Berhampur, 2 July: Over 40 people have suffered from diarrhoea at Bikrampur village in Ganjam district in the past ten days, official sources said today.
Lack of personal hygiene, irregularity in food habits and consumption of contaminated water were some of the reasons for the spread of diarrhoea in the village, said Additional District Medical Officer (public health) L K Rath.
At least three medical teams were deployed in the village to treat the patients. Arrangements had also been made to disinfect the water sources in the village.
The ADMO, however, ruled out outbreak of cholera in the village as stool samples tested negative.     pti

statesman news service
Dhenkanal, 2 July
The district unit of BJP has sought a high-level probe into the irregularities and fund embezzlement in Gondia block, while alleging that the ruling party leaders continue to intervene in official work.
Hundreds of BJP workers, led by district president Mr Naresh Mohapatra and former MLA Mr Krushna Chandra Patra,  took out a rally and staged a demonstration to exert pressure on the administration yesterday.
“The recent unearthing of corruption in checking dam construction is only the tip of the iceberg. Massive corruption has taken place in works like Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), Mo Kudia, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and rural connectivity,” said Mr Mohapatra.
He alleged that the BJD MLA Mr Nabin Nanda is intervening in the works and pressuring the officials to show favour to the ruling party workers.
 Meanwhile, the administration has constituted an inquiry team to detect irregularities in implementation of the government schemes. 
The team, headed by DRDA project director Mr Bhaskar Chandra Turuk, has reportedly come across instances wherein amounts of money were withdrawn without sanctioning of works.
The team also found out that the officials have shown undue favour to some people particularly in allotment of housing units under the Indira Awas Yojana.

Family ostracised by villagers
statesman news service
Jagatsinghpur, 2 July
Mr Hadibandhu Das, a 50-year old farmer of Harippa village, and his family are being ostracised and tortured  after one sorcerer, who was engaged by the villagers to find out two stolen bicycles, branded him the thief.
Sources said that the service of the sorcerer was sought after the cycles of Mr Banamber Sahu and Mr Banamali Sahu were stolen on 13 June. Conducting some rituals, the sorcerer informed the villagers that Mr Das is the culprit.
“The villagers conducted a meeting and interrogated my father. Though he pleaded innocence, none listened to him. They even tied his hands and legs with a bamboo pole in the middle of the road to extract truth from him,” alleged Ms Rupali Das, who was prevented from rescuing her husband by the villagers.
Later, the villagers decided to boycott the family for stealing the bicycles and showing disrespect to  the village committee decision.
The family consists of about 10 members.
“Now, no villager comes to our house and even the villager shopkeepers have declined to give us essential commodities. The customers have stopped coming to our family shop too. The neighbours are not mixing with us,” said Ms Das. 
Police intervention in the matter also failed to yield. Though a team led by Erasama police station IIC Mr Prafulla Kumar Badajena visited the village yesterday and tried to persuade the villagers to lift the boycott, it was flatly rejected.
“The villagers did not listen to us and said that the Das family deserved the punishment,” he said.
Police lodged a case against five villagers for attacking, humiliating and harassing the family.
Meanwhile, some local activists have sought the intervention of the SP, Jagatsinghpur, while moving the National Human Right Commission (NHRC).

