Nayachar finally to get eco-tourism & industrial hub

28 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 28 OCT: The state government has agreed to allot 350 acres to Mr Prasoon Mukherjee-promoted Universal Success Enterprises (USE) for setting up an industrial park and eco-tourism infrastructure at Nayachar, an island on the Hooghly river off Haldia in East Midnapore.
Of 350 acres, the state government has agreed to give 250 acres at the industrial town of Haldia and the rest 100 acres will be provided at a place near Panagarh in Burdwan, said an official of Haldia Development Authority (HDA) under which jurisdiction the major land will fall.
In August this year, the state government had announced the scrapping of a proposed PCPIR project at Nayachar island. The project was scrapped on environmental grounds and at the same time, the state government had assured that an eco-tourism project would come up in its place.
“The government will not allow a chemical hub in the state because of threat of air and land pollution and also since it threatens the livelihood of fishermen,” Mr Partha Chatterjee, the state industry minister, had said. He also announced that the island would be developed for eco-tourism and the interests of fishermen inhabiting the island would be protected.
Mr Mukherjee, who had come to an agreement with the erstwhile Left Front government to construct a chemical hub at Nayachar, had sought compensation to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore after the Left Front government transferred 54 sqkm in Nayachar to a joint venture between Mr Mukherjee’s firm and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) to conduct feasibility studies. But, later Indonesia’s Salim Group, which was to be one of the key investors in the project, pulled out and USE became the sole private investor in the Nayachar project.
After the Trinamul Congress came to power earlier this year, the chemical hub project was scrapped and replaced by the eco-tourism one. Mr Mukherjee agreed with the Trinamul Congress’ views on Nayachar project and submitted a new project proposal, which envisages setting up an industrial park and infrastructure for eco-tourism, besides a power plant.
“A revised agreement for the projects at Nayachar island is to be signed, and the draft, which is ready to furnish, envisages 250-350 acres being given to USE as viability gap compensation,” a HDA official said.
Meanwhile, people who deal in fishing business, however, said: “Nayachar is around 5.6 metres above the average mean sea level and regularly hit by tidal waves as high as 4-5 metres. The ground stands risky for any sort of industrial project and unless the proposed project has definitive water disposal plan to deliver the residue wastes downstream which will not harm the marine lives, it will be difficult to maintain the environmental and ecological balance of the island.”

Schools flout RTE Act with impunity

25 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 25 OCT: The rules of Right to Education (RTE) Act have been laid down but not everyone is in a mood to follow them. Several prominent schools in West Midnapore have been flouting the rules with impunity in the absence of any guideline and a mechanism to enforce the provisions of the Act.
The state education minister has clearly stated that stringent action would be taken if any school, irrespective of affiliation to any board, flouts the rules and conducts admission test. Even schools till Class VI come under the Act. Concerned over this, the district inspector of schools (secondary) in East Midnapore has already issued a notice (no. 613-S-dt 21.10.11) to all schools asking them to follow the RTE Act properly, while no notification has been issued from the part of West Midnapore yet.
This apart, students and parents from the economically-weaker sections of society are still finding it tough to use the RTE Act effectively. Instances of alleged expulsion, mental harassment and misbehaviour have been reported against some private un-aided schools. In rural areas of the district, especially in Junglemahal, several school owners and principals are not even aware of the guidelines. “I had to shell out Rs 25,000 as donation, besides the usual funds and fee for admission of my son in a leading school of Midnapore town,” said Mr Rathin Basak (name changed on request).
Similarly, a leading school in Midnapore has been conducting a test for students seeking admission in Classes V, VI, VII and VIII. A teacher of a leading school in Kharagpur said their school had no official word on the new directions and hence had gone ahead with the entrance test for classes under eighth standard.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recently slammed the state government for not implementing the RTE Act in the state. The statement also said the state had not yet prepared the rules of the Act. This is so “even though the last three years have seen allocation of up to Rs 4,000 crore for implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the state,” it said.
Some parents of students in Midnapore alleged that many schools in the districts are deliberately conducting admission tests, while no action has been taken against the school authorities yet. Concerned over the matter, the Chhatra Parishad plans to submit a memorandum to the district inspector of schools (secondary) on Thursday with a demand for immediate implementation of the Act in every school.

