Jamtara Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mujibur Rahman told PTI that the accident took place near Kaljharia around 140 km from Jharkhand's capital Ranchi.
"Bodies of two persons have been recovered so far. Search operation is on and the toll might increase," he said.
According to railway officials, the incident occurred at 7 pm and only two persons were killed.
"Train no 12254 (Anga Express) passing between Vidyasagar-Kasitar stopped due to ACP (alarm chain pulling) at 7 pm at Asansol division of ER (Eastern Railway). At 7.07 pm, two persons who were walking on the track were run over on the up line by MEMU train, at least two kilometres away where the train stopped", the Eastern Railway said in a press statement.
A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the issue, it stated.
Naveen Jha, a BJP worker, had filed the case against Gandhi in 2019 for his alleged defamatory remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Justice Ambuj Nath of the high court dismissed Gandhi's plea on Wednesday but the order was uploaded on the high court website on Friday.
The senior Congress leader had contested the decision of a magisterial court in Ranchi, which instructed him to personally appear before the court to undergo trial. Later, Gandhi moved the high court, which issued a stay order on any further actions in the lower court against him.
The HC had also issued notices to complainant Jha to appear in the case.
During one of his public speeches in Chaibasa before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi had referred to Shah as a "murderer".
After recording the statements of the complainant and witnesses, magistrate Anamika Kisku had found merit in the case against Gandhi and directed him to appear before the trial court on February 4, 2023.
Later, the HC, while issuing a stay on the notice issued by the magistrate, ordered that "no coercive steps" be taken against Gandhi.
The ED had sought 10 days remand for Soren on Thursday. The court then reserved its order and sent the JMM executive president to judicial custody for a day.
Soren was arrested on the night of January 31 after a seven-hour grilling by the ED in the money laundering case. He resigned as the chief minister before that.
Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan Singh, who appeared for Soren, prayed that his client be allowed to stay in jail at night as there are security concerns.
The court is yet to decide on the petition made by Singh in this regard.
This is a conspiracy to topple the government as there is no evidence in the entire proceedings against the former chief minister, Singh had told the court on Thursday.
He was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan here.
Along with Champai Soren, senior Congress leader Alamgir Alam and RJD leader Satyanand Bhokta took oath as state ministers.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan and senior leaders of the JMM-led alliance were present on the occasion.
The 67-year-old tribal leader was sworn in as the 12th chief minister of the state. He became the sixth CM from Jharkhand's Kolhan region which comprises East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts.
Champai Soren was appointed to the chief minister's post on Thursday after he urged the governor to accept his claim to form the government at the earliest as there was "confusion" in the state which was without a chief minister since the resignation of Hemant Soren on Wednesday, deepening a political crisis.
Champai Soren has been given 10 days to prove his government's majority, said state Congress chief Rajesh Thakur whose party is a constituent of the JMM-led alliance.
"We stand united. Our alliance is very strong. No one can break it," Champai Soren had said.
Notably, JMM executive president Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud after he resigned as Jharkhand chief minister.
Sources in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Party claimed that Kalpana might take over the top job if her husband gets arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam.
Kalpana Soren was present at the meetings of the state's ministers and party MLAs in Ranchi on Tuesday. Hemant Soren reached Ranchi from Delhi by road and held two meetings. Hemant will record his statement with the ED today.
Kalpana Soren married Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in 2006. Though she is born in Ranchi in 1946, her family belongs to Baripada in Odisha where they are still staying.
It is said that Hemant’s political career changed after she married Kalpana. He climbed the ladders of success in politics and became the CM of Jharkhand.
Kalpana's father is a businessman and her mother is a homemaker. Kalpana is involved in business and charity work.
Kalpana Soren does not have any political background. She studied engineering and MBA.
Since Kalpana Soren is not an MLA, her becoming the CM will need a present MLA to vacate his or her seat.
BJP’s Nishikant Dubey said at least 35 MLAs were there at the JMM meeting on Tuesday where the proposal to make Kalpana Soren the next chief minister was floated.
The MLAs reportedly signed a letter of support without any name on it.
About a dozen locations in the state are being raided by the central agency under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
The premises of Abhishek Prasad alias Pintu, collector and SP of Sahibganj district, ex-MLA Pappu Yadav, some jail department officials and a police constable are being searched, the sources said.
The agency, since 2022, has been probing a trail of Rs 100 crore of "proceeds of crime" generated from illegal mining operations in the state.
Soren has been asked to depose at the federal agency's office here and get his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said on Monday.
The summons for the chief minister is for December 12, they added.
This is the sixth notice issued to Soren, but he never deposed as he filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking protection from the ED action.
The probe pertains to the ED alleging that a "huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by mafia was going on in Jharkhand".
The agency has arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Chhavi Ranjan who had earlier served as the director of the state social welfare department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.
The 48-year-old Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was questioned by the ED in November last year in another money-laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state.
Prem Gupta from Ranchi took out a ‘Baraat’ (wedding procession) filled with music and firecrackers. Her journey back home was more grandeur than the time when she was given ‘bidaai’ after her marriage.
Prem’s daughter Sakshi Gupta had married just a year ago. However, she was constantly being abused, and harassed both mentally and physically by her husband and in-laws since her marriage. After sensing that her daughter was living in hell, Gupta decided to bring her back with full pomp and show to prove that she would always be his little girl.
“We get our daughters married with pomp and show, but if the spouse and family turn out to be wrong or do wrong things. Then we should bring our daughters back to our home with respect and honour because daughters are very precious,” Gupta wrote on Facebook while sharing the video of the Baraat taking his daughter back home.
He has played an important role in the expansion of Maoist organisation in many states including Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. He had taken shelter at some hideout in Gaya district along the Jharkhand-Bihar border.
Till a few months ago, he was active in Jharkhand's Saranda area.
The police of Bihar's Gaya district caught him along with one of his associates, Anil Yadav. However, his arrest has not been officially confirmed yet.
Pramod Mishra is counted as the mastermind and chief strategist in the Maoist organisation at the country level. He remained in jail for years and went underground after being released in 2017 due to lack of evidence.
Pramod Mishra's name also appeared in the United States Department's Country Reports on Terrorism 2006.
He is originally a resident of Kasma village under Rafiganj police station in Aurangabad district of Bihar. He is known in the organisation by names like Sohan Da, Shukla Ji, Kanhaiya, Jagan Bharat Ji, Noor Baba, Bibi Ji, Agni and Baan Bihari.
Pramod Mishra was earlier arrested by Jharkhand Police's STF on March 14, 2009 from Vinod Nagar in Dhanbad.
After being released from jail in 2017 due to lack of evidence, he once again became active in Naxalite activities. Two years ago, four members of a family were hanged by Maoists in Gaya on charges of being informers. It is said that he had ordered them to be hanged.
The NIA and the police had been trying to arrest him for the past several months. On May 3, the NIA raided his ancestral residence and relatives' house.
Archaeologists are continuously researching and studying the sculptures, stone figures found from here. Many things that arouse curiosity have also been found here, whose secret may be unravelled in the coming years.
The ASI has included Benisagar in the list of 100 most prominent archaeological monuments of the country.
