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

June 29, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 29, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 29, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 28, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 28, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 28, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 28, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 27, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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.

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

June 27, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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

June 27, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

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.

Politics, West Bengal

Newly elected TMC MLAs fail to take oath, Guv leaves for Delhi

June 27, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

PTI, Kolkata, Jun 26, 2024 : The deadlock over the swearing-in of two newly elected TMC legislators continued on Wednesday as West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose refused to hold the programme in the assembly as requested by them, and instead left for New Delhi, officials said.

Miffed by the development, the two MLAs, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, said they would again write to the Governor and would continue their sit-in protest on Thursday too inside the assembly premises.

“Today we waited till 4 PM but the Governor didn’t come. We would again write to the Governor and request him to administer the oath here at the assembly. Tomorrow again we would sit near the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar and protest against the injustice,” Bandopadhyay said after a meeting with Speaker Biman Banerjee, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chottoapadhyay along with Sarkar.

Raj Bhavan had earlier invited the two, who were elected to the assembly in recent by-polls, to take the oath at the Governor’s House on Wednesday.

However, the TMC claimed that the convention dictates that in the case of by-poll winners, the governor assigns the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the assembly to administer the oath.

According to sources at Raj Bhavan, the governor left for New Delhi in the evening.

Earlier in the day, the two MLAs arrived at the assembly and stated their intention to wait for the governor till 4 pm to administer their oath of office or authorize the Speaker to do so.

They also staged a sit-in on the staircase of the assembly demanding the same.

“We came to know that he had left for New Delhi. We are not nominated but elected representatives of the people. We are accountable to the masses. We are hopeful of taking the oath in the assembly,” Bandyopadhyay said.

Speaker Biman Banerjee, who expressed his displeasure over the situation, accused Bose of turning the swearing-in ritual into an “ego battle” and intentionally complicating the issue.

He claimed that an impasse was deliberately created for reasons best known to the governor.

“We were waiting for the governor to come to the assembly, but he didn’t come. Such an impasse is not at all expected. The governor has turned it into an ego battle. He is exercising his powers. I will also consult legal experts to understand my powers,” Banerjee said.

Calling the swearing-in of MLAs a “Constitutional convention”, the Speaker said he considered it a “misfortune” to witness such developments in current times.

The Speaker said he wasn’t aware of any instance where an MP who won a by-poll was sworn in by the President of India.

“Until we take the oath, we cannot function as MLAs. The people of our constituencies are suffering,” Bandyopadhyay said.

Bandyopadhyay and Sarkar were elected from Baranagar near Kolkata and Bhagwangola in Murshidabad district, respectively.

The latest faceoff between the Bengal Governor and the state’s ruling TMC was triggered by a Raj Bhavan communication a few days back inviting the two newly elected MLAs to be present at Raj Bhavan on July 26 for their swearing-in ceremony.

The act, the TMC alleged, was in defiance of the custom of the Governor assigning the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker of the House to do the needful in cases of by-poll winners.

The Raj Bhavan letter also reportedly has no mention of who would administer the oath to the new MLAs.

Crime, International, Regional

बाल यौन दुरूपयोग मुद्दामा रामबहादुर बमजन दोषी ठहर: सजाय निर्धारण असार १७ गते

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

सेतोपाटी संवाददाता, काठमाडौं, असार १० : सर्लाही जिल्ला अदालतले बाल यौन दुरूपयोग मुद्दामा रामबहादुर बमजनलाई दोषी ठहर गरेको छ।

सोमबार न्यायाधीश जीवनकुमार भण्डारीको इजलासले दोषी ठहर गरेको स्रेस्तेदार सदन अधिकारीले जानकारी दिए। सजाय निर्धारण भने असार १७ गतेलाई तोकिएको उनले बताए।

उनका अनुसार अन्य दुई प्रतिवादी ज्ञानबहादुर र डिगबाहदुर सफाइ पाएका छन्।

रौतहटकी गंगामाया तामाङले आफू आश्रममा बस्दा बलात्कार गरेको आरोप लगाउँदै बमजनविरूद्ध जाहेरी दिएकी थिइन्।

