Jharkhand: CBI team attacked during raid on bank recovery agent's house, three injured

A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was attacked on Wednesday while conducting a raid at the residence of a bank recovery agent in the Harla police station area of Bokaro district, Jharkhand. Three officers sustained injuries during the assault.

CBI arrests Jharkhand Gramin Banks recovery agent at Bokaro

The CBI arrested a recovery agent of the Jharkhand Gramin Bank in Bokaro for demanding and accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe. The agent, Dhanraj Kumar Choudhary, was caught red-handed after taking the bribe for delivering a tractor he possessed. The tractor was bought by the complainant during a bank auction. The investigation is ongoing.

Maiyan Samma Yojana row: BJP questions deletion of 18 lakh names

RANCHI: Making a fresh attack on Hemant Soren government, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi has questioned the removal of the names of 18 lakh women from the list of beneficiaries under Maiyan Samman Yojana. According to Marandi, Hemant Soren had promised to give benefits of Maiyan Saaman Yojana to nearly 56 lakh women, but is giving it to only to 38 lakh women. Posting on social media platform X, Marandi said that the state government should stop making excuses and release the amount of Maiyan Samman Yojana to all women, or BJP will launch a statewide movement for the rights of the women who are not getting the aid. Marandi has asked Chief Minister Hemant Soren that what harm have the remaining 18 lakh women have done to him? Before the elections, Hemant Soren had announced to give the amount of Maiyan Samman Yojana to 56 lakh women, but gave it only to 38 lakh women Hemant ji, what harm have the remaining 18 lakh women done to you? Marandi posted on X. Maiyan Samman Yojana: Funds of 112 women going into one mans account, probe underway Now the amount is being sent to the accounts of only 38 lakh women; he remaining 18 lakh women have had their funds withheld citing ineligibility or technical constraints or some other reason, he added. Marandi further added that the state government should stop making excuses and release the amount of Maiyan Samman Yojana to all the women, or the BJP will launch state-wide protest for the rights of these women. Earlier, Marandi had criticized the rationale behind providing Rs 2,500 in financial assistance to young women under the Maiyan Samman Yojana while widows and elderly women receive only Rs 1,000 as pension. He urged the state government to reconsider its decision, calling it an infringement on the rights of the most vulnerable and helpless widowed women. Notably, a lot of irregularities came into light during the physical verification of the beneficiaries being conducted all over the state following reports that huge fraud has been done by the computer operators while filling up the forms for the scheme. Based on those reports, names of ineligible beneficiaries are being deleted from the list. Earlier too, several complaints of fraud related to Maiyan Samman Yojana were received from across the state where money was being transferred to the bank accounts of wives and daughters of some government employees. Men found taking financial aid from 'Maiyan Samman Yojana' in Jharkhand; FIR lodged Similar irregularities were also received from Kasmar Block in Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be taking benefits of Maiyan Samman Yojana in their bank accounts, following which an FIR was lodged against one of them. In Garhwa also, which IDs of three CSC operators were cancelled after they linked the bank accounts of their friends and relatives with application of others and the financial aid transferred to their bank accounts. In another case, 95 applicants of Maiyan Samman were found linked to a single bank account, which was opened recently in West Bangal. During the investigation, it was found that the bank account of Yusuf, a resident of Patagoda, Barakhanti in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, was used 95 times. Maiyan Samman Yojna, Hemant Soren Governments flagship programme under which women between the age group of 18-49 gets Rs 2500 every month. Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore tabled the annual Budget of Rs 1, 45,400 crore for FY 2025-26 in the Jharkhand Assembly, out or which Rs 13,363 crore has been allocated for the Maiyan Samman Yojana. Financial aid for eight women credited to one person's account under Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana

28-year-old medic found dead in hostel room of Jharkhand hospital

BOKARO: A 28-year-old medic was found dead in her hostel in Jharkhand's Bokaro district, police said on Monday. A preliminary investigation revealed that the medical student died allegedly by suicide as she was not satisfied with her chosen field, a senior officer said. The deceased was identified as Arya Kumari Jha. Bokaro City DSP Alok Ranjan said, A suicide note has been recovered from Arya's hostel room in which she expressed dissatisfaction with her medical trade. Arya, a first-year Diplomate of National Board (DNB) student, had recently joined the gynaecology programme at Bokaro General Hospital. The Diplomate of National Board (DNB) is a postgraduate degree awarded by the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. She had enrolled in the DNB course just a few days ago but had not been satisfied with her decision, the DSP said. He said when Arya's roommate returned to the hostel room after her duty, she found the door locked from the inside. After repeated knocks with no response, she alerted other doctors in the hostel. They broke open the door and discovered Arya dead he officer added. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

Maiyan Samman Yojana: Funds of 112 women going into one mans account, probe underway

