Crime, International, West Bengal

Bangladesh Police team arrives in Kolkata for MP murder probe

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MP, 26 May 2024, Kolkata: A team of Bangladesh Police led by the Additional Commissioner of Police (Addl. CP), Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Md. Harun Ar Rashid along with two other senior officers arrived in Kolkata on Sunday morning to investigate the gruesome murder case of a Bangladesh Member of Parliament (MP) Anwarul Azim. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Police has also got in touch with the INTERPOL to bring back the mastermind of the murder Akhtarujjaman alias Sahin and arrest him. 
On Sunday around 11 am, the Bangladesh Police team landed at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport. 
Before leaving the airport, Rashid met the media in Kolkata and said: “For the investigation we need to visit the Place of Occurrence (PO) as well. 
So far we have exchanged information with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). We are going to check the CCTV footage. Akhtarujjaman who is the mastermind is suspected to have fled to the USA. 
The plan was hatched in Bangladesh and the crime was committed here in West Bengal. We will seek assistance and cooperation from the CID and local police.” 
Sources informed that cops from Bengal went to Bangladesh and interrogated the persons who were arrested there for alleged murder of Azim. 
The Bangladesh Police may interrogate the accused Jihad Hawaladar who was arrested for the murder of Azim to corroborate his statement with the statements of the accused arrested in Bangladesh. 
On Sunday evening, the Bangladesh Police team met the CID officials and talked about the case. 
CID has reportedly come to know that another person was given the responsibility of dumping a few body parts of Azim. Cops are trying to find out the accused and the spot where the body parts were dumped. 
Meanwhile, on Sunday a search operation was conducted throughout the day at the Bagjola canal in Krishnamati area of Polerhat to find the body parts of the Bangladesh MP. But till evening nothing was found. 
Later the search operation was stopped owing to low light and bad weather conditions.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cyclone-remal-civic-bodies-take-prep-measures-to-tackle-impact-565396?infinitescroll=1

Regional, West Bengal

HS Council to hold workshop with subject teachers from June

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MP, 26 May 2024, Kolkata: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) will start workshop involving subject teachers from June with the new semester system being introduced from Class XI from this year. 

However, the workshop for subject teachers will be in virtual mode. According to sources in the Council, these workshops will start from the second week of June after the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) in connection with the Lok Sabha elections get lifted. 
The Council will be hosting such workshops on the ‘Zoom’ platform. 
As many as 1,000 teachers from various parts of the state can join the platform at a time. There will be no time limit for one session which will speed up the process of equipping the teachers to teach under the semester system. 
This online workshop will go side by side with a similar programme with heads of institutions on the nitty gritty of the semester system, mostly in offline mode. “
There has been a significant change in academics and examination pattern at the Higher Secondary level with the introduction of the semester system. 
These workshops are meant for educating the headmasters and the subject teachers about this system so that the students do not face any difficulty in coping up with the new system. The workshops will be held both in online and offline mode,” said Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, president of WBCHSE. 
The workshop will inform the teachers of the evaluation system, the change in question pattern, among others. 
The MCQ pattern questions and how to set the same will also be discussed in detail. It will be a two-way communication as the teachers’ opinion will also be elicited during the workshop. The Council has already held workshops with heads of institutions in the first phase that involved all the districts of North Bengal and Kolkata. 
As many as 650 headmasters and headmistresses joined it. There are 25 educational districts under the Council among which 10 districts have already hosted headmasters’ and headmistress’ workshop. Similar initiative with the rest of the district schools will be completed in the month of June. 
Crime, West Bengal

Ramakrishna Mission ashram vandalism case: 2 more held

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MP, 26 May 2024, Siliguri: Bhaktinagar Police and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Siliguri Metropolitan arrested two more accused in connection with the vandalism of ‘Sewak Bhawan’, the ashram belonging to Ramakrishna Mission in Siliguri, which happened on May 19. 

