Uttarakhand Chief Minister Archives - Lokmarg

U’khand Govt Approves Tough Anti-Riot Law To Compensate For Public Damages

By LokMarg 4th March 2024

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s government has approved the country’s most stringent law (ordinance) to provide compensation for the entire loss caused during riots.

“The Cabinet has approved the formation of a special tribunal during the Cabinet meeting today with the aim of strictly curbing the cases of riots and unrest, Dhami said.

He said that the “damage caused to public property during the riots would be compensated by the rioters themselves”.

The Chief Minister said, “Those who disturb the peace of the state will have to pay a heavy price and will set an example that will be remembered for years by the generations of rioters who tarnished the sacred land of Devbhoomi”.

After implementing the country’s strictest anti-copying law and passing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s cabinet passed the Uttarakhand Public (Government) and Recovery of Damage to Private Property (Ordinance) Act 2024 on Monday to stop riots and deal with rioters.

Under this law, full recovery will be made from the rioters for causing damage to private and government property. Apart from this, a huge fine of up to Rs 8 lakh and expenses incurred on government staff and other work in riot control will also be compensated. The Pushkar Singh Dhami Cabinet on Monday approved this law and sent it to the Governor for approval.

With this law, those who cause damage to private and public property during disturbances like riots, strikes, bandhs in the state will be dealt with strictly. In addition to compensation for the loss of government and private property, if someone’s body is mutilated during the riot, the entire cost of treatment will be recovered from the rioter.

Apart from this, the entire expenses incurred during the riots by the police, administration or other agencies for riot control will also be recovered. The government has also decided to impose a fine of up to Rs 8 lakh on the rioters under this law along with other punishment and action.

The government has also approved setting up a formal Claims Tribunal so that strict action can be taken against the rioters through the tribunal. If the government registers a case against the rioters, action will be taken under the Uttarakhand Recovery of Damage to Public and Private Property Ordinance 2024.

The government has also duly approved the Claims Tribunal. Under this tribunal, the recovery will be made from the rioters and their family members as well as their property. An Additional District Magistrate (ADM) category officer has been given the responsibility of Claims Commissioner. The Claims Tribunal also includes members other than the retired judge.

After approving this law in the cabinet, the government has sent it to the Governor for approval. Since the State Legislature is not currently in session, the Governor has the authority to implement this law in the state by using the powers conferred by Clause 1 of Article 213 of the Constitution of India.

After the approval of the Governor, the “Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Recovery Ordinance 2024” will be implemented in the state.

Earlier on Sunday, Dhami distributed appointment letters to eight Assistant Accountants and 342 Gram Panchayat Development Officers of the Panchayati Raj department in the appointment letter distribution ceremony organised by the Panchayati Raj department at the Chief Sevak Sadan located at the Chief Minister’s residence.

While Assistant Accountants have been selected through the Public Service Commission, Gram Panchayat Development Officers have been selected through the Subordinate Services Selection Commission. (ANI)

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Haldwani Violence: CM Dhami Promises Strict Action Against Rioters

By LokMarg 11th February 2024

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated on Sunday to take strict action against the miscreant involved in the violent clashes in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area.

On the second day of his visit to Lohaghat in Champawat district, Dhami met the students and youth and encouraged them before the Sangju-2024 programme.

CM Dhami participated in the ‘Sangju-2024’ programme organised at Ramlila Maidan Lohaghat in Champawat district.

CM Dhami said, “In Haldwani, miscreants misbehaved with women police officials and media personnel. They tried to burn them alive. The essence of Devbhoomi will not be allowed to deteriorate. Strict action will be taken against the miscreants.”

Dhami also played the traditional Holi of Kumaon with the locals in Champawat and brought alive the old memories by preparing lemon sour (sunni) along with the Khadi Holi song.

On the first day, CM Dhami interacted with local residents in Champawat district of Uttarakhand during the Gaon Chalo campaign. CM Dhami also interacted with small children and inquired about their well-being.

