 CRags-to-riches: Bus conductor Pooran Kiri all set to feature opposite Big B in ‘Yudh’
Pooran Kiri, a bus conductor from Kanker who has already made it big on the small screen, will now be featured opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan in a TV serial 'Yudh' directed by Bollywood film-maker Anurag Kashyap.
While Pooran will play the role of a policeman, Amitabh Bachchan will essay the role of Yudhishtir in the show, which will air on Sony Entertainment Television in July.
It will also be Big B's debut performance on a fiction TV show. Its promo has already garnered a fairly positive response, and all eyes are set on whether Big B's new venture on the telly will bring the same revolution that "Kaun Banega Crorepati" brought back in 2000.
According to a report in Bhaskar, before moving to daily soaps, Pooran Kiri was a bus conductor. His story is no less than that of a rags-to-riches journey. He worked as a salesman in general stores, shoe shops and apparel stores.
Later, he shifted from Kanker to Raipur where he became a dancer at private events. He got a break in Chhattisgarh films and music albums.
Remembering his old days Pooran Kiri says, "I have grown up dreaming about working with Big B one day. My journey hasn't been an easy one."
"I was so excited when I was offered Amitabh Bachchan's driver's role in Yudh. I immediately accepted it. But, I was disheartened to know thatthe role had been scrapped. Just a few days later, I got a call saying I was being given a bigger role in the show," he says.
Of late, he has been seen playing strong roles in many daily soaps.
He was seen essaying the role of Madhasur in Life OK’s Katha Mahadev Putra Bal Ganesh Ki. He has also been part of various shows like Diya Aur Baati Hum, Big Magic’s Hum Hai Bajrangi, Savdhan India. He also has quite a number of South Indian films like Satya 2 and Hate Story 2 to his credit.
Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan expressed both his excitement and nervousness while watching a trial of the show in Mumbai on Saturday.
"The hour arriveth...the labor and effort, of days to be seen today. The episodes of 'YUDH'! Scream your exuberance!!! No the 'YUDH' serial is not starting today, we the team are seeing the trial for the first time today. It shall air in July," he posted on his Twitter page.
 Centre to give more choppers, special battalions to Chhattisgarh
Making it clear that Maoist insurgency will be dealt with an iron hand, government on Monday agreed to use helicopter for troops' deployment in conflict situations and favoured increasing the chopper strength for Naxal-hit areas.
At a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, it was also decided to provide multi-skilled 2,000 personnel for carrying out development work in Chhattisgarh which has been worst-hit by Naxal violence. During the meeting, which was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and top Home Ministry officials, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami gave a presentation during which he informed that four helicopters were being used for rescue operations or troops in conflict situations.
The state government requested the Centre to use helicopters for troops' deployment or sending reinforcement when an encounter is on, which was agreed to, official sources said. It was agreed in principle by the Home Ministry to increase the number of helicopters to six subject to approval by the Defence Ministry, they said.
Facing shortage of contractors for carrying out development work in Naxal-hit areas, the Chief Minister sought the Centre's help in providing nearly 2,000 multi-skilled personnel having technical knowledge. "Two technical battalions (about 2,000 men) comprising engineers have been sought for construction projects in Chhattisgarh," Raman Singh told reporters in New Delhi after the two-hour meeting.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had been involved in various projects in Chhattisgarh till 2010. However, it started withdrawing after the then UPA government decided to strengthen road network along India-China border for which BRO is the first choice. The Centre had recently cleared additional 10 battalions (about 10,000 personnel) for maintaining law and order in the state.
 Chhattisgarh seeks special status at pre-budget meet
Chhattisgarh on Monday reiterated its demand for a 'special category' status for the state at a pre-budget meeting of state finance ministers with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.
Chhattisgarh Commerce and Tax minister Amar Agrawal, who read the state finance minister's speech, said the Planning Commission in its Indian Human Development Report 2011, had adjudged Chhattisgarh as one of the most backward states on the basis of human development index.
Elaborating its stand on the issue, he further said that as per the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report published in 2013 on poverty, Chhattisgarh has the highest ratio of below poverty line (BPL) families in the country (39.9 percent).
He said the Raghuram Ranjan Committee in its report also mentioned that Chhattisgarh was amongst the least developed states in the country.
He also said that most of the districts in the state were dealing with the Maoist issue.
Highlighting the issue of CST revenue loss, he said the state government has received Rs.800 crore less in the last three years and demanded that the amount be compensated from other sources.
Chhattisgarh Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) D.S. Mishra was also present at the meeting.
 PLFI banned in the state for one year for Naxal activities
Chhattisgarh The Chhattisgarh government has banned the left-wing extremist group Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI) for a period of one year.
The Raman Singh government has taken the decision to ensure zero tolerance for Naxal activities, said government sources. The state government under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act, 2005 has banned these organisations through a notification from immediate effect for a year, they said.
 Suspected Naxals torch three vehicles in a bid to disrupt road construction
Suspected Naxals set on fire three vehicles in a bid to disrupt road construction work in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Sunday.
The vehicles, including a road-roller, a tanker and a JCB machine, were parked at the site where road construction work was going on when they were set afire near Paralkot villages no. 84 and 85 on Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border late last night, Superintendent of Police R N Dash said over phone.
Around 12 ultras from Maharashtra torched the vehicles, he said.
A police team was sent to the site when labourers informed them about the incident, he said, adding that a search operation was on to apprehend the ultras.
Villagers from the region recently held a meeting and requested the contractor to construct the road ahead of monsoon. Without informing police, the contractor started work with the support of villagers, he said.
When the rebels from adjoining Maharashtra came to know about the move, they planned to thwart the development work, the SP said.
"Villagers are unhappy with the incident and said they will continue efforts for development works in the region," Dash said.
 Two PWD officials suspended over corruption charges
Raipur Chhattisgarh Two Public Works Department (PWD) officials in Chhattisgarh have been suspended for corruption and allegedly committing irregularities. Maddheshwar Prasad, Executive Engineer (in-charge) PWD's Balodabazar division, and Assistant Engineer at the office of Engineer in-Chief (Raipur) Rajesh Kumar Verma were suspended on Wednesday, an official statement said on Thursday.
The action against the duo was taken on the direction of PWD Minister Rajesh Munat, it said. Anti-Corruption Bureau had detected disproportionate assets worth around Rs 6 crore and seized Rs 50 lakh in cash from different premises of Prasad during a raid in March 30.
The 51-year-old officer was suspended for violation of Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1965 as his actions had brought disrepute to the department. The action against Verma has been taken for committing irregularities in construction of a bridge on Arpa river in Bilaspur district, the statement added.
 NMDC steel plant in Bastar may start production next year
The steel plant of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district is likely to become operational by next year.
Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh expressed hope that there was a strong possibility that production at the plant might start by the next year, an official said in Raipur on Monday. The issue was discussed during a meeting between Singh and Union Minister of State for Steel, Mining and Labour Vishnudeo Sai in Raipur on Sunday, the official added.
The plant, when completed, would be the second public sector steel plant of the Union Government, after Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), in Chhattisgarh. During the meeting, Chief Minister sought speedy completion of Nagarnar Steel Plant project. With the completion of the plant, the social and economic development of the tribal dominated Bastar region would get a boost, the Chief Minister said, according to the official.
Raman Singh also discussed other issues related to Chhattisgarh with the Union Minister. Singh urged Sai to establish hospitals for workers in Raigarh, Korba, Rajnandgaon and other cities in the state under the welfare schemes of the Centre, the official said. The Chief Minister also demanded that raw iron should be provided to steel units in the state from the iron-ore projects operated by NMDC in Bailadila on a priority basis.
 Khera village sees 36 marriages within 10 days after undergoing revamp
Raipur, Chhattisgarh Happy days are back for residents of Khera, a village 102 kms away from Raipur, as 36 persons have got married here within 10 days after the village underwent major revamp.
In the last two years, not a single family was ready to get their sons or daughters married off here due to lack of roads and flyovers. However, the situation turned around after government developed this area.
According to a report in Haribhoomi, facing apathy from the government, villagers were left with no option but to adapt to the surroundings. They would stock medicines before monsoons as the condition due to rains. Nobody from other villages could enter Khera.
What added to their plight was when it became increasingly difficult to find a match for their kids for years. People turned down their offer after seeing the condition of the village.
It was only two years back when the then MLA Rajkamal Singhania and Janpad head Vidyabhushan Shukla got Rs 1.15 crores sanctioned that the development works began. The revamped village was taken by surprise as 36 marriages were fixed within 10 days after revamp.
 Naxals stab police constable to death in Bijapur
Bijapur, Chhattisgarh A police jawan on Wednesday was stabbed to death by Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Bijapur district, police said.
Constable Budhram Mudma (29), posted at Timed police camp, was stabbed to death by a group of Naxals with sharp edged weapons under Toynar police station limits in the wee hours, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sukhnandan Rathore said.
Budhram had fled from the Timed police camp located in Bhopalpattanam region without informing anyone last night to attend a local fair in Toynar, he said. When he was returning from the fair, the ultras attacked him in the nearby forest and brutally murdered him, the DSP said.
Soon after being informed, security personnel were dispatched to the spot and the body of the jawan was retrieved out of the forest, he said. Security forces have launched a search to nab the assailants, he added.
 35 dead, over 100 injured in road accidents in Kawardha
In past 2 months 35 people have died and more than 100 injured in road accidents in Kawardha.
SP RS Nayak accepted that the region has witnessed a rise in road accidents and they are conducting awareness campaign.
He said, “If the situation doesn’t improve, we will take strict action against defaulters.”
 Two tantriks arrested over alleged links with Naxals
Police have arrested two members of a CPI (Maoist) faction who were allegedly running a school in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district for the children of their colleagues and motivating youngsters to join the Naxal movement.
Gowardhan alias Panda (40) and Kamal (45), members of the banned People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), were nabbed from forests under Shankargadh police station limits in Balrampur district bordering Jharkhand on May 25, Shankargadh Station House Officer R L Tunde told PTI over phone on Tuesday.
According to the SHO, Gowardhan and Kamal were popular as tantriks ("witch doctors") in Sulesa area of Jashpur, where they were operating a small ashram school for children of the rebels who had been arrested in the past few months in Balrampur.
Besides, they were also mobilising youths in the area and motivating them to join the armed movement, he said.
Three other PLFI cadres Bokha and Gopal, natives of Shankargadh and Bajrang in Jharkhand, were also helping the duo in these tasks, he said, adding, efforts are on to nab them.
Preliminary investigation showed Gowardhan, a native of Sulesa, was earlier associated with Kailash Gufa ashram from where he learnt tantrik practices.
Later, he started his own ashram where several local villagers joined him as disciples to learn tantrik practices like "jhar-phuk" (incantation of charm), the SHO said.
After coming to know about his popularity, Bokha approached Gowardhan and urged him to propagate the Maoist ideology among tribal youths and promised him a hefty sum for his services, Tunde said.
Notably, 11 Naxals were held along with arms and ammunition in March this year and six more cadres in December last year from Balrampur district and all them were allegedly connected with Gowardhan, the SHO said.
The duo's further interrogation is expected to bring out more about the activities of banned CPI (Maoist) in the region, he added.
 Naxal involved in attack on polling party in Bastar arrested
A Naxal, who was allegedly involved in an attack on a polling party during the Lok Sabha elections in Bastar region, was on Tuesday arrested from Maoist-hit Kondagaon district of Chhattisgarh.
Jaeet Ram Korram (28), chief of Padeli Janatana Sarkar group of CPI(Maoist), was nabbed from the forests between Padeli and Nawagaon villages by a team of local police, Kondagaon Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Surjit Atri told PTI.
During interrogation, he admitted his involvement in firing on Padeli polling booth during last month's parliamentary polls following improvised explosive device blasts near the polling station, he said.
No one was injured or killed in that incident. A native of Mardapal region, Jaeet was elevated to the post of chief of Padeli Janatana Sarkar group in 2011 and since then he was handling all operations of the banned outfit. He was involved in several incidents of crime, including loot, arson, murder and attacks on police party in the region, the ASP said.
He was produced before a local court of Kondagaon which sent him in judicial custody.
 17-year-old Anjali’s bravery finds a place in school textbooks
Dantewada, Chhattisgarh The inspirational story of 17-year-old Anjali, who saved the life of her minor brother during a Naxal attack years ago, will now be taught to school students here.
The Chhattisgarh government has decided to include her story in the curriculum from the new academic year.
According to a report in Bhaskar, Anjali, who is a resident of Dantewada's Nakulnar village, has received many awards for her feat.
In 2010, during a Naxal attack in Nakulnar, Anjali's brother Abhijeet Gautam was shot in the thighs. She carried him on her shoulders and fled from the scene. She reached her grandparent's house just in time and saved her brother's life. Her effort was applauded by many NGOs and state government.
 Woman Naxal arrested by joint security forces, arms recovered
A woman Naxal was on Monday arrested following a prolonged exchange of fire between the security forces and the red-ultras in the insurgency-hit Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh, police said.
The encounter took place in the hilly area under the limits of Mohla police station along Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border, a senior police official said.
Acting on a tip-off about Maoists gathering in the hills adjoining Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, around 250 km from the state capital Raipur, three teams of Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Task Force and district police force were sent, he said.
The skirmish took place when the ultras noticed the presence of security forces between Rajadera-Ramgadh village hills. Chasing the fleeing ultras, the woman Naxal was nabbed and a gun was recovered from her, the official said, adding that she was identified as Tara alias Bimla (20).
A native of Sahpal village of Manpur region, Tara joined the Naxal movement in 2009 as a member of Chetna Natya Manch, a cultural wing of Naxals, he said.
During the interrogation, she admitted to involvement in attacks on security personnel in Katuljhora, Bukmarka, Unchapur and other areas, the official added.
 Rahul Gandhi calls family members of slain Chhattisgarh leaders
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday reached out to the families members of party leaders who were brutally killed in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh in 2013.
He called relatives of slain former Congress state Nand Kumar Patel, Mahendra Karma and Uday Mudliyar.
Rahul also tried to reach out to the family of V C Shukla but his daughter was in the US.
On this day last year, Maoists carried out one of their most high-profile attacks in the Jeeram Ghati region of Bastar, killing 27 and wiping out almost the entire state Congress leadership in the state.
 Naxal carrying reward arrested in joint operation at Kanker
A naxal, carrying a reward on his head, was arrested during a joint search operation in Maoist-hit Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Sunday.
The cadre identified as Ramesh Ramprasad Boga (35) from Rajnandgaon, was nabbed from the forest of Lohattar police station limits yesterday, a senior police official said.
Acting on a tip-off, the joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and district force launched combing operation in the Lohattar region, around 250 kms from Raipur.
On reaching the core forest, they spotted a suspect fleeing from the region, following which they chased and apprehended him, the official said.
Boga was involved in several criminal offence including murder, attack on police personnel, arson and other, said the official, adding that he was carrying a reward of Rs 1,000 on his head. Interrogation was on with him, he added.
 Woman immolates two kids, self in Rajnandgaon
A 24-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by immolating herself after she killed her two minor children by setting them afire at their house in Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Monday.
Devki Bai Verma and her two-an-half year old son Sanjay and a year-old daughter Sudha died in the incident in Chichola village under Khairagarh Police station limits last evening, Khairagarh Station House Officer Vinod Kumar Mandavi said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the woman locked the house from inside and poured kerosene on herself, her two children and set them ablaze, the SHO said. However, further details would be known after the postmortem, he added. After seeing smoke and flames emanating from the house, the neighbours rushed to extinguish the fire to rescue the residents and informed police, he said.
