2011 January news Uttarakhand

Maneater to be shot

The Uttarakhand forest department has issued orders to shoot the tiger, which has killed three women during the past one and a half months in the Corbett Tiger Reserve area. Chief Wildlife Warden Srikant Chandola said the orders regarding shooting the "man-eating tiger", which is active in Sundarkhal, Garjia and Dhikuli ranges of CTR, have been issued. A hunting team has been sent to the jungles of Corbett reserve to kill the wildcat. Meanwhile, three forest teams have been pressed into service to look for the body of the woman, who was devoured by the tiger at Garjia area when she was returning after fetching fodder for her cattle last evening, he said. On November 12 and 18, the tiger devoured two other women in the area in separate incidents.

Doon DM takes Sturdia land

The Dehradun district administration has taken the possession of the entire 50.47 acres of industrial land on the banks of river Ganga in Rishikesh meant for a housing project. The administration took the land in its possession on the direction of Dehradun District Magistrate in compliance with an Uttarakhand High Court order, B B Painuli, Tehsildar of Rishikesh, said. A two-member bench of High Court comprising Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and V K Bist on Dec 28 quashed a controversial government order allocating industrial land to Sturdia Developers for housing purpose, directing Dehra Dun District Magistrate to take it in his possession. The issue of change of land use pattern of Citurgia Biochemicals, a sick industrial unit, sparked a controversy in March this year with the Opposition led by Congress disrupting the Assembly proceedings, accusing Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank of giving undue favour to Sturdia Developers in violation of laws. Though the government rejected the demand for a CBI probe and maintained that the land use pattern was changed as per the recommendations of Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), an NGO had moved the court which cancelled its order.

UKD suspends minister

Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), which recently withdrew support from the state BJP government, today suspended its lone minister Diwakar Bhatt for not resigning from the cabinet. A show-cause notice has also been served to Bhatt, asking him to reply within three days, UKD president Trivendra Singh Panwar told reporters here. "If Bhatt fails to give reply to the notice within the next three days, the party would decide next course of action against him," Panwar said. UKD on December 27 withdrew of support from Ramesh Pokkhariyal Nishank-led government and asked Bhatt to step down, but he refused to do so. Bhatt, who holds revenue and food and civil supplies portfolio, termed the decision as an individual move by the party president. Panwar said UKD withdrew support from the government as it failed to fulfil its nine issues like checking migration from hills, making Gairsain as permanent capital and bringing changes in forest laws and delimitation of constituencies on the basis of geographical area.

Pak team arrives for winter SAF games

Pakistan's 27-member ski team is in the town to take part in the first-ever South Asian Federation (SAF) winter games, scheduled to begin here on January 10. The team also includes four women skiiers. The Pakistan team, which would participate in ski events, to be held in Auli in Chamoli district, was accorded a warm welcome on its arrival last evening, said Brig (retd) S S Patwal, president Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI). Due to security reasons, the Pakistan team's accomodation has been arranged at Bijapur guest house, while other teams have been put up in city hotels. Teams from Nepal, Maldives and SriLanka have already arrived for the meet.

Deadly roads

The worst ever road accident in the state claimed 22 lives

P.S. Chauhan

In one of the most tragic road accidents in the state so far, 22 persons from Haridwar lost their lives. As far as Haridwar is concerned this is the worst ever road accident claiming so many lives. Road accidents have become a common feature, both in the plains and the hills of the state. Sometimes it is the bad condition of the roads, sometimes the driver is drunk, sometimes it is rash driving, sometimes it is the violation of traffic rules, sometimes the vehicle is overloaded, all these have turned the roads of the state into death tracks. "Hundreds of people die every year in road accidents in the state. The time has come when the administration should consider the gravity of the situation and the people should also start following the road safety rules seriously", says Kailash Keshwani, the president of the district Vyapar Mandal.

More than 400 persons, men, women and children, all belonging to business community, had gone to Mussoorie and Dhanolti for a new year bash by buses and cars. As the fleet of the buses and cars was returning to Haridwar, a bus fell deep down in the gorge, near Dehradun, late in the evening. Ajay Sharma one of the survivors travelling in the ill-fated bus, told Haridwar Plus that the driver was drunk and under intoxication he turned the bus towards the gorge, resulting in the accident of such a vast magnitude. The chief minister, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced the economic assistance of Rs. 100,000 each for the family of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 each for those who have sustained serious injuries.

In the accident 9 men, 7 women and 6 children under the age of five lost their lives and 19 others sustained serious injuries. Some families have been totally wiped out. The family of Mool Chand Wadhwa of Bheemgoda is one of the worst hit. He lost his son Sonu Wadhwa (35), his daughter-in-law, Sonia (33), his grandson Nishant (8) and his grand daughter Bhavya (3) . The Pahwa family, the proprietor of the Diamond Stationary, Jwalapur, also suffered the cruel blow of fate. The family lost Tarun Pahwa (36), his wife, Meenu Pahwa (34), his daughter, Akanksha (12). Tailor master Ghanshyam Bhagat lost his daughter Noopur (17), his son-in-law Bittu (35) and his grand daughter-in-law, Gungun (7). Motiram of Bhimgoda lost 5 in his family, including his elder daughter-in-law Poonam (30), his younger daughter-in-law Dhooni Devi, his grand daughter Bhoomi (3), maid servant Rubi (17) and his servant Mahesh.

A deep pall of gloom fell on the city, as the news of the accident reached the people here. The markets wore a deserted look, as all the shops remained closed to pay homage to the departed souls. It was really a heartrending sight, as one dead body after another was brought for the last rites. The last rites of 10 persons, all residents of Haridwar city, were performed at Kharkhari, while 12, all residents of Kankhal and Jwalapur, were consigned to flames at Rajghat Kankhal, amid damp eyes of thousands of mourners. Among those who attended the funerals were the Speaker of the state assembly, Harbans Kapoor, the state minister for tourism and urban development, Madan Kaushik, the state minister for revenue and disaster management, Diwakar Bhatt, the chairman of the state sales tax advisory committee, Pankaj Sehgal, the chairman of the state cow protection commission, Swami Yateeshwaranand, the president of the Ganga Sabha, Ram Kumar Mishra, the chairman of the city municipal board, Kamal Jora and the president of the city Vyapar Mandal, Suresh Gulati.