MP, 30 May 2024, Siliguri: The Special Operation Group (SOG) of Siliguri Metropolitan arrested the prime accused, Siddharth Shankar Laha, Head of the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension of the University of North Bengal (NBU), in the suicide case of a research scholar of the university from Assam.
He was brought to Siliguri on Wednesday and was produced at Siliguri Court on Thursday. On May 16, the body of a research scholar of the Rural Development department of NBU was found hanging at a rented house in Shiv Mandir area.
The deceased was a resident of Tufanganj, Cooch Behar and was staying in the rented house in Shiv Mandir area Also Read – ‘No one can stop change of power in Delhi on June 4’ in Siliguri.
A suicide note was found in the house where it was mentioned that the accused Siddharth Shankar Laha, had a physical relationship with the deceased and refused to marry her. Therefore, she committed suicide.
Her mobile phone and laptop were also missing from the room.On May 18, family members of the deceased lodged a written complaint. SOG began a search for the accused as he went absconding after the incident and tracked his mobile phone.
First, he went to Kalimpong, then Lataguri, then Cooch Behar.
A few days ago, he went to Goyalpara in Assam from where he was arrested. He was booked under various sections of the IPC. He has been taken into police remand for further investigation.
MP, 31 May 2024, Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore said that monsoon may enter North Bengal in 2-3 days, five days ahead of its usual time of arrival. As per prediction, the monsoon is expected to enter North Bengal on Sunday as it will bring rainfall in the region.
Incidentally, southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on Thursday. Generally, the monsoon enters Kerala on June 5. The MeT office already predicted heavy rainfall in several North Bengal districts in the next 24 hours.
Orange alert has been issued for the districts like Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar as they are expected to receive heavy rainfall.
It will also rain in North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur as well. According to the MeT office, monsoon generally enters Jalpaiguri on June 7, Siliguri on June 8, South Bengal on June 10 and Kolkata on June 11. It is not however clear as to when the monsoon will hit the city.
There may be some scattered rainfall in some of the South Bengal districts during the weekend, the MeT office said.
Spurred by Cyclone Remal, the southwest monsoon set in over the Kerala coast and parts of the northeast on Thursday. Weather scientists said the cyclone, which ripped through Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday, had pulled the monsoonal flow to the Bay of Bengal, which could be one of the reasons for early onset over the northeast.
“Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala and advanced into most parts of northeast India today, the 30th May, 2024,” the India Meteorological Department said.
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. El Nino — the periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean — is associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina – the antithesis of El Nino- leads to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.
SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, MAY 30, 2024 : In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang highlighted the recent success of the assembly and 18th Lok Sabha elections in the state, calling them the most peaceful in the history of Sikkim. The Chief Minister also shared details of an important meeting he chaired with Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party candidates at his official residence.
Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the imperative of maintaining harmony and asked all SKM members to maintain peace. “It is our utmost duty to remain in a harmonious state, guide all members of our organization properly, and maintain peace, goodwill, friendship, and brotherhood,” he stated.
Reflecting on the recently concluded elections, Tamang praised the unparalleled peace and organization. “This 18th Lok Sabha and 11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly election have been the most peaceful in Sikkim’s history,” he stated. He extended thanks to various officials and departments for their contributions to the electoral process. Referring to the high voter turnout, the Chief Minister said a total of 462,456 voters participated; a turnout of 83.5percent which was two percent higher than in 2019. “This remarkable turnout sets a new record for the state, surpassing figures from other states across the country. The people of Sikkim are the true recipients of heartfelt thanks and congratulations,” he said.
The Chief Minister commended the participation of 146 Assembly candidates and 14 Lok Sabha candidates and appreciated the role of every individual in ensuring a peaceful election. He reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state.
“Our mission will continue in the coming days to ensure complete peace and security in the state for the benefit of the Sikkimese people,” he assured. The Chief Minister called for unity among the diverse communities of Sikkim. “Though we belong to different castes and communities, we are all children of the same mother, Sikkim. Mutual respect, love, and harmony among us are our foremost duties,” he said. The meeting commenced with a two- minute silence to pay tribute to the late Sonam Gyatso Bhutia, a former legislator and vice-president of the SKM central executive committee, who had passed away recently.
PTI, KOLKATA, MAY 30, 2024 : / The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education on
Thursday said it will distribute free language textbooks to students, months after the introduction of a semester-based education system for classes 11 and 12 in educational institutes in the state.
