Anthrax scare in Jharkhand's Simdega

RANCHI: At least seven persons died of suspected anthrax in the past two months at Tungri Tola basti in Simdega district, a senior health official said.

In the presence of chief secretary Sajal Chakraborty on Thursday, director medical services Dr Suman Mishra said, "Seven persons had died in two months."

Dr Ramesh Prasad, director of State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, said samples were sent to Delhi for pathological test to confirm whether the deaths were caused by anthrax.

He said two persons died on October 18, and the symptoms on the bodies suggested anthrax.

"The people, mostly tribals, said when a couple of bullocks died they ate their meat," Prasad said.

Thereafter, they were afflicted with symptoms later on, Prasad said, adding the basti has a total of about 23 families.

The victims also vomited blood, complained chest and stomach ache after consuming the animal meat, he added.

"The symptoms showed that the disease is in the category that is curable," he added.

The chief secretary, who visited the place today, said preventive measures were taken like providing antibiotics to the people of the basti, keeping kerosene and wood to burn cattle carcasses and restricting cattle from moving to adjoining areas.

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A group of flood victims demand meeting with PM

SRINAGAR: Flood victims from some parts of Srinagar on Thursday demanded a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Diwali visit to Jammu & Kashmir.

A group of flood victims from Boatmen colony in Bemina area of the city arrived at the Raj Bhawan gate seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister, officials said.

However, they were stopped at the gate by the security officials as they were not among the list of persons invited for the meetings with the Prime Minister, the officials said.

The Prime Minister arrived here this afternoon for spending Diwali with flood-affected people here.

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Power consumption in Gujarat falls due to Diwali

VADODARA: The power stations at Utran in south Gujarat and Dhuvaran in central Gujarat with a collective installed capacity of 729 MW have been shut down due to considerable decline in demand for power in the state, an official said.

The capacity of Utran power station is 510 MW while that of Dhuvaran is 219 MW.

The generation at power plants at Wanakbori, Gandhinagar, Ukai and Sikka too has been reduced as demand for power has fallen by 3,000 to 4,000 MW, the official from Gujarat State Load Dispatch Centre here said.

The official said several industrial units in Gujarat Industries Development Corporation's industrial colonies in the state have closed for Diwali, resulting in fall in demand.

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In Srinagar, PM Modi announces Rs 745 crore for Jammu & Kashmir’s flood-damaged homes, hospitals

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced Rs 175 crore for renovation of six major hospitals and Rs 570 crore for the rebuilding homes damaged in the recent floods in Jammu & Kashmir.

Announcing this in Srinagar, the Prime Minister also assured of all possible assistance from the Centre to the state to help it recover from the devastation caused by the floods. Modi said the loss memo of Rs 44,000 crore submitted to the Centre by the state government was being considered.

Talking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, Modi said, "The country shares the grief of Jammu & Kashmir. My government stands with the people in rehabilitation efforts." He also announced books and notebooks to thousands of schoolchildren.

Earlier on Thursday, Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah briefed the Prime Minister about the status of relief and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit state and sought liberal financial assistance from the Centre to rebuild the devastated areas.

The Prime Minister arrived in Srinagar this afternoon to spend Diwali with the flood-hit people of the state. He was received at the airport by governor NN Vohra and the chief minister.

The Prime Minister held a meeting at the airport which was attended by the governor, the chief minister and some top officials of the state administration.

During the meeting, Omar briefed the Prime Minister about the relief and rehabilitation operations going on in the flood-hit areas, officials said.

They said Omar pitched for a liberal financial assistance from the Centre for rebuilding the devastated areas in the state, they said.

This is Modi's second visit to J&K after the recent floods. During his first visit on September seven after the natural calamity struck the state, the Prime Minister had announced a Rs 1,000 crore special assistance package for rehabilitation of the victims.

Omar had on Wednesday expressed the hope the Prime Minister would accept the state government's demand for a Rs 44,000 crore package for relief to the flood-hit people.

After taking stock of the situation at the airport, Modi flew in a helicopter to Raj Bhawan to hold interactions with delegations of political parties, business community and civil society.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which a constituent of State Economic Reconstruction Forum (SERF), claimed that their representatives were dropped from the list of people scheduled to meet the Prime MInister.

"Apparently some mischief has been played which will send wrong signals to the business community," a KCCI member said.

He said KCCI was informed by the state administration that the names of chamber representatives were recommended for the meeting but were dropped by the Prime Minister's Office.

Earlier, the Prime MInister visited Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield of the world, to spend Diwali with the soldiers posted there.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)

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Shiv Sena says its MPs will attend Modi's dinner

MUMBAI: Indicating at possible rapprochement, Shiv Sena on Thursday said its MPs would attend the dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for NDA allies, and that "objective" of both the Sena and BJP was to provide a stable government in Maharashtra.

"We were asked by (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray to meet BJP leaders in Delhi and talks were very positive. Maharashtra has given both parties a good mandate as it wants a stable government, and keeping the sentiments of the people in mind we will definitely provide Maharashtra a stable government," senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai said.

Desai had met BJP leader in Delhi yesterday along with fellow Sena leader Subhash Desai. Only preliminary discussions were held, he added.

"The good part is that talks began in this auspicious period. We came back as everybody had to return to celebrate Diwali. We will sit together once again on Monday and decide how we can respect the mandate people have given both the parties," Desai said.

Asked if Sena MPs will attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Diwali dinner for NDA allies in Delhi on October 26, Desai said, "Modi has organised this dinner for all the NDA allies where he will be putting forth new ideas... Sena has received an invitation and all our MPs will be attend it."

He, however, evaded the question whether Uddhav Thackeray will attend the dinner.

