Tuesday, February 23, 2010

About Vinod Chamoli

Vinod Chamoli is Senior Reporter. He lives in Chamba Tehri Garhwal. He likes watch to movie etc.

PJM gifts track suits to students

Dehradun: ‘Prayas Jagrukta Manch’ (PJM) distributed track suits to the students of a school situated in Kimadi region of Sahaspur, here, today.
The programme commenced with a group song, ‘Hum yahan chand ghari, tum yahan chand ghari’. Later, the Secretary of the organisation, Vishal Sawan, asked the students to concentrate on studies and be sincere towards education as it was the basis of their future.
The Chief Guest on the occasion, Upendra Singh Thapli, assured the school that he would extend whatever help possible for its welfare.
An entertainment programme was also staged by the students of the school. Various group songs were presented.



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BJP to hold state level rally against inflation on 5 Mar

Dehradun: BJP will hold a state level rally against the rising prices of essential commodities and against the discriminatory policies of the Centre on 5 March in Haldwani.
Briefing media persons at the BJP State Headquarters here, today, BJP State President Bishan Singh Chufal also stated that the BJP State Executive would soon be expanded to 150 percent of its present size.
There would be 33 percent reservation in the new executive for women and 20 percent for the leaders belonging to SCs.
He asserted that the UPA Government led by Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi was totally responsible for the hardships of the common man. The BJP would launch a countrywide agitation against the rising prices to force the government to take effective measures to curb inflation. A countrywide signature campaign would be launched by the party against the rising inflation. Some 15 lakh signatures would be collected from Uttarakhand. An effort would be made to collect signatures of at least one member of each family of the state. The signatures would be submitted to the President of India after a national level rally in New Delhi on 21 April this year. The signature campaign would be carried out from 1 March to 20 April.
Chufal added that the state unit of the BJP had submitted some proposals at the BJP’s National Council Meet held on 17, 18 and 19 of this month at Indore in Madhya Pradesh. These proposals included demanding amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, particularly in view of the delay caused in most development projects in the state. The BJP had proposed that development projects encompassing an area of less than 1 hectare ought to be given clearance at the state level, itself. This would expedite development work.




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TR Thapa elected Pres of U’khand Nepali Bhasha Samiti

DEHRADUN: Tika Ram Thapa has been elected President of the Uttarakhand ‘Rajya Nepali Bhasha Samiti’. The election of the new Executive of the Samiti was held at the Gorkhali Sudhar Sabha under the supervision of Election Officer Suraj Rai, here, today.
Thapa was earlier Vice President of the Samiti and will succeed Rajendra Singh Gurung as President.
Bishnu Prasad was elected Senior Vice President, KS Limbu, Rajendra Malla and Hari Singh Gurung, Vice Presidents, and Shyam Rana was re-elected General Secretary. Lok Maya Rai and Anita Ale were elected Secretaries, Jagdeshwari Rai will be the new Treasurer and Lal Bahadur Thapa has responsibility as Organisational Secretary. Raman Ale has been elected Publicity Secretary. Babbar Gurung would continue to remain Patron of the Samiti. Thirty-one members were also elected to the Executive.
The election of the new Executive, to hold office for the next two years, was held after the bi-annual convention of the Samiti. Chief Guest NBS Bisht, President, Gorkhali Sudhar Sabha, said that no community could move forward without the youth, hence, they also ought to be involved in community affairs.




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Nishank provides financial aid to needy

DEHRADUN: Chief Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today met people at his residence, heard their problems and solved as many of them as possible.
Representatives of the Chandigarh Garhwal Sabha met Nishank at his residence and invited him to the Garh Mahotsav Jhalak-2010 to be held in Chandigarh on 28 February. Some 39 employees who lost employment due to halt in mining work by GMVN also met Nishank and appealed for employment somewhere else. Nishank, in return, ordered the Managing Director of GMVN to address their problems.
A delegation of the Balmiki Samaj, Raipur, met the Chief Minister and drew his attention to their need for land, at which Nishank promised that he would look into the matter. Nishank also gave away cheques as financial aid to the poor and ill people, and also to parents to get their daughters married. Nishank also met people who didn’t have their own residences and directed officials of the departments concerned to solve their problems and provide them temporary houses until permanent arrangements were made.
Nishank also provided Rs 1 lakh to Suraiya Javed, wife of Salim Javed, to get medical treatment at the Mahant Indresh Hospital, Patelnagar.
Nishank also gave Rs 1 lakh to Vijay Kumar, resident of Doiwala, for treatment of his mother and provided Rs 40,000 as assistance to Puneet Ahuja for his treatment at the Himalayan Hospital, Jolly Grant. Chief Minister Nishank ordered officials to meet people and provide them old-age pension, benefits of the girl-child scheme, etc. He also ordered officials to provide benefits to poor people under the Awas Yojana and immediate aid to families living below the poverty line.




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Yoga Camp held at Pitaria

Nainital: The ‘Prerna Group’ has organised a Yoga Camp at Pitaria, here, which is being attended by a large number of women of the area. Various postures and breathing exercises are being learnt by the women at the camp.
Pushpa Sanwal of the group said that it had organised dozens of yoga camps at many places and the process would continue. Yoga, she asserted, was a panacea. Just by doing Yoga two hours a day, any person could get rid of all diseases. It was the best gift God had given to mankind. She also appealed to the people to spare two hours a day for Yoga to live a healthy life.
Present on the occasion were Kamla Bisht, Anandi Mehta, Deepa Negi, Kanta Bhakuni, Champa Bisht, Manohari Bisht, Tara Joshi, Heera Joshi, Tanija Bisht, Naman Bisht, Suraj Rana and others.



