Press Trust of India
THIRUMAYAM (TN), 2 AUGUST: Observing that climate change has become an urgent concern across the globe, Prime Minister Manmohan singh today said ways and means should be developed to reduce India’s carbon footprint as it would be among the nations to be “most seriously” impacted.
“We need to develop ways and means to reduce our carbon foot-print through technological innovation. In our country, more than 50 per cent of power comes from coal-based generation, which is a major emitter of greenhouse gases,” he said.
Dedicating to the nation    public sector BHEL’s Power Plant Piping Unit & Unit-II High Pressure Boiler Plant in this town near Tiruchirappalli, Mr Singh expressed happiness over BHEL’s initiatives for development of ultra super critical technology in line “with our mission for development of clean coal technologies.”
He said the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission seeks to develop 20,000 mw of power generating capacity by the end of 13th five Year plan, adding its success has the potential of enhancing India’s energy security, and “contributing handsomely to our efforts to combat climate change.”
“I sincerely hope that BHEL, which is bestowed with engineering expertise, manufacturing prowess and a commendable human resource base, will not only take the lead in solar energy in terms of power generation but also in the development of solar power technology in India.
“This is a difficult commercial decision, but well worth taking in the long term interest of our country,” he said.

Lauding BHEL, the Prime Minister said “I believe that with the operationalisation of these two units, the company has achieved an annual manufacturing capacity of 20,000 mw.”
He lauded his cabinet colleague finance minister P Chidambaram, saying he was instrumental in persuading BHEL, a maharatna PSU, to locate their new power plant piping unit at Thirumayam in Pudukottai district, falling under Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency.
He commended Mr Chidambaram for “tirelessly striving” for the all-round development of the backward block of Thirumayam, saying this showed his concern for his constituency, “and also exemplifies our government’s commitment for development of the backward regions of the country.”
Such projects benefit a locality by way of new employment opportunities, including indirect ones through small businesses, besides boosting skill development and increasing the trade and commerce in the area, contributing to overall prosperity, the Prime Minister said.
Mr Singh also said India needed to do much more in manufacturing, adding it must expand its manufacturing substantially both in absolute terms and as a proportion of GDP.
“Only this can enable us to generate productive employment for our large work-force. BHEL is not only one of our foremost companies but is also contributing to our efforts for expanding manufacturing by helping us make our economy more competitive,” he said.
He said that to address India’s power deficit and to meet the needs of an expanding economy, there was a need for a large-scale capacity addition programme.
“The government is targeting a capacity addition of more than one hundred thousand mw, including renewables, in the 12th five year Plan. In the 11th five year plan, the country added around 55,000 mw of generation capacity which is more than twice the addition achieved in the 10th Plan,” he said.
Out of this, BHEL alone accounted for almost half. This showed the critical role that the company played in one of the key sectors of our economy, he said.
 

Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST: The Supreme Court today agreed to hear CBI’s plea for cancellation of bail granted to Sanjay Chandra, MD of Unitech Ltd, in 2G case for allegedly trying to “sabotage the trial” and issued notice to him.
A Bench headed by Mr Justice G S Singhvi granted two weeks time to Mr Chandra to file his response on CBI’s petition alleging that he had misused the relief given to him by approaching the then CBI prosecutor A K Singh and trying to “materially interfere” with the prosecution in an “attempt to influence” the conduct and outcome of the trial.
CBI has sought recall of the apex court’s 23 November, 2011 order by which he was granted bail.
It has alleged that conduct of Mr Chandra was questionable during the period of bail as he was found holding discussion with the prosecutor about crucial witnesses.
“It is apparent the freedom granted to accused by means of enlargement from custody has been misused by him and that allowing him to continue unabated will be detrimental to the conduct of this trial and to the greater public interest,” CBI has said in its application.
His conversation with the prosecutor, who was removed from the case, reflected that the entire strategy of CBI in dealing with the case was compromised, the agency has said.
CBI said it had registered a Preliminary Enquiry report which named Mr Chandra and prosecutor Mr Singh.
The investigation also suggested that the conversation took place between the two when the statement of crucial witness A K Srivastava, Department of Telecom’s former Deputy Director General (AS) was being recorded in the court, it has said.
The agency has also stated that the CFSL report has also confirmed that the recorded conversation was neither tampered with nor any editing was done and it was the voice of Mr Chandra and Mr Singh.
 

