MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

Uttarakhand allows high-rise buildings
 
BS Reporter / New Delhi/ Dehradun November 13, 2007
 
 
After amending the controversial Land Reforms Act, 2003, the Uttarakhand government has brought a new provision allowing high-rise buildings in the state. 
 
Through the new provision, which is likely to give boost to real estate developers, builders can now construct buildings up to 21 metres (seven storeyed) in the plains and 12 metres (three to four storeyed) in the hills. 
 
“The new provision has been brought keeping in mind the severe land acquisition problem due to tough forest laws,” a top official said. 
 
Earlier, the BC Khanduri government had amended the land reforms Act and decided that a person who wanted to construct a house in the non-urban areas would not be able to buy more than 250 sq metre of land. Prior to it, the previous government had put up a limit of 500 sq metre in 2003. 
 
Amid reports that top real estate companies were making beeline to construct housing societies in a big way, the government under pressure from its ally — Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD) — has put up the new limit with a view to save the agriculture land from being poached by the land sharks. 
 
According to an official estimate, already 16,000 hectares of agriculture land has fallen prey to the property builders in the state, a move resented by the UKD and other regional groups. 
 
“Our aim is to protect our land from being grabbed by the land mafia,” said Revenue Minister Diwakar Bhatt. 
 
But property dealers resented the latest move saying it would deprive the people to have their own houses. “This law would adversely affect all those people, who dream of having their own houses in the state,” said Anupam Bhatnagar, a property dealer. 
 
Bhatnagar feared that the property rates would take a sharp fall in the coming days once the new amendment comes into force. 


http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c.php?leftnm=10&autono=304066

 

    VANCOUVER, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - Pebble Creek Mining Ltd. (the "Company")
announces the following:

    On November 7 the Company and its wholly-owned Indian subsidiary, Adi
Gold Mining Pvt. Ltd. ("Adi"), engaged Ernst & Young Pvt. Ltd. to advise and
assist in assembling up to $10 million for its Askot project. The engagement
will be for a placement of a minority interest in Adi with institutional
investors based in India. The Company expects the placement to be at a premium
to the current market capitalization of Pebble Creek.
    Funds will be used for additional drilling and a feasibility study on
Adi's wholly-owned Askot copper and zinc property. The placement will be
subject to a shareholders' agreement entitling Adi shareholders to subscribe
to further assessments in order to maintain their relative interests. Adi will
transfer its other mineral assets to a new wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Company.
    The foregoing is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

    [color=red]Pebble Creek is an exploration company focused on India and has
twelve years experience in the country. Askot is a volcanogenic massive
sulphide deposit of copper, zinc, silver, gold and lead located in
Uttarakhand, [/color] India. In September the Government of India's Ministry of Mines
approved Adi's application for a Mining Lease at Askot. The Company believes
this is one of the first to be issued to a foreign-owned company in the base
and precious metals sector. Drilling is continuing at Askot. The Company will
continue to release assay results as a meaningful picture develops.

    On Behalf of the Board
    Andrew E. Nevin, P.Eng.
    President and CEO

    Forward-Looking Statements. This news release contains forward-looking
statements, which address future events and conditions, which are subject to
various risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results, programs and
financial position could differ materially from those anticipated in such
forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, some of which may
be beyond the Company's control. These factors include: the availability of
funds; the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration
activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation of
drilling results and other geological data, the uncertainties of resource and
reserve estimations, receipt and security of mineral property titles; project
cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, fluctuations in metal
prices; currency fluctuations; and general market and industry conditions.
    Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of
the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions
used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at
the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such undue reliance
should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

मुख्यमंत्री ने किया बाईपास पुल का शिलान्यासNov 15, 02:52 am

रुद्रप्रयाग। मुख्यमंत्री भुवन चन्द्र खंडूड़ी ने रुद्रप्रयाग-जवाड़ी बाईपास पर मंदाकिनी पर सीमा सड़क संगठन द्वारा निर्मित किए जाने वाले पुल का शिलान्यास किया। उन्होंने कहा कि बाईपास पर पुल निर्माण से यात्रियों को सुविधा मिलेगी।

पूर्व निर्धारित कार्यक्रम के तहत बुधवार सुबह मुख्यमंत्री देहरादून से हैलीकाप्टर द्वारा यहां गुलाबराय मैदान में उतरे, जहां पर जिले के भाजपाइयों व अन्य लोगों ने उनका जोरदार स्वागत किया। उसके बाद मुख्यमंत्री सीधे रुद्रप्रयाग-जवाड़ी बाईपास पर गये तथा विधिवत पूजा-अर्चना के साथ पुल का शिलान्यास किया। इस मौके पर उन्होंने सीमा सड़क संगठन के अधिकारियों को त्वरित गति से पुल निर्माण करने को कहा, साथ ही कहा कि रुद्रप्रयाग-जवाड़ी बाईपास शुरू होने से जनता को इसका फायदा मिलेगा। इस मौके पर पेयजल मंत्री मातबर सिंह कण्डारी ने कहा कि मुख्यमंत्री भुवनचन्द्र खंडूड़ी के नेतृत्व में सूबे का चौमुखी विकास हो रहा है। सीमा सड़क संगठन के चीफ ब्रिगेडियर जेके नारंग ने उपस्थित अतिथियों का आभार व्यक्त करते हुए कहा कि संगठन हर वक्त जनता की सेवा के लिए तत्पर है तथा जनता को बेहतर सुविधा देने के लिए संघर्षरत है।

Uttarakhand can raise Rs500bn in 5-7 yrs: ASSOCHAM
 
India Infoline News Service / Mumbai Nov 15, 2007 16:33 
 
The industry body says institutes in Food Processing, Agri Biotech and Pharma will generate knowledge and prevent mass scale migration
 
The state of Uttarakhand has gained in potential to create employment opportunities for its talented population by setting up institutes in the field of Food Processing, Agri Biotech and Pharma. With such institutions in place, it will attract nearly Rs500bn of investment in next 5-7 years and make it as the lead state for investment attractions in Northern part of the country.