RANCHI : In another case of fraud involving the Maiyan Samman Yojana, financial assistance meant for 112 women was being directed to the bank account of a man in Tamar, Ranchi. The Tamar Police have filed an FIR against Kartik Patar, and the process of recovering the money is currently underway. Irregularities were uncovered during the physical verification of beneficiaries being conducted across the state. This was in response to reports that a large-scale fraud had been carried out by computer operators who filled out the forms for the scheme. According to government sources, Kartik Patar's brother operates a Pragya Kendra in Tamar. Taking advantage of this, Kartik linked his bank account to the accounts of 112 women who were registered under the scheme. As a result, the financial assistance meant for these women was deposited into his account. Kartik Patar has been arrested, and preparations are underway to take action against his brother, said Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri. The police are working on recovering the misappropriated funds, and Bhajantri has warned that strict action will be taken against any ineligible individuals. We have received reports that ineligible individuals are exploiting the Maiyan Samman Yojana. Those who are ineligible should get their names removed from the list, or else strict action will be taken against them, he said. The administration is conducting thorough verifications of all applications in each block. Men found taking financial aid from 'Maiyan Samman Yojana' in Jharkhand; FIR lodged In Ranchi district alone, around 12,000 cases of duplication have been identified. This includes individuals who are benefiting from other government pension schemes or where funds meant for multiple beneficiaries are going into a single account. In some cases, money has even been transferred to the family members of government employees receiving financial assistance under this scheme. So far, the names of one lakh ineligible beneficiaries have been removed from the list statewide, and more than 12 lakh suspicious applications have been put on hold pending physical verification. There have been several previous complaints of fraud related to the Maiyan Samman Yojana in Ranchi. In some cases, funds were being transferred to the bank accounts of the wives and daughters of government employees. Similar irregularities were reported in Kasmar Block, Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be fraudulently benefiting from the scheme by diverting funds to their own bank accounts. One of the operators was arrested after an FIR was lodged against him. In Garhwa, three CSC (Common Service Center) operators had their IDs canceled after they linked their bank accounts to applications from others, diverting the financial aid into their own accounts. In another case, 95 Maiyan Samman applicants were found to have their funds directed to a single bank account , which had been opened recently in West Bengal. During the investigation, it was revealed that the account of Yusuf, a resident of Patagoda, Barakhanti in North Dinajpur district, was used to collect funds for 95 different applicants. The fraud was uncovered when the Social Security Department, under the instructions of Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav, conducted a physical verification of the beneficiaries. Maiyan Samman Yojana is a flagship program of the Hemant Soren government, under which women between the ages of 18 and 49 receive Rs 2,500 per month. Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore recently tabled the annual budget for FY 2025-26 in the Jharkhand Assembly, allocating Rs 13,363 crore for the Maiyan Samman Yojana, part of a total budget of Rs 1,45,400 crore. Financial aid for eight women credited to one person's account under Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana

Bird flu outbreak in Bokaro: 250 birds dead

A bird flu outbreak caused by the H5N1 strain has been reported in Bokaro, Jharkhand, leading to the death of around 250 birds at a government poultry farm. The outbreak was confirmed on March 7, prompting authorities to cull 46 birds and destroy 506 eggs at the farm. A 1-km radius has been declared an affected zone, where birds will be culled, and a 10-km radius has been designated as a surveillance zone, prohibiting the sale and purchase of poultry. This outbreak comes roughly a month after a similar incident in Ranchi, where 5,500 birds were culled.

Jharkhand: After Ranchi, bird flu outbreak reported in Bokaro

BOKARO: A bird flu outbreak has been reported in Jharkhand's Bokaro district, roughly a month after the disease led to the culling of 5,500 birds in Ranchi, an official said on Sunday. The outbreak, caused by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, was officially confirmed on March 7, when the Centre issued a letter to the chief secretary of Jharkhand, he said. The outbreak was traced to a government poultry farm in Bokaro's Sector 12, where around 250 birds have already died. The Bokaro administration on Saturday culled 46 birds and destroyed 506 eggs after the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying asked the state to take all measures to contain the spread of bird flu, including declaration of infected and surveillance areas, restricting access to the affected premises and culling of birds. Forty-six birds remaining at the farm were culled, and 506 eggs and 1,717 kg of poultry feed were destroyed. The entire farm was sanitised, Bokaro Animal Husbandry Officer Dr Manoj Mani told PTI. The area within the 1-km radius of the epicentre has been declared as an affected zone and birds within the area will be culled, he said. Additionally, a 10-km radius has been designated as a surveillance zone, where the sale and purchase of poultry has been prohibited. An awareness campaign will begin today, Mani added. Dr Anil Kumar Sinha, in-charge of the government poultry farm, stated that the first deaths were reported on February 20. Twelve birds died on February 23, and we sent the initial samples to Ranchi on February 25 and to Kolkata on February 27. Following instructions from the Kolkata-based laboratory, we sent the sample to a Bhopal-based lab on March 5, he said. The ICAR-National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal confirmed the presence of H5N1 on March 7. Sinha noted that of the 300 birds at the farm, around 250 died within 15 days. Earlier in February, a bird flu outbreak was reported at a poultry farm at Birsa Agriculture University (BAU) in Ranchi, where 5,488 birds were culled. Bird flu: Jharkhand health dept issues alert to take necessary precautions

Families of pensioners and govt staff misusing Maiyan Samman scheme

RANCHI: The Jharkhand governments flagship Maiya Samman scheme is being exploited in Latehar, as relatives of the beneficiary government employees have been found unfairly taking benefits of the scheme, according to an investigation by the district administration. Teachers, policemen, pensioners, Anganwadi workers and contract workers, their kin have been found taking the unfair advantage of this welfare measure. Out of the total 1.48 lakh beneficiaries registered with the district, 42,432 were found ineligible and hence removed from the list. The administration has issue strict warnings that strict action will be taken against anybody found fraudulently claiming the schemes benefit. If anybody is found ineligible, his/her name will be immediately removed from the beneficiaries list, said Garu Block Development Officer Abhay Kumar. It has been confirmed that the family members of the government employees and those working with the state government on contractual basis were found taking benefits of Maiyan Samman in Garu block, said the government source requesting anonymity. Notably, similar irregularities were also received from Kasmar Block in Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be taking benefits of Maiyan Samman Yojana in their bank accounts, following which an FIR was lodged against one of them. In Garhwa also, which IDs of three CSC operators were cancelled after they linked the bank accounts of their friends and relatives with application of others and the financial aid transferred to their bank accounts. In another case, 95 applicants of the scheme were found linked to a single bank account, which was opened recently in West Bengal. During the investigation, it was found that the bank account of Yusuf, a resident of Patagoda, Barakhanti in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, was used 95 times. The fraud came to light when the Social Security Department, on the instructions of the Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav, conducted the physical verification of the beneficiaries. Under the Hemant Soren governments flagship programme, women between the age group of 18-49 gets Rs 2,500 every month.