 Everyone, whether participating or not, on this huge platform of Vibes emerges a winner as each one has something valuable to learn from the mega occasion, says debashrita dey 
 

Vibes! You can already feel the glamourous fragrance of its presence. Yes friends, the much awaiting extravaganza of the year is knocking at the door. A gala event and experience beyond description. 

A series of evanescent memories flash across one’s mind as one reminisces about Vibes. A sudden exposure of gusto and rhapsody shaking off all the languor, minds preoccupied with sundry thoughts, dancing vigorously with the foot-tapping music, the mesmerising divine melody, no blaming when things go awry, an eternal camaraderie and a galore of indescribable moments define our Vibes which without any doubt helps to make our lives filled with happy moments. 

So what are you looking for? Wit and humour? "Not a Minute More or Less" won’t disappoint you at all and will leave you exhilarated as you are bound to get transported to a fantasy world on hearing the participants speak eloquently on umpteen imaginative topics.  Any intention to hog the limelight? Then what can be a better option than "Rhythm ‘N’ Hues" where one can set the stage on fire by the pulsating dance performances.  Want to wrack your brains a bit, then "Brainstorm" crackled with its intelligent questions would surely widen your horizon of knowledge leaving no stone unturned.  If by any chance you belong to the fashion conscious creme de  la crème (finest of the finest) of Indian society then make a name for yourself in the vivacious event of  "Dress to Impress". 

 What about entering into the world of controversies and proving yourself with conviction then "Speakout" will help you to set forth your views and give wings to your ideas If you want to impress the audience and the judges by your creativity and acting skills, then do try your hand at "All The World’s A Stage".

If you are trying to discover music in this claustrophobic city then let your voice reach out to the masses and give a scintillating performance at the "MusicKazam" by performing a scherzo.  "Show off" that is a gallery with an array of aesthetic paintings, photographs, handicrafts will reach out a helping hand to those interested in this field and if you are keen on talking about advancement in the scientific world and experiment on creating working models then "Eureka" is all yours.

 You can also showcase your creativity in "Sit and Draw", "Face painting" and "T-shirt Painting" where you can transform white paper into magical hues of colours with your imagination and with the help of bright colours of your thoughts. This is not the end. There’s more to come. 

The grooving and vibrating performances of our guest bands are sure to leave you in rocking with their music. We have Underground Authority performing on 19 August, and on 20 August, it’s Skinny Alley! Make sure you are there. Vibes brims over with fun and frolic and seems to pass swiftly as in a fraction of a second without us even realising where the time flew by. 

It is not only a huge platform where one can showcase one&’s unique talents but also helps us to evolve into a more talented, disciplined and conscientious beings.  

Everyone, whether  participating or not on this huge platform of Vibes emerges a winner as each one has something valuable to learn from this mega occasion. 

Coordinator, Class XII, Loreto House

 Happiness is doubled and sorrow gets halved when shared with a true friend, writes aritra ghosh 
 

“A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little much of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often – just to save it from drying out completely.” ~ Pam Brown

A human is created of blood and bones, says biology. He is made of emotions, says the one who has had the wildest jabberwocky of feelings. And a person living alone could not have faced it for he who can spend all his time in solitude is either a wild beast or God!

