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Politics, Sikkim

Golay meets Jal Shakti Minister, requests river training work to clear Teesta bed of debris of GLOF

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PRAKASH ADHIKARI, EOI, GANGTOK, JUNE 26, 2024 : In a meeting with Union Minister for Jal Shakti Mr C.R Patil on Tuesday, Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang highlighted the immense challenges faced by Sikkim following a sudden cloudburst on October 3 and 4, 2023, which led to a significant discharge in the Teesta River. This event brought in enormous debris, causing a substantial rise in the water level due to sedimentation, with the riverbed level rising by approximately eight to 10 metres and drastically altering the morphology of the river, he informed.

Emphasising the urgent need to strengthen the Teesta River banks, the Chief Minister called for appropriate River Training Works (RTW) along the alignment from Zeema to Melli. Implementing these RTWs would help mitigate the devastation from the river and prevent further disasters, he apprises. 
The Chief Minister explained how the silt deposits had caused the river to swell, partially submerging low-lying areas and endangering lives and properties. Continuous heavy downpour during the monsoon has raised water levels dangerously, threatening to submerge the towns of Dikchu, Singtam, Rangpo, and Melli. Infrastructure such as road networks, jhora training works, and river protection walls had been severely damaged.
In light of these challenges, the Chief Minister requested the Ministry of JalShakti to execute a team of experts to study the morphology of river Teesta’s, assess the damage, and provide guidance, resources, and expert recommendations. The Union Minister asked officials to pay utmost heed to the proposal regarding the constitution of a team of experts to take care of immediate necessities and mitigation in regards to the rivers and glaciers of Sikkim
Regional

Manipur: Women protesters demand solution to ongoing crisis

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PTI, Imphal, Jun 25, 2024 :  Protesters from the women’s wing of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) on Tuesday staged a rally in Imphal East district, urging both the central and state governments to swiftly resolve the ongoing crisis without compromising the state’s territorial and administrative integrity.


Displaying placards stating “no compromise to state integrity,” the demonstrators also went to the official residence of senior minister Thongam Biswajit in Sanjenthong, but he was not there.

Y Lairikleima, a leader of the women’s wing, criticised the perceived silence of elected representatives from their community.

She emphasised, “If they cannot stand up for the people and defend the state’s territorial and administrative integrity, they should resign.” Additionally, women protesters held another rally in Lamsang area, Imphal West district, and asserted that no village volunteers should face arrest and emphasised their opposition to any proposal for separate administration. 
Politics, West Bengal

Newly elected TMC MLAs fail to take oath, Guv leaves for Delhi

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PTI, Kolkata, Jun 26, 2024 : The deadlock over the swearing-in of two newly elected TMC legislators continued on Wednesday as West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose refused to hold the programme in the assembly as requested by them, and instead left for New Delhi, officials said.

Miffed by the development, the two MLAs, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, said they would again write to the Governor and would continue their sit-in protest on Thursday too inside the assembly premises.

“Today we waited till 4 PM but the Governor didn’t come. We would again write to the Governor and request him to administer the oath here at the assembly. Tomorrow again we would sit near the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar and protest against the injustice,” Bandopadhyay said after a meeting with Speaker Biman Banerjee, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chottoapadhyay along with Sarkar.

Raj Bhavan had earlier invited the two, who were elected to the assembly in recent by-polls, to take the oath at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.

However, the TMC claimed that the convention dictates that in the case of by-poll winners, the governor assigns the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the assembly to administer the oath.

According to sources at Raj Bhavan, the governor left for New Delhi in the evening.

Earlier in the day, the two MLAs arrived at the assembly and stated their intention to wait for the governor till 4 pm to administer their oath of office or authorize the Speaker to do so.

They also staged a sit-in on the staircase of the assembly demanding the same.

“We came to know that he had left for New Delhi. We are not nominated but elected representatives of the people. We are accountable to the masses. We are hopeful of taking the oath in the assembly,” Bandyopadhyay said.

Speaker Biman Banerjee, who expressed his displeasure over the situation, accused Bose of turning the swearing-in ritual into an “ego battle” and intentionally complicating the issue.

He claimed that an impasse was deliberately created for reasons best known to the governor.

“We were waiting for the governor to come to the assembly, but he didn’t come. Such an impasse is not at all expected. The governor has turned it into an ego battle. He is exercising his powers. I will also consult legal experts to understand my powers,” Banerjee said.

Calling the swearing-in of MLAs a “Constitutional convention”, the Speaker said he considered it a “misfortune” to witness such developments in current times.

The Speaker said he wasn’t aware of any instance where an MP who won a by-poll was sworn in by the President of India.

“Until we take the oath, we cannot function as MLAs. The people of our constituencies are suffering,” Bandyopadhyay said.

