Congressman Donates Salary to Disaster Relief

Lakhpat Butola, the newly elected Congress MLA from Badrinath, Uttarakhand, has announced that he will forgo his increased salary for the next six months. He plans to donate the amount to support relief efforts in Chamoli district, which was recently hit by a natural calamity. The Uttarakhand Assembly had recently approved a hike in the salaries of MLAs to `4 lakh. Butola is the only legislator to have made this promise. He said that while the government and other organisations are providing relief to the affected, the severity of the disaster requires every elected representative to step up their efforts.

Uttarakhand government to renovate old markets

The Uttarakhand government is planning to revamp the state’s bustling historic markets with a new redevelopment policy, which will be presented to the cabinet soon. The plan involves redeveloping these markets through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Many cities, including Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital, have markets with narrow roads, no vehicular access and inadequate parking. A government spokesperson said the markets will be redeveloped with a modern design, with existing single- and double-storey shops being replaced with new complexes with parking facilities.

Commotion after drink mafia attack on journalist

In a major reorganisation, the Senior Superintendent of Police has transferred 37 policemen from the affected police station, including Kotwali, and disbanded the SOG team and attached them to the headquarters. A journalist was brutally attacked by the liquor mafia in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, while reporting on illicit liquor sales, leaving him seriously injured and hospitalised at AIIMS. The police have arrested the accused and initiated action against the liquor mafia. The incident has prompted Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take swift action, highlighting the growing concerns over the safety of journalists and the illicit liquor trade in the state.

Narendra Sethi

Our correspondent in Uttarakhand

narendrasethi@ newindianexpress.com