Darpan Singh, Agra
With a view to dealing with the huge tourist influx during the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and also cashing in on the opportunity, the State Tourism Department seems to have finally risen to the occasion. Often accused of adopting a ‘Taj centric’ approach in tourism promotion, the office of the Director General (tourism) has come with plans to promote lesser-known but potential protected monuments in a big way to draw more visitors.
Tourism DG Shushil Kumar has said the existing infrastructural facilities will be improved in view if the Games. Incidentally, HT carried a detailed report, dated June 29, on the State’s preparations for the mega event. Experts in the tourism industry are expecting the number of tourists visiting Agra to go up by several lakhs during the event. However, the hotel industry is not looking well prepared for the boom and is awfully short of adequate accommodations to deal with the ‘historic’ numbers expected in the city of Taj three years down the line.
When contacted by HT on Saturday, a senior government official said, “As part of the plan, local tourism officials have been asked to furnish details of sites which are not being promoted properly. The department plans to prepare publicity materials with information and photographs of lesser known sites.” He said the publicity materials would be distributed at offices and public places and added that online publicity was also in the pipeline.
According to the official, the government may also lure hoteliers to create additional accommodations on their premises for the visiting tourists. Removal of encroachments is also on the agenda. Delhi Gate, Etmauddaula, Sikandra, Ram Bagh and dozens of others have been dwarfed by encroachments. Encroachments threaten to gobble up Babar's Ram Bagh across the Yamuna, Mariam's tomb near Sikandra, Bagh Farzana and Begum Samru's garden. Help of public representatives will also be taken in all these endeavours. The Agra district administration has been informed about the plans.
Incidentally, dozens of lesser-known protected monuments are in a shambles here. The condition of structures like Babar's Ram Bagh or Chini ka Roza, the Jama Masjid of Agra and the tomb of Rasul Shah in Fatehpur Sikri is worsening by the day and they need immediate attention. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been accused of not following guidelines drawn up in various manuals. Some buildings in the Agra Fort complex are still under repair and not open to public. The ASI in the Agra circle has close to 400 protected monuments under its charge. However, a senior ASI official refuted the charges and said all the monuments in the Agra circle were being properly maintained.
Meanwhile, the Central Government has decided to start world-class food streets in Agra and some other cities of the country on the lines of those in Bangkok, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur. Confirming this, a Tourism Department official told HT, “The plan will help draw more visitors and also generated employment opportunities for people in Agra.” It is worth mentioning here that despite Chief Minister Mayawati announcing several schemes on April 15 last year, tourists continue to be a harried lot in the city of Taj because of erratic power supply, drinking water crisis and poor health, sanitation and communication facilities.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
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Darpan Singh, Agra
It’s a classic case of honour abroad, disgrace at home. The world renowned Indian and India-related art collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) has acquired a rare painting of the Moti Musjid made by the renowned American painter of the 19th century, Edwin Lord Weeks. While the VMFA has recognised the mosque’s brilliance, its condition in the Agra Fort continues to worsen by the day.
The acquisition, made a few days ago, is an oil-on-canvas — done in academic style, but with lots of light in it, with colours that might have been borrowed from an Impressionist palette. The lustrous painting, ‘The Hour of Prayer at Moti Musjid (The Pearl Mosque), Agra, dates from about 1888-89 and is nearly 10 feet wide by almost 7 feet tall. Weeks was awarded a Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Salon for the work.
Weeks is understood to have made the portrait during his stay at Agra. This was his second of the three visits to India. He was highly impressed by the Indian way of living during his both visits. Weeks (1849-1903) was born in Boston and trained in Paris and was an inveterate traveller. The painting has proved to be a major attraction for art lovers visiting the museum from different parts of the globe. The rare painting has been termed ‘almost a perfect picture, complete in religious sentiment and poetical inspiration.’
Edwin Lord Weeks is one of the most celebrated of the American Orientalists. In 1883, he travelled to India and he was to return again in 1892. He spent two years in India before returning home to Paris. Confirming the acquisition, an ASI official told HT, “His paintings of Indian life gave him fame both in France and America and they became his specialty. More than two dozens of his paintings displayed at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Venice depict the days of British Raj in India.”
Of the three Moti Masjids or Pearl Mosques, built during the Mughal era, with the other two being at Lahore and Delhi, the one inside the Agra Fort is most striking. The Agra Fort, built emperor Akbar between 1565-79. Located north of the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, the mosque was built in 1654 by Mughal emperor Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three marble domes of the mosque rest over the red sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is inviting. A red sandstone gateway leads into its interior of pure white marble.
However, the mosque continues to be neglected by authorities concerned. A portion of the mosque suffered damages while workers were recently giving it mudpack therapy. Air pollution and natural aging have given the monuments a slightly yellow tinge. To return the renowned monument to its pearly white state, the therpay is being used.
But the restoration of the damaged portion is yet to be done. Not only this, several damages have been witenessed to the palaces of Jahanara and Roshanara, the daughters of emperor Shahjahan, also located inside the Agra Fort. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, an ASI offical admitted to the damages and assured, “A repair work would soon be carried out to resotre the damged portions of the monuments.“
It’s a classic case of honour abroad, disgrace at home. The world renowned Indian and India-related art collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) has acquired a rare painting of the Moti Musjid made by the renowned American painter of the 19th century, Edwin Lord Weeks. While the VMFA has recognised the mosque’s brilliance, its condition in the Agra Fort continues to worsen by the day.
The acquisition, made a few days ago, is an oil-on-canvas — done in academic style, but with lots of light in it, with colours that might have been borrowed from an Impressionist palette. The lustrous painting, ‘The Hour of Prayer at Moti Musjid (The Pearl Mosque), Agra, dates from about 1888-89 and is nearly 10 feet wide by almost 7 feet tall. Weeks was awarded a Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Salon for the work.
Weeks is understood to have made the portrait during his stay at Agra. This was his second of the three visits to India. He was highly impressed by the Indian way of living during his both visits. Weeks (1849-1903) was born in Boston and trained in Paris and was an inveterate traveller. The painting has proved to be a major attraction for art lovers visiting the museum from different parts of the globe. The rare painting has been termed ‘almost a perfect picture, complete in religious sentiment and poetical inspiration.’
Edwin Lord Weeks is one of the most celebrated of the American Orientalists. In 1883, he travelled to India and he was to return again in 1892. He spent two years in India before returning home to Paris. Confirming the acquisition, an ASI official told HT, “His paintings of Indian life gave him fame both in France and America and they became his specialty. More than two dozens of his paintings displayed at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Venice depict the days of British Raj in India.”
Of the three Moti Masjids or Pearl Mosques, built during the Mughal era, with the other two being at Lahore and Delhi, the one inside the Agra Fort is most striking. The Agra Fort, built emperor Akbar between 1565-79. Located north of the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, the mosque was built in 1654 by Mughal emperor Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three marble domes of the mosque rest over the red sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is inviting. A red sandstone gateway leads into its interior of pure white marble.
However, the mosque continues to be neglected by authorities concerned. A portion of the mosque suffered damages while workers were recently giving it mudpack therapy. Air pollution and natural aging have given the monuments a slightly yellow tinge. To return the renowned monument to its pearly white state, the therpay is being used.
But the restoration of the damaged portion is yet to be done. Not only this, several damages have been witenessed to the palaces of Jahanara and Roshanara, the daughters of emperor Shahjahan, also located inside the Agra Fort. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, an ASI offical admitted to the damages and assured, “A repair work would soon be carried out to resotre the damged portions of the monuments.“
A monumnet of neglect
Darpan Singh, Agra
It’s a classic case of honour abroad, disgrace at home. The world renowned Indian and India-related art collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) has acquired a rare painting of the Moti Musjid made by the renowned American painter of the 19th century, Edwin Lord Weeks. While the VMFA has recognised the mosque’s brilliance, its condition in the Agra Fort continues to worsen by the day.
The acquisition, made a few days ago, is an oil-on-canvas — done in academic style, but with lots of light in it, with colours that might have been borrowed from an Impressionist palette. The lustrous painting, ‘The Hour of Prayer at Moti Musjid (The Pearl Mosque), Agra, dates from about 1888-89 and is nearly 10 feet wide by almost 7 feet tall. Weeks was awarded a Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Salon for the work.
Weeks is understood to have made the portrait during his stay at Agra. This was his second of the three visits to India. He was highly impressed by the Indian way of living during his both visits. Weeks (1849-1903) was born in Boston and trained in Paris and was an inveterate traveller. The painting has proved to be a major attraction for art lovers visiting the museum from different parts of the globe. The rare painting has been termed ‘almost a perfect picture, complete in religious sentiment and poetical inspiration.’
Edwin Lord Weeks is one of the most celebrated of the American Orientalists. In 1883, he travelled to India and he was to return again in 1892. He spent two years in India before returning home to Paris. Confirming the acquisition, an ASI official told HT, “His paintings of Indian life gave him fame both in France and America and they became his specialty. More than two dozens of his paintings displayed at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Venice depict the days of British Raj in India.”
Of the three Moti Masjids or Pearl Mosques, built during the Mughal era, with the other two being at Lahore and Delhi, the one inside the Agra Fort is most striking. The Agra Fort, built emperor Akbar between 1565-79. Located north of the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, the mosque was built in 1654 by Mughal emperor Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three marble domes of the mosque rest over the red sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is inviting. A red sandstone gateway leads into its interior of pure white marble.
However, the mosque continues to be neglected by authorities concerned. A portion of the mosque suffered damages while workers were recently giving it mudpack therapy. Air pollution and natural aging have given the monuments a slightly yellow tinge. To return the renowned monument to its pearly white state, the therpay is being used.
But the restoration of the damaged portion is yet to be done. Not only this, several damages have been witenessed to the palaces of Jahanara and Roshanara, the daughters of emperor Shahjahan, also located inside the Agra Fort. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, an ASI offical admitted to the damages and assured, “A repair work would soon be carried out to resotre the damged portions of the monuments.“
It’s a classic case of honour abroad, disgrace at home. The world renowned Indian and India-related art collection at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) has acquired a rare painting of the Moti Musjid made by the renowned American painter of the 19th century, Edwin Lord Weeks. While the VMFA has recognised the mosque’s brilliance, its condition in the Agra Fort continues to worsen by the day.
The acquisition, made a few days ago, is an oil-on-canvas — done in academic style, but with lots of light in it, with colours that might have been borrowed from an Impressionist palette. The lustrous painting, ‘The Hour of Prayer at Moti Musjid (The Pearl Mosque), Agra, dates from about 1888-89 and is nearly 10 feet wide by almost 7 feet tall. Weeks was awarded a Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris Salon for the work.
Weeks is understood to have made the portrait during his stay at Agra. This was his second of the three visits to India. He was highly impressed by the Indian way of living during his both visits. Weeks (1849-1903) was born in Boston and trained in Paris and was an inveterate traveller. The painting has proved to be a major attraction for art lovers visiting the museum from different parts of the globe. The rare painting has been termed ‘almost a perfect picture, complete in religious sentiment and poetical inspiration.’
Edwin Lord Weeks is one of the most celebrated of the American Orientalists. In 1883, he travelled to India and he was to return again in 1892. He spent two years in India before returning home to Paris. Confirming the acquisition, an ASI official told HT, “His paintings of Indian life gave him fame both in France and America and they became his specialty. More than two dozens of his paintings displayed at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts in Venice depict the days of British Raj in India.”
Of the three Moti Masjids or Pearl Mosques, built during the Mughal era, with the other two being at Lahore and Delhi, the one inside the Agra Fort is most striking. The Agra Fort, built emperor Akbar between 1565-79. Located north of the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, the mosque was built in 1654 by Mughal emperor Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. The three marble domes of the mosque rest over the red sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is inviting. A red sandstone gateway leads into its interior of pure white marble.
However, the mosque continues to be neglected by authorities concerned. A portion of the mosque suffered damages while workers were recently giving it mudpack therapy. Air pollution and natural aging have given the monuments a slightly yellow tinge. To return the renowned monument to its pearly white state, the therpay is being used.
But the restoration of the damaged portion is yet to be done. Not only this, several damages have been witenessed to the palaces of Jahanara and Roshanara, the daughters of emperor Shahjahan, also located inside the Agra Fort. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, an ASI offical admitted to the damages and assured, “A repair work would soon be carried out to resotre the damged portions of the monuments.“
States vow to combat bandit menace
Darpan Singh, Agra
Top police officials of three states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — have come up with a master plan to deal with bandits unleashing a reign of terror in areas bordering the three stats. At a meeting held at the Agra police lines here on Wednesday, officials discussed the issue at length and also suggested ways to deal with the menace.
They have resoled to work jointly to end the menace once and for all. For the first time, instead of convening a meeting of top police officials, COs and SHOs of the three states attended such a meet and exchanged information for a more effective crackdown in their respective areas. Agra SSP Raghubeer Lal, who also attended the meeting, told HT on Wednesday, “We have resolved to launch a combined combing operation after preparing a list of the most-wanted dacoits.”
