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National, Politics

Poll results mandate against PM Modi Kharge

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections was a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a political and moral defeat for him.

    
Addressing a press conference here, he termed the results as victory of the people and of democracy.

The BJP-led NDA was ahead in over 290 seats, while the opposition INDIA bloc was leading in 232 parliamentary seats.

“This is the victory of the people and that of democracy. We had been saying that this was a fight between the people and Modi. We humbly accept the people’s mandate,” Kharge told reporters at the AICC headquarters flanked by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

Kharge said the voters had not given a complete majority to any single party, particularly the BJP that sought votes on the basis of ‘one person, one face’.

“The voters have not given a clear mandate to any single party. This mandate is against Modi. This is his political and moral defeat. It is a big defeat for a person who sought votes in his own name. He has suffered a moral setback,” he said.

Kharge said Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached out to lakhs of people and supported the election campaign.

He said the Congress and INDIA bloc contested the elections in adverse circumstances and accused the BJP-led government of capturing constitutional institutions to create hurdles in the path of the opposition.

“Our bank accounts were seized and a campaign was launched against our leaders. Yet, the Congress carried out a positive election campaign raising issues such as inflation, unemployment, farmers’ and workers’ distress, misuse of Constitutional institutions,” Kharge said.

He said people connected with the Congress on these issues and clearly understood the campaign launched by the prime minister.

“People very well understood the lies spread by Modi about the Congress manifesto,” Kharge said.

He said the arrogance of the BJP led to the capture of constitutional institutions, which were used to target political opponents.

“Those who felt the pressure joined them, while those who resisted found their parties in disarray and leaders in jail,” he said.

“People were confident that if Modi was given another term, the next assault would be on the Constitution and democracy,” Kharge said, adding that the evidence of this will be seen in the upcoming Parliament session.

He thanked the INDIA bloc partners for standing together, campaigning jointly and helping each other.

“In the coming days, we have to fight to protect the rights of the people, to protect the Constitution and democracy, the progress of the country and to secure the borders. We have to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly and issues raised by the opposition get priority, they are discussed in parliament,” Kharge said. 
Politics, West Bengal

Mamata ‘magic’ continues in West Bengal, BJP misses target

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 Despite facing a barrage of challenges including corruption allegations and internal conflicts, the TMC stood strong, even after opting to go solo post its withdrawal from the INDIA bloc in the state

PTI, Kolkata,  Jun 04 2024 : Defying all exit-poll predictions, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has surged ahead in 29 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats, dealing a blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) target of securing 35 seats as they just managed to reach just double digits.
The BJP was leading in 12 seats according to the EC website.
Three years after putting a halt to the BJP’s advances in Bengal, the TMC, led by Mamata Banerjee, again proved its mettle by thwarting the BJP’s formidable campaign, spearheaded by PM Narendra Modi himself.
Despite facing a barrage of challenges including corruption allegations and internal conflicts, the TMC stood strong, even after opting to go solo post its withdrawal from the INDIA bloc in the state.
Political observers note that the BJP in West Bengal had set an ambitious goal of securing 35 Lok Sabha seats, banking on the implementation of the CAA as a potential game-changer and leveraging Hindu polarisation, which fell flat on their face.
Despite their fervent efforts, they failed to gain substantial ground, primarily due to internal divisions, organisational frailties, and the formidable impact of the Left-Congress alliance, analysts said.
“Internal divisions, organisational weaknesses, and the impact of the Left-Congress alliance all contributed to the BJP’s difficulties in garnering anti-TMC votes,” political analyst Maidul Islam said.
The BJP’s tally is likely to decline by six seats, with its vote share dropping by three percentage points to 37.
In contrast, the TMC’s vote share increased to 47 per cent, up from 43 per cent in 2019.
In the last Lok Sabha polls, the TMC had won 22 seats, the BJP 18, and the Congress two.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front failed to win any seats in 2019 and appears to be repeating that performance, not leading in any of the 42 constituencies. The Congress is leading in one seat.
The breakdown of seat-sharing talks between the TMC and the Congress in January appeared to benefit Mamata Banerjee’s party, setting the stage for a three-cornered electoral contest and providing a strategic advantage to the TMC.
According to TMC sources, this breakdown allowed the party to consolidate nearly 30 per cent of the minority and anti-BJP votes in the absence of another credible “secular and stronger force.”
“The breakdown of the alliance worked well for us,” said TMC leader Santanu Sen, adding, “The Left and the Congress were decimated. But as we emerged as the strongest alternative to the BJP in the state, we won even in seats which were considered BJP strongholds.”
The consolidation of anti-TMC votes had previously led to a significant rise in the BJP’s vote share from 17 per cent in 2014 to 40 per cent in 2019, increasing its seat count from two to 18.
Left-Congress alliance also led to TMC’s defeat in three seats in North Bengal where the vote share of the alliance was more than the victory margin of the BJP.
However, political analysts suggest that local issues, such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of SSC jobs, and the implementation of the CAA, reshaped the election dynamics this time around.
The implementation of the CAA, along with Banerjee’s comments against certain sections of the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, and the OBC reservation issue where the Calcutta High Court recently struck down the OBC status of several classes including 77 Muslim communities, helped solidify the TMC’s minority support base.
Although these issues intensified communal polarisation, they also helped the TMC reach out to liberal and elite Bengalis who had been drifting towards the Left and Congress.
Welfare schemes such as Lakshmir Bhandar and Kanyashree, aimed at women, also helped solidify the TMC’s base among women voters, who comprise 50 per cent of the electorate.
Despite corruption charges, the SSC scam, and the Sandeshkhali issue where TMC leaders were accused of sexual abuse and land grab, the TMC’s performance remained strong.
The BJP, hoping to make a strong statement in the Basirhat constituency which includes Sandeshkhali, saw its candidate Rekha Patra defeated by TMC veteran Haji Nurul Islam by nearly two lakh votes.
For the BJP, many factors did not work in their favour, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the charge with around 19 rallies.
Political analysts noted that the CAA did not resonate with voters as expected, instead prompting minorities, who were previously undecided between the TMC and the Left-Congress alliance, to consolidate behind the TMC.
“We emphasized the ideological significance of the CAA, likening it to the Ram Mandir issue at the national level and asserting that the CAA would help the party sweep elections in the state,” said a BJP leader who requested anonymity.
“However, our poor organisational strength and failure to counter the TMC’s campaign against the CAA on the ground were significant drawbacks.”
Internal challenges also plagued the BJP, including dissatisfaction among cadres over ticket distribution, leading to possible losses in Junglemahal and North Bengal, where the party is set to lose four seats. Both regions had rewarded the BJP in the last Lok Sabha polls.
Political analyst Biswanath Chakraborty said the lack of a “Modi wave” and the BJP’s organisational weaknesses were critical factors in its poor performance.
The TMC’s victory in the West Bengal Lok Sabha elections showcases its adept strategic maneuvering and capacity to unify support amidst obstacles, while the BJP’s losses emphasise the imperative for bolstered organisational prowess and a compelling campaign approach to rekindle momentum in the region.
National, Politics