The place was first visited by Colonel Tickell of the British Army in 1840, and in 1875 AD, an historian J.D. Beglar visited Benisagar and found some sculptures here. On the basis of these idols, he ascribed the date of the site to 7th century A.D. Historian KC Panigrahi also published a paper in 1956 about the archaeological remains.
In 2003, the ASI carried out excavation here for the first time.
This place was named Benisagar because of a huge pond of size 300 by 340 meters, about which legend is prevalent in the local areas that it was built by a king named Beni or Benu.
Excavations carried out by the ASI towards the south-east and eastern embankment of this tank have brought to light many sculptural remains including two Panchayatan temple complexes, images of Surya, Bhairava, Lakulisha, Agni, Kuber etc.
Apart from these, a stone seal has also been found from the site, which has the inscription "Priyangu Dheyam Chatuvidya (Chaturvidya)", indicating there was a person named Priyangu, who was well-versed in the four Vedas. The script of the inscription is Brahmi and the language is Sanskrit.
Some scholars are of the view that the seal recovered from Benisagar shows that it was a centre of learning, where four Vedas were taught.
Moreover, the recovery of stones denoting Kama and copulation scenes, indicate that sex education was not a taboo during that time.
Historians believe that Benisagar must have been an area under the influence of Tantrism and Shaivism.
According to the website of the Archaeological Survey of India, it can be considered to be of 5th century from the epigraphic point of view. Based on the discoveries so far, it can be said that this site was inhabited from 5th century to 16th-17th century.
Benisagar is situated near the border of Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.
Professor Ajay Rawat, Head of the Department of History, AP College, Mayurbhanj, says that many kings ruled for many decades in the region adjacent to Odisha.
Excavations and remains found at Benisagar confirm that it must have been under the rule of the king of Odisha. The temple architecture here can be compared to the Rekha Deula type of architecture prevalent in Odisha.
During the scientific excavations carried out here in the years 2009-10 and 2019-20, stone panels depicting images of Agni, Ganesh, Mahishasura Mardani, Surya, Brahma, Shirochedak, Bhairav, Lakulish, Yamuna, Shivling were found. Apart from this, many sections of temple architecture such as door-jambs, branches and headboard, among others, were found.
These evidences have been placed in a museum built in Benisagar. At some distance from this museum, some remains of buildings belonging to the old civilisation are also present. Looking at their curved texture, it seems that there is an old time bath house.
Besides, the remains of the temple complex spread over an area of 50 acres have also been found here. A huge stone near the temple, which when striked by another stone produces sound of a bell. The guards engaged in the security of the archaeological site say that its sound can be heard up to a kilometer in the night.
The huge pond of 300 x 350 meters is special attraction of this place, which the villagers never dries up. While other ponds in the area often dry up in summer.
A view point is being made by the administration around the pond for the convenience of tourists, where they can sit and enjoy the beauty of nature.
The Union Government plans to provide necessary tourist facilities, including audio visual center, WiFi, Audiorail, Water Management System at the sites marked as archaeological monuments across the country.
The deceased include the medical establishment's owner Dr Vikas Hazra, his wife Dr Prema Hazra, the owner's nephew Sohan Khamari and domestic help Tara Devi. The pet dog of the doctor couple also died in the incident.
A fire broke out in the storeroom of the nursing home-cum-private house in Bank More area of Dhanbad, 170 km from Ranchi, around 2 am, he said.
Six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the fire, which was brought under control in a one-and-a-half-hour-long operation.
Dhanbad Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prem Kumar Tiwary told PTI, "At least five people, including the owner and his wife, died due to suffocation following a fire in the store room. One person is also injured. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained and further investigation is underway."
Four deceased have been identified, while the fifth person is yet to be identified, he added.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren condoled the death of the doctor couple and others in the incident.
"May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this difficult hour of grief," he tweeted.
धनबाद स्थित हाजरा मेमोरियल अस्पताल में देर रात लगी आग से प्रसिद्ध डॉक्टर दंपती डॉ विकास और डॉ प्रेमा हाजरा समेत कुल 6 लोगों की मृत्यु की खबर से मन व्यथित है।
— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) January 28, 2023
परमात्मा दिवंगत आत्माओं को शांति प्रदान कर शोकाकुल परिवारजनों को दुःख की यह विकट घड़ी सहन करने की शक्ति दे।
Health Minister Banna Gupta also expressed his grief over the incident.
The minister directed the Dhanbad deputy commissioner to take necessary action over the incident.
He also asked him to ensure arrangements for better treatment of the injured.
The matter pertains to Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS) located at Lalpania in Bokaro district.
According to sources, Ranjit Kumar, a resident of Tulbul village, worked in a codec company, associated with TTPS on an outsourcing basis.
Kumar was removed from his job two months ago and demanded that the officials re-hire him.
On December 13, he wrote to the company informing them that he would fast until death if his demand was not met.
On Wednesday, he put up a red flag on the track near the railway overbridge on the Bokaro river.
Because of this, the goods train returning to Dumri Bihar railway station got stuck for about 45 minutes.
On receiving information, the railway police and the local police talked to the TTPS management, and removed the flag from the track, following which the train headed to its destination.
The railway track is mainly used for transporting coal.
The police have recovered 18 pieces of the victim's body from different places.
Dildar Ansari, who had a love marriage with the victim, identified as Rabita Paharaiya, confessed to brutally murdering his wife.
The SIT is headed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Anuranjan Kispotta.
According to sources, a DNA test of the body pieces recovered so far will be done. Search for the remaining pieces by dog squads is underway.
A portion of the jaw has been recovered, but the upper part of the head has not been found so far.
A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory collected evidence from the crime scene.
The police have arrested eight people, including the main accused, his parents, his first wife and siblings.
Dildar's maternal uncle Moinuddin Ansari, who is yet to be arrested, is said to be the mastermind behind the crime.
The incident took place under the Borio police station area of Sahibganj district.
The accused, already married, was allegedly in love with the 22-year-old victim, a member of a tribal community and married her around a month and a half ago.
Dildar's family was reportedly unhappy with the marriage. He filed a missing complaint of his wife on December 18 after strangling her and chopping the deceased in 50 pieces.
On the same night, a man named Manoj Das informed the police of some human body parts lying near an under-construction Anganwadi centre, being scavenged by dogs.
The police reached the spot and started investigating the matter, which led to Dildar's arrest.
After strict interrogation, the accused admitted that he along with his mother and maternal uncle had cut his wife's body into pieces with two weapons.
The victim's father, Surja Pahadia said that Dildar informed him of his daughter's disappearance on Saturday.
According to the victim's sister, Rabita had eloped and married Ansari, a scrap dealer, despite her family's opposition.
She added that the accused and his family had been forcing her sister to change her religion, following which she returned to her father's home.
She said that Dildar took Rabita back to his home around 10 days ago.
Online 'Cyber Vidyapeeth' has been started with the goal to develop the state as a cyber defence corridor.
The action plan regarding cyber security was shared in a workshop at Jharkhand Technical University (JUT). It was announced that the cyber fighters would be the most important part of the corridor.
To achieve this target, cyber security skill courses have been started in the state's Vinoba Bhave University and Cyber Vidyapeeth Foundation.
