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Tourist Police to help visitors in Nainital
Tourist spots in state to be developed on lines of Himachal
Section of saints supports hydro-power projects
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Fruits, roots to be planted in forests to keep wild animals at bay
Chamoli resents revenue deduction of Doon MC
Ex-servicemen told to get their weapons registered
Minister stresses on quality equipment for sportsmen
Bahuguna remembers father
Murder of woman by husband
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Tourist Police to help visitors in Nainital
Nainital, April 24 New Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sadanand Daate, who took over on Monday evening, has underlined that his department will hold a workshop for personnel of the police before the month-end and these personnel will be deployed at key locations to help the tourists. “The 30 persons, who had been selected as the Tourist Police, will be given a basic refresher course on the prime tourist locations and also the dos and don’ts that they will be telling the tourists who want to visit these locations. We are also planning to set up a separate beat box for these personnel,” he stated. After giving a professional makeover in public relations and English communication to a section of its personnel, the Uttarakhand Police had constituted a Tourist Police contingent about four years back for the Char Dham yatra and tourist season. Pursuing a novel experiment in North India, the police had chosen a few personnel and got them trained in the public relations skills from professionally run institutes and got their English speaking skills polished. A brainchild of the police department, the establishment of the Tourist Police had been done on the lines of a similar force in Kerala. The purpose had been to facilitate the tourists coming to the state. The SSP said the police wanted to greet the tourists with warmth and offer its help wherever it could. He also pointed out that the police department would be strengthening its Jal Police contingent in Nainital district so that the untoward instances reported from the lakes could be averted. Over the last few months, there had been regular instances of dead bodies surfacing on the lake waters. He said the strengthening of the contingent was required both in Nainital and Bhimtal. “We will request the authorities for providing us a raft and some trained personnel,” he said. Replying to a query on his priorities for the district, Daate said he would want to instill a greater sense of security among the residents of Nainital district. In addition to this, he would be laying emphasis on streamlining the traffic flow across the district and particularly in Nainital town. The town continued to witness traffic violence that could lead to a serious accident any day. Overspeeding, rash driving, honking and driving on the wrong side were some of the things that had taken a shape of a menace in the town. |
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Tourist spots in state to be developed on lines of Himachal
Pithoragarh, April 24 “In Himachal Pradesh, the Centre has given priority to developing select tourist and religious places and routes by financing infrastructure facilities there. It is following the same policy in Uttarakhand and developing select tourist routes,” said Khawaza while talking to mediapersons during a brief stay at the Chaukori hill resort in Berinag subdivision of the district. Khawaza briefed mediapersons after an aerial survey of the Milam glacier in Munsiyari and the Kailash Mansarovar route in Dharchula subdivision of the district. He said the route to the world famous Milam glacier would be developed soon with financial assistance from the Centre. The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims would be facilitated by developing alternative routes, he added. “The construction of roads by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the Byans valley in Dharchula subdivision and to Milam from Munsiyari in the Darma valley will help promote tourism in these areas. The roads will be completed in the next three years,” said the Tourism Secretary. Khawaza said the Centre had given priority to developing infrastructure in religious places and yatra routes. The conservation of environment in Uttarakhand would also be given priority. “As both domestic and foreign tourists come to see Himalayan peaks and virgin tourist spots, the local government and people should come forward to preserve the natural beauty and environment of these places as well as learn to behave well with the tourists,” he said. |
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Section of saints supports hydro-power projects
Haridwar, April 24 This may come as a major relief for Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna who had lacked support from the Chief Ministers of other states, from where the Ganga passes through, at the third meeting of the Ganga River Basin Authority chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi recently. Under the aegis of the Samajik Sena, a meeting was held here today, where a section of the saints demanded nod to hydroelectric projects in Uttarakhand. However, they maintained that environment and other scientific aspects must be kept in mind while construction. National chief of the outfit Vinod Maharaj said sufficient power was necessary for the development of any state and to make Uttarakhand a power-rich state, it was important to have hydroelectric projects. But at the same time he emphasised the need to maintain the sanctity of the Ganga. He said hydro power projects be given nod by the state government only after taking this aspect into consideration. The saints further said a huge amount had been spent by the successive governments in name of the cleaning of the Ganga since 1989. But in reality, the river was getting polluted. Saints like Yogi Satyavratanand Giri, Matra Shakti Association chief Chandra Kanta, Swami Akriya Maharaj and Roopendra Acharya also voiced their support to Bahuguna's stance of carrying forward hydro power projects in the state. |
