Dehradun Dec 27 PTI Night curfew was imposed across Uttarakhand on Monday in view of the threat posed by the highly transmissible Omicronvariant of COVID-19 The night curfew which comes into effecton Monday night will remain in force from 11 pm to 5 am till further orders said an order issued by Chief Secretary SS Sandhu Howeveressential services like health movement of vehicles carrying health personnel ambulancespostal services have been exempted from the ambit of the curfew Production transportation and distribution of petrol diesel kerosene and LPG will also be exempt from the curb Private vehicles too will have the permission to commute for emergencies during the curfew with strict adherence to Covid SOPs and safety protocols PTI ALM RCJ RCJ

Dehradun Dec 22 PTI Uttarakhand on Wednesday reported its first case of Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus infectionA 23-year-old woman who had returned recently from Scotland tested positive for the Omicron variant UttarakhandsDirector General Health Tripti Bahuguna said The woman a resident of Kanwli road had returned from Scotland to Delhi on December 8 Her RT-PCR test conducted at the airport had come out negativeShe came along with her parents to Dehradun in a car on that day But when she was tested again she tested positive for the latest variant of the pandemic on December 12The woman has been kept in isolation at her home and a medical kit made available to her She has also been asked to strictly follow the Covid protocolThe district surveillance unit is keeping constant watch on her and the samples of her parents have also been sent for testing Bahuguna saidPTI ALM SRY

Dehradun Dec 22 PTI Congress campaign head in poll-bound Uttarakhand Harish Rawat created a flutter in the political circles here on Wednesday alleging non-cooperation from his organisation and noting that he sometimes feels it is time for him to restIn a tweet in Hindi Rawat said Isnt it strange that the organisational structure at most places instead of extending a helping hand is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections The powers that be have left crocodiles there People on whose orders I have to swim their nominees are tying up my hands and feet he saidI am invaded by thoughts A voice from within sometimes tells me it is enough Harish Rawat you have swam long It is time to rest the former Uttarakhand chief minister saidI am in a dilemma The new year may show me the way he addedAsked about the tweet at a conclave organised by Times Now Navbharat Rawat did not reveal who had turned their faces away from him but explained what he meant by crocodilesIt is clear When Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Uttarakhand he reminded me of a sting operation done by someone No one from the journalistic fraternity would like to own up today It was a veiled threat from the home minister to cause harm to me if I dared speak too much he saidThe CBI the Enforcement Directorate the Income Tax department are the crocodiles unleashed by the Centre for its political opponents Rawat addedHowever he did not disclose the names of those in his party who are turning their faces away from himThere is an appropriate time for everything When it comes you will be the first one I will share it with he saidWhen senior Congress leader and Rawats media advisor Surendra Kumar was asked by reporters about the former Uttarakhand chief ministers tweet he said some forces within the party are playing into the hands of the ruling BJP to hurt the poll prospects of the Congress in UttarakhandThere is no alternative to Harish Rawat in Uttarakhand He is the most popular leader in the state who has kept the party flag flying But there are some forces playing into the BJPs hands to mar the possibility of the Congress making a comeback in the state Kumar saidAsked whether Rawats hurt had anything to do with All India Congress Committee AICC in-charge for Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav he said Devendra Yadav is our in-charge His role is that of a panchayati pramukh But if the panchayati pramukh begins tying the hands of the party workers and hurts the partys poll prospects the high-command should take notice of it Yadav and Rawat do not share the best of relationship with each otherWhile the Rawat loyalists have been saying that the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly polls will be fought under his leadership Yadav has been maintaining that the election will be contested under a collective leadership PTI ALM RC

Dehradun Dec 22 PTI Congress campaign head for poll-bound Uttarakhand Harish Rawat created a flutter in political circles here on Wednesday alleging non-cooperation from his organisation and noting he sometimes feels it is time for him to rest In a series of tweets in Hindi Rawat said Isnt it strange that the organisational structure at most places instead of extending a helping hand is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections The powers that be have left crocodiles there People on whose orders I have to swim their nominees are tying up my hands and feet he said I am filled with thoughts A voice from within sometimes tells me it is enough Harish Rawat you have swam long it is time to rest he said I am in a dilemma The New Year may show me the way the former chief minister said Uttarakhand goes to assembly polls early next year and the Congress is trying to return to power in the hill state When senior Congress leader and Rawats media advisor Surendra Kumar was asked by reporters about the tweets he said some forces within the party are playing into the hands of the BJP to hurt the partys prospects in Uttarakhand There is no alternative to Harish Rawat in Uttarakhand He is the most popular leader in the state who has kept the party flag flying But there are some forces playing into the BJPs hands to mar the possibility of Congress making a comeback in the state he said Asked whether Rawat remarks had anything to do with All India Congress Committee AICC incharge for Uttarakhand Devendra Yadav Kumar categorically said Devendra Yadav is our incharge His role is that of a Panchayati Pramukh But if the Panchayati Pramukh begins tying the hands of party workers and hurt the partys poll prospects the high command should take notice of it Devendra Yadav and Harish Rawat have been at loggerheads While Rawat loyalists have been saying that the 2022 polls are being fought under his leadership Yadav has been maintaining that it will be contested under a collective leadership PTI ALM SMN SMN

