National
Yogi govt renovates 300 temples under its spiritual tourism policy
Lucknow, Feb 16 (IANS) As part of its spiritual tourism policy, the Uttar Pradesh government has been renovating ancient temples in various districts.
Around 300 temples in all the 75 districts of the state are being renovated. A sum of Rs 50 lakh for each of these temples has been allocated for the refurbishment and renovation. In case of big temples, a separate fund of up to Rs 2 crore each has been allocated.
The work to renovate the temples was reportedly undertaken soon after the formation of Yogi government 2.0.
Uttar Pradesh tourism and culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said, “Several temples are centuries’ old and required repair but remained neglected under successive governments. The Uttar Pradesh government decided to restore the glory and fame of the temples. The district administrations and people’s representatives were directed to send the list of the temples in their areas that required renovation.” Then, the list was handed over to the construction agencies to prepare the estimate of the works.
Some of the reconstructed and renovated temples include Bateshwar Dham temple in Agra district, Rupani Devi temple in Firozabad, Aamani Baba temple in Aligarh, Kailash temple in Etah, Taragarh temple in Hathras, Lalpuri temple in Mainpuri and Laxmi temple in Mathura, Hathiram Baba temple in Ayodhya.
The Shiva Baba temple in Ambedkar Nagar, Mahadev temple in Barabanki, Ram Janaki temple in Amethi, Jalhidham temple in Gonda, Baba Bihari Das temple in Bahraich, Maa Pateshwari temple in Balrampur and Jharkhand Mahadev temple in Gorakhpur are also on this list.
The minister said, “We have hired architects for the restoration works in the temples. The funds were released accordingly to the agencies to complete the restoration work.”
The minister further said that “Apart from the structure of the temples, their premises and boundary walls have also been reconstructed. Sheds have been erected, arrangements for drinking water have been made and benches installed in the temple area. The link roads connecting the temple to the nearby highways or villages have been repaired to facilitate the visit of pilgrims and tourists. Guest houses are being constructed near prominent temples.”
The infrastructural development around these temples will facilitate the movement of tourists in the area.
“These temples are centres of religious and cultural activities. Along with performing religious rituals, the local people assemble for cultural activities, including bhajan, kirtan and Ram katha,” he said.
All the while, the accent was on the quality of work and adherence to standards was ensured before making payments.
“After completion, a technical team was sent by the tourism and culture department to check the quality of the works and submit a report. Funds were released to the construction agencies according to the technical team’s report,” Jaiveer Singh said.
He further said the UP government has made the restoration work in the temples a continuous process.
“After the works in the temples have been completed, the officers and people have been directed to send a list of the remaining temples in their areas,” he said.
The minister said that “We have also constituted a district tourism and culture council in all the 75 districts to monitor the construction, organise festivals and cultural activities on the temple premises. The village committee has been given musical instruments for revival of traditional bhajans and kirtans in temples.”
Singh further said constitution of the Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, Vindhya Dham Teerth Vikas Parishad, Shree Ayodhya Jee Teerth Vikas Parishad, Shree Devipatan Dham Teerth Vikas Parishad and Shree Shuk Teerth Vikas Parishad will give momentum to renovation of the temples and development of religious spots in various districts.
The minister said that the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya was the flagship project of the state government plan to renovate and rebuild the temples across the state.
–IANS
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Kolkata, July 6 (IANS) The police have arrested two persons, including a woman, in connection with the carnage at Bolpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district which killed three members of the same family.
The woman who has been arrested in this connection is Smirti Bibi, who is the wife of Sheikh Ratan, the younger brother of Sheikh Tuta, 40, who was killed in the carnage.
Besides, Sheikh Tuta, his wife Rumpa Bibi, 30, and son Ayan Sheikh, 94, were also killed in the carnage.
Sheikh Safiqul, a quack residing in an adjacent village, with whom Smirti Bibi allegedly had an extra-marital affair, had also been arrested in connection with the incident.
Based on the complaint lodged by other members of the family, there were often quarrels in the family over an alleged extra-marital affair.
The family members as well as the neighbours of the family have informed the police that since Sheikh Tuta was vocal against this extra-marital affair, both Smirti Bibi and her paramour had developed a grudge over the deceased person.