Calling someone 'miyan-tiyan', 'Pakistani' not offence of hurting religious sentiments: SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has held using terms such asmiyan-tiyan and Pakistani was not an offence of hurting religious sentiments though made in poor taste. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma therefore discharged a man in a criminal case filed by a Urdu translator and acting clerk Right to Information (RTI) in the sub-divisional office, Chas in Jharkhand. The February 11 court order said, The appellant is accused of hurting the religious feelings of the informant by calling him 'miyan-tiyan' and 'Pakistani'. Undoubtedly, the statements made are poor taste. However, it does not amount to hurting the religious sentiments of the informant. Hence, we are of the opinion that the appellant shall also be discharged under Section 298 IPC. Section 298 of IPC deals with words or gestures made with a deliberate intent to wound religious feelings. It came on record that accused, Hari Nandan Singh, sought information under the RTI Act from additional collector-cum-first appellate authority, Bokaro, and the information was dispatched to him. However, he filed an appeal before the appellate authority, allegedly after manipulating the documents sent to him by the office through the registered post and making false allegations of manipulation in the documents. The appellate authority directed the translator to personally serve the information to the appellant. On November 18, 2020, the informant, accompanied by the messenger of the sub-divisional office, Chas, went to the accused's home to hand over the information. The accused initially refused to accept the documents but upon insistence by the informant, accepted it. It was alleged that he abused the informant while referring to his faith and used criminal force against him. The matter prompted the translator to an FIR registered against the accused. Following an investigation, the trial court ordered framing of charges against the accused also under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force on a public servant) and 504 (intentional insult) of IPC. The Jharkhand High Court dismissed the accused's plea for quashing the proceedings. While hearing the man's plea against the high court order, the bench discharged him of the offence of intentional insult observing o act on his part that could have provoked a breach of peace apart from Section 353. We set aside the order of the high court which has sustained the order of the trial court and consequently allow the application filed by the appellant and discharge the appellant from all the three offences alleged against him, it added.

Chaos at Ranchi railway station, five women faint; DGG Anurag Gupta to meet with police, officials

RANCHI: Following the tragic stampede at New Delhi railway Station on Saturday, Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta has called a meeting with senior police and railway officials to discuss the safety measures to control and safeguard the crowd. According to sources in the police headquarters, the meeting will be conducted at 4 pm on Monday through video conferencing with the SSPs of Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad. ADG (Rail), all zonal IGs, DIGs, SSPs and SPs of Ranchi, Dhanbad, Palamu, Bokaro, Garhwa, Koderma, Ramgarh, Jamshedpur, Chaibasa districts, will also be present in this meeting, informed a senior police official. Preparations for security arrangements at major railway stations will be discussed during the meeting keeping in mind the increasing number of passengers during the Kumbh Mela, he added. The officials further added that the deployment of officers for comprehensive ticket checking, crowd management and measures to work together with railway officials and RPF to avoid stampede will also be reviewed during the meeting. Chaos ensued at Ranchgi railway station on Sunday as a huge crowd of passengers gathered to board trains bound for UP and Delhi. According to the eyewitnesses, when 12817 Jharkhand Swarna Jayanti Express reached Ranchi station, it was already full of passengers. Ticketless passengers board the train and had closed the gate from inside. Those who were waiting to travel in the train with tickets were seen pleading with them to open the gate. The RPF jawans tried to enter the bogies but did not succeed. Although some passengers with genuine tickets managed to enter some bogies, more than 60 passengers could not catch the train. Ticketless passengers had occupied everything from seats to toilets and the gates of the train. A group of 18 women did not board the train due to fear of suffocation. Meanwhile, five women in the group fainted due to suffocation in the crowd. Others in the group separated them from the crowd and took them to a safe place. Many passengers boarded the train but their family members were left behind at the station. According to senior railway officials, proper monitoring is being done and RPF have been deputed at all railway stations. The commercial department has been asked to issue tickets as per the capacity of the trains. Referring to the rush at Ranchi railway station, they said that due to Sunday many devotees were travelling Kumbh, due to which there was a rush but it was under control. Ranchi Railway Division DRM Jasmit Singh Bindra said that there is a lot of crowd in the trains due to Kumbh. Due to the excessive crowd in the Swarn Jayanti train, some passengers missed the train, whose tickets will be refunded. According to DRM, they have written to the South-East Railway Headquarters and sought permission to run the Kumbh Special train on 19 February. Instructions have been given to the RPF Commandant to provide convenience to the passengers at the station, he said.

RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant team wins SPSB Inter-Steel Plants T20 Cricket Championship 2024-25

It defeats Salem Steel Plant team by five wickets in the finals organised at Bokaro Steel Plant

Maiyan Samman Yojana fraud: 95 applications linked to single bank account in West Bengal

RANCHI: In yet another revelation of fraud in Maiyan Samman Yojana linked to West Bengal, as many as 95 applications were made seeking benefits of the scheme giving a single bank account number for all of them. During the investigation, it was found that the bank account of Yusuf, a resident of Patagoda, Barakhanti in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, was used 95 times. This fraud came to light when the Social Security Department, on the instructions of the Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav, conducted the physical verification of the beneficiaries. The applications giving bank accounts in West Bengal resident was made in different names and from different blocks. Out of a total of 95 applications, 67 were made from Chas Block while 28 were from Gomia Block of Bokaro district. Not only that, titles of tribal communities like Kisku, Hansda and Murmu were used after the names of the fake applicants to make it look natural and sensitive. The ration cards given with the application were also found fake. These applications were also approved by the BDO/CO level officers. After the matter came to light, payment of to these beneficiaries has been stopped and an order to file an FIR has been issued in this regard. There are more than 11000 applications made on the fake ration cards in Bokaro which is still under investigation. After the investigations are over I have ordered to file an FIR against the bank account holder and the CSC operator as well, who made the made application in fake names like Murmu, Hansda, Kisku and Mandal, said the Bokar DC. Many such cases have been found where the accounts were opened in West Bengal, entry was made in Palamu and the money is coming to Bokaro, she added. According to the DC, there several cases are being investigated where one bank account is linked to 95 applicants, in some cases it is linked to 68 applicants and in some, it is linked to 78 applicants. During the investigation, it was also found that all the applications were filled up from the ID number 542316220013 of CSC VLE Sumit Kumar, located at Medininagar in Palamu. Bank account number 100253387047 of IndusInd Bank was used for the fraud with an address of Patagoda, Barakhanti in North Dinajpur of West Bengal. More than 60 applications were filed on November 21, 2024. Most of the applications were filled on the same day. Meanwhile, it has been found that 11,200 duplicate applications have been made from Bokaro district alone. Physical verification of these applications is being done again through Anganwadi workers following which, the fake applicants will be identified and action will be taken against those found guilty. Notably, there are a total of 3.61 lakh beneficiaries in Bokaro, out of those, money has been sent to about 3.50 lakh accounts while 10,200 applicants were found to be ineligible therefore money was not sent to their accounts. Among them, there are many women whose applications have been submitted twice and a mismatch was found in the names of some women in their Aadhaar and bank account. All such cases are being investigated. Similar irregularities were also received from Kasmar Block in Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be taking benefits of Maiyan Samman Yojana in their bank accounts, following which an FIR was lodged against one of them. In Garhwa also, which IDs of three CSC operators were cancelled after they linked the bank accounts of their friends and relatives with application of others and the financial aid transferred to their bank accounts.

Elephant on the hunt for food dies after falling into a well in Jharkhand's Bokaro village

RANCHI: An elephant that entered a village in Bokaro searching for food died of suffocation after falling into a narrow well late on Thursday night. According to locals, the elephant entered Talo village on Thursday night in search of crops to eat but fell into the well due to the darkness. The villagers discovered the elephant lying dead later in the night and informed forest officials, they said. District Forest Officer (DFO) Rajneesh Kumar stated that the elephant was not with the herd and had wandered alone in the forest near the village. Exact reasons for its separation from the herd cannot be confirmed, but elephants have a tendency to remain in one place while one member, most likely the leader, ventures out to search for food, said the DFO. He added that if the parapet wall of the well had been a little higher, the elephant might not have fallen into it. The DFO said a crane was brought in to pull the elephant out of the well. Notably, due to a lack of food in the forests, elephants often enter villages in search of sustenance and destroy standing crops in the fields. According to officials, the dead elephant was the leader of a herd of 40 elephants and had entered the village ahead of the herd in search of food. Data from the forest department shows that out of the 24 districts in Jharkhand, 20 have elephants. As a result, an average of 80 people are killed and over 150 are injured annually in man-elephant conflicts in the state. Admitting that humans have encroached on elephant corridors, leading to an increase in man-elephant conflicts in recent years, the state government has launched an elephant tracking app. This app, which can be downloaded from the Play Store by searching Jharkhand Elephant Tracker, provides updates on the location of elephants. Notably, The New Indian Express was the first to report that Jharkhand forest officials were developing an app to regularly update people about elephant locations. In addition to providing the exact location of elephants, the app helps villagers prepare to deal with the threat. An integrated alarm mechanism has also been introduced, sending alerts via SMS and WhatsApp as soon as an elephant enters within a 5 km radius of their villages.

