Why the Ruling Left Has To Be Afraid Of ?
Ranjit Ranjit
Why the Ruling Left Has To Be Afraid Of ?
Palash Biswas
Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551
Email:
palashb...@gmail.com
World Bank Slave Indian Prime Minister goes to Hyderabad to boost Damage control after Police Firing against unarmed peasants.With his visit, Polavaram Project has to capture centre stage once again. Polavarm Dam is the base of Krishna Godavari River Link which not only effects the tribals and Bengali refugees in Dandakarany covering four states Andhra, Chhattishgargh, Maharashtra and Orissa but the impact heralds disaster in entire penunsular India compriseng sentral and south India. kerala, Orissa and chhattishgargh have lodged objection. But the project was cleared mysteriously. Tamilnadu has reservations.
But the Ruling left armed with Marichjhanpi massacre is not afraid at all of another Marichjhanpi in making!
Why should it be?
CPM not ashamed of Nandigram, says Vinoy Konar.The ruling Left Front will launch a movement to ensure safe return of 1,500 CPI(M) supporters, now lodged in relief camps outside troubled Nandigram following violence on March 14 claiming 14 lives.This was decided at a Front meeting, attended by district leaders of CPI(M), CPI, RSP and FB, at Tamluk today, CPI(M) MP, Lakhsman Seth said.He alleged that the CPI(M) supporters were being prevented from entering their houses by members of the Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee (BPUC), a body of farmers opposing acquisition of farmland for industry.As part of the movement, a bandh would be observed at Nandigram on Sunday next, Seth told reporters after the meeting.
Reacting to the Front decision, BPUC Convener, S K Sufian said if the CPI(M) supporters, now lodged in relief camps, wanted to return peacefully, they had no objection. But any attempt to enter the area with arms would be resisted, he said.Meanwhile, the women members of the BPUC have decided to gherao the Nandigram police station tomorrow demanding punishment to the culprits of March 14 killing.
After the TADA court sentenced actor Sanjay Dutt to six years in prison his family is preparing for a legal battle to get him out.Actor Sanjay Dutt, who has swapped the glamour of the silver screen for the harsh reality of prison, will soon have to choose between cooking, carpentry, farming or weaving for just a dollar a day.The 14-year wait is over but not on a note that would cheer Bollywood. The six-year sentence for Sanjay Dutt has left the film fraternity grappling with its likely monetary consequences.The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the petitioners seeking implementation of Srikrishna Commission Report on Mumbai riots to file an affidavit detailing Maharashtra Government's alleged lapses in taking action against those involved in the riots ...
All India focus remains on Sanjoo Baba!
The Supreme Court on Wednesday restrained till August 14 the Andhra Pradesh government from interfering in any manner in the state with regard to the "direct selling business" of Amway India Enterprises, a subsidiary of US-based Amway Corporation.
Pakistan's embattled President Pervez Musharraf says he hopes for "harmonious ties" with the recently reinstated chief justice he had tried to fire four months ago in a move that ultimately weakened him politically.
The government has released some bank accounts of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, as part of measures to pave way for a government-PPP deal, Geo News reported here.Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships killed 15 pro-Taleban militants in intense fighting in a troubled tribal zone bordering Afghanistan on Tuesday, the army said.
THE United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to authorise the deployment of up to 26,000 peacekeepers in Darfur, in western Sudan, where at least 200,000 people have been killed in four years of conflict.
The resolution on Tuesday will create the world's largest peacekeeping operation, costing about $US2 billion ($2.3 billion) in its first year and drawing on military and police forces from the African Union and the UN, a UN spokeswoman said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, said in Manila yesterday that Australia would send a small number of doctors and nurses to Darfur, but not any troops.
Though the resolution was toned down after objections from the Sudanese Government, it will allow the peacekeeping troops to use force to prevent attacks on themselves, to protect civilians and aid workers, and to help put a peace agreement in place.
The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, described the mission as "historic and unprecedented".
Behera for review of water pacts
BHUBANESWAR: There should be periodic review of the inter-state water agreements, as socio-economic and environmental conditions keep changing, suggested Mr. Aurobinda Behera, state water resource development secretary here today.