However, due to logistical challenges, the distribution process may experience delays, according to council president Chiranjib Bhattacharya. The revised curriculum, implemented after 11 years, particularly focuses on language subjects, which have been thoroughly updated and divided into four semesters. “The council has revised the curriculum of all subjects after 11 years.
The language papers, in particular, were thoroughly revised and curriculum of all subjects were split into four semesters,” he said.
The state government has undertaken the printing of all language textbooks for distribution across the state, but despite extensive efforts, the process may take some time, he added.
The council is uploading textual materials of language subjects on its website for the benefit of students, teachers, and parents, while endeavours are being made to expedite printing and distribution of textbooks, he said.
State-run and state-aided schools are scheduled to reopen after the ongoing summer vacation on June 3, with classes commencing from June 10. Some schools have already started online classes for 12th standard students.
The adoption of the semester system for classes 11 and 12 in all state-run and state-aided schools was previously announced by the council, with implementation beginning in the academic session 2024-25 for class 11 and 2025-26 for class 12.
Under this new system, the 10+2course is divided into four parts, with class11 structured as semester 1 and 2, and class12 as semester 3 and 4. According to the draft of the new state education policy unveiled in August last year, board exams will be conducted after the completion of the third and fourth semesters.
The existing 4+4+2+2 structure, where students spend four years in the foundation stage, followed by four years in upper primary (preparatory stage), and two years (classes 9 and 10) in secondary education, will be retained, as stated by a higher secondary department official.
Editorial, EOI, 30 May 2024 : For the people of the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Sikkim, landslides are of common occurrence. Now in the wake of the devastating landslide in the mountainous Enga province in Papua New Guinea late last week with estimates of the death toll varying between 670 and 2,000 the University of Sydney has offered some explanations as to what causes landslides and if landslides can be predicted to save lives.
As the Papua New Guinea experience has underscored, rescue is challenging in the event of a landslide. Secondary slides and rock falls hamper efforts in the search zone. Because of lack of access, it becomes difficult to move heavy digging machinery to the landslide zone. Roads need to be cleared or repaired for assistance and equipment to arrive. t is difficult to locate potential survivors as landslides carry away buildings and their occupants in an unpredictable manner.
Landslides happen when the pull from gravity exceeds the strength of the geomaterial forming the slope of a hill or mountain. Geomaterials can be as varied as rocks, sand, silt and clays. Then, part of this slope starts sliding downhill. Depending on where the slope fails, the material sliding down can be just a few cubic metres or a few million cubic metres in volume.
But why do slopes fail?
Most natural landslides are triggered by earthquakes or rainfall. Earthquakes shake the ground, stress it and weaken it over time. Rainwater can seep through the ground and soak it and add weight to the slope. The ground is often porous like a sponge.
Another adverse effect of water is erosion, causing slopes to fall. Groundwater can also dissolve rocks within slopes. Human activities also contribute to the chance of landslides. Deforestation has a negative impact on slope stability, as tree roots naturally reinforce the ground and drain water out. Mine blasts produce small earthquake-like ground vibrations that shake slopes nearby. It is difficult to predict and mitigate landslide risk effectively.
The thousands of deadly and costly landslides occurring every year worldwide suggest so. To warn people of a coming landslide, one would need a prediction for earthquakes and rainfall, in addition to a perfect knowledge of the slope-forming geomaterial.
Geomaterials may include multiple, entangled layers of various kinds of rocks and particulate materials, such as sand, silt and clays.
Their strength varies, and their spatial distribution dictates where the slope is likely to fail. To accurately assess the stability of the slope, a three-dimensional mapping of these materials and their strengths is needed. No sensor can provide this information, so geologists and geotechnical engineers must deal with partial information obtained at a few selected locations and extrapolate this data to the rest of the slope.
The weakest link of the chain, such as an existing fracture in a rock mass, is easily missed. This is an inevitable source of uncertainty when trying to predict how much material might slip. It is known that the larger the volume of a landslide, the farther its runout distance. But it is hard to gauge the exact size of a landslide, making predictions of runout distances and safe zones uncertain.
It is always uncertain when a landslide will occur. Mechanical analysis enables one to estimate the vulnerability of a slope in a particular scenario, including earthquake magnitude and distribution of groundwater. But predicting if and when these triggers will happen is a difficult task.
