National, Politics

BJP seeks CM Mamata’s resignation over ‘severe deterioration’ of law and order in state

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PTI, New Delhi, Jul 01 2024 : The BJP called for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s resignation on Monday over a “severe deterioration” in the state’s law and order after a video of a man flogging a couple in public in West Bengal surfaced on social media.

The man seen in the video beating up a couple with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader from Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district, where the incident occurred following a kangaroo court decision.
The accused, Tajmul alias JCB, was arrested.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia highlighted the flogging incident and questioned the chief minister’s commitment to justice and governance.
During a press conference, he condemned the act as a grave violation of dignity and fundamental rights and criticised Banerjee’s silence.
“It is a shame that she has not spoken a word on this. As a woman and a chief minister, she should be the first to come out and condemn this incident,” Bhatia asserted.
He also alleged that the perpetrator was a leader from Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.
“What makes the matter worse is the fact that the accused happens to be a TMC leader. This is a blatant miscarriage of justice,” the BJP leader claimed.
Bhatia also attacked Banerjee over West Bengal’s governance, accusing the chief minister of failing to maintain law and order.
“Law and order have completely collapsed in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee should resign forthwith as she is unable to ensure the safety and security of citizens,” he said.
Bhatia also highlighted a controversial statement by TMC MLA Hamdulillah, who allegedly justified the incident by referring to justice systems in certain Islamic nations.
“He justified it by saying this kind of justice prevails in Islamic nations, thus endorsing a Talibani style of dispensing justice in a country that believes in the Constitution of India,” Bhatia said.
He also questioned the silence of prominent opposition leaders on the issue.
“Where is Mallikarjun Kharge? Where is Sonia Gandhi? Where is Lalu Prasad Yadav? None of them have made any statement condemning this ghastly incident. Such is their belief in the Constitution of India, or rather, in the Talibani rule of law imposed by the TMC on the citizens of West Bengal,” he said.
Assuring the people of West Bengal and India, Bhatia said, “Our national president JP Nadda has raised this issue and, on behalf of the party, I assure every citizen that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the victims. We believe in the Constitution of India and will ensure that this Talabani kind of government does not exist for another day.
National, Politics

Criminal laws passed ‘forcibly’, INDIA will not allow ‘bulldozer’ justice in par system: Cong

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PTI, NEW DELHI, JULY 1, 2024 :  Three new criminal laws came into effect in the country on Monday, bringing far-reaching changes in India’s criminal justice system. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) take into account some of the current social realities and modern-day crimes. 

