Chhattisgarh: Shah may spend night in Naxal stronghold
Raipur : Union home minister Amit Shah is most likely to spend a night at the Maoist core area in Bastar during his proposed three-day visit to Chhattisgarh, commencing on December 13. He will be the first Union home minister to spend a night in the Naxal stronghold, if he does so. Details of Mr Shahs visit to Bastar is yet to be announced officially for security reasons, a senior police officer said here on Saturday. Sources said that Mr Shah is most likely to spend a night at a forward base of security forces, set up in the core area of Maoists by the security personnel to use it as a landing point to neutralize influence of Maoists in the three to four km area surrounding it. Deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma, who holds home portfolio, on Saturday indicated that the Union home minister will visit an area even farther from Puwarti village, the native place of dreaded Maoist Hidma who is said to have taken charge of protecting the red base in Bastar after being promoted to the position of Central Committee (CC) member of the outlawed CPI (Maoist). He once headed the battalion number one of the Maoists. Asked if Mr Shah will visit Puwarti during his upcoming Bastar tour, Mr Sharma said, He (Mr Shah) will even go farther from that place. Puwarti village under Jagargunda in Sukma district in south Bastar has produced no less than two dozen hardcore Maoists who have been deployed for the security of Hidma. The surrounding villages have yielded no less than 200 hardcore Maoists. Security forces established a forward base in Puwarti a couple of months ago to neutralize the influence of Maoists in the area. In January this year, a forward base was set up in Tekalgudam, barely three km from Puwarti. Maoists attacked the forward base the day it was opened. Three jawans and two Naxals were killed in the encounter that followed the Maoist attack. Sources said that Mr Shah may have dinner with the jawans and family members of the security personnel slain in encounters with the Maoists at the forward base where he is likely to spend a night. The Union minister is also scheduled to attend the concluding ceremony of Bastar Olympics as chief guest in Jagdalpur during his visit to Bastar. He is also scheduled to attend a high-level meeting of senior officers of security establishments in Raipur to review the counterinsurgency strategy during his visit to the state, sources said. Mr Shah had earlier declared that the country will be free of Leftwing extremism by March 2026. In the current year so far, 207 Maoists have been killed in encounters in Bastar.
IMA protests against C'garh govts decision to withdraw case lodged against Gau Sewa Aayog chief
RAIPUR: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has come out strongly against the BJP governments move to withdraw the case registered against the Chhattisgarh Rajya Gau Sewa Aayog chairperson Bisheshar Patel for his alleged physical and verbal abuse against an orthopedic surgeon in Kawardha district. Patel has been recently appointed as the head of theGau SewaAayog by the state government. In March 2019, Dr Suryakant Bharti was manhandled by Patel in a hospital at Kawardha, which happens to be the home district of Vijay Sharma, state home minister. I was physically assaulted and Patel also hurled casteist slurs against me. Now the state government has recommended before the court to withdraw the case registered against him citing it as a political incident. This is shocking. Kawardha district and sessions court is already hearing the case and I appeared during its cross-examinations but Patel is avoiding to attend the proceedings, Dr Bharti told The New Indian Express. He also claimed that now he is subjected to various pressures to support the withdrawal of the case against the Gau Sewa Aayog chief. Now no lawyer in Kawardha is willing to take up my case. The advocate earlier fighting my case has also withdrawn citing that he is empaneled with the government body. But I remain firm not to surrender, the doctor said. The IMA Kawardha district president Dr K P Jangde expressing concerns asked, how can any act of violence against doctors in hospital or medical premises be justified. The government has a prerogative to appoint anyone as chairperson of Gau Sewa Aayog. But how can a process be initiated to withdraw the cases registered against Patel. There shouldn't be any politics involved and the law should take its own course, said Dr Jangde. The case under IPC section 294 (obscene acts in any public place to the annoyance of others), section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), section 506 (criminal intimidation), SC-ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act besides certain clauses of Chhattisgarh Medicare Service Persons (prevention of violence and damage to property) Act were registered against Patel. I believe the state government has the sagacity to take the best course of action on it within the scope of the law, said Dr Vimal Chopda, state coordinator BJP medical front (Chikitsa Prakoshth). Dr Bharti and Kawardha IMA approached the Raipur branch seeking intervention. We hope for justice. IMA Raipur branch has written to the chief minister, health minister, chief secretary urging them to take back the initiated process of withdrawal of the case lodged against Patel, Dr Jangde said.
Raipur: Maoists attacked a security camp in Bijapur district under south Bastar in Chhattisgarh late on Thursday night, leading to fierce gunbattle between them, police said. The Maoist attack on the forward base camp at Gidpalli under Pamed police station came at around eight pm on Thursday leading to a heavy exchange of fire between the ultras and security personnel that lasted till around midnight, police said. However, there were no reports of casualty or serious injury among the security personnel, police said. In another development, five Maoists carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 11 lakh surrendered before police in Bijapur on Friday. One of the surrendered Maoists Santu Kodem, member of Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) company number two, carried a bounty of Rs eight lakh, police said. Two other surrendered Maoists Payku Punem, a member of Gangaloor area committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), and Gudu Hapka, head of Padeda Jantana Sarkar squad of Maoists, carried rewards of Rs two lakh and Rs one lakh respectively.
Chhattisgarh: Sai May Go for Ministry Reshuffle Soon
Raipur: Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai is most likely to reshuffle and expand his ministry in the near future. His meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi a couple of days ago has fueled the speculations in the ruling BJP circle here that he would soon reshuffle and expand his ministry. Sources in the chief ministers office (CMO) said that Mr Sai held discussions with Mr Shah on various issues relating to the state including the ministry reshuffle. The issue of the ministry reshuffle has figured prominently in the meeting, sources disclosed to this newspaper on Friday. Sources said that Mr Sai may drop at least three ministers in his cabinet and induct at least five new faces in his ministry. Sources said that a former minister is likely to be inducted in the state cabinet. Two cabinet berths were vacant after Mr Sai formed his ministry. The number of vacant berths increased to three when Brij Mohan Agrawal, who was a member of Sai cabinet, resigned from the house after being elected to Lok Sabha in the last polls. The proposed reshuffle and expansion of the Sai ministry may take into consideration the factors of regional balance and caste, sources said. Sources said that performances of some ministers were found to be not up to the expectations of the chief minister and hence, the axe may fall on them in the upcoming reshuffle and expansion of the state ministry. Lobbying for a berth in the Sai ministry by several BJP MLAs have begun with the party leaders sparing no efforts to pull the right strings in the party for this. Former minister Ajay Chandrakar is said to be prominent among the ministerial aspirants.
18 killed in three separate accidents in Uttar Pradesh
KANNAUJ: In three separate accidents, 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit and Chitrakoot districts on Friday, police said. In Pilibhit, six people were killed in the accident which happened on the Pilibhit-Tanakpur road in Neora police station area, they said. A car carrying 11 people tried to overtake another vehicle when it lost control, crashed into a tree and then fell into a ditch, they added. Rescue operations lasted over an hour and a half, involving the use of a bulldozer to remove a fallen tree that had trapped the car following which passengers were extricated and rushed to a nearby hospital, said Superintendent of Police (Pilibhit) Avinash Kumar Pandey told PTI Videos. The deceased were identified as Munni (65), Manzoor Ahmed (60), Bahiuddin (55), Sharif Ahmed (60), Sahe Alam (35), and Rakim (11), the SP said. Three of the injured were referred to a more advanced medical centre, while two were discharged after receiving initial treatment, he added. Neora SHO, Roopa Bisht said the victims, residents of Jamour village in Uttarakhand's Khatima district, were returning from a post-wedding ritual in Pilibhit's Chandoi village, where Anwar and Husna Bibi had tied the knot. In the second accident, six people were killed in Chitrakoot after the car they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck in the Raipura Police Station area, police said. The incident happened around 5. 30 am in the Raipura Police Station area. The Bolero was coming from Prayagraj while the truck from Raipura, Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh said. The injured are undergoing treatment at a local hospital and will be referred to the district hospital for further care, the SP added. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also directed district officials to expedite relief efforts and ensure proper assistance to those affected. Further legal proceedings are underway in both cases, according to the police. On the Agra- Lucknow Expressway, eight people died and about a dozen passengers were injured when their bus collided with a water tanker. The accident occurred around 2 pm in Sakrawa area here when the bus was en route Delhi from Lucknow , Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Anand said. Eight passengers died in the accident and around a dozen injured passengers are receiving treatment at the Saifai Medical College, near Etawah district, he said. Other passengers, who were not injured, were sent to their destinations in another bus, he added. State Minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who was passing by at the time of the accident, stopped his convoy to assist in rescuing the injured and ensuring their transportation to the hospital. Senior police and administrative officials have reached the spot and they have been instructed to provide the best of medical treatment to the injured, Singh told PTI. It's an unfortunate incident. We need to be more careful on roads and adhere to traffic rules, safety measures, he added. Citing his interaction with the injured passengers, the minister said that the bus driver was apparently drowsy and that may have led to the crash.
RITES bags 148 crore project management contract for IIM Raipur campus
The contract is for the development of the Institutes Phase II campus
Maoists abduct, murder two former sarpanchs in Chhattisgarhs Bijapur district
RAIPUR: Ahead of elections to the three-tier panchayats in Chhattisgarh, Maoists allegedly killed two former sarpanchs -- one of them associated with the ruling BJP -- in separate incidents in of Bijapur district, police said on Thursday. The two were abducted before they were killed. Police identified them as Suklu Parsa, who was with the BJPs Kisan Morcha in Bhairamgarh block, and Sukram Avlam, former sarpanch of Kader village. In their pamphlets, the Maoists claimed that both acted as police informers and helped the police in setting up a security base camp. Bhairamgarh area committee of Maoists claimed the responsibility for killing Parsa. The Maoists also threatened BJP workers in the area with dire consequences and asked them to quit the party, an official said. The killing of former sarpanchs is an attempt to create an environment of terror among the local people as the Maoists now failed to target the security forces, said a senior police officer in Bastar. Maoists have killed at least 55 people this year in the Bastar division comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, according to police. Civilian casualties in left-wing extremist-affected areas still remain a major concern. Attacks on soft targets like unarmed villagers, local peoples representatives and public properties have been the usual modus operandi of the banned Maoist outfits, guerrilla warfare experts say. District Reserve Guard head constable Birendra Kumar Sori was killed in an exchange of fire with Maoists in Abujhmad region of Narayanpur district on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Chhattisgarh for three days beginning December 14 to review the law and order situation in the state and interact with surrendered Naxals and locals.
Chhattisgarh: Jawan slain in Naxal ambush in Bastar
Manjhi was the eighth BJP leader to have been killed by Maoists in the state in the past one year. (AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM) Manjhi was the eighth BJP leader to have been killed by Maoists in the state in the past one year. (AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM) Raipur : A head constable of district reserve guard (DRG), an exclusive tribal counterinsurgency wing of Chhattisgarh police, was killed in an encounter with Maoists in Abujhmad area under Narayanpur district in south Bastar in the state late on Wednesday evening. A joint security team comprising personnel of DRG and Border Security force (BSF) launched search operation in Kohkameta area in Abujhmad following intelligence tip off on the presence of armed Maoists including a member of the Central Committee (CC) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the forest late on Wednesday afternoon. A fierce encounter took place between them in the forest that lasted nearly six hours leading to killing of DRG head constable Birendra Kumar Sori (36). In another development, two ex-sarpanches including a BJP functionary were killed by Maoists in Bijapur district under south Bastar. The slain BJP leader has been identified as Suklu Farsa, the block-level head of the BJP farmers wing in Bhairamgarh. Farsa was a former sarpanch of Aadwada-Biriyabhumi village in 2004-09. He was abducted by a group of Maoists when he was attending a family function in his village and his body was found on the outskirts of the village on Thursday morning, police said. The Maoists left a note near his body claiming responsibility for his killing. The other slain ex-sarpanch has been identified as Sukram Avlam, the former sarpanch of Kaderh village in Bijapur district. He was abducted by Maoists from his village of Shantinagar under Bijapur block and his body was recovered on the outskirts of the village on Thursday morning.
RITES Wins Rs 148-Crore Contract From IIM Raipur
IIM Raipur has appointed RITES as project management consultant for developing the second phase of its campus.
