CM inaugurates Rudrapur tehsil
Lays stone for development schemes worth Rs 129 crore
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Chief Minister Harish Rawat today inaugurated the newly built Rudrapur tehsil and laid the foundation stone for development schemes worth Rs 129 crore at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district.

These include 49 special schemes of education, veterinary, PWD, SIDCUL and Social Welfare departments.

A total of 24 schemes worth Rs 32 crore were inaugurated while foundation stone was laid for 25 projects worth Rs 96.74 crore.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the telephone complaint service where any individual could register his complaint in any department over the phone.

He congratulated locals for the new tehsil and said Udham Singh Nagar district was known for unity in diversity and this identity must be maintained.

He said Udham Singh Nagar was the agriculture bowl of the state and said in order to keep excelling in agriculture, the state government had increased the subsidy on farming equipment. He announced that new polyhouse for farmers would be set up and the old ones will be repaired.

Rawat said a terminal market along with a flower ‘mandi’ should be set up and linked to Dehradun. He said after three years of raising fodder trees and having registered them, the government would provide owners with a bonus of Rs 300 per tree annually. The farmers above the age of 60 will be provided with pension by the government. The government has also taken a decision to give the remaining money to the sugarcane farmers which is pending with sugar mills.

He said it was important for the poor to get the benefit of the schemes introduced for them.

The Chief Minister announced that VAT be removed on the purchase of cycles. He said Uttarakhand would host national games in 2018 with the coming up of international stadium at Haldwani.

The Chief Minister also gave his approval for the expansion of bus stand in Rudrapur, setting up of blood bank, office for sub registrar, appointment of a separate SDM in Kicha, construction of 10 km Bagwada Pursemi road, Rudrapur; electricity store, improvement of sewage facility, 2 km road in Pratappur, 1.5 km road in Gangapur, treching ground and land for baraat ghar for the minorities.

Finance Minister Dr Indira Hridayesh, Revenue Minister Yashpal Arya, Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani, Municipality president Ishwari Prasad Gangawar, Disaster Management director Prayag Bhatt, Tilak Raj Beharh, MLA Rajkumar Thakral, Rajesh Shukla, SS Nayal, DIG GS Martoliya, DM Dr Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Nilesh Anand and other representatives were present on the occasion. 

Women play important role in conserving environment: CM
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Chief Minister Harish Rawat inaugurated a seminar on environment-related opportunities faced by women in Himalayan areas at the famous Chalet hall at Nainital yesterday.

The Chief Minister said people were migrating from mountains. In order to solve this problem, he suggested establishment of basic infrastructure and promotion of cottage industries.

He said women play an important role in environment conservation in the hilly regions. Remembering Gaura Devi on the occasion, he said her Chipko movement was against unscientific felling of trees. He praised women for handling household chores, looking after cattle and farming.

He said the government would provide encouragement money to women who plant trees along with practicing farming. The government is also preparing a scheme to provide water bonus to villages who adopt water conservation techniques.

He said farmers, who are into fruit plantation, would get complete support from the Forest Department.

He warned serious water deficiency in case water was not conserved in time. Thus along with forest, rainwater needs to be conserved. He said the prime focus of the seminar was to create awareness among women in the hills.

Local MLA Sarita Arya said it was the responsibility of the state to empower the women of the hills.

He informed the participants that representatives from seven Himalayan regions were participating in the seminar and hoped that discussions would get assured results.

People are migrating from mountains. In order to solve this problem, cottage industries should be promoted. Women play an important role in environment conservation in the hilly regions. The government will provide encouragement money to women who plant trees along with practicing farming. The government is also preparing a scheme to provide water bonus to villages who adopt water conservation techniques. Farmers, who are into fruit plantation, will get complete support from the Forest Department. —Harish Rawat, Chief Minister

Mussoorie is tourism centre of state, says Chief Minister
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, November 17
Chief Minister Harish Rawat said Mussoorie was the centre of tourism for the state and the government was making all efforts to make it an important revenue grocer for the state.

He was addressing a gathering of authors during a three-day meeting held at Savoy Hotel yesterday.

The Chief Minister sought suggestion from authors on developing tourism in the state and received an overwhelming response.

