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National, Politics

INDIA bloc will disintegrate’khata khat’ after June 4: Modi

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PTI, PRATAPGARH,  MAY  16, 2024 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said the INDIA bloc wants to make five prime ministers in five years and claimed that it will disintegrate after June 4.


The counting of votes for all the seven phases of polling for the Lok Sabha elections will be undertaken on June 4.

Addressing an election rally in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Sangam Lal Gupta at the Government Inter College Pratapgarh grounds here, Modi said the INDIA bloc wants to replace the stable NDA government and make five prime ministers in five years.

“Many things will happen after June 4. The INDI alliance will disintegrate and they will look for a scapegoat after the defeat.”

Modi took a jibe on Rahul Gandhi’s statement of sending money khata khat, khata khat (quickly) in the account of women after coming to power.

“The Modi government will definitely be formed after June 4 but the INDI alliance will disintegrate khata khat, khata khat,” said the prime minister.

“These people will run away khata khat, khata khat after the elections. Only we will remain. I guarantee that I will work day and night to serve you,” he said.

In an apparent attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, he said, “The shehzade (princes) of Lucknow and Delhi will leave for abroad on summer vacations,” said Modi.

Commenting that running a country is not a play for those born with a golden spoon, Modi said, “They have gone from Amethi and will go even from Rae Bareli.”

The prime minister said, “The entire country is saying that the third term of this government will be more powerful.”

Modi said his every moment and every bit of his body will be in the name of the people.

He attacked the INDIA bloc leaders by saying they had questioned the bravery of the Army.

“What is their agenda? They are saying they will reinstate Article 370 in Kashmir. They will repeal the CAA law made by Modi… These people are appealing for ‘vote jihad’ against Modi,” he said, referring to an SP leader’s remarks.

Without taking names, Modi said a companion of the Congress’ prince remarked that if their government is formed they will send Ram Lalla back to the tent again and will lock him. But these people are forgetting that it is impossible to happen under him and the country will force the people of this mentality to live in tents, he added.

Modi said the SP and Congress leaders will again go to Pakistan with bouquets of flowers and fly pigeons with them and asked the people to be cautious with them.

He said the Congress and INDIA bloc have been out of power for 10 years and their coffers of “black money” have become empty. Their eyes are on the country’s treasury now, he added.

“The prince of the Congress is saying that they will get everyone’s earnings investigated. They will confiscate your money and distribute it among their vote bank,” he said.

Accusing the opposition parties of ruining the country before 2014, he said, “When the country became independent, it was the sixth largest economy in the world. These people caused such destruction that we reached number 11 from the sixth position.”

He claimed, “You gave Modi an opportunity to serve. We worked hard. Today we have brought the country’s economy to number five in the world. If we form the government for the third time, we will make India the third largest economy in the world. This is Modi’s guarantee.”

Enumerating schemes like toilets, housing and Ujjwala, he said the opposition questioned the development done in the country and they asked what was its need.

Modi said for the “princes” of the SP and the Congress, the development seems like children playing “gilli-danda”.

“But these princes born in palaces have neither the habit of doing hard work nor of getting results,” he said.

Modi asked the excited crowd shouting slogans, “Today the world is watching the glory of India. India’s voice is heard in the world. India organises G20 with great success. India leaves the imprint of its tricolour on the Moon. So don’t you feel proud of these successes?”

Appealing for votes for the BJP candidate, he said, “Could you have imagined such success 10 years ago? Was there any such news except the scams worth thousands of crores?”

Polling in Pratapgarh is in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 25.
Economy, Regional, West Bengal

Crisis in north Bengal tea industry, Dooars garden staff halt work over unpaid salary

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Around 80 staff and sub-staff of Nagaisuree, a tea estate in Matiali block of Jalpaiguri district, didn’t join duties on Wednesday

TT Correspondent, Jalpaiguri, 16.05.24 : The staff and sub-staff of a tea estate in the Dooars resorted to ceasework on Wednesday, alleging delay in their salaries.

Around 80 staff and sub-staff of Nagaisuree, a tea estate in Matiali block of Jalpaiguri district, didn’t join duties on Wednesday.
“Usually, we get our salaries by the 10th of every month. This month, we haven’t been paid till date (May 15). We have to run our families and meet various expenses, including educational expenses of our children,” said Deep Bhattacharya, a staff member.

Others like Biswasjit Das, Kamal Pradhan, Laxman Bhumij and Kishun Mahali said that unless the management paid them their salaries, they would not work.

“We have spoken with the garden’s manager and have made it clear that if the salaries are not paid immediately, we will not join our duties,” said Das.

Sources said a decline in tea production and prices over the past couple of months has landed the management of Nagaisuree in fund problems.

“Some other gardens in the Dooars are facing the same issue. If such a situation prevails, it will pose a question on the sustainability of these gardens,” said a senior tea planter in Siliguri.

Unlike the staff and sub-staff, the 1,450 tea workers of Nagaisuree have received their wages on time, said sources.

“The entire industry is in crisis. The management has been informed about the ceasework of employees. We hope the issue is resolved soon,” said a garden source.

Planters’ plea

The Indian Tea Planters’ Association (ITPA), an association of tea planters in north Bengal, has written to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking financial aid for the brew belt.

“The north Bengal tea industry is in utter crisis due to production loss and price dip. Many tea estates are finding it tough to clear regular dues and a section of these are regulating working days,” said a source in ITPA.

“In such a situation, a financial package from the government is needed to help the industry tide over the crisis,” the source added.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

New traffic management plan to be implemented across Siliguri after Lok Sabaha polls

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 The traffic department of the police has already submitted a PowerPoint presentation to the civic body on how traffic management can be improved, along with recommendations

TT, Siliguri, 16.05.24 : The Siliguri Metropolitan Police and the Trinamul-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation will jointly enforce a new traffic management plan across Siliguri from next month after Lok Sabha polls to decongest city roads.

The traffic department of the police has already submitted a PowerPoint presentation to the civic body on how traffic management can be improved, along with recommendations.

Among these include regulating the movement of e-rickshaws on all prominent thoroughfares, relocating unauthorised parking of private buses of long-distance routes from Hill Cart Road and adjacent areas of Tenzing Norgay Central Bus Terminus, recolating the local bus stand from Siliguri Town station area to Tinbatti More and building an alternative bus terminus on a vacant plot near Darjeeling More.

“A major challenge for the civic body is to streamline traffic across the city. Every day, especially during rush hours, all prominent roads of Siliguri are chock-a-block with vehicles. Once the general election is over, we intend to implement the recommendations to decongest roads,” said a civic body source.

In Siliguri, indiscriminate movement of e-rickshaws and unauthorised parking of private buses bound for Calcutta and some other parts of south Bengal, as well as Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam are some of the reasons for traffic congestion.

Earlier, an initiative was taken to relocate the local bus stand from its existing place to Tinbatti More. A terminus has been readied at the location on a plot provided by the state transport department.

“However, owners who run buses on local routes across the Siliguri subdivision have moved court. Hence the project is held up,” said a source.

Mayor Gautam Deb has also planned to meet the principal secretaries of the state transport department and state urban development and municipal affairs department in Calcutta this week to seek their intervention.

“I will hold a meeting with officials so that they, too, can come up with recommendations on Siliguri’s traffic management. We have requested the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority to allocate funds for a bus terminus at Paribahan Nagar in Matigara so that we can shift buses plying from here to other states and Calcutta there,” said the mayor.
Economy, International, Regional, West Bengal

Bitter brew over Nepal tea imports, Darjeeling industry ‘shocked’ at lack of proper testing

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 The latest bitterness against the government’s failure to check the quality of Nepal tea comes after 28 trucks carrying Nepal tea were reportedly allowed to enter India in April-end without food security checks from the Panitanki border near Siliguri

Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 16.05.24 : The Darjeeling tea industry is bitter over the government’s alleged move to allow Nepal tea imports without properly testing the entire consignment.

Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has alleged that it is “shocked that cheap and dubious Nepal tea is being allowed to be imported without FSSAI checks”.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Union ministry of health and family welfare and regulates, among other things, the quality of food articles in India, including its imports.

“The FSSAI in its order dated 23.04.2024 has clearly mandated that all import teas need to be subjected to full and accurate testing as per stated FSSAI protocol… Cheap duty-free dumping of low quality and FSSAI non-compliant teas from Nepal have turned the Darjeeling tea industry into an ICU patient…,” said a DTA official.

The latest bitterness against the government’s failure to check the quality of Nepal tea comes after 28 trucks carrying Nepal tea were reportedly allowed to enter India in April-end without food security checks from the Panitanki border near Siliguri.

Sources said that these trucks were first stopped and the entire consignment of Nepal teas was tested, but vehicles were allowed inside India before the test reports came in.

Administrative sources admitted that the trucks were allowed to enter India with a directive from “higher authorities.”

“At the moment, the first five consignments of importers (for tea) are now being tested and this is valid for six months. Of course, random tests are also done,” said a source in the known of things.

The incident of the 28 trucks created a flutter in Nepal.

“The issue was taken up right to the Nepal Prime Minister’s office by Nepal tea growers. The matter was also raised with the Indian government,” said a source in Nepal.

The Darjeeling Tea industry wants the government to take stringent measures against the “dumping” of Nepal tea into India. Industry stakeholders have alleged that many unscrupulous dealers in India are either mixing or selling Nepal tea as Darjeeling tea.

