Uttarakhand

Joshimath: Heaters provided to relief camps, 38 more families evacuated

With icy winds sweeping Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, the administration on Saturday provided electric heaters to temporary relief centres in subsidence-hit Joshimath even as 38 more families were evacuated from the affected areas, officials said. The government also made arrangements for bonfires at 10 places, they said. A total of 223 families have been evacuated so far to safety, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha said. The demolition of hotel Malari Inn went on amid stepped up efforts to distribute the amount of Rs 1.50 lakh to each affected family as interim relief. An amount of Rs 1.87 crore has been distributed as interim assistance among the 125 affected families so far, Sinha said, adding that the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) has also been allowed to assist in building prefabricated houses for the affected people who own land in safe zones. The number of rooms at relief camps has been increased to 615 which can accommodate about 2,190 people, the

Uttarakhand Tourism to provide on-call registration on Chardham Yatra route

In view of the upcoming Chardham Yatra, an on-call registration to assist pre-booked hotel guests on the Chardham Yatra route will be provided to the devotees, said an official release on Saturday

Best possible compensation being given to affected ones in Joshimath: Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday said the compensation being given to the affected people in subsidence-hit Joshimath is the best one possible and they should avail it as soon as possible. "We have decided the best compensation for the affected people in Joshimath. Those who can avail the compensation should do so soon," Dhami said. He said this while meeting the affected people in Joshimath. For people who do not have their own piece of land, prefabricated houses have been built, the chief minister said. He also undertook a spot inspection of the prefabricated houses being constructed on the Auli road. Giving an update on relief operations underway at Joshimath, Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana said 167 families have been kept in relief camps and compensation worth Rs 10.46 crore have been distributed among affected land owners. Dhami was in Joshimath on Saturday to flag off the two-day Auli marathon to send the message of a safe Joshimath a

Uniform Civil Code: No uniformity in legal voices over states' power

While some argue that the Parliament is entrusted with enacting UCC, others point to states having the power to legislate on personal laws

Entry of e-rickshaws in zero zone cause chaos in Rishikesh for 2nd day

An influx of tourists and e-rickshaws plying in the zero zone here led to a massive traffic jam here for the second consecutive day on Saturday, causing inconvenience to people. No vehicles are allowed in the nearly one-kilometre-long zero zone which stretches from the municipality building to the Chandrabhaga bridge. The town witnessed similar scenes on Friday as the long weekend began but the situation is worse today, said a shopkeeper in the Lakshman Jhoola area. The entry of e-rickshaws in the zero zone was prohibited after a meeting of the administration and transport department on Thursday. However, as droves of tourists arrived here, around 1,500 e-rickshaws entered the zero zone on Saturday, causing a traffic jam from Rishikesh to Shivpuri. The impact was also seen in Neelkanth and Lakshman Jhoola areas with vehicles moving at a snail's pace. Superintendent of Police, Dehradun (Rural), Kamlesh Upadhyay said the ban on the entry of e-rickshaws in the zero zone will be stri

Uttarakhand CM inaugurates 'Health ATM' to facilitate health tests at home

The Uttarakhand government informed in a statement that Yes Bank has installed one health ATM each in Sachivalaya Dispensary, Vidhan Sabha Dispensary and Tanakpur Hospital

Joshimath crisis: Activists threaten to block traffic on route to Badrinath

The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, a group of local activists who first raised the land subsidence issue in the hill town, on Wednesday threatened to block traffic on the route to Badrinath if their demands are not met by April 27. The Himalayan temple is scheduled to reopen for devotees after the winter break on April 27. The Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti's (JBSS) demands include scrapping of the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and the Helang-Marwadi bypass project. In a letter to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, JBSS convener Atul Sati also demanded that the affected people should get adequate compensation and be rehabilitated properly. If all this is not done by April 27, people will be forced to hit the streets in protest, Sati said in the letter. He also said his organisation had urged the state government to constitute a high level committee consisting of local and JBSS representatives to deal with the crisis but the demand went unheeded compounding people'

Uttarakhand's Kedarnath Dham to open for all devotees on April 25

"Devotees will also be able to reach Kedarnath Dham by helicopter, in addition to walking," the officials on Kedarnath Dham

Apple farmers from hill states unite to protest Centre's farming policies

The protesting farmers submitted a 9-point memorandum with demands including the withdrawal of eviction orders issued to farmers in Jammu and Kashmir

