Dehradun, Mar 28 : Farmers in Uttarakhand are benefiting from a unique financial institution named Kisan Bank, mooted by the Central Government.

Instituted a year ago, this bank has facilitated farmers to achieve their desired aims and progress.

Kisan Bank can be termed as a single window institution catering to the needs of farmers. It helps the tillers to buy various inputs like quality seeds, fertilizers and farm equipments.

To strengthen its GSM reach, Reliance Communications (RCom) has rolled out its post paid GSM services in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While making the announcement, Mr. Salim Haq, RCom Regional Head UP and Uttarakhand, stated that the post paid customers in both the states would be offered three plans.

Under the first plan that costs Rs 129 monthly, subscribers can make all local and STD calls at the rate of Rs 1 per minute.

Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), Mar 24 : A self-help group is training rural women in herbal farming and medicines in Uttarakhand to make them self reliant.

Women of the Ramnagar area of Nainital District have joined the Navjyoti self-help group and are being trained in herb farming. They have created a small garden to grow herbs and from these herbs they are making medicines.

The self-help group consists of 19 women where they make various tonics, syrups and herbal oils.

Nainital, Mar. 22 : Farmers in Uttarakhand are reaping it rich by cultivating vegetables, fruits and flowers by using hi-tech methods like greenhouse farming.

Government's Horticulture Technology Mission has initiated several benefiting schemes for the farmers in Padampuri region near Nainital.

The schemes include providing good quality seeds, fertilisers and insecticides at subsidised rates to the farmers. Technical and financial aids are also given to set up poly greenhouses to cultivate various fruits and flowers.

Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), Mar 19 : The Pantnagar plant of Tata Motors in Uttarakhand is all set to roll out the Nano, the 4-seater, 100,000-rupee price tag super-cheap car for the masses.

In a recent announcement, vehicle maker Tata Motors said that it would launch its Nano on March 23 and accept bookings from the second week of April.

The car, expected to be priced around 100,000 rupees, was unveiled in January 2008. It was scheduled to go on sale last October, but problems with the main plant location delayed the launch.

Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), Mar 19 : The body of a tigress suspected to have died in a fight with another tiger was found in Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.

The officials found the badly mauled body of the ten-year-old tiger in Dhenla range of the park, close to Hathidangar village.

"It is a result of fighting between two tigers. The female tiger that was elderly died in the fight. The tiger has killed it and mauled her back portion," said V. K. Singhal, director of the park.

Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, the park is well-known for its tigers, leopards and elephants.