Pre-Paid Mobiles allowed roaming facilities in Indian North-East

IANS, Agartala, 25 May : Pre-paid mobile phone users in India's northeast have for the first time been allowed to use roaming facilities by the central government even as the ban will continue in Jammu and Kashmir, officials say.
'The union home ministry has lifted the bar on roaming facilities in pre-paid mobile phones in the northeastern region. The decision was enforced Tuesday,' Deb Kumar Chakraborty, general manager of the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, told IANS.
He said the decision would be applicable for BSNL and all private telephone operators and said it came in the wake of the improved security situation in the northeast region.
'Like other parts of India, pre-paid mobile phone customers in northeast India, who have been facing severe hassles without roaming facilities, can now enjoy them,' Chakraborty said.
He said the union home ministry took the decision following a proposal of BSNL and other telephone service providers after an improvement in the law and order situation and other pertinent aspects.
Mobile phones were introduced in the northeast in 2004. Post-paid mobile phones there have always had roaming facilities. According to the official, there are more than 20 lakh BSNL pre-paid mobile phone customers in the northeast, besides lakhs of pre-paid mobile phone users of other private operators.

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"BNP wants good relations with India on win-win situation"

UNB, Dhaka, 25 May : Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, now in USA, Tuesday said her party BNP wants good relations with India on the basis of mutual benefits.
She made the remarks replying to a question how BNP considers Bangladesh’s relation with neighboring India at the Atlantic Council of USA in Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon.
Her entourage member BNP vice-chairman Shamser Mobin Chowdhury told UNB over phone that Khaleda delivered a statement on democracy, governance and economic development of Bangladesh at the Atlantic Council, a think tank outfit.
The Council stimulates dialogue and discussion about critical international issues to enrich public debate and promote consensus on appropriate responses in the Administration, the Congress, the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and the media in the United States and among leaders in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
The former Prime Minister said the unresolved issues between Dhaka and New Delhi will have to be resolved on a win-win situation respecting each other’s independence and sovereignty.
Khaleda said the outstanding issues will have to be worked out through discussions. She said if India wants durable solutions to the long running problems, they should discuss the issues with all the political parties of Bangladesh.

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Bangladeshi films to be showcased in India coming months
New Delhi, 25 May : In a first-of-its-kind initiative by the International Federation of Film Societies, a package of eight films representing the "new wave of Bangladeshi cinema" will be showcased across India and other parts of the world in the coming months.
The package comprising Morshedul Islam's 'Chaka' (Wheel), Tanvir Mokammel's 'Chitra Nadir Parey' (On the banks of river Chitra), Golam Rabbani Biplob's 'Swapnadanay'(On the wings of a dream), Abu Sayeed's 'Opekkha'(The Wait), Enamul Karim Nirjhar's 'Aha', Toukir Ahmed's 'Joyjatra' (Journey of Triumph), Murad Parvez's 'Chandragrahan' (Lunar Eclipse) and Mustafa Sarowar Faroqui's 'Third Person Singular Number', will be screened in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

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IIT-JEE results declared, over 13,000 successful in India
PTI, Kanpur, 25 May : Results of the Indian Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for admissions into prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) were declared here today with 13,602 students passing the examination.
Announcing the results, Director of IIT-Kanpur Prof Sanjay Govind Dhande said that IIT-Madras zone aspirant Immadi Purudhavi Tej topped the prestigious examination followed by Shubham Mehta of IIT-Bombay zone who got the second rank.

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Arunachal CM, Governor congratulate Jamsenpa for record

PTI, Itanagar, 25 May : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin and Governor Gen (Retd) J J Singh today congratulated Anshu Jamsenpa for creating a world record of scaling the Mt Everest twice in the same season.

In his congratulatory note, Gamlin said, "you have done it. I was elated by the news of you creating a world record of scaling the Mt. Everest twice in the same season in 10 days span."
Jamsenpa became the first mother in the world to make it to the summit twice in one climbing season.
"You have already become a role model for the youth of the state to emulate and I am sure, you will continue to put your best foot forward and bring many more laurels to our state. We are proud of you," Gamlin pointed out.
The Governor Singh, in a separate message, hailed Jamsenpa for carving a niche in the mountaineering history.