बालबालिका सम्बन्धी ऐनको हद म्याद अनुसार उनीविरूद्ध मुद्दा दायर गरिएको थियो। आफू बालिका हुँदा भएको यौनशोषण तथा बलात्कारविरूद्ध १८ वर्ष पुगेपछि उजुरी दिन पाइने कानुनी व्यवस्था छ। गंगामायाले यही कानुनी व्यवस्था अनुसार १८ वर्षपुगेपछि जाहेरी दिएकी थिइन्। बमजनले २०७३ साल साउन २० गते आफूमाथि बलात्कार गरेको उनको आरोप थियो। उक्त जाहेरी परेपछि प्रहरीले अनुसन्धान अघि बढाएको थियो। प्रहरी अनुसन्धानप्रतिवेदनका आधारमा जिल्ला सरकारी वकिल कार्यालयले बमजनविरूद्ध १२ देखि १४ वर्षसम्म कैद सजाय र मनासिव क्षतिपूर्तिको माग गर्दै मुद्दा दायर गरेको थियो।

१४ वर्षदेखि १६ वर्षसम्मका बालिकालाई बलात्कार गरे १२ देखि १४ वर्षसम्मको कैद सजाय हुने कानुनी व्यवस्था छ।

गंगामायाले पहिलोपटक झण्डै ६ वर्षअघि काठमाडौंमा पत्रकार सम्मेलन गर्दै आफूमाथि बमजनले बलात्कार गरेको आरोप लगाएकी थिइन्। त्यसपछि सेतोपाटीले तीन महिना लामो अनुसन्धानपछि २०७५ साल पुस ११ गते बमजनका कर्तुतको फेहरिस्त तयार पारेर एकैसाथ चार स्टोरी प्रकाशित गरेको थियो।

सेतोपाटीमा समाचार प्रकाशन भएपछि आफ्ना छोरी, छोरा र बावु बेपत्ता पारेको भन्दै पाँचपरिवारले त्यतिवेलै प्रहरीमा उजुरी दिएका थिए। बमजन विरूद्ध विभिन्न प्रहरी कार्यालयमा आफ्नो आश्रममा बस्ने पाँच अनुयायीलाई बेपत्ता पारेको, तीमध्ये कम्तीमा एक जनाको हत्या गरेको लगायतका आरोप छन्।

उनलाई प्रहरीले गत पुस २४ गते बूढानीलकण्ठबाट पक्राउ गरेको थियो। पक्राउ परेका बमजनमाथि प्रहरीको केन्द्रीय अनुसन्धान व्यूरोले विभिन्न कसुरमा छानबिन गरिरहेको छ।

प्रहरीद्वारा रामबहादुर बमजन पक्राउ

https://kalimpongonlinenews.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-post.html

Regional, West Bengal

‘Rodents cut wire and caused short circuit’: Holong Bungalow fire probe smells a rat

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

‘Those who have stayed in the Holong Bungalow are familiar with the presence of rats. According to the primary report, the rats cut through the electric wires, leading to a short circuit’

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT, Calcutta, 26.06.24 :

The Holong Bungalow in Alipurduar’s Jaldapara National Park.: Sourced by the Telegraph.

In Bihar they have acquired a reputation for swilling litres of liquor confiscated by the police. In north Bengal, now, they are becoming fabled as spitfires. Rats. What’s one to make of them?

A primary investigation by the forest department has blamed rats for the June 19 fire that gutted the 57-year-old wooden Holong Bungalow in Alipurduar’s Jaldapara National Park.

A source said a five-member committee, formed immediately after the fire at the bungalow that was once a favourite retreat of former chief minister Jyoti Basu, had suggested that rats had cut the electric wire, causing a short circuit that triggered the devastating fire.

However, the evidence is not conclusive as the building, and all wires, had been destroyed by the fire.

“Those who have stayed in the Holong Bungalow are familiar with the presence of rats. According to the primary report, the rats cut through the electric wires, leading to a short circuit. As the bungalow was made of wood, we got no time to save it,” forest minister Birbaha Hansda, to whom the committee has submitted its report, told The Telegraph.

The fire broke out around 9.30pm on June 19 at the conference hall of the bungalow and spread throughout the entire property.