Inaugurating a symposium on the 'State of Water Resources Management in Orissa', organized by 'RCDC- Centre for water for life' , he said the state government has resorted to legal action in matters related to the Polavaram and Vansadhara projects, to safeguard Orissa's interest. The state government gives second priority to the environment and ecology sector next to drinking water, keeping the need to protect the environment for the future generation in mind, Mr. Behera stated.
Asserting that there is no scope for any apprehension on industrial use of water in Orissa, Mr Behera pointed out that the state has nearly 10 per cent of national water endowment. After satisfying our drinking water needs, we can do justice to the industry sector without compromising the interest of the farm sector, he noted.
Underscoring the importance of 'Pani Panchayats' and water user's association, the water resources secretary said that 'participatory water management' is the key to better management of water. n SNS
Additional SP hides after firing!
A family in Mudigonda village, where six people were killed in police firing on Saturday, saved the life of Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Babu.
The State Government suspended the Additional SP holding him responsible for the
firing.It is said that the Additional SP, along with some policemen, fled the scene to escape from the wrath of the protestors soon after the incident.
When he reached a house, the inmates gave him shelter till evening. Later, an intelligence subinspector, who came to know of the place where Ramesh Babu was taking shelter, took him to a police station on his two-wheeler on Saturday evening.It is alleged that the Addl SP was responsible for firing in Bhadrachalam on January 29 when the agitators staged a rasta roko over an issue related to the Polavaram Project, at the Sub- Collector's Office.
Prior to his visit, Mr Singh has termed the killings as "unfortunate" and reiterated the government's commitment on redistribution of land to the landless. On the eve of his visit, TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu has announced that he would undertake a hunger strike on Tuesday.
The prime minister will review the progress in agriculture and allied activities, besides taking stock of large investments across key sectors. Incidentally, the state government is not planning to raise the issue of farmer distress and suicides - that the state was infamously known for some years ago - as it believes that its farm-savvy policies have begun to pay dividends.
The Andhra Pradesh government is expected to showcase its roadmap for securing 20% of the Centre's additional foodgrain target of 20 mt in the next five years. In fact, AP, much like Maharashtra, intends to leverage its experience in efficient management of water resources and continued focus on irrigation.
The state will also push for higher outlays under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. It is sequentially augmenting resources to expand assets under irrigation, extending its reach and also stabilising the existing facilities.
The state will seek an assistance of Rs 8,800 crore for various sectors like revenue, energy, urban development and infrastructure. It will seek viability gap funding for the inter-city high-speed rail corridor between Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, outer ring road project, Hyderabad Metro Rail Project, the refinery project by ONGC at Kakinada and a petrochemical investment region (PCPIR) in Visakhapatnam.
It'll also make out a case for clearance of Polavaram, Indira Sagar lift irrigation, Dummugudem lift irrigation scheme, Sripadasagar (Yellampally Barrage), Bhupatipalem, Komaram, Masurumilli, Peddavagu (Neelwai), Modikunta Vagu, Kalwakurthy lift irrigation scheme (MGLI) and Nettampadu lift irrigation (Jawahar LIS) projects.
As if the Khammam firing episode was not enough, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy will face his boss Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday and will have a lot of explaining to do.
While the PM's key agenda during his trip to Hyderabad would be to assess agriculture and investment scenario in the state, the police firing on the Left cadre on Saturday that left six people dead, is in all probability going to hang heavy on the Andhra CM.
As Statesman News Service reports:
The CPI-M is not at all ashamed of the Nandigram incident and the question of giving compensation to families of those killed in police firing on 14 March or taking action against police officials doesn't arise, CPI-M central committee member Mr Benoy Konar said today.
And this came from the peasants front leader barely 24 hours after he threatened that his party will fight it out with the Trinamul on the streets if police fail to restore peace in the troubled area. Both Trinamul and the Congress reacted sharply and accused Mr Konar of precipitating violence in Nandigram.
"The Trinamul has no legitimate demands in Nandigram. It only wants its own supporters to stay there and they want others to be their slaves. Three thousand of our supporters are homeless. The administration should take stern action. Police are sot supposed to roam around with paint brushes. We are waiting patiently. The administration has to establish rule of law. We wont give any compensation. At the best we can offer some pity", said Mr Konar.
The Opposition got furious today. "Mr Konar is not shamed because he is a shameless person. It is primarily responsible for the killings. He should be arrested for provoking the violence through his public statements", senior Trinamul legislator Mr Saugata Roy said.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=164621
New Maoist activities: Why West Bengal lags behind?
