs of Haridwar, Dehradun, Pauri Garhwal and Tehri Garhwal were present.

Discussion, review and assessment of varied development projects and their proposed budget was dwelled on. Government departments and nodal agencies talked about 505 development projects worth Rs 973 crore 85 lakh and 37 thousand as far as the Ardh Kumbh mela budget is concerned.

The Garhwal Commissioner, reviewing the proposals and budget, directed officials to re-assess their projects, making sure that no project gets overlapped or has been allocated budget by any other channel, be it the Centre or state.

Talking to TNS on the sidelines of the meeting, he said transparency and long-term development work were two aspects which the arrangements for the Ardh Kumbh fair should build on.

“I have given directives to officials to ensure that every proposed project of the Ardh Kumbh mela should be aided by a detailed report of on-the-spot analysis, inspection and photographs of the proposed site. This will, on one hand, ensure proper budgeting of the said project, and on the other, it will avoid duplicacy or futile spending on those projects which are of not much significance for the Ardh Kumbh fair,” said Napalchyal.

He assured that apart from the Ardh Kumbh fair budget, if there is paucity of funds for some projects, money would be provided from the Central Government-funded and state plan budget.

Haridwar District Magistrate D Senthyl Pendiyan stated that all departments must work in coordination for the Ardh Kumbh fair and get a no-objection certificate from the Municipal Corporation.

Projects should be made keeping in mind the need and demand factor and not just with a view to show it in meetings or for spending the allocated budget, it was stated.

Pendiyan cautioned that departments and nodal agencies should ensure that no repetition or blank copying of the previous year’s Maha Kumbh fair projects or proposals is undertaken at any cost.

Discussion over shifting of the bus station in Haridwar city and Lakshar was also dwelled upon, with respective departments asked to present a detailed project report in this regard.

During the meeting, 75 per cent permanent nature projects were discussed.

This comprised projects by Public Works Department worth Rs 29,914 lakh, Irrigation Department worth Rs 9,715 lakh, Power Corporation worth Rs 5,335 lakh, Jal Nigam worth Rs 1,275 lakh and Ganga Pollution Control Board worth Rs 5,627 lakh.

Suggestions and inputs from Pauri Garhwal DM Chandrasekhar Bhatt, SP Pauri Ajay Joshi, Dehradun DM Chandresh Kumar, Tehri DM VK Pant, SP Tehri Mukhtar Mohsin, Haridwar Development Authority Har Bansh Singh Chugh, Haridwar Mayor Manoj Garg, legislators Pradeep Batra, Swami Yatishwaranand, Sanjay Gupta, Aadesh Chauhan, Prem Chand Aggarwal and Vijaya Barthwal were also taken.

Almora bids adieu to Nanda and Sunanda idols
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, September 9
Almora bid adieu to Nanda and Sunanda idols yesterday amid a highly attended procession of residents of the town and from adjoining villages. The idols of goddess Nanda and Sunanda were immersed at Doba Naula, the traditional immersion river near the town.

“Almora has a different Nanda story other than that of the Garhwal region. According to the story of Nanda and Sunanda in Almora, the two sisters were killed by a buffalo when it saw them hiding behind a banana tree. The leaves of the banana trree were eaten by a goat making, thereby exposing the sisters before the buffalo,” said Navin Bisht, a journalist based at Almora.

According to the legend prevalent in Almora, the sacrifice of buffalo and goat is done at the altar of the deity on the day of the immersion of the idols. “Before the Chand kings of Almora came with Nanda idol, after winning Badhangarhi in Garhwal in the 16th century, the story of the two sisters was prevalent in Almora. After that the sisters started being revered as goddess Nanda and Sunanda,” said Bisht.

The procession of immersion of Nanda and Sunada idols began from Nanda Devi temple after the idols were worshiped by erstwhile Chand kings of Kumaon. “The procession reached Dauba Naula, after travelling through Dyuri Pokhar, Siri bazaar, Karkhana Bazaar, Kachhari Bazaar, Thana Bazaar and Dugalkhola late evening with devotees, members of Chand kings’’ families, priests and purohits of the Nanda Devi temple,” said Nagesh Pant , a purohit of Nanda Devi temple.

The district administration had done elaborate arrangements to maintain peace and law and order on the way to the immersion ground. Due to these arrangements the procession passed off peacefully.

Ganesha idols immersed in Ganga; festival ends
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, September 9
“Ganpati Bappa Morayya” chants reverberated in the pilgrim city as scores of Ganesha idols were taken for Ganga immersion on the concluding day of the 10-day-long Ganpati Utsava here yesterday. The festival commenced on August 28 with the auspicious Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Hundreds of Lord Ganesha idols had been taken for immersion at Brahma Kund at Har-ki-Pauri and other Ganga ghats.

