Uttarakhand News December 2010

Insurance employee booked for embezzlement of funds

An employee of an insurance company has been booked on charges of embezzling Rs 45 lakh from customers in Haridwar, police said. The case has been registered on a complaint filed by Divisional Manager of New India Insurance Company, Titampar Pamria, they said. The accused, identified as senior accountant Shyam Sunder Lal, issued several bank drafts worth Rs 45 lakh in the fake names of policy claimants and later encashed them. The irregularities came to light in a verification done by the company when he was on leave, the police said. A manhunt has been launched to nab him and further investigations are on, they said.

Nishank asks officials to create awareness on HIV/AIDS

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has asked government officials to make a comprehensive action plan for creating awareness among the people against spreading of HIV/AIDS. Asserting prevention is the only cure for AIDS, Nishank said spreading of HIV can be checked by creating awareness among the people. In a statement on the eve of World AIDS Day, Nishank also asked the officials to involve voluntary organisations to spread the message.

Mayawati aims to build BSP base in Uttarakhand

Aiming to build the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) base in Uttarakhand, party supremo and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has blamed the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the backwardness in the hill state. "Uttarakhand has been either under a BJP or a Congress rule since its inception in 2000, therefore, if the state has failed to show any signs of growth in these 10 years, none else could be blamed," Mayawati said in a statement issued here. Earlier in the day, she met party members from Uttarakhand here on the issue of strengthening the party in the hill state. Mayawati asked partymen to spread the word across Uttarakhand about the BSP's contribution to the creation of that state. "You must remind the people of Uttarakhand that it the BSP government which passed the first resolution in the Uttar Pradesh assembly for the creation of an independent hill state of Uttarakhand in 1995," she told the gathering. " The districts of Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, Bageshwar and Rudra Prayag were created by my government," Mayawati asserted. It would be interesting to see that how do the sensible people of Uttarakhand respond to Mayawati new campaign, considering the fact that under her leadership, situation in Uttar Pradesh has gone from bad to worse and there has been hardly any development in the latter.

Disaster training unit in the state

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has announced to set up a disaster training unit in the state with a cost of Rs one crore. Speaking at a function held to inaugurate the building of Indian Red Cross Committee, Nishank said the training unit would be equipped with modern technologies and equipment, and it would help in speedy relief work during disasters, an official release said here. Earlier, Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva inaugurated the Red Cross building, which has been constructed on one acre with a cost of Rs 2 crore. She said the Red Cross this year trained nearly 3,500 volunteers for carrying out relief work in disaster-hit areas despite tough geographical conditions in the hill state.

‘List all festivals where animals are sacrificed’

Uttarakhand High Court has asked the Pauri Garhwal district administration to give it a list all such festivals where animals are sacrificed and also to identify individuals who perform the ritual killings. The instruction of the High Court came while hearing a PIL, filed by an NGO People For Animals and some other religious organisations, seeking a ban on animal sacrifices, claiming that festivals celebrated in the state have no such ritual necessity, District Magistrate Dilip Jawalkar told PTI. The district administration is gathering the data and listing such festivals, he said, adding that the authorities are trying to prevent such sacrifices. Activists are demanding a ban on animal killings during the Bunkhal festival, to be organised on December 11 at Kalika temple in the district. It is expected that many goats and male buffaloes would be sacrificed on the occasion. Meanwhile, the district magistrate has allotted Rs 15 lakh for Bunkhal festival to give it a facelift.

SAF Winter Games to have two ceremonies

The first South Asian Winter Games, scheduled to be held in Auli and Dehra Dun early next year, will have two inaugural and closing ceremonies. The inauguration and closing in the hill town of Auli will be held on January 7 and 10 respectively, while here the event will start on January 14 and closing will be performed on the 17th, Brig (retd) S S Patwal, president of Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) told reporters here. The decision to organise two opening and two closing ceremonies has been taken considering the distance between the two towns. "Auli and Dehra Dun are 320km apart from each other and it takes more than 10 hours to reach from one place to another," Patwal added. While Auli will host skiing events, Dehra Dun will organise Ice Skating. Prior to the winter games, WGFI has also decided to organise coaching camps at Auli from December 13 to 23 and at Dehra Dun from December 7 to 19, during which coaches from India and abroad would train the participants. Patwal said participating countries can also join the coaching camps at Auli and Dehra Dun.