Maoists extremist (Naxalites) are now trying to bring ideological revolution through the internet. Their effort is to induce urban youths in armed revolution and to give a strong foundation to their organisation. After strengthening their presence in rural areas of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand and in Orissa they are now aiming at urban areas of the nation. They are using the means of e-mail and internet and other networking facilities to spread their mission. In all prominent cities of India, they are sending e-mails to the youths to associate with them. The organisation has made many groups in the Yahoo portal. Naxal literature, information about armed activities and plans for future attacks are being reached to the targeted people. According to their plan, Universities and colleges of Delhi and other places are being included in the Naxal movement. Through the medium of the net, the organisation is also engaged in collecting funds. By taking the support of Nepal youth they may have got the strength to overthrow the Nepal King. Through the medium of the net, information is being spread regarding the armed struggle and agitations against the governments. Hence the democratic institutions should mull over the issue and come out with solutions. The Communists have been ruling West Bengal for the last 30 years but not much has been achieved in the name of development. It seems the government machinery there runs under the threat of terror and pressure. Progress does never mean that we keep moving backwards. If the Communists had faith in development then West Bengal would have been on the top today. Hence all the political parties need to become aware of the new designs of the Naxals.
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20070801/0108281.htm
People continue to die in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal over land
by Nirmala Carvalho
In Andhra Pradesh police fire at leftwing groups who want land distribution for the poor; eight people are killed. In West Bengal clashes between supporters of the state's leftwing administration and local farmers defending their land continue. Appeals are made to the central government to take action against the two states.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Khammam District in Andhra Pradesh saw a total bandh (general strike) on Sunday, a day after police killed eight workers and wounded another 16 during a protest rally. At the same time in West Bengal, street clashes that left people dead and wounded continue between supporters of the state's leftwing government and farmers who are trying to defend their land from expropriation.
In various parts of Andhra Pradesh protest marches organised by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) took place yesterday. More are scheduled for today.
The CPIM and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) demanded the resignation of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for using 'brutal force' and 'suppression' against popular protests calling for land distribution to the poor.
For the past three months leftwing groups have been holding 'bhooporatam' or land action in the state, demanding housing and land for poor.
Last week, they intensified their protests when top party leaders launched a general strike in the state capital of Hyderabad.
On Saturday demonstrators met near the village of Mudigonda, Khamman District. When police approached the gathering they were pelted with stones. Agents responded violently with a TV station showing them surrounding and beating unarmed women.
"The government can't be allowed to get away with this. This will have far-reaching repercussions on the political situation in the country," said CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta.
TDP leader N. Chandrababu Naidu accused the police of using AK-47 and self-loading rifles to fire at protestors. "Never before in the history of the state have such sophisticated weapons been used against political activists," he said.
The chief minister ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident. He also transferred and suspended some top police officials.
He announced Rs 500,000 in compensation for the families of those killed and a government job for one member of each of the bereaved family and houses for homeless families in the state.
Meanwhile, there was another dramatic day yesterday in Nandigram, Kolkata (West Bengal), as members of the CPIM and workers of the All India Trinamool Congress clashed. A CPIM man was killed, another is fighting for his life and 25 injured people were admitted to the hospital.
In the incident police used batons to break up clashes between two rival political groups, but were themselves attacked with iron rods and stones.
A state proposal to set up an industrial hub or Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Nandigram village through tax incentives and cheap land is at the root of the violence.
As a result of the local protests, the state government was forced to backtrack and cancel the proposal. However, clashes with police on March 14 left 14 people dead.
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9958&size=A
Bengal assembly adopts motion seeking details of 123 pact
Kolkata: The West Bengal assembly today adopted a Left-sponsored motion demanding that the Central government provide all details in Parliament about the draft India-US agreement for implementing the civil nuclear deal.
The Central government should take necessary steps to reach a national consensus on such an important policy, said the motion moved by CPI-M MLA Sumendra Nath Bera and other Left legislators. The motion was passed in the face of opposition from the Congress.
The Left legislators including Housing Minister Gautam Deb demanded a full-fledged discussion on the agreement in Parliament.
They made it clear that any agreement with the US could be based only on the assurances given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament in August last year and that India should not succumb to any pressure that went against its interests.