Hansda said the forest department was waiting for reports submitted separately by the police and the fire and emergency services departments.

“The two agencies are conducting independent probes into the fire incident, and that is why we are waiting for their reports to see if they differ from ours,” she added.

The bungalow on the banks of the Holong stream was built in 1967 as a forest inspection house with eight double-bedded rooms. Five rooms are currently with the state tourism department and the remaining three are dedicated to forest officials on duty.

The Holong Bungalow was the first choice of tourists visiting the Dooars region because of its prime location, with frequent sightings of one-horned rhinos, elephants, leopards and deer. The animals visit the salt pit in front of the bungalow.

Apart from former chief minister Basu, Mamata Banerjee has also stayed at the property several times. Other important persons who have been to the

bungalow are former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, several of his cabinet colleagues, former governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi and author Samaresh Majumdar.

Initially, foresters had suspected that a short circuit from air-conditioners could be the source of the fire. However, during the investigation, the probe team found out that all the air-conditioners and geysers had been disconnected from the power source when the bungalow stopped taking in visitors on June 15 in keeping with annual protocol. Forest bungalows in Bengal cannot be booked for three months during the monsoon starting June 15 as this is the mating period for wild animals.

“However, the electricity connection had been kept on to illuminate the building, mainly the facade. After talking to the staff, we learnt that rats had previously created trouble by cutting power wires. That is why we find reason to believe that this time too such a thing has happened, resulting in a spark,” said a forest official.

A senior forest official in Jaldapara said the bungalow was infested with rats. “As the building is made of wood, there is a gap of a few inches between two layers of the walls. Hundreds of rats used to inhabit these spaces. That has been pointed out in the probe report,” a source who has gone through the findings said.

“As the building was old, the wood had become dry. That is why, despite 30 employees reaching the spot within five minutes of spotting the flames, they could not do anything to save it,” he added.

Hansda has said the government will reconstruct the Holong Bungalow and reopen it for tourists. However, a forest official said reconstruction needed permission from the National Board for Wildlife, a body headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

International, National, Politics

Buzz: Indian drones and ammunition used by Israel in Gaza arsenal

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

‘Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons’

An Israeli soldier on a tank near the Israel-Gaza border on Monday. There is no suggestion that the tank was provided by India.: Reuters picture

Anita Joshua, TT, New Delhi , 26.06.24 : A former Israeli ambassador to India has said speculation in the international media about Indian drones and ammunition being used by Israel in Gaza may well be true considering the gratitude New Delhi feels towards Tel Aviv for its assistance during the Kargil War 25 years ago.

“Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons. The Indians don’t forget this and might now be returning the favour,” Daniel Carmon told Israeli news network Ynetnews.

Iran was quick to pick on this and the official news agency, IRNA, flashed it on Sunday as “India sent great deal of arms to Israeli regime: Zionist media”.

While there has been some chatter about India sending weapons to Israel for a while now, the decision of Spain to prevent a cargo ship originating from Chennai from docking at one of its ports en route Israel in May has added fuel to the fire.

“The ship, originating from the city of Madras in India, was carrying 27 tonnes of munitions destined for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), against the backdrop of the war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on the Lebanon border. The incident highlights the fact that India has been providing significant military assistance to Israel since October 7,” the Ynetnews report said.

Before this report, the South China Morning Post had quoted analysts as saying that the shipment on the Danish-flagged ship, the Marianne Danica, which had sought permission to dock at Cartegana, Spain, was most likely from a “third-party vendor”.

In February, Shephard News, which specialises in global defence news, had reported that “the first private UAV manufacturing facility in India has delivered more than 20 Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to Israel”.

“Hyderabad-based Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd, a joint venture company between India’s Adani Defence and Aerospace and Israel’s Elbit Systems, became the first entity to manufacture the UAVs outside of Israel,” it added.

Ynetnews, quoting an Indian news report, said India was supplying Israel with advanced Hermes 900 drones manufactured in Hyderabad. “The report said the factory, established by Israel to supply these drones to the Indian military, converted 20 of them specifically for the IDF due to the shortage created during the war.”

In both these instances there was no official confirmation or comment from India and Israel.