The tea-growing districts of Nepal are contiguous to Darjeeling district.

Nepal exports around 16,000 tonnes of tea, around 90 per cent to India.

Courtesy & source- The Telegraph
Health, National, Northeast, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

Neonatal mortality rates worsen in multiple states in India, account for nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children

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Findings published in medical journal JAMA Network Open, underline an ‘immediate need’ for health authorities to focus on strategies to improve quality aspects of institutional deliveries
The neonatal intensive care unit of Rural Development Trust Hospital in Bathalapalli, Andhra Pradesh: File picture

G.S. Mudur, TT, New Delhi, 16.05.24 : Neonatal mortality rates have stagnated or worsened in multiple states in India in recent years and account for nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children under five years of age, researchers have said in a study.

Their study has found that nearly 50 per cent of deaths in children under five in India occurred within seven days after the child’s birth, both in 2016 and in 2021, alongside improvements in overall child mortality rates.
The findings, published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open, underline an “immediate need” for health authorities to focus on strategies to improve quality aspects of institutional deliveries, the researchers have said.

India’s proportion of institutional deliveries — births in healthcare facilities — has more than doubled from around 40 per cent in 2005-06 to 83 per cent in 2019-21.

The new study led by S.V. Subramanian, professor of population health at Harvard University, has suggested that reductions in neonatal mortality have not kept pace with the rise in institutional deliveries.

Subramanian and his colleagues used three decades of datasets from the Union health ministry’s National Family Health Surveys — the latest in 2019-21 — to analyse child mortality patterns after seven days, 30 days, a year, and five years of birth.

They classified deaths within seven days as early neonatal mortality, deaths between 8 and 28 days as late neonatal mortality, and deaths between a month and a year as post-neonatal mortality.

India’s overall under-five child mortality has decreased to 42 per 1,000 live births in 2019-21 from 50 per 1,000 in 2015-16 and 75 per 1,000 in 2005-06. And most states have seen decreases in mortality rates across all the child age groups.

But between 2016 and 2021, early neonatal mortality increased in nine states or Union territories, late neonatal mortality either remained stagnant or increased in 13 states, and post neonatal mortality increased in 12 states, their study found.

Early neonatal mortality rose in Haryana, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar and Daman and Diu, late neonatal mortality rose or didn’t improve in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar. Post-neonatal mortality rose in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Telangana, Tripura, Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar and Chandigarh.

“While India has made substantial progress over the years in reducing the risk of mortality among young children, age-specific interventions may be needed to address mortality in different age groups,” Subramanian told The Telegraph. Early neonatal mortality may require improvements in quality of care in healthcare institutions while post-neonatal mortality would need a focus on ensuring vaccination and food.

The researchers’ call for urgent measures to address neonatal mortality comes against a backdrop of long-standing concerns among paediatricians and public health experts about neonatal deaths hampering progress towards infant mortality targets.

India’s National Neonatology Forum had in 2003 highlighted the need for intensified efforts to protect babies during the first four weeks of life as part of efforts to reduce infant mortality rates.

The health ministry has helped establish a network of newborn care facilities, including newborn intensive care units, sick newborn care units, and newborn stabilisation units in public health facilities across the country.
Games & Sports, National, Regional

Stalwart Chhetri announces retirement, World Cup qualifier match in Calcutta on June 6 to be his last game

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Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has scored 94 goals for the country. He will leave the scene as India’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player

PTI, New Delhi, 16.05.24 : The iconic Sunil Chhetri on Thursday announced his decision to retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kuwait on June 6, bringing the curtains down on a career that is unparalleled in Indian football for its longevity and consistency.

The long-serving national team captain announced his decision via a video he posted on his social media accounts.
Chhetri, who made his debut in 2005, has scored 94 goals for the country. He will leave the scene as India’s all-time top scorer and most-capped player.

He is also third in the list of goal scorers among active players behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and currently sits as the fourth in the all-time list of international goal-scorers as well.

Chhetri, 39, will walk into international sunset after rendering yeoman service for nearly two decades, 19 years to be precise, to a team that was heavily reliant on the 5’7″ forward to deliver the goods every time he wore the blue jersey.

https://assets.telegraphindia.com/telegraph/2024/May/1715837464_chhetri-sunil-2.jpg
“The match Against Kuwait is the last,” Chhetri said while announcing his decision.

Chhetri’s final match will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, and it is appropriate that he will end his journey in a city, where he has played a lot of his football while evolving into a potent striker.

India are currently second in Group A with four points, behind leaders Qatar.

Chhetri had made his 150th national appearance in March and scored on the occasion against Afghanistan in Guwahati. India, though, stunningly lost that game 1-2.