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TS Rawat stresses on better agricultural practices at Uttarakhand Conclave 2010

DEHRADUN: The Bharat Shodh, Ilex Media Solutions and Livelihood & Skill Development Alliance (LiSDA) continued with the Uttarakhand Conclave 2010 at St Joseph’s Academy, here, today.
The conclave focused on identification of the role of stakeholders in vocational training in Uttarakhand. During various discussions, the need was felt for coherence between NGOs and various government departments for skill development and improving livelihood. The conclave was addressed by Krishan Khanna, a successful entrepreneur and a former member of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on vocational education and expert on vocational training using artificial intelligence.
Harish Chotani, expert in micro-finance and micro-enterprises, having worked with various UN Missions, spoke on integrating SHGs with various livelihood initiatives of the government. Sanjay Jadhav, IIT alumnus and expert on job skills, talked strategy to provide employment for thousands of semi-literate youth of Uttarakhand.
On the concluding day, State Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat emphasised the development of aromatic and medicinal plants in Uttarakhand on the lines of Manipur. He advocated cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs to increase the income of farmers of Uttarakhand. He showed concern at the increasing migration of youth from hilly regions to the plains and said that skill development and training in computers would help them provide employment and stop the migration. Rawat added that there was need to promote animal husbandry, mixed farming and maximum utilisation of agricultural land to produce wheat, maize and fruits. He added that horticulture ought to be promoted among farmers to generate additional revenue.




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Rath Yatra organised

DEHRADUN: A Rath Yatra was organised to commemorate the 9th Foundation Day of the Digambar Jain Panchayati Mandir, Majra, here, today. Soon after the Puja and Abhishek of the mandir were completed, the flag hoisting was performed by Chandra Sen Jain and “Lamp Lighting” was done by Ravinder Jain.
Soon after that, the Rath Yatra bagan from the Mandir at Majra to Niranjanpur, Patel Nagar, Telephone Exchange and back to the Mandir.
The three tableaux of the Rath Yatra were the prime attraction.
On the way, “Aarti” was performed many times and the rath was led by members of various religions. Besides the messages from scriptures on the Rath, the 'Airawat' elephant, horses, buggy, etc., were also included. As per the religious beliefs of the Jains, such a yatra has to be organised once a year for the cleansing of the environment and purification all the souls.




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Nepalese President praises Yoga

Haridwar: Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav today said that India and Nepal had much in common and both could contribute a lot to the betterment of the world. He was expressing his views during his tour to Haridwar on the occasion of the Mahakumbh 2010 here.
He also toured Patanjali Yogpeeth, Dudhadhari Barfani Ashram, VIP Ghat and the Ashram of Pilot Baba during his Haridwar journey. Impressed with the setup of Patanjali Yogpeeth here, he observed that Indian and Nepalese cultures and the Yoga could contribute significantly towards a better world. He expressed hope that the relations between India and Nepal would be strengthened further and this would also result in the strengthening of democracy in Nepal.
He observed that Yoga had become a necessity in the modern times and could act as an antidote to remove ill effects of the modern cultures and lifestyles.
Chairman of Uttarkhand Commercial Tax Consultative Committee, Pankaj Sehgal, Commissioner Garhwal Umakant Panwar, DM, R Meenakshi Sundaram, Mela Officer, Anandvardhan, DIG Kumbh Mela, Alok Sharma, SSP, Sanjay Gunjyal welcomed the Nepalese President at the BHEL Helipad here. Yadav was accompanied by Tourism Minister of Nepal, Sharat Singh Bhandari, Indian High Commissioner to Nepal, Rakesh Sood, Nepalese High Commissioner to India, Rukam Singh Rana, daughter of Yadav, Anita Yadav and Protocol Officer Anil Kant Sharma were also present on the occasion.




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Document showing adverse impact of Srinagar Hydel Project released

DEHRADUN: The “Raksha Sutra, Nadi Bachao Andolan, Uttarkashi Team”, today, presented a research document on the adverse impact of the Srinagar Hydro Power project. The report was presented by poet Dr Atul Sharma, HNB Garhwal University Social Study Department Head JP Pachauri and Journalist Prem Pancholi.
They informed media, here, that Uttarakhand was being presented as the Power State. This was however just a political statement, because whereever Hydro Power Projects were under construction for power generation, the livelihood of the people had not only ended, but their homes had also been destroyed. According to research, out of 233 families, 23 families had lost their hundred percent of their lands, 60 families about 60-85% land, and 68 families 50% of their land.
Pachori said that they had visited various areas where these projects were being carried out and some 8000 families around River Alaknanda were affected. The people were promised employment, but that would be only temporary. Eventually, they would not only lose their jobs, but their homes as well. “The people are being deceived in the name of employment. Agricultural land is being encroached upon. The funds that are being released for the projects are not being fully utilised and the government is turning a blind eye towards it. The money is going into the hands of contractors, bribe-takers and politicians,” Pachori asserted.
He further said that the projects were all tunnel based and since these areas were earthquake prone, it was difficult to justify the construction of these dams. There needed to be alternate projects such as the wind powered projects in Gujarat. Even in the Tehri Dam, there were 4 turbines but only one was being used, because there was no water. These projects also needed to be made on a smaller and localised basis so that, at least, the local areas could be made self-sufficient in electricity generation.




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Villagers threaten gherao of CM

Nainital : Ram Singh Kaira, a former District Board member and Congress leader told media persons that he, along with the villagers of Okhalkanda, would gherao the Chief Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, to press the demands for road connectivity, degree college and granting status of Tehsil to Okhalkanda Block during his visit to Haldwani on 22 February.
The Mornaula-Majhera road links Okalkanda with the rest of Kumaon and roads have been constructed from both ends, but due to some forest land which lies in between, the work has been held up. This needed to be expedited in the interest of the public, said Kaira. If the state government had pursued the matter with sincerity, permission from the Union Government, Ministry of Forests and Environment could have been obtained by now, alleged Kaira. The opening of a degree college in the block and granting status of Tehsil to Okhalkanda were the other demands.



