Out of turn promotion and Rs 1 lakh cash to injured cop

STAFF WRITER 17:26 HRS IST

Dehradun, Oct 30(PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank announced an out-of-turn promotion and a cash reward of Rs one lakh for a constable, who was injured during an encounter with miscreants here on Wednesday, official sources today said.

The Chief Minister made the announcement last evening, when he visited the hospital where the injured constable Hariom was admitted.

Nishank said that government would encourage the police personnel performing their duty with honesty and would not spare anyone trying to spoil the atmosphere of the state.

Hariom would be promoted as head constable on the state formation day on Nov 9, they said.

Some armed miscreants barged into the house of PD Bhatt on Wednesday night and held the couple captive, while others collected cash and ornaments. In the meantime police reached the spot.

Seeing the police, miscreants opened fire at them, which also retaliated

U'khand sets up board

The Uttarakhand government has set up a public investment board (PIB) to clear projects related to state-run corporations, committees and boards where its funding is Rs 1 crore and above.

The six-member board would be headed by the chief secretary for which the notification has been issued.

The main task of the board would be to assess a project’s viability and find out whether the proposal is in line with the priorities of the state.

The board would also assess the viability of setting up new corporations and companies. Significantly, all those projects which had already been initiated recently would also be reassessed by the PIB in case the cost is 25 per cent more than Rs one crore.

Under the new notification, it would be now mandatory to present all the project descriptions like target beneficiaries, strategies, justification, estimated capital and operating costs with break-up under major heads of expenditures. The project description should also detail about the basis of cost estimates as well as its base price.

In case of social projects, the monitoring of the project in terms of its performance and output would also be necessary. When contacted, Principal Secretary, Finance, Alok Jain said, “The main aim of the government is to check the viability of the projects in order to stop unnecessary expenditures.”

BS

Institutionalisation of efforts suggested to check illegal wildlife trade

Dharchula (Uttarakhand): To check illegal cross-border wildlife trade between India and Nepal, wildlife authorities have suggested institutionalisation of coordination and joint enforcement operations in the region.

"There is, of course, some amount of cooperation between different institutions working for the same cause - in this case controlling illegal trade, even across international borders.

"However, institutionalising this cooperation will fortify the relationship and enhance efficacy in fighting illegal wildlife trade," said Vivek Menon, executive director, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The recommendations, which were made at the wildlife enforcement and legal workshop here last week will be submitted to the government for action.

The workshop was attended by conservationists from Nepal and India, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), representatives of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Customs and Uttarakhand Police.

The participants also recommended creation and maintenance of databases on wildlife crimes and criminals on both sides of the border for easy access of information by concerned authorities.

Establishment of a fast track court, epecially for wildlife crimes in Dharchula situated along the Nepal border and known to be a hub of illegal wildlife activities, was also suggested. Intensifying law enforcement through joint patrolling along the border by the Forest Department, SSB and ITBP, increase in the number of police and forest Department staff at key checkpoints and regular meetings and trainings have also been planned, said a statement.

"If implemented (suggestions) as decided, these activities will no doubt clog one of the most important routes of illegal cross-border wildlife trade in this part of the sub-continent," it added.

PTI

U'khand BJP president Chufal resigns as minister

STAFF WRITER 17:34 HRS IST

Dehra Dun, Oct 27 (PTI) Newly-appointed Uttarakhand BJP president Bishan Singh Chufal today resigned from his ministerial post to focus on party affairs.

Chufal sent his resignation to Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, party state general secretary Dhan Singh Rawat here.

Soon after being appointed as state BJP president last month, Chufal had offered to quit as cabinet minister, Rawat said, adding the party had then rejected his offer.

Chufal again insisted on resigning during a meeting yesterday stating he wanted to follow the healthy tradition of 'one man one post', and his offer was later accepted, Rawat said.

The resignation of Chufal, who was holding the key departments of forest, environment, wildlife and transport, is yet to be accepted by the Chief Minister, he added.

Nurses strike called off in Uttarakhand

STAFF WRITER 18:21 HRS IST

Dehra Dun, Oct 27 (PTI) Nurses of government hospitals in Uttarakhand today returned to work calling off their week-long strike after state government accepted their various demands including increase in allowances.

