General

Ranchi, March 11 (IANS) Jharkhand’s per capita power consumption is less than half of the national average of 650 units, Power Minister Raghubar Das said Thursday.
“The per capita power consumption is just 300 units against national average of 650 units,” Das said in reply to a question in the assembly.

Geetasri Oraon, a Congress party legislator, wanted to know the efforts the government was making to increase power consumption in the state.

Ranchi, March 11 (PTI) Only about 4,000 out of the 32,615 villages in Jharkhand have electricity while work to supply power to over thousand more villages will be completed by 2011, the state assembly was informed today.

"We have asked the NTPC to complete work within a time-frame (in its area of work). We have also entrusted the State Electricity Board with completing electrification work in 1,244 villages by 2010/11," Deputy Chief Minister, Raghuvar Das, who holds energy portfolio, said.

The joint anti-Naxalite operations with Bengal were launched in Saranda forests in Ghatshila sub-division of East Singhbhum district and the hilly terrain of Jhumra in Bokaro district.

According to director general of police (DGP), Jharkhand Neyaz Ahmed, joint anti-Naxalite operations have been launched since Sunday in three areas and the same would be intensified to new areas.

Twenty five companies of paramilitary forces, including CRPF and Cobra commandos were deployed in the operations.

Ranchi, March 10: The Assembly was on the boil today with the Opposition creating a ruckus over the government’s refusal to seek a CBI probe into various corruption cases that have brought disrepute to Jharkhand, including the Rs 2000 crore Madhu Koda money laundering case and another one involving a Singapore firm in 2005 when deputy chief minister Raghubar Das was urban development minister in the NDA government of Arjun Munda.

Is inaction against Maoists calculated inefficiency?

Violence is a quotidian evil. Be it the Maoists or the Constitutional amendment on Women’s representation, it is the same thing; the measure of tolerance, a virtue exercised at the expense of victims in this pious polity, is indulging the violent.

Maoists on Tuesday night shot dead a leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Simdega district of Jharkhand.

“Birsa Badaik, Block President of JMM, was gunned down by a 15-member Maoist squad led by its self-styled commander Jageshwar alias Debu near his residence at Nava village in Bano police station,” Sub-divisional Police Officer Barun Kumar told PTI.

Maoist guerrillas reached Baidaik’s house around 8 pm and surrounded it, he said, adding that the ultras shot him when he tried to escape from his residence.

Police have started raids in the area, he said.

Ranchi: The Government of Jharkhand has slapped a 15-day deadline on as many as 12 industrial houses, mining units and educational institution to clear their outstanding dues for water usage or face the disconnection.

As a student of Maulana Azad College, 19-year-old Aparna Banerjee had two options. She could drop out of college or fight it out and start fending for herself and her younger brother who was still in school.

Aparna chose the latter, for she was determined to realise her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Her diligence soon paid off as she launched Project Sukanya a unique all-woman retail chain in 2007, selling everything from handicraft to eatables.

JAMSHEDPUR: The decision of the Manmohan Singh government to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament on International Women's Day on Monday has evoked warm response from across the women's world.

From politicians to working women to housewives, all have exuded confidence in women's empowered future' with the smooth passage of the Bill in the Upper House of the Parliament on what they call an auspicious day' for women across the globe.

LOHARDAGA: This tribal woman from a remote village in Jharkhand has been doing yeomen service in organizing indigenous women into cohesive groups to empower them enough to be independent. Thirty-five-year-old Sunita Bhagat of Oyena village in Sadar block of Lohardaga district has played key role in the formation of at least 55 Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs). She has been assisting the women in improving their socio-economic conditions by linking them with financial, marketing and other institutions.