Bengal

PMO asks port trust for scam details

• The Statesman
• 03 Jul 2014

On the heels of a cbi enquiry into the multi crore scam
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 2 July
In the wake of the massive financial irregularities facing Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office has sought details of cargo handling, tendering, the licensing process, contractors, revenue earned, etc, from the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT).
Details have also been sought on the nominees of the Union Shipping Ministry selected in the Board of Trustees of Kolkata Port Trust   for the last five years.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has already started a probe on 19 June in connection with the investigation into the alleged issue of multi-crore corruption at Haldia port which has been on the Shipping Ministry’s list of top problems facing the KoPT.
The multi-crore scam involving shore-handling of cargo at Haldia port could just be the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what has been going on in all the 12 ports across the country.
Complaints to authorities and related documents suggest that the scam could touch astronomical levels, putting to shame the much talked about CWG, 2G or 3G scams.
As per the complaint lodged with the Union government, the total financial losses suffered by the government over the past 40 years on account of the alleged illegal shore-handling of cargo could be more than Rs 8 lakh crores.
The Statesman had earlier reported on the Haldia port scam on the basis of the Rajya Sabha secretariat memorandum, CAG and parliamentary panel reports, which highlighted major discrepancies in appointment of cargo-handling agents and disposing waste oil from the ports.
The CAG had also pointed out appointment of unauthorised agents or handling agents for onshore operation violating the provisions of the Major Port Trust Act.
Besides, based on the complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janta Party MP from Bharuch in Gujarat, Mr Mansukh Bhai D Vasava, the Union Shipping Ministry has also swung into action against other 11 major ports on the same financial scam issues.
In the latest, the Prime Minister’s Office  has sought detailed information on Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and HDC for the last five financial years lasting up to March 2014.
A set of 16 questions have been put up to KoPT to answer, encompassing details of cargo operations in HDC and KDS.
The Prime Minister’s Office  wants to know details of the total number of berths and the break-up of where cargo is handled mechanically and non-mechanically; berths where cargo handling is done partially mechanically on-board with Mobile Harbour Cranes and ship cranes by engaging contractors and shore handling done manually by private cargo handling agents.
It has sought details of the private handling agents engaged in the port with date of issuance of licenses and the basis for their selection, amount paid by them, year-wise both as license fee and revenue.
The Prime Minister’s Office also wants to know if efforts were made by the port for auctioning of onshore handling activities, and the status of such efforts.
The Prime Minister’s Office  has asked if any proposal was approved by Board of Trustees of the Kolkata Port Trust  for revenue earning from on-shore handling agents and its status.

Bengal

WOMEN OF NADIA FEEL INSECURE

• The Statesman
• 02 Jul 2014

MP TAPAS PAUL’S  REMARKS ROUNDLY CONDEMNED
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabratagoswami@gmail.com
Choumaha, 1 July
Hundreds of women living in Choumaha and its surrounding villages in Nakashipara in Nadia have started feeling insecure soon after the Trinamul Congrees MP Mr Tapas Paul’s startling and derogatory remarks towards women broadcast.
The actor-turned politician had threatened to “liquidate” CPI-M activists and have their women “raped” if any of his Trinamul workers were attacked.
Mr Paul had made his controversial remarks at Choumaha village on 14 June while paying his visit to commemorate the family of a slain party worker who was killed a fortnight ago allegedly by the CPI-M goons. But the video footage of his high decibel threats and ranting was telecast by some private channels yesterday.
“We are feeling insecure here because when a MP himself can unleash such type of threats, then the lower-rung party workers or any criminal in the name of Trinamul party can easily attack us. So, we demand to the state administration to provide security in our villages,” said an aged woman who was not willing to be named.
Slamming the MP for making nastiest remarks on women, the BJP  leader Ms Jaya Sarkar has lodged a FIR against Mr Paul demanding his immediate arrest.
“How can an MP make such type of remarks while venting his anger to others. He has made purported hate remarks to women which is unforgiving. He has no right to be a member of the Parliament and he should be dismissed,” said Ms Sarkar.
The condemnation also came from the CPI-M’s youth and women wing which organised a protest rally in Krishnagar and burnt his effigy.
They denounced Mr Pal for making such irresponsible statements and said that the Chief Minister and Trinamul Congress Chief Miss Mamata Banerjee must take strict disciplinary action against him.
“In a country and in a state where the security of women has become a matter of such grave concern, for an MP to make such threats is completely unwarranted. Trinamul Congress must and should take stern action against him,” said Mrs Minati Biswas, a house-wife living at Nakashipara, which falls under the Krishnagar parliamentary constituency from where Mr Paul had won the Lok Sabha elections for the second time.
While talking with the villagers at Choumaha, some youths  criticised Mr Paul saying that he had done nothing new on 14 June. On that day, after visiting Choumaha, Mr Paul had gone to nearby Gopinathpur where also he  made derogatory remarks against  CPI-M women which are not printable.
The youths opened their mobile phones and showed the video footage of his remarks.
“The way Mr Paul had unleashed his verbal attacks to the Opposition and their women, only reveals his low level of culture,” said a youth  who too was unwilling to be named.