Man held for making obscene MMS

A 38-year-old man was today arrested for allegedly making an obscene MMS of a girl at Dalanwala area here, police said. Sarvjit Singh, an architect, was arrested from his residence at Race Course locality following a complaint by the victim in this regard, they said. In her complaint, the girl said that Singh was also threatening to circulate the MMS. The police said it was further investigating the case.

Tiger found injured

An injured tiger was found in the forests of Jaspur area in Udham Singh Nagar district, a forest official said. The three-year-old male tiger was groaning in pain when it was noticed by forest guards yesterday during a routine patrol near Ramnagar, Divisional Forest Officer (Ramnagar) Nishant Verma said. Senior forest officials were rushed to the spot and veterinary doctors also called for starting its treatment, he said. The tiger was today shifted to Pantnagar veterinary hospital where doctors are conducting tests to ascertain the cause of injury, Verma said. Preliminary examination of the tiger and the spot where it was found suggested that it might have suffered some spinal injury or fractured a bone in the lower portion of the body during its fight with a wild boar, the DFO said. Some hair of a boar was noticed at the place where the striped cat was found lying, he added. Detailed reports are still awaited.

State HC reserves decision on Rishikesh housing case

Uttarakhand High Court today reserved its decision on a case related to alleged violation of environmental laws by the state government to give "undue" favour to a private firm in a Rishikesh-based housing project. After hearing the arguments from all the sides, a two-member bench of the court comprising Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice V K Bist reserved its judgement, said Avtar Singh, the counsel for petitioners Uttarakhand Janta Sangharsh Morcha and others. The state government has filed an affidavit informing the court that it has already withdrawn all the concessions given to the private company Citurgia Biochemicals Limited for constructing a housing project in Rishikesh, Singh said.

The NGOs in their petition have claimed industry land cannot be accorded for a housing project along the river Ganga on environmental grounds. Mumbai-based Citurgia Biochemical limited was permitted to use 30 acres of its sick chemical plant in Rishikesh for a housing project.

The petitioners pleaded that the land should be returned to the government and a CBI investigate into the alleged corruption while giving a nod to the firm to proceed wiht the housing project. However, Citurgia Biochemicals opposed the petitioners' demand for returning land to the state, stating the company now wants to revive its unit. But, the court observed that revival of unit is not possible as it is red-category industry, Singh said.

In September, the High Court had issued notices to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) and the state government in the case. Government's nod was given under a Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) revival scheme. The government has so far maintained in the court that it only followed the advice of the BIFR on the matter. The opposition parties led by Congress had accused Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank of giving undue favours to the private developer in gross violation of stringent environmental laws.

Will not contest polls anymore: N D Tiwari

After going through the rough and tumble of politics for decades, 85-year-old Congress leader N D Tiwari today said he will not contest elections anymore. "I am 85 now. How many more elections will I contest," Tiwari, who was a member of Parliament four times, said in an interview to PTI. The veteran leader, who has donned many hats as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand besides holding key ministries at the Centre, said he had played long innings in active politics since the Quit India movement. "Now I want to contribute to the politics of development," he said, pointing out that he often visits places where development works suffer and draws attention of the government. Tiwari, who was forced to quit from the post of Andhra Pradesh Governor last year following an alleged sex scandal in the Raj Bhavan, said he will not accept the post of either Governor or President in future.