Special rituals were performed prior to ferrying the Ganpati idols from the Ganpati pandals, temples and households where they had been set up by devotees.

Devotees from across the city worshipped, paid obeisance, viewed and took part in the royal religious procession that dipped the city in Ganesha fervour.

With gaiety the 10-day Ganpati festival has now assumed a major space in the religious festive calendar of Haridwar. Earlier it was confined to people hailing from Maharashtra and to specific muths, ashrams, temples and Ganpati mandals. But now in recent years it is being celebrated on a mass scale across the city. Today, too, be it Har-ki-Pauri core mela zone, Upper Bazaar, Moti Bazaar, Jhanvi Bazaar, Alaknanda ghat, Mayapur, Kankhal, Shiv Moorti square, Devpura, Rishikul-Malviya square, Chandracharya-Ranipur square, Bhagat Singh square, Aawas Vikas colony, Gobindpur, Vivek Vihar, Tibdi, Shankar Ashram area, Jwalapur, Subash Nagar, Arya Nagar, Shivalik Nagar and other parts of the city, the devotees celebrated the Ganesha festival with pomp and enthusiasm.

Survey work for estates hits roadblock
Ajay Ramola

Mussoorie, September 9
The proposed survey work to determine notified and de-notified forest area in around 218 private and non-private estates of Mussoorie of which 100 estates have been surveyed has met a bottleneck due to the non-payment to the Survey of India at Mussoorie.

According to sources, MDDA and forest department were to share expenses and provide funds to Survey of India to determine the forest and non-forestland falling in the existing 218 private and non-private estates in Mussoorie. In the first phase, the survey for the 100 estates, the estimated amount was Rs 48,59,800. However, the survey of India spent around Rs 80,25,197. The MDDA had deposited its share of around Rs 24,30,000 for the work before the start of the first phase but has failed to pay the remaining amount of Rs 15,82,600, bringing the survey work to a grinding halt.

The Survey of India has been assigned the work of conducting survey of 76 estates in second phase and 42 estates in the third phase, but due to non-availability of the amount required for conducting the survey, it is unable to work further and has demanded advance payment before restarting the survey work here.

GMVN staff protest
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Employees of the Garhwal Mandal Employees Union protested at GMVN campus, today in support of their year-long pending demands. The agitators have threatened to intensify agitation if the department does not take effective steps to address their grievances.

Addressing the gathering, SC Pant, general secretary of the GMVN Joint Employees Manch said the nigam had incurred a loss of approximate Rs 60 crore in the natural disaster that struck in 2013.

He said the state government should prepare a plan to overcome losses. He said the nigam was facing financial losses due to wrong policies. Pant demanded from the state government to take effective steps for revival of the nigam.

Mahar utterances attempt to conceal his failures: Pant
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, September 9
BJP state general secretary and former Cabinet minister Prakash Pant today alleged that Congress MLA from Pithoragarh Mayukh Mahar was trying to present himself before people as a victim of vindictive politics to conceal his failure to get any welfare scheme sanctioned for his Assembly constituency in his 30-month tenure. At the same time, he had worked overtime to get schemes sanctioned during the BJP rule cancelled.

Pant told mediapersons here today that a base hospital that Mahar was demanding from the present state government was actually sanctioned by the previous BJP government in February 2010. It was to come up at Chandak at a cost of Rs 46 crore. The BJP government had also earmarked one hectare for the purpose. “After he was elected MLA from the area in 2012, Mahar got the base hospital project cancelled on the pretext that the spot earmarked for it was not suitable,” said Pant.

On the question of a drinking water scheme for the town, Pant said the previous BJP government had approved renovation of the existing ghat pumping scheme with aid from Asian Development Bank to provide drinking water to Pithoragarh town but Mahar got it cancelled on the pretext that he would get sanctioned a better scheme at Awalaghat. “Due to political shortsightedness of the local MLA, neither the ghat scheme could be implemented nor he could get a new scheme sanctioned at Awalaghat. This caused him a lot of frustration,” said Pant.

He added Mahar’s utterances on the construction of an artificial lake near Pithoragarh town was a bundle of lies as our government had sanctioned Rs 56 lakh for the preparation of a detailed project report of the lake to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore. However, the Congress-led government tried to take credit for it during the Lok Sabha elections saying Rs 4 crore had been sanctioned for it.

Pant said a private engineering college in the district that was offering courses in five disciplines was being operated under the semi-government pattern since February 2011. “The previous BJP government had arranged the minimum fee structure for the students of the college. This fact was highlighted by former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in his reply to a question by Mayukh Mahar in the state Assembly in 2012,” he said.

CM asks Uma Bharati for funds
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Chief Minister Harish Rawat, in a meeting with the Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharati in New Delhi, has requested her to sanction proposals and release funds for several projects in the state.

