Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay, Kolkata, 24 June : Dispelling apprehensions about the future of an NSG hub in West Bengal, the Centre said on Wednesday the project is on course and the Ministry of Home Affairs would sanction money as soon as land is finalised for the hub.“As soon as the plot is finalised, MHA will sanction the money,” Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told The Indian Express. In reference to the 600-acre Dankuni site that NSG Director General N P S Aulakh had nearly approved a month ago, Pillai said: “Estimated around Rs 350 crore, the cost of the land (in Dankuni) was very high. So the NSG has decided to move their project site away from the city airport.”
The rejection of the Dankuni site served as a cause of concern for state home department officials, particularly after the NSG rejected all the sites it had recced earlier. These included two plots at Panagarh in Burdwan district, one plot at Barackpore, and one at Kaikhali near Dum Dum airport.
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'Amar Desh' editor Mahmudur Rahman's bail plea rejectedUNB, Dhaka, 24 June : A Dhaka court on Thursday rejected bail petitions filed by Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman in three separate cases.
Three cases-a sedition case with Airport police station, a case under Anti-Terrorism Act with Uttra police station and another case for obstructing police in discharging duty with Tejgaon police station were filed against him. Judge (in charge)of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, Md. Ismail Hossain, rejected the bail petitions after hearing from both sides.
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Gorkha group withdraws shutdown call in Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling, Kolkata, 24 June : The pro-Gorkhaland Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) Thursday withdrew its indefinite shutdown call in the three hill subdivisions of Darjeeling district.The GJM had called the shutdown from 19 June in protest against alleged police harassment of its frontal organisation, Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP), and a slew of other demands. It later relaxed the shutdown for 48-hours starting 23 June. GJM's press and publicity secretary Dr Harka Bahadur Chhetri told Bengal Newz, 'The decision was taken in today's central committee meeting of the party.' Dr Chhetri also said the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP) had written to GJM president Bimal Gurung extending its support to the GJM for the cause of a separate state 'Gorkha Adivasi Pradesh'.
Though the GJM has suspended its indefinite shutdown call, it has declared a new programme of protest against alleged police harassment of its supporters and GLP personnel. Chhetri said, 'GJM has suspended the indefinite shutdown call but will launch a two-hour chakka jam (road block) between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day starting Friday.'
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One more arrested in Gyaneshwari Exp. derailment case
Kolkata, 24 June : A close associate of key accused Bapi Mahato in the 28 May derailment of the Gyaneshwari Express has been arrested from West Midnapore district.
Amiya Mahato was arrested from Koimasoli village last night, Jhargram Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathi said. His role in the derailment that led to 148 deaths was yet to be ascertained. "We came to know that he is a close associate of Bapi, but we cannot say what his role was in the derailment right now," Tripathi said. Amiya is the seventh person to be arrested in the case, which is being investigated by the CBI.
Kolkata, 24 June : A close associate of key accused Bapi Mahato in the 28 May derailment of the Gyaneshwari Express has been arrested from West Midnapore district.
Amiya Mahato was arrested from Koimasoli village last night, Jhargram Superintendent of Police Praveen Tripathi said. His role in the derailment that led to 148 deaths was yet to be ascertained. "We came to know that he is a close associate of Bapi, but we cannot say what his role was in the derailment right now," Tripathi said. Amiya is the seventh person to be arrested in the case, which is being investigated by the CBI.
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SAARC member countries exchange lists of banned groups
PTI, Islamabad, 24 June : The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member nations have exchanged lists of banned groups during preparatory meetings ahead of the conference of interior ministers of the regional grouping in Islamabad on 26 June.The lists of banned groups were exchanged during a meeting of the SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk in Islamabad yesterday, officials said. The SAARC countries also expressed their determination to root out terrorism through a joint mechanism. The list prepared by Pakistan comprised 21 proscribed groups.
The SAARC countries also shared information on the working of banned organisations in their respective territories.
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Government mulls special facilities for researchers : Hasina
UNB, Dhaka, 24 June : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the government will specially think about the job tenure and salary scale of the country’s researchers to ensure all out and continuous assistance for better success of research works in Bangladesh.“Until the final result of any research work comes out, my government will give all types of support and assistance to the researchers. Research is not a routine task… researchers have no time limit, no money limit,” she said. The prime minister was talking to the researchers, led by scientist Dr Masudul Alam, who were involved in decoding Genome sequence of jute, when they met her at Ganobhaban Thursday morning.
“We will take special measure so that researchers do not face any trouble due to limitation of job tenure and limited salary,” Hasina told the scientists. She, however, said researchers must have specific projects to enjoy such facilities.
