PTI, New Delhi, 23 February : Against the backdrop of air crashes involving MiG fighters, India government today said it was planning to phase-out the majority of the Russian-origin jets from the Indian Air Force by 2017 and replace them with modern aircraft.
Defence Minister A K Antony told Rajya Sabha that a number of modern aircraft such as the Su-30 MKI, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M- MRCA) would be procured to replace the squadrons of MiG 21s and MiG 23s.The Air force have got a "clear-cut plan" to phase out these aircraft by 2017 and by the same time the induction of new aircraft like Sukhoi-30 MKI and, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will begin, Antony said while replying to a member's query on flight safety during Question Hour. န File Photos
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'Kolkata' to 'Agartala' direct bus service via 'Dhaka' taken up
UNI, New Delhi, 23 February : There are bus services between Kolkata-Dhaka and Dhaka-Agartala, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur in a written reply said that the bus services are governed by their respective protocols. "Our proposal to start a direct bus service between Kolkata-Agartala via Dhaka has also been taken up with the Bangladesh side,'' she added.
UNI, New Delhi, 23 February : There are bus services between Kolkata-Dhaka and Dhaka-Agartala, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur in a written reply said that the bus services are governed by their respective protocols. "Our proposal to start a direct bus service between Kolkata-Agartala via Dhaka has also been taken up with the Bangladesh side,'' she added.
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President for more cooperation among air forces of SAARC
BSS, Dhaka, 23 February : Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman today asked Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman to take measures for increasing cooperation with the air forces of other member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The President also emphasized the need for modernizing the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) through adopting advanced technologies for ensuring better performances in the service when the Air Chief called on him at Bangabhaban here.
The President also emphasized the need for modernizing the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) through adopting advanced technologies for ensuring better performances in the service when the Air Chief called on him at Bangabhaban here.
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Five Maoists among 82 prisoners writing Madhyamik exams
Kolkata, 23 February : Eightytwo prisoners, including five Maoists, lodged in various correctional homes in West Bengal appeared in the state's secondary board examination that started Wednesday, an official said."Altogether, 82 prison inmates have appeared in the West Bengal Board of Secondary Examination - Madhyamik examination. This is a record in the history of correctional home services department of the state. Last year, only eight prison inmates appeared for the secondary examination," said Additional Director General and Inspector General of Police (correctional services) B.D. Sharma.
The written examination of Madhyamik will continue till March 7. Around 10.04 lakh examinees, of whom more than 50 percent are girls, Wednesday appeared in the first language paper. Of the 82 inmates, five were Maoists. န Photo : Somen Acharjee
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WBank to help Bangladesh achieve 'middle-income status'
BSS, Dhaka, 23 February : The World Bank's new Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Bangladesh for FY 2011-14 is aimed to reduce poverty from 40 to 15 percent and help transform Bangladesh into a middle-income country by 2021.
"The CAS supports the country's ambitious aspirations to reduce the poverty rate from 40 to 15 percent and achieve middle- income status by 2021," read the CAS, released here recently. The CAS builds on Bangladesh's surprisingly strong trackrecord on growth and human development over the past decade, it said.
"The CAS supports the country's ambitious aspirations to reduce the poverty rate from 40 to 15 percent and achieve middle- income status by 2021," read the CAS, released here recently. The CAS builds on Bangladesh's surprisingly strong trackrecord on growth and human development over the past decade, it said.
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Normal life partially affected during 12hour Assam bandh
PTI, Kokrajhar (Assam), 23 February : Normal life was partially affected in several districts of the state following a 12-hour Assam Bandh sponsored today by the All Adivasi Students Association of Assam in protest against the killing of its President Bosco Charmaco yesterday, official sources said.
The bandh affected parts of Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Sonitpur, Darrang, Chirang and Karbi Anglong districts with vehicular traffic remaining off the roads and most shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed. Though some government offices were open, the attendance was thin, the sources said.
PTI, Kokrajhar (Assam), 23 February : Normal life was partially affected in several districts of the state following a 12-hour Assam Bandh sponsored today by the All Adivasi Students Association of Assam in protest against the killing of its President Bosco Charmaco yesterday, official sources said.
The bandh affected parts of Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Sonitpur, Darrang, Chirang and Karbi Anglong districts with vehicular traffic remaining off the roads and most shops, business establishments and educational institutions were closed. Though some government offices were open, the attendance was thin, the sources said.