Goon-raj at Haldia port hits trade

23 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 23 OCT: Despite regular patrolling and inspection by the police, incidents of pilferage and sabotage by anti-social elements are frequent in Haldia. Regular theft of high value cargo like iron ore fines, sugar and coal in broad daylight from outside port premises has reached such an alarming proportion that if immediate action is not taken, the economy of trade and shipping will be disturbed. Some iron ore traders allege the pilferage sometimes goes up to 10 per cent of the parcel load of ships and the monthly value of only iron ore pilfered from around 500 trucks and dumpers everyday is around Rs 22.50 crore.
Haldia port, which is facing an unprecedented financial crisis owing to low draft, handled cargo traffic of 41.5 million tons during 2008-09. This time, owing to decline in draft and commissioning of Haldia-Paradeep Crude Pipeline by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), the traffic for the current financial year is slated to be 31.5 million tons only, a senior port official said.
Sources in Haldia port said iron ore constitutes 20 per cent of the total cargo handle at Haldia port and if the pilferage of cargo does not stop immediately trade and industry will be left with no alternative but to shift to other neighbouring ports like Paradeep and Visakhapatnam.
Hooghly Metcoke, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Sree Renuka Sugars, Ennore Coke Limited and many other companies which use Haldia port are not able to move their cargo freely because of broad daylight theft of their materials outside the port area. These industries are already contemplating to shift their base to other, safer, locations, said a senior port official. Trade bodies like Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) have already taken up the matter with the port authority and state administration earlier, but no steps against iron ore mafias in Haldia have been taken beside the recent arrest of the CPI-M councillor of Haldia municipality and iron ore exporter, Sheikh Mujaffar.
Mr Mujaffar’s elder son, according to sources, too is accused of illegally dealing in iron ore. Normally iron ore is transported through trucks or dumpers from Kharagpur to Haldia for export. Gangs led by some prominent mafias hijack the trucks and bring them to their storehouses which are situated near the port. After unloading a good quantity of high grade iron ore from the trucks or dumpers, they mix impurities in the rest and send it on to the port. “This process is taking place every day, under the nose of district and port administration, but no proper steps have been taken so far against these mafias,” said an industrialist. He said: “The Central Bureau of Investigation has recently begun a probe into the alleged iron-ore export scam through various ports, including Haldia, in which miners use the railways for sending their export consignments to the ports as meant for domestic consumption. The pilferage of high quality cargos should also be probed by a proper investigating agency here

Security of Junglemahal MLAs, leaders enhanced

20 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 20 OCT: As Maoists have threatened Trinamul Congress leaders over the demand of withdrawal of security forces from Junglemahal, a cautious district administration has strengthened security of all MLAs and  senior political leaders in the Maoist-hit areas.
The administration has decided to provide four security personnel each to all four Trinamul MLAs from the area. Earlier, two security persons used to guard an MLA from the area. The administration will also provide security cover to an MLA whenever he or she visits areas in Junglemahal. Other political leaders, who are on Maoists' hit-list, too, will be provided security, a senior police officer said. The Trinamul Congress West Midnapore district president has already been provided two security persons. Trinamul MLA Mr Mrigen Maity said: “Two days ago, the district police have increased the number of security personnel from two to four following Maoist threat."
Sources in Central Intelligence agencies said Maoists have prepared a list of 22 Trinamul leaders who would be attacked. Four Trinamul Congress MLAs are at the top of the list. According to Intelligence inputs, the hit-list was prepared last week at a meeting in the jungles of Jharkhand. The meeting was attended by over 500 senior Maoist leaders. The Intelligence report suggested that the hit-list was prepared after chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee failed to show her willingness to withdraw security forces from Junglemahal and release of jailed Maoists which she had promised before the Assembly poll.
Admitting the security enhancement following the Maoist threat, Mr Sukumar Hansda,  Trinamul Congress MLA from Jhargram and Paschimanchal Unnayan affairs minister, said: “I cannot move elsewhere in Junglemahal freely because of threats from Maoists. It is important for me to visit the areas to assess development works. Realising the situation, the administration has enhanced my security cover.” Sitting in his heavily guarded home in Jhargram town, Mr Hansda said: "Junglemahal have been suffering from lack of development for the past 35 years, but I am unable to carry out development works here out of fear and threats.”
Trinamul’s Gopiballavpur MLA Mr Churamani Mahato, who admits that sometimes even he cannot go to his own home because of Maoist threat, said the state government is committed to improve the situation in Junglmahal, but Maoists are hindering development works. Police officers in West Midnapore admitted that the Maoist threat has to be taken seriously and the security of the MLAs and minister could not be compromised.