Earlier, CM Dhami reached Haldwani on Friday afternoon and took stock of the situation of the violent clashes that took place on Thursday evening. Clashes erupted on Thursday night after an anti-encroachment drive in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area.

The Chief Minister also inquired about the condition of the women police team and other policemen, administration, municipal corporation personnel and journalist colleagues who were injured in the incident that took place in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura.

CM Dhami said that all the video footage and footprints of those who have broken the law and damaged government property are available. The process of identifying all the miscreants involved in this incident and taking legal action against them is underway. (ANI)

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Work By UCC Panel Almost Complete: Dhami

By LokMarg 27th January 2024

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Saturday that the committee preparing the draft of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the State has almost completed its work and will soon deliver the draft.

“The UCC committee has almost completed its work. We will be getting the draft soon. The draft is being typed right now. Earlier, it was in English, and now it is being typed in Hindi as well. Different volumes are also being made,” said Dhami while addressing a farmers’ function organised at the chief minister’s residence.

Dhami had on Friday said that the tenure of the expert committee preparing the draft of the UCC for the state had been extended by another 15 days.

“The UCC committee has almost completed its task. A little more time is needed to compile it and complete some other formalities, so the time-period has been extended by 15 days. We are going to get the draft soon. As soon as we get it, we will take further steps and convene an assembly session,” Dhami said.

The tenure of the committee headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai was extended three times earlier, with the latest extension of four months in September last year.

A statement by the Chief Minister’s office on September 23, 2023 said, “The Uttarakhand government has extended the tenure of the expert committee for the Uniform Civil Code by four months.”

The panel was constituted on May 27, 2022, and it is the fourth time an extension has been given to the committee. After receiving public suggestions, the committee has done the work of preparing a draft, but the report has not been submitted to the government yet, the statement added.

The UCC was promised to the people of the state in the run-up to the 2022 assembly polls in Uttarakhand.

Article 44 of the Constitution of India says that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) throughout the territory of India. The UCC proposes a common set of laws dealing with marriage, inheritance, adoption, and other matters.

The UCC, which had been a hot topic that had polarised opinions over the last four years, hit the forefront in June last year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong case for the implementation of uniform legislation in an address in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal.

PM Modi said the country cannot run on two laws and that the Uniform Civil Code was in keeping with the founding principles and ideals of the Constitution.

“Today, people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights…Supreme Court has also asked to implement the UCC. These (opposition) people are playing vote bank politics,” PM Modi had said in Bhopal. (ANI)

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Priests’ Worry Over Gold Decor At Kedarnath, Dhami Enhances Security

By LokMarg 4th November 2022

After carrying out gold layering work at the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Temple, the state government is now going to increase security arrangements at the temple premises.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday issued a directive in this regard.
CM Dhami said that he has given instructions to the Chief Secretary and Additional Secretary Home of the state to increase the security of the Kedarnath temple complex.

“The walls and ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum of the temple have been decorated with gold layers, that is why he has given instructions to make the security of the temple premises tight and tight,” Dhami said while speaking to ANI.

The announcement comes after the priests at Kedarnath temple and local authorities wrote to the state government and requested to increase security at the temple in view of the upgraded and expensive gold decoration.

Reportedly, around 230kg of gold was used in the decoration work.

As per the temple committee officials, the walls and ceiling of the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Dham have been given a new look and decorated with 550 gold layers by 19 artisans in 3 days, a total of 18 horse mules were used to transport the gold.

However, the security arrangements at the temple were reportedly not increased in accordance with the upgraded decoration.

A six-member team from IIT Roorkee, Central Building Research Roorkee, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had earlier visited Kedarnath Dham and inspected the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

And the work of applying golf lining in the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple was taken up only after a report from the experts.

The work of applying gold layers was taken up by 19 artisans under the supervision of two ASI officials, Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay had told ANI earlier. (ANI)

Ankita’s Body Recovered From Chilla Canal In U’khand

By LokMarg 24th September 2022

The body of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari, who had gone missing a few days ago, was recovered in the early hours of Saturday from the Chilla canal in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) confirmed.