Page1

Lawmaker postures as lawbreaker

• The Statesman
• 01 Jul 2014

Top gangster’ Tapas Paul threatens to kill CPM activists, get women raped

 
UDAY BASU (With inputs from Soma Mookherjee and Biswabrata Goswami)
uday@thestatesman.net 
Kolkata, 30 June 
Here's one more addition to the list of Trinamul Congress lawmakers posturing as lawbreakers. 
And this time around it's film star-turned-politician Tapas Paul who openly declared he “carries a revolver” which he would use to “liquidate” CPI-M activists and claimed he was a top “gangster”.
Mr Paul made these startling and controversial remarks at the height of electioneering during the last Lok Sabha polls. The video footage of his high decibel threats and ranting was telecast by some private channels during the day triggering protests from politicians and civil society groups.
Mr Paul was addressing a gathering at Choumaha village at Nakashipara in Nadia, which is a part of his parliamentary constituency ~ Krishnagar. He began his torrent of threats in the style and language of gangsters.
“I'm a chap from Chandernagar and not from Kolkata. I know very well what gangsterism is, I tried my hand in it as well. I also carry that thing, you know what it is (he puts his fingers in the shape of a revolver trigger) and with it I'll liquidate our opponents if they touch any of our party supporters,” he thundered.
Then came the nastiest and horrifying one : “I'll send them (party supporters) to rape (women belonging to the opposite camp).”
When contacted, Mr Paul flatly denied he had used the word ~ “rape” and claimed :"I actually said I would send the police and party supporters to raid (the village) and not rape.” 
Explaining the circumstances that “forced” him to make the remarks, Mr Paul said at that time CPI-M-backed goons had unleashed a reign of terror in the area and he had to rush to the village in order to “boost the morale of party supporters.”
“I admit I had to use a very aggressive language to match the terror campaign by the CPI-M. Otherwise, our party supporters would have been demoralised and terrorised,” he said.
However, Trinamul national spokesman and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said : “The statements made by Mr Tapas Pal are utterly insensitive. The party does not in any way endorse what he said many weeks ago, which is being played out on TV channels today.”
On the other hand, Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said in the first place it has to be examined in what context Mr Paul had made those remarks and what the CPI-M had done to provoke him to behave in such a manner. 
“Of course, it's highly improper for even ordinary persons to speak in such a language and in the case of Mr Paul this is unthinkable,” Mr Chatterjee added.
In a way Mr Paul followed in the footsteps of Manirul Haque, MLA and party’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal. The latter had exhorted his party activists to throw bombs at the police and set fire to the houses of CPI-M cadres. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even went to the length of saying that Mr Mondal was being wrongly targeted. “He is a patient and less oxygen flows to his brains. Whatever he said should be seen in that light,” she stated.
(With inputs from Soma Mookherjee     and Biswabrata Goswami)

Bengal

Anthrax scare in West Midnapore

The Statesman 

28 Jun 2014

Nine persons, including children, have been affected
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Midnapore, 27 June
In a fresh case after a gap of many years, Anthrax scare has once again gripped the tribal-dominated Boxakura village under Panchkhuri gram-panchayat in West Midnapore as nine persons, including children, have been affected by the deadly disease.
As the matter reached the ears of Chief-Minister Mamata Banerjee, the district health department took war-footing steps to contain the outbreak and sent a medical team to the affected village.
The Animal Resource department also sent its team to curb the disease as most cases of Anthrax occur in livestock, such as cattle, horses, sheep, and goats.
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr Girish Bera said the disease broke out in the tribal village due to consumption of rotten beef. Dr Bera said: “As per the statements of the affected persons, the villagers brought a dead cow from the field of a nearby village and ate its meat.
“Those who came in contact with the dead cow have been affected by the disease, while those who ate the meat have not been affected yet. But, we have already given prophylactic therapy to 47 persons who ate the meat”, said Dr Bera.
The disease was first detected yesterday when a tribal man – Birsa Tudu had gone to the outpatient department of Midnapore Medical College and Hospital to be treated for his ailment.
Dr Arun Achar, a skin specialist first suspected the disease after observing the symptoms and he immediately informed the matter to the health administration. The health department rushed to the village and found others, including children, affected by the same symptoms. 
A medical camp was immediately set up and swabs of these patients have been sent to MMCH and School of Tropical Medicine, in Kolkata, for tests. Doctors have also collected skin smear and blood samples from the affected people for examination.
The disease has created panic in the locality but steps have been taken to check further proliferation, Dr Bera said, adding that a health team has rushed to the village and undertaken the necessary preventive measures. All homes were disinfected with DDT and bleaching powder. The villagers were also advised not to take any type of beef and pork and keep away from the patients.