Modi gets majority; with partners as props :Oppn INDIA bloc gets 232 as Cong bounces back

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 4, 2024 :  The BJP was poised to be the single largest party on Tuesday but could be well short of an absolute majority, leaving it dependent on its NDA partners to form government, while the opposition INDIA bloc appeared set to be a formidable force.

As votes were counted for the Lok Sabha elections and the hours passed by, the trends did not show up the clear-cut picture the ruling alliance had hoped for and what was projected by the exit polls.

Signifying a shift in the dominance of single-party rule and back to coalition politics, the BJP was ahead or had won in 246 seats, well below the magic number of 272 in the house of 543. The NDA number was 300. At the other end of the spectrum, the INDIA bloc was ahead in 227 seats with the Congress leading or winning in 96 seats, almost double its 2019 score.

In the last elections, the BJP had 303 seats on its own, while NDA had over 350.

Narendra Modi was on track to equal Jawaharlal Nehru’s record as prime minister for a third consecutive term but this time with far reduced numbers as his BJP took a knocking in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party could trump it, Rajasthan and Haryana and did not make the gains it expected in the south.

With plenty of greys in a scenario that was expected to be black and white, few leaders spoke up immediately.

BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said, “It is not a close contest. The BJP-led NDA is going to form its government with a massive majority. Let the counting finish, it will be clear. People of the country are with Modi.”

Congress’ Jairam Ramesh took the opportunity to hit out at Modi saying, “He used to pretend that he was extraordinary.”

“Now it has been proved that the outgoing prime minister is going to become former. Take moral responsibility and resign. This is the message of this election,” he said in a post on X.

Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most politically significant state with 80 seats, threw up a stunning verdict.

The alliance of SP and Congress turned the tables on the BJP in its strongest bastion by ensuring a consolidation of anti-BJP votes, limiting the party to leads in only 36 seats as against 62 it had won last time. The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP was close behind with leads in 34 seats, a massive jump from the five in 2019. The Congress could win six seats.

Modi was ahead by 1.52 lakh votes in Varanasi. However, his party colleague Smriti Irani was trailing behind Congress candidate and the relatively unknown Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma in Amethi by more than 1.31 lakh votes.

Among those leading from the state, where Yogi Adityanath had steered the Hindutva ship for his party, were Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli, Rajnath Singh from Lucknow and Akhilesh Yadav from Kannauj.

As SP chief Akhilesh Yadav kept the INDIA bloc morale high in Uttar Pradesh, the Trinamool Congress, another key ally of the opposition alliance, was leading in 29 seats in West Bengal, a tad higher than its 22 in 2019. The BJP, which had 18 seats in the last Lok Sabha election, was ahead in 12 seats.

Madhya Pradesh went fully saffron with the BJP winning or leading in all 29 seats. In Gujarat, too, BJP was winning or leading in 25 of 26 seats.

The situation was not as decisive in other states.

