Idols of Goddess Durga immersed as fest ends
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
Durga Puja celebrations came to a conclusion with immersion of idols of Goddess Durga marking the end of the 10-day festival. Bengali community members that live in substantial numbers in Dehradun took part in the festivities in a big way.

It was the day of ‘Sindur Khela’ on the last day of Durga Puja celebrations today. As part of custom called ‘Sindur Khela’, married women applied vermilion (sindur) to each other and also to the Goddess.

The puja of Goddess Durga today started with chanting of mantras, followed by ‘darpan visarjan’ or the symbolic immersion of the idols. In this, devotees see the feet of Goddess Durga in a mirror. Then the women applied sindur on the forehead of the Goddess and offered her paan (betel leaf) and sweets, along with prasad made of curd, chirva and banana, known as ‘varan’.

Bengali Mohalla Puja Samiti’s secretary Arun Chakravorty disclosed that a large number of people from all sections of the society took part in the Durga Puja celebrations at Bengali Mohalla, Karanpur this year. He disclosed that the samiti had been organising Durga Puja for the past many decades.

Durga Puja celebrations were also undertaken at Hathibarkala (Survey of India estate), Bengal Library (Karanpur), Durgabari (Mall Road), Premnagar, Adhoiwala (near Sahastradhara crossing), Model Colony (Araghar) in Dehradun.

Most of the idols of Goddess Durga were immersed in Song river on the outskirts of the Dehradun city. 

SNA continues to face staff crunch
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
The State Nodal Agency (SNA) engaged in implementing the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) in Uttarakhand continues to face staff crunch, which in turn is affecting the proper implementation of the cashless health insurance scheme for the BPL card holders.

With the aim to strengthening the State Nodal Agency (SNA), the Union Health Ministry had issued a directive asking the state department to strengthen the State Nodal Agency and appoint a district level officer to oversee the scheme by July 2014, but to this day, the Uttarakhand Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare has not paid any heed to the order.

The department was to undertake complete revamp of the organisational structure of SNA and also appoint district level officer to manage the programme in each district. As of now around 10 people are looking after the implementation at the district level. “The revamp of SNA has been delayed due to lack of clarity on issues regarding the status of the existing staff and the budgetary allocations. We are in the process of working this out. According to the existing arrangement two districts have been clubbed together and the work is divided among ten people, “ said Dr GS Joshi, DG, Medical and Health.

According to the new order the State Nodal Agency (SNA) is to be headed by Chief Executive officer (CEO) equivalent to the government rank of secretary followed by five staff members, including hospital empanelment and claims officer. The expenditure on the additional staff is to be met out of administrative expenses of RSBY.

Due to staff crunch, so far the report card of RSBY in the state has been average. Due to staff crunch the enrolment is poor in the hilly districts comprising Bageshwar, Pithoragarh Rudraprayag and Chamoli.

Further from time to time the Department of Health has been troubled by the high-handed behaviour of the private agency that is implementing the scheme. “We have to constantly monitor the agency, which at times is found to be working at cross-purposes. While our aim is to provide maximum benefit to the people, the agencies are not keen on enrolment,” added Joshi.

Beneficiaries under RSBY are entitled to hospitalisation coverage up to Rs 30,000 for most of the diseases that require hospitalisation. The government has even fixed the package rates for the hospitals for a large number of interventions.

Pancheshwar project will displace people: UKD (P)
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
Trivendra Singh Panwar, president of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Panwar), has sought a review of the proposal to construct the Pancheshwar hydropower project along the Nepal border on the Kali river. Panwar told mediapersons in Dehradun today that a big project like the Pancheswar project would result in displacement of a large number of people and would even adversely impact the environment.

He said it would be better if smaller hydropower projects were constructed instead of such a big project.

Panwar also accused the state government of doing little to repair Char Dham roads that were damaged in the natural disaster last year.

He said the livelihood of people, who were dependent on the Char Dham yatra, had been greatly affected as poor roads were dissuading pilgrims from visiting the shrines.

Panwar also favoured starting the Kailash Mansarovar yatra from the Maana area in the Garhwal region. Among other issues, he also demanded the appointment of a full-time Vice Chancellor of Pantnagar University.

Latafat Hussain and Manmohan Lakhera were other prominent UKD (P) leaders present at the news conference.

CM attends foundation day celebrations of Khushi Ram Library
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
Chief Minister Harish Rawat attended the foundation celebrations of Mahatma Khushi Ram Library at the library campus here today.

Expressing happiness over the library’s contribution towards preservation of old books, the Chief Minister said it was a matter of pride for the library management committee that it had been continuously serving the readers since it was set-up way back in 1921.