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Bhasin criticises Cong for alleging scam in allotment of power projects

Dehradun: Chairman of State Media Advisory Committee, Devendra Bhasin has criticised Congress for alleging scam in allotment of power projects to private firms by BJP Government. In a statement issued here today, Bhasin said that Congress ought to have looked into its own action before opposing the work done by BJP Government in the state’s interest. He claimed that Congress had taken it upon itself to criticise BJP without any rhyme and reason.
Bhasin claimed that allotment of all the 50 odd self identified projects to private firms had been made strictly as per the norms and that there was no scam or irregularity in this respect. About a dozen such projects had been awarded to local people only.



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Cheema takes over as Deputy Chairman, 20 Point Prog Committee

Dehradun: BJP MLA from Kashipur, Harbhajan Singh Cheema today took charge as Deputy Chairman of Twenty Point Programme Implementation Committee here today. Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who was present at the Secretariat on the occasion, congratulated Cheema on the occasion and expressed hope that Cheema would steer Twenty Point Programme works to new direction in the state.
Sources added that Cheema had been granted the status of Cabinet Minister. It would be recalled that the post had the status of a Cabinet Ranked Minister during the Congress rule and Satpal Maharaj had held the post. However, soon after BC Khanduri took over as the Chief Minister, all Lal Batti posts including the constitutional ones were denied the rank equivalent to Cabinet or MoS. Manohar Kant Dhyani was appointed by Khanduri as MoS and Mohan Singh Gaonwasi was appointed as Deputy Chairman of State Planning Commission. Mohan Singh Gaonwasi had refused to take over as he had demanded the rank equivalent to the Cabinet Minister. Consequently, Dhyani was appointed as Deputy Chairman of 20 Point Programme Implementation Committee also.
Cheema, who had been demanding inclusion as Cabinet Minister in the Nishank Government as not only he was second time MLA and the only minority community member in BJP in the state but US Nagar also did not have any representation in the Government. He had all along been a rebel and a staunch supporter of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari. He had refused all other assignments offered to appease him in the past.
Now that Cheema had agreed to accept the post of Deputy Chairman of Twenty Point Programme Implementation Programme, the post has again elevated to the status of Cabinet Minister




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Younger politicians being welcomed by people: Agatha Sangma

DEHRADUN: Agatha K Sangma, Union Minister of State for Rural Development thinks younger people taking up politics and people of country accepting them with open arm, is a good sign for the future politics. According to her, this will result in quality people joining politics.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, on the sideline of her visit to various units of HESCO (Himalayan Environment Studies and Conservation Organisation) here today, Agatha, who became the youngest MP at the age of 27 in 14th Lok Sabha, said “It is a good sign for the country that more younger people are taking up politics and are being accepted by the people. The young MPS can give better direction to the youths of the country”.
She maintained that the young people were more constructive in approach and could do constructive things in their life. According to this MP from Meghalaya, who is also a lawyer by profession, it was a positive sign for the country and the politics, as the young people were able to tap positive things.




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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Unclaimed bag creates panic at ISBT

Dehradun: An unidentified bag was found at ISBT premises here today which caused panic at the ISBT. The Police was informed immediately as soon as the bag was located. The Bomb Disposal Squad was summoned by the Police, which opened the bag. However, fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm as the bag contained vegetables and clothes, probably forgotten by some passenger.
A young man had informed the Police Control Room in respect of the presence of an unclaimed bag lying at ISBT around 5.15 p.m. The bag was lying in front of the Counter Number 11 of the Station.
The Clement Town and Patel Nagar Police Station In-charge reached the spot with force soon. The bomb disposal squad too followed soon. The bag was opened by the squad and it contained vegetables and some clothes. Everyone including the Police officials heaved a sign of relief.



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Sunday, February 14, 2010

GOPIO award to Nishank brings glory to U’khand: Subhash Barthwal

DEHRADUN: Newly appointed Deputy Chairman of State Youth Welfare Council, Subhash Barthwal today claimed that Chief Minister Nishank had made not only India but even Uttarakhand famous all over the world.
Barthwal further claimed that it was a matter of pride for Uttarakhand that Nishank was bestowed with “Mauritius Samman” and “GOPIO International award” by the Mauritius Government for his outstanding work in the fields of art, literature, environmental conservation, politics and international arena.
The Mauritius had also decided to induct some of Nishank’s writings in its school books, which was also a moment of great pride for the people of India and of Uttarakhand.
He added that BJP state government under the able leadership of Nishank has always worked for wellbeing of employees in Uttarakhand. He also praised Nishank Government for immediately implementing the recommendations of 6th Pay Commission across all types of employees ranging from doctors, nurses, teachers to workers of PWD, Nagar Nigam and Jal Nigam, etc. He added that Uttarakhand was the only state in India where maximum benefits of had been given to employees under 6th pay commission.



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Face to face interaction held at Green Field School

Dehradun: A Face to Face workshop was organised on ‘Examination Phobia, Stress Management, Evaluation Process’ in the premises of Green Field School, today. The interaction was conducted with the idea to beat the pressure on students due to impending examinations.
These days the pressure is high for both, the parents and the students in view of the coming annual examinations. The school emphasised on ways to prepare for better performance/ results. The other features of the talk included managing time table, diet, rest/ bed time and play time.
It would be recalled that some steps had been initiated by the Union Ministry of HRD towards reducing burden on young students and ensuring stress free education. The school has been organising orientation workshop since past 4 years for parents to minimise exam phobia and manage their child’s time. Various tips for exam time were also given.
A team of resource persons from various fields was present to answer examination related queries at the workshop.
Various other issues like low attendance and English as an education medium were also discussed. Over demanding and ambitious parents were also discussed and the tendency among the parents to pressurise students to meet their personal desires was also vehemently criticised.
Director Anil Jaggi and Principal Reena Jaggi spoke about dealing with stress management and ways of filling the gap between students and parents.
The school faculty emphasised on the importance of co curricular activities and the need of being pro active in today’s world.