In Bihar, the BJP was ahead in 12 and its partner JD-U in 13, a vote of confidence for its leader Nitish Kumar who swung from INDIA back to the NDA ahead of the elections. The RJD was poised to win four seats.

In Rajasthan, BJP was ahead only in 14 seats, against all 25 its alliance won last time. The Congress was ahead in eight.

Haryana also threw up a shock result for the BJP, where the party was leading only in five and the Congress in five. In 2019, the saffron party had bagged all 10.

It appeared that the election marked a return to regular politics, where voters were more concerned about bread and butter issues, especially in some Hindi heartland states where the opposition INDIA alliance managed to rally supporters around the issues of unemployment and price rise.

Maharashtra, with 48 Lok Sabha seats, saw the Shiv Sena split down the middle since the last election. The BJP, which won 23 seats five years ago, was down with leads in 11 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena could get seven.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Congress was ahead in 12 seats, up from one, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) in 19. The NCP Sharad Pawar faction could get seven seats, giving the INDIA alliance, forged together by the common dislike of the BJP, a possible 38 seats.

However, a silver lining was provided by Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal who appeared on course to easy victories in Nagpur and Mumbai North respectively.

In Odisha, the BJP was doing spectacularly well, with leads in 19 out of 21 seats, while the ruling Biju Janata Dal was down to just one. It was also ahead in the Odisha assembly elections, leading in 76 out of 146 seats, a success show in the state it had never succeeded in capturing.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP was ahead in 16 seats of 25, the BJP in three and the YSRCP in four.

Trends for Karnataka showed potential gains for the Congress, with leads in nine seats, up from one last time. The BJP, which got 25 seats in 2019, was ahead in 17.

Deeper south in Kerala, the BJP could make its much debated electoral entry with trends showing actor Suresh Gopi way ahead in Thrissur. The Congress, which got 15 seats last time, was ahead in 14, including in Wayanad from where Rahul Gandhi was contesting. The CPI-M had gains in one.

Tamil Nadu seemed to be scripting another story, not ceding any space to the saffron party. The ruling DMK was ahead in 22 and ally Congress in nine, a notch higher than their 2019 positions.

Assembly elections also wrote their own narrative.

In Odisha, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD was headed for an unexpected defeat, stymieing Patnaik’s bid for a record sixth term as chief minister. The BJP established early leads in at least 79 assembly seats in Odisha. The BJD nominees, on the other hand, were leading in 48 constituencies 147 assembly seats in the state.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party raced towards power with leads in 135 seats in the house of 175, poised to dislodge Y S Jagan Reddy’s YSRCP, which was ahead only in 11 seats. The BJP had leads in eight seats.

Politics, Regional

Raju Bista wins by 178525 votes in Darjeeling, promises justice for Gorkha people

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Bista -178525 (51.18%), Lama- 500806 (37.73%): In comparison to result of Parliamentary election of 2019 its 7.9 % decrease to BJP and 11.22% increase to AITC.

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 4, 2024 : The sitting BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista retained his seat for the second term defeating Trinamool Congress candidate Gopal Lama by a margin of over 100,000 votes, at the end of counting, on Tuesday. 

The trend was set after the first round of counting, with Bista leading Lama by over 10,000 votes in the plains segments and by over 5000 votes in the hills constituencies. 
The Darjeeling constituency comprises the hill segments of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong, while Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari, Phansidewa and Chopra make up the plains segments. 
In the Darjeeling assembly segment, the BJP got 87,062 votes and the Trinamool 55,736 votes, in Kalimpong the BJP got 77,524 votes and the Trinamool got 53,743 and in Kurseong the BJP got 93,419 votes while the Trinamool got 55,068 votes. 
The BJP is in alliance with the Gorkha National Liberation Front, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists, Gorkha Rastriya Nirman Morcha and the SUMETI Morcha. 
Before heading for the counting centre at the Darjeeling Government College in the morning, Bista visited the revered Mahakal temple at Chowrasta to offer prayers. 
After the announcement of his victory, Bista said it was a victory of the people of the Hills, Terai and Dooars and their aspirations. 
“This victory is for the people and to bring to end the atrocities of Bengal and development of the hills. I thank the people for showing their trust on me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said. 
Bista first visited GNLF president Mann Ghising at his residence where supporters burst crackers. Bista then went to meet GJM president, Bimal Gurung in the latter’s party office with supporters rejoicing the victory with song and dance on the street. 
“I thank Bimal daju and Ghising ji and all our alliance partners for their support. Now my vision and goal is clear. I gained experience in the past five years. And now will go to parliament with renewed vigour and energy. The Gorkha community will get justice within the next five years,” he said. 
According to the data available in the portal of the Election Commission of India at the time of writing this report, 6,46,519 votes were polled in favour of Bista and 4,88,098 votes for Lama with a victory margin of 1,58,421 votes for the former. 
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Bista won by a record margin of over 4.13 lakh votes against the Trinamool Congress-GJM (Binoy Tamang faction) combine candidate Amar Singh Rai. Surprisingly, Bista won by an impressive margin from Kurseong which is the home ground of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha chief Anit Thapa who heads the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration and is the key ally of Trinamool in the hills. 
The GJM president said there was a lot of work for the BJP to do for the community and that he would keep reminding Bista. 
“The demand for tribal status will be given priority. We will keep pressuring Bista and the BJP to fulfill this demand as early as possible. There are lots of other work to do for the hills and Terai people,” said Gurung. 
In its 2019 Sankalp Patra, the BJP had promised to find a permanent political solution for the hills and grant tribal status to the 11 left out Gorkha communities, which has not been fulfilled, yet. 
The BGPM president congratulated Bista on his victory and said in democracy the mandate of the people had to be accepted. 
“We tried a lot to bring about a change in the mindset of the people but failed. People have voted for the BJP and we have to accept their mandate. Now for 20 years people have voted for the BJP and expect results. I want to congratulate Bista and hope he will work the people,” he said.
Sikkim, West Bengal

