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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Tribal outfits observing Jharkhand bandh over ramp construction near sacred site in Ranchi
Ranchi, Various organisations are observing a Jharkhand bandh on Wednesday to protest against the construction of a ramp, part of a flyover, near Sarna Sthal, a sacred tribal religious site in Ranchi, police said. Protesters blocked the Ranchi-Daltonganj Road near Biju Para this morning and staged a demonstration as part of the bandh. Elaborate security arrangements have been made across Jharkhand, especially in the capital Ranchi, police said. Several organisations took out a torchlight procession here on Tuesday evening, demanding the immediate dismantling of the newly constructed ramp in Siram Toli, claiming that the structure obstructs access to their religious site and could impact its sanctity due to traffic movements. Their other demands include the protection of religious sites of the ST community in the state, implementation of the PESA Act and removal of encroachment on tribal land. The construction of the 2.34-km-long elevated road, which includes a 132-metre stretch over a railway line, will connect Siram Toli to Mecon and is aimed at easing traffic movement in the area. Tribal men and women gathered at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here and took out the procession on June 3, alleging that the government was ignoring their concerns and sentiments. They argued that the ramp would disrupt access to the site when thousands gather during religious festivals like Sarhul. The administration has urged protestors not to disrupt normal traffic. The ₹340-crore elevated road project was launched in August 2022. Earlier on March 22, an 18-hour Ranchi bandh was called, impacting normal life in the capital. During the bandh in March, agitators entered into scuffles with the police in various parts of the city, including in Hinoo and Argora areas, while roads in Harmu, Kanke, Hinoo, Kokar-Lalpur, Kantatoli and other localities were blocked by them with makeshift bamboo barricades. The Ranchi-Lohardaga Road was also blocked near Titla Chowk in Ranchi, and the public transportation was severely affected, with city buses and motorised and battery-operated auto-rickshaws not plying on the roads. Mobile app-based taxi services were also scarce, leaving passengers in a lurch. Travellers had also faced inconvenience, as limited transport options made it difficult for them to reach railway stations or the airport here.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Tribal body wants Siramtoli ramp work to be suspended
1 2 Ranchi: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on Tuesday directed the Jharkhand govt to immediately halt all construction and inauguration work on the Siramtoli Flyover ramp until a final decision is made, following sustained protests by a section of tribal communities .The controversy centres around the ramp's alignment, which significantly restricts access to the Kendriya Sarna Sthal , tribal's religious site. A narrow 14-foot-wide gap has been left between the ramp and the Sarna ground, which tribal groups argue is insufficient for the scale of their religious processions and Kendriya Sarna Sthal, established in the 1960s by tribal leader Kartik Oraon, is a historic and spiritual site where thousands gather to celebrate Sarhul, one of Jharkhand's most important tribal April 4, the Kendriya Sarna Samiti and Chadri Sarna Samiti submitted a formal petition to the NCST demanding intervention. Responding to this, NCST member Asha Lakra conducted a site inspection on Tuesday along with commission officials and tribal representatives. "The Sarna Sthal is not an ordinary location but a cultural and spiritual heartbeat of Jharkhand's tribal communities. Under Article 338A (8), no construction activity is allowed when a case is under consideration by the commission," Asha said. Angel Lakra, spokesperson of the Kendriya Sarna Samiti, highlighted the site's historical roots, "This sacred place was built in the 1960s by Kartik Oraon for Sarhul celebrations. It's not just land; it's a living piece of our heritage. Any obstruction here is deeply offensive."Asha reiterated the Commission's stance, "Proceeding with construction despite the ongoing case is not just a legal violation; it's a direct affront to tribal religious sentiments. Until the investigation concludes, all activity must cease."Bablu Munda, president of the Kendriya Sarna Samiti, criticised the state govt's handling of the matter, "Despite months of peaceful protests and petitions, the Hemant Soren-led 'Adivasi govt' has shown apathy. The ramp was built under police protection, brushing aside tribal concerns."The Rs 340-crore, 2.3-km-long flyover project includes an elevated road and a cable-stayed bridge. While the govt touts it as a major infrastructure initiative, its clash with tribal religious rights has sparked a significant socio-political debate.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Time of India
Jal, Jungle & Jameen - Mantra for biodiversity conservation
