Page 32 - Jharkhand

Jharkhand CM urges President Murmu to take steps on Manipur situation

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing his anguish over the "unspeakable torture" of women in violence-hit Manipur and urged her to take steps to ensure peace in the northeastern state. The country cannot let tribals in Manipur be treated in a "barbaric way", he said in the letter days after a video of women being paraded naked in the northeastern state surfaced. "Silence in the face of cruelty is a terrible crime and so I am compelled today to write to you with a heavy heart and profound anguish over the ongoing spate of violence in the state of Manipur...I am deeply distressed and concerned about the spiralling situation in Manipur... unspeakable torture and sexual exploitation of women...." Manipur is "burning for two months, heart-wrenching videos are surfacing" and there is an "unparalleled breakdown of democratic governance" in the northeastern state, Soren said in the letter. He urged the President to ensure justice fo

Soren inaugurates, lays foundation stone for projects worth Rs 800 cr

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 188 projects worth a total of Rs 800 crore. He also distributed agricultural assets to beneficiaries of various government schemes. Addressing a public meeting at Dumri in Giridih district, Soren asserted that his government was committed to uplifting the poor and steps were taken to ensure that the benefits of various government schemes reach villagers at their doorsteps. Soren inaugurated 28 projects worth Rs 68.21 crore, and laid the foundation stone for 160 projects worth 725.59 crore. He announced that a school on the lines of the renowned Netarhat residential school will be opened in Dumri to provide quality education to children. Soren claimed that education provided at government schools in the state is now at par with private institutions, and cited the example of 80 government schools being declared as 'schools of excellence' to buttress his point. The CM said steps have been taken to pr

Jharkhand CM demands hike in coal royalty, foodgrains in NITI Aayog meeting

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren demanded a hike in royalty on coal at a meeting with a team from the NITI Aayog, officials said on Thursday. At the meeting, he also raised the issue of the release of compensation for land acquisition, which he said was pending with different coal companies. An eight-member team of NITI Aayog, led by its member Vinod Kumar Paul, is on a visit to the state to review its progress on various aspects. It held a meeting with the chief minister at the state secretariat on Wednesday. Soren said compensation of about Rs 80,000 crore is due with different coal companies against land acquisition, and only Rs 2,532 crore has been given. "Coal companies should pay compensation for the land they have acquired, even if mining work has not started on it," he said. It was agreed at the meeting that the coal companies will submit a report on how much land was acquired and how much compensation was paid, an official statement said. Soren also demanded that th

Tribal bodies stage protest near state BJP HQ against UCC in Jharkhand

Around a dozen tribal organisations under the banner of Adivasi Samanwai Samiti staged a demonstration near the Jharkhand BJP headquarters here on Saturday to protest the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The members of the tribal outfits assembled at Ranchi's Harmu Ground before marching towards the state BJP headquarters. They raised slogans such as "Adivasiyon ka soshan bandh karo (stop exploitation of tribals)" during the procession. The demonstrators were, however, stopped by the police before the BJP headquarters, where they staged a demonstration for about an hour. Adivasi Jan Parishad president Prem Sahi Munda said, "The government is proposing UCC, which is a threat to tribal existence. The UCC will dilute the tribal customary laws and rights that have been given to us by the Indian constitution." The UCC refers to a common set of laws on marriage, divorce and inheritance that would be applicable to all Indian citizens irrespective of religion, tribe or other local ...

BJP appoints new party presidents for Andhra, Telangana, Punjab, Jharkhand

The party made the announcement ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections where the BJP-led NDA government is aiming to retain power for the third consecutive term

1 killed, 12 injured as bus with devotees from Bihar overturns in Jharkhand

One person was killed and 12 others were injured after a bus overturned and fell in a roadside ditch in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Sunday, police said. The bus was on the way to the Chhinnamasta temple in Rajrappa in Ramgarh district from Jehanabad in Bihar with devotees when the accident happened on National Highway 2 near Pipra village in Chouparan police station area, they said. Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chothe said the driver of the bus lost control, following which it overturned and fell in a roadside ditch. One person was killed and 12 others were injured, he said. The deceased person was identified as Sikandar Kumar Yadav, he added. Among those injured, the conditions of two persons were critical and they were sent to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi for treatment, Chothe said. The others were undergoing treatment at the Community Health Centre in Chouparan. The body of the deceased was sent to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical Colle

Adani Power commences export to Bangladesh from Jharkhand's Godda plant

Adani Power has started exporting power to Bangladesh from its 1,600MW plant in Jharkhand's Godda. Adani Power Jharkhand Limited (APJL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, has achieved commercial operations date (COD) of its second unit of 2x800 MW Godda ultra-supercritical thermal power plant, Adani Power said in a statement on Tuesday. The reliability run test, including commercial operation tests of the second unit of Godda power plant, was completed on June 25 in the presence of Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Power Grid Corporation of Bangladesh (PGCB) officials. On April 6, the first unit of the power plant, with 800MW capacity, had achieved its COD. Power supply from the Godda plant to Bangladesh will further enhance energy security in the neighbouring country, it said. "APJL shall supply 1,496 MW net capacity power from 2x800 MW Godda USCTPP under the PPA with BPDB executed in November 2017 for a period of 25 years via 400 kV dedicated transmis

