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Come 30th September, ‘Distinguished’ riders take to the road

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Pic Courtesy: Navdesh Chaudhary

Coming Sunday i.e. 30th of September, Doonites will witness bikers, but of a different kind! Minus the leather gear, these ‘men in tux’ will ride for a mission.

Ride host, Siddhartha Wason, tell us, “This is no ordinary ride. It is absolutely different as it is organized for a social cause. It is about spreading awareness about Prostate Cancer and Men’s Health.” For the past three years, Wanderers Bulleteers of Dehradun have been hosting The Distinguished Gentleman Ride, the first Tier-2 city in India to have this honour.

Pic Courtesy: Shekhar Rawat

The 15-20 kilometer ride will be flagged off at 7:00 am from Ashley Hall, making its way down the scenic Rajpur road, up Old Mussoorie Road and culminate at the World Integrity Centre. What makes the ride even more interesting it that the riders shed their fancy leather gear and dress up in tuxedos, shirt and tie, three piece suit to ride classic bikes such as Triumph, Royal Enfield, Java, Rajdoot, Vintage Scooters and the likes.

A band performance, with a seminar by Dr. Puneet Arora and an  award giving ceremony under various categories such as Most Distinguished Bike, Most Distinguished Biker, Distinguished lady, Best Couple and so on and so forth add charisma to the one-day event.

Pic Courtesy: Shekhar Rawat

From a hundred participants in the year 2016, the ride has caught the fancy of young and old riders alike. This year round, over hundred and thirty participants have already registered for the event from Dehradun and surrounding towns, with many more expected to sign- up over the next two days.

Riders from as old as 19 year enthusiasts to the oldest being in their 70’s, these classic bikers, scrambler, café racers, vintage scooters are already polishing their mean-machines and revving up their engines to add some oomph on the roads of Dehradun with a message close to their heart and minds.

Missing nineteen IIT Roorkee students safe and sound

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Good news poured in late last night. All nineteen IIT students along with their five porters had been located and believed to be safe and sound. The students along with their porters set up camp close to Gangi when the weather turned for the worse a few days ago. Today SDRF team Ghansali, Revenue team and Police Unit from Ghansali will be escorting the students back to Ghuttu by  late evening.

A team of nineteen IIT Roorkee students including five porters, set out on 20th of September from Gangi in Tehri District making their way to Kedarnath Shrine, in Rudraprayag District, when due to inclement weather all contact with the students was lost.

The six-seven day trek was to end with the Team arriving in Kedarnath, but that was not the case. Talking to Newspost, SSP Prahlad Meena said , “it is not yet confirmed whether they are stranded or they are behind schedule by a few days.”

The district administration worked on war-footing and left no stone unturned to touch base with the students A rescue team left on Monday morning from Kedarnath to re-track the trek and also aerial surveys were underway to establish contact with the missing students.

As soon as the news of the IIT students being safe poured in, District Administration along with anxious parents and IIT faculty, heaved a sigh of relief.

Union Ministers & Secretaries also invited for Investors Summit

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Chief Secretary Mr. Utpal Kumar Singh held a meeting with Union and State Government Undertakings in connection with the Investor Summit to be held in October. He said that besides investors, the Union Ministers and Secretaries have been invited for the Summit.

Chief Secretary informed that in the meeting held at Secretariat that Chief Guest for the Manufacturing session will be the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Mr. Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister for Heavy Industry Mr. Anant Geete. He further said that Chief Guest for the Tourism session will be Union Minister for Tourism Mr. Alphons Kannanthanam, Chief Guest for Infrastructure session will be Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Chief Guest for IT & Electronics session will be Union Minister for Information Technology & Electronics Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chief Guest for the Agriculture session will be Union Minister for Food Processing Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Chief Guest for the Health session will be Union Minister for Health Mr. J.P.Nadda.

Principal Secretary, Industries, Shmt Manisha Panwar informed that GAIL would invest Rs. 680 crores and Railway Development Corporation would invest Rs 30,000 crores in the Karnprayag railway line. Every year, there will be investment of Rs 250 crores in the State. ONGC is spending Rs 10 crore from CSR funds. The banking sector is also assisting in the industrialization through loans. Hydro Power Corporation of State Government will invest about Rs. 2000 crores. THDC will also invest Rs 2000 crore in hydro power projects.

