Policemen with green fingers: Saffron Farming in Chamoli

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June 7, 2018

As the State Flower Brahma Kamal blooms in Kedarnath thanks to the constant love and care of the Policemen there, Saffron farming has borne fruit in Chamoli under the watchful eye of its Policemen too.

Chamoli police has grown 300 grams of saffron in the interiors of Garhwal at a height of 4500 feet, which has been priced at three and half lakhs in the market. On the basis of its purity and quality Saffron is amongst the most expensive spices as per its weight used primarily for seasoning and as a colouring agent in food. Priced at anywhere between rupees 300 too 2000 rupees. Uttarakhand Government has priced the home-grown saffron from Chamoli at 800 rupees, for which they will be an e-tender procedure to market their product.

Speaking to the media, SSP Tripti Bhatt said, “The land close to the Police Line here was a dumping ground which we decided to clean up and turn into a herbal garden, which has been a big success today.“

The herbal garden was inaugurated by none other than Uttarakhand’s legendary Environmentalist Padmabhushan Awardee Chandi Prasad Bhatt on 9th November 2017, Statehood Day. Other than Saffron there are some 50 kinds of herbal plants grown in the area today.

Police Inspector Anoop Maithani was handed over the charge of the garden which has since then prospered under his care, and within a short span of 6 months the Saffron stigmas and styles or threads as they are commonly called were collected and then sun-dried and the elusive Saffron/Kesar was collected and used for its hay-like fragrance and golden-yellow hue in food.

Uttarakhand CM inaugurates Film Appreciation Course

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newspost

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June 7, 2018

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A 5-day Course in Film Appreciation by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune begins in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.The Course,first of its kind by FTII in the state capital,is being conducted in association with Uttarakhand Film Development Council (UFDC),Govt of Uttarakhand.

Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand inaugurated the Course in Dehradun today in the presence of Bhupendra Kainthola, Director, FTII, Pankaj Pandey, DG, I&PR, Govt of Uttarakhand, Ramesh Bhat, Media Advisor to CM and Pankaj Saxena, FTII alumnus & Course Director.

In all 126 participants (91 from Uttarakhand) and 9 other states (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Delhi) have registered for the Course.

Some are Students, translator, teachers, professor, engineer, cameraman, model, government officer,software engineer, IT professional, artist,interior decorator, theatre artist, manager, writer,communication specialist, PhD scholar, radio announcer, journalist, dancer, film maker, animator,railway officer, businessman, radio jockey and sports coordinator.

In Uttarakhand, FTII has so far conducted Film Appreciation courses in Srinagar, Hardwar, IIT Roorkee and Nainital.

FTII has so far conducted over 71 short courses in 20 locations across the country during the last 1 year under its cross country film education outreach initiative SKIFT (Skilling India in Film and Television).

Develop helipads at 13 tourist destination: CM Rawat

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June 6, 2018

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Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has issued orders to develop helipads at the 13 tourist destinations selected by the State government. He said that appropriate action should be taken for the redressal of the complaint of over-charging rent from pilgrims by the company providing heli-service at ShriKedarnath.

CM added that if the complaint is found true, strict action should be initiated against the concerned company. Chief Minister was presiding over the meeting of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority held at secretariat on Wednesday. During the meeting, discussions were held regarding Civil Aviation Development Authority income and expenses and other issues.

FTII’s Sarthak Bhasin bags Best Short Fiction Award

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Tania Saili

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June 6, 2018

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EKAANT, a film by Sarthak Bhasin, recent alumnus of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Pune, won the prestigious Best Short Fiction Award at the Tbilisi International Student Film Festival that was held from 30 May – 3 June, in Georgia.

Sarthak Bhasin, a 2011 batch Direction student directed the Course end diploma film which has been shot by Pretheepan Selvarathnam, edited by Sumit Kumar with sound by Arun Kumar R.

Not new to winning awards, Sarthak has managed to add yet another feather to his cap as FTII Director, Bhupendra Kainthola points out, “Sarthak’s academic achievements as a student of Post Graduate Diploma in Direction and Screenwriting has been something to write home about. Considering his enviable track record, the honours at Tbilisi is, in a sense, not surprising,” while congratulating Sarthak on his spectacular achievement.

The movie is set in an unspecified time and space, with the protagonist of EKAANT being the only living person in a devastated city. The protagonist goes about struggling, negotiating tough settings and more importantly trying to survive. Then, one fine day, out of nowhere, he happens to meet another person. Except that this person looks exactly like him.

Talking to Newspost about the Award Sarthak says, “its great feeling to get recognised, any sort of encouragement or recognition is a great feeling, it wants to make you work harder and make better movies for people. The volume of work that the team had to do for this assignment was more than my previous works, so its gratifying to be recognized. “

At the moment, Sarthak who recently moved base to Mumbai and is grappling with a feature length script that he is writing along with finding his feet in the ‘city that never sleeps.’