Bandyopadhyay and Sarkar were elected from Baranagar near Kolkata and Bhagwangola in Murshidabad district, respectively.

The latest faceoff between the Bengal Governor and the state’s ruling TMC was triggered by a Raj Bhavan communication a few days back inviting the two newly elected MLAs to be present at Raj Bhavan on July 26 for their swearing-in ceremony.

The act, the TMC alleged, was in defiance of the custom of the Governor assigning the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the House to do the needful in cases of by-poll winners.

The Raj Bhavan letter also reportedly has no mention of who would administer the oath to the new MLAs.

Crime, International, Regional

बाल यौन दुरूपयोग मुद्दामा रामबहादुर बमजन दोषी ठहर: सजाय निर्धारण असार १७ गते

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सेतोपाटी संवाददाता, काठमाडौं, असार १० : सर्लाही जिल्ला अदालतले बाल यौन दुरूपयोग मुद्दामा रामबहादुर बमजनलाई दोषी ठहर गरेको छ।


सोमबार न्यायाधीश जीवनकुमार भण्डारीको इजलासले दोषी ठहर गरेको स्रेस्तेदार सदन अधिकारीले जानकारी दिए। सजाय निर्धारण भने असार १७ गतेलाई तोकिएको उनले बताए।

उनका अनुसार अन्य दुई प्रतिवादी ज्ञानबहादुर र डिगबाहदुर सफाइ पाएका छन्।

रौतहटकी गंगामाया तामाङले आफू आश्रममा बस्दा बलात्कार गरेको आरोप लगाउँदै बमजनविरूद्ध जाहेरी दिएकी थिइन्।

बालबालिका सम्बन्धी ऐनको हद म्याद अनुसार उनीविरूद्ध मुद्दा दायर गरिएको थियो। आफू बालिका हुँदा भएको यौनशोषण तथा बलात्कारविरूद्ध १८ वर्ष पुगेपछि उजुरी दिन पाइने कानुनी व्यवस्था छ। गंगामायाले यही कानुनी व्यवस्था अनुसार १८ वर्षपुगेपछि जाहेरी दिएकी थिइन्।  बमजनले २०७३ साल साउन २० गते आफूमाथि  बलात्कार गरेको उनको आरोप थियो। उक्त जाहेरी परेपछि प्रहरीले अनुसन्धान अघि बढाएको थियो। प्रहरी अनुसन्धानप्रतिवेदनका आधारमा जिल्ला सरकारी वकिल कार्यालयले बमजनविरूद्ध १२ देखि १४ वर्षसम्म कैद सजाय र मनासिव क्षतिपूर्तिको माग गर्दै मुद्दा दायर गरेको थियो।

१४ वर्षदेखि १६ वर्षसम्मका बालिकालाई बलात्कार गरे १२ देखि १४ वर्षसम्मको कैद सजाय हुने कानुनी व्यवस्था छ।

गंगामायाले पहिलोपटक झण्डै ६ वर्षअघि काठमाडौंमा पत्रकार सम्मेलन गर्दै आफूमाथि बमजनले बलात्कार गरेको आरोप लगाएकी थिइन्। त्यसपछि सेतोपाटीले तीन महिना लामो अनुसन्धानपछि २०७५ साल पुस ११ गते बमजनका कर्तुतको फेहरिस्त तयार पारेर एकैसाथ चार स्टोरी प्रकाशित गरेको थियो।

सेतोपाटीमा समाचार प्रकाशन भएपछि आफ्ना छोरी, छोरा र बावु बेपत्ता पारेको भन्दै पाँचपरिवारले त्यतिवेलै प्रहरीमा उजुरी दिएका थिए।  बमजन विरूद्ध विभिन्न प्रहरी कार्यालयमा आफ्नो आश्रममा बस्ने पाँच अनुयायीलाई बेपत्ता पारेको, तीमध्ये कम्तीमा एक जनाको हत्या गरेको लगायतका आरोप छन्। 

उनलाई प्रहरीले गत पुस २४ गते बूढानीलकण्ठबाट पक्राउ गरेको थियो। पक्राउ परेका बमजनमाथि प्रहरीको केन्द्रीय अनुसन्धान व्यूरोले विभिन्न कसुरमा छानबिन गरिरहेको छ।

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रामबहादुर बमजनको बयान लिएपछि पुर्पक्षका लागि थुनामा पठाउने

https://kalimpongonlinenews.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post_14.html


पक्राउ परेका बमजनले आफ्ना आश्रममा चलाएको हत्या, हिंसा र

https://kalimpongonlinenews.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post_11.html

प्रहरीद्वारा रामबहादुर बमजन पक्राउ
https://kalimpongonlinenews.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post.html
Regional, West Bengal

‘Rodents cut wire and caused short circuit’: Holong Bungalow fire probe smells a rat

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‘Those who have stayed in the Holong Bungalow are familiar with the presence of rats. According to the primary report, the rats cut through the electric wires, leading to a short circuit’

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT, Calcutta, 26.06.24 : 
The Holong Bungalow in Alipurduar’s Jaldapara National Park.: Sourced by the Telegraph.
In Bihar they have acquired a reputation for swilling litres of liquor confiscated by the police. In north Bengal, now, they are becoming fabled as spitfires. Rats. What’s one to make of them?

