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New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
Maoists suspected in explosives loot near Saranda; Odisha, Jharkhand police launch joint anti-maoist operations
ROURKELA: A day after suspected Maoists hijacked and looted a truck laden with huge cache of blasting explosives, Rourkela police intensified combing operation along the Odisha-Jharkhand border with DGP YB Khurania visiting the steel city to take stock of the situation on Wednesday. Reliable sources said the DGP held a closed-door meeting with IG (Operation) Deepak Kumar, DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai and Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwakar, also in charge of Rourkela. Khurania also reportedly visited K Balang police station amid tight security and reviewed the ongoing investigation. At around 9.30 am on Tuesday, eight armed persons hijacked the explosives-laden truck from near a forested stone quarry at Banko within K Balang police limits, more than 90 km from Rourkela and drove the vehicle to a nearby forest. Another 10-15 persons waiting inside the forest looted at least 150 packets of explosives each weighing 15 to 25 kg. The loot site is barely two km from the Maoist hotbed of Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The empty vehicle was later found abandoned inside the forest and its driver was unhurt. Requesting anonymity, a police officer associated with the investigation said driver of the explosives-laden vehicle Debnath Toppo and owner of the stone quarry Niraj Pandey were interrogated. Without ruling out the involvement of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in the incident, he estimated the value of the looted explosives to be around `1.5 lakh. Earlier, SP Diwakar had stated that the looted explosives packets contained blasting gelatine sticks. However, it is yet to be ascertained if some of the packets contained detonators as the gelatine sticks would require detonating devices to explode.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Maoists from J'khand involved in explosive-laden truck theft: Police
1 2 Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: Odisha police confirmed on Wednesday that Maoists from neighbouring Jharkhand were responsible for hijacking an explosive-laden truck from a stone quarry in K Balang area of Sundargarh district on Tuesday. The incident marked a significant Maoist operation after an extended period of reduced LWE activity in Odisha, triggering apprehension of a disruption of the Centre's objective to establish a 'Maoist free' India by March 2026. The daylight theft of four tonnes of gelatin sticks, which cops fear could be used against security personnel, has raised concerns as Sundargarh had been declared Naxal-free in April 2024. DGP Y B Khurania, IG (operations) Deepak Kumar and special intelligence wing (SIW) DIG Kanwar Vishal Singh visited Rourkela to review the investigation. Odisha police have launched an extensive anti-Maoist search operation with the help of the neighbouring Jharkhand police and CRPF. "The Naxals entered from neighbouring Jharkhand, given the Banko quarry's proximity to Maoist-active areas of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. Joint anti-Maoist search operations are underway," DIG (western range) Brijesh Rai told TOI. Rai mentioned that Sundargarh, free from Maoist activities and violence for over 10 years, was removed from the left-wing extremism (LWE) affected areas list and the Centre's security-related expenditure (SRE) scheme last year. According to police reports, roughly 25 to 30 armed Naxals entered the quarry on Tuesday around 10 am, holding two labourers and a manager at gun-point after the explosives-laden lorry arrived. The armed group compelled the driver to operate the vehicle under duress. They released him at Relhatu area under K Balang police limits around 5 pm. "They were speaking in Hindi and claimed to be Maoists. I pleaded for mercy. They spared me," said the truck driver, Debnath Toppo. Police have sealed an explosive storage facility at Itma under Bargaon police limits in Sundargarh, which supplied the gelatin sticks to the Banko quarry. Security analysts criticised the SIW's performance. "Despite Sundargarh's removal from the LWE affected areas list and the SRE scheme, the special intelligence wing should have continued monitoring Maoist movements. They should not have lowered their guard. Naxals must have conducted recce before striking," said S N Sahoo, a retired police officer. Records indicate a similar incident took place in 2012 when Maoists hijacked an explosive-laden van in Sundargarh district.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
CM asks officials to expedite work on Sherpur-Dighwara bridge
Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Wednesday inspected the construction work on Sherpur-Dighwara six-lane Ganga bridge, connecting Patna with Saran district, and instructed the officials concerned to complete the project soon. The total 14.52-km-long project, including the 9-km-long bridge under construction with an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore will also serve as the ring road of Patna. The construction work of the bridge is likely to be completed by 2027. The CM instructed the officials to expedite construction work on the bridge to connect JP Ganga Path and to the Bihta-Sarmera road. At Sherpur, the officials told the CM that the six-lane Ganga bridge is being constructed on engineering procurement and construction (EPC) mode by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Once completed, the bridge will also reduce the distance between Chhapra in Saran and the Bihta airport in Patna by at least 30km. The bridge will also make travelling between North and South Bihar easier, besides those living in western end of Patna. Being a part of the proposed Patna Ring Road, it will be easy for people to travel in all four directions of the state capital. The bridge will also provide connectivity to around 6.5 lakh people of 75 villages in the diara area of Patna through a ramp proposed in its middle on the west side of JP Setu. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Deepak Kumar, principal secretary to the CM, secretary Anupam Kumar, road construction department secretary Sandeep Kumar R Pudakalkatti, RCD secretary B Karthikeya Dhanji, CMO OSD Gopal Singh, Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh, Patna SSP Avkash Kumar, NHAI officials and engineers were present on the occasion.
