Uttar Pradesh proposes international airport at Kushinagar in a bid to boost ‘Buddhist circuit’ news
New Delhi/Lucknow: The state government of the
north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has floated the idea of an
international airport at Kushinagar in order to boost tourism and
regional development on the ‘Buddhist circuit’. The ‘circuit’ would
cover Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sankisa, Kaushambi, Shravasti and Kapilvastu.
All
these small cities are historical sites associated with the life of
Gautam Buddha, from whom the religion draws its name. These
destinations are expected to attract pilgrims and backpackers from all
over the world, especially Japan and south-east Asian countries, where
Buddhism is the dominant religion.
The state government says
that the immense potential of the circuit still remains to be unlocked
due to lack of infrastructure facilities and general government apathy.
The
state government has invited bids from reputed consultancy firms for
preparing a comprehensive project report for an integrated development
of the Buddhist circuit in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode on
a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis. They will also
prepare bid documents and a concession agreement for the development of
an international airport at Kushinagar. The last date for submitting
bids is 22 August. The winning firm will also officiate as project
management consultant.
during an emergency. There is a small airport in the nearby district
of Gorakhpur.
The state tourism department will hold a pre-bid
discussion on 18 August for interested parties to seek clarification or
information regarding the bid.
State Government committed to take basic facilities to poor
Lucknow: August 06, 2008
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati, while laying foundation
of various projects amounting to Rs. 250 crore for the development of
infrastructure, community and tourism facilities of the Braj area and
Vrindavan of Mathura district, said that the Uttar Pradesh Government
is committed to ensure regeneration of the cities and also to take
basic facilities to the poor citizen. She said that this is one of the
top priorities of the government. Her government had decided to accord
State level status to the famous Muria Puno Mela of the Vrindavan area,
she added. The schemes included construction of houses for urban poor,
Ashray Sadan for destitute women, hospital, reconstruction and
strengthening of important roads, construction of roads in the wards,
construction of parking places, uninterrupted power supply and setting
up of power sub-centres and lines, construction of bridges and railway
over-bridges and various works will be carried out to provide different
facilities to the pilgrims coming to Vrindavan. Ms. Mayawati directed
the officers of the Tourism Department that a Tourism Master Plan for
entire Braj area should be prepared within a span of three months, so
that future schemes for the development of tourism in this area could
be drawn. She said that the State level committee had sanctioned
projects worth Rs. 90 crore for the sewer-less places of the Vrindavan
area. The work on these schemes would begin within two months. Besides,
a Rs. 25 crore scheme has been sanctioned to solve the problem of water
logging of the Vrindavan area. The work on this scheme would begin in
next two months. The Chief Minister was addressing a function after
laying the foundation of various projects aimed at the all-round
development of Vrindavan area. The function was organised at her
5-Kalidas Marg official residence here today. She said that it was
necessary to ensure proper arrangement of sewer, drinking water supply,
roads, street lighting and sanitation in the cities for their all round
development. Keeping this in view, the State Government was making
efforts to set up sewer system in all the Mahanagars and nagarpalikas.
Focusing on the long term needs, the work on drinking water supply was
also being undertaken. Ms. Mayawati said that work on projects worth
Rs. 4,000 crore was being undertaken presently to ensure urban
regeneration. Besides, projects on the PPP model were also being
prepared. Under it, the foundation of 345 M.L.D. Sewage Treatment Plant
had been laid in Lucknow, which would be constructed within a year. She
said that the Chairman of the U.P. State Advisory Council, Mr. Satish
Chandra Mishra had been directed to prepare a work plan for the all
round development of the Vrindavan area. Mr. Mishra visited the
Vrindavan area and held detailed discussions with the administration
and local people and prepared a plan worth Rs. 250 crore for the all
round development of the Vrindavan. The foundation of the schemes of
the plan is being laid today. The Chief Minister said that these
projects would help fulfilling the long pending demands of the
Vrindavan city and Braj area. These demands were also put forth to the
previous governments, but they never paid any attention to it. She
directed the officers concerned that these projects should be completed
in a time bound manner. Under the sanctioned works of the different
departments and the costs and details of the projects (of which the
foundation was laid), a sum of Rs. 19.52 crore would be spent on the
Vrindavan Parikrama Marg and 11 important roads would be
re-constructed. A sum of Rs. 7.38 crore would be spent on Raya-Matha
road, Rs. 3.77 crore on Maath-Javra-Jaiswa-Bakla road, Rs. 7.41 crore
on Kosi-Kamar-Kotwan road, Rs. 6.72 crore on Chhata-Barsana road, Rs.
6.25 crore on Raya-Baldev road, Rs. 7.11 crore on Dagauli-Vrindavan
Maath road, Rs. 6.04 crore on Gokul-Brahmand Ghat road, Rs. 1.52 crore
on the approach road between Delhi-Kolkata road to Gokul Barrage, Rs.