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DIT wins National Debate at SBS

DEHRADUN: DIT lifted Gurucharan Singh Memorial National Debate Competition title organised by Sardar Bhagwan Singh Post Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences and Research, Balawala on Wednesday and Thursday. The speakers spoke in favour and against of subject “Are Multinational Companies playing important role in economical growth of the country”. DIT’s Abhimanyu Barthwal won the first prize in the individual category. SBS Institute’s Anchal Bhadwar and Rahul Dubey of Zakir Husain College, New Delhi, were placed second and third respectively. Jyoti Chhabra of MKP (PG) College was given the consolation prize. The panel of judges included Journalist Yogesh Bhatt, Saroj Uniyal, Jyoti Dhawan and Professor Varsha Parcha. Chief Guest of the occasion, Durg Singh Chauhan, Vice Chancellor, Uttarakhand Technical University and Dr. Gauravdeep Singh, Managing Secretary of SBS Institute, gave away the cash prize and mementoes to the winners.
The programme was coordinated by Dr Ajay Arora.



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Seminar held on Skills & Technology for Emerging India

Dehradun: Technology Services (IETS) the social infrastructure arm of IL&FS, in collaboration with Intel, launched the “Skills and Technologies for Emerging India” in Dehradun today. The seminar was launched by the Chief Guest, Khazan Das (Minister of State for Social Welfare), at a select gathering of the city’s college students, at DAV Inter College Karanpur, wherein a one-day seminar on “Skills and Technologies for Emerging India” was held. The seminar on ‘Skills and Technologies for Emerging India’ covers how India is changing; creates awareness in new job opportunities and growing industries; essential skills required to prepare youth for a better career and, appropriate technologies a student needs to acquire to have a successful career. These seminars are being conducted across 50 cities and will be extended to more towns/ cities in future.
Speaking on the occasion Sandeep Aurora, Director, Sales and Marketing, Intel South Asia said, “It is important that our youth understand what benefits ICT could bring to their career development. With shrinking geographies, it is imperative that the youth today are equipped with relevant skills in ICT to harness the advantages of real time communication. Through these seminars, we hope to reach out and educate India’s youth on how IT skills will help them meet global challenges. ”



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Red Alert sounded in U’khand after Pune blasts

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Government has issued a red alert in the entire state in the wake of the blasts in Pune that had killed several persons and injured large number of persons there.
The Red Alert Notice was issued by the State Home Department. The DMs and SPs/SSPs have been asked to maintain heightened vigil in their district and particularly in crowded places like markets, theatres etc.
Special Red Alert has been directed in Haridwar district in the wake of Mahakumbh that is underway there. The district and the Mela Administrations have been directed to ensure foolproof checking and frisking of the visitors, pilgrims and all concerned at the Kumbh so as to ensure that there was no breach of security or any untoward incident.
The public too has been urged to inform the Police about any suspicious character or object that comes to notice.



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100th birth anniversary of journalist Gopeshwar Kothiyal celebrated

Dehradun: Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said today called upon the masses to come together and work for making Uttarakhand a model state. He also stressed on active participation and collaboration to preserve and promote the culture and traditions of the state. Addressing the gathering on the occasion of 100 th Birth Anniversary of journalist Gopeshwar Kothiyal, he noted tha Kothiyal, the founder of Yugvani weekly. Kothiyal was regarded by many as the man who set the foundation of magazine journalism in India.
Nishank said that Kothiyal had struggled against the British rule and written against the English policies and thereby established standards for good journalism that were relevant even today. He also commended Sanjay Kothiyal, son of the Acharya Gopeshwar Kothiyal for carrying forward the magazine. Talking about Yugvani weekly, Nishank said that the magazine was special because it not only raised issues but also discussed relevant solutions to the problem.
He urged people to talk about societal issues and create an environment for development and progress. Towards this end, CM Nishank asserted that the state government was introducing policies and also implementing these rigorously under a strict time-frame.
Special Guest and Former CM BC Khanduri described Acharya Gopeshwar Kothiyal as a brilliant journalist and shared that he had been an avid reader of the weekly publication since many years. Another speaker during the programme was senior journalist Shekhar Pathak who discussed the history of journalism in Uttarakhand. Pathak also threw light on various other publications and the journey of journalism in the region.



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Thousands of Naga Sadhus take holy dip on first Shahi Snan in Haridwar

