Category Archives: States

Regional, West Bengal

Scorching heat: State schools asked to tailor class timings

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PTI, JUNE 12, 2024 : The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education on Wednesday asked state-run and state-aided educational institutions to tailor school hours due to scorching heat prevailing in most parts of the state.


The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, referring to a communique from the school education department on June 11, stated in its advisory that upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools can collaborate with “stakeholders” to adjust school hours without disrupting the academic calendar and mid-day meal programme.

The advisory emphasised the importance of considering “weather conditions” in their respective areas while making such decisions, WBBSE deputy secretary Rhitabrata Chatterjee said.

Cities and districts of south Bengal, including North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Purnba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Purba Badhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Nadia, have been experiencing hot and humid weather with temperatures ranging between 35 and 40 degree Celsius.

Although the advisory did not specifically mention any particular zone, a school education department official clarified that the communique aimed to address the difficulties faced by children attending classes in the extreme heat, often leading to illness.

The official further explained that many primary and upper primary schools had already adjusted their class schedules to morning hours.

“Many primary and upper primary schools have already rescheduled classes in the morning hours. We have enabled every institute, even at secondary and higher secondary level, to tweak class hours according to their convenience for the benefit of students and teaching/non-teaching staff till the weather condition improves,” the official added.
International, Sikkim

Buddha Air Conducts Feasibility Study for Kathmandu to Pakyong Flights

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SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, JUNE 11, 2024 : A team from Buddha Air visited Pakyong Airport on Tuesday to conduct a feasibility study for launching flight operations between Kathmandu and Pakyong. 

The visit included a presentation by the Air Traffic Controller and an airport tour led by Airport Director S.K. Singh. 
The three-member team from Buddha Air included Uday Krishna Shrestha, Om Pradhananga, and Jiwan Basnett. Buddha Air plans to operate two daily flights: one from Kathmandu to Pakyong and another from Kathmandu to Pakyong via Guwahati. 
The flight from Kathmandu to Pakyong will take about one hour, while the flight from Pakyong to Guwahati will take around 35minutes.
As per reports, the proposed fare for Kathmandu to Pakyong is expected to be between Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 7,000, but Singh has requested Buddha Air to reduce it to Rs. 5,000 to Rs 6,000.
The airline is confident there will be enough passengers on these routes. Buddha Air is already operating flights from Kathmandu to Varanasi and is seeking permission for a new route from Janakpur to Ayodhya. 
The tentative timing for the new flights is between noon and1.30 pm. The flights will use ATR 500aircraft which can accommodate 85 to 90 passenger
Sikkim

Despair and hope in the hills and plains of Sikkim and north Bengal

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Heavy rain, mudslide, cause devastation in Pakyong village 
EOI, PAKYONG, JUNE 11, 2024 :  The heavy rainfall on the night of June 10 in Thek village, Parakha Block, in Pakyong, has brought about devastating consequences, causing extensive damage to properties and endangering public safety. 
The relentless downpour in the locality has triggered erosion along the river bank, compromising the structural integrity of many, rendering them unfit for human occupation. Two houses were completely destroyed and about 10 others wer

e badly damaged. Responding to the urgent need for assistance, two relief camps have been established to provide shelter and aid to the affected residents.

The Latuk Primary School and the house of Bishnu Maya Rai and Roshan Rai have been designated as shelters for the displaced people. The loss of livestock during the calamity has also been significant, 
The destructive force of the floodwaters swept away three bridges along the Maltini River, snapping the only connection to Thek Village and isolating its inhabitants from essential services and support networks. 
The land adjacent to the Maltini River has borne the brunt of severe erosion at multiple sites, causing significant alterations to the natural course of the river and posing further risks to the surrounding area. 

A joint inspection was carried out on Tuesday under the directive of DC Pakyong to assess the extent of the damage and coordinate relief efforts. MLA Gnathang Machong Pamin Lepcha, members of the Zilla Panchayat and Panchay at Latuk Thek, SDM Pakyong and other senior officials were present. 
Pamin Lepcha asked for the formation of an assessment group to examine the terrain uphill along the Maltini River from the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation of India Road construction site. She also asked for the quick restoration of the water and electricity supplies, as well as the accessibility of the roads.
National, Politics, West Bengal

BJP’s tally in LS will come down to 237 soon as 3 MPs are in touch with TMC, claims Saket Gokhale

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PTI, Kolkata, Jun 11, 2024 : Senior TMC leader Saket Gokhale on Tuesday claimed that three BJP MPs from West Bengal are in touch with the party and the saffron party’s tally in Parliament would soon come down to 237.