Sources said the officials who stressed the need to have a proper system in place to obtain and share information regarding the firepower of dacoits operating from forests and details of those patronising them. The officials felt this would help reign in the bandits. They also resolved to free those abducted and also carry out operations in villages which provide logistical support to bandits at the earliest.
It is to be noted here that around half-a-dozen gangs, including those led by Jagan Gurjar, Kamal Gurjar and Ram Sahay Gurjar, are active in Rajasthan. These gangs have been carrying out their activities in areas of Agra bordering Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Police sources said gangs operating from forest areas in Rajasthan have caused more trouble for the Uttar Pradesh police.
Due to the lack of proper coordination between the police of these three states and a joint strategy in place, police could not do much In case of the infamous kidnapping case of Kheragadh or the abduction of the son of a trader at Chhata in Mathura. The victims had been kept in forests where these gangs reign supreme due to logistical reasons. The meeting also resolved that lack of resources would not be allowed to hamper police operations as all three states would act as a unit.
The gangs which have cause most problems for the police are active in areas of Bharatpur and Dhaulpur of Rajasthan which are not far off Agra. The police stations which will be carrying out operations against these gangs include: Rupwas, Chiksana, Badi, Sahpau, Maniya, Kaulari, Basai and Basai Dang. The police stations of Agra which are affected by the menace and share borders with Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are: Jagner, Basai Jagner, Jaitpur, Pinahat, Basauni, Kheda Rathore, Mansukhpura, Fatehpur Sikri, Achhneri and Kheragadh.
Top police officials of three states — Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh — have come up with a master plan to deal with bandits unleashing a reign of terror in areas bordering the three stats. At a meeting held at the Agra police lines here on Wednesday, officials discussed the issue at length and also suggested ways to deal with the menace.
They have resoled to work jointly to end the menace once and for all. For the first time, instead of convening a meeting of top police officials, COs and SHOs of the three states attended such a meet and exchanged information for a more effective crackdown in their respective areas. Agra SSP Raghubeer Lal, who also attended the meeting, told HT on Wednesday, “We have resolved to launch a combined combing operation after preparing a list of the most-wanted dacoits.”
Sources said the officials who stressed the need to have a proper system in place to obtain and share information regarding the firepower of dacoits operating from forests and details of those patronising them. The officials felt this would help reign in the bandits. They also resolved to free those abducted and also carry out operations in villages which provide logistical support to bandits at the earliest.
It is to be noted here that around half-a-dozen gangs, including those led by Jagan Gurjar, Kamal Gurjar and Ram Sahay Gurjar, are active in Rajasthan. These gangs have been carrying out their activities in areas of Agra bordering Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Police sources said gangs operating from forest areas in Rajasthan have caused more trouble for the Uttar Pradesh police.
Due to the lack of proper coordination between the police of these three states and a joint strategy in place, police could not do much In case of the infamous kidnapping case of Kheragadh or the abduction of the son of a trader at Chhata in Mathura. The victims had been kept in forests where these gangs reign supreme due to logistical reasons. The meeting also resolved that lack of resources would not be allowed to hamper police operations as all three states would act as a unit.
The gangs which have cause most problems for the police are active in areas of Bharatpur and Dhaulpur of Rajasthan which are not far off Agra. The police stations which will be carrying out operations against these gangs include: Rupwas, Chiksana, Badi, Sahpau, Maniya, Kaulari, Basai and Basai Dang. The police stations of Agra which are affected by the menace and share borders with Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are: Jagner, Basai Jagner, Jaitpur, Pinahat, Basauni, Kheda Rathore, Mansukhpura, Fatehpur Sikri, Achhneri and Kheragadh.
diamond heist planned on PoW!
Darpan Singh, Agra
A bunch of foreigners have planned a massive diamond heist onboard India’s famous luxury train — The Palace on Wheels (PoW). But no one is complaining. Surprised? Well, don’t be. For, it’s a sequence from the Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones-starrer ‘Racing the Monsoon.’ Michael will be shooting the train robbery sequences on the PoW that departs from New Delhi and, during its eight day journey, stops at Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra.
When contacted by HT on Wednesday, a senior official confirmed the proposed shooting. He however said, a final nod from the Railways and the Tourism Ministry is awaited.”
Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones are currently in India to finalise locations for a sequel of the 1984 action adventure — ‘Romancing the Stone.’ Douglas, who is also going to act in the movie, a double role, is impressed by India. An aide currently in Rajasthan quoted the Basic Instinct star as saying, “India is making a large impact on the world US, be it culture, design, fashion or films.”
His wife Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for her performance in the musical ‘Chicago’, is equally upbeat. She has told a website, “We have been closely following and studying Indian culture and are fascinated by it.” Mumbai-based Percept Picture Company will be co-producing the movie. However, as announced earlier, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s will not be part of the project. She was to initially play the main lead. Catherine Zeta Zones has stepped in place of Aishwarya.
Douglas, who has starred in blockbusters like Basic Instinct, Wall Street and Disclosure, has been in India with the cast and crew and wanted a grand feel about the action adventure movie through the India’s famous luxury train known for a splendid and enchanting royal journey through the bygone era of the erstwhile Maharajas. Apart from Jaisalmer, the movie is also being shot in Mumbai and Kolkata, besides its possible train sequence passing through Agra.
Indian choreographer Shiamak Davar may also be part of the project as he has reportedly approached Douglas and Zeta-Jones to choreograph a sequence in the film. He has been quoted as having said, “I met Michael and Catherine in Davos. I would really like to do the film.” Bourne Identity star Matt Damon is also part of the film.
A crew member said, “The six-month shooting schedule is expected to begin by December this year or early 2009. Michael will remain in India along with his star wife Catherine for the entire shooting schedule of the film to be directed by Steve Carr.” Everything was decided after Douglas chose a few locations in Rajasthan during his recent visit to the state.
If the shooting actually gets underway, it’ll be the first Hollywood film, and third commercial one, to be shot on the PoW. Dev Anand’s Main Solah Baras Ki (1997) and Chiragdeep International’s Talaash (2003) are the two other ones. The train has been used for a number of documentary films too.
A bunch of foreigners have planned a massive diamond heist onboard India’s famous luxury train — The Palace on Wheels (PoW). But no one is complaining. Surprised? Well, don’t be. For, it’s a sequence from the Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones-starrer ‘Racing the Monsoon.’ Michael will be shooting the train robbery sequences on the PoW that departs from New Delhi and, during its eight day journey, stops at Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur, and Agra.
When contacted by HT on Wednesday, a senior official confirmed the proposed shooting. He however said, a final nod from the Railways and the Tourism Ministry is awaited.”
Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones are currently in India to finalise locations for a sequel of the 1984 action adventure — ‘Romancing the Stone.’ Douglas, who is also going to act in the movie, a double role, is impressed by India. An aide currently in Rajasthan quoted the Basic Instinct star as saying, “India is making a large impact on the world US, be it culture, design, fashion or films.”
His wife Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for her performance in the musical ‘Chicago’, is equally upbeat. She has told a website, “We have been closely following and studying Indian culture and are fascinated by it.” Mumbai-based Percept Picture Company will be co-producing the movie. However, as announced earlier, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s will not be part of the project. She was to initially play the main lead. Catherine Zeta Zones has stepped in place of Aishwarya.
Douglas, who has starred in blockbusters like Basic Instinct, Wall Street and Disclosure, has been in India with the cast and crew and wanted a grand feel about the action adventure movie through the India’s famous luxury train known for a splendid and enchanting royal journey through the bygone era of the erstwhile Maharajas. Apart from Jaisalmer, the movie is also being shot in Mumbai and Kolkata, besides its possible train sequence passing through Agra.
Indian choreographer Shiamak Davar may also be part of the project as he has reportedly approached Douglas and Zeta-Jones to choreograph a sequence in the film. He has been quoted as having said, “I met Michael and Catherine in Davos. I would really like to do the film.” Bourne Identity star Matt Damon is also part of the film.
A crew member said, “The six-month shooting schedule is expected to begin by December this year or early 2009. Michael will remain in India along with his star wife Catherine for the entire shooting schedule of the film to be directed by Steve Carr.” Everything was decided after Douglas chose a few locations in Rajasthan during his recent visit to the state.
If the shooting actually gets underway, it’ll be the first Hollywood film, and third commercial one, to be shot on the PoW. Dev Anand’s Main Solah Baras Ki (1997) and Chiragdeep International’s Talaash (2003) are the two other ones. The train has been used for a number of documentary films too.
6 yrs on, taj corridor has become a graveyard
Darpan Singh, Agra
The place was once supposed to remind one of Mumbai’s Marine Drive. However, bones, skulls and filth today greet visitors. The Rs 175-crore Taj Corridor Project, that proposed to build a heritage corridor between the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort some six years ago, has now become a huge heap of mud and garbage with the site being used as a graveyard to bury dead bodies and for depositing animal carcasses.
Nobody today in the Uttar Pradesh government is willing to come on record regarding the incomplete project even as the issue has been extensively used to settle personal scores and take political mileage. A Pollution Control Board official admitted, “The site has today become a source of pollution in the Yamuna which flows behind the Taj.” Surprisingly, he said it was the responsibility of the AMC to set things right. A recent visit to the site revealed that it is being used to dump solid wastes which, during rains, find way to the river that is already saturated with pollutants. Though experts say the dry riverbed is a serious threat to the heritage monument, the Government is yet to act.
Ever since its inception, the project drew flak from all quarters, as experts believed any construction on the riverbed might alter the course of the Yamuna and would lead to ecological problems, posing a threat to the Taj Mahal, a world heritage site. “Work on the project began but was immediately stopped in 2003 after judicial and administrative interventions,” recalled an official in the Tourism Department.
Even as the matter has been in court for long with Mayawati facing corruption charges, the site has turned into a graveyard. Surprisingly, despite a court order prohibiting construction around Taj trapezium (the area in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal that has many historical monuments) without proper approval, the project took off.
The project was to come up along the Yamuna, on a platform raised from scooped silt of the river. There was a plan to construct an amusement park, malls, commercial shops, and walkways through dense wilderness to allow tourists take a leisurely stroll in moonlit nights. The corridor was to begin right from Khan-e-Alam, close to the Taj Mahal, and end two kilometres towards the city behind the Agra Fort. It was to be extended later to allow tourists to reach Etmauddaula and Ram Bagh on the other side of the river.
Rs 17 crore was spent, as hundreds of tractors, earthmovers and machines worked round the clock for three months to dig out silt and deposit it on the riverbank to create a new platform, which was laid with Rajasthani stones. But after a hue and cry from conservationists that the corridor would endanger the monument and allegations of large-scale corruption in the project, the central government suspended it in 2003. The filling of the riverbed, experts felt, would narrow the Yamuna, which might put the Taj's foundation under threat. Environmentalists now demand the site be cleaned and greened.
The project is now defunct, and plans are being made to remove the partial construction near the Taj Mahal site and replace it with a low tech forested greenbelt. Even as there is no official word regarding the fate of the project, ASI sources doubt if the Supreme Court would allow anyone to take up the matter of starting construction at the site again. Interestingly, there have been no serious objections to the corridor from the ASI, which oversees all ancient monuments in India. In an order, the SC, however, did not direct the authorities to dismantle the corridor project but called for greening it.
The project was not only a risk for the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort but it had violated the rule prohibiting construction within 300 meters of monuments as it was found the construction work had almost touched the wall of the Agra Fort. Consequently, the heritage status of the Taj Mahal came under threat when the Unesco said it might put the Taj Mahal under 'World Heritage in Danger' list, if it found the new complex would affect the authenticity and integrity of the site and would have a negative visual impact.
The place was once supposed to remind one of Mumbai’s Marine Drive. However, bones, skulls and filth today greet visitors. The Rs 175-crore Taj Corridor Project, that proposed to build a heritage corridor between the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort some six years ago, has now become a huge heap of mud and garbage with the site being used as a graveyard to bury dead bodies and for depositing animal carcasses.
Nobody today in the Uttar Pradesh government is willing to come on record regarding the incomplete project even as the issue has been extensively used to settle personal scores and take political mileage. A Pollution Control Board official admitted, “The site has today become a source of pollution in the Yamuna which flows behind the Taj.” Surprisingly, he said it was the responsibility of the AMC to set things right. A recent visit to the site revealed that it is being used to dump solid wastes which, during rains, find way to the river that is already saturated with pollutants. Though experts say the dry riverbed is a serious threat to the heritage monument, the Government is yet to act.
Ever since its inception, the project drew flak from all quarters, as experts believed any construction on the riverbed might alter the course of the Yamuna and would lead to ecological problems, posing a threat to the Taj Mahal, a world heritage site. “Work on the project began but was immediately stopped in 2003 after judicial and administrative interventions,” recalled an official in the Tourism Department.
Even as the matter has been in court for long with Mayawati facing corruption charges, the site has turned into a graveyard. Surprisingly, despite a court order prohibiting construction around Taj trapezium (the area in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal that has many historical monuments) without proper approval, the project took off.
