The Himalayan tragedy which struck Uttarakhand earlier this month has set back the state's economy and development by at least three years and preliminary estimates put the loss at Rs 3,000 crore. Chief minister Vijay Bahuguna spoke to TOI's Pankaj Doval and Surojit Gupta about the scale of the devastation.

SRINAGAR: Normal life was disrupted in Kashmir valley due to a strike called by separatists to protest against the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.

PATNA: Trashing JD(U)'s allegations that Narendra Modi was an "autocratic" and "divisive" leader, BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked what "sin had he committed that provoked" the erstwhile ally to walk away after remaining together for 17 long years.

PATNA: At the BJP's first rally in Patna since the dismissal of its ministers last Sunday, all speakers, both national and local, denounced Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and used all kinds of epithets for him: treacherous, opportunist, cheat, turncoat, etc.

 GAUCHAR (UTTARAKHAND): Uttarakhand authorities are trying to arrange for as much as 50 tonnes of wood and as much volume of 'desi ghee' to conduct last rites of those who perished in the deluge at Kedarnath.

Few know where Sanjay Joshi, the man Narendra Modi perceives as his enemy No. 1, stays these days.

NEW DELHI: In a big relief to former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, CBI and income tax department will shortly tell the Supreme Court that they have found no element of "criminality" in the transcripts of her taped conversations. The two agencies have jointly transcribed the conversations, recorded in connection with the 2G scam, over a period of three months.

BURDWAN/KOLKATA: Unable to handle the rebuff from Kamduni villagers, chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched an unprecedented attack on intellectuals on Thursday, saying TV talks shows were fielded by "rogue" channels and a section of the panelists were "associated with pornography".

SRINAGAR (UTTARAKHAND): It was hard on Shiru Singh when the waters first came on June 14. Last year's rain had eaten off part of his roof and he was hoping sales from his small electronics shop in a slightly awkward corner of Srinagar town would be enough to stop the constant nagging of his worried wife.

NEW DELHI: Security forces engaged in rescue work in Uttarakhand on Thursday claimed to have cleared the Kedarnath temple and Gaurikund of all survivors. Rescue work is now focusing on areas that have remained inaccessible even by air. These include places such as Rambada and Mundkatiya that fall between Kedarnath and Gaurikund and have been worst affected by the deluge.