10.95 crore on Raya-Sadabad road, Rs. 10.28 crore on
Vrindavan-Chhatikara road and Rs. 9.13 crore on widening of
Vrindavan-Mathura road. Besides, a bridge on the Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan
would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 20.66 crore. Besides, a railway
over-bridge would be constructed over the Sau Futa Marg in Vrindavan
area at a cost of Rs. 23 crore. As many as Rs. 11.25 crore would be
spent on the construction of roads in 19 wards of the Vrindavan Nagar
Palika Parishad and Rs. 1.08 crore would be spent on the construction
of roads in the six wards of Vrindavan. A sum of Rs. 5.50 crore would
be spent to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the Vrindavan city and
Parikrama Marg, Rs. 14.12 crore would be spent on the construction of a
100 bed hospital. Rs. 2.31 crore would be spent on the expansion of
Ashray Sadan for destitute women, Rs. 1.79 crore would be spent on the
renovation of the Radha Kund-Shyam Kund. Rs. 18.17 crore would be spent
for setting up a 132/33 K.V. power sub-centre at the Maath tehsil and
on the construction of 25 km long 132 K.V. line in Mathura district and
Rs. 20.66 crore would be spent on the construction of a 132/33 K.V.
power sub-centre two and on the construction of 18 km long 132 K.V.
line in Mathura district. Besides, Rs. 2.50 crore would be spent on the
construction of five parking places, Rs. 12.46 crore on the
construction of 408 houses for urban poor, Rs. 22.71 crore on the Mansi
Ganga Punruddhar Yojana in Vrindavan area. A sum of Rs. 3 crore would
be spent for ensuring drinking water supply on the Vrindavan Parikrama
Marg and Vrindavan city. The Chief Minister said that a committee would
be constituted under the chairmanship of the D.M. Mathura to ensure
high quality in all the works, to monitor their progress and for the
timely completion of these projects. She congratulated the people of
Vrindavan and Braj area on the occasion. U.P. State Advisory Council
Chairman Mr. Satish Chandra Mishra, many members of State Council of
Ministers, senior officers and a large number of prominent citizens
were present on this occasion. *******
Uttar Pradesh proposes equal inheritance rights for girls
The Uttar Pradesh government has proposed amending the law to
enable girls get equal rights of inheritance in their parentsโ
agriculture land, an official said Wednesday.
The government Tuesday proposed amendment in the UP Zamindari
Abolition and Land Reform (ZALR) Act 1950 to give girls equal rights in
their parentsโ agriculture land.
The act would be amended during the monsoon session of the state assembly, starting August 18.
Women social activists have hailed the governmentโs decision and said the move was long overdue.
โIn a way, the move is revolutionary. It is really heartening that
now the daughters will get equal rights in landed properties of their
father,โ Roop Rekha Verma, former Lucknow University vice-chancellor
and a social activist, told IANS.
Another social activist Shalini Mathur said: โWomen have always been
neglected in areas of โsattaโ (power), โshikshaโ (education) and
โsampattiโ (property).โ
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Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Mayawati today accused the Centre of not supporting her
government and said despite lack of help, the BSP regime in the state
had ensured all round development through its own resources.
“Though the state did not get support
of Centre, the government succeded in ensuring development of
Bundelkhand and other regions by using its own resources,” Mayawati
said in her address after unfurling the national flag at Vidhan Bhawan
here.
“Political freedom was not the ultimate
objectives of the freedom fighters. We should think how much we have
moved forward in ensuring social and economic freedom for the people,”
Mayawati said hailing the contribution of freedom fighters who laid
down their lives for the country.
“Our objective is to make an
egalitarian society and our government is working for “Sarv Jan Hitay
Sarvjan Sukhai” by ending jungleraj in the state”, Mayawati said while
praising policemen for their contribution in maintaining law and order
in the state.
“Rule of law has been established in the state and priority is being given to give justice to poor and needy”, she said.
Claiming that a number of initiatives
had been taken by her government for rural, health and infrastructure
development in the state, Mayawati said the state was moving forward
with its own resources.
ISI agent, terrorist nabbed from Bahraich, Ghaziabad
LUCKNOW: The Anti-Terrorist Squad
(ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday nabbed a Pakistani spy from
Bahraich and a militant of Jamait-Ul-Mujahideen (JuM) from Ghaziabad in
simultaneous raids that continued well past mid-night. Both the accused were
Pakistani citizens and were sent by the ISI to trigger off terror strikes in
India.
Though the investigators were yet to pick up any specific clue
which could establish that they had some plans for the near future, senior
officers have not ruled out possibilities of the module wrecking havoc during
the Independence Day celebrations.
Inspector General (IG) ATS, AK
Jain told TOI that the ISI agent, Mohd Masroor alias Manzoor Ansari had already
established himself at Lucknow and was working at a business house in Lalbagh
area under the alias of Ramesh Chaudhary of Rajasthan. A native of Abdul Jabbar
compound in West Garden area near Nazeer Hotel in Karachi, Masroor completed his
primary education from Ibrahim Ali Bhai Government School in Lasbela area
(Jamaatkhana), Karachi but could not pursue his studies for long, Jain
said.