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Plantation Mahabhiyan-2025: UP to plant 4.12 crore saplings along 13 riverbanks
During the annual plantation drive beginning July 1 out of total 35 crore saplings, 4.12 crore will be planted within a 5-kilometre radius of major rivers across Uttar Pradesh. Plantations will be done along 13 major rivers in 24,271.66 hectares. A total 1.09 crore saplings to be planted across 6,712.44 hectares on the banks of Yamuna, over 77 lakh over 4,356.13 hectares along the Ganga. A total 53 lakh saplings to be planted along the Betwa, 34.25 lakh along the Sai, 33.56 lakh along the Gomti, 12.22 lakh along the Ken and 4.29 lakh saplings will beautify the Hindon banks, a statement issued by state government on Wednesday read. In 2024, 3.72 crore saplings were planted at 2,656 sites along riverbanks. Deepak Kumar, mission director of plantation said Triveni saplings, a sacred trio of Neem, Peepal, and Pakad— will also be planted along the riverbanks.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rising RTE admissions amid stagnant reimbursement in U.P.
Although seat allotments for economically weaker section (EWS) children in Uttar Pradesh under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, have increased from 54 in 2013 to over 1.85 lakh this year, the state government has not revised reimbursement amount payable to private school per child ever since the Act was adopted in the state in 2013. The reimbursement amount in U.P. continues to be ₹5400 annually for the past 12 years or ₹450 pr month per child with an additional ₹5,000 provided to RTE students for purchase of books and uniform. In contrast, Delhi reimburses ₹26,800 annually per child while Gujarat reimburses ₹20,000. Tamil Nadu pays between ₹12,076 and ₹15,711, Uttarakhand pays ₹18,311, Andhra Pradesh reimburses between ₹5100 and ₹8,000 (rates vary based on locations like rural or urban area). Besides, Maharashtra reimburses ₹17,760 yearly, Rajasthan pays ₹14,141, Karnataka ₹11,848, Odisha ₹9184 and Chhattisgarh ₹7,650. 'Govt has no plans to revise reimbursement amount' Additional chief secretary, basic and secondary education, U.P., Deepak Kumar said, 'Hike or revision in reimbursement to private schools under RTE is nowhere on the agenda of the state government as of now. We have improved the infrastructure in government institutions and we encourage EWS students to seek admission in government institutions.' Govt must revise reimbursement amount: Expert There is a growing demand that the U.P. government must revise reimbursement to private schools. Former CBSE chairman Ashok Ganguly said, 'Yes, this needs immediate revision. U.P. has one of the lowest reimbursement amounts in the country. That could be one of the reasons why the private schools are reluctant to take admission under this category.' 'This is more so significant because the NEP now talks of universalisation of secondary education,' Ganguly added. Pvt school assn for substantial revision Anil Agarwal, president, Unaided Private Schools' Association, U.P., said, 'In U.P., reimbursement amount for RTE is only 450 per month and it is not as per the RTE Act that mandates that the government should pay at par with its expenses incurred for a child in government schools.' 'This amount should be around ₹ 3500 per month because according to the RTE Act, the amount spent per student in a government school or the fee of the private school, whichever is less, will be paid to the private schools as reimbursement and government can check the expenditure incurred in government schools, but no one listens,' Agarwal claimed. How districts have performed Of the total 1.85 lakh seat allotment under the RTE Act, 1.06 lakh children were enrolled in private schools across Uttar Pradesh this year. So far, nearly 80,000 economically weaker section students have not got admission in private schools despite completing all formalities and prescribed rules laid by the government. Even in districts like Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar, Agra and Gorakhpur, barely 60% admission were done under RTE and in many cases it is far below 50%. Director general, school education, U.P., Kanchan Verma said, 'We will try to push for further enrolment.' Another education department official said, 'It's heartening to see such strong momentum in RTE admissions this year.' 'With close to 60% confirmed admissions already by early May, I am confident that 100% enrolment can be achieved by July. Starting the application process early — from December itself — was a critical step that allowed the system to move faster and more efficiently this year,' she added. 'Ballia, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur and Shamli have done quite well this year. The state capacity for admissions is almost thrice and with this momentum, I am sure it's a matter of few years. The progress we are witnessing today is the result of consistent groundwork — mobilising parents, strengthening government processes, and nurturing a strong culture of accountability for children's right to education,' said Samina Bano, the founder of RightWalk Foundation that is actively involved in pushing admission of EWS kids under the RTE. 'We remain fully committed to seeing every eligible child in school this year,' she added.
