Chakrata Road Demolition Drive

MDDA order makes shopkeepers see red 
Were told to leave 2 metre shop area for parking

A demolition drive under way on Chakrata Road in Dehradun on Monday.

Dehradun, January 2
The demolition drive continued on Chakrata Road throughout the day. A shrine, coming in the way, was also shifted by taking its caretakers into confidence who had created a scene over its destruction a day before.

A directive from the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) created ripples once again among shopkeepers who had now been directed to leave two metres more space from the remaining portion of their shops on Chakrata Road for parking.

The shopkeepers are highly incensed over it and have teamed up to talk about it to vice-chairman (VC), MDDA, on Tuesday.

Anil Kumar, a shopkeeper, said it was unfortunate when everything had been sorted out and the entire project was progressing smoothly, a new order had been imposed on the shopkeepers to take away big chunks from their land, which they would not allow at any cost. Meanwhile, the VC had constituted three teams to resolve all differences regarding the Chakrata widening issue. Umapathi Bhatt, junior engineer, and Sanjiv Kumar, supervisor, MDDA, had been deputed to

resolve the complaints of people regarding water, electricity, sewerage in the new flats allotted near the ISBT. Another team led by city planner RG Singh and staff comprising Anupam Sharma, Nazeer Ahmad, Krishan Mohan Bahuguna and the entire Nazool department will address the claims regarding the property of displaced people from Chakrata Road. The third team led by Executive Engineer NS Rawat. Assistant Engineer Rakesh Rana, junior engineer Vineet Rastogi and Shashipal Singh will assist him to solve the problems regarding water, electricity in the new shopping complex.The team heads will give daily report to the VC.

MENACE OF PAID NEWS

Formation of media panels hangs fire
Nainital, January 2

Despite stringent measures ordered by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to tackle the menace of paid news after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, the constitution of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committees (MCMCs) is yet to take off. Meanwhile, media organisations across the state are learnt to be devising ways and techniques to increase their “election revenue”.

Sources in the government say that there are some roadblocks emerging with regards to the constitution of the MCMCs. While there is no doubt that the two members of the committees will be the Deputy District

Election Officers, problems are being encountered with regards to the other two members.

One of the members has to come from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Sources say that while the orders have been sent across to the departments under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry like the song and drama division, most of the officials are busy holding voter awareness campaigns and other such works. However, they say that this will be resolved in a day or so.

The maximum confusion is prevailing with regards to the fourth member which is to be an independent person or journalist nominated by the Press Council of India (PCI). The officials say that they are unclear when such persons will be nominated and notified.

The sources further said the job for recording and monitoring of news being run in the electronic medium and print medium was being outsourced to credible agencies.

Meanwhile, sources within the media industry pointed out that ever since the Model Code of Conduct was implemented, several television channels had managed to hoodwink the authorities on the issue of paid news.

The sources said money had been changing hands for repeatedly running one to one interviews with politicians who had either been declared as candidates or were in the line for getting the party ticket.

The sources further said the marketing professionals had already been given huge targets to meet during the poll campaign.

The Joint Chief Election Officer for the state Saujanya had said here a week back that this time the commission’s own teams would be monitoring the expenses incurred instead of the earlier practice of relying only on the declarations made by the candidates.

She had also asserted that stringent measures would be taken to check the menace of paid news.

BJP likely to firm up alliance with UKD (D)

Dehradun, January 2
Along with finalising the first list of candidates from the BJP for the Assembly elections slated for January 30, the party may also firm up alliance with the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Democratic).

Negotiations are already on in New Delhi with top leaders who are expected to release the list by tonight. After senior leader and state BJP election campaign in charge BS Koshiyari held talks with Food and Civil Supplies Minister and president of the UKD (Democratic) Diwakar Bhatt, speculation was rife that the party may rope in Bhatt for an alliance and even ask him to contest the Assembly elections on
BJP ticket.

However keeping his options open, Diwakar Bhatt is said to have demanded ticket for his party from Narender Nagar and Devprayag.

The BJP wants that Bhatt fight on the BJP symbol and during the preliminary talks Koshiyari had apprised him of the tie-up that the party had with Harbhajan Singh Cheema who is a sitting MLA from Kashipur.

Bhatt is said to have asked BJP leaders to allocate Narender Nagar (Tehri) seat for his supporter and sitting MLA Om Gopal Rawat and his own seat Devprayag from where he is the sitting MLA.

Sources in the BJP said Bhatt had made this offer as the BJP is expected to allocate 20 seats for its sitting MLAs, some of whom are also Cabinet ministers, on the basis of “sitting getting formula”.

As these seats were already in the kitty of
the UKD (D), Bhatt too, is said to have made his claim on the basis of the same formula.

But it also means setting aside two seats from its own quota and putting paid to aspirations of BJP aspirants. “The talks are on with the UKD (Democratic). The party high command will be making the final call later.

At the moment, we are working on clearing the names of our candidates who are sure short winners,” said BS Chuphal, Uttarakhand BJP chief. 