Devki and her two kids, who sustained serious burn injuries died on the spot, he said. According to the SHO, Devki's husband Jagdev (26) had died four months ago after prolonged illness. Since then Devki was the bread earner of her family. A case has been registered and further probe is on.
 Jagdalpur massacre: NIA names 95 Naxals, rules out political conspiracy
Bastar, Chhattisgarh Almost an year after the deadly Darbha Ghati Naxal attack, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the case is complete, said the agency.
The NIA report ruled out any political consciracy behind the attack.
The NIA also identified 95 hardcore Naxals who were behind the deadly attack.
It's worth mentioning that even as the NIA began its probe in the heavily forested and hilly Darbha Ghati, the Maoists, in a statement, claimed responsibility for the attack and said the act was a revenge for the "atrocities done by the Salwa Judum".
The NIA did a recce of the sevral places in Bastar area where the deadly Naxal attack took place on May 25, which claimed lives of senior leaders of Chhattisgarh's Congress party, including Salwa Judum founder Mahendra Karma and state party chief Nand Kumar Patel.
In its early phase, the NIA probe was basically based on whether top Naxal leader Katakam Sudarshan was behind the attack on the Congress rally.
 Three Naxals arrested during joint operation, weapons seized
Three Naxalites were on Wednesday arrested and weapons recovered from their possession during a combing operation in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Bijapur district.
The cadres were nabbed from restive Surakheda village forests under Bhairamgadh police station limits when they were trying to escape, a senior police official said. A team of district police was on a search operation in the Bhairamgadh region, around 450 kms away from the state capital, since Tuesday when they spotted the trio in the forests along with weapons.
Later, the security personnel apprehended them, the official said. Those arrested were identified as Heera Tati (24), deputy commander of Bhairamgadh LGS (Local Guerrilla Squad) of the Maoist, Jogu Telam (20) and Mangu Potami (21).
Two muzzle loading guns and a sharp edged weapon were also recovered from their possession, he said. They were allegedly involved in the last week's incident of looting of weapon from a police personnel after injuring him in the region, he said. They were also involved in several crimes like loot, arson and murder, he said, adding that further investigation was on.
 Wanted Naxal arrested in Sakardaga forest by security forces
Three labourers were buried alive and four others injured when a mound of soil caved in on them at Bhendi village in Chhattisgarh's Balod district on Tuesday, police said.
The deceased included a woman and a couple who were employed under the MNREGA among other villagers, for some development work in the region, a senior police official told PTI.
The mishap occurred when the labourers were digging out from an old mound of nearly 10-feet-high 'murum' at the spot for the construction of a canal when it collapsed on them, police said.
The bodies of Joga Bai (45), Basanti Bai (45) and her husband Komal Singh (45)--all residents of Bhendi--were extricated from under the mud by police and villagers.
The injured labourers, including three women, were rushed to a local hospital from where one of them was referred to Bhilai for further treatment, the officer said.
The district administration has announced assistance of Rs 25,000 for next to the kin of labourers killed in the incident. Chief Minister Raman Singh has expressed profound grief on the death of villagers in the accident and empathised with the bereaved families, a official statement said.
Singh has also directed concerned district officials to initiate a probe in this connection and take stern action against those responsible, it said.
Meanwhile, Balod Collector NK Shukla has suspended Sub-Engineer Panchayat and Rural Development department Subhaschand Gore and Gram Panchayat Secretary Munnibai Sahu, after conducting the preliminary investigations.
Besides, the MNREGA Employment Assistant Satyesh Das' service is also terminated in this connection.
 One person critically injured as speeding trolley rams a shop
One person suffered severe injuries after a speeding trolley rammed a shop in Raipur on Tuesday evening, police reported.
"The trolley roughly plunged into a shop in market place, injuring 3 persons, including one of them critically wounded," a police official told media persons on Tuesday.
 Wanted Naxal arrested in Sakardaga forest by security forces
Security forces on Tuesday apprehended a wanted Naxal from the forests of Jashpur district in Chhattisgarh.
Officials said the suspected Maoist, identified as Prabal Toppo, was apprehended by a squad led by paramilitary CRPF from the Sakardaga forest area of Jashpur district when the troops were out for an anti-Naxal operation.
Toppo, a cadre of the outfit called Peoples Liberation Front of India (PLFI), carried a reward of Rs 6,000 and has been handed over to local police, they said.
 Visiting Boma mountains? Beware, a fine of Rs 500 awaits you!
Whether tourists or locals, no one is allowed to visit Boma mountains and anyone found flouting the rules is imposed with a fine of Rs 500.
Interestingly, the rules have been laid down not by the local administration, but by the Nelguda villagers.
These mountains that lie near Indravati river, approximately 26 kilometres away from Dantewada district headquarters, is pious and divine for the Nelguda villagers.
Locals here consider Boma mountains to be mother earth's breasts and hence, believe that if anyone steps on it, it will be disrespectful towards goddess.
Their beliefs is based on the shape of the peak of Boma mountains. It resembles the shape of breasts and hence, people consider it to be mother earth's breasts. It is pure and divine for them, and anyone found stepping on it is considered to be committing a sin.
"Because there is a ban on visiting these mountains for years, various kinds of herbs are found here, but they remain untouched. Many hunters and other villagers who climbed Boma in search of wood have been fined for the offence," said Maniram Yadav, a Nelguda villager.
 A bear family visits this temple during ‘aarti’ everyday
Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh A temple that lies not very far from Mahasamund district is visited by a bear family every evening during 'aarti'.
Chandi temple in Ghunchapali area, is approximately 4 kms away from Baghbahra area of Mahasamund district. During the 'aarti' in the evening, the most loyal devotees of this temple, a family of bears, visit the place everyday.
According to a report in Bhaskar, they offer 'parikrama' along with the devotees and are then given 'prasad' by the villagers.
"They come here because they get food. We ask the devotees to exercise caution as they are wild animals and can get violent," said Ashutosh Mishra, DFO, Mahasamund.
According to experts, this unusual love being shared by humans and wild animals in the open here started when the bear family came here a few months ago and were offered food. Gradually, they started visiting the place everyday and in the process, developed a warm relationship with the villagers.
"But there is no guarantee that they won't attack if they get angry. Till now, there has been no incident of any attack on villagers," they said.
 LS polls: Congress in tatters as BJP bags 10 out of 11 seats in Chhattisgarh
Ridding high on 'Modi wave', BJP has bagged 10 out of 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
The BJP emerged victorious in tribal reserved seats too.
BJP strongman and sitting MP from Naxal-hit Bastar seat, Dinesh Kashyap defeated Congress candidate Deepak Karma by 1,24,359 votes.
Chief Minister Raman Singh's son and debutant Abhishek Singh defeated Congress' Kamleshwar Verma in Rajnandgaon.
In the 2009 general elections, BJP had won 10 out of 11 seats while the lone Korba constituency was captured by Congress.
 Government prohibits illegal collection, transportation of tendu leaves
Chhattisgarh: The Chhattisgarh government has prohibited illegal collection and transportation of tendu leaves in the state, instructing officials to constantly monitor the process. "Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand has instructed control of illegal collection, transportation and storage of the leaves because it not only causes a loss of tax to the state but also deprives labourers the bonus they are entitled to," a senior official said in Raipur on Wednesday.
Instructions have been issued to all divisional commissioners, district collectors and forest officials, he said.
The chief secretary insisted on the need to constantly monitor the tendu leaves collection process at all levels, especially in areas like Sukma, Bijapur, Mahasamund and other areas under District Forest Produce Associations, the official said.
The directives say that officials of various departments must inspect storage centres at remote areas and ensure timely delivery of quality stock. To avoid loss caused due to delay in transporting collected tendu leaves stock, it has been directed to use government-owned trucks for timely transportation, he said.
Besides, to stop illegal collection, it has been directed that bags in each warehouse should be checked by a team of officials, particularly in big centres like Rajnandgaon, Bagbahara, Kharsiya and Bilaspur, he said.
The Chief Secretary has also asked the Director General of Police to take precautionary measures in sensitive areas to ensure uninterrupted and systematic collection of tendu leaves, he said.
About 3.55 lakh bags of tendu leaves were collected during the past month in Chhattisgarh, whose government pays wages at the rate of Rs 1,200 per standard bag to labourers for its collection.
 Neighbour rapes, thrashes teenage girl
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped and beaten by her neighbour in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, Rajesh Dodar (30) was arrested on Monday after the minor girl complained that he raped and thrashed her on May 11 at Sewar village in Chakarbhata region, Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Pandey said.
On Sunday evening, Rajesh took the victim's father on his motorcycle for attending a wedding function near their village. On their way to the marriage venue, the duo consumed liquor and then entered into an argument over some issue following which Rajesh thrashed him brutally, he said.
Rajesh later went to the victim's house and told the girl that her father had met with an accident and needed to be shifted to hospital, the ASP said. He asked the girl to accompany him but she initially refused. He kept persuading her and when she finally agreed, he took her on his bike and allegedly raped her at an isolated place beside Hardi bypass road, a few kms away from their native place, Pandey said. When the girl tried to resist, he thrashed her badly and fled from the spot leaving her injured, he said.
The victim managed to reach her home with the help of locals and informed her relatives about the offence following which they lodged a case against Rajesh on Monday he said.
The accused has been booked under various sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code) for raping the minor and thrashing her father, the ASP said, adding further probe was on.
The victim and her father were initially admitted to a local hospital in Bilha from where they were shifted to Bilaspur district hospital, he said
 Post poll survey: Raman Singh’s magic helps Modi sweep Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh With Lok Sabha election results around the corner, exit polls on Monday predicted a clean sweep for the BJP in Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh went to polls in three-phases for its 11 parliamentary constituencies, from where a total of 153 candidates, including 15 women, are in the fray.
According to CNN-IBN NES post poll survey findings, the ruling BJP, perceived to be riding high on a 'Modi wave', will get 51 per cent votes, 6 per cent up from its 2009 performance. Congress and BSP, on the other hand, are lagging behind with 31 per cent and 4 per cent votes respectively.
However, not all the credit can be given to Modi if BJP succeeds in the state.
According to the survey, only 1 out of 10 BJP voters said they would not have voted for BJP had Modi not been the PM candidate, whereas a whopping 65 per cent of voters said they would have voted for BJP irrespective of whether Modi was their PM candidate or not, clearly ruling out any Modi wave in the state.
With Raman Singh now enjoying his third straight term in the state, clearly the work done by him in Raipur has helped BJP consolidate its position in the state.
In the survey, 25 per cent agreed that Raman Singh’s government had neglected the tribal areas of the state, while 37 per cent said they were happy with his initiatives. 38 per cent, however, refused to comment. Out of the 25 per cent who agreed, 22 per cent were Scheduled Tribes and out of 37 per cent who disagreed, 35 per cent were STs.
It will be true to say that support for Raman from tribal pockets and his three-term in the state coupled with infighting within Congress for ticket and leadership vacuum within the party after the senior state leadership was swiped out in the deadly Naxal attacks last year, is what can lead BJP to victory here.
Going to polls fresh off a victory in Assembly polls last year, the BJP's chances of bagging majority of seats in Chhattisgarh are certain, whereas for Congress, an impressive performance this time is not likely.
The curtains will be drawn on all the assessments when the results are announced on May 16, the poll counting day.
The CNN-IBN NES post poll statistics highlight the main factors which the voters kept in mind while voting. (In the decreasing order of their importance): Price rise, employment, water supply, corruption, condition of roads, electricity supply, lack of development, development by the government, Education/schools/colleges, Health/hospitals.
*The CNN-IBN NES post poll survey was conducted in 9 Lok Sabha seats and the sample size was 577
 Jaitley praises Manmohan Singh, but says he never came out as a leader
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has a new and unlikely admirer - senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley. Jaitley on Tuesday called Manmohan a "man of scholarship" whose words were "measured and he would reflect before making a comment". Jaitley, however, added that the former Finance Minister could never be a good leader.
In a blog post titled, 'Looking back at Dr Manmohan Singh', Jaitley wrote, "Unquestionably, Dr Manmohan Singh was a very good Finance Minister. He got a lot of support from his Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao for initiating the economic reforms in 1991."
Jaitley went on to add that that under Sonia Gandhi, there was little he could do as he was "literally a Prime Minister announced by Sonia ji". "He had to function within that limitation," Jaitley wrote. "When he addressed the country, he never came out as a leader. The reason for not coming out as a leader was clear. He never wanted to rock the boat. He knew that he was vested with limited power and on all major decisions he had to keep the party and its first family in good humor," he added.
"On discussion over serious subject, PM came out as a man of scholarship. He was what we call as a 'syana aadmi'. His personal integrity was always above board," he added.
The voting for the 2014 General Elections is over. The result is awaited. We have only the Exit Polls and our own analysis as a base to speculate upon. Dr. Manmohan Singh has announced that he would be stepping down as Prime Minister irrespective of the result and the mantle of the Congress Party leadership in Parliament would pass on to the next generation. I have had an opportunity of observing the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh from close quarters for the last ten years. In the last five years as Leader of Opposition I virtually have heard his every intervention in Parliament and dissected each one of his performances. I look upon him at the conclusion of his ten years tenure.
Unquestionably Dr. Manmohan Singh was a very good Finance Minister. He got a lot of support from his Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao for initiating the economic reforms in 1991. For a Congress Party government which had always professed the virtues of regulation a reformist approach was creditable. Shri PV Narasimha Rao has never been given the level of credit which he truly deserved. I am sure history will reassess him. I had recently suggested to the Prime Minister that I personally would be interested in reading his memoirs particularly those relating to the period 1991-96. The footprints he left behind as a Finance Minister during this period will be remembered for a long time.
Dr. Manmohan Singh became a Prime Minister on account of certain circumstances which compelled Smt. Sonia Gandhi to withdraw her name from the reckoning. He was literally a Prime Minister announced by Sonia ji. He had to function within that limitation.
There were two strong qualities of Prime Minister that I discovered. Firstly, whenever you discussed a serious subject with the Prime Minister he came out as a man of scholarship . He was what we call to as "a Syana aadmi". His words were measured and he would reflect before making a comment. Secondly, his personal integrity was always above board. With an element of scholarship he was always be well read and well prepared on any subject that he dealt with.
And yet, when he addressed the country, he never came out as a leader. The reason for not coming out as a leader was clear. He never wanted to rock the boat. He knew that he was vested with limited power and on all major decisions he had to keep the party and its first family in good humor. Thus when the reform process was blocked on account of decisions of the National Advisory Council or when Rahul Gandhi tore apart the papers of objectionable ordinance, the Prime Minister was perceived as a non-leader who had to accept everything without his opinion mattering significantly. It was his inability to overrule people which affected his functioning. He did not have the last word. Had he overruled his Finance Minister on the retrospective tax law knowing fully well the consequences of a retrospective taxation, the Prime Minister would have stood out. If he had stood up and cancelled the Coal Blocks allocation once the fraud was revealed or cancelled the 2G licenses himself rather than wait for the Court to do it I have no doubt that history would have recorded him very differently. It was the inability to speak up within his own party that may compel the historians to take a different view of the man.
As curtains draw to a close and a ten year long period of providing leadership to the Government of India, the Prime Minister goes out with dignity and grace. He will remain an elder statesman and a man of credibility to guide the nation. Only if he had stood up at the right time and disagreed he would have been regarded with still a greater honour.
I wish the Prime Minister a very good health and many more years of public service. If he were to write his memoirs and I will always want to read the chapter which deals with 1991-96 period.
 Gwalior, Raipur among top 4 cities in the world with dirtiest air: WHO
Raipur, Madhya Pradesh Two Indian cities, Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, have crossed alarming levels of pollution, thereby putting the life of people in the cities at high risk.