On course of success

In the just concluded All India police water sports meet, BSF Bagged over all championship:

P.S. Chauhan

The 10th All India Police Water Sports Championship held on the Ganga canal near Roorkee, last week. After the creation of the state the Ganga Canal at Solanipuram, near Roorkee, with slow flow of water and calm environment, has developed into a preferred destination for water sports. The Bengal Engineering Group (BEG) and Centre Roorkee has contributed much to the development of the spot as a water sports destination. The All India Police Water Sports Championship was also held here in 2005. It is for the second time that the event has been organized here. The organizing secretary of the five-day event & DIG, PAC, Alok Sharma said that about 500 sports persons from 17 teams of the central para military forces and the police personnel from various states took part in the championship. Inaugurating the mega event, the director general of the state police, J.S. Pandey said that such events not only give a fillip to sports but also promote the spirit of comradeship among the athletes from different states. In all, 26 events were conducted in various categories of rowing, kayaking and canoeing.

The over -all championship was bagged by the BSF which won 9 gold, with final tally of 16 medals and an aggregate of 60 points, while Uttarakhand finished as a runner up, with 5 gold medals and final tally of 15 medals and an aggregate of 47 points.

The rowing trophy was clinched by the ITBP, while Uttarakhand trailed at the second position. In kayaking the BSF won the top laurel, with the second position going to Uttarakhand. In the canoeing events, BSF came out with flying colours, followed by SSB. The championship and medals to the winner teams and athletes were awarded by the state minister for tourism and urban development, Madan Kaushik. The minister said that the state govt. would like to further promote water sports as there was a lot of natural potential available which could bring in revenue and boost tourism too.

The minister informed that the state govt. is preparing an ambitious project to promote water sports in the state. Under this project a canoeing-kayaking circuit, equipped with international facilities, will be developed in Roorkee. The Sports Authority is conducting a survey on the same. "A two km. stretch on the Ganga canal at Ranipur also holds the possibility of being developed into another water sports circuit," revealed the minister.

Uttarakhand govt. fixes Sugarcane price at rupee 210-215

Uttarakhand government today fixed the state advised price (SAP) for sugarcane at Rs 210-215 per quintal for the current crushing season of 2010-11. Announcing this at a press conference, state sugarcane Minister Madan Kaushik said that this season, farmers of the state would get Rs 215 and Rs 210 per quintal for early and late variety of sugarcane, respectively. The SAP fixed for sugarcane in Uttarakhand are Rs 5 more per quintal than the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, which has fixed prices at Rs 205 and 210, he said. Last year, the Uttarakhand government had announced price for sugarcane at Rs 192-197 per quintal. Kaushik said eight sugar mills have already started crushing sugarcane, while the remaining two would also become functional shortly.

The minister said the government expected an increase of 10 per cent in the area under sugarcane cultivation this year. Uttarakhand’s neighbourhood state UP has also fixed the sugarcane price in the same price bracket, however various kisan units have been planning to launch protest as they feel that the quoted price is far less than that of last year.

Saving big cats

A transit rescue centre for leopards is being set up by the Uttarakhand government in Haridwar district of the state, where incidents of man-animal conflicts are common.

"Devbhumi transit rescue centre has been built with a cost of Rs one crore on an area of 35 acres and is now waiting for the final approval by the Central Zoo Authority," Forest Conservator J S Suhag said. A team of government officials are expected to visit the rescue centre next week, he said. The centre, at Chiriapur area of the district, is meant to capture man-eater leopards and provide treatment before releasing them.

It would also have a treatment chamber and control room and equipped with CCTV cameras so that activities of leopards can be regularly monitored. Suhag said plans are also afoot to connect the centre via internet so that wildlife lovers can watch the movements and behaviour of the animals online. Nearly 14,000 villages are located at the periphery of jungles in Uttarakhand and man-animal conflicts are quite common. During the past one decade, 203 out of total 312 people, who lost lives in attacks by wild animals, were killed by leopards alone. This has forced forest authorities to declare 89 leopards as man-eaters while 44 of them were shot dead, according to the official data.

An elephantine problem

Sustained efforts are needed prevent elephant-train collision on 18 km stretch, which passes through Rajaji National Park

P.S. Chauhan

A recent judgement of Dehradun district court awarding three years imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs. 10,000 to a train driver accused of killing three elephants has once again brought to the fore the issue of protecting the "national heritage animal" from being mowed down by the speeding trains. The train driver, Vijay Pal has been found guilty of killing a female elephant and two calves at Kansarao, near Haridwar, on September 28, 1998.

