30 Jan 2009

BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar, former union ministers Satyabrata Mukherjee and Bacchi Singh Rawat, ace shooter and Asian Games gold medalist Jaspal Rana, controversial former MP Ramakant Yadav and former CPM Rajya Sabha member Bratin Sengupta figure in the latest batch of Lok Sabha candidates declared by the BJP here on Thursday.

The party’s CEC met twice during the course of the day. While the morning session gave its stamp of approval on a list of 23 candidates, covering Uttarakhand, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and West Bengal, it came out with another list of 25 candidates later in the day. With this, the party has announced the names of 100 candidates for the LS polls.

The CEC also cleared the names of 16 more candidates from Uttar Pradesh, taking the total number of nominees declared by the party in the crucial state to 38. The second batch of candidates unveiled on Thursday also included nine from the southern state of Karnataka, all of whom happen to be sitting MPs. They include, besides Mr Ananth Kumar, who has been renominated from his Bangalore (South) stronghold, state BJP chief D V Sadananda Gowda (Udupi-Chikmagalore), Mr Suresh Angadi Chanabasappa (Belgaum), Mr P C Gaddigoudar (Bagalkot), Mr Prahlad Joshi (Dharwad), Mr Ananth Kumar Hegde (Uttara Kannada), Mr G M Siddeswara (Davanagere), Mr C H Vijay Shanker (Mysore) and Mr Ramesh Jigjinagi (Bijapur-SC).

Among the 16 leaders whose candidature was cleared by the CEC from UP on Thursday include former MPs Ramakant Yadav (Azamgarh), Lt. Gen (Retd.) Prakash Mani Tripathi (Deoria), Manoj Sinha (Ballia), Ramsakal (Robertsganj-SC) and former state ministers Lallu Singh (Faizabad) and Mehendra Pandey (Bhadohi).

The party had, in the morning, cleared the names of four candidates from Uttarakhand. These include Asiad gold medalist Jaspal Rana, who’s also the elder brother of BJP president Rajnath Singh’s daughter-in-law. He’s been given the party ticket from Tehri. State BJP chief Bacchi Singh Rawat has been asked to enter the fray from Nainital (Udhamsingh Nagar). Two ministers belonging to the Khanduri government have also been given the nod. They include Mr Ajay Tamta (Almora-SC) and Mr Madan Kaushik (Haridwar-SC). With this, the party has declared the names for all five constituencies in Uttarakhand.

While Mr Narendra Sawaikar’s name has been cleared from Mormugao in Goa, former MP Bishnupada Ray has been fielded again from Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The party also cleared 17 candidates from West Bengal. There were indications that BJP would field candidates against external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee from Jangipur and Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee (Kolkata South). The party has also, it is learnt, finalised the re-entry of former union minister Tapan Sikdar.

News Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

28 Jan 2009

Industrialists have suggested development of Kalsi in Dehradun district as an industrial hub under the Integrated Hill Policy. The policy for the hilly regions of Uttarakhand, formulated in 2008, calls for setting up of various industries in the hill region of the state to usher in development.

However, in Dehradun district, Sahaspur, Raipur, Dolwala and Vikasnagar have been kept out of its purview. Kalsi has, therefore, emerged as a favourite with trade organisations.

Industrialists feel Kalsi has scope to become an industrial hub given its proximity with both Vikasnagar and Sahaspur. According to Pankaj Goyal of the Industries Association of Uttarakhand, attention is on Kalsi as it is a hill area and is easily accessible from Vikasnagar and Sahaspur that are already on the industrial map.

Additional Director of Industries S.C. Nautiyal said the two areas that have been identified as industrial hubs under the integrated hill policy are Chakrata and Kalsi. Chakrata also is a hill region of Dehradun.

Already, industrial estates have been established in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Pantnagar, Sitarganj, Selaqui, in the plains. The hill areas have been classified into three categories A, B and C. Those areas under category A are Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Champawat and Rudraprayag.

The areas under category B are Pauri, Tehri, Almora, Bageshwar and Dehradun and Nainital (excluding Haldwani and Ramnagar).

News Source: Yahoo News

26 Jan 2009

After the series of troublesome episodes relating to bringing Tata Nano to the market, the company expects to bring 80000 Nanos by March 2010. Pantnagar facility in Uttarakhand is ready to roll out the first batch of world’s cheapest car by mid or end- February 2009. The car will be soon available for display at the Tata dealerships across India.

The second plant in Sanand will be ready to become the main facility to assemble the car. The company also plans to bring the diesel version of the car by end of 2011. The diesel option will be in addition to standard 33-horsepower 625cc twin-cylinder gas unit that will be powering all Nano launch. The car will also have air-conditioning and an automatic gearbox option in future models.

Tata Motors had initially set up its manufacturing unit in West Bengal but the company was forced to shut down its unit owing to the violent protests by the aggrieved farmers who alleged that the government had not rightfully compensated them for the land acquired and demanded their land back instead of monetary compensation. Now the company is setting up its new plant in Sanand near Gujarat that shall begin its full production by next year.

News Source: http://www.cartradeindia.com

Dehradun, 22 Jan 2009

A model of Uttarakhand river rafting Tableau for the Repbulic day celebration at Delhi, in Dehradun on Thursday.

Nainital, 13 Jan 2009

UPDATED 3 Jun 2009 : Click here for Uttarakhand Board Exam Results 2009

Uttarakhand high school and intermediate board’s written examinations for this year will begin on March 5, 2009

An announcement to this effect was made by the Uttarakhand Education and Examination Council, which conducts these examinations every year.

Talking to reporters at Ramnagar, additional secretary of the Council Damodar Pant said the decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of official concerned two days ago. The date for practical examinations are yet to be decided but they are expected to be over by February 28.

He said the board examinations will be held from March 5 to March 28. While high school examinations are expected to conclude on March 21, inter mediate examinations will come to an end on March 28.

Council sources said as many as 1,75,876 students are expected to write this year’s high school examinations. Of these, 1,54,102 students are regular candidates and 21,774 are private examinees. Similarly, as many as 79,448 regular candidates and 9,549 private candidates will sit for the intermediate examination.

Dehradun, 03 Jan 2009

Iron turbine-driven watermills are providing more employment opportunities in Dehradun in Uttarakhand.

The iron-turbine has replaced the wooden turbine in water mills here. Though a small step, it is proving to be a huge leap.

Watermills have long been used to generate power here.

In turn, so generated power ran various kinds of grind mills like flour, oil and even handlooms.

“It is working free of cost with water. People get grains grinded. We also grind our own flour and sell it. It is providing many employment opportunities,” said Manoj Kumar, water mill operator.

A big advantage of water mills is increased reliance on local resources, making use of almost no direct imports. Many ventured into new business only after they had this changed and more efficient water mill at their disposal.

“My restaurant is working with the help of electricity produced by water mill. My fridge and flour grinding machine is working with the same electricity. It has been really beneficial,” said Bansuri, a restaurant owner.

Water mills, which used to be the most widespread rural technology, lost their importance when diesel mills entered the rural areas. But with the diesel prices touching the sky they are back in the reckoning.

“The wooden turbine has been converted into iron turbine. Initially, one water mill could grind only six to seven kgs of flour per hour. Now after we have introduced new technology, people are getting employed. Initially where only one person was employed, now ten are employed,” said Manmohan Negi, a technician.

Increased processing capacity of the improved watermills has helped the owner earn more profit. The widespread use of watermills and its popularity owes much to its simple and cost-effective mechanism. By Ashish Goel (ANI)