Statesman News Service
Jagatsinghpur, 2 July
 The administration failed to demolish betel vines at Gobindpur village for the second consecutive day today.
Incidentally, while the officials blamed the incessant rains for stoppage in land acquisition exercise, the pro- and anti-Posco activists had separate versions.
The member of Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the prominent anti-Posco brigade, claimed that the administration did not dare to go ahead with pulling down the  vines due to its agitation.
Project supporters pointed out that the change of guard at the state&’s top bureaucracy was the sole cause behind stopping of the works.
Sources said that scores of anti-Posco villagers armed with lathi, arrow, broom and sickle staged a demonstration at Balidiha to prevent the entry of the officials. Several prominent Left and other political party leaders also took part in the stir. 
“The administration did not dare to come for land acquisition today as we were ready to oppose them tooth and nail. A number of woman and children were with us to protest the entry of officials to our village,” said a senior PPSS leader.
The pro-Posco villagers, however, dismissed the claims made by the PPSS, and observed that the administration preferred to wait for instructions from the new chief secretary.
“Mr Jugal Kishore Mohapatra assumed charges as the new chief secretary only yesterday. Previously, the former CS Mr Bijay Kumar Patnaik himself was monitoring the Posco project&’s works. It is thus apparent that Mr Mohapatra will now look after the progress of the project work. We expect that the works will be expedited after the new chief secretary talks to district and company officials and take stock of the situation,” said a pro-Posco villager.
The senior district officials, however, iterated their claims that the rains played spoilsports in acquiring land today.
“We are ready to go ahead with pulling down of the vines; however, had to abandon the plan for today due to incessant rains. We could not even start the works due to downpour,” said ADM, Paradip Mr Surjit Das.
He said that the work, weather permitting, will be resumed tomorrow.

statesman news service
Bhubaneswar, 2 July
The state government has decided to distribute about three crore saplings free of cost among people.
“The nurseries across the state have produced nearly 7.50 crore saplings for plantation schemes. Of them, about 4.50 crore saplings will be utilised in different programmes. We will distribute about three crore saplings free of cost among people so that they can plant them in their gardens and yards,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while attending the state-level Vana Mahotsav here today.
The state currently has about 2,000 nurseries.
Highlighting the government&’s efforts to promote plantation drives, Mr Patnaik said that joint forest management (JFM) has been playing a key role in forest protection by making people aware.
He touched upon programmes like creation of greenery on bald hills, bamboo plantation, medicinal garden and protection of mangrove forests.
The first state-level Biju Patnaik award for forest protection was conferred on Pajimaha Vana Sanrakshan Samiti of Kandhamal and Poktunga Deurisahi VSS of Angul district. Each of the Samitis was given Rs 1 lakh as cash prize.
Among others, forest and environment minister Mr Bijayshree Routray, MLAs Mr Bhagirathi Badjena and Mr Bijay Kumar Mohanty, forest secretary Mr Raj Kumar Sharma were present on the occasion.

Although People view with disgust the attempt by politicians to exploit the uttarakhand tragedy, leaders have been following in modi&’s footsteps in visiting uttarkhand amidst pomp and show, writes Rajinder puri
How might the BJP attempt for single-party majority be assessed? Much depends upon how opponents of the party conduct themselves and what strategy they adopt. Until now, Modi&’s poll conduct has been poor. But the conduct of his opponents has been poorer.
Modi erred in undertaking the Uttarakhand rescue mission, thinking it would impress voters. His opponents did worse by emulating him. Rahul Gandhi was ill advised to appear like Modi&’s imitator and visit Uttarakhand by helicopter. The error was compounded by his violating the injunction of Home Minister Shinde debarring VIPs from visiting the area. The damage was accentuated by Digvijay Singh&’s patently false claim that Gandhi had travelled by foot. Opposition leaders and Congressmen from Andhra made Modi look good by openly quarrelling at an airport, trying to claim credit for the so called rescue of victims.
The public is not stupid. People view with disgust the attempt by politicians to politically exploit such a horrendous tragedy. Not one leader had the sense to simply address the Press over television to urge the public to unite and follow the example of the brave armed services personnel risking and losing lives while rescuing victims. People would have approved that.
There are two pitfalls confronting Modi&’s campaign. The first relates to the definition of Hindutva. Hindutva is Hinduism. According to a Supreme Court ruling, it does not denote a religion or a particular community, but a way of life. That is the definition that will be acceptable to the pro-development new generation of voters. Despite reaching out to Muslims and making all kinds of statements, BJP and RSS leaders have not succeeded in changing public perception about their attitude to the minorities. Hindutva will have to relate to Hindustanis and not just Hindus. Hindustanis are conditioned by a way of life. BJP and RSS leaders should know that VHP and Bajrang Dal activists harassing couples on Valentine&’s Day is not included in that way of life.
The second pitfall is even more serious. Its potential to damage the BJP will depend upon how adroitly its opponents exploit it. Modi, egged on by big business and his PR agency, Apco, represents a model of economic development that can be effectively challenged. He represents efficient and rapid economic growth by removal of bureaucratic glitches. In a sense, it is not different from Manmohan Singh&’s model. It merely claims to be more efficient. There is no pretence for inclusion and it rests upon the efficacy of the trickle down effect of economic development. This can be challenged by an alternative model. Sonia Gandhi is attempting to do that, but very incompetently.
The answer to the big business Modi-Apco model is not dishing out doles and subsidies left and right through an inefficient administration, leading to national waste. The answer lies in effectively empowering the disadvantaged to exploit India&’s rich human resource material.
As just one example, not a single party has pledged universal free compulsory education and the eradication of caste-based reservation within the next five years by offering a concrete, credible and achievable roadmap. It is available. But it requires political courage to seize it.
Other examples can be cited. But thus far, no politician or party has displayed the will, the vision or the courage to attempt it. After all, such daring can be attempted only by leaders committed above all else to national interest and not merely to immediate personal political gain.
If Advani and his few loyalists in pursuit of their beliefs were to break away from a Modi-led BJP to help consolidate a Federal Front into a Federation, a stable two-party system would be established in India. The natural polarisation in India is not between an irrelevant Left and Right implanted by the West. It is between the impulses for decentralisation against centralisation. Both impulses have permanent relevance in India.