The new laws replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. From Monday, all fresh FIRs will be registered under the BNS. However, cases filed earlier will continue to be tried under the old laws till their final disposals. 
The new laws brought in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes. 
The new laws have tried to address some of the current social realities and crimes and are going to provide a mechanism to effectively deal with these, keeping in view the ideals enshrined in the Constitution, official sources said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted the laws, had said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action.”
These laws are made by Indians, for Indians and by an Indian Parliament and marks the end of colonial criminal justice laws,” Shah had said. 
The Home Minister had further said the laws were not just about changing the nomenclature but bringing about a complete overhaul. 
“Soul, body and spirit” of the new laws is Indian,” he had said. Justice is an umbrella term that encompasses both the victim and the culprit, the Home Minister had said and added these new laws would ensure political, economic and social justice with an Indian ethos. 
According to the new laws, judgment in criminal cases has to come within45 days of completion of trial and charges must be framed within 60days of first hearing. Statement of rape victims will be recorded by a woman police officer in presence of her guardian or relative and medical reports have to come within seven days. 
Organised crimes and acts of terrorism have been defined, sedition has been replaced with treason and video recording of all search and seizures made mandatory. 
A new chapter on crimes against women and children has been added, buying and selling of any child made a heinous crime and there is a provision for death sentence or life imprisonment for gang rape of a minor. 
Offences against women and children, murder and offences against the State have been given precedence in the new law. 
With the new laws coming into effect, the Congress on Monday accused the Union government of getting them “forcibly” passed in Parliament after suspending 146 MPs and asserted that going forward, the INDIA bloc will not allow such “bulldozer justice” to prevail in the country’s parliamentary system. 
In a post in Hindi on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “After the political and moral shock in the elections, Modi ji and the BJP are pretending to respect the Constitution, but the truth is that the three laws of the criminal justice system which are being implemented from today, were passed forcibly after suspension of 146MPs.” “INDIA will no longer allow this ‘bulldozer justice’ to prevail in the parliamentary system,” he asserted. 
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the government after the first FIR was lodged under the new laws. “The first FIR has already been filed under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023. 
It is by Delhi Police against a street vendor for obstruction, after he was earning his daily livelihood under a foot-over bridge of New Delhi Railway Station, “Ramesh said. Delhi Police registered its first FIR under provisions of the new criminal code the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against a street vendor selling water and tobacco products from a cart that allegedly obstructed a public way in central Delhi’s Kamala Market area on Monday, officials said.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also slammed the government as the new criminal laws came into effect and said it was another case of “bulldozing” existing laws and replacing them with three new bills without adequate discussion and debate. 
In a post on X, Chidambaram said: “90-99 per cent of the so-called new laws are a cut, copy and paste job. A task that could have been completed with a few amendments to the existing three laws has been turned into a wasteful exercise.” 
“Yes, there are a few improvements in the new laws and we have welcomed them. They could have been introduced as amendments. 
On the other hand, there are several retrograde provisions. Some changes are prima facie unconstitutional,” he said. MPs, who were members of the standing committee, pored over the provisions and wrote detailed dissent notes to the three Bills, the senior leader said. Chidambaram added the government did not rebut or answer any of the criticisms in the dissent notes and there was no worthwhile debate in Parliament. “Law scholars, bar associations, judges and lawyers have in numerous articles and seminars pointed out the grave deficiencies in the three new laws. No one in government has cared to answer the questions,” he said. Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the Congress’ concern was that the bills were passed without discussion.
“Something as important and as far reaching as this. Many of us had called for an overhaul of the IPC but we wanted a discussion and the discussion never took place and that is something very regrettable in a democracy like ours,” he told reporters outside Parliament. 
Crime, Techno/ Science, West Bengal

Rampant sharing of personal info on internet often results in child abuse: WBCPCR

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WBCPCR Chairperson Tulika Das said the traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media platforms to lure children into their traps.
Rampant sharing of personal info on internet often results in child abuse: WBCPCR: File Photo: Representational Image

IANS | New Delhi | July 1, 2024 : Rampant sharing of personal information on social media by children often results in events of child abuse, child trafficking, and child marriage, according to the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR).

WBCPCR Chairperson Tulika Das said the traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media platforms to lure children into their traps.

This matter also came up during a programme organised to observe ‘State Child Protection Day’ by the WBCPCR in collaboration with the UNICEF.

According to Das, children are becoming increasingly vulnerable, and many incidents of child trafficking, child marriage, child abuse, and child pornography are taking place as traffickers take to the internet to dupe them.

Cautioning that traffickers and other unscrupulous persons use fake identities on social media to lure children into their traps, Das emphasised that it is necessary to make the children aware of the pitfalls of careless sharing of personal information and photos on the internet by making it a part of the school curriculum.

“WBCPCR recommends that digital literacy be included in the school curriculum and taught in a child-friendly way to safeguard them when they study or play or make friends on the internet,” she said.

The Commission has already released anti-trafficking posters, audio messages, and music videos to create awareness on this matter.

The UNICEF also works closely with the WBCPCR on various child safety programmes in the state.

According to the chief of UNICEF in West Bengal, Prabhat Kumar, both children and adults should be careful when using the internet.

“You must think before posting, sharing, and accepting any information or data on the internet. Always inform your friends, relatives, or the police if you find someone becoming a victim of cyberbullying,” Kumar said.
Crime, Regional

Malda: Class VIII student kidnapped for Rs 60L ransom

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MP, 30 June 2024, Malda: A Class VIII student of Boronagar Danga area under Kaliachak Police Station was allegedly kidnapped for ransom of Rs 60 lakh. 