The project was to come up along the Yamuna, on a platform raised from scooped silt of the river. There was a plan to construct an amusement park, malls, commercial shops, and walkways through dense wilderness to allow tourists take a leisurely stroll in moonlit nights. The corridor was to begin right from Khan-e-Alam, close to the Taj Mahal, and end two kilometres towards the city behind the Agra Fort. It was to be extended later to allow tourists to reach Etmauddaula and Ram Bagh on the other side of the river.
Rs 17 crore was spent, as hundreds of tractors, earthmovers and machines worked round the clock for three months to dig out silt and deposit it on the riverbank to create a new platform, which was laid with Rajasthani stones. But after a hue and cry from conservationists that the corridor would endanger the monument and allegations of large-scale corruption in the project, the central government suspended it in 2003. The filling of the riverbed, experts felt, would narrow the Yamuna, which might put the Taj's foundation under threat. Environmentalists now demand the site be cleaned and greened.
The project is now defunct, and plans are being made to remove the partial construction near the Taj Mahal site and replace it with a low tech forested greenbelt. Even as there is no official word regarding the fate of the project, ASI sources doubt if the Supreme Court would allow anyone to take up the matter of starting construction at the site again. Interestingly, there have been no serious objections to the corridor from the ASI, which oversees all ancient monuments in India. In an order, the SC, however, did not direct the authorities to dismantle the corridor project but called for greening it.
The project was not only a risk for the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort but it had violated the rule prohibiting construction within 300 meters of monuments as it was found the construction work had almost touched the wall of the Agra Fort. Consequently, the heritage status of the Taj Mahal came under threat when the Unesco said it might put the Taj Mahal under 'World Heritage in Danger' list, if it found the new complex would affect the authenticity and integrity of the site and would have a negative visual impact.
Police needed to police Mathura police!
Darpan Singh, Agra
The Mathura police, it seems, have refused to learn any lesson from its mistakes. Already under fire for groping in dark and poor handling of the sensational Tripti Khandelwal murder case, here comes another blunder. This time, the Mathura police, while probing a murder case, ended up using third degree against the complainants, while hardly making any effort to nab the real culprit(s). The condition of one complainant, a minority youth, deteriorated allegedly due to excessive torture and he feinted. The SSP has suspended two cops, including the SHO of Mathura Kotwali, in this connection.
Police sources said one Rahis was strangulated to death on the night of June 22 last at a place under Kotwali police station. His body was recovered at Balmiki locality in front of Kishore Raman Inter College. Anis, the deceased’s brother, lodged a case against unidentified persons in this connection. However, police suspected the involvement of the deceased’s family members in his murder and summoned all of them for questioning. Police detained two brothers of the deceased — Anis and Bablu — and two relatives for four days. However, the family believed Rahis was killed over a monetary dispute.
On Saturday night, police took Anis to a hotel, while Bablu was taken to Bengali Ghat police outpost. Both were allegedly thrashed to confess to their involvement. Sources said Bablu was subjected to third degree torture and when his condition deteriorated, the cops, instead of taking him to hospital, allegedly dumped him in the Kotwali. When the family reached Kotwali on Sunday morning, it found Bablu lying in an unconscious state. The enraged family members created a ruckus to protest the torture. A top cop told ht on Monday, "Police have arranged for Bablu's treatment." The officer admitted that Anis’s body also bore injury marks.
Incidentally, the Mathura police, which received flak for faulty examination of the crime scene in the Tripti Khandelwal murder case, are yet to make any breakthrough. More than a week ago, Tripti Khandelwal (28), wife of trader Ravi Khandelwal, was found murdered inside her residence (C-12) in the posh Radhapuram locality under the Highway police station of Mathura. The body was recovered from a divan. Incidentally, when the recovery was made, cops were busy conducting raids outside on being informed that Tripti was missing with her house locked from outside. Earlier in the day, the cops sat on the same divan in which the body had been kept a good 5-6 hours ago
The Mathura police, it seems, have refused to learn any lesson from its mistakes. Already under fire for groping in dark and poor handling of the sensational Tripti Khandelwal murder case, here comes another blunder. This time, the Mathura police, while probing a murder case, ended up using third degree against the complainants, while hardly making any effort to nab the real culprit(s). The condition of one complainant, a minority youth, deteriorated allegedly due to excessive torture and he feinted. The SSP has suspended two cops, including the SHO of Mathura Kotwali, in this connection.
Police sources said one Rahis was strangulated to death on the night of June 22 last at a place under Kotwali police station. His body was recovered at Balmiki locality in front of Kishore Raman Inter College. Anis, the deceased’s brother, lodged a case against unidentified persons in this connection. However, police suspected the involvement of the deceased’s family members in his murder and summoned all of them for questioning. Police detained two brothers of the deceased — Anis and Bablu — and two relatives for four days. However, the family believed Rahis was killed over a monetary dispute.
On Saturday night, police took Anis to a hotel, while Bablu was taken to Bengali Ghat police outpost. Both were allegedly thrashed to confess to their involvement. Sources said Bablu was subjected to third degree torture and when his condition deteriorated, the cops, instead of taking him to hospital, allegedly dumped him in the Kotwali. When the family reached Kotwali on Sunday morning, it found Bablu lying in an unconscious state. The enraged family members created a ruckus to protest the torture. A top cop told ht on Monday, "Police have arranged for Bablu's treatment." The officer admitted that Anis’s body also bore injury marks.
Incidentally, the Mathura police, which received flak for faulty examination of the crime scene in the Tripti Khandelwal murder case, are yet to make any breakthrough. More than a week ago, Tripti Khandelwal (28), wife of trader Ravi Khandelwal, was found murdered inside her residence (C-12) in the posh Radhapuram locality under the Highway police station of Mathura. The body was recovered from a divan. Incidentally, when the recovery was made, cops were busy conducting raids outside on being informed that Tripti was missing with her house locked from outside. Earlier in the day, the cops sat on the same divan in which the body had been kept a good 5-6 hours ago
Scholar still fears for life
For Sheetal Birla, a research scholar, who has taken on the might of a heavyweight MLA belonging to the ruling party, the fight might have got over, but the battle has just begun. Even as Dibai legislator Shribhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit has been arrested and his Z plus security cover withdrawn, the research scholar fears for her life like never before.
Talking to HT at her Kasganj residence on Sunday evening, Sheetal termed the security arrangements made for her family inadequate. Looking shaken from being on the run for the past 45 days, she said, “I still fear for my life. What will these three cops do? Guddu can do anything even from behind the bars. He has already threatened to eliminate my brother.” Though the police chiefs of Eta and Kanshiram Nagar districts have deputed a sub-inspector and two constables at her residence, the parents — Dinesh and Manorama Birla — too look terrified. They said, “Hamaare bachhe bahar bhi jaate hain, police kahan-kahan unhe security degi.”
Sheetal thanked Chief Minister Mayawati for taking prompt action and ordering arrest of the MLA. She, however, said, “Had Guddu not done what he did to me and agreed to desert his wife, I would have chosen to spend the rest of my life with him. I was madly in love with him.” In the same breath, she said her briefcase was with the MLA which had a lot of evidence to substantiate the charges and nail the latter. She expressed happiness over the suspension of the Ramghat (Bulandshahar) SHO for registering false cases but said, “Pathak has to be absolved of all charges. He is innocent.”
After the arrest, a whole lot of people are now coming out against the legislator. Former Principal of Agra College, Mukhtiyar Singh, has said some henchmen of the MLA, posing as policemen, had on June 17 last come looking for Sheetal at his residence and threatened him with dire consequences. The house of Pramod Pathak, who helped Sheetal when she went into hiding, was also attacked at the behest of the MLA. According to Singh, under whose guidance Sheetal is doing research, she has passed each examination with flying colours. He said, “After completing intermediate from Kasganj, she came to Agra College and was the university topper in post graduation.”
Meanwhile, contrary to his earlier statements, the Dibai MLA confessed for the first time that he had known Sheetal for the past seven years. Talking to reporters at Kasganj Kotwali, where he was brought on Sunday night, he said, “She owes me a lot of money. Not able to return the amount, she is trying to frame me.” He, however, categorically denied reports of his marriage with Sheetal.
Once known as a close aide of former UP Minister Amar Mani Tripathy, Guddu had deposed in court as a CBI witness in the Madhumita Shukla murder case. Guddu, believed to own assets worth crores of rupees, once worked as a driver for Tripathy. In the last Assembly polls, he got elected from Dibai as a BSP candidate, defeating the son of former UP CM Kalyan Singh. Police sources said Guddu was a leading property dealer in Noida and was wanted in more than a dozen criminal cases.
As a key Brahmin leader from Bulandshahar in western Uttar Pradesh, he is said to be crucial to Mayawati’s social engineering concept. And the issue of his arrest has begun assuming political hues. While the BSP is taking credit for nailing its own MLAs and showing zero tolerance for crime, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is trying to cash in on the recent arrest of BSP MLAs for serious crime. Party State Secretary Ramsakal Gurjar said in a statement that the BSP was a party of criminals. He said that Pramod Pathak was an SP worker and though the Ramghat SHO had been placed under suspension, Pathak had to be absolved of all false charges.
Talking to HT at her Kasganj residence on Sunday evening, Sheetal termed the security arrangements made for her family inadequate. Looking shaken from being on the run for the past 45 days, she said, “I still fear for my life. What will these three cops do? Guddu can do anything even from behind the bars. He has already threatened to eliminate my brother.” Though the police chiefs of Eta and Kanshiram Nagar districts have deputed a sub-inspector and two constables at her residence, the parents — Dinesh and Manorama Birla — too look terrified. They said, “Hamaare bachhe bahar bhi jaate hain, police kahan-kahan unhe security degi.”
Sheetal thanked Chief Minister Mayawati for taking prompt action and ordering arrest of the MLA. She, however, said, “Had Guddu not done what he did to me and agreed to desert his wife, I would have chosen to spend the rest of my life with him. I was madly in love with him.” In the same breath, she said her briefcase was with the MLA which had a lot of evidence to substantiate the charges and nail the latter. She expressed happiness over the suspension of the Ramghat (Bulandshahar) SHO for registering false cases but said, “Pathak has to be absolved of all charges. He is innocent.”
After the arrest, a whole lot of people are now coming out against the legislator. Former Principal of Agra College, Mukhtiyar Singh, has said some henchmen of the MLA, posing as policemen, had on June 17 last come looking for Sheetal at his residence and threatened him with dire consequences. The house of Pramod Pathak, who helped Sheetal when she went into hiding, was also attacked at the behest of the MLA. According to Singh, under whose guidance Sheetal is doing research, she has passed each examination with flying colours. He said, “After completing intermediate from Kasganj, she came to Agra College and was the university topper in post graduation.”
Meanwhile, contrary to his earlier statements, the Dibai MLA confessed for the first time that he had known Sheetal for the past seven years. Talking to reporters at Kasganj Kotwali, where he was brought on Sunday night, he said, “She owes me a lot of money. Not able to return the amount, she is trying to frame me.” He, however, categorically denied reports of his marriage with Sheetal.
Once known as a close aide of former UP Minister Amar Mani Tripathy, Guddu had deposed in court as a CBI witness in the Madhumita Shukla murder case. Guddu, believed to own assets worth crores of rupees, once worked as a driver for Tripathy. In the last Assembly polls, he got elected from Dibai as a BSP candidate, defeating the son of former UP CM Kalyan Singh. Police sources said Guddu was a leading property dealer in Noida and was wanted in more than a dozen criminal cases.
As a key Brahmin leader from Bulandshahar in western Uttar Pradesh, he is said to be crucial to Mayawati’s social engineering concept. And the issue of his arrest has begun assuming political hues. While the BSP is taking credit for nailing its own MLAs and showing zero tolerance for crime, the Samajwadi Party (SP) is trying to cash in on the recent arrest of BSP MLAs for serious crime. Party State Secretary Ramsakal Gurjar said in a statement that the BSP was a party of criminals. He said that Pramod Pathak was an SP worker and though the Ramghat SHO had been placed under suspension, Pathak had to be absolved of all false charges.
BSP MLA in sex scandal?
Darpan Singh, Agra
Sheetal Birla, 28, a woman college teacher and researcher, who had disappeared from Agra under mysterious circumstances and finally surfaced on Saturday, has accused BSP MLA from Dubai (Bulandshahar) Shri Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit of trying to kill her. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting she might have been kidnapped, she said she was constantly on the run to save her life. Her father had lodged a complaint on June 17 alleging she was kidnapped by a ‘powerful person’ on May 17. The MLA has categorically denied the charges, terming them a ploy by political rivals to malign his image. When contacted on Sunday, Agra DIG NK Srivastava refused to say anything.
Sheetal was located from a house at Shikohabad in Firozabad and brought to Agra by police. She alleged that the MLA had married her at Haridwar after their first meeting that took place three years ago at a trader’s house. She said, “When I came to know that he was already married, I tried to get out of his life. But he was not willing to let go of me and wanted me to be his mistress which was not acceptable to me.” She said, “He has been after my life ever since I began trying to get rid of him. I stopped being in touch with my family as he succeeded in tracing my locations as I made phone calls.” Strangely enough, she did not level any charge in writing, saying she had lost faith in police.