The government has increased the nursing and boarding allowances of nurses by 10 times besides hefty increase in uniform and washing allowances with immediate effect.

The uniform allowance, which was Rs 1,437.50 once in five years, has been increased to Rs 500 per month. Similarly, the washing allowance has also been increased to Rs 300 from Rs 50 per month.

The nursing and nutritional food allowance has been increased to Rs 1,150 per month from Rs 115 per month.

A government order in this regard has already been issued, government officials said.

The government nurses across the state were abstaining from duty during the second shift since Oct 21.

Three killed in road accident

STAFF WRITER 14:30 HRS IST

Dehra Dun, Oct 25 (PTI) Three persons were killed when a vehicle in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Champawat district today, police said.

The incident happened at Bhartoli area of the district, about 75 km from here. The trio, including the driver, died on the spot, they said.

The pick-up van was on its way to Barakot from Ghaat area in the district, police said, adding that work is on to retrieve the bodies.

Rahul treks to hideaway in Himalayas

After being spotted on a Delhi road cycling with a friend last week, Rahul Gandhi, it seems, is taking the fitness streak in him on to the next level.

The Congress general secretary and MP from Amethi is reported to have gone on a Himalayan trek at Dayara Bugyal, a vast, high-altitude Alpine meadow in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.

Giving him company in what is being billed by Congress sources as a teambuilding exercise reportedly are sister Priyanka Gandhi and brother-in-law Robert Vadra, Alwar MP Jitendra Singh, Rahul's aide Kanishka Singh (who's also Rajasthan governor S.K. Singh's son), other close friends and professional trekkers.

According to reports, Rahul had boarded the Shatabdi Express on Tuesday to reach Dehradun, but got off at a station named Dandera near Roorkee, from where he sped off to Uttarkashi by road.

After spending the night at a hotel, he started the trek to Dayara Bugyal on Wednesday morning, reportedly with an entourage of 28 people.

The district administration, though taken by surprise by Rahul's unannounced appearance, was quick to dispatch two doctors to be around in case any member of the group developed medical complications during the trek.

So what is it about Dayara Bugyal that caught the fancy of the Gandhi scion and, in the past, of avid trekkers such as former foreign secretary Shyam Saran? Incidentally, when the Indo-US nuclear deal was being negotiated, Saran had to be airlifted from this place.

According to Mandip Singh Soin of Ibex Expeditions, who's also the president of the Eco Tourism Society of India, Bugyal's USP lies in its pristine beauty.

"Its beauty is unparalleled in the whole of Uttarakhand," he said.

Located at an elevation of 11,645 feet, Dayara Bugyal is about 28 km from Uttarkashi.

"The road to it branches off near Bhatwari on the Uttarkashi-Gangotri highway. Vehicles can go up to the village Barsu, from where one has to trek a distance of about 8 km to reach Bugyal," Arun Joshi, adventure head of the Noida-based Peak Adventure Tours, said.

The other way is to go via Raithal village, 10 km from Bhatwari, from where one has to trek about 6 km to the area, Joshi added.

Depending on the season, you can see the many facets of Dayara Bugyal, said Mukul Mangalik, who teaches history at Ramjas College and calls the meadow his "second home". In June, according to Mangalik, you can see the grass coming alive and, once monsoon sets in, the entire area is carpeted with colourful flowers. You can see these colours changing in autumn; in winter, the area is covered with powder-like snow, making it the ideal destination for skiing enthusiasts.

"It's not a difficult trek and you can feel pretty much at home," he said. "It's a gently wooded area with oaks and rhododendrons. It also has a lot of human presence, with the itinerant Gujjars going up with their flocks and living there for about six months a year." In the local language, bugyal means 'meadow'. In the winter, the area, spread over 28 square km, has one of the best ski slopes in the country.

If you can dodge the lowlying cloud drifting over the meadow, you can feast your eyes on magnificent views of Himalayan peaks such as Draupadi Ka Danda.