Secretary, Finance, Mr. Amit Negi, Director Industries Mr. Sudhir Nautiyal and other senior officers were present in the meeting.

Sucheta, the youngest woman biker to conquer Khardung-la

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Dehradun: Young, tall, with a spark in her eyes is a lady who talks to the wind. Sucheta Sati, is one dare-devil who followed her heart and passion to the hilt. A gifted biker,  at the age of 19 drove her dream-machine an Avengar 150cc Bike and conquered the world’s highest motorable road Khardung-la pass, in Leh Ladakh.

Born and brought up in the interiors of Garhwal in Joshimath, Chamoli, Sucheta is the elder daughter of Mahesh Sati. Starting young, Sucheta honed her riding skills when she turned 14 and has since then gone onto break and make new records, adding the latest feather of being Uttarakhand’s first and the world’s youngest woman rider to conquer Khardung-la, the highest motorable pass in the world.

Sucheta proudly recalls, “Under the guidance of DS rawat of the IAS Academy, Race Course Mussoorie a team of 11 members were flagged off Dehradun on the 10th of June, 2018 covering three thousand kilometer stretch on their bikes, in which I was the only female participant.”

She adds, “We rode for close to 12 hours the first day and arrived at Patni Top, the following day we left for Kargil, and then on 15th June we reached our final destination Khardung-la, at a height of 18 thousand 380 feet and made our way back to Dehradun on the 22nd of June.” 

So how does it feel to have achieved such an admirable feat? Sucheta tells us, “It was a proud moment for me and it feels great to have finally achieved my dream.

Enroute the bikers rode through the country’s most scenic route crossing Rohtang Pass, Drass, Keand, Sarchu, Pang, Patso, Leh, Lubru  covering close to four hundred kilometers per day.

Landslips, road blocks, freezing temperatures and high altitude were borne with fortitude and determination by the entire team including Sucheta Sati, who wasnt really new to such adventure, being a trekking and biking enthusiast. She has been on solo rides to Auli, Harsil, Dharamshala, Changbang peak, Valley of flowers on foot as well.

So as we sign off, the young lady is already making plans for her next mission: A Bike Ride from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. We wish her all the very best, as there is no stopping her!

ABCH, Mussoorie: Veterinarians to the Rescue

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Unkempt, Mangy, filthy, fractured bones, open wounds, scabies, until recently the streets of Mussoorie were over flowing with canines of all shape, size and age in dire need to be rescued from their pathetic condition.

While some died a miserable death, many were beaten, some poisoned, others wished away but the resilient ones made their own packs, looked after each other and owned their own designated mohalla, road or chowk. There were growing instances of the old and children being attacked.

“Survey carried out by Humane Society International-India (HSI) in 2016 there were close to a thousand canines roaming the streets of the hill-station. Two years later the number has gone up drastically. But the good news is that they have someone to take care off,” tells us Dr. Rajesh Pandey Program Manager,Uttarakhand ABC -ARV project;  HSI-India Head of the ABCH Project Uttarakhand.

“Dr. A.Joshi, Joint Director Animal Welfare, tells us “the scheme, Animal Birth Control – Anti Rabies Vaccination Programme was brought together by three stake holders, Animal Welfare Board of India, under Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change, GOI, Urban Development Department, State of Uttarakhand plus the Mussoorie Municipal Body. Human Society International was given charge as Expert Program Implementation Organization for this state-of-the-art Animal Birth Control Hospital built in the outskirts of the hill-station, on the Dhanolti by-pass road.”

Designed as per Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 in compliance to orders from Uttarakhand High Court and Supreme Court of India. Humane Society International – India was selected through national bidding by UD Directorate and has been deployed for three Urban Local Bodies of Mussoorie, Nainital and Dehradun.

Two vets with a well-trained staff of eight to ten members will be stationed on call 24×7. Equipped with a kennel with 68 cells, an operating theatre, staff rooms, store-room and modern kitchen has taken the uphill task of taking proper care of Mussoorie’s feral.

 

Recently, eight strays were hand-picked without using nets or traps or dog van, brought to the hospital where they are, “first and foremost these dogs are sterilized be it male or female. In the four days that they are kept here, they are given anti-rabies shot, de-worm, multi-vitamins and skin care procedures carried out and their open wounds treated,” informs Dr. Pandey.

A well-maintained online database, with a mobile app to monitor sterilized dogs  with a basic collar tag to ensure that our four-legged friends are given the most scientific and humane treatment, is just the right way ahead.