Shashank S. Garudayar, chairman, Cyber Vidyapeeth Foundation, said that excellent career prospects would be available for the youth trained in the cyber protection course.
He added that the sector had a shortage of talent with a need of 3.1 million cyber trainers and 60 million cyber professionals worldwide.
The initiative in Jharkhand is a step in this direction, said Garudyar.
He stated the possibility of the area being developed into a cyber defence business hub.
Jharkhand is a 'focus state' in the field of cyber security, as the Jamtara module remains a challenge for the entire country.
On ED's summons, the Chief Minister had reached the ED's zonal office in Ranchi at 12:05 p.m., from where he left at 9.35 p.m.
His wife Kalpana Soren reached the ED office to pick him up after the questioning.
According to sources, a team of three ED officials asked him about 100 questions on Thursday, and the Chief Minister can be again called for further questioning.
Hemant Soren's chequebooks, which had two signed cheques, were found in a raid at the house of his special representative Pankaj Mishra, already arrested in the case.
Hemant Soren, during the questioning, was asked why he had given the chequebooks to Mishra.
According to sources, the Chief Minister told the officials that while being in politics, many times needy people are required to be helped financially. The chequebook was with his representative for the same purpose.
He was also asked whether he was aware of an alleged illegal mining racket running under the "patronage" of Mishra. The Central agency sought the Chief Minister's response to "whether any complaint about this (racket) reached to him or not and if it did, did he take any action or not".
Hemant Soren was also questioned about his relationship with power broker Prem Prakash and businessman Amit Agarwal, arrested in Rs 1,000 crore money laundering case linked with the alleged mining scam.
On the basis of the evidence collected by the ED during its raids, several details were sought from the Chief Minister.
Sources said that Hemant Soren did not respond to several of the ED's questions.
Earlier in the day, while addressing a press conference ahead of appearing before the ED, Hemant Soren claimed that the allegations levelled against him are baseless.
He also questioned the ED's statement on a scam of Rs 1,000 crore taking place in one district (of the state), saying that the "entire state does not earn this amount of money from stone chips in a whole year".
He attacked Governor Ramesh Bais, accusing the latter of protecting the parties engaged in conspiratorial politics and showed his disapproval about Bais' statement regarding his pending decision on the political crisis in the state.
Soren claimed that the ED summon and raids by the Income Tax department and other Central agencies on the premises of the ruling party's MLAs started soon after Bais' statement.
The 14-year-old is survived by her mother, Saraswati Mukhi and her siblings. She was calm and introverted by nature and wanted to become a government officer to support her family. Her family's hopes and dreams also came to an end with her death.
On October 14, when her mother and brother were out for some work, she sent her sisters to a neighbour's house before setting herself on fire. When the flames intensified, she ran towards the street and fell unconscious. Hearing the commotion, people nearby ran to her aid and doused the fire.
The reason behind this drastic step is extremely shocking. In the statement given to the police, she said that she was appearing for her terminal exam when the invigilator, Chandra Das, accused her of cheating. Das slapped her and forced her to remove her clothes in front of everyone to check for hidden notes even after she protested.
The victim added in her statement that she was so embarrassed by the incident that she took the extreme step after returning home from school that day.
Das is lodged in jail and has denied the allegations, although several other students who were present in the class confirm the victim's allegations. School principal Geeta Mahato has been suspended. Taking cognizance of the incident, Chief Minister Hemant Soren directed the administration to take necessary action.
When Jamshedpur Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav reached to console the victim's mother, the latter kept saying that she couldn't save her baby girl. She also requested Jadhav to get justice for her daughter.
This incident raises many questions about the system. Dr S.C. Sharma, a retired lecturer and academician of Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh, says that, "This incident may at first glance seem to be only the teacher's fault, but in reality it is a question on the entire educational system and our social fabric as well."
He added that, "the student took the decision while suffering herself and did not let anyone get a hint about the 'war' in her mind. Such reports are coming frequently from academic campuses. We move on after every incident with only regret and blame. Incidents of corporal punishment are a question on the whole system. Merely making laws to stop them will not work. There is a need for constant counselling of teachers-students-parents."
In Jharkhand alone, there have been many incidents of harassment of students in schools in recent times. On September 27, Vikas alias Cyril Kujur, a teacher of St. Michael English Medium School of Gumla district, brutally thrashed 13 students when they refused to dance. Many students were injured and had swollen hands and feet.
Angered by this incident, people staged a sit-in in front of the school and protested. Eventually the accused teacher was sent to jail by registering an FIR.
A similar incident happened in Bokaro on September 22. In SS High School of Kasmar block, school teacher Vineet Kumar Jha thrashed a student, Rajkumar Mahato, badly. The student suffered a serious injury on his hand. In protest, students and parents blocked the main road outside the school and demanded action against the accused teacher. Later, the police pacified them by assuring of strict action.
On September 9, at a private school in Deoghar, a minor student of Class IX was allegedly thrashed and made to stand in the sun for three hours by a non-teaching staff, causing him to faint. He was rushed to his house, from where his family members admitted him to a hospital.
Two teachers of Modern English School in Itki block of Ranchi district brutally thrashed a sibling duo, resulting in injury marks on their bodies. Their father lodged an FIR at Itki police station on October 14.
Renu Tiwari, who was in charge of the primary section of a reputed school in Ranchi for almost three decades, says that, "along with the teachers, students and parents should be constantly counselled. Corporal punishment for children in school or any kind of discrimination against them comes under the category of crime."
It is the responsibility of the school management to create an environment where children can feel safe. There can be many ways to control the indiscipline of the students. For example, complaints should be made to the parents and an undertaking should be given in serious matters. Corporal punishment is by no means a solution to the problem, Tiwari added.
The woman, who is in Jharkhand as she is working from home, was out with her boyfriend on a motorbike on Thursday evening when the incident took place.
A group of eight-ten men stopped the couple, beat the boyfriend up and allegedly gang-raped the woman after taking her to a secluded area, the police told Press Trust of India.
Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar said that a case was registered at the local police station and an investigation underway to identify those behind the incident.
The woman works at a well-known IT company, police said.
After raping her, the accused left her at the spot and fled. They also took away her wallet and mobile phone.
The woman somehow managed to reach home, and told her family about the incident after which they filed a police complaint.
Her medical check-up was conducted at the local hospital.
Soren got 48 votes, while the BJP walked out during the House proceedings.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Hemant Soren tabled a confidence motion in the Jharkhand Assembly. He claimed that the BJP was attempting to poach UPA MLAs, which prompted him to take the step.
The Chief Minister lambasted the BJP for creating uncertainty in the state.
Speaking on the motion, Soren said, "BJP wants to create division in the state and instill fear but till the UPA government is in place the BJP's plan will not succeed."
A majority of the UPA MLAs were sent to Raipur and arrived in Ranchi on Sunday evening amid a threat of poaching.
Soren's government is running with the support of Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
He will then have to resign from the post of chief minister.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and the BJP have been demanding disqualification of Soren as MLA in an office of profit matter.
They accused Soren of extending a mining lease to himself.
Terming it as violation of the office of profit and Representation of the People's Act, the BJP and Raghubar Das have written a letter to the governor.