Dehradun Dec 22 PTI Congress campaign head for poll-bound Uttarakhand Harish Rawat on Wednesday alleged non-cooperation from his organisation and said he sometimes feels it is time for him to rest In a series of tweets in Hindi Rawat said Isnt it strange that the organisational structure at most places instead of extending a helping hand is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections The powers that be have left crocodiles here People on whose orders I have to swim their nominees are tying up my hands and feet he said I am filled with thoughts A voice from within sometimes tells me it is enough Harish Rawat you have swam long it is time to rest he said I am in a dilemma The New Year may show me the way the former chief minister said Uttarakhand goes to assembly polls early next year and the Congress is trying to return to power in the hilly state PTI ALM SMN SMN

Dehradun Dec 22 PTI Congress campaign head for poll-bound Uttarakhand Harish Rawat on Wednesday alleged non-cooperation from his party organisation and said he feels like calling it quits In a tweet in Hindi Rawat said Isnt it strange that the organisational structure at most places instead of extending a helping hand is standing with its head turned away or playing a negative role at a time when I have to swim across the ocean of elections People on whose orders I have to swim their nominees are tying up my hands and feet I am filled with thoughts A voice from within says it is enough Harish Rawat you have swum long It is time to rest he said Uttarakhand goes to assembly polls early next year and the Congress is trying to return to power in the hilly state PTI ALM SMN SMN

Dehradun Dec 20 PTI Former Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyay has said all political parties should field women from 40 per cent of the Assembly seats in the state The Congress leader said this while extending his greetings to the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch on its foundation day on Sunday Upadhyay had backed Mahila Congress national general secretary Annapurna Rawat when she categorically appealed to the party high command to allocate 40 per cent of tickets to women candidates in Uttarakhand Upadhyay also demanded enactment of a well-defined land law in the state and restoration of the traditional rights of Uttarakhand inhabitants on its forests land and water resources Upadhyay submitted his suggestions and demands to the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch so that it could raise the issue on relevant forums All political parties in Uttarakhand are working at present on the distribution of tickets as the state goes to polls early next year PTI ALM RDK

Dehradun Dec 17 PTI The Congress on Friday announced it will conduct a three-day yatra to commemorate chief of Defence Staff CDS Bipin Rawat who died recently in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu from his village in Uttarakhand on his terahvi The yatra will begin from either December 20 or 21 whichever day happens to be the terahvi the day that marks the end of the mourning period in many Hindu families The three-day campaign will be launched by Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal from Rawats village Congress campaign head for Uttarakhand Harish Rawat said at a press conference here Congress leader and former state assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal will launch another yatra -- part of the same initiative -- on the same day from the village of the first army chief from Uttarakhand General BC Joshi in Kumaon The procession - named Veer Gram Parikrama Yatra -- will cover villages of all martyrs who died fighting for the countrys freedom or during the agitation for a separate Uttarakhand or defending the countrys borders Rawat said The BJP had on Thursday accused the Congress of using the photograph of Gen Bipin Rawat for purely political reasons ahead of elections and had asked it to explain why one of its leaders had once described him as a roadside hooligan Rawat on the other hand described Rahul Gandhis rally at the Parade Ground here as a big success He said by honouring war veterans and martyrs the Congress leader had deepened the ties Uttarakhand has had for years with the Gandhi family Indira Gandhis mother Kamla Nehru was at a sanatorium here Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was lodged in a jail here Our ties with the family are very old and they have been further deepened after yesterdays rally Rawat said The former Uttarakhand chief minister said he will also launch a campaign named Bhajpai dhol ki pol khol from Moonakot in Pithoragarh district from Dec 19 to expose the failures of the state government as reflected in the Kumbh testing scam and shoddy handling of the religious congregation The massive Kumbh event was alleged by many to be responsible for the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic He said the Congress poll manifesto for the state will be drafted as envisioned by Rahul Gandhi with emphasis on employment for youths and empowerment of women weaker sections and the minorities PTI ALM VN VN