The police started an investigation and arrested one in the incident though the 14-year-old abducted boy is yet to be rescued. 
The family and the villagers are in deep anxiety over the situation. The father of the abducted boy, Enamul Hoque, has filed a complaint with the police against his brother and nephew for this. Hoque said: “My son went to the field to graze our goats at around 4.30 pm on Friday but didn’t return though the goats returned on their own. We searched for him but in vain. 
We then received ransom calls asking for Rs 60 lakh for his release else they would kill my son. 
I am merely a door-to-door vendor of readymade clothes, from where will I manage so much money. There’s a family dispute with my brother and sister over ancestral property so I filed a complaint against my brother and nephew.” 
Meanwhile, in another incident three school students of Class IX drowned in the River Ganga at Birnagar under Baishnabnagar Police Station at around 9.30 am on Saturday. 
The deceased have been identified as Akash Mondal (14), Krishna Saha (15) and Tushar Saha (14) of which only the body of Akash could be recovered from the river till Sunday afternoon. The search is still on for the others. 
These students of Birnagar High School had reached the banks of the river in school uniform to bathe. The local fishermen hearing the cry of other students managed to save one though the others could not be found.
A large contingent of police and disaster management personnel reached the spot and started the search with divers and speed boats. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/malda-class-viii-student-kidnapped-for-rs-60l-ransom-570010
Crime, International, Regional

Bangladeshi nationals held for illegally entering India

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MP, 30 June 2024: Siliguri: The Special Task Force (STF) Siliguri, apprehended two Bangladeshi nationals from the India-Bangladesh border for illegally entering India from Bangladesh on Saturday night. 

The accused have been identified as Junait Minia (21 years) and Kabir Hossain (22 years), residents of Bangladesh. 
Police sources said that based on secret information, a special team of STF raided the India-Bangladesh border in Fulbari on Saturday night, where they arrested the accused as they illegally crossed the border without any valid document. 
During the preliminary interrogation, those arrested said that they had come to India from Bangladesh in search of work. 
The accused were produced at Jalpaiguri District Court on Sunday. Meanwhile, the STF West Bengal arrested one more Bangladeshi National named Sarif Mondal (64 years) of Dhaka, Bangladesh from Cooch Behar. 
Sources said, he had entered the North East states of India illegally from Bangladesh and later came to Cooch Behar for some illegal activity. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/bangladeshi-nationals-held-570012
National

Airport canopy collapses bare faults, structural engineers challenge ‘rain’ narrative

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Each airport canopy collapse — Jabalpur, Delhi and Rajkot — was preceded by or occurred during heavy rainfall. But engineers say the excessive rainwater would by itself have, at its worst, exacerbated the underlying issues of concern that resulted in the catastrophic structural failures
Parked vehicles damaged by the collapse of a canopy at Delhi airport on Friday.: PTI picture

G.S. Mudur, TT, New Delhi, 30.06.24 : The structural failures that have triggered the back-to-back airport canopy collapses in Jabalpur, Delhi and Rajkot demand detailed investigation, sections of structural engineers said on Saturday, challenging the narrative blaming the failures on excessive rainfall.

Each airport canopy collapse — Jabalpur on Thursday, Delhi on Friday and Rajkot on Saturday — was preceded by or occurred during heavy rainfall. But engineers say the excessive rainwater would by itself have, at its worst, exacerbated the underlying issues of concern that resulted in the catastrophic structural failures.
Authorities have sought to link the failures to heavy rainfall. The Jabalpur airport director Rajeev Ratna Pandey, for instance, told the PTI news agency that the canopy had collapsed after water accumulated over it because of the rain. “It ripped under the weight of the water and the water fell with great force on a car.”

Structural engineers, however, believe there are lessons to be learned from each of the three failures.

“Rain or water load should not be a challenge for either steel or concrete structures,” Sangeeta Wij, a former vice-president of the Indian Association of Structural Engineers (IASE), an apex professional body, told The Telegraph.

Large structures are typically constructed from steel sections with fixed or hinged joints and one possible line of investigation, she said, would be to focus on the joints. There are multiple ways to execute the joints — through welding, bolts or connectors.

“Joints need to be executed with perfection — execution needs to match the original design intent. And lack of appropriate execution can make the joint vulnerable,” she added.

Under heavy rain or strong wind conditions, Wij said, a vulnerable joint may be unable to absorb the ballooning effect from the wind and could cause structural instability that could lead to a collapse.

Poor maintenance is another possible source of trouble, said another structural engineer who is an associate professor of civil engineering in a government academic institution.