Shooters planned Salman Khans murder before targeting Baba Siddique: Report
The shooters involved in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique reportedly had plans to assassinate actor Salman Khan before targeting Siddique, India Today TV reported, citing sources. This revelation came to light during the questioning of the accused in connection with the high-profile murder case. Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12 outside the Bandra East office of his son, MLA Zeeshan Siddique. Three assailants fired at him, hitting him twice in the chest. Despite being rushed to Lilavati Hospital, he was declared brought dead. Sources told India Today TV that during interrogation, the accused disclosed Salman Khan was initially on their hit list. However, they were unable to carry out their plan due to the actors robust security arrangements. Authorities are continuing investigations into the motives and network of the accused. Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police detain lawyer from Raipur On April 14, two bike-borne assailants, identified as Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, opened fire outside Salman Khan's Bandra residence late at night. The shooters were later arrested in Gujarat, and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the incident. In recent months, Salman Khan has faced repeated threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, with several individuals issuing threats in the gang's name. Last month, a man claiming to be Lawrence Bishnoi's brother threatened the actor, demanding he visit a temple to apologise for killing a blackbuck or pay a ransom of Rs 5 crore. In October, a vegetable seller from Jamshedpur was arrested for threatening Khan and demanding Rs 5 crore. Days later, the actor received another death threat from an unknown individual, demanding a Rs 2 crore ransom. Additionally, Mumbai Police arrested a 20-year-old man from Noida for making a threat call to the actor. In response to the escalating threats, Salman Khan has been provided Y+ security. A strong police presence has been stationed outside his residence, and Mumbai Police have installed AI-powered high-resolution CCTV cameras equipped with facial recognition technology to enhance his safety. Security tightened at Salman Khan's residence after new death threats
CB preps to deploy cyber commandos to fight online crime in Odisha soon
BHUBANESWAR: The Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha Police will soon have seven cyber commandos, trained by various institutions in cyber security under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), to probe complex online crimes taking place in the state. At least 16 officers of the CB had appeared for the screening test but seven were selected for the six-month-long programme organised by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). CB sources said four are undergoing training at International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Raipur, two at Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT) in Pune and one at Gandhinagars Rashtriya Raksha University. The cyber commandos are expected to be assigned duties as per the expertise they develop during training in digital forensics, incident response and securing the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Amid growing cyber threats, the MHA had earlier issued an advisory to all states over establishment of a special wing of cyber commandos. The cyber commandos will be significant for Odisha Police as the state has witnessed an exponential rise in cyber crimes in the recent years. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi informed the Assembly on Monday that cyber criminals cheated over Rs 125 crore from the people in the state between 2021 and 2023. He said 6,368 cases were registered and as many as 1,388 people arrested during the period. In the recently-concluded DG& IG conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too made suggestions and advised the states to robustly combat the growing cyber crimes. We are hopeful that cyber commandos will enhance our capabilities in diverse aspects of cybersecurity and deal with complex online crimes, said a senior police officer. The training of the first batch of cyber commandos will be over by March after which the CB will send the second batch of officers to undertake the programme in various institutions across the country. The MHA plans to raise 5,000 cyber commandos over the next five years. Currently, 286 police personnel of all the states are undergoing cyber commando training at eight different institutes like National Forensic Sciences University, New Delhi, NFSU, Gandhinagar, Rashtriya Raksha University, DIAT as well as IITs in Kanpur, Madras and Kottayam. Sources said I4C will conduct the training for the second batch of officers next year and its screening test is likely to be organised in January. Any rank police personnel having basic knowledge of computer networks and operating systems can appear for the screening test. We received around 111 applications and their names were sent to the Centre, said a CB officer.
DRG head constable killed during encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: A head constable of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was killed in an exchange of fire with the outlawed Maoists in Abujhmad region of Narayanpur district, about 400 km south of Raipur on Wednesday. According to the Bastar police, based on specific inputs, a joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and DRG left on an anti-Maoist search operation along the border area of Sonpur-Kohkameta on Tuesday. On Wednesday at around 1 PM, there ensued intermittent gunfights between the joint team of forces and the Maoists in the Abujhmad region. During the fierce gun battle, a head constable Birendra Kumar Sori, 36, sustained serious injuries and died on the spot, said a police officer in Bastar. Sori, a native of Kanker district, joined the Narayanpur district police force in the year 2010 and received an out-of-turn promotion to a rank of a head constable owing to his courage and brave work in operations against the left-wing extremists. The search operation and the campaign against the Maoists continues in the area. Further details are awaited, he added. Narayanpur is among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict zone of Bastar, south Chhattisgarh.
Sacked woman judge turns advocate, fights her case in Chhattisgarh HC, gets reinstated
RAIPUR: Akanksha Bhardwaj, a 34-year-old civil judge appointed in December 2013, successfully challenged her termination in the Chhattisgarh High Court and has now resumed her duties at the Mahasamund District Court. While serving as a Civil Judge in Ambikapur, Bhardwaj lodged a complaint against her senior colleague, alleging inappropriate behavior during her visits to seek guidance on judicial matters. Initially, the complaint was filed orally and later submitted in writing to higher authorities, the complaint led the High Court to form an internal complaints committee. However, the committee's report, submitted in April 2016, concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated. Following the committee's findings, the Standing Committee under the Chhattisgarh High Court rules recommended Bhardwaj's termination in February 2017. The termination order was challenged by Bhardwaj, who filed a writ petition and represented herself in court as a lawyer. She argued that her dismissal violated the safeguards provided under Article 311 of the Constitution, which protects civil servants from arbitrary dismissal, removal, or demotion. In an earlier ruling, the High Court had set aside Bhardwaj's termination on technical grounds, stating that the Standing Committee was not competent to recommend the termination of her service. The court noted that Bhardwaj had remained on probation until January 31, 2017. However, her further claims that the termination was the result of biased proceedings initiated by the then Ambikapur District Judge, combined with the internal complaints committee's report, were dismissed by the court. After overturning her termination, Bhardwaj received a fresh posting order and has resumed her role in the judiciary at the Mahasamund District Court.
Chhattisgarh cabinet nod to direct polls of mayors and civic body
RAIPUR: Ahead of the municipal body elections, the Chhattisgarh cabinet chaired by CM Vishnu Deo Sai on Monday decided to amend the existing rules that govern urban body polls, approving direct elections of mayors in municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipal bodies by the people. The existing system to elect mayors and chairpersons of municipal bodies was indirect. The draft of Ordinance 2024 was approved in the cabinet meeting on amendment in different Sections of Chhattisgarh Municipal Corporation Act 1956 (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 and Chhattisgarh Municipality Act 1961 (Amendment) Ordinance 2024 (provisions related to direct elections and reservations). The municipal body polls are due in January next year.
Power Mech Projects shares in focus on Rs 510 crore order from Adani Power
Power Mech Projects' shares are likely to attract attention on Monday after the company secured a Rs 510-crore mechanical construction order from Adani Power. The project, to be executed at the Raipur Phase-II Ultra Supercritical Thermal Power Project in Chhattisgarh, involves mechanical construction work for two 800 MW units, as per the company's exchange filing.
How Chhattisgarh forest dept safeguarded a migrated tiger for eight months?
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh forest department executed every bit of its efforts to safeguard a lone male tiger in Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary that was spotted for the first time in decades in the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Baloda Bazar division, around 80 km from Raipur. The big cat was spotted in March rekindling hopes of restoring the tiger population in the area, marking a significant conservation milestone. Chhattisgarh has struggled in its Save the Tiger mission over the past decade, but the presence of this tiger spurred the department to implement robust protective measures. The tiger migrated here from some other regionmaybe from Andhra, Odisha or Chhattisgarhs Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve. We monitored its movements and safe management, implementing a comprehensive range of methodologies aligned with the National Tiger Conservation Authoritys (NTCA) monitoring protocols. Our operation used state-of-the-art thermal drones to keep an eye on the tigers movements in dense jungle and during the night hours, said Mayank Agrawal, divisional forest officer (DFO-Baloda Bazar). To ensure the tigers safety, the department adhered to the National Tiger Conservation Authoritys (NTCA) monitoring protocols and employed advanced methods such as thermal drones to monitor the tigers movements in the dense forest, especially during the night. Camera traps were strategically deployed at critical locations such as tri-junctions and frequently used trails to capture images of the tiger. In one instance, a camera trap captured a poacher accompanied by dogs in the tiger-occupied area. He was arrested with the stringent anti-poaching measures in place across all forest reserves, Agrawal added. The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology played a crucial role in analysing maps and tracking the tigers movements. Surveys of animal and human trails, riverbeds and waterholes were conducted to collect evidence such as pug marks, scat and scrape marks instrumental in mapping the tigers movement patterns. Scat analysis provided insights into its dietary habits, helping us understand its proximity to human settlements. The awareness drives and educational programmes were organised to inform local communities about tiger behaviour and safety measures, reducing the risks of human-tiger conflict, the DFO informed. Last week, the tiger ventured close to Kasdol town in Baloda Bazar district. The forest department acted swiftly, rescued the animal and relocated it to the recently notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, ensuring its continued protection in a safer habitat.
Labourer killed, another hurt by hot fly ash in Chhattisgarh
Raigarh: A labourer was killed and his colleague was severely injured after hot fly ash fell on them at a steel plant in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district, the police said on Sunday.The incident took place on Saturday night, an official said. Ashok Kumar Kewat (39) and Deepak Yadav (40) were working in the Lime & Dolo Plant of Jindal Steel and Power Limited in Patrapali village under Kotraroad police station limits when hot fly ash suddenly fell on them, causing serious burns. They were rushed to Jindal Fortis hospital where doctors declared Kewat brought dead, the official said. Yadav has been shifted to Raipur city for better treatment. An accidental death report has been registered and a probe is underway into the incident, he added.
Farmers seed a green revolution in rain-shadow Kalahandi
BHAWANIPATNA: In Golamunda block of Kalahandi district, normal monsoon is an aberration. In this rain-shadow zone that witnesses seasonal migration, 51-year-old Krushna Nag and his band of fellow farmers are leading a quiet green revolution turning eight gram panchayats (GPs) into a vegetable hub for the region. Kalahandi was once dependent on Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for the vegetables but thanks to Agrahichasi Producer Company, those grown by farmers from Golamunda block is now reaching the two neighbouring states apart from different districts of Odisha. With a few lead vegetable grower-entrepreneur farmers paving the way, the producer company was registered in 2022 with just 10 members from eight GPs. The total share capital of the company during the inception was a mere Rs 1.78 lakh. Now the share-holders number has grown to 212, of whom 45 are women. In 2023-24, the total turnover of Agrahichasi was Rs 6.57 lakh which reached Rs 25.24 lakh by October-end and expected to breach the Rs 2 crore mark by the turn of the current financial year. Believe it or not, the success has been reaped by growing and marketing tomato, bitter gourd and green chilli. Tomato has been grown over 200 acre and bitter gourd over 150 acre. The producer company takes on board small and marginal farmers, giving them direction but more importantly, economic empowerment with support from the government and NABARD which has written the agricultural transformation. Farmers are allowed to enroll as members with a fee of Rs 100 and pick up shares for which they can get matching capital from the government with a certain ceiling. At present, the producer company covers Kegaon, Nuagaon, Khaliapali, Chapria, Mahaling, Dhamanpur, Sinapali and Kuhura GPs. Farmer members get farm inputs and technical services for their crop. After harvest, they are extended marketing linkage. Agrahichasi started with Nag, Dhananjaya Naik, Lingaraj Bhoi, Kalpataru Sahu and Lohita Chalan in its board of directors. Nag who had started with just 2.5 acre land way back in 2006 and tasted success using farming and irrigation techniques, fertilisers and governments progressive schemes was nominated as the managing director. When we started two years back, our lead farmers would camp in villages and sensitise farmers about the FPO. In all of eight GPs, we got 10 members. Our primary objective was to protect small farmers from middlemen and mentor them with farming, irrigation and fertiliser support apart from market linkages, Nag says. Now market linkage has been arranged in Raipur, Mahasamund of Chhattisgarh and Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Vishakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh besides and markets of Nabarangpur, Koraput, Jeypore, Balangir, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. From tomato, chilli and bitter gourd, the farmers are now ready to get into onion and potato cultivation. Awareness has been created for potato cultivation and seed distributed to farmers from Horticulture wing, Nag said. Agrahichasi aims to enhance income of member farmers to at least Rs 1 lakh from 4 decimal land through vegetable cultivation and livestock farming with market linkage for the products. The company got a 2,000 quintal cold storage on demonstration project of SELCO Foundation and 10 quintal capacity onion drier from Horticulture department. It has also a polyhouse to raise the seedlings. It gets financial support from central sector scheme through NABARD and will go for banking credit assistance later. Kalpataru, one of the two women as directors, said the company is a boon for small and marginal vegetable growers. Vehicles reach the doorsteps on advance information to lift the produce. A farmer from Padampur village, she has grown vegetable on one acre. Nag, who hails from Sanchergaon, says the target is to increase the number of share-holders to 3,000 in next 5 years. When the FPO makes profit, its members get a share apart from the earnings from their harvest. More and more farmers are now showing interest to join, he says. Dhananjaya, another lead vegetable grower and one of the directors, said market linkage by the company has boosted income of farmers, particularly small farmers. He himself grows vegetables on nine acre and was finding it difficult to reach the markets. Now encouraged by the services provided by company, I have taken 15 acre more land on lease for vegetable cultivation in coming year, added the farmer from Dhamanpur village.
