PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : The Indian government admitted on Friday that small and tiny industries in the North Eastern region were facing hardships in getting credits as banks could not open branches in some areas.
Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "We are fully aware of the problems in the North Eastern region...that is why a separate industry package has been given for the region." He, however, said efforts are being made to meet credit requirements of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), micro and other tiny industry even without having bank branches in some areas of the regions.Pranab Babu also informed the House that the task force, constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to look into the issues of small industries, has submitted the report and it was under consideration of the government.
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Huge cache of explosives seized from West Midnapore dist
Midnapore, 5 March : A huge cache of explosives was today seized from Maoist-infested West Midnapore district by a team of joint security forces, officials said.
Around 4.5 quintal of explosives were found by the security men during a search operation in Sirsi and Chandiwala villages of Kotwali area, they said. The cache included 200 kgs of ammonium nitrate, 50 kgs of sulphur, jelly gunpowder and 300 bullets of AK series.
Midnapore, 5 March : A huge cache of explosives was today seized from Maoist-infested West Midnapore district by a team of joint security forces, officials said.
Around 4.5 quintal of explosives were found by the security men during a search operation in Sirsi and Chandiwala villages of Kotwali area, they said. The cache included 200 kgs of ammonium nitrate, 50 kgs of sulphur, jelly gunpowder and 300 bullets of AK series.
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RTI Act first significant achievement of UPA govt : Sonia
PTI, Shillong, 5 March : The Right to Information Act is the first significant achievement of the UPA government, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said on Friday."The enactment of the RTI is the first significant achievement of the UPA government. This is the first single piece of legislation to ensure transparency and delivery by the government," Gandhi told a public rally in Shillong. "Regardless of whichever government is in power, each citizen can by law put questions and expect answers from the government," she said and called upon the people to make full use of the Act.
She earlier formally inaugurated the Regional Institute for Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) here. န Photo : PTI
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Women's bill to be tabled on Rajya Sabha Monday : Govt
IANS, New Delhi, 5 March : The Indian bill that seeks 33 percent reservation for women in legislative bodies will be introduced in the Rajya Sabha Monday, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan said Friday.Monday, 8 March, is International Women's Day. The legislation has been pending for over 13 years - it was first brought to parliament by the H.D. Deve Gowda government in 1996. In its present form, the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008, has the backing of the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left. But it is being opposed by the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United.
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Bangladesh Railway going to e-ticketing
Dhaka, 5 March : Bangladesh Railway is going to launch electronic ticketing service to ease the sufferings of passengers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday unveiled the service at the Railway stall in the Digital Innovation Fair at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in the capital. Using Grameenphone's "Mobitaka" service, rail passengers will be able to book or purchase electronic railway tickets 10 days prior to their travel using mobile phones. To buy an e-ticket a customer will have to press *133# in his mobile phone and enter a menu. The menu will generate windows where the customer has to furnish necessary travel information following instruction.
After the input, the customer will have the option to either book tickets or purchase them instantly, subject to availability of tickets.
Dhaka, 5 March : Bangladesh Railway is going to launch electronic ticketing service to ease the sufferings of passengers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday unveiled the service at the Railway stall in the Digital Innovation Fair at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Novo Theatre in the capital. Using Grameenphone's "Mobitaka" service, rail passengers will be able to book or purchase electronic railway tickets 10 days prior to their travel using mobile phones. To buy an e-ticket a customer will have to press *133# in his mobile phone and enter a menu. The menu will generate windows where the customer has to furnish necessary travel information following instruction.
After the input, the customer will have the option to either book tickets or purchase them instantly, subject to availability of tickets.
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Tripura govt blames Mizoram as refugee repatriation hangs
Agartala, 5 March : Tripura Friday accused Mizoram of going against the union home ministry's directive by not taking steps to repatriate Reang tribal refugees who have been sheltered in Tripura for 13 years.
'The Mizoram government has been violating the union home ministry's direction over the repatriation of Reang tribal refugees. Whenever the centre and Tripura government takes efforts to send back the evacuees, the Mizoram government fails to take initiative to take back their residents,' Tripura Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Badal Choudhury said in the assembly.
Agartala, 5 March : Tripura Friday accused Mizoram of going against the union home ministry's directive by not taking steps to repatriate Reang tribal refugees who have been sheltered in Tripura for 13 years.