In March, Israeli newspaper Haaretz had reported that the IDF used 70-year-old munitions and shells intended for training in India in Gaza. Faced with weapons shortages, the IDF, according to the report, has been using munitions dating back to the 1950s.

“Then there was the case of ‘the Indian munitions’. No one is sure why they earned this moniker. Legend has it that these were American munitions that came from emergency storehouses in India. Some of these left the factory in 1953, a decade before the first M109. Whatever their source, ultimately the soldiers had to try to accurately fire 70-year-old munitions. According to the US army, the maximal shelf life for such explosives is 40 years in optimal storage conditions of up to 30 degrees Celsius,” Haaretz reported.

Crime, Regional

STF nabs 2 with contraband cough syrup worth Rs 4 cr

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

MP, 26 June 2024, Siliguri: Special Task Force (STP) of West Bengal arrested two men with contraband cough syrup worth Rs 4 crore at Jatiyakali area in Fulbari under New Jalpaiguri Police Station. The accused have been identified as Rohit Patel (23 years), Ramakant Kol (19 years), both residents of Madhya Pradesh.

On Monday night, based on secret information, the STF team of the Siliguri unit raided the area and intercepted a 14-wheeler truck loaded with pumpkins. A total of 36,000 bottles of contraband cough syrup were recovered from there.

The approximate market value of the seized contraband is more than Rs 4 crore.

STF sources said that the truck was carrying the contraband cough syrup from Madhya Pradesh to Guwahati, Assam, for delivery by hiding it under pumpkins.

Suspecting police nakas on the way, it started returning from Barovisha in Cooch Behar towards Siliguri. The truck was intercepted by the STF team when it was coming from the Jalpaiguri side. A police case has been started.

Courtesy & source: Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/stf-nabs-2-with-contrabandcough-syrup-worth-rs-4-cr-569423

Games & Sports, Politics, Sikkim

After consecutive defeats, Bhaichung Bhutia quits politics, ‘Simply not for me’

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

After the 2024 election results, I have had the realisation that electoral politics is simply not for me, he said

PTI, Gangtok, Jun 25 2024 : Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia on Tuesday announced that he was quitting politics, following his defeat in the recently held assembly elections in Sikkim.

Bhaichung, the vice president of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), lost to SKM’s Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia in the Barfung seat, which marked his sixth electoral defeat.

He joined politics in 2014 when the ruling TMC in West Bengal named him as its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. In 2018, he took the plunge into the political arena of his state by forming the Hamro Sikkim Party. Last year, he merged his party with the Pawan Chamling-led SDF.

“Firstly, I would like to congratulate Mr PS Tamang and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for winning the assembly elections. The people of Sikkim have given them a resounding mandate and I hope the SKM govt will work to fulfil their promises and take Sikkim to greater heights across all sectors,” he said in a statement.

“After the 2024 election results, I have had the realisation that electoral politics is simply not for me. I am therefore quitting all forms of electoral politics with immediate effect,” he added.

After losing the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency to the BJP in 2014, the TMC fielded Bhutia as its candidate for the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections in the Siliguri seat, but he lost to the CPI(M). Following the formation of his party in 2018, he contested the 2019 Sikkim assembly elections from two seats but lost in both. He again unsuccessfully contested the by-election to the Gangtok assembly seat, which was held later that year.

He lost the recently held elections to the SKM by 4,346 votes.

Bhutia, the former Indian football captain, said he felt he had great ideas for the development of sports and tourism in Sikkim.

“…given a chance, I would have loved to implement and contribute to the growth of the state in a very honest and sincere way,” he said.

“Unfortunately it was not to be. I am certain there will be more people with better ideas to do so,” he said.

Bhutia said that his intention in politics was to do good for the people of the state and the country.

National, Politics

Om Birla vs K Suresh: First LS Speaker election as INDIA puts forth nominee

June 26, 2024 Kalimpong News Leave a comment

Opposition candidate K Suresh will be contesting against NDA’s Om Birla, in a first-ever election for the Speaker post since independence

PTI, New Delhi, Jun 25, 2024 : The ruling BJP-led NDA on Tuesday maintained its streak of continuity in its third term by fielding previous Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for the crucial parliamentary position again, but its bid for a consensus was thwarted by the opposition which forced an election by nominating Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate.