She said her friend Pramod was trying to save her from the MLA and his life was also in danger. Pramod has been arrested in connection with a case lodged earlier. Sheetal has also been booked in a case of fraud. She, however, said, “Cases against both of us are concocted, lodged by the same person at Guddu’s behest.” She said she was repeatedly threatened, misbehaved and told to keep mum and the accused is a sitting MLA of the ruling party there is hardly any hope for her in this case.
The MLA, on the other hand, refuted the charges, saying, “The Chief Minister can herself look into the allegations. I do not know any woman by the name of Sheetal Birla. If charges leveled against me are found true, I will quit politics and go to jail. The girl herself is a fraud who has already been booked by the police.” Contradicting this statement, police quoted the MLA as saying, “Sheetal’s brother was a friend. I used to go to their place.” When contacted, senior police refused to say much as the matter involves a ruling party MLA. A top cop said, “The matter is being investigated. Appropriate action would be taken.”
The MLA has dared cops to find any evidence against him, saying he is ready to be booked if the police can prove anything. But Sheetal has said she has ample evidence to substantiate the charges and nail the MLA. She said, “I have a cell phone for which the SIM had been provided to me by the MLA. The SIM has been issued in the name of one of his servants. Call details will show she has spent hours talking to me.” Meanwhile, when Sheetal’s statements were being recorded by the police here on Saturday, uproarious scenes were created and she even accused an Inspector of misbehaving with her.
Incidentally, Sheetal prior to her disappearance wrote to police that a BSP MLA was threatening to kill her. Shital’s father Dinesh Chandra Birla, a businessman based in Etah, received threat calls, police sources said. Shital, who was doing her PhD in chemistry and taught at Agra College, met the politician in 2006 when he was not an MLA. In December 2006, Shital lodged a police complaint saying the politician misbehaved with her for rejecting to his advances. She, however, withdrew the complaint after the politician apologised. The BSP leader re-established contact after becoming an MLA in May 2007. On May 10 this year, Shital again approached Agra DIG NK Srivastava, alleging the politician was harassing her. “He has evil designs and I fear for my life,” she reportedly wrote.
The MLA was once associated with former BSP minister Amar Mani Tripathi, in jail for the murder of poetess Madhumita Shukla. Shukla is said to have had an affair with Tripathi and had allegedly threatened to expose him after she got pregnant. However, this is not the only scandal involving Uttar Pradesh politicians. In October 2006, Meerut college professor Kavita Chaudhary was murdered allegedly by some Rashtriya Lok Dal ministers who are said to have sexually exploited her. On June 14 this year, former BSP minister Anandsen Yadav was arrested on the charge of kidnapping and murdering Faizabad college girl Shashi, 24, apparently after an affair.
Sheetal Birla, 28, a woman college teacher and researcher, who had disappeared from Agra under mysterious circumstances and finally surfaced on Saturday, has accused BSP MLA from Dubai (Bulandshahar) Shri Bhagwan Sharma alias Guddu Pandit of trying to kill her. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting she might have been kidnapped, she said she was constantly on the run to save her life. Her father had lodged a complaint on June 17 alleging she was kidnapped by a ‘powerful person’ on May 17. The MLA has categorically denied the charges, terming them a ploy by political rivals to malign his image. When contacted on Sunday, Agra DIG NK Srivastava refused to say anything.
Sheetal was located from a house at Shikohabad in Firozabad and brought to Agra by police. She alleged that the MLA had married her at Haridwar after their first meeting that took place three years ago at a trader’s house. She said, “When I came to know that he was already married, I tried to get out of his life. But he was not willing to let go of me and wanted me to be his mistress which was not acceptable to me.” She said, “He has been after my life ever since I began trying to get rid of him. I stopped being in touch with my family as he succeeded in tracing my locations as I made phone calls.” Strangely enough, she did not level any charge in writing, saying she had lost faith in police.
She said her friend Pramod was trying to save her from the MLA and his life was also in danger. Pramod has been arrested in connection with a case lodged earlier. Sheetal has also been booked in a case of fraud. She, however, said, “Cases against both of us are concocted, lodged by the same person at Guddu’s behest.” She said she was repeatedly threatened, misbehaved and told to keep mum and the accused is a sitting MLA of the ruling party there is hardly any hope for her in this case.
The MLA, on the other hand, refuted the charges, saying, “The Chief Minister can herself look into the allegations. I do not know any woman by the name of Sheetal Birla. If charges leveled against me are found true, I will quit politics and go to jail. The girl herself is a fraud who has already been booked by the police.” Contradicting this statement, police quoted the MLA as saying, “Sheetal’s brother was a friend. I used to go to their place.” When contacted, senior police refused to say much as the matter involves a ruling party MLA. A top cop said, “The matter is being investigated. Appropriate action would be taken.”
The MLA has dared cops to find any evidence against him, saying he is ready to be booked if the police can prove anything. But Sheetal has said she has ample evidence to substantiate the charges and nail the MLA. She said, “I have a cell phone for which the SIM had been provided to me by the MLA. The SIM has been issued in the name of one of his servants. Call details will show she has spent hours talking to me.” Meanwhile, when Sheetal’s statements were being recorded by the police here on Saturday, uproarious scenes were created and she even accused an Inspector of misbehaving with her.
Incidentally, Sheetal prior to her disappearance wrote to police that a BSP MLA was threatening to kill her. Shital’s father Dinesh Chandra Birla, a businessman based in Etah, received threat calls, police sources said. Shital, who was doing her PhD in chemistry and taught at Agra College, met the politician in 2006 when he was not an MLA. In December 2006, Shital lodged a police complaint saying the politician misbehaved with her for rejecting to his advances. She, however, withdrew the complaint after the politician apologised. The BSP leader re-established contact after becoming an MLA in May 2007. On May 10 this year, Shital again approached Agra DIG NK Srivastava, alleging the politician was harassing her. “He has evil designs and I fear for my life,” she reportedly wrote.
The MLA was once associated with former BSP minister Amar Mani Tripathi, in jail for the murder of poetess Madhumita Shukla. Shukla is said to have had an affair with Tripathi and had allegedly threatened to expose him after she got pregnant. However, this is not the only scandal involving Uttar Pradesh politicians. In October 2006, Meerut college professor Kavita Chaudhary was murdered allegedly by some Rashtriya Lok Dal ministers who are said to have sexually exploited her. On June 14 this year, former BSP minister Anandsen Yadav was arrested on the charge of kidnapping and murdering Faizabad college girl Shashi, 24, apparently after an affair.
Agra not ready for mega tourism boom?
Darpan Singh, Agra
The Commonwealth Games are barely three years’ away. And with the number of tourists likely to go up in an unprecedented way during the event, Agra hopes to reap rich dividends. Though the State boasts of steps being initiated in this regard, saying it cannot afford to make a mess of the opportunity, plans can go awry as the preparations to cash in on the tourists’ inflow or the existing infrastructural facilities are anything but up to the mark.
Though a whole lot of development projects aimed at upgrading the civic infrastructure have been announced and initiated in the Agra-Mathura region, highly placed sources told HT that most of them are not likely to be completed before the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010. Experts in the tourism industry are expecting the number of tourists visiting Agra to go up by several lakhs during the event. However, the hotel industry is not looking well prepared for the boom and is awfully short of adequate accommodations to deal with the ‘historic’ numbers expected in the city of Taj three years down the line.
In all likelihood, thousands of new hotel rooms will be required to meet the demand, construction of which may take a lot of time, going by the UP Government standards. State Tourism Director General Sushil Kumar recently issued instructions to prepare a plan regarding construction of hotel rooms. Hoteliers have also been asked to come up with suggestions in this regard but anything concrete is yet to be finalised. Moreover, when tourists start flooding the city in 2010, more emporiums, restaurants and conference halls will also be needed.
When contacted by HT, Joint Director, Tourism, Avinash Mishra refused to say anything, saying he was on leave. If the impact of the Gujjar agitation on the industry is not taken into account, the number of tourists visiting Agra had been on the rise in recent times. But poor infrastructure is definitely a big hurdle. The shortage of hotel rooms was felt during the recent ‘holyday boom.’ Regarding apprehensions that if construction was carried out on a large scale, most accommodations would be left redundant once the Games are over, hoteliers say along with fresh constructions, makeshift arrangements have be made as well.
Said a source in the Tourism Department, “After all, Agra seeks a change in its fortune. Even otherwise, we are found wanting when it comes to accommodation for tourists.” As of now, the city can boast of only 5,420 rooms from its five 5-star, one 4-star, one 3-star and 300 budget hotels. Making matters worse, the government plan to provide subsidy on construction of hotel rooms has been put in the cold storage. Even the number of benches in the city does not suffice. Though tourists get to encounter the railway stations in Agra before they see anything else, marred by congestion and lack of sanitation, their condition can upset anyone.
Despite Chief Minister Mayawati announcing several schemes on April 15 last year, tourists continue to be a harried lot because of erratic power supply, drinking water crisis and poor health, sanitation and communication facilities. The lone tourism police station in the city is also in a shambles sending a wrong message to the outside world. Its upgradation plan is moving on at a snail’s pace and it is hard to comprehend as to how it will deal with a barrage of complaints during the boom. Experts feel a complete turnaround is needed in all these areas not only to rake in moolah but also to build a good image of the State and show hospitality to the touring guests.
Lack of proper guidance for tourists is another major problem with signposts damaged and a number of them becoming misleading, hardly serving any purpose. Said a tour operator, “Once in town, tourists are mostly left to fend for themselves. Even inside the Taj Mahal complex, such facilities are conspicuous by their absence, forcing visitors to struggle in getting to know which route to take to reach a certain destination.” He said Information on all important destinations must be provided so that tourists did not remain confined to the Taj and added tourist cells should also be opened at all important places in the city to guide visitors and show them around.
Though no government representative was willing to come on record over the issue, they refused to admit that the city was not prepared. When contacted, a senior official said, “Concrete shape is being given to many a project and even deadlines for their completion and inauguration have been fixed.” According to him, a bridge on the Yamuna close to the existing Jawahar Bridge should be ready by 2010 and work on at least three new flyovers in the city will begin soon. He said, “Work on the new Inter State Bus Terminus on the Delhi highway is continuing at a brisk pace. The condition of Paliwal Park and Shah Jahan garden will also be improved.”
The Commonwealth Games are barely three years’ away. And with the number of tourists likely to go up in an unprecedented way during the event, Agra hopes to reap rich dividends. Though the State boasts of steps being initiated in this regard, saying it cannot afford to make a mess of the opportunity, plans can go awry as the preparations to cash in on the tourists’ inflow or the existing infrastructural facilities are anything but up to the mark.
Though a whole lot of development projects aimed at upgrading the civic infrastructure have been announced and initiated in the Agra-Mathura region, highly placed sources told HT that most of them are not likely to be completed before the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010. Experts in the tourism industry are expecting the number of tourists visiting Agra to go up by several lakhs during the event. However, the hotel industry is not looking well prepared for the boom and is awfully short of adequate accommodations to deal with the ‘historic’ numbers expected in the city of Taj three years down the line.
In all likelihood, thousands of new hotel rooms will be required to meet the demand, construction of which may take a lot of time, going by the UP Government standards. State Tourism Director General Sushil Kumar recently issued instructions to prepare a plan regarding construction of hotel rooms. Hoteliers have also been asked to come up with suggestions in this regard but anything concrete is yet to be finalised. Moreover, when tourists start flooding the city in 2010, more emporiums, restaurants and conference halls will also be needed.
When contacted by HT, Joint Director, Tourism, Avinash Mishra refused to say anything, saying he was on leave. If the impact of the Gujjar agitation on the industry is not taken into account, the number of tourists visiting Agra had been on the rise in recent times. But poor infrastructure is definitely a big hurdle. The shortage of hotel rooms was felt during the recent ‘holyday boom.’ Regarding apprehensions that if construction was carried out on a large scale, most accommodations would be left redundant once the Games are over, hoteliers say along with fresh constructions, makeshift arrangements have be made as well.
Said a source in the Tourism Department, “After all, Agra seeks a change in its fortune. Even otherwise, we are found wanting when it comes to accommodation for tourists.” As of now, the city can boast of only 5,420 rooms from its five 5-star, one 4-star, one 3-star and 300 budget hotels. Making matters worse, the government plan to provide subsidy on construction of hotel rooms has been put in the cold storage. Even the number of benches in the city does not suffice. Though tourists get to encounter the railway stations in Agra before they see anything else, marred by congestion and lack of sanitation, their condition can upset anyone.
Despite Chief Minister Mayawati announcing several schemes on April 15 last year, tourists continue to be a harried lot because of erratic power supply, drinking water crisis and poor health, sanitation and communication facilities. The lone tourism police station in the city is also in a shambles sending a wrong message to the outside world. Its upgradation plan is moving on at a snail’s pace and it is hard to comprehend as to how it will deal with a barrage of complaints during the boom. Experts feel a complete turnaround is needed in all these areas not only to rake in moolah but also to build a good image of the State and show hospitality to the touring guests.