'The Mizoram government has been violating the union home ministry's direction over the repatriation of Reang tribal refugees. Whenever the centre and Tripura government takes efforts to send back the evacuees, the Mizoram government fails to take initiative to take back their residents,' Tripura Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Badal Choudhury said in the assembly.
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Suspected poisoning of chemicals kills 3 at Dhaka tannery
Dhaka, 5 March : At least three workers died from suspected poisoning of chemicals at a tannery in city's Hazaribagh area Friday morning.
Nine others were also injured at Apex tannery, who were mixing chemicals around 6:45am(BDST). Officer-in-Charge of Hazaribagh Police Station Enamul Haq Enam told reporters that the three died instantly. The injured workers were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
Dhaka, 5 March : At least three workers died from suspected poisoning of chemicals at a tannery in city's Hazaribagh area Friday morning.
Nine others were also injured at Apex tannery, who were mixing chemicals around 6:45am(BDST). Officer-in-Charge of Hazaribagh Police Station Enamul Haq Enam told reporters that the three died instantly. The injured workers were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Identities of the deceased could not be known immediately.
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Tiger census begins in West Bengal's Sunderbans TR
PTI, Kolkata, 5 March : The much-awaited tiger census in WB's Sunderbans, where DNA sampling would be made for the first time to establish the number of big cats, began yesterday. Tiger scat will be collected for DNA sampling which is a foolproof method to establish their number, Field Director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve Subrat Mukherjee said.
The exercise will continue till 9 March. Scat collection, however, would be a long-drawn process because Sundarbans has a vast and difficult terrain, Director of Sunderban Biosphere Reserve Pradeep Vyas told PTI. "It will take an entire year to complete collection of scats in over 100 compartments in the Sunderbans which includes a part of North 24 Parganas district besides the tiger reserve," Vyas said.Altogether 35 teams comprising 250 forest personnel and representatives of NGOs were taking part in total ecological monitoring which include tigers, co-predators, prey, habitat and human interference, Vyas said. Asked whether it would be possible to have an approximate count of tigers in Sunderbans immediately after collection of data, he said the data would take two months to process after which it would be sent to the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India. န Photos : AP, Reuters
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6 indigenous houses burnt in a remote area in Rangamati
Rangamati, 5 March : Again six houses of indigenous people were brunt down in a remote area in Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati Thursday night.
Unidentified criminals set the houses ablaze at about 8:45pm(BDST) in Dane Baipachora area in the upazila. The upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Baghaichhari upazila visited the spot Friday morning and confirmed the incident.
Rangamati, 5 March : Again six houses of indigenous people were brunt down in a remote area in Baghaichhari Upazila of Rangamati Thursday night.
Unidentified criminals set the houses ablaze at about 8:45pm(BDST) in Dane Baipachora area in the upazila. The upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Baghaichhari upazila visited the spot Friday morning and confirmed the incident.
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My mother is not like Amitabh Bachchan : Konkana Sen
Bohni Bandyopadhyay, PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Bengali actress Konkona Sharma, who rose to fame with Mr and Mrs Iyer by her mother Aparna Sen, admits that having an actor-director mother has had its advantages.
Bohni Bandyopadhyay, PTI, New Delhi, 5 March : Bengali actress Konkona Sharma, who rose to fame with Mr and Mrs Iyer by her mother Aparna Sen, admits that having an actor-director mother has had its advantages.
"I think being Aparna Sen's daughter definitely had its advantages since she is such a respected actor-director," said Konkona, who won the National Award for Best Actress for the 2002 film. Despite the headstart, the 30-year-old actress believes that she also needed to prove herself as an actor. "But my mother is not like Amitabh Bachchan that pan India everybody knows and loves her. Star kids do get more opportunities, but there are so many whose careers haven't worked out," Konkona told PTI. The actress enjoys working with her national award winning mother the most and will soon be seen in a new movie with her. "I love working with her the most. I have completed shooting for 'Iti Mrinalini' which will be released in April in both Hindi and Bengali. The film has my mother playing the older version of my character," Konkona said. The actress was in the capital recently to promote her upcoming Bollywood film Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?. Releasing today, the film stars Ajay Devgan and Paresh Rawal. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
