cracker stalls
Shopkeepers flouting norms, admn fails to keep tab
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
The tall claims made by the district administration that selling of crackers would take place only at designated place proved bogus.

Shopkeepers are seen flouting norms, while the district administration failed to keep a tab on the unauthorised shopkeepers.

The shopkeepers are selling crackers at Kanwali road, Paltan Bazaar, Dharampur, Chakrata road, Rajpur road, Araghar, Dharmapur and Patel Nagar.

Speaking to The Tribune, SP Mamgain, Chief Fire Officer, said mobile teams would remain alert and seven fire brigades would be deployed at prominent places in the city. While two fire brigades would remain stand-by at the fire station.

While elaborating arrangements made by the police to ensure jam-free movement of traffic in every corner of the city, Ajay Rautela, SSP, Dehradun, said inspectors were told to remain alert to avoid any untoward incident during the festival season. He said strict action would be taken against those residents, who violate traffic norms.

When contacted Dr RS Aswal, Principal Medical Superintendent, Doon Hospital, he said medical officers and special medical officers would be on-call during the festival season.

He said instructions were given to ENT (ear, nose, throat) surgeon, surgeon, eye-surgeon, anesthetic, pediatrician and orthopedic surgeon to remain on alert for the next three days.

“Strict action will be taken against those medical staff, who are found guilty of lethargic approach during duty hours,” he added.

Meanwhile, Manish Tinkoo, state head, GVKEMRI-108 service, said instructions were given to staff to remain on high alert in Dehradun, Haridwar, Rudrapur (Udham Singh Nagar), and Haldwani (Nainital) in order to provide immediate emergency services.

SS Yadav, managing director of the Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), said leave of field staff were cancelled in order to ensure round the clock supply of electricity to consumers.

Big traffic problem on Dhanteras in Doon

The city markets witnessed a heavy rush of shoppers on the occasion of Dhanteras on Tuesday here today. Consequently, the traffic was thrown out of gear in the markets due to heavy vehicular pressure on roads causing miseries to commuters.

Serpentine queues of vehicles coupled with mad rush of shoppers sent the traffic police in a tizzy. Although traffic police personnel remained alert on major junctions of the city, that could not change the condition on roads and traffic snarls were witnessed throughout the city.

Clock Tower, Saharanpur Road, Kishan Nagar Chowk, Balliwala Chowk, Ballupur Chowk, Chakrata Road, Premnagar, Dispensary Road and Gandhi Road witnessed frequent traffic jams on Tuesday evening as people thronged the city roads for shopping on Dhanteras.

Despite tall claims made by the district administration and the traffic police about their foolproof advance preparations to manage the traffic system in the city on Dhanteras and Divali, the city roads witnessed gridlock in the evening hours, giving tough time to the motorists.

People throng markets on Dhanteras
Tribune News Service

Brisk sale of jewellery on the occasion of Dhanteras in Dehradun on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Vinod Pundir

Dehradun, October 21
Residents thronged markets to procure stainless steel utensils, silver and gold jewellery and two-wheelers and four-wheelers on the occasion of Dhanteras, which is celebrated two days before the festival of lights, Divali.

The rush of shoppers at Paltan Bazaar, Peepal Mandi, Dharampur market, Patel Nagar market, Dispensary road, Clock Tower, Kanwali road, Rajpur road, Gandhi road, Tehsil chowk, Dhamawala, Jhanda Bazar, Hanuman Chowk etc. was huge.

The shopkeepers also tried to woo customers by offering lucrative and attractive offers. The huge rush of buyers was also noticed at electronic goods shops.

The huge bumper-to-bumper jams were noticed at important inter-sections due to rush of shoppers while commuters were finding it hard to drive through these areas and had to park vehicles outside the market. The rush failed to deter enthusiastic shoppers from going to markets.

Speaking to The Tribune, Ajay Rautela, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dehradun, said that elaborate traffic plans were made and traffic was diverted in order to ensure disruption-free electricity to consumers.

He said that additional police force was deployed at important inter-crossings of the capital city for smooth flow of traffic during festive season.

Rautela that strict instructions were given to circle officers, in-charge of police stations to increase vigil in their respective areas in order to avoid any untoward incident during Divali.

N Ravi Shankar takes charge as new Chief Secretary
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
N Ravi Shankar belonging to the 1980 batch and seniormost IAS officer today took over the charge of Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand from incumbent Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, who took voluntary retirement today. He was to retire on October 31.