With growing age and development the term “friend” has slowly got limited to Facebook and WhatsApp. Those days of endless rides together, everlasting meetings, friendly leg-pulls have long been forgotten. Those days of friendly conversations has narrowed down to group chats, messengers. Letter writing has become a lost art and been confined to e-mails and messages. Even our Friendship Day has been restricted to a text at twelve o’ clock… message time set… and nothing else. “Every day is Valentine&’s Day. There is no one day for love…” that’s all what we know now – those timid words of love and best wishes, the licensed world of extravaganzas, and unconsidered philosophies of the value of friends that enables the man provide an outlet to his feelings and emotions. Even kings and monarchs have been known to make friends because of this inner necessity. Julius Caesar made friends with Decimus Brutus, Augustus with Agrippa, and all the others in my untouched history book. He who has friends will multiply his joy and diminish his grief. A person&’s joy is greatly increased when he speaks about it to his friends, and in the same way his grief is halved when he imparts it to his near and dear ones. Friendship enables a person to understand things more clearly. By speaking one&’s thoughts to a friend, one becomes surer of himself.

 His conversation with a friend sharpens his wits. The advice that he receives from his friend is sounder than the conclusions at which a man arrives by the exercise of his own understanding and judgement. Once upon a time there lived two great friends. One was the quieter fellow who suppressed his emotions, held back his feelings and never let a word about himself.  They talked about his infatuations, obsessions, studies… And as fate would have it relationships, business and affairs took time away from them. When the cobwebs cleared, they had changed. Some things were left untold, unfinished… There are many things a person himself cannot do, but that can be done on his behalf by his friend. Friendship thus is not only an emotional necessity, but it has certain material value. Louis XI was one who is said to have kept secrets to himself, and as a consequence had to suffer great mental agony.  Let&’s remember the words of Francis Bacon on the Friendship Day: “For there is no man that imparteth his joy to his friends, but he joyeth the more; and no man that imparteth his grief to his friend, but he grieveth the less”.

aritra ghosh, Class XI, 

Salt Lake Point School, coordinator

Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI, 2 AUGUST: The government’s 3.56 per cent stake sale offer in Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) got fully subscribed to fetch around Rs 350 crore to the exchequer within an hour of opening of trade.
The Centre was selling over 5.97 crore shares, or 3.56 per cent stake, in NLC through an Institutional Placement Programme (IPP) at a price band of Rs 58-60 a share.
Sources said mostly the Tamil Nadu-based state PSUs bid for the share sale and preference would be given to them while allotment as per exemption received from Sebi.
The issue received bids for over 6.12 crore shares as against 5.97 crore on offer as of 1100 hrs, as per data available on the BSE.
Earlier this month, market regulator Sebi had given go- ahead to the disinvestment department’s proposal to give preference in share allotment to those PSUs located in states in which Neyveli’s generating units were located.
Shares of NLC were trading at Rs 55, down 1.26 per cent over previous close on the BSE.
The Tamil Nadu government has been insisting that it would buy the entire central government stake that is being divested in the state lignite mining and power producing company and had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard last month.
The TN government has said it has five state PSUs which can be qualified as QIBs (Qualified Institutional Buyer). The DoD has sought exemption from Sebi so that preference is given to allot shares to these PSUs only.
Post stake sale, Government’s holding in the PSU would come down to 90 per cent.
Credit Suisse Securities (India), ICICI Securities and SBI Capital Markets are acted as merchant bankers for the issue.
Besides, the government is also selling stake in State Trading Corporation (STC) and ITDC through an offer for sale, which would fetch Rs 3,453 crore to the exchequer.
While the base price for ITDC has been fixed at Rs 70 apiece, that for STC has been fixed at Rs 74 apiece.
While the sale of 5 per cent stake, or 42.88 crore shares, in ITDC would fetch over Rs 3,000 crore, about Rs 454 crore would come from disinvestment of 1.02 per cent, or 6.13 crore shares in STC at the base price set by the government.
Government currently holds 92.11 per cent stake in ITDC and 91.02 per cent stake in STC.
The stake sale would help the three companies meet the minimum 10 per cent public holding norm of market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi).
The government is required to bring down its stake in these two companies to 90 per cent by 8 August.
 