Alert to avert deaths, losses: Sikkim and Bengal governments keep watch on rainfall and Teesta

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 On one hand, they have initiated round-the-clock monitoring of rainfall and surge in water levels to pass alerts in advance
The Teesta river near Teesta bazar: File picture

TT Bureau, Siliguri/Jalpaiguri, 04.06.24 : The Bengal irrigation department and the Sikkim government have swung into alert mode at the onset of the southwest monsoon in the sub-Himalayan region and particularly after last year’s flash flood on the Teesta river.

On one hand, they have initiated round-the-clock monitoring of rainfall and surge in water levels to pass alerts in advance.
On the other hand, they have taken initiatives to mitigate the loss of lives and property in case there is a flash flood due to incessant downpours. Over the past few days, it has rained heavily in a number of areas of Sikkim and sub-Himalayan Bengal.

On June 1, the irrigation department opened a Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA) room in Jalpaiguri. It will work round the clock throughout the monsoon months to gather data on rainfall and rise in water levels of the Teesta and other rivers through automated rain gauge stations and satellite, said Krishnendu Bhowmik, the chief engineer (northeast) of the department.

According to him, in sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim, data on rainfall and water levels of rivers are collected from 30 rain gauges of the regional Met office of Gangtok, 28 rain gauges of the central water commission and 12 rain gauges of the Bengal irrigation department which have been installed in different locations of the region.

The official mentioned that due to the flash flood which occurred in the Teesta in October last year because of the outburst of South Lhonak Lake, there had been huge deposition of silt and debris downstream.

“As a result, the river bed has risen by one-and-half metres. If it rains heavily along the Teesta catchment areas of the hills and plains, there is a risk of flash flood. That is why we are putting all efforts to gather information in advance so that people living closer to the banks and in low lying areas, can be shifted in advance,” said Bhowmik.

This year, the department has also decided to issue primary (yellow) and secondary (red) alerts along both banks of the Teesta before the water level touches the necessary mark.

“As the river bed has increased, it is evident that the river will swell in a short time during the monsoons. Thus, the alerts would be issued in advance,” Bhowmik added.

Ahead of the monsoons, the department has carried out maintenance and repair works in the banks to prevent breach of embankments.

“However, for the long-term solution, we have to wait for completion of the survey that is being conducted by the River Research Institute (headquartered in Haringhata of Nadia). Only then, plans can be drawn for flood control,” said the official.

Meanwhile, in Sikkim, senior officials of Namchi and Pakyong districts, which are in the southern parts of the mountain state, have visited a number of locations which are on the banks of the Teesta to check out the situation.

“Last week, joint inspections were conducted in Melli, Rangpo Mamring, Adarsh Gaon, Balutar and some other areas to assess the situation. Some vulnerable spots have been identified and instructions were given to carry out immediate restoration works,” said a source.

The state water resources department has been directed to take preventive measures erecting Gabion baskets along the river bank to prevent flooding.

“To ensure that people don’t venture into vulnerable areas, the spots would be barricaded with red ribbons by local authorities. Further, official instructions have been passed to restrict access of people to areas on the Teesta river bank which can cave in because of rise in water levels,” the source added.

As a part of preventive measures, the forest department of Sikkim has mandated closure of quarries after 5pm to ensure the safety of workers.

“The Met office, state department and central agencies are regularly exchanging information to act well in advance,” said a source
Sikkim

Sikkim prod on travel agents, tourists advised to plan trips through registered centres

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The advisory, which was issued by Bandana Chhetri, an additional secretary of the department on Monday, mentioned that they have received complaints regarding fraudulent online travel agencies from tourists

TT Correspondent, Siliguri, 04.06.24 :  The tourism and civil aviation department of Sikkim has issued an advisory for tourists, asking them to plan their trips only through travel agencies which are registered with the department.

The advisory, which was issued by Bandana Chhetri, an additional secretary of the department on Monday, mentioned that they have received complaints regarding fraudulent online travel agencies from tourists.
“To avoid such complications, it is advised that tourists intending to visit Sikkim should get their bookings done or plan their trips only with agencies which are registered with the department. The list of such agencies is available in the department’s website (www.sikkimtourism.gov.in),” said a source.

