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Haridwar on alert in view of Muzaffarnagar riots
Harish Rawat blames Akhilesh for trouble
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Power structure suffered big loss: CM
Purohits flay govt on ritualistic pujas
Nishank takes on govt over issue of prayer resumption
Devotees take out
procession of deity Mosta
Mahasu Raghunath Jaagdaa festival celebrated with dance
Govind Ballabh Pant remembered
Tributes paid to Pant at functions
Champawat Zila Vikash Samiti members stage dharna
Cong for gram pradhan as administrator
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Haridwar on alert in view of Muzaffarnagar riots
Haridwar, September 10 In this regard, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Amit Sinha inspected border lying areas of Narsain-Roorkee and took stock of the situation. Already, an alert has been issued in Haridwar in view of the UP riots and the district having a substantial population of the minority community. He also visited some border areas of Uttarakhand where tension prevailed due to rumours, but timely intervention of the police defused the situation. The DIG Garhwal also took a meeting of police officials at Roshanabad, Police Lines, where he gave directives to all station house officers to remain alert and make round-the-clock patrolling in their respective police station areas. Local intelligence unit officials were also briefed separately by the DIG Garhwal. He also urged the local people to not lend ears to rumours and inform the police about any disturbance in their colonies. Heavy deployment of Uttarakhand police personnel, paramilitary force personnel and elite state unit commandos has been done at sensitive villages and semi-urban areas that are on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Subdivisional magistrate Beer Singh Budiyal has been camping at Narsain, which is the border point of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh states, to make sure the flames of the riots of UP don’t extend to the hill state territory. In this regard, a high level administrative meeting was held at CCR Tower. It was presided over by district magistrate Dr Nidhi Pandey and Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Swarup. Administrative and police officials dwelled on the post-Muzzafarnagar riot scenario and chalked out the sensitive villages and colonies where the situation could go out of hand. DM Pandey gave directions of making elaborate security arrangement so that no anti-social element took advantage from the ongoing sensitive situation in the region. Nidhi also has demanded an additional number of sector magistrate-ranked officers from the Uttarakhand government for Haridwar district. Rajeev Swarup apprised the administrative officials of the deployment of security personnel at sensitive areas in the district, particularly on the border areas tof Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh. A round-the-clock control room has also been opened by the police. Its helpline number is 01332-272318. Rajeev Swarup has also directed additional deployment of security personnel at all festive Ganesh pandals and other religious functions in the district. This is being done as a precautionary measure, so that anti-social elements don’t misuse such religious occasions to carry out their nefarious designs. Section 144 has also been imposed on colonies where a substantial number of people hailing from mixed communities reside. The impact of the riots in Uttar Pradesh has had a direct bearing on the passenger flow towards the riot-affected areas. Assistant Regional Manager Suresh Chauhan said that just a few buses arrived from the UP side, while Uttarakhand transport buses were being sent via Paonta Sahib-Karnal towards New Delhi.
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Harish Rawat blames Akhilesh for trouble
Haridwar, September 10 Citing intelligence reports and advisories communicated to the Uttar Pradesh government by the Union Government, Harish Rawat said that the onus lies only on UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav now. Rawat said that Uttar Pradesh along with six states were given intelligence output from the Centre ,but no heed was paid to this by Akhilesh Yadav government. “This has resulted in loss of dozens of human lives, which is unfortunate. Just making tall claims of being secular and ideology of Samajwadi doesn’t make one a better administrator,” remarked Rawat, who represents Haridwar parliamentary constituency in the Lower House of Parliament. On the ritual worship to be commenced at the revered shrine of Lord Shiva at the Kedarnath shrine from tomorrow, Harish Rawat said that the state government was trying to revive the faith of the people, local residents and devotees by the conduct of this ritual. On the ongoing controversy surrounding the auspicious timing of the Kedarnath shrine ritual worship, Harish Rawat said that the state government surely should have consulted the revered Shankaracharya, teerth purohits, astrologers, Shri Badrinath- Kedarnath Shrine Committee members and other concerned people. Apprising about these 24 new road projects sanctioned by the government under Prime Minister's Road Scheme in this fiscal year, Rawat said that this will give a facelift to the road structure in Haridwar. For broadening and recarpeting of two dozen roads, detailed project reports have been sought from Uttarakhand government and as soon as these were is submitted , these projects will get started. On the speculations of removal of Chief Minister Vijay