“Imagine a situation where a joint section is rusted or damaged in some other way. Heavy rain might then push the damage beyond its tipping point,” the engineer, who requested anonymity, told this newspaper.

“Rainwater is not directly responsible but it could act on an already weak area. Adequate maintenance and timely repair could prevent such failures.”

Wij and others in the structural engineering community are hoping the airport canopy failures would prompt greater introspection about what to prioritise during construction projects that they say are increasingly executed through engineering procurement construction (EPC) contracts and in exceedingly tighter time schedules.

“Sometimes, under EPC contracts, the focus seems to be first on the cost, then on aesthetics, and then on structural safety,” said Wij.

Damaged roof of the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal- 1, in New Delhi, Saturday, June 29, 2024. Operations at the Terminal 1 have been suspended following a roof collapse incident on Friday that killed one person and injured six others.:PTI

Some engineers say the absence of regulatory oversight on the practice of structural engineering keeps a window open for “unscrupulous engineers” to prioritise the contractors’ demands over structural safety.

The IASE, in a quarterly newsletter titled Crosfall (Confidential Reporting of Structural Failures and Lessons Learnt), has since July 2022 analysed several incidents — the failure of a precast arch over an expressway, the collapse of a canopy over a railway platform, and the collapse of a 95m bridge, among others.

“In our country, more often than not, the system of review of structural designs and drawings by senior structural engineers is missing,” an anonymous engineer had flagged two years ago in Crosfall.

The analyses in Crosfall have identified poor structural design, a mismatch between design and execution, and hasty construction among the causes of the various failures studied.

“Most developed and developing countries have set up regulatory bodies such as engineering councils for their structural engineers. Engineers need to pass an exam and obtain licences, and undergo periodic trainingto maintain their licences,” Wij said.

“We don’t have this. A much-awaited Engineers Bill will bring greater accountability and recognition to the profession, ensuring greater emphasis on structural safety.” 
Crime, Politics, Regional

BJP demands CBI probe into torture of woman party leader in CoochBehar

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Paul, who led a BJP delegation to the Mathabhanga area of the district, claimed that the woman, president of the local unit’s minority morcha, was beaten and stripped by TMC miscreants on June 25 while she was grazing cattle in the field.

PTI, 29 June 2024, Kolkata: BJP state general secretary Agnimitra Paul on Saturday demanded a CBI probe into the alleged incident of stripping and physical torture of a woman leader of the saffron party in West Bengal’s Coochbehar district, accusing police of inaction against the real perpetrators.

Paul, who led a BJP delegation to the Mathabhanga area of the district, claimed that the woman, president of the local unit’s minority morcha, was beaten and stripped by TMC miscreants on June 25 while she was grazing cattle in the field. 

“Under the regime of a woman chief minister, a woman representing the mothers, sisters, and the minority community of Bengal was beaten, stripped, and verbally abused in public by a local TMC leader and his associates.

“Police and the government are turning a blind eye to such blatant violence against a woman. We have no faith in this administration. We demand a CBI probe,” she said.

Paul and other BJP leaders briefly blocked the road in Choupti near the police lines and later met Additional SP and the woman involved.

However, a police officer said the incident appeared to be a domestic dispute, and seven out of the ten persons named in the FIR have been arrested. The remaining three will be apprehended soon, he added.

TMC spokesperson Partha Pratim Roy countered BJP’s claims, stating that they were politicising a family dispute following their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Coochbehar.

BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government was diverting attention from the incident by suddenly highlighting issues like hawkers encroaching on pavements.

“I have personally spoken to the traumatised woman. She is experiencing pain in her head. We are arranging for her treatment in Kolkata,” Majumdar told reporters.

Another TMC spokesperson Trinankur Bhattacharya told PTI that BJP was trying to politicise every minor incident to disrupt peace in Bengal after their electoral defeat and discredit the state government. “They are making baseless allegations. In every unfortunate incident, police take action and apprehend the culprits. However, these people do not belong to our party,” he added.  
National

NTA announces new exam dates for postponed UGC NET, CSIR-UGC NET

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National Common Entrance Test (NCET) for admission to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), which was postponed hours before its scheduled commencement on June 12, will now be conducted on July 10

PTI, 29.06.24 : Amid a raging row over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams, the National Testing Agency (NTA) Friday night released fresh dates for cancelled and postponed examinations, announcing the UGC-NET will now be held from August 21-September 4.

