Page 12 - Jharkhand

Bhel gets 1,600 MW thermal power project from Damodar Valley Corporation

State-owned BHEL on Monday said it has secured a 1,600 MW project from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). The coal-based unit will be set up in the Koderma district of Jharkhand on an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) basis, BHEL said in a statement. The 2x800 MW Koderma Supercritical Thermal Power Project (STPP) has been awarded through International Competitive Bidding (ICB), it said. This is the first such project in terms of capacity for DVC, and will be set up adjacent to its existing 2x500 MW units set up by BHEL earlier, the statement said. BHEL further said that it has a long-standing partnership with DVC and has installed over 80 per cent of the coal-based power stations of the utility in Jharkhand and West Bengal. The new project from DVC includes supply, erection and commissioning, along with civil works. The key equipment for the project will be supplied by BHEL's manufacturing units. Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) is one of the largest engineering

Jharkhand HC warns state govt about illegal immigration from Bangladesh

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed the state government to take immediate action against illegal Bangladeshi immigrants entering the state through the Santhal Parganas. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai gave the direction while hearing a PIL filed by one Daniel Danish. The court observed that illegal immigration will be on the rise in view of the present unstable situation in Bangladesh. The bench ordered the director of the intelligence bureau, director general of the BSF, chief election commissioner of India, and director general of the Unique Identification Authority of India to be made parties in the case. The court while issuing notices to them ordered them to file a response in the matter. The court also suggested that the government should conduct a sudden inspection of Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards. These drives will not only help in identifying the illegal settlers but will also deter others from

West Bengal floods: Mamata points finger at Jharkhand; Assam CM hits back

Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about the sudden and huge release of water from Tenughat, which has already started flooding Bengal

Alert issued in Jharkhand's Singhbhum after water level rise of two rivers

The East Singhbhum district administration in Jharkhand on Sunday issued an alert for people residing in the low-lying areas in view of swelling rivers following heavy rainfall, officials said. The water level in Kharkhai and Swarnarekha rivers has been rising for the last couple of days due to incessant rain in the state, they said. The water level in Swarnarekha was recorded at 116.58 metres at 9 am on Sunday against the danger mark of 121.50 metres, whereas it was 126.83 metres against the red mark of 129 metres in Kharkhai, an official release said. Around 3,500 cusec water was released into Swarnarekha from the Chandil Dam in adjoining Seraikela-Kharswan district, it said. People residing in the catchment areas have been asked to not venture out near the rivers, and duly follow the directives issued by the administration. Several road diversions were washed away, trees uprooted, houses damaged and a bridge collapsed due to incessant rain for the past two days in Jharkhand, an

Rains wash away road diversions, uproot trees, damage houses in Jharkhand

Several road diversions were washed away, trees uprooted and houses damaged due to incessant rain for the past two days in Jharkhand, an official said on Saturday. However, no casualty was reported from any part of the state till now, a disaster management official said. The Jharkhand government has already ordered that all schools be closed on Saturday in view of the rains. NDRF teams had been deployed in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi on Friday to rescue people from low-lying areas hit by incessant rains, he said. But, the situation is under control there, he said. The weather department has issued alert for heavy rains in many districts on Saturday. "Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely today and isolated extremely heavy rainfall is also very likely over Northwest Jharkhand," Ranchi Meteorological Centre in-charge Abhishek Anand said. In Ranchi, several low-lying areas are submerged under rainwater. Around 40 p

CAG finds major irregularities in Jharkhand ULB's waste management projects

Major irregularities were detected in the performance audit of solid waste management in Jharkhand's urban local bodies (ULBs), according to the latest CAG report tabled in the assembly on Friday. Anomalies were found in planning and institutional mechanisms, financial management, implementation of solid waste management (SWM) projects, expenditures, and other areas, the report said. The performance audit involved test-checking 14 sampled ULBs out of 50, covering the financial years 2017-18 to 2021-22. This audit was conducted between July 2022 and January 2023 to assess the quality of SWM facilities, the report added. The state government notified the Jharkhand State Urban Sanitation Policy in 2018. The audit revealed that none of the 14 test-checked ULBs had prepared SWM plans. Additionally, nine out of the 14 ULBs failed to recognise organisations of informal waste pickers or collectors. "There was a 28 per cent vacancy for sanitary supervisors and an 89 per cent vacancy in the

Jharkhand govt to decide soon on land parcels lying unused: Minister

The Jharkhand government will soon decide on large chunks of unused land parcels which are in possession of big companies, the assembly was informed on Friday. The state wants that these resources should be returned to their original owners, state minister Deepak Birua said in the assembly. "Large chunks of land parcels were lying unused by big companies. The government is serious about the issue and we will soon take a decision in this regard," he replied to a query. Chief Minister Hemant Soren has already expressed willingness to set up a commission to resolve the issue of unused land. Earlier, Congress MLA Pradip Yadav raised the issue in the House and said the Centre's Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 provisions that if land, acquired by any company, is not utilised for five years, then it should be returned to the original owner or should go to land bank. "But here, land parcels acquired from original .

