Page 39 - Jharkhand

President Droupadi Murmu's Jharkhand visit rescheduled to Tuesday

President Droupadi Murmu's Jharkhand visit has been rescheduled and she may now arrive on Tuesday, officials said on Sunday. The President is not coming on Monday. The revised schedule of her visit is awaited, a senior state official said. Earlier, officials had said that the former Jharkhand governor would arrive at Deoghar airport on Monday afternoon and offer prayers at Baba Baidyanath Dham temple. The Deoghar administration had ensured elaborate security arrangements in view of her visit and barred the entry of devotees to the temple from 9 am to 3.30 pm. Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said the President's Deoghar visit has been cancelled. The President may also not take part in the state function of Jharkhand Foundation Day at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi on Tuesday. However, she is likely to visit Birsa Munda's village Ulihatu in Khunti district on the occasion of the legendary tribal freedom fighter's birth anniversary on Tuesday, another official said. Ranc

Jharkhand may witness 5% rise in aerosol pollution in 2023, says study

Aerosol pollution is expected to rise by five per cent in Jharkhand next year, which may lead to a drop in visibility levels and pose a host of health problems for its citizens, a study by a premier research organisation said. Such pollution is likely to remain in the "highly vulnerable" red zone in the eastern state, it said. The study found that emission from thermal power plants was the main contributor to high aerosol amounts comprising particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sea salt, dust, sulphate, black and organic carbon. Rising aerosol pollution might aggravate asthma, lung and cardiovascular diseases. Children, women and elderly people might be the worst sufferers, Kolkata-based Bose Institute's associate professor of environmental sciences Dr Abhijit Chatterjee told PTI. He also said, Aerosol pollution is expected to rise by five per cent, pushing the AOD level over 0.6 within the vulnerable (red) zone in 2023. Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a quantitative estimate of the

Jharkhand assembly passes bill to raise reservations for categories to 77%

A bill was passed in the Jharkhand assembly on Friday to raise the total reservation offered to different categories to 77 per cent. In a special session, the assembly passed an amendment to the Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services Act, 2001, raising the reservations for STs, SCs, EBCs, OBCs and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in government jobs from the present 60 per cent. The bill proposes that the state will urge the Centre for changes in the Ninth Schedule of Constitution. In the proposed reservation, local people of the SC community will get a quota of 12 per cent, STs will get 28 per cent, Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) 15 per cent, OBCs 12 per cent, and EWS barring those from the other reserved categories 10 per cent. At present, the STs get a 26 per cent reservation in Jharkhand, while SCs get 10 per cent quota. The OBCs currently get a 14 per cent quota in the state, and increasing it was an electoral promise of all mainstream parties in 2019, .

Jharkhand Cabinet approves four ambitious schemes for students and youths

The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved four ambitious schemes to promote education and skill development of students and youths, an official said. The schemes include Higher and Technical Education department's Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Prothsahan Yojana (MMSPY), Eklavya Prasikshan Yojana (EPY) and Guruji Student Credit Card Yojana (GSCCY), and Labour department's Mukhya Mantri Sarathi Yojana (MMSY). "President Droupadi Murmu will officially launch these schemes on Jharkhand's Foundation day on November 15," cabinet secretary Vandana Dadel said on Thursday. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday approved the four schemes and 34 other agendas. Under the MMSPY, class 10 pass students will be provided free coaching at Jharkhand-based institutions of national repute for entrance examinations of engineering, medical, common law admission test, mass communication, fashion designing, hotel management and chartered accounting. "Along with free coaching, a provision

Rs 100cr worth unaccounted transactions post raids on J'khand MLAs: IT dept

The Income-tax department has detected "unaccounted" transactions and investments worth more than Rs 100 crore after it raided two Jharkhand Congress MLAs, their alleged associates and linked coal and iron ore businesses across the state last week. The CBDT said in a statement on Tuesday that 50 premises in Ranchi, Godda, Bermo, Dumka, Jamshedpur and Chaibasa in Jharkhand, Patna (Bihar), Gurugram (Haryana), and Kolkata (West Bengal) were covered during the searches launched on November 4. The two MLAs, on the day the searches were initiated, were identified by the officials as Kumar Jaimangal alias Anup Singh and Pradip Yadav. Jaimangal, a legislator from Bermo seat, also spoke to reporters outside his Ranchi residence that day confirming the action, saying he was extending all cooperation to the raiding teams. Yadav, who joined the Congress after splitting from the JVM-P, represents Poriyahat assembly seat. The Congress is a partner of the JMM-led ruling alliance in the state led

BJP has formed PIL gang against UPA govt in Jharkhand: Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren hit out at the opposition BJP, accusing it of "forming a PIL gang" to disturb the UPA government in the state. Soren also claimed that the saffron party had been "looting" the state since it was formed. The chief minister, who was addressing a public meeting here on Monday after the Supreme Court allowed his appeal in a mining lease case, alleged that the BJP, "hell bent" on destabilising the democratically elected government in the state, was misusing central agencies like the ED and Income Tax department to serve its interests. The BJP, he alleged, had "ruled and looted the state for 20 years and did nothing for the rural masses, the poor, the farmers, youths and the old". The saffron party, in a retort, said the Soren government, instead of fulfilling the promises it made to people, was "busy grabbing the limelight". The apex court on Monday allowed Soren and the state government's appeals against a high court order which had accepted the .