Out of the two, one was arrested from Kolkata by SOG. The accused has been identified as Manoj Ghosh, a resident of Siliguri. 
According to police sources, Manoj was one of the masterminds in the vandalism case. He is involved in several land corruption cases. 
He fled from Siliguri a few days ago and was hiding in Kolkata. Based on secret information, a team of SOG raided several areas of Kolkata city and finally arrested him on Friday. 
On the same night, Bhaktinagar Police arrested another accused named Shivam Paswan, a resident of Prakash Nagar in Siliguri. 
On Friday, another Siliguri resident lodged a complaint against Shivam for demanding Rs 10 lakh and threatening him to take possession of his land. 
Manoj was taken into four days’ police remand and Shivam was sent into 14 days’ jail custody after they were produced at Jalpaiguri Court. 
Pradeep Roy, prime accused in the case, is still absconding and a search is ongoing.
Earlier five individuals have been arrested in connection with the recent vandalisation incident at the Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district. 
The arrests were made following a complaint from the Ramakrishna Mission, and the suspects have been identified as Shambhu Das, Debashish Sarkar, Shambhu Mahato, Samuel Baidya, and Rajiv. 
The incident involved alleged hooligans led by Pradeep Roy, who attacked the Ramakrishna Mission ashram, threatened and snatched articles, and damaged CCTV cameras.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/ramakrishna-mission-ashram-vandalism-case-2-more-held-565361

Politics, Regional, West Bengal

Even after over 3 months, 4 families yet to get Rs 1L ex-gratia each vowed by Governor

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Radhamadhab Saha, MP, 26 May 2024, Raiganj: With more than three-and-a-half-months having passed since four children died after being buried alive in an under-construction high drain at Chetnagauchh in Chopra, North Dinajpur, the affected families are yet to receive Rs 1 lakh ex-gratia each assured by C V Anand Bose, Bengal Governor, during his visit. 

The affected families have expressed their grievances and appealed to the Governor to live up to his commitment. Close to Dangi border outpost in Chopra, manned by the BSF, a high drain was being dug up with a JCB, without any precautionary measures. 
Four children between 6 and 11 years of age died from a mudslide from the construction of this high drain on February 12. Also Read – Cyclone ‘Remal’: Civic bodies take prep measures to tackle impact 
On February 19, Chandrima Bhattacharjee, minister of state in-charge of the Finance and Health department as well as the state TMC leaders met the bereaved families and declared Rs 2 lakh compensation from the end of the state government to each victim’s family.
She also announced Rs 3 lakh to each family from the end of the TMC committee. The families received both the amounts. Samirul Islam whose child died in this incident, said: “We have received the ex-gratia from the state government and TMC committee. 
The Governor had assured us an assistance of Rs 1 lakh to each family. However, even after over three months, we have not received the fund yet.” 
Kanaiyalal Agarwal, president of North Dinajpur TMC committee, said: “The four families are from the economically backward bracket. We urge the Governor to pay them as per his commitment.”

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/even-after-over-3-months-4-families-yet-to-get-rs-1l-ex-gratia-each-vowed-by-guv-565358
Politics, Regional, Sikkim, West Bengal

Sikkim Chief Minister and GTA chief pledge to work together

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Amitava Banerjee, MP, 26 May 2024, Darjeeling: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) chief Anit Thapa unanimously stated that they would work together for issues benefiting the Gorkha community. 

The issue pertaining to the inclusion of the 11 Gorkha sub-communities in the Scheduled Tribe list would be pushed by both. Sharing the stage for the first time, Tamang and Thapa attended the Ubhauli Sakela festival of the Kirat Rai community, in Darjeeling, on Sunday. 
Both took part in a colourful procession from Darjeeling Railway Station to Darjeeling Mall. “In the capacity of the Chief Minister of a state, the Gorkha community looks up to you as their guardian. 
We request you to take up issues concerning the Gorkhas, especially the inclusion of the 11 Gorkha sub-communities in the Scheduled Tribe list. You have to lead us. Whenever there is an issue pertaining to the welfare of the Gorkhas, Chief Minister P S Tamang will always find me by his side. 
Keeping aside politics we will all have to work together for our community,” stated Anit Thapa. 
Speaking in unison, the Sikkim Chief Minister stated: “Places have their own politics, Sikkim has its politics, Darjeeling has its own politics and so does Bengal. We do not interfere in each other’s politics. 
However, for the issues concerning all of us, we have to work together. 
In the case of inclusion of Nepali language in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution or inclusion of Limboo and Tamang communities in the Schedule Tribe list, both the states had worked together. Similarly regarding the inclusion of the left out Gorkha sub-communities in the ST list we have to work together. 
Already Sikkim and Bengal have sent recommendations to Delhi,” stated Tamang. Tamang stressed on Sikkim and Darjeeling being neighbours. “Neighbours always help each other. In times of crisis, neighbours are the first to extend a helping hand. Likewise, staying away from politics we should always help each other,” stated Tamang. 
The Sikkim Chief Minister stated that Sikkim was fast emerging as a medical and education hub. “Many from the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills come to the government hospital in Gangtok for specialised treatment. It is much cheaper than private facilities in Siliguri. Soon we will start a help desk at the hospital for the benefit of outstation patients,” stated Tamang. 
The two-day festival was organised by the Kirati Khambu Rai Sanskritik Sanghsthan, Darjeeling on May 25 and 26 at the Darjeeling Mall, attended by people from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim and Dooars. 
The Rai’s are an ethno-linguistic group of the Kirat family residing in Bengal and Sikkim in India along with eastern Nepal and south western Bhutan. Sakela Ubhauli is a harvest festival and is celebrated in the month of Baisakh welcoming spring and starts on the full moon day. Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/sikkim-chief-minister-and-gta-chief-pledge-to-work-together-565357
Economy, International, National

