Sixth Pay Commission in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand Government has decided to extend the privilege of the Sixth Pay Commission to all government-aided school staff both teaching and non-teaching. This will benefit 7,200 teachers and 4,000 non-teaching staff of government-aided schools besides pensioners. The Uttarakhand cabinet also decided to accept the demands of the state government employees for grade pay and approved the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme under which an employee would get a higher grade after every 10 years in service in case no promotion was given during the period.

In public announcement, it has benn said that all government employees working in border areas would be given hill development allowance which was earlier not being given to them as they were getting border area allowance. Areas would be identified which are higher that 1,000 metres and allowance would be paid which would range between Rs 150 and Rs 540 in accordance with the grade pay, said Pandey. Valleys located over a height of 1,000 metres but lower in altitude would also be included.

Rs 14.16 Crore to Uttarakhand Sugarcane Farmers

In an official statement, to clear the dues of sugarcane farmers, Uttarakhand Government has released an amount of Rs 14.16 crore. This amount is the second and final installment to the six Government and cooperative sugar mills in the State. The Government had already paid Rs 42.13 crore in themonth of October as the first installment for the last crushing season of 2007-08. With this, all the dues to the amount of Rs 56.29 crore of farmers for the last crushing season has been cleared. The Government has also directed all the sugar mills to ensure full payment to farmers this season also.

Vijaya Barthawal becomes first deputy speaker of Uttarakhand

BJP MLA Vijaya Barthawal, become the first deputy speaker of Uttarakhand assembly. The opposition parties Congress and BSP not field the candidate against Barthawal. Both the parties criticised the ruling party for not following the healthy traditions of a parliamentary democracy and said the post of Deputy Speaker goes to the opposition by convention. Vijaya Barthawal is from Yamkeshwar assembly seat in Pauri district.

Uttarakhand Small Pond Owners will get 30% Subsidy

Uttarakhand state government has decided to give 30% subsidy benefit to the fishponds owners having a size of more than 50 sq metres fishpond. Earlier it was available to fishponds of more than 100 sq metres.

According to Animal Husbandry Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, "In the hills of Uttarakhand, people generally keep small ponds. So we decided that the benefits of the subsidy should also reach small pond owners”.

The step is taken to give boost to the business of fisheries as fish in the Himalayan belt are considered tasty. In addition to this, the department will also provide five ducks to small pond owners and 10 ducks to big pond owners, as per the growing demand of duck eggs in the market.

Uttarakhand Wild Grass Furniture

With a theme "close to nature" Uttarakhand people start making use of the locally grown wild grass as a raw material for making furniture. The wild grass which they are using is popularly, known as lantana, the grass is invasive, and is considered to be a noxious weed. The grass is the same weed which was considered a curse by the locals till now, and the same weed now turning into a blessing for the local people.

Uttarakhand based non-governmental organization (NGO), HAFCO, is conducting workshops for the locals and training them in making innovative articles like flower vases, stools, racks, dustbins and furniture pieces such as sofa sets, tables and chairs.

Corbett & Rajaji National Parks Opened for Tourists

Corbett & Rajaji National Parks are now opened for tourists after the forest guards deferred their agitation in the wake of assurances given by the Uttarakhand government to look into their demands which include hike in their wages.

Uttarakhand Forest Guards Federation locked the gates of Corbett and Rajaji National parks which creates difficulty to the tourists and wildlife lovers coming from different parts of the country.

The two national parks reopen for tourists on November 15 every year after remaining closed for monsoon season.

Jim Corbett national park is known for tigers & Rajaji national park known for Asiatic elephants, which attracts lakhs of tourists every year.

Uttarakhand Char Dhams Closed for Winter

The Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand is now closed for devotees. The closing ceremony of Badrinath Dham was attended by around 3,000 devotees, including chief minister BC Khanduri. Badrinath Dham, one of the four "dhams'' of the Uttarakhand state, opened on May 9. The shrine is opened and closed as per the auspicious "muhurat''. Badrinath's closing date is decided upon by priests on the occasion of "Vijaya Dashmi'' (Dussehra) and the opening day on the occasion of "Basant Panchami'' every year. Similarly, The Gangotri Dham was closed on October 29 while Yamunotri and Kedarnath dhams closed on October 30 this year. With the closure of the Badrinath, which is the last of the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand to close, the yatra comes to an end officially. The yatra is resumed in April every year.

Rural Organization for Social Elevation (R.O.S.E.)

Jeevan Paying Guest Unit Registered by Tourism Department collaboration with the Kurmanchal Seva Sansthan / Rural Organization for Social Elevation (R.O.S.E.) is introduced as a noble effort in Village / Eco tourism in rural India. It was founded in 1981 by local residents concerned about the plight of the poor in the Kanda area of Uttarakhand, India. In 1988 it began accepting International tourists (students / international volunteers) . Since then it has accepted over 350 tourist from all over the world to work and live immersed in village life and the local culture for anywhere from 1 week to 25 weeks. It is a unique approach to tourism that supports and uplifts the local community .JPGU is currently trying to reach out like-minded individuals and Tourism Information Center in order to form a network to share information and bring awareness to its existence. International visitors from many different countries are exposed to the Kumaoni lifestyle. Since one defines himself while meetings difference, eco tourists are also a good opportunity for the locals to realize the importance of their culture. When living and talking with eco tourists, Kanda people have to explain every aspect of their culture which make them realize the beauty of their culture. Besides, Village tourism has encouraged locals to organize cultural events to share with the visitors. These are opportunities for the eldest members of the community to share their tradition with the youngest. Indeed, ecotourism allow transmission of the culture from one generation to another. To find out more about JPGU, the work it does, and the opportunities it provides for tourists, please visit - www.bageshwar.nic.in/excursions.htm & http://www.rosekanda.org

Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand

Following list is the Chronological order of Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand


Nityanand Swami: Nityanand Swami was the first chief minister of Uttarakhand - from November 2000 to 2001. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Bhagat Singh Koshiyari: Bhagat Singh Koshiyari was the second chief minister of Uttarakhand - from November 2001 to 2002. He belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

As a carrer graph in politics, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, joined the RSS. He took part in the struggle against the Emergency and was imprisoned. In 2000, he was appointed minister of Energy, Irrigation, Law, and Legislative Affairs of the newly created state of Uttarakhand. In 2001 he replaced Nityanand Swami as the chief minister. He has also served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party of his state.

Narayan Dutt Tiwari: Narayan Dutt Tiwari, was the chief minister of Uttarakhand - from November 2002 to 2007. He belongs to the Indian National Congress. In his political carrer, he became governor of the state of Andhra Pradesh, three times chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and chief minister of Uttarakhand.



Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri: Maj. Gen. Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri is the current chief minister of uttarakhand. He elected on 8 march 2007. He was also a former minister in the Indian federal government.

Uttarakhand to be funded by Asian Development Bank

In an announcement, Uttarakhand government would sign an agreement with the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) for getting a loan of $350 million to boost up Uttarakhand infrastructure for travel and tourism. Under this infrastructure facilities like roads, bridges, water supply and sanitation system would be strengthened in 31 cities and towns of the state.

The agreement is expected to be signed early coming month. The cities where the government intends to strengthen infrastructure facilities include Dehra Dun, Nainital, Haridwar, Haldwani, Mussoorie, Rishikesh, New Tehri, Pauri and Almora.

BJP sweeps Uttarakhand Panchayat Polls

In Uttarakhand Panchayat Polls BJP bagged 9 out of 12 District Panchayat president posts at various district headquarters on October 10. The districts on which BJP won are Pithoragarh, Champawat, Rudraprayag, Pauri, Almora, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Bageshwar. In the polls Congress managed to win only two seats of Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar, while a seat of Dehradun has gone to an independent.

- In Tehri, Shri Ratan Singh Gunsola of BJP won
- In Pauri, Shri Keshav Singh Negi of BJP won
- In Uttarkashi, Shri Narayan Singh Chauhan of BJP won
- In Chamoli, Smt Vijaya Rawat of BJP won
- In Rudraprayag, Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt of BJP won
- In Pithoragarh, Smt. Ranjana Devi of BJP won
- In Bageshwar, Shri Ram Singh Koranga of BJP won
- In Almora, Shri Mohan Ram of BJP won
- In Udham Singh Nagar, Smt. Sushila Gangwar of Congress won

Sanjivani Paranteral buys plant in Uttarakhand

Sanjivani Paranteral Ltd. has bought a new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Uttarakhand. The plant has a capacity to produce 1 billion units of tablets and 10 million units of dry syrups a year and is expected to add 250 million rupees year to revenue and 50 million rupees a year to net profit of the company

Herakhan temple in Uttarakhand fascinates devotees from all across the world

Herakhan Temple, situated at the foothills of Mount Kailash and along the banks of River Gautama Ganga, now become a major attraction for devotees.

Tourists visiting Uttarakhand from different parts of the world attend the special Puja performed on the occasion of Dussera here at this famous temple. The place gained popularity after Herakhan Baba, who renovated it several decades ago. The temple has been named after him.

The temple is situated almost within a cave where Baba is said to have meditated after arriving from the Kailash Mountain. Devotees today remember him as an incarnation Lord Shiva. He passed away in 1984.

A special attraction is the convergence of a large number of religious-minded foreigners, who find this place irresistibly overwhelming. Many of these tourists also perform various Hindu rituals during the Puja at the temple.

Rock Climbing in Uttarakhand

North Zone Sports Climbing Committee of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation organized a three day north zone sports climbing competition in Nainital, Uttarakhand. lead climbing, speed climbing and bouldering were the main events. To participate in the competition peoplecame from Delhi, Jammu Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, ITBP, NSG, Airforce and Army.

Indian Railway in Uttarakhand

Now boosting up the aspects of travel and toursim in Uttarakhand, the Indian Railways is planning to start trains from Rishikesh to Karanprayag, and also to Kalsi area, bordering Himachal Pradesh from Dehra Dun city.

Around 60 to 70 per cent of the survey for the 126-km long Rishikesh-Karanprayag route in Garhwal region, has already been completed. the estimated cost for this entire project is Rs 1,372 crore. The remaining survey is expected to be completed in next two months. The expected rail route will be Rishikesh-Devprayag-Srinagar-Karanprayag, along the rivers Ganga and Alaknanda.

Raincoats made up of Palm Leaves

One more reason for uttarakhand to be in limelight of travel and toursim industry on India, is its RAINCOAT which is now major centre of attraction among local and foreign tourists.

Kaladungi in Uttarakhand is now popular among indian and foreign tourists for its "PALM LEAVES made RAINCOAT". These raincoats are made by villagers who spend a day in collecting palm leaves and it takes them three to four hours to prepare one raincoat.

Traditionally villagers use this coat during rains and other seasons to protect themselves. But this tradition gives them a good source of income also, as its demands keep going on increasing day by day especially among those travellers who visited India from different countries of the world.

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