A primary investigation by the forest department has blamed rats for the June 19 fire that gutted the 57-year-old wooden Holong Bungalow in Alipurduar’s Jaldapara National Park.
A source said a five-member committee, formed immediately after the fire at the bungalow that was once a favourite retreat of former chief minister Jyoti Basu, had suggested that rats had cut the electric wire, causing a short circuit that triggered the devastating fire.

However, the evidence is not conclusive as the building, and all wires, had been destroyed by the fire.
“Those who have stayed in the Holong Bungalow are familiar with the presence of rats. According to the primary report, the rats cut through the electric wires, leading to a short circuit. As the bungalow was made of wood, we got no time to save it,” forest minister Birbaha Hansda, to whom the committee has submitted its report, told The Telegraph.

The fire broke out around 9.30pm on June 19 at the conference hall of the bungalow and spread throughout the entire property.

Hansda said the forest department was waiting for reports submitted separately by the police and the fire and emergency services departments.

“The two agencies are conducting independent probes into the fire incident, and that is why we are waiting for their reports to see if they differ from ours,” she added.

The bungalow on the banks of the Holong stream was built in 1967 as a forest inspection house with eight double-bedded rooms. Five rooms are currently with the state tourism department and the remaining three are dedicated to forest officials on duty.

The Holong Bungalow was the first choice of tourists visiting the Dooars region because of its prime location, with frequent sightings of one-horned rhinos, elephants, leopards and deer. The animals visit the salt pit in front of the bungalow.

Apart from former chief minister Basu, Mamata Banerjee has also stayed at the property several times. Other important persons who have been to the
bungalow are former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, several of his cabinet colleagues, former governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and author Samaresh Majumdar.

Initially, foresters had suspected that a short circuit from air-conditioners could be the source of the fire. However, during the investigation, the probe team found out that all the air-conditioners and geysers had been disconnected from the power source when the bungalow stopped taking in visitors on June 15 in keeping with annual protocol. Forest bungalows in Bengal cannot be booked for three months during the monsoon starting June 15 as this is the mating period for wild animals.

“However, the electricity connection had been kept on to illuminate the building, mainly the facade. After talking to the staff, we learnt that rats had previously created trouble by cutting power wires. That is why we find reason to believe that this time too such a thing has happened, resulting in a spark,” said a forest official.

A senior forest official in Jaldapara said the bungalow was infested with rats. “As the building is made of wood, there is a gap of a few inches between two layers of the walls. Hundreds of rats used to inhabit these spaces. That has been pointed out in the probe report,” a source who has gone through the findings said.

“As the building was old, the wood had become dry. That is why, despite 30 employees reaching the spot within five minutes of spotting the flames, they could not do anything to save it,” he added.

Hansda has said the government will reconstruct the Holong Bungalow and reopen it for tourists. However, a forest official said reconstruction needed permission from the National Board for Wildlife, a body headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
International, National, Politics

Buzz: Indian drones and ammunition used by Israel in Gaza arsenal

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 ‘Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons’
An Israeli soldier on a tank near the Israel-Gaza border on Monday. There is no suggestion that the tank was provided by India.: Reuters picture

Anita Joshua, TT, New Delhi , 26.06.24 : A former Israeli ambassador to India has said speculation in the international media about Indian drones and ammunition being used by Israel in Gaza may well be true considering the gratitude New Delhi feels towards Tel Aviv for its assistance during the Kargil War 25 years ago.

“Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons. The Indians don’t forget this and might now be returning the favour,” Daniel Carmon told Israeli news network Ynetnews.

Iran was quick to pick on this and the official news agency, IRNA, flashed it on Sunday as “India sent great deal of arms to Israeli regime: Zionist media”.

While there has been some chatter about India sending weapons to Israel for a while now, the decision of Spain to prevent a cargo ship originating from Chennai from docking at one of its ports en route Israel in May has added fuel to the fire.

“The ship, originating from the city of Madras in India, was carrying 27 tonnes of munitions destined for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), against the backdrop of the war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on the Lebanon border. The incident highlights the fact that India has been providing significant military assistance to Israel since October 7,” the Ynetnews report said.

