News Analysis India

Tag: Uttarakhand

  • Telangana, Uttarakhand introduce mobile court units to allow evidence recording from remote locations

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Telangana and Uttarakhand have become the first states in the country to introduce mobile court units to allow witnesses and victims, including women and children, to record evidence from remote locations under circumstances which do not permit them to appear before courts in person.

    The aim is to allow recording of evidence of women and child victims or witnesses, doctors and medical practitioners and investigation officers on demand.

    The mobile court unit facility is meant for subordinate courts.

    The mobile court units are equipped with CCTV cameras, laptops, a printer, LED TV, web camera, inverter, scanner, UPS, an extra monitor and speaker which can visit the victim or the witness on the spot, according to the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry.

    “Witness or other person, including an accused, involved in court proceedings, in such circumstances where there is an explicit or implicit threat to the personal safety of such a witness or person; or, it is, impossible, extremely difficult, expensive, inconvenient or otherwise not desirable for a such witness/person to attend a Court in person,” is eligible to use the mobile court facility according to details available on the website of the District Court Chamoli in Uttarakhand.

    People, who are unable to, or, prevented from attending the court in person, for reasons arising from tender years, extreme old age, disease or disability of body, or any other cause of the same kind can also use the facility.

    “Such person may also be allowed to testify, or make submissions by means of video conferencing through the mobile court units, who is unable to appear in person, due to administrative and work contingencies, including remoteness of their work locations,” according to the eligibility criteria given on the website.

    The standard operating procedure makes it clear that the mobile court unit will be understood as an extension of the court, whose proceedings are being conducted through such a unit.

    “Accordingly, the proceedings conducted through such Mobile Court Unit shall be conducted as judicial proceedings in a Court, with observance of same courtesies and protocols, applicable to the dignity of a Court,” it states.

     

  • Rahul Gandhi attacks govt over issue of Chinese incursions in Ladakh, Uttarakhand

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at the government over alleged Chinese incursions in Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

    He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi using his 56-inch chest remark that he made at rallies in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

    “China plus Pakistan plus ‘Mr 56 inch’ is equal to Increasing Chinese occupation of India’s land,” he said in a tweet in Hindi, while referring to Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

    Close to 100 soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) transgressed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand on August 30.

    The Chinese troops returned from the area after spending few hours, people familiar with the development had said.

    There was no official comment on the Chinese transgression.

    The incident came amid a continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in a number of areas in eastern Ladakh though both sides completed disengagement in two sensitive locations.

    The Chinese side has also significantly ramped up infrastructure development along the LAC in the sector.

    India has been maintaining a strict vigil along the nearly 3,500-km LAC following the eastern Ladakh standoff.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year in eastern Ladakh following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

    Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.

    Gandhi and his Congress party have been attacking the government over alleged Chinese incursions in Ladakh.

  • BJP banks on development in Uttarakhand

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Kicking off the campaign for next year’s Uttarakhand assembly elections, BJP chief J P Nadda gave clear suggestions that the party will seek another mandate on the basis of the development works done by the Centre in the recent years, including the Char Dham project. 

    Nadda on Wednesday spoke to members of ‘Shakti Kendras’ of the party in the hill  state and exhorted them to strengthen the booth units of the party. Aiming to drag the Congress into the electoral dual on development isuue, the BJP chief challenged the Opposition party to show its track record when it was in power in the state during 2012-17. 

    In his speech to the members of ‘Shakti Kendras’, the BJP chief also laid much emphasis on the persona of PM Narendra Modi, stressing on “his being the most popular leader of the world yet being humble to mix with the common party workers easily”. 

    “Whenever PM Modi comes to programmes of the party, it doesn’t seem that the most popular leaders of the world is in our midst. He takes interest in the party as a common worker, which inspires us all,” remarked Nadda.        

    He also spelt out twin tasks for the party workers, asking them to lend their weight to achieve 100 per cent vaccinations in Uttarakhand against the Covid-19 and also reaching out the benefits of the “Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna” to the beneficiaries. 