Press Trust of India
JAMMU, 2 AUGUST: A moderate intensity earthquake, measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hit Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda and Kishtwar districts and parts of the Valley today.
The quake, the epicentre of which was in Kishtwar, hit the area around 8.03 a.m. and lasted for 7 seconds, a senior Met officials said, adding, that the aftershocks were felt measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale around 8.05 a.m.
There have been no reports of causality or loss of life, they said.
However, the quake triggered panic among the people in Bhaderwah, who rushed out of their houses to stay in the open amid heavy rains in the areas.
In May this year, Bhaderwah and its adjoining areas witnessed 37 tremors. In July, there were 4 quakes in Bhaderwah and adjoining areas of Doda.
Tremors were also felt in Himachal. No loss of life or property has been reported from any part of the state so far, officials said.
People in Shimla, Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti and Kullu and Kangra districts felt the tremors and rushed out of their homes.
Tremors were felt in Kangra and some other parts of the state on 13 July also.
The quake also shook some parts of Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana.
 

Press Trust of India
PUNE, 2 AUGUST: “Metro Man” E Sreedharan has emphasised integrity, punctuality and professional competence are vital factors for undertaking any major infrastructure project to avoid cost overruns.
Mr Sreedharan, who was conferred the ‘Lokmanya Tilak award’ for 2013 at a function here last night for outstanding contribution to society, said, “In infrastructure projects time is money.”
Professional competence marked the development of the Delhi metro project which was a technical marvel and also a sustainable model, said Mr Sreedharan, considered as the architect of the ambitious Delhi metro project.
It needs to be ensured that the project causes minimum problems to people with minimum dislocation and disruption in traffic flow in the city, he pointed out.
Referring to the proposed Pune metro project, he said “valuable time” of about five years had been lost in the execution of it which could result in cost escalation.
Deepak Tilak, chairman of the Lokmanya Tilak trust presented the award ~ which carried Rs one lakh and a citation ~ to the Padmashree laureate, who is also credited for pulling off the Konkan railway projects.
 

SC orders on crime & politics serve as glue
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE 
New Delhi, 1 August 
Political parties closed ranks at an all-party meeting here today in order to criticise the Supreme Court’s recent judgments relating to immediate disqualification of legislators or barring those behind bars from entering the electoral fray. 
Taking on the apex court over these judgments as well as its verdict disallowing reservation in faculty in top courses in AIIMS and other medical colleges, the leaders, cutting across party lines, expressed their dissent at an all-party meeting convened here today by the Congress-led UPA government to discuss the broad agenda of Parliament’s monsoon session starting from 5 August. The parties expressed concern over what they called "erosion of supremacy" of Parliament in the wake of such court verdicts. They want the government to bring in appropriate amendments to electoral and other legislation to enable Parliament to override these judgments.  
There was also a strong pitch for ensuring the consideration and passage of the National Judicial Commission Bill during the upcoming session itself, which is to provide for scrapping the present Collegium system of making appointments in the higher judiciary by senior judges themselves.
After the 90-minute meeting, the parliamentary affairs minister, Mr Kamal Nath, said all parties expressed concerns over "erosion of supremacy of Parliament" in the wake of the Supreme Court’s judgments on reservation as well as on disqualification of legislators or aspiring election candidates. The apex court recently ruled that any MP or MLA convicted of any criminal offence attracting a punishment of two years and above will be disqualified immediately.
In another decision, the apex court barred candidates in police or judicial custody from contesting polls. The parties are especially upset over this verdict as they feel that it could lead to vendetta against political rivals and anarchy ahead of elections in states. "We are deeply concerned about the verdict, it will lead to atrocious consequences," said the BJP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad. He said any government may thus target its major political opponents by putting them into police custody one day before poll nomination.
The Lok Sabha Opposition leader Mrs Sushma Swaraj also reportedly said: "There should be a review of such decisions and if there is need for some amendment regarding it, those amendments should come." The government has proposed lots of legislative business during the session, which will have only 16 sittings and will conclude on 30 August.