Shankar, who became the 11th Chief Secretary of the state, was on deputation at the Centre since last eight years. He was Secretary, Administrative Reforms.

Shankar, who will retire in 2015, was sent to the state after the Modi-led government undertook extensive reshuffle of the secretaries who had been on deputation for the last eight years.

Shankar’s ascent to the top most post has given rest to speculations about Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma finally getting the coveted post. Sharma, though junior to Shankar, has been in the race for quite some time, until the dramatic return of Shankar to his home state.

Kedarnath Cabinet meeting a picnic, says Ajay Bhatt
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
The Leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand legislative Assembly Ajay Bhatt on Tuesday said the Cabinet meeting in Kedarnath yesterday was more of a picnic rather than a serious exercise aimed at thrashing out the issues that have remained unresolved, one year after the 2013 floods.

Bhatt said helicopter and government resources were used in an unnecessary exercise. “It would have been far better if the ministers and government officials had tried to meet the people of Sonprayag who were agitating the same day for payment of ex-gratia. Instead the government wasted the exchequer’s money on frivolous exercise that was more of a picnic where old decisions were announced and problems of the people were never brought to the fore,” Bhatt said while addressing a press conference.

He said the government had indulged in similar exercise when it held a Cabinet meeting in Almora and an Assembly session in Gairsain. “Since the last few months, we have been hearing only announcements being made from different places but nothing has materialised on the ground,” added Bhatt.

Instead, Bhatt asked the Congress government to hold a special session of the legislative Assembly immediately to debate on the efforts taken by the government to ameliorate the sufferings of the people, since the 2013 disaster. “We will open the eyes of the government and point out their shortcomings,” said Bhatt.

He said that the Opposition was open for debate but the government never handed a written invitation for the all-party meeting. “The chief secretary had called me extending an invitation for the Cabinet meeting, but I said that such meetings were only meant for ministers. So they again called me for an all-party meeting verbally and we declined to go as enough has been said on the issue by us, but there has been no action,” he added.

Harak Rawat: BJP opposing just for sake of opposition
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 21
Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat yesterday lashed out at Opposition BJP for opposing each and every move of the state Congress government, particularly by Leader of Opposition Ajay Bhatt, accusing him of opposing the Congress just for the sake of opposition.

Dr Harak Singh said Congress government is going in the right direction ,with mass development being done earlier during ex-Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and now under Harish Rawat’s regime.

Refuting any differences with CM Harish Rawat, the Cabinet minister, who had also once staked claim to the CM’’ post after Uttarakhand Assembly results were declared,said that CM is like an elder brother to him and minor issues remain even in one’s family and friendship.

On the opposition by state BJP unit aggressively on almost all steps and Cabinet decisions being taken by state government, Harak Singh said that BJP is terrified by Congress Party’s popularity and development being carried out in the state.

Referring to Yesterday’s Assembly poll verdict in Haryana and Maharashtra, Harak Singh said that people wanted a change and during Assembly elections, local issues affect the poll outcome majorly. Though he added that introspection of the twin Assembly loss should be done and mistakes can be rectified as in the coming months several Assembly elections are slated in half a dozen states.

Call for promotion of folk heritage
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
Dr Sohan Singh Majila, assistant state project direct, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), has called for promotion of folk heritage among linguistic groups living in Nepal and Uttarakhand.

In his paper, “Effect of Folk Literature on Education”, presented at the fourth National Nepali Folklore Conference in Nepal held between October 15 and October 18, Dr Majila said Jhoda, Chanchri, Bhagnol and Jagar are also sung in Nepal and a link could be established between people of the towns bordering Uttarakhand and Nepal through this common heritage.

The conference was inaugurated by former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari. The conference is part of the “Before Emergence of Nation States: Indo-Nepal Relations through Uttarakhand” initiative started in 2011 in Dehradun in which 27 papers were presented by various participants from India and Nepal.

All the 27 papers have been complied in the form of a book that has been named “Before Emergence of Nation States, Indo-Nepal Relation and Uttarakhand” by Prof MP Joshi, Prof Jairaj Pant and assistant editor Dr Sohan Singh Majila. The book was released yesterday by BS Koshiyari.

The conference in Nepal was organised by Folklore Council of Nepal in collaboration with Rapti Literary Association Nepal. The conference was chaired by Dr Govind Acharya. Prof Sivhari, Vice Chancellor of Nepal Sanskrit University, Dr Dev Singh Pokhariya, Dr Vasudha Pandey and Dr Vashisht Anoop from BHU and Prof Jairal Pant, president of Folklore Council Nepal, were present.