18 Jharkhand BJP MLAs suspended, LoP says 'black day' in democracy

Eighteen Jharkhand BJP MLAs were on Thursday suspended from the assembly for a day and subsequently removed by marshals after they refused to leave the House. Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto acted against the BJP legislators after they caused a disruption in the House in protest against the eviction of opposition MLAs by marshals the previous day and Chief Minister Hemant Soren's "refusal" to address their questions. Leader of the Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri alleged that a "dictatorship" was prevailing in Jharkhand and claimed that action was taken against BJP legislators at the behest of the JMM-led government. Several BJP MLAs spent Wednesday night in the assembly lobby after marshals evicted them from the well of the House. They had been protesting Soren's alleged refusal to answer their questions on key issues, including employment. Much before the House proceedings were scheduled to begin at 11 AM on Thursday, BJP legislators entered the well of the House, raising slogans demandi

J'kand BJP MLAs evicted by marshals, spend night in Assembly lobby

Several BJP MLAs of Jharkhand spent the night in the assembly lobby after marshals evicted them from the well of the House where they were protesting against Chief Minister Hemant Soren's "refusal" to reply to their questions on key issues including employment. The legislators slept on bed covers and blankets on the floor of the lobby near the entrance of the assembly building. The House is scheduled to reconvene at 11 am on Thursday. The opposition BJP and AJSU Party MLAs were evicted by marshals from the House to the lobby late last night after they refused to budge from the Well even after the House was adjourned around 3 pm. They alleged that despite being in a sit-in in the well, the lights and air-conditioners were turned off. "We were dragged out by the marshals from the well to the lobby and then near stairs at the entrance of the Assembly though our protest was peaceful," a BJP legislator claimed. Sitting in the lobby adjacent to the main entrance, they were seen raising

2 killed, 20 injured as 18 coaches of Mumbai-Howrah Mail derail in J'khand

Six people were injured as 10 coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday, officials said. The accident occurred at 3.45 AM near Badabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradhatpur Division of South East Railway, they said. "Ten to twelve coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed near Badabamboo. Six passengers were injured in the accident and provided medical aid in Badabamboo. They are now being taken to Chakradharpur for better treatment," a senior SER official said. The rescue operation is on, he said. The train accident was reported from Potobeda in the Kharsawan block of Seraikela-Kharsawan district, a local administration official said. "The Mumbai-Howrah Mail and a freight train are involved in the accident. The assessment of injured people is underway," he added.

Mumbai-Howrah Mail accident: Railways cancels at least 5 trains. Full list

Jharkhand train accident: At least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in the predawn hours of Tuesday around 80 km from Jharkhand's Jamshedpur killing at least two people

BJP to raise Bangladeshi infiltration issue during J'khand monsoon session

Jharkhand BJP said that it will raise the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration during the ongoing monsoon session of state assembly on Monday. The decision was taken in the party's legislature meeting held here on Sunday evening. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Amar Kumar Bauri, said, "The countdown of the JMM-led ruling alliance government has started. So, we want the government's reply to several issues such as Bangladeshi infiltration, demographic change and corruption." The six-day monsoon session of the assembly began on Friday. Bauri alleged that the tribal population has been dwindling in Jharkhand's Santhal Pargana region, while the population of Bangladeshi infiltrators are rising but the government is silent over the issue. "The tribal population in Santhal Pargana was at 44 per cent in 1951, which declined to 28 per cent in the 2011 census. On the other hand, the Muslim population, which was at nine per cent, rose to 22 per cent in the same period. We will see

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar chairs JD(U) meeting, discusses Jharkhand polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Saturday said that it wanted to contest the assembly elections in neighbouring Jharkhand in alliance with the BJP. Kumar chaired a meeting of his party at his official residence and it was attended by JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is in charge of Jharkhand, Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary and Rajya Sabha MP Khiru Mahto, who heads the JD(U)'s unit in the adjoining state, among others. After the meeting, Mahto told reporters, "We are looking forward to contesting the Jharkhand assembly polls in alliance with the BJP." "Among the issues discussed with the party's supreme leader was the inclusion of Kurmis in the list of Scheduled Tribes. Kurmi leaders in Jharkhand have been raising the demand for some time and today it was seconded by delegates from West Bengal. We will now move forward by raising the issue in Parliament and before President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he ..

