"Dipak worked for a long time as Kisenji's dummy and could imitate his voice," CID sources told PTI. Maoist documents, a pen drive and Rs 15,000 in cash were found in the possession of the 45-year-old Maoist leader who was arrested in Kolkata last evening. A court on Wednesday remanded him to 14 days in police custody.
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PM moves residence to 'Gono Bhaban'Dhaka, 3 March : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will move her residence to 'Gono Bhaban' from state guesthouse Jamuna on Wednesday.
Gono Bhaban was allocated for Sheikh Hasina as per the Father of the Nation’s Family Members Security Act 2009, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told.
Hasina and her family on 6 February last year moved into 'Jamuna' from 'Sudha Sadan' in Dhanmondi, which was being considered unsafe for her since her party's landslide victory in the recent parliamentary election held on 29 December last year. န Photo : Google Earth
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West Bengal govt opposes National Education Council Bill
Kolkata, 3 March : The West Bengal government is all set to oppose the draft for the National Council of Higher Education Research Bill in its present form, saying it would lead to “over centralisation” of higher education thereby reducing the authority of state governments. The state government, it is learnt, is garnering support from other states in opposing the Bill.A meeting of various vice-chancellors of the state was held on 24 February where a majority expressed concerns on the Bill in its present form. A public discussion on the Bill will be conducted by representatives of the Ministry of Human Resources and Development and members of the task force of the Bill on 3 March. Sources in the higher education department said that the government is ready with its homework to counter the Bill.
The Bill envisages a National Council for Higher Education to replace other regulatory bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The council was recommended by the Yaspal Committee for rejuvenating higher education.
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India keen to quiz Jaish-e-Mohammed man, arrested in BD
Kolkata, 3 March : A team of Indian security officials will visit Bangladesh to question a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative arrested in Dhaka recently.
Citing top government sources there, our New Delhi sources reports that the team will quiz 35-year-old Nannu Mia alias Belal Mandol alias Billal, who has admitted involvement in the hijack of an Indian Airlines plane in December 1999. Billal was arrested on Sunday along with four other suspected JeM militants including a Pakistani national. The Indian govt. sources said he is wanted in connection with the blasts in Bangalore and Surat in 2008. They, however, have yet to be sure if he was complicit in the hijack.
Kolkata, 3 March : A team of Indian security officials will visit Bangladesh to question a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative arrested in Dhaka recently.
Citing top government sources there, our New Delhi sources reports that the team will quiz 35-year-old Nannu Mia alias Belal Mandol alias Billal, who has admitted involvement in the hijack of an Indian Airlines plane in December 1999. Billal was arrested on Sunday along with four other suspected JeM militants including a Pakistani national. The Indian govt. sources said he is wanted in connection with the blasts in Bangalore and Surat in 2008. They, however, have yet to be sure if he was complicit in the hijack.
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GJM suspends hunger-strike in Hill ahead of tripartite talks
PTI, Kolkata, 3 March : With the Centre agreeing to hold tripartite talks at the political level with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on the Darjeeling issue, the outfit agitating for a separate state of Gorkhaland today suspended its ongoing hunger-strike."We have decided to suspend the hunger-strike from today for creating a conducive atmosphere for the talks," GJM General Secretary Roshan Giri told PTI over phone from Darjeeling. Indian Home Minister P Chidamabaram had said yesterday in Delhi that the tripartite meeting at the political level will be held on 18 March among the Central government, the West Bengal government and the GJM to find a solution.
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Dhaka Metropolitan Police opens service to file GD online
Dhaka, 3 March : The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday launched a new service for the city dwellers to file general diaries online.
A total 41 police stations under DMP will come under the service in the first phase, Additional Inspector General (ICT) of police Mohammad Shah Alam told media. A person could lodge GD online at www.police.gov.bd, he added. The metropolitan police launched five other services for common people at Uttara Police Station that will also be introduced in 40 other police stations on Thursday.
Dhaka, 3 March : The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday launched a new service for the city dwellers to file general diaries online.