Vande Bharats 1st female loco pilot gets R-Day invite

RANCHI: Ritika Tirkey, the first female tribal assistant loco pilot of the Vande Bharat Express, was left speechless when she opened her door to a team of Post Office officials who had come to deliver an invitation for the At Home reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan. According to 27-year-old Tirkey, she had never thought in her wildest dreams that the President would ever invite her as a loco pilot. When she received an e-mail, she thought it to be fake, but a formal invitation from the Rashtrapti Bhawan left her dumbfounded. The invite was delivered to Ritikas residence at Jugsalai in Jamshedpur by the postman under the supervision of Assistant Postal Superintendent (West) Parikshit Seth. Initially, when I received the e-mail, I thought it to be fake, but when a team from the Post Office knocked on my door, it overwhelmed me, said Tirkey. It is an honour that a tribal girl from a simple family has got this unique opportunity, she added. This honour comes as recognition of her outstanding achievements in a male-dominated field, where she has broken barriers to carve a path for women in the Indian Railways. The Rashtrapati Bhawan has invited me as a woman achiever and I believe that every woman should be independent. I think women have been working in almost every field, and where they have not, will reach very soon, said Tirkey. No work is small in this world; the only pre-condition is that it should be done with complete dedication, and then success is bound to follow, she added. According to Tirkey, her first achievement was being the co-pilot when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat train on September 15, 2024, and now, attending the Presidents At Home Reception, would be her second achievement. Ritika, who works as the assistant loco pilot of the Vande Bharat Express operating between Tatanagar and Patna, is not only the first tribal woman to take on this prestigious role but also a source of immense pride for her family and the women across the state. Hailing from a humble family in Jharkhand, Tirkey completed her schooling in Ranchi before pursuing a B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from BIT Mesra. Her father is a retired forest guard. Tirkeys career with the railways started in Chandrapura, Bokaro, under the Dhanbad Rail Division, before being transferred to Tatanagar in 2021. It was there that she received her promotion, propelling her to new heights in her career. She quickly advanced, operating freight trains and passenger services, before being promoted to Assistant Loco Pilot. Her promotion in 2024 enabled her to participate in the operation of the Vande Bharat Express, where she now serves as a vital crew member. The Vande Bharat Express, a state-of-the-art train, is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modis dream projects. Ritikas journey with the Indian Railways began in 2019 when she joined as a shunter in the Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway.

Two Naxals killed in Jharkhand encounter, operations underway

At least two Naxals were killed in an encounter in Jharkhands Bokaro, and several weapons were recovered. This follows a major operation where 16 Maoists, including a Central Committee member, were killed in Chhattisgarh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the security forces' success in working towards a Maoist-free India.

Two Maoists killed in Jharkhand's Bokaro

BOKARO: Two Maoists were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Bokaro district on Wednesday morning, police said. The incident took place in the Penk Narayanpur police station area in the early hours, they said. A large cache of arms and ammunition, including sophisticated weapons such as AK-47 and INSAS rifles, were also recovered, a senior police official told PTI. He said that a search operation was still underway in the area.

Express Impact: Action taken against three men over fraud in Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana

RANCHI: In a major crackdown over fraud in the Maiyan Samman Yojana, the IDs of three Common Service Centre (CSC) operators in Garhwa have been cancelled with immediate effect. Following reports published by The New Indian Express on misappropriation of funds by computer operators during the registration of accounts for the Maiyan Samman Yojana, the Garhwa Deputy Commissioner (DC) had ordered a probe. After the inquiry, the involvement of three CSC operators -- Navneet Kumar Patel, Satyanarayan Gupta and Ajit Prajapati -- was confirmed, following which their IDs were cancelled and the amount withdrawn by them recovered. The Garhwa DC admitted that the action was taken after the issue was flagged by The New Indian Express . After the issue was flagged by The New Indian Express , a probe was ordered and the allegations against the three CSC operators were found to be true. We have cancelled their IDs and recovered the money credited in their account, said Garhwa DC Shekhar Jamuar. When asked why an FIR was not lodged against these people, the DC said it would be very harsh if they filed an FIR for misappropriation of Rs 1000. However, a strong message has been conveyed to those involved in such malpractices, he said. The fraud surfaced in Kupa Panchayat, Kharondhi block, where the CSC operators intentionally misused the Maiyaan Samman Yojana portal. Instead of entering the correct bank account numbers and IFSC codes of beneficiaries, they entered the details of their own or their close relatives accounts to misappropriate funds. Financial aid for eight women credited to one person's account under Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana Following the revelation, the circle officer of Kharondhi conducted an investigation. The inquiry confirmed the allegations. It was found that the CSC operators had manipulated beneficiary information to divert funds to personal accounts or those of their kin. It was found that funds for seven beneficiaries were transferred to the bank account of Reshmi Devi, wife of CSC operator Navneet Patel. Similarly, funds for five beneficiaries were deposited into the account of CSC operator Satyanarayan Gupta. In another case, funds for nine beneficiaries were redirected to the account of Lalati Devi, mother of CSC operator Ajit Prajapati. Notably, similar irregularities were also received from Kasmar Block in Bokaro, where two computer operators were found to be taking benefits of Maiyan Samman Yojana in their bank accounts, following which an FIR was lodged against one of them. The Maiyan Samman Yojana, the flagship programme of the Hemant Soren government, launched in August this year, is an ambitious scheme of the state government under which all women aged between 21 to 50 years in the state were getting financial assistance of Rs 1000 every month in their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Looking at its popularity before the Assembly polls, the financial assistance was increased to Rs 2500. Men found taking financial aid from 'Maiyan Samman Yojana' in Jharkhand; FIR lodged

Financial aid for eight women credited to one person's account under Jharkhand's Maiyan Samman Yojana