World Health Organization's (WHO) latest findings reveal that out of 20 cities in the world with dirtiest air, 13 are from India.
Both Gwalior and Raipur have been listed among the top four in the list of cities with dirtiest air in the world on account of the particulate matter levels in air in these regions.
The report says that they have more than three times the acceptable particulate matter levels in the air.
Delhi had an annual average of 153 micrograms of small particulates, known as PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with 2.5 micrometres or less diameter) per cubic metre.
The WHO study of 1,600 cities across 91 countries found air pollution has worsened since 2011, especially in poor countries, putting city-dwellers at higher risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.
"Air quality in most cities worldwide that monitor outdoor (ambient) air pollution fails to meet WHO guidelines for safe levels, putting people at additional risk of respiratory disease and other health problems," states the WHO report.
Only 12% of people living in cities that report air quality comply with WHO guideline levels.
Dependence on fossil fuels, private motor vehicles for transport, inefficient use of energy in buildings, and use of biomass for cooking and heating are factors believed to have contributed to this alarming increase in pollution levels.
The latest available data have prompted WHO to call for greater awareness of health risks caused by air pollution, implementation of effective air pollution mitigation policies; and close monitoring of the situation in cities worldwide.
 HC stays felling of green trees for road widening in Bilaspur
Chhattisgarh High Court has stayed the felling of green trees for widening of Link Road in Bilaspur district.
The court has, however, allowed cutting of trees that have dried up in the presence of eligible officials and experts.
Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastav delivered the order on Wednesday on a petition filed by some environmentalists challenging the cutting of trees on Bilaspur town's Link Road.
The HC has also issued notices to Bilaspur Municipal Corporation and Public Works Department seeking their reply in connection with felling of trees, including trees which have been cut down so far and will be chopped further.
The court has sought response on the notices till next hearing on May 14.
On May 5, the district administration, forest department and Bilaspur Municipal Corporation had started cutting of 74 trees on Link Road for widening of road and public safety. So far around a dozen trees have been cut.
Later, environmentalist Mansoor Khan, Nand Kumar Kashyap, and seven others filed a petition and sought a halt on cutting of trees. They mentioned that administration had also cut down green trees along with dry ones, petitioners' counsel Amrito Das said.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the HC stayed chopping of green trees on Link Road and allowed cutting down of trees which had dried up, in the presence of eligible officials and experts, he said.
Advocate-General JK Gilda, who appeared for the administration, said, "The court has halted the cutting of green trees till next Wednesday, the day scheduled for next hearing. However, the cutting of dry and dead tress will be underway as per the directives."
The administration is also concerned about the environment, therefore it has promised to plant 10 saplings for removing each tree from the Link Road, Gilda said.
The trees were found to be obstructing traffic or developmental activities such as widening of roads in the Link Road region and dead and decayed trees were posing danger to public life. Therefore, the step was taken by the administration in this direction, he said.
"We will further present our side during next hearing," he said.
 Congress to observe 'martyrdom day' on May 25 to pay homage to the victims of Jiram valley Naxal attack
The main opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh has decided to observe 'martyrdom day' on May 25 to pay homage to the victims, including senior state party leaders, of Jiram valley Naxal attack.
"The death anniversary of senior party leaders - Mahendra Karma, Nandkumar Patel, Uday Mudliyar and others - who were martyred in May 25 attack last year will be observed as Martyrdom day," Congress state spokesperson Mahendra Chhabra said on Thursday. The party will hold several programmes at all district and block headquarters to mark the day, he said. Congress will also observe martyrdom day on June 11, the death anniversary of former Union minister Vidyacharan Shukla, who was also injured in the May 25 attack and later died, he said.
On May 25 last year, Naxals had ambushed the convoy of Congress leaders in Jiram valley of Bastar's Darbha region when they were on way to Jagdalpur from Sukma while returning from a parivartan rally. A total of 31 people, including PCC chief Nandkumar Patel, his son Dinesh, former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma and ex-MLA Uday Mudliyar, were killed and several others injured in the incident. Vidayacharan Shukla, who was injured in the attack, later died at a Gurgaon hospital while undergoing treatment.
 3 killed, 31 injured in head-on collision between bus, truck
Three persons, including two women, were killed and 31 others injured when their bus collided head-on with a truck in Raigarh on Wednesday, police said.
The accident took place at Kaguram turn, about 42 kms from Raigarh district headquarters, under Gharghoda region on Raigarh-Ambikapur road, Raigarh Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Prafulla Thakur said.
The private travel bus, which was heading towards Ambikapur from Raigarh, collided with the speeding truck coming from the opposite direction at the sharp Kaguram turn following which it overturned, leaving three passengers dead.
The 31 others injured, two of them critically, were rushed to a local hospital, the ASP said.
The deceased were identified as Sukranti Sarathi (45) of Raigarh, Bati Ghosh (45) of Kolkata and a government official Emil Toppo (40), who was posted in Dharamjaigarh Janpad Panchayat office, he said.
After preliminary treatment, 25 of those injured were discharged from the hospital while treatment of six others was undergoing in Gharghoda government hospital, where doctors said two of them were serious, he said.
A case has been registered in this connection, he said, adding that efforts are on to nab the absconding truck driver.
 Don't oppose bail plea in 36 cases, recommends Buch committee
A high-powered standing committee constituted for reviewing the cases of undertrials languishing in Chhattisgarh jails on Wednesday recommended the state government not to oppose the bail plea of prisoners in 36 cases.
The eighth meeting on Wednesday of the committee, formed by the Chhattisgarh government, deliberated upon 57 sub-judice pending cases and took a decision in this regard.
"Today we reviewed 57 cases and have recommended that government should not oppose the bail pleas of undertrials in 36 of these cases," committee chairman and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Nirmala Buch told reporters after the meeting at New Circuit House.
"The committee has minutely studied and reviewed every legal aspect in each of the cases, before making recommendations on it to the government. We have considered various crucial factors like importance, related incidents and sections etc, while reviewing the cases," she said.
The committee is making sincere efforts to have a meeting every month, so that all the cases pending since more than two years can be redressed at the earliest, she added.
Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Director General of Police AN Upadhyay, Additional Chief Secretary Home NK Aswal and Secretary Home Ashok Juneja were also present as members of the committee during the meeting.
The committee was formed as per an agreement between Naxalites and state government against the release of abducted the then Sukma Collector and IAS officer Alex Paul Menon, in May 2012.
The purpose of the committee is to review all cases of undertrials, who are in jails for 2 years or more, including those facing charges under Chhattisgarh Public Security Act.
The first meeting of the committee was held on May 3, 2012, the day Menon was released by Naxalites.
Before today's meeting, seven meetings of standing committee had been held, in which 'release on bail' was recommended in 189 cases.
Following these meetings, in 61 cases prisoners were released on bail, and in 48 cases undertrials were given clean chit. In 13 other cases, courts had sentenced the prisoners, an official here said.
 Government school teacher stabs colleague to death before committing suicide
A 24-year-old government teacher allegedly stabbed his 32-year-old woman colleague to death before committing suicide reportedly over an affair between the two in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district police said on Tuesday.
"The contractual 'shikshakarmi' (teacher) Divyanshu Khare killed his married colleague Savita Dubey in front of her five-year-old daughter at her house in Sarju Bagicha area of the town," Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police, Vijay Pandey said. Both Khare and Dubey were posted in a high school at Sendri village as shikshakarmi teachers, he said.
According to the ASP, the incident took place when the victim's husband, Bhagwan Dubey, who is a newspaper agent, had left his home for work in the morning. Khare, a native of Takhatpur, barged into Dubey's house and started arguing with her over some issue. "Later, he allegedly attacked her with a knife kept at her house and stabbed her several times on her neck and chest and then slit his own wrist," Pandey said, adding both of them died at the spot.
On hearing screams of the woman, her neighbours reached the spot and noticed blood flowing out from inside the house, following which they broke open the door only to find the duo lying in a pool of blood, and informed police, Pandey said.
A police team rushed to the spot and the bodies were sent for postmortem, he said. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the duo came close as they were working in same school. "Khare used to visit Dubey's house frequently. Even her husband had once warned Khare to stay away from his wife," the officer said.
The victim's daughter Anushka was present at the spot at the time of the incident and police has recorded her statement, he said. A case is registered in this regard, the officer said.
 Activist Ramesh Agrawal bats for environment-friendly industrialisation
Noted activist from Chhattisgarh, Ramesh Agrawal, who recently received the 'Goldman Environment Prize' in the US, on Tuesday emphasised the need to promote environment and people-friendly industrialisation.
A native of Raigarh, the 60-year-old activist was felicitated with the prize by Goldman Environment Foundation on April 29 for his contribution in environment conservation.
He has been working in the tribal areas of Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh since the past ten years, organising villagers to demand their right to information about industrial development projects. He also succeeded in shutting down one of the largest proposed coal mines in Chhattisgarh.
"I never thought that I would be honoured with such a kind of recognition (Goldman prize). The credit goes to the villagers who supported me and took a stand for a better cause," Agrawal told PTI on the sidelines of a felicitation function organised by the Raipur Press Club here on Tuesday.
Agrawal had left his family business of oil mill in 1999 to get associated with Lok Shakti, an NGO working for education and other developmental issues at the rural level in the region. In 2003-04, he started working in Gare, Tamnar block against coal mining and floated an organisation Jan Chetna Manch.
"The first need was to inform villagers about their rights, as they were not aware of the land acquisition process and other provisions like public hearings. Gradually people started understanding the situation and supporting the cause," he said.
Taking on big corporates, he also worked on the issue of displacement in mineral-rich Raigarh. Agrawal's work made him a target of industry supporters, as he was allegedly shot in his leg by two motorcycle-borne persons in July 2012.
Replying to a query, he said the Chhattisgarh government was not serious about the environment issues. "It is time we should promote environment and people-friendly industrialisation," he said.
He alleged that the state government has opened an easy passage for the industrial houses to exploit the natural resources and people of the state.
Sharing his future plan, he said, he will expand his movement to other parts of the state and will also focus on conservation of wildlife, particularly elephants in the northern region of Chhattisgarh.
 Two minor tribal inmates sodomised; 76-year-old ashram superintendent booked
A 76-year-old hostel superintendent of government aided ashram in Raigarh has been booked for allegedly sodomising two minor tribal inmates, police said on Monday.
According to District Superintendent of Police, Rahul Bhagat, the incident came to light last week on Thursday night after the victims, aged 10 and 12 years, informed their parents over phone that hostel superintendent Swami Ramanand Saraswati used to call them to his room and sexually assault them.
Following which parents lodged a complaint on Saturday. But as soon as the incident came to light, the accused went absconding, the SP said.
A four-member team headed by Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Rama Patel has been set up to investigate the matter and trace him, the official added.
The ashram -- Arya Vidya Sabha -- is a government aided Gurukul for students in Lailunga region of Chhatisgarh's Raigarh district, housing around 332 students from class VI-XII.
A case has been registered against Saraswati for sexually harassing and indulging in unnatural sex with the inmates under section 377 and 506 B of the IPC, besides being charged under sections of Protection of Child from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO Act 2012) and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.
Meanwhile, Raigarh Collector Mukesh Bansal has also constituted a high level committee led by Zila Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Rajesh Singh Rana to probe the incident and submit its report within 48 hours.
According to sources, Saraswati, who was a pracharak of the Arya Sabha, joined as the Superintendent in 2006-07.
 NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh government over boycott of tribal families
National Human Rights Commission on Sunday issued notices to Chhattisgarh government and state police in connection with alleged social boycott of two tribal families in Korba district after a village panchayat's diktat.
According to an NHRC statement released on Sunday, notices in this regard were issued to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Chhattisgarh to submit a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
The step was taken after the Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that two tribal families have been facing social boycott in Dhaurabatha village for the last fourteen months following a diktat of the Ghunghutti Rampur Panchayat in Korba district.
"Due to this, nobody talks to them; they are prevented from grazing their cattle; they cannot shop from the shops in the village; and their children cannot go even to Aanganwadi centre," the statement said.
According to the media report, the local police did not take any action in the matter. The Collector and Superintendent of Police of Korba were approached and a police team visited the village on April 15, only to level allegations against the affected families.
"Allegedly, a youth accompanying the police team received a sum of Rs 2,000 from the affected families after threatening them," the statement said.
The first family was reportedly subjected to social boycott on February 25, 2013 when on charges of abusing the Sarpanch, it failed to pay the entire fine of Rs 10,000.
The other family was made to suffer the same fate when one of its members was seen talking to a member of the socially boycotted family against the diktat of the Panchayat.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, amount to serious violation of human rights of the families of these tribal people.
 State government serves notices to 18 hospitals for ignoring rules for bio-waste
The Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) has issued notices to 18 government and private hospitals, including AIIMS Raipur, for allegedly ignoring the rules for disposal of bio-medical waste.
"On the direction of Chief Minister Raman Singh, the Board has intensified its vigilance to check pollution in the hospital premises.
"In this line, 18 hospitals, including five major government hospitals, have been served show cause notices for ignoring the rules for disposal of bio-medical waste," CECB Chairman and Principal Secretary to the housing and environment department N Baijendra Kumar said in a statement on Sunday.
The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Raipur, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital, Raipur, district hospital at Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences ( CIMS), Bilaspur and district hospital Korba, are prominent among those issued notices, he said.
Similarly, notices have also been slapped on the Shrishti Institute of Medical Science ~~amp;amp; Research Centre, Korba, Mission Hospital, Bilaspur and other hospitals, the officer said.
"These hospitals have been given time for disposal of their medical waste as early as possible in an appropriate and scientific manner. If they fail to do so then stern action will be taken against them," Kumar said.
He said the Board will continue to take action against medical institutions which have been violating bio-medical waste (management and handling) rules 1998 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
"The Board is not only examining the bio-waste handling facilities available with medical institutions, but also those offering common waste treatment facilities," Kumar said.
The CECB had been carrying out inspections to check whether medical institutions are scientifically treating their bio medical waste.
"So far, 515 medical institutions, including hospitals, nursing homes and pathological laboratories, are brought under the purview of the law," the statement said.
The CECB wants to ensure that all these institutions strictly follow the rules and manage their bio-medical waste properly, Kumar said.
 NHRC issues notices to Chhattisgarh government, state police over boycott of 2 tribal families
National Human Rights Commission on Friday issued notices to Chhattisgarh government and state police in connection with alleged social boycott of two tribal families in Korba district after a village panchayat's diktat.
According to an NHRC statement released on Friday, notices in this regard were issued to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Government of Chhattisgarh to submit a detailed report in the matter within four weeks.
The step was taken after the Commission took suo motu cognisance of a media report that two tribal families have been facing social boycott in Dhaurabatha village for the last fourteen months following a diktat of the Ghunghutti Rampur Panchayat in Korba district. "Due to this, nobody talks to them; they are prevented from grazing their cattle; they cannot shop from the shops in the village; and their children cannot go even to Aanganwadi centre," the statement said.
According to the media report, the local police did not take any action in the matter. The Collector and Superintendent of Police of Korba were approached and a police team visited the village on April 15, only to level allegations against the affected families.
"Allegedly, a youth accompanying the police team received a sum of Rs 2,000 from the affected families after threatening them," the statement said.
The first family was reportedly subjected to social boycott on February 25, 2013 when they failed to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 for abusing the Sarpanch . The other family was made to suffer the same fate when one of its members was seen talking to a member of the socially boycotted family against the diktat of the Panchayat.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the press report, if true, amount to serious violation of human rights of the families of these tribal people.