The opposition’s last-minute decision to go for a rare contest came after senior BJP leaders did not agree to its precondition that the INDIA bloc must be offered the post of Deputy Speaker in lieu of supporting Birla, who is the clear favourites in case of an election.

A brief interaction involving Congress leader K C Venugopal and DMK’s T R Baalu from the opposition side and Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and J P Nadda, who is also the BJP president, at Singh’s office in Parliament to evolve a consensus ended in acrimony as both sides stuck to their position.

Both opposition leaders walked out, with Venugopal accusing the government of not following the “convention” of an opposition candidate for the Deputy Speaker’s position and announcing the decision to field a candidate against Birla.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal of the BJP and Lalan Singh of the JD(U) accused the opposition of resorting to pressure politics and putting forth preconditions despite senior ministers’ assurance that its demand will be considered when the time to pick the Deputy Speaker comes.

“There can be no pressure politics,” Union minister and JD(U) leader Lalan Singh told reporters, while Goyal said democracy cannot be run on preconditions.

The scheduled day for picking the Speaker is Wednesday and if an election occurs, it will be only the third time in Lok Sabha’s history, official sources said.

With the NDA having 293 MPs in its kitty and the INDIA bloc 233, numbers clearly favour Birla in Lok Sabha, which currently has 542 members after Rahul Gandhi resigned from one of the two seats he was elected from. At least three independent members also support the opposition.

The NDA is hopeful that some unaligned parties, including the YSR Congress having four MPs, will also back Birla.

BJP sources claimed that the Congress has been the main aggressor on the issue and some other INDIA bloc members are not very keen on a contest.

If Birla, the BJP MP from Kota, is elected, it will be fifth time that a Speaker would serve beyond the tenure of one Lok Sabha. Though Congress leader Balram Jakhar is the only presiding officer to have served two complete terms extending seventh and eighth Lok Sabha.

A third-term MP, Birla is also a three-term former Rajasthan MLA and has risen through the ranks in the BJP. Suresh, his rival for the Speaker’s post, is a eighth-term MP from Kerala and hails from a Dalit community.

If a division of votes takes place in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, then paper slips will be used as the electronic system is not operational yet in the new Lok Sabha where members are still in the process of being allocated their seats.

Seasoned BJP leader Rajnath Singh had taken the lead in reaching out to opposition parties over the issue as Birla emerged as the NDA’s consensus choice and met its senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Suresh said it is not about winning or losing, but about a convention that Speaker will be of ruling party and deputy speaker from the opposition.

“Last two Lok Sabhas, they denied us deputy speaker’s post because they said you are not recognised as the opposition. Now we are recognised as the opposition, (and) deputy speaker post is our right. But they are not ready to give us. Till 11.50, we were waiting for reply from government’s side but they did not give any reply,” he told reporters.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said this has come barely 24 hours after the prime minister advocated consensus in running the country.

“Convention has been that the Speaker is elected unanimously and the deputy speaker’s post goes to the opposition,” Ramesh said.

He accused Prime Minister Modi of breaking this tradition.

“It is actually no surprise. He has still not woken up to the reality of the 2024 poll verdict which was a PPM defeat for him–personal, political and moral,” he posted on X.

Sources said more than 10 sets of nominations (called notices for motion) were filed in support of Birla’s candidature, including from Prime Minister Modi, Union ministers Shah, Singh and Nadda, and members of BJP allies like TDP, JD(U), JD(S) and LJP (R).

Three sets of nominations were filed in support of Suresh.

Known of its knack of springing surprises, the BJP leadership chose to stick to Birla in line with its decision to retains its old hands in key positions.

Though the Speaker is independent of political and executive control, realpolitik considerations are often the driving force behind the choice for the Chair which is the nerve centre of Parliament’s functioning.

Authorities Confiscate More Than Rs 33 Million in Cash

‘Buddha Boy’ Bomjan to face rape trial at Sarlahi district court

रामबहादुर बमजनको बयान लिएपछि पुर्पक्षका लागि थुनामा पठाउने

पक्राउ परेका बमजनले आफ्ना आश्रममा चलाएको हत्या, हिंसा र