Tributes paid to police martyrs
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
Police Commemoration Day was celebrated at the Dehradun police lines here today. Tributes were paid to those who laid down their lives while performing their duties. Every year, October 21 is observed as Police Commemoration Day in memory of CRPF personnel who were killed in the line of duty by the Chinese in 1959.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat was the chief guest on the occasion and paid floral tributes in front of the martyrs’ memorial at police lines. Former Chief Minister and present MP from Haridwar, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Cabinet minister Dinesh Aggarwal, Principal Secretary, Home, MH Khan, and senior police officials also paid tributes to the martyrs.

DGP BS Sidhu and all senior state police officials paid tributes to 662 police personnel from across the country, who laid down their lives in the last one year. Notably, 16 martyr police personnels were from Uttarakhand state out of the total 662.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat said that terrorism and naxalism is a big challenge in front of “our security forces and police will have to work even harder to eliminate the menace of terrorism and naxalism from the country.” “Strategically, Uttarakhand is very important as it has international border with China and Nepal and I am sure that the state police is competent enough to deal with any challenge,” asserted Harish Rawat.

He also announced setting up of a permanent committee which will be chaired by Principal Secretary, Home, to deal with problems of the families of police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. He further announced Rs 1 crore for upgrading facilities in four model schools run by the Uttarakhand police.

Surprise inspections at restaurants, dhabas
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 21
In view of the festive season of Deepawali, district food and supplies department is conducting impromptu inspection at sweet shops, restaurants, dhabas, eateries and confectionery shops to ensure no adulteration or usage of domestic cylinders is being done for commercial usage.

Near the Shiv Moorti square a notice was served to a hotel owner for not adhering to cleanliness standards in the hotel premise. Samples of some food material were also taken by the food inspector, Yogendra Pandey, which were sent to a Rudarpaur-based laboratory.

Similar action was taken at hotels near roadways bus station and also at open food vendors, where warning was given to the sellers for not adhering to food and safety rules.

District food and supplies also carried out impromptu inspection at several shops related with illegal usage of domestic liquified petroleum cylinders instead of commercial cylinders.

Two dozen-odd cylinders were seized by various teams of the department from the district under the Essential Commodities Act.

The District Supplies Officer, Rahul Sharma, said that many complaints were received of commercial establishments using domestic LPG cylinders instead of commercial ones. So impromptu inspections were carried out by two teams in Haridwar.

DSO Rahul added that under Essential Commodities Act, Section 3/7, a case will also be filed against Sandeep Chauhan, owner of Shiv Bartan Bhandar, Sarai Road, Sitapur, as from his godown seven cylinders without proper papers were seized by the departmental team.

Raids were also conducted from bus station, Devpura, Rishikul square area by the district food supplies teams. This created panic among the violators.

Teerth Maryada Raksha Samiti founder Sanjay Chopra has welcomed the decision, saying that of late such violators were putting a blot on the religious image of Haridwar and food supplies department should conduct such action on regular basis, even during non-festive season.

Autumn festival from Nov 1 at Pithoragarh
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 21
The autumn festival in the border town of Pithoragarh will be organised from November 1 to 8. The festival will have cultural programmes based on local cultures from the region, besides developmental exhibitions through various developmental stalls put by several government departments. This was decided at a meeting held in the town hall today. The meeting organised by Nagar Palika Parishad under the district magistrate was chaired by local MLA Mayukh Singh Mahar.

“We have decided to provide arrangements of security, drinking water and sanitation in the eight-day festival which is organised every year,’’ said Jagat Singh Khati, chairperson of Pithoragarh Nagar Palika Parishad.

The meeting decided that cultural parties from outside the district will be invited but most of the space will be given to the local cultural troupes. “ We have decided to give more time to local cultural parties as the aim of the festival is to attract tourists to view local culture,” said Khati.

Pithoragarh District Magistrate HC Semwal said in the meeting that all arrangements, besides policing, would be made for the festival.

SP Roshan Lal Sharma said a temporary police chauki would be opened during the festival and extra police force would be deployed to keep strict vigil for the safety of women.

Cabinet approves roadmap for Kedarpuri
State demands Rs 10,000 crore from Centre for Clean Ganga plan
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
The Uttarakhand government yesterday gave a green signal to promote pilgrimage in the winter months to the winter abode of Char Dham deities and also develop new pilgrimage on the lines of Char Dham to the other Himalayan shrines of Madmaheshwar and Jageshwar.