Ranchi: A new case of fraud involving computer operators has emerged in the Maiyan Samman Yojana, where financial assistance intended for women beneficiaries was found to have been credited into the bank accounts of unrelated individuals. In one case, the financial assistance meant for eight women was deposited into a single woman's bank account in Kharaundi, Garhwa. Similarly, funds meant for six female beneficiaries were wrongly credited to the bank account of a man. Irregularities involving computer operators have been reported across the state, causing many women to take to the streets in protest, demanding their rightful financial assistance. Those whose funds have not been transferred to their bank accounts have been visiting government offices in large numbers, seeking their due payments. In an incident from Kupa Panchayat, the financial assistance for six beneficiaries of the Maiyan Samman Yojana was credited into the bank account of Satyanarayan Gupta. Likewise, the amounts for Sunita Devi, Rani Kumari, Devanti Devi, Punita Devi, Chani Kumari, and Savita Devi of Kupa were transferred to the account of Resham Devi. Upendar Yadav, the husband of one of the affected women, Savita Devi from Chauria village under Khiraundi Block, has lodged a complaint with the Block Development Officer (BDO) against the computer operator, Navin Patel. In his complaint, Yadav stated that instead of linking his wifes bank account to the Maiyan Samman Yojana scheme, the operator had linked his own wifes account, Resham Kumari. As a result, the financial assistance intended for Savita Devi was being credited to the account of the computer operator's wife. The 'Samman Rashi' meant for my wife, Savita Kumari, is being credited to the bank account of the computer operators wife, Resham Kumari. Since the forgery was deliberately carried out by the CSC computer operator, the entire amount should be recovered from him, and an FIR should be filed against him, Yadav said in his complaint. The women whose accounts received the funds of others have reported that they were required to pay a commission to the computer operator, with half of the amount they received going to him. After the issue came to light, Kharondi BDO Ravindra Kumar assured that action would be taken against those found guilty following a thorough investigation. Large-scale irregularities are suspected across the entire block. Garhwa Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Jamuar confirmed that he had been made aware of the situation and vowed to take proper action. We will have every case investigated, and those found guilty will not be spared at any cost, said the Deputy Commissioner. This is not the first time such irregularities have been reported. In Bokaros Kasmar Block, two computer operators were discovered to be benefiting from the Maiyan Samman Yojana in their own bank accounts. Following this discovery, an FIR was filed against one of them. Launched in August this year by the Hemant Soren Government, the Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana is a flagship programme providing financial assistance to women aged between 21 and 50 years. The scheme originally offered Rs 1000 per month to each beneficiary through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), but the amount was increased to Rs 2500 ahead of the Assembly elections due to the scheme's popularity.

Fraudulent practices in Maiyan Samman Yojana Scheme in Garhwa, Jharkhand

Ranchi: A new case of fraud involving computer operators has emerged in the Maiyan Samman Yojana, where financial assistance intended for women beneficiaries was found to have been credited into the bank accounts of unrelated individuals. In one case, the financial assistance meant for eight women was deposited into a single woman's bank account in Kharaundi, Garhwa. Similarly, funds meant for six female beneficiaries were wrongly credited to the bank account of a man. Irregularities involving computer operators have been reported across the state, causing many women to take to the streets in protest, demanding their rightful financial assistance. Those whose funds have not been transferred to their bank accounts have been visiting government offices in large numbers, seeking their due payments. In an incident from Kupa Panchayat, the financial assistance for six beneficiaries of the Maiyan Samman Yojana was credited into the bank account of Satyanarayan Gupta. Likewise, the amounts for Sunita Devi, Rani Kumari, Devanti Devi, Punita Devi, Chani Kumari, and Savita Devi of Kupa were transferred to the account of Resham Devi. Upendar Yadav, the husband of one of the affected women, Savita Devi from Chauria village under Khiraundi Block, has lodged a complaint with the Block Development Officer (BDO) against the computer operator, Navin Patel. In his complaint, Yadav stated that instead of linking his wifes bank account to the Maiyan Samman Yojana scheme, the operator had linked his own wifes account, Resham Kumari. As a result, the financial assistance intended for Savita Devi was being credited to the account of the computer operator's wife. The 'Samman Rashi' meant for my wife, Savita Kumari, is being credited to the bank account of the computer operators wife, Resham Kumari. Since the forgery was deliberately carried out by the CSC computer operator, the entire amount should be recovered from him, and an FIR should be filed against him, Yadav said in his complaint. The women whose accounts received the funds of others have reported that they were required to pay a commission to the computer operator, with half of the amount they received going to him. After the issue came to light, Kharondi BDO Ravindra Kumar assured that action would be taken against those found guilty following a thorough investigation. Large-scale irregularities are suspected across the entire block. Garhwa Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Jamuar confirmed that he had been made aware of the situation and vowed to take proper action. We will have every case investigated, and those found guilty will not be spared at any cost, said the Deputy Commissioner. This is not the first time such irregularities have been reported. In Bokaros Kasmar Block, two computer operators were discovered to be benefiting from the Maiyan Samman Yojana in their own bank accounts. Following this discovery, an FIR was filed against one of them. Launched in August this year by the Hemant Soren Government, the Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana is a flagship programme providing financial assistance to women aged between 21 and 50 years. The scheme originally offered Rs 1000 per month to each beneficiary through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), but the amount was increased to Rs 2500 ahead of the Assembly elections due to the scheme's popularity.

Men found taking financial aid from 'Maiyan Samman Yojana' in Jharkhand; FIR lodged

RANCHI: Even as thousands of women recently took to the streets for being denied the financial aid under Maiyan Samman Yojana, men have been found taking benefits of the scheme in Jharkhand. According to officials, at least two men have been found getting the aid for the last four months. The two men have been identified as Aanand Kumar Prajapati from Majhura village and Rupesh Ghasi from Telmunga under Kasmar block of Bokaro district. Kasmar block development officer Namrata Joshi said Prajapati was running a Pragya Kendra and taking the assistance in his bank account by submitting an application form filled up in his name. An FIR has been lodged against Prajapati at Kasmar police station after recovering Rs 6500 received by him in five installments, Rs 1000 four times and Rs 2,500 once, Joshi said, adding his Pragya Kendra licence has been cancelled. The BDO said the entire amount has also been recovered from Ghasi but no FIR has been filed against him due to technical reasons he was an employee at the Pragya Kendra and was not using his own ID for filling up the form. We are waiting for the directions from senior officials, on the basis of which further action will be taken, Joshi said. In another case, Dashmi Kumari of Araju village in Bokaro has written an application to the BDO, requesting that the assistance given to her is being credited into the back account of one Satosh Kumar whom she does not know. Santoshs account number has been entered instead of her bank account number, and the money should be recovered from Santosh and transferred to her account, she said. So far, Rs 6500 has been transferred to Santoshs account. Earlier, following reports that several women not eligible for the scheme have been taking benefits, a campaign was launched in the state to identify such people and remove their names from the beneficiary list. The directorate of social security has asked the district collectors to delete the names of ineligible beneficiaries and submit reports.

