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Sonia's visit to disaster-hit areas called off due to bad weather
Kapkot villages facing water, power shortage
Mala Raj Laxmi files nomination papers
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She has no taste for cars, diamond jewellery
BJP chief Chufal assigns duties for Bharat
bandh
India, China, Nepal join hands to conserve Kailash landscape
Landour Cantt Board members differ on issuing notice to Dahlia Bank owner
SSB, police work jointly to check trade in wildlife organs
Army jawans donate blood at
Roorkee, Dehradun hospitals
Education key to progress of backward communities
Officials involved in illegal logging, says social activist
Drug supplier arrested
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Sonia's visit to disaster-hit areas called off due to bad weather
Dehradun, September 18 Meanwhile, the proposed visit of Congress President Sonia Gandhi to the disaster-hit Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts was cancelled today due to inclement weather. According to the Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre's Executive Director Piyush Rautela, the death toll in the Rudraprayag cloudbursts has reached 54 with another body recovered from the debris today. However, Rautela said with now little hope of anyone surviving under the debris, the rescue operation could be called off within a day or two. He also pointed out that the removal of debris was being done manually and thus the rescue teams now need to focus on relief works and restoration of infrastructure. On the other hand, on the brighter side, after a long spell of the rains, Uttarakhand can hope an improvement in weather conditions from September 20. According to Dr Anand Sharma, Executive Director, Meteorological Centre, Dehradun, the rains will continue in the state till tomorrow afternoon with some isolated places even experiencing rather heavy rain. But from September 20, weather conditions will improve. Meanwhile, Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi has failed to visit the disaster-hit areas of Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts due to inclement weather conditions in the state. Sonia Gandhi was slated to come to Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, from where she was to visit the disaster-affected areas by a helicopter. But her visit was called off. She is expected to visit Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts on September 22, according to Congress party sources. PM relief to victims Dehradun: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has expressed deep shock over the loss of lives in the recent cloudburst incidents in Rudraparyag district of Uttarakhand. He has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured, according to a press note issued by the Press Information Bureau. — TNS |
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Kapkot villages facing water, power shortage
Pithoragarh, September 18 The villages have been facing the acute water and electricity shortage for the past five days. “We have lost 33 drinking water projects in the villages of Toli, Karmi, Baghar, Lili, Lakhmara, Chalkana, Cheera, Bagar, Jagthana, Pothing and Harsila of Kapkot subdivision,” said JC Pandey, Executive Engineer of Jal Sansthan, Bageshwar. According to the Jal Sansthan, a total loss of Rs 1.17 crore has been estimated by the department so far as the information about damaged projects is still coming. As natural water sources are prone to diseases, the department needs money to repair these schemes immediately. The Electricity Department has lost 24 transformers, 30 double poles and 18 single poles which have left the villages of Cheera Bagar, Kharbagar, Baret Ghingrani Harsinghia Bagar Harsila and Gairkhet in the dark. “In these villages, neither flour mills are running, nor the villagers are in a position to charge their mobile phones,” said Keshav Bhatt, a local journalist who visited the area recently. Harak Singh Rawat, Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister, along with local MP Pradeep Tamta, today reached Bageshwar and instructed officials to give priority to open the roads first to make the area connected with the outside world. “After the roads get connected, the officials will have to ensure the supply of essential goods to the Kapkot villages and thereafter the water and electricity problems be solved,” said Harak Singh Rawat.