Chhattisgarh govt gives nod to 15K houses under Central scheme for surrendered Maoists
RAIPUR: The ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh has extended the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme to include surrendered Maoists and victims of violence in Left-Wing Extremism affected areas. This move, part of the states rehabilitation policy, aims to integrate these individuals into mainstream society while providing them with much-needed housing and security. The proposal, which was first approved by the Centre, will see the construction of 15,000 houses under the PMAY-G scheme. CM Vishnu Deo Sai described it as a significant step towards rehabilitating surrendered Maoists and victims of violence in conflict-ridden regions. The initiative will be a major step to let the surrendered Maoists living in the LWE affected areas and such families who are victims of violence join the mainstream. The 15,000 units to be built under the PMAY-G are not just houses but a symbol of dignity and security for them. Our government is swiftly implementing the scheme with complete transparency, Deo said. Amid the renewed strategy to free the conflict-ridden Bastar region from the influence of the outlawed Maoists, CM reiterated his governments commitment to improving the lives of those affected by Maoist violence. His Deputy Vijay Sharma stated that the families whose names were not there or missing in the socio-economic caste census 2011 and Awas Plus scheme 2018 will be specially included.
Chhattisgarh: Tiger relocated successfully after 8-months operation
Raipur : After eight months of tracking it in a forest in east Chhattisgarh, forest officials rescued a tiger and relocated to a reserve a couple of days ago. The tiger was saved from a poacher and a possible attack by villagers by forest field staff during the period. The operation, believed to be the longest to rescue a tiger in the wild for relocation, is being billed as a milestone in the conservation. The tiger was spotted in Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary in east Chhattisgarh eight months ago. This was the first time in a decade a tiger was sighted in the reserve forest. It was yet to be ascertained from where the tiger came, Mayank Agrawal, divisional forest officer (DFO), Balodabazar forest division, told Deccan Chronicle on Saturday. It took eight months to rescue and relocate the big cat to Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla tiger reserve in north Chhattisgarh, said Agrawal, whose Balodabazar division falls under Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary. According to Agrawal, the forest staff drew up a comprehensive range of methodologies aligned with the tiger monitoring protocols prescribed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to track the big cat. The operation leveraged modern technology, such as thermal drones to track the tiger, particularly in dense forests at night. Camera traps were strategically deployed to capture images of the tiger. These traps helped identify the tiger by capturing side-flank images of the tiger, which were then matched against NTCAs centralized data. In one instance, a camera trap captured a poacher accompanied by dogs in the area. We located the poacher within 24 hours, foiling the threat to the life of the big cat, Agrawal said. In another instance, the tiger was spotted moving close to human habitations in the forest. Officials launched an awareness campaign in the surrounding villages to teach people to be safe and make them aware of the compensation for tiger kills, to prevent them from resorting to retaliatory action. The tigers movement was constantly monitored during the period by collecting evidence such as pug marks, scat, scrape marks and signs of kills, Agarwal said. When the time was ripe, officials tranquilized the tiger using dart guns, checked its health and released in the Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla tiger reserve.
Union govt approves PMAY-G houses for surrendered naxals, LWE area victims in Chhatisgarh
RAIPUR: The ruling BJP government in Chhattisgarh has announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) scheme to include surrendered Maoists and victims of violence in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas. This move, part of the states rehabilitation policy, aims to integrate these individuals into mainstream society while providing them with much-needed housing and security. The proposal, which was first approved by the Centre, will see the construction of 15,000 houses under the PMAY-G welfare scheme. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai welcomed the move, describing it as a significant step towards rehabilitating surrendered Maoists and victims of violence in conflict-ridden regions. The move will be a major step to let the surrendered Maoists living in the LWE affected areas and such families who are victims of violence join the mainstream. The 15000 units to be built under the PMAY-G are not just houses but a symbol of dignity and security for them. Our government is swiftly implementing the scheme with complete transparency and is going to be a revolutionary step towards ensuring peace and harmony, said the chief minister. Unemployed youths personate as Maoists in Chhattisgarh, surrender to access benefits, sent to jail Amid the renewed strategy to free the conflict-ridden Bastar region from the influence of the outlawed Maoists, CM Sai asserted that his governments commitment to improving the lives of those affected by Maoist violence, with a strong focus on development, peace, and security of citizens in LWE-affected areas. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also holds the home department portfolio, stated that families whose names were missing from the 2011 socio-economic caste census or the 2018 Awas Plus scheme will be specially included under this initiative. The list of PMAY-G beneficiaries will be provided by the superintendent of police and the chief executive officer of the concerned district. A survey and verification process will follow, with the district panchayat identifying the land for the beneficiaries, said Sharma. This announcement comes amid an ongoing anti-Maoist campaign in Bastar, where 789 Maoists have surrendered and 787 rebels have been arrested so far this year. The Chhattisgarh BJP government has reiterated its commitment to continuing the battle against the Maoists until they are eradicated. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in August, set a deadline for eliminating the Maoists by March 2026, as part of a revised plan aimed at launching a final assault on the rebels. Recently, Shah urged youth cadres of the banned left-wing group to renounce violence and rejoin society.
Chhattisgarh Gangsters Use Social Media to Flaunt Criminal Image, 36 Held
Raipur: A new trend has emerged in the gangdom of Chhattisgarh with the gangsters taking to social media to enhance their criminal profile by cultivating an image of a hardcore outlaw. The criminals were seen posting videos on social media in which they were spotted wearing costumes of gangsters resembling the Bollywood movie villains while flaunting firearms and daggers to create an image of a hardcore criminal with an objective to terrorise common people. A new trend has emerged in the pattern of crimes in Chhattisgarh. The criminals were seen taking to social media to create an image of a hardcore outlaw to promote their terror business, a senior police officer told this newspaper here on Friday. These criminals were seen in the videos sporting weird hairdos and painting their faces to disfigure them with marks while flaunting knives and pistols in their hands to appear as an authentic dreaded gangster, the police officer said. As many as three dozen people have so far been arrested in Raipur for creating nuisances on social media by posting videos to project them as fearless outlaws, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Raipur district, Santosh Singh told this newspaper. They have been arrested under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Most of them are drug addicts and have criminal records including serious offences such as stabbing, extortion, illicit liquor trading, and terrorising people, he added. These social media terrors narrate their past criminal activities in their videos to create an image of an authentic dreaded gangster and even were seen in the clips daring the police to curb their unlawful activities. The videos also include clips of violent actions of Bollywood movies involving famous villain characters. According to the cyber cell police dealing with the cases, such social media nuisance creators are found to hail from humble family backgrounds and semi-literates. They appear to be on drugs while making the reels of theirs, a police officer said. The trend of criminals taking to social media to terrorise people has now been curbed considerably after police began taking action in such matters, he added.
Students allege nightlong ragging at AIIMS-Raipur
Chhattisgarh Cabinet approves board exams for class 5 and 8
Raipur: The Chhattisgarh cabinet has decided to reintroduce board exams for Class five and Class eight in the state. The move aims to improve the education standard of students in the government-run schools in the state, sources said on Wednesday. The state cabinet, presided over by chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai here late on Tuesday evening, authorised School Education Department to Centralize examinations for Class 5 and Class 8 across the state, a spokesman of the state government said. The state government had done away with the board exams for Class five and Class eight in 2010-11. It has been decided to reintroduce the board exams for Class five and Class eight to improve the education standard of the school students, sources said. The cabinet also endorsed withdrawal of 54 cases related purely to political movements, as recommended by the Cabinet sub-committee, from the courts in the public interest, the spokesman said. In a move to ensure the availability of advanced seeds to farmers in Chhattisgarh at reasonable price, the cabinet approved the proposal to procure seeds directly from the Central nodal seed agencies, empaneled by the Union government. The state cabinet has decided to amend the rules of the Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation for the purpose.
Chhattisgarh NEET PG 2024 counselling schedule revised, check details here
The Directorate of Medical Education, Raipur, revised the Chhattisgarh NEET PG 2024 counselling schedule. Round 1 admissions end on November 30, 2024. Round 2 choice filling runs from December 11-15, with results on December 17. Mop-up Round results are due January 16, 2025. No further registrations or new merit lists will be issued.
Tiger reaching close to city in Chhattisgarh gets rescued, released into reserve core area
RAIPUR: A lonely tiger on Wednesday morning reached very close to Kasdol city, some 90 km east of Raipur, creating tense moments for the Chhattisgarh state forest department that deployed drones to stalk the wild big cat, chased after and finally rescued it using tranquilliser darts. We got information at around 7 am about the tiger moving towards Kasdol town. This tiger actually moved out from Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary via Kot village. Our two separate teams planned swift movement from different directions of the identified location. There were two doctors pressed into action besides the dronesboth normal and thermal that finally tracked the tiger with real-time images. Scores of people along with our team were following the route covered by the solitary yellow-brown coat-striped wild animal. Our concern was to ensure both the tiger and the people should remain safe. Our doctor team that fortunately came close to the tiger, succeeded in tranquillising and rescued it, Mayank Agrawal, divisional forest officer, Barnawapara sanctuary in Baloda Bazar district told The New Indian Express. Tiger rescued by the forest dept team The tiger was first spotted in Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary in March this year. We were monitoring the movement of this tiger regularly for the last 8 months. This was the only tiger that was present in our Barnawapara sanctuary and migrated here in March from another regionmay be Andhra or Odisha or Chhattisgarhs Udanti-Sitanadi tiger reserve, the DFO added. The tiger, weighing over 250 kg, was carried by the forest team and released into the core area of the recently notified Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, some 300 km away from the spot where the migrating wild animal was rescued. CM Vishnu Deo Sai praised the successful rescue operation, citing it as a significant achievement towards wildlife conservation in the state.
Bail granted to 2 convicts in two-decade-old murder case of Chhattisgarh NCP leader
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the life imprisonment of two convicts in the 2003 murder case of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ram Avatar Jaggi in Chhattisgarhs Raipur. Jaggi, the treasurer of the NCP headed by late Vidya Charan Shukla in Chhattisgarh, was fatally shot on June 4 while driving. The murder occurred Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Chhattisgarh by-poll: Ruling BJP retains Raipur City (south) assembly seat
RAIPUR: The ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh retained Raipur City (South) Assembly by poll, winning by a margin of 46167 votes against the Congress. Former BJP MP Sunil Soni secured 89220 votes and defeated his nearest rival Congress Akash Sharma who got 43053 votes. Soni maintained a consistent lead when the counting of votes began. The by-election was held in the constituency on November 13. The voter turnout was 50.50 per cent. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulating Soni cited the victory as historic and stated that the result indicates approval by the electorates on the achievements of the BJP government in the state in the past 11 months. The strength of BJP in the 90-member House remained at 54 with this victory. The Congress has 35 MLAs and the remaining one legislator is from Gondwana Gantantra Party. TheRaipur City (South) assemblyseat fell vacant after a senior BJP leader Brijmohan Agrawal, an eight-time MLA, got elected as a member of parliament from the Raipur Lok Sabha seat. The assembly segment has female voters with over 1.37 lakh outnumbered men having strength of 1.33 lakh.
Chhattisgarh Bypoll Result: BJP Retains Raipur City South Assembly Seat
BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Soni has won the Raipur City South assembly bypoll by 46,167 votes
Chhattisgarh bypoll: BJP's Sunil Soni leading by 20,629 votes in Raipur City South seat
BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Soni is leading by over 20,000 votes against Congress rival Akash Sharma in the Raipur City South assembly bypoll after the 10th round of counting. The bypoll was necessitated after BJP's Brijmohan Agrawal resigned, following his election to Lok Sabha.