  • Uttarakhand takes cue from Himachal land law for new policy

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  Uttarakhand is studying aspects of the land law of Himachal Pradesh to enact a similar legislation for preventing indiscriminate purchase and sale of land in the state.  The state government has constituted a three-member committee that will submit its report, based on which a decision will be taken. 

    “We are studying the land law of Himachal Pradesh to take a cue from it. Recommendations of the committee will be balanced so that the rights of the local population are preserved without hampering development activities,” said retired IAS officer Subhash Kumar, who is the chairman of the committee.The panel was set up after netizens and the youth of Uttarakhand started a movement demanding restrictions on purchase of land by outsiders in the hill state. 

    There is no prohibition on buying of a property by any individual or organisation within municipal limits and cantonment areas in the hill state. The buying of agricultural land over 250 sqaure meters outside the municipal limits is prohibited, but that limit can be relaxed by state government officials, including district magistrates.  Outsiders buying agricultural land in Uttarakhand can be provided relaxation under tourism policy if they have a project that will generate jobs for locals and revenues for the state.

    Movement for new land policy picking pace The ‘Uttarakhand Mange Bhu-kanoon’ movement is slowly picking pace with artists and cartoonists joining and introducing innovative touches to the protest. The issue has also been picked up by the Congress and the Aam Admi Party, which has been trying hard to make inroads in the hill state.  

  • Dehradun Diary: All that is happening in ‘Dev Bhoomi’

    Express News Service

    Illegal tree felling in Kalagarh division

    Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has issued a notice to the chief wildlife warden of Uttarakhand on the issue of illegal tree felling in Kalagarh forest division in the name of establishing Pakhrau Tiger Safari.

    The CZA has issued the said notice drafted by Gaurav Kumar Bansal, a practising advocate of the Supreme Court and a wildlife activist, wherein he has requested the CZA & NTCA to withdraw their approval for the establishment of the tiger safari in Pakhrau forest division.

    In the notice, Bansal has stated that the Forest Advisory Committee, MoEFCC, Government of India recommended the said proposal only after the written assurance from the Uttarakhand forest department that only 163 trees would be felled for the establishment of the safari.

    Uttarakhand safest state, but not for women

    Uttarakhand has proved to be the safest state in India for the third consecutive year since 2018, reveals the 2020 report of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). Only six crimes were registered against senior citizens in 2018 and 2019 each and four in 2020.

    A total of 24,794 crimes were recorded in 2020 across India, with Maharashtra (4,909), Madhya Pradesh (4,602) and Gujarat (2,785) topping the chart. However, on the flip side, Uttarakhand tops in crime against women among nine Himalayan states.

    The state registered 2,846 cases of crime against women including, rape, murder and kidnapping in 2020 followed by Himachal Pradesh (1,614) and Meghalaya (568).

    IIT-Roorkee detects unprecedented changes in radio pulsar

    IIT-Roorkee has made a milestone achievement for the Indian Pulsar Timing Array (InPTA) team of astronomers, of which the IIT-R researchers are part. The InPTA team has detected unprecedented changes in a radio pulsar with the help of a highly versatile, sensitive and upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (uGMRT).

    The InPTA is a collaboration of Indian and Japanese astronomers from several institutes, including IIT-R. Earlier this year, the InPTA became a part of the International pulsar timing array (IPTA) consortium, an international collaboration aiming to catch the elusive nanohertz gravitational waves.

    Dubious distinction for Uttarakhand

    India has registered over 43 per cent rise in environment offences since 2018, revealed the NCRB 2020 report. Uttarakhand had registered a spike of 655 per cent in such offences from 2018 to 2020. In 2018, a total of 35,196 environmental offences were registered across all states and Union Territories followed by 34,676 cases in 2019, which rose to 61,767 in 2020.

    Uttarakhand (11.1 per cent) stood on the third spot in the rate of offences, with Tamil Nadu (56 per cent) and Rajasthan (12 per cent) occupying the first two slots. In 2018, 194 offences were registered in Uttarakhand followed by 96 in 2019, which rose to 1,271 in 2020.

