Page 42 - Uttarakhand

Nation will boycott Congress: Dhami on skipping Parliament inauguration

After the opposition parties announced that they would refrain from attending the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said

PM Modi to flag off Uttarakhand's first Vande Bharat Express today

With this, the state will have its entire rail route 100 per cent electrified. Trains run by electric traction on the electrified sections will result in an increase in the speed of trains and enhance

5G network in India crosses 200,000 sites mark with roll out in Gangotri

The report suggests that the first 100,000 5G sites were rolled out within the first five months of the launch of the service in October 2022 and the next 100,000 sites were added in the next 3 months

CM Dhami seeks data on govt land grabbed by people from state, outsiders

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday directed officials to prepare a report on how much government land has been encroached upon by people from the state and outside. Dhami also sought proposals on public projects that can be developed on "enemy properties" in different districts. District magistrates should identify "enemy properties" in their area, personally inspect those and submit proposals on what public projects can be developed on them, he said while reviewing the ongoing drive to remove encroachments from government land. Government lands in Uttarakhand will be assigned a unique number, the chief minister said and added that all departments will maintain a register of their properties and digitalise their inventories. Dhami further said that satellite pictures of the properties will be taken from time to time to check their status. Encroachments have been removed from 455 hectares of forest land since the exercise began last month on the chief minister

2 more devotees die of heart attack in Yamunotri Dham; toll climbs to 18

Two more pilgrims who had come to visit the famous Yamunotri Dham in this district of Uttarakhand have died of heart attack, police said on Sunday. Barkot station in-charge Gajendra Bahuguna said Satyanarayan (55), a resident of Banthanau village in the Churu district of Rajasthan, was admitted to the hospital in Jankichatti where he died due to breathing problems. Sheshnath (77), a resident of Hinaut village in Basti district of Uttar Pradesh, was admitted to the hospital after his health suddenly deteriorated, he said, adding that he died during treatment. Total 18 devotees have died of heart attack since the commencement of the pilgrimage to the Dham last month.

Lumpy skin disease returns; over 10,000 active cases reported till May 18

Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka lead the way; 1.9 million vaccine doses administered in new cycle

NGT orders remedial action over dumping construction waste in Jakhan river

The National Green Tribunal has directed remedial action while hearing a plea that claimed "unscientific dumping of waste" in the Jakhan river, a tributary of the Ganga, during the construction of a 12-kilometre road spanning two Uttarakhand districts. According to the petition, the road was constructed from Itharna to Kukhai in the districts of Tehri Garhwal and Dehradun, respectively, and the dumping of waste resulted in the formation of a temporary lake near the Shambhuwala village. A bench of Chairperson Justice AK Goel noted that the tribunal, in its order in January, had sought a factual report from a joint committee comprising the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, Divisional Forest Officer (Dehradun) and the District Magistrate (Dehradun). The bench, also comprising Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Expert Member A Senthil Vel said according to the committee's report dated March 18, it was acknowledged that there were violations and that a lake was formed because

Highest Shiv shrine Tungnath tilting by 6-10 degrees; ASI keeping an eye

The ASI is working towards finding the root cause of the damage and will explore if it can be repaired immediately

All illegal encroachments in Uttarakahnd will be demolished: CM Dhami

All illegal encroachments in Uttarakhand will be demolished "at any cost", said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday, adding that the state government will comply with court orders in the Haldwani case. "The drive to remove illegal encroachments is underway in the state and it will continue till all of them are removed," he told reporters at the secretariat here on Monday. Dhami said he expects people who have illegally encroached government land to vacate them on their own to avoid action against them. Answering a question on the alleged encroachments at Haldwani's Banbhoolpura area, the chief minister said "whatever is legally appropriate will be done". Any order or directive issued by the court on the matter will be complied with, he said. In December last year, the Uttarakhand High Court directed the removal of "illegal encroachers" in Banbhoolpura from land that the Indian Railways has claimed as its own. The Supreme Court later stayed the high court order to evict

90% UCC draft complete, panel to submit proposal by June 30: Uttarakhand CM

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said a committee formed by his government to prepare the draft of a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the state has completed 90 per cent work and will submit its proposals by June 30. Implementation of a Uniform Civil Code was one of the major poll promises made by the BJP in run-up to the state assembly elections in 2022 which it won. Dhami formed the five-member committee days after taking oath in May last year. Talking to reporters at Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district, Dhami said on Monday the panel headed by former Supreme Court judge justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has completed 90 per cent of work related to drafting of the code. "The committee assigned the task of drafting the UCC has said it will be submitted by June 30 after which we will take steps to implement it," Dhami said. "We also expect other states to follow our example and introduce a Uniform Civil Code." Dhami was here to inaugurate and lay the foundation

Many states reduce excise duty on mild beer, make retailing easier

Beer to be allowed in certain offices in Haryana, other states allow its sale in stores and malls

Improper waste management by U'khand: NGT refrains from imposing fine

The National Green Tribunal has accepted the request of the Uttarakhand government to allow it to deposit Rs 200 crore in a separate ring-fenced account for sewage and solid waste management. The state's chief secretary made the request after the tribunal announced a penalty of Rs 200 crore on the state for improper management of solid and liquid waste. A bench of NGT chairperson Justice A K Goel noted there was a gap of around 60 million litres per day (MLD) in sewage generation and treatment, besides 252.65 metric tonnes per day (TPD) of unprocessed waste and 15.75 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of legacy waste. The bench, also comprising judicial members Justices Sudhir Agarwal and Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmad, said based on the polluter pays principle, an environmental compensation was estimated at around Rs 200 crore for the state's failure to scientifically manage liquid and solid waste in violation of the mandate of law. The bench noted the chi