Authors namely Ruskin Bond, Hugh and Collen Gantzer, Victor Banerjee, Allen Sealy, Stephen Alter, Ganesh Saili Bill Aitken, Surendra Pundir, Dr Venu Sanon and Arab had an interactive session with the Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Dinesh Dhanai and provided positive inputs for the increasing tourism and in an eco-friendly way.

The authors suggested that the heritage look of the historic towns such as Mussoorie should be maintained so that more tourists are attracted to the town.

The authors demanded creation of new tourism centres as most of the spots right now were created by British and no new tourist station has come up prior to the Independence.

The authors also suggested that efforts should be made to attract a large population of low-end foreign tourists known as bag packers by providing them low-cost boarding and lodging so that they can spend their time in the state for longer durations. The authors said the nature and the beauty of the Himalayas was tool for bringing in tourists but an effective marketing was needed. The authors also demanded an event calendar and publicised it vigorously through in flight magazines television and print media.

Eminent actor Victor Banerjee stressed upon the need for promoting cultural tourism in Uttarakhand. He said a planned development of Kedarnath region was the need of the hour to avoid the repeat of last year’s disaster. Ruskin Bond sought improving infrastructure road connectivity so that more tourists come to the state.

The Chief Minister thanked the authors for their valuable suggestion and said he was planning to convert the suggestions given by renowned authors as coffee table book.

He said the government would try to implement the suggestions as soon as possible. He said besides Mussoorie and Dehradun, the government was trying to create more tourist destinations.

He said the government was considering introducing a law where heritage house owners were directed to keep the original look of their building to the tune of 15 per cent intact. Harish Rawat admitted that presently, the state was largely dependent on religious tourism and nature and the need to do more in field of education was being felt. He said a corpus fund of Rs 5 crore for the well-being of folk artistes had been constituted by the government.

He said creating a Himalayan cultural centre at Dehradun was one step in preserving the tradition and culture of the state. He said the Agnaga museum was being planned at Haridwar. He said the start of winter Char Dham yatra was a step in the direction of increasing tourism in the state. Dr Umakant Panwar, Secretary, Tourism, was present on the occasion. 

MC to seek funds from NGOs for equipment purchase
Parwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Bogged down by objections from board members to purchase of new equipment along with lackadaisical attitude of the state government, the cash-strapped Dehradun Municipal Corporation is approaching NGOs for funding the new machinery.

Always in line of fire for its dismal performance in maintaining sanitation in the city, the Municipal Corporation is trying to strike a deal with Hans Foundation, an NGO, for procuring funds for purchase of an electronic sweeping machine and a couple of door-to-door garbage collection vehicles.

Giving the details, Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh Rawat said they have asked the NGO to provide Rs 10 crore for purchase of machinery and equipment for managing the deteriorating sanitation in the city. “Though they have agreed to fund the purchase, we are yet to formalise the entire project. Also, we are planning to add some more items that could be used for the public service,” he added.

Speaking about why the MC approached an NGO, Rawat said the main reason was lack of funds. “We are already struggling hard to fund day-to-day operations and purchasing expensive equipment is very difficult for the civic body. Most of the funds are utilised in paying staff salaries, bills and for maintenance of equipment. Despite several requests, the state government has not released any funds for modernisation of the civic body,” he said.

Expressing displeasure over non-cooperation from councillors and board members, Rawat said any new proposal is met with objections and criticism. “In the past too, I have floated several new ideas for improving the situation, but most of these have been rejected, both by board members and councillors. Even for purchasing the dustbins, an immediate requirement, I had to explain a lot of things and face objections for several months before the proposal was finally passed and orders were placed,” he added.

He maintained that it was becoming difficult to manage the continuously expanding city with a limited number of sanitation workers. There is a dire need for electronic equipment, he stated.

“We have 640 sanitation workers. Until the Cabinet approves of restructuring the DMC, we cannot hire additional hands. The main aim behind purchasing the electronic sweeping machine is to reduce the burden on existing force and deploy it for other tasks,” he added.

The Dehradun MC had earned a revenue of Rs 15 lakh for August-September from door-to-door collection of garbage. It recently ordered purchase of 10 mini vehicles to be used for door-to-door collection of garbage. A fortnight ago, tenders were released for purchase of dustbins to be placed at various spots in the state capital.

