Drainage cleanliness drive from April 1

Dehradun, March 26
Mayor Vinod Chamoli reviewed the performance of the Doon Valley Waste Management (DVWM) company at a meeting held at the premises of the Dehradun Municipal Corporation today.

The company has been given the project worth Rs 24 crore to collect the waste material from the city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

At present, the company, which was hired more than a year ago, is covering 28 wards out of a total of 60 wards.

The meeting was attended by Additional Mukhya Nagar Adhikari Harak Singh Rawat, Chief Health Officer Dr Kailash Joshi, supervisors and representatives of the DVWM.

The Mayor said the workers of the company were not collecting waste material from all slum colonies. The cases of overcharging from slum dwellers were also brought up. It was also seen that the company vehicles were not reaching on time to the housing colonies. He said the work for further wards would not be allocated to them unless they showed improvement in their work. The supervisors of the DMC had been authorised to check their work on regular basis.

The dustbins, which had been placed on main roads, will now be shifted to other lanes. The DVWM, which was supposed to dump the garbage at the Shishambara Scientific Land Fill (SLF), is under construction. Now it has been given the instructions to carry the garbage at Transfer station built at the Haridwar road, where the garbage from small trolleys would be shifted in bigger vehicles and taken to SLF Shishambara.

The Mayor also announced to kick start the drainage cleanliness drive from April 1.

Theatre festival begins today

Dehradun, March 26
The 12th theatre festival is being organised by Dehradun-based Uttar Natya Sansthan (UNS) in collaboration with State Culture Department to celebrate the Vishwa Rangmanch Divas, which falls on March 27, at Survey Auditorium in the city. This 10-day festival will have 10 main theatre groups of the city staging one play each day from 7 pm for two hours. These groups are Vatayan, Kala Manch, Parvatiya Natya Manch, Humn Sanstha, Sambhav Manch Parivar, Meghdut, Yugantar, Doon Ghati Rangmanch, Shail Nut and Dhaad. The plays will represent different genres such as comedy, satire, contemporary and historical. UNS, which wanted to invite competent play groups from outside the state, could not do so.

Addressing a press conference, president, UNS, SP Mamgai, poured out his pain saying: “The state government is completely indifferent towards theatre in the city or in the state as a whole. Owing to this, the funds released to organise the theatre festival has not been fixed. Rather, instead of increasing the fund, the state government has halved the amount from four lakh of previous year to two lakh this year to organise the theatre festival.” He said it was hard to meet the expenses for a prolonged period of 10 days as each group consisted of 20-30 theatrists. Thereupon, the fee of the auditorium is astronomical.

He said: “We have to request the director, Survey Auditorium, to lower their every day fee from Rs 25,000 each day to Rs 5000. Thankfully, he accepted our request. But the way state government has shrunk the budget, it has become difficult for us to sustain for 10 days.”

Mamgai said the government was spending liberally on other cultural events. He rued the fact that it also did not devise a separate culture policy till date whereas they had relentlessly been raising their voice for it.
While enlisting a number of requirements which theatre groups in the city needed to strengthen this important form of art, secretary, UNS, Roshan Dasmana, said: “There is not a single theatre auditorium in the city. So we need a good auditorium on the lines of National School of Drama, which should be equipped with light and sound system of advance technology and have a seating capacity for at least 2000 people. The place can also be well-utilised for rehearsals for the plays as there is no such place in the whole town.” He also stressed on the need to float Sangeet Natak Academy, as other states in the country have, to promote music and theatre.He elaborated upon saying that since the state government did not support art & culture in the state, quite a few aspirants were opting for a career in theatre, which reflected upon the quality churningout from here. Those who were involved did not have much exposure as the organisation did not have funds to take them to the theatre festivals held in other states or invite theatre groups from outside in the city.In a bid to remind the state government about the significant contributions of the theatre groups, he said: “The role of theatre groups, especially street plays, during struggling period for the creation of the state cannot be wished away. They inspired and filled vigour in people to fight for their state. The state government has some responsibility towards them. It has been 11 years since we are trying hard to survive.”

Drive against forest fires

Artistes stage a nukkad natak at Malsi Deer Park in Dehradun on Sunday.

Dehradun, March 26
As part of awareness drive against forest fires, the Uttarakhand Dehradun Forest Division organised street plays at Malsi Deer Park here yesterday. Dehradun Divisional Forest Officer Meenakshi Joshi at Malsi said such awareness programmes kept much importance towards sensitising society towards forest fires.

She said the Dehradun Forest Division had held several of such awarness programmes in village areas and forest resorts in the region. She said lots of visitors came to Malsi Deer Park during weekend, which was the main reason behind staging of the street plays at the park.

She appreciated Sambhav Natya Manch members for their assistance to the Dehradun Forest Department. The plays staged on the occasion informed the gathering about the role of Uttarakhand in forest conservation particularly the Chipko movement. The artistes informed the audience about the ill-effects of forest fires and appealed them to work together to check forest fire incidents.

Bahuguna hopeful of assistance

Dehradun, March 26
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said here that he was hopeful of full support of the Centre to the state.

In an informal interaction with mediapersons after his return from Delhi here, Bahuguna said he had high hopes from the Centre that it would assist Uttarakhand in the development works. He said he had put before the Centre state’s demand for a special package.

He held that while in Delhi, he met several ministers and put forward the concerns of the state.

He disclosed that special economic zone would be prepared to promote industrial development in the region.

The Chief Minister said he had asked special package from the Centre for the state. “I have urged the Centre to extend the period of the industrial package for the state,” he pointed out.