The selection of such agencies would also ensure the safety of tourists and they can have a satisfactory trip to the mountain state. “It will also mitigate the risk of falling victim to scams,” the source added.

Along with the advisory, the department has also published a list of 18 officers and employees of the department. They have been deputed as nodal officers in the six districts of Sikkim – Gangtok, Mangan, Pakyong, Namchi, Soreng and Gyalshing – to resolve tourism related grievances.

“This will help in resolving tourism related issues in a prompt manner. If required, the nodal officers can communicate with senior officials of the department to redress any issue,” said a source.

As per the data available with the department, 6,33,266 domestic tourists have visited the state from January to May 26 this year while 46,697 foreign tourists had been to Sikkim till April this year.

“The number of foreign tourists is on the rise in Sikkim over the past few years as in 2018, the restriction on Bangladeshi tourists has been withdrawn. Hundreds of Bangladeshis, who would earlier go to north India to enjoy a trip at the hill station, are swarming in Sikkim now,” said Debasish Chakraborty, general secretary, Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators’ Association.

Those associated with the industry however pointed out that road conditions should be improved in northern parts of the state.
Regional

Election Commission proposes bypoll schedule for Maniktala Assembly seat in Bengal

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Sadhan Pande of the Trinamool Congress had won from Maniktala in 2021 and he passed away in February 2022

R. Balaji, TT, New Delhi, 04.06.24 : The Election Commission on Monday submitted a report in a sealed cover to the Supreme Court on the proposed schedule of the bypoll for the Maniktala Assembly seat in Bengal.

Sadhan Pande of the Trinamool Congress had won from Maniktala in 2021 and he passed away in February 2022.

Pande’s win had been challenged by rival BJP candidate Kalyan Chaubey through an election petition in Calcutta High Court. In view of the election petition, a bypoll couldn’t be conducted and the constituency has been unrepresented.

Suvendu Dey, a local voter, moved the Supreme Court for a direction to the EC to hold the bypoll.

On May 18, the court gave the last opportunity to the Election Commission to place before it the Maniktala bypoll schedule.

When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, the EC’s counsel submitted a report on the byelection schedule to the bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice K.V. Viswanathan. The EC told the court that the report was in the sealed cover because of the model code of conduct in force.

Justice Viswanathan then said in view of the schedule fixed by the EC, the matter ought to be given a quietus.

Accordingly, the court disposed of the matter, saying no further orders were required to be passed.
Regional

Siliguri civic body initiates steps to prevent water crisis

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Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 3 June 2024, Siliguri: Taking a cue from the recent problem of drinking water supply in the city during the repair of the Teesta Dam in Gajoldoba, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has initiated steps to prevent a rerun of such a situation. 

After getting instruction from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the board is going to restart work on the Mahananda Action Plan after the election results are declared. 
Under this plan, the Mahananda River will be cleaned and purified with three Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) I, II and III. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will do the work. 
On Monday, a meeting was held with the members of KMDA, where the Commissioner of SMC and other officials were present. Along with this, a unit to test drinking water will also be set up in Siliguri, said a SMC source. 
“The past board of SMC did not install an alternative intake well. They also did not execute the Mahananda Action plan. However, we have undertaken these works. The alternative intake well in Fulbari will be installed within this month. 
Tender process for the work of STP will take place immediately after the election results are declared,” said Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri. In 2004, Ashok Bhattacharya, the then minister of Municipal Affairs had announced the Mahananda Action Plan. 
The Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) started the work. However, the work was halted due to the embezzlement of Rs 200 crore. 
As part of the plan, construction work on two STPs in the Noukaghat area had started. However, the work was later stopped. In 2022, when Trinamool came to power in the SMC board, they began working on restarting the project. 
By the end of 2023, the Mayor restarted the work of an STP, for which Rs 255 crore was sanctioned. 
However, the work could not be started due to a failure in the tender call. A re-tender will be called.The Mayor also said that the SMC will install six deep tubewells in different areas of the city. 
The Public Health department (PHE) is planning to set up a water testing unit in Fulbari, said an SMC source. Currently, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) test is done in Kolkata. It takes around five days to get the report. 
Courtesy & source: Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-civic-body-initiates-steps-to-prevent-water-crisis-566431
West Bengal

Temp likely to go up by 30 Celsius before Friday, says weatherman

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MP, 4 June 2024, Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore has predicted that the temperature may go up by 3 degree Celsius before Friday. 