China, Nepal open traditional border trade points

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PTI, Beijing, May 25, 2024 :  China and Nepal on Saturday reopened their traditional border trade points that have “supported livelihoods” and played a “significant role” in fostering the development and prosperity of border areas.


The development comes two months after Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha urged China to reopen the 14 traditional border points with the Tibetan Autonomous Region not just for bilateral trade and commerce but for the movement of people too.

The reopening ceremony on Saturday took place in Zhentang township on the China-Nepal border in the city of Xigaze — in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region — a pivotal city for China’s opening-up to South Asia, bordering India, Nepal and Bhutan, and hosting five trade land ports, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Feng Xuecheng, director of the municipal commerce bureau, said that traditional border trade has long supported the livelihoods of border residents and played a significant role in fostering the development and prosperity of border areas. “We plan to continuously improve border trade infrastructure and promote further economic and trade exchanges between China and Nepal,” Feng was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

At the Zhentang trade point, 110 Chinese merchants and 47 Nepalese merchants engaged in transactions involving over 50 types of goods, including daily necessities, building materials, food and beverages, agricultural products and Nepalese handicrafts.

Trade activities also resumed at other traditional sites in counties such as Zhongba, Saga, Gyirong and Nyalam, the report said.

Earlier on March 29, during his first visit to China from March 25 to April 1 was in Lhasa, when he underscored the importance of exporting products from Nepal during a meeting with Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee.

Nepal officials in Lhasa had then said that Shrestha, during the meeting, reiterated the need for reopening of traditional border points for the promotion of trade and commerce as well as facilitating the movement of people. 
National, Politics

Govt working to remove Meitei-Kuki trust deficit, bring lasting peace: Amit Shah

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PTI, New Delhi, May 26 2024 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the government is working on removing the trust deficit between the Meitei and Kuki communities to bring lasting peace in Manipur, and the process will be expedited with utmost priority once the Lok Sabha election is over.

Shah told PTI in an interview on Saturday that the clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities were ethnic in nature and hence cannot be resolved through force.

“This is not an issue of riots or terrorism. This is an issue of ethnic violence. It can’t be resolved through force. This is ethnic violence,” he said when asked whether the government needed to take some strong action to end the cycle of violence in the northeastern state.

The home minister said the violence took place due to lack of discussions and lack of trust between the two communities which had happened due to some incidents.

“We have to repair this. This is a time consuming job. We were working on it speedily. But it has been delayed due to the elections. That is quite natural,” he said.

“Because, leaders of both the communities are talking about the interests of the respective community, or their own political issues. But after the counting, the government will work on it with utmost priority. I believe there will be no violence in future,” he said.

Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march in the hill districts of Manipur to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Since then, over 220 people belonging to both the communities and security personnel have been killed in the continuing violence.

A BJP-led government is in power in Manipur since 2017.

There are two Lok Sabha constituencies in the state: Inner Manipur and the Outer Manipur. While the BJP has fielded its candidate in the former, the party extended support to NDA partner Naga People’s Front’s (NSF) candidate in the later.

Crime, Health, National

Bihar alcohol ban prevented 21 lakh cases of intimate partner violence: Lancet study

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 “Before the ban, males in Bihar increased their frequent alcohol intake from 9.7 per cent to 15 per cent, while in neighbouring states, it increased from 7.2 per cent to 10.3 per cent.