With the issuance of the Governor's order on the instructions of the Election Commission, Soren's membership will end. In such a situation, Soren may have to resign as the chief minister. However, the JMM-Congress alliance which is led by Soren has a majority in the Assembly. So, after the resignation he can again stake claim to form the government in the state.
Governor Bais, who is currently in Delhi, will reach Ranchi later in the day. An announcement in regard to the EC's recommendation is expected after that.
It is not clear whether Soren has also been disqualified from contesting elections.
The lease of a stone quarry in Angada block in Ranchi was issued in the name of Soren which he had surrendered later. However on the BJP's complaint, the EC conducted many rounds of hearings. After hearing the matter, the EC had reserved the decision on August 18.
In 2019, Soren was elected MLA from Dumka and Barhait Assembly constituencies. Later, he resigned from the Dumka Assembly constituency. Dumka Assembly constituency then went to the polls which his brother Basant Soren won.
Basant Soren is also accused of taking mines lease while being an MLA and a hearing in this matter is also going on in the EC. The poll panel has fixed the matter for hearing on August 28.
As Basant's case is similar to Hemant Soren's, the former is also likely to lose his membership.
The decision was taken at the 17th meeting of the Steering Committee of Project Elephant at Periyar in Kerala which was chaired by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.
According to government data, Odisha has reported 322 human deaths in elephant attacks in the last three years, the highest in the country.
A total of 291 people died in such attacks in Jharkhand.
The panel will have to submit a report by September 10.
"Regional workshops of stakeholders will be organised for mitigation of human-elephant conflicts. Four such workshops will be held soon," a source said.
At an event in Periyar to mark World Elephant Day, Yadav said human-elephant conflicts are increasing due to competition for resources with around 500 people dying in elephant attacks and 100 jumbos "killed in retaliation" annually.
"Managing human-elephant conflict is the major focus of the government... To find a long-term solution, we are revisiting the elephant corridors of the country and have finished more than 50 per cent of the task involving key stakeholders," he said.
Sources also said an inter-ministerial meeting will be convened with the Railways soon to discuss the issue of elephant deaths due to train hits.
Forty-five elephants have died in train accidents in eight states in the last three years, according to government data. Nineteen pachyderms died in 2018-19; 14 in 2019-20 and 12 in 2020-21.
At the meeting, it was also decided to celebrate 30 years of "Project Elephant" along with 50 years of "Project Tiger".
The Steering Committee also ratified the approval given by the ministry for the creation of the 32nd elephant reserve -- Agasthyamalai in Tamil Nadu -- in the country.
Congress' Bermo MLA Kumar Jaimangal alias Anoop Singh lodged a complaint regarding offer. He alleged that Congress MLAs Naman Vixal Kongadi and Rajesh Kachhap called him to Kolkata and offered him money, promising Rs 10 crore per MLA.
"Irfan Ansari and Rajesh Kachchap want me to come to Kolkata and then take me to Guwahati where they will make me meet Himanta Biswa Sarma who will give me assurance of a definite ministerial berth, apart from the money. Ansari has told me that he has already been promised the Health Ministry in the new government. He also told me that he shall be reaching Kolkata on Saturday afternoon," he alleged.
"He also said that he will get money transferred to him, once he reaches Guwahati and promises it in front of the Assam CM. He assured me that Sarma is doing it with the blessings of top shots of BJP in Delhi," Jaimangal stated.
"I do not want to be part of this unconstitutional, illegal and downright criminal activity and hence informing you that please take action against them who are in Kolkata with token amount and pressurising me to come to Kolkata and accompany them to Guwahati," he alleged.
Congress on Sunday suspended the three MLAs caught with cash on Saturday in West Bengal for anti-party activities.
Addressing a press conference, party General Secretary and Jharkhand in-charge Avinash Pandey said: "The three MLAs are suspended with immediate effect."
On Saturday, three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand - Ansari, Kongadi and Kachhap - were detained in West Bengal's Howrah district by the police after cash worth more than Rs 48 lakh was seized from a vehicle in which all of them were travelling.
The vehicle belonged to one of the three Congress legislators who was arrested on Saturday evening along with the other two party MLAs.
The three detained Congress MLAs -- Irfan Ansari from Jamtara Assembly constituency, Rajesh Kacchap from Khijri (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly constituency and Naman Bixal Kongari from Kolebira (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly constituency -- have told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the renowned wholesale market at Burrabazar in central Kolkata.
Howrah Rural Police sources said that all the three Congress MLAs claimed that they represent tribal-dominated constituencies in Jharkhand, especially Khijri and Kolebira.
"They (Congress MLAs) informed us that they wanted to purchase sarees in large quantities from Burrabazar wholesale market for the purpose of distribution in their respective constituencies on the occasion of the forthcoming World Tribal Day on August 9, 2022," said an official of the Howrah Rural Police.
The three MLAs also claimed that they also wanted to use the opportunity of coming to West Bengal to make a pleasure trip to the sea-side resort village of Mandarmani in West Bengal's east Midnapore district.
However, the interrogating police officers are not satisfied with the explanations given by the three MLAs since they were unable to produce any documents to establish the source of the money seized from the vehicle.
Reacting to the arrest of the three Congress legislators late Saturday evening, the West Bengal Congress President and Lok Sabha MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that if the three party MLAs from Jharkhand are proved to be involved in any illegal activities, then they must be punished and the Congress leadership will not shield them.
The is the second arrest in the case, he said.
"We had detained a person for interrogation on Friday. Later, we arrested him as we established that he is the main accused," Ranchi superintendent of police (city) Anshuman Kumar told PTI.
Sandhya Topno, a 32-year-old police sub-inspector, was conducting the checking drive at Tupudana on the outskirts of Ranchi, when the speeding vehicle allegedly smuggling cattle ran over her on July 20 and fled.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested earlier, the police officer said.
"A few more persons have also been detained and they are being interrogated. We are trying to find out the network of the cattle smugglers," he added.
The Commissionerate of Police has brought Bikas Kumar, the lady accountant’s boy friend, from Jharkhand to Bhubaneswar on transit remand while Tomando police are interrogating him.
During interrogation, Bikas Kumar divulged it that he had spent Rs 50 lakh of the total Rs 97 lakh he had received from his girlfriend.
Interestingly, Bikas Kumar happened to be an ex-student of the engineering college located at Tomando where the lady accountant worked.
Notably, the female employee of the engineering college was arrested on April 29 on charge of embezzling college money to the tune of Rs 97 lakh.
Then ACP, Prakash Chandra Pal had informed that Bikas Kumar had succeeded in coaxing the female employee to send him some financial assistance on several alibis including to meet his father’s treatment cost.
The lady had transferred the entire sum digitally, he had stated.
Later, she had revealed everything before the College authorities who then initiated an audit and lodged a complaint against the lady staff at Tomando police station after finding her revelation to be true. On the basis of the complaint, the police had arrested her.
Over 60 tourists were trapped in cable cars midway for over 46 hours at Trikut Hills, about 20 km from the famous Baba Baidyanath temple in Deoghar in Jharkhand since Sunday after a ropeway malfunction that resulted in trolleys colliding.
They were evacuated by combined teams of the Indian Air Force, Army, ITBP, NDRF and the district administration. Three persons died in the tragedy.
