Global News Post: Uttarakhand

INDIA: 26 People Washed Away In Heavy Rains in Uttarkashi

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DEHRADUN (NNN-UNI) -- Twenty-six people were washed away due to excessive rains or cloudburst incidents overnight in Uttarakhand. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Uttarkashi Disrict Magistrate Rajesh Kumar confirmed the death of seven people while 19 labourers were feared washed away in Assi Ganga River in the district. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The laboureres were working in Phase 1 and 2 of Maneri Bhali Hydroelectric Projects. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Uttarkashi district is the worst hit due to heavy downpour lashing the hill state for the past few days. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna has expressed deep concern over the loss caused by the natural disaster. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">''The Government is with the people in this moment of hardship.' he added. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He appealed to the people living near the river banks to shift to safer places as more rains were expected in next two days. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag were the worst affected in the Garhwal region with reports of all seasonal and major rivers and rivulets swollen with water. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Water, power and communication services were hit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Incidents of cloud burst were reported from Uttarkashi due to which maximum damage was causd in Bhatwadi, Sangam Chatti and Swarigad.--NNN-UNI <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><br />
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INDIA: 26 People Washed Away In Heavy Rains in Uttarkashi

DEHRADUN (NNN-UNI) -- Twenty-six people were washed away due to excessive rains or cloudburst incidents overnight in Uttarakhand. Uttark...

India: Committee to Study Issues of Indian Van Gujjars Tribe

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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DEHRA DUN (NNN-PTI): A high-level committee will be set up in Uttarakhand to look into issues related to the rehabilitation of Van Gujjars living in protected forest areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The committee headed by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna will also suggest ways for bringing the nomadic tribe of Gujjars into the mainstream of the society. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The committee, which will have Secretary Forest and Secretaries of other concerned Departments, as its members, will study various issues related to Van Gujjars like rehabilitation, education and health and submit its report to the Chief Minister within the next two months, the CM said Monday evening. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The CM said his government also intends to formulate a separate policy for development of backward Van Gujjar tribe. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The state government would also pursue with the Centre the issue of providing the Van Gujjars the status of Scheduled Tribe (ST). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Van Gujjar, a muslim nomadic tribe, are currently enjoying status of OBC in the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Van Gujjars identified in 2006 census would be provided all basic facilities, Bahuguna said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: kashida; text-kashida: 0%;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Assuring the tribe that he would personally visit their homes to take stock of the situation, Bahuguna directed the officials to provide BPL Cards to the eligible families and ensure that there is no problem to the Gujjar students in pursuing education. -NNN-PTI<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Committee to Study Issues of Indian Van Gujjars Tribe

DEHRA DUN (NNN-PTI): A high-level committee will be set up in Uttarakhand to look into issues related to the rehabilitation of Van Gujjars ...

India: Congress Party Claims Victory in Punjab, Uttarakhand Assembly Polls

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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">NEW DELHI</span></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"> (NNN-IANS) -- The Congress Monday claimed victory in Uttarakhand and <st1:place w:st="on">Punjab</st1:place> assembly polls.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Reports from <st1:place w:st="on">Punjab</st1:place> and Uttarakhand ... clearly speak that the party is winning and forming governments," Congress leader Mohan Prakash said at a party briefing here.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">He said the Congress will also form the government in Uttar Pradesh, where the seven-phased polls begin Feb 8.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Congress is the main opposition party in both <st1:place w:st="on">Punjab</st1:place> and Uttarakhand, where polls were held Monday. -- NNN-IANS<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Congress Party Claims Victory in Punjab, Uttarakhand Assembly Polls

NEW DELHI (NNN-IANS) -- The Congress Monday claimed victory in Uttarakhand and Punjab assembly polls. "Reports from Punjab and Ut...