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WB Trinamool Congress government govt scraps water tax
Kolkata, 25 May : The Trinamool Congress government has decided to do away with water tax from the 127 municipalities in the state. Water tax had levied to comply with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
"None of the municipalities across the state will collect water tax from next month. Our government is against collection of water tax," said Firhad (Bobi) Hakim, urban development and municipal affairs minister, in the presence of Union minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy.

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Australia's Santos to drill for more gas offshore Bangladesh
Reuters, Dhaka, 25 May : Australia's Santos International (STO.AX) said on Wednesday it would invest more than $100 million on a three-well offshore drilling programme in Bangladesh.
"We will begin drilling work from October 2011, and if successful, will be able to provide some much needed relief to the present gas shortages," said John Chambers, president of Santos in Bangladesh.... READ FULL STORY

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Legendary singer Bob Dylan turns 70, Shillong celebrates

PTI, Shillong, 25 May : For the 39th consecutive year, Shillong yesterday celebrated legendary American singer Bob Dylan's birthday as the 'Tambourine Man' turned 70.
The birthday boy has never cut the cake here, but that has never stopped this rock capital from throwing a bash for the singer, thanks to his fan Lou Majaw who is also known as 'Shillong's Bob Dylan'.
Several bands from various north-eastern states belted out Dylan numbers at the Laban Sports Club and Cloud Nine to mark the occasion.
No other Indian city perhaps has been celebrating the birthday of the philosopher-musician without a break for 39 years now. Led by Lou, Dylan fans from all over the country and outside assemble here to observe the living legend's birth anniversary.
Lou goes on to narrate how Dylan captured his imagination in the prime of his youth.

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"Aila hit people" still live on embankments in Bangladesh

UNB, Khulna, 25 May : Though two years has passed after the cyclone “Aila” hit the southwest coastal belt of Bangladesh, many people still live in on embankment in an inhuman condition.
Some 190 people were killed, several thousand were injured and most of the houses were damaged when the ‘Aila’ hit on 25 May, 2009 11 coastal districts, of which Dacope and Koyra upazilas of Khulna district and Shyamnagar and Ashasuni upazilas of Satkhira district were worst affected.
Visiting Sutarkhali Union under Dacop upazila, UNB Correspondent M Jahangir Alam found that a number of people still live in makeshift huts on the embankment at Telir Kona.

Anisur Rahman, 43, of Gainpara under Sutarkhali union parishad said 50 affected families took shelter on the embankment. Besides some relief they were given Tk 20,000 in cheque as house building grant. “But I could not yet cash the cheque,” said Anis. He along and five other families of Gainpara have to stay on the embankment. Like Anisur, other inhabitants of the locality (Gainpara) did not get the government grant. But other Aila affected families got Tk 12,000 each as house building grant while remaining Tk 8,000 will be given later, said Dulal Bain, 55, of Sutarkhali.
The prime minister on 23 July last year announced Tk 20,000 as house building grant to each of the affected families.
District administrations said the aila affected families already got Tk 12,000 and the remaining Tk 8,000 is yet to be disbursed.
Jomsher Ahmed Khandakar, deputy commissioner of Khulna said repair and reconstruction of the damaged embankments have almost completed. He hoped that those living on the embankments will return home shortly.
Sources said the government had stopped food aid for the aila affected people from last January resulting in sufferings of the people, specially those lived live on the embankments.
Nearly 47% of the land was used for agriculture before the cyclone Aila hit the coastal belt. But the area has now reduced to 37% due to the salinity.
According to the recovery needs assessment report for Cyclone Aila launched in March by a consortium of international NGOs working in Aila, some 18,421 houses, out of the severely affected 42,250 were reconstructed by the affected people or with the help of NGOs. န Photos : UNB, Indrajit Dutta

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