 Widow remarries in hospital a day after recovering from jaundice
Fulfilling the vow of being together in sickness and in health, a 25-year-old man tied the knot with his wheelchair-bound bride at a hospital in Raipur on Friday.
The female medical ward at Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Medical Hospital reverberated with the chant of hymns when Rupali, who is suffering from complications caused by jaundice, sat through all the rituals and even performed the "pheras" while sitting in her wheelchair with bridegroom Varun Bagh, a native of Odisha, on her side, a hospital spokesperson told reporters.
Among revellers were relatives from both sides, apart from doctors and other hospital staff.
This is 22-year-old Rupali's second marriage. Her husband passed away ten months after her first marriage two years back, said her aunt Hemlata Mahajan.
Preparations for Rupali and Varun's marriage on the occasion of 'Akshay Tritiya' on Friday were in full swing, but their plans went awry after Rupali was admitted to the hospital on Thursday night for jaundice.
Though relatives from the side of the bride and groom were in a dilemma on how to go about the marriage, the hospital staff came to their aid and authorities allowed the ceremony to be conducted in the ward itself, Mahajan said.
Rupali had chosen to marry Varun during a introductory meet held last year, she said.
Like any other Hindu marriage, the 'baarat' (marriage party) came to the hospital premises and rituals performed, culminating in Rupali and Varun garlanding each other amid cheers from those in attendance.
Meanwhile, health and other departments concerned are on alert following death of as many as five persons in the recent past due to jaundice.
The total number of jaundice-affected people in the state capital itself has touched around 500, according to health officials at Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC).
The RMC and state's health department have started conducting health camps in several areas to locate patients and are taking necessary measures.
The state government has also directed officials to disinfect drinking water supplied in areas where cases of jaundice are detected.
 Naxals reportedly worried over impressive voter turnout in Chhattisgarh
The unprecedented voter turnout in Lok Sabha polls in insurgency-hit south Chhattisgarh has apparently upset the Naxals, who are holding meetings to express disappointment over participation of tribals in the electoral process, according to Intelligence inputs.
Some key leaders of outlawed CPI(Maoist) in Dandakaranya region recently held meetings in areas where they found huge participation of people in polling inspite of their poll boycott call and asked villagers about it, IB sources said.
"In some pockets of Bastar, Dantewada, Kondagaon and Narayanpur, Naxal leaders reportedly held meetings with villagers recently after the Lok Sabha election in Bastar constituency," a senior state IB official told PTI on condition of anonymity. "However, police couldn't go deep enough to check the reason behind their meetings at several places. As per the informers, the Naxals were enquiring how voting was recorded high in the region despite their intense poll boycott call," the official said.
The two worst Maoist-hit Lok Sabha seats - Bastar and Kanker - recorded 59.40 per cent and 70.29 per cent voting respectively in the last month's three-phased Parliamentary polls in the state. Bastar went to polls on April 10 while voting took place in Kanker on April 17.
In the 2009 general elections, Bastar and Kanker seats had witnessed voter turnout of 47.33 and 57.20 per cent respectively. Also, over 70 per cent voters exercised their franchise in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas of the state during last year's Assembly polls.
According to the informers, Naxals were asking the tribals why they took part in election. The senior cadres of the banned outfit have directed the local jan militia members to focus on rebuilding base and win trust of the people in those areas where voting percentage was high, the official said.
Naxals are already frustrated with the response of the people in Vidhan Sabha elections, and now the Lok Sabha polls voting has further added to their worries. They are likely to fear losing hold in those areas where development is happening in Bastar and youth is turning towards cities for education, the IB official said.
Meanwhile, experts in the state feel high voting percentage is a good sign for Bastar, which has been fighting the Naxal menace for past three decades. "The number of voters has increased in Bastar in last five years...it's a good sign that people are becoming aware and they are thinking to bring change in the tribal heartland," Prof Girishkant Pandey, head of the Department of Defence Studies in Government Science College here, told PTI.
From time to time Naxals review their strategies and analyse the mindset of people towards the movement. They might have scaled up their visits to villages after polling to review the situation after electoral process, he said.
 Power crisis may come to an end as NTPC's Raigarh plant is operational now
NTPC on Wednesday said its 50 MW solar plant at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh is now fully operational. "With commencement of commercial operations of 20 MW solar unit on Wednesday, the capacity of Raigarh solar photo-voltaic (PV) plant has become 50 MW," NTPC said in a statement.
With this, the state-owned company's total capacity of non-conventional energy projects has reached 95 MW. NTPC is the largest power producer in the country, with an installed capacity of 43,039 MW.
Its 16 coal-based and seven gas-based plants, seven solar renewable and seven joint venture power stations contribute about 28 per cent of the country's electricity supplies. Shares of NTPC closed at Rs 116.25 on the BSE, down 1.23 per cent.
 40-year-old mentally-ill man axes wife, two sons to death
A 40-year-old mentally-challenged man allegedly axed his wife and two minor sons to death in Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district on Wednesday, police said.
Milan Singh Paikra, who is suffering from mental disorder, killed his wife Panmeshwari (35) and sons - Tarud (4) and Guddu (10 months) in Chandameda village under Bhaiyathan police station limits during the intervening night of Tuesday-Wednesday, Surajpur Additional Superintendent of Police Manisha Thakur said.
The victims were killed while they were asleep, she said. On getting information about the incident this morning, his neighbours intimated the police following which the accused was arrested from nearby village, she said. According to locals, the accused was suffering from some mental illness for the past few months and was staying with his family, the ASP said. A case has been registered in this connection and further probe is on, she added.
According to sources, the accused is the relative of Chhattisgarh's Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra. Soon after the incident, the minister visited the village and took stock of the incident.
 Commander, editor of Maoist magazine 'Bhumkal' surrender in Kanker
A commander of the outlawed CPI(Maoist), carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head, on Monday surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Kanker district.
"Suraj Patel alias Mohit Kumar, a divisional committee member of rebel's outfit, had expressed his desire to join mainstream and surrendered this afternoon," Superintendent of Police RN Dash said.
Suraj was expert in making improvised explosive devices and also a key member of the press wing of CPI(Maoist) in the region.
A native of Rowghat region of Kanker, Suraj joined the Naxal movement in 2005 and after working at various levels particularly in the press wing, he was elevated as commander of the Chargaon Local Operation Squad of Maoist in 2007.
He was also the editor of local magazine of Maoist 'Bhumkal'.
He was involved in several incidents of fatal attack on security forces in the region, Dash said.
He will be given assistance as per the rehabilitation policy of Chhattisgarh government, the SP said.
In a separate incident, a Naxal was arrested by a joint team of security personnel last night near Kodapakha base camp of paramilitaries in Kanker, he said.
The joint squad of Border Security Force and district force spotted the cadre- Manguram - in the forests of Santrai in suspicious condition following which he was nabbed.
The questioning of the arrested Naxal was on, he added.
 Chhattisgarh's top guns face tough fight
Chhattisgarh's political bigwigs, including a niece of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, face their toughest battle as the third and final phase of polling takes place in the state on Thursday.
Those in the fray include six-time BJP MP and former union minister Ramesh Bais, Congress leader and union minister of state Charandas Mahant and Karuna Shukla, who is Vajpayee's niece.
Chhattisgarh has 11 Lok Sabha seats and polling for four seats was held in two phases April 10 and 17.
The remaining seven seats - Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Surguja, Raigarh and Janjgir-Champa go to polls on Thursday. An electorate of about 1.18 crore will decide the fate of 150 candidates for the seven seats.
Raipur, Korba, Bilaspur and Durg are considered the main constituencies.
An interesting battle is in Bilaspur where Congress has fielded Karuna Shukla. She had been in BJP for about 25 years and only recently she crossed over to the Congress.
The BJP has put up Lakhanlal Sahu, a local heavyweight of the powerful OBC community, to settle scores with Shukla.
"Bilaspur seat has become grudge battle for the BJP, she (Shukla) has embarrassed the BJP by joining the Congress and also made some personal remarks against (BJP's prime ministerial candidate) Narendra Modi," said Vishnudeo Sai, BJP state chief.
State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel stated: "Even the close family member of Vajpayee deserted the BJP which shows the party has no respect for even senior women leaders and it also established the fact that there is no Modi wave in the country."
Ramesh Bais, one of the senior most BJP leaders in the state, is attempting to pull off the sixth straight victories from Raipur seat though opposition Congress and even some of his party colleagues accuse him of being highly inactive in his constituency.
Bais is locked in a direct fight with Congress nominee Satyanarayan Sharma, a former minister in Chhattisgarh government.
In Korba, Charandas Mahant is fighting hard to retain the seat. Political analysts say that Mahant is facing serious challenges not only from the BJP nominee Banshilal Mahto but also from within his party.
Sources say that a powerful lobby in Congress too is doing its best to ensure Mahant's defeat. He also faced protest in electioneering of practically "doing nothing" for his constituency despite being the union minister of state.
 Human trafficking: 4 women, 1 minor from Chhattisgarh sold in Delhi; police arrest one
A woman, who had allegedly sold off in Delhi four tribal women and a minor girl belonging to Chhattisgarh's Korba district, was arrested on Monday, police said.
However, director of a Delhi based placement agency-BR Service Center and another woman, who played a role of the mediator in this case, are still at large, police added.
The accused woman, Bajnati Bai had sold five tribal women from Lalpur and Pantha village panchayats located under Bango police station limits, in Delhi last December for which she was arrested, Korba Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra said.
The director of the placement agency Rajesh Kumar and a woman Basanti Bai were yet to be arrested in this connection, he said.
"Bajnati Bai took the five victims along with her to Ranchi promising them to provide work at in Ambikapur in December, 2013. But in Ranchi, she sold them to another woman agent Basanti for Rs 5,000 each," Mishra said.
After keeping the women at her house for eight days, Basanti took them to Delhi and sold them to Rajesh Kumar director of placement agency, BR Service center in Punjabi Bagh area there, he said.
They were forced to do domestic work in different houses of Punjabi Bagh and Gurgaon areas.
"When the women did not return to their house after stipulated period of time as promised by Bajnati Bai, their relatives contacted the woman agent, who told them that they will not return for a year.
"Dissatisfied over her answer, the relatives of the victims lodged a complaint with Bango police station on March 20 following which police teams were sent to several locations in search of the women," he said.
Acting on several leads, police reached Delhi and found all five in Punjabi Bagh area, following which they were brought to Korba, he said.
Based on their statements a case has been registered against all three accused Bajnati, Basanti and Rajesh Kumar, he said.
Bajnati was arrested from her native place Katghora, he said, adding efforts are on to nab the absconding Basanti and Rajesh.
 How can Rahul lead country when he cannot handle Amethi: Modi
Sarguja (Chhattisgarh): Sonia Gandhi's speech in Amethi asking people to ensure victory of Rahul Gandhi today invited barbs from Narendra Modi who wondered how the Congress Vice President can lead the country when he cannot handle his constituency.
The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate kept up with his sharp attacks on the first family of the ruling party as he referred to "whopping rise" in the assets of Rahul's brother- in-law Robert Vadra and termed it the model of "ma-bete ki sarkar"
"Sonia told the people in Amethi to take care of her son. We are told that he will take care of the country. Tell me, is there any logic in this? One who is begging with the people in Amethi to take care of her son....If he can't handle Amethi, then how can he handle the country," he told a rally here.
Sonia had told a rally in Amethi yesterday that the people should support policies of Congress and ensure victory of Rahul.
"I have handed over Rahul to you in 2004 following the tradition of Indira Gandhi, who had handed over her son Rajiv Gandhi to you," she had said.
Criticised by Gandhis for selling people dreams and giving an impression that he has a magic wand to turn around the country, Modi tried to turn the tables as he said he often wondered who they were referring to as they never named anyone.
He then cited a recent report in a US newspaper on Vadra's fortunes and said sarcastically he finally realised who Gandhis spoke about after reading the story.
"They spoke about a Class X pass youth who had only Rs 1 lakh in pocket and then went on to own Rs 300 crore in three years. This is the mother-son's model. You heard about 2G, now hear about jijaji (brother-in-law). Do we have to leave this country in their hands?," he said.
Accusing Rahul of misleading the country on issues of women's safety, he said seven of the top 10 states in terms of crimes against women were ruled by Congress. "I think the new slogan of Congress is 'har haath loot har bol jhoot'
 Three killed in rickshaw-truck collision in Bilaspur district
Bilaspur: Three persons were killed and two others were injured when the auto rickshaw they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district today, police said.
The incident took place near the Lagra Traffic Park on Seepat-Bilaspur road on the outskirts of Bilaspur town, Additional Superintendent of Police Vijay Pandey said.
The rickshaw, with seven passengers, was heading for Bilaspur from Seepat.
Pushkar Prasad Mishra (62) died on the spot while two others -- their names not yet known -- succumbed at the district hospital.
The injured- Atmaram Yadav (60) and Rajendra Prasad Gupta (72) -- were admitted to Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science Hospital and their condition was stated to be critical, he said. The driver and two other passengers were unhurt.
The truck driver was absconding.
Naxals fire on polling party in Rajnandgaon, no casualties reported
An exchange of fire took place between the security forces and the Naxals in the insurgency-hit Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency of Chhattisgarh where polling was held on Thursday. No causalities were reported.
"The incident took place under Khadgaon police station limits of Rajnandgaon district while a polling party escorted by joint team of ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) and the district police force was returning after polling in Kamkasur region," a senior police official said.
After the polling concluded at 3 pm in the Mohla- Manpur assembly segment of Rajnandgaon parliamentary constituency, the polling party escorted by security personnel was heading back when Naxal opened fire from a distance.
When security forces launched a retaliatory attack, they fled, he said. The security forces and polling party were safely evacuated from the spot, he said.
 BJP banks on development to lay siege on Congress bastion
A keen battle is on the cards at Chhattisgarh's Korba Lok Sabha seat, a Congress bastion in which the party is again confident of making a clean sweep even as the rival BJP rides on development and anti-incumbency factors to be the recipe for its victory.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Charandas Mahant (60) is in direct contest with veteran BJP leader Banshilal Mahto (74) in Korba Lok Sabha seat (general), that came into existence in 2008 and contested its first Lok Sabha elections immediately the year after.
The constituency will go to poll on April 24 along with six other parliamentary constituencies of the tribal-dominated state. Congress had won only this seat in 2009 parliamentary polls, while the rest 10 seats of the state were captured by the ruling BJP.
Korba constituency is spread over more than one district in the state's northern region. Koriya district's Bharatpur-Sonhat, Manendragarh and Baikunthpur Assembly segments and Korba district's Rampur, Korba, Katghora and Pali-Tanakhar segments fall within this constituency.
"We are getting enormous response from the people of the region. Development works and welfare schemes of our BJP government in the state will bring victory not only in this seat but also in 10 other constituencies of Chhattisgarh," Mahto told PTI.
"Nobody can stop us from forming government at the Centre," said Mahto, who is associated with the saffron fold since Jan Sangh period. A native of Saliyabhata village of Korba district, Mato holds a BAMS (integrated course) degree and had been BJP district president from Korba. He had contested Lok Sabha election in 1999 from Janjgir-Champa seat against Charandas Mahant and faced defeat.
 Ajit Jogi's political fate, Raman Singh's image at stake
The three parliamentary constituencies of Chhattisgarh that go to polls on Thursday assume significance as the outcome would determine the political fate of Congress veteran Ajit Jogi as well as the public image of Chief Minister Raman Singh.
Chhattisgarh sends a total of 11 members to the Lok Sabha - parliament's lower house - and balloting for the Bastar seat was held April 10.
Mahasamund, Rajnandgaon and Kanker constituencies vote on Thursday, while the remaining seven will go to polls April 24.