PTI, New Delhi, May 26, 2024 :  Bihar’s alcohol ban in 2016 prevented 24 lakh cases of daily and weekly consumption, and 21 lakh cases of intimate partner violence, according to new research published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia journal.


The ban is also estimated to have prevented 18 lakh men in the state from becoming overweight or obese, it said.

A team of researchers, including those from The International Food Policy Research Institute, Poverty, Health and Nutrition Division, US, analysed data from national and district level health and household surveys.

“Strict alcohol regulation policies may yield significant population level health benefits for frequent drinkers and many victims of intimate partner violence,” the authors wrote.

In April 2016, the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act brought about a near complete halt on the manufacture, transport, sale, and consumption of alcohol throughout the state.

The overnight launch and its strict enforcement made the ban an “attractive natural experiment to estimate the true causal impacts of a strict alcohol restriction policy on health and domestic violence outcomes,” according to the authors. Data from the National Family Health Surveys-3, -4, and -5 were included in the analysis.

“Before the ban, males in Bihar increased their frequent alcohol intake from 9.7 per cent to 15 per cent, while in neighbouring states, it increased from 7.2 per cent to 10.3 per cent.

“After the ban, these trends reversed, with at least weekly alcohol intake decreasing to 7.8 per cent in Bihar, while in neighbouring states it continued to increase to 10.4 per cent,” the authors wrote.

They also found evidence for reduced physical violence against women in Bihar, “with a 4.6 percentage points decrease in emotional violence and a 3.6 percentage points decrease in sexual violence”.

On the aspect of the ban’s impact on men’s health, the authors’ modelling estimated that cases of underweight men increased by four percentage points, and those of overweight or obese men decreased by 5.6 percentage points, compared to trends in the neighbouring states.

“We estimate that the ban prevented 2.4 million cases of frequent alcohol consumption, and 1.8 million cases of overweight/obesity among males, and 2.1 million cases of intimate partner violence compared to neighbouring states without a similar prohibition,” the authors wrote.

The findings will be valuable for policy-makers contemplating similar bans in other Indian states, the researchers said.

“While we do not recommend outright bans as a practical and economically viable policy, our study, combined with new evidence that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for humans, suggests that stricter alcohol regulation policies may yield significant population level health benefits for frequent drinkers and benefits for victims of intimate partner violence,” the authors wrote.
Health, Regional

Pedong in Kalimpong gets first cancer screening centre

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A Cancer Screening Centre (CSC) was inaugurated yesterday under the auspices of the Chhabi Sahayog Foundation (CSF) of Navi Mumbai at Topkhana in Pedong in Kalimpong district, amidst a large gathering of local dignitaries and residents.

SNS | Siliguri | May 27, 2024 : ACancer Screening Centre (CSC) was inaugurated yesterday under the auspices of the Chhabi Sahayog Foundation (CSF) of Navi Mumbai at Topkhana in Pedong in Kalimpong district, amidst a large gathering of local dignitaries and residents. Inaugurating the centre, noted hill educationist Dr GS Yonzone, former principal of Kalimpong College, and Partha Roy, the National General Secretary of CSF, said that the centre will go a long way in diagnosing and treating cancer in the region.

Roy dwelt at length on the various cancer care activities of the Chhabi Foundation ever since it was established five years ago. “The activities include early screening of people of different age groups, providing food and lodging facilities for long-distance patients, financial help and mental health counselling and most importantly, raising awareness among the people on how to prevent cancer from occurring,” Mr Roy said. According to him, the foundation has successfully treated hundreds of people and also helped cure those suffering. It has also established branches in Maharashtra, Delhi, Manipur, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Jharkhand and Assam.

Assuring full assistance and cooperation in taking the Pedong centre forward, Mr Roy said that the first activity of the foundation would be to organise a cancer screening test during the forthcoming months of September–October 2024, for which the local Kalimpong District Committee would have to come up with the necessary logistics. According to Dr Yonzone, the Pedong centre has been made possible with “extraordinary initiatives” taken by Sarvashri Vivek Choubey, Chewang Bhutia, Chandra Rai, Amrita Sharma, Rajen Thapa and others who were instrumental in maintaining contact with Mumbai and also in organising the event at Pedong, the first of its kind in the hill region. Stressing the need to generate awareness among the people, Dr Yonzone said that the hill region can definitely be made a cancer-free zone if everyone takes the cancer issue seriously. “Prevention is better than cure should be our aim. The Pedong centre now needs full-time trained staff to deal with the various aspects related to cancer treatment,” he said.
Regional, West Bengal