86% of Jharkhand's paddy cultivation land unused due to scanty rainfall

Around 86 per cent of Jharkhand's arable land, meant for paddy sowing, is still lying fallow due to scanty rainfall, officials said. Paddy sowing has not yet taken off in four out of 24 districts even though the peak period of sowing ends next week, according to agricultural experts. Jharkhand has registered a 47 per rainfall deficit till July 26, officials said. Farmers are worried over the condition and they speculate the state might face drought-like situations for the third consecutive term. In 2023, 158 blocks in 17 districts were declared drought-hit by the state government, and in 2022, it was 226 blocks. Paddy crop was sown in only 2.43 lakh hectares against the target of 18 lakh hectares till July 26 or only in 13.53 per cent of the arable land, according to the sowing report of state agriculture department. Paddy sowing could not be started in Palamu, Latehar, Chatra and Deoghar districts. The situation of overall kharif crops, which includes maize, pulses, oilseeds an

Soren slams BJP-led Centre for 'neglecting' Jharkhand in Union Budget

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday slammed the Centre for "neglecting" the state in the Union budget, and alleged that the BJP leaders are "silent" over the dues from the Centre. He also claimed that the Centre owes Rs 1.36 lakh crore to the state and demanded that its dues be paid by the Union government. "Who is guilty of discrimination with the state? The Centre owes Rs 1.36 lakh crore to the state, but every BJP leader is silent on this issue. Give a special package to your crutches - pay us our dues," Soren said on X. He was apparently referring to financial measures, announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget proposals on Tuesday, for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, ruled by key NDA allies -- Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) and Chandrababu Naidu's TDP -- which are providing critical support to the BJP-led government at the Centre. Announcing a host of developmental projects, Sitharaman proposed a total outlay of over Rs 60,000 crore for various ...

Congress criticises Union Budget, says it completely ignores Jharkhand

"Jharkhand suffers from the Centre's apathy because it is ruled by a non-BJP government.'' Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said

J'khand officials to make report on impact of less rainfall on agriculture

Concerned over rain deficit in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday directed officials to prepare a report on its impact on agriculture so that it could be placed before the Centre for seeking assistance. Chairing a high-level meeting of senior officials to review the impact of less-than-normal rainfall during the monsoon, he asked officials to start preparations on time to provide relief to the farmers. "If the situation of less rainfall continues for the next few days, then prepare a complete strategy to deal with it," he said, according to an official statement. He told the officials to speed up the work of irrigation projects, and along with it, prepare for alternative agriculture. He also directed them to remain alert and monitor the rainfall and sowing of crops in all the districts. "The chief minister said that this time too, a weak monsoon situation is being seen so far. This is having a direct impact on the sowing of paddy and other crops. Due to this, a large

27 Jharkhand workers stranded in Cameroon; appeal for help amid food crisis

In a video message, the workers, from Bokaro, Giridih, and Hazaribagh, said that they were brought to Cameroon on March 31 this year by a private company and have not been paid their salary

Hemant Soren govt wins trust vote in Assembly amid Opposition walkout

The JMM-led government in Jharkhand headed by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday won the vote of confidence in the assembly amid a walkout by opposition members. A total of 45 MLAs, including nominated member Josheph P Galastaun, voted in favour of the confidence motion. BJP and AJSU legislators walked out of the House as headcount for voting started. The BJP-led opposition has 24 legislators of the saffron party and three of the AJSU Party. Earlier, BJP legislators trooped into the well seeking Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto's permission to allow MLA Bhanu Pratap Sahi to speak, which was turned down by the Speaker. Seventy-five MLAs were present in the assembly during the voting. Independent legislator Saryu Roy abstained from voting. The ruling alliance comprises the JMM, Congress and the RJD while it is supported from outside by the lone CPI (ML) Liberation legislator. After the Lok Sabha elections, the strength of the JMM-led alliance has been reduced to 45 MLAs in the 81-mem

Hemant Soren wins trust vote, backed by 45 MLAs in Jharkhand Assembly

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren successfully won the trust vote during an Assembly session on Monday