Modi said the country is proud that it has such a skilled force in the form of Army, Air Force, National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and police force, which have the capacity to bring the people of the country out of every crisis safely.
The prime minister interacted with the personnel involved in the rescue operation and sought to know about their experience.
The entire country applauds heroic efforts of those involved in the rescue operation in Deoghar, he said.
Modi expressed sadness that the lives of three persons could not be saved and said, "Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims." He also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
"For three days, round the clock, you completed a difficult rescue operation and saved the lives of many people of the country," Modi told the rescue personnel.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who was also present during the online interaction, said various agencies worked in coordination to complete the rescue operation with minimum harm.
The accident took place on Sunday evening after two cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at Trikut hills in Jharkhand's Deoghar district even as the Indian Air Force on Monday continued its operation to rescue starnded tourists.
So far, 35 people have been rescued while several still feared to be trapped in cable cars.
Earlier, at least two people were declared dead and several others received injured in the mishap.
Acting on the request of the state government, the IAF has deployed one Mi-17 and one Mi-17 V5 helicopter early in the morning. The IAF contingent also has a component of IAF Garud Commandos to conduct the operations.
"A recce was conducted by one of the helicopters in the morning and operations are underway in coordination with the district administration and NDRF," Air Force said.
"The exact cause of the mishap would be ascertained only after an investigation. The focus currently is on rescuing the people stuck on the ropeway," said sources.
Trikut ropeway is one of the highest vertical ropeways and has a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. It has been built some 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple and is about 766-metres-long. The Trikut hill is 392-metres-high. The ropeway has 25 cabins and each can seat four people.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed deep sorrow over the accident. Talking to reporters at Ranchi airport, he said that after the accident, relief and rescue work is being carried out on a war footing. Efforts are being made by NDRF and rescue teams to rescue people safely and the government is closely monitoring the situation.
On Monday, Jharkhand's Disaster Management Minister Banna Gupta, Tourism Minister Hafizul Ansari also reached the spot. Local MP Nishikant Dubey, Deputy Commissioner of the district Manjunath Bhajantri and many high officials were present at the spot since Sunday evening.
Around 32 people have so far been rescued while 15 people remain trapped mid-air in a row of cable cars, nearly 28 hours after the accident took place around 20 km from the famous Baba Baidyanth temple in Deoghar town.
One person had died late on Sunday and 12 people were injured.
The rescued passengers were airlifted with the help of two Indian Air Force helicopters, Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said. The ropeway which runs through a picturesque and densely-forested valley is surrounded by hills, making the operation difficult, except by air.
"Thirty-two people were rescued with the help of choppers, while 15 people are still trapped mid-air in the cable cars suspended at varying heights, the maximum being nearly 1,500 feet. The rescue operation had to be stopped after sunset and will resume tomorrow," Additional Director General of Police, R K Mallick, told PTI over phone from the spot.
Mallick said there is heavy security deployment in the area and the rescue effort by joint teams of the Air Force, the Army, ITBP and NDRF will recommence early on Tuesday.
He also confirmed that one person fell from a chopper in the course of rescue and was rushed to hospital, where he died.
According to Deoghar Civil Surgeon C K Sahi, he succumbed to injuries after falling from a considerable height.
Local BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, however, claimed three people were killed in the accident that took place around 4 pm on Sunday.
Drones were used to supply food and water to those who remain trapped mid-air in the cable cars. Eleven of the stranded tourists were rescued Sunday night.
Expressing sorrow over the incident, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said rescue and relief operations are being conducted on war footing.
"The government is keeping a close watch on the situation," he said.
Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais said: "The accident on the ropeway built on Trikut mountain of Deoghar, a world-famous religious place, is very sad and painful. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray to Baba Baidyanath for the speedy recovery of the injured."
Health Minister Banna Gupta said an enquiry will be conducted and action would be taken against those found guilty of negligence.
The injured people were rescued and hospitalised, Bhajantri said, adding, one passenger died of injuries on Sunday after the accident that saw cable cars colliding with each other, due to a fault in the ropeway system.
The 766-metre Trikut ropeway, according to the Jharkhand Tourism Department, is India's highest vertical ropeway.
Sandip, who was stuck in a trolley for 19 hours, said, "I feel Baba Baidyanath gave me a second life. I can't explain the harrowing experience in a hanging trolley overnight. It was frightening."
He said the power supply of the trolley suddenly went off and it stopped mid-way.
"When I called on the helpline number around 4 pm on Sunday, I was told that it stopped due to a technical snag, which is being rectified. I again called them around 7 pm. They said the ropeway is not working and we will be rescued on Monday.
Added Devang Jaipal from West Bengal, "After offering prayers at Baba Baidyanath temple, I wanted to enjoy nature on this ropeway ride... who knew that I would be hanging in a trolley for a whole night?"
"With no food and water, we had a sleepless night on Sunday. On Monday, we were given some food and water through drones. Thanks to the administration for saving our lives," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP vice-president and former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das accused the state government of being inactive, even after such a major accident, and claimed that ministers hailing from the region did not visit the site.
"The government did not care about the lives of the people. The inability to make quick decisions resulted in passengers hanging in the air overnight," Das said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is keeping an eye on the entire incident, he said.
He also demanded that the Jharkhand government provide a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the next of kin of the deceased.
A similar cable car accident two-and-a-half years back in the ski-resort of Gulmarg, where the ropeway had snapped, resulted in a family of four and three tourist guides crashing to their death. Another ropeway accident in January 2019 in Jammu had caused the death of two workers. PTI CORR BS SAN NAM NN JRC RBT
Soren made the announcement on it on the completion of two years of the JMM-led coalition government in the state.
The concession will be given for 10 litres of petrol for every month, a statement by the state government said later.
"To provide relief to the poor and middle class families of the state who are impacted by the increased fuel prices, the government has decided to a give relief of Rs 25 per litre on petrol to two-wheeler owners from January 26, 2022," Soren said.
The statement quoting Soren said, "A poor person, having a motorcycle in the house, is unable to drive it due to lack of money to buy petrol ... An amount of Rs 25 per litre would be transferred to the bank account of poor ration card holders ... This system is going to be implemented from January 26 next year. A poor family can get this amount up to 10 liters of petrol per month."
It said, "Jharkhand government is working fast to bring its action plans on the ground ... Prices of petrol and diesel are sky-rocketing. This has adversely impacted the poor and middle class families".
The Centre had on November 3 cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by a record Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre to help bring down rates from their highest-ever levels. It had become effective from November 4.
This was the highest-ever reduction in excise duty and rolled back a part of the Rs 13 and Rs 16 per litre increase in taxes on petrol and diesel effected between March 2020 and May 2020 to avoid passing the high rates to consumers despite the the sharp fall in international oil prices.
Later many states had further slashed taxes on the two fuels to make them cheaper, including Haryana and Karantaka.
The initiative was launched by the local organization in 2008 with an aim to curb child marriage, control woman trafficking and torture. Every year on the 12th of December, at least 40-50 couples get married, but this year because of the pandemic, the count has dropped and only 12 couples from poor families tied the nuptial knot.
Apart from Bengal, the mass marriage programme is also organized by the foundation every year in Odisha and Jharkhand. Organizers provide clothes, jewelry, bicycles, beds, mattress, almirah/wardrobe, household items and utensils to all the couples.