Before this report, the South China Morning Post had quoted analysts as saying that the shipment on the Danish-flagged ship, the Marianne Danica, which had sought permission to dock at Cartegana, Spain, was most likely from a “third-party vendor”.

In February, Shephard News, which specialises in global defence news, had reported that “the first private UAV manufacturing facility in India has delivered more than 20 Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to Israel”.

“Hyderabad-based Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd, a joint venture company between India’s Adani Defence and Aerospace and Israel’s Elbit Systems, became the first entity to manufacture the UAVs outside of Israel,” it added.

Ynetnews, quoting an Indian news report, said India was supplying Israel with advanced Hermes 900 drones manufactured in Hyderabad. “The report said the factory, established by Israel to supply these drones to the Indian military, converted 20 of them specifically for the IDF due to the shortage created during the war.”

In both these instances there was no official confirmation or comment from India and Israel.

In March, Israeli newspaper Haaretz had reported that the IDF used 70-year-old munitions and shells intended for training in India in Gaza. Faced with weapons shortages, the IDF, according to the report, has been using munitions dating back to the 1950s.

“Then there was the case of ‘the Indian munitions’. No one is sure why they earned this moniker. Legend has it that these were American munitions that came from emergency storehouses in India. Some of these left the factory in 1953, a decade before the first M109. Whatever their source, ultimately the soldiers had to try to accurately fire 70-year-old munitions. According to the US army, the maximal shelf life for such explosives is 40 years in optimal storage conditions of up to 30 degrees Celsius,” Haaretz reported.
Crime, Regional

STF nabs 2 with contraband cough syrup worth Rs 4 cr

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MP, 26 June 2024, Siliguri: Special Task Force (STP) of West Bengal arrested two men with contraband cough syrup worth Rs 4 crore at Jatiyakali area in Fulbari under New Jalpaiguri Police Station. The accused have been identified as Rohit Patel (23 years), Ramakant Kol (19 years), both residents of Madhya Pradesh.

On Monday night, based on secret information, the STF team of the Siliguri unit raided the area and intercepted a 14-wheeler truck loaded with pumpkins. A total of 36,000 bottles of contraband cough syrup were recovered from there.

The approximate market value of the seized contraband is more than Rs 4 crore.

STF sources said that the truck was carrying the contraband cough syrup from Madhya Pradesh to Guwahati, Assam, for delivery by hiding it under pumpkins.

Suspecting police nakas on the way, it started returning from Barovisha in Cooch Behar towards Siliguri. The truck was intercepted by the STF team when it was coming from the Jalpaiguri side. A police case has been started.
Courtesy & source: Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/stf-nabs-2-with-contrabandcough-syrup-worth-rs-4-cr-569423
Games & Sports, Politics, Sikkim

After consecutive defeats, Bhaichung Bhutia quits politics, ‘Simply not for me’

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 After the 2024 election results, I have had the realisation that electoral politics is simply not for me, he said

PTI, Gangtok, Jun 25 2024 : Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia on Tuesday announced that he was quitting politics, following his defeat in the recently held assembly elections in Sikkim.
Bhaichung, the vice president of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), lost to SKM’s Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia in the Barfung seat, which marked his sixth electoral defeat.
He joined politics in 2014 when the ruling TMC in West Bengal named him as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. In 2018, he took the plunge into the political arena of his state by forming the Hamro Sikkim Party. Last year, he merged his party with the Pawan Chamling-led SDF.
“Firstly, I would like to congratulate Mr PS Tamang and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for winning the assembly elections. The people of Sikkim have given them a resounding mandate and I hope the SKM govt will work to fulfil their promises and take Sikkim to greater heights across all sectors,” he said in a statement. 
“After the 2024 election results, I have had the realisation that electoral politics is simply not for me. I am therefore quitting all forms of electoral politics with immediate effect,” he added.
After losing the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency to the BJP in 2014, the TMC fielded Bhutia as its candidate for the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections in the Siliguri seat, but he lost to the CPI(M). Following the formation of his party in 2018, he contested the 2019 Sikkim assembly elections from two seats but lost in both. He again unsuccessfully contested the by-election to the Gangtok assembly seat, which was held later that year.
He lost the recently held elections to the SKM by 4,346 votes.
Bhutia, the former Indian football captain, said he felt he had great ideas for the development of sports and tourism in Sikkim.
“…given a chance, I would have loved to implement and contribute to the growth of the state in a very honest and sincere way,” he said.
“Unfortunately it was not to be. I am certain there will be more people with better ideas to do so,” he said.
Bhutia said that his intention in politics was to do good for the people of the state and the country.
National, Politics

Om Birla vs K Suresh: First LS Speaker election as INDIA puts forth nominee

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 Opposition candidate K Suresh will be contesting against NDA’s Om Birla, in a first-ever election for the Speaker post since independence

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 25, 2024 : The ruling BJP-led NDA on Tuesday maintained its streak of continuity in its third term by fielding previous Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the crucial parliamentary position again, but its bid for a consensus was thwarted by the opposition which forced an election by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate.