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Fruits, roots to be planted in forests to keep wild animals at bay
Pithoragarh, April 24 “We have decided that 25 per cent of the total saplings to be planted during our plantation schedule, which begins in the monsoon, will be those that are useful for wild animals. These include wild fruits, herbs, plants and roots,” said Dr RBS Rawat, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttarakhand. Rawat, who was on a visit to Champawat district today, told mediapersons at Lohaghat that the Forest Department had decided to make the forest panchayats in the state economically viable by planting nut fruits and bamboo grass on 5.44 lakh hectares there. “The van panchayats will get the 80 per cent of the income generated by commercial production in their areas and the remaining 20 per cent will go to the government,” he said. The Chief Conservator of Forests said the department had planned to establish 100 centres for making bricks of pine leaves in the pine surplus areas of the state with a target of 1,000 quintals per centre. “The bricks made under the scheme will be purchased and sold by the department. It will also find clients for the bricks,” said Rawat. He added the department had cleared most of the roads being constructed along the China border and the process to give clearance to two other roads was in the progress. “The Forest Department has cleared almost 800 km of the proposed roads in Uttarakhand being constructed along the China border,” Rawat said. He said the department was renovating nearly 200 forest Dak bungalows this year so that the forest officers could use them to take help from local villagers in the conservation of forests. |
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Utilise funds for development, US Nagar officials told
Nainital, April 24 He has also stated that the new plans must be prepared keeping in view the larger public interest. Sant was speaking at a review meeting of the performance under the district plan for the last financial year. He stated that in the days to come there would be no compromise on the time schedule and quality of the works that are to be undertaken. He demanded an immediate copy of proposals that have been prepared by various departments, including Irrigation, Power, Public Works Department (PWD), Jal Nigam and Jal Sansthan. At the same time he has ordered that proposals for various projects at the block level must be prepared and submitted to the office of the zila panchayat within a week. Sant has asked the Executive Engineer of the Jal Nigam to positively use the money allocated to him for installation of handpumps across the district by May 31. He also called for details with regard to the applications received under various schemes and how many of such applications have been disposed of. He has ordered the District Development Officer, RC Tewari, to supervise the implementation of various schemes on regular basis. Tewari has also been asked to take stock of the utilisation of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act Act (MNREGA), District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and Social Welfare Department. He has ordered that the funds allocated under the Special Component Plan (SCP) and tribal sub-plan must not be allowed to lapse under any circumstances. |
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Chamoli resents revenue deduction of Doon MC
Dehradun, April 24 Chamoli said the MC was facing financial difficulties and problems in paying dues to the contractors in time for development works in various wards and also for the funding of other ongoing projects under the MC. He said had the power bill arrears of over Rs 40 crore had not been cleared for many years. The issue remained unresolved as the MC also demanded that UPCL should pay the dues for using its land where UPCL had set up its substations and electricity poles. The Chairman of the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission, Jagmohan Lal, clarified that as per the rules, the Power Department did not pay any dues to any governmental department for acquiring or using it's land for the construction of its offices, sub stations or electricity poles. The claim of the Mayor held no ground and, hence, got defeated. The Executive Director of the UPCL, Anil Kumar, said the deduction of power dues were not only made from MC but also from 24 other nagar palikas, which amounted to Rs 3.58 crore and 18 nagar panchayats, which paid Rs 57.12 lakh in total and also Haridwar and the Haldwani Municipal Corporation, which cleared dues of Rs 25.32 lakh and Rs 52.40 lakh this year. Anil Kumar said the decision was taken at the state level as the local bodies, nagar panchayats and municipal corporations refused to pay their dues for years together to UPCL, which worsened it's financial condition. This arm-twisting might feel painful to these governmental bodies but tough steps needed to be taken to rein in the defaulters. |
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Ex-servicemen told to get their weapons registered
