Kolkata, 26 April : Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place in West Bengal ahead of the crucial third phase of the assembly polls beginning Wednesday.The elections will take place in 75 seats spreading over Kolkata, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas districts in which over one crore, forty-four lakh, fifty five thousand voters will decide the fate of the candidates.
The fate of 479 candidates, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and nine other ministers would be decided in this phase.While Bhattacharjee takes on his one-time chief secretary and Trinamool Congress candidate Manish Gupta in Jadavpur constituency in South 24-Parganas district, Finance Minister Dr Asim Dasgupta is pitted against Trinamool Congress candidate and FICCI secretary general Dr Amit Mitra at Khardah in North 24-Paraganas district.
Other important candiadates contesting are Housing Minister Gautam Deb, Transport Minister Ranjit Kundu, Land Revenue Minister Abdur Rejjak Mollah, Sports Minister Kanti Ganguli (all CPI-M), Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee and Kolkata Mayor Shovan Chatterjee (both Trinamool).
The CPI(M) is contesting in 61 constituencies, the CPI three, the Trinamool 70, the Congress five, Forward Bloc seven, the BJP 75, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) three and the BSP 51 constituencies.
More than 17,700 polling booths have been set up in three districts. 50 general oberservers, eleven expenditure and two police observers are constantly monitoring the poll process. The Election Commission has appointed S. Srinivasan as special observer for overseeing the third phase Assembly polls. န Photos : Shankar Das, AP
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Bangladesh government bans all type corporal punishment
Dhaka, 26 April : Bangladesh government has formulated a new guideline banning corporal punishment in educational institutions.The government decision follows a 13 January High Court ruling that declared such punishments 'unconstitutional'. The 'Guideline to Stop Corporal Punishment to Students in Educational Institutions 2011' came into effect on Tuesday through an education ministry circular. According to the guideline, primary to university, including the madrasas, fall within the ambit of educational institutions.
The circular said teachers found guilty of meting out corporal punishment to students would face measures under Civil Service Rules (discipline and appeal) 1985. Steps could also be taken under the criminal law, if necessary, it added. It also defines the 11 types of tortures, both physical and psychological it seeks to ban.
The banned corporal punishments are to hit students with stick or anything else, throw dusters, chalks or other things, throw students down, pinch or bite, squeeze fingers with pencils in-between, push by the neck, twist ears or force the students to do sit-ups with hands holding the ears, ask to be half-bent with head under bench, table or chair, make them stand on their knees, facing the sun or lie under the sun and forcing them to do anything that is banned by labour laws.
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Buddhadeb holds large roadshowHowrah, 26 April : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today held a roadshow in Howrah district in support of the Left Front candidates.
Chief Minister started his roadshow from the Shibpur Botanical Garden in an open jeep along with the Left Front candidates of Howrah North, Howrah Central and Shibpur. He covered a distance of around 15 km in the roadshow which ended at Salkia Chowrastha. A large number of supporters joined Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's roadshow.
Elections in Howrah district would be held during the fourth phase of the Assembly election on 3 May. န Photo : Aniruddha De
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Tripura government not to acquire land forcibly for industry
Agartala, 26 April : The Left Front government in Tripura, taking a cue from the Singur fiasco in West Bengal, today said that there would be no forcible land acquisition for industrialisation in the state.The government had served notices to some villagers near the Dukli Industrial Estate, about 10 km from here for its expansion, but following objections, the government stopped it, Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury told reporters here today.
"Government had planned to acquire 54.49 acre for expansion of the industrial estate. Of the the total targeted land, 46.53 acre is government land and the remaining owned by private parties. But following objections by some families we stopped acquiring land," Chowdhury said.
"On principle we will not acquire land forcibly for industrialisation. It affects the livelihood of the people," he said.
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'Child rights issues should figure in Assembly polls agenda'
Kolkata, 26 April : Political parties contesting the West Bengal Assembly polls have been urged to make the plight of disadvantaged children a part of their agenda by child right activists here."Since children do not vote, their problems are often ignored by politicians. We want their issues to be reflected in the agenda of candidates," said Atindranath Das of leading child rights organisation Child Rights and You (CRY).
With support from partner NGOs, they have issued a child rights charter of demands to all political parties.
Their demands include free education for those below 18, an end to child labour, food security, healthcare, legislation against child abuse and the formation of a state child rights commission.