Bypoll results: Priyanka's fate to be decided in Wayanad; prestige fight in UP
New Delhi: The counting of votes for the bypolls to 46 Assembly seats in 13 states and in the Lok Sabha segments of Nanded in Maharashtra and Wayanad in Kerala, a crucial electoral exercise since the parliamentary polls in April-May, will begin at 8 am on Saturday.Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her poll debut from Wayanad, a seat that was earlier represented in the Lok Sabha by her brother, Rahul Gandhi. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the counting of the votes polled in the three bypolls in Kerala -- Wayanad Lok Sabha and the Palakkad and Chelakkara Assembly seats. In Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi was pitted against Communist Party of India (CPI) veteran Sathyan Mokeri and BJP's Navya Haridas. The Assembly bypolls were held in nine seats in Uttar Pradesh, seven seats in Rajasthan, six seats in West Bengal, five seats in Assam, four seats each in Punjab and Bihar, three seats in Karnataka, two seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Meghalaya. The ?Meerapur, Kundarki, Sisamau, Katehari, Phulpur, Majhawan, Ghaziabad, Karhal and Khair seats went to bypolls in the crucial political battleground of Uttar Pradesh on November 20. While the results will not directly impact the composition of the 403-member state Assembly, the contest is being seen as the first major face-off between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its political rivals since the Lok Sabha election. The BJP and the opposition parties have accused each other of election malpractices. While Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has exuded confidence that the bypoll results will be favourable for his party, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has asserted that the BJP will emerge as a clear winner. In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the BJP won the Phulpur, Ghaziabad, Majhawan and Khair seats, while the SP secured victories in Sisamau, Katehari, Karhal and Kundarki. The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which was an SP ally then, won the Meerapur seat. The party has since switched sides and is now a part of the BJP-led NDA. While the Congress did not contest the bypolls, it extended support to the SP. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) contested all nine seats independently, while Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) fielded candidates in Ghaziabad, Kundarki and Meerapur. The Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), led by Chandrashekhar Azad, also contested all seats except Sisamau. A three-tier security arrangement has been put in place for the counting of the votes cast in the seven Assembly bypolls in Rajasthan, an official said on Friday. The Jhunjhunu, Ramgarh, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Salumbar and Chaurasi seats went to bypolls in the desert state on November 13. Bypolls were held in the Gidderbaha, Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal (reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates) and Barnala Assembly seats in Punjab on Wednesday. The bypolls were necessitated after the incumbent legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha. The contest in Punjab is being seen as a litmus test for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, whose government has completed two years and a half in office. The Congress and the BJP are the two other main contenders. Karnataka witnessed a fierce fight between the ruling Congress and a combative BJP-JD(S) alliance in the bypolls to the Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna Assembly segments on November 13. A good show by the Congress will be seen as an endorsement for both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, while a solid performance by the BJP would mean the silencing of its state president B Y Vijayendra's critics within the saffron organisation fold. For JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, it will be a battle of prestige as his son Nikhil is testing his electoral fortunes from Channapatna after tasting defeats in earlier contests. Kumaraswamy vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha. Counting of votes will also be taken up for the Raipur City South Assembly bypoll in Chhattisgarh. Polling was held on November 13. The ruling BJP and main opposition Congress were locked in a direct fight in the seat, where the bypoll was necessitated after incumbent BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal's election to the Lok Sabha. The Sitai, Madarihat, Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur and Taldangra Assembly segments in West Bengal went to bypolls on November 13. Five of these constituencies are in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) stronghold of south Bengal, while Madarihat remains a BJP bastion in the northern parts of the state. The bypolls were necessitated after the incumbent MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha. The CPI(M)-led Left Front and the Congress contested the bypolls separately for the first time since 2021. Kedarnath in Uttarakhand also went to bypolls on November 20. The Assembly seat in Rudraprayag district fell vacant after the death of BJP MLA Shaila Rani Rawat in July. Bypolls were also held in the Dholai, Sidli, Bongaigaon, Behali and Samaguri Assembly segments in Assam, Tarari, Ramgarh, Imamganj and Belaganj in Bihar, Vav in Gujarat, Vijaypur and Budhni in Madhya Pradesh and Gambegre in Meghalaya.
Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam: CBI questions audit company employee for 4 hours
RAIPUR, Nov 22: The CBI questioned Gaurav Mehta, an audit company employee, over nearly four hours for the second consecutive day on Friday in connection with its probe into the Rs 6,600-crore Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam case here, officials said. The agency is probing the case on orders of the Supreme Court, with three FIRs registered in October, while many others in states were also taken up by it, they said. The company Variable Tech Pvt Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, [] The post Gain Bitcoin ponzi scam: CBI questions audit company employee for 4 hours appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, as chief guest, addressing the Conference on Good Governance, organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Grievance Redressal (DARPG) Govt of India and the Govt of Chhattisgarh, at Raipur on Friday. The post Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, as chief guest, addressing the Conference on Good Governance, organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Grievance Redressal (DARPG) Govt of India and the Govt of Chhattisgarh, at Raipur on Friday. appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Governance Reforms Focus On Ease Of Living, Transparency: Dr Jitendra
RAIPUR, Nov 22: At the 2-day Conference on Good Governance here, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated that the governance reforms introduced under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi focus on ease of loving and transparency. The Union Minister emphasized the governments commitment to simplifying governance, enhancing public service delivery, and [] The post Governance Reforms Focus On Ease Of Living, Transparency: Dr Jitendra appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
10 Naxalites killed in encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district
Raipur: At least ten cadres of banned outfit CPI (Maoist) were gunned down in an exchange of fire with the security forces at hilly forested terrain of Bhandarpadar-Korajuguda-Nagaram in an edgy district of Sukma, about 500 km south of Raipur on Friday. On a specific tip-off about the presence of rebels belonging to the Konta and Kistaram Area Committee of Maoist acquired yesterday at the given locations in Sukma region, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) left on the planned operation. A fierce encounter ensued between the forces and the Maoist cadres. During the search operation so far ten bodies of Maoists have been recovered from the area, said a police officer in Bastar. Reinforcement has been sent to the region and the search operation further intensified. The gunfight still continues in the area. The recovered bodies are yet to be identified, the officer added. Three automatic weaponsAK-47, assault rifle INSAS and Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) besides other ammunition were also been recovered from the encounter site. There has been no report of any security personnel sustaining injuries in the gun battle. This year, so far 207 bodies of Maoists have been recovered after they were neutralised by security forces in separate encounters across the conflict-ridden south Bastar zone. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, expressing happiness over the success of the security forces, said his government is working on a zero-tolerance policy against the Maoists. Our governments top priority remains to ensure development, peace and security of citizens in Bastar, the CM added. The series of encounters against the left-wing extremists remain a part of the strategy to free the conflict-ridden Bastar zone from the influence of the outlawed Maoists. Sukma is among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the Bastar range.
The Directorate of Medical Education, Raipur, has released the Round 1 provisional seat allotment result for Chhattisgarh NEET PG Counselling 2024. Registered candidates can check their results on the official website, cgdme.admissions.nic.in. The Round 1 admission process will take place from November 22 to 28, 2024, and Round 2 registration starts on December 6, 2024.
Chhattisgarhs Bastar Medical College take cadaveric oath to offer respect to bodies amid shortage
RAIPUR: While the medical colleges are known to face a shortage of human bodies or cadavers for academic and research aims or to acquire anatomical knowledge, the situation seems more pressing for the Baliram Kashyap Memorial Medical College in tribal-dominated Bastar, south Chhattisgarh. The government medical college, running low on getting cadavers, had organised a singular occasion where the body is treated with respect and dignity of the highest order by the fresh batch of candidates admitted in the MBBS course and the concerned department academics, citing it as First Anatomy teacher. The anatomy department professors in the medical college along with the students took oath ahead of the beginning of the academic session of the first year had solemnly pledged to treat the cadavers with respect, ensuring confidentiality and privacy, use the knowledge acquired for better service of the society and expressed gratitude to the body and its family for the act cited as Living After Death. Its a Cadaveric Oath taken by the new MBBS batch students of 2024. The practice is undertaken prior to the commencing of anatomy dissection, which is essential for the first-year medical students. They swear statements affirming to respect and maintain confidentiality of cadavers (embalmed human body) regards it as the First Teacher in their career path of MBBS, Dr Bithika Nel Kumar, Associate Professor and HOD (Department of Anatomy) told this newspaper. Its a known fact that medical students cannot acquire skill or gain a better understanding just by going through theories. We have a shortage of cadavers in remote areas like Bastar apparently owing to the lack of awareness and cultural reasons. So, such practice helps to facilitate public awareness through conveying virtuous messages by taking an oath. The people gradually become conscious to realise about the noble act of body donation, the HOD said. The professors in the medical college of Bastar believe that for the anatomy classes, there cannot be any applied alternative to cadavers for the students during their learning as they need to get the feel of dissecting the actual human body. The Union Home Ministry for health too realised the shortage of cadavers and in July this year asked the states to encourage people to donate dead bodies on deaths happening outside hospitals.
Man Who Issued Death Threat To Shah Rukh Khan Tracked Actor's Movements Online
Raipur-based lawyer Faizan Khan, who was arrested in connection with the extortion-cum-death threat to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, had scoured online to get sensitive security details of the actor and his family members, revealed probe.
ED, CBI step up probe against Bitcoin Ponzi scam suspect
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have intensified their investigations against Gaurav Mehta, a suspect in a Bitcoin Ponzi scam, following allegations that politicians may have been involved in using cryptocurrency to influence Maharashtra assembly polls. The ED searched Mehta's residence in Raipur and seized computers and digital devices. The CBI summoned him to appear before investigators. The ED is probing Mehta's potential links to politicians, politically exposed persons, and bureaucrats as part of its money laundering probe. The allegations came after BJP released purported voice notes suggesting that Congress and NCP leaders were attempting to use cryptocurrency for election campaigning. Both parties denied the claims, calling the voice notes fake.
Sule, Patole initiate legal action against BJPs bitcoin fraud accusation
Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday denied the allegations of Bitcoin misappropriation. They have initiated legal action against former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ravindranath Patil and the BJP for making the false accusations on the eve of voting for Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024. Mr. Patil accused them of misappropriating Bitcoins from a 2019 cryptocurrency fraud case and using the same to fund the ongoing Maharashtra assembly elections. Mr. Patil on Tuesday alleged that former Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta and former deputy commissioner of police Bhagyashri Nautake, who was handling the cybercrime investigations, were involved in the misappropriation of Bitcoins at the behest of Ms. Sule and Mr. Patole. He also named one Gaurav Mehta, an employee of an audit firm. Mehta sent me some voice notes he had received on WhatsApp. There were three audio messages from Supriya Sule where she asks for cash in exchange for bitcoins. She also says that he (Gaurav Mehta) does not need to worry about inquiry, they will handle it when they come to power, Mr. Patil said. The former IPS officer also alleged that he received few more audio clips from Mr. Mehta, which were the alleged conversations between Mr. Gupta and Mr. Patole, who was asking why there was a delay in cash conversion and the former Pune police commissioner assuring the Congress leader that four crypto wallets had been created and the transactions were done from these wallets. The BJP immediately sought explanation from Ms. Sule, Mr. Patole and their parties on the allegations. The party also posted four audio clips on its official X account. Denying the allegations, Ms. Sule said, All this is conjecture and innuendo. I am ready for a public forum debate with any BJP representative at a time and date of their choice. Mr. Patole also denied the allegations. The BJP in connivance with the media has attempted to defame me and my party by making false accusations. As the fourth pillar of democracy, the media should have reported BJPs allegations responsibly. It is unfortunate that few people are mischievously trying to defame us on BJPs instruction. In such a situation, I have no other option than to take legal action, he said. Advocate Ravi Jadhav, general secretary of Maharashtra Congress, has filed the complaint on behalf of the Congress leader against Mr. Patil and the BJP with the ECI and the cyber crime police station. Some reports indicated that the audio clips were generated using Artificial Intelligence. However, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that he has worked closely with Mr. Patole in the past and Ms. Sule is his sister, so he recognise their voice. The audio clip has their voices, I can figure out from their tone. An inquiry will be done and everything will be clear, he said. After the allegations surfaced, the Enforcement Directorate also swung in action and conducted searches at the Raipur premises of Gaurav Mehta, who is accused of collecting bitcoins worth around Rs.6,600 from his investors by promising them 10 per cent monthly returns. The ED is probing the money laundering aspect in connection with the police cases filed in Maharashtra and Delhi.
Maharashtra Bitcoin Scam: ED Raids Premises Of Audit Company Employee In Raipur
The house of Gaurav Mehta in Chhattisgarhs capital city Raipur is being covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Maharashtra bitcoin case: ED raids premises of Gaurav Mehta
The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at Gaurav Mehta's Raipur premises. The searches were part of a money laundering probe linked to bitcoin transactions. Mehta is accused of collecting funds worth 6,600 crore in bitcoin. He allegedly lured investors with promises of monthly returns. The investigation is linked to complaints filed in Maharashtra and Delhi.
ED raids premises of audit firm employee Gaurav Mehta as links to Maharashtra bitcoin case emerge
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at the Chhattisgarh premises of Gaurav Mehta, allegedly linked to a bitcoin transactions case in poll-bound Maharashtra, official sources said. The searches are being conducted as part of an ongoing money laundering probe. The locations of Mehta in Chhattisgarh's capital city Raipur are being covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. #WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: The Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at the premises of Gaurav Mehta (employee of an audit firm named Sarathi Associates) in connection with an alleged Bitcoin scam. The searches are being carried out in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. https://t.co/ze92LbvahJ pic.twitter.com/lP0GktDwMp ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2024 The BJP has accused NCP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole of allegedly using Bitcoins illegally to fund the current elections as its leaders played a recording purportedly claiming it to be Sule's voice. Mehta is allegedly linked to these transactions. Sule has denied the allegations. Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is taking place on Wednesday. Sources said the ED is probing the role of Mehta and some others on charges of collecting huge amounts of funds in the form of bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from gullible public with the false promises of 10 per cent per month return in the form of bitcoins. The case stems from police FIRs filed in Maharashtra and Delhi.
