THE ECHO OF INDIA• SILIGURI 2 Downtown/State Child dies after falling inside septic tank SILIGURI, SEPT 6/—/ An 18-month-old girl child died today after she accidently fell into a septic tank in the Coolie Para area of Siliguri. According to the Pradhan Nagar police, Jugnu Khan was alone at home when the terrible mishap took place. Her father, Sachin Khan, and mother, Amina Begum, had gone out for work when Jugnu fell into the tank while she was playing around. Area residents claimed the septic tank, built by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, had been left uncovered since the time it was dug. Although nobody has been charged yet, the police have star ted investigating. (EOIC) ‘No Refusal’ taxi permits distributed in Siliguri SILIGURI, SEPT 6 /—/ Distribution of the ‘No Refusal’ taxi permits started in town this morning and continued throughout the day. Regional Transport Authority sources said if any taxi owner fails to collect his permission certificate from the counter, it will be posted to his residential address. The authority issued about 900 permits today.As per the f a re chart, a passenger has to pay Rs25 in minimum for boarding the ‘No Refusal’ vehicle and an additional Rs2 will be charged per 200 metres cover ed. For air-conditioned taxis, the charge will be 25 per cent more. (HS) Sunday September 7, 2014 11-day Ganesh Mahotsav ends in Kalchini EOI CORRESPONDENT KALCHINI, SEPT 6 /—/ The Ganesh Mahotsav started by Kalchini Modi Line Ganesh Mahotsav Organisation Committee on August 27 ended today after 11 days of festivities. Today, the massive Ganesh idol was immersed into the Basara Ghat amidst religious chants, dances and bhajans, marking the end of the Mohotsav. The organising committee president Manoj Chowdhri informed the committee distributed Khichri as prashad from the day one and on the last day of the puja, the committee specially ordered a 351kg laddu and distributed it among the devotees. The laddu was sponsored by a group of locals, including JP Chowdhri, Bimal Shah, Pramodh Shah, Bijay Shah and Dilip Chowdhri. The committee has vouched the Mahotsav will be celebrated in an even more grander manner next year. PRASHANT ACHARYA SILIGURI, SEPT 6/—/ The North East Frontier Railway will run nine special weekly trains between New Jalpaiguri and Ranchi to cater to extra rush of passengers given the upcoming puja season. NF Railway chief public relations officer Sugata Lahiri said the special trains will have AC 2-tier, AC 3-tier, sleeper class and gen- eral second class coaches. A weekly special train bearing number 08630 will leave New Jalpaiguri on Fridays at 05-15 hours on September 19 and 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 and November 7 and 14 and reach Ranchi at 03-30 hours the following day. Meanwhile, train number 08629 will leave Ranchi on Thursdays at 0545 hours on September 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 and November 6 and 13 and reach New Jalpaiguri at 0400 hours the next day. The special trains will halt at Siliguri Junction, Thakurganj, Aluabari Road, Kishanganj, Barsoi, Katihar, Naugachia, Khagaria, Begusarai, Barauni,Kiul, Jhajha, Jasidih, Madhupur, C h i t t a r a n j a n , Pradhankhunta, Dhanbad, Chandrapura, Rajabera, Bokaro Steel City and Muri stations. Ex-dy CM attacks Bihar CM Ganesh idol on its way to Basra Ghat for the immersion ceremon y in Kalchini on Saturday—EOI PIKS Nepalese citizen arrested in Siliguri for cheating people Miscreants stab man for protesting against rape attempt on sisters MALDA, SEPT 6 /—/ A group of miscreants attempted to rape two teenage girls late Friday night at Bhagabanpur village under the Baishnabnagar police station, some 45km from Malda and stabbed the girls’ elder brother, Nayan Mandal, when he intervened. The badly wounded Mandal was first admitted at the Malda Medical College and Hospital, but had to be shifted to a hospital in Kolkata after his health deteriorated. Police sources said the sisters were on their way home from a musical function when six to seven youths obstructed their way and started molesting them. The sisters somehow managed to break free from their grip and reach home where they narrated the entire incident to their brother. Outraged after hearing his sisters’ account, Mandal ventured out alone in search of the culprits and spotted the group loitering about near the Bhagaban Nagar More area. He charged at them in blind fury, but got badly outnumbered and the anti-socials stabbed him in his chest, back and abdomen. Area residents rushed to help Mandal after hearing his cries for help, but the culprits had fled the spot in the meantime. Malda police superintendent Prasun Banerjee said a massive manhunt has been launched to snare the perpetrators. (HS) SILIGURI SEPT 6 /—/ The Siliguri police have arrested a Nepalese citizen named Dinesh Sharma for allegedly running a fake operation and luring people with promises of lucrative jobs overseas. The accused was residing at a rented house in the Khaprial More area of Matigara and operating an office in Nivedita Road, Pradhan Nagar. He has good contacts in Delhi, Siliguri, Jaigaon and other places, said police sources. Shar ma is accused to have taken Rs1.06 lakh from two people, Bhuwan Singh and Bhim Bahadur Rana of Madarihaat in the Dooars. He had promised them lucrative jobs in Hong Kong, added the sources. Pradhan Nagar police station IC Tapan Bhattacharya said Sharma has fooled several other people besides the two. His modus operandi got exposed only after the duo filed a complaint with the police, added the officer. (EOIC) 6th LD Kazi Memorial Cup football tourney from Sept 11 DICHEN ONGMU GANGTOK, SEPT 6/—/ The sixth LD Kazi Memorial Cup Football tournament is slated to begin from September 11 in Gangtok and will be organised by the Chakung Sports Association. The tournament has been revised into an interschool level competition where 67 senior secondary schools from across the state including a few private senior secondary schools will participate. The participating