Relatives identified the body of the teenager who was reported missing over six days ago.
Uttrakhand Police on Friday arrested three people including Pulkit Arya the son of Vinod Arya, a former BJP minister in the state, on charges of murder of Ankita, who was employed as a receptionist at a resort in Rishikesh.

Police said that the three arrested accused, including the manager of the Vanatara Resort owned by Pulkit Arya, confessed to having pushed Ankita into a chilla canal after an altercation, and she had drowned.

Meanwhile, the Vanatara Resort was demolished on Friday on the orders of state Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Abhinav Kumar, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister said.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister has also given instructions to district magistrates to investigate all resorts in the state, he said.

Along with this, the Chief Minister has also ordered to ensure that necessary action is taken against resorts that are operating illegally.

Dhami said that the strictest punishment will be given for such crimes.

“It is unfortunate. Police are working, they have done their work for making the arrests. Strictest punishment would be given for such heinous crimes, whoever be the criminal,” he said.

Locals in Rishikesh gheraoed a police vehicle that was carrying the accused in the murder case earlier on Friday. They also thrashed the accused. (ANI)

Wearing A Ripped Pair of Jeans in A Flight

‘Mr Rawat, I’m A Mother And I Love My Ripped Jeans’

By LokMarg 20th March 2021

Khushbu Singh, 38, a homemaker in Mumbai, has some pointed questions for Uttarakhand Chief Minister who ridiculed a fellow woman passenger for wearing a ripped pair of jeans in a flight

Let me begin by asking this to Tirath Singh Rawat, the newly-appointed Uttarakhand CM: Are all politicians, who always appear in immaculate whites, spotless in their character? Just because they wear white, can we certify them as honest or incorruptible? If this analogy is wrong, then how does he and others like him think that judging a woman’s character from her choice of clothes is right?

Sometimes I feel as if he made that comment on his female co-passenger just to hog the limelight since debatable topics like these get everyone’s attention. But these are not the topics politicians should be debating about; there are so many more important issues to be handled. I would have been happy, if he had pointed at someone not wearing a mask on flight, rather than ripped jeans.

I am a mother to two young children and I absolutely love my various pair of ripped jeans. Many people rip their jeans themselves at home to get the look and I would totally teach my son and daughter to do a DIY (Do It Yourself) for their clothing. It is my prerogative as to what I want to wear.

***Khushbu Singh would like Tirath Singh Rawat to concentrate on social issues than a woman’s choice of clothing***

I have the thinking capacity to understand that my dress should be comfortable according to the season as well as occasion and event appropriate. It wasn’t like his co-passenger was wearing ripped jeans to a corporate meeting or a government event. She was travelling with her young children. You need to wear comfortable clothes to be able to travel with young kids. Jeans are comfortable. And jeans ripped at the knees make for easy movement in case you have a very hectic day ahead of you.

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Next, tell me if mothers wearing ripped jeans are sending the wrong message to their children. By the way, will they remember my love more or my ripped jeans more? What kind of messages are such politicians sending to their own children? That it’s ok to question and belittle other people’s choices even when it is not affecting you in any way? That a grown up woman doesn’t understand what she wants or is comfortable with? That the society is only dependent on women to keep it moving? Why didn’t Mr Rawat say anything about men, for men also wear ripped jeans?

In 2017, a 14-year-old girl wearing ripped jeans was beaten up and arrested by the Iranian Police on the grounds that it was spreading vulgarity! Are we headed towards that situation? Running a country is a tough job, but putting the onus of morality on women is so easy! I am happy that so many women are standing up to such disgraceful remarks by people in position of power.

A woman wearing a particular item of clothing signifies nothing apart from her need for comfort and her sense of style. There’s a place and time for everything, and I think the female passenger was very right in wearing what she was wearing. These politicians need to be more open-minded and perhaps see more of the world. In towns and cities with cosmopolitan population coming and going, people are more open to differences in personality, looks, dressing, food etc.

As told to Yog Maya Singh