Amitava Banerjee, MP, 29 May 2024, Darjeeling: With demands for “Bharat Ratna” to be awarded posthumously to legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, reverberating from different quarters, International Everest Day was commemorated on Wednesday.
The day marks the first successful ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary on this day in 1953. The birth anniversary of Tenzing Sherpa is also observed on this day. With the appeal for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, to be conferred on Tenzing Norgay, the Nature and Trekkers’ Club of Jalpaiguri (NTCJ) sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday.
“Tenzing Norgay has been one of the most influential Indians on the global arena. He was declared as one of the most influential people of the world by Time Magazine in 1999. He has received wide accolades globally. NASA has honoured him by naming one of Pluto’s mountains as “Tenzing Montes”.
The recognition bestowed by the Indian Government by awarding him the third highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan does not parallel his contribution. Despite being most deserving of the highest honour our nation can bestow on anyone — Bharat Ratna, it remains elusive for him in spite of widespread appeal to the government from different spheres of the society throughout India,” stated the letter to the Prime Minister expressing hope that the appeal would be given serious consideration.
“We will also approach the Jalpaiguri Municipality to install a statue of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in Jalpaiguri. He is the greatest inspiration for the youth, specially adventure lovers and mountaineers,” stated Bhaskar Das, coordinator of the NTCJ and member, Governing Council, Indian Mountaineering Federation.
“It is an excellent proposal. We will discuss the modalities including funds and a suitable location for the statue in Jalpaiguri in the Chairman in Council meeting,” stated Papia Pal, chairperson, Jalpaiguri Municipality while talking to Millennium Post.
“We reiterate our demand of Bharat Ratna for Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. We fail to understand why the Union government is so hesitant? After the Model Code of Conduct, the state government will again raise this issue,” stated Gautam Deb, Mayor, Siliguri Municipal Corporation during the commemoration of Everest Day in Siliguri, jointly Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation.
The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) ,Darjeeling, also commemorated the day by offering floral tribute at the Memorial of Tenzing Sherpa. “He was the first Director of Field Training of HMI. His contributions have been instrumental in establishing HMI as a leading institution in mountaineering education,” stated Group Captain Jai Kishan, Principal HMI.
Sikkim’s Marathon man Amar Subba accompanied by two others ran from Jorethang in Sikkim to the HMI, Darjeeling completing 32 km, uphill in 3 hours. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration launched a 10 km long hiking trail from Darjeeling Chowrasta to Sidrapong Hydro Project with stopovers at Tibetan museum, Tenzing Norgay’s house, Ava Art Gallery via the Arya Tea Estate.
Jamling Tenzing Norgay, son of Tenzing Norgay, opened up the “Tenzing Norgay Hiking Trail.”
Courtesy & source: Millennum Post
MP, 29 May 2024, Cooch Behar/ Siliguri/ Jalpaiguri: A large area of Tufanganj in the Cooch Behar district was devastated by a powerful storm in the wee hours of Wednesday.
A large area under Nakkati Gach Village Panchayat in Tufanganj Block No. 1 was virtually demolished in the storm. In addition to numerous houses collapsing, many trees were also uprooted.
A storm also hit Siliguri on Tuesday night continuing till the early hours of Wednesday, uprooting multiple trees, electricity poles and disrupting electricity. According to local sources, more than 30 houses have been damaged in Tufanganj.
The Tufanganj-Balabhut state highway was blocked by fallen electricity poles and trees that was cleared by the disaster management team, restoring traffic. Despite this, there is still no electricity in the area.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Shyamsunder Basak, a local resident, said: “The tin roof of our house was blown away by the gusty wind. In the middle of the night, we had to find shelter.”A large part of the Nakkati Gach area has been without power since the storm.
’ Due to the extensive damage, the electricity supply has been severely affected. According to administrative sources, the fire brigade and disaster management teams, along with the Electricity department, were working in the area since Wednesday morning with the aim to complete all necessary repairs as quickly as possible.
Rajesh Tantri, vice-president of Tufanganj number I Panchayat Samity, said: “Natural disasters are beyond our control. Many houses were damaged. We have arranged tarpaulin sheets for the affected families.
The block administration is keeping a close watch on all issues.” Meanwhile in Siliguri, rain and thunderstorms hit at around 10 pm on Tuesday and continued till the early hours of Wednesday. Trees and electricity poles were uprooted in several areas of Sevoke Road near Surya Sen Park.
