“Recently the Central Government wanted to know our opinion about FDI in the retail business and we have clearly informed it that the Tripura Council of Ministers do not support it,” State Minister for Food and Civil Supply, Manik De told reporters here today. He said, about seven to eight crore people in the country earned their livelihood from the retail business who would be hit if FDI was allowed in the retail market. De said, though the Central Government proposed to appoint a regulatory commission to control FDI, the Left Front Government in the State felt that it would protect the interest of investors and not retailers.
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Port Blair declared major portUNI, New Delhi, 7 June : The Port Blair Port, with its territorial jurisdiction over all ports of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has been declared a major port with effect from June one this year, under the Indian Ports Act, 1908.
With this the Port Blair Port becomes the 13th major port of the country. The other major ports are Kolkata (including Dock Complex at Haldia), Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mumbai, Kandla and Ennore.
It has also been decided to bifurcate Andaman Lakshadweep Harbour Works into Andaman Harbour works and Lakshadweep Harbour Works. The Andaman Harbour Works stands merged with Port Blair Port Trust and the Lakshadweep Harbour Works will now function under the direct control of the Ministry of Shipping, headed by the Deputy Chief Engineer and with the status of Subordinate office to the Ministry.
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Riz Case : SC refuses to stay HC order on fresh CBI probe 
PTI, New Delhi, 7 June : The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the registration of murder case and a fresh CBI probe directed against industrialist Ashok Todi by the Calcutta High Court into the mysterious death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rahman.A Bench of Justices Deepak Verma and K.S. Radhakrishnan, however, sought response within six weeks from the CBI and the complainant Rukbanur Rehman, Rizwanur’s brother, on Todi’s appeal challenging the 18 May court direction. Rizwanur, 30, was found dead on 21 September, 2007 near Dumdum rail track, a month after his marriage to Priyanka, daughter of Ashok Todi who owns the Rs 200-crore Lux Cozi hosiery brand.
Senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for Todi, argued that the High Court’s direction was erroneous as it had no such powers under the CrPC since a chargesheet had already been filed in the case by the CBI.
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Elephant kills an elderly woman in Bankura DistrictBankura, 7 June : An elephant killed an elderly woman in Kusumpur village of Bankura District on Monday.
The incident took place when some villagers were trying to chase away an elephant that had strayed into the village from the forest. The 50-year-old Durga Mondal, came in the animal's path and was crushed.lephants often stray into villages that are at the edge of jungles. Locals insist that despite repeated calls, the forest department has not paid any attention to such problems.
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WB's Terai-Doars region' tea workers demand hike in wages
Siliguri, 7 June : The Coordination Committee of the Tea Workers Union observed a 24-hours strike in Darjeeling District on Monday demanding hike in wages.The Defence Committee of Plantation Workers Rights (DCPWR) also participated in the strike. The Coordination Committee has called the strike on the nine-point charter citing different demands for the workers. “Today’s strike is called by The Coordination Committee. Except Progressive Tea Workers all the unions have participated. Our strike is a success. Our demands are hike in wages, medical facility in hospital,” said Prakash Jha, leader of the Coordination Committee. He said that the committee has been demanding the implementation of basic needs of the workers, like increase in the wage rate of the workers, repair of their quarters and to open the closed tea gardens.
Jha said that the workers were only getting a pittance as of rupees 67 as wages.There are about 350 tea gardens in Terai-Doars region, and 92 gardens in Darjeeling hills, employing nearly 350000 workers.
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Bus service between Guwahati to Dhaka via Shillong likely
Guwahati, 7 June : With improvement of relations between India and Bangladesh, a proposal to introduce bus service between Guwahati and Dhaka via Shillong is under serious consideration of the Government of India.
Highly-placed official sources told a leading Assamees daily that the Government has agreed on principle to introduce such a bus service to improve connectivity of the North East region. However, sources admitted that modalities for a bus service are yet to be finalized and “a lot of hurdles will have to be cleared before a bus service connecting Guwahati and Dhaka becomes operational. Further improvement of the relations between India and Bangladesh will also determine whether the Government of India gives its nod to the introduction of the bus service.”