Chhattisgarh public service scam: CBI gets seven-day remand of ex-Chairman
RAIPUR: A special court in Raipur has sent the former chairman of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Taman Singh Sonwani to a seven-day remand on Tuesday following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the irregularities in recruitment process. The CBI took Sonwani into custody on Monday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 45 lakh reportedly given by former director of Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd Raipur Shravan Kumar Goyal to secure the position of deputy collector for his son and daughter-in-law. The premier investigating agency has also arrested Goyal and produced both before the court seeking a 14-day remand. A case was registered by the CBI against Sonwani and others accused in July this year on a reference from the state government. There were complaints of nepotism and fraud in the declared list of the Commission, citing a number of selected candidates close relatives of bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen had secured superior ranks and got better posts. The CGPSC-2021 exams recruitment list had candidates selected for 170 posts in twelve departments including the state administrative and police services. The case was lodged on the basis of allegations of selection of close relatives on factors other than merit in the examination and interviews during the year 2020-2022. The investigation into the irregularities continues. The BJP while in opposition has made the alleged corruption in CGPSC as a major issue ahead of the Assembly polls in 2023 and had pledged a CBI probe into the alleged CGPSC scam in its manifesto, if voted to power.
Karnataka Maritime Board floats global tender for development of Pavinakurve Port
The cost of developing the port is estimated to be 3,047.86 crores, according to Jayaram Raipura, CEO of the Board
CBI arrests former chairman of Chhattisgarh PSC in bribery case
New Delhi: The CBI has arrested former chairman of Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Taman Singh Sonwani for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 45 lakh from the director of a Raipur-based steel company for ensuring selection of latter's son and daughter-in-law as deputy collectors, officials said Monday. The agency has also arrested Shravan Kumar Goyal, director of Bajrang Power and Ispat Ltd, who had allegedly paid bribes through Gramin Vikas Samiti where Sonwani's relatives were members in two installments of Rs 20 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, they said. It is alleged that the bribe was meant for the selection of Goyal's son Sashank and daughter-in-law Bhumika Kataria as deputy collectors in Chattisgarh Public Service Commission examination.
Chhattisgarh to paint horns of stray cattle to minimise road accidents at night
RAIPUR: There is no apparent respite from road accidents and consequent fatalities caused by stray cattle wandering onto traffic routes, main roads and state highways in Chhattisgarh. Over the past two-year-and-a-halfs, there have been 308 accidents, 231 casualties and 64 injuries across the state. The number of deaths (231) remains far higher than the casualties of civilians at 115 owing to Maoists violence in the conflict-ridden region of Bastar since January 2022. State authorities have been told to paint the cattle horns to prevent road accidents on the main routes of the capital. The move is expected to be a valuable step in alerting drivers on the roads. Stray cattle have become a recurrent cause of road accidents, particularly during the night when spotting them becomes difficult at times. Panchayat and Rural Development Department Secretary Niharika Barik has asked the departments concerned and officials to take effective steps to prevent road accidents on main roads and state highways. The animal husbandry department has been instructed to colour the horns of cattle lying on the roads. The paint should be of good quality so as to alert the driver of vehicles to spot the cattle on the route during the night hours from a distance. She also directed to get collar belts tied to the stray cattle besides creating awareness in the outskirts and villages to remove cattle from the roads. Some of the other measures to be undertaken included organising chaupals in villages for disseminating information and creating platforms for the cattle to rest. Officials in the traffic department said that people die when they try to save cattle on the road and the animals abruptly emerging or roaming around poses greater risks. The cattle at times crowd the main roads. Road accident deaths as a whole have gone up in Chhattisgarh. The road accidents in the state have risen by 7.36 percent and casualties by 8.62 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. To prevent mishaps, the best tools are the road safety rules and its awareness, said Sanjay Sharma, AIG (Traffic).
Chhattisgarh: Bastar village recognized as global tourism hub by UN body
Raipur : Dhudmaras, a hamlet located in the famous Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, has been selected for the best tourism village upgradation programme by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Dhudmaras is among 20 villages chosen from 60 countries worldwide for the prestigious programme by the UN body, highlighting its potential for sustainable tourism development, a spokesman of the Chhattisgarh government said here on Sunday. The village is renowned for its natural beauty, tribal culture, and biodiversity, attracting visitors with its unique blend of traditional lifestyle, local cuisine, and scenic landscapes. As part of the UNWTOs upgradation programme, Dhudmaras will receive support to enhance tourism infrastructure, promote its cultural heritage, and improve the quality of life of the villagers, according to the spokesman. Dhudmaras was given the best tourism village award by the Union government on the World Tourism Day on September 27, 2024. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the tourism and forest departments, Bastar district administration and officials of Kanger Valley National Park for the global recognition received by the village in the tourism sector. Nestled in dense forests with the Kanger river flowing through it, Dhudmarasa offers an idyllic setting for eco-tourism. Local residents are offering homestays and accommodation facilities, while the village youths serve as guides for tourists, showcasing the natural beauty of the area. To Boost tourism, the Chhattisgarh government is improving roads and transport facilities in the area, alongside promoting local handicrafts in the global markets. Empowered by tourism and forest departments through training and capacity building, youths of 40 families of local Dhurwa tribe are conducting kayaking, bamboo rafting and trekking activities.
Get Friday speeches vetted: Waqf Board head
RAIPUR: In what is decidedly the first such directive anywhere in the country, the Chhattisgarh State Waqf Board in the BJP-ruled state issued a circular to the Mutawallis (caretakers) of all mosques asking them to get the sermons they deliver every Friday afternoon before the prayer vetted by it. Waqf boards are bestowed with the authority to manage and protect Waqf properties in thir respective areas. There should not be any political colour in the speeches given ahead of the Jumma namaz every Friday. At times, fatwas are issued from the mosques or support is extended to some political party. Mosques should confine themselves to religious preaching or practices and not become a siyasi adda (political nest). So, I have instructed all Mutawallis to apprise the Waqf Board regarding the contents of their sermons and get our consent, Chhattisgarh Waqf Board chairman Salim Raj told this newspaper on Saturday. He contended that he has not overstepped his brief, as mosques and dargahs fall within the ambit of the Waqf Board. Raj said imams have also been asked to create awareness regarding the governments welfare schemes, especially those meant for the minorities. The opposition Congress dubbed the directive as an infringement of the religious freedom of minorities. The state Waqf Board has unjustifiably gone beyond its remit. The Board is meant to oversee the Waqf properties to ensure the Waqf deeds are fulfilled and not dictate terms to religious preachers or imams, said Sushil Anand Shukla, chairman of the Congress media cell.
Five Naxalites killed, two security personnel injured in encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region
RAIPUR: Five cadres of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) were killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday in the Abujhmad area, located along the inter-district borders of Narayanpur and Kanker in south Chhattisgarh. Two jawans sustained bullet injuries during the gunfight, but their condition is reported to be stable. Based on an intelligence input about the presence of Maoists in the north Abujhmad (meaning unfamiliar land) region, a joint team of District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Border Security Force (BSF) left on the planned operation, said a police officer in Bastar. During the search campaign at around 8 am, an encounter resulted after the Maoists opened fire on the forces that came close to their hideout location. So far, five bodies of Maoists have been recovered from the encounter site, the officer added. The forces also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition. Intermittent firing continues, while troops have intensified their search operation in the region, the officer added. The two injured DRG personnel have been shifted to the hospital for immediate medical care. This year, so far, 197 bodies of Maoists have been recovered after they were neutralized by security forces in separate encounters in the conflict-ridden south Bastar zone. The security forces in Chhattisgarh are carrying out aggressive anti-Maoist operations under the new regime with a renewed strategy targeting the rebels in the areas considered their strongholds. Kanker and Narayanpur are among the seven Maoist-affected districts in the conflict-ridden zone of Bastar. Further details awaited.
5 Naxalites Killed, 2 Jawans Injured In Encounter In Chhattisgarh's Bastar Region
The two security personnel who sustained injuries in the exchange of fire were airlifted and brought to Raipur for treatment.
Five naxals killed, 2 security personnel hurt in Chhattisgarh
In a significant anti-Naxalite operation, five Maoists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Saturday morning in the forests of Abujhmarh, bordering Kanker and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. The operation, involving the Border Security Force (BSF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and Special Task Force (STF), began after specific intelligence about Maoist activity in the area. According to Bastar Range IG P. Sundarraj, the encounter started around 8 a.m., and intermittent gunfire continued throughout the day. Security forces recovered five automatic weapons, explosives, and the bodies of the slain Maoists. Their identification is pending. Two DRG personnel were injured in the gunfight and have been airlifted to Raipur for treatment. Officials confirmed their condition is stable. Chhattisgarh Deputy CM Arun Sao praised the forces, stating, The double-engine government is committed to making Bastar Naxal-free. Security forces are penetrating remote areas to neutralize Maoist threats and drive development. This encounter comes days after the recovery of three Maoist bodies, including a leader carrying an 8 lakh bounty, in Bijapur district. Further details on the operation are awaited.
NOK Air Flight from Hyderabad to Bangkok Declares Emergency After Bomb Threat
TELENGANA: A flight from Hyderabad to Bangkok declared an emergency early on Saturday, November 16,after receiving a bomb threat, authorities confirmed. NOK Air Flight DD959, scheduled to depart from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad to Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, was immediately diverted, and all passengers were safely deboarded. Mukesh, a Public Relations Officer for GMR, said, The flight declared an emergency this morning. All passengers were evacuated and moved to the terminal for security checks, while their luggage was unloaded and inspected. Earlier this week, a separate bomb threat caused a flight from Nagpur to Kolkata to make an emergency landing at Raipur Airport, triggering a thorough security check. A passenger was detained by Raipur police in connection with the incident. Security agencies are investigating multiple hoax bomb threats, but efforts to trace the culprits have not been successful. A senior official shared, We have been working with cyber experts and several teams, but our efforts have not led to any breakthroughs. It is confirmed that VPN services were used to send these threats. Initial investigations revealed that the bomb threats originated from European countries, but attempts to trace the IP addresses have come to a dead end. As part of heightened security measures, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has deployed a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) team at major airports to enhance safety protocols. Hoax Bomb Threat to School? Now Tiruchi Institutions Shut Down Amid Safety Concern IndiGo Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Raipur Following Bomb Threat
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Chhattisgarh: After 21 years, tribals plan to return to native place in Naxal-hit Abujhmad
Manjhi was the eighth BJP leader to have been killed by Maoists in the state in the past one year. (AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM) Manjhi was the eighth BJP leader to have been killed by Maoists in the state in the past one year. (AFP PHOTO / Noah SEELAM) Raipur: More than two decades after deserting their village due to Maoists, around 25 tribal families are planning to return to their native place in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district. Nearly 100 members of these families had left their homes in Gaarpa village located in Abujhmad after Naxalite started targeting them in 2003. They were then settled on the outskirts of Narayanpur town on a tract of government land, where they took up agriculture for livelihood. Now, 21 years after their desertion, these families recently visited their native place and have been planning to resettle there after police set up a camp there to facilitate development works and ensure security for local population. Abujhmad, bordering Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, was considered a Maoist fortress until recently. On October 4, security forces scripted their most successful anti-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh by gunning down 31 Naxalites during an encounter in the area. Leaving the ancestral land was never easy. We had no option but to flee for the sake of our lives. 60-year-old Sukkuram Nureti told PTI. Nureti's family was among the 25 families that left Gaarpa in April 2003. Nureti hails from the Abujhmaria community, a particularly vulnerable tribal group. Of the 80 families in the village, around 25 were followers of Gayatri Pariwar' and Naxalites objected to it. They threatened us with dire consequences if we did not quit following Gayatri Pariwar'. So we decided to leave the village, he said. Nureti said they always wanted to return. Now it seems our dream will come true as a police camp has been set up and things have started improving there, said Nureti, who has served as a member of Janpad panchayat in the past. Nureti and others who had left the village visited Gaarpa last week and opened a Lord Shiv temple that had remained shut since 2003. We are planning to resettle in the village as we have our farmland and homes there, he said. Making significant inroads into Abujhmad, the Chhattisgarh police have set up security camps in Gaarpa, Kasturmeta, Mastur, Irakbhatti, Mohanti and Horadi villages in the past eight months. The Gaarpa camp came up on October 22. According to police, the strategy of establishing these camps has pushed the Naxalites to a very limited area in the zone and facilitated development works in the region. Security camps in remote and Naxal-hit areas will help thousands of villagers avail the benefits of development works and welfare measures through Niyad Nellanar schemes, Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Prabhat Kumar said. Under Niyad Nellanar, the state government has been undertaking development works in interior villages within a 5-km radius of security camps. Tribals evicted by Naxals in villages around the newly set up camps have started returning to their homes, the SP said. Villagers who were earlier pressured by Naxals to oppose development projects are now demanding roads, mobile towers, health and schools. Positive results will be seen in the coming days due to the efforts of police and administration, he said. With a combined security and development push, nearly half of Abujhmad now has road accessibility. There is a target of providing road connectivity through Mad to Chhotebethia (Narayanpur) and Maharashtra, he said. We will connect Narayanpur to Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) and Chhotebethia within the next 18 months, the official said. After the establishment of six security camps, Principal Secretary of Chhattisgarh's Panchayat and Rural Development Department Niharika Barika recently visited five villages of Abhujmad, marking the first such trip by a top bureaucrat to the region. She travelled over 60 km on a motorcycle and reviewed more than 30 development projects, an official here said. Barika visited three Anganwadis, two schools, one health sub-centre and met grassroots development workers and flagged off bus service between Gaarpa and Narayanpur, he said. Spread over about 4,000 sq km, Abujhmad had been a den of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) as its dense forest served as a hideout for its leaders. The rebels' activities in Abujhmad have declined in recent years due to the increased presence of security forces and development works being carried out in the region, officials said.