    The opposition’s last-minute decision to go for a rare contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to its precondition that the INDIA bloc must be offered the post of Deputy Speaker in lieu of supporting Birla, who is the clear favourites in case of an election.
    A brief interaction involving Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK’s T R Baalu from the opposition side and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and J P Nadda, who is also the BJP president, at Singh’s office in Parliament to evolve a consensus ended in acrimony as both sides stuck to their position.
    Both opposition leaders walked out, with Venugopal accusing the government of not following the “convention” of an opposition candidate for the Deputy Speaker’s position and announcing the decision to field a candidate against Birla.
    Union ministers Piyush Goyal of the BJP and Lalan Singh of the JD(U) accused the opposition of resorting to pressure politics and putting forth preconditions despite senior ministers’ assurance that its demand will be considered when the time to pick the Deputy Speaker comes.
    “There can be no pressure politics,” Union minister and JD(U) leader Lalan Singh told reporters, while Goyal said democracy cannot be run on preconditions.
     The scheduled day for picking the Speaker is Wednesday and if an election occurs, it will be only the third time in Lok Sabha’s history, official sources said.
    With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233, numbers clearly favour Birla in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the opposition.
     The NDA is hopeful that some unaligned parties, including the YSR Congress having four MPs, will also back Birla.
    BJP sources claimed that the Congress has been the main aggressor on the issue and some other INDIA bloc members are not very keen on a contest.
    If Birla, the BJP MP from Kota, is elected, it will be fifth time that a Speaker would serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. Though Congress leader Balram Jakhar is the only presiding officer to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha.
    A third-term MP, Birla is also a three-term former Rajasthan MLA and has risen through the ranks in the BJP. Suresh, his rival for the Speaker’s post, is a eighth-term MP from Kerala and hails from a Dalit community.
    If a division of votes takes place in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, then paper slips will be used as the electronic system is not operational yet in the new Lok Sabha where members are still in the process of being allocated their seats.
    Seasoned BJP leader Rajnath Singh had taken the lead in reaching out to opposition parties over the issue as Birla emerged as the NDA’s consensus choice and met its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
    Suresh said it is not about winning or losing, but about a convention that Speaker will be of ruling party and deputy speaker from the opposition.
    “Last two Lok Sabhas, they denied us deputy speaker’s post because they said you are not recognised as the opposition. Now we are recognised as the opposition, (and) deputy speaker post is our right. But they are not ready to give us. Till 11.50, we were waiting for reply from government’s side but they did not give any reply,” he told reporters.
    Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said this has come barely 24 hours after the prime minister advocated consensus in running the country.
    “Convention has been that the Speaker is elected unanimously and the deputy speaker’s post goes to the opposition,” Ramesh said.
    He accused Prime Minister Modi of breaking this tradition.
    “It is actually no surprise. He has still not woken up to the reality of the 2024 poll verdict which was a PPM defeat for him–personal, political and moral,” he posted on X.
    Sources said more than 10 sets of nominations (called notices for motion) were filed in support of Birla’s candidature, including from Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh and Nadda, and members of BJP allies like TDP, JD(U), JD(S) and LJP (R).
    Three sets of nominations were filed in support of Suresh.
    Known of its knack of springing surprises, the BJP leadership chose to stick to Birla in line with its decision to retains its old hands in key positions.
    Though the Speaker is independent of political and executive control, realpolitik considerations are often the driving force behind the choice for the Chair which is the nerve centre of Parliament’s functioning.
Politics, Regional

North Bengal civic bodies under line of fire from chief minister Mamata Banerjee

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The Bengal CM reprimanded Gautam Deb, mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation for poor performance of the civic body

Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, 25.06.24 : Gautam Deb, the mayor of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), came in the line of fire of chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday.

On one hand, the chief minister reprimanded him for poor performance of the civic body. On the other hand, she asked Deb to be proactive in stopping the highhandedness of land mafias who are grabbing government land and making illegal constructions.
“We are well aware of what is happening in the Sevoke Road, Kawakhali and Dabgram-Fulbari areas. Mafias are grabbing and selling government land. We have initiated a probe and will not spare these people. Gautam (Deb), you are here and you can’t evade your responsibility,” said Mamata, while speaking at the meeting in Nabanna.

She also asked the mayor to not only demolish illegal constructions but also restore the original condition of such land.