"The Congress is heading for a total rout in 2014 polls in Chhattisgarh. I don't see any chances for Congress to even maintain its tally of 2009 polls," Raman Singh told IANS.
The Congress won just one seat, Korba, in the last Lok Sabha polls in Chhattisgarh.
Raman Singh said: "People want to teach a lesson to Congress as its decade-long gross misrule at the centre has ruined the economy and created all sorts of hardships to the common people."
Jogi, who is battling against all odds in Mahasamund, claimed the Congress would definitely improve its tally this time.
"We are going to produce stunning results this time by winning majority of seats, courtesy 10-year-long misgovernance of Raman Singh," Jogi hit back.
Political analysts say the Congress stands a better chance as compared to 2009 and the party could win up to four seats, provided the warring factions within the party call a truce at least till April 24 when polling concludes in the state.
Jogi, who was Chhattisgarh's first Chief Minister when it was carved out of the erstwhile Madhya Pradesh, is locked in a direct contest in Mahasamund with the BJP's sitting MP, Chandulal Sahu, a local heavyweight of OBC community that makes up roughly 50 percent of the state's 2.55 crore population.
Jogi won Mahasamund seat in 2004 by over 1.25 lakh votes, defeating nine-time MP VC Shukla, who contested on a BJP ticket, on his home turf.
Jogi suffered a near-fatal road accident in the 2004 poll campaign and since then he is bound to a wheelchair.
Raman Singh, who is heading the BJP government since 2003, faces the popularity test in Rajnandgaon seat where his only son, Abhishek Singh, is making his electoral debut.
Abhishek, 32, holds an MBA degree in human resources. He is pitted against Congress candidate Kamleshwar Verma.
In Kanker, Raman's former cabinet colleague Vikram Usendi, who suffered a crushing defeat in November assembly polls, is trying to revive his political career.
The BJP has dumped its four-time winner Sohan Potai this time from Kanker to bet on Usendi.
The Congress has fielded Phulo Devi Netam, who commands significant support in a large chunk of this Scheduled Tribes reserved constituency.
 Maoists apologise for death of civilians in Chhattisgarh attacks
He Communist Party of India (Maoist) has apologised for the death of nine civilians, including 7 polling personnel, in landmine blasts triggered by their cadres in Chhattisgarh over the weekend and termed it as a "serious mistake".
"PLGA cadres attacked a bus near Kutru of Bijapur suspecting security personnel were travelling in it. It was a serious mistake on our part and we apologise for it publicly," spokesperson of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of Maoist Gudsa Usendi said in press release circulated to local media.
People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) is the military wing of CPI (Maoists). The committee is an arm of the banned outfit whose members are active in Chhattisgarh, parts of Odisha and Maharashtra.
"We express our condolence to the families of the slain polling personnel as well as other civilians (an ambulance driver and a paramedic)," he said.
"It's an irreparable loss and we know asking for apology wouldn't bring them back. But I want to clarify to their family members that they were not our enemies and they fall under our "friends category". They died due to our carelessness and mistake," Usendi said.
"We appeal to the family members of those killed or injured, teachers and employees (polling staff), people and human rights organisations to realise we did not deliberately attack them. It was a mistake and it shouldn't be seen as violation of human rights," the spokesman added.
He asked government employees and journalists not to travel with police or in their vehicles, and told private vehicle operators to desist from ferrying security personnel in the conflict zone.
Seven members of a polling team and five CRPF men were among 14 persons killed on April 12 when Naxals had struck twice in a gap of less than an hour, blowing up a bus and an ambulance in Bijapur and Bastar districts of the state.
The Naxals had attacked the polling team near Ketulnar village under Kutru police station limits of Bijapur when it was returning after voting in the region on April 10.
In the second incident, the extremists blew up an ambulance carrying CRPF personnel near Kamanar village under Darbha police station in Bastar. Five CRPF men, the ambulance driver and a paramedic technician were killed in the raid.
 Bastar attack: Incident could have been averted?
Had the CRPF personnel acted upon "suspicious movement" of two villagers before the ambulance carrying them was blown up by Naxals in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, the incident could have been averted, according to preliminary investigation.
Five personnel belonging to the 80th battalion of CRPF were killed when the ultras blew up the ambulance carrying them at Kamanar village under Darbha police station on Saturday.
"The preliminary investigation of the incident revealed that two villagers were spotted keeping an eye on the Road Opening Party (ROP) of the 80th battalion of CRPF during its operation in the restive Drabha stretch," a senior state Intelligence Bureau official told PTI on Sunday on condition of anonymity.
He said the CRPF men too had noticed those villagers but overlooked them and continued with their operation on Darbha-Jagdalpur
The incident occurred when around ten CRPF personnel were travelling in 108 Sanjeevani ambulance.
"Apparently, both the suspects must have passed the information to their comrades positioned near Kamanar village where the landmine blast was triggered," the officer said.
The incident took place just a few minutes after the paramilitary personnel had boarded the bus and hardly covered a half-kilometre distance, which suggests that somebody was following them and passed on the input through mobile phone, he said.
"If the security forces had taken the custody of those suspects, the incident could have been averted," the officer said.
Generally, if security personnel spot such suspects during their operation in a conflict zone, they take them into custody to avoid any trouble and later release them after completion of their task, he said.
Naxals struck twice yesterday in Bijapur and Bastar districts. In Bijapur attack, the ultras ambushed a polling team by blasting their bus. Seven members of the team killed in the attack. Ten persons, including five paramilitary personnel, were also injured in the two incidents.
 Chhattisgarh government team visits Bastar, Bijapur after Naxal attacks
A team of senior state officials on Sunday visited Bastar and Bijapur districts of the Maoist-hit south Chhattisgarh, where Naxals had carried two deadly attacks on polling personnel and security forces on Saturday, which left 14 persons dead.
Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand, Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Kujur, Additional Chief Secretary, Home NK Aswal and Director General of Police AN Upadhyay held a meeting with the local officials at Jagdalpur and Bijapur district headquarters and enquired about the incidents, a senior official in Raipur told PTI.
Seven members of a polling party and five CRPF personnel were among 14 killed as Naxals struck twice on Saturday in a gap of less than an hour, blowing up a bus and an ambulance in Bijapur and Bastar districts on Saturday.
Ten persons, including five paramilitary personnel, were also injured in the two incidents. Talking to newspersons after returning to the state capital from Bastar, Dhand said an ex-gratia of Rs 32 lakh will be provided to the kin of each martyred polling party members.
Of this, Rs 20 lakh will be given by the Election Commission, and Rs 12 lakh by the state government. Besides, the family members of the ambulance driver and paramedic technician killed in the attack would be provided compensation of Rs 20 lakh each by the Election Commission and Rs 5 lakh each by Chhattisgarh government.
Compensatory appointment will be given to a family member of all the nine victims, including seven polling officials, the driver and the technician of the ambulance, he added.
Briefing about their visit, Dhand said, "We held a meeting with the officials of both Bijapur and Jagdlapur and took stock of the incidents. We also visited Bijapur hospital to meet the injured polling staff."
On being asked about the condition of EVM kept in the bus that was blown up in the landmine blast, he said, "EVM machine suffered a minor damage. The voting data is completely safe, so there is no need of re-polling."
 Two security personnel injured in Naxal blast in Bijapur
A day after polling in Chattisgarh's Bastar Lok Sabha seat, two security personnel were on Friday injured in a pressure bomb blast carried out by Naxals in the insurgency-hit Bijapur district of the region, police said.
"The blast occurred when a joint Road Opening Party (ROP) of CRPF and district force was on an operation for sanitising the area for the movement of polling party returning to their fold after voting, in Dubaiguda forest of Awapalli region, Bijapur Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena told PTI.
"During operation, a Central Reserve Police Force jawan and a state police personnel came in contact with the pressure bomb that exploded, injuring both of them," he said.
Reinforcement was rushed to the spot soon after news of the incident was received.
The injured personnel were being airlifted and referred to Raipur for treatment, Meena said.
Amid tight security, the Maoist-hit Bastar constituency of Chhattisgarh went to the polls in the first phase of parliamentary election in the state on Thursday where 52 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
 Maoists kill 15 security men in Chhattisgarh
Raipur : Fifteen security men and a civilian were killed Tuesday when Maoists sprang a deadly ambush on a patrol in a thickly forested area of Chhattisgarh, a short distance from the spot where 27 people were gunned down last year.
An estimated 300 guerrillas ambushed with indiscriminate fire and bomb attack a patrol of 50-55 men from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police on a remote stretch of a forested road in Gheeram Ghati.
The Maoists then walked away with AK-47 assault rifles of the slain security personnel.
“It was a deadly ambush,” Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Gupta told IANS.
He said the ambush site in Sukma district, about 500 km south of Raipur in the Bastar region, appeared to be near the place where Maoists massacred 27 people, including Pradesh Congress Committee president Nand Kumar Patel, his son Dinesh, and former legislator Uday Mudaliyar, in May last year. Former central minister Vidya Charan Shukla too was injured in that attack and died of his injuries later.
There was confusion over Tuesday’s toll, with initial reports saying 20 security personnel were killed. The toll figure was later revised down to 15 security personnel and one civilian killed.
Gupta said even as the Maoist attack triggered a gun battle, the guerrillas also exploded bombs, causing more damage to the security patrol that was passing through the area.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said in New Delhi: “Eleven CRPF people have died and four policemen from Chhattisgarh (were killed). One civilian has died…This is the second (attack) in the same area.”
“We will fight against Naxal movement,” he said, adding it cannot be immediately said “whose failure” it was.
It was not clear if any of the attackers, who were from the Communist Party of India-Maoist, were also killed.
The authorities rushed reinforcements to the area and helicopters were flown in.
A senior police official said that they had received inputs of the massing of Maoists.
“Some naxals were from odisha. Operations were launched from Sukma and Jagdalpur,” the official told the media.
Normally, Maoist guerrillas carry out well-planned hit-and-run attacks on security forces, using the topography to their advantage.
The sprawling interior of Chattisgarh, which is heavily forested and populated by poor tribals, has been the stronghold of the Maoists since the 1980s.
The CPI-Maoist is known to run a virtual parallel administration in these areas.
 AAP's Soni Sori wears party cap while casting her vote, booked
AAP nominee from Bastar Lok Sabha seat, Soni Sori was on Friday slapped with a show cause notice for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by wearing her party's cap bearing its election symbol while casting her vote.
"We have issued a show cause notice to Sori seeking her reply over wearing the cap bearing her party's symbol (broom) while voting," Dantewada sub-divisional magistrate and election officer Shivanand Sai told PTI over phone.
"Although several informal complaints were received against her (Sori) in this connection, we have taken a suo motu action based on the footage of local TV channels," he said.
There were also complaints that Sori was photographed by her supporters while casting her vote, he said.
Following her explanation, further action would be taken by the Bastar returning officer in this regard, he added.
When contacted, Sori admitted to wearing the cap with her party's symbol.
"I know (that) I have committed the mistake but my intention was not to violate the code of conduct. I was so stressed and tensed that I forget to remove cap and went inside polling booth," she said.
Sori cast her vote in Kuwakonda region of Dantewada district.
"I was very much stressed following my and my family members harassment by CRPF. They abused my brother Ramdeo and nephew Linga (Lingaram Kodopi) and held them for hours due to which I had to rush to Bedma village to rescue them. CRPF men blamed me and my supporters for attacks on security personnel and tagged us as Maoists," she said.
Bastar recorded 52 per cent turnout amid unprecedented security arrangement and looming naxal threat.
 Rajnath hits out at Congress, says it's responsible for poverty in the country
BJP president Rajnath Singh on Friday said Congress is responsible for the poverty in the country.
"Congress has ruled the country for over 55 years including the last ten years as the main constituent of United Progressive Alliance government, still India is considered a poor country in the world economic map.
"The main reason for this is the wrong economic policies of Congress," claimed Rajnath, addressing a rally in Gandai in the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh.
BJP has fielded Chief Minister Raman Singh's son Abhishek Singh from Rajnandgaon.
Citing reports of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Rajnath alleged that UPA government was responsible for scams to the tune of Rs 5.50 lakh crore, and it had "virtually looted the country". The scams led to inflation, he said.
The development in the BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh was remarkable, he said, lauding the state government's food security scheme which he said benefits 90 per cent people of the state.
He also addressed rallies at Chirmiri (Korba) and Pamgarh (Janjgir-Champa).
 Firing, explosives seizure in Bastar; 30% polling till noon
Raipur: Naxals opened fire on security forces near 10 polling booths in Chhattisgarh's Maoist-hit Bastar Parliamentary seat, where around 30 per cent of the electorate cast their votes till noon.
Besides, a huge haul of explosives, including 15 IEDs and three pressure bombs, were today recovered by security forces from separate places, averting a massive strike by the ultras in the insurgency-hit region.
"Naxals opened fire on security forces near around ten polling booths while voting was underway there. No injury or casualty was reported in the incidents," a senior police official told PTI.
Rebels fled to the forest after security personnel launched retaliatory attack on them, he said.
The polling booths where firing was reported are - Korra and Amirgarh in Sukma district, Samoli and Thanikarka booths in Dantewada district, Nednar booth of Narayanpur district, Padeli and Raigabodi in Kondagaon, he said.
Voting was suspended for few minutes in many of these places but presently it is undergoing smoothly, he said.
Polling in Bastar began from 7 am and around 30 percent turnout has been recorded till noon, according to Joint Chief Electoral Officer DD Singh.
The polling time in seven Assembly seats – Bastar, Chitrakot, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Konta, Kondagaon and Dantewada – in the region is till 3 pm while the single Jagdalpur Vidhan Sabha seat will witness polling upto 4 pm, he said.
At some sensitive polling booths, voting started after a short delay while EVMs machine were replaced at some polling booths, Singh said.
Earlier, 15 Improvised Explosive Devices - of 10 kg each - buried underground near the polling booths were found this morning by a joint patrol squad of Border Security Force and district force from Nelnar area of Narayanpur district.
Later, owing to security reasons, the Nelnar polling booth was shifted to a nearby place Akabeda, he said.
In a separate incident, three pressure bombs were recovered from Bhansi police station limits of Dantewada district by a local police team.
Eight candidates, including two women, are in the fray for the lone Bastar seat, where voting is underway in the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh.
 15 IEDs, three pressure bombsrecovered by security forces in Bastar
A huge haul of explosives, including 15 IEDs and three pressure bombs, were on Thursday recovered by security forces from separate places averting a massive strike in the Naxal-hit Bastar Parliamentary seat, where about 15 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in the initial hours of polling.
The explosives--15 Improvised Explosive Devices - 10 kg each -- buried beneath were unearthed this morning by a joint patrol squad of Border Security Force and district force from Nelnar area of Narayanpur district, Joint Chief Electoral Officer DD Singh told PTI.
Acting on a tip-off, the security personnel had conducted a de-mining exercise in Nelnar region following which they detected a large number of landmines. Later, owing to security reasons, the Nelnar polling booth was shifted to a nearby place Akabeda, he said.
In a separate incident, three pressure bombs were recovered from Bhansi police station limits of Dantewada district by a local police team.
The police party mobilised on getting information that Naxals have blocked Bacheli road in the region by felling trees. On reaching the spot, they recovered the bombs along with three dummy IEDs.
According to Singh, polling in Bastar began from 7 AM and around 15 per cent turnout has been recorded till 10 am.
The time of polling time in seven Assembly seats--Bastar, Chitrakot, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Konta, Kondagaon and Dantewada--in the region is till 3 pm while the single Jagdalpur Vidhan Sabha seat will witness polling upto 4 pm, he said.
However, at some sensitive polling booths, voting started after a short delay, Singh said.