Odisha: Another tigress brought from Maharashtra, released in soft enclosure in Similipal
Baripada: Another tigress brought from Maharashtra was released in a 'soft enclosure' in the core area of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha on Friday, officials said. The three-year-old tigress, named Zeenat, was brought to the STR on Thursday evening from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, they said. It was tranquilised on November 13 and then transported to Similipal by road via Raipur, Sambalpur and Jashipur, a senior forest official said. The tigress is healthy and active, he said. A special team of Odisha's Forest Department, comprising a veterinarian, a range officer, and an assistant conservator of forests, went to Maharashtra to bring the tigress. Another tigress was brought to Similipal on October 27 with the approval of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). It was kept in a quarantine before being released into the wild recently. The Forest Department is planning to bring six tigers from central India to supplement the big cat population in STR, which now has 27 tigers and 12 cubs, officials said. The tigers are being brought under the big cat supplementation project with the objective of introducing a new gene pool to the population at Similipal, they said.
Chhattisgarh floats new industrial development policy 2024-2030
RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai launched the states new Industrial Policy 2024-30 aimed at driving economic growth, generating employment and fostering sustainable industrial development. The initiative represents a crucial step toward improving both the economic and the social conditions of the state as the policy also aims to bring development to previously marginalised sections of society, providing them with opportunities to participate in the state's industrial growth. With an ingenious driven move for industrial growth, the policy intends to create a more equitable society with access to new opportunities, said the chief minister. The policy emphasised creating opportunities for youth, women, people with disabilities and marginalised communities, with several new initiatives designed to promote local employment, support entrepreneurs and attract investments to diverse sectors. For the first time, there are specific exemptions earmarked for women entrepreneurs, surrendered Maoists, members of the third gender, Agniveer soldiers, retired ex-servicemen and entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, offering them pathways to public and private sector employment. One of the key features of the policy is the focus on youth employment, with industries encouraged to hire locals and help them directly benefit from the states industrial growth. The thrust sectors have been divided into incentivised high-growth sectors, service sectors, general sectors and core sectors. The policy targets high-potential categories like pharmaceuticals, textiles, agriculture and food processing, non-wood forest products, green hydrogen, electronics, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, and solar energy, offering special incentives to attract investment. To further promote large-scale industrial development, the government has promised an additional 5 per cent grant to the first five anchor enterprises with an investment exceeding Rs 200 crore in these sectors. A foreign trade assistance centre to be set up in Raipur As per the policy, higher incentives will be provided for industrially underdeveloped blocks. To promote exports from the state, a Foreign Trade Assistance Centre will be set up in Raipur in collaboration with national-level institutions like IIFT, Kolkata. The state government will provide a training allowance of Rs 15,000 for each new employee hired by industries that employ more than 1,000 local workers, provided the employee remains employed for at least 12 months. The new industrial policy introduced unique measures aimed at rehabilitating and economically empowering surrendered Maoists. Under this provision, they will receive a 10 per cent subsidy to establish small and medium-scale enterprises. Special benefits are introduced for women and local youth interested in starting their businesses. Another standout feature of the policy is its provision for industries engaged in AI, robotics and computing. The policy addresses the revival of closed and sick industries, offering a special incentive package aimed at bringing these businesses back to life.
24 coastal villages in Odisha recognised by UNESCO as Tsunami Ready
Bhubaneswar: Twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha were recognised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready'. The recognition was given during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium held in Indonesia on November 11, a statement said. These villages are located in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam districts, it said. Besides, the Tsunami Ready Recognition Certificates were renewed for two villages in the state. These villages are Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district. They were recognised as Tsunami Ready in 2020. Various activities, including training of stakeholders, community awareness programmes, preparation of tsunami management plans, conducting mock drills and identification of evacuation routes, were done in these 24 tsunami-prone villages, the statement said. Members of the National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board, comprising scientists of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services and officers of NDMA, visited these coastal villages for verification of the 12 indicators on which they were adjudged in September. The NTRB members after verification of the indicators recommended IOC-UNESCO for recognising the communities of these 26 coastal villages of Odisha as Tsunami Ready Communities, the statement said. The government has identified 381 villages in the state as tsunami-prone. The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) was working to make the coastal communities of all tsunami-prone habitation as 'Tsunami Ready', officials said.
Servitors among 6 arrested for theft at famed Odisha temple
Berhampur: Four servitors were among the six persons arrested in connection with the theft of ornaments and cash from the revered Tara Tarini temple in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said on Friday. Silver ornaments worth Rs 10 lakh were stolen from the temple, a 'Shakta Pith' located on a hilltop in Purushottampur, on November 4. Among the items stolen were the crowns of the deities, a ceremonial umbrella and masks of the deities, according to police. The accused were identified as Amulya Rana (28), Bikash Rana (20), Rabin Kumar Rana of Gobindapur and Goutam Rana of Pratapur -- all servitors of the temple. The other two are the night watchmen of the temple, Kalia Dash (35) and Balaram Nayak (45) of Raipur. A cutter machine was seized from Kalia, while some electrical equipment was found with Balaram. A total of Rs 39,000 in cash was recovered from Amulya and Rabin, said SDPO (Purushottampur) Rajani Kanta Samal. He said the stolen silver ornaments could not be recovered from the accused persons. We are trying to recover the silver ornaments of the deities, he added. Samal said the investigation was continuing to find the other persons involved in the theft. The accused entered the temple by breaking the locks of the entrance gate. Besides stealing the silver ornaments, they had also taken cash from the 'hundi' or the donation box of the temple, police said. The matter came to light on the next morning. An investigation was started after the temple's managing committee lodged a police complaint. CCTV cameras have been installed at the temple following the theft.
Fake Bomb Alert on Nagpur-Kolkata Flight Forces Emergency Landing
Raipur: A flyer in the Nagpur- Kolkata Indigo flight on Thursday raised a fake bomb alert forcing its emergency landing in Swami Vivekanand Airport in Raipur, police said. According to the police, a passenger, identified as Animesh Mandal, approached one of the crew members of the flight when the plane was in the air and raised the bomb alert. This forced the flight to divert its route and make an emergency landing in Raipur airport. Police learnt through the Air Traffic Control (ATC) that a member of the crew of the Indigo flight 6E.812 got the information from a passenger, Animesh Mandal, about bomb in the plane, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Raipur district, Santosh Singh told this newspaper. The incident happened at around 8.40 in the morning. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Raipur police entered the plane and evacuated all the passengers. The security teams checked the plane, passengers and the baggage thoroughly and found no explosives or any suspicious things in the flight, he said. It proved to be a hoax, police said. The plane had 187 passengers and six crew members. Later, the Nagpur-based flyer Mandal was arrested in connection with the incident and produced before the local court.
Chhattisgarh Celebrates Janjatiya Gaurav Divas with Cultural Fest
Raipur: The two-day state level programme showcasing rich cultural heritage of various tribes of the country kicked off here on Thursday to mark the birth anniversary of adivasi freedom fighter Birsa Munda, falling on Friday. Chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the two-day grand event here. Artists from northeastern states and across the country are set to showcase their rich cultural heritage at the grand two-day event being organized to observe the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on Friday as a mark of respect to revered tribal leader Birsa Munda, a spokesman of the Chhattisgarh government said. Prime Minister Narenda Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, scheduled to be observed across the country on Friday, virtually from Jamui in Jharkhand. The Janjatiya Gaurav Divas will be observed in all the districts in the state on Friday, Mr Sai said here. Artists from five northeastern states- Meghalaya, Mizoram, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim- have already arrived here to give their performances during the period. These northeastern artists are scheduled to celebrate the diverse colours of their culture by presenting folk dances such as Wangla-Rungla, Ret-Kinong, Geh PadamA Na-Nyi E, and Solkia. A senior state government officer said 21 tribal dance troupes from 20 states are scheduled to perform on the occasion.
Passenger arrested following bomb threat in Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight
RAIPUR: A bomb threat that led a Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight making an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning turned out to be a hoax. The flight left for its destination after thorough security checks of the entire aircraft by authorities and bomb squad for over three hours found nothing suspicious. The accused is a passenger Nilesh Mandal, 40, on board the same flight. He told one of the crew members that there is a dynamite placed inside the plane. Following the bomb threat the Kolkata-bound aircraft was diverted to Raipur. The accused is being interrogated at local Mana police station, said Santosh Singh, Raipur senior superintendent of police. The Raipur police had lodged an FIR following the compliant by the airport authority. Mandal has been taken into custody for interrogation and he will soon be produced in the Raipur court later today, the police said. Since last month, over 400 domestic and international flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats. And most of the threats were issued through social media.
IIM Raipur Inviting Applications For PhD In Management Practice Track
The deadline to complete the application process for admission to the PhD programme has been extended until November 17, 2024.
Union Min Mansukh Mandaviya announces new sports stadium in Chhattisgarh to groom tribal talents
RAIPUR: Union youth affairs and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced the construction of a state-of-the-art futuristic sports stadium in the remote tribal belt of Jashpur district to find talent among tribals and nurture them for national and international games. The announcement was made ahead of the undertaking Bhagwan Birsa Munda Mati Ke Veer Padyatra (foot march) along with the chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, his cabinet colleagues, eminent citizens, MY Bharat Youth Volunteers and people from a cross-section of society as part of 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' celebration in Chhattisgarh. The occasion aimed to create a platform for youth to connect with, understand and respect the rich legacy of Indias tribal heritage. The padyatra commenced from Komodo village and culminated at Ranjeet stadium covering a distance of around 7 km. The event commemorated the tribal heritage, promoting inclusivity and raising awareness about government schemes benefiting the tribal communities. The key highlights of the padyatra in Jashpur were tribal cultural performances, an exhibition on tribal movements, awareness kiosks, artistic engagements, celebrating youth contributions, a tribute to tribal leaders, taking delight in tribal foods and recognition of tribal excellence. The occasion also witnessed a tree plantation activity besides the live workshops to offer an interactive experience with tribal dance, music, literature and food. The life of legendary tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa Munda, who fought and sacrificed his life for the country's freedom at the age of 25, serves as an inspiration for all, said Mandaviya as he urged the youths to take a pledge to fulfil the dream of a development India and promote social welfare. CM Vishnu Deo Sai praised the tribal society that always defended the glory of its culture against every threat. It is a matter of great pride for Chhattisgarh and Jashpur to host the event on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, said the CM while conveying his gratitude to PM Narendra Modi for declaring November 15 as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas' in honour of Birsa Munda. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai further stated that Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and PM-JANMAN scheme are being implemented for the welfare of tribal communities. The PM will inaugurate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas for Chhattisgarhs Tribal Pride Day celebration via a live virtual connection to the state-level ceremony on Friday.
IndiGo Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Raipur Following Bomb Threat
An IndiGo flight traveling from Nagpur to Kolkata made an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning, November 14, 2024, after a bomb threat was reported. The flight, carrying 187 passengers and six crew members, was diverted to Raipur following the alert, police said. The threat was received by airport authorities, prompting immediate action. Raipurs Senior Superintendent of Police, Santosh Singh, confirmed the aircraft had been redirected to Chhattisgarhs capital after taking off from Nagpur. The flight landed safely in Raipur just after 9 am and was directed to an isolation bay for security checks. The technical team and bomb squad immediately began a thorough inspection of the aircraft, the police official said. This incident comes amid rising concerns over hoax bomb threats. Last month, at least 410 flights, both domestic and international, were affected by similar threats, most of which were made through social media channels. Hoax Bomb Threat to School? Now Tiruchi Institutions Shut Down Amid Safety Concerns Another Hoax Bomb Threat Disrupts Air India Flight; Investigation Underway
IndiGo Nagpur-Kolkata flight gets bomb threat
An IndiGo flight carrying 187 passengers and six crew members made an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning after a bomb threat was received. The aircraft, which had taken off from Nagpur for Kolkata, was diverted to Raipur after airport authorities received the threat. The plane landed at the airport in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur after 9 am and was immediately taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks. The aircraft is being thoroughly checked by the technical staff and bomb squad.