On his international debut against Pakistan way back in 2005, Chhetri, who would go on to become one of the game’s most lethal strikers, scored, and he rated it as his best moment.

“There is one day that I never forget and remember it quite often is the first time I played for my country man, it was unbelievable.

“But the day before, morning of the day, Sukhi sir (Sukhwinder Singh), my first national team coach, in the morning he came to me and he’s like, you’re going to start? I can’t tell you how I was feeling man,” Chhetri recalled.

He added, “I took my jersey, I sprayed some perfume on it, I have no idea why. So that day, everything that happened, once he told me, from breakfast to lunch and to the game and to my first goal in my debut, to conceding late in the 80th minute, that day is probably that I will never forget and is one of the best days of my national team journey.” Speaking on the future of Indian football, Chettri said that it was time for the country to find the next 9. He felt the team is currently handicapped as none of the current lot of players play as the main striker for their respective clubs and sees the massive hole in the current national team.

In recent times, Chhetri said he could sense that he was heading towards the end of his glorious journey.

“You know the feeling that I recollect in the last 19 years is a very nice combination between duty, pressure and immense joy. I never thought individually, these are the many games that I’ve played for the country, this is what I’ve done, good or bad, but now I did it.

“This last one and a half, two months, I did it and it was very strange. I did it because probably I was going towards the decision that this game, this next game is going to be my last.” The moment he had arrived at the decision, memories came flooding back to his mind.

“And the moment I told myself first, that yes, this is the game that is going to be my last, is when I started recollecting everything.

“It was so strange, I started thinking about this game, that game, this coach, that coach, that team, that member, that ground, that away match, this good game, that bad game, all my individual performances, everything came, all the flashes came. So when I did decide that this is it, this is going to be my last game.” His family members reacted differently to his big decision.

“I told my mom, my dad and my wife, my family first, my dad was…he was normal, he was relieved, happy, everything, but my mom and my wife started crying,” he said.

“…they couldn’t express to me as to why they burst into tears. It’s not that I was feeling tired, it’s not that I was feeling this or that, when the instinct came that this should be my last game, then I thought about it a lot.” Among major successes, Chhetri helped India win the Nehru Cup (2007, 2009, 2012) as well as the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship (2011, 2015, 2021).

He also played a part in India’s 2008 AFC Challenge Cup win, which helped them qualify for the first AFC Asian Cup (2011) in 27 years.

The Secunderabad-born footballer, who made his club debut for Mohun Bagan in 2002, went on to play for USA’s Major League Soccer team Kansas City Wizards in 2010 as well as for the reserve team of the Sporting CP in the Portuguese football league back in 2012.

The seven-time AIFF Player of the Year winner has also represented major Indian clubs like East Bengal (2008-2009), Dempo (2009-2010), and Indian Super League sides Mumbai City FC (2015-2016) and Bengaluru FC.

In club football, he has tasted most success at Bengaluru FC, winning major trophies like the I-League (2014 and 2016), ISL (2019), Super Cup (2018). He also led Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final in 2016.

Chhetri was felicitated ahead of his 150th outing for the Blue Tigers in the World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in Guwahati.
Economy, Regional, West Bengal

Tea gardens struggle as weather wreaks havoc

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MP, 15 May 2024, Alipurduar: This year, tea production has been significantly impacted by extreme weather conditions. 

After thorough analysis, the tea plantation workers’ organisations are planning to approach the state government. 
Due to a lack of rain, tea production has suffered greatly in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, sparking widespread concern among various tea gardens. 
The Trinamool Cha Bagan Shramik Union (TCBSU) intends to approach Labor minister Malay Ghatak regarding this issue. 
The letter will detail the extent of production loss in over 300 tea gardens in North Bengal, providing an overview of the situation in these gardens, according to union leaders. 
Gangaprasad Sharma, a leader of TCBSU, stated: “This year, many tea gardens have experienced production losses of up to 90 per cent compared to last year. Naturally, we are deeply concerned. 
Additionally, it was decided in our organisational meeting that TCBSU will soon submit a memorandum on this matter at the Jalpaiguri PF office.” The tea industry attributes the decline to the lack of rainfall over the past four months, which has led to diseases and insect attacks in the plantations. 
Chinmoy Dhar, Chairman of the Tea Association of India, North Bengal, remarked: “Rainfall is now a blessing for us. 
This year has brought unprecedented weather extremes, posing significant challenges for the tea industry.” 
However, scattered rainfall has been observed in the tea gardens of North Bengal since Saturday. 
The Saraswatipur tea garden in Jalpaiguri district received a record amount of 6.5 inches of rain. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tea-gardens-struggle-as-weather-wreaks-havoc-563939
International, Regional

Body of B’desh tourist to be handed over to kin in Kurseong

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MP, 15 May 2024, Darjeeling: The relatives of the deceased Bangladeshi tourists arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday and proceeded to Bagdogra by flight. 