Gelatin sticks seized
A total of 37 gelatin sticks was seized from the Burisole forest near Kantapahari in Lalgarh of West Midnapore today. Security forces found the gelatin sticks kept in a bag inside a bush. Later, bomb squad personnel reached the spot and examined the sticks.

Maoists regroup in Junglemahal

19 October 2011

Rebels take advantage of relaxed joint operation, recruit youths
biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 19 OCT: Taking advantage of apparent under-utilisation of security forces in Junglemahal since the Trinamul Congress-led government took charge, Maoists are back in control over vast areas of forest land in West Midnapore.
Sources close to the CPI-Maoist say they have been able to regroup at least 17 squads in West Midnapore district alone in the past two months. At least 10 youths from each village in remote areas of Junglemahal have already been recruited in the squads and they are being trained by senior leaders at various undisclosed places.
A group of 25 rebels from Orissa, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, who are trained for carrying out guerrilla warfare, has visited the training camps in Junglemahal. They have reportedly stored a huge cache of arms and sophisticated land mines ahead of the recent one-month "conditional ceasefire" announcement.
At a meeting of the central committee in Saranda forest in Jharkhand in August, the rebels have decided to set up four guerrilla bases in Junglemahal in the next two years.
More importantly, the Maoists have plans to “restart” attacks on security forces “with increased frequency and more telling effect”. The rebels might choose soft targets like vulnerable police stations, camps of state armed police, political and government appointees and even the CRPF, a senior police officer warned.
Concerned about Maoist activities, the Central government has already warned the state government that Maoists are regrouping and inducting local youth in areas in Junglemahal. Even, some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers have already urged the state government to begin joint operations as their area domination has weakened considerably due to lack of decisiveness of state forces over assisting them in operations, thereby allowing Maoists to regroup in the area. The state government has, however, not paid heed to the request of CRPF to begin joint operations immediately and chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee has given a seven-day deadline to the Maoists for initiating talks in her rally at Jhargram recently.
Police said they were told that Bikash, a Maoist leader, and his 30 squad members, had taken shelter in different jungles, including Kenkakhali, Dumurdiha, Pingboni, and Metala in the Goaltore police station area. Acting on a tip-off, security forces raided the jungles, but failed to nab the rebels. Security agencies have reported that Maoists are planning to form a “tactical united front” with other left-wing extremists. They have also said that at least two Maoist Politburo members, including Kishanji alias Koteshwar Rao, have been hiding in the Saranda forest in Jharkhand. These two members are monitoring the activities in West Bengal, security agencies warned.
In West Midnapore, a team of 22 Maoists, led by Bikash, has already started providing arms training to local youths. There have been reports that Maoists are forming “village defence squads” in many areas, and extortion notices have been served to businessmen and CPI-M workers, a Central Intelligence report suggests.

Rebels call bandh in 3 dists on 22 Oct
statesman news service
MIDNAPORE/KOLKATA, 19 OCT: Maoists have called a bandh in three districts of Junglemahal on 22 October, a day after chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee's seven-day deadline to the rebels for laying down arms and coming to the negotiating table for talks ends. 
In a release today, state secretary of CPI-Maoist Akash has asked people to observe the bandh to protest against the suspension of seven jawans of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), recent incident of rape of a tribal housewife by the security forces at Sonamukhi village in Belpahari and atrocities on tribal people by the Trinamul Congress-backed goons.
The Maoist leader, in the release, has also criticised Miss Banerjee for dubbing the Maoists as “supari killers” and “jungle mafia” during her speech at a rally in Jhargram on 15 October.  Three days ago, Maoists had snubbed Miss Banerjee’s ultimatum and demanded immediate withdrawal of security forces and release of jailed Maoists by putting up posters at various places in Salboni. 
Today, the rebels set several other demands before the state government which include immediate release of water through Kanshabati barrage for irrigation and supply of seeds and fertilisers for the farmers.
“The chief minister has declared many developmental projects for tribals here, but she never talked about the farmers. If water is released from the Kanshabati river, then farmers will be benefited. So, we are demanding immediate release of water from Kanshabati and if this is not happened, we will launch movement soon,” said Akash.
The release came at that time when Union finance minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee has assured Miss Banerjee of all kinds of assistance for handling the Maoist menace.. 
Meanwhile, Union rural development secretary Mr PK Sinha paid a visit to Junglemahal to take stock of Centre-sponsored development schemes in the region. His visit is significant as the Union home ministry is planning to back the rural development ministry’s multi-pronged action plan to tackle Maoists through comprehensive development activities in Junglemahal.