J'khand cabinet gives nod triple test to decide OBC quota in civic polls

The Jharkhand cabinet on Monday gave the nod to set up a dedicated commission to conduct a "triple test" to decide on OBC reservation in urban local body polls. The opposition parties, mainly AJSU Party, have been demanding a "triple test" before holding ULB polls. The civic polls are pending in many areas including Ranchi. The "triple test" includes setting up a dedicated commission to conduct an inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness in connection with local bodies. The second condition is to specify the proportion of reservation required to be provisioned in the local bodies as per the commission's recommendations. The third test is that the reservation should not exceed 50 per cent of the seats reserved in favour of SCs, STs, and OBCs taken together. "The cabinet gave its approval to set up a dedicated commission for the purpose of reviewing the eligibility for reservations to backward classes," Cabinet Secretary Vandana Dadel said. The commission is bei

Adani Power starts supplying power to Bangladesh from its Jharkhand plant

Adani Power Ltd (APL) has started exporting power to Bangladesh from its 1,600 MW ultra-supercritical power project in Jharkhand. In a regulator filing on Monday, the company said Unit 2 of 800 MW capacity of its 2x800 MW ultra-supercritical power project of its wholly-owned subsidiary Adani Power (Jharkhand) Ltd (APJL) has achieved commercial operations at 24:00 hrs Bangladesh standard time on June 25 following successful completion of reliability run tests. "Accordingly, APJL will export (w.e.f. 00.00 hrs Bangladesh time, of June 26, 2023), entire power generated from the 2x800 MW Godda plant on commercial basis, as per Power Purchase Agreement, directly to Bangladesh through the dedicated 400 kV transmission lines, with net capacity of 1,496 MW," it said. The plant is located in Godda district in Jharkhand. APJL has a 25-year contract with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

Monsoon covers 23 Jharkhand districts, heavy rainfall alert for June 25-26

The southwest monsoon which set foot in Jharkhand on June 19 covered 23 out of 24 districts on Friday, after slow-rolling of the system for about three days, a weather official said. The weather department has also issued heavy rainfall alert for parts of the state on June 25 and June 26, which might cause damage to standing crops and water-logging in low-lying areas, the official said. The monsoon hit Jharkhand this year after a delay of nine days and covered four districts of Santhal Pargana. Thereafter, its progress partially slowed and covered 10 districts till Thursday. "The southwest monsoon's progress was partially sluggish between June 19 and June 22 in Jharkhand due to weak rainfall in neighbouring states like Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar. However, it got momentum and covered almost the entire state, excluding Garhwa district on Friday," in-charge of Ranchi Meteorological Centre Abhishek Anand told PTI. Conditions are favourable for the advancement of monsoon in the ...

J'khand beneficiaries to get fruit tree to grow income, protect environment

The Jharkhand government has decided to provide at least two fruit bearing trees to PDS card holders and beneficiaries of different schemes in the state in a bid to augment villagers' income and push its environment protection initiative, officials said on Friday. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who reviewed the progress of various government schemes on Friday at a meeting, asked the deputy commissioners of all districts to ensure that all the card holders and beneficiaries of different schemes are provided with at least two fruit bearing trees. This will not only increase the income of the villagers, but will also be a step towards environmental protection, he said. Soren said that the government's Birsa Harit Gram Yojana too will be effective in making the villages green. The scheme, which is aimed at the financial uplift of the senior citizens and widows, is being implemented in 9,538 villages of the state, an official statement said. Expressing concern over the migration of worke

Tata Motors shows interest in green technology project in Jharkhand

Tata Motors has evinced interest in the expansion of new green technology project in Jharkhand including manufacturing of hydrogen engine-powered vehicles and electric vehicles. Senior officials of Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Cummins held a meeting with Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and senior officials to discuss the possibilities of investment in the expansion of a new green technology project at Jamshedpur. Cummins Inc and Tata Motors had in November last year joined hands to offer solutions in hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle space. Under the pact, the two partners had agreed to collaborate on the design and development of low and zero-emission propulsion technology solutions for commercial vehicles in India, including hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, fuel cells, and battery electric vehicle systems. "Tata Motors officials told the chief minister that there are immense possibilities of investment on expansion of the New Green Technology Manufacturi

BLOs to visit households to ensure voting in Jharkhand: Electoral Officer

To ensure that no eligible voter is left out from the electoral rolls in Jharkhand, booth level officers (BLOs) would visit each household between July 21 and August 21, state Chief Electoral Officer, K Ravi Kumar, said on Tuesday. The total number of eligible voters in Jharkhand is 2.45 crore, he said. Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said that the summary revision of electoral rolls commenced in the state from June 1. He said of the 2.45 crore voters, the number of men is 1.26 crore and women is 1.19 crore while the number of third gender voters is 368. Many women are yet to be enlisted as voters, Kumar said. Emphasising the importance of the right to exercise franchise for a healthy democracy, he expressed concern over low voter turnout in urban areas of the state during polls. This time the Commission plans to hold enrolment drives for senior citizens, divyang (differently abled), members of particularly vulnerable tribal groups, sex workers and transgenders on speci