“It was the vision of Mahatma Khushi Ram that the Doonites are getting the benefit of this excellent library for the past 90 years,” Rawat pointed out. He said the library would continue to benefit the coming generations.

Chief Minister also asked Rajpur MLA Rajkumar to construct at least two toilets at the library from his discretionary fund. Mahatma Khushi Ram Library management committee’s president CB Narang, Dinesh Gupta and S Farooq were prominent present on the occasion. 

Ex-servicemen seek full-time defence minister
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
Uttarakhand ex-sevicemen have demand a full- time defence minister in the country.

In a statement issued today, Brig. K.G. Behl (Retd.) from Dehradun Ex-servicemen’s League, said the concerns of ex-servicemen that have been in the lurch for long can only be solved on priority when there is a full-time defence minister in the Central Government.

He said the issue of one rank one pension is still to be addressed in spite of being sanctioned long back. “It is the need of the hour that a full- time defence minister is appointed to look into all aspects of defence matters, especially the one rank one pension issue,” Behl pointed out.

“It appears that the government was worried about the funds needed to implement the one rank one pension scheme but no effort is being made to appoint a high-powered committee to correlate anomalies created by the 6th Central Pay Commission where after 20 years’ service pension has been allowed whereas there are persons with even 30 years service who are not getting full pension,” Brig Behl explained. 

BJP women’s wing to focus on Central Govt schemes
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
A two-day executive committee meeting of the Uttarakhand BJP Mahila Morcha from October 6 here will focus on the economic and political empowerment of women in the light of the schemes launched by the BJP-led government at the Centre.

“Around 100 women delegates will participate in the meeting in which implementation of the various central schemes in Uttarakhand will be discussed,” said Manju Tiwari, president of the BJP Mahila Morcha at a press conference today.

Tiwari said after the BJP government came into power at the Centre, several schemes had been announced for the welfare of women. “Special provisions were made in the Union budget for the women centric schemes but the top most priority of the Central government has been on the protection of girl child,” emphasised Tiwari.

“It has been more than a year and the post of the chairman of the commission continues to remain vacant. We have been demanding setting up of a women’s cell at the state police headquarters, but to no avail,” added Tiwari.

Garbage dumps reappear, drown Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 4
Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, garbage dumps have resurfaced in Champawat and Pithoragarh districts.

Residents and government employees, who took part in the campaign, have turned off their attention from cleaning the towns thereafter.

“The activity was visible only on that day when employees and people took pledge to keep their surrounding clean. It was expected that at least local people would keep their campus clean, but garbage being dumped at various places in the town has exposed the reality of the spirit,” said Dinesh Pandey, a resident of Champawat.

According to residents, people who actively took part in the campaign were seen throwing garbage in open the very next day. “Due to lack of sanitary workers, we were sure that people would come ahead to keep the town clean, but we were left disappointed. We are now planning to increase the number of sanitary workers,” said Prakash Tiwari, chairperson of Champawat Nagar Palika.

In Pithoragarh town, people did not use even dustbins placed by the Nagar Palika Parishad at various localities in the town. “We have decided to run a campaign to create awareness among residents to keep the town clean and simultaneously take action against people who throw garbage in open,” said Jagat Singh Khati, chairperson of the Pithoragarh Nagar Palika Parishad. 

Mass resentment over transfer of SSP Sadanand Datte
Tribune News Service

SSP Sadanand Datte

Haridwar, October 4
Mass resentment is being witnessed over the sudden transfer of district police chief Dr Sadanand Datte, despite his short seven-month tenure as the Haridwar SSP.

The Matra Sadan Ashram has even alleged nexus between illegal quarrying mafia and Chief Minister Harish Rawat behind the transfer of SSP Datte.

Swami Shivanand, who has been staging agitation for causes of the holy Ganga, alleged that Datte was doing a commendable job. He was reining in quarrying mafia operations in Haridwar, but was removed by the Chief Minister to ensure that mafia’s interests were not affected.

The seer said Harish Rawat had been soft on the illegal quarrying issue on the sacred Ganga riverbed and provided shield to the quarrying mafia.

Peasants under the Uttarakhand Kissan Morcha have asked to reinstate Dr Sadanand Datte in his post otherwise they will be forced to stage a fast unto death at the Uttarakhand police headquarters in Dehradun.

Prem Singh, a peasant leader, said under SSP Datte’s seven-month tenure, law and order was under control with sharp decline in the cases of robbery, crime, dacoity, thefts and chain snatching.

