Basirhat, 27 November : Congress is "totally responsible" for the ever growing divide between the rich and poor in the country where millionaires and impoverished live side-by-side, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said today."Along with world's largest number of poor, hungry and illiterate in our country, you can find the richest crorepatis. It is the Congress which is totally responsible for this situation," Bhattacharjee told a Left Front rally here in North 24 Parganas district. Without referring to the ongoing scandals, Bhattacharjee said "We know how the government is being run in Delhi by the Congress which is the party of the rich people."
The CPI(M) leader alleged the Centre of remaining indifferent to the state government's repeated pleas for assistance in sustaining the public distribution system. န File Photo
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Public transports will be made smoking free : Transport sec
Dhaka, 27 November : No-smoking stickers will be mandatory for obtaining fitness certificates of public transports, the communications secretary has said.
Mohammad Mozammel Haque Khan made the announcement on Saturday from a seminar at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority auditorium. The seminar was jointly organised by BRTA, Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust and Bangladesh Tamak Birodhi Jote (anti-tobacco alliance). The secretary said there are allegations against bus and three wheeler drivers of smoking inside the vehicle, though it is forbidden by law.
Dhaka, 27 November : No-smoking stickers will be mandatory for obtaining fitness certificates of public transports, the communications secretary has said.
Mohammad Mozammel Haque Khan made the announcement on Saturday from a seminar at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority auditorium. The seminar was jointly organised by BRTA, Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Trust and Bangladesh Tamak Birodhi Jote (anti-tobacco alliance). The secretary said there are allegations against bus and three wheeler drivers of smoking inside the vehicle, though it is forbidden by law.
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126 people 'lynched' in 2010 in Bangladesh : Media report
Dhaka, 27 November : A total of 126 people have been lynched in Bangladesh this year, which indicates people are losing trust in the authorities’ capability to book law breakers, a media report said Saturday.The repeated incidents of lynching and the attackers’ ferocity are causing concern among lawmen, psychologists and sociologists who believe people are taking law into their own hands because their confidence in law enforcement agencies and the justice delivery system is waning, the New Age said Saturday. Police are concerned at the rising number of incidence of mob justice. Investigations in such cases make little progress due to lack of confidence in them shown by the people engaged in it.
According to human rights watchdog Odhikar, 119 people were killed in mob beating during January-September this year. Seven more were added to the toll in the last six weeks.
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Loan fraud won’t hit LIC investors: PranabPTI, Thrissur, 27 November : Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday assured investors in the Life Insurance Corporation of India that they would not lose any money because of the housing finance racket involving the CEO of the state-run insurer’s subsidiary, LIC Housing Finance, and some top bank officials.
Asserting that those officials involved in the racket would not be allowed to escape, he said, “There is no cause for any anxiety for investors as not even a single paisa would be lost by them due to an aberration of one or two officers in the organisation.” “LIC is very strong and stable. It is too big an institution and its smooth functioning will not be affected by aberrations of one or two officers of the organisation”, Mukherjee said while inaugurating the 109th divisional office of the LIC in Thrissur.
The Minister said no guilty person would be allowed to escape from the process of law and stern action would be taken against them. Earlier this week, the CBI arrested top officials of the LIC and its affiliates as also other banks and financial institutions for granting corporate loans in lieu of grafts. န Photo : PTI
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Terms of Govt-ULFA talks being worked out : Raju Baruah
PTI, Guwahati, 27 November : The ULFA leadership has discussed the modalities for peace talks which would be made public soon, ULFA “Deputy Commander-in-Chief” Raju Baruah said after being released from jail on Saturday.
“A positive atmosphere has already been created with the government not opposing our bail and we hope a respectable solution will be soon found,” the ULFA leader told reporters after he arrived to a warm welcome at his home in Charia in Nalbari district after being released from the Guwahati Central Jail. “During the last 25 years of my involvement with the ULFA, I have never asked the people of the State to pick up the gun but now I appeal to them to help us resolve the issue,” he said.
PTI, Guwahati, 27 November : The ULFA leadership has discussed the modalities for peace talks which would be made public soon, ULFA “Deputy Commander-in-Chief” Raju Baruah said after being released from jail on Saturday.
“A positive atmosphere has already been created with the government not opposing our bail and we hope a respectable solution will be soon found,” the ULFA leader told reporters after he arrived to a warm welcome at his home in Charia in Nalbari district after being released from the Guwahati Central Jail. “During the last 25 years of my involvement with the ULFA, I have never asked the people of the State to pick up the gun but now I appeal to them to help us resolve the issue,” he said.