schools have been divided into 16 clusters comprising four teams each. The CSA informed the qualifying rounds will be held at venues among the four districts of the state and the first 16 teams to qualify will clash in the finals at Chakung Senior Secondary School from September 19 to 30. The winning team will receive a cash award of Rs2 lakh while the runners-up will receive Rs1 lakh. The main aim of the tournament is to promote investment in sports in the state and cre- NF Rly to run special NJP-Ranchi weekly trains PATNA, SEPT 6 /--/ velop. The state can develop only with the cooperation and assistance of the Centre," Modi said while interacting with reporters. Hitting out at chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi for giving three points on a scale of 10 to the 100-day government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the senior BJP leader said being in Opposition, Manjhi has the freedom to speak, but that doesn't mean he can say anything. "Manjhi is targeting the Centre, but his own government does not deserve more than zero on the 10-point scale in governance," said the former Bihar chief minister. Continuing his tirade against the chief minister, he said Manjhi did not attend the inauguration of an important programme like the 'Jan Dhan Yojana' on Nitish Kumar's directions as Prime Minister's video was to shown as part of the inaugural function. "Similarly, he adopted an excuse of lack of resources to deprive school students from Prime Minister's speech and interaction. The way he has been passing comments before important events of PM is inappropriate," he alleged. On indications that RJD and Congress may join the JD-U government in the state, Modi said, "Both the parties must join the state government and loot Bihar along with JD-U." Modi, who is also the leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council, criticised Manjhi and other state ministers for not meeting Union Ministers over issues related to the state. "Since they are not getting time to meet Central ministers, we (the BJP leaders) are doing it and raising the issues related to Bihar," he said. Modi said BJP delegations led by him met Union health minister Harsh Vardhan seeking five new medical colleges in the state, against the Bihar government's proposal to open three. He also said Bihar is yet to decide where the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) proposed by the Centre should be opened. Recounting the achievements during the 100 days of Nar endra Modi led NDA government at the Centre, Sushil Modi said though it was a very short span of time, the Centre has given several things to Bihar. "Textile mega cluster at Bha galpur, development of Allahabad - Haldia National Waterway 1 for commercial navigation, world class tourist amenities on Sarnath Gaya - Varanasi Buddhist Circuit, 'Namami Gange' integrated conservation mission for Ganga, develop- ment of river 'ghats' (banks) in Patna are among the major schemes from which Bihar will benefit," said the senior BJP leader. Modi also pointed out that the Centre is ready to expand National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) and establish plastic park, petrochemical and petroleum investment region and electronic cluster if the state government provides land for them. He said the expansion of Barauni petroleum refinery and reopening of fertiliser plant at Barauni was also on cards as part of the Jagdishpur (Uttar Pradesh) - Haldia gas pipeline project. Asked whether Bihar will get special status, Modi said the state was getting more than it right now and the government here should create a land bank of 50,000 acres because "when special status will be accorded where industries will be established. The BJP leader also revealed that Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal will be coming to inaugurated thermal power unit at Barh on September 26, while Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj will visit the state during the third week of September to attend the inauguration ceremony of Nalanda University (NU). Centre to set up Special Rhino Protection Force in Assam Sikkim’s sports minister RB Subba (centre) with HRDD principal secretary Thomas Chandi (left) discussing the upcoming 6th LD Kazi Memorial Cup Football tournament—EOI PIKS ate a platform for talents to participate in national-level tournaments. State sports minister RB Subba said the CM forms panels to attract investment KOLKATA, SEPT 6 /--/ To make the most of her recent five-day trip to Sing apore, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee today formed several committees with active participation by businessmen and senior government officials to boost investment in the state. The committees were formed in a second review meeting with the members of the delegation who accompanied the chief minister in her investmentseeking Singapore visit. Briefing newspersons about the review meeting, state finance and industry minister Amit Mitra said that a steering committee and eight Sectoral Committees had been formed which would meet every one month and 15 days respectively to review progress and suggest plans and policies. The steering committee would be chaired by the state chief secretary Sanjay Mitra, while industrialist Sanjeev Goenka would act as its co-chairman. Apart from this an industrial core committee, already existing in the state, would meet every three months to ratify the development undertaken by other committees befor e forwarding them for government action. These committees on various sector would also help promote "Biswa Bangla" Brand, Mitra said. Eight sector al committees are on Housing; IT, software and hardware; food processing and horticulture; msme and textile; manufacturing; healthcare and education; energy and infrastructure; and tourism and hospitality, Mitra said. Lauding the initiative taken by the state government, industrialist Sanjeev Goenka said that such an initiative was for the first time by any state government or the Centre. "This shows state