Nagpur-Kolkata IndiGo flight makes emergency landing in Raipur after bomb threat
Raipur: A Kolkata-bound IndiGo flight with 187 passengers and six crew members onboard made an emergency landing at Raipur airport on Thursday morning following a bomb threat to the aircraft, police said. The aircraft, which had taken off from Nagpur for Kolkata, was diverted after airport authorities received the threat, Raipur's Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said. The plane landed at the airport in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur after 9 am and was immediately taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks, the official said. The aircraft was being thoroughly checked by the technical staff and bomb squad, he said.
IndiGo Nagpur-Kolkata flight makes emergency landing in Raipur after bomb threat
The aircraft, which had taken off from Nagpur for Kolkata, was diverted after airport authorities received the threat, Raipur's Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said
Chhattisgarh governments paddy procurement drive at MSP begins today
RAIPUR: The Vishnu Deo Sai government is set to procure paddy at the minimum support price (MSP) from Thursday. The process will continue till January 31, 2025 in the ongoing Kharif season. Ahead of upcoming polls of urban bodies and a three-tier panchayats, the paddy procurement assumes significance in shaping the opinion of the farmers for the ruling party. Preparations have been put in place in all 2,739 procurement centres across the state, said Food Minister Dayal Das Baghel. The process will be carried out through a biometric-based system to ensure transparency and the farmers will be given tokens as per their eligibility. A helpline number has been issued and a control room set up to attend the complaints of farmers in paddy procurement centres. The government has raised the paddy procurement estimated target to 160 lakh metric ton (LMT), the highest so far. The total registered paddy growers this year are more than 27 lakh. The state has also witnessed a significant increase in the net sown paddy area with a total 34.52 lakh hectare, an increase of over a lakh hectare this year. Paddy procurement remains a major political issue in Chhattisgarh, which is cited as the rice bowl of Central India.
Chhattisgarh Assembly By-elections: Moderate Polling in Raipur City South Seat
Raipur: By-polls to the Raipur City Assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh, which witnessed moderate polling on Wednesday, holds significance for the chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai considering the fact that it is the first election in his 11-month-old tenure. The by-election has recorded voters turnout of around 46.43 percent by five pm, sources in the chief electoral officers office here said. The by-election has passed off peacefully, sources said. The ruling BJP has made the performance of the Vishnu Deo Sai government in the last eleven months particularly the implementation of various welfare schemes including the Rs 1,000 per month incentive for women, a major poll plank to retain the seat. The seat, held by the BJP for the last 34 years, has fallen vacant when the sitting MLA and veteran saffron leader Brij Mohan Agrawal was elected to the Lok Sabha in the recent elections. Mr Agrawal has been winning from the seat since 1990 making it an impregnable fort for BJP. For the first time in 34 years, BJP has fielded a new candidate Sunil Kumar Soni, a former MP from Raipur LS seat, in the seat in this by-poll following election of Mr Agrawal to the LS. The Vishnu Deo Sai government has provided good governance. We are banking on the performance of our government in the state particularly the implementation of pro-poor and pro-women schemes to retain the seat in the by-elections, BJP spokesman Anurag Agrawal said. Congress has fielded the state youth wing president of the party Akash Sharma to take on Mr Soni in a multi-cornered contest in the seat. A senior Congress leader said that the party eyed around 40,000-strong Brahmin votes by fielding Mr Sharma, a Brahmin, in the by-elections in the constituency. Besides, the party was trying hard to woo 25,000 Muslim voters and 12,000 dalit voters to support the Congress candidate in the by-elections, he added. Mr Agrawal had won the seat in the last Assembly polls by a record margin of 1.09 lakh votes.
Chhattisgarh NEET PG 2024: Merit list and seat allotment dates announced
The Directorate of Medical Education (DME) Raipur has released the Chhattisgarh NEET PG Counselling schedule for 2024. The merit list will be published on November 19, 2024, and will include candidates eligible for further counselling rounds. The process includes registration, choice filling, seat allotment, and final admission, conducted over several phases. Candidates are advised to stay updated with the official site for detailed information on deadlines and procedures.
November brings multiple school holidays due to key events and festivals, providing students with several breaks following Diwali. Raipur schools and banks will observe a holiday on 13th November due to assembly elections. On 14th November, Childrens Day will be celebrated with various activities in schools. The festive week concludes with Guru Nanak Jayanti on 15th November, observed as a public holiday in some states. Students and families have opportunities to enjoy and celebrate.
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police get three-day transit remand of accused Faizan Khan
Mumbai Police arrested Faizan Khan, a Raipur resident, in connection with a death threat and extortion case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan. Khan, who allegedly demanded 50 lakh, claims his phone was lost and a police complaint was filed. He has been remanded in police custody until November 15.
Lawyer Faizan Khan nabbed from Chhattisgarh for threatening Shah Rukh Khan
Mumbai: A man named Mohammad Faizan Khan, who gave out death threats to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, was arrested from Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. The accused, a lawyer, was arrested from his residence in Chhattisgarhs Raipur, TV reports said. Faizan Khan made a threat call to Bollywoods Badshah and also demanded Rs 50 lakh. He Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Death threat to Shah Rukh Khan: Mumbai police arrest lawyer from Raipur
As per preliminary information, the threat call to the actor was made by a phone number registered in the name of Faizan, says Raipur's Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police detain lawyer from Raipur
The Mumbai Police on Tuesday detained a suspect in relation to the death threats made against Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan , news agency ANI reported. The suspect has been identified as Faizan Khan, a resident of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. He is currently being questioned by the cops after allegedly making a threatening call demanding a ransom from the Bollywood star. According to officials, the caller claimed to be outside Khans residence, Mannat, and demanded Rs 50 lakh, threatening the actors life if his demand was not met. Alarmed by the call, the Mumbai Police swiftly registered a case and dispatched a team to Raipur to investigate the matter. More details regarding the suspect have not been disclosed yet. A case has been registered under sections 308(4) (extortion involving threats of death or serious injury) and 351(3)(4) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Meanwhile, the suspect, who is a lawyer by profession has denied involvement in the threat. He claimed his phone was stolen on November 2, and the threat call made from his number was part of a larger conspiracy against him. The Mumbai police will produce Faizan in a Raipur court seeking his transit remand, Raipur's Senior Superintendent of Police Santosh Singh said. Salman Khan gets new death threat from Lawrence Bishnoi gang The threat to Shah Rukh Khan follows a series of threats issued to fellow actor Salman Khan, allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Earlier on October 24, Mumbai Police arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore. The police registered a case against an unknown person and started an investigation after Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message. Both actors have been surrounded by tight security for a while now. Salman was upgraded to Y+ security especially after a firing incident outside his residence in April this year. This is not the first time, Shah Rukh Khan got a threat call. In October last year too, he received death threats after the success of his films Pathaan and Jawan . The actor had lodged a written complaint with the Maharashtra Police regarding this, after which he was given Y+ security. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)
SRK death threat case: Raipur lawyer arrested
The lawyer told the police that he lost his phone a week before and had filed a police complaint, the official said.
Death threat to Shah Rukh Khan: Police arrest lawyer from Raipur
Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Tuesday arrested a man from Chhattisgarh for allegedly issuing a death threat to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The suspect is currently being questioned by the police officials. Last week, the Mumbai Police received a call threatening Shah Rukh at the Bandra station. The caller even demanded Rs 50 lakh, following which the police registered a case and dispatched a team to Raipur for further investigation. More details regarding the suspect have not been disclosed yet. The threat to Shah Rukh follows a series of threats issued to fellow friend and Bollywood star Salman Khan, allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Earlier on October 24, Mumbai Police arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore. The police registered a case against an unknown person and started an investigation after Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message. Both actors have been surrounded by tight security for a while now. Salman was upgraded to Y+ security especially after a firing incident outside his residence in April this year. The firing incident took place on April 14 outside Salman's residence at Galaxy Apartments in the Bandra area of Mumbai. The subsequent arrests revealed connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, leading the Mumbai Police to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against all involved in the shooting. Earlier, police said that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's brother, Anmol Vishnoi, played a key role in motivating the shooters. After receiving weapons delivery in Panvel on March 15, 2024, Anmol provided the shooters with the target's information, instructing them to carry out the firing at the actor's residence. The planned firing incident was executed as per instructions, during which the shooters received a total of Rs 3 lakh. In October, politician Baba Siddique was shot multiple times while he was leaving his son's Bandra office on October 12. The Nationalist Congress Party leader and former minister succumbed to injuries at the hospital shortly after the attack. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the attack. The demise of Baba Siddique and death threats to stars like Salman and SRK have raised concern among fans.
Shah Rukh Khan death threat: Mumbai police arrest accused from Chhattisgarh's Raipur
Mohammad Faizan Khan, a lawyer from his residence in Raipur was arrested after he failed to appear before the Mumbai police.
HC puts Chhattisgarh govt on notice over tiger death
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court on Monday expressed concern over the recent death of a tiger in Baikunthpur forest, approximately 350 km north of Raipur, and sought an affidavit from the state on the measures taken to protect wildlife. Initiating a suo motu public interest litigation to address the issue, a division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice A K Prasad directed the additional chief secretary (Forest & Climate Change) to submit the response before the next meeting, scheduled for November 21. When the wildlife and environment are being destroyed then what remains in Chhattisgarh! If the forest and wildlife that remain treasure for the state are not safeguarded then why will the visitors come. There should be a personal affidavit submitted regarding the steps and action taken to preserve the wildlife, said the Chief Justice. A male tiger died after it was poisoned in suspected poaching at Baikunthpur forest adjoining the Guru Ghasidas National Park, near the bank of the Khankopar close to Devshil Katwar forest village in north Chhattisgarh on November 8.
IAF veteran, witness to 1971 Pak surrender, dies at 89 in Raipur
Wing Commander M B Ojha (retd), a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 wars, passed away in Raipur at 89. He was present at the surrender of the Pakistan army in Bangladesh in 1971 and is seen in the iconic picture of the event. Chhattisgarh's governor and chief minister paid tribute to the air warrior.
Chhattisgarh: Elephant Calf Hurt in Potash Bomb Blast at USTR
Raipur: An elephant calf was injured in a bomb explosion in Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) in Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh, a senior forest officer said on Monday. The incident came to light on November seven when the local forest ranger received reports of blood stains in a vast patch of area in the Risgaon forest range where movements of 38-40 elephants were noticed, the forest officer said. A team of forest officers rushed to the area and found splinters of potash bomb, blood stains and pugmarks of elephants at the spot, deputy director of USTR Varun Jain told this newspaper. A three-day search involving dog squad and drone surveillance has led to disclosure that an elephant calf was injured in the potash bomb explosion, he said. The calf was found injured in its jaw and legs during the drone surveillance on Sunday, Mr Jain said. It is yet to be ascertained if the injured calf had stepped on the bomb leading to the explosion or if the bomb was detonated by suspected poachers targeting the baby pachyderm, a forest officer said. The poachers might have planted the bomb to hunt wild boars and the elephant calf became the victim, Mr Jain said. An investigation was on into it. A part of USTR is known to be Maoist-infested. Mr Jain however ruled out the possibility of Maoists involvement in the incident saying that the ultras usually use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for explosion, not potash bombs. A police case has been registered in the incident. Meanwhile, the injured elephant calf has been spotted with an elephant herd and a rescue operation was launched to separate the calf from the herd for its treatment, Mr Jain said.