"This House categorically states that the people of this country will not accept any attempt to impose conditions by any country on India on supply of nuclear fuel to India," the motion said.
"India will independently decide on the use of nuclear fuel. And the people of India will not accept any undesireable intervention in the name of international vigilance on the question of nuclear reprocessing right for India."
Deb said the Central government has promised that the text of the agreement will be made available and Left parties hoped that Indian interests would not be compromised in any way by the pact.
The motion also criticised the deepening military cooperation between India and the US.
Opposing the motion, the Congress Legislature Party's Chief Whip Manas Bhuiyan said there was no need for bringing it in the House when the prime minister had addressed concerns expressed by the Left and other parties.
Both the prime minister and the external affairs minister had given assurances that the 123 agreement was in the national interest, he said.
After Speaker H A Halim announced that the motion had been passed by voice vote, Congress members pressed for a division.
The motion was finally adopted with 133 votes in favour of it and 13 against.
A new danger: Bengal's bomb factory
The consignments are sent out in cartons with each bomb fetching the bomb-makers 250 rupees
Nandigram simmers once again as shown by Sunday's (July 29) clash in which a CPM worker was killed. But it could get worse; TIMES NOW has an exclusive report on how bombs are being made and sent to the flashpoint areas in Nandigram.
The TIMES NOW team tracked the business of illegal bomb-making in South 24 Parganas, where two young boys were making crude bombs, working to tight deadlines.
The bomb-makers use a black material - a mixture of gun powder and sharp pieces of iron. This mixture is then mixed with glass broken into small pieces and then packed in paper. Holding it all together is a long wrapping of jute strings.
Finally, the end product emerges looking like a coconut, but containing a lethal mix meant for West Bengal's war zone -Nandigram.
"Our bombs are used by thieves and dacoits. But the bombs that we are now making are being sent to Nandigram. These bombs have been bought by some political leaders," said a bomb-maker.
Though they are crude bombs, they are packaged well. The consignments are sent out in cartons with each bomb fetching the bomb-makers 250 rupees.
The flourishing trade in crude bombs possesses a big danger in Nandigram, a place that resembled a war zone a few months ago over the government's land acquisition policy.
Even the police admits that it is concerned over the smuggling of crude bombs into Nandigram. "We are aware of this. We do random raids but we have to beef up the security checks," said Raj Kanojia, Inspector General (Law & Order), West Bengal Police.
Crude bombs can pose huge risks as a bomb disposal squad found out last September when one of its members was killed trying to diffuse a bomb. And with crude bombs being sold like coconuts, the danger has only multiplied.
State Pulse: West Bengal: Hunger for land
Dr MS Swaminathan, in a recent report has warned the need to conserve farmland only for agriculture and "not to diverting it for non-agricultural activities such as SEZs"- report by Dhurjati Mukherjee
Land acquisition for industrialization has become a phenomenon all over the country. It is being done with the so-called objective of starting industrial projects, which would ensure higher returns than agriculture. These returns would obviously benefit the project promoter primarily, ie the industrialist or his group and to some extent the State in the form of taxes. But the poor farmer, whose land has been acquired mostly below market prices, is left in the lurch. His family displaced with no alternative source of employment, adding to his hardship and misery.
Day by day, the hunger for land is becoming more acute. In Nandigram, West Bengal, land was being acquired for a chemical hub, expected to be established by the Salim group of Indonesia. Police firing on protestors claimed 14 innocent lives and injured around 30. The State government's action is not new. Such ruthless incidents have happened in other places including Gurgaon, Haryana.
Regrettably, though governments talk of strengthening agriculture and eradicating poverty at various seminars and conferences, it is only to misguide people and make headlines. The corporate lobby, which is hand-in-glove with the politician, is extremely powerful and would go to any length to acquire land, even if it yields a multi crop.
Worse, there are the so-called development experts both in India and abroad, who would justify the takeover of such land on grounds that it would facilitate faster industrialization and strengthen the State's economy. They would talk of rehabilitation, which at the end would reach only 20 per cent of the families.
Let us examine the recent quest for SEZs. Questions about its economic and financial benefits are being raised and there are conflicting reports at the Centre. However, with globalization, the MNCs are making a beeline for the country. To set up industries they want land which is free or for much less than its actual value.
