Page 4 - Uttarakhand

Anyone found cheating in exams will be given life imprisonment: CM Dhami

Taking a strong stand against the alleged recruitment scams and paper leak cases, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that those who will cheat in examinations will be given life imprisonment

Joshimath sinking: Mental health issues add to trauma of displaced

Insomnia, anxiety, depression and crippling uncertainty about the future. As days pass into weeks and the cracks in their town widen and deepen, hundreds of people displaced by land subsidence in Joshimath and forced into relief camps are battling a range of mental health problems, say residents and experts. With no end in sight to the crisis, hundreds of others in Uttarakhand's fragile mountain town still lucky enough to be at home are frantic with worry about when not if they too will have to move into government-run shelters, hotels or just leave town. The land subsidence event last month has had an impact on everyone. The major symptoms among affected people are insomnia and anxiety," Dr Jyotsana Naithwal, a psychiatrist from AIIMS Rishikesh deployed at the community health centre (CHC) in Joshimath, told PTI in a phone interview. She is part of the team of three trained psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist deployed in the town of over 20,000 people to help people battl

Waste management infra inadequate on pilgrim tracks of Uttarakhand: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has said there was "serious failure" on the part of the Uttarakhand administration in waste management across the pilgrimage tracks of Kedarnath, Hemkund Sahib, Yamunotri and Gomukh. The tribunal was hearing a petition claiming large-scale unregulated violation of environmental norms along the four pilgrim tracks. Noting that a committee constituted earlier by the NGT had submitted a factual report after undertaking site visits, a bench comprising Chairperson Justice A K Goel said the report acknowledged that "infrastructure for waste management is inadequate". "Equine excrement, solid garbage, and plastic waste were observed on and around the tracks and in the valley and soak pit toilets were overflowing with waste or the toilets were not working," the bench, also comprising judicial members Justice Sudhir Agarwal and Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, along with expert member Afroz Ahmad, noted. It said that according to the report, during peak hours, there was

Govt to bring anti-copying law soon; youths shouldn't be misled: CM Dhami

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday appealed to the youth not to let themselves be misled by anyone saying efforts are on to ensure that recruitment examinations are held in the state in a transparent way. "We are soon going to bring the strictest anti-coyping law in the country. It will be ensured that use of unfair means in recruitment examinations stops completely and they are held in a transparent manner. We will see to it that no injustice is done to the youth," Dhami said. Unemployed youths had staged a dharna and demonstration here on Wednesday demanding a CBI probe into irregularities in different recruitment examinations held by the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission. "Our government is making decisions in favour of the youth. We have granted reservation to our sisters and daughters in government jobs. Everyone's interest will be protected. My request to the youth is that they should not allow themselves to be misled by anyone," he said. The state

Future of youth in Uttarakhand secure in hands of CM Dhami, claims BJP

The ruling BJP on Thursday asked the youth of the state here not to worry about their future, saying it is secure in the hands of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who is taking steps to root out corruption. "The youth have no reason to worry about their future. It is safe in the hands of the Chief Minister who has sought to know the status of vacancies in different government departments. Thousands of recruitment opportunities await the youth," state BJP media in-charge Manveer Chauhan said. "The Congress had grown a tree of corruption. The chief minister is trying to root it out. The youth should have patience and wait for the announcement of bumper vacancies by different government departments," he said. The party asked them to focus on their studies and prepare themselves for the competitive examinations to build their future instead of resorting to agitations under the influence of anyone. Unemployed youths staged a 'dharna' here on Wednesday demanding a CBI probe into ...

Budget's provisions for development of clean energy to benefit U'khand: CM

He said that the budget, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been prepared with the concept of overall development of the country

Uncertainty in Joshimath as residents await permanent rehabilitation

It has been more than a month since Bharti Devi left her home which was damaged due to cracks after the soil began sinking in Joshimath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. Now the septuagenarian spends half her day near her now-abandoned home which she misses regularly and other half at the sub-divisional office, hoping to receive some positive news about their permanent rehabilitation. Bharti Devi is currently living in a temporary relief camp at an abandoned army barrack. She was among the first families of Joshimath whose houses became uninhabitable after the land-subsidence situation began aggravating. "The land beneath our home began to sink on January 2 and by the very next day our house had become uninhabitable. All this happened suddenly," she said. "We and nearly half a dozen neighbouring families picked up whatever we could from our homes and took refuge in a nearby school which was closed at that time. But now it has been opened and we have been ousted from there as well

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami flags off relief material to Joshimath

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday flagged off relief materials to Joshimath from Uttrakhand Sadan in Delhi on Sunday

Reliance Jio launches its 'True 5G' services in Uttarakhand's Haridwar

Reliance Jio on Saturday said it has launched its True 5G services in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. With this, the telecom company has extended its True 5G network to 226 cities in the country. Haridwar is the second city in the state after Dehradun to get Jio True 5G services, a Reliance Jio press release said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "It is a matter of great pleasure that the 5G services by Jio network, which started from Dehradun in Uttarakhand, has been extended to Haridwar". With the beginning of this service, not only the people of Haridwar but also the pilgrims visiting the holy city from the country and abroad, including the pilgrims coming on Char Dham yatra in the near future will benefit, he said.

