UGC sanctions funds to VU for study on coastal plant

15 May 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 15 MAY: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has sanctioned about Rs 15 lakh to Vidyasagar University to conduct a study on how ipomoea pes-caprae, a coastal plant that protects coastal shores from erosion, are striving for survival through mutualism with various types of ants which directly or indirectly protect the plant.
It is for the first time in the country a self-styled unique adaptive capability through mutualism has been detected on this plant which is common in the coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha.
While ipomoea pes-caprae, which plays an immense role in dune stabilisation and restoration, is on the verge of extinction due to rampant construction of hotels, roads, human establishments and vegetation in areas like Mandarmoni, Tajpur and New Digha in West Bengal and adjacent sea-beaches in Odisha.
Dr Amal Kumar Mondol, associate professor of Botany and Forestry department, VU, said: “Amidst rampant destruction, ipomoea pes-caprae is trying to survive through self-developed mutualism with different types of ants. It has its own defence mechanism against herbivore predators feeding on it. This is due to the presence of extrafloral nectary glands.”
“The extrafloral nectar attracts organisms that remove, attack or prey upon, or parasitise plant herbivores. This protective role of extrafloral nectar has long been a matter of discussion, but many studies have now proven that it can play an important role in plant’s indirect defence against herbivores. Many ants have been found to forage preferentially on plants with extrafloral nectarines (EFNs) and the presence of these ants have been found to reduce the number of herbivorous insects on these plants, thus lessening the damage by herbivores,” Dr Mondol said.
A research study headed by Dr Mondol and his team has revealed that secretion from EFNs contains protein, carbohydrate, amino acid and fats which attract different types of ants, but the chemical compositions of the EFNs secretion is yet unknown.
The UGC, on its letter (No 42-917/2013-SR), has sanctioned funds to conduct study on the protective efficacy in species with extrafloral nectarines in the flora in Midnapore on hopes to conserve this type of plants in future, said Dr Mondol.
At the International Botanical Congress held at Melbourne in Australia from 23 to 30 July in 2011 Dr Mondal had discussed this in the plenary session which was later adopted by the Australian government in the sea coasts to protect the species.
“This year, UGC has geared up to conduct a study on this particular plant in collaboration with the Zoological Survey of India and Lady Brabourne College on hopes to protect and conserve the species living in coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha. If the government takes proper plan to protect this plant, a huge amount of money that is spent every year to protect sea coasts from erosion will also be saved,” said Dr Mondol.
He also said: “These types of coastal flora which are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure due to rapid elimination of sand dunes and associated vegetation are gradually diminishing. Such sensitive and useful ecosystems need immediate restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the phyto-resources.”

Critical plant species lose ground along Bengal’s coasts

12 May 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 12 MAY:   Coastal plants, which play an immense role in dune stabilisation and restoration, are on the verge of extinct due to rampant construction of hotels, roads, human establishments and vegetation in areas like Mandarmoni, Tajpur and New Digha in West Bengal and adjacent sea-beaches in Odisha.
A research survey conducted by a group of teachers of Vidysagar University and Lady Brabourne College reveals that these coastal flora which are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure due to rapid elimination of sand dunes and associated vegetation are gradually diminishing. Such sensitive and useful ecosystems need immediate restoration, conservation and sustainable use of the phyto-resources, the survey reported.
Dr Amal Kumar Mondol, reader of Botany and Forestry department, VU who led the research survey along with other teachers like Tamal Chakraborty and Sanjukta Parui said: “The survey reveals that the diversity of flora is increasing gradually from seaward to inner strand zone. The pioneer species like Launaea sermentosa, Ipomoea pes-caprae, Spinifex littoreus and Hydrophylax maritime are excellent sand binders and protect the costal dune system from erosion (wind and water). Some sand dune species are having medicinal properties.”
He said people use these plants for treating several diseases. The stem and leaves of Sesuvium portulacastrum are eaten after boiling to remove excess salt from the body. Leaf and twig decoction of Tamarix troupii is used for sloughing ulcers and its infusion as a gargle for sore throat. Juice of whole plant of Ageratum conyzoides, Casuarina equisetifolia bark, Thespesia populnea root and Hemidesmus indicus root are useful in curing dysentery and diarrhoea. Flowers of Pandanus fascicularis are used for making perfumes. Curry of Alternanthera sessilis and salads of Salvadora persica leaves are also used.
“All the 60 species of sand dune vegetation of traditional and ethno-botanical interest are recorded after critical screening with the available literature. These are recommended for the further phytochemical investigations, which might result in the discovery of new dunes for human welfare”, Dr Mondol notes in the report which has already been submitted before the CSIR, New Delhi.
The report also revealed that rapid expansion of invasive species like Calotropis gigantean and Lantana camara is leading to the loss of native species like Ipomoea pes-caprae and others. “The most severe damaging cause of dune vegetation in these areas is the anthropogenic activities. In Mandarmoni and adjoining areas of West Bengal the large scale urban development carried out on the fore dunes during the tourist boom causing the destruction of many dune ecosystems,” the report highlighted. Dr Mondol said: “Among the methods to stabilize the population of dune vegetation the method of re-vegetation is the best alternative as it is cheap and self sustaining. The plantation of some tree species is effective in trapping sand and decreases the wind velocity but the plantation of the exotic species Casuarina in this area throughout the coastal line has yet not been too effective from our point of view. Legal protection of the plant species along the coastal line is very necessary. Development of tourism is also required to fulfil the need of civilization but the constructions must be planned apart from the dune vegetation keeping distance sufficiently from the sea shore. Raising public awareness and provision of economic support to the local communities for the restoration and protection of the flora and the fauna of the coastal line is necessary.”