The Darjeeling police will be handing over the dead body of the deceased to them in Kurseong. The 65-year-old tourist, on a visit to Darjeeling, had died en route. 
His body has been kept at the Kurseong Sub Divisional Hospital where a post mortem has been conducted. 
The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old Sk Azizul from Mohammadpur, Dhaka. He was a retired banker. 
On Tuesday he had arrived from Dhaka by train. “From NJP he along with another person boarded my taxi to Darjeeling. 
At Rohini, he stated that he was feeling unwell and we stopped and he rested for nearly an hour. 
After some time he stopped talking and started breathing heavily. 
I then rushed to the Kurseong hospital,” stated Shyamal Chandra Singh, the taxi driver. 
He was declared dead at the hospital. 
“We have started an unnatural death case,” stated Palash Mohanta, Inspector-in-Charge, Kurseong Police Station. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965?infinitescroll=1
Regional, West Bengal

Siliguri: Two dead, 26 hurt after pickup van turns turtle

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MP, 15 May 2024, Siliguri: A pickup van overturned on National Highway 31 near Goaltuli More in Phansidewa block under Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad, resulting in two deaths and leaving 26 others injured. 

According to local sources, on Wednesday, several families from the Helagach area were en route to Bihar in a pickup van to attend a marriage ceremony. 
While attempting to overtake a truck, the pickup van lost control and overturned. 
Phansidewa Police Station responded promptly and dispatched the injured to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. 
Tragically, two of the injured passengers succumbed to their injuries, while the remaining are receiving medical treatment. 
A probe is underway with Phansidewa PS leading it. Following the accident, traffic was temporarily halted. 
Siliguri Mayor Gautam Dev and Mahakuma Parishad president, Arun Ghosh visited the medical college to oversee treatment facilities. Follow @mpostdigital @mpostdigital @mpostdigital @mpostdigital Team MP 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965?infinitescroll=1
Economy, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

After a lull in April, tourists start returning to Darjeeling, Sikkim

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Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 15 May 2024, Siliguri: After a slump in tourism during the month of April, it is back on track again with a large number of tourists visiting Darjeeling and the neighbouring state of Sikkim. 

However, fewer tourists are visiting the Dooars area compared to the hills. Currently, hotels and homestays have 90 per cent occupancy in Darjeeling. 
The tourist footfall in Sikkim is also huge following the Teesta disaster caused by flash floods in River Teesta on October 4, 2023. 
The flash floods had wreaked havoc taking a toll mainly on road connectivity. “Very few tourists visited Sikkim in April this year as compared to last year. 
However, a large number of tourists are visiting Darjeeling this month. 90 per cent of occupancy is booked. We hope we will witness a tourist rush in the month of June also,” said Samrat Sanyal, the Secretary of Himalaya Hospitality and Tourism Development Network (HHTDN). 
Every year, from April to June, a large number of tourists visit Darjeeling, Sikkim. However in April this year, hotels and homestays experienced around 50 to 60% occupancy. 
In some places, the percentage dipped to 45 per cent also.” Tourism stakeholders blamed it on the Lok Sabha election. 
They also blamed excessive price hikes on flight fares. “Fewer flights are operating from Bagdogra Airport. The fare has increased. Many tourists are avoiding visiting this region owing to this also,” Sanyal added. 
North Sikkim has been heavily affected by the October flash flood. Owing to disruption in road connectivity and the closure of National Highway 10 frequently for repairs have further contributed to the dip in tourists. 
Vehicles to Sikkim and Kalimpong to and fro Siliguri had been diverted through Lava and Gorubathan which is a longer route. 
Therefore, the vehicle fares also shot up. All these reasons added up to fewer tourists visiting Sikkim in April. 
However, this month onwards, with road connectivity restored and heat waves sweeping the plains, people have started visiting Sikkim. Almost 70 per cent occupancy has been recorded in different places in Sikkim, including Gangtok.

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/after-a-lull-in-april-tourists-start-returning-to-darjeeling-sikkim-563948
National, Politics, West Bengal

BJP fields about 8 turncoats for LS elections in Bengal

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The BJP has nominated around eight turncoats out of the 42 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha candidates. Party’s leaders have justified their decisions, citing “winnability and political strategy” as paramount considerations. 