“Be tough. Don’t allow such highhandedness. We have information that a section of policemen and some people in the land (and land reforms) department is also linked to these land mafias,” Mamata told Deb.

In Siliguri and surroundings, highhandedness of land mafias is a major issue which has not been addressed in a major way so far. Several complaints have been registered with the police and the administration regaring the operations of land sharks.

“These land mafias have voted the BJP. It is because of their support that the BJP has won,” said Mamata.

Mamata also said four civic bodies in north Bengal performed “worst.”

The SMC, she said, is one of the worst-performing civic bodies in the state in providing drinking water, along with Alipurduar municipality.

The SMC, Mamata pointed out, has also performed miserably in the field of housing (including its failure to control illegal construction), along with Raiganj municipality.

The Dalkhola civic body, on the other hand, has been included in the list of worst-performers in the parameter of cleanliness.

In the course of the meeting, Mamata also sneered at Rabindranath Ghosh, the civic chairman of Cooch Behar, for the decision to increase mutation charges and some other taxes.

“Who are you to increase the taxes? Such an increase cannot be done without the state’s approval,” said Mamata, while addressing Ghosh.

The chief minister was equally critical over the functioning of certain development authorities and said the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA), has been dissolved.

“Hundreds of people have been engaged at these authorities….they simply sit idle. This will not be tolerated. We have dissolved SJDA and handed over the responsibility to the DM (of Darjeeling),” she said.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Crime, Regional

Siliguri: 2 held for sexually assaulting minors

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MP, 24 June 2024, Siliguri: A 41-year-old man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting his 14-year-old minor daughter in Siliguri. According to sources, the accused person used to physically torture his wife regularly. 

Recently, when the wife went to her father’s house with her daughter, the minor confided in her mother about her father’s misdeeds. 
Immediately, the mother lodged a written complaint at the police station and the police arrested him on Sunday night. In another incident, a 59-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old minor in Siliguri. 
The accused has been identified as Satish Barman. 
Sources said that the minor was left alone at home for a few days while her parents were away for work. During their absence, an elderly man from the neighbourhood allegedly assaulted her. 
Upon their return, the minor informed her parents about the incident. 
They lodged a complaint on June 12. The accused was arrested on Sunday night. Both the accused have been booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and produced at Jalpaiguri court on Monday. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-2-held-for-sexually-assaulting-minors-569259?infinitescroll=1
West Bengal

‘Rupashree aid of Rs 25K must reach beneficiaries before marriage date’

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 24 June 2024, Kolkata: State government has directed all the district administrations to ensure that the one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 under Rupashree scheme is transferred to the bank account of the beneficiaries well before the date of their marriage. 

The move has been taken to accelerate the process of providing funds to the beneficiaries of the Rupashree scheme. The district officials have been asked to transfer the amount latest by the date of marriage of the beneficiaries failing which accountability would be fixed on those officers who are responsible for delivering the services. 
An order has been issued to the districts clearly stating that it was desirable that the financial assistance is given to the beneficiaries account four days ahead of their date of marriage. The concerned officials will have to ensure that the money is credited to the beneficiaries’ bank account latest by the date of marriage. 
Earlier, there were complaints that in several cases the one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 was transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank account after their marriage had taken place. The beneficiaries will also get to know the status of their applications from Duare Sarkar camps or through an online portal. 
The applicants can apply for the financial assistance through online or offline processes. Application forms are available in various government offices. The applicants can apply for the money 30-60 days prior to the date of marriage. 
The scheme, a brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that was launched on April 1, 2018, provides one-time financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to the family of a girl at the time of her marriage if her family income is less than Rs 1,50,000 per year. 
Initially, Rs 1,500 crore was allocated for the project. The woman must be a permanent resident of West Bengal and above 18 years at the time of her marriage with a cap on an annual family income of Rs 1.5 lakh. No minimum educational qualifications are required to apply for the scheme. 
The scheme introduced by the Mamata Banerjee government has immensely benefited many families who used to find it extremely difficult to bear the expenditure of marriage of their daughters. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/rupashree-aid-of-rs-25k-must-reach-beneficiaries-before-marriage-date-569272
Regional, West Bengal

Heavy rains likely in north Bengal till June 28

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PTI, 24 June 2024 : Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in northern West Bengal owing to a trough from Rajasthan to Bangladesh and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, officials said on Monday.


A warning was issued for landslides in the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and a rise in the water level of rivers such as Teesta, Jaldhaka, Sankosh and Torsa owing to the possible downpour, they said.

Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur are very likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall till June 28 owing to an east-west trough running from southeast Rajasthan to north Bangladesh and strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, the Met Department said in its forecast.

After days of continuous downpour, there was a respite from the rains in the region.