Cyclone Remal makes landfall, authorities engaged in clearing uprooted trees in Kolkata amid rainfall

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 As heavy rain and gusty winds continue in Kolkata following the landfall of severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’, the Kolkata Municipality team and Kolkata Police Disaster Management team are engaged in clearing uprooted trees in the Alipore area of the city.
Cyclone Remal makes landfall, authorities engaged in clearing uprooted trees in Kolkata amid rainfall: Visuals from the spot (Photo:ANI )

ANI | New Delhi | May 27, 2024 : As heavy rain and gusty winds continue in Kolkata following the landfall of severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’, the Kolkata Municipality team and Kolkata Police Disaster Management team are engaged in clearing uprooted trees in the Alipore area of the city.


Late-night visuals showed workers trying to clear roads as rains continues to lash.
Priyabrata Roy, DC South Kolkata, said, “We are getting the information that in some places, trees have been uprooted, in those areas, Kolkata Municipality team, Kolkata Police Disaster Management team, have reached and work is underway. The uprooted trees will be cut and cleared soon so that the roads can be opened. By morning, situation will be okay…Police’s special unified control room is monitoring the situation throughout the night, in the wake of the cyclone. Municipality Control Room is also opened…”

The landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday over the adjacent coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country.

‘Remal’ flattened fragile dwellings, uprooted trees and knocked down electric poles. The wind intensity of 110 to 120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph. Visuals from outside the Raj Bhavan showed heavy rains and gusty winds lashing the capital city.
Talking about the landfall of the cyclonic storm Somnath Dutta, Eastern Region Head, IMD Kolkata said, “The landfall process started at 8:30 pm…over the Bangladesh and West Bengal coast. As per the observation at 10:30 pm, it shows that the landfall process is continuing…by 12:30 am the landfall process will be complete”.

Ahead of the impending landfall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the preparedness for cyclone “Remal” over the North Bay of Bengal at his residence.
Prime Minister was briefed that the National Crisis Management Committee is in regular touch with the Government of West Bengal. All fishermen have been advised not to venture into the South Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
National, Regional, West Bengal

Cyclone Remal: Rain lashes parts of city ahead of landfall

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 As the clock for the cyclone ‘Remal’ landfall ticked closer, the city got drenched with a rainfall of 13.5mm till 4.30pm.
Impact of Cyclone ‘Remal’ in Kolkata (Photo:ANI)
SNS | Kolkata | May 27, 2024 : As the clock for the cyclone ‘Remal’ landfall ticked closer, the city got drenched with a rainfall of 13.5mm till 4.30pm. At 2.30pm, the system was situated 160 km southeast of Sagar Islands, 190 km southsoutheast of Canning, 160 km of Khepupara (Bangladesh) and 220 km south of Mongla in Bangladesh with wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph prevailing around the cyclone centre. The storm, as per the forecast received till 6pm, was expected to move nearly northwards, intensify further and cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara, close to southwest of Mongla around 11pm as a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph. With the cyclone heading towards land, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation braced for the upcoming cyclone. For monitoring the situation, the civic body opened a control room and cancelled the holiday for its staff.

The Drainage department decided to deploy manpower at all its block gates. It also kept two pick up vans on standby for rushing to the hospital in case of injuries or any mishaps. Manpower was also deployed at every borough to address issues of power cuts in any wards. According to the member-mayor-in-council for Drainage Tarak Singh, electrical contractors responsible for responding to issues of power supply were also alerted.

Like the KMC, the Eastern Railway and the Kolkata metro Railway also geared up for the cyclone. The city metro ran truncated services between Mahanayak Uttam Kumar and Dakshineswar in Blue Line were operated considering the inclement weather. Likewise, the Eastern Railway opened helpline numbers at Howrah and Sealdah for emergency assistance. The helpline numbers at Sealdah are- 033- 23508794 (DOT) and 033- 23833326 while that of Howrah is 033-2641366
Crime, Misc, National

Seven newborns killed in fire at east Delhi hospital : Hospital Owner arrested

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 Dr Naveen Kichi had been on the run since the fire outbreak late on Saturday, police said

PTI, NEW DELHI, May 26, 2024 : A massive fire broke out at a private children’s hospital in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar, leaving seven newborns dead, officials said on Sunday.