A few areas of wards 15, 16, 17, 21 and adjacent areas of Siliguri, including Fulbari and Kharibari, were affected due to heavy rainfall and storms. Mayor Gautam Deb, along with Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar, visited the affected areas. “SMC workers are working on a war footing clearing roads.
The electricity supply has been disrupted in a few areas. Repair works have started since Wednesday morning. We will carry out replantation of some of the trees,” stated Deb. Electricity was restored in wards 10 and 15 by afternoon.
Work was on in wards 17 and 21. Due to the rain in the mountains and the release of 2000 cumec water from the Kalijhora barrage, there is a surge in water in the River Teesta. Owing to this, water has entered the low-lying areas of Teesta, including Salugara Laltong Basti in the Jalpaiguri district.
Irrigation department North East Chief Engineer Krishnandu Bhowmik said: “No warning has been issued in the river.
Due to the release of water from the barrage, some low-lying areas have witnessed inundation. There is nothing to panic about.”
Gourab Neto, MP, 30 May 2024, Kolkata: Following the discovery of pieces of flesh and hair strands in a septic tank of a housing complex in New Town, the daughter of the slain Bangladeshi Member of Parliament (MP) Anwarul Azim Anar may soon come to Kolkata to undergo a DNA test for matching the reports. An arrested person, who police claimed is a butcher by profession, allegedly chopped the body of the Bangladesh lawmaker and mixed them with turmeric before disposing of them at different locations. “In case the body parts are not found, then we will conduct DNA tests on the blood samples and match the result with the DNA of one of Anar’s family members to establish the identity and start a case according to the law,” an officer told a news agency. Also Read – ‘Mercury set to soar in South Bengal; thunderstorms to continue in North’ In another development, the state CID suspects that another accused identified as Siyam had fled to Nepal. A police team might go to Nepal soon in connection with the probe. On Tuesday CID was reportedly requested by the Bangladesh Police to search the septic tank of the apartment building to find any traces of Anar’s body as the arrested accused Jihad Hawaladar reportedly told the cops that he had flushed some body parts through the commode.Honouring the request when the septic tank was searched, where about 3.5 kg pieces of flesh and hair strands were reportedly recovered. However, other body parts are still not found despite repeated searches of the Bagjola Canal in the Krishnamati area of Polerhat. Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police told the media persons in Bangladesh that the motive behind Anar’s murder is still unknown.
MP, 30 May 2024, Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore said that mercury is set to soar in South Bengal districts while the North Bengal districts will continue to witness thunderstorms as Cyclone ‘Remal’ weakened into a depression.
Temperature is expected to go up by 3-5 degree Celsius in South Bengal in the next three days, the MeT office said.
There is however a possibility of thunderstorms in some parts of South Bengal in the weekend. Meanwhile, the monsoon is expected to make an onset over Kerala and some parts of northeast India during the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its Wednesday bulletin.
The IMD said that the conditions are expected to become favourable for further advancement of the southwest monsoon into some parts of the South Arabian Sea and the remaining parts of Maldives and the Comorin area, some parts of Lakshadweep area, some more parts of the Southwest & Central Bay of Bengal and Northeast Bay of Bengal during the same period.
Last year monsoon onset was delayed by a week on June 8. The Alipore MeT office said that there is no weather alert and hence the fishermen can venture into the sea. Cyclone “Remal” has paved the way for the Monsoon to set in.
According to the IMD, the normal monsoon onset over Kerala is June 1 and thereafter it advances northwards and then to the rest of the country around July 15. Monsoon normally advances over northeast India around June 5.
Several parts of South Bengal remained partially cloudy on Wednesday. Coastal areas also remained cloudy. The temperature will go up in south Bengal districts from Wednesday.
EOI, SILIGURI, MAY 29, 2024 : Mayor of Siliguri Gautam Deb has announced a temporary prohibition on the supply of drinking water supply in the municipal areas from May 29 to the afternoon of June 2due to contamination of water.
While water would continue to be supplied daily in municipal areas, city residents have been strongly advised against consuming it.
Except using it as drinking water, the supplied water remains suitable for use in other purposes. Reports indicate that a decrease in Biochemical Oxygen Demand has led to contamination of the drinking water supply.
On Wednesday, Mayor Gautam Deb addressed the issue at a news conference held in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and stated that water samples had been dispatched to Kolkata for testing, and the results were expected to be available in five days.
