BJP fields sitting MLAs for LS in Uttarakhand

Dehra Dun, Jan 30 The ruling BJP, which has a wafer-thin majority in the Uttarakhand assembly, has decided to field two of its MLAs for the next Lok Sabha elections from the state.

The BJP parliamentary board yesterday chose Ajay Tamta and Mandan Kaushik, MLAs from Someshwar and Haridwar respectively, for contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections.

BJP has to win both the seats, if the MLAs get elected to the Lok Sabha, in addition to vacant Kapkot assembly seat (after Bhagat Singh Koshiari got elected to Rajya Sabha) to retain a majority in the 70-member house.

While Tamta has been nominated from Almora reserved constituency, Kaushik will contest from Haridwar Lok Sabha seat.

The by-election for Kapkot legislature seat is likely to be held along with the general elections.

"I cannot understand the logic behind sending three MLAs to parliament when we have only a wafer-thin majority in the house,"a top BJP leader said while requesting anonymity.

At present, BJP has 35 members in the house with three members of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and three other independents lending their support to the government. In case, both Kaushik and Tamta get elected to the Lok Sabha, BJP will have to rely on the support of UKD and independents.

Surprisingly, by deciding to contest all the five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state, BJP has sent a clear message to its coalition partner UKD that it was not interested in any tie-up with it. Too much will be riding on the by-elections if UKD decides to withdraw support from the government.

Opposition Congress, meanwhile, is yet to declare its candidates from the state. PTI DPT

Soruce: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/490806/National/1/20/1

BJP fields sitting MLAs for LS in Uttarakhand

Dehra Dun, Jan 30 The ruling BJP, which has a wafer-thin majority in the Uttarakhand assembly, has decided to field two of its MLAs for the next Lok Sabha elections from the state.

The BJP parliamentary board yesterday chose Ajay Tamta and Mandan Kaushik, MLAs from Someshwar and Haridwar respectively, for contesting the coming Lok Sabha elections.

BJP has to win both the seats, if the MLAs get elected to the Lok Sabha, in addition to vacant Kapkot assembly seat (after Bhagat Singh Koshiari got elected to Rajya Sabha) to retain a majority in the 70-member house.

While Tamta has been nominated from Almora reserved constituency, Kaushik will contest from Haridwar Lok Sabha seat.

The by-election for Kapkot legislature seat is likely to be held along with the general elections.

"I cannot understand the logic behind sending three MLAs to parliament when we have only a wafer-thin majority in the house,"a top BJP leader said while requesting anonymity.

At present, BJP has 35 members in the house with three members of Uttarakhand Kranti Dal and three other independents lending their support to the government. In case, both Kaushik and Tamta get elected to the Lok Sabha, BJP will have to rely on the support of UKD and independents.

Surprisingly, by deciding to contest all the five Lok Sabha seats in the hill state, BJP has sent a clear message to its coalition partner UKD that it was not interested in any tie-up with it. Too much will be riding on the by-elections if UKD decides to withdraw support from the government.

Opposition Congress, meanwhile, is yet to declare its candidates from the state. PTI DPT

Soruce: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/490806/National/1/20/1

Dry spell continues, farmers in Uttarakhand, Himachal stare at losses

Dehradun Solan: Even as they look expectantly at skies to open up, farmers in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have begun counting their losses. Scanty rainfall across both the states, they realise, is set to deal them a blow of several crores of rupees. They have already lost 30 to 40 per cent of their crops so far.

The losses would compound if there is no rainfall in February either.

The damage isn’t restricted to the rabi crops only. The prevailing dry spell accompanied by heavy frost during nights has hit cash crops like peas, cabbage potato, garlic and onion.

Fruit growers, too, are worried as abnormal weather conditions have resulted in woolly aphid and powdery mildew attacks in their orchards

The farmers in Himachal produced around 6.80 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 40,000 M.T of barley, 6000 MT of gram, 3.5 lakh MT vegetables, 30,000 MT potatoes and 3,500 MT Oil seeds during the last rabi crop season. The total rainfall recorded then was 184.6 mm.

But the hill state has received only 127 mm rainfall since September last year. Nearly 40 per cent farmers could not sow their rabi crops in the absence of adequate soil moisture.

