News Analysis India

Tag: Ranchi

  • Lalu Prasad Yadav reaches Ranchi to appear before CBI court in fodder scam case

    By Express News Service

    RANCHI: RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has reached Ranchi on Sunday to appear physically before a Special CBI in a case related to a fodder scam case RC 47A/96 47A/96 related to illegal withdrawal of Rs 139.35 crore from Doranda Treasury. CBI Court is to pronounce final judgment in the case against RJD Chief and 98 others on February 15.

    Lalu Yadav has already been convicted in four other fodder scam cases and is currently on bail in all the four cases. All the accused persons, including Lalu Yadav, have been ordered to appear physically before the court of Special CBI Judge SK Shashi on the day of final judgment. Yadav reached two days before to the hearing.

    It is believed that that RJD would strengthening the party in Jharkhand and will be meeting the party leaders and workers giving them necessary instructions during the two days of his stay in Ranchi.

    After getting convicted in four other fodder scam cases, the RJD Chief has secured bail in Deoghar Treasury (RC 64A/96), Chaibasa Treasury (RC 68A/96), another Chaibasa Treasury (RC20A/96), and Dumka Treasury (RC38A/96) cases.

  • Namaz room row: Police lathi-charge BJP workers heading to ‘gherao’ Jharkhand Assembly

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: Police on Wednesday resorted to a lathi charge to stop BJP leaders who were on their way to gherao the Jharkhand Assembly against the allotment of a separate room for offering ‘namaz’ in the newly constructed Assembly building. Before the lathi charge, water cannons were also used to stop BJP workers who set off towards the Jharkhand Assembly despite prohibitory orders being issued by the district administration in the wake of the ongoing monsoon session.

    According to senior BJP leader Gurvinder Singh Sethi, as many as 26 party workers sustained injuries including Party’s Women Front President Arti Kujur, BJP OBC Front President Amardeep Yadav, BJP Rural Front office-bearer Mahaveer Singh, woman worker Neelam Choudhary and 22 others.

    “Out of the 26 injured persons, six have been critically injured while the others have received minor injuries. Two of them are undergoing treatment at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), while the remaining others are at Paras Hospital in Dhurwa,” said Sethi.

    ALSO READ: BJP chants Hanuman Chalisa, namaz room row reaches Jharkhand HC

    In an order issued by Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto on September 2, it was stated that room number TW 348 in the new Assembly building has been allotted to offer namaz. The BJP objected to the decision saying that a separate room should also be allotted to Hindus in the state Assembly to recite Hanuman Chalisa.

    The lathi charge took place after the BJP workers, led by BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi and State President and Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash reached the second barricade near Jagannathpur temple, close to the Jharkhand Assembly, and tried break it despite repeated warnings by the district administration.

    Following the lathi charge, prominent leaders like Babulal Marandi, Deepak Prakash and former Chief Minister Rabhubar Das sat there on dharna alleging that women and unarmed workers were beaten up mercilessly on the direction of the state goverment. Marandi also alleged that the police tried to hit him also, but his security personnel saved him from the batons.

    “Everyone has the right to protest peacefully in a democracy. BJP workers from all over the state had come here to meet the Assembly Speaker and tell him that India not being a religious state, governance should be done as per constitutional arrangements which he has actually dishonoured by taking an unconstitutional decision,” said Marandi. The protest will continue till the notification issued by the Assembly Speaker is withdrawn, he added.

    “The Assembly is a temple of democracy and efforts should not to communalise it. We wanted to demand the same to the Assembly Speaker,” said Marandi. He further added that their movement could not be suppressed by a lathi-charge. According to Marandi, had he not been given CRPF protection, his head would not have been intact.

    State BJP chief Deepak Prakash said this was an attack not only on BJP workers but on the feelings of 3.5 crore people of Jharkhand. Meanwhile, amid protests, three bills — Jharkhand Municipal (Amendment) Bill 2021, Jharkhand Goods and Service Bill 2021 and Jharkhand State Employment of Local Candidates Bill 2021 were passed by the Jharkhand Assembly. The BJP members were in the well when the Speaker rushed through the bills.

