Tripura: 7 dead, 16 injured as Rath comes in contact with high-tension wire

PTI: Seven people, including two children, died of electrocution and 16 others were injured as a Rath or ceremonial chariot of Lord Jagannath came in contact with a high-tension wire in Tripura's Unakoti district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident happened around 4.30 pm in Uttar Pabiacherra in Kumarghat during the 'Ulta Rath Yatra' or return car festival organised by ISKCON, they said.

During this festival, the sibling deities -- Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhdara and Lord Jagannath -- return to their abode in a chariot, a week after Rath Yatra.

Thousands of people were pulling the chariot, made of iron and heavily decorated, when it came in contact with a 133 kv overhead cable. Parts of the Rath immediately caught fire and people fell on the road with their bodies on flame, police said.

Fire Services reached the spot, and brought the situation under control, they said.

Six people died on the spot while one person died while being taken to the GB Pant Hospital in Agartala, they said.

Among the deceased, there were two children and three women, police said.

The injured persons were initially taken to the Kailashahar and Kumarghat hospitals in the district, and later some of them were sent to the GB Pant Hospital in Agartala as their conditions were critical, they said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident was saddening.

"The mishap during the Ulta Rath Yatra at Kumarghat is saddening. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this mishap. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted, quoting him.

He announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the mishap.

Chief Minister Manik Saha went to Kumarghat in the night by train, and met the injured persons.

Accompanied by state minister Tinku Roy, Saha visited the Kumarghat hospital and enquired about the well-being of the people, assuring them of all possible help.

Addressing a press conference late in the night, he announced that the government has ordered a district magistrate-level inquiry into the incident.

"I have visited the spot, and met the injured persons. The government will bear the expenses of their treatment," he said.

"The state government will give Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, and Rs 2.5 lakh to persons who suffered more than 60 percent burn injuries. People whose injuries are not that severe will be given Rs 74,000. This will be in addition to the ex-gratia announced by the prime minister," he added. State Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said he has directed the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd to probe the incident, and submit a report immediately.

Leader of Opposition Animesh Debbarma of the Tipra Motha demanded strong action against those behind the lapses, which led to the accident.

"It appears that the incident took place due to lack of alertness of the local administration," he alleged.

The state Congress and CPI(M) also extended condolences to the families of the deceased persons.

The state BJP cancelled all its programmes on Thursday, and said that its president Rajib Bhattacharjee will visit the area.

Kharagpur house of BJP's Dilip Ghosh vandalised by Kurmi outfit

Kharagpur: BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh's house in West Bengal's Kharagpur was vandalised on Wednesday allegedly by members of a Kurmi outfit, which has been demanding his apology claiming that he insulted the community.

With flags and placards, members of the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj Purulia Zilla Committee allegedly broke window panes and doors of Ghosh's rented accommodation in the city.

A police team reached the spot a while later, and removed the protesters, officials said.

However, it could not be immediately known if any arrest was made in connection with the incident.

Ghosh, who is in New Delhi at present, alleged that the TMC was behind the vandalism.

"I have supported the Kurmis in their demand for ST status. The TMC is trying to divert attention from the issue by misinterpreting my statements. TMC activists, disguised as Kurmis, attacked my residence," he alleged.

Ghosh made certain unwarranted remarks about the Kurmis when he got stuck due to a demonstration by the community over their demand for ST status. It happened a few days back when the Medinipur MP was on the way to neighbouring Jhargram district, the protesters alleged.

The TMC rejected Ghosh's allegation that its members were involved in the vandalism.

"These are baseless allegations. He should apologise for hurting the sentiments of the Kurmi community," TMC's Paschim Medinipur district leader Ajit Maity said. [PTI]

India needs strong Opposition; Mamata Banerjee should be Prime Minister: Subramanian Swamy

Former Union minister also expresses many hardline Hindutva views and bitterly criticises Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi

Subramanian Swamy at the interaction in Calcutta on Tuesday.Pradip Sanyal

Writes :Meghdeep Bhattacharyya

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, known for being an unsparing critic of Narendra Modi, said on Tuesday that he believes Mamata Banerjee ought to be Prime Minister, underscoring the need for a strong Opposition, and lashing out at the “creeping fascism” where the media is browbeaten.

