Archives for January 2021

SRINAGAR: The ongoing spell of biting cold, known as the 40-day Chilai Kalan, is wreaking havoc, with mercury dipping to minus 7.8 degree to give Srinagar its coldest night eight years on Wednesday. While the fresh bout of snowfall led to the closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the weatherman said that the spell was not unprecedented as heavy snowfall was recorded last year as well. However, the meteorological office warned of nights turning more chilly as the week progresses.

Waterbodies, including portions of the famed Dal Lake, remained frozen, forcing boatmen to break the ice. Bonfires became a usual sight across the region, while commuters had a tough time negotiating the icy roads in the morning. The Director of the meteorological office in Kashmir, Sonam Lotus, warned that the night temperature may drop to -9 degrees Celsius in next two to four days.

Kashmir is presently in the grip of a 40-day harshest winter period known as Chilai Kalan. During the Chilai Kalan, which starts on December 21 and ends on January 31, chances of snowfall soar. The Valley received heavy snowfall for three days from January 3, throwing life out of gear. It not only disconnected Kashmir’s surface and air link but also plunged Valley into darkness as electricity poles and wires were damaged. Although electricity was restored within 24-72 hours, snow was not cleared from the roads, confining people to their homes.

After facing criticism, officials pressed men and machinery into service to clear snow from the roads. However, all the main roads were not cleared.  People at most places in interior areas and localities cleared snow from lanes and bylanes on their own. Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of Uranhall in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, had to hire a vehicle for snow clearance to take his wife (a cancer patient) to a hospital in Srinagar. He paid Rs 3,000 to the driver.

Srinagar-Jammu highway, on which the Valley is dependent for supplies, was closed for traffic after a portion of a bridge in Ramban area collapsed on Sunday. NHAI said it would take 10 days for reapairs

The opposition in Maharashtra is gunning for the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde after he disclosed he had two wives. 

MUMBAI: The opposition in Maharashtra is gunning for the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde after he disclosed he had two wives. While BJP Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil said that Munde should resign on moral ground, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sought a fair probe into the allegations leveled against the minister.

Meanwhile, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya wrote to the Election Commission of India, seeking Munde’s disqualification referring to the law that a bigamous person could not become the member of any house. Meanwhile, Munde alleged that his second wife and sister in-law were blackmailing him.

“I was not able to fulfil their demands, and this is the reason behind them levelling wild allegations of sexual harassment against me,” Munde said. Munde’s second wife’s sister Renu Sharma had lodged a complaint against Munde, claiming Munde had promised her a role in a film and used her for personal interests.

GWALIOR: A fourteen-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men, including a relative, at Girwai area of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, police said.

“The girl went to purchase milk on Tuesday night at 8.00 pm. When she was returning three men took her near a garden and committed the crime. After that, the victim who studied in 9th standard along with her family member reached the police station and informed about the crime,” Atmaram Sharma, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) said.

One of the accused is a relative of the victim, he said.

Police said a case has been registered against the three accused and a search operation is on to nab them. 

The main item of all his dishes, the ‘Kebakh’ is a kind of ‘Kebab’ from Uzbekistan and has become a talking point of the capital.

DEHRADUN: The week started with a bang for 30-year-old Ishan Agarwal who has started his ‘Bandstand BBQ’ last week as he got mention in cinestar Raveena Tandon’s Tweet. 

Former marketing head for entire middle east for an Australian Coffee firm, Agarwal’s BBQ which literally runs of his Royal Enfield motorcycle has found customers across Dehradun. 

The main item of all his dishes, the ‘Kebakh’ is a kind of ‘Kebab’ from Uzbekistan. 

He came across the delicacy in year 2015 while he visited Jizzakh city of the country. His ‘Kebakh Bun’ vegetarian, non-vegetarian and ‘Kebakh Plate’ have become a talking point of the capital within days. 

Talking about his living his passion Agarwal says, “I come from a well to do family so it is not as much as about money as about following the dream. Of course money is important but at this point I want to prove that no work is small. As our honorable Prime Minister says we should not shy away even from selling pakoras if we can put our heart and mind in that work. I am just trying to do that and making more than Rs 5000 per day.  

Started to put use his culinary skills to use since he was about 3-year-old, the graduate in mass communication became known well in his family, relatives as well as extended circle well. 