Eight candidates including two women, are in the fray for the lone Bastar seat, where voting is underway in the first phase of elections in Chhattisgarh.
Of the 1,797 booths in Bastar, 1,407 booths have been marked as 'critical' and all steps have been taken to ensure free and fearless polling there, the official said.
BJP has once again fielded in its old face and sitting MP Dinesh Kashyap while Congress has reposed faith in Deepak Karma whose father Mahendra Karma, founder of Salva Judum movement, was killed in the Jiram valley Naxal attack on May 25 last year.
 Two CoBRA commandos killed in Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh
Raipur: Launching a frontal attack ahead of polls in Chhattisgarh, Naxals Wednesday killed two commandos of CRPF's CoBRA battalion and injured five other troopers in ambush attacks in two districts of the state.
In the first incident that occurred in Sukma district of the state, Naxals opened heavy fire on a patrol of the specialised anti-Naxal operations force CoBRA that was coming back after escorting a polling party which has reached the Maoist stronghold as part of the polls scheduled tomorrow.
Officials said a strong squad of about 100 Naxals surrounded the party from three sides, leading to the killing of two commandos while three others were injured.
"The troops were hit on the back. They were killed as they received bullet injuries while on their way back," a senior official told PTI.
The incident comes at a time when the forces are at their maximum alert.
A joint column of CRPF, state police and commandos on a helicopter have been launched in the area, the official said, adding a "cordon and search" operation has been launched.
"We are alive to every possibility and we will conduct the polls peacefully," a senior security official monitoring the security forces deployment in Delhi said.
Bastar IG Arun Dev Gautam said the incident occurred around 10:30 AM after the Naxals ambushed the commando patrol party which was moving on foot.
In the second incident that occurred in the neighbouring district of Bijapur, Maoists carried out two powerful blasts in the morning hours, injuring two CRPF personnel.
Officials said a patrol squad of the force was on a operational task when two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts occurred in the forests of Bijapur near Gangloor village.
"The incident occurred when a Road Opening Party (ROP) of the paramilitary was on an operation for election-related security in Gangaloor police station area this morning," Bijapur Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal told PTI.
"During the operation, the personnel came in contact with a pressure bomb that exploded," he said.
Inspector Resham Lal and constable Pushpraj of 85 battalion of Central Reserve Police Force were injured in the incident, he said, adding both of them are stated to be out of danger.
The Maoist-hit Bastar constituency of Chhattisgarh is the lone seat going to the polls in the first phase of parliamentary election in the state tomorrow.
 Bastar to vote in the face of threat from Maoists
Over 1.29 million voters of Chhattisgarh's Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, one of India's worst insurgency-hit regions, are set to exercise their franchise on Thursday in the shadow of terror and guerrillas' poll boycott.
Eight candidates are in the fray in the constituency where roughly 80 percent of the total 1,797 polling booths have been declared "ultra sensitive".
The main contest is between the BJP nominee and sitting MP Dinesh Kashyap and Congress candidate Deepak Karma, son of late Mahendra Karma, the founder of a controversial civil militia movement - Salwa Judum.
The presence of Aam Aadmi Party candidate Soni Sori, a tribal woman from the district now on bail granted by the Supreme Court as she was facing charges of acting as a conduit for Maoists, has added a third dimension to the battle for Bastar.
Sources at police headquarters in Raipur say that besides Sori, none of the other seven candidates have dared to campaign in the interiors of Bastar because Maoists command most of the area.
"The terror angle has played big on minds of Bastar candidates. Except Sori, all candidates restricted their electioneering either to urban areas or the tribal settlements close to main roads as they lacked guts to enter vast forested belt for campaigning where rebels can strike at will," a top official at State Intelligence Bureau told IANS.
The official said that Sori, who had a fair idea of Bastar interiors, roamed freely for campaigning, mainly in Bijapur district.
The Bastar constituency has witnessed a string of deadly attacks in recent years and the Maoists, who are believed to have rocket launchers too, have targeted poll-duty choppers in past.
The Bastar constitguency, which is made up of six assembly segments, has more female voters at 665,290 than 633,681 male voters.
The BJP is winning the seat convincingly since 1998 but this time the Congress hopes to offer a close fight as the party nominee's father was a respected politician as well as a former MP from Bastar. He was brutally killed by Maoists last year in a deadly ambush on a Congress convoy.
Election officials say that holding peaceful polls in Bastar is the biggest challenge as Maoists have blockaded with landmine all roads leading to 153 polling booths in the forested areas and security forces are struggling to demine the area to allow forces to guard the voters during polling hours.
Authorities have no option but to airlift the polling teams to these booths by choppers and also bring them back to safer areas before sunset on the day of polling as rebels command these tracts since late 1980s.
About 40,000 troopers drawn from para-military and Chhattisgarh Police, have been deployed to ensure violence-free polling.
 15 killed in Chhattisgarh road accident
RAIPUR: Fifteen people, including seven women, were killed on the spot and 15 others were injured on Tuesday when a van carrying them rammed into a roadside tree in Sarguja district in North Chhattisgarh.
Police said the incident took place on Tuesday morning when a pick-up van, over-loaded with 30 people, lost control at Luchki Gathi and rammed into a roadside tree.
The ill-fated vehicle was on its way from Sitapur to Pratappur when the accident took place.
All the injured were later rushed to a hospital at Ambikapur, the divisional headquarters of Sarguja, were their condition is reported to be stable.
 This BSP candidate is a ‘farmer’ who owns vehicles worth Rs 12 lakh, but no land
Dharm Bhargav, BSP candidate from Bilaspur constituency, claims to be a farmer but has no land. Instead, he owns three vehicles worth approximately Rs 11, 60,000, a figure beyond the reach of a middle-class person.
55-year-old Bhargav owns a Bolero worth Rs 6.69 lakhs, a bike worth 60,000 and a tractor worth Rs 4.25 lakh. However, his details as submitted before the Election Commission while filing nomination, tell a different story.
He is a farmer and owns Rs 3 lakh, his wife owns Rs 1 lakh and his two sons own Rs 15,000 each, according to the details he has declared before the Election Commission. But, his and his family's assets are much more than what he has declared.
Astonishingly, he actually possesses no land or agricultural field but owns three cars and yet, claims to be a poor farmer.
 NO IPL IN RAIPUR THIS TIME: FANS ARE UPSET
Cricket fans in the state are disappointed after it was revealed that no matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played at Parsada, in Naya Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium.
“It is sad that not even a single match out of total 40 matches is scheduled in Raipur. We have a stadium of international standards still the fans in Chhattisgarh have to bear this step-motherly treatment,” said a young entrepreneur of the state capital Vineet Agrawal, who had caught the live match last time. The fans were hoping that Raipur will again host IPL matches and attract crowds from all over the state, but they are now disheartened by this decision.
“I was saving money to buy tickets for me and my father as we both are huge fans of cricket but now we will have to satisfy ourselves by watching the match on television. We had a lot of expectations to catch the cricketers live this season,” said Piyush Sharma, resident of Bhilai.
Reportedly, the IPL authorities have said that the changes were made due to lack of security assurances. There had been few problems in Raipur last year, when two of Delhi Daredevils’ home games were held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium. The state had requested to host two more matches this year, following an overwhelming response for both matches held last time.
However, talking to the media in Mumbai, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal has said that Raipur was missed out since it was “not necessary to have so many venues” this season. The IPL starts on April 16 in the UAE, where 20 out of 40 matches will be played. The game will shift to India on May 2 with the final match scheduled for June 1 in Mumbai.
 EC APPROVES 11 ALTERNATIVE PHOTO ID CARDS FOR VOTING
The Election Commission has relaxed the rule of compulsory requirement of election photo identity card (EPIC) to cast vote by allowing production of alternative identity cards recognised by it for Lok Sabha polls 2014.
The Commission has provided recognition to 11 alternative photo identity records, in the absence of EPIC. The alternative photo identity records recognised by the ECI are passport, driving licence, photo identity card issued by State/Central Government/public undertakings and public limited companies to its employees, photographed passbook issued by bank or post office, PAN card, Aadhar Card, National Population Register, MNREGA job card, health insurance smart card issued through Labour Ministry scheme, photographed pension record, certified photo voter slip issued through election system.
The EC, in its letter issued to the chief electoral officers of all the states and Union territories, has ordered that none of the citizens named in the voter’s list should be deprived of his right to vote in the absence of EPIC, and they should be allowed to exercise their franchise, based on any of the alternative identity records recognized by the EC.
In the letter, it has been said that out of the total registered voters of the country, more than 97 per cent have been issued photo voter identity card. Even then, the voters who have not received the EPIC due to any reason, to ensure their right to vote, arrangement has been made based on the alternative identity records.
The Commission said that on getting assured of the identification of the voters clerical mistakes etc in the EPIC should be ignored. If the voter presents EPIC issued by the Electoral Registration Officer of any other constituency, such EPIC should be accepted for establishment of identity, on the condition that the name of the voter should be registered in the electoral roll of that place.
If the identity of the voter is not possible to be established due to distorted photograph, the voter should produce any one of the 11 alternative photo records recognized by the ECI. If the resident electorate, whose name is registered in the electoral roll based on the details given in his passport under Section 20 B of the Representation of the People Act, he shall be identified on the basis of his original passport.
 CM's son enters LS poll fray riding on 'simple, youth' image
Raipur: With the slogan of "Saral, Sahaj, dil ka nek, Rajnandgaon ka beta Abhiskek" (simple, spontaneous and noble hearted, son of Rajnandgaon-Abhishek), the BJP is attempting to make way to the street of power for another political scion in Chhattisgarh.
A low profile Lok Sabha constituency - Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh is turning hot on political radar as Chief Minister Raman Singh's 33-year-old son Abhishek has been named as the BJP contestant from there, after the party denied ticket to its sitting MP Madhusudan Yadav.
Yadav had defeated Congress candidate Devwrat Singh, who belongs to the erstwhile royal family, with a margin of 1,19,074 votes in 2009 Lok Sabha election.
Initially, resentment among Yadavs was reported from various pockets of the region but later Madhusudan himself pacified them.
Although the party is mainly banking on the simple and youth image of 'junior Raman' to woo the voters, people from the region believe 'Modi for PM' and 'Raman factor' waves will also make it an easy ride for Abhishek.
When asked about his campaign slogan reflecting his image, Abhishek said, "I think simplicity and innocence has been an identity and tradition of the people of Chhattisgarh. People here are noble hearted and with good thinking they wish to do good things."
Ruling out the advantage of being CM's son, he said his work and dedication will bring success to him.
Abhishek, who holds an MBA degree, has been active in Rajnandgaon and Kawardha strongholds of BJP for past 6-7 years. He also managed BJP's campaign in the two districts during last year's Assembly polls, in which the party retained power for third consecutive time in the state.
According to Abhishek, his effort is to cover every corner of the constituency during his campaign.
The Naxal affected Manpur-Mohla Assembly constituency also falls in Rajnandgaon region.
 Verbally battle raging in Congress and the BJP on the electoral defections
Raipur. Leaders defected to the Congress - BJP leaders war has begun between the verbally. Defected to the Congress and the BJP accused of abuse of state apparatus while the BJP said that Congress left the party and joined the BJP people to neglect and disdain that are happening. CM has said that Congress is not giving respect to older workers.
Congress media department chairman Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said that the BJP is misusing the money power and the state apparatus. Large-scale defection to the BJP government headed by Dr. Raman Singh himself engaged. To visit his residence a few leaders of the Congress party seem to be a flaw in the way the policy. Congress was his custom - Strategy, stuck to their principles. Congress has no flaws, defects and horse defected to the mindset of the BJP. He said the former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi mahasamund likely to defeat the BJP's Chandulal Sahu Given the controversy are trying to gain political mileage by air. BJP BJP tell what is written in the law or the noun as its candidate Ram Lal Chandulal or makes any other person of this name can not be a candidate in the election.
 Chanduon clean chit to the Election Commission, voting preparations
Raipur. Mahasamund Lok Sabha seat against BJP's Chandulal Sahu, landing in a field of 10 Chandulal even political mercury is warmed up, but anywhere in the EC do not see something wrong. The Commission has made it clear that it does not violate the rules somewhere. BJP's leaving aside the Commission's objection after the date of withdrawal of the 10 Chandulal name printed on the ballot is taken. It will be copied in EVMs.
BJP's allegation that the Congress candidate Ajit Jogi, BJP has fielded harm to these Chanduon. BJP candidates complained to the Election Commission and the District Election Officer. Presented some documents have been attached to it as well. But the Commission has expressed its inability to act in this case.
He's nothing wrong with RO nomination
Meanwhile, the Election Commission Mahasamund district Returning Officer has sought to report the matter. Report that all candidates have to follow the enrollment process. Check-in nomination papers were found to be completely incorrect. Voter list of all names are recorded in the parliamentary field.
 Costly patent occurred in the capital, till 10 Pratisht Rates
Raipur. Despite intense pressure from the public and real estate businesses collector of land administration guidelines have increased rates of 8 to 10 per cent. Main Road and within 20 meters of collector rate of 8 per cent. The land within the official rate has been increased by 10 per cent. Buying land and this increase will be expensive.
Registration department after taking permission from the Election Commission on Wednesday, including land in the district proceeded to issue new guidelines rates. The rates were increased by 19 and 21 per cent last year. This increase is relatively low, however, the load is increased. Thursday will be the land registry of these rates.
Kamal Vihar guidelines collector rate was 1200 sq ft Rs 1600. It has been enhanced to Rs 1,300 in 1700. Similarly, the collector rate has been increased Birganv municipal area.
 Chandulal BJP's complaint to the Commission, where the name came from so many candidates Chandu
Mahasamund. Mahasamund Lok Sabha MP and BJP candidate contesting from Chandulal Sahu jumped Chanduon written complaint against the District Election Officer. It has been said that most Chandu laborers. They have to deposit security deposit of Rs 25-25 where they come from, it should be investigated. Security deposit same series as the notes of five hundred thousand and submission, referring to combinations including same-day admission that he deliberately to influence election results or Chanduram Chandulal Sahu name candidates has been erected.
In the complaint, he was referring specifically to the fact that isolated villages living in these districts and independent candidates have to deposit collateral, are his notes of the same series. These notes are derived from a bank of Raipur deck. It can not be coincidence. It is clear that by any individual or group
All Independent Chandulal Sahu and Chanduram The amount of bail is provided together. All Chanduon nominations were filed on the same day. Most of these mobile numbers are wrong. Nomination forms are filled in roughly the same style. For these reasons it is clear that these Chanduon nomination has been refilled to impress me. These people deliberately lure made Mahasamund constituency candidate. Chapter nine of the IPC Section 171 (a to d) is punishable under the criminal act. Chandulal the District Election Officer has urged the authorities to investigate the matter should be found experienced. Take action on culprits. Chandulal Sahu, according to the affidavit of complaint records of these ten Chanduon has been presented to the District Election Officer. MP says that most of these conditions are not such that they are able to arrange bail amount of Rs 25-25.
Sending a complaint to the Commission
District Election Officer's office says those behind the complaint late in the evening. Advance action on Wednesday it will be sent to the Chief Electoral Officer Raipur.
According to the complaint Chanduon Condition
1. Chandulal Sahu Sahu Village tundra father Piluram Bludabajar are residents of the district. He explained that his family a pen in enrollment card. 8 thousand to 10 thousand and cash in the bank. Two acres of land. Livelihood is agriculture wage.
2. Chandulal Sahu, father of Mungeli Smelal Goinda resident card to the USB ports. Five thousand and eight thousand cash in the bank. 1.56 hectares or acres of land, it is not clear.
