Hindustan Times (East UP)

U’khand to open research centre for vedas in Joshimath

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com Richa Banka richa.banka@htlive.com

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhan­d government is planning to open a research centre in Joshimath town of Chamoli district, announced chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the third meeting of Char Dham Devasthana­m Management Board in Dehradun on Friday evening.

CM Dhami said that the centre would “facilitate the research on the ancient Vedas.”

“Uttarakhan­d is known for its rich culture and spirituali­sm which attracts people from all over the world. The centre on Vedas would help those people know better about the ancient culture of our country and also conserve it,” said Dhami.

During the meeting, the 2021-22 budget for the Char Dham shrines was also approved by the government under which ₹29.92 crore was sanctioned for Kedarnath shrine, ₹24.46 crore was sanctioned for Badrinath shrine and ₹50 lakh each was sanctioned for Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines.

Amid the ongoing protest by the priest community of the four highly revered shrines demanding the government to abolish the management board, CM Dhami said that the government “never wants to interfere in the traditiona­l arrangemen­ts of the shrines.”

“Through the Devasthana­m Management Board, government only wants to assist in developmen­t of the facilities in those shrines. We would speak to all the parties involved in the management of the shrines and resolve all issues amicably,” said Dhami.

NEW DELHI: The city’s drug controller has informed the Delhi high court that it has filed three separate complaints before a trial court against the Gautam Gambhir Foundation (GGF) and AAP MLAs Imran Hussain and Praveen Kumar, for the alleged “unauthoris­ed purchase or procuremen­t, stocking and distributi­on of medicine and medical oxygen”. It also said that the medical dealers or retailers who provided medicines and oxygen devices for camps organised by the foundation were also suspended for 10 days.

Gambhir, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from East

Delhi, distribute­d Fabiflu tablets, an anti-viral medicine, at his office amid the fourth wave of the pandemic. Hussain and Kumar were allegedly hoarding oxygen devices for special camps.

In a status report filed on Wednesday before a bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, the Delhi Drugs Control Department said the “prosecutio­n has been launched” against the three legislator­s before the Rohini court metropolit­an magistrate on July 8.

The report was filed in a public interest litigation seeking directions to lodge an FIR against the politician­s for allegedly procuring and distributi­ng large quantities of Covid medicines even as patients ran from pillar to post. Another applicatio­n was filed by advocate Vedansh Anand in the pending petition, raising similar charges against Praveen Kumar and AAP MLA Preeti Tomar. On May 31, the court accepted the clean chit to Tomar, though it slammed the drug controller for giving a clean chit to Gambhir.

On June 3, the drug controller, represente­d by advocate Nandita Rao, told the court that GGF violated provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act as it did not have any licence to procure, stock and distribute drugs and oxygen.

The court was on June 3 also informed that Kumar was found violating the Act for hoarding medical oxygen. Later, advocate Vedansh Anand also filed a complaint on June 12 against Hussain, alleging that proper enquiry had not been conducted against him for allegedly hoarding oxygen during a medical camp he held in his constituen­cy Ballimaran from April 24 to May 5. The report said that a complaint has been initiated against the AAP MLA, noting that he procured oxygen without licence from Faridabad. The matter will be heard on July 29.

Hussain did not respond to requests seeking comment.

GGF spokespers­on Gaurav Arora said they are yet to be intimated about the developmen­ts. “We will take all legal remedies available to us,” he said.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? A meeting of Char Dham Devasthana­m Management Board officials in Dehradun on Friday.
HT PHOTO A meeting of Char Dham Devasthana­m Management Board officials in Dehradun on Friday.
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