gover nment's firm resolve to attract investment in the state," Goenka said. tournament is held to honour the immense contributions made by Late LD Kazi to the development of Sikkim’s socio-economic sphere. He added the best players will be picked and a team formed to participate in the Under-17 Subroto Cup, Governor’s Gold Cup and Chief Minister’s Gold Cup tournaments. Woman arrested for faking CM's voiceto demand money BARASAT, SEPT 6 /--/ A woman has been ar rested for impersonating West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over phone in North 24-Parganas district. Deputy Commissioner (Detective Department) Barrackpore Commisionerate C Sudhakar today said Ananya Biswas, a resident of Khardah, was arrested two days ago on a charge of faking Banerjee's voice demanding cash from two senior TMC leaders in the district. "Didi bolchi" (Didi speaking) was what the woman told chairman of Titagarh municipality Prashanta Chowdhury who received the call first. Chowdhury in his complaint to the police alleged that Biswas had asked for over Rs 5 lakh for some welfare activity over the phone four days back. Chowdhury forwarded the request to another senior TMC leader of Khardah who talked to the lady. This time he smelt something foul and passed the caller's phone number to the police. The police later found out that the telephone number belonged to Ananya Biswas, Sudhakar said. senior leader Nitish Kumar greeting RJD MLC Bhola Yadav after taking oath at Bihar assembly in Patna on Saturday. GUWAHATI, SEPT 6 /--/ The Centre will create a Special Rhino Protection Force in Assam to protect the animal from poaching and form a task force to enquire into encroachment of forest land in the state, Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar said today. "We will have zero tolerance for rhino poaching. With the help of Central funds, a Special Rhino Protection Force will be created in Assam," Javadekar told newspersons here. Primarily local youths would form the Force as they knew both the forests and animals, said the minister, who was on a two-day visit to Assam for discussing the poaching and encroachment issues in Kaziranga National Park (KNP). The minister said that 22 rhinos had been killed this year, while 24 poachers were arrested and 20 others lost their lives in encounters with security forces. On encroachment of forest land, Javadekar said "we'll for m a task force which will formulate a mechanism and enquire into the issue of encroachment in forests. It will talk to the state government on the issue. "I have told the state government that if there is any encroachment, then enquire it and take necessary action. In the next six months, we'll evaluate the work done by the Centre and the state," he said. To a query on allegation of settling illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in KNP by the state government, Javadekar said "a task force will be formed." On the ongoing CBI enquiry into two cases of poaching, he said the Centre would request the investigating agency to put it on fast track and consider adding one or two more cases of rhino killing into the probe. Sympathising with the works done by the forest guards in challenging conditions, the minister said health insurance scheme would be provided to them by the Centre which would consider giving life insurance as well. "We will also create a group of select people called 'Friends of Rhino'. This will work for protection of the animal," he said. Appreciating the work done in protecting the one-horned animal, Javadekar requested the state government to be "more responsible" and have a "zero tolerance against poaching". "We believe in development with protection of environment and both have to go together. We cannot have development without the environment," he said. Javadekar also said that the Centre had asked all the eight north eastern states to finalise the boundaries of eco- sensitive zones soon so that these could be recognised. Appreciating the emotion of people from different segments of the state in protecting rhino, he said the government was considering to increase the area of KNP with the rise in population of the animal. The environment minister said deliberation was on to make the six corridors of animal passage on the National Highway-37 completely safe for them with the help of technology. Danceuse plans to work with children after prison convicts KOLKATA, SEPT 6 /--/ Advocating a show where underprivileged girls will be the stoppers, prison reform initiator danceuse Alakananda Roy says children from more challenged background are smarter less inhibitive than the pampered well-off ones. Alakanada of 'Balmikipratibha' fame, the Tagorean play with correctional home convicts, having been staged in different parts of the country, said, "Already I am involved with the education of some children of convicts of several correctional homes in a pilot project. It is a humble initiative on my part." "I am planning to stage dramas and other skits with children from diverse backgrounds in future," the eminent danceuse, whose life story had inspired the film Muktodhara transforming the life of a murder convict two years back, said. Ace fashion designer Sayantan Sarkar, whose special creation earned acclaim at this year's Lakme Fashion Week show, said, "After Lakme show, where renowned models flaunted my textured robes , here my show comes to the basics, highlighting the issue of happy and healthy childhood of the baby girl and teenaged girl." "I have thoughtfull y given the tag 'Live and Let Fly' and designed these Kokeshi doll printed dresses for these little angels who should be given as much priority by parents and society as boys as by empowering them as they grow up we work towards a better society," Sayantan, having designed Paoli Dam's ethnic costume during Cannes visit last year, said. "See their beaming faces. The poise and confidence, They are our real s h o w - s t o p p e r s , " Alakananda said as the girls, brought up by Hope Foundation, walked alongside city models.