Talking about his future goals, he says with complete aplomb, ‘I want to be in Bollywood, yet do my own thing,’ that is the dream this young man is living for now.

Sant Nirankari Mission Cleans up Mussoorie

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Tania Saili

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June 5, 2018

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Working on war-footing, dressed immaculately in khakhi and blue, close to 2500 sevadars, both men and women took to the narrow lanes of Mussoorie, armed with brooms, ropes, gloves, face-masks and sacks cleaning each and every nook and corner of the Queen the Hills, on World Environment Day.

Speaking to Newspost, Mussoorie Zonal In-charge Shri Harbhanjan Singh said, “We have been planning this for months now. We wanted to make Mussoorie Plastic Free. For this the town was divided into 6 zones starting from Tehri bus-stand to Library Mussoorie. Our sevadaars and Sant Niranakari Charitable Foundation sevadal members have done a tremendous job in collecting plastic waste not only from the roads but deep gorges along the roads as well.”

If this was not all. The Nirankari group also seen distributing 1000 jute bags to senior citizens, shop-keepers, as well as tourists to spread awareness amongst all about the harmful affects of plastic.

‘Say No To Plastic’ was the motto of the cleanliness drive which also held street plays at prominent landmarks in the town. The gathering also took a community oath in the presence of esteemed Narendar mamaji and Raj mamiji both Executive Members of the Sant Nirankari Mission saying ‘No to Plastic.’

Along with the cleanliness drive, the mission also planted trees along the Nirankari Bhawan in the Camels Back Road. The drive was simultaneously conducted by the Nirankari Mission in three prominent towns of the hill-state of Uttarakhand, namely Rishikesh, Mussoorie and Nainital in one single day.

Coaxing the mythical Brahma kamal

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Tania Saili

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June 5, 2018

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On World Environment Day, Uttarakhand Police shared with the hill-folks an endearing picture of its rare, legendary and mythological flower of Uttarakhand, the Brahma Kamal with magnificent long leaves from 12 to 15 inches long, and the flower deep green, wrinkled above and silvery below.

Sharing exclusive pictures of the flowers in bloom with Newspost, from the highest plant nursery located at Nandi Base Camp, inside the Kedarnath Police Station. The 6 mtr by 8 mtr enclosure has borne fruite and an elated police team of the Kedarnath police station headed by Sub Inspector Bipin Chandra Pathak says: “Few weeks back Chief Secretary had especially visited us when he heard about the Brahm Vatika and had promised to return when the flowers would bloom. Last year only 7 odd flowers bloomed. But this year we have some 30-40 flowers blooming, it’s a delight to see them and I hope CS sir as well as our H’onble Chief Minister and DGP sir will come to visit and see these flowers as well.”

The Brahmakamals or saussurea obvallata in Latin is also the most engendered species of flowers along the pilgrimage route as the flowers are plucked for offerings at the shrines.

The legendary Brahma Kamal finds mention in legend where Draupadi is supposed to have asked Bhim to get her some of the pollen from the plant, which is supposed to give eternal youth.

The Brahma Vatika, as the nursery is named came into existence in 2015, it has around 180-200 plants of the Brahma Kamal growing in a small enclosure. Three years of love and tender care has gone into coaxing these finicky plants, once on the very edge of extinction, to bloom again.

It has proved to be an instant hit with tourists, visitors and pilgrims pouring in from the far-flung corners of the world. It gives them all a chance to see this almost mythical plant from such close quarters. Dhruv Patel from Gujarat, in Kedarnath on a pilgrimage sums it up best: “These flowers are a feast for the eyes and a treat for the soul. All credit goes to these brave hearts for bringing these plants from 14000 feet, planting them and defying all odds to grow them here.”

Mascot of Afghan cricket team comes to Dehradun

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Tania Saili

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June 5, 2018

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Dehradun; The International Cricket Match played in Raipur Sport College in the State Capital has in many ways been the ‘first of its kind’ creating euphoria amongst cricket fans not only from the valley but from all over, converging cheer their favourite team.

The Afghanistan-Bangladesh T-20 series played in Dehradun worked as a lodestone attracting not just ordinary fans but some special ones as well, like 50 year old ‘Baba e Cricket‘ from Afghanistan who leaving behind memories of his war-ravaged home has come to support and cheer his beloved team.

Armed with an easy smile and a long flowing white beard, Raza Khan is hard to miss. An ardent fan of the Afghanistan Cricket Team he made his way to the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Raipur to witness history.

For the past decade or so Raza has been religiously travelling with the Afghan Cricket team, visiting countries and continents cheering on his cricket team.