Indeed one of the main threats to the pachyderms in the world famous elephant project of Rajaji National Park emanates from their collision with the trains running on the 18 km. track passing through this park. Nearly two dozen trains run on the track every day. As per records of the forest department, the railway track has been the graveyard of as many as 22 jumbos since the creation of the park in 1983. The number of the jumbos which sustained injuries is still higher. In a major accident four elephants were run over by a killer train on April 2, 1992. However, there has been some respite in the killing spree of the trains after the creation of the state. The last accidental casualty on the track was reported on March 12, 2002 when an elephant calf was crushed to death by a train. However, one elephant sustained injuries at Haridwar-Kharkhari range as Doon Express hit him in April 2007.

Ritesh Joshi, the chief investigator of the central government sponsored Asian Elephants Behaviour Project in the Rajaji National Park says that two important facts stand out clearly in the accidental deaths of the tuskers in the Rajaji Park. First, most of these accidents have occurred during summer when due to scarcity of water in the park, the jumbos move from the western part to the eastern towards the Ganga in search of water and in the process cross the railway track. Secondly, it is mostly during night, when the elephants get mesmerized by the dazzling lights of the trains. Due to anthropogenic activities in these areas, with human interference in this forest route much more during the day, elephants avoid moving during the daytime and venture out mostly during night. Wildlife experts point out that elephants are highly social animals, mostly guided by herd instincts. In most of the accidents with trains a female elephant with her calf is involved. Even if other elephants have crossed the railway track but the calf is left behind, the female elephant turns back and gets hit by the train. Whenever an elephant gets killed on the track, the fellow elephants gather on the spot and conduct 'rail roko', throwing the railway traffic out of gear. On September 28, 1998 when three pachyderms were crushed to death, a huge herd of these mammals gathered on the spot, disrupting the entire schedule of the trains for many hours and the railways and the forest personnel had a tough time in clearing the track by driving away the mourning and infuriated jumbos.

After many jumbo casualties the government realized the gravity of the situation. The forest department, working in tandem with the railways, has now initiated a slew of measures to avert trains-elephants collisions. The station superintendent of Haridwar railway station, Samrendra Goswami says that the railway department has issued permanent "caution orders" to the train drivers to limit the speed of the trains below 50 km. per hour, with constant whistling, on the sensitive sections in Haridwar, Motichoor, Kansrao ranges so as to alert elephants and help them move away from the railway track. The joint teams of the forest department and the Wild Life Trust of India (WTI) have been set up for patrolling, from dusk to dawn, in the sections which are vulnerable to trains-elephants collisions.

children's rights protection panel in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand cabinet has decided to set up a children's right protection commission, which will have judicial powers at par with district court. With an aim to make the commission more powerful to prosecute people violating children's right, the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has decided to give judicial powers to the panel at par with district court, Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar told reporters here. In another significant decision, Kumar said the cabinet gave its nod to the gas-based power policy under which the state government will provide incentives to private developers and get electricity from them. The government has identified a potential of 2000 MW and expected a capital investment of Rs 10,000 cr in the sector, he added. The cabinet also decided to set up a Corbett Tiger Conservation foundation for carrying out development and other work in the famous Jim Corbett National park.

Huge tax evasions detected

Tax evasion to the tune of lakhs of rupees has been detected in seven concrete and cement mixture companies of Uttarakhand. Documents seized during raids at the premises of these companies yesterday are still being examined but they point to huge evasions running into lakhs, Commercial Tax department officials who conducted the raids, said.

GUV. meets Tiwari

State governor Margaret Alva met ailing Congress leader N D Tiwari at his residence and enquired about his health. Alva stayed with Tiwari for about 25 minutes and prayed for his good health, Tiwari's personal secretary Sanjay Joshi said here. Tiwari was admitted to Doon hospital on Saturday after he complained of nausea and restlessness. He was later discharged and asked to take rest by the doctors. Talking to reporters later, Tiwari said he was in better shape now and is thankful to all those who visited him.