We are already struggling hard to fund day-to-day operations and purchasing expensive equipment is very difficult for the civic body. Most of the funds are utilised in paying staff salaries, bills and for maintenance of equipment. Despite several requests, the state government has not released any funds for modernisation of the civic body —Harak Singh Rawat, Mukhya Nagar Adhikari

Secretariat staff returns to work
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
The striking Secretariat staff, who were protesting six-day week and biometric attendance from last Tuesday, were back to work today.

Sensing displeasure of the public and the High Court order asking the government to take tough action, leaders of the Uttarakhand Secretariat Federation returned to work.

On Friday, Secretary, Administration, PS Jangpangi, issued a letter asking the staff to return to work by Monday or face action.

“We have returned to work honouring the wishes of the public and the High Court, but we are also hopeful of a solution to our demand,” said NP Raturi, president of the Uttarakhand Secretariat Federation.

On the defensive, the union leaders are also banking on the Cabinet meeting that will take place tomorrow, though the decision has already been taken.

But in case, the government follows with the issuance of a government order as a face saving measure, the union leaders are saying that they would not be willing to work beyond the mandatory 10 am to 5pm schedule.

“If the government is keen to extend the working schedule to a six-day week, then accordingly it should not ask us to give overtime. We would then only work from 10 am to 5pm,” said Raturi.

The Secretariat staff is also upset with the biometric attendance that is expected to be implemented and is demanding that the same be put in place for IAS officers as well.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has welcomed the decision of the Secretariat staff to return back to work, “There is no better option than dialogue. The government is always ready to fulfill the appropriate demands of its employees,” he said.

Uttarakhand will face problems if people’s aspirations not fulfilled
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 17
The state of Uttarakhand will have to face serious problems on social and economic fronts in the coming days if people’s aspirations are not fulfilled in time. These views were expressed at a seminar organised by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi at the Government Degree College Manila in Almora district on Monday.

Over 30 research papers were read while 75 research scholars registered their papers at the seminar, which was organised over two days and addressed by former dean of Kashi Vidhyapeeth, Dr RP Singh. Addressing the gathering, Dr Singh said the state had failed to fulfil people’s aspirations expressed during the statehood movement days, even though 14 years have elapsed since the state came into being.

“Development of base areas such as agriculture and horticulture besides small and cottage industries in the state would have solved several social problems by mitigating unrest in different layers of the social strata of the state,” said Dr Singh.

Dr Gorakhnath, organiser of the seminar, said in his address that Uttarakhand contains vast possibilities for development and employment in the bio-agriculture and tourism sectors.

Several research papers on various aspects of social problems of the state and its society were presented by research students and senior sociologists of the country.

Canal Road residents, DMC spar as dustbin removed
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Sudden disappearance of the dustbin kept on Canal Road has triggered a crossfire involving the area residents and Dehradun Municipal Corporation.

A few days ago, the only dustbin placed on the roadside was removed following orders from District Magistrate Chandresh Kumar. Even though the civic body failed to come up with a valid excuse to remove the only bin catering to the entire area, the area councillor alleged that it was done after a retired Army officer complained to the DM.

Speaking to The Tribune, ward councillor Saroj Panwar said despite several requests, the MC is not placing any dustbin at the spot. “Left with no option but to dispose of the garbage, the area residents and door-to-door collection staff are dumping garbage at the same spot in the open. This is causing a lot of inconvenience to the public besides being unhygienic,” said the councillor.

“There is a retired Army officer who has recently shifted to our area. It is learnt that on his complaint, the DM ordered removal of the bin. However, the DMC has failed to provide an alternative site for placing the bin. Further, nobody knows where the dustbin has vanished,” she said.

“The area residents are planning to stage a protest demonstration in case the issue is not resolved at the earliest. I being the public representative, the civic body should have consulted me before removing the bin,” lamented Panwar.

Failing to come up with a suitable reply, Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh Rawat admitted that he had ordered removal of the bin following the DM’s instructions.

On being asked about placing an alternative bin, the MNA said they were still in the process of identifying a new spot that would be suitable for everyone. “Meanwhile, we have instructed the garbage collection vans not to dump the collected garbage at the spot to avoid any public inconvenience,” he added. Despite repeated attempts, the District Magistrate could not be contacted.

Underground pathways to ease traffic congestion
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Brig KG Behl (retd), president, All India Consumer Council, Uttarakhand, has demanded construction of underground pathways to ease traffic congestion on Dehradun city roads. Addressing the monthly meeting of All India Consumers Council, he apprised them about the city’s traffic problems.

Capt SK Bhandari (retd) said due to heavy traffic, it becomes difficult to cross crowded roads and senior citizens find it difficult to cross over even on overhead bridges where they cannot climb the staircase.

Pedestrians find it difficult to cross over using zebra crossings wherever these exist, as there are no lights to indicate that they can cross over. This causes accidents.

It was demanded that traffic be properly regulated during opening and closing of schools as it becomes difficult for residents to get out of their houses, particularly in Dalanwala area, where there are numerous schools.

JS Bahl pointed out that many members were confused as regards house tax and need clear instructions, more so since rumours have taken root. It was suggested that house tax should be taken stock of by a team of officials to avoid this problem. He demanded 25% concession in house tax for senior citizens.

The problem of cleanliness was taken up as safai karamcharis are posted but they do not turn up for work in many areas on Rajpur Road regularly. Brig Behl (retd) said vehicles on roads should be parked only on one side, changing sides on alternate days. Vehicles should not be allowed to be parked on both sides as that could obstruct the passage, it was stated. 

Roadways employees strike work
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Objecting to the outsourcing of drivers and conductors, the staff of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation will be proceeding on indefinite strike and resorting to chakka jam from today midnight.

It may be recalled that objecting against the recruitments, the staff had earlier on November 5 staged a one-day protest. Uttaranchal Roadways Karamchari Union general secretary K.P. Singh said that in the wake of non-acceptance of their demands they have resorted to indefinite strike.

“On August 22 Chief Minister Harish Rawat had put a stoppage on the recruitment and also asked for the 3500 outsourced drivers and conductors to be placed on contract. However, nothing has been done.

The drivers and conductors are still being outsourced, thus causing widespread resentment among the employees,” he added.

It may be mentioned here that almost 100 buses of UTC ply on the Dehradun – New Delhi route while 60 run on the Haldwani route. The bus strike would severely impact the system and the passengers would have to depend on the buses from Uttar Pradesh. 

Nanhi Duniya celebrates founder’s day
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Nanhi Duniya celebrated its 68th Founder’s Day celebration “Jashn-E-Bachpan” here today. The celebrations began early morning with “Prabhat pheri” followed by obeisance to the Sun God.

Children, staff and volunteers were led by Alok Ulfat, famous theatre artiste.

He discussed about the significance and positive aspects of environment.

The cultural programme began by lighting the traditional lamp followed by a song sung by the choir group. Artistes of Rangshala depicted mans close relation with nature through a dance presentation.

A song was presented by the children. The special children presented a jungle play “Animals in Harmony”. Young artistes presented a colourful folk dance depicting the beauty of the Himalayas.

Competitions mark SBSPGI founder’s day celebrations

A three-day Founders-cum-Annual Day celebrations “Utsav-2014”of Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research (SBSPGI) concluded here today.

Competitions under the title “Saptrang”, which included rangoli making, face painting, card making, mehndi, photography, flower decoration, collage and other categories, were held on the final day of the celebrations. The event was inaugurated by Harinder Pal Kaur, wife of the founder director.

Neha Chand and Neelam Chand were adjudged winners in the rangoli competition. Shefali Bhardwaj won the card making competition. In the painting contest, Vicky Sharma was adjudged winner whereas Pragati, Rupa and Prachi won the mehndi competition.

Managing secretary of the SBSPGI, Dr Gaurav Deep Singh and Additional Director (administration), Brig PPS Pahws (retd), gave away prizes to the winners. All heads of departments, faculty members and non-teaching staff of the institute and students were present on the occasion.

Cultural fest a big hit with students

Dehradun, November 18
The two-day annual student cultural festival Urja-14 of University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) concluded at Bidholi campus on Sunday. Nearly 7000 cheering students participated and witnessed the 31 competitive events.

Urja 14 was especially dedicated to two of the burning challenges of student fraternity, that is substance abuse and road traffic accidents. “Abhinay,” the programme based on these social paradoxes, moved the packed audiences and made them introspect. There were other very popular events like ‘Footlose,’ ‘Mr. and Mrs. Uurja’ and ‘War of Bands.’

The performance of famous rockband Astitva enthralled everyone present there. Director, Student Affairs, Brigadier (Retired) Dr. Anil Sharma congratulated all the students, organisers, discipline and security committee for the success of the programme. — TNS

200 take part in workshop on agriculture
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
A national workshop on “Retrospectives and prospection analysis of Indian agriculture: The road map ahead” began at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar today. The inaugural session of the workshop was held at the conference hall of College of Agriculture. As many as 200 scientists from different universities and institutions from across the country participated in the two-day workshop.

Dr Ramesh Chandra welcomed the guests and delegates. Former Vice-Chancellor of Pantnagar University, Dr BS Bisht, was the chief guest on the occasion. Present Vice-Chancellor, Prof HS Dhami, presided over the session. Dr BB Singh, visiting professor of A and M University of Texas, USA, was the guest of honour. Director experiment station, Dr JP Singh, Dean, agriculture and Registrar of the university, Dr J Kumar, and joint director, experiment station, Dr Ramesh Chandra, were also present on the occasion.

Soha Ali Khan enthralled by state’s beauty
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan, who is best known for her role in films like “Rang De Basanti” and “Tum Mile”, says that she is spellbound by the beauty of Uttarkhand and will shoot her next film at Haridwar.

After reaching Dehradun to promote a real estate project at Maukampur, Soha Ali Khan said she visited Ranikhet in Kumaon some 5 to 6 years ago for her film shooting and was enthralled by the natural beauty there.

“Uttarakhand has immense scope for the film industry and the hill state has some beautiful locations, which can be used for shooting films,” she said. She added that she keeps visiting Rishikesh and she would be in Haridwar for her next film shooting soon.

Punjabi movie exempted from tax
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
A 3D animated Punjabi movie “Char Sahabzade” has been exempted from entertainment tax in Uttarakhand.

Surendra Aggarwal, media adviser to the Chief Minister, said representatives of the Uttarakhand Punjabi Mahasabha met Chief Minister Harish Rawat and requested exemption of the movie from entertainment tax in the state.

The Chief Minister directed the officials concerned to take a decision to effect the exemption.

Representatives of Punjabi Mahasabha, Devender Singh, Amarjit Singh and Manmit Singh were part of the delegation.

Haridwar Sanskrit researcher invited to Nepal varsity
Tribune News Service

Uttarakhand Sanskrit University researcher Dinesh Sharma. Tribune photo: RAMESHWAR GAUR

Haridwar, November 17
Haridwar-based Sanskrit litterateur Dinesh Sharma has been invited to Nepal-based Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, to present his research paper on Gorkhali language.

As per Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar office, currently pursuing research from the university, Dinesh Sharma will be presenting his research paper on Gorkhali language later this month at a convention organised by Linguistic Society of Nepal.

A bank employee, Dinesh Sharma is a retired Indian Air Force personnel, who is pursuing Ph D from Uttarakhand Sanskrit University.

Apart from Hindi, Dinesh Sharma is well-versed in Burmi, English and Nepali languages. He is doing research on Garhwali language, so that this language may be inducted in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.

Research director and in charge of Language Science in Uttarakhand Sanskrit University Sushil Upadhyay said this convention will give a new dimension to Indo-Nepal lingual relations and Dinesh Sharma will play a major role therein.

He said as Gorkhali language is spoken in Dehradun region, Dinesh’s research will also give due status to this language both in India and Nepal.

In this convention, delegates, research scholars and educationists from 35 countries will be taking part. This is for the first time that any student of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University will be presenting his research paper outside the country.

Mishra brothers enthral audience with bhajans

Dehradun, November 17
Performing at the Col Brown School today, acclaimed classical singers Rajnish Mishra and Ritesh Mishra introduced the young audience to a variety of bhajans.

Blessed with soothing voices and possessing a rich knowledge of Indian ragas, the Mishra brothers ensured the audience got a glimpse of classical vocal music.