Discomfort will prevail in South Bengal districts. Southwest monsoon has entered North Bengal but it remained stationary in the same spot for nearly three days. 
A low pressure has formed in south east Bay-of-Bengal Western disturbances will enter north west parts of the country on Tuesday. 
The city on Monday registered its lowest temperature at 27.9 degree Celsius while the highest temperature of the day was registered at 34.4 degree Celsius in Kolkata on Sunday. 
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore had predicted scattered rainfall may happen in several parts of South Bengal. 
Yellow alert had been issued for the districts like North and South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia which would receive moderate to heavy rainfall on Tuesday, on the day of election counting. 
A gusty wind of 40-50 kmph may be sweeping through the regions. The MeT office said that rains will continue in South Bengal till Tuesday while there is a heavy rain forecast in the North. Kolkata, however, will continue to experience dry weather. 
After 15 years, Bengal has witnessed the entry of monsoon rains in the month of May this year. 
The state had registered a similar situation in 2009 when the monsoon entered north Bengal on May 25. In 2006 and 2007, monsoon entered North Bengal in May. Monsoon entered North Bengal on May 31 this year. 
But the pre-monsoon season is going on in the south. The normal monsoon onset date for Kerala is June 1 and for Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Assam is June 5. 
According to weather scientists, El Nino conditions are prevailing at present and La Nina may set in by August-September. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/temp-likely-to-go-up-by-30-celsius-before-friday-says-weatherman-566467
Regional

Swelling lakes in Tibet due to climate change could cause heavy losses for China

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PTI, Beijing, Jun 3, 2024 : Numerous lakes in Tibet dotting the picturesque Himalayan region are set to swell with billions of tonnes of water due to increased rainfall caused by climate warming and the melting of glaciers which could cause massive economic losses for China, a study by a group of international scientists has said.

     
By the end of the century, the surface area of some lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau could increase by more than 50 per cent with the water volume of the lakes in the plateau estimated to expand by more than 600 billion tonnes, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Geoscience last month.
     
If these predictions are correct, the researchers said it could have a massive economic impact on China, running into the billions of dollars, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Monday, quoting the study’s findings.
     
“Our results suggest that by 2100, even under a low-emissions scenario, the surface area of endorheic lakes on the Tibetan Plateau will increase by over 50 per cent (around 20,000 sq km or 7,722 sq miles) and water levels will rise by around 10 metres (32 feet) relative to 2020,” the study said.
     
Endorheic lakes, also known as closed lakes, do not have an outlet to drain into.
     
The scientists from China, Wales, Saudi Arabia, the United States and France said this would correspond to a four-fold increase in water storage compared to what the area experienced over the last 50 years.
     
If steps are not taken to mitigate this, “more than 1,000 km of roads, approximately 500 settlements and around 10,000 sq km of ecological components such as grasslands, wetlands and croplands,” will become submerged, the study said.
     
Observers say that the swelling lakes and melting glaciers could also impact neighbouring countries including India as Tibet is the origin of several rivers including the mighty Brahmaputra.
     
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the “Water Tower of Asia”, is the highest and largest plateau in the world and is home to more than 1,000 lakes with large reserves of water in both liquid and ice form.
     
“[It is] one of the regions that is most vulnerable to climate change acting as an early warning signal for the wider effects of global warming,” the researchers wrote.
     
China has invested billions of dollars in developing rail, road, and aerial infrastructure in the remote region to consolidate its hold over the strategically important Himalayan region.
     
While large lakes in other parts of the world have been experiencing a decline in water storage due to rising temperatures and human activity, lakes in the plateau have been expanding in recent decades due to warmer and wetter conditions, the study said.
     
Increases in net precipitation have mostly driven this. While melting glaciers also contribute to this phenomenon, the researchers said the remaining glaciers have “limited storage”.
     
Despite the northern parts of the plateau being projected to experience the largest increase in water storage, roads in the northeast, where there is more human activity and infrastructure, will be the most vulnerable to inundation.
     
Looking at the researchers’ middle socioeconomic scenario, the study estimated that inundated roads could directly lead to an economic loss of 20 billion yuan to 50 billion yuan (USD 2.7 billion to USD 6.9 billion) by the end of the century.
     
This “is a serious threat that should be considered in future rail and road planning”, the study said.
Regional

SKM urges SDF leaders, workers not to flee Sikkim fearing persecution

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PTI, Gangtok, Jun 3, 2024 : After social media posts claimed that demoralised SDF leaders and workers were fleeing Sikkim following assembly poll defeat, fearing attacks by ruling party cadre in post-poll violence, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on Monday urged them to stay back, promising peace and security for all.

    
The SKM bagged 31 of the 32 assembly seats, the results of which were declared on Sunday. The SDF managed to win only one seat and even its party supremo and five-term former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling lost both the seats he contested.
    
“Dear esteemed leaders and supporters of the SDF party, we have come to learn that many of you have left Sikkim fearing potential attacks. We wish to emphasise that the SKM, once a victim of such violence, deeply understands the pain caused by these heinous acts. Our ethos strongly stands against indulging in any form of violence,” SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling said in a statement.
    
He said Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has strictly instructed all party workers to abstain from any anti-social activities in Sikkim.
    
“We have vowed to maintain peace and harmony across our beloved state,” Khaling said, urging those SDF workers and leaders who have fled the state to return.
    
The main opposition party must continue to engage with the public and continue public work to contribute to betterment of the people of Sikkim, the SKM leader said.
    
Even the chief minister, in a statement issued a few days back, batted for peace and security in Sikkim during the second SKM term.

    
SDF leaders could not be reached for their comment on the development.