The demand, therefore, involves acres and acres of land which would naturally displace thousands of farmers, leading to a debate amongst politicians, businessmen and social activists. At the same time, it all must be viewed in the context of the need for agricultural land for enhanced food production given the rapid growth in population. Noted historian Sumit Sarkar has aptly observed that SEZs could become "the biggest land grab movement in the history of modern India".
The UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi had assured that "prime agricultural land should not be diverted to non agricultural use" and that "farmers must get proper compensation when their land is purchased." The chairman, National Commission on Farmers, Dr. MS Swaminathan, in a recent report has warned the need to conserve farmland only for agriculture and "not to diverting it for non-agricultural activities such as SEZs".
Lately, the Rural Development Ministry in a written submission to Murli Manohar Joshi, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on industry, stated: "SEZs should be established on wasteland .... where the use of agricultural land cannot be avoided, single-crop land in rain fed areas may be considered. In completely unavoidable circumstances multi-crop land may be used for strategic requirements".
According to the Central Statistical Organization, 2002, India has 18 million hectares (44.5 million acres) of cultivable wasteland and 25 million hectares (61.7 million acres) of fallow land. Taken together, they account for 43 million hectares ( 106.2 million acres). Obviously, there is enough waste and fallow land available for industrialization and instead of SEZs being set up on multi-cropped land it would be judicious to use this land.
Thanks to the defiant mood being manifest in Bengal, Haryana, Maharashtra and Orissa, the Centre has taken a few corrective steps. It has announced that land has to be acquired with the consent of owners and the ceiling for all SEZs would be 5000 hectares (12,500 acres). Moreover, the minimum processing area for SEZs has been raised to 50 per cent instead of 35 per cent. However, the most significant step is the decision: "no State can compulsorily acquire land (for an SEZ) from farmers through the Land Acquisition Act".
Though the Government is attending to starvation deaths of farmers, in regard to acquisition of land, it has not proper rehabilitation policy. It is pertinent to note that reports clearly establish the fact that neglect of impoverished and backward sections in the remote districts has led to an increase in Naxalism. The Maoists have increased their presence from 55 districts in nine States in 2003 to 156 districts in 13 States in 2004 and to over 160 districts in 15 States in 2006.
While the state and the Centre are busy churning out new plans to better the condition of farmers, there is criticism from some quarters that the relief package announced by the government last year failed to reach the needy. "As per the package, farmers were entitled to get interest waivers on crop loans.
However, they could not avail it as the banks have already rescheduled their order books as the past two years (2003-04 and 2004-05) were declared as bad crop years," said Y Sivaji, president, AP Tobacco Farmers Association, which is seeking a relief package on the similar lines of the Rs 14,000-crore agriculture rural debt relief scheme announced by the Centre in 1990.
India and China account for 64 per cent of GDP in 23 Asian countries included in a study but rank quite low when it comes to benefits percolating to their people. Riding high on its 9.4 per cent economy, India received its first blow from a study carried out by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).India and China, the two economic powerhouses on a rapid growth path, are lagging in terms of living standards and economic well-being of their populations, the study says. Their people neither earn nor spend enough and India, in particular, will take decades to reach the level of better off countries like Brunei, it said.
According to the 'International Comparison Program (ICP) in Asia and the Pacific: Purchasing Power Parity Preliminary Report' released on Tuesday, China and India lead in terms of total size of economy, accounting for 64 per cent (China -45, India-19) of the total real gross domestic product (GDP) of the 23 countries participating in the study.
However, a completely different picture emerges once the size of population of these countries is taken into account. In terms of share of every citizen in GDP (per capita), India sinks to 18th and China to the 10th rank.
Additionally, in terms of consumption of each household, China ranks 15th and India, 17th. This is a comparison calculated on the basis of "actual final consumption of households" (AFCH) that is a combination of what every household purchases and what it is provided for individual use by the government (principally, education and health). The economic well-being of the population is obtained by comparing household consumption expenditure per capita.
The five economies that top the list are Hong Kong, (HK$125,303 per capita); Taipei, (HK$109,108); Singapore (HK$99,706), Brunei Darussalam (HK$81,744), and Macao, (HK$67,639).