The BJP too has condemned the transfer of SSP Sadanand with a meeting being held under the legal cell wherein party leaders demanded an explanation from the Congress-led government for the causes behind transfer of such a capable officer.

Arvind Gautam, president, legal cell, BJP district unit, said the Congress government had been deliberately doing such transfer tactics with those officers, who are strict against illegal quarrying operations as majority of the quarrying mafias are directly or indirectly associated with the Congress.

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal Progressive central secretary labour cell Uday Ram Semwal expressed resentment of transfer of Sadanand Datte. He cited same treatment meted out to honest IPS Arun Mohan Joshi a year ago when he had carried out a legal action against quarrying mafia in Haridwar.

Jassowala dacoity case solved, 5 arrested 

Dehradun, October 4
Sahaspur police on Saturday claimed to have solved the Jassowala dacoity by arresting a gang of five robbers. The police have also recovered stolen valuables worth lakhs and a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) from their possession.

While addressing a press conference on the issue, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Rautela said: “We have arrested five robbers who committed the robbery at the house of Rupi Devi and decamped with gold and silver jewelry and a Bolero vehicle on September 26 night.”

According to the SSP, a gang of seven robbers planned the robbery, out which five robbers, namely Maskur, Muntzeer, Abid, Wakeel and Nafees, have been arrested while two are still absconding. Out of the total arrested, two were arrested from Chutmalpur while three were arrested from Budana police station area of Muzaffarnagar.

The police have recovered one gold earring, one gold necklace, one gold pendant, silver ornaments and one Balero vehicle from them, which they allegedly stole from the house of Rupi Devi. Besides, the police have also recovered two countrymade pistols and two knifes from them.

Reportedly, on the night of September 26, unidentified number of robbers broke into the house of Rupi Devi at Jassowala in the Sahaspur police station area and decamped with jewellery and a vehicle after confining the family members at gunpoint. — TNS

Yoga teaches art of living
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 4
Yoga is an ancient Indian healthy art which teaches practitioners the right art of living. This was stated by Dev Sanskriti University Vice-Chancellor Dr Chinmay Pandya while addressing 200 delegates from across the world during the International Yoga Mahotsava here today.

Welcoming yoga practitioners from more than 24 countries, Dr Pandya said, “In today’s world, if one has to remain healthy, it is imperative to practice yoga, asanas and pranayam on a regular basis.”

Dr D Kartikeyan, a Padmashree awardee, claimed India to be real yoga guru globally. CM Bhandari, a retired IAS officer, cited the proclamation of Shantikunj founder late Pt Shri Ram Sharma Acharya, who had stated that 21st century will be the century of change with yoga being the focal point. 

Abducted minor girl recovered
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 4
The Dalanwala police recovered a seven-year-old girl within couple of hours after her abduction from a Durga Pooja venue at Bengali Mohalla here this afternoon. The girl and the kidnapper were recovered from Mansingh Wala.

Reportedly, Adesh Grover, father of the girl, went to Durga Pooja at Bengali Mohalla along with his family members when Arun or Chapati went to his daughter who was playing with other children and told her that he was his father’s friend. After befriending, he then took her with him.

Meanwhile, the news of girl’s abduction triggered panic in the area after which the police was informed about the incident. Police officials gathered information about the identity of the culprit and launched a manhunt to arrest him.

Within couple of hours, the police managed to nab the accused along with abducted girl from Mansingh Wala. The police said the accused was earlier arrested under the Narcotics Act and recently came out of the jail.

Later, the police produced him in the court which sent him to the police custody. 

Exam for police constables on October 10

Dehradun, October 4
The examination for the post of constable in the Police Department will be held on October 10 in all districts of the state. Candidates who have passed the physical training test are eligible to appear in the written test.

According to the statement released by the police headquarters, the details of the written examination will be made available through the district SSP’s/SP’s offices and the candidates who have got success in the physical test must contact the SSP’s/SP’s offices of their respective districts. — TNS

60 species sighted at bird watching camp

Dehradun, October 4
About 60 species of birds, including lammergeier and red headed vulture, were seen in the recently concluded bird watching camp at Khirsu in Pauri district.

The state Forest Department is making all efforts to develop Khirsu, a new tourist destination, in the state. Khirsu is one of the 20 destinations that have been identified for the promotion of bird watching in the state.

Meanwhile, participants were also exposed to about 80 species of moths at the camp. A total of 25 persons, including four women, participated in the camp. The participants included nature guides, students, visitors and forest guards from the Pauri forest division.

Subharanjan Sen, faculty at the Wildlife Institute of India and Sanjay Sondhi from Titli Trust conducted the camp. — TNS