The approval was given at a Cabinet meeting held in Kedarnath. While apprising mediapersons, Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, “The Cabinet has given its consent for promoting pilgrimage to the winter abodes of the Char Dham deities and also pilgrimage to Madhmaheshwar and Jageshwar.

Giving approval for new pilgrimage sites, the Cabinet also approved a roadmap for the reconstruction of Kedarpuri in Rudraprayag and coming with an alternate plan to the Central government’s Clean Ganga plan.

The Chief Minister said, “barring the opposition BJP, the parties comprising of BSP, UKD and others have approved the reconstruction plan for Kedarpuri and also given their suggestions.”

“All financial assistance will be provided to the Kedarnath Temple Committee (KTC) for the upkeep of the temple, but in case any changes are desired to be carried inside the temple the committee will have to confer with the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI). Infrastructure would also be developed along the alternative routes being developed for the Kedarnath leg of the yatra along with the ghats around river Saraswati,” he said.

To give boost to infrastructure, the government plans to construct a ropeway connecting Lincholi and Kedarnath and will also start battery driven golf carts for ferrying the pilgrims.

The Chief Minister said the government was also looking for a site where a forest could be developed in the memory of those who lost their lives in the 2013 floods, “The Smriti Van would come up in the memory of those who lost their lives in the floods,” he asserted.

Significantly, the next Cabinet meeting will be held either in Uttarkashi, Deoprayag or Badrinath to chalk out the state’s own Clean Ganga Plan. “In order to strengthen our commitment to keep the rivers clean, in addition to the Centre’s plan, we will chalk out our own plan which would be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting,” he said.

Rawat said the Cabinet had also approved a Rs 10,000 crore plan for seeking assistance for the Clean Ganga Plan from the Centre.

Hotel, restaurant workers threaten to boycott Winterline Carnival
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, October 21
Hotel and restaurant workers under the banner of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) gathered at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk in Mussoorie today and raised slogans against the state government for not meeting their long-standing demands of increase in wages and dearness allowance.

They said if the demands were not met immediately they would boycott the Winterline Carnival and the scheduled visit of Chief Minister Harish Rawat to Mussoorie on November 1 and show him black flags.

The president of the AITUC, Mussoorie, RP Badoni, said the government had played a cruel joke on the hotel, restaurant and school employees by increasing dearness allowance marginally and keeping mum on the demand of hike in wages, that were long overdue.

Badoni said on the one hand the state and Central governments were announcing policies for industrialists, on the other they were ignoring the interest of the workers.

He added a notification regarding increased dearness allowance along with increase in wages be issued. He said they would also boycott the Winterline Carnival scheduled to be held from December 25 and show black flags to the chief minster, who is scheduled to inaugurate a new hotel, JW Marriot, near Kempty Falls in Mussoorie, if their demands were not fulfilled immediately.

BJP workers celebrate Assembly poll victories
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
The Uttarakhand BJP yesterday went into rejoicing after party registered landslide victories in Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls. BJP workers resorted to bursting of crackers at the state BJP office. The party workers also distributed sweets and drum beating also took place at the BJP office.

State BJP president Teerath Singh Rawat expressed gratitude to people of Maharashtra and Haryana for ensuring decisive victories to BJP in both the states. He said popularity of the BJP among the people of the country was growing each passing day.

Senior BJP leader and Dehradun cantt MLA Harbans Kapoor, party leaders Trivendra Singh Rawat, Dhan Singh Rawat and large number of party workers participated in the celebrations.

Meanwhile in Mussoorie, BJP workers assembled at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh chowk and raised slogans, distributed sweets, danced to drum beats and burst crackers following the party’’s best ever performance in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls.

The workers raised slogans like “BJP ki jai” and “Haryana-Maharashtra jeet gaya (we won Haryana, Maharashtra)” “Narendar Modi Zindabad” and danced to express their joy. They distributed sweets and burst crackers.

Earlier, the party workers were glued to the television sets to see the election trends and results as the counting of votes progressed both in Haryana, where the BJP emerged an absolute winner, and in Maharashtra where it became the single largest party in a hung assembly The local unit party workers including Roop Singh Kathait, Mohan Petwal, Kushal Singh Rana, Vijay Ramola, Anil Godiyal, Om Prakash Semwal, Abid Ali and others were present on the occasion.