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Advani questions why Congress took LF support in UPA (I)PTI, Burdwan, 26 April : Senior BJP leader L K Advani today agreed with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram''s statement that West Bengal was the worst governed state under the Left Front''s 34-year-rule and asked why the Congress-led UPA(I) took its support to run the country.
"I totally agree with Chidambaram''s statement that West Bengal is the worst governed state under the Left Front. Chidambaram should answer why UPA(I) took support of the Left Front at the Centre," Advani told an election rally here...... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com
"I totally agree with Chidambaram''s statement that West Bengal is the worst governed state under the Left Front. Chidambaram should answer why UPA(I) took support of the Left Front at the Centre," Advani told an election rally here...... READ FULL STORY @ www.westbengalelections2011.com
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ULFA denie receiving money from Centre as daily expensesGuwahati, 26 April : ULFA today denied it has received Rs 40 lakh as daily expenses from the Centre.
"A report (about pro-talk ULFA cadres receiving Rs 40 lakh from the Centre for daily expenses) which appeared in a section of the media is not only false, malicious and baseless but motivated and nothing but a conspiracy by a section of people," ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa said in an e-mail statement.
"A report (about pro-talk ULFA cadres receiving Rs 40 lakh from the Centre for daily expenses) which appeared in a section of the media is not only false, malicious and baseless but motivated and nothing but a conspiracy by a section of people," ULFA 'chairman' Arabinda Rajkhowa said in an e-mail statement.
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Sunderbans forests absorb over 4 Cr tones carbon dioxide
Kolkata, 26 April : Protecting the world from the adverse affects of climate change, the Sunderbans forests play a crucial ecological role by acting as a carbon sink and absorbing more than four crore tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to a recent study.Having 2118 sq km of total mangrove forest cover, the Indian Sunderbans have soaked in 4.15 crore tonnes of carbon dioxide, valued at around USD 79 billion in the international market, researchers from the University of Calcutta said.
"Mangrove trees act as a natural tank for carbon dioxide storage. They absorb carbon for their own needs, which is a boon for us. The more such biomass we have on earth, the more CO2 will be pulled from the atmosphere. This will ultimately result in controlling the rise of atmospheric temperature and the subsequent climate change," says Prof Abhijit Mitra, who led the research.
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Arrangements made for repatriation of 645 Bru refugeesPTI, Aizawl, 26 April : Mizoram government has made preparations to repatriate 645 Bru refugees belonging to 123 families lodged in Naisingpara camp in neighbouring North Tripura district tomorrow, H Sangawia, Superintendent of Police of Mamit, a district bordering Tripura, said today.
"However, we do not know (ultimately) how many people will return as there are still some elements who are discouraging the refugees to return for their own benefits," Sangawia said. The Mamit district administration made necessary arrangements including security, he said.
"However, we do not know (ultimately) how many people will return as there are still some elements who are discouraging the refugees to return for their own benefits," Sangawia said. The Mamit district administration made necessary arrangements including security, he said.
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Buddhadeb Dasgupta to head Kerala state film awards jury
PTI, Thiruvananthapuram, 26 April : Renowned Bengali director Buddhadeb Dasgupta has been appointed chairman of the jury to select the Kerala State Film Awards for the year 2010.
The jury, which will select the best article and book on cinema, would be headed by O K Johny, according to a release from the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Secretary of the academy, K S Sreekumar, would be the member secretary for both the juries.
The jury, which will select the best article and book on cinema, would be headed by O K Johny, according to a release from the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Secretary of the academy, K S Sreekumar, would be the member secretary for both the juries.
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Dalmiya's daughter, Vaishali turns Bangla movie producer
PTI, Kolkata, 26 April : As the daughter of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Vaishali wishes to hit the six with her debut production 'Bhorer Alo', which tells the tale of three generations of Bengalis.Vaishali, who wishes to make a good sports movie in future, wants to play a long innings in her chosen field.
"I am fortunate to have a gifted director like Prabhat Roy whose script on three generations of Bengalis got me hooked the moment I heard the script. But this can only be the beginning, I am open to any good scripts," she told PTI.
The cricket-freak, who used to accompany her cricket administrator father to the ground from the age of two-three, says Dalmia is also gung-ho about the movie.
Vaishali says the Rituparno Ghosh starrer has all the elements of a clean family entertainer with dollops of romance, morality, suspense and mystery.
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