  • Murders of sadhus in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar have link to tussle over property

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  In the last three decades, over two dozen sadhus in Haridwar have been murdered. Most of these cases still remain cloaked in the shrouds of mystery.  Kirankant Sharma, a Haridwar-based political analyst, has been following the trail of such cases since 1991.

    “With the real estate boom, land and properties of the ashrams became a lucrative source of wealth. Eventually, this led to rivalries, conspiracies, and the game of domination using every possible means available. This also involves the power game of various stakeholders in the system,” he said.

    Karan Khurana, another resident of Haridwar, points out: “In 1991, Raghavacharya was killed outside his ashram by bike-borne assailants. This was the first such incident that sent ripples across the region. In 1993, seer Rangacharya was killed. These cases remain unsolved.”

    In 2000, a female seer from the US was killed followed by the murder of Baba Sutendra Bengali in 2001. Both the cases have been sub judice. In 2001, four seers were killed at Har-ki-Pauri.

    The next year, Baba Hariyananad was killed along with his disciple followed by the murder of Bole Baba in 2003. In 2004, another seer, Yogananad, was killed. His case is still in a limbo. In 2006, Swami Amritananda was found murdered. 

    In 2012, Mahanta Sudhir Giri of Mahanirvani Panchayti Akhada, one of the most powerful akhadas, was killed. The accused were arrested and conspiracy was busted. A man had paid Rs 9 lakh to three men to kill the head of the religious sect.

    In the same year, three seers were killed in a temple. It was revealed that the crime had roots in a property dispute. 

  • Uttarakhand AAP chief SS Kaler resigns to fight CM Dhami

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN:  SS Kaler, AAP Uttarakhand president has resigned to contest the state assembly polls against Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. 

    Kaler said that he resigned to focus on the assembly elections. “I decided to resign to contest the assembly elections against the Uttarakhand CM. I’ve confidence that people of Uttarakhand will support me,” said Kaler. The CM is MLA from Khatima constituency in Udham Singh Nagar district.

    Responding to the move of challenging the CM, the BJP dismissed it as non-significant. “Our CM is working tirelessly for the people of Uttarakhand. People are aware of what BJP and CM have done for the state,” said Bipin Kainthola, spokesperson of the state BJP unit. 

    Kejriwal in HaldwaniCM Arvind Kejriwal is visiting Haldwani city of Nainital district on September 19. Kejriwal visited last month to announce Col Ajay Kothiyal (Retd) as the AAP CM candidate

  • Tuberculosis claimed 1390 lives in Uttarakhand in four years, finds RTI query

    By Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: Close to 1390 persons lost their lives to tuberculosis between 2015-2018 in the hill state, revealed data from the Uttarakhand health department. 

    The numbers were a result of the RTI query filed by a lawyer, following which he submitted the data along with a complaint to the Uttarakhand Human Rights Commission. 

    “After I got the data, I filed a complaint with the commission about the deaths. Tuberculosis is no longer incurable and these deaths could have been averted. Somewhere, the government lacked,” said Rajendra Prasad the lawyer.

    The commission has issued a notice to the state health department officials seeking an explanation for the death of these people. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for November 25, 2021.

    The highest number of deaths in these four years took place in Haridwar with 260 people losing their lives to TB followed by Dehradun (210), Udham Singh Nagar (194), Nainital (161), Pauri (110), Chamoli (109), Tehri (76), Almora (64), Bageshwar (53), Pithoragarh (48), Champawat (41), Rudraprayag (34) and Uttarkashi (30). 

    According to the data published in TB India Report 2018, more than 45 cases of TB were registered every day in Uttarakhand in 2017. The number of cases had increased by 10% in 2017 compared to the previous year. As many as 16,760 cases were registered in 2017, up by 1,679 from the 15,081 cases that were registered in 2016.

    A total of 13,012 cases were reported from government hospitals while 3,748 cases were reported from private clinics and hospitals. 

    In a notification on March 16, 2018, the Centre had made it mandatory for all chemists and hospitals to reveal details of TB patients, including the medication taken by them, to the health department. Those failing to do so could face a jail term up to two years with or without a fine. The move was meant to push more private hospitals to contain the disease, of which India has the maximum number of patients.