The Chief Minister said the Ganga Flood Control Commission, Indian Government, was presented with several programmes by Uttarakhand under the centrally sponsored flood control programme. Of these, 17 projects worth Rs 498.16 crore are still pending. It has been requested to release this.

He said the investment clearance is expected from the Planning Commission. The CM has asked the Union Minister for immediate implementation.

Rawat said work on eight projects of the centrally-sponsored flood control programme, which costs Rs 82.38 crore, are underway and a sum of Rs 29.46 crore has to be released. The Union Government has also been presented with a proposal for 54 projects worth Rs 657.79 crore for rehabilitation of flood-affected areas. The funds for these also have to be released.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has requested the Central government for reimbursement of the money that was used by the state government through its personal resources in the aftermath of the natural disaster last year.

He has requested that the stretch from Hardwar-Roshanabad-Bandarjoor- Buggawala-Biharigarh (30 km) and Marchula- Bhikiyasen-Chaukuthiya- Khirakhnasar-Baachboond- Mahalachorh must be declared as national highway since that would help in decongestion and ensure organised movement of traffic.

Rawat met Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and discussed the state of Uttarakhand roads at length.

Last year the BRO and NHAI were unable to repair the important roads leading to Char Dham. Thus these roads had to be repaired by the state government using its own resources. A total of Rs 37.18 crore for different national highways under BRO and Rs 13.77 crore for construction of NH- 58 from Manglour to Nepali Farm under NHAI were spent. CM Harish Rawat has asked for its reimbursement.

The Chief Minister has also requested for speedy sanction of Central road funds (CRF) proposals worth Rs 25.47 crore which were sent to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. He has also drawn attention towards the repair of NH 125 from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh which is in a bad condition.

He has requested the Centre to declare the Haridwar- Roshanbad- Bandarjoor- Buggawala- Biharigarh strech as national highway in order to avoid congestion and ensure free flow of vehicles during the Ardha Kumbh to be held in Haridwar in 2016.

MAD seeks student welfare fund
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Making a Difference by Being the Difference (MAD), a group of city’s socially awakened youngsters, has demanded issuance of government order regarding setting up of a student welfare fund in all technical education institutions in the state.

In a letter written to the secretary, Technical Education, the group has claimed that poor and meritorious students in all the technical institutes of the state would be benefited if the government comes out with an order directing all the institutes and universities to create a student welfare fund, for students who have lost the sole breadwinner in their family.

“Universities like the Graphic Era University have been running such welfare fund schemes on their own by managing the allocation from their per-student charge as student welfare charges in their fee structure,” said a member of the MAD.

Abhijay Negi, founder of the MAD, said: “We encountered a specific case pertaining to the delayed grant of the Chhatra Kalyan Nidhi or the student welfare fund by the Uttarakhand Technical University. This fund is operated for students who lost their only earning member of their family while studying in college.”

“We took up the issue to the university and the university management made amends and the desired grant was given to the grieved students,” added Negi.

Parivartan Party asks DM to take steps to reduce traffic violation
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Members of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party submitted a memorandum to District Magistrate C Yadav here yesterday.

They urged him to take effective steps to reduce traffic violation in the city.

The members gathered at the district headquarters campus. The agitators said the district administration was yet to take effective steps to curtail traffic violation cases in the district.

They demanded stringent action against drunken driving and also lamented that lots of causalities were reported due to drunken driving and over-speeding of vehicles.

The agitators have threatened to intensify agitation if the district administration does not take timely steps to reduce traffic violation cases in the district.

Kuldeep Madhwal, Rajeev Kothari, Satbeer, Jasbeer, CP Sharma, Shankar Thapa, Satyaprakash Kandwal and Surendra Kumar were also present on the occasion.

Tributes paid to Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma

Haridwar, September 9
Students of Dev Sanskriti University and volunteers paid tributes to Mata Bhagwati Devi Sharma, co-founder of Shanti Kunj social organisation, on her 20th death anniversary here today.

Varied programmes were held at Shant Kunj and Dev Sanskriti University.

A drawing competition was organised on the university campus. Students, Shanti Kunj volunteers and university staff took part in the competition and showed their painting skills depicting their thoughts on spirituality, environment and other themes.

Aarti Verma of the Mathematics Department, Satish Lakheda of university office and Saurabh Shrivastava of the Training Cell were adjudged first three winners of the event.

Chancellor Dr Pranav Pandya will felicitate the winners when students will be given Geeta epic orientation classes. A special prayer was also organised. — TNS

SFI awareness campaign
Students told about programmes and policies
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
The Student Federation of India (SFI) conducted a student awareness campaign at various places in the city here yesterday to seek votes and apprise the students about the programmes and polices of the SFI.

