News Analysis India

Tag: Uttarakhand

  • BJP has thrown Uttarakhand into political instability, betrayed people: Congress

    The Congress condemns the BJP for insulting the state and its people by not doing anything to solve its problems, he said.

  • COVID-19: Uttarakhand government cancels ‘Kanwar Yatra’ to Haridwar

    By ANI
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand government cancelled the annual Kanwar Yatra to Haridwar in the month of Sawan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    State government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said the government has decided to cancel the Kanwar Yatra as a precautionary measure. Last year too, the yatra was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The ‘Kanwar Yatra’ is an annual pilgrimage of Lord Shiva’s devotees.

    This time every year during the Hindu calendar month of ‘Saavan’, thousands of devotees from across India, undertake the pilgrimage called ‘Kanwar Yatra’.

    These pilgrims visit Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the waters of river Ganga, which is is dispensed as offerings to Lord Shiva in temples. 

  • COVID-19 curfew extended for another week in Uttarakhand

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: COVID curfew in Uttarakhand has been extended by another week till July 6 with more relaxations. An order issued by Chief Secretary Om Prakash said that the extended curfew, which came into effect on Tuesday, will remain in force till 6 am on July 6.

    Giving more relaxations, shops and business establishments have been allowed to open six days a week instead of five. They will remain open even on Sundays in the two popular tourist spots of Mussoorie and Nainital, the order said.

    Markets in these towns will remain closed on Tuesday. Gyms and coaching centres for job aspirants have also been allowed to open with 50 per cent occupancy. However, educational institutions, training institutes, malls and cinema halls will remain closed till further orders. Permission for online classes and distance learning remains in place.

    Registering on the smart city portal at the start of their journey and bringing a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report not older than 72 hours will be compulsory for people coming to the state from outside or those going to hill areas from the plains.

    Hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries can open with 50 per cent of their capacity.

  • Uttarakhand govt medical college serves notice to interns for protesting against low stipend

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: The Hemwanti Nandan Bahuguna Government Medical College, Srinagar has served notices to 25 MBBS medical interns on disciplinary grounds for protesting against low stipend. 

    The move comes after protest by 330 interns, 194 in Doon Medical College, 97 in Srinagar and 99 in Dr Susheela Tiwari Government Medical College and Hospital, Haldwani, with demand to increase monthly stipend which is just Rs 7500. 

    The notice dated June 24, 2021 by medical superintendent of the institution states that, “All of You (25 interns) have violated the conditions of your bond and Covid-19 duties by resorting to protests for stipend and giving statements in the media. This comes under catagory of serious indiscipline. Please explain why a day’s pay should not be deducted from your monthly stipend.”

    Responding to this notice, medical interns said this is unfair. 

    “We as doctors are well aware of the ongoing COVID crisis. It’s our utmost duty to serve for the nation. We were on a protest after our duty hours that too outside the hospital premises.It didn’t create any nuisance neither to the public nor to the hospital,” said one of the interns out of 25 who were served notices. 

    Responding to the queries related to the matter, CMS Rawat, principal of the medical college said, “What they are doing is a stark example of indiscipline. These are Covid times and even if they are protesting while they are off duty this brings bad name to the institution. Proposal to increase the stipend has already been sent to the government.”

    In Uttar Pradesh, the medical interns get Rs 12500/month, in Tamil Nadu and Telangana it is Rs 20000, Haryana and Himachal pay Rs 17000 while medical interns in All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi get Rs 28000 per month as stipend. 

    Many have raised objections of paltry sum calling the stipend of Rs 250 per day too less and meagre. Last time it was revised was in year 2011 when the stipend was increased from Rs 2500 to Rs 7500. 

    The medical students who complete their MBBS course have to do 12 months mandatory internship according to the norms of Medical Council of India. 

  • Uttarakhand lags behind in Covid testing target set by Chief Secretary

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Even with Covid testing scam investigation and Uttarakhand High Court’s criticism, the state has fell short of testing target by 39 per cemt, revealed analysis of Covid-19 data from June 10-22, 2021. 

    Earlier, the Chief Secretary had instructed state health department officials to conduct at least 40,000 tests everyday on from June 10, 2021.

    Totally, 2,92,076 tests have been conducted in the duration against the set target of 4,80,000. 