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Mala Raj Laxmi files nomination papers
Dehradun, September 18 The daughter-in-law of former ruler of Tehri Manvendra Shah was accompanied by her husband Manujendra Shah, former Chief Minister Nitya Nand Swami and former Agriculture Minister Trivender Singh Rawat, as she completed the formalities. Later speaking with mediapersons, Mala Raj Laxmi Shah said she would take the Congress government to task on the issues of misrule of the government, poor health facilities and poor infrastructure in the Tehri parliamentary constituency. She also declined to comment on the Congress fielding Chief Minister’s son against her but said, “I am in the fray now and he is any other candidate. It does not make any difference even if he is a Chief Minister’s son,” she said. Earlier, accompanied by her husband and BJP leaders, Mala Raj Laxmi attended a prayer meeting at the BJP(District) office and then participated in a rally at the Parade Ground. All top leaders of the BJP, including BC Khanduri, BS Koshiyari, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, BJP Uttarakhand chief BS Chuphal accompanied her to the District
Collectorate. |
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She has no taste for cars, diamond jewellery
Dehradun, September 18 According to the affidavit submitted today by the former member of the royal house of Tehri, her financial assets comprising savings, insurance policies, shares and debentures are pegged at over Rs 10 crore. Going by her declaration, the former royalty also seems to have not invested in diamond jewellery or pearls,and does not possess any immovable assets. Her husband, Manujendra Shah (son of Manvendra Shah), possesses 1700 gm of gold and 140 kg of silver. Mala Raj Laxmi Shah possess 247 gm of gold (4-22 carat) and no silver and diamond jewellery. The market value of Manujendra's jewellery is Rs 19 crore, while her jewellery is worth Rs 1.5 crore. While Manujendra Shah seems to have a liking for foreign and Indian cars, his wife prefers to be driven in her husband’s car, who has several cars in his fleet. Manujendra Shah possesses nine cars, including a 1951 make Cadillac and Porsche Boxster, all foreign-made cars. The former royal also has a Honda City, Maruti Zen, Mercedes, Scorpion, Ambassador and Toyota Corolla. Raj Laxmi Shah has in her name two fixed deposits for Rs 1,36,830 and has savings in different banks in New Delhi worth Rs 10 crore. She has also invested in bonds and has an insurance policy worth Rs 300,000 in her name. However, her husband has 12 fixed deposits in different denominations and saving accounts in different banks in New Delhi and Narender Nagar, besides shares and debentures running in several crores, which are more than his wife. For the financial year 2011-2012, Raj Laxmi Shah paid Rs 7,49,340 as tax and her husband paid Rs 27,02,140 as tax. Manujendra Shah also possesses 38.8 acres of land and a palace in Narender Nagar. An intermediate pass, Raj Laxmi Shah did most of her schooling at Ratney Raje Laxmi College, Kathmandu (Nepal). |
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BJP chief Chufal assigns duties for Bharat
bandh
Dehradun, September 18 Addressing a press conference today, Chufal said that to make the Bharat bandh a success, senior leader BC Khanduri would be given the responsibility for leading and mobilising party workers in
Dehradun, senior leader BS Koshiyari would lead in Haldwani, Leader of the Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Ajay Bhatt in
Raniketh, while he himself would lead in Pithoragarh. The BJP chief said that similar responsibilities had been given at the district and block levels.
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India, China, Nepal join hands to conserve Kailash landscape
Pithoragarh, September 18 The programme aims at preserving the culture and biodiversity of the region in the three countries in the next five years to enable the locals to exploit the traditional and natural economic potentials. The traditional knowledge about culture and biodiversity prevailing in the three nations will be exchanged to learn from the experiences of other countries. According to the project sources, the programme will be implemented in four districts of Nepal, one district in India and one autonomous region of China, near the Kailash mountain ranges. The meeting was held to solicit views of the sarpanchs on sustainable development of the Indian side of the project that aimed at preserving a 10,000 sq km area in Pithoragarh district, said LMS Palni, Director, GB Pant Himalayan Paryavaran Avam Vikas Sansthan, Almora. The sansthan is the nodal agency for the programme along with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Uttarakhand Government and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. Palni said the landscape conservation programme, which was being implemented in the 31,000 sq km area of the three nations, would be implemented by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu. It would be financed by German and British institutions, he added. The programme held for the first time in Munsiyari was addressed by representatives of financial institutions and experts from the ICIMOD, Kathmandu. “The people of the Munsiyari area are fleeing their ancestral villages due to vanishing resources. These sources need to be revived with the help of such schemes,” said RS Tolia, a former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand. Tolia emphasised on opening trade routes to Tibet and developing tourism at local temples. The meeting was also addressed by Dr Ruska, representative of the German Government, and Dr David Molten, director of the