  • No kanwar yatra/shravan mela in Jharkhand’s Deoghar

    By PTI
    DEOGHAR/RANCHI: Eastern India’s one of the biggest religious congregations – the month-long shravani mela at Deoghar and kanwar yatra attached to it- stand cancelled for the second consecutive time this year amid COVID-19 pandemic due to which visit to religious places has been prohibited, officials said on Wednesday.

    The month of shravan begins from July 25 this year and to stop devotees from coming to the temple and prevent gathering of kanwarias at the famous Baba Baidyanath temple at Deoghar, considered one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, the district administration has erected five check posts,officials said.

    “Shravani mela has been cancelled this year in view of COVID-19 pandemic. Arrangements are being done for online virtual darshan of Baba Baidyanath during Shravan,” Deputy Commissioner Deoghar Manjunath Bhajantri said.

    After Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, Jharkhand is the latest to call off kanwar yatra by devotees in view of the pandemic.

    A delegation of various religious bodies including the President of Panda Dharmarakshini Sabha, members and representatives of Teerth-Priests Society met the Deputy Commissioner,Additional Collector, Deoghar Chadra Bhushan Prasad Singh and they were told about the decision.

    The administration has made checkposts at five entry points – Andhrigather, Dardmara, Khoripanan, Jaipur More and Jamua to prevent entry of devotees for ‘jalabhishek’.

    The officials said wide publicity is being done through railway officials and others to spread the message that devotees are prohibited inside temple and ‘jalarpan’ (offering water) is not allowed.

    Officials have also been asked to barricade the areas around the temple to prevent assembling of crowd.

    Prior to COVID-19 the mega event used to be frequented by lakhs of devotees across the country who used to turn-up to offer prayer to Lord Shiva at Baidyanath temple.

    The Jharkhand government had on June 30 extended the coronavirus lockdown-like restrictions for the eighth time till further orders with a provision that “all religious places/places of worship are permitted to open but visitors are prohibited”.

    Director General of Police, Jharkhand, Neeraj Sinha last week had told PTI: “We have deployed police force at Bihar borders and Deoghar borders to avoid congregations.

    ” Each year, during the rainy season, devotees in many states undertake kanwar yatra to collect water from the Ganga and other rivers and offer it at the temples of Lord Shiva in major pilgrim centres.

    Kanwarias in the eastern region undertake a 100-km trek carrying ganga water from Sultanganj in Bihar to offer it to lord Shiva at the Deoghar temple.

    Last year also the government had withheld permission for sharavani mela and prohibited kanwar yatra during nationwide lockdown.

    The Jharkhand government this year had hold back permission for the Ratha Yatra festival at the Jagannath temple in Ranchi The latest order of the Jharkhand disaster management department mentions, “All indoor and outdoor congregation of more than 50 persons are prohibited in the state including marriage and last rites related activities.

    “Besides, all processions are prohibited in the state. All fairs and exhibitions are banned till further orders”.

    Also the bus transport in the state has been permitted for only intra-state movements and not inter-state movement.

  • Got your COVID jab? Now, you can get discounts of up to 60 per cent at shops in Ranchi

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: In the first such initiative, shopkeepers in Ranchi are offering discounts of up to 60 per cent on selected items to customers who have taken jabs against COVID-19. According to the President of Federation of Jharkhand Commerce and Industries Praveen Kumar Jain, the shopkeepers voluntarily came forward to offer the discounts following an appeal made by the district administration.

    So far, 26 shopkeepers are offering discounts up to 45 per cent on selected items, while on some items, they are offering discounts of 60 per cent.

    ALSO READ: Hearing-impaired staffers’ remarkable service make this Jamshedpur cafe most sought after in the city!

    “The district administration contacted us asking for the list of the shopkeepers who can offer discounts for people who have already been vaccinated. When we contacted the shopkeepers, many of them came forward to offer discounts ranging from 5 per cent to 60 per cent on selected items,” said the FJCCI President. After making a list of all these shopkeepers, it was handed over to the district administration, he added.

