Page 19 - Jharkhand

Girder of an under-construction bridge collapses in Jharkhand's Giridih

A girder of an under-construction bridge over the Arga river collapsed and a pillar got tilted in heavy rain in Jharkhand's Giridih district, an official said on Sunday. There was no report of any injury, he said. The incident took place in Deori block, around 235 km from Jharkhand's capital Ranchi, on Saturday night. The bridge is being constructed on Fatehpur-Bhelwagati road to connect Dumritola and Karipahri villages. Executive Engineer of Road Construction Department, Giridih, Vinay Kumar told PTI, "The bridge is under construction. A single-span girder of the bridge collapsed due to heavy rain on Saturday night and a pillar got tilted. The contractor has been asked to rebuild the portion." He, however, did not divulge the project cost of the bridge. Sources said that the bridge is being constructed at a cost of around Rs 5 crore and it would connect the remote villages of Giridih in Jharkhand and Jamui district in Bihar. The casting on the girder was done a week ago and it n

Development of Jharkhand, welfare of tribal people BJP's priority: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who arrived here on Saturday to participate in a meeting of BJP leaders, said that the development of Jharkhand and the welfare of tribal people is the priority of the saffron camp. Sarma, who is BJP's election co-in-charge, would meet party leaders to discuss its strategies for the upcoming assembly polls in the state. "The party's priority is development of Jharkhand and the welfare of the scheduled tribe community here. There has been no government in the state for past five years. Atrocities on women and tribal people increased manifolds in the state in the past five years," he said. When BJP's manifesto comes out, one can see how much work the party has planned for tribal people in the next five years, Sarma said. Asked about the bail granted to former Jharkhand CM and JMM leader Hemant Soren, he said the "BJP does not keep accounts of who is going to jail and coming out on bail". Responding to a query about whether Soren's presence w

BJP will be wiped out from Jharkhand after assembly polls: Hemant Soren

Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Saturday slammed the BJP for allegedly hatching a conspiracy against him and claimed that the saffron party will be wiped out from the state after the upcoming assembly elections. Addressing JMM workers at his residence, Soren said there would be a "revolt against those who plotted the conspiracy" to confine him in jail and "people of Jharkhand would not spare the BJP". "Time has come to put the last nail in BJP's coffin. In coming days, the BJP will be wiped out from Jharkhand," the JMM executive president said. Soren was released on Friday from the Birsa Munda Jail after the state high court granted bail to him in a money laundering case, observing that he was prima facie not guilty, and there was no likelihood of the petitioner committing an offence on bail. The JMM leader was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31 in connection with its investigation into the money laundering case linked to the illegal possessi

Jharkhand HC grants bail to former CM Hemant Soren in land scam case

The former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in January over a land scam case in Ranchi

Jharkhand cabinet hikes free electricity entitlement to monthly 200 units

The Jharkhand cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to increase entitlement of free electricity from 125 units per month to 200 units per month for domestic consumers, an official said. Briefing the press, Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel said the government will bear an additional burden of around Rs 21.7 crore per month for this. Around 41.4 lakh consumers would benefit because of this increase in entitlement, she said. At the cabinet meeting, 40 proposals were approved. Among the significant ones is a special compensation scheme for state police and central forces personnel. Under the scheme, the family of a security personnel killed in an encounter will get Rs 60 lakh as compensation. In case of injury, the state government will bear the cost of treatment. The cabinet also approved the setting up of the Jharkhand State Faculty Development Academy for implementation of the National Education Policy. The cabinet also gave the go-ahead to the CM Fellowship Scheme for Academic ...

Adani, Hindalco show interest in Hindustan Copper's Jharkhand mines

The interest from Adani Enterprises and Hindalco Industries, two of India's leading industrial conglomerates, highlights the potential and attractiveness of these mines

20 students fall ill after drinking water from school tank in Jharkhand

At least 20 students fell ill after drinking water from a tank in their school in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday, an official said. When they were taken to a local health centre, doctors said the condition of the children was stable. The incident happened at Upgraded Primary School at Duru, around 80 km from the state capital Ranchi. After having their meal, the children went to drink water from the tank in the school. After some time, several students started vomiting and complained of uneasiness, a teacher of the school said. Some students said there was a foul smell in the water. The students were brought to the local community health centre where they were examined. Doctors said their condition was stable. The Chandwa Block Development Officer Chandan Kumar said the water sample had been taken for examination. Kumar also visited the community health centre to enquire about the health conditions of the students.