However, the nomination of turncoats has triggered protests and resentment against the BJP in certain regions. 
BJP had earlier also adopted a strategy of favouring turncoats over seasoned leaders in their candidate selections. 
BJP which had no robust organisation base in Bengal has increasingly been embracing the practice of endorsing turncoats, causing dissatisfaction among their loyal supporters. 
BJP MP from Barrackpore, Arjun Singh, who returned to the saffron camp after defecting to the TMC two years ago, was re-nominated from the same seat. 
Tapas Roy, a four-term MLA from TMC, joined the BJP due to disagreements over candidate selection and was nominated from Kolkata North. 
Silbhadra Dutta, a two-term TMC MLA who had switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 assembly polls, was nominated from the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat this time. 
Soumendu Adhikari, former TMC leader and chairman of TMC-led Kanthi municipality, is contesting from Kanthi on BJP’s ticket. He had switched sides after his elder brother Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP. 
From the Howrah Lok Sabha seat, Rathin Chakraborty, a former TMC leader and ex-Mayor of Howrah, who joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 Assembly polls, has been nominated. 
Soumitra Khan is contesting from Bishnupur Lok Sabha seat on BJP’s ticket. Khan had once been associated with Trinamool Congress. 
Nisith Pramanik who had once been a Trinamool Congress leader had switched to the BJP and became an MP from Cooch Behar. He is again contesting from the same seat on BJP’s ticket. 
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress, in its roster of 42 candidates, has included four turncoats who are either elected representatives from other parties or joined the party in recent years. 
Among the notable turncoats fielded by the TMC are Biswajit Das, Mukutmani Adhikari, and Krishna Kalyani, contesting from Bongaon, Ranaghat and Raiganj Lok Sabha seats respectively. 
Another prominent candidate, Sujata Mondal from Bishnupur, is a former BJP leader and ex-wife of BJP MP Soumitra Khan. Mondal unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on a TMC ticket in 2021. 
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who won the Asansol seat in a bypoll on a TMC ticket in 2022, has been renominated from the same seat. 
Sinha, a former Union minister and two-term BJP MP from Patna Sahib, had defected from the BJP to join the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls before joining the TMC in 2022.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bjp-fields-about-8-turncoats-for-ls-elections-in-bengal-563959
Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Scripting Sandeshkhali incident: BJP’s LS candidate Rekha Patra moves HC, seeks protection from coercive action

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MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: BJP candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha seat Rekha Patra on Wednesday approached Calcutta High Court seeking protection from coercive action by the state police. 

On the same day, BJP leader Piyali Das approached the High Court against the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court’s order refusing her bail. The lawyer representing Patra reportedly stated that several false cases have been filed against her by the police. Patra also sought for security and protection from the Calcutta High Court. 
The case will be heard by Justice Jay Sengupta on Thursday. Meanwhile, it was learnt that Das surrendered in Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court on May 14. There were allegations against her of getting women in Sandeshkhali to sign on white papers. 
The court rejected the bail plea and sent her to seven days judicial custody. When questioned by the media, Das said that the allegations against her are false and that there is no evidence to support those allegations. 
The ruling Trinamool Congress recently shared a video of an alleged sting operation featuring BJP leader Gangadhar Koyal. In the purported video, the veracity of which could not be confirmed by news agency, a man resembling Koyal was seen claiming that allegations of sexual abuse in Sandeshkhali were “staged”. 
Koyal had approached the High Court seeking transfer of investigation to the CBI into an alleged sting video. He claimed in his petition that technology-aided videos mimicking his voice were being circulated in a bid to defame him. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/scripting-sandeshkhali-incident-bjps-ls-candidate-rekha-patra-moves-hc-seeks-protection-from-coercive-action-563961
Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Mamata Bala’s daughter starts indefinite protest

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MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: The daughter of Trinamool Congress MP Mamata Bala Thakur, has started an indefinite protest against the BJP Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur for allegedly not allowing them access to Boro Maa’s (Matua matriarch Binapani Devi) idol. 

On being asked the reason for this indefinite protest, Madhupartna Thakur told the media: “BJP’s Bongaon candidate Santanu Thakur drove us out of our home a month back using muscle power and locked it. This is our birthplace. We are not able to see Binapani Devi’s idol. The room where it is kept remains ill-maintained. We will not tolerate this and won’t stop our protest till we get justice.” 
On April 7, TMC claimed that Santanu Thakur had attacked its Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur. 
The feud broke out between the two factions over the control of a house where community matriarch Binapani Devi, popularly known as ‘Boroma’, lived till her death five years back. Santanu is the grandson of Binapani Devi, while Mamata Bala Thakur is her daughter-in-law. Thakurnagar is in North 24-Parganas district. 
According to the TMC, the incident happened on April 7 when Santanu Thakur along with his supporters allegedly tried by force to take control of the house where Mamata Bala presently resides. 
She had taken out a rally in North 24-Parganas’ Thakurnagar to protest the attack. She had said: “I have lodged a complaint at Gaighata Police Station as Shantanu Thakur and his associates tried to break in at my residence. 
They forcibly entered my residence”. TMC wrote on X: “Madhuparna Thakur, the daughter of Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Thakur, is leading an indefinite protest at the Thakurbari premises. 
After being forcefully evicted by Shantanu Thakur over a month ago, they are now denied access even to Boro Maa’s idol. 
The ancestral house is shrouded in darkness and dirt. This reprehensible act is yet another proof of the BJP’s Matua-Birodhi agenda!” 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-balas-daughter-starts-indefinite-protest-563963
National, Politics, West Bengal

