Guwahati, 30 May : Bengal retained the Santosh Trophy with a 2-1 victory over Manipur in the summit clash to win their 31st title of the national championships on Monday.Strikers Branco Cardozo (21st minute) and Budhiram Tudu (48th) scored for Bengal while Manipur pulled one back through Nabachandra Singh in the 75th minute at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Manipur were playing in only their second final after winning the title in 2002.
Both the teams started on an aggressive note. While Manipur went all out for an early goal, Bengal preferred to play sensibly and gained in confidence as they played the waiting game. Branco put Bengal ahead in the 21st minute. He blasted a Francis Fernandes pass from the top of the box as Bengal went into the interval with a one-goal lead.After changing ends, Bengal doubled the lead in the 48th minute. Midfielder Budhiram Tudu found the back of the net when he tapped in from close.
With no other option left, Manipur went all out. And it paid dividends when Nabachandra Singh reduced the margin in the 75th minute. Inspired by the goal, Manipur launched a series of attacks to restore parity but it all came a bit too late.
Bengal now have won their second consecutive title after a lull of 11 years since emerging champions in 1999. In the last edition, Bengal had beaten Punjab 2-0 in the final to regain the trophy. န Photos : Chinmoy Roy
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LF leaders to meet chief minister Mamata to protest attacks
Kolkata, 30 May : A delegation of Left Front leaders will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 3 June to complain about the "ongoing atrocities" on Left activists across the state. "A Left Front delegation will meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 3 June at 5 pm and we will inform her about the ongoing atrocities on the Left activists across the state," Leader of Opposition Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra told mediapersons here.
Incidentally, this will be the first formal meeting between the two sides in about two years. Earlier during the Left Front regime, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had boycotted the state government since mid-2009 alleging that the government has blood on its hands.
Kolkata, 30 May : A delegation of Left Front leaders will meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee 3 June to complain about the "ongoing atrocities" on Left activists across the state. "A Left Front delegation will meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on 3 June at 5 pm and we will inform her about the ongoing atrocities on the Left activists across the state," Leader of Opposition Dr Surjya Kanta Mishra told mediapersons here.
Incidentally, this will be the first formal meeting between the two sides in about two years. Earlier during the Left Front regime, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had boycotted the state government since mid-2009 alleging that the government has blood on its hands.
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B'desh will immediately stop brick export to India : Faruk
Sangsad Bhaban, Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said Monday in Parliament that Bangladesh will immediately stop export of bricks to India.Replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker Shahiduzzman Sarkar, he said that before stopping the export, the World Trade Oraganisation rules would have to be followed. Faruk Khan said: “We have taken steps to stop export of bricks and it would be implemented immediately.” He said that in the past few years, Bangladesh exported a significant quantity of bricks to India but it gave rise to several problems.
Ruling party lawmaker Shahiduzzman said such export of bricks is causing serious harm to soil fertility as the top-soil of lands is used for making bricks.
He also mentioned that export of huge quantity of bricks had stalled local development and construction works as the price of bricks shoot up.
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Deep convection over Bay of Bengal, Signal No. 3 hoisted
Dhaka, 30 May : Deep convection is taking place over North Bay. Squally weather may affect North Bay and adjoining coastal area of Bangladesh.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three ® three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice, Met Office said.
Dhaka, 30 May : Deep convection is taking place over North Bay. Squally weather may affect North Bay and adjoining coastal area of Bangladesh.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal number three ® three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice, Met Office said.
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GJM congratulates Mamata, says ray of hope after 34 years
Kolkata, 30 May : Pinning hopes in the new West Bengal government, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha today appeared to soften its stand on Gorkhaland statehood, even as an official-level meeting to look into the Darjeeling issue was announced for 6 June."We want an early solution to the Darjeeling problem," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters after a meeting with GJM President Bimal Gurung, General Secretary Roshan Giri and four newly-elected Morcha MLAs at the Writers'' Building.
Apparently softening its demand for Gorkhaland, Gurung said after the meeting, "this is not the time to discuss the issue." Describing the meeting as "good and cordial", he said, "There is a ray of hope after 34 years."
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Bangladesh's Government drafts tougher Anti-Tobacco Law
Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh's ministry of health has drafted a 'stricter' tobacco control law amending the earlier one to curb the rising trend of tobacco users and related businesses, Deputy secretary Azam-e-Sadat says.