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Indian 'Rupee' to get a new symbolNew Delhi, 24 June : The Indian rupee is all set to get its own unique symbol, joining the club of other international currencies, such as, dollar, poundsterling, euro and the yen as currencies with an identity that is recognisable worldwide.
The Cabinet will decide on the matter on Thursday. A symbol reflecting the Hindi alphabet 'R' is likely to be approved. Five designs had been shortlisted by the government after an all-India contest. These signs are easy to write and are specially designed to appeal to Indian and international community.
Which is your favourite design? Is the use of such a symbol important to reflect India’s growing dominance in the global economy? Share your views with us.
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14 children die of viral fever in Tripura distsPTI, Kanchanpur (Tripura), 24 June : At least 14 children have died of Acquired Respiratory Infection (ARI), a kind of viral fever, in the tribal hamlet of Chhota Kangrai and its neighbouring villages in North Tripura district in the last 20 days, official sources said today.
Sub-divisional Medical Officer Subrata Roy said 14 children died at Chhota Kangrai, Bara Kangrai, Paschim Kangrai and Dhananjoypara due to the fever but the situation was now under control. "Following receipt of information of deaths, we are organizing regular health camps in the areas and the patients are responding well to the medicines distributed by our medical teams," Roy told PTI.
He said the health teams have examined more than hundred slides of blood samples and ascertained that the disease was ARI and not malaria.
Sub-divisional Medical Officer Subrata Roy said 14 children died at Chhota Kangrai, Bara Kangrai, Paschim Kangrai and Dhananjoypara due to the fever but the situation was now under control. "Following receipt of information of deaths, we are organizing regular health camps in the areas and the patients are responding well to the medicines distributed by our medical teams," Roy told PTI.
He said the health teams have examined more than hundred slides of blood samples and ascertained that the disease was ARI and not malaria.
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Strike halts export and import activities at 'Benapole Port'
UNB, Benapole, 24 June : Export and import activities between Bangladesh and India through the Benapole land port remained suspended Thursday morning due to indefinite strike called by transport workers.District Truck Sramik Samannoy Parishad enforced the strike from 9:00am(BDST) demanding the release of a Bangladeshi truck driver Rubel detained by Indian police on 19 June. Local sources said Bangladeshi truck driver Rubel along with exported goods entered Indian Petrapole port on 14 June. The truck remained stranded at Indian truck terminal as Indian C&F Agent failed to submit necessary documents with Petrapol Customs Office timely for releasing the goods.
A team of Kolkata Customs Office on 19 June held Rubel from Petrapole port and later handed him over to police. Bangladesh Truck Sramik Samannoy Parishad failed to secure the release of Rubel after holding several talks with Indian Customs officials and police.
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Fire destroys telephone exchange in Habibpur of Malda dist
Malda, 24 June : A telephone exchange of BSNL has been destroyed by fire today at Bulbulchandi in Habibpur of Malda district, affecting the telephone service in the district.
"Telephone exchange has been totally destroyed and the fire has been controlled," SP Malda Bhuban Chandra Mondal said. All phone lines in the area have gone dead and the incident affected the landline and mobile phone service in the district, BSNL officials said. The fire seems to have occurred from an electrical short-circuit early in the morning, Mondal said. The quantum of loss is yet to be assessed and it will take time to restore phone lines, officials said.
Malda, 24 June : A telephone exchange of BSNL has been destroyed by fire today at Bulbulchandi in Habibpur of Malda district, affecting the telephone service in the district.
"Telephone exchange has been totally destroyed and the fire has been controlled," SP Malda Bhuban Chandra Mondal said. All phone lines in the area have gone dead and the incident affected the landline and mobile phone service in the district, BSNL officials said. The fire seems to have occurred from an electrical short-circuit early in the morning, Mondal said. The quantum of loss is yet to be assessed and it will take time to restore phone lines, officials said.
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$500000 ADB grant to improve Bangladesh teaching quality
UNB, Dhaka, 24 June : Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide US$ 500,000 technical assistance grant to Bangladesh for further improving teaching quality of secondary education in the country.The ADB signed an agreement to this effect with Bangladesh at a simple ceremony at the NEC in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city on Thursday. ERD joint secretary Saifuddin Ahmed, deputy chief of Ministry of Education Md Ansar Ali, ADB country director Thevakumar Kandiah and Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Japan Takanori Uehara were present at the signing ceremony.
The Japan Special Fund will provide the technical assistance grants, to be administered by the ADB, as they are assisting Bangladesh to lay the groundwork for the Second Teaching Quality Improvement (TQI) in Secondary Education Project which is expected to begin in 2012.
The first phase of the project, being carried out with ADB assistance since 2004, helped improve teacher training system, national policy, strengthen the capacity of teacher training agencies and establish an effective teacher management system.
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