National

Important to critique, record and lift veil from journalism: Ravish Kumar

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The documentary records Ravish’s last months in NDTV India where he constantly battled staff exodus, doxing, abuse and death threats during the course of his anchoring and reporting.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 3, 2024 : If a housing society starts to collapse, people start looking for better options and move out, says journalist aThe documentary records Ravish’s last months in NDTV India where he constantly battled staff exodus, doxing, abuse and death threats during the course of his anchoring and reporting.nd YouTube star Ravish Kumar about the debate over the decline of mainstream media and the rise of alternatives.
     
The schisms between different kinds of journalism and alternative platforms that have come up in the last few years are no longer a matter of discussion just for media insiders. From village squares to big city drawing rooms, the issue has been dissected thoroughly, more so in these elections. And, according to Ravish, this is being recorded whether through documentaries or song.
     
The journalist, who has over 10 million followers on his YouTube channel and is considered a trailblazer, is also the central protagonist of Vinay Shukla’s riveting 2022 documentary “While We Watched”.
     
“If a housing society starts to collapse, people start moving to a better one. It is not like it is no longer needed. Which is why you will find the reflection of the times in many films, songs and in other ways,” Ravish told PTI in an interview.
     
“I don’t see this documentary as the story of one journalist. I can’t even see myself in it. I see different things, sometimes I remove myself and imagine a female protagonist or a journalist like Siddique Kappan (who spent two years in jail) and the story starts to appear more horrific,” he said.
     
Vinay’s documentary, which has fans such satirist-host John Oliver, won a Peabody award last month. It records Ravish’s last months in NDTV India where he constantly battled staff exodus, doxing, abuse and death threats during the course of his anchoring and reporting.
     
The 49-year-old, one of the most recognised faces in Hindi journalism, said he sees the documentary as a sort of “intervention” as it focuses on recording the near beginning of the crisis in his profession.
     
He said people in journalism know the decline it has suffered and how the larger picture is disturbing.
     
“Many have stopped watching news on television and they are searching for alternative mediums. I am not going into the merits or disadvantages of the alternative medium but the work that’s being done… for example, people who worked on the story of electoral bonds, were from alternative media,” he said, adding that he worries about new journalists joining mainstream journalism.
     
“Vinay keeps saying that more than one film is needed to record this process in depth,” he said, giving the example of senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta’s songs on ‘Godi media’, a term that has come to be associated with those supporting the government.
     
“… most senior journalists, what are they doing? Their work is mostly the critique of the profession… At least, it is being recorded which is a good thing. It was time to lift the veil from this profession and I am sure something good will come out of it,” he added.
     
Vinay, whose documentary is streaming on MUBI India, likened it to “Titanic”. Instead of this being the story of Jack and Rose (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), his protagonists are the musicians who went down with the ship playing their violins.
     
“Making this film was heartbreaking for me. This film is a love letter to journalists and the profession, but not to the legacy media. Some people keep obsessing that this has happened in the last 10 years but I would say that this process began much earlier, it just became fast in the last decade,” Vinay said.
     
In November 2022, Ravish left NDTV India after the company changed hands and went on to start his own YouTube channel.
    
Vinay, who with Khushboo Ranka has previously documented the rise of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in his 2016 documentary “An Insignificant Man”, shadowed Ravish for more than a year, capturing him at his job, saying goodbye to his colleagues one by one, writing, anchoring and worrying about his relevance.
     
“Those cake cutting scenes (when journalists were leaving the organisation) are humorous but also heartbreaking… I wanted people to know that tragedy happens in today’s time while a chocolate cake is being served,” Vinay said.
     
The filmmaker said he was curious about the world of journalism and wanted to show the nuts and bolts of the profession today. “The people who are still in it and trying to do their work honestly, how it is becoming increasingly hard for them,” he said.
     
Ravish added that he has learnt a lot from legacy media but it is not for journalists to “generate false hope” and people should be made aware about the kind of journalism that they should not accept, an issue he kept highlighting while on television.
     
The Magsaysay Award winner said he was familiar with filmmakers as he had seen them during his coverage of AAP and its beginning but found it strange that they wanted to record his life.
     
“I thought they would leave after 10 days or a month because I live a boring and lonely life so there is not much variation in it… It was a time when my family constantly worried about my safety. After a while, their presence became a comfort of sorts. Looking back, I am surprised they managed to record so much.”
     
Ravish said he didn’t worry that they were capturing him warts and all. Some days, his family would remind him to at least wear better shoes or clothes.
     
“But I kept doing what I was doing and also I didn’t have much time to think about their cameras… Anyone could guess my frustration at that time just by looking at my face. People in the office knew how I was barely managing.”
     
He loved watching Hindi movies but left that after 2014.
     
“I won’t say I was watching great movies. I actually came to know about Satyajit Ray later. Before that, there was no one better than K C Bokadia (‘Teri Meharbaniyan’, ‘Laal Badshaah’ and ‘Pyaar Jhukta Nahi’ fame) for me,” he said, tongue firmly in cheek.
     
“I caught up with some of Ray’s films only during the pandemic. I was just buried in work and I think Vinay’s film somehow has captured that intensity and anger.”
     