    “Later, the list of shopkeepers was publicised through social media,” said Jain. The objective, he said, is to encourage people to come forward for inoculation on their own in order to increase the percentage of vaccination in the district.

    Different slabs of the discount have been fixed for people who have taken the first and second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Jharkhand: ‘Daal Chawal’ feeding the poor and needy during lockdown

    By Express News Service
    RANCHI: ‘Daal-Chawal,’ a team of professionals working outside the State and currently sitting idle at home in Ranchi, is distributing free dry-ration packets to the poor and needy who have lost their jobs or livelihood due to the lockdown.

    Initially, the team of ‘Daal Chawal’ started it on their own with a Facebook post, “If you know someone around you who is in need, please let us know, we would try to help them,” which attracted tremendous response from the people and they started receiving funds from the people whom they did not even know.

    The quartet –Trishi Pandey, Ria Pandey, Prashanto Banerjee and Priya Banerjee purchase dry ration from the market, convert them into small packets having rice, dal, biscuits or bread  and distribute them among the needy people. The objective, according to them, is to provide basic requirements of life which is rice and dal along with biscuit and bread for children.

    “The drive was started as people this time were more concerned about those who are infected from the virus, but no one was thinking about those who have lost their source of income due to the lockdown and are on the verge of starvation,” said Trishi Pandey, a lawyer by profession.

    Though the government is also distributing ration among the poor which is done arbitrarily, they are doing it where government assistance has failed to reach after identifying such people, she added.

    Trishi further added that they are trying to deliver free of cost basic grocery items to the people who are struggling for food in this situation.

    “We make it a point to ask people before giving them the packets that whether they want it or not. Dry ration packets are given only after they say that they actually need, while many people refuse to take it,” said another member of Daal-Chawal, Prashanto Banerjee, who is an animation artist.

    They are also getting leads from the people who tell them about the people who actually need help, he added.

    “While discussing about the present scenario a fortnight ago, we thought why not do something as we were sitting idle at home. Then all of a sudden it was decided to distribute dry ration to the poor and needy who have no source of income or livelihood,” said Prashanto.

    A Facebook page was made in the name of Daal-Chawal to make it convenient to reach out to the people who actually need help, he added.

    Priya Banerjee, a teacher, said that it all started casually just to extend a helping hand towards the poor and needy, they had never though that they will get such a huge response from the people.

    “The response from the people is really encouraging for us. We had never thought that we will get such a huge response from the people as we are getting funds from those whom we don’t even know,” said Priya Banerjee. It has been decided to continue till the lockdown is not lifted, she said.

    Notably, Trishi and Ria are sisters while Priya and Prashanto are siblings. All of them belong to different professions and had come to their homes due to the lockdown.

  • Dhoni to Take Last Flight to Ranchi When Teammates Reach Home Safe & Secure: Report

    Chennai Super Kings skipper and former India captain MS Dhoni has assured his players that he would be the last person to leave the CSK camp as he would be overseeing that each and every one of his colleagues have left for home safely and securely. ‘Mahi bhai’ as he is known in his team told his players on a video chat that since the IPL was happening in India, foreigners must leave first and then the domestic players should think of leaving, meanwhile he will be the last person to leave, concludes a report in The Indian Express.

    “Mahibhai said that he will be the last person to leave the hotel. He wanted foreigners to leave first, then the Indian players. He will be taking the last flight tomorrow when everyone reaches their home safe and secure,” a member of CSK told The Indian Express. CSK has organised a charter flight to ferry its players from Mumbai. A ten-seater aircraft took some of its players to Mumbai and Rajkot in the morning. Later in the evening another flight was arranged to take players to Bangalore and Chennai. Dhoni will leave for his hometown Ranchi on Thursday evening.