HARIDWAR: The much awaited First Shahi Snan of Maha Kumbh commenced peacefully as several thousand Naga Sadhus smeared in ashes, belonging to different Akharas took the Holy dip in Ganga on the auspicious day of “Maha Shivratri” today amidst beating of drums. Naga Sadhus riding the horses were the main attraction of the procession which began from various Akharas passing through the main Bazaar towards the Brahm Kund.
The devotees sought blessings and showered flower petals on Naga Sadhus as the excited Sadhus chanted Bam Bam Bhole and “Har Har Mahadev” all the way. The Naga Sadhus also brandished their glittering swords, flashed their silver maces and displayed various skills adorned by warriers. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati on Mahashivratri.
The Shahi Snan or the Royal bath begins with this day. Shahi Snan - also referred to as the royal entourage of the gods - appeared nothing less than a massive festival when a sea of mendicants (Akhadas) arrived along the banks of the holy river with their musical bands. They showered the Ganga with rose petals and marigolds and sang hymns and bhajans as they were about to enter the water.
Shanti, a devotee from Delhi was ecstatic after witnessing such procession and said that it was like Gods had converged at one place to bless the mortal souls. As the Naga Sadhus reached Brahm Kund, one could see the joy and excitement on their faces.The ghats became vibrant and resounded with ecstatic shouts of ‘Har Hare Gange’, ‘Har Har Mahadev’, as Naga Sadhus stepped into the water.
The Naga Sadhus plunged into Ganga like a long lost children returning in the arms of mother. It also denoted the symbolic dedication of the Sadhus towards the much revered river. Juna Akhara was the first to participate in the Shahi Snan and to undertake the royal bath, followed by Agni Akhara and Aahvan Akharas respectively which started around 11.00 am. Traditionally too, Juna Akhara is the first to enter Ganga on Shahi Snan, informed the officials from Ganga Sabha. Of the 13 Akharas, according to Mela officials, seven participated in today’s Shahi Snan. Large number of devotees from countires like Netherlands, England and Holland etc also were part of the procession and danced all along the way to the ghats. Nimrod from Israel speaking to GP said that the whole experience was humbling and to see the sea of Humanity congregating for one cause was mind boggling.



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Power cuts get longer in Nainital, residents warn of agitation

Nainital: The duration of load shedding by electricity department in Nainital has been extended from two hours to the entire day. The traders and the students are the worst sufferers. The residents are highly irritated by the longer duration of power cut.
For the last one month the timings of load shedding was from 1.00 p.m. 3.00 p.m. which has now been extended to the entire day thus creating a lot of problems for the residents, specially the students preparing for board examinations to be held soon. The chill in the weather has also added to the woes of the city. The traders were much annoyed as they told that the light would not be available from the opening hour till the closure of the shops in the late evening. They also stated that it was for the first that the load shedding was taking such long periods, never before it happened in Nainital, they reminded.
The residents of the city have threatened to lay siege in the electricity office if the old schedule of load shedding (2 Hours) was not restored. If needed the traffic would be block, they warned.



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Judge’s daughter commits suicide

DEHRADUN: Daughter of a judge committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling fan, here today.
According to the Police, Priyanka (23), daughter of Lokayukta Secretary NS Dhanik was found hanging by the fan in the house. She had left a suicide note in which she has expressed her desire to donate her eyes. According to her parents, she was very much under pressure due to her studies. The body has been sent for autopsy, police said.



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BJP Govt not serious towards permission for mining in rivers: Harish Rawat

Ramnagar, 12 Feb: Union Minister of State for Labour, Harish Rawat today alleged that BJP led Uttarakhand Government was not serious towards ensuring permission for mining in the rivers of state from the Centre. Addressing a Press Conference here today, he sought to lay blame on the State government for the denial of the mining permission by the Centre in case of rivers in the state.
The Union government had permitted excavation from Gaula River as a special case. Union government could permit for other rivers, but the state government did not submit essential documents in this respect, he claimed. If state government sent proper documents for excavation permission, union government would consider the request, certainly.
Rawat said that Union government permitted excavation from Gaula Riiver as a special case. The Government could also permit mining in other rivers too, if the state government fulfilled necessary formalities, he claimed. It was the responsibility of state government. He said that Union Government was not responsible for it. It was not a political issue, he said. It was question of employment and livelihood to thousands of persons who were engaged in the excavation from rivers. State government was misguiding the people on this matter, he added.
Rawat also said that his Ministry was very serious towards job oriented education. Ministry was upgrading 2000 ITIs in which 23 would be upgraded in Uttrakhand. 1500 new ITIs, 5000 skill development centers and 10,000 vocational training providers would be opened in the country very soon.



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Kandari visits exhibition by Khadi Gramudyog Commission at Parade Ground

Dehradun; Feb 13: Khadi and Cottage Industries Minister Matbar Singh Kandari today visited the 15-day exhibition organised by Khadi Gramodyog Commission at Parade Ground here. In his address on the occasion, Kandari appreciated the vast range of products displayed from different states. Congratulating the organisers, he said that the vision of incepting Uttarakhand was to provide employment to the youth in the hill areas of the region by developing and promoting rural crafts and local products.
He said that the price for cotton thread and Khadi weaving was low and directed the Khadi Gramodyog Commission to look into the matter and take immediate action. Sharing the strategy and plan of action for the coming time, Kandari said that people involved in Animal Husbandry would be encouraged by way of allowing them to rear and get high quality wool from Australian sheep. He also spoke about preparing a concrete work-plan for the promotion of the locally-found bicchu grass, Rambans and clothes prepared through the threads of bhang. Kandari also shared that trainers would be called from outside the state to help KASHTKAR in increasing their products’ quality and quantity. Prior to his address, Kandari provided information to the masses about the industries and trades being managed by Khadi Gramodyog. He also distributed widow and disabled pensions. Kandari also gave necessary instructions to officers of the drinking water and irrigation departments for solving problems that came forth. He directed the CMO to issue disabled certificates during the public welfare camp that is being organized in Dharmawala by Kandari on the 20th of this month.