Referring to his meeting with the state Union Power Minister, Bahuguna said the Union Minister had agreed to provide 150 MW of power to the state during the Char Dham Yatra.

The Chief Minister asserted, “The funds will never be a constraint in carrying forward the development works. My government is committed to work for the all round development of the state and we are formulating a work plan.”

Bahuguna also held that he had met Union Home Minister and sought prompt redressal to longstanding assets dispute between Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. He reiterated that he believed in development politics.

Uttrakhand Gujjars demand ST status

Dehradun, March 26
Hounded by the Forest Department, the Gujjars (forest dwellers) residing in the Rajaji National Park (RNP) today narrated their woes to the Chairman of National Commission for Minorities Wajahat Habibullah, demanding a life of dignity for their future generations and also according Scheduled Tribe (ST) on them.

He is here in Doon on the invitation of Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), an NGO engaged in the welfare of the members of nomadic tribe. Around 180 Gujjars who have been residing in Uttarakhand for several decades said they were at the receiving end of the high-handed attitude of the officials of the Forest Department, “Though the Rajaji National Park has only been proposed, the officials have used this excuse to hound us out of the forest. Those of us who were pushed out of the park and made to settle at Gaindi Katha and Pathri areas were never given entitlement rights.

Now in the name of expansion of the airport, move is afoot to again move us out,” charged Talib Hussain, who resides in Mohand (Rajaji National Park).

Besides the Gujjars made a strong pitch for according them the status of Scheduled Tribes, as is the case with the Gujjars residing in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir, “We belong to the same family of Gujjars. While the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir have already accorded them the status of ST, successive governments in Uttarakhand have failed to do so,” said Qasim, a Gujjar.

While recalling the role played by the forest dwellers in protecting the forest wealth, the chairman said the Forest Dwellers Act was especially passed by Parliament to provide protection to the communities living in the forests. “More than the Forest Department, it is the members of these communities who have protected the forest for centuries and should be given their due,” he said.

In fact the Chairman said a pubic hearing would be held with the officials from Dehradun being invited to Delhi and the Gujjars, while still in Dehradun linked up through video conferencing.

“We will hold a public hearing shortly to thrash out matters. The commission would take cognizance of the complaints lodged by the Gujjars against the Forest Department,” said the Chairman.

Earlier, the Chairperson of RLEK, Avdhash Kaushal, said the though the National Human Rights Commission in it’s order has stated that the Gujjars cannot be forced to leave the forest, they continue to be harassed by the authorities.

Bill soon to allow more Indians to visit US

New York, March 25
Amid Indian IT firms' concerns over restrictive US visa policies for their employees, a top American senator has assured that he is working on a bipartisan bill that will reform immigration laws and allow more Indians to come to America.

Influential US Senator from New York Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid met noted Indian-American hotelier and Chairman of Indian-American Democrats Sant Singh Chatwal at his Manhattan hotel here on Friday.

During the nearly hour-long meeting, the three discussed India-US bilateral relations, with Chatwal raising concerns of Indian IT corporations regarding problems faced by them in obtaining work visas like H1B and L1 for their employees.

Reid and Schumer expressed appreciation for the contribution made by the growing Indian-American community to the American economy, saying concerns regarding the visas are being addressed and taken care of.

"I am working to try and change the immigration laws so more Indians can come (to the US). One of the things that Harry and I care a lot about is changing the visas. So more Indians can come here to travel," Schumer told PTI after the meeting.

He said while Indians, Chinese, Russians are keen to come to the US, "the visa laws are a little bit too restrictive so we are working on a bipartisan bill. Harry Reid is going to try to help us get it passed very fast."

Chatwal said Schumer assured him that concerns of Indian firms regarding work visas for their employees are being taken care of and that more visas would be issued to Indian businesses and corporations for their employees.

He said Schumer is keen that more Indians come to the US not only on work visas but also as tourists, thereby contributing to the economy here.

CONCERNS BEING ADDRESSED

Influential US Senator from New York Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed appreciation for the contribution made by the growing Indian-American community to the American economy, saying concerns regarding the visas are being addressed and taken care of

After 17 years, Navratras to last 10 days

Haridwar, March 23
After a gap of 17 years, the Navratras, which commenced from today, will be of 10 days as compared to nine days of the fast. This happened in 1995 when the Navratras were of 10 days. While today the Chaitra Navratras began they will conclude on April 1 on Ram Navami, the day of birth of Lord Rama.
As 2012 is a Leap Year, in Hindu calendar a day of ‘Shraddh’ gets lessened while an additional day is added in the Navratras.
The fifth Navratra day will be observed for two days i.e on April 27th and 28th which is known as ‘Panchami’. Noted astrologist Pundi Prateek Mishrapuri said the fasts and rituals observed during the Navratras have deep significance and those who feed five young girls on the fifth Navratra got their sins burnt.
Meanwhile, on the first day of the Navratra, the devotees thronged temples from the wee hours of the morning after taking a holy dip in the Ganga. Devotees lined up at the shrines of Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi, Maya Devi, Sureshwari Devi, Mata Vaishno Devi, Siddhpeeth Kalipeethadheeshwar and other temples and ashrams in the city to perform prayers.
Kalash filled with the Ganga water were also kept at temples and homes too.
People also observed fast while many will observe it for 10 days. As the Navratras will conclude on Ram Navami day, at many places in the city, Ram Kathas have also begun, where kathavachaks from Ayodhya, Mathura and from the city itself speak on the life and teachings of Lord Rama.