Jharkhand bandh demanding 100% reservation for locals evokes mixed response

The 48-hour Jharkhand bandh demanding 100 per cent reservation for locals in government jobs evoked a mixed response on Saturday with sporadic incidents of road blockades and ruckus, officials said. The bandh, called by the Jharkhand State Students' Union (JSSU), affected a few districts, including Dumka and Sahibganj. Elsewhere, it was life as usual, they said. In Ranchi, the protesters took to the streets in the morning to enforce the bandh. They assembled at the Khadgara bus stand and requested bus and auto-rickshaw drivers not to ply their vehicles but those seemed to have fallen onto deaf ears as public transport was normal in the state capital. Markets across the city, including the vegetable markets at Kokar-Lalpur Road and Naga Baba Khatal, were open. The agitators tried to put up a road blockade in Namkum on the outskirts of Ranchi by burning tyres but police swiftly removed them. Ranchi's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kishore Kaushal said that no untoward incident

Dhanbad illegal mine collapse: DC sets up committee to probe incident

A day after three persons were killed as an illegally-operated coal mine collapsed in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, the administration on Saturday set up a committee to probe into the incident, an official said. The two members of the probe committee are Abhishek Kumar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sindri and Parmesh Kushwaha Circle Officer (CO) Jharia. "A two-member committee has been set up to probe the incident that occurred at the Bhowra colliery area of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL). The committee will submit its report within 24 hours," Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Sandip Singh told PTI. Singh said: "I have also sought a report from BCCL about the incident and would take action against the outsourcing company if lapses are found on its part". Three persons were killed when a portion of the roof of a mine in the Bhowra colliery area of BCCL where a large number of people were allegedly mining caved in on Friday. The incident happened around 10.30 am on Friday in the Bho

J'khand to probe misuse of farmers' Aadhaar cards for irrigation scheme

Jharkhand government will probe the alleged misuse of farmers' Aadhaar cards to avail benefits of the Centre's micro-irrigation scheme Per Drop More Crops' in parts of the state. The government swung into action after farmers from some blocks, alleged that their Aadhaar cards had been misused or they were misled into signing up for the scheme without their knowledge. Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh said a high-level probe committee has been set up to investigate the issue. "I have set up a four-member probe committee to look into alleged misuse of Aadhaar cards under the scheme," Patralekh told PTI on Friday. The four-member committee will be headed by Hazaribag sub-divisional officer as maximum cases of irregularities were reported from the district, he said. "If any anomaly is found, strict action will be taken," he said. Some farmers said micro-irrigation equipment had been dumped in their farms, though they hadn't applied for the scheme. Farmers alleged that so

3 dead, many feared trapped in illegal coal mine collapse in Dhanbad

The coal mine collapsed at 10:30 am when local villagers were engaged in mining; the exact number of people killed or trapped is still unknown, says DSP Abhishek Kuma

IMD issues heatwave alert for some states; other states may see excess rain

Heatwave conditions are also expected to prevail over Odisha the sub-Himalayan West Bengal region between June 8 to June 10, over Telangana on June 8,9, and over several parts of UP till June 11

Jharkhand to plant 10 mn saplings next year, says Guv Radhakrishnan

Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Monday said 1 crore saplings would be planted in the state next year. Addressing a gathering here on the occasion of World Environment Day, he said 10 per cent of the saplings would be of neem. "There is a target to plant 1 crore saplings in the state next year. Of that, 10 per cent will be of neem and the remaining 90 per cent will be of fruit-bearing trees so that fruits are available to the people free of cost," he said. This would be a meaningful step in the direction of nutrition for the people along with environment protection, he said. The governor said that Jharkhand is a symbol of greenery, where people worship trees. Emphasising the need to protect the environment, he said that more than 50 saplings were planted in Raj Bhavan on the occasion of World Environment Day. "Our environment is being polluted by the use of plastics. Whenever we go to the market, we should carry bags and not use plastics," he said.

Jharkhand government to send team of doctors to Odisha's Balasore

The Jharkhand government on Saturday said it will send a team of doctors to Odisha's Balasore district to assist in the treatment of injured persons in the train crash. Chief Minister Hemant Soren said a team from Jharkhand, comprising officials and doctors, will leave for the neighbouring state on Sunday morning by helicopter. "According to the information received regarding the train accident in Balasore, Odisha, the team will meet the passengers of Jharkhand and provide them all possible help. Passengers injured in the accident will also be provided all necessary assistance for better treatment," he tweeted. Soren also expressed grief over the deaths, and wished the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident that occurred on Friday evening. "Deeply pained by the heartbreaking Coromandel Express train accident near Bahanaga railway station in Balasore district of Odisha. May God give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members to bear these ...