His mother Rinty Agarwal who is his best critic says, “Ishan took up cooking at fairly early age when most children are just bothered about toys and candies. Laster on, we were in awe of his cooking, especially his special Kebabs.”

With investment of less than Rs 15000, his ‘stall’ is opened on his bike at 6 pm everyday for atleast 5 hours till 11 pm at Rajpur road of Dehradun. 

Sanghamitra Ghosh, a regular at his stall describes his ‘Kebhaks’ as the best ones ever had.

“I have had opportunity to relish on Mughlai cuisine as much as I can in many Indian cities but this ‘Kebakh’ by Ishan is unmatched. Now I have become regular along with my family and friends at occasions,” adds Ghosh relishing the ‘Mutton Bun Kebakh’ at the stall at around 7.40pm on Wednesday. 

Vedank Singh who was the first one to Tweet about Ishan and his ‘Royal Enfield Kebabs’ recalls him as a person who is walking manifestion of ‘Patience Persistence and Perseverance’.

“He was on top of his game, always passionate about what he did but his heart was always into culinary and allied fields. Always full of ideas to create something to inspire youth that if they work hard they can make their dreams come true,” quips Singh whose tweet got mention from Raveena Tandon urging people of Dehradun to ‘Show some love’. 

Ishan lost his job during lockdown he started an e-commerce company in September 2020 with Rs 30,000 which now has 50 skincare and lifestyle products with turnover of Rs 1.5 lakh per month. 

Interestingly, the company is run by him single handedly right from manufacturing to marketing, packaging and other activities.

“I want to tell the youth of Uttarakhand that not much money is needed to start or create something new. Innovation, hard work and strategic investment along with your passion to make it big are important ingredients,” adds the mass communication graduate. 

Talking about how the lockdown taught him importance of minimalistic life, the avid traveller revealed, “I learnt that not much is needed to live happy, content and peaceful life. I have my share of peace now and will pursue my passion to realize my dreams in bigger magnitude.”

He said he has already appealed to the Centre for ensuring free vaccination in the country since there are many people who may not afford the life-saving shot.

NEW DELHI: The AAP government will provide coronavirus vaccine free to the people of Delhi if the Centre fails to do so, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.

He said he has already appealed to the Centre for ensuring free vaccination in the country since there are many people who may not afford the life-saving shot.

“We will see what the Centre does. If need be and the Centre does not provide the vaccine free of cost, we will make it available free of cost for the people of Delhi,” he told reporters here.

The Chief Minister also appealed for not spreading rumours about the vaccine.

“I understand that the Centre and our scientists have brought the vaccine following all the protocols and safeguards.

So, there should not be any doubt and people should come forward for vaccination,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the coronavirus vaccine will be given first to healthcare and frontline workers, and he expressed hope it will provide relief to the people from the virus and the pain they suffered over the last one year.

The vaccination drive will begin in Delhi from Saturday at 89 centres.

In the majority verdict, the apex court said prior permission shall be taken from the committee and other relevant authorities before start of construction at new sites. 

NEW DELHI: Next year’s Republic Day will be celebrated on the redeveloped Rajpath under the government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment plan — the work for which is likely to begin from the next month, Union Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri said on Monday.  

The Heritage Conservation Committee gave its approval for construction of a new Parliament building days after the Supreme Court asked the government to seek the same from it. Puri said the projects under the Central Vista redevelopment plan will be completed systematically and the entire project is likely to be completed by 2025. “Republic Day parade in 2022 will be at the new central avenue,” the minister said, adding that cost of the project will be absorbed by each of the ministry’s budget.

Puri said construction of the new Parliament building would not affect the existing structure. Speaking on the clearance by the heritage committee, urban affairs secretary Durga Shanker Mishra said the panel discussed the proposal and gave its approval. The additional secretary of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry is the chairman of the Heritage Conservation Committee.

On January 6, the Supreme Court had cleared the decks for the ambitious Central Vista project, which covers a 3-km stretch from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in Lutyens’ Delhi, by upholding the environmental clearance and the notification for change in land use. In the majority verdict, the apex court said prior permission shall be taken from the committee and other relevant authorities before start of construction at new sites.