The state's name, Jharkhand, is a name derived from the Hindi words "Jhar", meaning forest and "Khand" — land or simply, "land of forests". Historically, the term was used to refer to the forested land between Babadham (Deoghar) and Puri (in Odisha). Jharkhand has also been home to 32 major tribal groups that associate their identities with "jal-jungle and jamin" (water, forest and land). With a rich endowment by nature coupled with its nature-loving people, it is no surprise that the state conserves some of the pristine and oldest natural sites of ecological importance — the fossil parks of Rajmahal hills in Sahibganj district. It hosts plant and animal fossils from the Jurassic era (150-200 million years ago). Noted geologist Birbal Sahni established the area as a global palaeontological site. In 2022, chief minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the Rajmahal hills, the state's first fossil park, to preserve the Jurassic era plant and animal fossils, describing them as a treasure trove. Meanwhile, the life of indigenous people of the state revolves around trees — Saal (Shorea robusta) and Mahua (Madhuca longifolia) — the two important varieties, the former being used during festivals like Sarhul and the latter forming a part of day-to-day life as a source of nutrients and raw material for brewing alcoholic drinks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo Among the myriad fauna in the state, Jharkhand boasts of being home to the world's smallest wild pig — pygmy hog (Sus salvanius) — and also to the majestic Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus). Sadly, the pygmy hog has almost vanished from the Jharkhand forests and the elephants face the challenge of shrinking corridors. While the Malabar pied hornbill is also a treat to the eyes, the silk moth and lac insects (Kerria lacca) are exclusive to the region and add to the richness of the biodiversity, besides supporting the livelihood of several thousand people. At the same time, Jharkhand is home to 40% of the country's mineral and 29% coal reserve, extraction of which often threatens the ecology and biodiversity. The state's forests, classified into eight distinct types under the Champion & Seth classification, are home to diverse flora, fauna, and indigenous tribal communities, including the Munda, Oraon, Ho, Santhal, and Paharia, who maintain a deep connection with nature. Traditional festivals like Sarhul and Karma celebrate this bond with forests. Currently, the Jharkhand Biodiversity Board is intensifying conservation efforts through documentation, community engagement and awareness initiatives. Key ecological hotspots under focus include Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Betla National Park, Parasnath Hills and biodiverse zones in places, including Gumla, Ranchi and Palamu districts. To balance development with ecological sustainability, the board plans to collaborate with major mining companies like CCL, BCCL, ECL, and NTPC. These companies will submit conservation strategies, survey reports, and restoration plans for mined-out areas with some to be designated as OECMs (Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures). "We have outlined key strategies to strengthen biodiversity conservation in the face of expanding mining activities," said Sanjeev Kumar, the principal chief conservator of forests and member secretary of the Jharkhand Biodiversity Board. The board's initiatives included planting rare, endangered, and threatened (RET) species in degraded lands and updating people's biodiversity registers with corporate support. Plans also included organising exposure visits for biodiversity management committee members to successful restoration sites and implementing livelihood programmes for mining-affected tribal communities. "The aim is to turn ecological restoration into a vehicle for community empowerment. Companies must undertake conservation efforts in mining zones to ensure that development doesn't compromise biodiversity," Kumar emphasised. At the same time, recent data shows over 690 hectares of forest land were diverted for non-forestry uses between January 2015 and February 2019. Currently, only 2.74% of the state land falls under the protected area network, comprising one national park and 11 wildlife sanctuaries.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Protests over Siromtoli on as construction nears completion
1 2 Ranchi: The controversial ramp of the Siromtoli flyover has reached the final stage of construction under heavy force deployment, even as strong protests by tribal groups continue to mount since January. The primary concern of the tribals' centres around the flyover's ramp, which ends near the Siromtoli Sarna Sthal, a sacred site where they perform their religious rituals, particularly during the Sarhul festival. According to them, the ramp is going to cause inconvenience to lakhs of devotees gathered at the site during the sacred festival. Despite the protests, the construction of the ramp is completed except some minor works, according to a senior official. Speaking to TOI, Manohar Kumar chief engineer of road construction department said, "The construction of the ramp has almost completed except for installing