    
The comments drew sharp reactions from the West Bengal BJP unit, which dubbed the claim as “baseless” and asserted that the state unit stands united.

The Trinamool Congress secured 29 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

The BJP, in contrast, faced a significant setback, dropping to 12 seats from the 18 it won in 2019.

“As of today, the numbers in the Lok Sabha are BJP: 240 INDIA: 237. Three BJP MPs in West Bengal are in touch with us and there will be a nice surprise soon. After that, BJP: 237 INDIA: 240.

“Modi’s creaky coalition is a temporary structure which isn’t going to last very long,” Gokhale, a Rajya Sabha MP, posted on X.

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, the BJP with 240 seats fell short of a majority but the NDA secured the mandate with 293 seats. The Congress bagged 99 seats while the INDIA bloc got 234 seats. Following the polls, two Independents who won have also pledged support to the Congress, taking the INDIA bloc tally to 236.

Reacting to Gokhale’s claim, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the TMC is “daydreaming”.

“Since 2014, the TMC has been daydreaming of becoming the pivotal force in the union government but its hopes were dashed not once but thrice. The BJP and NDA stand united. No BJP MP from Bengal is in touch with the TMC,” he said.
Education, West Bengal

Yogyashree scheme to include more students. The scheme was so long applicable to the SC and ST categories.

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SNS, 11 June 2024 : The state government will include boys and girls belonging to the general category, minorities and OBC in its Yogyashree scheme that provides free coaching to students sitting for engineering and medical courses.


The scheme was so long applicable to the SC and ST categories.

In 2024, those who had received training in Yogyashree scheme, got 23 ranks, including 13 IIT seats in JEE Advanced, 75 ranks in JEE (Main),. Seventy five students had cracked JEE (Main) and 432 cracked WBJEE and 110 ranks in NEET.

The state government has increased the number of centres to 50 and 2000 aspirants will receive the coaching. The coaching will be given from students studying in Class XI onwards.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee in her X handle wrote: “We are proud that our Yogyashree scheme which we started to provide free-of-cost training to SC/ST students of the state for admission in engineering and medical courses has been yielding increasingly greater and greater benefits for our SC/ST boys and girls. Now, we shall include the boys and girls of minority, OBC and general categories also in this scheme.”

She said this would benefit the students coming from economically-challenged backgrounds immensely.

She emphasised this scheme would bring out engineers and doctors in large numbers from the weaker section of the society.

“Let our boys and girls from the weaker sections be engineers and doctors in larger numbers. We shall now include students of Minority, OBC, and General categories in this scheme. Kudos to them!,” she further posted.

The state’s budget also revealed an enhancement in financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme. General category households will now receive Rs 1,000, while SC/ST households are set to receive Rs 1,200.

Additionally, SC/ST women will been titled to Rs 1,200, and others will receive Rs 1,000 under the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme, effective from April 2024. 

The West Bengal government on Tuesday said its ‘Yogyashree’ scheme for students will now include beneficiaries from the minority, OBC and general categories. The scheme was launched in January to provide free-of-cost training to SC and ST students of the state for engineering and medical courses. 

“In consideration of the value of this critical training support to our disadvantaged boys and girls, we have increased the number of centres in the state now to 50, and number of our supported trainees to 2,000, and the training will be given from Class XI onwards for better preparation,” the Chief Minister said. 

“Let our boys and girls from the weaker sections be engineers and doctors in larger numbers,” she added.
Economy, West Bengal

WB announces 4% DA hike for state govt employees with effect from Apr 1

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Bengal’s Chief Secy said that the government of West Bengal increased the Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief by 4 percent in the state. The government notification was released on Tuesday

ANI, 11 June 2024 : The government of West Bengal increased the Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief by 4 percent in the state. The government notification was released on Tuesday.
The order comes into effect from April 1, 2024.
In a letter dated June 11, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal Dr Manoj Pant said that Governor CV Ananda Bose was pleased to enhance of the rate of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief.
Dr Manoj Pant said, “The Governor has been pleased to decide that enhancement of rate of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief in respect of the employees and Pensioners / Family Pensioners respectively of the State Government and Government aided Educational Institutions, Statutory Bodies, Government Undertakings, Panchayats including Panchayat Karmee, Municipal Corporations / Municipalities, Local Bodies etc. and Daily Rate of Wages for the daily rated workers as was allowed vide in Finance Department Memorandum No.1090-F(P2) dated March 1, 2024 shall be effective from April 1 instead of May 1.