Kolkata, 28 December : West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today sent a reply to the Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram’s controversial letter which had asked the state government to ’disarm CPI(M) cadres’ in West Bengal's districts.“The Chief Minister has sent a reply,” sources in CM’s secretariat said without divulging details of the letter. Chief Minister did not speak to reporters at the state secretariat.
He had yesterday stated that he would send a reply today.
Chief Minister also took a swipe at Chidambaram, saying that the union minister had written the letter only to ’please the Trinamool Congress.’ န File PTI Photo
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Naxalism biggest threat to peace, security in India: PranabPTI, New Delhi, 28 December : Calling naxalism the "biggest threat" to peace and security in the country, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said he is concerned about it's spread to economically backward areas and asked the CRPF to handle the situation with sensitivity.
"I am particularly concerned over the spread of Left-Wing Extremism in some of the more backward areas of the economy. In part, it is a reflection of our failure in meeting the expectations of the local people," Mukherjee said while officiating as the chief guest at the 71st Raising day celebrations of CRPF in the national capital.
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Binapani Devi, Matuas bring rival political parties togetherKolkata, 28 December : Bitter arch-rivals CPI(M) and Trinamool, besides Congress and BJP, today were brought together on the same platform by a socio-religious group which commands a substantial vote-bank in West Bengal.
"I consider your demand (for citizenship) as a national demand. There are 42 MPs from West Bengal belonging to different parties. Why won't they go together to the Prime Minister with your demand?" senior CPI(M) leader Gautam Deb, indirectly referring to the Trinamool Congress, told the rally organised by the Matua Mahasangha here.
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48hr PCPA bandh paralyses life in West Midnapore districts
UNI, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, 28 December : A 48-hour PCPA-sponsored bandh began today in the Jangalmahal area paralysing life in West Midnapore district and partially affecting it in Purulia and Bankura districts. The People's Committee against Police Atrocities has launched the stir to protest the arrest of its convenor Ajit Mahato and four of his associates on 'false' ground.
''The PCPA is not a banned organisation. Therefore, these arrests are meaningless,'' a spokesperson told UNI.
Buses and cars stayed off the roads while offices and educational institutions remained closed. Streets wore a deserted look. SDO Jhargram C Murugan said, ''No untoward incident has been reported so far.'' The different districts have been alerted to keep a strict vigil, the SDO added. Train services were kept outside the purview of the bandh. The bandh registered a lukewarm response in Bankura and Purulia districts. Superintendent of Police, Purulia, Sunil Choudhury said the bandh had a lukewarm response in Purulia except Bundwan, Bagmundi, Balarampur, Burrabazaar, Ashra, Jhalda and Jaipur. Superintendent of Police, Bankura, Pranab Kumar Das said the bandh did not have much effect.
UNI, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, 28 December : A 48-hour PCPA-sponsored bandh began today in the Jangalmahal area paralysing life in West Midnapore district and partially affecting it in Purulia and Bankura districts. The People's Committee against Police Atrocities has launched the stir to protest the arrest of its convenor Ajit Mahato and four of his associates on 'false' ground.''The PCPA is not a banned organisation. Therefore, these arrests are meaningless,'' a spokesperson told UNI.
Buses and cars stayed off the roads while offices and educational institutions remained closed. Streets wore a deserted look. SDO Jhargram C Murugan said, ''No untoward incident has been reported so far.'' The different districts have been alerted to keep a strict vigil, the SDO added. Train services were kept outside the purview of the bandh. The bandh registered a lukewarm response in Bankura and Purulia districts. Superintendent of Police, Purulia, Sunil Choudhury said the bandh had a lukewarm response in Purulia except Bundwan, Bagmundi, Balarampur, Burrabazaar, Ashra, Jhalda and Jaipur. Superintendent of Police, Bankura, Pranab Kumar Das said the bandh did not have much effect.
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Bhutanese elephants develop 'new fondness' for oranges
BBC News, 28 December : Elephants in Bhutan have begun eating oranges for what is believed to be the first time, officials have told the country's main English newspaper.
A report in the Kuensel newspaper says that elephants have developed a taste for mandarins in orchards in the south-east of the country. Villagers told the newspaper that they were shocked to see the animals tucking into the fruit... READ FULL STORY
BBC News, 28 December : Elephants in Bhutan have begun eating oranges for what is believed to be the first time, officials have told the country's main English newspaper.
A report in the Kuensel newspaper says that elephants have developed a taste for mandarins in orchards in the south-east of the country. Villagers told the newspaper that they were shocked to see the animals tucking into the fruit... READ FULL STORY
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Bangladesh govt looks to Russia for oil and gas exploration
IANS, Dhaka, 28 December : Bangladesh has offered Russian energy corporation Gazprom joint venture projects in oil and gas sector after lukewarm response to its bids from the western multi-national corporations.State sector Petrobangla’s chairman Hossain Mansur said that they were hopeful of signing agreements at the end of next February when Gazprom’s chairman Viktor Zubkov visits here. Petrobangla offered Gazprom the chance to make joint venture investments in oil and gas exploration in five remote areas, including Patiya, Kachalong, Jaldi and Sita Hills in Chittagong. It also offered setting up of the Jalalabad-Bibiyana-Dhanua 190-km gas pipeline, along with two compressor stations in Chittagong and the western side of Jamuna river, and two processing plants in the state-run gas fields and a well.
