Maoists kill SP, five cops

July 3, 2013

Maoists_kill_CopsKolkata, Jul 3: Armed Maoists killed Amarjit Balihar, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Pakur, his driver and three other policemen escorting his vehicle in an ambush on Tuesday at Kathikund, 36 kilometres from Dumka in Jharkhand.

The three other cops, who sustained grievous injuries, were rushed to Sadar Hospital where one of them died, taking the toll to six.

The incident took place when the SP was returning to Pakur from Dumka after attending a meeting convened by Dumka DIG Priya Dubey. Sources told Deccan Herald over the phone that around 4 pm, the Maoists fired nearly a hundred rounds at the SP and his team who were caught unawares in the dense forest area between Pakur and Dumka.

Balihar, 45, who was promoted as an IPS officer in 2003, and his team could not get enough time to retaliate.

Senior Jharkhand Police officers are concerned that as neighbouring West Bengal is in the process of heightening security after announcing its panchayat poll schedule, there could be a large scale movement by Maoist squads, sources said.

According to sources, Pakur was one district in Jharkhand that has been relatively free of Maoist influence, with sporadic incidents of violence. “Since Pakur is just around 15-20 km from Rampurhat in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, the Left extremists kept it somewhat peaceful to ensure safe passage across the state lines,” said a senior officer from West Bengal Police's anti-terrorist cell.

The sources added that Amrapara and Paturia are the only two police stations under Pakur, which had seen Maoist violence when earlier this year two security guards of Panel coal mine in Paturia were killed by the Left extremists.

The Jharkhand administration set up a camp for an Indian Reserve Battalion at Paturia after the killings at Panel mine.The operation was led by Lalesh Yadav, the Maoist area commander of Latehar region, said the sources.

Since Jharkhand is under President’s rule, Governor Syed Ahmad took stock of the situation and asked the DGP and the home secretary to rush to the incident site.

“We have launched a massive combing operation to flush out the Maoists from the forest area,” said Priya Dubey, who was the first IPS officer to reach the place of incident.

This is the first major Maoist attack in the Santhal Parganas region of Jharkhand, which comprises mostly poor tribals. But in south Jharkhand, the Maoists had earlier created havoc when they killed CPI-ML legislator Mahendra Singh at Giridih in 2005, followed by the killing of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP from Jamshedpur Sunil Mahto in 2007.

The same year, the Maoists also gunned down son of former chief minister of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi at Giridih, which shares a long jungle border with Bihar.

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News Network
January 10,2020

New Delhi, Jan 10: The Supreme Court while hearing petitions challenging restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday stated that the right to access the internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution of India.

"It is no doubt that freedom of speech is an essential tool in a democratic setup. The freedom of Internet access is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution," a two-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana stated while reading out the judgment.

The top court said that Kashmir has seen a lot of violence and that it will try to maintain a balance between human rights and freedoms with the issue of security.

It also directed the Jammu and Kashmir administration to review the restrictive orders imposed in the region within a week. “The citizens should be provided highest security and liberty,” the apex court added.

The top court made observations and issued directions while pronouncing the verdict on a number of petitions challenging the restrictions and internet blockade imposed in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year.

The Supreme Court had on November 27 reserved the judgment on a batch of petitions challenging restrictions imposed on communication, media and telephone services in Jammu and Kashmir pursuant to revocation of Article 370.

The court heard the petitions filed by various petitioners including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin.

The petitions were filed after the central government scrapped Article 370 in August and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Following this, phone lines and the internet were blocked in the region.

The government had, however, contended that it has progressively eased restrictions.

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News Network
January 14,2020

Chennai/New Delhi, Jan 14: India's annual electricity demand in 2019 grew at its slowest pace in six years with December marking a fifth straight month of decline, government data showed, amid a broader economic slowdown that led to a drop in sales of everything from cars to cookies and also to factories cutting jobs.

Electricity demand is seen as an important indicator of industrial output in the country and a sustained decline could mean a further slowdown in the economy.

India's power demand grew at 1.1% in 2019, data from the Central Electricity Authority showed, the slowest pace of growth since a 1% uptick seen in 2013. The power demand growth slowdown in 2013 was preceded by three strong years of consumption growth of 8% or more.

In December, the country's power demand fell 0.5% from the year-earlier period, representing the fifth straight month of decline, compared with a 4.3% fall in November.

But in India's western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, two of India's most industrialised provinces, monthly demand increased.

In October, power demand had fallen 13.2% from a year earlier, its steepest monthly decline in more than 12 years, as a slowdown in Asia's third-largest economy deepened.

Industry accounts for more than two-fifths of India's annual electricity consumption, while homes account for nearly a fourth and agriculture more than a sixth.

The slower demand growth is a blow for many debt-laden power producers, who are facing financial stress and are owed over $11 billion by state-run distribution companies.

India's overall economic growth slowed to 4.5% in the July-September quarter, government data released in November showed, the weakest pace since 2013 as consumer demand and private investment fell.

The government has estimated growth in the current financial year that runs through to March will be the slowest since the 2008 global crisis.

"This reflects overall economic slowdown, because if you look at other high frequency data like diesel consumption, everywhere you are seeing contraction," Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief economist at L&T Financial Holdings.

But India's central bank will not have much scope to cut rates to stimulate the economy because inflation has been rising sharply and reached 7.35% in December compared with 1.97% in January last year.

Economists say India's growth will continue to hover around 4.5% levels in the Oct-Dec quarter.

"In the Oct-Dec quarter as well growth (GDP) will be around the same level as July-September. My estimate for the full year is around 4.7% growth," Nitsure said.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

Ayodhya, Aug 5: Every street in Ayodhya was seen illuminated with earthen lamps ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ram Temple on Wednesday.

People also lit diyas on the banks of Saryu river as part of the 'deepotsava' celebrations in the temple town which will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries arrive today for the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony of the Ram Temple.

The entire Ayodhya has been decked up and massive preparations have been made for this occasion with a festive air.

Earlier chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said that 11,000 diyas will be lit at Ram Ki Paidi on the banks of the Saryu river and that all houses and temples in Ayodhya will be celebrating with a 'deepotsava' (festival of lights) on the nights of August 4 and 5.

Adityanath burst firecrackers and lit earthen lamps at his official residence on in Lucknow as part of 'deepotsava'.

The construction work of Ram temple will begin after the foundation stone laying ceremony, in which dignitaries from various political and religious fields have been invited to participate.
Apart from Ayodhya other cities in like Kanpur were also illuminated to celebrate the grand event. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers light earthen lamps in the city, as part of 'deepotsava'.

Chief Minister's residence in Uttarakhand will be decorated with 5100 diyas filled with Ghee on Wednesday evening to celebrate the occasion of the 'bhoomi pujan' of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Uttrakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said that Lord Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya is associated with "our belief". He also appealed to people in the state to light diyas at their homes on the occasion.

Earthen lamps were lit at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple in Madhya Pradesh and in Punjab too people lit lamps as part of 'deepotsava'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform 'pooja' at Hanumangarhi and Shree Ramlala Virajman before performing 'bhoomi pujan' of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, informed Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Tuesday.

He will unveil a plaque to mark the laying of the foundation stone and also release Commemorative Postage Stamp on 'Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir'.

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