Thunderstorms with lightning are likely to occur at a few places in southern West Bengal, especially in the coastal and adjoining districts, over the next few days, the Met Department said.
Crime, National

Amid NEET, NET exam mess, UPSC moots AI-based CCTV surveillance to prevent cheating

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PTI, Jun 24, 2024 : Amid NEET and NET exam controversies, UPSC plans to implement AI-based CCTV surveillance and facial recognition to prevent cheating. It has invited bids for solutions including Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication, facial recognition, and QR code scanning of e-admit cards, along with live AI CCTV monitoring during exams. 

Amid the raging controversies involving alleged irregularities in NEET, NET exams, the country’s premier recruitment body UPSC has decided to use facial recognition and Artificial Intelligence-based CCTV surveillance system to prevent cheating and impersonation in its various tests. It has recently floated a tender to invite bids from experienced public sector undertakings to devise two tech solutions — “Aadhaar based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) & facial recognition of candidates and QR code scanning of e-admit cards” and “Live AI-based CCTV surveillance service”– to be used during the examination process.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a Constitutional body, conducts 14 major exams — including the prestigious civil services examination to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS) — besides a number of recruitment tests, interviews every year for induction to Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ posts of the central government.
An estimated 26 lakh candidates are expected to appear in such recruitment, conducted at a maximum of 80 centres in Leh, Kargil, Srinagar, Imphal, Agartala, Aizawl and Gangtok, among other major cities.
“The UPSC attaches great importance to the conduct of its examinations in a free, fair and impartial manner. In its endeavor to fulfill these objectives, the Commission intends to make use of the latest digital technology to match and cross-check the biometric details of the candidates and to monitor various activities of the candidates during the examination to prevent cheating, fraud, unfair means and impersonation,” read the tender document dated June 3, 2024.
Accordingly, the Commission has desired to incorporate Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) and facial recognition of candidates, scanning of QR Code of e-admit cards and monitoring through live AI-based CCTV video surveillance, it said.
The move is aimed at strengthening the examination process and eliminating the possibility of malpractices by the candidates.
The selected service provider will use the data provided by the UPSC for Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication of candidates and facial recognition during the exam, according to the scope of work mentioned in the tender document.
“Provision should be made for a real-time attendance monitoring system through secured web server. System should have provision for real time monitoring of the enrolment activity along with GPS coordinates against every enrolment and time stamp to ensure that enrolment is done during the stipulated shift,” it said.
The Commission said that facial recognition should be performed in a completely stateless transaction of two images — one provided during the online registration and the other captured on the day of the exam.
The UPSC said that it has decided to implement CCTV/video surveillance with recording and live broadcast systems to monitor various activities of the candidates and other persons deployed to conduct the Commission’s examinations at the various centres/venues across the country under a secure environment.
“The service provider has to install adequate number of CCTV colour cameras in every classroom (minimum 1 CCTV camera for 24 candidates), entry/exit gate and control room (where pre-examination sensitive material will be kept and opened and post-examination sensitive material will be packed) of every examination venue,” the document said.
The UPSC said that the service provider will install one CCTV camera for every 24 candidates at each exam hall/room “subject to the condition that at least 1 CCTV camera is installed in every room irrespective of candidates being less than 24.”
In case of the exam hall/room having more than 24 candidates, one CCTV camera for every 24 candidates shall be installed ensuring that the CCTV camera to candidate ratio is not less than 1:24 and that there are zero blind spots, it added.
The AI-based video system need to be capable of generation of alerts “if any movement is detected at entry/exit gates during examination,” and “if the furniture inside the classrooms is not properly arranged.”
It will also alert the authorities “if the cameras are offline or are tempered (sic) by masking or black screen,” “if there is any movement in classrooms 1 hour before or after the exam” and “if Invigilator is not moving even after the specified time/inactivity is detected in Invigilator’s movement,” the tender document said.
The AI should raise red flags at incidents which would indicate cheating, unfair means, absence of invigilators etc, it added.
The date of closure of the bid document is July 7, 1 pm. The bid will be opened on the same day at 1.30 pm.
The development by the UPSC assumes significance as the Central government faces heat over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of UGC-NET — (University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test) — which determines the eligibility of Indian nationals for Assistant Professor and Junior Research Fellowship — and in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) or NEET-UG, a medical entrance.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is looking into the allegations of malpractice in both the UGC-NET and NEET-UG exams conducted by the National Testing Agency.
National, Politics

CBI takes over 5 cases of alleged malpractices in NEET-UG from Bihar, Gujarat and Rajasthan

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Over 2 dozen students detained during march to Parliament
The CBI has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 24 2024 : The CBI has taken over the investigation of five new cases of alleged malpractices in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG that were being probed by police in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, officials said on Monday.