Real Madrid have already spent big this summer, splashing out 60 million euros
Agencies
Madrid, 1 August
Real Madrid will not give up on their chase to sign Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale this summer, Madrid’s director of football Zinedine Zidane, who is also the assistant to coach Carlo Andelotti, has confirmed.
 Madrid’s attempts to sign the Welsh international have already made the saga the transfer soap opera of the summer, with Tottenham turning down a reported world record offer of around 85 million pounds from the Spanish side, reports Xinhua.
 Although he has yet to make a formal transfer request, Bale is thought to be frustrated by Spurs’ refusal to sell him, while the English club are said to be holding out for in incredible 100 million pounds (145 million euros) for the player.
 Given that Bale is still in contract with Tottenham, Madrid should not be negotiating with the player, but speaking from Los Angeles where the club are carrying out pre-season training, Zidane believes it is time they were doing so.
 "If he has expressed a desire to join Madrid, then Tottenham should give him permission to speak with us. The chance to play for Real Madrid might only come around once in a player’s lifetime and it is understandable Gareth does not want to miss out on it." Zidane hinted that the club, which last season failed to win a single trophy, might be prepared to up their offer for Bale.
 "This is modern football. You have to pay to get the best players in Europe. Last season Gareth was on the same level as (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Lionel) Messi. The best players can have not so great games but change a game with a moment of brilliance and those are the sort of players that win you Champions League and league titles," said the Frenchman.
 Real Madrid have already spent big this summer, splashing out 60 million euros on young Spanish midfield players, Isco and Asier Illaramendi, as well as spending a further 12 million to buy Dani Carvajal and Brazilian midfielder Casimiro and with doubts still lingering over whether or not Ronaldo will sign a new contract, Bale is seen as vital to the club’s long term future.

World Cup: In Monchengladbach, Germany, India on Thursday beat Spain 4-2 to enter the semi-finals of the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup for the. Monika, Navneet Kaur, Vandana Katariya & Rani scored.
Local football: The inaugural match of the Rising Stars school football tournament was played between Bantra Madhusudhan P.C.H.S and Kola Union High School. The former won by a score of 1-0.
Gold pot: Nearly $1 million will be up for grabs in prizes in the inaugural Caribbean Premier League. The prize money for the preliminary matches adds up to $525,000. The final match will be worth $250,000.
Open bounty: The US Tennis Association has announced that the men’s and women’s singles champions of the US Open would get a record $2.6 million as prize money. The total prize money is $34.3 million.
Dhoni&’s pup: MS Dhoni has adopted a pup in Ranchi. He posted its picture on his Twitter page, saying that it had been named "Leah English and Liya in Hindi.” Earlier, he "adopted" a tiger.
Barca&’s choice: Barcelona coach Tata Martino has expressed interest in recruiting Danish national team captain and Liverpool defender Daniel Agger. Agger and Chelsea’s David Luiz are the top choices on his wish list.
McGrath image: Glenn McGrath’s life-size wax image became the newest addition to the Madame Tussauds Museum in Australia. He was the winner of the Sydney Aussie Votes campaign. The wax figure portrays McGrath in mid-action.
Lara, Sachin equal: Former Australian captain Steve Waugh on Thursday rated Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar as “equals” because they played in different conditions and under different sort of pressures.
Dope cheats: Nine Turkish athletes have been banned for two years after testing positive for anabolic steroids. The International Association of Athletic Federations said six of the athletes were women, including two teenagers.
Spurs’ gain: Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Valencia for the transfer of Spain striker Roberto Soldado, the London club said on Thursday. Manager Andre Villas-Boas earlier revealed Spurs were chasing him.
Golf feat: Playing over the course of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club on 20 July, 2013, Arun Kumar Gupta was on Thursday stated by the institution in a Press Note to have holed out in one stroke at the second hole. 
Roma triumph: AS Roma beat Major League Soccer’s All-Star team 3-1 in a pre-season friendly.  Kevin Strootman, Alessandro Florenzi and Junior Tallo scored for Roma, and Omar Gonzalez hit one goal for the hosts.
Milan lose: Manchester City outclassed AC Milan to set up a showdown with Bayern Munich in the final of the pre-season Audi Cup tournament following a 5-3 victory on
Wednesday.
Sneijder out:  Galatasaray&’s Wesley Sneijder was left out of the Holland squad for the friendly against Portugal. Meanwhile, Indian software major HCL has signed a multi-million dollar deal with Galatasaray.