3. Gdhsivani resident Chandulal Sahu Sahu said that his father Avdharam cash, two thousand and two thousand in the bank. They work repairing bicycles.
4. Durugpali, Pithore father's Chanduram Sahu Sahu Rambrosa
Five thousand to two thousand rupees in cash and bank also disclosed. Described themselves landless.
5. Landless agricultural father Chandulal Sahu Sahu Sonulal (g Temri Dharsinwa Tehsil) do not have a pen card. He and his wife of five thousand to two thousand rupees. Raipur branch Fafadih be deposited in the Central Bank has pointed to two thousand rupees. The bike is a 2006 model.
6. Chandulal Sahu Sahu Father Bliss (g Tnvleedih, Tehsil Bhatganv) to pen card. He Fafadih cash two thousand rupees and the Central Bank branch in Raipur has been reported to be two thousand rupees. His wife is 15 thousand. He told himself the owner of an acre of land and village Dismil 83 Tnvleedih reported to be in the cast house.
7. Chandulal Sahu Sahu father Tijuram (g Batigdh District Griaband) also own two thousand rupees in cash and Mahasamund branch of Bank of India is reported to be two thousand rupees. They have a farm land, bank accounts, etc. are not motorcycle.
8. Chanduram Father Nakula Sahu Sahu (g Gonc Pithora Tehsil) Pen card is not even close. He described himself as agricultural laborers. Punjab National Bank branch mahasamund them a million dollars and is reported to be five thousand rupees. They also do not have any agricultural land or houses.
9. Chandulal Sahu Sahu father Ntthuram (g Trpongi, Po. Mohndi) cash in hand and Rs one lakh to Rs 5,000 in Punjab National Bank has reported. Splender bike holder Chandulal Sahu, but there is no agricultural land has been agricultural livelihood.
10. Chandulal Sahu Sahu father Balachandas (g Mnjita Arang Tehsil) its close to 10 thousand rupees in cash, 15 thousand rupees wife, said the bank is Rs 2000. They do not have any agricultural land or houses. Motorcycle mechanic profession be shown.
 The new prices apply: Rs.100 without cheap subsidized gas cylinders
New Delhi / Raipur. Oil companies non-subsidized LPG cylinders has reduced the price of 100 rupees. 12th annual meet consumers subsidized cheap cylinder. The price of the cylinder receives Rs 1280 is still in Raipur, which will, in 1180. The two Rs subsidized cylinders is costly. It will now close at Rs 406. On the other hand, restaurant, hotel, etc. The price of commercial cylinders are close at Rs 165.
Steel price cut: Domestic companies cut steel prices by Rs 750 per tonne has. JSW and Essar Steel is the reduction of all products.
This will reduce the cost of building a house.
Can reduce air fares: imports of crude oil from the oil companies to decrease the cost of aviation fuel (ATF) prices have been cut by four per cent. Delhi is Rs 71800.21 down Rs 3025.34 per kiloliter now have prices. It is expected that the air fare airlines can subtract anything.
Raipur Price (Rs.)
Old - new
Non-subsidized 1280 - 1180
Subsidies 406-408
 Day and find police, child abductors left himself in front of police station
Bilaspur. 22 hours city was shrouded in concern. Above all general and special breath - there have been down. Street - the same discussion on the corner, our city was kidnapped sapling. Did not find any clues anywhere, so parents were almost broken. Police were reportedly doing a lot behind the scenes. IQ compliments of the residents was the result of the hijackers came. They have left little in front of the station staff and staff successfully rescued. Anyone who was aware of it, he breathed Sukunbri. Parents had been like a four Dham. The challenge now before the police that he Solve the mystery of what actually happened? Who the kidnappers were, where they came from?
The five-year-old son of Devrikhurd Agrhri Hrprasad timber businessman toll plaza staff Mangala Sunday night, 36 had been abducted from a restaurant in the mall. By Monday evening after police blockade could not trace the child. The child was asked to leave a ransom of Rs 10 lakh. Where to get the ransom money hijackers had said, he will call again on Monday. He did not call the other day. He had to call the mobile number that describes Svichof.
Night around 8 pm in front of the police station revealed that the kidnappers fled leaving the child bulrush. The child told the police that his brother was saying mummy - Papa sitting. He ran to the police station. First, the police has identified, then the conversation became so strong that it is the staff. SP BN Meena been reported with the families. The child was brought to the station house of the IG. The family was told that they arrived IG bungalow. It was delivered their staff.
 MP Performance Report: Dinesh Vishnudeo 5 then asked the question, only 14
Raipur. Been very bad performance of MPs in the Lok Sabha from Chhattisgarh. Bastar MP Dinesh Kashyap, question 13 asked in almost five years. The BJP state president and MP Vishnudeo Raigad evidence against the 15 questions. Sohan Potai district Sabha question by only four were planted in five years. In every session of Parliament - a question of MPs in question are applied even if the number has reached more than two dozen. Five of the 11 lawmakers question state lawmakers could not cross the double figures. The private bill in the House MPs are behind in terms of speed. Private Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha only two MPs raised issues of state.
Chhattisgarh MP in question are not even in the top 100. Durg MP Saroj Pandey 439 planted questions, but their location in the country and is numbered 108. The janjgir MP Kamala Devi Patle ranked 115th of 416 surveyed. While MPs from other states are far ahead of us. MP from Amravati in Maharashtra alone, the highest in five years ANANDRAO questions are planted in 1266, but equally Chhattisgarh has 11 MPs asking questions.
The average attendance was 76 per cent of MPs in the Lok Sabha. But Chhattisgarh average only three MPs present day. Dr. Charan Das Mahant in most present-day name. 93 per cent of their attendance at the session, they are ranked 108 in the country. 92 percent of the 115 th place with the presence Ramesh Bais. Chandulal Sahu, Kamla Devi Patle presence of 78 and 71 percent. Saroj Pandey was at No. 422, with 69 percent attendance.
 Two crash: Three people killed in Kanker eight and balod
Kanker / Charama. Charama Mini Sunday around 9 pm near the stadium coming from the wrong direction at high speed truck hit the Jeep Commander. The collision was so great jeep overturned 3-4 times. Eight women died on the spot in the accident. The truck driver is absconding. The police suspect that the truck driver was under the influence of alcohol. Commander of the driver, a girl and injured three other women. All were admitted to hospital Charama. Two of these severe conditions. The deceased was a resident of women Kodeganv Dhamtari district.
His death: Parvati, Shanta Kawde, Jayntri Korram, Sharda Kawde, Dni Kawde Bai, Savitri Bai Sewata, Panchobai Kawde, Susheela Kawde.
VI had returned from the program
After taking part in the Sixth Makdi all the women were returning. Charama jeep was leaving the truck came from. Wrong side of the truck was too fast. Bump the Jeep fell off and three - four times overturned. Most women were killed for the same reason.
 Child abduction Mall in Bilaspur, 10 million ransom sought
Bilaspur. Mangla Chowk Devrikhurd than 36 restaurants in the mall's five-year-old child was abducted. His parents came to the mall to hang out. The child's father is a businessman. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh has called her.
Hrdap his father and mother, a child of Devrikhurd staff came around with a mall. All members were sitting in a restaurant in the mall. Meanwhile, Shyam suddenly disappeared from there. After some time, her father got a call on the mobile. Caller demanded Rs 10 lakh as ransom. Paying or tell the police he threatened to kill the child. Police BN Meena top bureaucrats including the police arrived at the mall.
Additional SP Vijay Pande, including Siddiiki Nasr special team in charge of the team members were involved in solving the rest of the kidnappers. Provided blockade around the city, square - squares trains were investigated. Late night did not have any information about the child.
The answer evaded police
Information was hijacked to get the police immediately. SP Meena watching video footage of CCTV cameras in the mall. Outside The Department's top official has been unwilling to tell about the incident.
 Raipur seat: Verma Vs Sharma, today could be the final name
Raipur seat constituencies, including seven nominations process has started from today and until now the Congress candidate from Raipur seat was not officially announced. Verma and Sharma der decision today is likely to be trapped in the seat. The maze is increasing as the seat of the BJP's smile widened as much. Political pundit show that approximately fifteen days slipped back seat of the Action Congress of Anderkhane direct - direct benefit is to get BJP candidate Ramesh Bais. That is why the seat is naming the shadow Verma Ramesh Bais tell them Fug bulb looks unsure of his victory.
Caste votes Action:
Kurmi Congress candidate from Raipur Lok Sabha seat in Congress for heading to the polls last shadow Verma stakes being played. It is being argued that his ticket clipped so may damage the Congress on four seats. Verma pointed mistaking the shadow of PCC leaders still are promoted as a candidate. Shade to cut the ticket will lose as Congress candidate Satya Sharma, there are signs.
Delhi on March 29 announced the names of candidates may be. Under the formula of social engineering to meet the seat being talked about is a Kurmi. The state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel pressure. Congress Satyanarayana Sharma not far removed from their website. This candidate who followed Sharma are also quite high. So it is said to claim that Sharma will be given shade instead.
Many could not decide after the survey:
There are many survey conducted by the Congress leadership. State union leaders called the referendum was too long. Bhupesh Baghel Delhi state president and former minister called Satya Sharma agreement made between the two. Through the party tried to indicate that some kind of party differences. Congress is worried over Kurmi voters.
Do the math Raipur seat
The seventh time the BJP has fielded Ramesh Bais from Raipur. They are kurmi society. Bhupesh Baghel candidate for Congress in the 2009 elections was made. He was nice bump on bass. From the point of not contesting the election Baghel have conveyed to the high command. Satyanarayana Sharma were ready for elections, but cut the ticket since they seem to be too upset. Repeat the shadow Verma is being talked about. Former Minister Mohammad Akbar single name sent by the Election Committee, on account of caste shadows on ?nvkt finalists were named. The organization said kurmi polarization of voters. The rationale was that fortification with Raipur, Mahasamund and Rajnandgaon are also Kurmi voters. Raipur kurmi society outburst may have an impact on other seats.
Bass says:
BJP candidate from Raipur Lok Sabha Ramesh Bais are confident of his victory. He told the Times dot com that is not only getting Congress candidate from Raipur. If you want to import the Congress candidate from another state, or a brother Bhupesh Baghel themselves or fight back if they are contested. BJP will win it. Bass said the Congress candidate has changed several times, they can not find a leader from Raipur. VC Shukla had before him at the polls. His brother SC Shukla been given tickets, but lost both brothers. Sahu Sahu and his brother Juglkisor Dnendra then discharged. They both have lost my brother. Bhupesh Baghel lost in the last Lok Sabha elections. Now Bhupesh Baghel Ldhakr to see if they are your brothers.
Over the BJP Confidence:
The Congress believes that the BJP's ego on the seat in the election will break. Congress spokesman spokesman said Mahendra Chhabra Ramesh Bais has the conceit. They are in politics - should have goodwill towards each other, but seeing their language, that they have forgotten the power of the people. Congress leaders also had its first serious comment. Strong candidate from Raipur will lose congressional seat. Bass will find the answer to your arrogance.
Sushil Trivedi Political Expert opinion:
It is common belief that any congressman between Congress and the ticket when and to whom death will come when it can not Korir. Is proceeding according to the old belief. The way BJP is campaigning for Congress campaign than it already is weakened. As such the activities of the last days in the Congress camp is like a stampede. Taken together, the damage was to Raipur Lok Sabha seat as Congress has been talk of profit arises, not itself.
 Electoral interesting sight: all ten Chandu file nominations disappeared mahasamund
Mahasamund. Mahasamund Lok Sabha seat after enrollment admissions name Chandu 10 candidates were absent. There are seven Chandulal Sahu Sahu and three Chanduram. The news that the 'Chandu' together and sent them to the pilgrimage. Most of these mobile phones are getting close. In Orissa Mobile is also coming off a message. Therefore it is believed that all Chandu in Odisha. Which are current, are received by others. Chandu brother responded that being busy.
Meanwhile, enrollment after admission did not come home 'Chanduon's relatives are not able to tell where these ten candidate.
We Chandulal Sahu of BJP candidate named by the presence of ten candidates have made interesting choice.
Last date of withdrawal of nominations today
This is all under the assumption that the presence of a large number of votes vitriolic political Sahu is part of Chandu. Six Chanduon the hairpin election symbol is required. Enrollment after admission because of their absent grounds to stay behind to run away from the stop. Nomination has been examined. Noon to 3 pm on March 29 for enrollment will be back. The final list of candidates will then be issued. Symbol will be allocated.
Proposer been charged with kidnapping
Trpongi living in the village Chandulal Sahu Sahu Amruram proponent is accused of kidnapping his candidate. Amru after filing the nomination barely an hour after returning home Chandu night around 8 pm, two people with Scorpio car came and forcibly took away Chandu. Chandu whereabouts since then - do not know. Amru with members of the family he is still engaged in that investigation. Therefore did not report to the police station.
Chandu purchased one of four nominations
Most Chandu mahasamund to buy papers in the office of the District Election not gone. Bison (Arang), Temri (Dharsinwa), Tuleedih (Bilaigdh) and Gudiyhari (Dharsinwa) Chandulal Sahu and Singh bought the nomination Fafadih Durgashankr living in Raipur. Bhaskar spoke to Durgashankr. He said that they were going to buy the nomination, had ordered him to three others. They do not know anything more.
 Bhilai hanged seven to sacrifice the innocent, court decides
½ years ago to sacrifice innocent child who two years Ruabandha Bhilai Tantric Divine Yadav, his wife and their five disciples Kiran Yadav alias Gurumata sessions court on Thursday sentenced to death. All ten - have imposed a fine of ten thousand rupees. Mahanand disciples Rajendra Kumar, Hemant, Sukhdev, Nihaluddin aka Hemant Sahu Khan Baba and offers. Krishna alias Thambi an accused is absconding. Four minor Ajay Yadav, Preeti, Priya and Prince Kumar, an accused against whom the case is pending in juvenile court. Yadav three Divine child of minors. Public Prosecutor and Public Prosecutor Mahlwar Sudarshan Gautam Chaurdiyha Sessions Judge Suresh Sharma told the accused under Section 302 executions, kidnappings and up to five years rigorous imprisonment for five years rigorous imprisonment hide evidence.
Manisha had also slaughtered, hearing on 31
Tantric same lamp before the 6-year resident Manisha Ksareedih Dewar was sacrificed. The lamp's body recovered in excavations got the skeleton of the child. Her sacrifice was accused confessed. The case is going on in the sessions court. It is scheduled to be debated on March 31.
Barpali hanged in Nrblikand
There is also a 11-year-Praveen Rathia Baiga 6 February 2012, was sacrificed. P resident of the fair was barpali first, then kidnapped her Baiga Rathia Dilip Singh was murdered in his chapel. The district court sentenced him to death. The case is pending in the High Court.
This is a rare case of the Reyrest. Such offenses would be appropriate to be discouraged by the increasing rigidity. Such dogs may not be the tradition prevalent in society. - Court
What's the matter
The event is November 23, 2010. Tantric Divine Nutrition Singh Rajput neighbor. He had been a laborer with wife Savitri. Lamp suddenly disappeared from his son playing close to home. After exploring Tantric Divine was quite suspicious. Found blood stains on his house. Link to inquiries and other convicts he kidnapped the boy accepted his sacrifice. They Rs and specific mechanisms to achieve divinity - wanted mantra. Divine and human sacrifice Kiran said the accused will be able to work.
 While putting thousands of people at the club stitched legislators, after every assembly Ditto
Numerous promises to the people of the region who are climbing the ladder assembly 10 out of 90 state legislators in the budget session of the Assembly remained completely silent spectator. It did not become the voice of the people, nor his field could force the government to solve problems. 10 out of 90 state legislators also questioned the 23-day session. Similarly, there are 12 MLAs who have fewer than five questions.