The 83-year-old politician-economist who makes no bones about being a hardliner Hindu nationalist, was in the city for a freewheeling chat in an event organised by Ficci FLO, Calcutta.

“I have lots of friends, across political divides. Mamata Banerjee is one. Yes, I think she should be Prime Minister of India, if you ask me…,” said the former Union minister, forced to pause by loud protests from an audience of 230-odd, largely comprising women, at a hotel in Calcutta.

The event, “Dr. Subramanian Swamy Unplugged”, saw him in conversation with author and journalist Kaveree Bamzai. “I see women protesting against a woman,” laughed a somewhat surprised Swamy.

Despite disapproval from many in the audience, Swamy persisted.

“Gutsy woman… look at how she fought the communists.... Nobody had the guts to stand up to the communists, she did and knocked them out,” he said.

“I am in touch (with Mamata).... I met her about 10 days ago, but nobody knows about it. The conversation was about what 2024 should be, how the economy should be,” he said.

He stressed the importance of the nation having a genuine Opposition — on the sidelines, he said he was sure theBJP would retain power in 2024, but not so sure about Modi remaining Prime Minister and said a lot would be determined by the outcome of Assembly polls in a number of states.

“I do think the country needs a genuine Opposition, which cannot be blackmailed by people in power. She (Mamata) is impossible to blackmail...,” said Swamy.

“But I know a lot of politicians today will not go beyond a point in dealing with the present government, because they are afraid the ED will turn up, the CBI will turn up....,” he said.

He rued the state of media in Modi’s so-called NewIndia.

“Today, the status of our media is pathetic. They are told by one junior joint-secretary of the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) everyday, why did you publish this, why did you show that… (they threaten to) cut off all the government advertisements. This is what is called creeping fascism,” said Swamy.

During the course of the chat, Swamy also expressed many hardline Hindutva views and bitterly criticised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

Asked to comment on the Narendra Modi government’s role in handling the recent Adani debacle, he said: “There is only way proper to deal with the Adani issue, and that is by Prime Minister Modi resigning his post.”

“He (Gautam Adani) could not have done anything without Modi’s clearance...,” said Swamy.

Critical of Modi for allegedly hogging credit for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Swamy said: “He did nothing and took all the credit.”

“This craze for position is not Hindu…. I nowadays compare Modi to Ravan,” he added.

source : Telegraph

North Bengal University, Indian army team up for new research centre to help defence forces

North Bengal University.File photo

Writes : Binita Paul

The North Bengal University here has teamed up with the Indian army to set up a new research centre to help the defence forces.

On Monday, varsity authorities held a meeting with officers of Trishakti Corps, the army headquarters in Sukna on the outskirts of Siliguri, which looks after the north Bengal region and Sikkim that sits on the India-China border, for a “collaborative approach” for the research centre.

“The new facility will be named the North Bengal University Research Centre on Diplomacy and War and will take up research works across different fields in association with the defence forces. The research work and analysis of information will help the army. Furthermore, it would also take up the task to apprise defence personnel aboutthis region which is astrategic area in terms of national security,” said a source at the varsity.

The Siliguri corridor, also known as the chicken’s neck, is the slimmest area of the Indian subcontinent. Here, the width of the country is around 24km, perched between Nepal in the north and Bangladesh in the south, and China and Bhutan nearby.

“This area connects to the entire northeast India and sensitive areas like Doklam and Arunachal Pradesh.... A research centre at the oldest varsity of this region (the NBU was set up in 1962), with a focus on various aspects of the region like demography, political history, geography, flora and fauna can surely help the defence forces with a better understanding of this region,” said a retired army officer.