E Midnapore chit funds asked to repay investors

23 April 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 23 APRIL: The Trinamul Congress ruled East Midnapore zilla-parishad has asked chit fund companies in the district to immediately refund to investors the money they mopped up in the course of their operations. The amount such companies have collected is believed to be in the range of Rs 2,000 crore in the district alone.
The zilla-parishad's step comes in the wake of the collapse of the Saradha group, and protests by investors and agents of the group across the state.
“We have asked authorities of all chit fund entities operating in the district to refund money to investors as early as possible, failing which the district administration will take necessary action against them”, said Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of East Midnapore zilla-parishad.
The district body has identified 283 organisations functional under various
alibis, but actually engaged in mopping
up small and medium savings from investors.
"These companies or groups are registered under the Society Registration Act, and have raised funds from the public under the guise of varied businesses spanning real estate and tourism. They have collected more than Rs 2,000 crores from East Midnapore district alone," said Mr Hossain, adding that the zilla-parishad has sent the list of these companies to the state government for necessary action.
According to RBI norms, chit fund entities, classified as miscellaneous non-banking companies, can accept deposits from shareholders. But they are prohibited from accepting deposits from the public.
Many chit funds have started showing investors as shareholders of the company to bypass the rule, a zilla-parishad member said.
The chit fund business in the district drew the attention of the administration after Mr Subhabrata Das lodged a complaint with the Khejuri police station in East Midnapore on 27 July last year, alleging that Mr Swadesh Maity and Mr Sutanu Maity, residents of Adampur village in Khejuri, had approached him as employees of Travel Ventures International (TVI) Express, an international networking company, and advised him to invest in their firm. They had assured the complainant high returns on his investment.
“Accordingly, I invested Rs 15,500 and became a sponsor of the company. As per instructions, I roped in many others, who also invested the same amount, expecting high returns. But, after a few months, when I didn’t get subsidiary returns, I learnt that no money was deposited in our name in the company’s account,” Mr Das alleged.
In his complaint, he also stated that 27,648 persons from East Midnapore had invested money in the scheme, but none of them had received returns. According to some estimates, TVI Express collected Rs 45 crore from the district alone.
Meanwhile, hundreds of agents and investors gheraoed offices of Saradha, Rose Valley and Alchemist Groups for the third day today, demanding the refund their investments.
A 27-year-old youth, identified as Dipu Das of Benapur of Contai-III block and an agent of Saradha group, attempted to commit suicide by consuming poison today. People spotted him lying unconscious along the railway tracks of Contai station and admitted him to the Contai sub-divisional hospital.
His condition was said to be serious. His relatives said that he had been demoralised since the fracas over the Saradha group came to the fore; he had reportedly collected Rs 1 crore from small investors.