    Only Mumbai Indians will be sending their overseas players by chartered flights. These flights will be leaving for New Zealand, West Indies via South Africa. According to Cricbuzz, they have invited other overseas players to join them. Mumbai Indians has a sizable population of Kiwi cricketers this includes Trent Boult, Adam Milne, James Neesham, Shane Bond and they are likely to be joined by other Kiwi cricketers from other teams. Meanwhile one aircraft will take off for Trinidad (where Kieron Pollard lives). It will travel to West Indies via Johannesburg in South Africa where they will offload a number of South African cricketers-Quinton de Kock and Marco Jansen. This flight will leave in the next 24 to 48 hours.

  • Namkom Military Hospital in Ranchi to be opened for non-military Covid patients 

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: Looking at the surge in the cases of COVID-19, Namkom Military Hospital in Ranchi has been readied with 50 Covid beds for non-military patients. 

    According to an official communiqué released by Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), it will start treating Covid patients from Tuesday onwards. 

    Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Hemant Soren had sought help from the Indian Army, requesting it to allow use of Military Hospitals and manpower for the common people also. In return, Soren had promised to provide oxygen, beds, ventilators and other medical equipment and facilities to the Military hospitals if they open up for civilians. 

    According to the official release from CMO, as of now the Military Hospital has prepared 50 Covid beds for civilians. A delegation of Army officers, after meeting CM Soren on Saturday, informed that the treatment of corona patients will be started from the coming Tuesday, it added. 

    “The Army should come forward to protect the lives of the Corona patients to the best of its ability and provide relief to the people by using their health resources in the state,” said CM Soren. 

    The army would be playing an important in this battle with COVID-19, he added.

    The Chief Minister was of the view that with the help of the Army and cooperation of the people of this State, the spread of coronavirus could be stopped effectively.

    Besides enabling better treatment to the infected people, support from the Indian Army will also boost up their confidence, he added. In the meeting, further coordination was discussed between the state government and military officials by creating mutual coordination.

    Notably, Military Hospital at Namkom has a total of 400 beds.

  • Jharkhand Covid Circuits to ensure free oxygen beds for critical patients

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday, virtually inaugurated Covid Circuits for Ranchi and Jamshedpur divisions. 

    Under this arrangement, oxygen beds will be ensured for the serious Covid patients free of cost at the nearest district just by dialing 104.

    “We have started a new arrangement in Ranchi and Jamshedpur divisions of Jharkhand and named it as Covid Circuit, under which, oxygen beds will be made available to Covid patients at the nearest district hospital free of cost if it is not available in that particular district in which he is residing,” saidSoren.

    Information about the availability of oxygen beds in the nearest hospital may be obtained just by dialing on 104 or the phone numbers made available to people, he added.

    “If the patient wants to go there on his own, he may reach there and get admitted to it, and if he wants ambulance service, he may be one provided by dialing on the same number,” said Soren. He believed that through this arrangement, smooth availability of beds could be ensured to all Covid patients.

    According to Soren, as many as 450 oxygen beds are still available in different districts under the Ranchi division, while more than 500 oxygen beds are vacant in the Jamshedpur division.

    “With medical facilities, which we have made available for Covid patients, one need not panic as the doctors and other health workers are available round the clock to take care of them,” said Soren. There is no shortage of medicines, oxygen, or hospital beds, the only thing that people lacking at this time is patience, due to which there is so much chaos everywhere, he added.

    Soren appealed to people to be patient as there is no dearth of oxygen cylinders and several oxygen refilling plants have also been set up from where people can get their oxygen cylinders refilled. For smooth monitoring of medical services being provided at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi, CCTV is being installed, he added.

    Soren further added that the State Government needs people’s cooperation to defeat coronavirus. He also flagged off four Ambulances for the newly formed Covid Circuits in Ranchi and Jamshedpur divisions.

    At least 4-6 Covid Circuits will be inaugurated soon in Jharkhand, said Soren.

  • Doctors to lose their license upon failing to discharge duties properly in Jharkhand

    By Express News Service
    RANCHI: Amid surge in COVID-19 cases in Ranchi, doctors posted at Sadar Hospital, the dedicated COVID Hospital in Ranchi, were warned that their license will be cancelled if found negligent towards their duties or they remain absent without any official permission.