The singers kept explaining to audience nuances of Indian classical music and how it is different from western music. The brothers have learnt music from their illustrious father Pt Rajan Mishra and uncle Sajan Mishra. The show was organised by Dehradun chapter of SpicMacay to develop in school students an ear for classical vocal music. — TNS

State govt empowered to divert forest land
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
The Government of India has given a go ahead to the Uttarakhand government to clear proposals for the diversion of forest land measuring five hectare for creating public utility and security related infrastructure in the flood-affected districts. The state government has been empowered to clear such offers for a period of one year.

Earlier, in February, the Central government had given permission for diverting one hectare of forest land for non-forest purpose under 13 categories of public utility and security related infrastructure, which has now been extended to five hectare.

Principal secretary, forests and environment, Dr Ranbir Singh, said the extension would help speed up work in the disaster-affected areas. It would also make clearance of proposals requiring diversion of forest land for non- forest purposes faster, he added. “More than 150 projects requiring clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, are pending. They will now be cleared at the state level. Around 264 projects have received principal approval from the state,” he said.

The relaxation has been extended to the flood-affected districts of Uttarakhand and Lahul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.

Some of the public utility projects that have figured under the 13 categories, include construction of schools, widening of roads, drinking water projects, dispensaries/hospitals, construction of police stations, border outposts, watch towers in sensitive areas identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Ex-servicemen’s plea to Defence Minister
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Urging the newly appointed Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to initiate the process of implementing One Rank One Pension (OROP), members of Dehradun Ex-Services League have asked for correction of anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission so that retired soldiers are not deprived of pension benefits.

In an open letter to the Defence Minister, Brig KG Behl (retd), president of the league, said it was not possible to implement the OROP unless the anomalies created by the 6th Central Pay Commission for equivalence of number of years required to get full pension for a particular rank are resolved.

SP felicitates police personnel
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 17
SP Sweety Aggarwal felicitated police personnel at Roshanabad here today. A special programme was organised at the police post to feliciate police personnel.

Aggarwal briefed police personnel and motivated them to be diligent, courageous and friendly with people.

She listened to the problems, complaints and issues related with police personnel and assured them to solve their problems in time.

She gave cash award and certificates to Rodi Belwala police check post in charge Lakpati Singh Butola, constable Manveer Rana, head constable (traffic) Rajesh Kumar and constable Pramod Kumar, for arresting chain snatchers within five minutes of its occurrence on September 27.

“It’s a privilege that we have got an opportunity to serve our country and people. We have a vital responsibility of controlling crime and maintaining law and order,” she added. Traffic head constable Rajesh Kumar said getting a reward by district police chief was motivational and increased their confidence.

Govt promoting mining mafia, says BJP

Dehradun, November 17
State BJP spokesman Balraj Passi accused the Harish Rawat government of promoting mining mafia.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in here today, Balraj Passi alleged that the state government was promoting mining mafia in the state in a big way. He alleged that politicians and bureaucrats in the state were having nexus with mining mafia.

Passi criticised state government of introducing VAT on diesel and petrol. He said while BJP-led Centre was trying to bring down diesel and petrol prices, the state Congress government was increasing the prices of diesel and petrol by introducing VAT. — TNS

Landour Cantt Board poll on Jan 11

Mussoorie, November 17
Elections for six wards falling under the Landour Cantonment Board in Mussoorie will be held on January 11.

Election officer, CEO Landour Cantonment Board, Ajit Reddy, issued the notification here today.

Reddy said all new names would be added in the electoral list by November 20 in all six wards of the cantonment board. — TNS

BHEL adhering to latest technology: Executive Director
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 17
Maha Ratna Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited is adhering to the latest technology to ensure high global quality standards.

Executive Director, Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant, BHEL, Prakash Chand, speaking at the one-day forum of cutting tools vendor-suppliers organised by BHEL Turbine and Defence Production Department, stated this here today.

BJP membership drive in Kumaon
Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, November 17
Launching BJP’s membership drive in Almora district, party leaders have said policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi need to be publicised to the state’s interiors to make people aware of the country’s emergence under the Prime Minister’s leadership. “These steps would fill coffers of power for the BJP in the state Assembly elections scheduled to be organised in 2017,” BJP MP Ajay Tamta said at Almora today.

