Rescheduling Rahul's yatra in UP
If UP Congress insiders are to be believed, Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, initially scheduled to enter Uttar Pradesh on December 24, is likely to tweak its programme to take a detour to spend more time in the state. The yatra is likely to enter UP from Bulandshahr in western UP. The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has proposed a nearly 16-day route from Mathura to Saharanpur. As per the initial programme, the yatra had a schedule of just four days in UP covering a couple of western UP districts. Party insiders claim that instead of entering UP on December 4, the yatra will touch the state in the first week of January as it may get a break during New Year. While a whole contingent of UP Congress leaders is accompanying Rahul Gandhi in the yatra, AICC general secretary and UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will also join Rahul Gandhi in UP.
Vedic city in Ayodhya
As the construction of the Ram Temple is going on in full swing, preparations are also on to develop a new Ayodhya township. As the township is being developed along the lines of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City which is popularly known as GIFT-City, architects from the western state led by Rajeev Doshi visited the town for a spot inspection. The township would be spread across 1000 acres in three villages -- Manja Barhata, Manja Tirwa, and Shahnawazpur of Ayodhya on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur highway. The Uttar Pradesh Awas Vikas Parishad (UP Housing Board) will implement the project.
Passenger bus for bootlegging
In an 'innovative' way to dodge law enforcement agencies to carry illegal liquor from Haryana to 'dry' Bihar, smugglers are using passenger buses. The racket was busted in Sultanpur when a bus was checked by the local police on a specific tip-off. The cops found liquor worth Rs 15 lakh stuffed in the special cavity beneath the passenger seats of the bus. The smugglers reportedly would pay Rs 1 lakh-Rs 1.5 lakh to the owner of the bus to carry the 'contraband'. The consignment would be sold for a 10 times higher price once it reached Bihar. Six people so far have been arrested and more are likely to fall into the police dragnet
Namita Bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@ newindianexpress.com