He is still writing and working as an independent journalist on YouTube and jokingly refers to it as “Dublin devi ki kripa” as some of his cheques come from the Irish city. He has written books, including “Ishq Me Shahar Hona” and about things beyond politics and the state of the country, but it’s now in the past.
     
“Vo sab chhoot gaya hai. What I do is boring but I take interest in it, sometimes beyond the scope of exhaustion with whatever my ability and resources are… I don’t remember the past much but worry more about the future,” he said.
Health

Low memory, attention can indicate vitamin B12 deficiency, hyperthyroidism

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PTI, NEW DELHI, JUNE 3, 2024 : People feeling problems with memory, attention, focus, and concentration may be having vitamin B12 deficiency as well as hyperthyroidism, said health experts on Monday.


According to a recent study, published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, nearly one in four patients with either hypothyroidism or subclinical hypothyroidism suffer from a vitamin B12 deficiency.

“Hypothyroidism and B12 deficiency both can cause acceleration of the degenerative or age-related processes,” Dr M. Wali, Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, told IANS.

“Hypothyroidism is commonly associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. If left untreated, hypothyroidism can also contribute to cognitive impairment,” said Dr Sudhir Kumar, from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, in a post on X.com.

The experts called on both vegetarians and non-vegetarians to monitor their B12 as well as thyroid levels.

Dr Wali said that most of the patients these days have vitamin B12 deficiency.

“Hyperthyroidism can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency, sometimes because of increased utilisation, and therefore the process of nerve conduction and transmission of the nerve impulses gets delayed.

“These processes can be accelerated among patients more than 55 years of age,” the doctor said.

Dr Wali called for enhancing the vitamin B12 testing in patients older than 55 years, and if it is deficient take medications “under supervision”.

“Keep your thyroid normal, and test every three months,” he advised.

“People presenting with memory and other cognitive difficulties without any obvious cause should be screened for vitamin B12 deficiency and hypothyroidism,” added Dr Sudhir.
Health, International

Sober 50-year-old kept appearing drunk. Then doctors found her UTIs were to blame

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MiamiHerald, 3 June 2024 : For years, a Canadian mom would have an occasional glass of wine or drink around the holidays, but she maintained a mostly sober lifestyle. She eventually leaned into her religious beliefs and stopped drinking alcohol altogether. Then, she walked into an emergency room drunk. 
Beginning two years earlier, the 50-year-old woman had odd cases of sleepiness where she would get so drowsy she would fall asleep “suddenly while getting ready for work or preparing meals,” according to a June 3 case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. 
She went to her primary care doctor and the emergency room multiple times while barely awake, her speech slurring and the smell of alcohol emanating from her breath, according to the case report. 
She was adamant that she was sober, and her family corroborated that no one had seen her consume any alcohol, doctors said. 
During her first visit to the emergency room, her alcohol level was a 39 when the normal level was below 2, according to the case report, but her liver enzymes remained completely normal. But by later visits, that value reached 62, more than 30 times normal levels. 
Nothing appeared abnormal on brain scans, and she was repeatedly referred to an addiction specialist and psychiatrists over seven doctors visits in two years, doctors said. 
Later, the patient told doctors about recurring urinary tract infections she had been experiencing for years. She was prescribed strong, wide-range antibiotics to stop the infection, and these seemingly drunk episodes would occur afterward, according to the case report. 
During her last emergency room visit, doctors confirmed she also had an urinary tract infection, and a diagnosis was proposed. 
Her body was brewing alcohol inside her gut. “Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare syndrome of endogenous alcohol fermentation. 
A 1948 report of a boy with a ruptured stomach whose contents smelled of alcohol was the first to describe gut fermentation,” according to the case report. 
“A 2020 systematic review identified 20 patients reported in the English medical literature since 1974.” 
The syndrome occurs when the microorganisms in the gut that are capable of fermenting carbohydrates into alcohol are able to outgrow the “good” bacteria in our gastrointestinal system, doctors said. 
When someone takes antibiotics for an infection, the drugs aren’t always able to target bad bacteria alone, and bacteria in the gut can also be affected, usually resulting in doctors recommending a probiotic or to eat yogurt while taking a round of antibiotics. 
In extreme cases, antibiotics kill so much of the good bacteria that keeps the gut balanced that the bad, fermenting-capable fungi and microorganisms flourish. 
“In our patient, we suspect her recurrent antibiotics for UTI and dexlansoprazole use (a prescription drug used to treat heartburn and reflux symptoms) led to gut dysbiosis with potential contribution of genetics, resulting in auto-brewery syndrome,” according to the case report. 
The condition can be hard to treat as the microorganisms, in this case a fungus, can live in the body naturally without any harmful effects, doctors said. 
“Auto-brewery syndrome carries substantial social, legal and medical consequences for patients and their loved ones,” doctors said. 
In previous cases, people have been accused of driving under the influence only later to find out they have auto-brewery syndrome. 
For this mother, a combination of antifungal medication, a lower carbohydrate diet and a change to her treatment for UTIs led to an end of the drunken spells, according to the case report.