The University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) was cancelled a day after being conducted on June 18 as the education ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said the question paper was leaked on the darknet and circulated on the Telegram app. The matter is being probed by the CBI.

The UGC-NET is a test to determine the eligibility for the award of Junior Research Fellowship, for appointment of assistant professors and admission to PhD courses.

In a shift from the earlier pattern, the exam was conducted in offline mode this year and on a single day. However, the rescheduled exam will be conducted according to the earlier pattern of Computer Based Test (CBT) spread across a fortnight.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) UGC-NET, which was postponed as a preemptive measure amid the row over alleged irregularities in the conduct of exams, will now be held from July 25-July 27.

The CSIR UGC-NET is accepted for PhD admissions in Chemical Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, Ocean and Planetary Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences.

The National Common Entrance Test (NCET) for admission to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP), which was postponed hours before its scheduled commencement on June 12, will now be conducted on July 10.

The test is held for select central and state universities or institutions, including IITs, NITs, RIEs, and government colleges.

In the line of fire over the alleged irregularities in medical entrance examination NEET-UG and PhD entrance NET, the Centre had last week notified a panel to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the NTA.

While the NEET is under scanner over several alleged irregularities, including paper leak, the UGC-NET was cancelled as the ministry received inputs that the integrity of the exam was compromised.

Two other exams — CSIR-UGC NET and NEET-PG — were cancelled as a preemptive step.
Crime, International, Regional

One more arrest in SIM box case with Bangladesh connection

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MP, 28 June 2024, Siliguri: One more person was arrested in the SIM box recovery case in Fulbari. On Thursday night, the Detective department arrested a man named Abdul Kader from the Berubari area. While interrogating him, police came to know that he used to exchange SIM cards between India and Bangladesh.


Sabbir Ali, the prime accused of the case was arrested on May 16, leading to the recovery of the SIM boxes by the Special Operation Group (SOG), Detective Department (DD) and Police of New Jalpaiguri Police Station at a store in Jatiyakali near the India-Bangladesh border. There, they seized three SIM boxes with numerous slots, 93 SIM cards, technical gadgets, counterfeit voter and Aadhaar cards, licenses and other documents. Police have confirmed that the owner of the store, Sabbir Ali, was running an illegal telephone exchange racket by using these SIM box machines, causing a loss of revenue to the department of Telecom. Later, two more people were arrested in the case. With Abdul’s arrest a total of four persons have been arrested in the case so far. The accused was produced at Jalpaiguri court on Friday.
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-welcomes-jkhands-former-cm-sorens-bail-569890?infinitescroll=1 
National, Politics

Opposition forces repeated adjournments in Parliament over NEET issue

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 28, 2024 :  The opposition caused repeated disruptions in Parliament Friday over the NEET paper leak issue, with both Houses being adjourned for the day without transacting much business apart from the Rajya Sabha taking up the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address amid protests including by the BJD, which almost always supported the BJP in the previous Lok Sabha.

    
At one point, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge too entered the Well of the House to join the opposition protest.

The Lok Sabha was first adjourned minutes after it assembled at 11 am, and then when it reassembled around 12 noon, it was adjourned till Monday amid the opposition’s demand for a discussion on the issue.

Rajya Sabha also witnessed a series of disruptions before being adjourned for the day around 6 pm. But even during the time the House functioned, much of the time was taken up by the Opposition parties registering their protest by rasing slogans and entering into the Well of the House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed anguish over Kharge trooping into the Well, saying it is for the first time that a person occupying the post has engaged in such a conduct.

The opposition was relentless in their protest in Lok Sabha also which led to its first adjournment of the day minutes after the members assembled.

When the House reassembled at 12 noon, opposition members continued with their demand for a discussion on matters related to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Speaker Om Birla and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told opposition members that they can discuss the matter during the course of the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

Birla said there are certain norms of Parliament that have to be followed and committees have to be formed, to which Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said students are not aware of it. They are only demanding justice.
    
As members from the Congress, TMC and DMK stormed into the Well, Rijiju said it is for the first time that the opposition is seen demanding a discussion on an issue before the House takes up the Motion of Thanks.