CBI to probe into iron-ore export scam

14 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
HALDIA, 14 OCT: The Central Bureau of Investigation is all set to begin a probe into the alleged iron-ore export scam through various ports, including Haldia, in which miners use the railways for sending their export consignments to the ports as meant for domestic consumption.
Last year, a CBI team had grilled some port officials of Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) to find out whether the port had allotted plots for storing iron-ore inside the port premises. “If land is allotted for storing iron-ore inside the port premise, it will be treated as legal consignment. But no plots were allotted for the past four years till the probe began, due to which the Haldia port had been incurring losses worth Rs 20 crore annually,” a senior port official told The Statesman.
This time, investigations conducted by various agencies, including railways, Customs and Excise, have revealed a massive scam by many miners cheating railways to the tune of a few thousand crore rupees by passing off export consignments of ore as meant for domestic consumption.
By declaring the consignments as meant for domestic use, the miner are enjoying huge subsidy and thus they are paying only one-sixth of what they owe to the railways as freight charges.
Alarmed by the railway freight scam, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has already instructed the CBI to conduct a thorough probe into the matter. It has also asked the CBI to conduct an investigation whether ports are involved in the massive scam, a senior port official said.
According to a mine department official, hundreds of iron-ore crushing units have come up in Orissa and Jharkhand in the past few years. These companies and traders are primarily engaged in export of iron-ore through the ports along the east coast, resulting in export of 9.05 million tons at Paradwip during 2004-05 ~ an increase of 68 per cent ~ and about 4.97 million tons at Haldia, an increase of 33 per cent than the previous year.
“As the port did not provide land for storing iron-ore, the agents dumped these substances in private store-houses outside the port which were later exported illegally,” a port official alleged.
In another part of the well-organised conspiracy, one company avoided paying railways over Rs 750 crore in over three years, by exporting through the Haldia port.
Sources said iron-ore from the mines in Orissa and Jharkhand is primarily exported through Haldia, Vizag, Paradwip and Gangavaram ports. Iron-ore miners move ore from mines for exporting, but show them as meant for domestic consumption, including for their captive units. The railway freight charge for domestic use is only one-sixth of the charge for export.
South-eastern Railway zone in 2010-11 earned Rs 8,187 crore from freight traffic, of which Rs 5,135 crore was from iron-ore transportation. “And this was after they billed most of it for domestic consumption,” a senior official said.