 

In an exhaustive blue-print prepared by ASSOCHAM on `Uttarakhand : Unbounded Opportunities, it has been pointed out that the suggested institutes will generate knowledge and technology and prevent mass scale migration to cities beyond its geographical boundaries.

 

The Blue-Print which will be submitted to Chief Minister of Uttrakhand by ASSOCHAM President, Venugopal N. Dhoot.

 

The industry chamber says that places like Musoorie, Rishikesh, Chamoli, Rudraprayg, Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Naintal, Pithoragarh, Champawat etc. are repository of rich variety herbs in which the identified institute can come up.

 

Over 170 medicinal and aromatic plant species are grown in their foothills.  In addition, fruits like apples, oranges, pear, grapes, peach, plum, apricot, litchi, mangoes and guava are widely grown in the state and therefore have immense potential for development of horticultural crops.

 

Dhoot points out that other emerging areas which offer opportunities for corporate investments include tourism, especially adventure tourism, building up of sports centres like Golf Courses and creation of IT infrastructure, power etc.

 

At present, Uttarakhand’s 85% gross cultivated area is used for self-consumption for households except in Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts, and thus there is a need to enhance productivity and production of agri, biotech, horticulture and floriculture crops.

 

Four Agri Export Zones and one Biotech park near Pantnagar are already coming up. The presence of suggested institutes will impart professional training to enable its talented pool to gear up for food processing, agri and biotech companies. The state can acquire Top 10 rank in fruit and vegetable production by way of using innovative agri biotech varieties of technologies. It had fruit and vegetable production of about 1925 and 1000 metric tons respectively in 2006.

 

Citing reasons for necessity of pharma institutes in Uttarakhand, Dhoot says that pharma companies like Medicamen, Elder Pharma etc., are facing shortage in the availability of technically competent and qualified manpower which hinder prospects of the industry.

 

ASSOCHAM President, however demands that the proposed institutes be given fiscal incentives such as 10 year tax holiday exemption, easy availability of loans with moderate interest rates to enable the State to garner free flow of domestic and overseas food processing, agri biotech and pharma firm’s investments.

 

The state is becoming ideal destination for investment which can be seen from the fact that during 2006, the state received investment worth Rs56.33bn in 31 projects. This is ahead of Madhya Pradesh in which Rs48.78bn investment was made in in 23 projects.

 

Corporate Investments In 2006-07

State
 Project  cost Amount (Rs. crore)
 
Jharkhand
 7,174
 
Delhi
 6,359
 
Punjab
 5,902
 
Uttarakhand
 5,633
 
Madhya Pradesh
 4,878
 


Companies like Global Auto Tech, Alps Industries, HUL, Atlas Cycle have invested  Rs1.45bn, Rs1.1bn, Rs1.01bn and Rs300mn, respectively in products like automobile, natural dyed cotton, cosmetics and toiletries, cycle etc.

 

Real estate is another emerging area where the state is receiving overseas and domestic investments in housing, hotels etc. Realty players Assotech and Supertech have joined hands to develop a 47-acre integrated township in Uttarakhand at an investment of Rs8.5bn. Delhi-based Assotech and Supertech formed a 50:50 joint venture to develop the ‘Metropolis Cities’ township at Rudrapur which would mainly consist of 2,000 apartments, a 5-star hotel and about 1.6 lakh sq ft of retail space.

 

The construction of the first phase, consisting of about 500 flats, has already begun and is likely to be completed in three years. Emaar MGF, one of the world’s leading real estate developers has also signed an agreement with the government for designing, constructing and operating/ managing a five star hotel and convention centre in Dehradun with an investment of Rs2bn in two years.

 

The ASSOHAM Chief also says that Indian Inc. should participate in the state industrial developments to set up infrastructure facilities in promising sectors like Adventure Tourism, Real estate and IT.

 

According to ASSOCAM findings, the state government is now also setting up a Land Bank exclusively for boosting infrastructure facilities like hotels for tourists.  In its initiatives, partnership with a few private players have already been established. The state government is also identifying new tourists destinations in view of over crowded areas like Mussorie, Nainital etc.  In its attempt, they have launched three new circuits for tourists in different parts of the state and 10 more circuits have also been identified.

 

ASSOCHAM has suggested that the places like Musoorie, Hardwar, Rishikesh, Pantnagar, Almora etc. will be ideal destinations for setting up IT and ITES hubs  which will become a key driver for GDP growth of the state. To establish conducive IT infrastructure, the state government is providing enough fiscal incentives like stamp duty subsidies, no entry or purchase tax on IT hardware, special incentives for mega projects and creation of Venture Capital Funds.
 

http://www.indiainfoline.com/news/innernews.asp?storyId=51242&lmn=1