Dehradun Diary

Express News Service

100-feet high flag at last border village GunjiFor the people from Uttarakhand serving in the armed forces this is a decades-old tradition. ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign now holds a greater significance with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s announcement of hoisting a tricolour on a 100-feet high flag pole at Gunji village which is triangularly situated in Pithoragarh district which borders China and Nepal. Gunji village is at an altitude of 14,500 feet above sea level, is also a health check point for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims. Apart from CM’s appeal to hoist tricolour on each of the 20 lakh houses in the state, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav will be celebrated with much zeal.

Modi effect: IAS officer switches to bicycleHighly inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launching of “lifestyle for the environment movement”, a senior IAS officer has bade goodbye to the official luxury car and switched to a bicycle. A 2004-batch IAS officer, BVRC Purshottam (in pic) was so turned up after listening to the PM on June 5 that he began commuting from his official residence to office on a bicycle. “It really helped me in cultivating a mindset for fitness,” said Purshottam, who has served as commissioner, Garhwal and DM, Dehradun. He also cited an example of Netherlands, where government gets back eight Euros on every one Euro spent on the development of cycling tracks.

Panchayat buildings to be redone traditionallyUttarakhand state government has chalked out a plan to built and renovate panchayat buildings according to traditional architecture of the Sikkim hills. Satpal Maharaj, state’s panchayati raj and culture minister said that the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has already approved `135 crore for the state under the Central scheme Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). Satpal said, “By this concept, the cultural heritage and traditions of devbhoomi will be restored, which will attract more tourists to the state.” The funds from Centre will be used for training and fulfilment of sustainable development of gram panchayats.

narendra sethiOur correspondent in [email protected]

100-feet high flag at last border village Gunji
For the people from Uttarakhand serving in the armed forces this is a decades-old tradition. ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign now holds a greater significance with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s announcement of hoisting a tricolour on a 100-feet high flag pole at Gunji village which is triangularly situated in Pithoragarh district which borders China and Nepal. Gunji village is at an altitude of 14,500 feet above sea level, is also a health check point for Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims. Apart from CM’s appeal to hoist tricolour on each of the 20 lakh houses in the state, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav will be celebrated with much zeal.

Modi effect: IAS officer switches to bicycle
Highly inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launching of “lifestyle for the environment movement”, a senior IAS officer has bade goodbye to the official luxury car and switched to a bicycle. A 2004-batch IAS officer, BVRC Purshottam (in pic) was so turned up after listening to the PM on June 5 that he began commuting from his official residence to office on a bicycle. “It really helped me in cultivating a mindset for fitness,” said Purshottam, who has served as commissioner, Garhwal and DM, Dehradun. He also cited an example of Netherlands, where government gets back eight Euros on every one Euro spent on the development of cycling tracks.

Panchayat buildings to be redone traditionally
Uttarakhand state government has chalked out a plan to built and renovate panchayat buildings according to traditional architecture of the Sikkim hills. Satpal Maharaj, state’s panchayati raj and culture minister said that the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has already approved `135 crore for the state under the Central scheme Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). Satpal said, “By this concept, the cultural heritage and traditions of devbhoomi will be restored, which will attract more tourists to the state.” The funds from Centre will be used for training and fulfilment of sustainable development of gram panchayats.

narendra sethi
Our correspondent in Uttarakhand
[email protected]