Concluded

The writer is a veteran journalist and cartoonist. He blogs at www.rajinderpuri.wordpress.com

Gadkari is back in reckoning ~ Arati R Jerath
It&’s kiss and make up time in the BJP these days. First, Narendra Modi attempted to make peace with in-house opponent L K Advani by calling on him in a blaze of publicity during a recent trip to Delhi. Modi was in the capital to chair the first meeting of the election campaign committee. Now, it&’s party president Rajnath Singh&’s turn. He&’s trying for a patch-up with his predecessor Nitin Gadkari.
Singh not only hosted a small private dinner for him a couple of weeks ago, he even cancelled a speaking engagement in his Lok Sabha constituency of Ghaziabad to see off Gadkari before the latter left for Europe some days ago.
Singh rushed back to Delhi when he heard that the former party president was in the Capital for a few hours before flying out. He went straight to Gadkari&’s residence. If party sources are to be believed, it was a warm send-off.
Relations between the two have been frosty ever since Singh beat Gadkari in a last-minute upset to deny the latter a second innings as BJP president. Riding high on support from RSS joint general secretary Suresh Soni, Singh didn’t bother with his predecessor. But equations have changed. Gadkari is back in reckoning as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat&’s chosen one. Having successfully resolved the crisis created by Advani&’s resignation drama, he has emerged as an important interlocutor between the RSS and the Advani camp. Singh was conveyed a stern message to engage with Gadkari and not relegate him to the margins by none other than Bhagwat himself.

Seeking divine intervention
RJD chief Lalu Yadav&’s anxiety levels are sky high these days. The Jharkhand High Court will finally deliver its judgment in the 17-year-old fodder scam case on 15 July. A few days ago, a worried Lalu was spotted offering homage at the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi in a culmination of a temple yatra that has seen him and his family visit all the famous pilgrimage spots in the country ever since his RJD lost power to Nitish Kumar&’s JD-U in Bihar.
The 15 July judgment could turn Bihar politics upside down, especially if it goes against Lalu. Although he can always appeal in the Supreme Court against an unfavourable verdict, the fact is that a conviction will make him an untouchable for the Congress, which in any case seems inclined to do a deal with Nitish. Lalu&’s conviction in a corruption case will pave the way for the two parties to cement their unspoken understanding, even it only happens after the Lok Sabha polls.
On the other hand, an acquittal could blaze a comeback for him, riding on his recent Maharajganj bypoll victory. No wonder Lalu is looking for divine help.

Blood thicker than water
The loser in the recent patch-up between the Congress and the DMK is former telecom minister A Raja. Now that the Congress has rescued DMK boss M Karunanidhi&’s daughter Kanimozhi from parliamentary oblivion to help her win a Rajya Sabha seat, Raja may be forced to hold his 2G fire on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister P Chidambaram. Raja has been demanding that he be allowed to depose before the JPC to give his version of events that led to the controversial allocation of 2G Spectrum licenses at cheap rates. His defence has been that both the PM and Chidambaram were in the loop when the decision was taken.
The buzz in Congress circles is that Raja&’s silence was one of the conditions set by the party high command for transferring its five votes in the Tamil Nadu Assembly to Kanimozhi so that she squeezes through in an election she would have otherwise lost.  It must be a blow to Raja because he was once the blue-eyed boy of Karunanidhi and Kanimozhi. As they say, blood is thicker than water.
The development has also given the Congress the cushion of numbers in Parliament. They had lost that comfort when the DMK pulled out of the UPA. The DMK has little choice now but to hold its fire when the monsoon session opens.

Gracious Soni
Every AICC reshuffle sets off a battle for rooms at the overcrowded Congress headquarters on Akbar Road. Now that Ambika Soni has bounced back as general secretary in charge of the powerful Congress president&’s office, she was naturally allotted a room that is considered prime property. It used to be shared by former general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad and the head of the foreign affairs cell, Karan Singh. They had erected a partition through the middle of the room to ensure they didn’t get in each other&’s way.
One of the first things Ambika did on being allotted the room was to remove the partition. The question then was: where would Karan Singh sit? Surely not at the back, in one of the hutment rooms. Realising the predicament facing one of the party&’s most senior and respected leaders, Ambika graciously offered him the use of her room whenever he wished. The agreement is that she will work from home when he wants to use the office for assignments, like receiving foreign dignitaries.

Parliamentary committee acts, replaces secretary
biswabrata goswami
Haldia, 2 July
Within a month after a Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) submitted a report expressing concern over the large scale corruption and ongoing crisis at Haldia port, the secretary of the Ministry of Shipping, Mr Pradip Kumar Sinha, has been replaced by Mr Vishwapati Trivedi yesterday.
The sudden replacement was required as the Ministry of Shipping has reportedly misled the PSC over some issues related with the ports, which contradicts the existing Major Port Trust Act, 1963.  
The PSC on Transport, Tourism and Culture, which includes four prominent Trinamul Congress MPs ~ Mr Dinesh Trivedi, Mr Sisir Adhikari, Mr Subrata Boxi and Mr Kunal Ghosh ~ has pointed a finger at the large scale corruption and ongoing crisis at Haldia port in its last report.
It has also taken note of the recent incidents at the Haldia Dock Complex, where the private operator abruptly closed two terminals, causing irreparable loss to the government.
The committee&’s review came at a time when another Trinamul Congress MP from Tamluk, Mr Subhendu Adhikari, has been widely criticised for his involvement in driving out the cargo-handling company, Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT), a joint venture of ABG-LDA, from the Haldia port.
Just days after HBT’s exit from Haldia port, even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said, “There is nothing unusual at Haldia port. The Opposition parties are trying to defame our government by hook or by crook”.
Surprisingly, the PSC led by CPI-M politburo leader Sitaram Yechury, which includes the four Trinamul Congress MPs, has agreed to the allegation of rampant corruption at Haldia port that the Opposition parties and a section of port officials raised.
In the report, the committee said, "The Haldia port is losing crores of rupees year after year only because of certain vested interests. The private parties are paying just an annual license fee of a mere Rs 5,400, and they are handling the cargos, shore operations and are taking crores of rupees as profit from the port, thereby depriving the port authority of its financial benefits."
The committee didn’t name any company, but those who pay the meagre fee in Haldia include Ripley, a company run by the family of former and current Trinamul Rajya Sabha MPs, Swapan Sadhan (Tutu) and Srinjoy Bose.
The committee also failed to understand the motive behind the handing over of a profitable entity to private hands. “When the matters of generating revenue out of it come, these should not be flowing into private hands. Therefore, the reported pilferage at Haldia port should be checked at once and a status report should be furnished to the committee in this regard," the report read.
When the Ministry of Shipping has made the observation that ‘the rates charged by them are market determined and ports have no role in it’, they have clearly suppressed legal provisions under Sections 42 and 48 of the MPT Act, 1963 and thus appears to have intentionally misled the PSC and committed a breach of trust, a senior port official said.

statesman news service
Balurghat, 2 July
Tension gripped the locality after a motorbike rider was killed and another was seriously injured in an accident when a tractor collided head-on with the motorbike coming from the opposite direction near Balurghat Raghunathpur area in the same police station of South Dinajpur district today.
Gautam Sarkar (35), the motorbike rider, and a resident in the Balurghat municipal area, was killed on the spot while Kaushik Ganguly (36), a resident of Balurghat police station area, was immediately taken to Balurghat district hospital. His condition is stated to be serious.
The tractor driver managed to flee from the spot along with his vehicle.
Local residents staged a blockade at Balurghat-Gazole state highway-10, protesting against the reckless driving in the area and the apathy of police to control the menace.
The agitated locals said that traffic police are doing nothing to restrain reckless driving.
Police, however, managed to pacify them by assuring of action.
The body of the deceased was sent for post-morte m to Balurghat district hospital.
A search operation is on to find out the driver.

Malda, 2 July: Police arrested Prashanta De (24) this afternoon for allegedly raping a tribal girl at a village in the Habibpur police station area. The girl was rescued from a bush where she was thrown from a vehicle in which she was allegedly raped. He is a TMC supporter in the locality. The girl was rushed to the local health centre from where she was referred to Malda Medical College. sns

statesman news service
Raiganj, 2 July
With a demand for the admission of all students of Raiganj and Hemtabad blocks of North Dinajpur district to degree course in Raiganj college (University college), the members of Chhatra Parishad unit of Raiganj college staged an agitation in front of the office of SDO Raiganj at Karnajora, Raiganj.
They also submitted a memorandum to the SDO in favour of their demand.
If the administration fails to fulfill their demand they threatened to start a movement for an indefinite period.
The president of the Chhatra Parishad of Raiganj College unit, Mr Nabbendy Ghosh, said: "The authorities of Raiganj college (University college) will soon start admission of students in degree course. In the Hemtabad block of the district there are many students but there is no college for higher education.” He said: “On the other hand, Surendranath Mahavidyalays in Raiganj is under the Gour Banga Viswa Vidyalaya and Raiganj college (university college is under North Bengal University).”
“So a section of students of Raiganj do not want to study in Surendranath Mahavidyalaya,” he said. 
“Under these circumstances we demanded the SDO Raiganj to take measures so that all students of Hemtabad and Raiganj blocks are accommodated in Raiganj college (University college),” he also said.
“We also submitted a memorandum to the Principal of Raiganj college (University college) Mr Uttam Roy, yesterday,” he said.
“If our demand is not fulfilled, we will start a movement in Raiganj,” he added. 
He said: “If needed, we will be forced to call a students’ strike in Raiganj college.  

Siliguri, 2 July: One passenger of Up Kanchanjangha Express was reportedly injured after he reportedly engaged in a scuffle with the anti-fraud squad while checking tickets. “The incident occurred after the train left from Kisanganj station. The person lodged an FIR with the GRP at NJP,” said an official. The NJP area manager, Mr Partha seal, said one ticket checker was also injured.

statesman news service
Gangtok, 2 July
Kabi-Lungchok, the 13th century historic venue where the Treaty of Blood Brotherhood was executed bonding the indigenous Lepcha people with the Bhutias who came from Tibet via Chumbi Valley has turned into a virtual war-zone, as factions opposing and supporting the proposed beautification drive involving the spot have resorted to a war of words, extending to exchange of fists and blows.
Police personnel present at the spot to control the situation had to brandish their service pistols apparently to scare away the agitated crowd.
The crowd later dispersed amidst resistance.
The situation has taken a turn for the worse when both sides opposing and favouring the project were engaged in slanders.
Both sides have blamed each other for the ruckus and filed their own versions of the FIR with the Phodong police station, North Sikkim.
Today, the Rural Management & Development and the Ecclesiastical Affairs departments have organised a joint spot inspection involving both the parties in the wake of the raging controversy over the Rs 8.46 Crore Kabi-Lungchok sacred grove beautification project.
Members of both the factions reached the spot, advocating their versions for and against the said project, forcing the departmental officials to cancel the study.
Protestors, including locals, some Buddhist monks and community leaders, gathered at the gate leading to Kabi-Lungchok and started a demonstration.
Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia, convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), who led the protestors, said the project is poised to hurt the religious and historical sentiments of the Sikkimese people, in general, and the Bhutia and Lepcha communities, in particular.
He also said that the drive is being launched in violation of the ‘Places of Worship Act’ that prohibits reconstruction or developmental activities in sacred and historical places.
“Existence of the Bhutias and the Lepchas would be at stake if Kabi-Lungstok is attacked in any way. We would not tolerate such things. The project should be scrapped immediately,” he said.
Notably, the state notification issued in 1998 that sought to preserve places of worship, prohibits conversion, altercation, new construction of any places of worship.
The protestors claimed that the project implementing agency and the RMDD are flouting the said notification.
Later, an official of RMDD told the newsmen that a fresh DPR, incorporating necessary amendments, will be prepared and the Ecclesiastical department&’s permission will be sought before undertaking the said project.
Firm on going ahead with the project, the official, however, maintained that it has been postponed for now.
The State minister and Kabi-Lungchok MLA, Mr Thinley Tshering Bhutia who had also reached Kabi, however, stayed away from the protestors and situation turned worse immediately after he left the spot.
He had to face slogans, as he was boarding his official vehicle.
Later, terming today&’s incident as ‘unfortunate’, Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia blamed the local MLA and RMDD officials for triggering tension.
Those supporting the project, however, criticised the protestors for imbuing political colours to a mere beautification project.

statesman news service
Gangtok, 2 July
The Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim (AOSS) has expressed regret over the Sikkimese people, particularly the Nepali community, having been hurt by the use of certain words and phrases in the Writ Petition it had filed in the Supreme Court of India
“The Writ Petition has been filed with a single agenda in mind that is of securing Income Tax exemption for the Old settlers of Sikkim. There have been a few inadvertent mistakes. Amendments will be made accordingly by excluding certain words and phrases which have been unfortunately used but were certainly not intended to hurt anybody in any manner,” a media statement issued in the name of AOSS president, said. According to the old settlers’ body, it would desist from anything that might hurt the sentiments of a section of the Sikkimese society in future.
It is further informed that the association has already deputed one of the petitioners to personally meet the lawyers in Delhi for the said amendment. 
The expression of regret came a day after the Sikkimey Nepali Jatiya Sangharsha Samiti decided to launch a statewide non-cooperation stir against the petitioners for targeting the Sikkimese people.
Meanwhile, Anushuchit Jati Kalyan Sangh (AJKS) has strongly condemned the move to cast aspersions on the nationality of the Sikkimese Nepali community by the association of the Old Settlers. “AJKS welcomes the step taken by the members of AOSS regarding the tax exemption to them and the people of Sikkim support the same, but it is very unfortunate to note that they requested the Supreme Court to repeal the income tax exemption granted to Sikkimese people if exemption is not given to them,” AJKS convener, Mr Binay Gazmer said.

statesman news service
Bagdogra, 2 July
A day after the Indian Air Force( IAF) gave its nod to open the Bagdogra airport runway till 10 p.m., the state transport department principal secretary Mr Alapan Bandopadhyay held a meeting with the airlines operators, the airport director Mr K K Bhowmik, the officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Bagdogra airport over the development today. The Darjeeling district magistrate Mr Saumitra Mohan, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police commissioner Mr K Jayaraman, the Siliguri sub-divisional officer (SDO) Ms Rachna Bhagat, were present in the meeting.
"We had a detailed discussion over the development. Mr Bhowmik received a communication from the IAF last evening confirming that the watch hour at the airport has been increased up to 10 p.m,” Mr Bandopadhyay said after the meeting. “Hence, the flight service will be operational till 10 p.m. Following the directive there would be hardly any possibility to cancel the flights. The flights operators become worried over the situation since after the sun set there was no possibility of running the flights. The tourists used to face problems because of this,"   he added.
He said he discussed with the airlines of when they would be able to start flight services in the nights.
"The representatives said the highest levels of the airlines companies operating here would take the corporate decision decision. Among those airlines present, the Druk Air had proposed that they wanted to run the flight service on the Kathmandu-Bagdogra-Paro route. Since it is a matter of two countries so the decision will be taken at the highest level," he added.
When asked whether the security at the airport will be intensified, Mr Bandopadhyay said the CISF officials told following the development that the force needed more manpower. The state government and the airport authority would take necessary steps in this regard.
The representatives of Go Air, Spice Jet, Druk Air, Air India and Jet Airways were present in the meeting.
Mr Bhowmik said the airfield was ready for the operation.

statesman news service
Malda, 2 July
Right after assuming his office after 65 days the Vice-Chancellor (V-C) of the University of Gour Banga (UGB) Achintya Biswas had to face the ire of the students who raised ‘go back’ slogans against him. Though varsity sources said that the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) indirectly encouraged the student-protesters, the district TMCP president Mr Prasenjit Das distanced himself from today&’s agitation. However, he claimed that the students have strong grudge against Prof Biswas.
It may be mentioned that Prof Biswas, who joined the UGB on 14 May, last year and soon become the cynosure of several controversies, went out of the campus from 28 April. Speculations were rife over his prolonged absence. The assumption that Prof Biswas would quit as the V-C was fanned after he in an interview to an electronic channel sternly criticised the ruling party.
Prof Bikash Roy of the UGB was then appointed the acting V-C of the UGB. Today, Mr Biswas assumed his charge again. But soon after he entered his office, hundreds of students sat in front of his office and raised slogans against him including ‘V-C go back.’
They accused Prof Biswas of inaction and held him responsible for the stalemate in the varsity in many departments. “We have no geography laboratory. The examination department has already earned enough ill names for its ridiculous performance. Prof Biswas is a total failure, “said one of the protesters. Some of them claimed themselves to be TMCP supporters.
The district TMCP president, Mr Prasenjit Das, however, said: “We had no organisational programme at the UGB today. I have heard there was a demonstration against Prof Biswas. The students themselves demonstrated. I have heard Prof Biswas in now busy in finding fault with the state government instead of mending follies of the UGB. May be the students protested against his prolonged absence when the students were reeling under uncertainty about their future.”
The district Trinamul Youth Congress president, Mr Amlan Bhaduri, who was found in the UGB today, said: “I went to the varsity for an official work. I found the students were protesting against the V-C. They were even raising ‘go back’ slogans. Perhaps they are not happy with Prof Biswas.”
Though the V-C could not be reached, the acting registrar Mr SS Bairagya, said: “I am in Kolkata. I do not know who demonstrated in the varsity today.”

statesman news service 
Balurghat, 2 July
Sudipto Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, the prime accused in the Saradha scam, left Balurghat last night. 
Before leaving Balurghat, the duo was presented before Balurghat Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Court according to the ruling given by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ms Dipali Shribastave Sinha. 
The Chief Judicial Magistrate remanded both in nine days’ jail custody, said government pleader Mr Debasish Mazumder. He said the accused will be produced before the CJM Court again on 10 July. 
On 26 June, the duo was produced before Balurghat CJM Court on 26 June. The Chief Judicial Magistrate then remanded both in 14 days’ police custody, Mr Mazumder said. According to police, as per the ruling of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Kolkata, the duo would be produced before the court concerned in the first week of this month. Several cases ave been pending against them.