Jharkhand: Men found taking benefits of Mainiya Samman Yojana, FIR lodged

RANCHI: Despite thousands of women denied the benefits of Mainiya Samman Yojana, several men have been found taking benefits of the scheme. According to officials, at least two men have been found getting the financial assistance credited in their account for the last four months. Those men, who have been found taking benefits of the scheme, have been identified as Aanand Kumar Prajapati and Rupesh Ghasi, hailing from Majhura and Telmunga villages respectively, under Kasmar Block of Bokaro. Kasmar Block Development Officer said that Anand Kumar Prajapati was running a Pragya Kendra and was taking the financial assistance in his bank account by submitting an application form filled up in his own name. We have identified two men -- Aanand Kumar Prajapati and Rupesh Ghasi, fraudulently taking benefits of Mainiya Samman Yojana in Kasmar Block. An FIR has been lodged against Anand Kumar Prajapati at Kasmar Police Station after recovering the entire amount of Rs 6500 received by him in four instalments, Rs 1000 for four times and Rs 2500 once, said Kasmar Block Development Officer Namrata Joshi. In addition to that, Kasmar the license of the Pragya Kendra being run by Anand has also been cancelled, she added. According to the BDO, the entire amount has also been recovered in the case of Rupesh Ghasi but no FIR has been filed against him due to technical reasons that he was merely an employee at the Pragya Kendra and was not using his own ID for filling up the form. We are waiting for the directions from the senior officials, on the basis of which, further action will be taken, said the BDO. In another such case, Dashmi Kumari, a resident of Araju of Jaridih in Bokaro, has written an application to the BDO, requesting that the financial assistance given to her, is being credited into the back account of one Santosh Kumar, whom she does not know. Santosh's account number has been entered instead of her bank account number, and hence, the money should be recovered from Santosh Kumar and transferred to her account, she said. So far, Rs 6500 has been transferred to Santosh's account. Notably, following reports that several women, who are not even eligible for the scheme, have been taking benefits of the scheme, a campaign was launched in the state to identify such people and remove their names from beneficiary list of the scheme. The Directorate of Social Security has asked the DCs of all districts to look into it and delete the names of ineligible beneficiaries and submit a report in this regard. Anganwadi Sevika and Sahayika have been roped in to verify the beneficiaries of the scheme. If any such person is found to be taking benefits of the scheme, she has to return it along with interest. In the process of verification a number of cases came into light taking double benefit and men taking advantage of the scheme. As of now, more than 32000 fake applications have been found all over the state, which are being cancelled. At the same time, over 5000 cases have also been found, where the beneficiaries are taking double benefits (taking benefits of multiple schemes). Notably, Mukhyamantri Mainiya Samman Yojana, the flagship programme of Hemant Soren Govenment, launched in August this year, is an ambitious scheme of the state government, under which, all women aged between 21 to 50 years in the state are getting financial assistance of Rs 1000 every month in their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). But, looking at its popularity before the Assembly polls, the financial assistance was increased to Rs 2500 from Rs 1000. The much awaited first installment of Rs 2500 under Mainiya Samman Yojana were transferred to the bank accounts of 56.62 lakh women through direct benefit transfer (DBT) on January 6. Chief Minister Hemant Soren transferred Rs 11415.44 crore to the bank accounts of 56.62 lakh women during a grand programme organised in Ranchi.

11 out of 47 workers stuck in Cameroon in central Africa brought to Jharkhand

RANCHI: The Jharkhand government said 11 of the 47 workers stranded in Cameroon in central Africa were brought to the state and efforts were underway for the safe return of the remaining labourers. The development comes after the state government filed FIRs against a Mumbai-based firm and some middlemen for alleged non-payment of wages to 47 workers from the state, who were stuck in the African country. Eleven out of 47 migrant workers from Jharkhand, stranded in Cameroon, were brought to the state as per instructions of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. All the workers were sent to their homes by the Labour Department. The return of the remaining 36 workers is also being ensured, a statement from the chief minister's secretariat said on Sunday. @HemantSorenJMM 47 11 36 pic.twitter.com/LmclI7yna1 Office of Chief Minister, Jharkhand (@JharkhandCMO) December 29, 2024 Earlier this month, the labour commissioner had filed the FIRs at Hazaribag, Bokaro and Giridih police stations against middlemen and employers following a direction from Soren who had received complaints that these workers did not receive their wages for three months. After the government took action, the process to make payment of wages to the workers was initiated, the statement said. The control room team has been continuously contacting the officials, the company and workers through email and phone, and the total outstanding amount of Rs 39.77 lakh has been paid to the workers, the statement said. It alleged that the employers and middlemen sent these workers to Cameroon without registering them under the Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and without obtaining the required licence. The workers drew the attention of the CM for non-payment of their wages for three months, following which the State Migrant Control Room contacted the workers and the employers. The state government has sought the contract and wage details of the workers, besides other documents. Efforts were being made to ensure the safe return of workers and the Ministry of External Affairs has been informed about it, the statement added.