Lack of proper guidance for tourists is another major problem with signposts damaged and a number of them becoming misleading, hardly serving any purpose. Said a tour operator, “Once in town, tourists are mostly left to fend for themselves. Even inside the Taj Mahal complex, such facilities are conspicuous by their absence, forcing visitors to struggle in getting to know which route to take to reach a certain destination.” He said Information on all important destinations must be provided so that tourists did not remain confined to the Taj and added tourist cells should also be opened at all important places in the city to guide visitors and show them around.
Though no government representative was willing to come on record over the issue, they refused to admit that the city was not prepared. When contacted, a senior official said, “Concrete shape is being given to many a project and even deadlines for their completion and inauguration have been fixed.” According to him, a bridge on the Yamuna close to the existing Jawahar Bridge should be ready by 2010 and work on at least three new flyovers in the city will begin soon. He said, “Work on the new Inter State Bus Terminus on the Delhi highway is continuing at a brisk pace. The condition of Paliwal Park and Shah Jahan garden will also be improved.”
Agra, also a city of world records
Darpan Singh, Agra
When fourteen-year-old Akash Gupta on Tuesday last set a new world record by playing the guitar for 45 hours at the 162-year-old St. Peter's College in Agra to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, he also took forward the city’s legacy in sating records in different walks of life. People of the Taj city earlier too brought laurels by getting enlisted themselves in the Limca and the Guinness book of records.
In 1998, Dr Parth Sarthi Sharma made the record of treating the highest number of patients in a year. The Central Government also acknowledged the feat. Graduated from Vasundhura Raje Homoeopathic Medical College, Gwalior, the young doctor worked as medical officer in-charge at a local clinic and took immense interest in homoeopathy, developing special interest in treating patients.
In 2000, Dinesh Shandilya set the record of making and playing five-feet-long flute. He is now aiming to play ten-feet-long flute. Shandilya has his name enlisted in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness Book of World Records for making and playing the world's longest and smallest flutes. In 1996, he made a flute five feet long and 3.5 inches in diameter. It was made of Poly Venyl Chloride because Dinesh could not find a bamboo of 3.5 diameters. The smallest flute he made and played is 4.5 inches long.
More recently, Ashish Sharma of Mathura created a new world record by viewing movies non-stop for almost five days, breaking an earlier record of 117 hours, four minutes set by a German woman. Sharma watched movies for 120 hours at the KD Dental College auditorium in Mathura. For almost five days, he kept watching films. He began on June 11 and watched 48 movies. Despite breaking the German record, he continued to watch movies for another four hours.
Akash, who broke American Brian Engelhart's 2005 record of 44 hours at and continued playing with the aim of breaking his own record of 52 hours and 48 minutes that earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records last year, now wants to study in London and become an aeronautical engineer. He however said, “But the process of learning has to be ‘musical’ or else I will lose interest. “ Though there is a lot of pain in his swollen fingers because of the non-stop playing of the guitar, he has not let the rigour dampen his spirit. He said, “I will never quit playing guitar; it’s my life.” To a question as to what inspired him to take on the challenge, he quipped in a lighter vein, “I thought, I would get a laptop if I made it.”
Guinness World Records judge Ralph Hana, who was in the city of Taj to witness the process and hand over the certificate, admitted to the trend and said an increasing number of people were queuing up to set records, which earlier attracted mostly Europeans and Americans. “Such activities get the people of the town together as they encourage and cheer their hero to scale new heights. As you can see in Agra, people are very involved,” he said. “The spirit of adventure is crucial for human progress. Ever higher, better than before - these thoughts fuelled man's urge to compete and set new records,” Hanna said.
When fourteen-year-old Akash Gupta on Tuesday last set a new world record by playing the guitar for 45 hours at the 162-year-old St. Peter's College in Agra to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, he also took forward the city’s legacy in sating records in different walks of life. People of the Taj city earlier too brought laurels by getting enlisted themselves in the Limca and the Guinness book of records.
In 1998, Dr Parth Sarthi Sharma made the record of treating the highest number of patients in a year. The Central Government also acknowledged the feat. Graduated from Vasundhura Raje Homoeopathic Medical College, Gwalior, the young doctor worked as medical officer in-charge at a local clinic and took immense interest in homoeopathy, developing special interest in treating patients.
In 2000, Dinesh Shandilya set the record of making and playing five-feet-long flute. He is now aiming to play ten-feet-long flute. Shandilya has his name enlisted in the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness Book of World Records for making and playing the world's longest and smallest flutes. In 1996, he made a flute five feet long and 3.5 inches in diameter. It was made of Poly Venyl Chloride because Dinesh could not find a bamboo of 3.5 diameters. The smallest flute he made and played is 4.5 inches long.
More recently, Ashish Sharma of Mathura created a new world record by viewing movies non-stop for almost five days, breaking an earlier record of 117 hours, four minutes set by a German woman. Sharma watched movies for 120 hours at the KD Dental College auditorium in Mathura. For almost five days, he kept watching films. He began on June 11 and watched 48 movies. Despite breaking the German record, he continued to watch movies for another four hours.
Akash, who broke American Brian Engelhart's 2005 record of 44 hours at and continued playing with the aim of breaking his own record of 52 hours and 48 minutes that earned him a place in the Limca Book of Records last year, now wants to study in London and become an aeronautical engineer. He however said, “But the process of learning has to be ‘musical’ or else I will lose interest. “ Though there is a lot of pain in his swollen fingers because of the non-stop playing of the guitar, he has not let the rigour dampen his spirit. He said, “I will never quit playing guitar; it’s my life.” To a question as to what inspired him to take on the challenge, he quipped in a lighter vein, “I thought, I would get a laptop if I made it.”
Guinness World Records judge Ralph Hana, who was in the city of Taj to witness the process and hand over the certificate, admitted to the trend and said an increasing number of people were queuing up to set records, which earlier attracted mostly Europeans and Americans. “Such activities get the people of the town together as they encourage and cheer their hero to scale new heights. As you can see in Agra, people are very involved,” he said. “The spirit of adventure is crucial for human progress. Ever higher, better than before - these thoughts fuelled man's urge to compete and set new records,” Hanna said.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Fresh lease of life for bird sanctuary
Darpan Singh, Agra
There is good news for the famous Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. The state government has chalked out plans to convert the sanctuary, recognised as a wetland by the National Wetland Commission, into a tourist hub and a weekend gateway. The government has accepted a Forest Department proposal to improve infrastructure, agreeing to provide Rs 90 lakh for the sanctuary situated along the Delhi-Agra NH, 20 km from Agra.
Several wildlife activists have hailed the move. Official sources said the step was being taken keeping in mind the fact that the whole area around Sur Sarovar, which was named after Surdas, the famous poet of Braj Bhasha, is of cultural and religious importance. It is regarded as the birthplace of Renuka - Parsuram's mother, the meeting place of Surdas and saint-poet Vallabhacharya, and has an old Shani Dev temple. It is here that the river Yamuna takes a U-turn.
Confirming the development plan, Range Forest Officer Aarbi Uttam told HT on Wednesday, “As part of the plans, the Birds’ Interpretation Centre, guest house, canteen and children’s parks will be upgraded. Information on birds and animals will be provided through an audio-video system. The main gate will be developed as theme gate, which would be a major attraction.” According to Uttam, a high-tech reception centre will be set up to provide information about the sanctuary to visitors and special arrangements made for academicians to help them in research work.
Incidentally, more than 120 species of terrestrial and water migratory birds have been flocking to the sanctuary. Last year, 59 species, including pelicans, painted storks, whistling teels, spoonbills, Siberian cranes, Chinese koots, and flamingos, were spotted. Exotic Siberian cranes, Chinese koots and flamingos are among the winged visitors that left the now dry Bharatpur bird sanctuary, facing a severe water crisis, and are flocking to Sur Sarovar once called Keitham Lake. For the past three years, the birds have been coming to this 783-hectare lake with more than 300 hectares of land under water. A large number of local birds have also made Keitham their home.
According to Uttam, the sanctuary has witnessed better days in the last few years. Last year, 15,000 people, including 1,000 foreigners visited Sur Sarovar and the sanctuary earned a revenue of Rs 6.5 lakh. He said, “I am here for the past five years. Before I joined, Rs 25-30,000 was the maximum revenue that sanctuary could generate.” Though work on some of the accepted plans has begun, delay in fund allocation might prove to be a hurdle. Said an official, “The proposal was made last year and the government has given its go-ahead now. In the meantime, prices of construction materials have gone up. We are seeking a revised allocation.”
Uttam expressed concern over the fact that the Centre’s guideline to declare the area around 10 km radius of the wetland an eco-fragile zone was yet to be implemented as it was located in a crowded area. He said, “The decision has to be taken by the state government. People residing in the surrounding areas were using sodium light and causing a lot of noise pollution which was extremely harmful for the birds.” According to him, DFO Niraj Kumar recently proposed to the higher authorities that high-rise buildings should not be constructed in the vicinity of the sanctuary. Though an assurance was given in this regard, any concrete step was yet to be taken to check the practice.
There is good news for the famous Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. The state government has chalked out plans to convert the sanctuary, recognised as a wetland by the National Wetland Commission, into a tourist hub and a weekend gateway. The government has accepted a Forest Department proposal to improve infrastructure, agreeing to provide Rs 90 lakh for the sanctuary situated along the Delhi-Agra NH, 20 km from Agra.
Several wildlife activists have hailed the move. Official sources said the step was being taken keeping in mind the fact that the whole area around Sur Sarovar, which was named after Surdas, the famous poet of Braj Bhasha, is of cultural and religious importance. It is regarded as the birthplace of Renuka - Parsuram's mother, the meeting place of Surdas and saint-poet Vallabhacharya, and has an old Shani Dev temple. It is here that the river Yamuna takes a U-turn.
Confirming the development plan, Range Forest Officer Aarbi Uttam told HT on Wednesday, “As part of the plans, the Birds’ Interpretation Centre, guest house, canteen and children’s parks will be upgraded. Information on birds and animals will be provided through an audio-video system. The main gate will be developed as theme gate, which would be a major attraction.” According to Uttam, a high-tech reception centre will be set up to provide information about the sanctuary to visitors and special arrangements made for academicians to help them in research work.
Incidentally, more than 120 species of terrestrial and water migratory birds have been flocking to the sanctuary. Last year, 59 species, including pelicans, painted storks, whistling teels, spoonbills, Siberian cranes, Chinese koots, and flamingos, were spotted. Exotic Siberian cranes, Chinese koots and flamingos are among the winged visitors that left the now dry Bharatpur bird sanctuary, facing a severe water crisis, and are flocking to Sur Sarovar once called Keitham Lake. For the past three years, the birds have been coming to this 783-hectare lake with more than 300 hectares of land under water. A large number of local birds have also made Keitham their home.
According to Uttam, the sanctuary has witnessed better days in the last few years. Last year, 15,000 people, including 1,000 foreigners visited Sur Sarovar and the sanctuary earned a revenue of Rs 6.5 lakh. He said, “I am here for the past five years. Before I joined, Rs 25-30,000 was the maximum revenue that sanctuary could generate.” Though work on some of the accepted plans has begun, delay in fund allocation might prove to be a hurdle. Said an official, “The proposal was made last year and the government has given its go-ahead now. In the meantime, prices of construction materials have gone up. We are seeking a revised allocation.”
Uttam expressed concern over the fact that the Centre’s guideline to declare the area around 10 km radius of the wetland an eco-fragile zone was yet to be implemented as it was located in a crowded area. He said, “The decision has to be taken by the state government. People residing in the surrounding areas were using sodium light and causing a lot of noise pollution which was extremely harmful for the birds.” According to him, DFO Niraj Kumar recently proposed to the higher authorities that high-rise buildings should not be constructed in the vicinity of the sanctuary. Though an assurance was given in this regard, any concrete step was yet to be taken to check the practice.
Bomb hoax creates panic
Darpan Singh, Agra
An anonymous phone call threatening to blow up the house of Gul Chaman Sherwani, a controversial Muslim Youth who earned the wrath of zealots of his community for supporting the Vande Matram cause in 2006, at Azampada under Shahganj police station of Agra, besides his in-laws place and the statue of Bharat Mata at Diwan-e-Chauraha under Hari Parvat police station at 3 pm on Tuesday caused widespread panic and chaos in the city. Sherwani had carried out his campaign near the statue.
Following the call, made to the City SP office at 1.10 pm on Tuesday, police officials sweated it out and security in and around the Taj Mahal was heightened. Movement of people and vehicular traffic to and from the monument were stopped and nearby markets closed. Local people and tourists had a harried time because of the threat as police officials with bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs ran about and searched every possible place.
All railway stations, bus stands and police stations were put on alert. A massive check was conducted and a large number of vehicles were searched. Officials heaved a sigh of relief when nothing was found and the deadline of the explosion expired.
Incidentally, Gul Chaman Sherwani got into trouble from sections of Muslims here for singing ‘Vande Mataram’ when the nation celebrated the 125th anniversary of the national song in August 2006. A fatwa was also issued against him and his engagement to a girl was annulled.