Haldia port scam: CVO asked to hand over important documents to CBI

Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 24 June
The anti-corruption branch of CBI, probing the multi-crore scam in Haldia port under Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), has asked the Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) to hand over around 35 to 40 important documents related with the cargo handling, shore operation, tendering action and some other issues to them within a month failing which it would take action against some port officials who are reluctant to cooperate with them during the investigation.
The CBI has started the probe on 19 June in connection with the investigation into the alleged issue of multi-crore corruption at Haldia port which had been on the Shipping Ministry’s list of top problems facing the KoPT.
Though, the CBI had lodged complaint against former and present chairman, deputy chairman of KoPT and directors of private handling agents in 2013 (SIR/ACB case no. 19), but had not got the required approval to conduct the probe from the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government. Soon after the BJP took charge at the Center, the CBI got the required approval and started the probe, a senior port official said.
Besides, based on the complaint lodged by BJP MP from Bharuch in Gujarat, Mr Mansukh Bhai D Vasava, the Union Shipping Ministry has also swung into action against other 11 major ports on the same financial scam issues. 
In the meantime, a PIL filed at the Calcutta High Court related with the financial scam at Haldia port has regularly been heard by the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Arun Kumar Mishra.
In his letter to former Prime Minister Manmohon Singh, Mr Vasava highlighted the financial malpractice and theft of national resources and revenue at 12 major Indian ports amounting to over Rs 8 lakh crore.
The Statesman had earlier reported on the Haldia port scam on the basis of the Rajya Sabha secretariat memorandum, CAG and parliamentary panel reports, which highlighted major discrepancies in appointment of cargo-handling agents and disposing waste oil from the ports.
The CAG had also pointed out appointment of unauthorised agents or handling agents for onshore operation violating the provisions of the Major Port Trust Act.
In his complaint, Mr Vasava has alleged: “These handling agents freely enter into contracts with the exporters/importers and charge them as per their contracted terms rates not approved by TAMP/Central government which is a statutory requirement under Section 48 of MPT Act, 1963. These private handling agents, in order to expand and maintain their monopoly, have been ensuring that most of the members of the other interest groups comprising the Board of Trustees of the Major Ports of India are those who owe allegiance to these private handling agents.”
These persons should be disqualified under Section 6 of the MPT Act,1963 and their membership should be withdrawn by the Central government forthwith as every trustee is authorised to hold office for a period as may be considered by the Central government under Section 4(2) of the MPT Act,1963, Mr Vasava said.
A document which was forwarded to the PSC also indicated a scam of Rs 24,500 crore in the past 35 years at Haldia port only mentioning that the private parties are paying just an annual license fee of a mere Rs 5,400, and they are handling the cargo, shore operations and are taking crores as profit from the port.