"This program turned 13 years. Not only in Bengal, we have also been organising this event in Odisha and Jharkhand. Due to Covid, this year we arranged a marriage program for 12 couples. Otherwise we arrange for 30-40 and do whatever is possible on our part. Till today, 1652 couples have been married off. Our next program is in Odisha and Jharkhand. We give a bed, cycle, mattress, utensils, sweets and we give them everything that is required for survival. We also give them a small amount of gold jewelry. We arrange everything," said Sanatan Das, organizer and Secretary of the Tribeni Yuba Janakalyan foundation.
Newly married bride-grooms and their families are also happy with the arrangements and token of gifts they are provided with for their future use.
Addressing a gathering virtually, the prime minister said Dharti Aaba did not live very long but he wrote a complete history for the country and gave direction to the future generations of India.
Paying tributes, Modi said he fought against the ideology that wanted to erase the identity of the tribal society of India.
"Bhagwan Birsa knew that attacking diversity in the name of modernity, tampering with ancient identity and nature was not the way for the welfare of the society. He was in favour of modern education, he advocated for change, he showed courage to speak against the shortcomings of his own society," the prime minister said.
Congratulating citizens of the state and the tribal society, Modi dedicated the Birsa Munda Memorial Udyan and Museum to the nation.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Union Minister Arjun Munda and former chief minister Babulal Marandi were among those present on the occasion, held on the Jharkhand Statehood Day.
The museum is situated at the Old Central Jail in Ranchi where the tribal icon had breathed his last. A 25-feet tall statue of Munda has been installed.
The project has been developed in association with the Jharkhand government, the Prime Minister's Office said.
It demonstrates the way tribals struggled to protect their forests, land rights, their culture and show their valour and sacrifices, which is vital for nation-building, the PMO said.
Along with Munda, the museum will also highlight tribal freedom fighters such as Budhu Bhagat, Sidhu-Kanhu, Nilambar-Pitambar, Diwa-Kisun, Telanga Khadiya, Gaya Munda, Jatra Bhagat, Poto H, Bhagirath Manjhi and Ganga Narayan Singh.
The memorial park has been developed on adjacent 25 acres of land, and it has a musical fountain, food court, children's park, infinity pool, garden and other entertainment facilities.
Pradhan has sought the intervention of the Chief Ministers of the neighbouring states over the issues pertaining to the Odia language-based education in the bordering villages and resolve it at the earliest.
On Friday, Pradhan wrote letters to CMs, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Hemant Soren, seeking their support and intervention for bringing a resolution ensuring the welfare of Odia students residing in the bordering areas of both states who are interested to learn in Odia language.
In his letter to the Andhra CM, Pradhan wrote, "Odisha and AP share common cultures and multiple interests relating to the promotion of native languages of the respective states in the border villages. Following the demarcation of the border between Odisha and AP, some of the schools in the border areas of Odisha and Andhra have merged with the school systems in Andhra and Odisha respectively. As a result, many Odia and Telugu speaking children in schools in the two states have become minority groups whose native language needs to be supported."
Further in his letter, Pradhan stated that both the state government had entered into an agreement to cater to the needs of the students who wish to learn their respective languages (Telugu in Odisha and Odia in Andhra) in schools. "However, it is noted that requisite support is not being extended to the students of Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts who wish to learn Odia," he said.
However, Odisha has extended support to the students opting to learn Telugu as a language subject in schools including recruiting teachers for the same.
Pradhan has urged the Andhra CM that a similar support to Odia minority students in AP is the need of the hour.
Though schools have reopened in AP, the government is yet to supply textbooks to the Odia medium students in Class X. Pradhan in his letter said that this will adversely affect the education of the Odia-minority students and the cause of maintenance of linguistic diversity in the State.
Pradhan also stated that there is a need for building and enabling an environment to facilitate learning of Odia speaking students.
Keeping the welfare of the minority students of Odisha-Andhra border villages, Pradhan sought personal intervention for proactive and expeditious measures for a mutually agreeable resolution of the issues between the two states.
Meanwhile, in another letter to the Jharkhand CM, Pradhan sought the latter's personal intervention for implementing the values preserved in the New Education Policy 2020 and preserve the best interest of Odia speaking students in Jharkhand.
Pradhan in his letter highlighted that Saraikela and Kharsawan districts in Jharkhand were once Odia speaking princely states and among two of thr 26 Garhjats that made the State of Odisha. However, during the State reorganisation exercise in 1948, the two princely states were clubbed with Bihar which has now become Jharkhand. As estimated, around 20 lakh Odia speaking people live in Jharkhand.
Further, he mentioned that freedom fighter Pandit Gopabandhu Das conducted a massive outreach in the Saraikela -Kharsawan and Singhbhum areas and as a result, more than 300 Odia schools were set up during 1913-1948. During the formation of Jharkhand, it was ensured that the newly formed state shall recognise Odia speaking people as linguistic minorities and shall preserve their rights. The government of Jharkhand recognised Odia along with five other regional languages as the state's second official language.
However, several flaws have been detected in following the rules stated in the new Education Policy, 2020.
Pradhan has urged the Jharkhand CM to personally intervene in the matter and secure Odia language education in Jharkhand for its Odia speaking population by addressing the issues.
One station in Bihar is showing extreme flood situation, 28 - 18 in Bihar, seven in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Assam, Jharkhand, and West Bengal - a severe flood situation and 24 stations - 12 are in Bihar, seven in Uttar Pradesh, and five in Assam, above normal flood situation, the CWC flood bulletin said.
Inflow forecast has been issued for 19 barrages and dams - seven of them in Karnataka, four in Jharkhand, three each in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and one each in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Meanwhile, the Ganga basin comprising large parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal has been witnessing continuous flooding due to the combined effect of river runoff from Yamuna and northern tributaries of Ganga, including those coming from Nepal.
The main Ganga is flowing in severe flood situations from Patna (Bihar) to Murshidabad (West Bengal), from Praygraj to Ballia (both Uttar Pradesh), it is in falling to steady-state, whereas from Patna and downstream, it is flowing with a rising trend.
"Alert may be kept in districts of Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ghazipur (UP), Buxar, Patna, Munger, and Bhagalpur (Bihar), Sahibganj (Jharkhand) and Malda, and Murshidabad (West Bengal). Passing peak inflow will further increase the water level of main Ganga stem in Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal in next two to three days," the bulletin said.
Currently, Ganga, at the CWC site Hathidah in Patna district, is flowing above the high flood level mark. The present water level observed at site is 43.22 m and the expected water level at 8 a.m. of Saturday is 43.29 m.
The middle reaches of the Ganga in districts such as Badaun and Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh) are in above normal flood situations. River Ghaghra in Barabanki, Ayodhya and Ballia (UP) and Siwan and Saran (Bihar) districts is flowing in an above-normal flood situation.
Rivers Sone and Punpun are flowing in the severe flood situations in Patna, and the Rapti is flowing in an above-normal situation in Balarampur district (UP), it said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rainfall over the Rapti in the next 24 hours, the release said, and suggested alert may be kept in Shravasti, Siddharth Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar and Gorakhpur (UP) districts.