On early Friday morning, the room where the three deceased individuals were sleeping was set on fire.
While Rumpa Bibi and Ayan Sheikh died on Friday only after they were brought to the hospital, Sheikh Tuta died early Saturday morning.
The local police have started an investigation into the matter.
Sources said that based on statements of different persons as well as some circumstantial evidence, the two persons were arrested on Saturday.
–IANS
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Bengaluru, June 6 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that rowdy elements should be afraid of the police, adding that it is a shame that some policemen do not even know that the e-beat system is in place.
“Why are you given guns? Why are rowdies not afraid of it,” Siddaramaiah questioned the state police while speaking after the inauguration of the 2024 Senior Police Officers Conference at the police headquarters here.
He also released a new software on the occasion.
“Who are the drug dealers? The respective station officials know who the rowdies and real estate agents are.” He asked why it was not stopping.
He congratulated Home Minister G. Parameshwara and the Karnataka Police for maintaining law and order without communal riots in the state in the last one year.
The CM gave a clear instruction that it is mandatory for every SP-DCP-IG to visit and inspect every station in their jurisdiction as per the police manual.
–IANS
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New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Masoud Pezeshkian for his election as Iran’s new President.
“Looking forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our warm and long-standing bilateral relationship for the benefit of our people and the region,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
India-Iran partnership in various sectors, including connectivity, has expanded tremendously in recent times, especially during the tenure of Iran’s late President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi who passed away in a helicopter crash in May this year.
India had also observed a day’s state mourning as a mark of respect to the late Iranian President and other eight people, including the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who lost their lives in the tragic accident.
It was also under India’s presidency that Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Both countries have fast-tracked infrastructure cooperation, focusing especially on the Chabahar project and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – the 7,200 km-long multimodal trade corridor linking Russia with India via the ports of Iran.
–IANS
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Hyderabad, July 6 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received another jolt when its MLA joined the Congress on Saturday, just a day after six of its Members in the Legislative Council crossed over to the ruling party.
Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, the MLA from Gadwal constituency, joined Congress in the presence of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
The Chief Minister welcomed the MLA into the party.
Krishna Mohan represents the Gadwal constituency in Revanth Reddy’s home district of Mahabubnagar.
Krishna Mohan is the seventh MLA to switch to the ruling party since BRS lost power in December 2023.
BRS’ strength in the 119-member Assembly has come down to 31. It also lost the Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-election to Congress.
The tally of Congress party has now gone up to 72.
The main opposition party has lost several senior leaders to Congress during the last seven months.
–IANS
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Pune (Maharashtra), July 6 (IANS) In another shocking incident in Pune, a drunken man allegedly poured petrol and attempted to set ablaze a woman traffic police officer who had stopped him during a drunk-and-drive combing operation, an official said here on Saturday.
The incident happened at around 8 P.M. on Friday night when the traffic police officer, API Shailaja Jankar, along with other colleagues, was on duty at Laxmi Road in the jurisdiction of the Faraskhana Traffic Police Station.
The traffic police team stopped one person riding a motorcycle but finding his attitude suspicious, they asked him to get down and accompany them to the nearby traffic police station.
Apparently furious at being stopped, the man Sanjay F Salve, 32, fled from the spot but returned an hour later with some petrol.
Sanjay F Salve suddenly lunged at the woman officer and poured petrol on her, whipped out a lighter and tried to set her on fire, but her colleagues pinned him down.
“Fortunately, the police officer is unharmed. The other police personnel on duty rushed to her help and caught the accused, and further investigations are on,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Rohidas Pawar, told IANS.
The accused Sanjay F Salve is a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The Vishrambaugh Police Station, Senior Police Inspector Deepali Bhujbal told mediapersons on Saturday that they registered a case against Sanjay F Salve on various charges, including attempt to murder, drinking-and-driving, obstructing a public servant, etc. and arrested him. A further probe in underway.
Following a series of driving-related offences, starting with the Porsche drunken driving and hit-and-run case of May 19, the Pune Traffic Police stepped up vigil on roads against such offenders, and a check post was organised at Laxmi Road from 5.-8 P.M. on Friday.
–IANS
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