ICIMOD. |
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Landour Cantt Board members differ on issuing notice to Dahlia Bank owner
Mussoorie, September 18 SDM, Mussoorie, Ramjee Saran was administered the oath as a nominated member of the board. A heated exchange between the elected and nominated members was witnessed as soon as the proposal for issuing a show cause notice to the owner of Dahlia Bank building for unauthorized construction was taken up at the meeting. The elected members, namely vice-president CP Baloni, ward members Kamal Sharma, Munni Devi, Jaswinder Garg and Narendar Padyar opposed the proposal while the nominated members, namely CEO, Landour Cantonment Board, Ashok Kumar, Col SS Dhillon from the Institute for Technological Management (ITM), and the SDM supported it. Baloni said the elected members were fed up with the issue of Dahlia Bank being brought up at the board meeting frequently. He added when the higher authorities from Delhi had already conducted a joint inspection of the building and submitted a report, the question of issuing a show-cause notice to the owner did not arise. Therefore, the proposal should be quashed immediately. On the other hand, the CEO of the cantonment board opposed any move to give up the proposal of issuing a show cause notice to the owner of Dahlia Bank. He read out the proposal and said its owner Sanjay Narang was carrying out unauthorized constructions at the main building on Survey number 157, known as Dahlia Bank. Therefore, a show cause notice under Section 248 of the Cantonment Act was demanded in the matter for the approval of the board. President of the cantonment board Major Gen Ranvir Yadav for once was seen siding with the elected members on the issue. He said as the board had approved the reconstruction of the building at the previous meeting, there was no reason to issue a show cause notice for it again. Speaking to mediapersons, the CEO said contrary to the claims the board had not allowed construction at Dahlia Bank. He added a fact-finding committee from the Central Command also visited the site on August 22 to examine the issue and he had expressed his dissent before them. Ashok said the notice would now be issued only after the report of the GOC, Central Command, was received and approved by the board at its next meeting. The SDM supported the CEO on the issue but said as the matter was sub judice the members should wait for the court decision. The board also deferred the issue of levying an entry tax on the tourist vehicles in the cantonment board. The members in unison said as there was no parking facility available at present, the matter should be deferred till the next meeting. The issue of sending a show cause notice to Holymount Estate was also raised at the meeting. A decision on the issue of increasing the contract rate of the construction of road was also deferred. Major Gen Yadav told mediapersons that the board had not approved the entry tax and it would be levied only after proper parking facilities were put in place. He added a majority of the members were in favour of Sanjay Narang, therefore, the matter stood closed. Major Gen Yadav said the board also decided not to pursue those cases in the court where illegal constructions had been demolished. He added increasing tax on commercial buildings was also discussed and it was decided that the rates be increased in accordance with the law. However, the president declined to comment on other contentious issues that were discussed. Bone of contention A heated exchange between the elected and nominated members was witnessed as soon as the proposal for issuing a show-cause notice to the owner of Dahlia Bank building for unauthorised construction was taken up at the meeting The board also deferred a decision on the issue of levying an entry tax on tourist vehicles entering the cantonment area till proper parking facilities were put in place A decision on the issue of increasing the contract rate of the construction of road was also deferred The issue of increasing tax on commercial buildings was also discussed and it was decided that the rates be increased in accordance with the law |
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SSB, police work jointly to check trade in wildlife organs
Pithoragarh, September 18 “We are implementing a training programme for SSB jawans presently at the Indo-Nepal border so that they could take an independent initiative to check the trade during their patrolling duty on the border adjoining Nepal,” said SL Sarkar, DIG of SSB in the Kumaon range. The seminar was organised by Worldwide Funds for Nature and Traffic Department with the help of the police, the SSB and the Judicial Department of the district. The aim was to check the trade in wildlife organs on the border with Nepal. " We have compiled a list of endangered animals in this part of the Himalayas and have found that until coordinated efforts are made, the trade in these animal organs cannot be checked,” said MS Sirohi, Assistant Conservator of Forests of Pithoragarh division. Superintendent of Police, Pithoragarh, AS Takwale said that the police was preparing a report on the trade in wildlife organs and its network with the help of a special operations group made for this purpose only. “Most of the smugglers are using couriers to carry the trade across the border. That is why we are delaying in busting the network operating on the border,” said the SP. |