The officials of the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) said the blaze broke out at the Baby Care New Born Hospital at around 11:30 pm on Saturday and soon spread to two other adjacent buildings.
Sixteen fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze, Divisional Fire Officer Rajendra Atwal said.
Oxygen cylinders kept in the two-storey building exploded due to which the adjacent buildings were damaged, he said.
Another fire official said two boutiques, a portion of IndusInd Bank operating from an adjacent building and a shop on the ground floor were also damaged besides an ambulance and a scooty parked outside the building.
Condoling the death of children, President Droupadi Murmu prayed for strength to the bereaved parents.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said those responsible for negligence will not be spared.
Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also said strictest punishment will be given to those found negligent or involved in any wrongdoing.
In a post on X, Kejriwal said the Government stood with those who lost their children in the fire incident, and added the administration was ensuring proper treatment to the injured.
He said the reasons behind the fire were being probed and those found negligent will not be spared.
DFS chief Atul Garg said 12 newborns were rescued from the medical facility but seven of them died.
Five babies are undergoing treatment at another hospital, he said, adding some of them have received minor burn injuries.
The bodies have been shifted to the GTB Hospital for postmortem, police said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary said owner of the hospital Naveen Kichi has been booked under Sections 336 (Act endangering life of personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) at Vivek Vihar police station.
The officer said teams have been formed to nab the owner.
Choudhary said they are checking the fire NOC of the hospital and if it is found with out it, IPC sections may be added.
According to eyewitnesses, locals and members of an NGO, Shaheed Seva Dal, were the first to rush to help.
Some residents climbed the building from the back side and rescued some of the newborns. Members of Shaheed Seva Dal, an NGO operating in the area, were also involved in the rescue efforts, an eyewitness said.
Ravi Gupta, a local resident, said some locals climbed from the back side of the building and evacuated children one by one.
Fire Department officials, local police and members of Sewa Dal joined them in the rescue operation, another resident Sanju Verma said.
A member of Sewa Dal claimed the hospital staff ran away soon after the hospital building caught fire.
Another resident, Mukesh Bansal claimed that an ‘unauthorised’ oxygen refilling cylinder work was being carried out in the building.
“We had complained about it to the local Councillor as well. But nothing was done. It was all happening under the nose of the police,” Bansal alleged.
Bansal also said that he used to live next to the hospital but due to the ‘illegal’ work of refilling cylinders, he shifted to the next lane.
Regional, West Bengal

Kalimpong gears up for rains: Administrative body set with residents safety measures

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 Sources in the administration said quick response teams (QRTs) had been formed in every block and rural areas to tackle the rain fury
The overflowing Teesta following the flash flood in Sikkim on October 4: -PTI picture

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, 26.05.24 :  The Kalimpong district administration has taken a series of measures for the safety of residents, especially those living along the banks of the Teesta and other rivers during the monsoon, keeping in mind the devastation caused by the flash flood in the Teesta in October last year.

Sources in the administration said quick response teams (QRTs) had been formed in every block and rural areas to tackle the rain fury. Also, discussions were held with residents of the vulnerable spots to boost their confidence and meetings were convened with representatives of several state government departments and the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).

“We have decided to keep the QRTs ready in all blocks and rural areas in the district. These teams will be deployed throughout the monsoon season to respond to any emergency quickly,” said an official.

He said Tarkhola, Rangpo, Teesta Bazar and Melli had been affected by the deluge in October last year. “In these areas, we have already met the residents. Our teams will keep a close watch on these locations to ensure that people are shifted with their belongings in case there is a surge in water levels because of rainfall in the upper reaches of the hills,” the official said.

The administration has held meetings with representatives of different departments, including irrigation, forest, public works, and fire and emergency services and district disaster management.

The district has four blocks and 22 panchayats. Each QRT, sources said, will comprise eight members, including civic volunteers, ex-army personnel and representatives of the administration.

The flash flood, which had occurred on October 4 because of the outburst of the South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, had damaged 550 houses in Kalimpong district. Three persons died and 11 went missing.

Courtesy & source: The Telegraph
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/kalimpong-gears-up-for-rains-administrative-body-set-with-residents-safety-measures/cid/2022535
Sikkim

Royal Bengal tiger sighted in Sikkim’s Yali forest for first time, movements captured

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 Photos of the tiger were found in trap cameras installed at Yali, a reserve forest located around 25km away from Gangtok, jointly by the state forest and environment and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) under its tiger habitat conservation project, the GTF announced

Bireswar Banerjee, TT, Siliguri, 26.05.24 : A picture of the royal Bengal tiger clicked at Yali reserve forest in Sikkim:  Picture courtesy: Global Tiger Forum

Photos of a royal Bengal tiger were recently clicked in the high-altitude Yali forest in the mountain state of Sikkim, making this the first time that a tiger was sighted in this forest.