crash barriers to prevent vehicles from veering by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Aged 50-85 With No Life Insurance Could Get This Reassured Get Quote Undo off the bridge. That apart, another few works including load testing of the flyover is also pending. So, the inauguration date of the flyover has not been finalised yet but the works will complete soon. The construction of the flyover started in September 2022." Another official of the department said that the flyover is most likely to be inaugurated by June this year. As the construction is nearing its completion, tribal leaders continued to express their anger and discontent over the govt's adamant attitude towards their concern. The 2.3 km long project, which consists an elevated road and a cable-stayed bridge, is being constructed at a cost of Rs 340 crores. The flyover connecting Siromtoli Chowk and Mecon Chowk is expected to smoothen traffic flow once operational. Babloo Munda, president of Kendriya Sarna Samiti, told TOI that the Hemant Soren govt has betrayed the tribals and crushed their hopes. "We elected him as the chief minister for the second term with very high hopes that he would safeguard our rights, but he did the exact opposite. The ramp construction near the Sarna Sthal has narrowed down the approach way, which will pose a risk of stampede during the Sarhul from next year. With this, the govt has put the lives of tribals in jeopardy as well," Munda added. The tribal groups took many activities in the past four months including forming human chains stretching from Morabadi ground to the state assembly, and a dawn to dusk Ranchi bandh in April, to draw attention to the controversial project. During the recent budget session of the Jharkhand assembly taking note of strong protests by the tribal community, speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto directed the treasury benches to ensure that the community does not face any hurdles in celebrating their festivals due to construction of Siromtoli flyover.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Akshaya Tritiya, Basava Jayanti bank holiday: Are banks open or closed in your state on April 30, 2025?
Due to the religious and cultural significance of Basava Jayanti and Akshaya Tritiya on April 30, 2025 has been declared a bank holiday in one state. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Are banks open or closed in your state on April 30, 2025? What is the significance of Basava Jayanti? Akshaya Tritiya bank holiday on April 30, 2025 Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Apr-25 1 5 7 10 14 15 16 18 21 29 30 Agartala • • • • Ahmedabad • • • • Aizawl • • • Belapur • • • • Bengaluru • • • • • Bhopal • • • • Bhubaneswar • • • Chandigarh • • Chennai • • • • Dehradun • • • Gangtok • • • Guwahati • • • • Hyderabad - Andhra Pradesh • • • Hyderabad - Telangana • • • • Imphal • • • Itanagar • • • • Jaipur • • • Jammu • • Kanpur • • • • Kochi • • • Kohima • • Kolkata • • • • • Lucknow • • • • Mumbai • • • • Nagpur • • • • New Delhi • • • • Panaji • • • Patna • • • Raipur • • • Ranchi •• • • • Shillong • • Shimla • • Srinagar • • Thiruvananthapuram • • • Holiday Description Day To enable to Banks to close their yearly accounts/Sarhul 1 Babu Jagjivan Ram's Birthday 5 Shad Suk Mynsiem 7 Mahavir Janmakalyanak/Mahavir Jayanti 10 Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti/Vishu/Biju/Buisu Festival/Maha Vishuva Sankranti/Tamil New Year's Day/Bohag Bihu/Cheiraoba 14 Bengali New Year's Day/Himachal Day/Bohag Bihu 15 Bohag Bihu 16 Good Friday 18 Garia Puja 21 Bhagvan Shri Parshuram Jayanti 29 Basava Jayanti/Akshaya Tritiya 30 Banks will remain open in all states except one state on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 , on account of Basava Jayanti Akshaya Tritiya , a widely celebrated Hindu festival considered highly auspicious for new beginnings and purchases, especially of gold, also falls on April 30 this to the religious and cultural significance of Basava Jayanti and Akshaya Tritiya on April 30, 2025 has been declared a bank holiday in Karnataka under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Both public and private sector banks will remain shut for in-branch services. If you have important bank-related tasks like cash withdrawals, cheque clearances, or loan paperwork—it's advisable to complete them in advance, as banks will not process physical transactions on April 30, 2025 in the read: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank cuts FD rates by up to 20 bps, senior citizens can still get 8.55% interest on fixed deposits Basava Jayanthi is a holiday traditionally observed by the Lingayats of the Indian state of Karnataka. It marks the birthday of Basavanna, a 12th-century poet-philosopher and the founding saint of the Lingayat Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, falls on the third day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Vaishakha. In 2025, it will be observed on April word Akshaya means "never diminishing" and it signifies eternal prosperity and good fortune. According to Hindu mythology, this day marks several significant events:Holiday dates and descriptionSource: RBI