A local resident, Aqeel introduced him to some officers of ISI
at Shahraah Faisal Airport in Malir Cantonment after which he was sent for a 6
month training. During his training he was given crash courses in reading and
writing Hindi, conducting reconnaissance, reading army tag numbers and rank
structures, mapping and identifying gods and goddesses of Hindu faith. He was
also trained to perform โarti’ and โpuja’.
In 2005, the
ISI provided him with a passport and a visa in his original name and an Indian
driving license in the name of Ramesh Chaudhary, coupled with a fake marksheet
of High School following which he was flown from Karachi to Bangladesh from
where he reached Kathamandu and subsequently entered India through Jogbani
border. In November 2005, he reached Lucknow and started working as a helper at
a business house in Lalbagh Area.
While working at the business
house, he sent a series of e-mails and fax messages to his handlers apart from
phoning them, with the call details showing that he had talked to people in
Pakistan for more than 50 hours in a month (both incoming and outgoing calls
included). “During interrogation Masroor revealed that he had carried out recces
at Jaipur, Agra, Kolkata and Moradabad and sent details to his bosses in
Pakistan. He also revealed that he not only got his ration card made but was
also pursuing his name to be entered in the voters list,” said Deputy IG ATS,
Rajiv Krishna who supervised the operation.
Following sustained
grilling, Masroor revealed that he was presently arranging logistics for some
“visitors” who were to reach UP one by one. He said that one of the guests had
already reached Ghaziabad and was known by the code name, Jaanbaaz. “We
immediately sent the details of this person to our ATS West Zone unit in
Ghaziabad and he was rounded up around mid-night,” Rajiv Krishna
said.
The second accused had identified himself as Faiyyaz Ahmad Mir
alias Jaanbaaz of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Sleuths seized
around 2 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and RDX, a Chinese pistol and 30
cartridges from his possession. A Pakistani passport, an identity card, a
citizenship card, as well as boarding passes of a Karachi to Kathmandu flight
and that of an Islamabad to Karachi flight of Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) were also seized from his possession. An E-ticket issued by one Flyer
International Travel Agency was also recovered from his bag.
About
his background, Faiyyaz said that he is a native of Listiyar locality under Kala
Arush police station of Kupwara district in Kashmir and had crossed the Line of
Control (LoC) in 2001 with some other youths of his village. In Pakistan he
joined Al-Umar-Mujahideen (AUM) and was trained in use of explosives and
firearms. A couple of years later, he entered into a dispute with his assoc
SIMI activist arrested with fake notes in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Aug 14 (IANS) An activist of the banned
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was arrested Thursday with
counterfeit currency with nominal value of Rs.6,500 in Allahabad
district of Uttar Pradesh, the police said.
โMohammad Amir Mehfooz was arrested near Iradatganj
railway crossing of the district,โ Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar
told IANS.
Mehfooz, who is being interrogated, has been associated with SIMI for the last 10 years, he added.
In 2001, Mehfooz was arrested in Gujarat for delivering a provocative speech in Surat city, the police said.
Dear Jagatheesan,
Don’t miss a great opportunity to hear Barack Obama speak about his faith and values.
This Saturday, August 16th, at 7:00 pm CDT, Barack Obama will be speaking at the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency hosted by Pastor Rick Warren. The forum will be broadcast live from California on CNN, and I encourage you to tune in.
This will be the first event attended by both Barack Obama and
John McCain since winning their respective primaries, and the nation will be watching to learn more about both candidates.Here are the details:
Saddleback Civil Forum
with Barack Obama and John McCain
Saturday, August 16th at 7:00 p.m. CDT
Live on CNN (Please check your local listings as well)
This is a great opportunity for people interested in faith to learn
more about Barack, his values, and this campaign for change, so spread
the word.
Invite your friends and family to watch the Saddleback Forum.
Reaching out to people of faith is an important component to growing
this movement for change, and it will require people of all faiths and
backgrounds to get involved.
Your participation and input is crucial to our success.
Thanks,
Joshua
Joshua DuBois
National Director of Religious Affairs
Obama for America
P.S. — If you would like to learn more about our faith outreach
efforts, pledge your support as a person of faith, and more, join
People of Faith for Obama:
Jagatheesan –
Two weeks from today, Barack will accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
It will be the biggest night of the campaign so far, and you can share
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Sign up to host or attend a Convention Watch Party on Thursday, August 28th.
Invite your friends and family to watch Barack’s speech and build this movement in your community.
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And there’s no better way to reach out to your friends and family than to invite them to be a part of this historic moment.
Host or attend a Convention Watch Party in your community:
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I hope you’ll take this opportunity to continue growing our movement in your community and watch as we make history together.
Thank you for everything you are doing,