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Bhubaneswar, 1 August
In one of the biggest recruitment drive in education department in the state, the state government today announced that it would fill up over 25,000 posts in different categories.
“Recruitment of about 25,000 teachers will benefit children studying in different government run schools,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters here.
The posts to be filled-up include those of Siksha Sahayak, language teacher, contract teachers for high schools and also of headmasters and block education officers.
“It has been decided to recruit about 14,181 Siksha Sahayak and an additional 3,500 Siksha Sahayak for multi-lingual education. This way, a total of 17,681 Siksha Sahayak will be recruited,” said a senior official.
The multi-lingual teachers are expected to be of great help in promoting tribal languages.
“The recruitment process will start in a week’s time and the selection is expected to end by November,” he said.
The language teachers will be recruited for Telugu, Bengali and Urdu.
As per the decision, about 100 teachers will be recruited to take care of the needs of the Telugu-speaking people especially in the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Puri etc. Further, the government is starting a teacher training programme for Telugu teachers this year.
In addition, about 50 Bengali teachers will also be recruited to take care of Bengali speaking students especially in the districts of Malkangiri, Nawarangpur and Balasore etc. About 60 Urdu teachers will also be appointed.
These apart, the process is already underway for recruitment of about 4,707 contract teachers for high schools through the district education officers.
Moreover, 90 posts of headmasters in Odisha Education Service (OES II) cadre and block education officers will be recruited through Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).
The school and mass education department claimed that the filling up of the posts will improve the quality of education to a great extent.
 

Nalco award: National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) has bagged the Gem Granites Environment Award for the year 2012-13, by Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), for its contributions towards environment management at Panchpatmali bauxite mines in Koraput. Company CMD Mr Ansuman Das received the award from Union minister for mines Mr Dinsha J Patel in a special function held in New Delhi on Wednesday. On this occasion, Mr S S Mahapatra, director (production) also received a citation for environment protection and sustainable mining.
Mining raid: Odisha vigilance police today raided the sponge iron unit of a steel and power company in Keonjhar district for alleged illegal mining. “Officials are verifying the plants records relating to operational and financial transactions. They have also seized some documents of the plant,” said vigilance SP S B Mishra. “We are trying to arrest people allegedly involved in the mining scam,” he added. Meanwhile, the Steel and Mines department has cancelled all licences of the company following official reports of the scam.     pti