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Mahashivratri celebrated with fervour in Nainital

Nainital: The Mahashivratri was celebrated with great religious fervour and devotion.All the temples of the city were thronged with the crowd of devotees of Lord Shiva today on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.Long queues of devotees were seen in the temples awaiting their turn to perform worship.
The Naina Devi, Pashan Devi, Hanuman Garh, Gufa Mahadev and Shani temples were decorated with the flowers and were crowded since the wee hours and the devotees had to stand in the queues for long time.The devotees performed Jalabhishek of the Lingam, using water,curd,honey and milk amid chanting of Bam Bhole and Om Namah Shivay. A 30 member team of Kanwars also reached Nainital with Ganga Jal to offer it to the Lord Shiva.The Bael leaves were also offered to the Lord. Majority of the children, young, old, married, unmarried observed fast to propitiate Lord Shiva.
The Shani Temple at the Thandi Sarak celebrated its anniversay by performing various rituals and holding Akhand Ramayan Path, which would conclude on 13th and Yagna and Bhandara would be organised thereafter.The temple manager Hem Joshi has invited the people to part take the Prasad.



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Torch Rally against use of Polythene taken out in Doon

Dehradun: Devbhoomi Vikas Sansthan today held a torch rally against the use of polythene. The rally was flagged by Agriculture Minister and chief patron of the Sansthan, Trivendra Singh Rawat. The rally which started at Deendayal Upadhyaya Park passed through Paltan Bazar before terminating at Ranger’s College Ground.
Trivendra Singh Rawat noted that it was sad that polythene had become an essential part of everyone’s life during past few decades. This was despite the fact that the dangerous consequences had become well known. The consequences were so horrendous that polythene had resulted into death of thousands of cattle and all the rivers including the divine Ganga were being polluted as a result of indiscriminate use of polythene.
Rawat called upon the Doon residents to make it a habit of using cloth and jute bags so that these industries could be revived and lakhs of workers could get re-employed apart from the environmental benefits that would accrue as a result.



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BJP assures father of murdered youth of justice

Nainital: Liladhar Pant, a resident of Thapla village today met the BJP State General secretary Suresh Joshi and demanded to bring to books the culprits of his son’s murder.
Joshi was told that his son Bhuwan Chandra Pant,a student of Amarpali Institute, Haldwani, had gone missing since 21st January and later his dead body was recovered but there seemed to be no progress in apprehending the assailants by Kaladhungi Police. Pant further told Joshi that he had taken loan from Allahabad Bank to finance the studies of his son. He threatened to immolate himself if the assailants were not nabbed. Joshi assured him to get the matter investigated by CBCID if needed. He had already held talks with the SSP in this regard and the inquiry would now be handed over to other police officers, said Joshi. He also told that the administration would also conduct separate enquiry into the matter.



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Higher Alert declared in the wake of Poona Blast at Haridwar

Haridwar: In the wake of Pune German Bakery blast today, in which the Home ministry officials are pointing fingers towards LET, Kumbh Mela administration has beefed up the security arrangements to extreme levels. According to the Kumbh Mela Officer Anand Vardhan, The security arrangements are already at higher level but after the Pune blast, they have been raised to the highest levels and all precautions are being taken so that no untoward incident occurs.



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State Govt not pursuing construction of Rly Overbridge in Doon”

Dehradun: Northern Railway Users Consultative Committee has blamed the State Government for the delay in the construction of Railway Overbridge proposed to be constructed between Rest Camp and Ritha Mandi.
Addressing a Press Conference here today, member of the Muradabad Circle, Anil Kumar Gupta also blamed the state government for the delay in flyovers in Nageena and Najibabad. He claimed that he raised the issues related to the extension of Railway line between Dehradun and Kalsi, Rishikesh-Doiwala, Rishikesh-Karnaprayag and Rishikesh-Dobra Lake at the meeting of the committee’s meeting.
It was decided that the survey reports in respect of Dehradun-Kalsi and Rishikesh-Karnaprayag routes would be studied soon and the followup would be pursued. A proposal for the extension of railway line on Rishikesh-Doiwala route had been forwarded to the Railway Department.
A proposal for the extension of railway line on the Rishikesh-Dobra Lake would be forwarded to the Centre for consideration. He informed that the proposal for opening of a Computerised Reservation Terminal at Doiwala was under consideration of the Railway Department and hopefully, it would soon be cleared.
Proposals for upgradation of Dehradun, Harrawala and Raiwala Stations were considered positively and had been forwarded to the Department for further action. He also claimed that the works related to Doubling of tracks between Dehradun-Haridwar, and Haridwar –Delhi would soon be completed. Electrification of Railway line between Laksar and Dehradun would also soon be completed.
Gupta added that a proposal had been made for a Superfast train between Dehradun and Bandra (in Mumbai) and was being forwarded to the Centre for approval.



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BJP demands more Railway projects in U’khand

Nainital: With the day of Union Railway Budget approaching soon, State BJP has started applying pressure is for inclusion of sanctioning laying of Railway track on Rishikesh-Karnapryag, Dehradun-Kalsi and Tanakpur –Bageshwar routes. Addressing a Press Conference here today, BJP General Secretary Suresh Chandra Joshi said that his party was also seeking modernisation of Lalkuan, Kashipur, Kathgodam and Haridwar Railway stations. Joshi lashed out at the Union Government for its discriminatory attitude towards Uttarakhand and other BJP ruled states. .He expressed satisfaction over publicising the achievements of the State government among the masses by the BJP workers.
The newly appointed Deputy Chairman of KMVN, Madhwanand Joshi said that more youth would benefit under the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Scheme. To tap the immense possibilities of tourism that Uttarakhand possessed, new tourists spots would be explored to attract tourists and the existing Tourists Rest Houses of KMVN would be added with ultra modern facilities, asserted Madhwanand Joshi.