Renovation on the cards

Uttarakhand landmark location, Rajpur Road, to get a facelift as architect Vicky Rawat has been roped in by MDDA to spruce up the main road of Dehradun::

Anjali Nauriyal

Equipped with a degree in Energy Conservation in Building Design from Arizona State University Tempe, USA, Vicky Rawat is happy to serve his home state and is upbeat about the great opportunity that has come his way to spruce up and beautify Rajpur Road. This professional architect who is a native Pauri Garhwal has already designed and executed several projects for the ministry of environment and forests, Government of India in Doon, including the Stadium-cum-Gym Complex for the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, the Driver's Training Institute for Suzuki India and the state government and the ONGC Green Building.

It is now Vicky's turn to conceptualize and execute the beautification of Rajpur Road that is amongst the most daunting tasks and something he is really proud of.

But how does he feel about the transformation of Dehradun into a remorseless town of unrestrained construction and illegal encroachments? "It seems progress here has become synonymous with flouting norms," he quips unhappily adding, "But thankfully civic bodies such as MDDA, Nagar Nigam and PWD are now planning a recovery path. MDDA has now entrusted me with this daunting task and I have accepted this challenge as a loyal resident myself."

Vicky says that the Rajpur Road beautification project has at its core the idea of Green Doon Clean Doon. "This includes a facelift of the arterial road, running north from Clock Tower (the unofficial centre of the town) to old Rajpur Village, sprucing up various roundabouts, improving T-points, and smartening up intersections," he informs.

Vicky feels that the there is urgent need for the visual improvements. "It is essential that the city adornment is done in a pre-meditated manner such that infrastructure, greening initiatives and public amenities are bolstered without sacrificing the essential identity of the foothill township. Doon needs to regain its identity at the individual, community and organisational levels. Each town possesses its distinct personality in terms of local history, architecture, folklore and tradition. The idea is to link all these and match it to inevitable additions of progress in a manner that maintains yet enhances the town's uniqueness," he reveals.

For instance, Vicky plans to give Rajpur Road a uniform character by using colonial style roadside lamps, uniform colour on shops, using identical signages and planting hardy shrubs. "The aim is to create a look that is pleasing and uniform to the eye rather than a current state of confused randomness," he avers, adding, "I strongly feel that the new shops and buildings need to abide by stringent guidelines issued by the MDDA and old ones need frontal facade upgradation. The old and the new may be interestingly juxtaposed. Eventually every effort must add up to the depth, character, subtlety and uniformity to the city's setting."

In the pilot plan on Rajpur Road, he is taking care to include strategic planning of public amenities such as information and refreshment kiosks, solar-powered traffic posts and bus shelters and subways for commuters and pedestrians. For the convenience of the public, hygienic toilets and drinking water facilities will be ensured. "It is important that we maintain the existing plant covers and so go in for additional plantations of eco-friendly trees and shrubs along roadsides, T-junctions, crossing points, medians and central verges. We have already set up a fountain landscape at the Nehru Colony intersection that is being liked by the public."

In the months to come, Doonites can hope to see a tidy Doon filled with roadscapes like street furniture, benches, bollards, post boxes, phone booths, streetlight posts, information pillars, dustbins, etc. "To avoid parking snags, multistoried parking lots are also being planned," the architect informs. Handicap-friendly facilities will be provided at traffic intersections, sidewalks, curb slopes and bus shelters. An important part of the plan is to build small tourist shops, museums and other significant points providing books, brochures on the history of the city, with the active participation of the local people. Vicky strongly feels that progress is here to stay and so must be embraced and the best way to do it is through involvement of the people at the individual and community level. In western countries, local groups maintain individual neighbourhoods in conjunction with civic authorities. Similar partnerships need to be generated in Doon. For instance, the merchants of Rajpur Road with local residents can look after the upkeep of their areas. This would ignite the pride of the local people and they can come forward wholeheartedly in fighting the marauding of the city. So is anybody listening?