Meanwhile, the water should not be consumed until the reports arrive.
To address the issue,the SMC has arranged for alternative sources of drinking water, including the distribution of 100,000 water pouches.
Additionally,15,000 to 20,000 pouches would be distributed in each of the five boroughs, and drinking water tankers would be dispatched to every ward.
Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh criticized Mayor Gautam Deb, alleging a failure in municipal governance.
He pointed out that residents had already been consuming contaminated water for the past 15 to 16 days and held the Mayor and the Municipal Council accountable for the situation.
Students participate art competition on the occasion of 164th Birth anniversary of Kobi Guru Rabindranath Tagore organised by MLA Prithiraj Rabha at Tezpur—— UB Photos
EOI, PAKYONG, MAY 29, 2024 : The Pakyong district authorities have started taking measures to ensure public safety in view of the rising level of water of river Teesta.
In accordance with the directive of District Collector Pakyong, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rangpo Thendup Lepcha, accompanied by the Municipal Executive Officer Rangpo Nagar Panchayat and officials from the Sikkim Departments of Fisheries and Forest and police personnel on Wednesday conducted an inspection at the River Teesta belt of Rangpo
subdivision and the River Rangpo belt to assess the situation and ensure the safety of common people in light of the rising water levels of the River Teesta.
The Central Water Commission (CWC)
issued an alert at 1 am on Wednesday due to the rising water levels of the River Teesta, urging people along the basin to remain vigilant.
The alert serves as a reminder for residents to take necessary
precautions and stay away from the river.
An awareness campaign was conducted in the IBM area and Mazigoan Rangpo, using loudspeakers, to instruct the people to stay away from the river, starting from 5 pm onwards.
This proactive measure was aimed to prevent any potential accidents or
mishaps due to the increasing water levels. The Forest Department has also mandated the closure of quarries after 5 pm.
This step has been taken to ensure the safety of workers and to prevent any harm that may be caused by the rising water levels.
The Fisheries Department has already issued a notice forbidding fishing for three months from April 1 to June 30, in view of the mating season and to ensure sustainability.
This measure is critical to maintaining ecological balance and
protecting the the fish population of the river.
PTI, Kolkata, May 29, 2024 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of “spreading lies” about funds being provided to the state and challenged the PM to prove his claim.
Addressing a rally at Metiabruz in Diamond Harbour constituency, the Chief Minister said she was “ready to sacrifice her life” but wouldn’t allow divisive politics of the saffron camp such as the CAA, NRC and UCC in the state.
“Prime Minister while addressing rallies in Bengal is saying the Centre has sent funds for the state which the TMC has siphoned off. He is saying the Centre had sent funds but those were looted by us. The PM is lying. I challenge him to prove that the Centre has released funds for the state. This is a blatant lie,” she said.
Reacting to Banerjee’s remark, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, “The Prime Minister has only tried to highlight the corruption during the TMC regime. It is a well-known fact that the TMC is neck-deep in corruption. The remarks by the Chief Minister reflect that she is rattled after being exposed.” Claiming that the BJP will pay for their arrogance in the polls, Banerjee said the PM’s recent remarks that the BJP’s best results will come from Bengal is “actually an admission that the party will face a rout in other parts of the country.” “So does that mean that the BJP will lose elections in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar? It seems the saffron party has conceded defeat even before the polls are over,” she said.
The CM alleged that the BJP has been spreading canards through misleading advertisements.
“As part of Modi Babu’s guarantee, they were publishing misleading advertisements in newspapers against us. We lodged multiple complaints but there was no action. Yesterday, the High Court also stated it is illegal. They don’t release MGNREGA funds but spend crores on conspiracies, to buy votes and spread propaganda,” she said.
Expressing skepticism about the BJP’s ambitious target of achieving 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, she said people will reject them.
“The entire country has understood that the BJP is a party full of thieves. It is the TMC which will show the way after the elections,” Banerjee said.
The TMC had walked out of the INDIA bloc in West Bengal in January but asserted that she would continue to be part of the opposition bloc at the national level.
Vowing not to allow the implementation of CAA and NRC in the state, she said, “If people do not want divisive CAA, NRC or UCC that will erase our diversity, they must vote against the BJP.”