The area has a small lake, Barnala Tal, and camping by its side is a memorable experience.

Rahul won't have any option other than to camp there, or live with the locals in their thatched huts.

From Dayara Bugyal, you can make quick trips to nearby hilltops - Siyari Top, Gidara Top and Bakaria Top.

"The more adventurous lot can also do the 37-km, two-day trek through the thick forest to Dodital and beyond," said Mangalik.

He has been going to Bugyal since 1984 and doesn't fail to meet a family in Barsu village whom he has known for 10 years.

Deb Mukherjee, former Indian ambassador to Nepal, is also a regular at this place.

The Uttarakhand government has been pushing for a winter resort in the area with skiing facilities a la Auli.

Soin, though, has a note of caution to offer: "We've already developed Auli and we need to take it forward in full steam. But there's no point developing another Auli at Dayara Bugyal. Whatever the government plans to do, it should do so carefully. Otherwise, people like Rahul Gandhi won't be able to enjoy the beauty that Dayara Bugyal is today."

A thought for the trekking Gandhi to mull over.

Courtesy: Mail Today

National Kayaking and Canoeing begins

STAFF WRITER 17:34 HRS IST

Nainital (Uttarakhand), Oct 21 (PTI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank today inaugurated the 21st National Kayaking and Canoeing Championship in Bhimtal Lake here.

More than 800 players from across the country are participating in the five-day 29-team tournament.

Nishank, inaugurating the event, stressed upon importance of promoting water sports in the state, which has huge potential in the sports as the state has 3000km of rivers.

Uttarakhand is hosting the tournament for second time as teams from Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Himachal, all the defence forces and para-military forces are participating.

We have shot 40 percent of ‘Ayesha’: Sonam Kapoor

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, who was in the capital for over a month to shoot for her upcoming venture “Ayesha”, says the film is 40 percent complete.
“We are done with 40 percent of the shooting for ‘Ayesha’ and now we will resume the rest in Mumbai,” Sonam told IANS here.

“Ayesha” has been shot across the capital as well as in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

Made under the banner of her father actor-producer Anil Kapoor, the movie is being produced by her sister Rhea.

Also starring Abhay Deol in the lead, “Ayesha” is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” and is about the perils of misconstrued romance.

Missing links on Haridwar stretch to be ready by Jan

NEW DELHI:
NEW DELHI: The nightmare faced by commuters using the Delhi-Haridwar stretch of NH-58 will soon become a thing of the past. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is claiming to make this stretch the key link to Uttarakhand and the Chinese border smoother by January when the holy city hosts the Kumbh Mela. Officials maintain that work on almost 23km of missing paved road between Meerut and Muzaffarnagar would be completed ahead of the largest religious congregation.

The project, however, has already been delayed by over seven months as work to widen 78km of the road to four lanes which started in March 2006 was targeted to be completed by March last. While work has been completed on a major part of this stretch, the bituminous road is missing on certain portions and it takes commuters almost six hours to cover 190km between Delhi and Haridwar. Uttarakhand PWD engineer-in-chief Lalit Mohan said the agency has written to the Centre to expedite the completion of the project and also to widen the stretch between Muzaffarnagar and Dehradun to four lane to meet increasing traffic demand.

"We expect the major traffic flow to be from Delhi side and so the remaining work needs to be completed. On our part, we have started paving the 29km from Haridwar towards Roorkee,'' Mohan said.

NHAI officials said though widening of the stretch between Muzaffarnagar and Dehradun has been cleared and bids have been invited, the work has not yet been awarded. "We have replaced the cash contractor for the stretch where there was no progress in the past months. Though it was awarded to NCC-Maytas joint venture, work halted after the Satyam controversy. Now, Gayatri Infrastructure has taken up the work,'' a senior NHAI official.

However, this does not seem to be the end of crisis for NHAI to complete the project. Officials admit they are stilling waiting to acquire about 3.5km stretch near Khatauli. "Only a few hundred metres have been handed over to us. We are still waiting for the large chunk to be acquired. We have even taken up the case with the chief minister. If UP government doesn't get that land for us, we can do nothing,'' said an official associated with land acquisition for NHAI projects.