For the new centre, the varsity has deputed Soumitra Dey, a professor of political science department, as the founder and director of the Centre.Three other faculty members from the Centre for Himalayan Studies, history and political science have been included in the team, said sources.

“It will be a collaborative approach. The varsity will use its resource persons and experts to disseminate more comprehensive information about this region, ranging from the local economy to local cultural practices. The research will be vital, considering the geo-political scenario of north Bengal and Sikkim and international relations with neighbouring countries,” said a senior NBU faculty member.

In recent times, the Indian army has started various activities to hone the skills of its personnel, keeping in mind China’s aggressive overtures.

Last May, the army signed an MoU with Sikkim University for a six-week Tibetology cadre course for an insight into the history, religion, language, culture, politics, demography and geography of Tibet and China. This April, an MoU was signed between Tezpur University of Assam and the army to teach Mandarin to the defence personnel.

source : Telegraph

Foresters step in for student safety from wild elephants in north Bengal

Foresters step in for student safety from wild elephants in north Bengal

Writes : Bireswar Banerjee

The forest department on Friday introduced a slew of measures for the protection of Madhyamik examinees from wild elephants in north Bengal and they included the arrangement of transportation for students, deployment of tactical vehicles to ward off animals and intensified patrolling. 

The measures which were launched near elephant habitats in the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar would be made available during higher secondary and madarsa examinations also, said the forest department. 

The initiatives were taken a day after Arjun Das, who was on the way to a Madhyamik centre, had been trampled to death by an elephant in the Jalpaiguri district. The 15-year-old boy was pillion-riding with his father Bishnupada when the elephant attacked them. The father-son duo were taking a shortcut road through the Baikunthapur forest. Bishnupada managed to escape with minor injuries.

After the incident, chief minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her concern and instructed the forest department to take appropriate steps for the safe journey of the Class X examinees living near elephant habitats.

Accordingly, Vivek Kumar, additional chief secretary of the department, issued an order, and foresters across these three districts took the task to implement it. 

“A list of around 300 localities and routes where there is a chance of elephant attacks was prepared. A plan was drawn to confirm that around 2,000 examinees, who live in such areas, are provided with transport and escort. The service started today. We will provide similar services during higher secondary and madrasah examinations,” said Ujjwal Ghosh, the additional principal chief conservator of forests (north).

The administration and the police are helping them in the exercise, he said.      

“We have also intensified vigil along the elephant habitats and monitoring the movement of elephant herds,” said the senior forester.

In Jalpaiguri, sources said, foresters today provided transport to examinees living in 41 different locations which are close to elephant corridors and reserve forests.   

Today morning, a team of foresters also reached Maharajghat, Arjun’s village in Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri. There, they made public announcements, asking people to refrain from using forest roads.

“We provided three SUVs and the district administration has provided two buses to transport students to their respective examination centres. Two camps have been set up at Maharajghat and Millanpally (a neighbouring locality) and 16 guards have been posted in each camp. An ‘Airavat’ has been placed in Takimari (an adjoining area) to drive away elephant herds,” said a forest officer.

Like Jalpaiguri, foresters also made transport arrangements for examinees, who live near elephant habitats of Siliguri sub-division and Alipurduar district.  

The Bagdoga forest range of the Kurseong forest division arranged vehicles. 

In Alipurduar, examinees were seen traveling in vehicles from villages located near the Buxa Tiger Reserve and Jaldapara National Park.

“We engaged 90 employees and 22 vehicles. Twenty-nine 29 shortcut routes through the forests have been blocked. Today, we carried 710 students from 43 villages,” said a forester in Alipurduar.

Later in the day, Khageswar Roy, the local MLA of Rajganj, reached Arjun’s house with Moumita Godara Basu, the DM of Jalpaiguri, Akhilesh Chaturvedi, the commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police and some others.

They handed over a cheque for Rs five lakh to the boy’s father.