“There is a difference between protest on the road and protest inside the House… You (Opposition) don’t want House to run? You don’t want to discuss NEET during Motion of Thanks discussion?” Birla said.

As the House continued to see uproar, Birla adjourned the proceedings till Monday.

Amid din, TMC member S K Nurul Islam took oath as a Lok Sabha member from his seat as he was visibly unwell.

Earlier when the House met in morning, opposition members were up on their feet seeking the acceptance of an adjournment motion to suspend all business and discuss matters related to NEET.

However, Birla said he would first take up the obituary references to 13 former members, including ex-Lok Sabha speaker and ex-Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi.

When the obituary references were over, the opposition members were on their feet again.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the NEET issue is a very important for the whole country and they want a dedicated discussion in the House on the matter. Hence, the adjournment motion should be accepted, he said.

However, Birla said he could not allow it as the House was about to take up the discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday.

Back in the Rajya Sabha, BJD members joined other opposition parties in their protests.

In the previous Lok Sabha, the BJD was seen siding with the BJP. But after losing to the BJP in the just-held assembly elections in Odisha and failing to open its account in the Lok Sabha, the BJD has joined hands with other opposition parties in targeting the BJP.

Soon after laying of the listed papers on the table of the House during the morning session, Dhankhar informed that he has not accepted 22 notices by the opposition leaders to suspend the scheduled business of the day and take up discussion on the alleged irregularities in the NEET.

This led to protest by opposition MPs. They started raising slogans and several of them entered into the Well.

When Kharge joined his colleagues in the Well, Dhankhar said, “I am pained and surprised that Indian parliamentary tradition will stoop to such low that the leader of the opposition will troop into the Well,” he said, before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm.

The House later took up the discussions on the Motion of the Thanks before adjourning for the day around 6 pm.

Earlier, when the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2:30 pm, DMK member Tiruchi Siva informed the House that Congress MP Phulo Devi Netam, who had fainted earlier, had high blood pressure.

In response, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, “I have taken all steps, suspended the working of the House. All arrangements were made and that was the most that could be done. Everything is being taken care of.”

However, the opposition was apparently not satisfied and started sloganeering. Soon after, they staged a walkout and were also joined by members of the Biju Janta Dal (BJD). 
Regional

Mamata Banerjee: Any councillor in whose area public space is occupied by hawkers will be arrested

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 Bengal chief minister continues to read out the riot act in a meeting with stakeholders on encroachments on urban spaces

TT Bureau, Calcutta, 27.06.24 : Two days after bulldozers were pressed into action in different parts of Calcutta and rest of Bengal to clear encroachments, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced she was not in favour of using bulldozers.

“My policy is not to allow settlers and then use bulldozers. I want restrictions to be imposed from the beginning,” she said at the state secretariat in a televised meeting with state ministers, bureaucrats, police and hawkers’ union representatives.

Carrying on with her strong stance against unauthorised occupants and their links with the local police and party bosses, Mamata threatened action.

“Any local councillor or leader in whose areas public space is occupied by hawkers will be arrested,” she said. “One local leader, we got him arrested in Dabgram-Fulbari.”

What Mamata Banerjee said about police, hawkers, and meetings in public spaces
test
She continued to fume over Calcutta’s pavements being occupied by hawkers and encroachments.

“Look at Hatibagan, there is no space left for the pedestrians and vehicles. Just because they can raise money from these people does not mean they can hand over the entire road to anyone. Learn to control your greed,” Mamata advised her party leaders.

“In front of the zoo, the pavement is completely occupied and they have spilled on the road. It is a security hazard. Same with the Grand arcade. Several important people visit the Grand hotel. It is a security risk.”

In two consecutive meetings now, Mamata has accused her party leaders, along with the opposition BJP, of illegally selling government land.

During Thursday’s meeting, she accused the BJP’s ideological parent, the RSS, of filling up a pond in Asansol and erecting a three-storey building.

“I am not saying this without evidence. How could they fill up a pond? Check the papers and find out what happened there,” Mamata instructed the government officials.

Mamata also accused the BJP of running the most number of “illegal parkings”. The chief minister asked Calcutta police chief Vineet Goyal to submit a list of illegal parking in the city.