Yali has no previous tiger sightings on record.

Photos of the tiger were found in trap cameras installed at Yali, a reserve forest located around 25km away from Gangtok, jointly by the state forest and environment and the Global Tiger Forum (GTF) under its tiger habitat conservation project, the GTF announced.

“Big news! Camera traps deployed by the Forest & Environment Dept, Govt of Sikkim, and Global Tiger Forum (GTF), under the ongoing project supported by IUCN-KfW, captured tigers in Pangolakha WLS, and for the first time, in Yali Reserve Forest! (sic)” stated the GTF on X.

In December 2023, a tiger was sighted at Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, also in Sikkim.

In Sikkim, the GTF has been implementing a project called “Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme” in the Himalayan state of Sikkim. During the last two centuries, the tiger population in the region has been declining for several reasons, which include anthropogenic pressure, forest fragmentation, firewood collection, poaching and illegal trade.

“Sikkim is no exception to these anthropogenic pressures. The state is a critical corridor for the majestic big cat in the Eastern Himalayas. With increasing anthropogenic stressors, tiger conservation in Sikkim has become more pertinent for preserving the genetic diversity and long-term survival of tiger and its prey,” the GTF stated.

The GTF has been running its project, supported by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and funded by German Cooperation via KfW Development Bank for the conservation of tigers in Sikkim.

The project has been taken up at the Khangchendzonga National Park, Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary, Pangolakha, Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary and at the reserve forests of Lachen, Lachung, Chungthang, Phodong, Kabi, Tingda, Lagyap, Yali and Phadamchen forests.

According to the GTF, the project’s aim is to set up and standardise protocols for tiger monitoring and research in the state, reduce human-wildlife and human-tiger interface, increase the overall household income of local communities, strengthen institutional capacity and maintain an effective monitoring and patrolling regime, while also maintaining the sanctity of the environment.

Through the project, the GTF also intends to focus on the assessment and monitoring of species and their habitats, including the corridor within Sikkim, the Sikkim-Bengal state border and the Sikkim-Bhutan international border.

Tiger-specific training will also be imparted to at least 100 forest officials and frontline staff, sources said.

Courtesy & source: The Telegraph
https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/royal-bengal-tiger-sighted-in-sikkims-yali-forest-for-first-time-movements-captured/cid/2022539
Business, Sikkim

Taxi fare between Gangtok to Nathula fixed by Sikkim government to prevent overcharging by tour operators

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 The Tourism and Civil Aviation Department also made public its contact number and police check post if an issue arises out of charging of excess fare

PTI, Gangtok, 26.05.24 :The Sikkim government has fixed the taxi fare between Nathula and Gangtok to prevent overcharging by the tour operators.

According to an order issued by the Principal Secretary (Tourism & Civil Aviation Department) C S Rao, the fare for luxury and normal vehicles have been fixed at Rs 7,000 and Rs 6,500 respectively, including the permit charge, for round trip between Nathula and state capital Gangtok with immediate effect.

The Tourism and Civil Aviation Department also made public its contact number and police check post if an issue arises out of charging of excess fare.

The aggrieved visitors may contact the Tourism & Civil Aviation Department on 9434182178, Police Check Post on 7908081127 and Transport Department on 9434126851 for any issues related to charging of excess fares, it said.

Anyone found violating the above-mentioned rates shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Central Motor Vehicle Act 1988 & CMV Rules 1989 and Sikkim Motor Vehicles Rules 1991 by the Transport department, the order said.

The Tourism and Civil Aviation Department has also capped the limit of permits for Nathula to be issued by it at 800 vehicles up to June 30.

This Office Order was issued following the high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary V B Pathak, attended by DGP A K Singh, besides the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Tourism and Civil Aviation Department and Transport Department officials.

The central government had recently pulled up the state government for exorbitant taxi fare and travel permit being charged by tour operators from tourists visiting Sikkim.
Regional

Serpentine traffic snarls throw life in the Hill out of gear

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Amitava Banerjee, MP,  24 May 2024, Darjeeling : 8 km in 3 hours — this is what has become synonymous with the Queen of the Hills, as serpentine traffic jams take over Darjeeling. Patients, students, office goers, daily commuters as well as the tourists are flocking the hill town. 