Prajwal Khatiwada, the registrar general of the high court, issued a notification to the effect on Monday with the approval of Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder
Vivek Chhetri, TT, Darjeeling, 29.05.24 : Sikkim High Court has decided to grant menstrual leave to women employees for up to three days every month.
Prajwal Khatiwada, the registrar general of the high court, issued a notification to the effect on Monday with the approval of Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder.
“Women employees in the High Court Registry may henceforth avail menstrual leave of 2-3 days in a month, provided they approach the Medical Officer attached to the High Court first and obtain the latter’s recommendation for such leave,” reads the notification.
The notification added that “their leave account shall not be debited on availing such leave”.
Anamika Sharma, the project manager of DLR Prerna, a non-government organisation in Darjeeling that regularly conducts menstrual hygiene workshops, welcomed the move. “This is such good news on World Menstrual Hygiene Day which is celebrated today (Tuesday). Such a move is a great motivator to educators like us,” added Sharma.
She said it was not long ago that people, including menstruating women, would refuse to talk on the issue. “I think the continuous sensitisation on the subject is bringing about a change,” said Sharma.
The issue of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees was much debated in the country recently after Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani voiced her opposition to the idea.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha by MP Manoj Kumar Jha on paid menstrual leave, Irani said menstruation is a natural part of life and should not be treated as a handicap. “As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey,” Irani said.
Warning that such paid leave could lead to discrimination against women, the minister further said: “We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation.”
Irani’s statement drew flak from certain quarters.
Few countries have already implemented the national menstruation leave. These include Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan and Spain.
In India, Bihar had introduced two days of menstrual leave in 1992.
When a flash flood had occurred in the Teesta because of the outburst of the South Lhonak lake in October last year, the bridge over the river at Toong in the Mangan district of the mountain state was washed away.
TT, Siliguri, 29.05.24 : A temporary bridge over the Teesta in northern Sikkim was on Monday washed away by the river swollen by heavy rain, prompting the administration to realign routes for traffic in the area.
When a flash flood had occurred in the Teesta because of the outburst of the South Lhonak lake in October last year, the bridge over the river at Toong in the Mangan district of the mountain state was washed away.
After the natural disaster, local transporters took the initiative to build a temporary wooden bridge over the river to facilitate travel between Mangan, the district headquarters and Chungthang, which is at the junction of popular tourist hotspots of Lachen and Lachung.
“The wooden bridge has been damaged and cannot be repaired. So, vehicles will have to take the Sangkalang- Shipgyer route, instead of the Chungthang-Mangan road,” said a source in the administration.
A circular mentioning the diversion of the route was issued by the Mangan district collector on Tuesday.
“As the route is narrow, there will be one-way traffic between Chungthang and Sangkalang from morning till evening. The vehicles on emergency duty, however, will not face any restriction,” the source added.
Vehicles heading to Sangkalang (on the way to Mangan) from Chungthang will be allowed to move from 5am to 8.30am and again from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.
On the other hand, vehicles heading towards Chungthang from Sangkalang will move along the route from 10am to 1pm and from 4pm to 6.30pm, said sources.
In Mangan, officials of the district administration held a meeting on Tuesday to discuss compensation for the land needed for a road connecting Mangan and Lachen via Toong. The road was extensively damaged in last year’s flash flood and the project will be undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) under the defence ministry.
Representatives of the BRO said those who had provided land for the project would get compensation while underscoring that they should extend cooperation for the project.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked if the prime minister prioritised his PR over vaccines and funds under the National Health Mission
Narendra Modi and Jairam Ramesh (inset): File
PTI, New Delhi, 29.05.24 : The Congress on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he was withholding Rs 7,000 crore of paddy procurement funds to West Bengal and if the CBI case against Suvendu Adhikari has got “washed away” in the BJP’s washing machine.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked if the prime minister prioritised his PR over vaccines and funds under the National Health Mission.
“Today’s questions for the outgoing PM’s West Bengal visit: Is the outgoing PM withholding Rs 7,000 crore of ration funds so that his face is plastered on ration shops? Did Suvendu Adhikari’s CBI case get washed away in BJP’s washing machine? Does the PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India’s children?” he asked in a post on X.
He posed the questions on a day the prime minister is campaigning in West Bengal for the last phase of elections on June 1.
“In an incredibly petty move, the Centre has been withholding National Food Security Act funds from West Bengal for not displaying the outgoing PM’s face on ration shops. In an attempt to coerce the state government into displaying sign boards and flexes featuring the outgoing PM’s photos, the Centre has withheld Rs 7,000 crore of paddy procurement funds,” Ramesh charged.