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Army jawans donate blood at
Roorkee, Dehradun hospitals
Dehradun, September 18 The camp was inaugurated by Brig AK Choudhary, Commandant, Military Hospital, Roorkee. Speaking on the occasion, Brig AK Choudhary explained the purpose of the blood donation camp as to help and save lives of many people who need blood transfusion and to support patients being treated for serious ailments, including cancer, sickle cell anaemia, severe burns, traumatic injuries and for those undergoing surgery. “Donating anything else won’t give the complete satisfaction as donating blood gives to an individual,” stated Brig AK Choudhary. He said blood donation was much needed as most of the people were losing their lives for the reason of not getting blood in emergency conditions and blood is the most essential for living and cannot be created artifically. The camp was a huge success wherein 300 units of blood were donated. In Dehradun, the Army is celebrating 2012 as the ‘Year of the Veterans’. As part of these celebrations, Military Hospital, Dehradun, under the aegis of the Uttarakhand Sub-area, organised a blood donation camp in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association Blood Bank here today. A large number of Army personnel of all ranks donated blood. The camp will continue on September 19. The blood donation camp was inaugurated by Maj Gen Ranvir Yadav, VSM. In his address, General Yadav stressed on the importance of being involved in such activities and how they helped in character building. He lauded the contributions of the veterans and said the organisation was doing everything possible to make their lives comfortable. He appreciated Military Hospital and the Indian Medical Association Blood Bank for successfully organising the camp. Brig Surender Mohan, Commandant, Military Hospital, Dehradun, stressed on various medical and psychological benefits of blood donation. He said this noble gesture could save up to four lives each when various components of blood were used separately. |
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Education key to progress of backward communities
Haridwar, September 18 Sattar said due to illiteracy, social malpractices and backwardness were on the rise among Muslims or Rajputs. This could only be tackled by providing education to these communities. He said the Rajputs and the Mughals ruled for centuries but were now backward due to lack of education. Knowledge was the key to self and social awakening. Sattar added they were in talks with various organisations to set up educational institutions in backward areas. Secretary of the association Kunwar Javed Iqbal said, “We will also felicitate distinguished personalities and young achievers from the backward strata of society in the coming days.” |
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Officials involved in illegal logging, says social activist
Haridwar, September 18 Sarfaraz said more than 100 trees had been logged in this reserved forest area and the administration seemed to be unconcerned about it. Various social organisations have extended support to Sarfaraz's agitation. A delegation of Samajik Sena saints today met him and extended their support. National chief of the Samajik Sena Vinod Maharaj said the administration should pay attention to the demands being raised by Sarfaraz. State chief of the outfit Rana Ranbeer Singh said it was unfortunate that the Forest Department and the district administration was silent over illegal logging in the Shyampur forest region.
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Drug supplier arrested
Dehradun, September 18 Police post in-charge YS Bajwa said the police was keeping an eye on him but was falling short of arresting him because of the compulsions under the law, whereby such persons could be arrested only if found in possession of 20 gm of drug substance. Today, as per information given by an informer, Goswami was having much more than that, which helped the police to arrest him easily. He said convict, who was from Pithoragarh, lived at Prem Nagar and became a victim to drugs. He then began supplying the drugs to other drug users. Bajwa expressed hope that in the coming days he would come up with more such exposures as these people are linked to each other.
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The death toll in the Rudraprayag cloudbursts in Uttarakhand has reached 54 with little hope of life now left for those buried under the debris.
The BJP nomineee for the Tehri parliamentary seat and daughter- in-law of Manvendra Shah, the former ruler of
Tehri, Mala Raj Laxmi Shah, says she has no taste for swanky cars and diamond
jewellery, and has no immovable property in her name.
The project coordinators of the three-nation Kailash sacred landscape conservation initiative held a meeting with sarpanchs of various van (forest) panchayats in Munsiyari today. They informed the villagers about the first phase of the
programme, which is likely to be implemented from December.
A voluntary blood donation camp was organised on the occasion of the “Year of Veterans” and the golden jubilee celebrations at Military Hospital, Roorkee, by the Bengal Engineering Group (BEG) with the assistance of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dehradun.
National convener of the Muslim Rajput Welfare Association Rao Abdul Sattar today said education was necessary for the development and prosperity of all segments of society, including backward and minority communities.