Bahuguna, Rawat clarified that state government is doing a good job and his focus has always been on development and taking along everyone to attain this objective. The Haridwar parliamentarian also refuted any links or connection with any quarrying mafia or stone crushers. “I am with those who follow norms regarding legal quarrying on their own land with horse,mule and buffalo-run ferrying makeshift vehicles .But I have always been opposing those who do quarrying with heavy machines and JCB tractor-trolleys as they are the ones who do most damage to the Ganga river bed and local ecology,'' said
Rawat. |
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Power structure suffered big loss: CM
Dehradun, September 10 The Uttarakhand Chief Minister, who also is looking after the Power Ministry of the state, said that that the state had suffered heavy losses to the power infrastructure due to the recent disaster. He said that the state had suffered a loss of Rs 291 crore. He added that in the field of power generation alone there had been a loss of Rs 50 crore. A total of 137 km of transmission lines had also been damaged. The CM had asked for relaxation in norms of the R-APDRP project so that the hill districts of Bageshwar, Champawat and Rudraprayag could also be benefited. He added that the 104 villages where UREDA projects had been damaged ought to linked to the Rajiv Gandhi Electrification Project. Raising the issue of stopping hydel projects in the state, the CM said that 900 MW gas power plants were ready in the state for which the Central Government needed to provide gas supply. The CM also asked for allocation of coal blocks for projects worth Rs 2000 MW in the state. He added that to maintain a balance between development and environment in the state, the Central Government should strongly argue the state's case before the Supreme Court on several issues. The CM said that at the present the state had a deficit of 3282 million units of electricity and all possible efforts were being made to overcome the situation. In 2005, there was a line loss of 53 per cent, which at present had been reduced to 22 per cent. The efforts were on to bring it further down to 19 percent in the coming year. On the occasion, CM Vijay Bahuguna thanked the Union Power Ministry and its subsidiary units which had come forward to help the state in times of crisis. |
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Purohits flay govt on ritualistic pujas
Dehradun, September 10 Speaking at a press conference Ankit Shukla said that the government was preventing people from going to Kedarnath where there family members had been performing pujas since
centuries. ''There is a conspiracy to keep us out of Kedarnath. The government deliberately kept us out,'' protested Ankit Shukla. He said that the members under the banner of Kedarnath Teerath Purohit Sangharsh Samiti would undertake a march to Kedarnath
as a mark of protest. |
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Nishank takes on govt over issue of prayer resumption
Dehradun, September 10 “I have been told that the government has created curfew-like conditions in the entire area by deploying policemen in every location leading up to the Kedarnath temple, as it is determined to hide the presence of a large number of bodies present en route Kedarnath,” he told mediapersons before leaving for a march. Taking the government to task for failing to provide help to the people who had taken shelter in the nearby hills, he said, “I reject the claims made by the police that 185 bodies recovered in early September had been reduced to skeletons due to the passage of time. In my view, these were the bodies of people who had somehow escaped the floods but died after battling starvation for one and a half months,” claimed Nishank. He blamed the government for the deaths of these people. Questioning the intentions of the government that is hell-bent on undertaking prayers at the Kedarnath temple tomorrow, Nishank said unless the government wanted to re-start the yatra, the purpose of restarting prayers did not serve any purpose. “These prayers have no meaning for the people and purohits when the resumption of the yatra seems very distant. For all purposes and intents, it is a Congress party puja. According to the prevailing practise, the Maharaja of Tehri in consultation with the purohits decide the date for the yatra. But the government has ignored the practise,” said Nishank. Nishank alleged that in the past three months, the government had failed to repair the roads and even the trekking route was also not open to the people. “The government should have concentrated on repairing the roads and bridges and left the task of starting the prayers to the purohits,” he said.
