Page 40 - Uttarakhand

All states in country should implement Uniform Civil Code: U'khand CM Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said that all the states in the country should implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

Normalcy restored in Uttarakhand's Purola after 2 caught kidnapping a minor

Normalcy has been restored in Purola in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district which witnessed tension after two people from minority community were allegedly caught kidnapping a minor girl, police said

U'khand Kanwar yatra: Devotees asked to bring IDs, keep 'kanwars' smaller

Shiva devotees coming for Kanwar yatra to Haridwar in Uttarakhand this year have been asked to carry their identity cards and keep the height of their 'kanwars' less than 12 feet to avoid accidents, officials said on Saturday. These decisions were taken at an inter-state coordination meeting of police officials chaired by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar at the state police headquarters here on Friday. The Kanwar yatra begins on July 4 and will go on till July 15. The DGP said the yatra is a big religious event and police departments of all states concerned should start acting in total coordination well in advance for effective crowd management and the safety of devotees. Drones and CCTVs will be used and social media will be monitored for the purpose, he said. Limiting the height of kanwars to less than 12 feet was necessary due to 100 per cent electrification of the railway tracks in Uttarakhand. Bringing higher kanwars with totally electrified railway tracks could be risky, an offi

Framing UCC for U'khand will strengthen social fabric, says ex-SC judge

The uniform civil code being drafted by a committee of experts for Uttarakhand will strengthen the social fabric, promote gender equality and help fight economic, social and religious inequalities, retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, who heads the panel, said on Wednesday. We are trying to make such a draft which is liked by everyone, people of every religion, Desai told reporters at an event organised here to seek suggestions on the proposed UCC from people of the hill state who live in the national capital. Desai heads the committee of experts set up by the Uttarakhand government in March 2022 for drafting the Uniform Civil Code, an election promise made by the BJP in the state. She said the committee will make recommendations for bringing a uniform civil code for a range of issues including marriage, divorce succession, guardianship, custody and inheritance with a primary focus on safeguarding the interests of women, children and the differently-abled. We are ...

Sec 144 imposed in U'khand's Purola; police warn of action if law violated

The Uttarkashi town had witnessed tensions over an alleged abduction attempt on a 14-year-old girl by two men, including one from the minority community, last month

SC refuses to entertain plea for FIR for hate speeches in Uttarakhand

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking to prevent a mahapanchayat' called by Hindu outfits in Uttarakhand and registration of an FIR against hate speeches allegedly targeting members of a particular community. The 'mahapanchayat' is slated to take place on Thursday. A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked advocate Sharukh Alam to avail remedy available in law and granted her liberty to approach the high court or any other authority concerned. "We are not short circuiting the legal process. There is a high court and district administration, you can approach them. Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government, why do you think no action will be taken if matter is brought to its notice. You should have faith in the high court", the bench said. Alam stated that posters and letters have been written asking members of a particular community to leave Uttarkashi and despite their being a continuing mandam

CM Dhami thanks PM for releasing instalment of Rs 1,322 cr for Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for releasing an instalment of Rs 1,322 cr to Uttarakhand

U'khand Waqf Board asks CM to dispel fear among Muslims about their safety

The Uttarakhand Waqf Board appealed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday to dispel the fear among Muslims about their safety in the state in the wake of communal tension in Uttarkashi district. Communal tension has been brewing in Purola and some other towns of the district since an alleged abortive attempt last month involving two men, including one from the minority community, to elope with a Hindu girl. "The chief minister should give a firm assurance that helps restore a sense of security among Muslims about their lives and property in the state. What is happening in Uttarkashi and some other places is a cause for concern," Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams told PTI. Forty-two shops belonging to Muslims have reportedly been closed in Purola since May 26, when the failed elopement bid was reported in the town, triggering tension. Posters were pasted by unidentified people on shops owned by Muslims, asking them to leave the town before a Mahapanchayat calle

Congress demands former Uttarakhand CM Trivendra's expulsion from BJP

The Congress on Friday demanded the expulsion of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat from the BJP for praising Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, as a patriot

HC suggests immediate measures to reduce traffic congestion in Nainital

The Uttarakhand High Court has warned against the possibility of a Joshimath-like situation arising in Nainital and asked the authorities to take immediate measures to reduce traffic congestion in the town during the peak tourist season. Joshimath grabbed the headlines early this year due to a land-subsidence crisis which led to cracks appearing in houses, fields and roads. With the temperature soaring, droves of tourists are visiting Nainital these days causing long and frequent traffic jams in the popular tourist spot. Taking suo motu cognisance of a PIL on the pressure of traffic in Nainital, the division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal said the issue must be addressed promptly, otherwise the town may also face a Joshimath-like situation. The court ordered immediate replacement of cycle rickshaws with e-rickshaws in Nainital to address the problem of traffic congestion which is worsening each passing year. The court stated that the government sh

IMD issues heatwave alert for some states; other states may see excess rain

Heatwave conditions are also expected to prevail over Odisha the sub-Himalayan West Bengal region between June 8 to June 10, over Telangana on June 8,9, and over several parts of UP till June 11

Gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva shot dead on Lucknow court premises

Ganster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's alleged aide Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva was shot dead on Lucknow court premises on Wednesday, police said. "Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva who was held in Lucknow jail was brought to the court for hearing in a case and was shot dead by unknown assailant," said Lucknow Police Commissioner S B Shiradkar who reached the court premises shortly after the incident.