    During a meeting held with the doctors of Sadar Hospital, Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan told them not to force him to take stringent action against them as this is a war like situation.

    The meeting was called after the district administration observed that many of the doctors were absent during duty hours.

    “I called a meeting and told them not to run away from their duties and do not force the district  administration to take stringent action against them. Already notices have been served against them and if they do not come back to their duties, the district administration will be compelled to take actionagainst them,” said DC Chhavi Ranjan. He appealed the doctors not to force district administration to take action against them, he added.

    ALSO READ: COVID patient dies outside hospital while minister was on inspection inside in Jharkhand

    Ranjan said that since it is a war like situation, this is the time to face it strongly rather than surrendering before it. He asked them to give their 100 per cent and prevent the virus spreading further, especially those who are posted in Covid hospitals.

    Notably, many of the attendants who had gone to admit their patients in Sadar Hospital in Ranchi complained that due to negligence of doctors or delay in treatment, they lost their near and dear ones.

    The harsh reality of the situation of health services post sudden rise in COVID-19 cases was on display onTuesday, when a patient who was brought from Hazaribagh to Ranchi for better treatment, died outside Sadar hospital waiting for the doctors to attend him while his daughter kept on shouting doctor-doctor seeking help for her father.

  • Jharkhand: COVID patient dies outside hospital while minister was on inspection inside

    Express News Service
    RANCHI: The harsh reality of the situation of health services post sudden rise in COVID-19 cases was on diplay in Jharkhand on Tuesday when a patient who was brought from Hazaribagh to Ranchi for better treatment died outside Sadar hospital here waiting for the doctors to attend him.

    Meanwhile, State Health Minister Banna Gupta was busy inside the same hospital taking stock of the facilities being provided to the COVID patients. 

    The family members of the deceased alleged that they kept on seeking help from the doctors for several hours but no one turned up to attend the patient due to which he died.

    They reached here in the morning but could not get a bed in any of the private hospitals and finally reached Sadar Hospital where he was made to wait outside for several hours in the scorching heat, finally leading to his death.

    Family members of a COVID patient, who died outside Sadar Hospital in Ranchi while waiting for hours for treatment, shouted at health minister Banna Gupta who reached there for a surprise inspection.@NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/9Z11Pt6NQb
    — Mukesh Ranjan (@Mukesh_TNIE) April 13, 2021

    By the time he was taken inside, he was declared dead by the doctors.

    While coming out of the hospital with the dead body, the family members came across the minister who was also coming out of the hospital. As soon as they saw him, they lost their temper and started shouting at him for failing health services in the State.

    “Mantri ji! We kept on shouting for the doctors but no one turned up to help my father. We were standing outside for my father to get admitted to the hospital but no one was there to attend him and finally he succumbed for want of treatment,” daughter of the deceased shouted on the minister.

    “Will the minister be able to return his father,” she yelled.

    She also alleged that they come to the people only to seek votes for them but otherwise they are not concerned for their sufferings. The condition is really worse and people are dying due to lack of treatment, she said. 

    The Health Minister, however, said that everywhere there are problems and they are trying to remove.

    “Every day the number of Covid patients is increasing and we have to make alternate arrangements of beds accordingly. We have already asked the private hospitals to reserve 50 per cent beds for COVID patients,” said the health minister.

    “Whatever maybe the flaws, we are trying to remove them,” he added.

    Meanwhile, State BJP President Deepak Prakash alleged the woman lost her father only due to the negligence of the State Government.

    “The woman lost her temper before the health minister as she lost her father due to the negligence of the State Government. After all, when will the Chief Minister realize his responsibilities,” State BJP Chief Deepak Prakash tweeted.

    Earlier, the State BJP Chief also wrote a letter to the Chief Minister requesting him to arrange beds for patients, proper oxygen supply, additional ventilators along with paramedical staff and doctors in adequate numbers.  

    In the wake of increasing number of COVID cases in Jharkhand, health emergency must be declared in the State, he added.