He said this could seriously hinder the state’s paddy procurement and the availability of rice for the public distribution system.
“Why has the outgoing PM so callously neglected the health and wellbeing of the people of West Bengal? Is his publicity more important than people’s daily food?” the Congress leader asked.
He said in April 2017, the CBI filed an FIR against then TMC MP Adhikari in connection with the Narada scam.
In April 2019, the CBI sought sanction from the Lok Sabha speaker to prosecute him and in December 2020, Adhikari joined the BJP, and the CBI never received the Lok Sabha speaker’s sanction.
Similarly, he said, TMC leader Tapas Roy was raided by the ED in January this year in connection with a money laundering case and by March, he had also joined the BJP. Just a few months prior to his joining, Adhikari had alleged that Roy was involved in a municipal recruitment scam but this allegation also “disappeared” once Roy joined the party, he alleged.
“The PM’s ‘Bhrashtachar Hatao’ slogan is shamelessly plastered all over the country even as his party is busy handing tickets to corrupt politicians.
“Can the outgoing PM shed any light on why CBI and ED action against these leaders has been stalled? How can the BJP make pretensions to eradicating corruption when their ‘washing machine’ is clearly at full spin in West Bengal?” Ramesh asked in his post.
He also alleged that the government has blocked the National Health Mission funding to over 11,000 sub-health centres in West Bengal. These sub-health centres form the first line of defence for India’s poor – they are staffed by nurses and provide vaccines for children, tablets, and medicines for common fever, malaria, TB, and other infectious diseases, he claimed.
While the sub-centres are supposed to be called Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, the state government had named them Sushasthya Centres, he claimed, adding that in a letter on November 25 last year, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) wrote to states, ordering them to rename sub-centres “Ayushman Arogya Mandir” and paint them orange.
The medical community has criticised this attempt by the BJP to “saffronise” medical centres, and the state government has refused to implement it, he said.
“In a petty and vindictive move, the Modi Sarkar seems to have blocked funds just because the state government refused to paint sub-centres a different colour. This comes after the Centre has already blocked state funds to MGNREGA and a Central housing scheme.
“In their vindictiveness, why is the BJP denying essential health services to the poorest communities in the state? Does the outgoing PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India’s children?” Ramesh asked.
A bench of Justice C.T. Ravi Kumar and Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the directions while disposing of an appeal filed by the mother of a juvenile challenging the order of a juvenile justice board in Karnataka that her son be tried as an adult in a case relating to rape under the POSCO Act
R. Balaji, TT, New Delhi, 29.05.24 : The Supreme Court has passed a slew of guidelines for courts to follow in cases related to juveniles, particularly on the question of whether the juvenile/child in conflict with the law deserves to be treated as an adult for heinous crimes or under the Juvenile Justice Act.
A bench of Justice C.T. Ravi Kumar and Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the directions while disposing of an appeal filed by the mother of a juvenile challenging the order of a juvenile justice board in Karnataka that her son be tried as an adult in a case relating to rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) Act, 2012.
In view of the discussions, the appeal was disposed of with the following directions:
(i) The provision of Section 14(3) of the act, providing for three months for completion of a preliminary assessment (of the juvenile’s mental status) under Section 15 of the act, is not mandatory. The same is held to be directory. The period can be extended for reasons to be recorded in writing by the chief judicial magistrate or as the case may be the chief metropolitan magistrate.
(ii) The words “children’s court” and “court of sessions” in the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and the 2016 rules shall be read interchangeably. Primarily jurisdiction vests in the children’s court.
However, in the absence of constitution of such children’s court in the district, the power to be exercised under the act is vested with the court of sessions.
(iii) Appeal under Section 101(2) of the act against an order of the board passed under Section 15 of the act can be filed within 30 days. The appellate court can entertain the appeal after the expiry of the period, provided sufficient cause is shown. Endeavour has to be made to decide any such appeal filed within 30 days.
(iv) In all the orders passed by the courts, tribunals, boards and the quasi-judicial authorities, the names of the presiding officer and/or the members who sign the orders shall be mentioned. In case any identification number has been given, it can also be added.
(v) The presiding officers and/or members while passing the order shall properly record the presence of the parties and/or their counsels, the purpose for which the matter is being adjourned and the party on whose behalf the adjournment has been sought and granted.