Malabika Sarkar&’s extension rules applicable only for permanent V-Cs
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Kolkata, 1 August
The section of Presidency University Act under which present Vice-Chancellor Professor Malabika Sarkar has been given an extension of six months is only applicable to permanent V-Cs of the university. 
The “mistake” has been willfully done to cover up the previous mistake of not mentioning the age of 65 in the extension letter last year in which her term was extended till 17 October 2013 despite her turning 65 on 15 August. 
Since the statute of the university is not ready, the university will not get any permanent Vice Chancellor. 
Section 55 of the University Act lays out the transitory provisions of the university under which both Professor Amita Chatterjee, the former V-C of PU and Prof Malabika Sarkar, the present V-C were appointed. 
However, the recent order extending Prof Sarkar’s term until a successor comes, has been issued under section eight of the university act which is applicable for permanent V-Cs only. 
“This is because, there is no provision of this extension under section 55 of the university which guides the appointment of Prof Sarkar. Hence, the deviation had to be made,” said an official of the higher education department, explaining. 
According to the university insiders, the deviation proves how the state government has been caught on the wrong foot regarding this issue of replacing Prof Sarkar. 
“Section 55 does not mention of any age. The letter that our V-C was given last year too did not mention the age of 65. And now they suddenly came up with this age factor to remove Prof Sarkar," said a faculty of the university. 
Section 55 of the university Act says that the first V-C shall hold office for a period of one year,which may be extended by one year. Since, the university statute is not yet ready, Prof Malabika Sarkar will be considered as the first V-C and she will be already completing her two years on 15 August, 2013. 
On the other hand, section eight of the Act, meant for Vice Chancellors who will have full term of four years, says that the Chancellor may allow a Vice Chancellor to continue in his office even after the age of 65 till a seccessor comes, but the period will not exceed six months. 

Statesman News Service 
Kolkata, 1 August
The state government is set to be among the few states to pay wages directly to the bank accounts of beneficiaries of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).  
Instead of paying the wages through cheque, the state panchayat and rural development department will set up a special funds for MGNREGS to distribute the wages directly to the respective bank accounts. The head of the gram panchayat will have to put in his electronic signature to approve the total wages. 
Mr Subrata Mukherjee, the state panchayat and rural development minister, said that the move to provide wages to the bank accounts directly is under the direct cash benefit transfer scheme of the Centre. The new wage payment system is expected to start from September, he added.  “Paying wages directly to the bank accounts will not only ensure transparency but will also expedite the process,” said Mr Mukherjee. He claimed that Odisha is the only state apart from Bengal to have introduced the direct cash benefit transfer scheme for paying wages to MGNREGS beneficiaries.  The department will train the elected representatives of the three-tier panchayat system to work in the new system. The training will begin this month.   The state government had already implemented the system as part of a pilot project in parts of South 24 Parganas but it will now be implemented across the state.   At present, around 58 lakh families have benefited by the scheme which has recorded a mandays of 21 crore against the target of 18 crore in 2012-2013.

statesman news service
Kolkata, 1 August
At a time when global warming, scarcity of energy and unavailability of water resources are causing an impact on the lives of people, experts felt the need of promoting green buildings in the city to avoid environmental hazards. 
On the first day of two-day long conference organised by the Confederation of India (CII), Eastern region, on promoting green buildings at one of the city’s hotel, experts pointed out that the government must adopt regulations to promote green township in the state.
"The state must take initiatives to transform the government buildings into ‘Green’. If we are really serious about building a Green India, the government must show the way and convince people of the need to conserve our finite resources," said Professor Binoy Dutta, Chairman, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).   
Prof Dutta lauded the efforts initiated by the CII towards the setting up of green buildings.
He added: "It is an imperative for a sustainable tomorrow, and I am sure that an event like this will enable people to comprehend the importance of Green Buildings."
Mr Pradeep Dhobale, Co-chairman, CII National Committee on Environment  and the executive director ITC Ltd said: "Green building design, construction and operation should incorporate the latest innovative technologies, which are ecologically superior and can enhance the comfort for the occupants."
He said: "The CII would be pleased to work closely with the state pollution control board and facilitate the promotion of greener West Bengal."
Ms Shakuntala Ghosh, Chairperson, Conference on Green Building, said: "Green Building is the only solution to the growing concerns over climate change and the associated hazards."