Regional Grand Lodge, Half yearly meeting to be held in Mussoorie

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Mussoorie, in all its autumn glory is set to play the perfect hostess at the two day Half-Yearly Meeting of the Regional Grand Lodge of Northern India this weekend.

From 22nd to 23rd of September, under a clear blue sky and toasty autumn sun kissing the hill-station’s lush green ranges, over three hundred and fifty Freemasons from hundred and thirty-four Lodges across forty seven locations of Northern India are expected to congregate in the Queen of Hills.  Masons here will renew their pledges to carry forth the tenets of Freemasonry and further the basic objectives of Freemasonry – Brotherly Love, Relief & Truth.

Amongst the oldest and finest Masonic Lodges in the country – Lodge Dalhousie No. 10, Mussoorie, consecrated in the year 1854 and Lodge Siwalik Dr. Durga Prasad No. 62, Dehra Dun Cantt which dates back to 1902, will be facilitating the Half-Yearly Meet in Mussoorie.

Masons of all ranks will meet over the next two days to plan out their future activities, exchange information about various charitable and non-charitable activities carried out by various Lodges of North Zone over the past few months and charter their further course of action.

Freemasonry has served the hill-state of Uttarakhand as and when tragedy struck. Masons here have been leading from the forefront assisting in relief activities wherever and whenever required. Medical teams were sent post the 2013 June, Kedarnath Deluge. The Brotherhood also rebuilt two Inter colleges in Rudraprayag District, one at Ladoli and the other in Nagrasu including other numerous charitable activities in the State.

Freemasonry has been in existence in India for close to 290 years. This world-wide organisation is based on the principle of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man. It seeks to make good men better and thereby make the world a better place to live.

Dear Masons, Mussoorie awaits your arrival!

Uttarakhand becoming first choice of Investors

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Chief Minister Mr. Trivendra Singh Rawat in the presence of Agriculture Minister Mr. Subodh Uniyal signed MOUs for investment proposals in food processing sector in the state at Chief Minister’s office hall in Vidhan Sabha on Thursday.  The M0U was signed between Secretary Agriculture D. Senthil Pandian and Managing Director of Ms. Rocket Riddhi-Siddhi Private Limited, Goregoan, Mumbai Rohit Marken.

Rohit Marken informed the Chief Minister that the unit based in Rudrapur would be the biggest unit in India to produce starch from maize.  The unit will use eight lakh tonnes of maize. Out of this 4 lakh tonne maize will be directly bought from farmers of Uttarakhand. This will also provide employment opportunities to large number of local people.   

On this occasion, Mr Jyoti Prakash Aggarwal, General Manager, Project Development at Azure Power presented a letter consent of Rs.21,000 crores investment in renewed energy sector to the Chief minister.  These investment proposals include manufacturing of solar panels, establishment of solar power plants at water reservoirs/dams,  establishing solar roof top plants, gasification units for ‘Pirul’, establishing minor hydro-electric plants and large hydro-electric projects. These would provide employment to thousands of people.

While welcoming the investors in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister assured them that they will be provided favourable environment for investment in the state. Our initiative of organising Road Shows in various parts of India besides Thailand and Singapore has been appreciated by the entrepreneurs and we are receiving more than expected investment proposals. Adani Group has also agreed to invest Rs 1,000 crore in solar power sector. Chief Minister called upon the investors that they are welcome for the Investor Summit on 7 and 8 October in Dehradun.

On this occasion, Chief Secretary Mr. Utpal Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Mr. Om Prakash, Principal Secretary Smt. Manisha Pawar, Secretary Power Shmt Radhika Jha, Secretary Tourism Mr. Dilip Jawalkar, Additional Secretary Dr. Ranjit Sinha and office bearers of industrial groups were present.

Shotwithmeraki: Shooting with love and light

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Pics Courtesy: Robin Nagar

Just like our avian friend, Robin! Our Robin Nagar is a restless soul too. Born to a civil servant father, moving base came naturally to him as he travelled the length and breadth of the country.

A Hotel Management degree got Robin his first job as a Cabin Crew in Kingfisher and then Jet International Airways, making sure that his passion to travel was taken care off.

Pics Courtesy: Robin Nagar

So how did photography happen? “It dint happen to me, I happened to Photography,” quips Robin. Traveling and capturing memories and people in his shutter-bug came naturally to him and Robin turned his hobby into a full time profession.