Campaign Ends for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh By-Elections
Bhopal : Campaigning for the November 13 Assembly by-elections to two constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and one seat in Chhattisgarh ended on Monday evening. The upcoming by-elections to two Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh have generated much interest in the state for different reasons. Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans political legacy has been put to test in the by-elections to the Budhni Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh since his protg and former MP Ramakant Bhargav is seeking election from the seat, vacated by the former following his election to the Lok Sabha in the last polls. The Congress has fielded veteran leader Raj Kumar Patel, who was a minister in the Digvijay Singh cabinet, in the seat to take on Mr Bhargav. The Assembly constituency has a sizeable number of Karar community and both Mr Chouhan and Mr Patel belonged to the community. Congress feels that the party can at least divide Karar votes by fielding Mr Patel. Besides, Mr Patel who represented the Assembly seat in 1993 is considered the best bet for the party to give Mr Bhargav a run for his money in the by-elections, a Congress functionary said here on Monday. The BJP has however ruled out the possibility of Mr Patel dividing the Karar community votes in the by-elections. Mr Chouhan who represented Budhni five times has a strong sway over the people in the constituency. His influence over the voters in the constituency has remained undiminished in the last two decades, a BJP functionary said here. In the last Assembly polls, he had won the seat with a record margin of 1,64, 951 votes. In fact, his political legacy is put to test in the by-elections to Budhni, another BJP leader said. By-polls to Budhni necessitated the election of Mr Chouhan, sitting MLA, to the LS in the last elections. The second seat which is going to Assembly by-elections in Madhya Pradesh is Vijaypur where state forest minister Ram Niwas Rawat is seeking re-election from the seat as a BJP candidate. Mr Rawat, an eight-time MLA from the seat, had won the seat in the November 2023 Assembly elections as a Congress candidate. He however switched over to the BJP before the last LS elections and resigned from the house, necessitating the by-elections to Vijaypur. He is pitted against Mukesh Malhotra, a tribal leader, by Congress. In Raipur (South) Assembly seat in Chhattisgarh, BJP has fielded sitting MLA and former minister Brij Mohan Agrawals protg Sunil Soni to retain the constituency. Eight-time MLA Mr Agrawal was elected to LS in the last LS polls necessitating the by-elections to the Assembly seat. Congress has fielded youth leader Akash Sharma to take on Mr Soni.
Campaigning ends for Raipur City South assembly seat bypoll; voting on Nov 13
Raipur: The campaigning for the bypoll to the Raipur City South assembly constituency in Chhattisgarh ended on Monday evening with leaders from both ruling BJP and the opposition Congress making a final bid to woo voters. BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Soni, a former Lok Sabha MP and Raipur Mayor, is locked in a straight fight against Congress nominee Akash Sharma, a young face and state president of the party's youth wing, in the prestigious seat, where voting will take place on November 13. The seat fell vacant after the sitting BJP MLA and former state minister Brijmohan Agrawal resigned following his election to the Lok Sabha from Raipur in this year's parliamentary polls. Agrawal had won from Raipur City South in the 2023 assembly polls. The canvassing concluded at 6 pm, and now candidates can undertake door-to-door campaigning before polling starts on Wednesday morning, an election official here said. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Agrawal spearheaded canvassing for the BJP candidate, while former CM Bhupesh Baghel, Congress state in-charge Sachin Pilot and the party's state unit president Deepak Baij campaigned for the main opposition party's nominee. At the hustings, the BJP highlighted pro-women and pro-farmers measures taken by the Sai government, which included launching of the 'Mahtari Vandan Yojna' under which married women are being provided monthly assistance of Rs 1,000. The Congress, during its campaign, accused BJP candidate Soni of being inactive during his tenure as the Raipur MP (2019 to 2024) and targeted the Sai government, which assumed office in December last year, over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. On the last day of the campaigning, Chief Minister Sai held a roadshow in the constituency. Though there are 30 candidates in the fray for the bypoll, the main fight is between the Congress and BJP nominees. There are 2,71,169 electors in the constituency, including 1,33,800 men, 1,37,317 women and 52 transgenders. A total of 253 polling booths have been set up for the bypoll and five companies of security personnel will be deployed to maintain law and order during the election, officials said. Vote count will take place on November 23. In the last year's assembly elections, the BJP had registered a landslide victory by winning 54 out of 90 seats in the astate. The Congress, then in power, had won 35 seats, while the Gondwana Gantantra Party had emerged victorious in one assembly segment.
Elephant Calf hurt in suspected bomb blast in Chhattisgarh forest
Gariaband: An elephant calf sustained injuries in a suspected bomb explosion at the Udanti-Sitandi Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Director Varun Jain, on Monday informed that they had received information about a large amount of blood in an area designated for elephant herd. An anti-poaching team conducted the probe and discovered that the blood stains were spread across six kilometres at least, Jain said, adding that the injured calf was merely five to six years old. From the area near Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, we received information that a large amount of blood was spotted in an area where the herd of elephants was roaming. When the anti-poaching team conducted the probe, we traced the blood stains for foot marks for 6-7 km. We realised that it was an elephant that was injured. Through drone visuals, our staff spotted an elephant calf which is 5-6 years old, the Director of the Wildlife Refuge said. The calf was injured and its jaw was swollen and it sported an injury in its leg, Jain said, adding that they recovered the remains of the potassium bomb from the area. Its jaw is swollen up and there is injury in its leg as well. We also found the remaining potassium bomb. From this, it can be assumed that the (elephant) calf got injured either by chewing on the bomb or stepping on it. We have called a doctor team from Raipur, dog squad has also been called, he said. We are looking for a hunter. We have declared a Rs 10,000 reward for those who give any information regarding the hunters. We have also given a complaint to the Police regarding the explosive item. We were only able to trace the injured calf till now. Through a thermal drone, we will find out the extent of the injury. We will tranquilise the calf if required (to provide treatment). We have asked permission for the same. Jain said. The Reserve Director said that it was a common practice among hunters to place the potassium bombs to hunt wild boars. However, we will have to find out the intent whether it was meant for the elephant or the wild boar, he said.
Two Children Killed in Elephant Attack in Chhattisgarh Village
Raipur: Two children including a girl were on Sunday trampled to death by a herd of elephants in a forest in Surajpur district in Chhattisgarh, officials said. An 11-member herd raided a make-shift house in the forested village of Chitkhoi under Premnagar area falling under Surajpur forest division early on Sunday morning when seven-member-family of Bhikhu Pondo were sleeping, a forest officer quoting the survivor said. Bhikhu and his wife along with three of their five children managed to escape, but two others could not flee. The elephant herd trampled the two children to death and destroyed the house, a forest office said. The two slain children have been identified as Bishnu Pondo (11) and Kajol (five). Total nine people have died due to elephant attacks in separate incidents so far in Chhattisgarh in the last 25 days.
Chhattisgarh Roads to Match US Quality in Two Years: Gadkari
RAIPUR: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that road networks of Chhattisgarh will match that of America in quality in two years. Addressing the 83rd annual convention of Indian Road Congress here, Mr Gadkari, who holds the portfolio of road transport and highways at the Centre, said that the Centre laid emphasis on quality while implementing various road projects in Chhattisgarh and other states. While announcing road projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for Chhattisgarh, Mr Gadkari declared that the road networks of Chhattisgarh will match that of America in quality in two years. The Union minister also encouraged eco-friendly innovations like bamboo crash barriers and biofuel, supporting sustainable development of rural farmers. He highlighted self-reliant technology of making a bamboo crash barrier in Chhattisgarh and said that this eco-friendly innovation has the capacity to replace steel. Mr Gadkari called for the use of bamboo crash barriers instead of iron in construction works in Chhattisgarh to encourage the farmers to go for bamboo cultivation. We have made bio vitamins from straw and it is being used in Meghalaya. Recently in Panipat, we have started making 1,000 liters of bio vitamin and bio aviation fuel from straw. In Chhattisgarh also, similar works should be done, he said. Mr Gadkari stressed the importance of cost-effective and high-quality works to help India become a self-reliant, five trillion-economy. He also emphasized the need for concerted efforts to reduce road accidents by improving road engineering and prioritizing road safety during construction of the roads. Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that the development vision of Chhattisgarh is aligned with Indias goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and doubling its GSDP by 2028.
Raipur: A platoon commander of peoples liberation guerrilla army (PLGA) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), carrying a bounty of Rs eight lakh, was among three Naxals slain in the November eight encounter in Bijapur district in south Bastar of Chhattisgarh, police said on Saturday. One of the three Maoists slain in Fridays Bijapur encounter has been identified as Joga Madvi, commander of platoon number ten of PLGA, Bastar inspector general of police P Sunderraj said. Joga was in the rank of divisional committee (DVC) member of the outlawed outfit and carried a bounty of Rs eight lakh on his head, he said. The other two Maoists killed in the encounter were yet to be identified, he added. The encounter had taken place in the Rekapalli- Kamatpalli forest, considered the core area of Maoists in Bastar. Acting on specific intelligence inputs on the presence of around 30-40 armed Maoists including platoon number nine commander Bijja and Usoor Local Operation Squad (LOS) commander Deva, a joint search operation involving district reserve guard (DRG), special task force (STF) and CRPFs Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was launched in Usoor- Pamed- Basaguda area in the district on November eight, according to Bijapur district superintendent of police Dr Jitendra Yadav. The encounter had taken place in the Rekapalli- Kammapalli jungle at around 11 am on Friday, leading to the killing of three Maoists. One sniper SLR rifle, one sniper weapon, one 12 bore rifle, one pistol, two country-made rifles, and explosives were recovered at the encounter site. According to Mr Sunderraj, 192 Maoists including 67 women were killed and 782 Naxals arrested in Bastar in the current year so far. As many as 783 ultras have surrendered during the period. Security forces have recovered total 246 weapons including three light machine guns (LMGs), nine AK47s, ten SLRs, eight Insas rifles, 13 numbers of 303 rifles, ten pistols, and 22 Barrel Grenade Launcher (BGL) rifles were recovered in different encounters with Maoists in Bastar during the period.
Tiger found dead in suspected poaching, third since 2022 in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: The death of a male tiger under mysterious circumstances at Baikunthpur forest adjoining the Guru Ghasidas National Park, about 350 km north of Raipur, has bewildered the Chhattisgarh State Forest Department. This is the third tiger death in the state since 2022 and the second suspected poaching reported this year after a tiger was killed in January in the same area. Chhattisgarh has witnessed a depressing record in the Save the Tiger mission with the big cat population in the state going down by around 59 per cent from 46 in 2014 to 19 according to the 2019 tiger census report. But officials now claimed to have improved the tally to 23 tigers. A team of doctors conducted a post-mortem of the tiger, which was found dead by locals near the bank of river Khankopar close to Devshil Katwar forest village in north Chhattisgarh. However, officials have not divulged any piece of information from the autopsy report amid conflicting inputs citing missing teeth and claws from the tigers carcass. The deceased tiger was believed to be seven years old. Three poachers arrested for poisoning two tigers to death in Tamil Nadu Officials suspected the tiger was poisoned two or three days ago and claimed all body parts were found intact. A hunt has also been launched by the forest team to track down the poachers. The state cabinet in August this year cleared the expansion of Guru Ghasidas National Park and creation of Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which awaits official notification, spanning an area of 2829.38 sq km after the approval was earlier secured from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Chhattisgarh, which was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in November 2000, has three tiger reserves. A forest officer on condition of anonymity stressed the need for strengthening the dedicated efforts of the staff with effective monitoring and control. If the element of fear vanishes on the field, we will not be getting encouraging figures on saving tigers in Chhattisgarh, he said. Tiger found dead in MP's Bandhavgarh reserve, second big cat death in a week
Centre earns over Rs 650 cr revenue from scrap disposal during special cleanliness campaign
New Delhi: The Centre has earned over Rs 650 crore from disposal of scrap during the recently-concluded cleanliness campaign, an official statement issued on Saturday said. The special campaigns conducted by the government from 2021-24 have generated a revenue of Rs 2,364 crore through disposal of scrap, it said. Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that the special campaign 4.0 was India's largest campaign for institutionalising swachhata and reducing pendency in the government offices and has witnessed many best practices and milestones. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directions, the saturation approach was adopted in special campaign 4.0 for swachhata and reducing pendency. Special campaign 4.0 generated revenues of more than Rs 650 crore in the October 2-31, 2024 period, said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry. The special campaign 4.0 has seen swachhata campaigns being undertaken in more than 5.97 lakh sites and has resulted in freeing 190 lakh square feet of space for effective office use, it added. Singh said with every passing year, the size and scale of the special campaign is increasing with more than 5.97 lakh sites covered in 2024 as against 2.59 lakh sites in 2023. The special campaign 4.0 was reviewed by the cabinet ministers, ministers of state and secretaries to the government of India providing leadership and guidance in implementation. The progress of special campaign 4.0 was monitored on a dedicated portal (https:cdpm.nic.in/SpecialCampaign4) on a daily basis. Singh appreciated the reduction in pendency in the central secretariat under the special campaign 4.0 with most of the ministries/ departments achieving 90-100 per cent of reported targets. He called on all officials to continue the momentum of special campaign 4.0 throughout the year and make it a way of life. Special campaign 4.0 concluded on October 31, 2024 with outstanding results and after collating all the data, the evaluation phase will start from November 14, the statement said. Some of the best practices in institutionalising swachhata that emerged in the Special campaign 4.0 are Curative preservation of Manuscript 'Ramayana', Asiatic Society, Kolkata, Ministry of Mines, Art sculpture made out of waste aluminium, JNARDCC, Nagpur, Ministry of Mines, Crafting a 12.5 feet tall idol of Lord Ganesha with scrap material, Raipur, Ministry of Railways and Disposal of about 105.72 lakh sticks of smuggled cigarettes worth Rs 8.7 crores by CBIC among others.