Smooth drive ahead: VAT exemption on vehicle purchased from canteens in Uttarkhand

The Uttarakhand government has decided to give VAT exemption on purchase of vehicles through CSD canteens. The state government was till now charging VAT at the rate of 12.5 per cent on the purchase of vehicles.

However, the cabinet made it clear, yesterday that the exemption would be given on purchase of a total of 500 vehicles-- 150 four-wheelers costing upto Rs 5 lakh and 350 two-wheelers with value upto Rs 70,000-- per year on the basis of first come-first serve. Meanwhile, a government agency for welfare of serving and retired army personnel, Sainik Kalyan Parishad today thanked Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank for the step. "Since Uttarakhand is home to scores of serving and retired army personnel and officials, this is a welcome decision taken by state cabinet decision," Col (retd) P D Kudiyal, Vice Chairman of Sainik Kalyan Parishad said in a statement here.

Jim Corbett National Park to celebrate platinum jubilee

The world famous Jim Corbett National Park, which is home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, will celebrate its platinum jubilee next month. As part of the celebrations, the forest department would conduct programmes to educate and involve the local population in conservation of wildlife, particularly tigers, Conservator (wildlife) S K Chandola said. The celebrations would begin in January and programmes and functions would be held in March, he added.

Nailing the corrupt: 4000 corrupt govt officials suspended, says Uttarakhand CM

Claiming that his government had a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has said that the state administration had taken action against nearly 4000 officials. "We have a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. As many as 4000 officials have been suspended, 13 sent to jail and graft cases are going on against many others", Nishank told reporters.

He was addressing a press conference to highlight 10 years of existence of the state and its achievements. His statement on corruption comes just days after yoga guru Baba Ramdev claimed a state minister had demanded a bribe of Rs 2 crore to allow him to set up a new trust in the state. Highlighting other achievements of the state he said the industrial growth in 2000-1 was 1.9 per cent and 2010-11 it grew to 22 per cent. "Road connectivity has also been a major achievements in the state as we have constructed 21,886 km of road in 10 yrs. Wehnt eh state was formed there were only 84 bridges and now there are 742," Pokhriyal said.

Pointing out that 65 per cent of the land was under forest cover, he said the state had six national parks and six wildlife sanctuaries and that "in 2000 there were 40 tigers, now there are 200. This speaks about the importance we have given to protecting and national animal". He said the state was a leader in emergency services and that through the 108 emergency service as many as 1,841 children born in moving ambulances.

Highlighting the financial health of the state, the chief minister said in 2000 the state's revenue receipt was Rs 200 crores and in 2010-11 it touched Rs 11,342 crore. "In 2000, the per capita income was Rs 15000 per year and it is Rs 42,000 in 2010. A whopping 83,700 new jobs would be created within the next one year", Nishank said.

Thanking the Central government for giving Rs 1000 crore assistance to encourage development projects, he said 10 years back the development ratio was 2.9 per cent and now, in 2010, it went up to 9.4 per cent.

Chocolates made of jaggery developed

Pantnagar University of Agriculture and Technology scientists have developed chocolates made of jaggery in Uttarakhand's Pantnagar District. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, an apex organisation that promotes research of agriculture, has also approved this innovative chocolate. Apart from jaggery, other ingredients of the chocolate include cocoa powder, milk powder, butter, and flavouring agents. According to the scientists, coffee powder is also added to the mixture, which changes the taste of jaggery. "The chocolate can be used at a smaller rural level. The small traders, farmers and entrepreneurs can easily prepare this chocolate. The method of preparation is also quite simple," said P. K. More, a Senior Research officer at the university.

He further said the innovation is an attempt to promote and add value to jaggery as an ingredient to edible products. The chocolate also has high nutritional content.