The Almora MP, addressing a gathering of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members in connection with the membership drive held under the title ‘Mission 2017’ at Almora today, said while the nation is gradually progressing under various welfare schemes launched by the Prime Minister, India’s image is on the up due to new initiatives in the country’s external affairs. “Programmes such as Jan Dhan Yojana, nationwide sanitation programme and Make in India campaign have started generating results even in initial days following their launch,” said Tamta.

The BJP MP said by publicising these achievements to the masses residing in the state’s interiors, the party would be able to oust the Congress from power in 2017. “The present state government is under influence of the mafia and is defying the common man in the state,” said Tamta.

BJP district president Govind Pilkhuwal said at the meeting that the party has planned to enrol 50,000 members in the district.

Preserving biodiversity, ecosystem vital: Scientists
Tribune News Service

Haridwar, November 17
Conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem is of paramount importance, particularly due to rapid urbanisation, lessening of green cover and changes in global climatic conditions.

This was stated by scientists, environmentalists and experts here today at a national seminar on topic ‘Threats to biodiversity and eco systems: Impacts of development projects and climate change,” at the 25th all India congress of zoology organised by Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukul Kangri University.

Former Rajya Sabha parliamentarian Dr Ram Prakash said that in ancient times due to regular performance of rituals of yagna-hawan the atmosphere used to become naturally clean as it was not harmful to the environment.

But today with rapid industrialisation and due to toxic emission of various harmful gases, the environment is getting polluted, leading to drastic changes in the climate.

Emphasizing that Indian culture since its inception has been pro biodiversity, Vice Chancellor of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar University Dr RC Sobti pointed that developed countries gave emphasis only to industrialisation and science, while Indian sages and munis had given due weightage to biodiversity, environment and science.

Vice Chancellor Gurukul Kangri University Prof Dr Suerendra Kumar said that environment studies should be given equal weightage in educational curriculum, as the damage done to the ecology can be lessened only if younger generation bridges this gap.

He said that natural resources are being exploited on a large scale, while green cover is shrinking, leading to imbalance in the ecology.

Prof AK Saxena stressed on the need of lessening the pro global warming pollutants.

Dr Pratibha Gupta was given gold medal for her excellent academic record ,while delegates from 48 universities,11 Central universities and 16 research organisations, along with 362 educationists took part in this one-day seminar.

Among others who were present during the seminar were A Ninave, JK Kulkarni, BB Kaliwal, UC Goswami, SP Trivedi, AK Sharma, JC Pandey, KK Sharma, RC Sharma, Neelima Gupta, MM Saxena , NA Gania, Pradeep Joshi, Ashok Saxena, Ajay Malik and Satya Prasad Bhatt.

Convener of the seminar Dinesh Bhatt and PC Joshi coordinated the seminar proceedings.

Tribals seek grazing rights in Terai forests

Pithoragarh, November 17
Tribal shepherds, who migrate to Terai region with herds of sheep to escape biting cold at higher altitudes, have demanded that they be allowed to graze their animals in Terai forests during winter months. Officials of the Forest Department bar them from grazing their animals in the forest areas.

“We have brought the matter to the notice of the chairperson, Van Nigam, Harish Dhami. He has assured us to talk to the Chief Minister in this regard,” said Aan Singh Dariyal, a shepherd from Munsiyari, who is presently in the Terai region with his herd of sheep and other pets.

Shepherds, who begin migration to lower valley in October, remain there till March next year. They reach their winter destination after travelling for 15 days from their homes located at high altitude. “We face several problems during our stay as officials of the Forest Department tell us that the law does not permit grazingforest land,” said Iswar, another shepherd heading towards Terai region from Munsiyari via Pithoragarh route. Shepherds say the government was not purchasing wool from them. It is importing wool from Tibet.— OC 

Students spread awareness on environment through exhibition
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, November 17
A science and art exhibition was organised at Central School for Tibetans in Mussoorie with an objective to spread awareness towards environmental conservation at the school hall in Mussoorie today.

The schools from three zones participated in the exhibition where they displayed their projects through different models and charts on the occasion.

The team from North Zone was declared overall champion while the team from South Zone and East Zone were declared second and third, respectively.

The students prepared the model on the topics, namely cause of pollution and its solutions, social sciences in relation to humans and role of mathematics in daily life.