Uttarakhand FinMin welcomes proposal of developing Rishikesh corridor

Uttarakhand finance minister Prem Chand Aggarwal on Tuesday said he welcomes the idea of the state government of developing the Rishikesh corridor on the lines of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday informed him that the state government is working on Haridwar's Har-ki-Pairi and building the Rishikesh corridor, on the lines of Kashi-Vishwanath and Ujjain Mahakal corridors, under its new tourism policy. "The proposed Rishikesh corridor will add a new dimension to the popular pilgrimage destination from the religious tourism point of view," Aggarwal said. The corridor will help decongest traffic from the town, make commuting easy for tourists besides creating more employment opportunities for locals, said Aggarwal, former speaker of the Uttarakhand Assembly. People of the town and pilgrimage priests are eagerly waiting for the proposed project to become a reality, he said and thanked both PM Modi an

Govt's priority is to maintain balance between economy & ecology: CM Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday underlined his government's priority to maintain a balance between economy and ecology in the hill state and asserted that all development projects are being implemented keeping in mind environmental concerns. Speaking to reporters after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhami said all arrangements for the 'Char Dham' yatra have been made and more than eight lakh people have registered for the pilgrimage. Concerns about safeguarding the state's ecology have been raised following the land subsidence in Joshimath that had prompted authorities to relocate many families. Besides discussing a number of the state's development projects with the prime minister, Dhami invited him for the yatra and to Adi Kailash, a sacred Hindu site, as well, he said. The meeting lasted for nearly an hour during which he sought Modi's "guidance" on a number of issues. A statement later said the chief minister informed Modi that Rs 2,942.99 crore

Uttarakhand CM Dhami to meet PM Modi today, will invite him for visit

Along with holding discussions on plans for the state's development, the CM will also invite Prime Modi to visit Uttarakhand when the gates of the Chardham are opened later this month

19 passengers injured as Uttarakhand Roadways bus falls into gorge

Nineteen passengers were injured on Sunday when an Uttarakhand Roadways bus fell into a gorge while travelling from Mussoorie to Dehradun, police said. According to police, the accident occurred near the ITBP camp. The injured were pulled out of the 70-metre deep gorge and rushed to a hospital where the condition of three is said to be serious. The accident took place apparently after the brakes of the bus failed, police said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief at the accident and asked officials to make all arrangements for the treatment of the injured.

Joshimath land subsidence: Affected families can stay in hotels till Apr 30

The Uttarakhand government on Sunday said that the families rendered homeless after incidents of land subsidence in Joshimath will not be asked to vacate from hotels or temporary camps until April 30

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to meet PM Modi on April 3 in Delhi

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 3

Mansukh Mandaviya lays foundation stone of 500 bedded hospital in Dehradun

"The Government of Uttarakhand is speeding up the work in the health sector, where a total of 14 critical care blocks are being constructed, 7 under the PM-ABHIM scheme and 7 under ECRP-II," he said

Congress in U'khand plans month-long protests against 'murder of democracy'

Uttarakhand Congress has readied a nearly month-long plan starting April to protest against the ongoing "murder of democracy" and a "conspiracy" to wipe out the opposition by framing its leaders who speak against the BJP-led government, a party member said on Saturday. Describing Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as an MP and the eviction notice to him to vacate his official bungalow as part of the alleged conspiracy, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Karan Mahara said a protest in different modes will be carried out in the state throughout the month of April against the "murder of democracy". The protests will include a postcard campaign, lodging written complaints at police stations across Uttarakhand against senior BJP leaders who have used unparliamentary words against Congress leaders in the past and holding political rallies across the state, he said at a press conference. Written complaints will be lodged against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who had compared Sonia ..

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Hotel owners ask Joshimath disaster-hit people to vacate rooms by March 31

There are 694 members of 181 families staying in various hotels, dharamshalas in Joshimath Municipality area

Centre approves Rs 318 cr for Tanakpur-Pithoragarh all-weather road

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has allocated Rs 318 crore for the construction of 150-km-long Tanakpur-Pithoragarh all-weather road. NHAI Executive Engineer Sunil Kumar said the approval has been given for the construction of the road on NH-9 which will be done in four phases. "We will first repair 49 landslide-prone spots on the strategically important road so that landslides can be prevented from happening and the road can stay open even during the monsoon," Kumar said. He said the proposal has been finalised on the basis of a report prepared by expert agency THDL, which has been appointed the supervisor for the project by the ministry. The central government had in 2016 approved the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch, which is part of the bigger road project traversing the 'Char Dham' pilgrim spots being built at the cost of Rs 12,000 crore.