A copy of the judgment will be sent to all the registrar generals of high courts for circulation amongst the judicial officers and the members of the juvenile justice boards, the directors of the National Judicial Academy and the state judicial academies.
The apex court passed the directions after senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and R. Basanth complained that many children’s courts and juvenile justice boards were not following the statutory rules prescribed under the act.
Cong on Rajkot probe
The Congress on Tuesday demanded a probe under the supervision of a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge into the fire at the Rajkot game zone and alleged that the BJP government in Gujarat was “not serious” about taking action in the case.
EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 28, 2024 : Twenty-nine-year-old Tanmoy Kundu, a resident of of Kaliyaganj in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, was declared dead in a hospital on Monday after being brought back from Sandakphu.
There are reports that the bodies of two residents of Yuksom in Sikkim were found on Monday at Chewa Bhanjyang. Both Sandakphu and Chewa Bhanjyang are in the Singalila Range. Kundu along with six others went to Sandakphu, standing at an altitude of 3636 metres, a popular tourist spot 61 km from Darjeeling on May 24, it is believed that the two from Sikkim had started their trekking from somewhere at Gochela, also in Sikkim.
T. Basak, one of the friends that had gone with Kundu, said that on their way to Sandakphu they had made a night halt at Tumling and reached Sandakphu the next day. He said they were to return on May 27.
“On the day we were to return, Kundu complained of stomach aches but we did not take it much seriously as he was saying the pain was minor. But after awhile he started to complain of breathing problems which is when we started to get worried.
A tourist in the next room was a doctor who took a look at him and advised us to admit him to the nearest hospital as soon as possible,” said Basak.
“With no medical facilities at Sandakphu or anywhere near, we hurriedly brought Kundu to the Sukhiapokhri hospital where he was declared dead,” he added.
The hospital at Sukhiapokhri is about 39 km from Sandakphu which Basak claimed took them about two and half hours to reach.
The body was brought to Darjeeling late on Monday night with his autopsy done on Tuesday. The results for the cause of death have not yet been announced.
His family members also arrived in Darjeeling late on Tuesday evening and took the body back home in an ambulance.
Gorkhaland Territorial Administrator Adventure Tourism Department Chief Coordinator Dawa Sherpa said:“ The cause of death could be due to Kundu suffering from high-altitude pulmonary oedema.
The problem nowadays is that tourists from other cities go straight to Sandakphu without acclimatizing. It is learnt that Kundu was complaining of headaches and chest pain from the first day. These are the symptoms of altitude sickness.
”Sherpa said that such sickness was seen among people when they were above 9000 feet whereas Sandakhpu stood at a height of 12,000 feet. “In such cases the only solution is making the person descend to a lower altitude as soon as such symptoms are shown,” said Sherpa.
He also claimed that in Sandakphu there were some trained staff in medical emergencies with oxygen who had managed to save a lady from Bangladesh last week when she complained of similar symptoms.
Speaking about the two bodies also found, Sherpa said: “Two bodies were found by the SSB at Chewa Bhanjyang yesterday in a separate incident. Like Sandakphu, that area also falls in the Singalila Range.
This range starts from Sandakhpu and ends at Chaurikhang in Sikkim which connects to the famous trekking route Gochela. The two could have probably trekked from somewhere there till where the body was found.
The cause of their death is yet not known.”Speaking about preparations at Sandakphu for such emergencies, the GTA tourism department’s chief coordinator said that they had opened an information centre at Manebhanjyang to make tourists aware of many things they should take care of while visiting the area.
He said that tourists however did not make it a point to visit it and straightaway headed to Sandakhpu.
“We are also planning to have a meeting with our higher ups to decide on tourists wanting to go to Sandakhpu being asked to submit a medical certificate. We want to see if they are fit to go there or not, so such things do not happen,” he said
According to the news published by Sikkim News 24, the bodies of the individuals found deceased in Singalila National Park have been identified and transported down the hills for post-mortem examination in Gangtok. The deceased have been confirmed as Puran Gurung, a tourist guide and resident of Yuksam in the Geyzing district, and Sabita Subba, a resident of Tikjek, Geyzing.
According to information from locals, they trekked the Gochala route, stayed at a homestay in the north, and then visited Singalila National Park on May 19. It is suspected that they were struck by lightning, a hazard common in the region.