TOI

Balwant murder case handed over to CB-CID

STAFF WRITER 18:22 HRS IST

Nainital, Oct 19 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government has handed over the inquiry into the killing of a local BJP leader allegedly by a BSP activist to CB-CID, officials said here today.

The decision to hand over the inquiry into Balwant Singh Kanyal murder case to CB-CID was taken by the government as Balwant's wife and others have been staging a dharna in Haldwani for several days, demanding a CBI probe.

BJP leader Balwant Singh Kanyal, head of Kotabagh block, was allegedly shot dead by BSP constituency incharge Neeraj Tiwari on August 22 in the Kaladhungi police station in this district, sparking violent protests that left a policeman dead and nearly twelve people injured. Later, Tiwari was arrested by the police.

Nearly 50 people, who were involved in the arson and loot that followed the killing, were also arrested.

U'khand Roadways employees to go on strike from Oct 16

STAFF WRITER 17:16 HRS IST

Dehradun, Oct 9(PTI) Alleging that the Uttarakhand government is not accepting their demand of extending benefits of sixth pay commission, state Roadways employees today threatened to go on strike from 16th of this month.

Secretary of State Roadways Employees Morcha Vijay Kumar said that roadways employees are being denied the benefits of sixth pay commission, despite its recommendations already implemented for other government employees.

Kumar said that the employees would take mass leave on October 14 and 15 and go on strike from October 16 in support of their demands.

RBI to set up model villages

The Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Kanpur, has proposed setting up of around 20 model villages across Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Uttarakhand in a phased manner by the end of year 2010.

These villages will be used as a successful instance of financial inclusion and literacy for future campaigns while convincing skeptics about the benefits of modern banking.

The project has especially focused on the extremely backward villages to provide maximum benefit whereby the villagers will be provided easy financing options for cottage and agro-based industries apart from opening of zero balance accounts in every household.

The bank has also included eight villages from Uttarakhand in the programme. The bank has already organised awareness and financial literacy camps in these villages. A special basic line survey officer has also been appointed to supervise and regulate the programme implementation though various private and public sector banks.

Apart from this, a 5-member committee has also been constituted to chalk out effective plans .

B S

Over 250 lose life in man-animal conflict in U'khand

STAFF WRITER 17:29 HRS IST

Dehra Dun, Oct 8 (PTI) A total of 286 people have lost their lives in attacks by wild animals since the formation of Uttarakhand in 2000, state government officials said today.

189 were killed in leopard attacks only, they said here, adding 89 people were killed in last three years alone.

While 74 people lost their lives in attack by elephants, 12 others were killed by bears and two by wild boars.

The state forest department has so far paid Rs 4.42 crore as compensation for deaths of humans due to wild animals, they said.

Nearly 15 elephants and 44 leopards were also killed during the period.

Wildlife experts say the incidents of man-animal conflict are rising because of shrinking habitats for wild animals as more and more jungles are being felled for industrial and other purposes.

NTPC has small hydro plant plans

Chamoli,
Chamoli, Uttarakhand: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), India's largest power generating company, is looking at expanding hydro-power capacity by commissioning small projects that require minimum displacement of people and can be completed in 5-8 years.

"Big hydro projects in India have faced a lot of problem in the past. That is why we want to expand our hydro footprint by small projects. We are using tunnel boring machine in our 520 mw Tapovan Vishnugad project that is a first of its kind technology in India, a senior company official said.

NTPC is developing four hydro power projects in Uttrakhand which will produce over 1,500 mw electricity by 2017. While Loharinag Pala will produce 600 mw, LATA Tapovan and Rupsia Bhagar Bara will produce 171 mw and 261 mw respectively. The power producer is also developing an 800 mw Koldam hydro project in Himachal Pradesh.

While the company is ahead of schedule for its Tapovan Vishnugad project and is likely to start production before the announced commissioning date of 2012, land has been acquired for Lata Tapovan project and the process is underway for the Rupsia Bhagar Khasia Bara project.

"We are involving locals in all our power projects and have provided jobs to all project affected people," the official said.