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Extremist outfits in NE have training camps in B'desh : HM
PTI, New Delhi, 23 February : A large number of extremist outfits in north eastern states have their training camps in Bangladesh, but India was getting "splendid" cooperation from Dhaka after Sheikh Hasina became Prime Minister there, India Government today said in the Rajya Sabha."Many leaders of these groups have found sanctuaries across the border...a significant number of leaders of these groups are there...they have training camps there," Home Minister P Chidambaram said during Question Hour. He was responding to concerns about the cross border connections of extremist groups operating in the north east.
Chidambaram, however, said the cooperation extended by Bangladesh to contain the problem has been "splendid" since Hasina came to power there. န U B Photos
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Commercial manganese alloys production starts in Haldia
Haldia, Kolkata, 23 February : Rohit Ferro-Tech Ltd has announced that the third and fourth furnace of its 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) in Haldia has started commercial production of maganese alloys from today.
The production from the other two furnaces is also expected to start in a couple of months, it said in a statement. The company will make manganese alloys from this unit which is mainly targeted for exports, it added.
Haldia, Kolkata, 23 February : Rohit Ferro-Tech Ltd has announced that the third and fourth furnace of its 100% Export Oriented Units (EOUs) in Haldia has started commercial production of maganese alloys from today.
The production from the other two furnaces is also expected to start in a couple of months, it said in a statement. The company will make manganese alloys from this unit which is mainly targeted for exports, it added.
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Projects gets order worth Rs 1200 cr from NHAI for NH-34
Kolkata, 23 February : Madhucon Projects Ltd today said it has bagged an order from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) worth Rs 1,200 crore.
The order is for four-laning of Barsasat-Krishnagar section of NH-34 in West Bengal, it said in a statemen.
Kolkata, 23 February : Madhucon Projects Ltd today said it has bagged an order from National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) worth Rs 1,200 crore.
The order is for four-laning of Barsasat-Krishnagar section of NH-34 in West Bengal, it said in a statemen.
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2 Day seminar-cum-farmers meet from 24 Feb in Andaman
Port Blair, 23 February : A two-day state-level Seminar-cum-Farmers Meet on Production Technology and Post Harvest Management in Horticulture and Allied Sectors will be organized by High Value Agriculture Development Agency, Directorate of Agriculture at Kerala Samajam Hall in Port Blair on 24 and 25 February.
It will be inaugurated by the Secretary (Agri.), A.S. Dagar as chief guest. Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, South Andaman, Tamilarasi and Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, North & Middle Andaman, Madhuri Giri will be guest of honour at the inaugural function.
Port Blair, 23 February : A two-day state-level Seminar-cum-Farmers Meet on Production Technology and Post Harvest Management in Horticulture and Allied Sectors will be organized by High Value Agriculture Development Agency, Directorate of Agriculture at Kerala Samajam Hall in Port Blair on 24 and 25 February.
It will be inaugurated by the Secretary (Agri.), A.S. Dagar as chief guest. Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, South Andaman, Tamilarasi and Adhyaksha, Zilla Parishad, North & Middle Andaman, Madhuri Giri will be guest of honour at the inaugural function.
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Milan Mela of poets, literary personalities of both Bangla...
BSS, Rangpur, 23 February : 'Milan Mela', (gathering) of the noted poets and literary personalities of both Bangla (Bangladesh and West Bengal) was held amid huge festivity and celebrations in the city Tuesday. 
Teesta Nondini Shahittya Pathak Chakra (TNSPC), a literary organisation, arranged the gathering at Rangpur Town Hall auditorium to bring the people of both Bangla closer by further cementing the common and rich cultural bondages.Rangpur Divisional Commissioner Jashim Uddin Ahmed formally launched the gathering by releasing balloons and attended the occasion as the chief guest with president of literary organisation `Abhijatrik' Adv MA Basher Tipu in the chair.
Additional Divisional Commissioner (Revenue) Narayan Chandra Barma, Rangpur Mayor AKM Abdur Rouf Manik, president of TNSPC Syed Ahmad Ali Aziz, its General Secretary Sultana Rizia and Humanities Faculty Dean of Begum Rokeya University Prof Dr Sarifa Salwa Dina attended as the special guests.
Later, warm receptions were accorded to renowned Indian poets and literary personalities Barun Chakraborty, Hrita Bose, Shikha Das Gupta, Dr Geeta Saha, Dilip Mukherjee and Jhimly Chakraborty Trina, Sujata Paul and Tarok Nath on the occasion. Besides, receptions were also accorded to Bangladeshi poetsSaroj Deb and Ferdousi Rahman Beauty in the gathering that was moderated by noted literary personality Mahmudun Nabi Bakul.
A colourful cultural function was arranged to end the daylong festive programmes enjoyed by the poets, literary and cultural personalities of the city and audience of all ages in the jam- packed auditorium.
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