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SJA wins School Sub Junior Inter school cricket tournament

Dehradun: This year St Jude’s School organized the Sub Junior Inter School Cricket Tournament on behalf of the Dehradun Council Schools’ Association from the 5th of Feb 2010 to 13th Feb 2010. St Joseph’s Academy emerged winner of the tournament that was played by 14 teams from various schools from Dehradun.
Fourteen Schools that participated in this tournament were Guru Nanak Academy, St. Joseph’s Academy, The Aryan School, Carman School-Dalanwala, Raja Rammohan Roy Academy, Summer Valley School, The Doon Dhruv Public School, Shivalik International School, The Heritage School, Hilton’s School, The Indian Public School, St Thomas’ College, Ann Mary School and St. Jude’s School.
These teams were divided into Pool A and Pool B. All Pool A matches were played at St Jude’s School’s ground and the Pool B matches were played at Raja Rammohan Roy Academy’s ground. Guru Nanak Academy from Pool A and St. Joseph’s Academy from Pool B reached the finals. The Final Match was played today at St. Jude’s School.
A short entertaining programme was also performed by the students of St Jude’s School in between the innings. The toss was won by St. Joseph’s Academy and they elected to bat. They reached a total score of 107 runs with Madhav being the top scorer with an individual score of 46 runs. Abhishek, Gaurav and Yogesh claimed two wickets each for GNA. GNA could not match the batting performance of SJA and was all out for a paltry score of 72 runs. Only Nazil with an individual score of 26 runs could offer some resistance and stay on the wicket. Garvit was the highest wicket taker for SJA, claiming 3 wickets.
The Sub Junior Inter School Cricket Trophy was won by: St. Joseph’s Academy

Several schoolgirls fall unconscious at GIC Patkot

Ramnagar: More than two dozen schoolgirls suffered sudden unconsciousness at the Government Inter College, Patkot over a period of last four days. These girls are going to unconscious condition in mysterious condition. So far, neither teachers nor guardians have been able to understand the problem.
There were more than two dozens school girls fell unconscious under mysterious circumstances during the school time at GIC Patkot about 25 kilometer away from Ramnagar.
According to the eye-witnesses, these girls shouted and then suddenly fell unconscious, while attending classes at the school. But after some time, these students recovered without any treatment. This kind or strange incidents have continued for last 4 days. School children and their parents were very afraid due to this strange spree of incidents.
People assumed that it could be a case of ‘Bhoot Badha’ at the school. So, villagers held ‘Jagar’ in school, today, to identify and remove any ‘Bhoot Badha’.
School teachers were also confused and witless on this matter. They said that the cause of this incident was not clear, but it had continued from last four days. Such type of incident also occurred in last 5-6 years. A villager VC Pandey claimed that it was some super natural power, which was disturbing the school girls. They were organising ‘Jagar’ to identify and remove this super natural power.



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Drivers will be penalized for driving in slippers during Yatra season: Nautiyal

Haridwar: The drivers would be penalised if found driving in slippers during forthcoming Char Dham Yatra season this year. This was stated by Deputy Chairman of Char Dham Vikas Parishad, Surat Ram Nautiyal during his visit to the media centre in Haridwar. Outlining the preparations for Chardham, Nautiyal said that the Gates of the Gangotri and Yamnotri temple would reopen on 16 May, Kedarnath on 18 May and Badrinath on 19th May.
He added that the Government’s preparation for the Yatra had begun in earnest. He also commended the efforts of Mela Administration in successfully conducting the first Shahi Snan. He noted that it could happen due to the efforts of efficient officials and on the account of the personal interest taken in this regard and the direction given by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.
He also said that Government was working on the theme of ‘Athiti Devo Bhava’ and was providing training to the youth From Nehru Institute of Mountaineering ( NIM) so that their attitude towards the tourists was amicable and friendly which would go in tune with the beautiful natural surroundings of Uttarakhand.
He also said that BRO AND NHA had been directed by the government to complete the construction of roads till March and first week of April so that more tourists could avail the Darshan at the temples and generate employment and revenue in the state. Nautiyal further all essential services like electricity, water and roads were the main focus of the government. He also said that High-Tech toilets would also be constructed all along the Yatra route for the devotees during Yatra season. He also asserted that Police had been directed to penalise the drivers who drove after consuming liquor and wearing chappals. Playing Tapes would also be not allowed during Yatra season. He also said that that main focus of the Govt would be to conduct accident free, safe and secure Yatra for the devotees from around the world.



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Man kills neighbour

DEHRADUN: A man was killed by his neighbour at DL Road here today. Police has arrested the accused.
According to the sources, Dharmveer, resident of DL Road, had some altercation with his sister-in-law. His neighbour Navprabhat, meanwhile, came to settle the matter. His effort culminated into quarrel with Dharmveer. He suddenly hit Dharmveer with an iron rod on his head immediately killing him on the spot. Police reached the spot and arrested Navprabhat.



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Mussoorie receives first snow of season

MUSSOORIE: Nature bestowed the best gift possible on the hill town as it was engulfed with white snow, changing the landscape to the delight of the tourists and residents alike. The long wait for snowfall this season came to an end as the temperature dipped last night. The residents and tourists woke up to the delightful scene of snowflakes falling from the clouded sky. The snow began falling at around 8 a.m. and continued for a few hours.
Snowfall had eluded the residents of Mussoorie till now, but they were duly obliged just before the festival of Makar Sankranti. As the news of the snowfall spread like wildfire, tourists from as far away as Delhi flocked to the hill station to witness this marvel of nature. According to police officials, early in the day, one thousand tourists on motor cycles had registered their presence in the town, along with a large number of those who drove in on 4 wheels. Every nook and cranny of the town was covered with white snow. The police had a harrowing time controlling the sudden rush, as traffic jams were the order of the day. The Uttarakhand Police Patrol vehicles were also called in to assist the traffic police.
Delighted tourists, mesmerised by the sight of the white mountains, enjoyed themselves by throwing snowballs at each other. Ranjeet Singh, a tourist from Ludhiana, said that this was the first occasion for him to witness the snow falling from the sky. “It seemed like cotton flakes were falling from heaven,” added Shanti Sharma from Dehradun.
The students of premier institutions were also seen enjoying the snow on the Mall Road. Although the snow began melting after a few hours, the tourists were still arriving in Mussoorie in large numbers.