The company currently generates 30,000 mw and plans to increase it to 50,000 mw by 2017. "NTPC is a major player in thermal power production, but now we want to be a major player in hydro power as well," the official said. Uttarakhand has an installed power generation capacity of over 2,800 mw. Other than NTPC, companies such as GVK industries and Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd are present in the state with their hydro-power projects.

Soruce:http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_ntpc-has-small-hydro-plant-plans_1295705

No untreated waste to flow into Ganga by 2020

Mission Clean Ganga
No untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents will flow into the river Ganga by 2020 as part of ‘Mission Clean Ganga’, according to the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which met for the first time since its inception in February this year.

Last November, the Ganga was declared as a ‘National River’ and the NGRBA was set up as an empowered planning, implementing and monitoring authority for the Ganga River for which this year’s budget has a special provision of Rs 250 crore. The NGRBA has as its members the chief ministers of four states through which the Ganga flows.

Today’s meeting, which lasted for almost three hours, was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and attended by Jairam Ramesh, minister of state (independent charge), Environment and Forests, chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Bihar, representatives of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia. They discussed proposals for effective cleaning up of the river, including the involvement of international financial institutions like the World Bank.

“An estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore over next 10 years will be required to create the necessary treatment and sewerage infrastructure and the required resources will be provided by centre and states over ten-year period on a shared basis after Planning Commission consultations,” Ramesh, told reporters here after the meeting today.

Currently, there is a sewage treatment capacity of only about 1000 million litres per Day (mld) against 3000 mld sewage being generated in the towns along the Ganga.

The authority also decided to draft a comprehensive river basin management plan ready by December 2010. Moreover, the Ministry for environment and Forest will be preparing specific action plans to deal with industrial pollution in Ganga Basin by 31 January 2010 besides studying hydro electric projects in the upper reaches of Bhagirathi.

The authority also decided to adopt new and innovative models for implementation like special purpose vehicles. Since February this year, the World Bank has supported NGRBA with an assistance of $1 billion for the first phase and a proposal of $3 million project preparation facility was forwarded to World Bank and has been approved.

“How to keep the Ganga clean and how the cities and towns situated on its banks, can be systematised, were among the issues which were discussed. We have urged the centre to give 1,000 Mw of power free of cost to us and also sought Rs 10,000 crore annually for the state’s development, maintaining the Ganga and our forests as Uttarakhand has 65 per cent forest cover,” said Uttarakhand CM Ramesh Pokhriyal after the meeting.

However, Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar doubted the capacity of the proposed institutional frame work to carry out the cleaning of the river Ganga and said that it needs to be re-examined. He pointed out that the design implementation of the projects have to be undertaken primarily at the state level and thus, there is a need for institutional structure and capacity building at the state level for which the Centre should provide financial and professional assistance. He also said that the proposed cost sharing pattern of 70:30 is not appropriate in view of the limited resources of the states.

BS

Manmohan Singh chairs Ganga River Basin Authority meet

Ganga River Basin Authority

New Delhi, Oct 5(ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh here on Monday chaired a meeting of the newly formed Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA).

The authority has been formed to streamline steps to clean up Ganga.

Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal were invited to the meeting. These are the states through which the Ganga River flows.

While Bihar and Uttarakhand Chief Ministers Nitish Kumar and Ramesh Pokhariyal respectively attended the meeting, the other two did not attend.

Besides, Forest snd Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy attended the meeting.

The setting up of the GRBA got the approval of Dr. Singh in February.

The GRBA is responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the Ganga in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management.

The authority has been given the task of managing the basin in addition to look after the cleanliness of the river water flowing through various states.

The Ganga Basin states include Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. (ANI)

Uttarakhand CM appeals for rupees 10,000 crore for Ganga's maintenance and development

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal today said that the state has sought rupees 10,000 crore annually for development-related projects and for the maintenance of Ganga and forests.

"We have urged the Centre to give 1,000 mw of power free of cost to us and also sought Rs 10,000 crore annually for the state's development, maintaining the Ganga and our forests as Uttarakhand has 65 per cent forest cover," he said after he attended the first meeting of the Ganga River Basin Authority (GRBA) here.