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Mining mafia behind losses in state exchequer
Dehradun, September 10 Addressing a press conference in Dehradun, Raghunath Singh Negi, president of the Jan Sangharsh Morcha said the mining mafia was picking up sub minerals like gravel, sand and stones from the rivers, where mining has been banned by the court. In order to further evade the court's banned directive, the mining mafia was showed that the sub minerals were coming from Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Thus by doing so, it was infringing the court's orders. "The mining mafia are also bringing loss of revenue to the state as the sub minerals originate in Dehradun and no sales tax is paid," said Negi. He also pointed out that the mining mafia has obtained fake permits in order to show that the sub minerals were coming from Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Raghunath Singh Negi alleged that the Dehradun district administration has completely failed to take action against the mining mafia. Seeking a CBI probe, Raghunath Negi alleged that the district administration has only confiscated few trucks in the name of action against mining mafia. Akash Panwar, general secretary of the Jan Sangarsh Morcha and Dr OP Panwar were also present in the conference. |
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Devotees take out
procession of deity Mosta
Pithoragarh, September 10 The two-day fair was inaugurated by local MLA Mayukh Singh Mahar yesterday, who announced that Asian Development Bank (ADB) had approved a sum of Rs 1.5 crore for the development of facilities inside the mela campus in the Mostamanu area. Several cultural troupes took part in the first day's stage programmes and presented items related to the culture of Soor valley and adjoining regions of Nepal. The annual fair, in which villagers from several regions of the district took part to have blessings of the deity and purchase agricultural equipment for the coming Rabi session, is being organised for two days for the purpose of providing recreation to the people of Gurung Patti village, adjoining the temple of Mosta, which is situated at some distance from the district headquarters. According to legend, Mosta, who is considered a deity of water, reached here some 500 years ago. ''Since then, the people of Soor and Gorung valley are worshiping the deity,'' said Birendra Singh Bora, member of the organising committee. According to scholars, Mosta is deity of Asur (non-Aryan) tradition and is considered as protector of water sources in this part of the region. ''Being organised on Nag Panchami day, the fair symbolised the tradition of worship of rulers of Naga clan as they had their dominance over the Himalayan region some 3000 years ago,'' said Dr Ram Singh, a historian of Himalaya region. |
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Mahasu Raghunath Jaagdaa festival celebrated with dance
Mussoorie, September 10 The devotees from far and wide assembled at the temple of Mahasu Raghunath and offered prayers on the occasion amid the beating of the traditional drums. Early in the morning the high priest of the village offered milk to the lord and shut the door of the temple. It is believed that the while the doors are shut, the lord drinks the milk offered by the devotees on the occasion. The priest claimed that one can hear the sound of milk being splattered during the whole process, thus indicating that the lord is savouring the milk. The splattered milk is then sprinkled on the devotees as a mark of respect to the lord, added the priest of the temple at Birod. Following that the traditional grass 'haryali' was cut and distributed among the devotees here. Thereafter, the idol of the lord Mahasu Raghunath was taken out of the altar and carried in a palanquin to river Yamuna and given a ritual bath. In the evening, the deity was again placed at the altar and as the evening approached, a tall pole of pine tree is planted on the ground and flag was
hoisted on it. The devotees sung ballads (Jaagad) and performed Harul and Tandi, the traditional folk dances, in circles the whole night in praise of the lord. According to local resident Inder Dev Dobhal, the Jaagdaa or the Mahasu Raghunath fair is held every year and the villagers from the region celebrate it with enthusiasm and great fervour. People also spend a night inside the temple as a form of penance, added Dobhal. Another resident of the region, Megh Singh Kandari, said that the Lord Mahasu Raghunath is considered incarnation of the Lord Shiva. As the legend goes the Mahasu Devta appears in quadruple form as four brothers. He further said that Mahasu Devta (Lord) is considered as the sole arbiter over the mortals and he exercises his authority over the religious dispensation of people and in secular matters. The festival was also observed in other villages of the area such as Miyani, Bangsil etc where the devotees kept vigil all night and sang in praise of the lord. |
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Govind Ballabh Pant remembered
Haridwar, September 10 At Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Park , Devpura, District Magistrate, Haridwar, garlanded the statesman , who was the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and second Home Minister of the independent India. Nidhi Pandey urged people to follow the high ideals and honest working style of Pant. City Magistrate Jeevan Singh Nangiyal,Subdistrict Magistrate Vipra Trivedi also garlanded the statue of Gobind Ballabh Pant. Uttarakhand Kranti Dal activists also paid homage to the Bharat Ratna recipient, who hailed from Almora district of Uttarakhand. Addressing the activists general secretary of UKD Uday Ram Semwal said that though Pant was born on August 30,1887, at Khooth village in Almora district, yet as on September 10,1946, he had assumed chief ministership of joint provinces of northern states. He used to celebrate this very day as a mark of victory of Indians in the freedom struggle. “Pant was close to Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subash Chandra Bose and Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel. He went several times to prison owing to his active participation in the Indian freedom struggle. Be it salt agitation, Quit India Movement or Satyagraha Movement, Pant led from the front,” he said . Youth wing city chief Lalit Mamgain termed Govind Ballabh Pant as true statesman and son of the Himalayas. “He worked well in bifurcating states as per their linguistic and cultural territory with Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel and also abolished Zamindari system. He made Hindi as official first language of several states as well as UP to path of development,'' said Mamgain. At various leprosy ashrams and hospitals, Congress activists distributed fruits to the patients. |
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Tributes paid to Pant at functions
Pithoragarh, September 10 On the occasion a statue of Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant was garlanded by the District Magistrate and eminent citizens of the district attended the function. School children took part in the function and freedom fighters' dependents were honoured. The main programme on this occasion was organised at the town hall where administrative officers and public leaders offered tributes to Pant and remembered his contribution to the process of building of the nation. Offering his emotional tribute to Pant, Chairman of Pithoragarh Nagar Palika Parishad Jagat Singh Khati said that Pant, who was premier of the united province from 1937 to 1939, and thereafter Chief Minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh and Home Minister of the Union of India from 1956 to 61, was a person of tall personality who had all the qualities of nation building. Pant was in a team leader of the country, said Khati. Speaking on the occasion, president of the Association of Freedom Fighters' Dependents KD Bhatt said that due to his patriotic tendency, Pant came forward to take part in the freedom movement and soon became a leading freedom fighter on which Jawaharlal Nehru trusted a lot. ''It was he who took all the lathi blows on his body when Nehru came under attack by the British police during protests against Simon Commission in Lucknow,'' said Bhatt. Paying his tribute to Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, District Education Officer VK Tamta said that Pant was a pioneer of
Harijan welfare.