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Bus overturns on Mussoorie- Dehradun Road

MUSSOORIE: 14 tourists from Delhi had a miraculously escape as the Private Bus overturned when they were heading towards Mussoorie near Gajji Bend. According to the conductor of the Bus No DL-IP C- 7700, Ram Prasad The accident happened when the driver was trying to avoid a cow which came right in front of the Bus and in the process of saving the cow the bus toppled at the mountain side leading to minor injuries. Police and 108 EMRI service rush to the spot. The injured were let off after the first Aid service.



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Immense prospect of inter-state tourism between Kerala, Uttarakhand: Varghese

MUSSOORIE: The holiday planner from Kerala, Varghese K Joy feels that there is immense potential of inter-state tourism between Kerala and Uttarakhand. On a two day visit to Mussoorie, in search of tourism prospects between Kerala and Uttarakhand, he noted that there was ample scope of developing the inter-state tourism between the two states as emphasis of both the govt was on tourism.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Varghese informed that he was visiting various sites to develope a package from Kerala to Uttarakhand and vise versa. If the two states collaborated, they could emerge as major players in tourism. He was fascinated by the snow in the mountains and the snow clad peak in Himalayas. Speaking
Exclusively to GP he said that Kerala did have varied landscape to cater to all needs including mountains, but snow in Uttarakhand could be a major attraction to the tourists from his state, where it was not visible to the tourists. He also said that similarly, Back waters of Kerala would enchant the Tourists from North and the government was also promoting it in a big way. Varghese also said that Uttarakhand Govt ought to plan a road show in Kerala and the Kerala Government in Uttarakhand. It would also increase the awareness which could lead to increase in tourism for both the states. He also said that Kerala was also promoting the religious tourism in big way and if both the governments could sit down and work on plan then religious destination in both the states could be converted into a separate package. He was also pleased that a direct train from Dehradun to Kerala had started running which would also lead to increase in tourist traffic thus benefiting both the states.



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Kapoor pays tribute to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya

DEHRADUN: Speaker Harbans Kapoor paid tribute to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya on his death anniversary here today. Addressing the gathering after offering floral tribute at the bust of Upadhyaya, Kapoor said that Upadhyaya was a true patriot and worked a lot towards the wellbeing of people. Kapoor added that Upadhyaya had dreamt of providing work to every single person and water to every agricultural field and it was for today’s lawmakers to work hard to make his dreams a reality.
Kapoor emphasised that all had to work together and hard hard to make Uttarakhand an ideal state.
The award was jointly sponsored by NRI intsitute and GOPIO.This award was conferred on the CM besides the highest award of GOPIO International. Praising Nishank, the PM told the gathering that he was indeed proud to bestow such an honour to the visiting guest for his extraordinary achievements. It may be noted that this is the highest honour given to any leader by Global Organisational of People of Indian Origin. The PM also launched the French version “Experences Et Verites” of the Nishank’s book entitled ‘Khade Huye Prashna’. The PM told the audience that he personally read the book and found it very interesting. It is a true reflection of the hardship faced by Hill Folks in the Himalayas, he added.
Before this function, the Chief Minister visited Le Morne Brabant where he was accompanied by the Minister of Education, Culture and Human Resources of Mauritius,. V. Bunwaree. The CM paid his respects at Apraavasi Ghat where he was joined by leading digniataries including the High Commissioner of India in Mauritius and High Commissioner of Mauritius in India. The Chief Minister thanked GOPIO International for awarding him such an honour and hoped that Uttarrankhand would contribute a lot towards strengthening Indo-Mauritian ties. The PM of Mauritius thanked Nishank for his short but a very successful trip. The PM congratulated the CM that his book would be taught in the Universities all over the world. The CM also met local writers of Mauritius and discussed with them different ways that his state and Mauritius can get involved to promote art and culture.



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Nishank conferred with Mauritius SAMMAN by Raamgoolam

Dehradun: Prime Minister of Mauritius, Naveen Raamgoolam conferred Mauritius SAMMAN on Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for his literary, social, political, and international contribution in a function held here today.



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Airtel launches India's first Mobile Application Store

Dehradun: One of the leading integrated telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel has launched India's first mobile applications store, Airtel App Central. Now, Airtel mobile customers can transform their basic phone into a Smart Phone by accessing over 1250 Apps across 25 categories for their business, games, books, social networking and other needs. Offering an easy single click purchase with no credit card required, the cost is automatically added to the customer's mobile bill or deducted from the available talk-time. Starting as low as Rs. 5, Airtel App Central will offer local and regional Apps for customers across the length and breadth of the country.
Announcing the launch, Atul Bindal, President - Mobile Services, Bharti Airtel, said, "As the undisputed leader in the Indian telecom industry, we are committed to constantly delighting our customers and offering innovations to enrich their experience. With the Airtel App Central - India's first mobile app store- we are offering a one-stop shop open 24x7 to meet all our customer's personal device needs. We are empowering our mobile customers to transform their phones into smart devices - with the click of a single button."
The Airtel App Central has over 1250 apps available for download across 550+ devices categorized under 25 customer categories - both free and paid applications. Customers can choose from India Specific Apps - religion and devotional Apps such as Ayyappa the God to Bhakti ki Shakti where our customers can express their devotion to Maa Durga to Qibla which allows our customers to calculate the direction from anywhere on the globe to the holy city of Mecca. To experience the Airtel App Central, Airtel mobile customers can visit Airtel Live on their mobile phone and browse into App Central or SMS app to 54321 (toll free) to receive the URL.



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