"How to keep the Ganga clean as it is a national river and how the cities and towns situated on its banks, can be systematised, were among the issues which were discussed," he added.

The GRBA meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at his official residence.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Forest and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy were also present.

The setting up of the GRBA got the approval of Dr. Singh in February. The authority has been formed to streamline steps to clean up Ganga.

The GRBA is responsible for addressing the problem of pollution in the Ganga in a holistic and comprehensive manner. This will include water quality, minimum ecological flows, sustainable access and other issues relevant to river ecology and management.

The authority has been given the task of managing the basin in addition to look after the cleanliness of the river water flowing through various states.

The Ganga Basin states include Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. (ANI)

Corbett National Park to have Tiger Protection Force from January 2010

Uttarakhand Government

Dehradun, Sep 17 (ANI): The Uttarakhand Government has decided to set up a specialized Tiger Protection Force to prevent poaching in the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

The Field Director of Corbett National Park will head the force, which would be operational from January 2010.

The Corbett Tiger Reserve is considered as one of the most suitable habitats for tigers and other endangered species.

The Uttarakhand’s Chief Conservator of Forest, R.B.S. Rawat, said the Corbett Tiger Protection Force would assist existing staff keeping a close watch on poachers.

The impact of the pilot project would be assessed before expanding it to other tiger reserves, he added.

Earlier, in 2007, the Union Environment and Forest Ministry had asked all 17 tiger range states to form a specialized force to strengthen efforts to save the national animal.

The country’s tiger population has dwindled to about 1400 due to poaching, shrinking habitat and falling prey bases.

The 112-member force will consist of youth from the Van Gujjar tribal community, which lives near the park. (ANI)

Seven MLAs nominated as parliamentary secretaries

STAFF WRITER 17:6 HRS IST

Dehra Dun, Oct 2 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government nominated seven MLAs as parliamentary secretaries, an official release here said today.

In a late last night decision, the government nominated MLAs Asha Nautiyal, GL Shah, Arvind Pande, Premchand Agrawal, Gopal Rawat, Chandanram Das and Diwan Singh Bist as parliamentary secretaries, the release.

All these BJP MLAs would enjoy minister of state level rank along with facilities associated with the post, which also include vehicles fit with red beacons.

Ever since Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank took over the reins of the state from former Chief Minister BC Khanduri on June 27 this year, ruling party MLAs, who did not find cabinet berth, were anxiously awaiting to be accorded with the ministerial level posts.

More MLAs and other politicians would also be granted the ministerial level posts in near future, the sources said.

Bandh failed to evoke response

STAFF WRITER 18:51 HRS IST

Dehradun, Oct 2(PTI) A day-long bandh, called by various social organisations demanding to declare Gairsain as the permanent capital of Uttarakhand failed to evoke any response here.

The activists under the banner of Gairsain Rajdhani Sangharsh Morcha today took out a rally in the city.

Convenor of Morcha Nirmala Bist claimed that the bandh was complete and successful and said that they would intensify the stir, if their demand of setting up of permanent capital in Gairsain in Chamoli district was not met.

Elaborate security arrangements were made for the bandh, however, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, police said.

Normal traffic was seen plying on roads, while most of the markets and other commercial establishments were closed due to Gandhi Jayanti.

Reports reaching here from different places of the state also said that the bandh call did not evoke much response.

Construction works for Maha Kumbh to complete by Oct end

century's first Maha Kumbh
Dehra Dun: With the century's first Maha Kumbh slated to be held in Haridwar in 2010, the Uttarakhand government on Wednesday said construction works related to the mega fair would be completed by end of this month.

Nearly 60 per cent of the total construction work is of permanent nature and it would be completed by end of this month. This is for the first time that permanent structures are being constructed at such a large scale for the fair, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank told reporters here.

A budget of Rs 565 crore has been sanctioned for the Mahakumbh, of which Rs 150 crore have already been spent, he said.

Five to six crore people are expected to take part in the fair, spread over an area of 130 sq km --from Haridwar to Rishikesh, Nishank said.

Zee News