Bihar Police detain 6 from Jharkhand's Deoghar in NEET-UG 'paper leak' case

The Bihar Police detained six people from Jharkhand's Deoghar district in connection with the alleged irregularities in medical entrance exam NEET, an official said on Saturday. They were detained from a house near AIIMS-Deoghar in Devipur police station area on Friday night, he said. "The Bihar Police gave us a tip-off. On our identification, they were taken into custody. All the suspects have been taken to Bihar," SDPO (Deoghar Sadar) Ritvik Srivastava told PTI. The suspects were allegedly living at the house of one Jhunu Singh, he said. They were identified as Paramjit Singh alias Bittu, Chintu alias Baldev Kumar, Kaju alias Prashant Kumar, Ajit Kumar, Rajiv Kumar alias Karu, all residents of Nalanda district of Bihar, and Panku Kumar, according to a statement issued by the Deoghar Police. NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5 with around 24 lakh candidates taking part in it. The results were announced on June 4, but they were followed by allegations of question paper leaks

ED raids in Ranchi recover Rs 1 crore cash, 100 bullets in land grab case

The Enforcement Directorate has seized Rs 1 crore in cash and 100 live bullet rounds following raids in Ranchi as part of an alleged land grab-linked money laundering investigation against former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and others, officials said Saturday. The seizure was made on Friday evening from the Kanke road premise of a person identified as Kamlesh Singh. The raids were being carried out in the alleged land grab case against former CM and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren but pertains to a different land plot, according to sources. The federal agency has also registered a police case under the Arms Act in connection with the seizure of the live ammunition, they said. More than 25 persons including Soren, IAS officer and former Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan, Bhanu Pratap Prasad and others have been arrested by the ED as part of the investigation into the case. Land parcels worth Rs 266 crore, including a clutch of plots spread across

Children were sent to distillery by school bus: NCPCR chief on MP case

Police in the state of Madhya Pradesh launched an investigation into Som after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights last week found 39 boys and 19 girls working at the factory

Coal India awards 23 discontinued underground blocks to private miners

State-owned Coal India on Wednesday said it has awarded 23 discontinued underground blocks to private miners through an auction route on revenue sharing model. The cumulative peak rated capacity of these mines is 34.14 million tonnes per year while the total extractable reserves are estimated at 635 MT, the miner said in an exchange filing. "Coal India Limited (CIL) in a bid to tap the latent coal reserves of some of its closed and discontinued underground mines has awarded 23 such mines on revenue sharing model to successful bidders of the private sector," it said. Earlier, CIL had identified a total of 34 discontinued mines where good quality coal reserves are lying dormant but may not be financially viable for CIL to mine them. Hence, the company said it decided to tender and offer these mines to willing private sector players who are prepared to operate and produce the dry fuel and share part of the revenue with the company. "Successful bidder is the one who offers the maximum

AJSU Party chief unveils strategy for upcoming Assembly polls in Jharkhand

AJSU Party chief Sudesh Mahto on Monday unveiled the party's strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand, emphasising their commitment to resonate with people's sentiments in the state. Mahto highlighted the prevailing discontent among people due to what he termed as erroneous policies and governance practices of the current coalition government over the past four-and-a-half years. He declared the party's resolve to amplify the voices of all segments of society against the incumbent administration. He announced that June 22, the party's foundation day, would be commemorated as 'Balidan Diwas' across all 81 assembly constituencies in Jharkhand. Each segment will feature a video presentation highlighting the state's history and sacrifices leading to its formation. Mahto outlined the party's roadmap leading up to the elections, including padyatras, youth gatherings, and recognition programmes for grassroots party workers. Regarding electoral alliances, Mahto confirmed t

BJP appoints incharges for poll-bound Maharashtra, Haryana, J'khand, J-K

BJP president JP Nadda on Monday appointed the party's election incharges and co-incharges for assembly poll-bound Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bhupender Yadav has been appointed as the incharge for Maharashtra while Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be the co-incharge for the state, according to a statement issued by the party. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been made the BJP's election incharge for Haryana and former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb the co-incharge for the state, it said. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the election incharge for Jharkhand and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the co-incharge for the state, the statement said. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy has been appointed as the incharge for Jammu and Kashmir, it said. While assembly polls in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand are due later this year, the Supreme Court has ...

Jharkhand to waive farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, will impact 191,000 farmers

Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh on Friday said the state government has decided to waive farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, in an effort to give relief to over 1.91 lakh farmers. During a meeting with officials of the State Level Bankers' Committee (SLBC) here, the minister asked the banks to present a proposal in this regard. "Loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh taken by farmers till March 31, 2020 will be waived through one-time settlement," the minister said. In 2021-22, the state government had announced waiver of crop loans up to Rs 50,000, he said. "As per its promise, the state government had waived loans up to Rs 50,000 of more than 4.73 lakh farmers... The Jharkhand government has given an amount of over Rs 1,900 crore to banks," Patralekh said. He also asked the bank officials to send a proposal to the state government to close accounts that have become non-performing assets (NPAs) so that the farmers can be debt-free.