  • BJP will form ‘double-engine’ government in Uttarakhand in 2022 Assembly polls: Dharmendra Pradhan

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP will form a ‘double-engine’ government in the state in the upcoming elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Addressing a press conference where Uttarakhand Congress MLA from Purola Rajkumar joined the BJP at the party headquarters here today, Pradhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special attachment with the ‘Dev Bhumi’. In the upcoming elections, we will form a double-engine government in Uttarakhand under the leadership of PM Modi.”

    ALSO READ| Uttarakhand: Congress MLA from Purola Rajkumar joins BJP

    He further said, “I have been associated with the party’s political activities in Uttarakhand for a very long time. From Dehradun to the villages situated in the hills, Rajkumar ji who joined the BJP from the Congress today is known for his sensitivity, belligerence and leadership qualities.”

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state BJP president Madan Kaushik were also present at the press conference held today. Speaking on the occasion, Dhami said, “People are impressed with the work done by PM Modi, hence joining our party. These joinings will further strengthen our party.”

    Congress MLA Rajkumar after joining the BJP said, “I am impressed by the work done by PM Modi. He took the country to the global level. His work including road construction, the welfare of SC/ST in Uttarakhand, and the way he managed the COVID-19 pandemic in the country is admirable. BJP works for the people.”

    “BJP is working towards the upliftment of the lower caste and making them independent, while Congress has made these people dependent on subsidies since Independence. I’ve joined the party today after seeing BJP’s great work in Uttarakhand,” he added.

    Struggling to keep its flock together, Uttarakhand Congress received a jolt with one of its sitting MLA’s, Rajkumar from Purola Assembly constituency joined BJP today in New Delhi.

    Rajkumar was earlier a BJP MLA and had occupied the post of secretary in the party’s state unit.The significance of the joining can be gauged from fact that Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state unit chief Madan Kaushik both were present to welcome the Congress legislator in the party’s fold.

    Polls for the 70 member Uttarakhand Assembly are likely to take place in early 2022.

  • India’s largest open air fernery developed in Uttarakhand’s Ranikhet

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: The country’s largest open air fernery was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Uttarakhand’s Almora district on Sunday by well-known expert on ferns Nilambar Kunetha, an official said. The fernery has been developed by the research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department over a period of three years under the Centre’s compensatory afforestation scheme CAMPA.

    It has a collection of 120 different types of fern with only Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanical Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI), Thiruvananthapuram having a larger number of fern species, Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi said.

    However, it is the country’s largest open air fernery with completely natural surroundings, he said. It has been developed over four acres with Ranikhet providing an ideal location for an open air fernery.

    The fernery has been developed at an altitude of 1,800 metres in a shaded area with a seasonal pahadi nala passing through it, providing adequate moisture as ferns require shade and moisture to grow and propagate.

    It has a mix of species from the western and eastern Himalayan regions as well as from Western Ghats. It houses many rare species, prominent among which are Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa) which has been declared as “threatened” by State Biodiversity Board of Uttarakhand.

    Only a few plants of this species are left in the wild and is considered one of the most ancient species of fern. It is said that herbivore dinosaur used to feed on its trunk which is rich in starch. The fernery has around 30 species which have tremendous medicinal importance.

    The species include Hansraj (Adiantum venustum) which has been given importance in Ayurveda as well as in the Tibetan system of medicine as a cure for many ailments. The fernery also displays some prominent edible species of fern like Lingura (Diplazium esculentum), a popular food item in the hills of Uttarakhand which is considered highly nutritious.

    Beside this the fernery also displays many epiphyte, aquatic ferns and popular and interesting ferns like Vishkanya, Mayurshikha, Boston Fern, Lady Fern, Rock Fern, Basket Fern, Ladder Fern, Golden Fern and Horsetail Fern.

    Besides boasting of various fern species, it also displays interesting facts about ferns like reference of invisible seeds of ferns in Shakesphere’s play Henry IV and the craze of ferns known as ‘Pteredomania’ in the Victorian era.