QR code boards in Badrinath-Kedarnath: Uttarakhand Police forms probe team

The Uttarakhand Police has formed a team to probe into the appearance of boards bearing QR codes seeking donations from pilgrims outside the gates of Badrinath and Kedarnath, it said on Thursday. The team -- headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Chamoli) Natasha Singh -- was constituted by Superintendent of Police Pramendra Dobhal, his office said in a release. The team has been asked to coordinate with the cyber cell of Uttarakhand Police and uncover the case at the earliest. It has also been directed to brief Dobhal's office about the investigation on a daily basis. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee had lodged a complaint at Badrinath police station earlier this month and demanded an inquiry into the installation of boards asking the devotees for donations through QR codes. Cases under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code were registered against unidentified accused at Badrinath police station and Kedarnath police outpost for putting up the QR code boards outside the

Earthquake of 3.5 magnitude hits Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, informs NCS

An earthquake of magnitude 3.5 struck Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand early Thursday morning, National Center for Seismology said.The earthquake struck at 5.01 am, at a depth of 10 km."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.5, Occurred on 11-05-2023, 05:01:04 IST, Lat: 29.63 & Long: 81.44, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 118km E of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India for more information Download the BhooKamp App," tweeted National Center for Seismology.Earlier in January, an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 occurred 23km north-northwest of Pithoragarh, according to the National Center for Seismology (NCS).The quake struck the state at a depth of 10 kilometres, at a latitude of 29.78 and a longitude of 80.13 at around 8:58 am."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.8, Occurred on 22-01-2023, 08:58:31 IST, Lat: 29.78 & Long: 80.13, Depth: 10 Km, Location: 23km NNW of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand," NCS tweeted.

UP, Uttarakhand give tax-free status to 'The Kerala Story' as debate rages

The Kerala Story, the film on conversion that has polarised political discourse, was given tax-free status in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Tuesday and came under renewed attack from some opposition leaders for allegedly fuelling hatred. As the multilingual film totted up box office numbers and controversy raged, the Supreme Court said it will hear on May 15 a plea against the Kerala High Court order refusing to stay its release. In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Twitter that the film, directed by Sudipto Sen and produced by Vipul Shah, will be-tax free in his state. His director, information, said the chief minister would watch the much discussed film along with his cabinet members on Friday. Adityanath's counterpart in Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami will do the same in his state, officials said. The state's Tourism and Culture Minister Satpal Maharaj said the movie will be tax-free though a formal announcement is yet to be made. "

'The Kerala Story' will be tax-free in U'khand, CM says it depicts truth

Uttarakhand Tourism and Culture Minister Satpal Maharaj has said the controversial film "The Kerala Story" will be tax-free in the state. The film, starring Adah Sharma, was released in cinemas on Friday and deals with the events behind the alleged disappearance of thousands of women from Kerala. It depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert to Islam and recruited by the terrorist group Islamic State. While a formal announcement about it is yet to be made by the Uttarakhand government, Maharaj told reporters on Monday that the film will be tax-free in the state soon. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said "The Kerala Story" depicts "the truth" and everyone should see it. "The Kerala Story is a film depicting the truth of how terrorism is being spread without using arms and ammunition. I think everyone should see the film," Dhami told reporters here. Dhami said he will watch the film with his colleagues. The movie has generated controversy as some political .

Uttarakhand govt continues drive against 'illegal' religious structures

The Pauri district administration in Uttarakhand razed an over two-decade-old 'mazar' as part of the state government's anti-encroachment drive against illegal religious constructions, an official said on Monday. Sub-District Officer (Kotdwar) Pramod Kumar said a public notice was pasted on the mazar, asking claimants to come forward within 15 days. When no one submitted a claim, a joint team of the Forest department, police and local administration demolished the tomb of Baba Gayasuddin Aula-e-Karim Shah, Kumar said. "Not submitting the claim means that this mazar was built illegally by encroaching on Forest department land," he added. The mazar occupied more than two bighas. A day before, the administration removed an illegal mausoleum from government land in the Satpuli area of Pauri district. The government is also taking action to mark and remove illegal religious encroachments in forest areas under Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital district. Reserve officials said a Forest

Cybercrime big challenge, police working to counter it: Uttarakhand CM

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said in order to combat cybercrime, people should not only aware themselves about the menace but also inform others. Terming cybercrime as a big challenge, he also said police are working to counter it using new technologies. The chief minister was addressing a gathering after releasing a book, 'Cyber Encounters', authored by Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar and former DRDO scientist OP Manocha. He said it is the responsibility of all to be aware about cybercrimes and also protect others by informing them about it. Criminals are using new techniques every day and the police are working to counter them using new technologies, the chief minister said. This book is based on true incidents and it will not only aware readers but also help them protect themselves against cybercrimes, he said. The book's foreword has been written by eminent actor Amitabh Bachchan and this shows its importance, he said Citing examples of different type

U'khand govt to introduce an ordinance to tighten laws for buying land

The Uttarakhand government will soon introduce an ordinance to tighten the laws for buying land in the state to prevent people with criminal antecedents from making such purchases, sources said on Friday. According to the proposed ordinance, the background of prospective buyers and their purpose of making the purchase will be thoroughly examined before they are permitted to do so. However, there is no clarity yet on whether the ordinance will apply only to prospective land buyers from outside Uttarakhand or those from within the state too. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has moved a proposal on the matter at a Cabinet meeting here recently and was authorised by the ministers to bring such an ordinance, official sources said. The move comes close on the heels of Dhami expressing concern over "land jihad" in Uttarakhand. At a function in Kaladhungi in Nainital district last month the chief minister claimed that more than 1,000 acres of land have been "grabbed" in the state under

Earthquake of magnitude 3.3 hits Uttarakhand, all you need to know

On Thursday morning, the town of Chamoli in Uttarakhand was shaken by an earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale