Terror funding?
Four trucks loaded with 150 bags of cash and  jewellery, worth Rs 2,500 crore were impounded
NIA has rounded up 47 angadias who were to deliver the consignment to Ahmedabad
The agency wants to find out if the alleged hawala operation involved terror funding
Statesman News Service
Mumbai, 2 July
The National Investigation Agency and the vigilance wing of Mumbai’s Income Tax late on Monday night impounded four trucks loaded with 150 bags stashed with unaccounted cash, jewellery, gold and diamonds roughly estimated at Rs 2,500 crore.
The seizure was made minutes before the consignment was to be taken
to Ahmedabad by more than 40 "angadias" or personal couriers by the Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Gujarat Mail.
NIA said they have rounded up 47 "angadias" who were expected to ferry the undeclared wealth to their yet to be identified receivers in the Capital of Gujarat and other cities.
The "angadias" are being questioned in batches to unravel the trail of cash from senders to final users.
Counting of seized cash was on at I-T department’s Scindia House office at Ballard Pier in south Mumbai. The building has been cordoned off by Mumbai police.
The NIA received a tip off about physical transfer of unaccounted wealth from the diamond markets and bullion bazaar last week.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the four trucks were escorted to Mumbai Central station by a senior officer of the Vithal Bhai Road Police Station. The Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Gujarat Mail is the angadias’ favourite, since it cover the distance overnight in both directions. NIA sources said they had to involve the Income Tax (Vigilance) in the operation since the Central investigating agency does not have mandate to impound cash or other unaccounted wealth.
"The prime concern of the agency is to find out whether the alleged hawala operation involved terror funding,” said a source.
The IT director general (Vigilance) Mr Swantantra Kumar confirmed the consignment was headed to Ahmedabad. He said it would take a day or two to count the cash and other valuables.
Sources in Zaveri Bazaar and Opera House diamond hub, however, discounted suspicion about terror funding. They say such hawala transfers of cash and valuables are done routinely by the "trusted tribe of angadias". A diamond dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity said most of the transfers between Mumbai and Gujarat are done through "Jayanti Amba".
He is believed to have monopolised the alleged hawala transfer of cash and unaccounted wealth in other forms. Most of the business deals on daily basis in these markets are finalised through hawala transactions.

statesman news service

New  Delhi, 2 July
 Delhi police today approached the special court seeking its permission to summon the owner of the bus, in which a 23-year-old paramedical student girl was gang-raped on 16 December, as witness.
 In his plea before Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna, special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan, sought to call Dinesh Yadav, owner of the bus, as witness .
 Besides Yadav, the prosecutor has also sought the court’s permission to call Ramadhar, a carpenter who was allegedly robbed by the six after luring him into the bus.
“On review of the evidence, it is submitted that Dinesh Yadav, the owner of the bus and the employer of accused Ram Singh (since deceased) as well as Ramadhar who is not a cited witness but is a complainant, and a purported victim of the same accused persons, are required to be summoned as it is in our respectful submissions that not summoning them may be perceived as being unfair to the accused,” said Krishnan adding that in the interest of justice and fair trial, Yadav and Ramadhar be summoned as a witness.
 The prosecution’s move was, however, opposed by the counsel for accused Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh, who are facing trial for gangrape and murder of the victim. 

statesman news service
New Delhi, 2 July
After months of intense speculation and lobbying, Ms Sujatha Singh was today named as the next foreign secretary of the country.
Ms Singh&’s name had been doing the rounds for a while, along with that of India&’s current envoy to China, Jaishanker.
Sources said while the PMO was in favour of Mr Jaishanker, what finally tipped the scale in Ms Singh&’s favour was her seniority and her father&’s close connections with the Congress.
Ms Singh is the daughter of T V Rajeshwar, former head of the Intelligence Bureau and also a former Governor of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
Mr Rajeshwar was close to the Congress top brass
and this was a major factor that went in Ms Singh&’s favour.
Her supporters pointed out that she is a hard working officer with a mind of her own, while sources in the government admitted that she is now likely to loosen the grip of the National Security Advisor (NSA) over foreign policy.
The NSA had pushed for another candidate, Mr Sudhir Vyas, for the top post. 
The current foreign secretary, Mr Ranjan Mathai, is due to retire on 31 July, after which Ms Singh will take charge.

No ‘differences’
Etihad had announced its stake purchase decision on 24 April
On 13 June, the FIPB deferred a decision on the deal
There are no differences among ministries over the deal, PMO said today
The stake sale is still under examination, the PMO added
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
New Delhi, 2 July
Amid a raging controversy over the Rs 2,058 crore deal between Jet Airways and Etihad, Government today said the equity stake sale matter is still under examination and asserted that there were no differences between Ministries over the air services agreement between India and Abu Dhabi.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) came out with a statement rebutting reports about objections to the deal raised by senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh, CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta, Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamul Congress) and Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, each of whom had shot off separate letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Reports of rift within the Government on the India-UAE (Abu Dhabi) Bilateral Air Services Agreement and the Jet-Etihad equity proposal are “factually incorrect and baseless”, the PMO said.
“There is absolutely no disagreement within the government or between the Ministers and the Prime Minister on the matter,” it said.
“The Prime Minister is neither washing his hands off the Bilateral Air Services Agreement nor is the PMO trying to do a U-turn on the issue now.”
On the stake sale issue, the PMO said this was a “distinctly different” matter as it was an agreement between two private parties.
“This is a matter between private parties which needs to be approved by the concerned agencies as per the policies and laws in place. This is not an agreement between governments and there is no question either backtracking from or disowning this proposal as this is not an agreement with the government.”
“As for the equity stake matter, that is a matter still under examination,” it said, adding that the issues raised have been referred to the Civil Aviation Ministry, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Department of Economic Affairs and the Corporate Affairs Ministry “for examination and appropriate action as they were concerned with various aspects of the complaints.”
The issues relating to security concerns were also referred to the Cabinet Secretary for examination to suggest whether there was a need to look into any issues afresh.

Barasat, 2 July: Today the six accused, chargesheeted in Kamduni gang rape and murder case, were in produced before the Barasat court.
Today at around 9.20 am while the accused were being brought to court, angry villagers demonstrated on the court premises and demanded death for the guilty howver, no untoward incident was reported in the area.
According to CID, they have submitted the supplementary chargesheet to  the Barasat court  against the six accused – Ansar Ali, Saiful Ali, Bhola nath Naskar, Imanul Mollah, Aminul Ishlam and Gopal Naskar.
But two other accused Amin Ali and Nur Ali are still absconding.
 Today at around 12.30 pm while the case  was being heard, a crowd of Kamduni villagers that included the elder brother of the Barasat rape victim  and her father  encircled the the court premises.
The protesters raised
slogans demanding speedy justice for the victim’s
family and trial of the accused.                                sns

statesman news service 
Burdwan, 2 July
Police have brought charges against Mr Kalicharan Majhi ~ a CPI-M leader and pradhan of the Kurmun-1 panchayat ~ for failing to prevent cannabis cultivation in his area.
During a special raid against ID liquor distillation today morning at Kurmun village under the Burdwan police station area, police destroyed 6,000 litres liquor and molasses.
The police team, led by SDPO (Sudder), discovered that cannabis was being cultivated in nearly two bighas of land in the village. Police seized nearly four quintals of cannabis and three kg of dried hashish and 17 persons were taken into custody, including two women. 
In 2011, the district authority had warned the respective panchayats to be cautious and prevent cultivation of such substances. Burdwan DM, Mr Onkar S Meena, had sought a written undertaking from the pradhans of the respective panchayats stating they would be responsible for any such cultivation in their region.
Burdwan SP S M H Meerza said: “We are bringing charges under Section 47 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, 1985, because he was bound to prevent cultivation of cannabis.” 
The section suggests: “It is the duty of certain officers to give information of illegal cultivation. Every officer of the government and every panch, sarpanch and other village officer of whatever description shall give immediate information to any officer of the police or of any of the departments mentioned in Section 42 when it may come to his knowledge that any land has been illegally cultivated with the opium poppy, cannabis plant or coca plant, and every such officer of the government, panch, sarpanch and other village officer who neglects to give such information shall be liable to punishment.”

statesman news service
Kolkata, 2 July
Union minister of state for railways, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has asked
the Sealdah rail division authorities to remove encroachments from the sub-urban stations in its jurisdiction.
This after some passengers today complained to the minister during an inspection that they face difficulties while boarding trains due to unauthorised shops at platforms and station premises.
Accompanied by Eastern Railway general manger, Mr G C Agarwal, the minister today visited several stations on the Sealdah-Bongaon section, including Sealdah, Bongaon and Habra.
He inspected Bongaon and Habra stations taking stock of the passenger amenities available there and suggested necessary improvements.
Mr Chowdhury interacted with passengers to learn about the difficulties they face.
Some passengers demanded removal of encroachments from platforms and station premises.
The minister asked senior railway officials present there to take measures at the earliest.

statesman news service 
Burdwan, 2 July
A key receiver of a hijacked lorry gave a slip to police in Panagarh, Burdwan this afternoon when a police team cracked down on the gangsters. 
Acting on a tip-off, a police team raided a refuelling station in Panagarh where the lorry was parked since morning.
The lorry ~ owned by a Kolkata businessman was hijacked from a roadside dhaba in Gangpur beside the NH2 two days ago. Two hijackers, later identified as Mohammed Jumman of the Tikiapara police station area and Mohammed Washim of the Golabari police station area in Howrah, had overpowered the lorry&’s helper when the driver was taking his meal.
The goons had thrown
the helper out of the crew cabin at Galsi crossing on NH2. 
The gangsters, according to police, after failing to sell the lorry at Illambazar in Birbhum had come to Panagarh in Kanksa police station area and were seen negotiating with the key receiver Nitesh Sarkar. 
Nitesh incidentally was released on bail recently after he was booked for possessing a 9 mm pistol illegally six months ago. “He operates as a receiver of hijacked lorries and his antecedents are being checked,” said Mr S M H Meerza, Burdwan SP. 
When police chased the gangsters, Nitesh managed to escape but Washim and Jumman were arrested.

Balurghat, 2 July: The officials of South Dinajpur district conducted a special-one
day training programme today for the polling
personnel, including the presiding officers/first polling officers, in all
the eight blocks ~ Balurghat, Gangarampur, Tapan,
Hili, Kumarganj, Bangshihari, Kushmandi and
Harirampur ~ across the district.
The first phase of the training was held on 22 and 23 June while the second phase of training was held on 27, 28 and 29 June respectively.     sns

statesman news service
Kolkata, 2 July
To strengthen its distribution system, CESC will carry out urgent maintenance work at its Howrah Central distribution station on Wednesday.
As a result, power supply to consumers in Abani Dutta Road, Bagdipara, Bandaghat, Bhairab Dutta Lane, Bhanjanlal Lohia Lane, Bijoy Mukherjee Road, Dobson Road, Fakir Bagan Lane, Ghasbagan, Golabari (Sukhi Sansar), Hardat Rai Chamaria Road, Howrah Fish Market, Howrah Kopt Staff Qtrs, Howrah Road,
I C Bose Road, Jeliapara, Khetra Mitra Lane, Machenzie Lane, Moulana Abul Kalam Azad Road, Mukhram Kanoria Road, Nanda Ghosh Road, Nandibagan, Pilkhana, Ramlal Mukherjee Lane, Rose Mary Lane, Saila Kumar Mukherjee Road, Sailendranath Bose Road, Salkia School
Road, Salt Gola Ghat, Sanatan Mistry Lane, Sitanath Bose Lane, Subarban Park Road and Watkins Lane  areas may be affected between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
On Thursday, CESC will carry out urgent maintenance work at its Behala distribution station.
As a result, power supply to consumers in Chanditala, Raibahadur Road, P
N Mitra road, Senhati Colony, Bhupen Roy Road, South city Garden, Pashupati Bhattacharjee
Road, Majlish Ara Road, R S Khettry Road, Netaji Sarak, Jotish Roy Road, Tollygunge Circular Road and Bama Charan Roy Road areas may be affected from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Three run over: Three persons, including two railway employees, were run over and killed by goods train while they were working on the rail tracks in Sambalpur district today, railway sources said.The three, Alekh Tanti, S Mukhi and Jiten Lama were working near the Laxmidunguri level crossing between Sambalpur junction and Hirakud stations when a goods train knocked them down, the sources said.While Tanti and Mukhi were gangmen Lama was  a contractual worker.     sns
Bike death:Three youths were killed when the motor-cycle in which they were travelling was hit by a truck near Soro in Balasore district, police said today. The mishap took place on National Highway No 5 when the victims of a local tutorial institution were returning from a road-side eatery late last night, they said. The truck was seized near Bhadrak but its driver had fled.     sns   
Tusker death: A tusker trampled a man to death and injured another at Sunathara village in Ganjam district, forest officials said today. Prafulla Pradhan (38) died on the spot after being attacked by the tusker while another person was injured and admitted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital yesterday. DFO, Berhampur, S S Mishra said forest guards were engaged to drive away the animal from the area.The family of the deceased would get Rs 2 lakh as compensation, he said.     PTI

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
Kendrapara, 2 July
Mocking poverty alleviation schemes, authorities concerned with the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in as many as 21 gram panchayats of the district have failed to spend a single rupee.
The district administration has served showcause notices to sarpanchs and panchayat executive officers of the concerned gram panchayats where MGNREGS have not been executed. The gram panchayats marked by non-execution of projects are Bagada, Dashipur, Shilipur, Bachara, Balipatana, Baluria, Nilakanthapur, Penthapala, Mangalpur, Koranda, Pradhanpada, Pegarapada, Aragala, Attala, Badambila, Bhuinpur, Kuladiha, Narendrapur, Nuapada, Padanipala and Sansida.   Only 50 per cent of funds allocated for 2012-2013 financial year could be spent by the district administration. Of the 3478 projects taken up for work, only 506 projects have been completed. Work on the remaining 2972 projects is in progress. An estimated 50 per cent of Rs 17.55 crore sanctioned under the project during current fiscal year is lying unspent. Of the 230 gram panchayats, majority of rural projects are lying incomplete in over a hundred GPS.
An estimated Rs 8.81 crore is lying unspent. The central government may stop allocations for the district as utilisation certificates of 60 per cent of the projects are yet to be submitted, confided an official.
Official apathy is attributed for the half-hearted implementation of MGNREGS projects. There is gross absence of coordination amongst various government departments.
The sarpanchs are allegedly shying away from implementing MGNREGS as the central scheme is backed up by stringent guidelines and pilferage-proof mechanism.

statesman news service
Bolangir, 2 July
In what once again confirmed that irregularities are still being committed in civil supply department despite some recent sensational exposures, police seized a truck carrying about 400 bags of public distribution system (PDS) wheat in Patnagarh today.
The SDPO, Patnagarh Mr Sunil Joshi informed that the truck was seized from Chinger Bandh village.
“Acting on a tip-off, we conducted raids on Chinger Bandh village and found that the wheat-laden truck was parked in front of the house of one Mr Jadu Meher. We seized the truck, arrested Mr Meher and also sealed his storehouse,” said Mr Joshi.
Police suspect that the wheat, meant for beneficiaries of welfare schemes, was being diverted to open market.
Reliable sources informed that about 200 quintals of wheat was lifted from Jogimunda store of the department and was meant to be distributed among the beneficiaries in Tamia panchayat and Patnagarh NAC. The consignment, however, had found its ways to Mr Meher&’s storehouse.
As per the latest reports, a team of officials have visited the store and investigating the role of the handling and transporting (H&T) contractor, Mr Mahadev Meher.
The civil supply officer (CSO) Mr Sibaprasad Dora could not be contacted for his comments on the seizure despite several attempts.
The seizure of PDS wheat came as a major embarrassment for the civil supply department as it was the third such seizure incident in a row, the last one taking place only yesterday.
As per reports, Turekela police had confiscated a mini truck laden with PDS rice and arrested two persons yesterday.
In a similar incident, police had caught a truck carrying about 300 bags of PDS wheat from Deogaon block a month ago. Subsequent investigations confirmed the complicity of two H&T contractors, Mr Tikelal Sahu and Mr Nehrulal Agrawal. Mr Sahu was arrested after several people took it to the streets at Titlagarh and was sent to jail, while no action has yet been taken against Mr Agrawal.  

statesman news service
Bhubaneswar, 2 July
The 20 students of Ayatpur High School near Cuttack who were injured in a bomb blast inside the class room yesterday were discharged from hospital today.
One of the injured student is said to have found a cracker like object wrapped in a polythene bag and picked it up on way to school yesterday. He had put it in his school bag and it fell down and exploded inside the class room when he opened the bag to take out his text books.  The school which was sealed after the incident yesterday, opened today but the attendance was thin. Forensic experts said it was  a crude bomb. The police are investigating as to how, why and who had left behind the explosives at the spot from where the boy had picked it up yesterday. Locals of the area said a couple of days ago they had seen some school children near the spot and had also heard a loud sound. Apparently, the children had found one earlier and flung it causing the explosion.
School and mass education minister Mr Rabi Narayan Nanda visited  the school today. He assured the teachers, students and parents that a thorough investigation will be done. The department has asked the director of Board of Secondary Education to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on the incident within three days.

Nurturing curiosity and rekindling interest in youth
on the right track
Eight coaches are solely dedicated  to showcasing the myriad diversity spread across  the bio
geographical zones of India, which include Trans Himalaya and the Himalayas, the Gangetic plain, North-east India, the desert and semi-arid zone, the Western Ghats, the Deccan peninsula, the coasts and the islands
The train will chug into Cuttack station on 5 July and stay there till 8 July. After completion of
exhibition at Cuttack, the train will also be exhibited at Bolangir between 9 and 11 July, Rayagada between 12 and 14 July
statesman news service
Balasore, 2 July
Thousands of people, mostly children, paid a visit to “Science Express”, an exhibition-on-wheels, whose theme is bio-diversity and climate change, at Balasore railway station today.
The train, which reached from Kharagpur, will stay here for three days.
“Science Express”, the exhibition train modeled by Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad (RVPSP), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India has been developed to encourage talented youths to understand the excitement of careers in teaching and research in different disciplines of science,” said a senior railway official. 
The Science Express train is fully air-conditioned, and consisting of 13 exhibition coaches and two power cars, it has been developed for students pursuing science at the senior secondary level and research students which will take three hours time for viewing the displays.
“The major objective of this Indo-German joint venture Science Express is to nurture curiosity amongst the youths and rekindle their waning interest in science,” he added.
Eight coaches are solely dedicated  to showcasing the myriad diversity spread across  the bio geographical zones of India which included Trans Himalaya and the Himalayas, the Gangetic plain, North East India, the desert and semi-arid zone, the Western ghats, the  Deccan peninsula, the coasts and the islands.
“The dedicated coaches  highlight the bio diversity in the country focused on the range of biological diversity, critically endangered species, bio-diversity hotspots, domesticated bio-diversity, livelihood, bio-culture threats and challenges, conservation measures , success and unique stories,” he added. 
Collector Mr Ranjit Mohanty and additional director of Integrated Test Range (ITR) Dr Binay Kumar Das jointly inaugurated the train here.
Officials informed that the train will chug into Cuttack station on 5 July and stay there till 8 July. After completion of exhibition at Cuttack, the train will also be exhibited at Bolangir between 9 and 11 July, Rayagada between 12 and 14 July.

Ammonium  nitrate plant issue
The plant is likely to be commissioned by 2015-16
The plant would have a production capacity of three lakh tons per annum
Scheduled to come up in 2008, it was stuck  due to land dispute with PPT, denial of permission by the IOCL to use its land for transportation of construction materials and delay by Idco to hand over nearly 15 acres of land
statesman news service
Paradip, 2 July
The ammonium nitrate project of Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation (DFPCL), which has been hanging fire for about five years over a range of issues, is likely to be commissioned by 2015-16, claimed company officials here.
After the district administration took steps to sort out land-related issues,  it is expected the construction work for the Rs 600 crore project will start in September this year.
The Greenfield integrated complex for nitric acid and ammonium nitrate of the Pune-based DFPCL, which was scheduled to come up in 2008, has not made much headway yet mainly due to land dispute with Paradip Port Trust (PPT), denial of permission by the IOCL to use its land for transportation of construction materials and delay by Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to hand over nearly 15 acres of land. 
The plant would have a production capacity of three lakh tons per annum. According to the liaison officer of DFPCL, Paradip unit Mr Kalisankar Pal, the company has stored construction materials worth Rs 80 crore in the port area and paid nearly Rs 5 crore towards vessel transporting charges and rent to PPT.  Meanwhile, the situation has turned favourable for the project with the IOCL showing positive response and Idco handing over the land last week. The construction of the boundary wall will be undertaken on the same patch of land.
The company requires about 86 acres of land at Bagadia and Chaukimath villages under Kujanga tehsil. While it has purchased nearly 76 acres from private parties, Idco was to provide the remaining 15 acres. DFPCL also requires about 40-50 acres in the port area. The company has also planned to utilise the facilities of Paradip port for importing the raw material and exporting the finished product.
The company officials, pointed out that the land issue with PPT would be solved fast. The DFPCL has already filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court to resolve the issue.

statesman news service
Jajpur, 2 July
 The district education administration is mulling action against headmaster of a government run Madrassa at Chahata for failing to intimate it about the arrest of a teacher.
Sources said that Mr Mahammad Mohasin Raza, a teacher of Madrasa Sarifia, a government run Urdu primary school under Dharmasala block, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a chit fund scam.  
The guidelines stipulate that the headmaster should apprise the higher authorities of the matter so that departmental action may be initiated against the teacher. 
However, the headmaster Mr Shaik Abdul Farid remained silent in an alleged attempt to “shield” his sub-ordinate staff.
Mr Raja was arrested about one and half month ago and is presently lodged in Jajpur sub-jail as an under-trial prisoner. 
Incidentally, the senior officials were unaware of Mr Raza&’s arrest till media persons brought the matter to their notice. “I was ignorant of the matter. As the headmaster has acted with mala fide intention by hiding the matter from the higher authorities, we will seek explanation from him. We will take action against the headmaster and also the accused teacher,” said district education officer (DEO), Mr Kapilendra Mishra.
According to police, Mr Raza was arrested and forwarded to the court in connection with a chit fund scam on 16 May. 
It has been alleged that he was working as the branch manager of a tainted chit fund company ~ Cosmo Rose International Limited (CRIL) ~ at Jaraka.
Meanwhile, several allegations have been levelled against the headmaster himself. It has been alleged that he often remains absent from the school.
“The head master of the Madrasa hardly comes to the school. He has come to the school only thrice since 9 June,” said a teacher of the school on conditions of anonymity.