To protest the action, he went on a hunger strike at the Bharat Mata statue for 10 days demanding justice. Though ostracised by zealots in his community, he got married in April last year with the band playing ‘Vande Mataram’, others dancing to patriotic songs and waving the tricolour, again annoying many. He had been facing threats since then.
A senior police official said, “Police are verifying the call. Though it proved to be false one but we cannot afford to be complacent. We are not taking any chances and have enhanced security at the Taj.” Police sources said the name of Gul Chaman Sherwani had figured as target in earlier threat calls too. Said an official, “We are trying to find out as to who made the call. We are also trying to know why Sherwani’s name is figuring in such calls. The culprits would be arrested soon.”
An anonymous phone call threatening to blow up the house of Gul Chaman Sherwani, a controversial Muslim Youth who earned the wrath of zealots of his community for supporting the Vande Matram cause in 2006, at Azampada under Shahganj police station of Agra, besides his in-laws place and the statue of Bharat Mata at Diwan-e-Chauraha under Hari Parvat police station at 3 pm on Tuesday caused widespread panic and chaos in the city. Sherwani had carried out his campaign near the statue.
Following the call, made to the City SP office at 1.10 pm on Tuesday, police officials sweated it out and security in and around the Taj Mahal was heightened. Movement of people and vehicular traffic to and from the monument were stopped and nearby markets closed. Local people and tourists had a harried time because of the threat as police officials with bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs ran about and searched every possible place.
All railway stations, bus stands and police stations were put on alert. A massive check was conducted and a large number of vehicles were searched. Officials heaved a sigh of relief when nothing was found and the deadline of the explosion expired.
Incidentally, Gul Chaman Sherwani got into trouble from sections of Muslims here for singing ‘Vande Mataram’ when the nation celebrated the 125th anniversary of the national song in August 2006. A fatwa was also issued against him and his engagement to a girl was annulled.
To protest the action, he went on a hunger strike at the Bharat Mata statue for 10 days demanding justice. Though ostracised by zealots in his community, he got married in April last year with the band playing ‘Vande Mataram’, others dancing to patriotic songs and waving the tricolour, again annoying many. He had been facing threats since then.
A senior police official said, “Police are verifying the call. Though it proved to be false one but we cannot afford to be complacent. We are not taking any chances and have enhanced security at the Taj.” Police sources said the name of Gul Chaman Sherwani had figured as target in earlier threat calls too. Said an official, “We are trying to find out as to who made the call. We are also trying to know why Sherwani’s name is figuring in such calls. The culprits would be arrested soon.”
Police informer left in lurch
Darpan Singh, Agra
Even as people residing in about a dozen areas in Tundla and Firozabad continue to live in a state of terror after dreaded criminal Durgesh Jatav went berserk, spilling blood at several places, late on Monday evening, there is one victim here who is battling death facing him in more ways than one.
Police informer Bhuvnesh, who was shot at by Durgesh during a police encounter at Tundla, has been left to fend for himself. Hurt by bullets, he is feeling cheated by police as well. And the twin dangers of Durgesh and his injury are far from over. While he was admitted to a government hospital in Agra, Tundla City CO, who was also injured in the exchange of fire, is undergoing treatment at a well-equipped private nursing home here.
Worse, the Agra police have, at least officially, refused to acknowledge Bhuvnesh as a police informer. When contacted, Range DIG NK Shrivastav told HT, “No, Bhuvnesh is not a police informer; he is civilian who was caught in the crossfire.” The police stand seems to have badly hurt the victim’s family. Said a member, “Police often do not disclose informers’ names for the latter’s safety. But in this case, when Durgesh himself fired at Bhuvnesh, there is no logic but sheer callousness in disowning him.”
Till Tuesday morning, no senior official had visited the victim. A few policemen did come but nobody promised any monetary assistance for his treatment, alleged the family. It also alleged that despite Durgesh going all out to kill informers, there was hardly any security for the family. “Had the criminal been caught dead or alive acting on our son’s tip-off, the credit would have gone to the Firozabad police. So when his life is in danger, he should be protected,” said another family member at the hospital.
The condition of Bhuvnesh continues to be far from stable with hardly any sensation in his limbs. A bullet has gone past his neck. The fear-stricken family is struggling hard to arrange money required for his treatment. The victim’s father, Gaindalal, a retired teacher, said, “Earlier, informers used to be regarded part of the police force and such expenses were shouldered by the government.” A visibly shaken Gaindalal said, “Police did not even bother to take us to hospital. They just informed us about the shootout.” The family said if this was the reward, not many people would come forward to help police.
Meanwhile, the government is mulling to increase the reward on Durgesh’s head from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh. This will be the highest amount announced for any criminal in the State. Four of his accomplices, including his two brothers and an uncle, are already carrying cash rewards on their heads. A team lead by the Range DIG has already been constituted to nab the criminal and his associates. The Special Task Force (STF) will also assist the newly-formed police team.
Even as people residing in about a dozen areas in Tundla and Firozabad continue to live in a state of terror after dreaded criminal Durgesh Jatav went berserk, spilling blood at several places, late on Monday evening, there is one victim here who is battling death facing him in more ways than one.
Police informer Bhuvnesh, who was shot at by Durgesh during a police encounter at Tundla, has been left to fend for himself. Hurt by bullets, he is feeling cheated by police as well. And the twin dangers of Durgesh and his injury are far from over. While he was admitted to a government hospital in Agra, Tundla City CO, who was also injured in the exchange of fire, is undergoing treatment at a well-equipped private nursing home here.
Worse, the Agra police have, at least officially, refused to acknowledge Bhuvnesh as a police informer. When contacted, Range DIG NK Shrivastav told HT, “No, Bhuvnesh is not a police informer; he is civilian who was caught in the crossfire.” The police stand seems to have badly hurt the victim’s family. Said a member, “Police often do not disclose informers’ names for the latter’s safety. But in this case, when Durgesh himself fired at Bhuvnesh, there is no logic but sheer callousness in disowning him.”
Till Tuesday morning, no senior official had visited the victim. A few policemen did come but nobody promised any monetary assistance for his treatment, alleged the family. It also alleged that despite Durgesh going all out to kill informers, there was hardly any security for the family. “Had the criminal been caught dead or alive acting on our son’s tip-off, the credit would have gone to the Firozabad police. So when his life is in danger, he should be protected,” said another family member at the hospital.
The condition of Bhuvnesh continues to be far from stable with hardly any sensation in his limbs. A bullet has gone past his neck. The fear-stricken family is struggling hard to arrange money required for his treatment. The victim’s father, Gaindalal, a retired teacher, said, “Earlier, informers used to be regarded part of the police force and such expenses were shouldered by the government.” A visibly shaken Gaindalal said, “Police did not even bother to take us to hospital. They just informed us about the shootout.” The family said if this was the reward, not many people would come forward to help police.
Meanwhile, the government is mulling to increase the reward on Durgesh’s head from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1 lakh. This will be the highest amount announced for any criminal in the State. Four of his accomplices, including his two brothers and an uncle, are already carrying cash rewards on their heads. A team lead by the Range DIG has already been constituted to nab the criminal and his associates. The Special Task Force (STF) will also assist the newly-formed police team.
Ganster creates fresh terror
Darpan Singh, Tundla/Firozabad
Hours after dreaded gangster Durgesh Jatav, who is carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head, and his accomplices went on a blood-letting spree, killing the husband of a village pradhan and raining bullets on her, a Circle Officer (CO), a police informer and two youths, badly injuring them all, besides attacking several houses at as many as five places in Tundla and Firozabad, fear has gripped the entire region. While Durgesh unleashed a fresh reign of terror on Monday evening, policing came to naught as cops could only chase the bloody trail all the way from Tundla to Firozabad, without being able to nab any of the gangmembers. Though there is no official word on it, sources said a henchman of the gang was also injured in the police encounter.
Even as fear psychosis has gripped people staying in areas such as Hundawala Bagh, Rasulpur, Naya Rasulpur and Mangala Karan Singh, the region has been turned into a police garrison with additional forces deployed to keep the situation under control. When contacted by the HT on Monday, Agra DIG NK Shrivastav said no arrest had been made so far abut added intensive raids were being carried out to nab the culprits. He said, “The local police have put on alert and Durgesh would be nabbed soon.”
A police officer said at around 6.30 pm on Sunday two police teams led by Tundla City CO OP Singh and Tundla Sadar CO Rajesh Chaurasia — acting on a tip-off — reached near the house of the GRP SHO with two informers — Bhavnesh (Rasulpur) and Titu, son of the Shailai village pradhan. Soon, Durgesh, along with his brothers and accomplices, reached the spot but before the police could react, he resorted to indiscriminate firing. While Singh received bullet injury in his neck, a bullet hit Bhavnesh in the stomach. Both have been admitted to a hospital in Agra where they are said to be out of danger.
Enraged at the tip-off to police, Durgesh, who is wanted in about 30 cases of loot, murder, dacoity, police encounter and extortion, did not stop at that after his henchmen fled in a four-wheeler. While two police team made a futile attempt to chase the criminals and panic spread, the bloodbath continued as the gangster sitting on a motorcycle raided Shailai, native place of informer Titu, under Ramgarh police station of Firozabad and resorted to indiscriminate firing, injuring his (Titu’s) two brothers sitting at a medical store. He also raided Titu’s house and attacked his wife. On protest from villagers, he fled away, the police officer added.
His next target was Gadhaura village under Faria police station of Firozabad where he barged into the house of village pradhan Veeresh Kumari and continued to spill blood at will with police nowhere in sight. He shot dead her husband Shyam Singh Baghel. The pradhan was also shot at and injured. To protest the incident, angry villagers blocked the Kotla-Gadhaura road, demanding the arrest of the culprits. They did not allow the body to be lifted for autopsy for quite sometime. Even as a combing operation is on, Durgesh is said to be holed up somewhere near Shailai and Rasulpur. He also opened fire at Purana Rasulpur, where he had earlier killed an advocate, to create panic. On getting information, the Agra DIG first met the injured cop and then rushed to Firozabad to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, anger ran high among the local people on Monday who have been targeted frequently by the gang. Most of the roads wore a deserted look and people preferred to remain indoors. As in the past, they once again demanded from the state government to nab Durgesh, at the earliest, who has on many occasions attacked policemen of the state as well. Several residents HT spoke to said, “It is hard to comprehend how two police teams failed to reign in a couple of criminals who spilled blood at will.” They said they had lost all faith in the police machinery and went on to announce a reward of Rs one lakh for nabbing Durgesh dead or alive.
Hours after dreaded gangster Durgesh Jatav, who is carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head, and his accomplices went on a blood-letting spree, killing the husband of a village pradhan and raining bullets on her, a Circle Officer (CO), a police informer and two youths, badly injuring them all, besides attacking several houses at as many as five places in Tundla and Firozabad, fear has gripped the entire region. While Durgesh unleashed a fresh reign of terror on Monday evening, policing came to naught as cops could only chase the bloody trail all the way from Tundla to Firozabad, without being able to nab any of the gangmembers. Though there is no official word on it, sources said a henchman of the gang was also injured in the police encounter.
Even as fear psychosis has gripped people staying in areas such as Hundawala Bagh, Rasulpur, Naya Rasulpur and Mangala Karan Singh, the region has been turned into a police garrison with additional forces deployed to keep the situation under control. When contacted by the HT on Monday, Agra DIG NK Shrivastav said no arrest had been made so far abut added intensive raids were being carried out to nab the culprits. He said, “The local police have put on alert and Durgesh would be nabbed soon.”
A police officer said at around 6.30 pm on Sunday two police teams led by Tundla City CO OP Singh and Tundla Sadar CO Rajesh Chaurasia — acting on a tip-off — reached near the house of the GRP SHO with two informers — Bhavnesh (Rasulpur) and Titu, son of the Shailai village pradhan. Soon, Durgesh, along with his brothers and accomplices, reached the spot but before the police could react, he resorted to indiscriminate firing. While Singh received bullet injury in his neck, a bullet hit Bhavnesh in the stomach. Both have been admitted to a hospital in Agra where they are said to be out of danger.
Enraged at the tip-off to police, Durgesh, who is wanted in about 30 cases of loot, murder, dacoity, police encounter and extortion, did not stop at that after his henchmen fled in a four-wheeler. While two police team made a futile attempt to chase the criminals and panic spread, the bloodbath continued as the gangster sitting on a motorcycle raided Shailai, native place of informer Titu, under Ramgarh police station of Firozabad and resorted to indiscriminate firing, injuring his (Titu’s) two brothers sitting at a medical store. He also raided Titu’s house and attacked his wife. On protest from villagers, he fled away, the police officer added.