A total 41 police stations under DMP will come under the service in the first phase, Additional Inspector General (ICT) of police Mohammad Shah Alam told media. A person could lodge GD online at www.police.gov.bd, he added. The metropolitan police launched five other services for common people at Uttara Police Station that will also be introduced in 40 other police stations on Thursday.
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W Bengal committee to address solid waste management
Kolkata, March 3 : The West Bengal government has formed an expert committee to address municipal solid waste management and recycling in various urban areas across the state, a minister said Wednesday."The state government has a deep concern about the whole issue, considering the urbanisation boom taking place in various parts of the state," West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya said while addressing a seminar on solid waste management here. He said the government had already taken up a number of waste management projects totalling Rs.212 crore that would benefit nearly 35 lakh people across the state.
Bhattacharya said: "We must look for alternative areas to dump solid wastes that we collect from various municipal areas. "The government is now trying to develop proper infrastructure and waste recycling units to manage the issue," he added.
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Bangladesh to get share of US food security : Ambassador
Dhaka, 3 March : USA will provide Bangladesh with a major share of its food security fund in the coming years, US Ambassador James F Moriarty said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh will also get special focus on this issue in the G-8 summit scheduled to be held in July, the US envoy told Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury during a meeting at the latter’s office. “The US president will prioritise Bangladesh in his speech in the G-8 summit,” Moriarty told Matia, says a press release of the agriculture ministry. The US diplomat also proposed Bangladesh to convene a forum on food security involving the US and other development partners in May to prepare a national position paper on the issue.
Dhaka, 3 March : USA will provide Bangladesh with a major share of its food security fund in the coming years, US Ambassador James F Moriarty said on Wednesday.
Bangladesh will also get special focus on this issue in the G-8 summit scheduled to be held in July, the US envoy told Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury during a meeting at the latter’s office. “The US president will prioritise Bangladesh in his speech in the G-8 summit,” Moriarty told Matia, says a press release of the agriculture ministry. The US diplomat also proposed Bangladesh to convene a forum on food security involving the US and other development partners in May to prepare a national position paper on the issue.
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Railway tracks blocked in Assam over elephant deaths
PTI, Guwahati, 3 March : Environmental activists today blocked railway tracks in the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section here demanding removal of tracks from elephant corridors near World Heritage wetland site of Deepor Beel.This resulted in the delay in movement of trains including the Guwahati-Gandhidham Express for over two hours. An adult female elephant was run over by a goods train near the Deepor Beel when she had come down the hill along with a herd to drink water on Sunday while another was hit by a train in the same area last year. The Assam unit of People for Animals also submitted a memorandum to North Eastern Frontier Railway demanding removal of the tracks as speeding trains run over elephants.
"The construction of the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section through the wetland was done without giving due consideration to the wildlife which are regularly mowed down by speeding trains," PFA chairperson Sangeeta Goswami told reporters. န File Photo : Chinmoy Roy
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Nabard sanctions 6 tribal development projects in WBengal
Kolkata, 3 March : The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned six tribal development programmes in West Bengal under Wadi projects. The Wadi projects are aimed at tribal welfare through job creation. The project in West Bengal is estimated to benefit nearly 2,800 tribal families in Bankura, Birbhum, Darjeeling and Coochbehar districts, according to a press release by Nabard.The total assistance sanctioned under project is Rs 12.61 crore, including a grant assistance of Rs 11.49 crore, and a loan component of Rs 1.12 crore. Based on the experience of the project in Gujarat, Nabard has started replicating the “Wadi” model across the country.
In West Bengal, location specific activities were identified in consultation with the participant tribal families and these include development of horticulture gardens with mango, cashew, lime, guava, in combination; piggery, goat farming and bee keeping, said Mohanaia, Chief General Manager, Nabard. For the first time, total organic farming with organic certification by an accredited agency is being contemplated in the hill district of Darjeeling where cultivation of fruit crops like orange, peach, plum and vegetables will be taken up under Wadi project. The financial assistance for Wadi is provided from Tribal Development Fund (TDF) set up by Nabard.
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