Mining lease row: Relief for Jharkhand CM Soren; SC sets aside HC order

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the appeals of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the state government against a high court order accepting the maintainability of PILs for a probe in the mining lease issue. It also set aside the Jharkhand High Court's June 3 order. "Satyamev Jayate," Soren, who has been accused of granting himself a mining lease as the state's mining minister, said on Twitter after the Supreme Court's ruling. We have allowed these two appeals and have set aside the June 3, 2022 order passed by the Jharkhand High Court, holding that these PILs were not maintainable, the bench said. A bench of Justices U U Lalit, S R Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia had reserved its judgement on August 17 on separate pleas of the Jharkhand government and Soren against the high court's order that accepted the maintainability of the PILs. The apex court had earlier restrained the high court from proceedings with the PILs seeking a probe against Soren in the mining lease issue. Sen

Have sought copy from EC of guv's request for second opinion: Soren

Amid a deepening political crisis in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren Sunday said he has sought a copy from the Election Commission of Governor Ramesh Bais's request for a "second opinion" in a office-of-profit case through his counsel. The request comes in the wake of Bais saying on October 27 that he has sought a "second opinion" in the case and claiming that an "atom bomb could explode any time in Jharkhand", apparently indicating towards his pending decision in the matter. "I have sought a copy from EC of Governor Ramesh Bais's request for second opinion in office-of-profit case through my counsel," Soren told PTI. "The counsel has placed on my behalf that the EC will provide an opportunity for fair and effective hearing before giving any opinion pursuant to the second request made by the governor," he said. Following a petition by the BJP seeking Soren's disqualification from the Assembly in the office-of-profit case, the EC had sent its decision to the Jharkhand governo

Huge cache of explosives seized in Jharkhand's Latehar district: Police

A huge cache of explosives were seized in Jharkhand's Latehar district, police said on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of Jharkhand Police and CRPF raided Budha Pahad area, once considered to be a hotbed of Maoist activities, and unearthed the hidden cache, a police officer said. Latehar Additional Superintendent of Police (Operations) Santosh Kumar Mishra said that IEDs and detonators of various kinds were seized from the spot, which is around 160 km from Ranchi. This was the second major haul of explosives from the area in recent times. A week ago, a huge cache of arms and ammunitions, including 17 rifles and 200 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were seized from the area.

I-T dept searches on Jharkhand Congress MLAs over tax evasion charges

The Income Tax Department on Friday conducted searches at properties linked to Jharkhand Congress MLAs Kumar Jaimangal and Pradip Yadav, officials said. Jaimangal alias Anup Singh is a legislator from Bermo, while Yadav who joined Congress after splitting from the JVM-P represents Poriyahat. Congress is a partner of the JMM-led ruling alliance in the state. The searches were conducted at the properties of the legislators in Ranchi, Bermo and Patna, officials said. Some private people, including an iron ore trader in Chaibasa, were also searched by the I-T Department, they said. Jaimangal said he was extending full cooperation to the I-T Department which is conducting the searches as part of an investigation into tax evasion charges. "The searches were carried out under the pressure of the BJP. Such action will have to be faced by those who are against BJP. I am against BJP and so, I am facing it. But, it can't scare me," he told reporters. Jaimangal was the MLA who in August lod

Army land grab case: ED raids multiple locations linked to Amit Agarwal

The businessman, Amit Agarwal, is alleged to have illegally grabbed land owned by the Indian Army in Jharkhand

J'khand: UPA to stage protest on Nov 5 against attempts to destablise govt

Hours after the ED summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning in an alleged illegal mining case, members of the ruling UPA coalition decided to launch a state-wide protest against the "attempts to destabilise a democratically elected government". A two-hour meeting of the UPA -- comprising the JMM, the Congress and the RJD -- was held at the CM's residence here in the evening, shortly after the summons was served by the agency. JMM MLA Sudivya Kumar, following the meeting, said a decision to give a "befitting reply" to the BJP-led Centre, which is "hatching conspiracies using probe agencies", was taken by the leaders of the ruling alliance. "The UPA has decided to oppose BJP move... We will unmask the conspiracy hatched by the BJP, generate awareness among people about it," he said. "We will stage a protest on November 5 against these attempts to destabilise the government. I will tell people that efforts are being made to disrupt the outreach programmes launche

ED issues summons to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for questioning on November 3 in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in the state, officials said on Wednesday. Soren, 47, has been asked to appear before the federal probe agency at its regional office in state capital Ranchi on Thursday. The agency wants to question and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. The ED had earlier arrested his political aide Pankaj Mishra and two others in this case. The agency has said it has "identified" proceeds of crimes relating to illegal mining in the state to the tune of more than Rs 1,000 crore till now. The ED probe began after the agency raided Mishra and his alleged associates on July 8, covering 19 locations in Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chauki and Barharwa in Jharkhand in the case linked to alleged instances of illegal mining and extortion.