Statesman News Service
Durgapur, 1 August
 The Chairman of the state owned public transport company found a private insurance company agent occupying the traffic police kiosk on the busy NH2 crossing in Durgapur and directing civic police volunteers to seize vehicles having no valid insurance.
Mr Tamonash Ghosh – the Chairman, South Bengal State Transport Corporation was headed to the company&’s headquarters when his vehicle was held up due to a road blockade on  NH2.
The locals had put up the roadblock  to protest the high handedness of the civic police volunteers which, according to them,  had led to fatal road accidents between Muchipara & Bhiringhee crossings on the NH2.
The locals saw an  insurance company agent identified later as Satyamal Lohar occupying the traffic police kiosk at DVC crossing and barking orders to two CPVF personnel to indiscriminately stop vehicles. Lohar, pleaded that he was acting at the behest of five private insurance companies.  “The person offers  a cut to CPVF and traffic policemen against each  insurance renewal,” said Mr Parimal Agasty, ward committee secretary in City Centre. He added: “Each CPVF and traffic police personnel are given target of 22 cases everyday and we have definite information on this.”
Today, the locals saw  CPVF men chasing a lorry and at 3.30 pm. Yesterday one such lorry had crushed one Deepak Gurung to death at the same crossing.
The angry locals cornered the CPVF men and the insurance agent was locked in the kiosk from outside (see picture). The OC, Traffic of the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate, Mr R S Yadav and OC&’s of Coke Oven and New Township PS rushed to the spot after Mr Ghosh was caught in the  roadblock.
Mr Ghosh reprimanded the police personnel after he found the insurance agent operating in the kiosk. Mr Ghosh said: “I was shocked to see this. How were the private insurance agents allowed by the police to grab the traffic post.”
Mr Ghosh said: “I informed the state transport minister and requested him to look into this.” He added: “I shall discuss the menace with the Chief Minister after she returns from
Mumbai.”

TMC meet: The All India Trinamul Congress general secretary, Mr Mukul Roy, is expected to meet the Trinamul Congress Hill Committee members on Friday in Siliguri. “Mr Roy is expected to discuss  the role of the committee members in the present scenario of the Darjeeling Hills,” said a Trinamul Congress leader.
ABAVP appeals: The Terai unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad (ABAVP), which has been opposing the state government decision to hand over the Belgachi Hindi Higher Secondary School and Belgachi Hindi Primary School to the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), met the north Bengal development minister Mr Gautam Deb in Siliguri over the issue on Tuesday. “Mr Deb assured that he would look into the matter,” said the general secretary of the Terai unit, ABAVP, Mr Rajesh Toppo.
Schoolgirl dead: A student of class two, Rajani Mahato, died after falling down from an under construction portion near her residence at Champasari on Thursday.
Special EMU train: Eastern Railway will run one a speacial pair of EMU between Sealdah and Ghutiari Sharif on 3-4 August for pilgrims attending the Sandal  Mela of Peer Gazi Sahib in South 24-Parganas.      sns
Man arrested: A person, Tanmay Ray (32), was arrested in Howrah on Thursday for posing as a police officer and collecting money from a cyber cafe owner. He allegedly took away several thousands from the owner.     sns
Tainted cops: Police amended the charges against the police officers who extorted Rs 78 lakh from a businessman in Burrabazar. They were charged with robbery, wrongful confinement and charges of Arms Act. sns
Bike-thief held: Police arrested a man, Mohammad Abid on charges of stealing a bike from Park Street area on 28 June. Police arrested Abid from Tangra and recovered the stolen bike from his possession.     sns
Security beefed up: Five companies of CRPF have been deployed in Hills for maintaining law and order situation. 4 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal and a company of women CRPF arrived in Hills.     sns
ASA memorandum: The Association of West Bengal Secretariat Assistant (ASA) submitted a memorandum to chief secretary demanding the stoppage of redeployment and creation of surplus staff.      sns 
Burdwan re-polls: Re-polling registered 66.76 percent polling in Burdwan today, in 55 booths in Memari and Monteswar blocks thatwere ordered on 29 July following chaos in a counting centre in Paharhati.