Asked about media reports that Sena was demanding the Deputy Chief Minister's post and several key portfolios for joining the government in Maharashtra, Desai said the only objective of both parties was to provide a stable government.

"People opted to root out the Congress-NCP and gave us a total of 185 seats. We have been together for 25 years... Whatever happened, happened. Our only aim now is to make Maharashtra the number one state in India. We have not submitted any proposal or demanded ministerial berths. This is nothing but the media's imagination," Desai said.

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Ready for assembly polls in J&K: BJP

SRINAGAR: BJP on Wednesday said it was ready for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir any time the Election Commission decides on holding polls in the state.

"As far as BJP is concerned, we were ready yesterday, we are ready today and we are ready anytime for the elections. We have no objections," BJP leader and MoS in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh told reporters here.

Singh, however, said the timing of the elections in the state was the prerogative of the Election Commission of India.

"When elections are to be held, it is the prerogative of the Election Commission of India. It is an independent institution. It will not be fit for me to comment on that. If anyone does, he must be wiser than us," he added.

Barring National Conference, all political parties in the state have called for holding assembly elections in the flood-hit state as per schedule.

Ruling National Conference has sought deferring the polls in order to focus on relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims in the state.

The Election Commission visited Kashmir last week to assess the situation in the flood-hit areas of the state in order to take a final call on the poll schedule.

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Saradha scam: CBI files first chargesheet

KOLKATA: The CBI on Wednesday filed its first chargesheet in the Saradha scam, naming scam kingpin Sudipta Sen, his close aide Debjani Mukherjee and suspended Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Kunal Ghosh.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed the chargesheet in the Saradha Tours and Travels case before the court of the metropolitan magistrate here.

"The chargesheet has been filed against Sen, Mukherjee, Ghosh and four Saradha Group Companies and Strategy Media, a company owned by Ghosh, under sections 120 B, 409 and 420 Indian Penal Code and sections 4 and 6 of the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act 1978," a CBI official said.

The Saradha Tours and Travels was allegedly favoured in getting a contract from the IRCTC for providing logistics support to the "Bharat Tirth" project announced in the 2010-11 railway budget by the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee.

This was the first chargesheet submitted by the investigation agency after it took over the probe of the multi-crore-rupee scam following a directive by the Supreme Court in May.

While Sen, the Saradha promoter along with Mukherjee were arrested from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2013 shortly after the scam into light, suspended Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Ghosh, who headed Saradha's media arm, has been behind bars since November 2013 for his alleged complicity in the scam.

The CBI has questioned and arrested many high profile people, including Trinamool leader and former IPS officer Rajat Majumdar.

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BSF to reciprocate Pak Rangers's antagonistic gesture

AMRITSAR: As the ceasefire violation continues by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force (BSF) in Punjab has decided to not greet their counterparts of Pakistan Rangers on occasion of Diwali.

Earlier, breaking the border ritual, the Pakistan Rangers on October 6th, had deliberately avoided exchanging greetings and sweets on the occasion of Eid from Attari land border.

Confirming that BSF wouldn't be exchanging pleasantries and sweets with Pakistan Rangers from Attari land border on the occasion of Diwali , BSF, Inspector General, Frontier, Ashok Kumar told TOI on Wednesday "We have decided to not greet or give sweets to Pakistan Rangers".

Sources told TOI that BSF's decision was another Indian gesture of refusing to soft down on terror attacks and ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

Earlier in August India had called off scheduled foreign secretary level talks with Pakistan after Pakistan's high commissioner in India Abdul Basit had met Kashmiri separatists.

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Saradha scam: CBI files first chargesheet

KOLKATA: The CBI on Wednesday filed its first chargesheet in the Saradha scam, naming scam kingpin Sudipta Sen, his close aide Debjani Mukherjee and suspended Trinamool Congress parliamentarian Kunal Ghosh.

CBI filed the chargesheet in the Saradha Tours and Travels case before the court of the metropolitan magistrate.

"The chargesheet has been filed against Sen, Mukherjee, Ghosh and four Saradha Group Companies and Strategy Media, a company owned by Ghosh, under sections 120 B, 409 and 420 Indian Penal Code and sections 4 and 6 of the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act 1978," a CBI official said.

The Saradha Tours and Travels was allegedly favoured in getting a contract from the IRCTC for providing logistics support to the "Bharat Tirth" project announced in the 2010-11 railway budget by the then railway minister Mamata Banerjee.

This was the first chargesheet submitted by the investigation agency after it took over the probe of the multi-crore-rupee scam following a directive by the Supreme Court in May.

While Sen, the Saradha promoter along with Mukherjee were arrested from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir in April 2013 shortly after the scam into light, suspended Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Ghosh, who headed Saradha's media arm, has been behind bars since November 2013 for his alleged complicity in the scam.

The CBI has questioned and arrested many high profile people, including Trinamool leader and former IPS officer Rajat Majumdar.

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Assam govt has proof of jihadi activities in state: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said that the government had proof that jihadi groups were active in the state.

Referring to the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen of Bangladesh (JMB), the chief minister told reporters, "We have got some proof that jihadis were present in the state. We will identify and punish them".

READ ALSO: Youth joining JMB, suspect Assam cops

"I cannot say it is confirmed, but it is suspected that al-Qaida has links with them," he said adding, "We have to be cautious that they don't set up base in Assam".

He warned that the government will take strong action against any such jihadi activities.

"There is no politics behind it. It is a matter of national interest. I can assure everyone that no innocent people will be arrested in the name of religion," he said.

Gogoi warned that any individual involved in such activities would not be spared and said "we won't allow them (jihadists)to set up a base here."

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