Monsoon to hit Jharkhand around June 19, rain deficiency rises to 54%

Heatwave conditions and delayed monsoon have aggravated Jharkhand's rainfall deficiency to 54 per cent and it may rise further as monsoon onset over the state is expected around June 19, a weather official said on Friday. Most parts of Jharkhand have been simmering over 40 degrees Celsius with Daltonganj recording the state's highest maximum temperature at 46.5 deg C on Thursday. The current progress of the monsoon is tardy. It is likely to get momentum after June 16 and we are expecting the onset of monsoon over Jharkhand around June 19," Abhishek Anand, in charge of Ranchi Meteorological Centre, told PTI. The normal date for monsoon onset in Jharkhand is June 10. However, it has been reaching Jharkhand between June 12 and June 25 since 2010, according to the monsoon onset record at the Met office. Anand said the current situation suggests that rainfall might be deficient in June and it might increase in July. Jharkhand has received a mere 20.2 mm rainfall from June 1 to June 13

Postal department recruitment fraud: CBI searches 67 locations in Odisha

The CBI is conducting searches at 67 locations in Odisha in connection with an alleged recruitment fraud in the postal department, officials said Thursday. The CBI action comes on an year old complaint from the postal department alleging 63 candidates of the Gramin Dak Sevaks Exam allegedly submitted fake certificates. Over 204 officials, including 122 officers from the CBI and 82 personnel from other departments, swooped down at various premises in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak with an objective of uncovering the interstate organised gang responsible for providing these fake certificates. "These certificates were allegedly issued by the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Allahabad; West Bengal Board, Kolkata; Jharkhand Academic Council, Ranchi; among others. The complaint suggests alleged involvement of an interstate racket in creating and supplying these forged certificates in collusion with the ...

Meet Annapurna Devi, women and child development minister in Modi cabinet

Annapurna Devi, 55, succeeds BJP leader Smriti Irani, who was dropped from the new National Democratic Alliance government

Annapurna Devi gets women and child development ministry in Modi govt 3.0

BJP leader from Jharkhand Annapurna Devi has been appointed as the new Women and Child Development Minister as part of the NDA government's third term. Savitri Thakur is the new minister of state in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, according to an official statement. With challenges such as raising the legal age of marriage for women, combating malnutrition among women and children, and addressing women's safety issues, the new ministers face a formidable agenda. Devi, 55, succeeds Smriti Irani in this role. Her political journey began with her election to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in a 1998 by-election. She later served as minister of state for Mines and Geology in the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) government of undivided Bihar. From 2005 to 2014, Devi was a member of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly and became a cabinet minister in Jharkhand in 2012, overseeing the Ministry of Irrigation, Women & Child Welfare, and Registration. She joined the Bharatiya Janata .

Hemant Soren being oppressed like Stan Swamy, says former J'khand CM

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is in jail, is facing the same kind of oppression that led to the custodial death of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy who dedicated his life working for tribal rights, according to social media post by the JMM leader. The latest Lok Sabha elections mark the beginning of Jharkhand's revenge for the custodial death of Swamy who had been fighting for tribal rights, said the Facebook post from Soren's account which is being managed by his wife Kalpana Soren. Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. "Just as Father Stan, who raised his voice for the most vulnerable section, was silenced by institutional neglect and injustice, today the same kind of oppression is being done to Hemant Soren. Today there is a need for every Jharkhandi to stand strongly in support of Hemant Soren. Otherwise, no one can stop turning Jharkhand into Manipur," the social media post said. In Manip

Union Minister Arjun Munda loses Jharkhand's Khunti seat by 149,000 votes

Union Tribal Affairs and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda lost the Khunti Lok Sabha seat to Congress's Kalicharan Munda by 1.49 lakh votes, officials said. Arjun Munda, a three-time chief minister, had defeated Kalicharan Munda by 1,445 votes in 2019. Arjun Munda congratulated Kalicharan for victory and said people have given mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to form government for the third time. Kalicharan Munda gave the credit of his victory to party workers, partners of INDIA bloc and people of his constituency. "People of Khunti have given a befitting reply to NDA. A big responsibility is now on my shoulder. I will make every effort to live up to the expectations of people here," he said. Arjun Munda, the 56-year-old tribal leader, had also won a by-election for Lok Sabha seat from Jamshedpur and held the post of BJP's national general secretary. Arjun Munda first became chief minister in March 2003 when he replaced Babulal Marandi after JDU and Samata Party MLAs revol