Accident at Jindal plant sparks workers' agitation
Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy will use the opportunity of Tuesday's day-long Andhra Pradesh specific performance review in various sectors by the Prime Minister to seek a whopping Central assistance of Rs 26,588 crore to achieve tangible results in these sectors.
A lion's share of Rs 11,200 crore of this sum is to modernise the Godavari, Krishna and Penna deltas and the canal network of Nagarjusanasagar. The World Bank has sanctioned only Rs 2,200 crore to modernise the Nagarjunasagar system, while the total outlay is estimated at Rs. 3,600 crore.
This is the first time that a Prime Minister will be present in the State capital to attend a single meeting lasting for over six hours from 10 a.m., with a two-hour recess. He will be assisted by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Finance Minister P. Chidrambaram, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and top Central officials. The entire Cabinet and top bureaucrats will represent the State Government.
During this forenoon session, Dr. Singh will review the State's performance in agriculture and irrigation sectors with reference resolution adopted by the National Development Council on food security. In the afternoon session, he will review State-specific projects, taken up or proposed, in infrastructure, energy, revenue, urban development, industries and transport sectors.
Highlighting the strides made in the farm sector, Dr Reddy will plead for one-time assistance of Rs 3,258 crore, besides an annual aid of Rs 1,280 crore to the take the reforms in the sector to their logical end.
He will also seek Rs 8,800 crore for various projects like the metro rail scheme for Hyderabad, and bullet trains connecting the city with Visakhapatnam, Chennai and Mumbai and the ONGC refinery project at Kakinada. A meet held here on Monday on the Prime Minister's programme, chaired by the Chief Minister, decided to seek his intervention for technical clearance to Polavaram project and investment clearance to Bhima.
Dr Reddy will reiterate his stand for fixing a "controlled price" for K-G Basin gas as otherwise the State will be burdened with Rs 4,000 crore to sustain the existing power projects. He will demand profit from the K-G Basin gas.
Statesman News service
JAJPUR, July 30: Tension prevailed in the Jindal Stainless Limited premises in Kalinga Nagar industrial complex, following a mishap at the site in which a contract labourer was critically injured today.
Sources said that the mishap occurred when the contract labourers were erecting a fabrication unit inside the plant premises. The contract labourer identified as A Purusottam Rao (40) of Jarada village of Berhampur area, in Ganjam district was seriously injured when an iron beam fell on his right leg.
"Rao was initially rushed to the local government hospital at Danagadi in Kalinga Nagar. Later he was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after his condition deteriorated," said Mr Arjun Barik, the circle inspector of the police, Jajpur Road.
As soon as the news of the accident spread, hundreds of workers, including contract labourers, surrounded the plant and demanded compensation for the injured. Construction work was disrupted for over two hours.
The police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. One platoon of police force was deployed at the site to avoid any untoward incident, the police added. The Jindal stainless sources said that Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) was entrusted with the erection of the power plant, but later BHEL gave the sub-contract to Bhavani Erect, a private agency. Mani Ratan Pillai, the administrator of Bhavani Erect said that "Rao was our labourer and we have provided him timely treatment. He will be substantially compensated for his injuries."
Land sharks pose threat to Bengal's virgin seacoast (Feature)
Jul 31, 2007, 5:15 GMT
Mandarmani (West Bengal), July 31 (IANS) Ensconced in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, Mandarmani was once an unexplored paradise - virgin and untouched. Not any more.
Fishing communities inhabit the small coastal area of Mandarmani, nearly 190 km from Kolkata. It has now become more of a hunting ground for coastal land sharks. Drawn by the steady flow of tourists, several hotels have come up, disturbing the ecology of the inter-tidal zone.
'None of the hotel owners have got environmental clearance from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board. It's a gross violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms,' M.L. Meena, principal secretary of the state environment department, told IANS.
Under the Environment Protection Act 1986, the notification states that it is illegal to put up any construction in the inter-tidal zone of a coastline.
Meena said the government had ordered immediate demolition of concrete structures to protect the natural environment at Mandarmani, a potential tourism zone.
'Since the matter is now in court, we can't take any action. After we receive the court order, we will take necessary action against the violators,' he said.
As a result of the contravention of CRZ norms, the beach has lost its traditional character. Sand dunes and screw pines are not visible any more. And beach sand has been used for construction of hotels with big boulders, s
--
Ranjit