Bengal restoring 166 heritage sites: Mamata
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said her government had identified 166 heritage sites in the state which would be restored. “The West Bengal government has also started restoration work. 166 sites have already been identified in the districts,” Banerjee said here at the bicentenary celebrations of the Indian Museum. She said the government had already started work to restore Writers’ Building, the state secretariat, which is also a heritage property. “Sometimes I feel ashamed that we do not give enough time for places which have heritage and archaeological value,” Banerjee said. (PTI)
Chandrasekhran’s widow to launch indefinite fast
Onchiyam: K K Rema, wife of slain RMP leader T P Chandrasekhran, on Sunday set off for the state capital to launch her indefinite fast from tomorrow in front of the state secretariat, demanding a CBI probe into the conspiracy into her husband’s murder. Her father K K Madhavan, a former CPI(M) local leader, is accompanying her to Thiruvananthapuram. Before leaving for the state capital, Rema told reporters that the fast will commence at 10 AM tomorrow and that she was hopeful that Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan would visit her at the fast spot. At least 50 Revolutionary Marxist Party workers will go on relay fasting along with Rema. Director General of Prosecutions (DGP), T Asaf Ali, had a couple of days ago informed the state government that there was no illegality in ordering a CBI probe into the conspiracy of the case. A Kozhikode court had on Jan 28 sentenced 12 persons, three of them CPI(M) functionaries, to life imprisonment in the case. Chandrasekharan, a former Marxist worker from the red bastion Onjiyam near Vatakara in north Kerala, was hacked to death by an eight-member gang on May 4, 2012. There were 51 hack wounds on his body. (PTI)
UP Minister Azam Khan’s buffaloes stolen; police in tizzy
Rampur: Uttar Pradesh Police went into a tizzy after thieves stole senior state minister Azam Khan’s seven buffaloes from a barn here but managed to rescue the cattle on Sunday following an intensive overnight search. Dog squads, crime branch sleuths and police personnel of various police stations raided slaughter houses and meat shops to collect clues about the stolen bovine, worth several lakhs of rupees, Superintendent of Police Sadhna Goswami said. On the direction of district collector N K S Chauhan, a complaint was registered within minutes of the theft yesterday and four police teams were formed to tackle the case, officials said. In neighbouring districts too searches were carried out, said Goswami. Circle officer Alia Hasan said the buffaloes were traced this afternoon, but refused to give details. Sources said that some persons have been detained for interrogation. In Ganj area when police raided a house and took a few persons in their custody, they had to face tough resistance from women. Khan is Minister for Minorities and Urban Development and is considered number two in UPA Cabinet after Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. (PTI)
Food Security scheme launched in Nagpur
Nagpur: Launching the Food Security scheme for the poor families in Nagpur, Maharashtra Social Justice minister has asked the officials to ensure there were no irregularities in distribution of food grains. The central government has introduced the scheme for the benefit of poor section of the society and each poor family should get and take benefit of it, minister Shivajirao Moghe said yesterday while launching the scheme in Panchsheel Nagar here. He called on the officials of the Food and Civil Supplies department to maintain transparency and ensure no irregularities were committed in distribution of food grains. About 10,09,621 persons will be benefited in Nagpur district with the scheme, which was earlier launched in the state by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai. The District Guardian Ministers are launching it at the district level. District Collector Saurabh Rao, Deputy Commissioner (Supplies) Ramesh Mawaskar and others were present on the occasion. (PTI)