Kids participate
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Champawat Zila Vikash Samiti members stage dharna
Pithoragarh, September 10 Samiti leaders said their demand charter includes the demand of opening of a medical college and an assistant regional transport officer's office in the district, creating a subdivisional magistrate’s office for the remote Tamli region, starting of new job-oriented trades in the Champawat ITI and the construction of two motorable roads of Gauri-Kimtoli and Champawat Khetikhan via Morlekh in the district. “Beside these major demands, we have 10 other demands related to the creation of civic facility in Champawat town,” said Basant Singh Taragi, working president of the samiti. The samiti members later met the District Magistrate and alleged that some projects and government orders that had been issued in the name of Champawat district were being transferred to other districts. “We have cautioned the government through the administration that if immediate solution of these problems is not found, the samiti will begin an agitation,” said Taragi, working president of the
samiti. |
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Pauri Coop Bank earns Rs 9-crore profit
Dehradun, September 10 General Manager of the bank Satyapal Singh Negi informed mediapersons at Kotdwar that assisted by NABARD, the District Cooperative Bank of Pauri has the unique distinction among the cooperative banks of India to computerise its every branch and connect through the CBS system. Talking on the occasion of the inauguration of the new premise of its main branch, he said that the bank had earned a profit of Rs 9 crore this financial year. The premises was inaugurated by Uttarakhand Health Minister Surendra Singh Negi. He said that District Cooperative Bank of Pauri Garhwal had equalled big nationalised banks by computerisng all its branches. He said it was quite a feat as the most of the branches of the bank were in remote villages. He expressed his satisfaction at the loan facility extended by the bank in rural and remote areas. The District Cooperative Bank of Pauri is the oldest cooperative bank in Uttarakhand. It was established in 1924 as the branch of Bijnor Cooperative bank at Kotdwara. It set up its independent office in 1953 at Kotdwara where it still has its head office. The computerisation and ATM facilities for the bank are assisted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with support from the National Payment Corporation of India. The District Development Officer of NABARD, BS Negi, said with the CBS system and ATM card facilities, the bank would become competitive with big nationalised and private banks. ICICI Bank would collaborate with the bank in ATM card operations with its technical support. The NABARD official said that the bank would launch a mobile ATM van, which besides giving the banking facility in remote rural areas, would also educate rural customers about the use of ATM and CBS facilities provided by the bank. "The bank can play an important role in latest the Food Security Act provisions," emphasised the president of the bank, Arjun Singh Bist. "The cooperative societies under the bank have footprints in most of the villages in the district. They can be instrumental in fulfilling the demands of the Food Security Act ," he said. He said that the bank had already submitted a proposal in this connection to the government. |
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Cong for gram pradhan as administrator
Dehradun, September 10 Addressing a press conference at the state Congress headquarters today, Uttarakhand Congress vice-president Suryakant Dhasmana said the tenure of the panchayats in Uttarakhand was about to end and it would be beneficial to appoint the incumbent gram pradhan as the administrator till the panchayat elections were held in the state. He said the gram panchayat elections have been postponed in the state due to rain disaster. He also asserted that in order to ensure smooth conduct of schemes in the rural areas, it was important that the functioning of the gram panchayat was not hindered for the implementation of the schemes. |
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Haridwar, September 10
Pithoragarh, September 10