‘Will retrieve Bengal’s dues within 3 months once INDIA bloc forms govt’

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Soumyadip Mullick, MP, 15 May 2024, Kolkata: Campaigning for his party candidates of Arambagh and Barrackpore seats, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said as soon as the BJP government at the Centre gets dislodged from power, his party will get back the dues of Rs 1.65 lakh crore owed to Bengal. Banerjee assured the gathering that the exit of the BJP government at the Centre is inevitable. 

He said BJP is anti-poor and anti-people and that is apparent from how the Centre has withheld dues owed to Bengal in relation to 100 days work under MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana. He urged the people to give a “befitting” reply to the BJP in this Lok Sabha elections. 
Banerjee claimed that following the defeat of the BJP, “TMC will play a decisive role in the formation of a government at the Centre as part of the INDIA bloc”. “As soon as that happens, we will get back the dues for Bengal and will use it rightly for people’s welfare. We will get it back in three months from the time of the formation of the new Central government,” he promised. 
Abhishek also held a contrasting picture where he said that on one hand the BJP-led Centre is depriving people of their rightful dues and on the other TMC is spending on welfare schemes for people in Bengal. 
On the Sandeshkhali issue, he called the BJP “anti-national” and accused the party of allegedly insulting the women by paying them money to level false allegations of rape. He said that by doing this the BJP has also insulted Bengal. 
Banerjee maintained his position on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as he claimed once again that if it is implemented the most affected will be the backward classes. 
He alleged that the BJP wants to change the Constitution to suppress the rights of minorities and backward classes. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/will-retrieve-bengals-dues-within-3months-once-india-bloc-forms-govt-563965
National, Politics

Fight for 6th Schedule key poll plank for Cong’s Ladakh candidate Tsering Namgyal

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PTI, Leh, May 14, 2024 :  Congress candidate in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat Tsering Namgyal is contesting the election on a four-point agenda for the Union territory, the key among which is the fight for implementation of the 6th Schedule of the Constitution that guarantees land and job for the locals.


The four-point agenda also includes statehood demand, a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Stressing the INDIA bloc was committed to safeguarding the rights of the people of Ladakh, he said there is discontent among the populace following the failure of talks involving Home Minister Amit Shah and representatives of Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance over the demand for the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.

“The dialogue stopped there and so did our hope… people are now worried and angry,” Namgyal said in an interview with PTI.

The political landscape of Ladakh has been roiled by nearly two months of protests led by activist Sonam Wangchuk, culminating in a 21-day climate fast. Demonstrations, commencing on March 6 and concluding on May 10 to pave the way for parliamentary polls saw a turnout of around 50,000 people, representing a substantial portion of Ladakh’s population.

Ladakh’s transition into a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 has catalysed divergent reactions in the region. While celebrations marked the response in Leh, Kargil witnessed a contrasting sentiment marked by dissatisfaction with the territorial restructuring.

“At that time people danced and sang. Today, people are crying. People had hopes that our youth would get jobs and that ecology would be protected. But at the end of the day people are not happy with this government,” said Namgyal, the leader of the opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

The unfulfilled promises of attaining the 6th schedule status pledged by the BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and subsequent hill development council elections have fueled a shift from jubilation to discontent, prompting a wave of protests throughout the region.

“People hoped for a new beginning, but the dialogue did not go the way it should have. The government delayed it first, kept it hanging till the Model Code of Conduct came into place, and at the last moment, our leaders were called for talks,” said Namgyal, the leader of opposition in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

Citing unmet expectations regarding job opportunities, land rights and environmental preservation he alleged that there was a lack of transparency in budgetary allocation and a failure to empower the hill councils effectively.

The Congress candidate accused the BJP of fooling the people of Ladakh.

“People of Ladakh are aware… they will not believe the false promises. People will vote in favour of the four-point agenda,” he said.

Namgyal remains optimistic about the prospects of the INDIA bloc and hints at a potential shift in national leadership dynamics.

Poling in Ladakh will be held on May 20. The showdown between Namgyal, BJP’s Tashi Gyalson, and Independent candidate Haji Hanifa Jan can shape the region’s political trajectory significantly.

The BJP had won the Ladakh seat for the first time in 2014, with prominent Buddhist leader Thupstan Chhewang becoming an MP. Chhewang, however, resigned from the post and BJP in 2018, citing disagreements with the party’s leadership. In 2019, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal of the BJP won the seat. 
National, Politics

CAA gets rolling, 1st set of 14people granted citizenship

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PTI, New Delhi, May 15, 2024 :  The first set of citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was issued Wednesday here to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries.