"The most special element in the chocolate is that it has all the elements found in jaggery. Jaggery is rich in minerals. It contains one percent total mineral. It contains iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It is also rich in several vitamins - Riboflavin and folic acid," said J. K. Joshi, a Senior Technician at the University. Joshi said the research scholars have also developed basic equipment set-up for the preparation of the chocolate.

Young India

Dehradun-born Sarabjit Singh came first in Time Magazine's first Asian essay competition:

Three young Indians swept the Time Magazine's first Asian essay competition on the challenges that the continent face in the 21st century. Dehradun-born Sarabjit Singh came first in the continent-level essay competition, while the joint runners-up were Gemlyn George from Tamil Nadu, New Delhi's Rohit Pathak, and Su Hsing Loh of Singapore. The awards were announced and presented at a ceremony here. The "Asia's Challenge 2020' essay competition was organised jointly by the Hong Kong-based Asia Business Council (ABC), TIME Magazine and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Singh, a permanent Singapore resident, wrote about the challenges of economic inequality in Asia and the need for inclusive development, citing the wealth and poverty in India.

An abridge version of Singh's essay is published in the Time magazine under "Thank you for sharing - Huge inequalities in wealth distribution must be addressed if Asia is to continue to develop". The 26-year old Singh runs Paper Terminal, which has 100,000 clients across 200 countries using its software to computerise business operations. "This award means a lot to me. It is a perfect reward for my efforts," said Singh, who is also a freelance writer on global affairs. George, 26, a graduate from the Christian Medical College in Vellore in Tamil Nadu, wrote about deficiencies in Asia's healthcare system, while his compatriot Rohit Pathak, 20, a graduate from New Delhi's Sanskriti School, focused on governance in Asia. Loh, a 31-year old Singaporean Phd student at the Fudan University in Shanghai, wrote an essay on Asia's decoupling from the West. The main purpose of the essay competition was to generate fresh ideas for tackling key challenges to Asia's continued competitiveness and development, as well as encourage young professionals to make an impact on public policy and business in Asia, said ABC's executive director Mark Clifford.

About 400 essays by Asian nationals under the age of 32 were submitted for the competition on questions: "What is the most important challenge facing Asia over the next decade? Why? What should be done about it?" Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Education acknowledged the intellectual input by young Asians from 21 countries at the Singapore award ceremony today. He welcomed the suggestions that a book be compiled on all the essay entries, stressing that it should be an important read for all policy makers in the region.

Haridwar to be polythene free from Dec. 18

P.S. Chauhan

There is good news on the front of environment protection and sanitation. Haridwar is going to be one of the few cities in the state, which will be completely free from polythene menace. The district administration has pulled up its socks to create social awareness on the issue and ban the use of all sorts of polythene items. Various social organizations and all segments of society, including the sant community, the Ganga Sabha, the Vyapar Mandal, the industries association and the educational institutions, have responded positively to this initiative of the administration.

Various rallies have been organized in the city by different organizations to create public opinion against polythene. A huge rally, under the aegis of the press club, was organized. The rally, flagged off by Dr. Pranav Pandya, the chief of the Shanti Kunj and chancellor of the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya and attended by thousands of citizens and students from various educational institutions, passed through the main streets of the city up to Har-Ki-Pauri. The participants in the rally, wearing white caps, carried banners and placards and shouted slogans such as "Polythene Hatao, Paryavaran Bachao". Addressing the rally, Ramanandacharya Swami Hansdevacharya said that Polythene was the major source of pollution in the city as it choked the drains and sewers and polluted the Ganga. Kailash Keshwani, the president of the district Vyapar Mandal exhorted the business community to eschew the use of polythene items to keep the city clean. Acharya Bal Krishan, the secretary general of the Patanjali Yog Peeth and vice chancellor of the Patanjali University of Yoga and Ayurveda said that polythene, which is an non biogradable substance and is a serious great threat to environment. Thousands of bags made from paper and cloth were distributed in the city on the occasion. Among others, the president of the Regional Industries Association (Garhwal region), Harendra Garg, the SSP, Sanjay Gunjyal, a senior official from the BHEL, Rajiv Bhatnagar and the president of the press club, Brijendra Harsh. participated in the huge rally. An oath was administered to the participants in the rally that they will not use polythene and will persuade others also for the same.