    Anoop Nautiyal, whose Social Development for Communities Foundation has been collating Covid data since March 15, 2020, said, “Citizens of Uttarakhand can only be motivated to follow Covid appropriate behaviour with result oriented approach. People often tend to follow results produced by government. As a state we must put our best foot forward, achieve goals & minimise damages from pandemic.”

    The maximum number of tests were conducted in Dehradun with 75,152 tests, followed by Haridwar (68421), Udham Singh Nagar (33401), Nainital (15630), Tehri (15100), Almora (13560), Uttarkashi (13529), Pauri (13111), Chamoli (10429), Bageshwar (10189), Champawat (9948), Pithoragarh (7237) and Rudraprayag (6359). 

    In terms of tests conducted per lakh population, border districts of Uttarkashi, Bageshwar and Champawat top the list while Nainital, Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts are worst performers. 

    In the same duration (June 10-22, 2021), Uttarkashi district conducted 4015 tests per lakh followed by Bageshwar (3845), Champawat (3754), Dehradun (3632), Haridwar (2967), Chamoli (2610), Rudraprayag (2574), Tehri (2393), Almora (2135), Pauri (1870), Udham Singh Nagar (1661), Pithoragarh (1468) and Nainital (1343). 

    However, the State health department officials said that they are trying their best to achieve the desired results and cases have come down significantly. 

  • Uttarakhand IMA calls for FIR against Baba Ramdev, submits complaint to DGP

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand chapter of Indian medical Association on Wednesday submitted a written complaint to the Director General of Police of the state against Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, others for misguiding people about COVID-19 medicine and other allegations. 

    The 10-page complaint by the IMA dated June 23, 2021 stated, “Ramdev’s public announcement that no one can arrest him is an example of how he and others with him proved that law and order of this country is nothing before him.”

    The IMA requested FIR against him and others from Patanjali Yogpeeth including his aide Balkrishna by explaining every violation point wise.

    The association in its letter to the DGP also requested him to direct the concerned officials to register the FIR.

    The war of words escalated to next level after Baba Ramdev last month called allopathy ‘stupid Science’. 

    ALSO READ: Ramdev moves Supreme Court against multiple FIRs over his allopathy remarks

    Later, Ramdev withdrew his statement in reply to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks ‘inappropriate’. However, he also asked 25 questions to the IMA.

    Earlier this month, Baba Ramdev said that allopathy is best for emergency treatment while ayurveda and Yoga saying are effective in ‘lifestyle’, ‘genetic’ and ‘incurable’ diseases. 

    “For emergency treatment and surgery, allopathy is the best there are no two opinions about this,” said the Yoga Guru.

  • Covid lockdown extended for one week more in Uttarakhand 

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government on Sunday decided to extend the Covid lockdown in the state for another week from June 22 but allowed hotels, restaurants and bars to open at half their capacities.

    It also decided to open the chardham yatra for locals from July 1 and for people from the rest of the state from July 11, Cabinet minister and state government’s official spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said.

    Bringing a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report, however, will be compulsory for the pilgrims, he said.

    “People of Chamoli district can visit Badrinath temple for a darshan from July 1 if they have a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report,” he said.

    “Similarly, people of Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi districts can also visit Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri temples respectively from that date with a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report,” the minister said.

    The yatra will be opened for people from the rest of the state from July 11 on the same condition, he said.

    The state government had decided to open the chardham yatra partially for locals last week too but had to withdraw the decision in view of the Covid situation.

    The decision to extend the curfew from June 22 to 29 with some important relaxations was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, Uniyal said.

    The period of current lockdown in the state was to come to an end at 6 am on June 22.

    The famous four Himalayan temples in Uttarakhand though open since May for daily prayers are still not open for pilgrims.

    Bringing a negative RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test report will be compulsory also for people coming to the state from outside or those going to hill areas from the plains, Uniyal said.

    General stores and groceries will now be open for five days in a week closing only on Saturdays and Sundays, he said.

    Hotels, restaurants and bars can open with 50 per cent of their capacity till 10 pm, he added.

    All government, semi-government and private offices can also open with 50 per cent of their capacity.

    However, offices connected with essential services will open with full capacity.