Transport associations have issued a deadline, threatening protest programmes from July, if the administration fails to take positive steps to ease the situation. “I stay in Ghoom and have to commute to Darjeeling daily. It is taking more than 3 hours to commute 8 km. I have switched over to bicycling. I reach faster now,” stated Dawa, a local resident. 
Students are missing classes; the condition of patients deteriorates, caught in traffic snarls and not making it on time to the hospital. “It is absolute chaos and can no longer be called traffic jams. They are deadlocks. 
During tourist season we face hell,” added Mamta Chettri, a resident. “Not much has been done by the Centre, state and local self government to improve the infrastructure of the town. If money would have been spent on developing infrastructure, we would not have to face such problems. 
We have the same infrastructure that the British left us with. Nothing new has been built since,” stated Pasang Sherpa, president, Himalayan Transport Coordination Committee. A
“We have given memorandums to the authorities with suggestions. We want the administration and police to conduct a survey and also hold meetings with stakeholders to come up with short and long term plans to sort out this issue. If we see that no steps have been taken by the end of June then we will launch protest programmes from July,” added Sherpa. 
The memorandum states that most of the hotels have no parking facilities and park vehicles on the streets, further aggravating the situation. “The police and administration should enforce that the hotels have parking facilities. The hotels convert parking space into rooms, park on roads and save lakhs of rupees,” alleged the transporter. 
The memorandum further added that all tourist spots should have parking. “ National Highway 55 connecting Siliguri to Darjeeling does not fulfill any criteria of national highway. In places the road is around 7 feet wide and does not permit both side traffic. That too the Railway track runs through the road. 
There are no designated drop-off points on the road,” stated Sherpa. Memorandums have been given to the GTA Chief; MLA Darjeeling and Kurseong; Darjeeling DM and SP. “The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway tracks have to be brought down to road level at places that are prone to traffic jams. 
The frequency of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Joy Rides have to be cut down to 4. When the Joy Rides ply, traffic comes to a standstill,” added Pradeep Lama, owner of a travel agency. 
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post
https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/serpentine-traffic-snarls-throw-life-in-the-hill-out-of-gear-565164
Regional

Cyclone Remal: Flight ops suspended for 21 hrs; several trains cancelled in Bengal

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Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 25 May 2024, Kolkata: The India Meteorological Department has announced that a deep depression located over the Bay of Bengal has strengthened significantly, evolving into a severe cyclone named ‘Remal.’ Forecasters predict that ‘Remal’ will make landfall along the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh by midnight on Sunday, May 26. 

In anticipation of the potential impact of Cyclone Remal, authorities at Kolkata airport have decided to suspend flight operations for 21 hours, starting from Sunday noon. The South Eastern Railway (SER) also cancelled at least six trains and announced short termination as well as short origination of a couple of trains. 
As many as 48 EMU services will remain cancelled on Sunday and Monday in the Sealdah division and five services will be rescheduled on Monday. According to the weather office, the landfall is expected to occur between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh, with wind speeds forecast to reach 110-120 kilometres per hour (kmph) with gusts up to 135 kmph. 
A red alert has been sounded in Bengal’s coastal districts ahead of the arrival of ‘Remal’. The cyclone will bring with it extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds and is likely to impact Odisha too. Heavy rain alert is there in Bengal’s South and North 24-Parganas districts. Four coastal districts in Odisha are also on alert for the cyclone.
The IMD issued a red alert for South and North 24-Parganas, warning of heavy to very heavy rain with wind speeds reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph on May 26 and 27. An orange alert has been issued for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, and East Midnapore districts, forecasting heavy rain with wind speeds of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph. 
The IMD has warned of potential localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, roads, crops, and orchards in the affected areas. Residents have been advised to stay indoors and evacuate from unsafe structures. The system was centred around 420 kilometres south of Khepupara, Bangladesh, and was moving northwards at 11 kilometres per hour on Saturday morning.
The IMD has predicted it will strengthen into a cyclonic storm by this evening and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm by early morning on Sunday. The weather office has warned fishermen to stay out of the North Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27.

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cyclone-remal-flight-ops-suspended-for-21-hrs-several-trains-cancelled-in-bengal-565273
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