UKD (P), Left reach pact over 14 seats

Panwar names candidates for Lansdowne, Tehri despite Left objection

Dehradun, January 2
The Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (Progressive) and the Left parties, the CPI and the CPM, have reached an understanding over 14 seats for the coming Assembly elections in the state. The UKD (P) has announced its candidates for 12 seats whereas the CPI and the CPM announced four seats (two each) they would contest. They would announce the names of the candidates for these seats later as they wanted to consult their party leaderships before making the names public. Both the sides will make announcement about more seats on Thursday where the Left is likely to get six more seats.

It was on two seats of Lansdowne and Tehri the differences between both the sides remained unresolved. President of the UKD (P) Trivender Singh Panwar overlooked the concern of the leaders of the Left parties, Samar Bhandari, state secretary of the CPI, and Vijay Rawat, state secretary of the CPM, and announced his candidates for these two seats, despite the left objection to this.

Panwar could be seen sorting out the differences over the phone with the leaders of the Left parties even before the presence of media persons whom he had called to announce the seats at a joint press conference. The Left leaders were not ready to come to the conference without sorting out the matter. But, when Panwar said he would announce his party’s seats today and they could announce theirs tomorrow, the leaders of both the Left parties arrived in the conference room and asked for the list of the approved candidates jointly signed by Panwar and them. But Panwar managed to tackle them at the conference and did not produce the list.

Later, Samar Bhandari said they wanted the Tehri seat for themselves and the Lansdowne seat for TPS Rawat, president of the Uttarakhand Raksha Morcha (URM), which they still consider a part of the Uttarakhand United Regional Front (UURF).

Panwar believes that the URM is a part of the UURF. He has fielded AP Juyal, acting vice-president of the party, from Lansdowne.

Panwar has been saying that only the UKD, the CPI, the CPM and the Lok Vahini were the members of the UURF and the rest were out but the Left leaders have been insisting that no one has the power and right to expel members of the front.

Symbols aloted to UKD factions
Dehradun: The EC has alloted symbols to both factions of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD). The kite symbol has been alloted to the UKD (Democratic) and the symbol of cup-plate has been alloted to the UKD (Progressive).

State has 63.63 lakh voters

Dehradun, January 2
The total number of general and service voters in the state is 63,63,914 out of which the population of general voters is 62,63,594 as indicated by the list of voters released by the Chief Electoral Office today.

Out of the general voters, 32,77,829 voters are male and 29,85,765 voters are female. Whereas the total number of service voters is 1,32,000 out of which the total population of male voters is 6,90,242 and the total population of female voters is 31,078.

She said the total number of voters (service and general) in Uttarkashi is 1,91,706, in Chamoli the total number (service and general) is 2,59,378, in Rudraprayag (service and general) is 1,61,475, in Tehri Garhwal (service and general) is 37,162, in Dehradun (service and general) it is 10,56,643, in Haridwar(service and general) it is 10,86,470, in Pauri Garhwal (service and general) is 5,05,742, in Pithoragarh (service and general) it is 3,22,315, in Bageshwar (service and general) it is 1,84,481, in Almora (service and general) it is 4,82,850, in Champawat (service and general) it is 1,68,376, in Nainital (service and general) it is 5,89,436 and in Udham Singh Nagar (service and general) it is 9,17,880. 

Tiwari floats Nirantar Vikas Samiti

Body to fight Vidhan Sabha elections

Dehradun, January 2
Veteran Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari, who had been sidelined by the party following a sex scandal in Hyderabad Raj Bhawan, has created a stir in the party circles by announcing the formation of a society that will contest all 70 Assembly seats in the state.

Tiwari is the patron of the Nirantar Vikas Samiti and his private secretary Sanjay Joshi is the general secretary of the organisation. The move is seen as part of the strategy by Tiwari to pressurise the Congress high command to accommodate his favourites on the list of Congress candidates.

Tiwari has been trying hard to get party nomination for his former private secretary Aryaendra Sharma from the Sahaspur Assembly segment in Dehradun district and his own nephew Manish Tiwari from the Khatima Assembly segment in Udham Singh Nagar district.

Interacting with the media at his residence, Tiwari declined forming any political party but hosted a meeting of the Nirantar Vikas Samiti at his residence here today.

The development happens at a crucial time for the Congress when its screening committee is busy finalising the name of party candidates in New Delhi.

“I am not floating any political party. I have no wish to contest as I am 87,” Tiwari told mediapersons.

Nirantar Vikas Samiti spokesperson Bharat Sharma said, “We have received 350 applications. The Nirantar Vikas Samiti will be fielding selected persons as independent candidates. Many BJP and Congress leaders are in contact with the NVS. The samiti will be forming a national council of independent candidates and will also contest the UP Assembly poll. ND Tiwari will be the guiding force of the organisation”.

The development is viewed as a last-ditch effort by Tiwari to convey to the party high command that he is still around and cannot be ignored. Tiwari has his area of influence in the Nainital and Terai regions of Kumaon, his native place.

His supporters had also erected his posters and banners in the town but were quickly removed. 

Happy New Year 2012

Dehradun Weekly Wishes Happy New Year 2012 to all our Readers!

Three girls enjoy the last day of 2011 at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Saturday.