VU installs electronic surveillance system

15 April 2013

initiative to enhance security for girl students
biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 15 APRIL: Vidyasagar University has introduced electronic surveillance through closed-circuit cameras to strengthen security in its campus areas with an additional focus on better security for girl students.
During the first phase of the initiative, cameras have been installed in the visitors’ waiting lounges in front of the office chambers of the Vice-Chancellor and registrar a few days ago.
An “office circular” (now in possession of The Statesman) without bearing any memo number was issued earlier on 9 April by the secretary to the Vice-Chancellor to all academic and administrative heads of the departments. According to the circular “...as per an advice from the West Bengal State Council of Higher Education an Electronic Surveillance System is being installed in the lounge in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor and in the office of the Registrar initially, as a pilot project”.
Gradually, all strategic areas of the university will come under the said electronic surveillance system in due course, the order reads.
Explaining that the security systems will be upgraded in phases, an official said: “In the first phase, the cameras will be installed in places identified as 'strategic areas', like the entrance of the departmental areas and the science laboratories where students often work late hours.”
“The varsity also plans to go for e-surveillance where, in the next phase of upgrade of security systems, cameras will be placed on top of some key buildings on the campus. These will provide a wider view of the university's premises,” the official said.
Interestingly, neither the Trinamul Congress-controlled West Bengal College and University Professors’ Association (WBCUPA) nor the Left-affiliated West Bengal College and University Teachers’ Association (WBCUTA) protested the installation of electronic surveillance system in the varsity. No student or non-teaching staff association affiliated to the Trinamul Congress or the Left parties protested the move either.
A lone voice of protest, however, was heard only from the department of anthropology in which the teachers unanimously condemned the installation of surveillance system at the varsity and expressed their “worries” about the installation of CCTVs in the academic departments in a meeting of the departmental committee held two days ago.
Mr Kaushik Bose, a PhD from Cambridge University and a post-doctoral fellow at London University, and the head of department of anthropology at VU said: “The installation of electronic surveillance systems which are used to detect criminals is unthinkable in any university.”
Mr Bose has already sent a resolution adopted at the meeting to the Vice-Chancellor requesting him to revoke this move by the university authorities.

Traders give cops a hair-raising time!

10 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 10 JAN: Angry traders gave East Midnpore police a hair- raising time for failing to trace a truck ferrying Rs 4 crore of processed human hair that was hijacked on its way from way from Chandipur to Nimtouri two days back.
Hundreds of traders in human hair, who painstakingly collect women's locks from villages and sell these to exporters, today vandalised Chandipur police station in East Midnapore.
The incident occurred following an altercation with the police over the failure to trace the hair-laden Nimtouri bound vehicle. As the police have not recovered the lorry yet, nor made any arrests, the infuriated hair dealers  vandalised the Chandipur police station in East Midnapore.
Hours before they vented their fury on the police station, they set up a road block on the Digha- Nandakumar state highway at Chandipur for over an hour but relented after the police invited them to the police station to hear them out. . “The police  were sitting on the  matter. When we realized this, some of us attacked the police station and damaged some chairs and tables”, a protestor said. Police officials, however, denied any inaction and said, “We are trying our best to recover the hijacked lorry, but have no leads yet”.
According to a hair trader, hair collected from different villages and towns across the state is sent to Andhra’s West Godavari district, where the small town of Eluru is the hub of India’s hair export trade. Chandipur is one of the main hair collection centres in West Bengal and these hair-laden vehicles   then head to Andhra Pradesh.  Hair processing units, where each worker cleans, grades, and packs around 300-400 gm daily, then ensure that shipments meet the specifications of large importers in China. China is India's top customer for human hair, said Pratap Jana, a hair trader in Chandipur.
As village women don’t dye, bleach and streak their hair - at least for now,  even their comb remnants fetch a far higher price in world markets than average temple hair, which is usually shorter than 16 inches.
“In fact, Tirupati and all the temples together contribute only 20 out of every 100 locks of premium hair sold. The rest are patiently procured from village women, who are quite happy to exchange hair headed for the dustbin with the fancy clips and baubles offered by the “hair collector” who comes with his bag once a week”, Mr Jana said.
Another trader said, “Rural hair sells for a premium because it is untouched by any chemicals and rarely more than two or three human hands. Not surprisingly then, comb waste sells for Rs 1,225 per kilogram.”
But even village belles are slowly losing their lustrous lengths. “Earlier we would get 40-inch long hair from villages. Now it is rarely more than 30 inches. But even so, it is longer than Tirupati first grade, which rarely crosses 26 inches,” said Amulya Dey, a hair collector.
“The procurement chain, from village to hair export units, is highly informal and nebulous. Even, many hair collectors themselves do not know who organises the collectors and ensures adequate volumes”, said a police officer.