Currently, the flood that originated in tributaries of Yamuna last week is passing through Ganga and it may take another three to five days to pass through completely; in such a situation, a further runoff created due to intense rainfall in the catchments of north tributaries of Ganga may not stream into Ganga easily. The flooding situation in districts such as Ballia and Praygraj (UP), and Saran, Bhagalpur, Katihar (Bihar) may get accentuated, the CWC said.
In Bihar, river Kosi in Supaul, Khagaria, and Katihar districts, Bagmati in Sitamarhi, Muzzafarpur, and Darbhanga districts, Gandak in Kushinagar, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, and Vaishali districts, Adhwara in Darbhanga, Kamla and Kamlabalan in Madhubani district, Burhi Gandak in Samastipur and Khagaria districts, Parman in Araria, Mahananda in Kishanganj and Purnia districts are flowing in above normal flood situations.
The hydrological situation in the Yamuna basin has returned to normal except the tail end regions. The main Yamuna at district Praygraj is flowing in severe flood situation with decreasing trend.
Panchana (Karauli district) and Ranapratap Sagar (Chittorgarh district) dams of Rajasthan are having high storages, hence releases from these dams may be done as per SOP by informing downstream districts of lower riparian states, the CWC advised the dam operators.
The IMD has predicted very heavy rains in the catchment of Brahmaputra, Barak and its tributaries and hence, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh & Meghalaya have been out on alert for next two to three days.
In Assam, the Jia Bharali in Sonitpur district is flowing in a severe flood situation, and Beki in Barpeta district, Gurang in Kohrajhar district, Sankosh in Dhubri district, river Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh and Jorhat districts are flowing in an above normal flood situation, the CWC bulletin added.
According to sources, a team of Odisha police has left for Bihar to bring Das on a 15-day remand.
Das is reported to be involved in robberies at various places across Odisha including the April 6, 2018 loot at the Andhra Bank branch in Angul in which cash worth more than Rs 1 crore and other valuables were looted. Das had also masterminded the robbery at the Indian Bank branch in Angul along with the Rs 41 lakh-loot at the Indian Overseas Bank branch in Rourkela on June 28, 2018, informed sources.
“Das started his career from Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) as a Naxal in 1990, but was ousted from the organization following a murder. Then he created various groups of his own and started his infamous career as a bank dacoit. He and his teams (believed to be 10 in number) have committed several bank robberies in the past. Das has even confessed to his crimes,” informed Angul SP, Mitrabhanu Mohapatra.
Singh mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana. "If someone is killed like this after rejecting a gangster's bail, it is dangerous situation for the judiciary," he told the court.
Chief Justice Ramana said he has spoken to the chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court in the morning about the incident. Singh said the incident is a shocking attack on the independence of the judiciary and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.
Justice Ramana said the high court has issued notice to the police and district officials. "They are hearing this matter on Thursday. Let them handle it. It does not require interference by us at this stage," said the Chief Justice. Singh emphasized that this issue is important and it is also in the interest of justice.
The bench said it is overwhelmed with the initiative of the SCBA and also appreciated the steps taken by it.
ADJ Anand was said to be handling cases in connection with gangsters. He was hit by an auto-rickshaw on his morning walk on Wednesday. Anand succumbed to the injuries at the hospital. The CCTV footage indicates that he was deliberately hit by the auto-rickshaw which was stolen the previous night.
The wife of deceased judge has reportedly lodged a murder case against unknown people.
Singh, before mentioning the matter in the chief justice's court, raised it before a bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.
Singh said that the CCTV footage of the area should be brought on record, as this incident looks like a premeditated attack on the judge. Singh said: "This is a brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary. The video which has gone viral was actually being taken by someone who was recording with prior knowledge of the attack".
However, Justice Chandrachud asked him to mention the matter before the Chief Justice Ramana.
According to sources, as mandis did not open, farmers in Bahalda of Mayurbhanj and Jaleswar, Bhogarai and Basta of Balasore districts are selling their paddy in neighbouring West Bengal and at a price of Rs 1200 per quintal.
"In the absence of Mandis, we are forced to sell our paddy to traders of Jharkhand and West Bengal at a very low rate," Belpashi resident Dhananjay Giri said.
Recently, Chhattisgarh government increased the rate of paddy to Rs 2500 per quintal while in West Bengal it is Rs 1700 per quintal which is why farmers mostly residing in the bordering areas are selling their paddy to these states through agents, informed sources.
"There are a lot of other bills that we have to pay and we also have to meet our daily expenses. That's why we are selling the paddy to private traders at Rs 1250 per quintal," Chamargaon resident Gajendra Nath Jena said.
"There is no procurement in Odisha. Our farmers are selling paddy for as low as Rs 700 to Rs 800 per quintal near the border. BJD and BJP are exploiting the farmers of Odisha. If no steps are taken, Congress will be forced to stage protest," Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president, Niranjan Patnaik said.
On the other hand, Odisha BJP president Basant Panda said "The State government has sold itself to the millers. They are exploiting the farmers through goons and agents forcing them to sell their paddy at low rates."
Responding to these allegations, Odisha Food Supplies Minister Surjya Narayan Patro said “Even if we want to give bonus we are not being able to because of guidelines. Congress never wanted welfare of farmers. Nobody else is worried for farmers as much as we do.”
Acting on a tip-off, security forces targeted the dreaded PLFI commander, who was hiding in the forest. He was a resident of Rayabaga village of Sundergarh.
Sources said that an associate of Dang accompanying him also received bullet injuries during the encounter, however, he couldn't be traced.
As per reports, Dang is involved in several criminal cases including extortion and murder in Rourkela, Biramitrapur, Sundergarh and Rajgangpur areas and was active on Chhattisgarh-Odisha border for quite some time.
While combing operation conducted jointly by Odisha police and CRPF has been intensified in Bisra, Chandiposh, Topadihi and K. Balang area, more than 60 buses travelling from Rourkela to Jharkhand and Bihar have been stopped following which commuters are facing a difficult time.
Similarly, security was stepped up in Naxal-affected Malkangiri and other areas to avoid any untoward incident.
According to sources, Maoists have distributed pamphlets and put up posters at many places informing about the bandh.
The red rebels started observing the Martyrs’ Week on July 28 protesting police atrocities against the innocent.
Though the model forecasts made by IMD, ECMWF, NCEP-GFS reveal that north-interior Odisha is going to receive excess rainfall between July 27 - August 2, the prediction of extremely heavy rainfall in neighbouring Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh holds a potential flood risk for the State.
What seems worrisome for Odisha is, another low pressure will be forming over the northeast Bay of Bengal on August 5, which will be bringing moderate to heavy rains for the State's north-interior districts.
The Alert
As per the NCEP-GFS model forecast, during the week of August 3 - 9, when the entire coastal, and southern districts in the State are going to record 45 - 55 per cent excess accumulated rainfall vis-a-vis the normal, the rest of the districts (especially north interior) in the State will be witnessing an excess accumulated rainfall in the range of 55-75 per cent.
