News Analysis India

Tag: Satpal Maharaj

  • Uttarakhand minister questions norms for recruitment of ‘Agniveers’ into armed forces

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj has questioned the norms being followed for the recruitment of “Agniveers” into the armed forces in the hill state.

    “The height requirement for the hill people in Army recruitment rallies was reduced during the time of (former Chief of Defence Staff) General Bipin Rawat to 163 centimetres. But the colonel looking after the recruitment process for Agniveers in Kotdwar is still following the 170-centimetre criterion,” Maharaj said in a video statement.

    He said he has spoken to the Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt about it and asked him to ensure that the recruitment of Agniveers is done strictly in accordance with the norms.

    “As people in the hills are usually not very tall, a relaxation in the height requirement was given to the Army aspirants in Uttarakhand during the time of late General Bipin Rawat. However, it has been brought to my notice that the norm set by General Rawat is not being followed in the recruitment rally for Agniveers currently underway in Kotdwar,” Maharaj said.

    He added that he has urged Bhatt to look into the matter and ensure that the norms are followed.

    The recruitment of Agniveers began in Kotdwar on August 19 and will go on till August 31.

    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj has questioned the norms being followed for the recruitment of “Agniveers” into the armed forces in the hill state.

    “The height requirement for the hill people in Army recruitment rallies was reduced during the time of (former Chief of Defence Staff) General Bipin Rawat to 163 centimetres. But the colonel looking after the recruitment process for Agniveers in Kotdwar is still following the 170-centimetre criterion,” Maharaj said in a video statement.

    He said he has spoken to the Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt about it and asked him to ensure that the recruitment of Agniveers is done strictly in accordance with the norms.

    “As people in the hills are usually not very tall, a relaxation in the height requirement was given to the Army aspirants in Uttarakhand during the time of late General Bipin Rawat. However, it has been brought to my notice that the norm set by General Rawat is not being followed in the recruitment rally for Agniveers currently underway in Kotdwar,” Maharaj said.

    He added that he has urged Bhatt to look into the matter and ensure that the norms are followed.

    The recruitment of Agniveers began in Kotdwar on August 19 and will go on till August 31.

  • Uttarakhand CM Tirath Rawat distributes portfolios among his ministers

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Tuesday distributed portfolios among his cabinet colleagues while keeping 14 departments, including Finance and Home, with himself.

    Satpal Maharaj, Harak Singh Rawat, Yashpal Arya, Arvind Pandey and Subodh Uniyal have retained their departments.

    The chief minister has kept 14 departments, including Finance, Home, Revenue, Excise, Health, Civil Aviation and Public Works, with himself.

    Banshidhar Bhagat has been given important portfolios like Parliamentary Affairs, Urban Development and Information and Technology.

    Ganesh Joshi has been given the responsibility of Sainik Welfare, Industrial Development, Small and Medium Industries Departments.

    Dr Dhan Singh Rawat has been given the responsibility of the Disaster Management and Rehabilitation along with Cooperation and Higher Education.

    Swami Yatishwaranand will look after the sugarcane and sugar industry.

  • BJP to meet Wednesday to pick Trivendra Rawat’s replacement; multiple names in consideration

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Names of at least half a dozen leaders, including Dhan Singh Rawat, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Satpal Maharaj, are doing the rounds to replace Trivendra Singh Rawat, who resigned as the chief minister of Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

    Though Trivendra Singh Rawat’s substitute will be decided at a state legislature party meeting at the BJP headquarters here on Wednesday under the watch of party national vice-president and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, political circles are abuzz with speculations.

    Sources said state minister Dhan Singh Rawat has emerged as a frontrunner to be the next chief minister.

    A man known for his polite ways, 48-year-old Dhan Singh, a resident of Paithani village in Pauri district, is said to be close to the outgoing chief minister.

    Singh became an MLA for the first time in 2017.

    Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj is also being looked at as a prominent contender.

    A former Congress heavyweight, Maharaj joined the BJP in 2014 after losing the race for chief ministership to Harish Rawat.

    Maharaj is an MLA from Chaubattakhal in Pauri district.

    He is also a spiritual guru having admirers across the country.

    The 69-year-old had been a Congress MP from Pauri in the past.

    Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank is another contender for the post.

    A former chief minister, Nishank is an MP from Haridwar.

    He was also a hill development minister in undivided Uttar Pradesh.

    The name of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari is also doing the rounds.

    Koshyari had held the Uttarkhand chief minister’s post briefly after Nityanand Swami.

    He has also represented the state both in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

    Names of BJP national spokesperson Anil Baluni and former state BJP president Ajay Bhatt are also in circulation.

    Baluni (50) is currently a Rajya Sabha member and his proximity with the central party leadership may help him get to the top office in the state.

    Bhatt represents the Nainital constituency in the Lok Sabha.

    He had defeated former chief minister Harish Rawat in Nainital in the 2019 general elections.