TMC, CPM blame game continues

7 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
MIDNAPORE, 7 JAN: In a show of strength, the Trinamul Congress today held a public rally at Chandipur in East Midnapore where the former chief minister and CPI-M politburo leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had addressed a rally at the same venue two days ago.
Throwing a challenge to the CPI-M, the Trinamul Congress MP Subhendu Adhikari, who was instrumental in the people’s movement against the erstwhile CPI-M’s decision on setting up a chemical hub at Nandigram in 2007, said: “Let the CPI-M capture a single seat of panchayat in the forthcoming panchayat polls here if they can”. At the gathering, he said: “Not a single inch of land will be provided for the CPI-M in the ensuing panchayat polls. They (the CPI-M cadres) will try to enter into the villages, but you will have to keep a close vigil on them. You will have to remember that all the CPI-M leaders are nothing but poisonous snakes.”
Replying to Mr Bhattacharjee’s allegation that the Trinamul Congress government is taking the state towards disaster, Mr Adhikari said: “The CPI-M is worried about our government’s performance towards implication of various development works across the state. And so they are trying to malign our government by framing false charges.” Referring to the CPI-M activities during the Nandigram violence in East Midnapore and Netai massacre in West Midnapore, he demanded that the CPI-M be banned immediately.
Before the meeting, Mr Adhikari went to Nandigram early today at around 4.30 am and took out a rally with candle sticks to commemorate the three martyrs who were killed at Bhangabera during the Nandigram violence in 2007.
Later, he went to Netai village in Lalgarh in West Midnapore where nine people were killed and 29 persons received bullet injuries in a firing from the top of a CPI-M leader’s house on 7 January, 2011.
While paying homage to the nine villagers who were killed in the firing, Mr Adhikari demanded that CBI investigation into the Netai and Nandigram violence should be completed at the earliest. “It was one of the heinous crimes committed by the CPI-M. But the CBI investigation is going at very slow pace which is unexpected. We are demanding immediate arrest of Susanta Ghosh and Dipak Sarkar and a supplementary charge-sheet against these two CPI-M leaders should be submitted before the court by the CBI”, he said.
Mr Adhikari said the family members of the martyrs in Nandigram have not received justice yet. Though, the High Court has instructed the CBI to conduct a probe into the killings and disappearances of people during the Nandigram violence in 2007 but the CBI is reluctant to conduct a probe into this matter. “If the CBI fails to begin an investigation immediately, the family members of the martyrs will begin a sit-in before the CBI office in Kolkata,” he said.
Expressing shock over the Delhi gang-rape incident, he claimed that a more shocking incident of similar magnitude took place in Nandigram few years ago, while referring to the Tapasi Malik murder case.

Survey on out-of-school kids

1 January 2013

biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 1 JAN: The state government is all set to conduct a survey of all children living across the state to ascertain the number of children who are still out of school.
This child survey will be held on 13 January in every booth area of all districts under the supervision of the district project officer of Sarva Siksha Mission.
 “One of the conditions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act is to enroll each and every child in the neighbourhood school. So, the government is all set to conduct a survey of all children in the age group of 0 to 14 years ( up to 18 years for CWSN) of all families residing in any particular habitation”, said an official.
The child survey contains details of the child like age, sex, caste, disability status, migration status, disadvantage group, weaker section, guardian details, class-wise information, nature of institution, enrollment status and out of school children, the officer said.
As per the order, the enumerator will be all para-teachers, Siksha Bandhus and Special Educators. Supervisor of the booth-wise survey will be head of the institution who will co-operate with the Circle Project Co-ordinator for completion of the survey and compilation of the work.
According to the survey, it has been observed with concern that though the RTE Act is in place, underprivileged children are often being denied their rights. When conducted in 2007, the survey had found that 7.8 per cent children between six and 14 years of age were out of school which has declined to 4.6 per cent in 2010. However, the figure remains higher than the national average of 3.5 per cent in 2010.
The State has the fifth highest percentage of out-of-school children following Meghalaya (7.2 per cent), Rajasthan (5.8 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (5.2 per cent), and Assam (5 per cent). Neighbouring Bihar had a higher number of out-of-school children than West Bengal just a couple of years ago, but has now achieved parity with the national average, according to the survey.