The city magistrate, Shree Dhar Babu, who is spearheading the drive against polythene, told Haridwar Plus that from December 8 to December 18, five teams, each consisting of a magistrate and public representatives, will take away the polythene items from those who are found using or selling these items and let them go with a warning. "After December 18, punishment, including fine, depending on the weight and number of the polythene items, will be imposed on the users and the sellers of these banned items," informed the city magistrate.

"Our main objective is to make the holy city an ideal city. The message which emanates from here will disseminate throughout the whole country," says Kamal Jora, the chairman of the Nagar Palika Parishad.

Bahaar Kaur has been crowned Miss Uttarakhand 2010

Anjali Nauriyal

The recently-crowned Miss Uttarakhand, Bahaar Kaur feels that bagging the title has thrown open a door of opportunities for her and fellow winners. The 20 year old winner says, "For me my winning will act as an impetus for joining the glamour industry. I am very keen on journalism as well and hope to juggle the two." Bahar is presently pursuing her final year of bachelor's degree in journalism from IMS, Dehradun.

For this alumnus of Convent of Jesus and Mary, getting in the limelight is fast becoming a habit. She recently was declared Miss IMA at the end of term Ball Party held at the Indian Military Academy. For this only child of businessman Narendra Singh Rattan and homemaker Durga Rattan, home is her real haven that provides all the security and encouragement that she needs to become her own person. Mixed parentage (her father is a sikh while her mom is a Nepali) has contributed to her imbibing the best from two cultures adding to her charm. She now truly wants to make her parents happy. She also wants to do her bit in social responsibility work for organizations such as PFA. Life has been on a song for first runner-up Swati Negi ever since she was adjudged the winner. But right now she would like to complete her B.A. from DAV PG College, where she is studying in the first year and Airport Diploma from Avalon Aviation Academy. Though she has emerged the winner after a tough competition, she had to face a lot of opposition at home from her father who is senior warrant officer with Assam Rifles.

"He totally turned around after my win and is today my strongest supporter. Now he says, 'Do what you want'. He also wants me to act on television and is ready to provide all the wherewithal. My mom Rekha though was always supportive from the beginning along with my Bua and that was very encouraging," recalls the beauty with a smile. The third runner-up Manpreet Kocchar passed out of Doon Cambridge and Graphic Era before enrolling for MCom at DAV. Daughter of Kawaljeet Kaur, who is a teacher with Guru Nanak Inter College, and Ravinder Singh, Administrative Officer at ONGC Polytechnic, Manpreet informs that she could easily identity her strengths and weaknesses during the entire preparation phase of the beauty pageant. "Now I want to work for women empowerment and for the prevention of female foeticide. I now feel that if each one of us can teach one child how much difference it can make in the progress of our country," she wonders aloud. Interestingly all the three winners are Doonites and wish to work for the betterment of the city in some way or the other. They have already participated in a cleanliness drive and would like to make the city a better place, not only for humans but animals as well.

The other participants at the contest included Arushi Gupta, Chitrashi Tiwari, Deepika Bisht, Khushboo Khan, Manisha Rana, Nitisha Rana, Poonam Kohli, Shikha Rawat (all from Dehradun) and Chetna Kaintura (Pauri Garhwal), Kavita Bhandari (Pithoragarh), Kiran Bala Negi (Chamoli), Manpreet Dhillon (Kotdwar), Rahel Rupama (Tankapur), Sandhya Bhadri (Tehri Garhwal), Sangeeta Borai (Nainital), Tarang Chauhan (Haridwar) and Vidushi Bhatnagar (Mussoorie). Rajeev Mittal, Dalip K Sindhi, Directors of Sinmit Communications, which organised the pageant, expressed elation that the pageant, which began humbly, is growing in stature and is inviting participants from other states and even countries such as Nepal.