Despite limited resources and enormous hardships, alike the Afghan cricket team Raza Khan too has caught the fancy of the media as he sways his country flag with such pride that it warms the cockles of the heart.

Like his counterparts from India, Sudhir Gautam Chaudhary who is the mascot for our national cricket team, and Pakistan’s Chaudhry Abdul Jalil popularly known as ‘Chacha Cricket.’ Afghanistan’s cricket die-hard fan and mascot Raza Khan or ‘Baba e Cricket‘ or ‘Cricket Baba,’ dresses in his handsome traditional dress and head gear, holding his country’s national flag high with pride, egging his cricket team to win.

450 disabled in Haridwar given life assisting equipment

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June 4, 2018

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thavar Chand Gehlot distributed life assisting equipment to 450 disabled in Haridwar district as part of Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojna of Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment at a function held at Rishikul ground in Haridwar.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said, “Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is clear in his thoughts that the government belongs to those people who are economically and socially weak. The constitution of India gives priority to disabled and economically poor.” In the last four years, 50 times more camps were held which benefitted the deserving people. CM directed the district administration to make people aware about the welfare schemes run for disabled and other welfare schemes run by the central as well as the state governments so that maximum number of people could be benefitted.

The Chief Minister said that anybody can lodge complaint on toll free number 1905.

Union minister Mr. Thavar Chand Gehlot said, “in the last four years, equipment worth Rs.600 crore have been distributed amongst 11 lakh Divyangs of the country and 70,000 camps have been organized for them.”

He said that Rashtriya Vayoshree Yojna was started last year in which 260 districts of the country have been chosen. Under this scheme, a total of 43,000 old disabled have been given equipment as per their requirement. More than 80 per cent of the disabled have been provided with motorized tri-cycles. T

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provides disabled with wheel chairs, tri-cycles, crutches, hearing aids, spectacles, laptop to students and smart phone. It has been decided to provide equipment worth Rs.7000 to each deserving person. The government is also providing grant for the treatment of children who are deaf and dumb.

48 hours weather alert sounded in Uttarakhand

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Lucky Singh/Tania Saili

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June 4, 2018

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Dehradun, three days after a thunder squall swept through the hill-state, weather Gods have once again decided to bring Uttarakhand to a dripping halt on the 5th and 6th of June, following which the State Meteorological Center has issued a fresh warning of thunderstorm and squall in Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital and Udhamsingh Nagar Districts.

According to the Indian Met Department: “There are chances of an impending hailstorm, squall on Tuesday and Wednesday which will effect Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital and Udhamsingh Nagar Districts with wind velocity of upto 70-80 kilometer per/hour.”

In the past few days, rising mercury saw hill areas such as Rudraprayag touch 33 degrees, Gopeshwar at 32 and Uttarakashi at 31 degrees, while Haridwar was at a sweltering 37-38 degree. “Thunderstorms will be seen in the plains of five districts. Other places will receive light to moderate rainfall,” said Bikram Singh, Director, Met Centre.

Giving priority to the upcoming weather alert sounded by the Metrological Department on 5th and 6th of June, the State Administration is working on war footing to ensure that no untoward incident takes place, giving strict orders:

NO vehicles, except emergency such as 108 will ply on hilly-roads from 8:00 pm to morning 5:00 a.m.
There will be complete ban on tourists travelling in the interiors of Garhwal region in the face of inclement rain.
Officials of Disaster Management have been kept on high alert.
NH, PWD, ADB, BRO, WB have been given instructions to open road blocks, land slips if and when they occur.
All Revenue Officials and Village Development Officers not to leave their area and be on duty.
Officials and workers not to switch off mobiles.
Schools to ensure safety and security of its students.

As the saying goes, ‘Caution is better than cure,‘ and this seems to be the leitmotif of Uttarakhand Government who seems to have learnt its bitter lesson from the 2013 Kedarnath Disaster, and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all remains well.

DIT bags first prize at the “Solar energy vehicle competition”

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Tania Saili

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June 4, 2018

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat met Devansh Gupta and Vartik Shrivastava of DIT University at his official residence. The Chief Minister congratulated these DIT students for receiving the first prize for making a car run on solar energy and electricity in the national “Solar energy vehicle competition” held at Gwalior recently.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister said, “there is immense potential to work in the field of solar energy and power energy. State government is promoting new entrepreneurs under it’s start up policy, and paying special attention to ‘Start up India’ and Stand Up India” to promote entrepreneurship at the grass root level.”

“Innovation in business was getting importance and new technical experiments and business ideas could bring a big difference in the lives of the people,” he added.

A 17 member team of DIT University led by Devansh Gupta participated in the Gwalior competition and went on to win six prizes under different categories.

The highlights of the “Zero Emission Hybrid Solar Electric Car” are:

The energy source of the vehicle will never deplete
It is free of noise and air pollution

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