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Over 100 BNP men held across the country ahead of hartal
UNB, Dhaka, 27 November : Police arrested over 100 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations from separate places of the country Friday and Saturday ahead of Tuesday’s countrywide hartal.Besides, around 80 hartal supporters were injured in clashes with police in separate places of the country. In Barisal, at least 30 leaders and activists of BNP and its front organizations were injured in police baton charge on a procession brought out in Barisal town in support of hartal. Witnesses said when BNP leaders and activists led by ex MP Abul Hossain Khan and joint convenor of district BNP unit Abul Kalam Shaheen tried to enter the district and city BNP office ahead of brining out a procession as part of their hartal at about 10:45 am police obstructed them and chased them.
Police arrested BNP leader Mantu Khan and general secretary of ward 29 JCD unit Maniruzzaman. When the BNP activists tried to bring out another procession at 11 am police charge baton on them to foil their attempt. န Photo : UNB
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Private practice by government medics be stopped-Lawyers
Agartala, 27 November : The Tripura Bar Association (TBA) today demanded that private practice by the government doctors be stopped and the presence of senior doctors be ensured round-the-clock in heathcare units including Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC).
Senior member of TBA and Bar Council of India (BCI) Advocate Arun Chandra Bhowmik alleged that no senior doctor was spotted in the hospital after lunch, saying the serious patients were attended by junior doctors and interns.
Agartala, 27 November : The Tripura Bar Association (TBA) today demanded that private practice by the government doctors be stopped and the presence of senior doctors be ensured round-the-clock in heathcare units including Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC).
Senior member of TBA and Bar Council of India (BCI) Advocate Arun Chandra Bhowmik alleged that no senior doctor was spotted in the hospital after lunch, saying the serious patients were attended by junior doctors and interns.
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Railway Minister Mamata congratulates "Railway players"
PTI, New Delhi, 27 November : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today congratulated sports persons from Indian Railways for their performance at the Asian Games in Guangzhou describing it as "outstanding".
A total of 113 sports persons from Indian Railways, participating as part of the Indian contingent at the 16th edition of the event in the Chinese city have so far won 14 medals for the country including 7 gold, one silver and six bronze. The Railways contingent in the Indian squad was the biggest contingent from a single organization in the country.
PTI, New Delhi, 27 November : Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today congratulated sports persons from Indian Railways for their performance at the Asian Games in Guangzhou describing it as "outstanding".
A total of 113 sports persons from Indian Railways, participating as part of the Indian contingent at the 16th edition of the event in the Chinese city have so far won 14 medals for the country including 7 gold, one silver and six bronze. The Railways contingent in the Indian squad was the biggest contingent from a single organization in the country.
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One among 4 abducted people escapes from NLFT ultras
UNI, Agartala, 27 November : One of the four people, who were abducted by National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) ultras from Patlongraipara village in Kanchanpur of North Tripura yesterday, has managed to escape from the clutches from the rebels.
Police today said the person who managed to escape had been identified as Mankishore Nath (21), adding the rest - Billal Miah (45), Sadhan Nath (20) and Jiban Nath (22) - were still held in captivity. They were abducted by armed militants at gun-point.
UNI, Agartala, 27 November : One of the four people, who were abducted by National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) ultras from Patlongraipara village in Kanchanpur of North Tripura yesterday, has managed to escape from the clutches from the rebels.
Police today said the person who managed to escape had been identified as Mankishore Nath (21), adding the rest - Billal Miah (45), Sadhan Nath (20) and Jiban Nath (22) - were still held in captivity. They were abducted by armed militants at gun-point.
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Illegal construction posing natural disaster threat to WBhills
ANI, Darjeeling, 27 November : The massive construction of high-rise buildings, a majority of them illegal, has led to a degradation of the soil texture in the Darjeeling Hills area, and has made the place vulnerable to landslides, feel experts.
A series of landslides has hit Darjeeling and its surrounding areas since May 2009, triggered off by overnight rains and floods. Local builders seem to have ignored this threat and public concern. Talking to media persons about the problem, West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya said the state government has asked the local civic body to take measures to curb illegal construction."There is no reason behind the illegal construction. The builders are violating the rules. There is no fear of government in Darjeeling. Nobody has been caught till now. Now, the situation is improving. The situation will only improve when the municipal authorities work together with the local people," said Bhattacharya.
Geologists say the construction of unauthorized buildings coupled with improper drainage systems has led to landslides in the region in the past. "Since the end of 1970s and beginning of 1980s, there has been a real estate boom in all countries, and Darjeeling is no exception. There are now innumerable high-rise buildings, and, I do not know whether a building restriction rule still exists. There is no one to look after this. I do not know how they (the builders) are getting no objection certificates for constructing eight to nine-storeyed buildings in the hills," said Subir Sarkar, a meteorological expert.
Situated at a height of 2,134 meters, Darjeeling was developed as a hill station by the British, who wanted to escape the heat of the plains.
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