Chhath celebrated with fervour in Jharkhand, CM offers prayers in Ranchi

The four-day Chhath festival concluded in Jharkhand on Monday morning after the offering of 'Usha Arghya'. A sea of humanity thronged various water bodies across the state to pay obeisance to the rising sun. Amid playing of devotional songs and bursting of firecrackers, devotees marched towards rivers, rivulets, lakes and ponds where they performed the rituals. Apart from common people, politicians also congregated at different water bodies to offer 'Arghya' to the Sun God. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, along with his wife Kalpana and two sons, offered prayers at Ranchi's Hatnia pond on Sunday evening, while his predecessor Raghubar Das prayed at Suryadham in Jamshedpur. Former chief minister Babulal Marandi also offered prayers. "Chhath Puja is the worship of nature god. It is a great example of dedication, faith and cleanliness. I bow my head to this great tradition. I pray to Chhathi Maiya to bless everyone with happiness and good health," Soren said. This year, water level i

Tata Power Solar Systems launches off-grid solar solutions in Bengal, Bihar

Tata Power Solar Systems on Wednesday announced the launch of cost-efficient solar off-grid solutions in West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd (TPSSL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL). The off-grid solutions provide a combination of high-efficient solar modules, inverters and batteries and are available in 11 variants ranging from 1 - 10 Kw with 5-year warranty, a company statement said. The solutions offered by the company are engineered to provide an efficient integrated power system to consumers for their power backup requirements in times of grid supply shortages. The solution was unveiled in the presence of S Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, West Bengal; Partha Pratim Mukherjee, Director (Distribution), West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd and Nayak, Director (EV), West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd in Kolkata. These solar off-grid solutions are charged during the day time and enable

Jharkhand CM allows graft charges probe against govt staffers, contractors

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has approved a proposal to register a case against 29 people, including government employees, in connection with alleged irregularities in the drinking water and sanitation department, an official said on Wednesday. The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) will register an FIR against the accused state government employees and contractors, he said. "The chief minister has permitted Anti Corruption Bureau, Ranchi to conduct a probe by registering an FIR against 29 public servants and others involved in the corruption," the official said. The alleged irregularities were related to installation of tube wells in the 2010-11 and 2013-14 financial years in panchayats of Govindpur and Nirsa blocks under the Dhanbad district besides other schemes of the drinking water and sanitation department", he said. Several engineers, an officer of accounts, and many contractors were accused of being involved in the corruption. An FIR has already been registered by the .

No end in sight to tug-of-war between Jharkhand Governor, Soren govt

The role of Syed Sibte Razi had sparked intense controversy in 2005 when he administered the oath of chief ministership to Shibu Soren, the leader of the UPA

WB, Jharkhand women get married early due to fewer job opportunities: Study

The findings by a central government study that over half of the women get married before attaining 21 years in Jharkhand and West Bengal also revealed that the scope for sustainable job opportunities for young women is limited, experts said. It is also clear from the findings that the benefits of government schemes are not reaching the desired section of the population, they said. However, some experts expressed doubts about the data authenticity given that the survey was conducted during the Covid pandemic. It was found in the study, the report of which was published late last month, that Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two states in the country where more than half of the women are married before they are 21 years old. While 54.9 per cent of girls are married in West Bengal before attaining the age of 21 years, the figure for Jharkhand is 54.6 per cent as against the national average of 29.5 per cent. Women, particularly in rural areas, face a lot of problems. They do no

Ruling JMM's central committee member shot dead in Jharkhand's Garhwa

A central committee member of the ruling JMM in Jharkhand was shot dead by unidentified persons in Garhwa district on Thursday evening, police said. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm in Chinia village of the district, around 200 km from the state capital Ranchi, when Ayub Ansari, aged 58, was shot at by the miscreants, a senior officer said. "Some criminals opened fire at Ansari in his village. He was brought to the Garhwa Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. We are investigating the matter and the persons involved in the crime will soon be arrested," Chinia Police Station in-charge Virendra Hansda said. According to villagers, the incident took place when the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was going to a mosque. The deceased was the husband of Chinia panchayat mukhiya Sabera Biwi.

PM-Kisan scheme benefit discontinued for over 1.5 mn farmers in Jharkhand

The financial benefit under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) has been discontinued for over 1.5 million people in Jharkhand as they fail to provide the necessary documents