Today, at the age of 29, Robin boasts of having worked with the likes of legendary International Photographer Ali Ghorbani when he was in Hong Kong for three years, and recently set up Shotwithmeraki, based out of Delhi, Mumbai and now Dehradun as well.

On returning to India, Robin and his wife Uzma, who happens to be his Muse as well, decided to make Dehradun their home. ‘His pad’, he tell us, “is home for now, amidst the greenery. The industry that I worked for ensured that I live out of a suitcase but this place feels like home. The perfect mix of civilization yet being close to nature.’

Pics Courtesy: Robin Nagar

Robin brings with him international exposure as far as photography is concerned. Shotwithmeraki instagram page gives us a glimpse into his world and what he has to offer. “Meraki” in Greek, means, to put a bit of yourself in your work, and that is Robin’s forte. Equipped with top-of-the-line equipment such as Sony A7S2, Canon 5D mark IV, a plethora of Lenses, a Zhiyun crane and DJI drone Robin breathes life into his stills and videos.

Shotwithmeraki does wedding-shoots, fashion, products and corporate shoots as well. “I am a people’s person so I enjoy shooting anything related to people. If a person is entrusting us with the honour of preserving their their d-day in stills and videos, then we too should give it our all,” is his motto.

Pics Courtesy: Robin Nagar

Robin signs off by saying, “We at SWM don’t shoot to satisfy our clients, we shoot to impress them.” And impressed we are! Now your turn to get impressed and give him a shot!

Railway Swachhta Diwas on September 22

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Under the “Swachhta Hi Sewa” campaign from September 15, 2018 to 02 October 2018, on September 22, under the “Railway Swachhta Diwas”, a cleanliness campaign will be undertaken at Railway Stations across the hill-state.

On 25th September, under the Swachh Bharat Mission, under “Swachhgrahi Se Swachhgrahi– Ek Se Anek”, will spread awareness amongst the people about cleanliness in the village panchayats and also assist in cleanliness work.

For the purpose of public awareness under the “International Mahatma Gandhi Sammelan Diwas” on September 29, seminars related to cleanliness will be organized in the all thirteen districts.

On the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, the “Swachh Bharat Diwas” will be organized at the district and state level. In districts, solid and liquid waste management will be started at any selected village panchayat at the Gram Panchayat level.

On the same day, work of plantation, water resource conservation and cleanliness of water sources, stream, nullahs etc. will also be done in the village panchayats. Under the “Swachhta Hi Sewa” programme, the “Swachharambh Diwas” and “Swachhta Sabha Diwas” were organised in the state on September 15 and 16 respectively.

Love: A six-letter word for our four-legged friend!

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Dehradun, Our canine friends are in for a treat! The city’s first café has opened its gates to pamper the Master and his/her Dog!

BowWow, a week old café, was the brain- child of dog lover, Sidhanth Arora, “the response has been tremendous! We have both dog lovers and plenty curious onlookers come by, so no complaints on that account!” He quips. Sidhanth is a confident twenty-two year old BBA Graduate who has been experimenting with innovative ideas for the past three years, with the cafe being his latest enterprise.

The roof-top café, Opposite the Indian Oil Petrol Pump, Jakhan comes equipped with grooming facilities for your canines: spa, blow dry, haircut, Jacuzzi & overall grooming – indeed a treatment fit for Kings and Queens.

Within BowWow is a one-stop shop for all your doggy needs: branded feeders, sleeping pads, toys, t-shirts and mind you, party-wear clothes as well. If that wasn’t enough, 24×7 Trainers along with an on-call vet for any medical needs are available.

The BowWow Café also provides day boarding for those who don’t want to leave their pets unsupervised at home.

For those travelling out-of-station with no alternate arrangement, the 24×7 Night Boarding Facility is tailor-made for you and your pet. Pick one of the five suites equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

The concept behind the one-of-its-kind cafe was to create a place where you could hang out with your pet,” Sidhanth adds.  Now you can bring along your pet for a meal and watch it socialize, play, rest and relax in the play area while you enjoy your meal at the Pefeteria (separate kitchen for Dogs and Master) which serves lip-smacking meals to both.

Next time, when you are in the mood to pamper your furry friend, go to BowWow Café. It could well turn into your favourite haunt in town!