Nainital, April 24 With regard to the issuing of disability certificates to ex-servicemen, the DM said they would be issued fresh certificates by the Chief Medical Officer on the basis of the certificates given by the Army to them. They would also be given relaxation in self- employment programmes, he said. Joshi called for the submission of a proposal for the construction of a boundary wall of Sainik Guest House in Lohaghat and ordered that the construction of a war memorial be taken up as a tourism project. At the meeting, the DM was informed about water scarcity at the guest house, following which he asked officials to solve the problem soon. The issue of the paucity of funds for the decoration of the guest house was also taken up. Joshi said the process to start classes XI and XII at the local Kendriya Vidyalaya would be expedited. Officials from the District Sainik Welfare Board said talks were on to provide health facilities to the ex-servicemen of the district at a Pithoragarh hospital and requests had been made for organising more health camps for ex-servicemen and their family. |
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Minister stresses on quality equipment for sportsmen
Dehradun, April 24 He suggested for a workplan to encourage promising players in the state. He said he had aspired to take Uttarakhand's sporting talent to international levels. Aggarwal asked the senior sports officials to immediately send a proposal for the construction of international stadium at Suddowala, Dehradun. He said it was a matter of concern that an international-level stadium proposed for Haldwani in 2004 was still to see the light of the day. He sought an immediate explanation from the construction agency on the matter. Aggarwal also stressed on restoring Dehradun football to its old glory. He directed for extension of the accommodation facility in sports hostels of Dehradun, Haldwani and Pithorgarh for promotion of football, athletics and boxing. The Sports Minister demanded seeking of the details from the Ice Hockey Federation of India about the expenses done in the staging of the South Asian Federation Winter Games. |
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Fans demand Bharat Ratna for Sachin
Haridwar, April 24 Secretary of the association Inder Mohan Barthwal said Sachin had shown a glimpse of his talent in his first tour to Pakistan in 1989 when he made a 50 against Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Abdul Qadir. An ardent Sachin Tendulkar fan, Uday Ram Semwal of Brijwasi Sweets shop at the Ranipur-Bhagat Singh chowk road, distributed sweets and pastries free of cost to mark the occasion. Dr Ajay Malik of the physical education department of Gurukul Kangri University demanded Bharat Ratna for Sachin and Dhyan Chand owing to their immense contribution to their respective sports. |
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Bahuguna remembers father
Dehradun, April 24 Chief Minister Bahuguna in his message, remembering his father, said the late Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna was a man of versatile and extraordinary personality. He was an excellent administrator, planner and policy maker. The entire country, especially the people of Uttarakhand would remain grateful to him for his services rendered to the country. The Chief Minister said the late Bahuguna's vision and far-sightedness had provided new direction to the development of the hill areas. He had a clear vision for the development of the hill region. "The state government will take his vision along and work towards the development of the state with the support of general public," he said. Chief Minister Bahuguna will visit Budhani village in Pauri on Wednesday and attend a programme hosted in the memory of the late Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna.
— TNS |
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Murder of woman by husband
Dehradun, April 24 While addressing a press conference in the city today, Noor said the family members of his daughter Khushnuda along with her husband had been harassing her mentally and physically for bringing inadequate dowry though he spent beyond his means in the marriage, which took place in 2000. It was on March 21, he received a phone call in the morning about his daughter's sudden death. On reaching the site, he saw the imprints of rope on her neck and injuries on various spots at her body. He said he was being constantly pressurised for compromise by the local police personnel. A local BJP MLA, Sanjay Gupta, was supporting the accused, he alleged. He said he met the DGP along with Congress leader Lalit Mohan three days ago, but he felt disappointed over the "connivance of the police with the accused." |
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Protest by Satyam and Rockman Staff
Dehradun, April 24 Some workers from these companies were also present on the occasion. Rajiv Kothari, spokesperson, said their party had constituted a panel of advocates who would fight the cases against unjustified conduct of the state government against the workers in the District Courts free of cost. He said it was highly condemnable the way the police cane charged the innocent protesting workers and stuffed them
into the jail. He also brought the attention of the workers who were working in the government, semi-government, private institutes, schools, transport and security agencies and were denied the minimum wages, the facility of the Provident Fund and fixed working hours. |
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