They said the central agency has re-registered one case each from Gujarat and Bihar and three cases from Rajasthan as its own FIR, while it is also likely to take up another case from Maharashtra’s Latur.
Barring the case from Bihar, the other four appear to be isolated incidents of impersonation and cheating by local officials, invigilators and candidates, the officials said.
The CBI has already registered its own FIR in connection with the case on a reference from the Union education ministry to conduct a comprehensive probe, they said.
After taking over these new cases, the CBI is now probing a total of six cases pertaining to alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, the officials said.
ALSO READ: ‘Abolish NEET, restore state-led exams’: Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi
NEET-UG is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
The examination was conducted on May 5 at 4,750 centres in 571 cities, including 14 abroad. Over 23 lakh candidates appeared for the test.
The first CBI FIR was registered on Sunday, a day after the ministry announced it would hand over the probe into the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the exam to the central agency, a demand raised by a section of students protesting in several cities.
“The ministry of education has requested the CBI to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the entire gamut of alleged irregularities, including conspiracy, cheating, impersonation, breach of trust and destruction of evidence by candidates, institutes and middlemen,” a CBI spokesperson said earlier.
The role of public servants, if any, connected with the conduct of the examination and also into the entire gamut of events and the larger conspiracy will also be under the scanner, officials have said.
Sikkim

Stray Animals in Sikkim Could Be Auctioned if Not Properly Tethered, Government Warns

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According to the last livestock census that was conducted in the country in 2019, the total population of stray dogs and stray cattle in India stood at 203.31 lakh

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 24.06.24 : The Sikkim government has threatened to auction off stray animals if they are not claimed and tethered at home immediately.

According to the last livestock census that was conducted in the country in 2019, the total population of stray dogs and stray cattle in India stood at 203.31 lakh.
Given this all-pervasive problem in the country, the move by the Sikkim government is being appreciated.

The office of the additional director, animal husbandry and veterinary services (AH &VS), of Pakyong district in Sikkim has issued a public notice stating that of late, some cattle have been found roaming at large on the streets of Rangpo bazar and near NH10 in Rangpo nagar panchayat.

“It is found that these cattle have been left to roam on the streets by their owners,” a public notice issued by Dr A. Pradhan, additional director, AH &VS, department said.

The notice states that in the past few days, several incidents have been reported, wherein stray cattle have hindered traffic on the national highway and on busy streets. There have also been instances of animals being hit by speeding vehicles at night.

The department has asked the owners to claim the animals immediately and keep them on the owner’s premises, failing which the government would seize the animals.

If the owner claims the animal after it is seized, the “department of AH &VS and Rangpo Nagar Panchayat reserves the right to impose fines and penalties to recover the cost incurred thereof”

If no claims are made, the department plans to auction off the animals.

“If the owner(s) fails to claim the same, these animals will be auctioned off without further notice and the department of AH &VS and Rangpo Nagar Panchayat will not be held liable for any further action,” the notice states.

Owners who fail to take care of animals can be charged for committing an offence.

According to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, failure to provide animals with sufficient food, drink and shelter or abandoning them is a punishable offence.

Many individuals associated with animal welfare said the problem of stray animals was also a public health concern as animals could carry diseases which could be passed off to humans.

According to a written reply given by Parshottam Rupala, the then Union minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying in the Lok Sabha on March 15, 2022, a total of 3,860 people died in the country between 2018 and 2020 bgecasue of attacks by animals.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Regional

Darjeeling sets date for a grand ‘Azalea Affair’ on June 30 in a bid to beautify Chowrasta

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 Azaleas are hardy plants and are known to flower twice a year in Darjeeling

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 24.06.24 : Darjeeling has set a date for a grand “Azalea Affair” on June 30 at Chowrasta.

People from different walks of life are preparing to plant hundreds of azaleas, a popular flowering plant of the rhododendron genus, along the popular Mall Road that starts and ends at Chowrasta in a bid to beautify the most popular promenade in town.

Azaleas are hardy plants and are known to flower twice a year in Darjeeling.

“Last year, I, along with Bandu Ratna Bomjon, was on our walk around Chowrasta on World Environment Day (June 5),” said Ananta Sharma, the brain behind the initiative.

The duo noticed that saplings were being planted haphazardly along the Mall Road. “They were bringing saplings by trucks; some people were planting them; some were taking the plants home. It was then that we discussed doing a systematic planting,” said Sharma.

Sharma soon posted the idea on social media and it was well received. “Even last year, we managed to plant many azaleas along the Mall Road.”

From educational institutions like St Teresa Girls Higher Secondary School to St Robert’s Higher Secondary School to non-government organisations like MARG, Hayden Hall, Vik-Run Foundation are contributing to buy saplings.


Courtesy & source- The Telegraph