Source The Telegraph, Additional reporting by our Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar correspondents

Mamata on a spree of project launches in tea belt

Number of projects inaugurated in tea gardens was among the highest for tea region in recent times

Mamata Banerjee near Hasimara on Friday

Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Writes : Avijit Sinha And Anirban Choudhury

Mamata Banerjee on Thursday inaugurated a slew of projects in the tea garden belt of north Bengal in an apparent attempt to connect with the region which voted for the BJP in previous elections.

“Today, I distributed several public welfare services among my tea garden workers in Alipurduar, and their smiling faces filled my heart with immense joy,” said the chief minister.

The number of projects inaugurated in the tea gardens was among the highest for the tea region in recent times.

Among the inaugurated projects included 1,100 houses for the workers under the Cha Sundari project, a youth hostel, an open stadium, number of roads and culverts, drinking water and solid waste management projects and crèches.

“Our tea garden workers have a difficult life, and those who are parents face enormous hardship in their daily lives because they must work while keeping their children with them. To address their issue, we have constructed a number of crèches where they can leave their children in a safe and comfortable environment while they go to work,” said Mamata.

The tea gardens in north Bengal employ around 3 lakh workers and nearly 70 percent of the workforce is women, who are largely engaged in plucking. The constructions of crèches are expected to go a long way in connecting with the women in rural areas.

The projects — announced by Mamata on Thursday — were evenly spread out in the two tea growing districts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, both districts where the Trinamul is organisationally weaker than the BJP. 

In the 2021 Assembly polls, the BJP won all the five seats in Alipurduar while in Jalpaiguri, the saffron party bagged 4 out of seven seats. In neighbouring Cooch Behar, the BJP won seven out of the nine seats. 

Ahead of this year’s Panchayat polls and the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamul is trying to effect a turnaround using the development narrative in the region. 

The chief minister on Thursday stressed that every single person should have “access to the basic amenities for a sustainable life” and promised to further improve health infrastructure in the gardens. In the past, there have been widespread complaints that many of the tea gardens are not fulfilling their statutory healthcare and housing obligations.  

“We will build more health centres, increase the number of ambulances, and deploy more doctors and nurses to improve the health infrastructure,” said Mamata.

The state government targeted all sections living in the tea garden including the students who were provided scholarships under the Medhashree scheme.

“Even though the TMC’s trade union is relatively weak in the tea region, the sustained effort by the state government in the tea belt could overcome the trade union’s organisational weakness,” said an observer.

The chief minister also inaugurated a number of tourism projects including the introduction of four shikaras and inauguration of an eco park at Gajoldoba, near Siliguri.

[source : Telegraph]

Army man electrocuted on train at NJP - Accident happened when train was waiting for the signal

The water tanker on the army special train at NJP on Thursday , Pic by Passang Yolmo

An army man was electrocuted and his four colleagues suffered injuries when they came in contact with an overhead high-tension live wire while checking a water tanker on an open wagon of a stationary train at New Jalpaiguri station on Thursday.

The special train carrying army personnel was on the way from Binnaguri in the Jalpaiguri district to the Shri Bhadriya Lathi station in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.

The accident happened when the train reached NJP on Thursday morning and was waiting for the signal.

“When the train stopped, some army men entered an open wagon that was carrying a water tanker to check whether it needed to be refilled. One of them who climbed onto the top of the tank accidentally came in contact with an overhead live wire and died on the spot. Four other army personnel were also injured in the electric shock,” said a source.  

The deceased army man was Meheta Manish, 34. The injured are Surender Kumar, Chatur Prasant, M.K. Kushwah and Satgir.

“The injured army personnel were taken to the railway hospital and later, shifted to the army hospital at Bengdubi. The train was carrying a company of the 1812 Rocket Regiment,” said a source in the army.

Railway and army officials arrived at the spot of the accident. Sources in the Northeast Frontier Railway said a probe had started. The train later left for the destination. 

[Via : Telegraph]