AS Rawat, education officer from CBSE, inaugurating the exhibition said that the exhibitions help in honing the skill of students and developing their all-round skills so that they can excel in their careers. He said that main objective of such exhibitions was to make students more imaginative and creative in thinking and enhance their knowledge base in the process.

The principal of the school Anita Narula launched the tri-monthly newsletter of the school on the occasion. She also informed the media that around 31 students have been selected for the national meet on the exhibitions to be held later. Sandeep Rauto coordinated the programme.

Moradabad academy win cricket tourney
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Moradabad Cricket Academy clinched the India Under-14 Continental Cup 2014 after defeating Bal Bhawan International School, New Delhi, in the final match played at Maa Anandmayee Memorial School here today.

Winning the toss, Bal Bhawan elected to bat first and got off to a poor start and lost 3 wickets. The team scored 130 runs in the allotted 30 overs with Yash scoring the maximum 31 runs followed by Aakash who made 28 runs.

For Moradabad Cricket Academy, Nitin and Mohit took three wickets, while Sonu took 2 wickets.

Chasing the target, Moradabad got off to a brisk start. Sonu scored a magnificent half century of 59 runs, while Yashwardhan guided his team home with 33 runs.

Shubham and Yash took 2 wickets each for Bal Bhawan. The Man of the Match, Best Batsman and Man of the Series Award went to Sonu of Moradabad, while the Best Bowler Award was won by Harsh of Bal Bhawan.

Veena Sahani, Principal, and Arpit Panjwani, Director, presented the awards and commended the rising stars for their outstanding performance.

St Joseph’s Academy storm into cricket finals
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
St Joseph’s Academy stormed into the finals of the ongoing DDCSA Senior Boys Cricket Tournament here today.

It defeated Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy (RRMRA) by 41 runs in the semi-final match played at St Joseph’s Academy here today.

St Joseph’s Academy won the toss and elected to bat first. The team displayed good batting performance and scored 172 runs at the loss of 7 wickets with Vinayak scoring the highest 41 runs for the team.

Madhav also played a cameo of 27 runs, while Gaurav contributed 25 runs for St Joseph’s Academy.

For RRMRA, Hritik took 2 wickets, while Shubham and Sumit took 1 wicket each in the innings.

In reply, RRMRA got off to a dismal start with both openers Shubham and Ankit getting out without scoring much runs.

Jatin played a brilliant innings of 48 runs in the middle overs, but no other batsmen could perform and the team was bowled out at 131 runs.

For St Joseph’s Academy, Vinayak took 3 wickets in the match and remained the top wicket taker for the team. 

Pestle Weed win inaugural basketball match
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
Pestle Weed College win the inaugural match in the Inter-School Basketball Tournament that kicked off at Delhi Public School, Kalagaon, here today. Twelve teams from reputed schools of the city are participating in the tournament, which will conclude on November 19.

The inaugural match was played between Pestle Weed School and Doon International School and as expected the match proved to be a close encounter. However, Pestle Weed School in the end won the match by 29-27 score.

Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by District Magistrate, Dehradun, Chandresh Yadav. In his address, the District Magistrate congratulated the school for their efforts to promote sports. The Principal of the school BK Singh gave his best wishes to the members of all the teams. It is to be noted that the tournament will be played on a knockout basis.

PT drill highlight of school sports day
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, November 17
The 16th annual sports and PT display of Doon Global School was held on the school campus here today. The director of the school Mitali Aggarwal was the chief guest on the occasion.

Highlight of the event remained the PT drill by students from both junior and senior sections. Aerobics by the senior girls and pyramid formation by senior school students with the message of Clean India and respect for the girl child was highly appreciated. Master Aryan was awarded as the best march past leader and the overall championship trophy was won by Hope House.

Notably, the best athlete award in the boys’ and girls’ sections was won by Master Shubham Chaudhary and Priyanka Chauhan, respectively. In the junior division best athlete trophies were given to Gaurav Singh Negi and Eesha Mishra. 

The events

• Highlight of the event remained the PT drill by students from both junior and senior sections
• Aerobics by the senior girls and pyramid formation by senior school students with the message of Clean India and respect for the girl child was highly appreciated