A prolonged dry spell has already damaged about 30 to 40 per cent crops of farmers and fruit growers,” said Vice-Chancellor, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni Dr K R Dhiman.

The farmers lament inaction on the part of the government. “Besides introducing crop insurance schemes, the Government should grant special financial help to farmers as abnormal weather conditions have almost become an annual feature during winter,” said Om Parkash Panwar, general secretary, Himachal Kisan Vikas Sangathan.

With Uttarakhand, too, registering over 90 per cent of rainfall and snowfall deficit, the authorities are now pinning hopes on a good precipitation in the month of February to make up for the shortfall.

Dr Anand Sharma, director of the metrological department, told The Indian Express that in the months of December and January, the state received only one-tenth of the average rainfall in the season. “While some rainfall has been recorded in the Garhwal region, the situation in Kumaon is grim with virtually no heavy rainfall received in the region,” he said.

While the agricultural regions in the plains have the consolation of having a good irrigation network, it is the small and medium marginal farmers in the hills who will be affected, he said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dry-spell-continues-farmers-in-ukhand-.../416709/

Dry spell continues, farmers in Uttarakhand, Himachal stare at losses

Dehradun Solan: Even as they look expectantly at skies to open up, farmers in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have begun counting their losses. Scanty rainfall across both the states, they realise, is set to deal them a blow of several crores of rupees. They have already lost 30 to 40 per cent of their crops so far.

The losses would compound if there is no rainfall in February either.

The damage isn’t restricted to the rabi crops only. The prevailing dry spell accompanied by heavy frost during nights has hit cash crops like peas, cabbage potato, garlic and onion.

Fruit growers, too, are worried as abnormal weather conditions have resulted in woolly aphid and powdery mildew attacks in their orchards

The farmers in Himachal produced around 6.80 lakh metric tonnes of wheat, 40,000 M.T of barley, 6000 MT of gram, 3.5 lakh MT vegetables, 30,000 MT potatoes and 3,500 MT Oil seeds during the last rabi crop season. The total rainfall recorded then was 184.6 mm.

But the hill state has received only 127 mm rainfall since September last year. Nearly 40 per cent farmers could not sow their rabi crops in the absence of adequate soil moisture.

A prolonged dry spell has already damaged about 30 to 40 per cent crops of farmers and fruit growers,” said Vice-Chancellor, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni Dr K R Dhiman.

The farmers lament inaction on the part of the government. “Besides introducing crop insurance schemes, the Government should grant special financial help to farmers as abnormal weather conditions have almost become an annual feature during winter,” said Om Parkash Panwar, general secretary, Himachal Kisan Vikas Sangathan.

With Uttarakhand, too, registering over 90 per cent of rainfall and snowfall deficit, the authorities are now pinning hopes on a good precipitation in the month of February to make up for the shortfall.

Dr Anand Sharma, director of the metrological department, told The Indian Express that in the months of December and January, the state received only one-tenth of the average rainfall in the season. “While some rainfall has been recorded in the Garhwal region, the situation in Kumaon is grim with virtually no heavy rainfall received in the region,” he said.

While the agricultural regions in the plains have the consolation of having a good irrigation network, it is the small and medium marginal farmers in the hills who will be affected, he said.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/dry-spell-continues-farmers-in-ukhand-.../416709/

Budget session of Uttarakhand assembly to begin from Feb 24, 2009

Dehra Dun The budget session of Uttarakhand assembly would begin from Feb 24, official sources today said.

The first day of the session would begin with an address by the Governor B L Joshi, Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mahesh Chandra said.

Later, the government would bring either budget or vote-on-account in the house, he said. The session would end on Feb 27. However, it could be extended depending on the business of the house, he added.

Source: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/490775/Politics/6/20/6

Budget session of Uttarakhand assembly to begin from Feb 24, 2009

Dehra Dun The budget session of Uttarakhand assembly would begin from Feb 24, official sources today said.

The first day of the session would begin with an address by the Governor B L Joshi, Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mahesh Chandra said.

Later, the government would bring either budget or vote-on-account in the house, he said. The session would end on Feb 27. However, it could be extended depending on the business of the house, he added.

Source: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/490775/Politics/6/20/6