His next target was Gadhaura village under Faria police station of Firozabad where he barged into the house of village pradhan Veeresh Kumari and continued to spill blood at will with police nowhere in sight. He shot dead her husband Shyam Singh Baghel. The pradhan was also shot at and injured. To protest the incident, angry villagers blocked the Kotla-Gadhaura road, demanding the arrest of the culprits. They did not allow the body to be lifted for autopsy for quite sometime. Even as a combing operation is on, Durgesh is said to be holed up somewhere near Shailai and Rasulpur. He also opened fire at Purana Rasulpur, where he had earlier killed an advocate, to create panic. On getting information, the Agra DIG first met the injured cop and then rushed to Firozabad to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, anger ran high among the local people on Monday who have been targeted frequently by the gang. Most of the roads wore a deserted look and people preferred to remain indoors. As in the past, they once again demanded from the state government to nab Durgesh, at the earliest, who has on many occasions attacked policemen of the state as well. Several residents HT spoke to said, “It is hard to comprehend how two police teams failed to reign in a couple of criminals who spilled blood at will.” They said they had lost all faith in the police machinery and went on to announce a reward of Rs one lakh for nabbing Durgesh dead or alive.
Agra's potato goes global
Darpan Singh, Agra
After the Taj Mahal and ‘petha’, it’s now the turn of Agra’s potato to go global. Md. Mushtaq Shamshuddin, a Singapore-based company, has given an order for 500 metric tone potato to Agra’s Agritech International, Fatehabad. The export is being viewed as a major boost to potato cultivation in Uttar Pradesh with several big farmers welcoming the move.
The deal could be signed recently at Agra with help from the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla. Agra, the biggest potato producer in Uttar Pradesh, had sent ten verities of the crop to Singapore and its kufri sutlej and kufri bahar beat China’s Holland variety in sample tests. The entire consignment has to be sent to Singapore in three months’ time. Potato is the world's fourth important food crop after wheat, rice and maize owing to its great yield potential and high nutritive value and accounts for nearly half of the worlds annual output of all root and tuber crops.
With an annual global production of about 300 million tonnes, potato is an economically important staple crop in both developed and developing countries. India is ranked 5th in potato production after China, Russian Federation, Poland and Ukraine. However, potato productivity in India is merely 16-19 tonnes/ha vis-à-vis that of European countries and USA, i.e 30-40 tonnes/ha.
CPRI Director Surjeet Singh said that the potato of China had reigned supreme in the world but this time around, the crop grown in Agra beat ‘Poland’ for health and several other reasons. The CPRI has also given a special certificate to Agra’s potato. Singh said soon the crop would be exported to several other countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Mauritius.
Singh said, “Processing companies have of late developed a liking for Agra’s potato and quite a few new units may soon come up in the city. The CPRI has demanded from the government that potato be accorded food crop status instead of vegetable crop.” He said that 2009 would be observed as ‘Potato Year’ and an international conference organized in this direction.
The potatoes in India are cultivated under highly diversified agro-climatic conditions ranging from sea level to snowline and up to three crops are raised per year. Potato is mainly rabi crop and is grown mainly in UP, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. There are four-potato export zone in India viz. in UP, Punjab, MP and West Bengal. The major potato markets in UP are Agra, Hathras, Kanpur, Meerut, Farrukkhabad.
After the Taj Mahal and ‘petha’, it’s now the turn of Agra’s potato to go global. Md. Mushtaq Shamshuddin, a Singapore-based company, has given an order for 500 metric tone potato to Agra’s Agritech International, Fatehabad. The export is being viewed as a major boost to potato cultivation in Uttar Pradesh with several big farmers welcoming the move.
The deal could be signed recently at Agra with help from the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla. Agra, the biggest potato producer in Uttar Pradesh, had sent ten verities of the crop to Singapore and its kufri sutlej and kufri bahar beat China’s Holland variety in sample tests. The entire consignment has to be sent to Singapore in three months’ time. Potato is the world's fourth important food crop after wheat, rice and maize owing to its great yield potential and high nutritive value and accounts for nearly half of the worlds annual output of all root and tuber crops.
With an annual global production of about 300 million tonnes, potato is an economically important staple crop in both developed and developing countries. India is ranked 5th in potato production after China, Russian Federation, Poland and Ukraine. However, potato productivity in India is merely 16-19 tonnes/ha vis-à-vis that of European countries and USA, i.e 30-40 tonnes/ha.
CPRI Director Surjeet Singh said that the potato of China had reigned supreme in the world but this time around, the crop grown in Agra beat ‘Poland’ for health and several other reasons. The CPRI has also given a special certificate to Agra’s potato. Singh said soon the crop would be exported to several other countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Mauritius.
Singh said, “Processing companies have of late developed a liking for Agra’s potato and quite a few new units may soon come up in the city. The CPRI has demanded from the government that potato be accorded food crop status instead of vegetable crop.” He said that 2009 would be observed as ‘Potato Year’ and an international conference organized in this direction.
The potatoes in India are cultivated under highly diversified agro-climatic conditions ranging from sea level to snowline and up to three crops are raised per year. Potato is mainly rabi crop and is grown mainly in UP, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. There are four-potato export zone in India viz. in UP, Punjab, MP and West Bengal. The major potato markets in UP are Agra, Hathras, Kanpur, Meerut, Farrukkhabad.
Another blunder by UP cops
Darpan Singh, Mathura
With the Uttar Pradesh police still getting flak for poor handling of the Arushi murder case at Noida and the CBI blasting the cops, earlier probing the case, for faulty examination of the crime scene, here comes another shocker — this time courtesy Mathura cops.
In the wee hours of Saturday, Tripti Khandelwal (28), wife of trader Ravi Khandelwal, was found murdered inside her residence (C-12) in the posh Radhapuram locality under the Highway police station of Mathura. The body was recovered from a divan. Incidentally, when the recovery was made, cops were busy conducting raids outside on being informed that Tripti was missing with her house locked from outside.
The matter came to light when Ravi returned from his shop and found his housed locked. On breaking open two locks, he found his son Kanak (4) in a state of shock, with his limbs tied with a stole. Kanak said someone came down from the roof, tied and thrashed him after which he fell unconscious. Police soon reached the spot and ‘after examining the crime scene’ left the house around midnight. A case of kidnapping was lodge, while the body was lying in the house.
Police sources said that at around 2.30 am, when Ravi, while trying to take out a mattress from a divan kept adjacent to his bedroom, found his wife strangulated to death inside. It also appeared that her face had been attacked with a sharp-edged weapon to ensure her death after being put in the divan. Earlier in the day, the cops sat on the same divan in which the body had been kept a good 5-6 hours ago. An embarrassed police team again rushed to spot and sent the body for autopsy in a huff.
When contacted by HT on Sunday, Mathura SSP SB Shiradkar, who also visited the house on Saturday, denied that the crime scene was not properly examined. He said, “When a case of kidnapping is lodged, police do not search boxes. Even the kid said that her mother had gone outside.” When asked about the motive behind the murder and the suspect, the SSP said, “It’s too early to say anything. We are probing the matter in the right direction. The killer(s) would soon be nabbed.” He said that prima facie, the case did not appear to be that of loot. When asked, why the police failed to search the house even after finding the kid with his limbs tied, he failed to give any satisfactory reply.
Meanwhile, family members of the victim have accused Ravi of killing his wife. They said the two got married five years ago and during the past couple of years, they had had frequent fights. Mathura police spokesperson Rajesh Chaturvedi said a fresh case of murder had been lodged with the Highway police station and charges against Ravi were also being probed. Police officials associated with the probe told HT at Mathura on Sunday, “The killer(s) was known to the family as he had the key and locked the house from outside after committing the crime.”
With the Uttar Pradesh police still getting flak for poor handling of the Arushi murder case at Noida and the CBI blasting the cops, earlier probing the case, for faulty examination of the crime scene, here comes another shocker — this time courtesy Mathura cops.
In the wee hours of Saturday, Tripti Khandelwal (28), wife of trader Ravi Khandelwal, was found murdered inside her residence (C-12) in the posh Radhapuram locality under the Highway police station of Mathura. The body was recovered from a divan. Incidentally, when the recovery was made, cops were busy conducting raids outside on being informed that Tripti was missing with her house locked from outside.
The matter came to light when Ravi returned from his shop and found his housed locked. On breaking open two locks, he found his son Kanak (4) in a state of shock, with his limbs tied with a stole. Kanak said someone came down from the roof, tied and thrashed him after which he fell unconscious. Police soon reached the spot and ‘after examining the crime scene’ left the house around midnight. A case of kidnapping was lodge, while the body was lying in the house.
Police sources said that at around 2.30 am, when Ravi, while trying to take out a mattress from a divan kept adjacent to his bedroom, found his wife strangulated to death inside. It also appeared that her face had been attacked with a sharp-edged weapon to ensure her death after being put in the divan. Earlier in the day, the cops sat on the same divan in which the body had been kept a good 5-6 hours ago. An embarrassed police team again rushed to spot and sent the body for autopsy in a huff.
When contacted by HT on Sunday, Mathura SSP SB Shiradkar, who also visited the house on Saturday, denied that the crime scene was not properly examined. He said, “When a case of kidnapping is lodged, police do not search boxes. Even the kid said that her mother had gone outside.” When asked about the motive behind the murder and the suspect, the SSP said, “It’s too early to say anything. We are probing the matter in the right direction. The killer(s) would soon be nabbed.” He said that prima facie, the case did not appear to be that of loot. When asked, why the police failed to search the house even after finding the kid with his limbs tied, he failed to give any satisfactory reply.
Meanwhile, family members of the victim have accused Ravi of killing his wife. They said the two got married five years ago and during the past couple of years, they had had frequent fights. Mathura police spokesperson Rajesh Chaturvedi said a fresh case of murder had been lodged with the Highway police station and charges against Ravi were also being probed. Police officials associated with the probe told HT at Mathura on Sunday, “The killer(s) was known to the family as he had the key and locked the house from outside after committing the crime.”
Potters' kulhars of woes
Darpan Singh, Agra
Nearly four years ago, when Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav issued instructions making use of Kulhars mandatory for serving tea and coffee in pantry cars and railway stalls, the impoverished potter community, facing an uncertain future with dwindling demands for their traditional craft, was ecstatic. But as they failed to benefit from the much-hyped announcement over the years, a sense of disappointment has replaced the euphoria.
Ramesh (60), a potter at Agra, said, “I frantically tried to contact the officials of the Agra Rail Division seeking to supply kulhars, but nobody is willing to entertain me. I have given up.” Ramesh is not the sole instance. Many others like him faced the same situation as they are required to have a PAN card and a current account in a nationalised bank to be able to make supplies to the Railways — criteria not many poor potters can meet. The Railways makes payment through cheques after deducting 2 per cent tax and 12 per cent surcharge on the total tender value directly to the supplier's bank account number. Caught in a red tape, the whole scheme has come a cropper.
A visit to different railway stations under the Agra Rail Division revealed that vendors were using ‘kulhars' only as a show piece', selling tea either in paper or plastic cups. Sumit Kumar, a vendor, said selling tea in kulhars cost more, much to the dislike of customers. He said many customers did not want to have tea in `kulhars' on hygiene Grounds and added many people disliked drinking tea in `kulhars' out of prestige and insisted on paper cups. Said a passenger, “It's not easy to drink from earthen pots, mainly because companies have not been advertising that way.”
Admitting lapses at some places, a railway official said more focused efforts were needed to popularise `kulhars'. He said while the licensed vendors more or less stuck to `kulhars', unauthorised vendors were the main defaulters. This, despite the fact that railway laws recommend a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 to any licensed vendor selling tea in containers other than `kulhars.' Though the DRM could not be contacted, Rail Division PRO Bhupendra Dhillon Told HT on Saturday, “I cannot say anything on the supply of kulhars as the process is managed by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and the rail division has nothing to do with it.” No IRCTC official was available for comment.
The Agra Rail Division needs lakhs of kulhars a month but it ends up using only a few thousands as vendors continue to use plastic cups. There is no increase in demand for them as plastic or paper cups are available in plenty at cheaper rates. Since the demand for kulhars had been dwindling for quite some time, potters depend on the sale of earthen pitchers and flower pots for livelihood. They had hoped that the big demand generated by the railways would tremendously boost sales of their wares, but to no avail.
Another potter, Jayanti (25), said, “When we informed the officials that we did not have a PAN card, we were told to contact middlemen so that we could supply through them.” Potters here feel that the announcement was mere an eyewash, meant only to benefit big traders and middlemen. Making matters worse is the widespread ignorance. A number of potters HT spoke to said, “We do not know whom to approach to make supply.” They feel that Lalu’s instructions were actually implemented — part of the reason why their sale failed to pick up. Even as there has been hardly any increase kullhar prices, scarcity of soil and fuel has only added to their woes.
Nearly four years ago, when Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav issued instructions making use of Kulhars mandatory for serving tea and coffee in pantry cars and railway stalls, the impoverished potter community, facing an uncertain future with dwindling demands for their traditional craft, was ecstatic. But as they failed to benefit from the much-hyped announcement over the years, a sense of disappointment has replaced the euphoria.
Ramesh (60), a potter at Agra, said, “I frantically tried to contact the officials of the Agra Rail Division seeking to supply kulhars, but nobody is willing to entertain me. I have given up.” Ramesh is not the sole instance. Many others like him faced the same situation as they are required to have a PAN card and a current account in a nationalised bank to be able to make supplies to the Railways — criteria not many poor potters can meet. The Railways makes payment through cheques after deducting 2 per cent tax and 12 per cent surcharge on the total tender value directly to the supplier's bank account number. Caught in a red tape, the whole scheme has come a cropper.