Threatening posters on Muslim shops in U'khand after bid to abduct minor

Days after an alleged attempt by two men, including a member of the minority community, to abduct a minor girl was foiled by locals, threatening posters appeared on shops owned by Muslim traders in Purola town here asking them to leave the place immediately. The posters were put up on the shutters of the shops late on Sunday evening, Purola Station House Officer Khajan Singh Chauhan said. They asked the shop owners to leave Purola immediately, he added. Taking serious note of the situation, police on Monday held meetings with the local Vyapar Mandal and public representatives appealing to them to maintain peace and law and order. A case was also registered against unidentified people of 'Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan', who allegedly pasted the posters, on charges of conspiring to disrupt peace of the town and provoke the religious sentiments of a particular community, Chauhan said. Investigations into the pasting of posters has begun and people bearing allegiance to Devbhoomi Raksha ..

Avalanche in U'khand: Woman pilgrim returning from Hemkund Sahib missing

A woman pilgrim went missing on Sunday after an avalanche occurred near Atlakoti in Uttarakhand when a group of Sikh devotees was returning from Hemkund Sahib, officials said. Four other pilgrims caught in the avalanche on their way back from the Sikh shrine have been rescued, Chamoli District Disaster Management officer NK Joshi said. Relief and rescue operation is underway, he said.

Devotees wearing inappropriate clothes barred from entering U'khand temples

Temple authorities in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, Rishikesh and Dehradun districts have imposed a ban on the entry of devotees not wearing appropriate clothing. Mahant Ravindra Puri, secretary of the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara, on Sunday said a formal ban has been imposed on the entry of "scantily-clad men and women" into the Daksh Prajapati Mandir (Haridwar), Tapkeshwar Mahadev Mandir (Dehradun) and the Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir (Rishikesh). "Only women who have their bodies covered up to 80 per cent can enter these temples," Puri, who is also president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, said. The ban comes into effect immediately at these temples affiliated to the Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara, he said. Mahanirvani Panchayati Akhara consists of the Dashnam Naga seers. Puri said the ban will soon be extended to akhara-affiliated temples across the country. Asked about the necessity to impose the ban, Puri said, "Sometimes people entering the temples are so skimpily dressed th

Bailey bridge to reconnect Niti valley border areas in U'khand commissioned

A Bailey bridge has been built by the Border Roads Organisation over river Girthiganga in place of the old bridge which collapsed in April, cutting off nearly half a dozen villages of Niti valley and the border outposts of Niti pass. The portable bridge was operationalised on Friday, restoring direct road connectivity to the villages and the BOPs. It was completed in less than two months. Construction of the bridge connecting Kurkuti-Gamshali-Niti road and Niti pass was important from the social, economic and strategic point of view, Colonel Ankur Mahajan, Commander of the BRO task force told PTI. It was also necessary for the widening and strengthening of the Mana-Mana pass and Joshimath-Malari roads which are to be taken up under the Bharatmala project, he added.

Massive landslide in U'khand leaves over 200 Adi Kailash pilgrims stranded

A massive landslide at Najang, about 45 km from Uttarakhand's Dharchula, has left over 200 Adi Kailash pilgrims stranded at different places, officials said on Thursday. Pilgrims, both on the way to Adi Kailash and back, are stuck at different places as huge volumes of debris have accumulated on the road blocking it, Dharchula SDM Divesh Shashni said. "More than 100 metres of the road was washed out in the landslide which occurred on May 30 evening," he said. The pilgrims are in Dharchula, Napalchu, Gunji and Bundi waiting for the route to be cleared of debris, the SDM said, adding that they are all safe. The road is not likely to be reopened before June 4, the he said. The Adi Kailash yatra, which began on May 4 this year, is being managed simultaneously by private tour operators and the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam.

Uttarakhand approves scholarship scheme for meritorious UG, PG students

Uttarakhand on Wednesday approved scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students of state universities and government colleges who secure the top three positions in each course. The scholarship scheme was approved during a state Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Secretary SS Sandhu told reporters. Undergraduate and postgraduate students of any regular course of state universities and government colleges can benefit from the scheme, which takes effect from the 2023-24 academic session, he said. Students in first-year undergraduate programmes can avail of the scholarship if they secure at least 80 per cent marks in the Intermediate exam, a release stated. In the second and the third years, the students' eligibility will depend on 75 per cent attendance and at least 60 per cent marks in the previous year. The students who rank first, second and third in a subject with at least 60 per cent marks in undergraduate courses will receive a mont

U'khand police asks pilgrims to stagger visit to Char Dham to reduce rush

The rush of pilgrims at the Char Dham temples in Uttarakhand is many times higher than their capacity, Director-General of Police Ashok Kumar said on Wednesday, and appealed to the devotees to stagger their visit as the yatra will continue till November. More than six lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath since it opened on April 25. Badrinath has witnessed over five lakh devotees since its opening on April 27, according to Ajendra Ajay, chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. Kumar told reporters, "The rush of pilgrims at the Char Dham temples at present is many times more than their capacity. It is causing all sorts of inconvenience. Traffic management has become difficult. The trek routes to the temples often get jammed and 'darshan' is not smooth for the pilgrims." He added that many pilgrims believe that the yatra is only for the months of May-June. "I want to tell them it will go on till the second week of November. Visiting the temples after mid-September is th

Uttarakhand CM inaugurates exhibition highlighting Modi govt's achievements

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday inaugurated an exhibition here highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past nine. Named "9 Varsh Utkarsh Ke" (Nine Years of Excellence), the exhibition highlights the Centre's flagship programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and several road, rail, air connectivity and ropeway projects started in Uttarakhand. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi won the trust of the people by developing a new work culture in the country in the past nine years," Chief Minister Dhami said after inaugurating the exhibition. "Earlier, it used to take decades to develop a vaccine in India. But under the leadership of Modi, the country developed not just one but two indigenous anti-Covid vaccines and exported them to more than 150 countries," he said. Prime Minister Modi has received unprecedented respect in the world as well as the respect of 140 crore peopl