Districts reel under power cuts

13 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
KOLAGHAT, 13 OCT: The power situation in both East and West Midnapore districts, along with other parts of the state, remained grim today. There is no indication that there will be any significant improvement in the power supply in the next 48 hours.
Frequent power cuts, coupled with an acute water shortage over the past few days, have left residents living in the districts praying for respite. Fed up with unscheduled power-cuts, local residents in East Midnapore have demanded that officials announce the schedule of power cuts so that they can make alternative arrangements.
According to the latest report of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the state, along with some other states in the country, is staring at a blackout situation as nearly all thermal power generation units are operating on a fast-depleting supply of coal that can run out any moment.
At Kolaghat, Bakreswar, Farakka, Talcher, Kahalgaon, Tuticorin, Khaparkheda, Panipat, Badarpur and Kota there is barely a day's stock of coal left. Nearly 19 other thermal units have less than seven days of coal. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is failing to import coal in sufficient quantity, leading to a huge generation loss in at least four NTPC thermal plants where the coal stock is less than four days, a CEA official said.
According to officials at the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL), the shortage of coal supply for the last few days has forced the corporation to shut down a 210 MW unit in Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant (KTPP).
Mr Pulak Roy, the general manager of KTPP, said: “On an average, four to five coal-loaded rakes are required everyday to run all our six units, while the railways provides barely two or three rakes every day for our power station. As a result, we have been forced to shut down one of our six units for the past few days. In the remaining five units, we are generating 800 to 850 MW compared to the capacity of 1260 MW."
Coal India Ltd is citing unprecedented rain at several mines and the Telangana stir as causes behind the squeeze in supply. A CIL source said, "Unprecedented rain has sapped the coal supply from several mines, leaving thermal plants across the country to survive on dregs. The situation has worsened in the past month due to heavy rains at a large number of Coal India mines, which has washed out roads and resulted in less coal being lifted. This has reduced production as well as the dispatch of coal to power plants."
Meanwhile, the water supply in several municipal areas of the districts has been badly hit as power goes off for six to eight hours a day in different phases in these areas.  The services in different hospitals across the districts have also been affected in the past two days owing to the unscheduled power cuts.
Workers under the banner of the KTPP Thika Shramik Union, a Trinamul Congress-dominated workers’ union, today submitted a deputation before the general manager alleging that two officers at the plant are sabotaging the power generation by influencing some workers in the hope of defaming the new state government.

CPM replaces tainted leaders

11 October 2011

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 11 OCT: In a bid to reorganising the party in West Midnapore, especially in the Maoist-hit areas, the CPI-M has started filling up vacant posts of leaders who have either been arrested or fled fearing Maoist attack. 
The CPI-M has already selected secretaries of Lalgarh local committee and Binpur zonal committee in place of those who have either been chargesheeted in Netai carnage or fled the area fearing attack on them. “We will have to start party activities in the area soon. And it is not possible if the leaders are absent. So we decided to replace the leaders," said a senior district committee member of the party. After the CBI submitted a charge-sheet against several CPI-M leaders in connection with the Netai massacre, the party has begun to remove the accused leaders from party posts.
The CPI-M called an urgent district secretariat meeting to find out suitable candidates for the posts. The party will also chalk out a strategy to counter attack on party activists by Trinamul Congress supporters in Junglemahal. The CBI has filed a charge-sheet against 20 CPI-M leaders, including several local and zonal committee secretaries. Of the 20 accused, eight senior leaders are still at large. According to a CPI-M leader, the party has felt the need of replacing the leaders to keep a safe distance from the Netai carnage, particularly ahead of the truce between the state government and Maoists. The situation would turn more critical if the accused are arrested while holding the party posts.
“Moreover, as the absconding leaders will not be able to take part in day-to-day activities of the party, it was necessary to replace them to continue the party functioning,” said a CPI-M district committee leader. “We have plans to hold a rally at Midnapore town in the last week of November. Party workers will rejuvenate themselves from the rally and intensify their political movements," a CPI-M district secretariat member said.
The party has felt the need to replace Binpur zonal committee secretary Mr Anuj Pandey, his brother and Dharampur local committee secretary, Mr Dalim Pandey, Belatikri local committee secretary Mr Chandi Karan  immediately to reorganise the party in these areas.
Apart from them, Ms Phullara Mondol, a district committee member and the district president of Ganatantrik Mahila Samiti, Lalgarh local committee secretary Mr Joydev Giri, Lalgarh local committee member Mr Tapan Dey and Binpur zonal committee member Mr Mohammod Khaliluddin will also be replaced, a CPI-M leader said.
The party has for the first time chosen a tribal, Mr Arjun Mandi, for the post of Lalgarh local committee secretary. Mr Mandi was earlier a local committee member in Lalgarh and has replaced Mr Joydev Giri, who has been chargesheeted in the Netai case and is still at large. Mr Sushanta Kundu, a retired headmaster of a high school, has been appointed Binpur zonal committee secretary. Mr Kundu has replaced Mr Anuj Pandey, whose house was pulled down by Maoists in June 2009. “The party will also scrap party membership of those who have already been arrested by investigation agencies,” said a CPI-M insider.