A visit to different railway stations under the Agra Rail Division revealed that vendors were using ‘kulhars' only as a show piece', selling tea either in paper or plastic cups. Sumit Kumar, a vendor, said selling tea in kulhars cost more, much to the dislike of customers. He said many customers did not want to have tea in `kulhars' on hygiene Grounds and added many people disliked drinking tea in `kulhars' out of prestige and insisted on paper cups. Said a passenger, “It's not easy to drink from earthen pots, mainly because companies have not been advertising that way.”
Admitting lapses at some places, a railway official said more focused efforts were needed to popularise `kulhars'. He said while the licensed vendors more or less stuck to `kulhars', unauthorised vendors were the main defaulters. This, despite the fact that railway laws recommend a fine ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 500 to any licensed vendor selling tea in containers other than `kulhars.' Though the DRM could not be contacted, Rail Division PRO Bhupendra Dhillon Told HT on Saturday, “I cannot say anything on the supply of kulhars as the process is managed by the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and the rail division has nothing to do with it.” No IRCTC official was available for comment.
The Agra Rail Division needs lakhs of kulhars a month but it ends up using only a few thousands as vendors continue to use plastic cups. There is no increase in demand for them as plastic or paper cups are available in plenty at cheaper rates. Since the demand for kulhars had been dwindling for quite some time, potters depend on the sale of earthen pitchers and flower pots for livelihood. They had hoped that the big demand generated by the railways would tremendously boost sales of their wares, but to no avail.
Another potter, Jayanti (25), said, “When we informed the officials that we did not have a PAN card, we were told to contact middlemen so that we could supply through them.” Potters here feel that the announcement was mere an eyewash, meant only to benefit big traders and middlemen. Making matters worse is the widespread ignorance. A number of potters HT spoke to said, “We do not know whom to approach to make supply.” They feel that Lalu’s instructions were actually implemented — part of the reason why their sale failed to pick up. Even as there has been hardly any increase kullhar prices, scarcity of soil and fuel has only added to their woes.
Gujjar stir hits Agra tourism hard
Darpan Singh, Agra
The nearly month-long Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan, which came to an end on Wednesday last, took a heavy toll on the Rs 2,200 crore tourism industry in Agra. The number of domestic tourists visiting the city came down drastically during the period. However, there was not much change in numbers as far as foreigners are concerned, sources in the State Tourism Department told HT on Friday.
In May this year, only 2,45,082 domestic tourists visited Agra, while the number for the same period in 2007 stood at 3,01,479. According to official figures, the last few days of the month were the worst hit which made all the difference. Incidentally, things were looking up for the tourism industry with the number of tourists visiting Agra was on the rise during the past three years.
The tourism industry lost revenue worth Rs two crore and the Taj Mahal alone suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees as sale of tickets, mandatory for entering the complex, dipped. During the 26 day of agitation, nearly 70 per cent bookings were cancelled and occupancy in hotels came down to as low as 30 per cent. As foreign tourists plan their tours in advance, there was not much scope for alteration and they suffered the most.
During the period, movement of trains on the Agra-Jaipur section remained suspended and passengers were held up at Agra railway stations and roadways bus stands. Making matters worse, transport companies in Agra refused to book consignments for Rajasthan. Scores of trains were diverted from Agra and Mathura. Over a dozen goods trains with perishable commodities remained stranded on the western route causing a huge loss.
The Gujjar agitation disrupted the traffic movement between Agra and Jaipur leading to tourists being held up here. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims planning to visit Rajasthan were held up at Mathura, Firozabad and various stations or bus stands here. Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, told reporters, “Tourism in the golden triangle has been badly hit,”
However, a section of tour operators in the city believe that the number of foreign tourists may not have gone up but the duration of their stay in Agra has definitely increased. A tour operator said, “The famous Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), a short-break tourist itinerary for North India, covers two major destinations: Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort) and Jaipur (Forts and Palaces) along with Delhi. This most visited Itinerary in India by overseas tourists was badly hit and the conventional chain was broken.” According to him, because of this, foreigners chose to stay at Agra for longer durations.
Data obtained from the Tourist Department suggests that Spanish tourists have been quite keen on visiting the city of late. Said an official, “A good number of Spanish groups are coming but the number is still less than the last year’s figures. However, the duration of their stay has definitely gone up.” According to him, bookings of European tourists may go up by 15 per cent this season.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has completed its survey and will soon start work on lighting up the Taj Mahal’s surroundings in Mughlai theme with solar lights. The State Tourism Department has already allocated a sum of Rs 2 crore for the purpose. Official sources said that as part of the project, a food plaza similar to Delhi Hatt will also be set up to draw more visitors.
The nearly month-long Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan, which came to an end on Wednesday last, took a heavy toll on the Rs 2,200 crore tourism industry in Agra. The number of domestic tourists visiting the city came down drastically during the period. However, there was not much change in numbers as far as foreigners are concerned, sources in the State Tourism Department told HT on Friday.
In May this year, only 2,45,082 domestic tourists visited Agra, while the number for the same period in 2007 stood at 3,01,479. According to official figures, the last few days of the month were the worst hit which made all the difference. Incidentally, things were looking up for the tourism industry with the number of tourists visiting Agra was on the rise during the past three years.
The tourism industry lost revenue worth Rs two crore and the Taj Mahal alone suffered a loss of lakhs of rupees as sale of tickets, mandatory for entering the complex, dipped. During the 26 day of agitation, nearly 70 per cent bookings were cancelled and occupancy in hotels came down to as low as 30 per cent. As foreign tourists plan their tours in advance, there was not much scope for alteration and they suffered the most.
During the period, movement of trains on the Agra-Jaipur section remained suspended and passengers were held up at Agra railway stations and roadways bus stands. Making matters worse, transport companies in Agra refused to book consignments for Rajasthan. Scores of trains were diverted from Agra and Mathura. Over a dozen goods trains with perishable commodities remained stranded on the western route causing a huge loss.
The Gujjar agitation disrupted the traffic movement between Agra and Jaipur leading to tourists being held up here. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims planning to visit Rajasthan were held up at Mathura, Firozabad and various stations or bus stands here. Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, told reporters, “Tourism in the golden triangle has been badly hit,”
However, a section of tour operators in the city believe that the number of foreign tourists may not have gone up but the duration of their stay in Agra has definitely increased. A tour operator said, “The famous Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur), a short-break tourist itinerary for North India, covers two major destinations: Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort) and Jaipur (Forts and Palaces) along with Delhi. This most visited Itinerary in India by overseas tourists was badly hit and the conventional chain was broken.” According to him, because of this, foreigners chose to stay at Agra for longer durations.
Data obtained from the Tourist Department suggests that Spanish tourists have been quite keen on visiting the city of late. Said an official, “A good number of Spanish groups are coming but the number is still less than the last year’s figures. However, the duration of their stay has definitely gone up.” According to him, bookings of European tourists may go up by 15 per cent this season.
Meanwhile, the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has completed its survey and will soon start work on lighting up the Taj Mahal’s surroundings in Mughlai theme with solar lights. The State Tourism Department has already allocated a sum of Rs 2 crore for the purpose. Official sources said that as part of the project, a food plaza similar to Delhi Hatt will also be set up to draw more visitors.
Agra tourist PS in a shambles
Darpan Singh, Agra
Irony could not be starker. This is the only police station in the whole of Agra which is supposed to deal with complaints of foreign tourists, but it is itself, like most of the other PSs in the Uttar Pradesh, grappling with problems which are too ‘local’ in nature. The staff can easily be seen struggling to deal with tourists; with hardly any resources at their disposal. The sight of a cop drowned in a dictionary while interacting with foreigners does not give one the typical feel of a PS.
The Agra Tourism Police Station was set up in haste on September 25 last year; a few days after two Japanese tourists were allegedly raped in a hotel under Tajganj police station of Agra resulting in a big controversy. The State DGP inaugurated it amid much promise after he and the Director General of Tourism came to the city to take stock of the situation arising out of the rape controversy. However, a visit to the PS reveals that it lacks some of the most basic infrastructure and the promise has not been kept.
There is no phone connection, not to speak of Internet/fax facilities. It is hard to understand as to how these cops source and send information related to foreigners and places located abroad during investigation. In the name of hospitality, it has hardly anything to boast of; even drinking water has to be arranged from nearby. Confirming these constraints, SHO Santosh Singh told HT, “A request for a phone connection had been made sometime back. Nothing has been done so far.”
According o Singh, the PS has to ‘generate its own resources’ when it comes to procuring refreshment for foreigners. He said, “They (the tourists) do not settle with anything less than packaged drinking water. Though there are no funds for these purposes, you have to arrange for it.” Lack of knowledge of foreign languages is another hurdle. Singh said, “Some staff from the Tourism Department do chip in, but that does not solve our problem entirely.” On his part, the SHO showed the visitors’ register in which he had been repeatedly thanked for cooperation.
Last month, Chief Minister Mayawati came to Agra and announced a package of Rs 5 crore for a new air conditioned building of the PS and other infrastructure at Tajganj Phase II. Land for the purpose has already been acquisitioned. A new building of Tajganj police station is also proposed there. Maps have been prepared and the budget passed, but construction, which will be done by the State Housing Board, is yet to start. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, the Agra DIG refused to admit that there was any problem at the PS. He said, “The PS is in the process of establishment. Even otherwise, the SSP office has all the necessary resources.”
Cops at the PS told this correspondent that the sanctioned strength of policemen (1 SHO, 3 SIs, 3 head constables and 14 constables) was not adequate as their area of jurisdiction was quite big. A cop said, “Any incident involving a foreigner, which takes place anywhere in Agra, has to be dealt with by us. It’s quite unmanageable for the current strength.” He said more out-posts should be set up under the PS to ease the pressure.
After the rape case, about 30 cases have been registered here so far. Of them, 25 have been disposed of and investigation is on in the rest five. A senior cop at PS said, “The district is quite big in area and foreigners tend to roam about till late in the night which, at times, leads to minor case.” He, however, said they could not be blamed for the same as this is what he came here for. According to him, special funds and basic infrastructure were a must to show hospitality and be friendly with tourist victims.
Irony could not be starker. This is the only police station in the whole of Agra which is supposed to deal with complaints of foreign tourists, but it is itself, like most of the other PSs in the Uttar Pradesh, grappling with problems which are too ‘local’ in nature. The staff can easily be seen struggling to deal with tourists; with hardly any resources at their disposal. The sight of a cop drowned in a dictionary while interacting with foreigners does not give one the typical feel of a PS.
The Agra Tourism Police Station was set up in haste on September 25 last year; a few days after two Japanese tourists were allegedly raped in a hotel under Tajganj police station of Agra resulting in a big controversy. The State DGP inaugurated it amid much promise after he and the Director General of Tourism came to the city to take stock of the situation arising out of the rape controversy. However, a visit to the PS reveals that it lacks some of the most basic infrastructure and the promise has not been kept.
There is no phone connection, not to speak of Internet/fax facilities. It is hard to understand as to how these cops source and send information related to foreigners and places located abroad during investigation. In the name of hospitality, it has hardly anything to boast of; even drinking water has to be arranged from nearby. Confirming these constraints, SHO Santosh Singh told HT, “A request for a phone connection had been made sometime back. Nothing has been done so far.”
According o Singh, the PS has to ‘generate its own resources’ when it comes to procuring refreshment for foreigners. He said, “They (the tourists) do not settle with anything less than packaged drinking water. Though there are no funds for these purposes, you have to arrange for it.” Lack of knowledge of foreign languages is another hurdle. Singh said, “Some staff from the Tourism Department do chip in, but that does not solve our problem entirely.” On his part, the SHO showed the visitors’ register in which he had been repeatedly thanked for cooperation.
Last month, Chief Minister Mayawati came to Agra and announced a package of Rs 5 crore for a new air conditioned building of the PS and other infrastructure at Tajganj Phase II. Land for the purpose has already been acquisitioned. A new building of Tajganj police station is also proposed there. Maps have been prepared and the budget passed, but construction, which will be done by the State Housing Board, is yet to start. When contacted by the HT on Thursday, the Agra DIG refused to admit that there was any problem at the PS. He said, “The PS is in the process of establishment. Even otherwise, the SSP office has all the necessary resources.”
Cops at the PS told this correspondent that the sanctioned strength of policemen (1 SHO, 3 SIs, 3 head constables and 14 constables) was not adequate as their area of jurisdiction was quite big. A cop said, “Any incident involving a foreigner, which takes place anywhere in Agra, has to be dealt with by us. It’s quite unmanageable for the current strength.” He said more out-posts should be set up under the PS to ease the pressure.
After the rape case, about 30 cases have been registered here so far. Of them, 25 have been disposed of and investigation is on in the rest five. A senior cop at PS said, “The district is quite big in area and foreigners tend to roam about till late in the night which, at times, leads to minor case.” He, however, said they could not be blamed for the same as this is what he came here for. According to him, special funds and basic infrastructure were a must to show hospitality and be friendly with tourist victims.
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