Smokeless tobacco products, like zarda, sada pata and gul, have been incorporated as 'tobacco products' in the draft law that suggests pictorial health warnings covering 50 percent of a cigarette packet to discourage smokers.
Dhaka, 30 May : Bangladesh's ministry of health has drafted a 'stricter' tobacco control law amending the earlier one to curb the rising trend of tobacco users and related businesses, Deputy secretary Azam-e-Sadat says.
Smokeless tobacco products, like zarda, sada pata and gul, have been incorporated as 'tobacco products' in the draft law that suggests pictorial health warnings covering 50 percent of a cigarette packet to discourage smokers.
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West Bengal Government to fill up vacant posts in Police
Kolkata, 30 May : The West Bengal government will fill up 63,000 sanctioned vacant posts in the state police, state Industry and IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said.
"The strength of the police in the state is 26,000, but there are 89,000 sanctioned posts. The government will fill up these posts and modernise the force," Partha Chatterjee said last night. In an oblique reference to the armed CPI(M) cadre, he said, "I wonder whom the previous government called in to fill in the shortage of 63,000 personnel in the police."
Partha Chatterjee, who is deputy leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, said that party supremo Mamata Banerjee has issued instructions to the rank and file not to seek revenge on political rivals following the party's landslide win in the elections.
Kolkata, 30 May : The West Bengal government will fill up 63,000 sanctioned vacant posts in the state police, state Industry and IT Minister Partha Chatterjee said.
"The strength of the police in the state is 26,000, but there are 89,000 sanctioned posts. The government will fill up these posts and modernise the force," Partha Chatterjee said last night. In an oblique reference to the armed CPI(M) cadre, he said, "I wonder whom the previous government called in to fill in the shortage of 63,000 personnel in the police."
Partha Chatterjee, who is deputy leader of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, said that party supremo Mamata Banerjee has issued instructions to the rank and file not to seek revenge on political rivals following the party's landslide win in the elections.
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Bachandri Pal to lead an all women team to Mount Everest
PTI, New Delhi, 30 May : After inspiring the likes of 45-year-old Premlata Agarwal to scale the Mount Everest, Bachandri Pal is all set to lead a 10-member all women contingent to a mountain trekking in Bhutan.The expedition, named Snowman Trek, begins from Paro-Drukgyel Dzong and travels to the remote Lunana district before concluding at Sephu. The expedition will cover 11 high mountain passes with the maximum elevation of 5,230 metres and is considered as one of the most challenging expeditions. There will be four amateur participants in the group.
The contingent, which has got representation from different parts of the country, also includes two women - Lalmati Birully and Payo Murmu - from the tribal areas of Jharkhand.
While both of them along with Radha Rana (23) and Naina Dhakar (21) will undertook such type of expedition for the first time, the troop will have some experienced members in Chaula Jagirdar (Gujarat), Vasumati Srinivasan (Karnataka) and Bimla Deoskar (Maharashtra) apart from Bachendri herself.Asked what inspired her to formulate such an expedition, Bachendri said she had missed the stretch during her 1997 trans Himalayan journey and wanted to make it this time around.
"While undertaking the trans Himalayan journey in 1997 I missed on this (Snowman Trek) stretch, and since then I had in my mind to trek the distance," said the first Indian woman to scale the Mt Everest.
Talking about the challenge ahead, the veteran mountaineer said, "The most difficult part of this journey is that we will be constantly trekking above 14,000 feet and going up to an altitude of about 19,000 feet."
On the inclusion of some fresh legs in the team, Bachendri said she has complete faith in their ability and said that the journey has the potential to turn around their lives.
"It is not just an expedition, to be very honest women in India are still lagging behind, this is a journey of women empowerment. The expedition will open up new avenues for these people," the 57-year-old insisted.
Talking to the reporters on the occasion Murmu, a mother of three, said it is great opportunity to earn a name for herself and her family. "My family did not raise any objections, instead they told me to go and do your best," Murmu said. Asked how she was preparing herself for the cumbersome journey, Murmu said she walks 4km daily to keep herself abreast for the challenge.
The expedition which starts from Tuesday, with the contingent flying to Siliguri from here, is supported by Tata Steel and is estimated to incur a price of Rs 15 lakh. န File Photos
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