  • Scam is old, I took over in March, says Uttarakhand CM on fake Covid testing during Kumbh Mela

    By PTI
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has said the fake Covid testing scam during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar dates back to before his term, while his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat demanded a judicial probe into it.

    Both remarks came on Thursday.

    The decision to rope in private firms to conduct Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela was taken before he took over as Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat said.

    “The scam is old. I took over in March. However, a probe has already been ordered into it and stern action will be taken against those involved,” he told reporters here on the sidelines of a programme on Thursday.

    ALSO READ: Haridwar’s positivity rate during Kumbh reported to be 80 per cent lesser than rest of Uttarakhand

    Tirath Singh Rawat became Chief Minister of the state on March 10 while the Kumbh Mela was held from April 1 to April 30.

    However, he expressed the state government’s resolve to bring out the truth and punish the guilty.

    Meanwhile, his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat has demanded an impartial probe into the scam by a high court judge, terming the scam serious in nature.

    The Uttarakhand government on Thursday had lodged a case against a company and two private labs for fudging coronavirus test reports during the Kumbh Mela in April.

    The firm, Max Corporate Service, Nalwa Laboratories Private Limited of Hisar and Delhi-based Dr Lalchandani Lab have been accused of issuing fake negative test reports.

  • Won’t allow Char Dham Yatra till we are convinced about safety from Covid: Uttarakhand HC

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday remarked that the Char Dham Yatra will not be allowed until the court is convinced about Covid-19 safety.

    A Division bench of Chief Justice RS Chauhan and Justice Alok Verma while hearing a number of Covid 19 petitions remarked,”We won’t allow Char Dham Yatra until and unless we are convinced about the safety (Covid 19).”

    Dushyant Mainali, one of the counsels said, “The honourable court directed the government to take a decision on the yatra till June 21 and file a detailed affidavit about arrangements made till June 23, next date of hearing.”

    The court further observed that the Char Dham Yatra like Kumbh is of national importance and affects the whole country (in terms of Covid 19). 

    Citing the example of recently-held Kumbh, the court said, “Last minute decisions do more harm than good. Kumbh could not be managed due to last minute decision and situation spiralled out of control,” observed the bench. 

    The bench, recalling the spike in number of cases across the country during and aftermath of Kumbh remarked, “If it yet again happens, we cannot go around sullying our state’s reputation.”

    Dilip Jawalkar, secretary tourism who was present before the court during virtual hearing, was questioned about the arrangements made for the yatra.

    Dissatisfied by his replies, the court directed him to apprise about arrangements made for the yatra including food, shelter, sanitation, medical facilities and others in the form of affidavit till June 23. 

    The court while hearing the matter on June 9, 2021, had come down heavily on secretary, tourism of Uttarakhand. “How can he be sitting in his ‘Coccoon’ in Dehradun and decide that all is well to open tourism in the state,” the court had stated.

    Earlier, last month the court had directed the secretary to visit places like Kedarnath shrine to decide if tourist hotspots and religious places can be opened in the hill state.

    The HC also directed the govt to apprise about Covid 19 vaccination status of the people in and around these four shrines and asked if the Aarti of Char Dham can be live-streamed.

  • Muslim community marred by vaccine hesitancy: Uttarakhand ex CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday said that the Muslim community is marred by vaccine hesitancy.

    He was in Rishikesh for an event speaking to the media. 

    “I am saying this without hesitation and in open. The Muslim community is marred by (Covid 19) vaccine hesitancy. They sill have hesitancy, illusions and fears. In such a situation, social organizations and media should cover this that there is no harm in vaccination,” said Rawat. 

    He further added, “If you do not get vaccinated, then this disease (coronavirus) will stay and anyone can get affected by it and become a ‘superspreader’. Urge through the media that people should come forward and get vaccinated.”

    The ousted CM further added that he has seen many doctors with vaccine hesitancy too.

    “I said this in open because this issue plagued other communities too including the medical fraternity. I know many doctors who were very hesitant and took the jab later only. I know of many such doctors and medical staff. They must also get rid of this illusion that is why I said so,” added Rawat. 

    Rawat was removed from the CM post in March this year, days before the BJP government in Uttarakhand was due completing four years of tenure. 

    Earlier last month the ex-CM ade headlines after he referred to Covid 19 virus as a ‘Being’ which is just trying to live and has a right to live.