“The police and local politicians sell parking spots. We will find out if these spots can be legalised. If that is possible, fresh tenders will be floated,” Mamata said.

She also expressed her displeasure with buildings in Siliguri coloured red and saffron.

“Even the Metro stations have been painted saffron. Why? I don’t use my party colours. We have the state colour [white and sky blue]. Send the colour samples to these places,” she said.

On Wednesday, leader of Opposition in the state, the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, had alleged Mamata’s bulldozer action was limited to areas like Gariahat and Hatibagan in the city area, while other parts like New Market, Rajabazar and Kidderpore were spared.

Mamata, during Thursday’s meeting, instructed Calcutta police, mayor Firhad Hakim, the municipal corporation and others to carry out a survey in Hatibagan and the Grand hotel arcade.

“Don’t take bulldozers. Find out how it can be sorted. If necessary, they have to be shifted. Why are we not building markets for them?” Mamata said.

The chief minister suggested that buildings be identified or built for the hawkers to keep their wares during the night.

“It is not possible for the hawkers to take their wares back home. Many of them live in far-off areas. Buildings should be identified close to the hawking zones so that it is convenient for them,” she said.

The urban and municipal secretaries were asked to visit all districts and identify zones where such buildings can be constructed.

The chief minister said the government has failed to explain the state’s position on unauthorised occupation to the high court.

“A meeting should be arranged with the chief justice so that we can explain the government’s stand,” said Mamata.
Regional

State to streamline online process of building plan sanction

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MP, 27 June 2024, Kolkata: The Panchayats and Rural Development (P&RD) department is further streamlining its online process of building plan sanctions to rule out the involvement of Panchayat officials and employees in the process. 

The move comes after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in an administrative meeting on Monday accused a section of officials of allowing illegal construction by accepting monetary favour. 
The real estate boom is gradually creeping into Panchayat areas. Banerjee in the meeting alluded to such construction of buildings and said: “Buildings are coming up but in many places there is no space for a fire tender to enter in case of any incident. Some are accepting money and allowing such constructions. There should be a system for curbing this in the panchayat area.” 
Now, though applications for building plans can be made online, there are various steps from application to approval where manual work is involved, thus necessitating reliance on employees and officials. 
Hence, the department is streamlining its online system so that the entire process is in online mode. Building rules in rural areas are being integrated in the online system. Any deviation in the building plan will be detected in the system.
 Senior officials of the P&RD department will be able to monitor the entire process centrally. The common application portal will also have facilities for certificates associated with the clearance of fire, water connection, power etc. 
Now the applicant has to find a building surveyor on his own. With the streamlining of the portal, the state would furnish a list of blockwise licensed building surveyors (LBS). 
The applicant can click on such a list of LBS in his concerned block and get assistance for the preparation of the building plan and submission of the same. The option for downloading the clearance certificate will also be integrated in the online system. 
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-stalls-eviction-drive-for-a-month-directs-setting-up-hawker-zones-569736?infinitescroll=1
West Bengal

Centre okays proposals worth Rs 860 Cr for Bengal under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0

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There are 118 legacy-waste dumpsites in West Bengal, of which only 5 per cent waste has been remediated, the statement said
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 27, 2024 :  The Union housing and urban affairs ministry has approved proposals worth Rs 860.35 crore for West Bengal under the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), according to a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the ministry, during the first phase of SBM-U (2014-19), a total fund of Rs 911.34 crore was allocated to West Bengal, which has been increased by one-and-a-half times to Rs 1,449.30 crore in SBM-U 2.0 (2021-26).
There are 118 legacy-waste dumpsites in West Bengal, of which only 5 per cent waste has been remediated, the statement said.
The Dhapa landfill, Kolkata’s main municipal dumping ground since 1987, has been undergoing biomining and bioremediation, the methods chosen by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for clearing legacy waste which allow extraction of usable materials from the waste.
“Cities in West Bengal generate around 4,046 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day. Under SBM-U 2.0, the state has proposed projects to manage this huge quantity of waste that includes over 4,800 composting plants and 4,500 material recovery facilities (MRFs).
“To facilitate disposal of solid waste in an environmentally-safe manner, 2,216 secured landfill facilities (SLFs) have been proposed by the state. The state has received a major push for waste to energy with the ministry’s approval for 460 compressed bio-gas (CBG) plants,” the statement said.
Proposals worth Rs 217 crore have been approved under SBM-U 2.0 for the remediation of legacy-waste dumpsites in more than 100 urban local bodies, it added.
“To maintain a seamless flow of funds for managing sanitation and waste management, the Government of India released an additional tranche of Rs 209 crore to fast-track the proposed projects by the state.
“The target is to have waste-processing plants in all cities of the state by 2026 under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban,” it said.
National, Politics