Sources said 14 people were handed over the certificates symbolically at a special function held here while digitally signed certificates are also being sent to a “few hundred” other applicants through email.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed it a “historic day”, saying the decades-long wait of those who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan is over.

Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla handed over the certificates to the 14 people after their applications were processed online through a designated portal, an official spokesperson said.

This comes in the midst of the general elections which started on April 19. The last phase of polling will be held on June 1 while the counting will take place on June 4.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

After the enactment, the CAA got the president’s assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 after over a delay of four years.

“It is a great feeling to be an Indian. It has given a new life to me,” 24-year-old Bharat Kumar, who had come from Sindh in Pakistan 11 years ago, told PTI minutes after he received the citizenship certificate.

Shah said the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian brothers and sisters who fled religious persecution in the three countries have started getting Indian citizenship and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the promise made at the time of the country’s independence.

“I express my gratitude to Modiji for giving justice and rights to these people who suffered for decades. I also assure all my refugee brothers and sisters that the Modi government will give citizenship to all of them through the CAA,” he said on X in Hindi. “Modi’s guarantee…the guarantee of fulfilling promises.” While granting the citizenship certificates, the home secretary congratulated the 14 applicants and highlighted the salient features of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024.

Secretary Posts, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Registrar General of India and senior officers were also present during the interactive session when the certificates were issued.

The CAA rules envisage the manner of application form, procedure for processing applications by the District Level Committee (DLC), scrutiny and grant of citizenship by State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC).

“In pursuance of these rules, applications have been received from persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have entered into India up to December 31, 2014 on account of persecution on grounds of religion or fear of such persecution,” the spokesperson said.

The DLCs chaired by Senior Superintendents of Post or Superintendents of Post as designated officers, on successful verification of documents, have administered the oath of allegiance to the applicants.

After processing as per rules, the DLCs have forwarded the applications to SLEC headed by Director (Census Operation). Processing of application is completely done through the online portal.

The empowered committee, Delhi, headed by Director (Census Operation), Delhi, after due scrutiny, has decided to grant citizenship to 14 applicants. Accordingly, Director (Census operation) granted certificates to these applicants, the spokesperson said.

The passing of the CAA in 2019 sparked protests in different parts of the country with agitators terming it “discriminatory”. Over a hundred people lost their lives during the anti-CAA protests or police action in various parts of the country.

Shah has been maintaining that no one can stop the implementation of the CAA as it is the law of the land. He accused opposition of misleading the people on the issue. 
National, Politics

Srinagar Lok Sabha elections 2024: Kashmir sees highest turnout since 1996, says EC : Overall: 37.98 per cent

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 Srinagar voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections after the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. The parliamentary constituency had recorded a total voter turnout of 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections.

Ashesh Mallick, Edited By: Ashesh Mallick, India Tv:  In a tectonic shift and noticeable change in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, which voted for the first time in the Lok Sabha Elections post-Article 370 era on Monday (May 13), the parliamentary constituency has witnessed highest voter turnout of over 37.98 per cent till 11 pm since 1996. It is more than double the turnout of nearly 14.43 per cent in the 2019 elections. It breached the 2014 turnout of 25.86 per cent as well. The polling began at 7 am amid tight security in the fourth phase of polls in which 17.48 lakh voters are eligible to use their franchise in the city.

Polling was incident free without any calls of poll boycott.

According to the latest Election Commission data at 11 pm, the following are voting percentages in the Srinagar city

Central Shalteng – 26.43 per cent

Chadoora – 49.10  per cent

Char-e-Shareef – 56 per cent

Channapora – 22.60  per cent

Eidgah – 26.81 per cent

Ganderbal – 49.48 per cent

Habba Kadal – 14.05 per cent

Hazratbal – 28.28 per cent

Kangan (ST) – 58.80 per cent

Khan Sahib – 50.35 per cent

Khanyar – 24.24 per cent

Lal Chowk – 27.33 per cent

Pampore – 38.01 per cent

Pulwama – 43.39 per cent

Rajpora – 45.79 per cent

Shopian – 47.88 per cent

Tral – 40.29 per cent

Zadibal – 29.41 per cent

Overall: 37.98 per cent


Voting percentages in Srinagar in various general elections before the abrogation of Article 370:

1996: 40.94 per cent

1998: 30.06 per cent

1999: 11.93 per cent

2004: 18.57 per cent

2009: 25.55 per cent

2014: 25.86 per cent

2019: 14.43 per cent

Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, ending the special status given to the erstwhile state, which is now a Union Territory.