Eden Gardens scrapped as World Cup's India-England tie venue

Kolkata, New Delhi, 27 January : The International Cricket Council Thursday scrapped Kolkata's Eden Gardens as a venue for the India-England match slated for 27 February in the World Cup due to the stadium's unpreparedness.

A venue inspection team comprising tournament director Ratnakar Shetty, members of the Central Organising Committe (COC) and the ICC reported on the readiness of five outstanding venues after visiting the facilities. The team inspected Eden Gardens Tuesday.
"The experts report, however, determined that Eden Gardens in Kolkata would not be ready within an acceptable time frame to host the India vs England ICC Cricket World Cup match on 27 February" ICC said in a statement.
"Of particular concern was the fact that host venue obligations in relation to cricket operations, media, broadcast and sponsorship facilities were not finalised and or confirmed by the venue," the statement read. န Photos : AFP (With IANS inputs)

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PM Hasina calls growth of weapon industry cruel injustice

BSS, London, 27 January : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today called the constant growth of the trillion dollar weapon industry as a "cruel injustice" for mankind as she reiterated Bangladesh's unflinching commitment to the global peace at a high-profile academic discourse here.
"This is a tragedy when teeming millions living in abject poverty in developing countries could benefit from even a marginal reduction in the size and cost of this destructive industry," she told an Oxford Union discourse on "Global Peace".

As a matter of fact, she said, the more the nations "spend on arms, the less we have, for poverty reduction, human development, and empowerment of the poor."
She said the growth of the industry to produce the lethal weapons was "a cruel injustice which is creating unrest, violence and terrorism around the world" while the big worry for all now was the dangerous possibility of exposure of the stockpiled weapons of mass destruction to terrorists.
The Bangladesh premier said the worst exposure of the least developed nations including Bangladesh to climate change vulnerability for lavish lifestyle in the developed world was another example of "injustice". "This generated a sense of injustice which is an ideal situation for breeding terrorism. Indeed, there could be other causes hindering peace but to me it is the neglect of justice, which predominantly hampers peace," she said.
Sheikh Hasina urged nations and individuals to join hands against injustice and exploitation saying "all nations and individuals have to combine energies and relentless crusade against all prejudice, injustice and exploitation to own a world of peace and prosperity".
Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh's commitment to global peace was exemplified in its positions in all international organizations and in its outstanding role as the number one troops contributing country to UN Peace Keeping Missions.
Scholars, faculty members and students of Oxford University joined the discourse of the Oxford Union, founded in 1823 as Britain's second oldest debating society that earned a worldwide repute by providing a valuable training ground for politicians across the world.
Sheikh Hasina told the forum, addressed in past decades by many British Prime Ministers and US Presidents, that attainment of peace continued to remain a challenge but Bangladesh's endeavour continued in its constant pursuit. န Photos : AFP

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Dalmiya should resign from CAB, says long-time opponent

IANS, Kolkata, 27 January : The knives were out for Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya Thursday, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruling out Eden Gardens as the venue for the 27 Feb India-England match of the World Cup. A staunch Dalmiya opponent demanded his resignation from the post of CAB president.
‘This is very shameful. It must be found out why the match could not be staged,’ former CAB joint secretary Samar Pal told IANS. Demanding that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the CAB be convened immediately, Pal said: ‘Dalmiya has to explain why we lost the match. Dalmiya should resign by owning moral responsibility. Such a thing has never happened in Bengal. To rid us of our shame, he should resign.’

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100 MW gas based Power Project to be set up in Tripura
ANI, New Delhi, 27 January : The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Thursday approved a plan to set up a 100 megawatt gas-based power project in Tripura.

The government has sanctioned Rs. 623.44 crore for the project, which is expected to be commissioned by July 2013. This includes interest amount of Rs. 51.09 crore during construction at November 2009 price level.
The project will be completed with a debt-equity ratio of 70:30. While the equity portion shall be met through NEEPCO’s internal resources, the debt portion shall be arranged through Commercial Borrowings. The power generated from the project will be supplied to Tripura.
The project would contribute to the economic development of the State by providing 100 MW power and direct and indirect employment to the local population.
Being a combined cycle power station by using natural gas, the plant shall be of high efficiency and also environmentally compatible project, with negligible emission.
This project will mitigate the problem of power shortage in the NER and the consequent need for import of power particularly during the winter seasons. The project will improve the hydro-thermal mix in the NER and the Country.

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