Five killed, three injured in road accident in Jharkhand's Bokaro

BOKARO: Five people were killed and three others injured after their vehicle hit a truck at the Bokaro-Ramgarh National highway in Jharkhand, a police officer said on Saturday. The accident occurred near the Dantu village under Bokaro's Kashmar police station area on Friday late evening. Bermo Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) BN Singh said that the four-wheeler hit the truck, which was stuck in a road blockade, from behind. Around eight people were travelling in the four-wheeler, of which five people were killed, the SDPO said. Singh said that the injured were admitted to Sadar hospital for treatment. A hospital official said that altogether eight people were brought to the hospital, of which five were brought dead. Before this accident, another accident took place on the road in which a person was killed and local people had blocked the road in protest, he said.

Jharkhand government files FIR against Mumbai firm, five brokers for Cameroon job fraud

RANCHI: The Jharkhand Government has lodged FIRs against Mumbai-based M/s Transrail Lighting Limited and five middlemen for fraudulently sending 47 workers from the State to work in Cameroon (Central Africa). The labour department swung into action after the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who had received a complaint regarding the non-payment of wages to 47 migrant workers from Jharkhand, currently stranded in Cameroon. According to an official statement released by the state government, the process to ensure payment of wages to these Jharkhand workers stranded in Cameroon has also begun. The Labour Commissioner has filed FIRs in Hazaribagh, Bokaro, and Giridih. According to the FIR, employers and middlemen sent these workers to Cameroon without registering them under the Inter-State Migrant Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, and without obtaining the required license. This fraudulent and illegal act of sending workers abroad under false pretences has been strongly condemned. The five middlemen named in the FIR are Mannan (Mumbai), Akash, Satwik, Vijay Mahto and Mahesh. Notably, the Chief Minister was informed a few days ago about complaints from Jharkhand workers employed in M/s Transrail Lighting Limited, Cameroon. According to them, their wages had been pending for three months and they wished to return to India. Taking a swift action after receiving the information, the chief minister directed the State Migrant Control Room to take steps to ensure the safe return of the migrant labourers. Following the Chief Ministers orders, the State Migrant Control Room, under the guidance of the Labor Commissioner, contacted the workers and the employer company. The company revealed that they had paid the workers USD 100 per month and assured them that the remaining wages would be transferred to their Indian bank accounts. The workers have since confirmed receiving partial payments. In addition, the State Migrant Control Room has instructed the company to provide copies of the workers contracts, salary details, and other necessary documents. The Labor Department has also sent letters to the Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ranchi, and other relevant departments, requesting appropriate action. The company has assured the authorities of resolving the outstanding wage payments by consulting the sub-contractor. The remaining amounts will be deposited into the workers Indian accounts. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to ensure the safe return of these workers. The High Commission and Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India have been informed about the situation.

Bokaros Forgotten Displaced People

Shweta Singh of the Congress party, has emerged as a beacon of hope, becoming the first woman MLA of Bokaro.

India can reduce $2 billion import of coking coal per annum: Niti Aayog

Cooking oils contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Cooking oils contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Chennai: Integrated Steel Plants imported 58 million tonnes of coking coal at a cost of approximately Rs. 1.5 lakh crore in FY24 despite holding proven geological resources of 21.63 billion tonnes of prime and medium coking coal, finds Niti Aayog. If the government takes required action to enhance domestic production, the coking coal import bill will be reduced by $2 billion per annum based on a landing price of $300 per tonne for imported prime coking coal, it said. As of April 2023, Indias proved geological resources of prime coking coal were estimated to be 5.13 billion tonnes and medium coking coal to be 16.5 billion tonnes. However, out of the 238 million tonnes of coal imported into India during FY23, coking coal alone accounted for 56 MT. In FY 24, coking coal imports set a record of 58 MT. The total value of coking coal imports into India crossed Rs 1 lakh crore for the first time in FY22 and stood at Rs 1.5 lakh crore in FY24. Ministry of Steel can review the suboptimal utilisation of SAILs existing coking coal mines and washeries and upgrade the existing washeries or establish new washeries with advanced technology to enhance the import substitution of coking coal in SAILs steel plants and reduce hot metal costs, Niti Aayog said. Indias import dependence on coking coal is about 85 per cent. The raw coal throughput to the washeries owned by PSUs, which have a total capacity of 25 million tonnes per annum while the total raw coking coal production was 55 MT from PSU coal mines. Therefore, the capacity utilisation of PSU washeries was less than 32 per cent in FY23 while the washed coal yields were only 35-36 per cent. This is in stark contrast to the performance of the four private coking coal washeries which have a capacity utilization of 75 per cent and higher washed coal yields. While the Centre has announced a rebate of 50 per cent on the final offer for the coal used for gasification and liquefaction, there is no incentive for producing metallurgical coal. In the absence of such incentives, the newly auctioned commercial coal blocks will sell the raw coking coal without making investments in modern coking coal washeries required for supplying metallurgical coal to steel plants or coke ovens. The government can also think about joint ventures with the private sector. The annual savings in the coking coal bill of ISPs by using private sector investments to develop integrated mining, beneficiation, and logistics coking coal projects in the West Bokaro coalfield alone is estimated to be Rs 8000 - 10,000 crore. This will also significantly increase the revenues accruing to the state in the form of royalty, district mineral fund, and GST.