Uttarakhand govt to make new arrangements to facilitate 'Char Dham Yatra'

"This year a new system will also be implemented for devotees. This will include separate arrangements from registration to darshan in all four Dhams"

Uttarakhand will be drug-free by year 2025: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

Dhami on Thursday inaugurated de-addiction workshop 'Mission Drugs Free Devbhoomi' organised in the district jail of Dehradun

296 families from subsidence-hit Joshimath shifted to safer places: Govt

The Uttarakhand government has shifted 995 members of 296 families from subsidence-hit Joshimath to safer places, Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh told Rajya Sabha on Thursday. In written replies to three different questions in the Upper House, Singh said cracks have been observed in 863 buildings in Joshimath due to recent land subsidence and many structures have been reported to have moderate and major damages. He said after the incidents of land subsidence, all construction activities have been stayed by the Uttarakhand government in the entire Joshimath area, including Tapovan-Vishnugad power project and Helong Marwari By-Pass Road. As of January 30, a total of 235 affected families have been distributed Rs 3.50 crores as relief assistance, he said. Singh said the Uttarakhand government has issued orders for payment of Rs 1,00,000 as an advance for rehabilitation, and Rs 50,000 as displacement allowance to each affected family and for this purpose, Rs 45 crores have been

Each artist on R-Day parade's UK tableau to be awarded Rs 50,000: CM Dhami

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has announced a reward money of Rs 50,000 each to the artists of Uttarakhand tableau which was awarded the top prize at this year's Republic Day parade

Chamoli DM submits settlement plan for displaced people of Joshimath

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana has suggested three options for the settlement of the displaced people in land subsidence-hit Joshimath, officials said. Khurana, who heads a committee working on a settlement plan for Joshimath, submitted his recommendations to a high-powered panel chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan here. The first option offers one time settlement by providing financial assistance to the affected land/building owners, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said at a press conference here on Monday. They will be paid compensation as one time settlement for their damaged land or buildings as per the prescribed norms, he said. However, before they are paid fully, the land/building of the affected person will have to be registered in favour of the state government, he said. Under the second option, land up to a maximum area of 100 square metres will be provided to the affected land/building owners for house construction and ...

Uttarakhand: Chamoli DM Khurana submits settlement plan for Joshimath

Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana on Monday suggested three options for the settlement of the displaced people in land subsidence-hit Joshimath, officials said. Khurana who heads a committee working on a settlement plan for Joshimath submitted his recommendations to a high powered panel chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan here. The first option offers one time settlement by providing financial assistance to the affected land/building owners, Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha said at a press conference here. They will be paid compensation as one time settlement for their damaged land or buildings as per the prescribed norms, he said. However, before they are paid fully, the land/building of the affected person will have to be registered in favour of the state government, he said. Under the second option, land up to a maximum area of 100 square metres will be provided to the affected land/building owners for house construction and a compensa

R-Day: Punjab Regiment best marching contingent; Uttarakhand's tableau best

Punjab Regiment was adjudged as the best marching contingent, and Uttarakhand bagged the top prize for best tableau

Uttarakhand govt to construct 50,000 poly houses in state: CM Dhami

Dhami was inspecting the vegetables grown in the poly house in his official residence on Sunday when he stated about the government's plan to build poly houses for farmers

EoIs for ports: Experts sound Joshimath alarm for Great Nicobar Island

Both Joshimath and the Great Nicobar come under the high-risk seismic zone V category

Joshimath subsidence: Declare Himalayas eco-sensitive zone, demand experts

Unplanned and uncontrolled construction in the name of development in Uttarakhand has brought Joshimath on the brink of sinking, experts said here, demanding that the Himalayas be declared an eco-sensitive zone. In a resolution passed at a roundtable organised by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) on Saturday, experts termed as "inadequate" the steps taken to deal with the prevailing situation in subsidence-hit Joshimath. They also asked the government to consider taking long-term measures to address the problem, saying a similar situation may arise in Nainital, Mussoorie and other areas of Garhwal as well if the "so-called development driven by human greed" is not checked in the hill state. "Declare Himalayas as an eco-sensitive zone. Regulate big projects causing devastation," the resolution said. While the width of the road under the Char Dham road widening project must be regulated to intermediate standard to minimize the damage to the terrain, the Char Dham railways project shoul

Will always fight for women empowerment: CM Dhami on 30% reservation bill

Earlier in Nov, the SC, in an interim order, stayed the Uttarakhand HC order which had put on hold the government's decision to provide 30% reservation to women domiciled in State civil services