Guwahati, 7 June : With improvement of relations between India and Bangladesh, a proposal to introduce bus service between Guwahati and Dhaka via Shillong is under serious consideration of the Government of India.
Highly-placed official sources told a leading Assamees daily that the Government has agreed on principle to introduce such a bus service to improve connectivity of the North East region. However, sources admitted that modalities for a bus service are yet to be finalized and “a lot of hurdles will have to be cleared before a bus service connecting Guwahati and Dhaka becomes operational. Further improvement of the relations between India and Bangladesh will also determine whether the Government of India gives its nod to the introduction of the bus service.”
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B'desh wants to introduce Karachi-Chittagong ferry service
APP, Multan, (Pakista), 7 June : Bangladesh High Commissioner Designate Mehfooz-u-Rehman has said Bangleshi cricket team was ready to play in Pakistan and hoped that both countries would promote the healthy sport activities in two brethren countries.Talking to newsmen on Sunday at Multan Press Club the high commissioner said that Bangladesh wanted to inroduce a ferry service between Karachi and Chittagong to promote the bilateral trade and we had agreed in Saarc conference to develop the free trade among the member countries and relaxing the visa restrictions. He disclosed that Bangladesh government was actively considering a proposal to establish its consulate in Multan, which is an historical and ancient city of the world.
He said that Multan is a city of Soofis, spiritual saints like Bahauddin Zikiriya, Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Hazrat Moosa Pak Shaheed, Shah Shams Sabzwari who had preached the message of peace, love and tolerance. Mehfooz said that people of Bangladesh and Pakistan have a common past and collective efforts are needed to cement bilateral relations and exchange of delegations is of vital importance in this regard.
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ULFA leader Ranju Chowdhury arrested in Bangladesh
PTI, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladesh has arrested ULFA leader Ranju Chowdhury from a northern district, months after the chief of the separatist outfit Arbinda Rajkhowa was handed over to Indian authorities.
Ranju Chowdhury alias Rattan Sarkar, a leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was arrested yesterday from northern Mymensingh district, local sources said. The elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops arrested Chowdhury as he was being treated at a health facility in Mymensingh, local newsmen familiar with the case told PTI on phone.
PTI, Dhaka, 7 June : Bangladesh has arrested ULFA leader Ranju Chowdhury from a northern district, months after the chief of the separatist outfit Arbinda Rajkhowa was handed over to Indian authorities.
Ranju Chowdhury alias Rattan Sarkar, a leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was arrested yesterday from northern Mymensingh district, local sources said. The elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops arrested Chowdhury as he was being treated at a health facility in Mymensingh, local newsmen familiar with the case told PTI on phone.
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Film based on @Kolkata to be screened at Munich film fest
Supratik Sengupta, Kolkata, 7 June : National award winning film-maker Suman Mukhopadhyay's 'Mahanagar@Kolkata', a film which shows the city of joy in a new avatar, is all set to be screened at the Munich film festival at the end of this month.
The city, with its majestic colonial buildings and cobwebbed streets co-existing peacefully with the avant-garde, comes alive in the film which promises to walk a path untrodden by Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen when they made films with the Kolkata as the backdrop. The new film happens a long time after Ray's 'Mahanagar' and Sen's famous Calcutta trilogy, cult films of the 70s, where the two directors set out to explore the city's multi-facted psyche.
The movie, which is due for showing in the non-competitive section of the film festival, turns the spotlight on the city revealing an altogether new identity, the director said.
Supratik Sengupta, Kolkata, 7 June : National award winning film-maker Suman Mukhopadhyay's 'Mahanagar@Kolkata', a film which shows the city of joy in a new avatar, is all set to be screened at the Munich film festival at the end of this month.
The city, with its majestic colonial buildings and cobwebbed streets co-existing peacefully with the avant-garde, comes alive in the film which promises to walk a path untrodden by Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen when they made films with the Kolkata as the backdrop. The new film happens a long time after Ray's 'Mahanagar' and Sen's famous Calcutta trilogy, cult films of the 70s, where the two directors set out to explore the city's multi-facted psyche.The movie, which is due for showing in the non-competitive section of the film festival, turns the spotlight on the city revealing an altogether new identity, the director said.
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