During the campaign, SFI activists raised questions over the excessive use of money power during the college students union elections and claimed that SFI is against the overspending of money in the elections. They also blamed other student outfits and groups of blatantly violating the Lyngdoh committee guidelines regarding student union elections.

While campaigning in favour of Vikas Bhatt, who is contesting for the post of general secretary from SFI, the activists from the student outfit said that the present student politics in DAV PG College is a cause of concern and steps should be taken to change the environment, which is student friendly.

“Love jihad”: Bajrang Dal to sensitise girl students
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Members of the Bajrang Dal, a youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, have decided to launch an awareness drive to sensitise girl students on the “love jihad” cases in schools and colleges from September 13.

A motorcade patrol unit named “Jatayu” comprising members of the Bajrang Dal will, from October 2, keep a tab on “love jihad” cases in schools and colleges.

Chairing a meeting of the Bajrang Dal held here, Mahendra Singh Negi, a senior office-bearer of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, expressed concern over the increasing number of love jihad cases in the country. He said Muslim boys were luring poor Hindu girls to change their religion.

Amit Tomar, Sharad Arya, Beerandra Singh, Samay Sharma, Darshan Lal, Preetam, Giriraj, Premprakash Jugran and others were present on the occasion.

Dhasmana inaugurates road construction work
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana inaugurated a road construction work worth Rs 2.5 crore at the Premnagar area here today.

Based on the proposal given by the Public Works Department (PWD), the project was sanctioned by Congress leader late Devender Singh Sethi.

Special prayers were held during the function.

While addressing the gathering, Dhasmana said the Congress government was committed towards the development of the state.

“Despite the spate of disasters, the government is bringing a lot of growth in the state. The work of laying new sewer lines and construction of roads is being carried out in Dehradun,” he said.

Poonam Sehgal, Anil Grover, Mahesh Sharma, Rajeev Punj, Jitender Taneja, Deewan Singh Bisht, and BP Khantwal were also present on the occasion.

Drama workshop ends
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 9
The five-day workshop organised by Dramatics Club of the Sardar Bhagwan Singh (PG) Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research (SBSPGI) concluded here .

Renowned and acclaimed theatre personality, Alok Ulfat, was invited to the workshop to share his experience.

He gave valuable tips to students on enhancing their drama skills. Notably, 60 students from the institute participated in the event.

Inter-district volleyball results

Dehradun, September 9
The four-day Inter-District Volleyball Championship kicked off at the Pavilion Ground here today. Matches will be played in the boys/girls senior, junior and sub-junior categories in which 40 teams are participating. The tournament was inaugurated by Dinesh Sharma, principal of Guru Nanak Boys Inter College. In the inaugural match, Dehradun defeated Uttarkashi 25-15, 25-17 in the boys’ Under-19 category, whereas Tehri trounced Almora in straight sets 25-20, 25-20 in the same category match. The girls Pauri district team registered a win over Chamoli 25-20, 25-20 in the Under-19 category.

While in the Under-14 girls’ category, Dehradun defeated Tehri in a close fought match 24-26, 25-20 and 27-25. In the Under-17 girls’ match, Nainital defeated Tehri 19-25, 25-15 and 25-17. — TNS

St Thomas pip St Jude in basketball tourney

Dehradun: St Thomas College defeated St Jude School in the first match of the day in the ongoing Gardner Silver Jubilee Inter-School Girls Basketball Tournament played at Gardner Multipurpose Floodlit Auditorium at St Thomas College here today.

St Thomas won the match by 17-10 score with Vaishali scoring maximum 8 points for the winning team.

In the second match of the day, Scholars Home defeated Moravian Institute by 12-11 points in which Yukta scored highest 6 points for Scholars Home. In the another match, Doon International School defeated Wynberg Allen School by 24-21 with Mehek scoring maximum 10 points for Doon International in the match. — TNS

Carmen School victorious in football

Dehradun, September 9
Carmen School, Dalanwala, defeated Sunrise School 3-1 in the ongoing Senior Football Tournament played at St. Joseph’s Academy here today. Tenzing from Carman scored the first goal after which his team-mates Mayank and Abhay scored at the 28th and 42nd minutes, respectively. Ayush scored the only goal for Sunrise School.

In the second match, the Presidency School defeated North Point School 2-1 with Shashank scoring two goals at the 5th and 14th minutes of the match for presidency. Akash scored the single goal for North Point.

Carman School, Prem Nagar, defeated Sanskar International 3-1 in the third match of the day. Max scored two goals for Carman while his team-mate Parduman scored a goal at the 40th minute. Siddarth scored the only goal for the losing side.

In the fourth and final match, Moravian School crushingly defeated The Aryan School 4-1 in what was a one-sided match. Thaina and Akash each got two goals to their names for Moravian while The Aryan School‘s Sagar Kapoor also scored one goal. — TNS