CBI raids Haldia Dock Complex Offices

• The Statesman
• 21 Jun 2014

Raids part of probe into multi-crore corruption scam
Biswabrata Goswami 
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 20 June
A CBI team has started conducting raids at the offices in the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) area since yesterday in connection with the investigation into alleged corruption at Haldia port, amounting to hundreds of crores, which has reached the Shipping Ministry’s list of top problems facing the Kolkata Port Trust.
The agency officials headed by the additional SP Mr D Sahoo have already grilled a few port officials and          collected some documents with regards to the matter of shore handling and ‘forced exit’ of Haldia Bulk Terminals, a joint venture between homegrown ABG Infralogistics and French company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA).
For the past few years, Haldia Dock Banchao Committee and Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum had raised the corruption issue and demanded a CBI inquiry, but the erstwhile Congress-led Union government did not pay any heed on the matter.
Mr Ramakant Burman, secretary of Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum who had raised the corruption issue was later dismissed from service by the port authority, but the issue went to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Transport, Tourism and Culture which had replaced the ministry’s secretary, reportedly on charges of misleading the Committee over some issues related with the port.
“Soon after taking charge at the Centre, the BJP government has taken up the issue and asked the CBI to probe the matter.
“I am very happy to hear that the CBI has started investigation and it would soon divulge the facts in front of the people,” said Mr Chandan Mitra, a BJP Rajya Sabha MP.
Two years ago, when HBT left the Haldia port, it had blamed “vested               interests” for causing a great loss to the national exchequer. HBT had been contracted to operate two mechanised berths, but, it alleged, cargo was diverted to the expensive manual berths.
While Haldia Bulk Terminals charged the Kolkata Port Trust Rs 75 per tonne of cargo, the manual berths charged Rs 150 and above.
That was the loss to the exchequer the company was referring to.
The vested interests the company was alluding to is Ripley & Co promoted by Mr Swapan Sadhan Bose, aka Tutu Bose or Tutuda, a familiar face in Kolkata's business circuit.
A document which was forwarded to the Parliamentary Standing Committee indicated a scam of Rs 24,500 crore in the past 35 years at Haldia port.
The document has pointed a finger at a private operator Ripley, a company run by the family of former and current Trinamul Rajya Sabha MPs, Mr Swapan Sadhan (Tutu) and Mr Srinjaoy Bose.
The document has also said that the aforesaid       company and its various sister concerns have been working at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) since 1977.
The KoPT had issued them a Handling Agent License in 2006 in violation of Section 42(3) or 42(3A) of Major Port Trust Act 1963. In the document, it has been categorically mentioned that the private parties are paying just an annual    license fee of a mere Rs 5,400, and they are handling the cargo, shore operations and are taking crores as profit from the port, thereby depriving the port             authority of its financial
benefits.

Vidyasagar HOD quits prof. association post over appointment tussle

• The Statesman
• 16 Jun 2014

biswabrata goswami
Statesman News Service
Midnapore, 15 June
Mrs Indrani Datta (Chaudhuri), assistant professor, department of English of Vidyasagar University has resigned from the post of general secretary of West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WEBCUPA), VU unit.
She has already sent her resignation letter to the WEBCUPA president Prof. Krishnakoli Basu, who has dissolved the VU unit a few days ago.
Mrs Datta (Chaudhuri), who had led a deputation on 11 June to protest against the illegal appointment of Mr.Jayanta Kishore Nandi, in the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University by the authorities of the varsity in 2012 which was done by ignoring candidates having better academic career and experience records than Mr Nandi, was later criticised by a section of Trinamul Congress leaders and WEBCUPA authorities.
The matter came to light when Mr Rama Prasad Giri, president of the Paschim Medinipur district Trinamul Chhatra Parishad in a memorandum submitted to Professor Ranjan Chakrabarti, vice-chancellor, on 23 May, alleged that “the recommendation of the name of Mr J K Nandi to the post of the Dean of Students’ Welfare at Vidyasagar University was not placed in the executive council for approval and it was just reported after giving the appointment, which is a gross irregularity.” Mr Giri added in his letter that “they did not witness this kind of irregularity during the CPI-M regime” (Memorandum in possession of The Statesman).
Meanwhile, Mr S K Ghosh, Joint Secretary and the A.O. & E.O. of the Audit (PAC) Branch of the Higher Education Department in his letter no.21-HE/Audit (PAC)/1A-33/2013 dated 25 February 2014 to the senior Audit Officer to the Principal Accountant General of the Govt. of West Bengal categorically noted under para no.2 of page 3  the “non-adherence of basic essential qualifications and experiences for initial appointment in the case of Shri Jayanta Kishore Nandi, Dean of Students’ Welfare” in his audit inspection report on Vidyasagar University and a copy of this letter was forwarded to the Finance Officer and the Registrar of Vidyasagar University for information and necessary action.(Letter in possession of The Statesman).
As a mark of protest, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) along with some students and non-teaching staff members led a movement and felicitated the present acting registrar with garland which infuriated the Trinamul Congress leadership.
“Later, our committee was dissolved and I was particularly feeling helpless when I saw my colleagues being heckled for inappropriate reasons let alone the kind of mental torture and harassment that I had to endure over the last two years, experiences that were not dissimilar to those that I faced during the Left regime. Fighting the battle within and without became difficult for me. It seemed like we had become mere puppets in the hands of a wanton king”, said Mrs Datta (Choudhuri).
In her letter to Mr Basu, Mrs Datta (Choudhuri) said, “This entire episode of our symbolic protest against nepotism and corruption, against inequality and injustice, against the authority's attempt to throttle our Fundamental Rights, was wrongly reported to the dignitaries who matter. It is also unfortunate that we, the members of our unit, have never been given an opportunity to explain our view-point. And, hence, you have been directed to dissolve the committee of our unit.”
“For this reason, in order to safe-guard my ideology and my dignity as a free citizen of an independent country I have no other option but to resign from the post of General Secretary of WBCUPA, VU Unit”, she mentioned in the letter.