Hossain Mansur told the New Age newspaper that Gazprom was the largest energy corporation in the world, and its chief Zubkov, who was also the first deputy prime minister of Russia, was visiting Bangladesh as a follow-up of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to Russia last month.
Petrobangla needed to set up more gas pipe lines from Sylhet in the northeastern region where it has been planning to set up compressor and pumping stations to improve gas supply in the country.
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Mizoram gets festive days power from neighbouring Tripura
PTI, Aizawl, 28 December : Mizoram was drawing additional 15 MW of power from neighbouring Tripura during the Christmas and New Year festivals, state power and electricity department officials said here on Monday.
The additional was being drawn during the peak hours every day (from 4 PM to 10 PM) from the Tripura State Electricity Board to ensure undisrupted power supply during the festive days. “Usually we receive around 40 to 45 MW during normal days. Now we are getting around 60 MW,” the officials said.
PTI, Aizawl, 28 December : Mizoram was drawing additional 15 MW of power from neighbouring Tripura during the Christmas and New Year festivals, state power and electricity department officials said here on Monday.
The additional was being drawn during the peak hours every day (from 4 PM to 10 PM) from the Tripura State Electricity Board to ensure undisrupted power supply during the festive days. “Usually we receive around 40 to 45 MW during normal days. Now we are getting around 60 MW,” the officials said.
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President for researches to minimize coastal disaster losses
UNB, Khulna, 28 December : President Zillur Rahman has urged the university teachers and students to conduct researches so that losses of valuable lives from coastal natural disaster due to negative impact of global warming can be kept at minimum level.“Negative impact of global warming is a great cause of concern for us,” he said while presiding over the 4th convocation of Khulna University (KU) at the university campus today. Addressing the function, President Zillur Rahman said the devastating cyclones like ‘Sidr’ and ‘Aila’ and tidal surge in the coastal areas have pushed the country’s lives, resources and environment into grave danger.
“The existence of world famous mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, is at stake. Aila-stricken people are still homeless. Scarcity of drinking water and salinity haunts the local people in coastal areas.” He said the countrymen may not be able to control the nature but all of them will have to work together to prevent the environmental degradation. န Photo : UNB
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Banglavision TV station told not to show hangman series
Salim Mia, BBC News, Dhaka, 28 December : A television channel in Bangladesh has been ordered to stop broadcasting interviews with the country's most famous hangman, officials say.
They say that the government has ordered the three-part show off air because it could frighten children. The hangman, who has hanged nine people in his 21 years in prison, has requested anonymity. But he told the BBC that the programmes on the private channel, Banglavision, were mainly about his lifestyle.... READ FULL STORY
Salim Mia, BBC News, Dhaka, 28 December : A television channel in Bangladesh has been ordered to stop broadcasting interviews with the country's most famous hangman, officials say.
They say that the government has ordered the three-part show off air because it could frighten children. The hangman, who has hanged nine people in his 21 years in prison, has requested anonymity. But he told the BBC that the programmes on the private channel, Banglavision, were mainly about his lifestyle.... READ FULL STORY
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Digvijay seeks review of court verdict against Binayak Sen
PTI, Mumbai, 28 December : Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday sought a review of the trial court judgement sentencing rights activist Dr Binayak Sen to life imprisonment on sedition charges.
"I feel that Sen is a very fine human being and because of this, the judgement against him needs to be reviewed," he said.
PTI, Mumbai, 28 December : Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday sought a review of the trial court judgement sentencing rights activist Dr Binayak Sen to life imprisonment on sedition charges.
"I feel that Sen is a very fine human being and because of this, the judgement against him needs to be reviewed," he said.
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Seaplane operations in Andaman & Nicobar finally lauched
Port Blair, 28 December : India’s first amphibious aircraft, which will start services in the Andamans by the end of this week, will later be introduced in the other two tourist hotspots as well.
The seaplane has been procured by helicopter company Pawan Hans. The plane can take off from and touch down on both land and sea. Civil aviation minister Praful Patel inaugurated the service on Monday to promote tourism and passenger service. By the end of the week, the plane will have started services to three spots on the islands. The plan to operate seaplanes in India is about three years old.The seaplane service will connect Port Blair with Havelock and subsequently other islands in North Andaman to promote tourism. In Port Blair the seaplane is proposed to operate from the airport and in Havelock and Diglipur in the identified waterdrome. To facilitate safe operations, facilities for ferrying passengers from the shore to the pontoons, sanitization of the waterdrome before take off and landing, speed boat of ten passenger capacity and one stand-by boat (inflatable Gemini boat) and one floating jetty (pontoon) each in the above locations have been placed.
The seaplane operations are being introduced as a major tourist attraction. Seaplanes will also be introduced in other areas of India such as Lakshadweep, Goa, Odisha, etc. Government of India has allowed 100 per cent FDI in this sector.
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