Cleanliness drive carried out in Mussoorie

Mussoorie, October 21
Inspired by the call of Swacch Bharat (Clean India) campaign, given by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, a cleanliness drive was carried out from Picture Palace to Jhoola Ghar under the aegis of Sarva Bhavantu Sukhina, a social organisation, in Mussoorie today. A large number of youth led by BJP leader Amit Bhatt cleaned the drains and removed polythene from The Mall road under the campaign here. The members also cleaned the Shaheed Sthal, a memorial built in remembrance of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the separate state of

Uttarakhand. Soban Singh Panwar,Anil Godiyal, Manish Kuksal, Anil Godiyal,Trilok Rana, Mohan Chamoli and others were also present on theoccasion. Similar campaign was also run at the nearby villages of Khetwala and Chamasari under the leadership of gram pradhan Madhuri Melwan. The villagers cut wild weeds growing near the village and cleaned toilets here. — TNS

NRMU opposes privatisation move
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, October 21
The Northern Railway Men’s Union yesterday opposed Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gauda’s move of privatising Indian Railways in phases.

The union meeting was held at the NRMU office, where its members criticised the Union government’s motive behind privatisation and voiced for opposing vehemently any such move.

Union general secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said earlier the UPA government at the Centre had tried to privatise the Railways and now the NDA government was trying to do the same only to benefit private sector.

Shiv Gopal said instead of looking into lack of infrastructure, facilities, technology and railway employees woes, the Union government was focusing on privatisation and foreign direct investment, which hinted at their anti-labour and pro-corporate policies. On the pending demands of the Railway employees, Shiv Gopal warned that if the government failed to meet their demands before November 18-20 convention at Hooghly, West Bengal, they would be forced to start agitation.

Ajay Tomar, Haridwar unit secretary, discussed various problems and issues related with NRMU members. He said earlier the employees were provided medical facilities at the Jolly Grant hospital but since last month the hospital had been removed from the Railway’s panel of hospitals.

Shiv Gopal assured the employees that he would raise the issue with Railway officials.

Union leaders Gopal Chaudhari, VK Shrivastava, Ajay Kapoor, Somveer among others also discussed the issues related with the NRMU.

UKD (Airy) to launch campaign
Our correspondent

Pithoragarh, October 21
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Airy) will launch a massive campaign along villages situated near the Kali river at the Indo-Nepal border in Pithoragarh and Champawat districts of Kumaon region. This was stated by Kashi Singh Airy, party leader.

He said the campaign would help residents to know about the losses they would incur if the Pancheswar dam was built and the benefits they would have if the ongoing road and rail track projects were completed in time.

He said the campaign would be launched after Divali.

“We will tell people that if the Pancheswar dam gets nod of initialisation the motor road under construction by the Government of India will never be completed,” said Airy.

Fun and frolic at KV, FRI, annual sports day
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, October 21
Kendriya Vidyalaya, Forest Research Institute (KV FRI), organised its annual sports day for junior and senior sections here today.

The sports day witnessed mass participation from students of all classes.

The event began with the Gayatri Mantra, song “deep jal uthe”, an enthralling bhangra dance and Divali song “jagar magar”.

The sports events included 100 metre race, skipping, banana and lemon race and march past. Ashoka House was awarded the first prize for a flawless march past. Raman House stood second and Shivaji House and Tagore House shared the third prize.

In 100 metre senior boys’ race, Mohan Rawat bagged the first position and Ankit Karki second. In 100 metre girls’ race, Jaya stood first and Himani second. In the secondary section, Vivek stood first position in the 100 metre race.

Pritam Kumar Bind, former international player, was the chief guest on the occasion. He is presently working with the ONGC.

Major Namrata Rathore, VSM, alumni of the KV FRI, was the Guest of Honour.

Principal Dr Charu Sharma extended a warm welcome to the guests.

Manisha wins 100-m race at KV Birpur

Kendriya Vidyalaya Birpur celebrated its annual Sports Day here on Tuesday. Chief guest Col Pradeep Kumar was given a floral welcome by school Principal HS Sharma.

In sports competitions the students showed great enthusiasm and performed their best. Manisha Chauhan and Ashish Chhantel of Class VIII gagged the first position in 100 metre race in the girls’ and boys’ category respectively. In 200 metre race, Kanchan and Gaurav secured the first position in girls’ and boys’ category respectively.

However, the main attraction of the day was the events of tug of war and musical chair competition between teachers and parents.