Current Weather
As per the model forecasts by IMD, ECMWF and US-GFS, the current well-marked low pressure will pound the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The forecast predicts heavy rain during the morning hours (5 am) on July 29 in Odisha districts bordering Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Odisha Impact: The current low pressure will induce heavy rains over Odisha from June 29 (morning hours) and will continue till noon. Moderate to heavy rain will hit the districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Angul and Sundargarh again in the morning hours on July 30. The rest of the districts may record very light rainfall with the predicted accumulated rainfall in 6 hours ranging in between 0.5-2 mm.
Is There Any Flood Threat?
The model forecasts show as the well-marked low pressure on its way towards north-west India will be pounding the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The forecast of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall between July 29-31 in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh poses the possibility of a higher inflow of water into the downstream basins of Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha.
The Current Status: At present majority of the base stations in the river basin regions here have not recorded any rainfall till the morning hours today. Moreover, the measured water levels at the majority of the base stations have been 2-3 metres below the warning levels. Though none of the base stations in the State has received any rainfall till this morning, few base stations on the river Brahmani-Baitarani and Mahanadi basins have a water level very close to the danger level.
Given the forecast of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the upstream states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, along with heavy rainfall downstream here, there is a possibility of rivers going spate in the State.
The CWC Forecast
Hirakud Reservoir: As per the Central Water Commission (CWC) Forecast, Sundargarh will be recording 5-6mm rainfall per hour on July 31. With heavy rainfall upstream, the forecast says that discharge from Hirakud reservoir by August 2 would touch 10,000 cubic metres per second. And the inflow is set to touch 800 million cubic metres (MCM) per 24 hours. The inflow to Hirakud in next 24 hours will be 349.29 MCM.
Rengali: As per the CWC forecast, the Panposh site on the river Brahmani is predicted to record extremely heavy rainfall of 9-10 mm per hour on July 31. The forecast shows by July 30, when the discharge from the reservoir will be 1000 cubic meters per second, the average inflow will reach nearly 600 MCM per 24 hours on August 1
Baitarani: Even as the Anandpur site on the river is predicted to record rainfall in the range of 5 mm per hour on July 31, there seems no flood threat till August 2.
Govindpur: As per the forecast, the site on river Budhabalanga will receive 1.2mm rainfall per hour on July 30. But there is no flood threat till Aug 2.
More than 20 elephants including a wild tusker were spotted at Mukundpur, Sartalia, Mirigisinga and Mangalpur area yesterday. The herd destroyed standing crops on nearly two acres of land leading to resentment among locals.
Official sources said elephants had entered Jharkhand after crossing Odisha border on June 21. However, the same herd is again back while keeping the forest officials on their toes.
Champua Ranger said that torch lights are being used in night hours while crackers during the day to chase away the wild animals and keep it away from straying into human settlements.
Earlier panic gripped locals of Chemana village under Patana forest range in Keonjhar district after a herd of over 20 elephants was spotted at eucalyptus forest region close to the human settlement on June 8.
Sources had said the pachyderms strayed from Mayurbhanj side after crossing the Baitarani river and camped in the eucalyptus forest near Chemana village.
The deceased has been identified as Pankaj Shah, a native of Jharkhand.
Sources said the BSF personnel shot self in the neck with his service revolver at the camp. Though the exact reason behind the incident is yet to be ascertained, it is suspected that he took the extreme step over family feud.
More details in connection with the incident are awaited.
Two out of five arrested were earlier associated with Maoists, but later they had left the outfit. A pistol has been seized from their possession.
The accused had ransacked a construction camp and set afire a mixer machine at Kaliapos under Bisra police limits after a failed extortion bid on January 23.
The gang was busted after two security guards at the construction site were detained and interrogated by the police. Earlier the security guards had told the cops that armed Maoists had set fire to the mixer machine after ransacking property.
Police are interrogating all the five accused as it is suspected that the gang is involved in other crimes in the region.
Today, Jharkhand chased down the target of 124 set by Odisha quite comfortably in 16.4 overs by losing only two wickets. After Virat Singh's early dismissal in the fifth over, Ishan Kishan (51) and Ishank Jaggi (40) added 84 runs to put Jharkhand in the driver's seat in the crucial last game of the East Zone leg.
For Odisha, Govinda Poddar picked up the first wicket while Debabrata Pradhan broke the second wicket stand by bowling out Ishan Kishan just after his half-century.
Earlier in the game, Odisha was off to a terrible start after winning the toss and batting first with both the openers getting out with only 22 runs on board. Odisha was in dire straits with 59/6 after which experienced Govinda Poddar carried on the recovery work by putting on a 60-run partnership with Abhishek Raut.
Poddar scored 64 off 42 deliveries with the help of five boundaries and four hits over the ropes. Odisha was bowled out for only 123 in 19.4 overs despite Govinda's half-century. Monu Kumar picked up four wickets for Jharkhand.
Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) seized seven mobile phones from visitors on the temple premises here this morning.
Police have detained seven persons in this connection.
Sources said devotees from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Haryana visited the 12th century shrine this morning. Some servitors caught the visitors with mobile phones and later handed them over to SJTA.
When asked, the visitors claimed that during checking the security personnel did not ask them to keep the phones outside the temple.
"We did not know about the prohibition of mobile phones inside the temple. The security personnel allowed us after the checking at the entry point. But we have not clicked a single picture inside the temple. Rather, the servitors misbehaved with me and my daughter while taking away the mobile phones," said a female visitor from Jharkhand.
Temple Administrator (Rituals) said, "Experts will examine the mobile phones. Action will be taken If the visitors are found to have clicked any picture and posted the same on social media. Else, the cell phones will be returned."
The jumbos of various sizes entered Gopalpur village from Dalaki forest under Betonati forest range in Mayurbhanj. Meanwhile forest department officials rushed to the spot and swung into action to drive the pachyderms away from the human habitation.
Sources said the jumbo herd trampled harvested paddy crops in the village on their way. The herd is roaming around the area since last night. Heavy crowd was witnessed in the village to see the massive herd of elephants. The size of the herd is so massive, the villagers are getting scared to cooperate with forest officials to chase them, a local resident said.
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Measures are being taken to track the animals round the clock and keep them away from attacking locals, an official said.
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As per the latest bulletin of Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued on Monday, the deep depression is likely to move slowly west-northwest wards initially during the next 24 hours and subsequently it is likely to move north wards.
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Under the impact, several parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand would experience heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours till October 10, said met office sources.
Winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would prevail along and off north Odisha and West Bengal coasts during the next 24 hours.
As the sea condition is likely to be rough, fishermen have been warned not to venture into sea.
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It is for the first time that the jumbo herd is suspected to have deviated from its route as earlier the animals frequently used to move towards Nilagiri in Balasore district every year.
Besides, the movement of the herd near Keonjhar district has also led to panic among local residents as already a herd of 70 jumbos has been wreaking havoc in Barbil and Champua range in the last two days.
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“We are now worried as the previous elephant herd has already destroyed our standing crops in the last one week. Earlier there were 70 elephants in the herd and another 150 elephants on their way to Keonjhar is certainly a matter of concern particularly for the farmers,” said Bisheswar Jena, a farmer.
Senior officials of Keonjhar district informed that already forest staff from Barbil, Champua ranges and elephant chasing squad have also been pressed into service. "A close vigil is also being kept on the movement of the herd,” said a senior police official.
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https://youtu.be/wR86RFqOTd8