Rahul meets Speaker, says reference to Emergency could have been avoided

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 27, 2024 :  Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla on Thursday and voiced his displeasure over the reference to Emergency made by the chair, saying it was “clearly political” and could have been avoided.

    
It was a courtesy call during which Gandhi also raised the issue of Emergency being invoked by the Speaker in the House, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters after the meeting in the Parliament House.

“It was a courtesy call. The Speaker declared Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition and after that, he along with other INDIA bloc partner leaders met the Speaker,” he said.

Asked whether Gandhi discussed the issue of Emergency being raised in the House, Venugopal said, “We discussed so many things about Parliament functioning. Of course, this issue also came up.”

“Rahul ji, as Leader of Opposition, informed the Speaker about this issue and said it could have been avoided from the Speaker’s reference. That is clearly a political reference, it could have been avoided,” the Congress leader said.

Separately, Venugopal also wrote to Birla, expressing the party’s displeasure over the bringing of the resolution on the Emergency as his first task after assuming office.

“I am writing this in the context of a very grave matter impacting the very credibility of the institution of Parliament. Yesterday, that is 26 June 2024, at the time of offering felicitations on your election as Speaker Lok Sabha, there was a general camaraderie in the House as such occasions generate,” he said in his letter to the Speaker.

“However, what followed thereafter, which is a reference from the Chair after your acceptance speech, in regard to the declaration of Emergency half a century ago, is deeply shocking. Making such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of the history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ of a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions.

“I, on behalf of the Indian National Congress, express our profound concern and anguish over this travesty of Parliamentary traditions,” Venugopal said in his letter to the Speaker.

Soon after his election as Lok Sabha Speaker, Birla had on Wednesday set off a firestorm by reading out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency as an attack on the Constitution by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, an act that triggered vociferous protests by Congress member in the House.
    
Birla recalled that it was on June 26, 1975, that the country woke up to the cruel realities of Emergency when the Congress government jailed opposition leaders, imposed many restrictions on the media and also curbed the autonomy of the judiciary.
    
Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with the Speaker was the first after he assumed charge as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
    
He was accompanied by Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav and Dimple Yadav, DMK’s Kanimozhi, NCP’s (SP) Supriya Sule, RJDs Misa Bharti and TMC’s Kalyan Banerjee, RSP’s N K Premachandran and some others.
Crime, Northeast

Huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered in Manipur

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 During a search operation at Keinou Maning near the High Canal in Bishnupur district, one SMG carbine, one 9 mm pistol, nine high-explosive grenades, two smoke bombs and different types of ammunition were found, say police

PTI, Imphal, 27.06.24 : Security forces recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition during search operations conducted in parts of Imphal East and Bishnupur districts, the police said on Thursday.

Eleven grenades, six IEDs, five .303 rifles, three detonators, a carbine, one handgun, various types of bombs and ammunition, besides four walkie-talkies and two radio sets were found.

The recoveries were made during “search operations and area domination conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts”, the state police said in a statement.

Imphal East district is in the valley area while a portion of Bishnupur district is in the hills.

During a search operation at Keinou Maning near the High Canal in Bishnupur district, one SMG carbine, one 9 mm pistol, nine high-explosive grenades, two smoke bombs and different types of ammunition were found, the police said.

In another operation at the hill ranges of Sanasabi Natum Ching in Imphal East district, five .303 rifles, two 12-bore guns, three long-range improvised heavy Mortars, one 9mm Pistol six Improvised Explosive Bombs and other items were recovered.

Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles said that the para-military force in coordination with CRPF and Manipur Police conducted a joint combing operation in Jiribam district on Wednesday after miscreants attempted to torch an abandoned house.
Politics, Sikkim

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

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

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

Manipur: Women protesters demand solution to ongoing crisis

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


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

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

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