IANS, Kolkata, 18 October : The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) have joined hands to prevent pollution of the Ganga river from pith and flowers during immersion of Durga idols, officials said Monday.After four days of merriment came to an end on Bijoya Dashami Sunday, long queues formed up at the ghats for the immersion of idols of Durga and her four children. To prevent pollution, KMC set up mini waste bins around the seven ghats in the city for flowers and has engaged personnel to remove the disintegrating idols from the water soon after their immersion.
‘A mini waste bin has been set up at every ghat of river Ganga in Kolkata. The puja organisers have been requested to use those waste bins for dropping flowers and piths,’ said KMC mayor-in-council member (Parks and Squares) Debasish Kumar. The KMC has also engaged more than 350 personnel to remove the idols of goddess Durga from the river within 24 hrs of immersion, he said, adding that as Tuesday was the deadline for immersion of idols, the clean-up job would continue till Wednesday.For the first time, the Kolkata Port Trust has joined the KMC in cleaning the river. The port trust has engaged a private river transporter to cordon off sections of the river around two of the major immersion ghats.
According to a port trust spokesperson, personnel have been deployed on the ghats to keep vigil and to trap any idol or structures if it flows down. The expenses for the clean up will be borne jointly by the municipal corporation and the port trust, the spokesperson added. န Photos : AFP
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PM for ensuring safe abode for children, protecting rights
BSS, Dhaka, 18 October : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated her government's firm commitment to building a safe abode for the children where they will be grown up as worthy citizens of the country.
"It is my dream to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for the country's millions of children under a terrorism and anarchy free Bangladesh," she while taking part in a discussion and prize giving ceremony of arts and cultural competitions and the SSC passed meritorious students at Osmani Memorial Hall here. Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad organized the function marking the 46th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russel, theyoungest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu.
BSS, Dhaka, 18 October : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today reiterated her government's firm commitment to building a safe abode for the children where they will be grown up as worthy citizens of the country.
"It is my dream to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for the country's millions of children under a terrorism and anarchy free Bangladesh," she while taking part in a discussion and prize giving ceremony of arts and cultural competitions and the SSC passed meritorious students at Osmani Memorial Hall here. Sheikh Russel Jatiya Shishu Kishore Parishad organized the function marking the 46th birth anniversary of Sheikh Russel, theyoungest son of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu.
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Maoists demand resignation of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee
PTI, Kolkata, 18 October : The Maoists today demanded the resignation by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from the UPA governmemt, saying it would not be possible for her to work for the people of Jangalmahal, a Maoists -hit area, working with the Congress at the Centre.An open letter to Banerjee signed by BJO-BRC (Bengal Jharkhand Orissa- Border Regional Committee) spokesperson alleged Trinamool Congress has become a "hub of corruption" and many of CPI(M) leaders are joining that party. "In the last couple of years in West Bengal whenever there was a mass movement, we have worked together. But recently, there has been a change in the attitude among leaders of the party and they are prone to misutilise power", the letter said.
Terming Congress as the B team of CPI(M), the letter said "our movement is against CPI(M) which has been exploiting the people for generations.
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India, B'desh set up fences along the international border
Dhaka, 18 October : After the boundary agreement, both India and Bangladesh have begun setting up fences along the international border to resolve minor issues, said Bangladesh's border guard chief, Maj Gen Rafiqul Islam."It is essentially addressing the needs of both too," The Daily Star said on Monday, and added that the move marked "thawing of thorny border ties". Sources said India has so far fenced 3,300 km of the border beyond the 150 yard zone within its own territory in line with the boundary agreement. "As we have agreed to the Indian proposal, India is also reciprocating by allowing Bangladesh to construct a bridge in Laxmipur, expansion of a wall in Hili, construction of approach roads in Moulvibazar and Bhomra, and several other initiatives," Maj Gen Rafiqul Islam.
He made it clear that both countries are constructing the structures within their own boundaries.
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Mamata mounts pressure for withdrawal of 'joint operation'
Kolkata, 18 October : Claiming that there were no Maoists in Jangalmahal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today mounted pressure at the Centre to withdraw joint forces from the area and accused the CPI(M) of running armed camps there.
"There are no Maoists (in Jangalmahal). We would not have said anything if there were Maoists and the Centre took action against them. We don't support individual killing. Maoists who were present there got arrested," she told reporters here.
Kolkata, 18 October : Claiming that there were no Maoists in Jangalmahal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today mounted pressure at the Centre to withdraw joint forces from the area and accused the CPI(M) of running armed camps there.
"There are no Maoists (in Jangalmahal). We would not have said anything if there were Maoists and the Centre took action against them. We don't support individual killing. Maoists who were present there got arrested," she told reporters here.
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Rail service in Tripura affected, brokers selling fake tickets
Agartala, 18 October : Rail traffic between Tripura and the rest of the country has been affected since the past two weeks following sudden disruption of railway connectivity in the Lumbding-Badarpur section of south Assam. Road transport was also affected as the frequency of bus service between Agartala and Guwahati has also reduced substantially with the introduction of railway service. Only one or two buses from a private operator had been plying and it was not following any scheduled movement.''Hundreds of passengers have been left stranded at Guwahati Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) but there was no direct bus service up to Agartala. Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) had also cancelled their buses owing to non-availability of passengers,'' rued a passenger who finally travelled by air from Guwahati.
Allegedly, brokers in ISBT and Paltan Bazar area had been selling fake tickets for Agartala, Silchar and Aizawl at high costs but even after registering complaints with police there, no action was taken. Officials here today said the issue of cheating in ISBT and other bus terminuses at Guwahati was taken up with the Assam government several times but nothing had been done yet.
Flash floods and repeated landslides in the hill section had disrupted train service from 8 October.
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