90 MLAs in the assembly of Chhattisgarh. BJP legislator in the House to sit up ahead. They state the name Vikram Usendi who also worked as a minister for 10 years. Vikram Usendi Antagdh legislator has not made a minister, but this time in the season he did not even question. The last time the princes bhaiyaalaal parliamentary secretary has the duty time, no questions asked, he only legislator. Is also strongly argue - small - small question is what to put in the assembly. The work is done by speaking to the Chief Minister would.
So, why could not make the field work of the legislator. Throughout the season, no question those two old and eight new legislator. In the case of many new legislators Prfarmens old members left behind. Even in the case of the first question, the legislator Shankar Dhurwa outbid.
Speak openly, the fault will be cleared: Kaushik
Former Assembly Speaker Dharmlal Kaushik feel that many legislators are reluctant to speak, their Prfarmens becomes weak. That legislators should definitely speak. Every time there is a mistake. Improving mistake is to speak up
.
Poor performance - not to ask questions the logic
In the mess that is the question. If problem persists in questioning myself. The representative could not only mitigate the suffering of the people. Small - Thick myself am capable of settling problems. The rest have to be done by request from Dr. Sahib. They were proposed in the budget.
Fill the form to ask questions had forgotten at home. So the question could not.
The question was not about to find. It takes time to address the question left.
Has not this question because of poor health. House could not be several days.
Was the first session. I am a minister. Therefore, the question did not intentionally.
What was new was unable to question why. Area was busy. Over time to the question.
Experience and evidence without the right to speak in the House. Attention was planted in SC.
Questions were raised, were not eligible. Petitions were up 18-19. Many will take the issue forward.
Question was why did not the first time. Minister of Road, shortage of hospital is assured.
Yet the new - new. Are learning. Jrn reservoir area to ask questions and other demands are placed.
Anti opinions
Vedantin Ti: inactivation of the MLAs. The whole area is problematic.
Srhul Bhagat - legislator could take the issue of corruption. Jashpur corruption is staggering.
Roses Sing - a boy, the first time can be forgiven. Are not working in the field.
Ambika Mrkam - could bring home the question. Then visit will not address the problem.
Mnturam Pawar - legislators do not live in the area so they are not aware of the problems.
Dr. Skrajit hero - Roshan trader. They do not speak against traders officers.
Dr. Shiva Dhria - the biggest problem is irrigation. Electricity - would raise the issue of drinking water.
Harbans remaining secret - most problems are Pamgdh. Irrigation, health, education would raise the issue.
Padma Manhar - MLA false promises come. The district was seeking to take Sarngdh. Hridayram Rathia - CM's name, what problems will learn to win on the strength of ration cards and money.
 Railway Board changed the system, tte 3 will examine the conductor 5 Bogion
Indian Railways train tickets in 11 thousand Czech conductor of the TTE and responsibility has been increased. Posted in AC sleeper class coach now tte conductor 5 3 Bogion then check the tickets of the passengers. Greater use of the ticket checking staff and every traveler's intention has been to check tickets. Railway Board's order will be implemented as soon as the zonal office. Passenger Railway Board's director, Dr. Monica Agnihotri, Chief Commercial Manager on March 14 issued an order that all the zones.
AC and sleeper class in the letter from the staff at the station ticket Czech those duties have been renewed. AC First, second and three in the conductor will check Bogion 3 instead of 5. Three coach passengers in sleeper class ticket instead seek tte 2. Posted by TTE than 500 passengers in the train station at 1 thousand passengers said.
At night the train left the old order
The new system is for those trains which are Departs before 9 PM. Trains leaving after 9 pm or later will be applied to the old system. 3 conductor AC and sleeper class, the class must check tte Bogion 2. Late Night Rider in the mid section and the conductor will examine tte Bogion 3 and 2.
Why
Indian Railway ticket checking staff shortages. 3 thousand vacancies across the country. Also use the inquiry counters of ticket checking staff has also entered into other places. Due to the deployment of new trains would not have checking staff. It is seen that three conductors and TTE directive to investigate two Bogion, even if the train of a dozen coaches.
Was to broaden the
Prakash Rao, chief commercial manager proposed to extend the scope of SECR Vjlwar was sent to the Board. He increased the number of trains and passengers. Lack of ticket checking staff is intact. Every coach does not check the unstamped escape. The new system will increase the scope of the investigation will drag in the system.
Zone of staff position
Accepted Division employs empty
Bilaspur 378 320 58
Raipur 201 146 55
Nagpur 367 294 73
Trains
Class ago AC -1,2,3 three to five coaches coach
Two coaches, three sleeper coach
Station
First A TC 500 passengers
Now
1 thousand passengers a TC
 Action on local issues in Chhattisgarh
Raipur [Bureau]. Candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in the state after the election, the heat has to be fixed, but the political parties Congress and BJP have not yet statement. The first phase nomination papers have been filed. Meanwhile, with the candidates - with party activists are skeptical public to vote on issues which demands? National and local issues in elections individually can. Currently in Cttisghhd Modi on BJP in this election campaign has Cehhd Rahul Gandhi and the Congress and the UPA government's functioning is in issue. In the absence of both major parties manifesto demands plank of state-level problems and are trying to Bhhdane campaign forward.
Cttisghhd under the first phase of elections on April 10, but also by other parties, including both major parties manifesto has not been released yet. In this case, the candidates are finding it difficult to tell the public about issues on which his party said.
Country's security, economy, inflation, corruption, etc. how about how the steps to be taken? Declaration of the candidate's position due to the greater emphasis BJP prime ministerial candidate of the party's prime minister Narendra Modi went public mean to say. BJP UPA 2 Government of the corruption case and the alleged failure of the economist Prime Minister is making an issue of the economy. That being said during the campaign that inflation Bhhdne meaning behind the failed policy of the UPA government is responsible. BJP BJP state government functioning and achievements of ten years Ginakr seeking votes. Besides, the state government plans to issue cheap rice is being created.
Achievements of the Congress-led UPA government - RTI, NREGA, Right to education, to health Juhhdi Ginakr environment schemes, in an effort to have on your side. In addition, the state government's ten-year term in state corruption, Naxalism, Bhhdi poverty, insecurity, injustice Adiwason, incest with women, acquire land for industry, agriculture, etc. plank of crime in urban areas Bhhde are intensifying their attacks on the government. And are involved in creating an atmosphere against BJP.
Candidates Say what?
Ramesh Bais, the BJP candidate, Raipur Lok Sabha said that the key issue in this election is to prime minister Narendra Modi. Congress will highlight the failure. Developing countries will also issue. This will Lhhda election on national issues.
Karuna Shukla, Congress candidate from Bilaspur said the issue will be local elections.
The BJP government in the state is failing to curb Naxalites. Anurp pledges support price for paddy farmers have not been and bonuses. BJP's prime ministerial candidate for prime minister Narendra Modi himself elections are Lhhd. Vice President Rahul Gandhi to save the Congress is contesting.
These are key issues
These are major issues during elections in Chhattisgarh - Naxalites, corruption, inflation, incomplete railway line projects.
 Looking at civil contractors' reluctance, CRPF volunteers to build road in Maoist hotbed
With civil contractors reluctant to take up road construction work in Naxal-hit areas, the CRPF has for the first time taken upon itself to build a 7 km stretch in the Maoist hotbed of Sukma in Chhattisgarh.
The force, which is guarding a number of road projects in the state, one of which came under attack in Tongapal last week killing 15 security men, will soon bid for the tender and related procedures of gaining rights to construct the particular patch which is considered one of the important lifelines of the area.
The paramilitary will deploy its civil engineer troopers and supervisors to see the completion of the project and it will be guarded by an armed squad. "This is a pioneer step we have taken to ensure that road projects in Naxal areas are taken up and completed. Our engineering wing will supervise this maiden project that been undertaken by the force," CRPF chief Dilip Trivedi told PTI.
He was speaking after reviewing the security in the state in the aftermath of last week's Naxal attack on security personnel in Bastar area of the state. The CRPF Director General said it was essential for security forces to "dominate" the roads in these areas as they are harbingers of development in far-off areas and hence an eyesore for Naxals who do not want progress to usher in order to maintain their strongholds.
"We are determined to keep doing the road construction and securing task. Such attacks (last week in Tongapal) will not deter us," Trivedi said.
The particular project route is being kept under wraps for security reasons and the stretch is also crucial for forces as it will enable them to carry men and material to their posts in remote jungle locations.
The Union Home Ministry, two years back, had sanctioned a full-fledged civil engineering wing in the country's largest paramilitary force, mainstay for anti-Naxal operations in the country as it was getting difficult to get roads constructed in Naxal areas as civil workers feared for their security.
The wing was mandated to not only recruit engineering manpower from the public domain but also depute some of its existing expertise in these areas for the road buildings task. The unit will function under command of the Additional DG (Works) of the CRPF and will also have state police and civil construction officials in its decision-making board.
According to sources, some more road projects are under the consideration of the CRPF and Union Home Ministry for independent construction by the force.
Satyanarayan Sharma's supporters ransack Cong office after party denies him Raipur LS ticket
Supporters of veteran Congress leader Satyanarayan Sharma on Sunday ransacked the party office in Raipur, enraged over not giving him ticket for Raipur Lok Sabha seat.
Around 50 supporters of Sharma reached the party office in the afternoon and started raising slogans against PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel, accusing him of acting as a BJP "agent" and demanded the candidature of Sharma, an MLA.
A party worker also threatened to commit suicide if Sharma was not given ticket from Raipur seat.
"The irate workers stormed the party office, broke chairs and threw eggs before the police was called," Kotwali City Superintendent of Police Anshuman Singh Sisodia said.
"However, the situation is under control and the crowd has been dispersed from the Congress Bhawan," Sisodia, who was present at the spot along with large number of police personnel, said.
Senior party leaders were not present in the office during the time of the protest.
Notably, Chhaya Verma had been nominated as Congress' candidate from Raipur parliamentary constituency, but later she was replaced by Sharma.
In an unprecedented move on Sunday night, Verma, belonging to Kurmi community, was finalised as candidate, replacing Sharma from the Raipur Lok Sabha seat.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders alleged that the ruling BJP was behind the protest, and ruled out the possibility of involvement of Sharma's supporters in ransacking the party office.
"The protestors seem to be the men of BJP. Ramesh Bais' (BJP nominee from Raipur seat) hand could be behind this (incident)," Raipur Mayor and Congress leader Kiranmayee Nayak alleged before reporters.
Commenting on the allegations of Nayak, BJP MLA and spokesman Shivratan Sharma said his party was not afraid of any candidate, whether it is Sharma or Verma, and will win Raipur seat with a huge margin.
"If they were the BJP workers then Congress should register complaint against them," Shivratan said.
 Sukma Naxal attack: Full might of Indian state must confront Maoists, says Arun Jaitley
In the backdrop of the killing of 15 security personnel and a civilian in a Naxal attack in Sukma district of BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, senior party leader Arun Jaitley on Friday demanded that the "full might" of Indian state must be put in force to confront Maoists.
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Jaitley said heavily-armed Maoists are not misguided ideologues nor social reformers. They intend to overthrow parliamentary democracy and replace it with an ideological dictatorship, he said.
"Maoism is not a poverty eradication scheme. It is an ideological movement which is intended to overthrow India's democracy and replace it with an ideological dictatorship... There can never be half a battle against Maoism. The full might of the Indian state must confront them," he said.
"How long will India continue to sacrifice ordinary citizens and security personnel at the hands of this violence? We must be clear that the first right to national resources must belong to the tribals. We must alienate the tribals from the Maoists," he wrote on his blog.
Jaitley asked if we follow a theory put forward by some "bleeding hearts" that economic progress of Maoist regions alone will eliminate the threat of Maoism and said this is not even a half truth. "For any government to enter the areas of Maoists influence, restoration of peace is a condition precedent. The landmines have to be eliminated. The arms in control of the private armies have to be flushed out. Extortionism of the average citizens has to end," he said.
These are areas of Maoist dominance, he said, and the average citizen in these areas is oppressed with the writ of the administration hardly running. The senior BJP leader said Maoists collect taxes in these areas and have paid volunteers in every village. They are eavily armed, he said. "Their source of arms and ammunition in these areas has to be smashed," he added.
Within the Maoists scheme of ideas there will be no democracy, no freedom, no right to life and liberty, no rule of law, no free speech, he said.
Congress observes bandh to condemn Naxal attack
The state-wide bandh called by main opposition Congress in protest against the Naxal attack in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh today received good response, the party claimed.
Sixteen people, including 15 security personnel, were killed in the Naxal attack on Tuesday.
The main markets here remained closed today. The State Chamber of Commerce supported the strike. Shops, petrol pumps and cinemas also remained shut.
Because of the ongoing examinations, schools had been excluded from the bandh.
The bandh reportedly got a good response in Naxal-affected Bastar region of the state as well.
Congress said people participated in the bandh voluntarily and it reflected the resentment against the BJP government in the state.
State Congress spokesperson Shailesh Nitin Trivedi alleged that while the state government was apathetic towards the Naxal menace, some BJP leaders were actually in cahoots with the rebels.
He cited the example of arrest of an accomplice of the ultras from the car of BJP leader Sohan Potai.
 2 Naxals suspected of being involved in Jiram Ghati, Jagdalpur killings arrested
Two Naxals, wanted in connection with the last year's Jeerum valley attack in which several state Congress leaders were killed, have been arrested, police said on Thursday.
"Kosa (38) and Deva Kudyami (35) were arrested from Chandmeta village in Darbha area of Raipur district and seized a landmine and a country revolver on specific input," said Ajay Yadav, Bastar district Superintendent of Police.
After Tuesday's brazen attack in Sukma district in which 16 people -- 11 CRPF personnel, four state police and one civilian -- were gunned down by Naxals, police had stepped up the patrolling in the area, he said.
Acting on a tip-off about presence of some Naxals, police rushed to Chandmeta, where the two were arrested, the DSP said.
Both were suspected to be involved in the attack on Congress convoy in which state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel and 28 others were killed. They could also be involved in Tuesday's attack in Sukma district, the officer said.
While the two denied involvement in the latest attack, they admitted to taking part in the May 25, 2013 attack on the Congress leaders' convoy, Yadav claimed.
Congress slams BJP 'insensivity' of transporting bodies of 15 jawans by train
Chhattisgarh's main opposition Congress today accused the BJP government in the state of insensitivity while arranging the transportation of the bodies of the 15 security personnel who died in an attack by the Naxals in Sukma district two days ago.
State Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla said here that the bodies of the four policemen and 11 CRPF jawans were sent to their respective homes by train, instead of flying them by helicopters or aircraft.
While Chief Minister Raman Singh and other ministers use state helicopters, the bodies of brave jawans had to suffer the "ignominy" of long train journeys, Shukla said.
Sixteen people, including 4 policemen and 11 CRPF jawans, were killed in the attack
 Several alerts on Naxal movement preceded Sukma ambush: Sources
Preliminary probe into Tuesday's Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district has indicated involvement of its Darbha unit leader Surendra, sources in Chhattisgarh Police said on Wednesday.
In a brazen daytime attack, 16 people including 11 CRPF personnel, four state police and one civilian were gunned down by Naxals in Jeerum Nallah area of Sukma district of Bastar, 400 kilometres from here.
The investigators had also learnt that Ramanna, a member of the central committee of the Naxals, was present in Bastar in the last few days.
On March 5, the police got a tip-off that Surendra and another leader Jagdish, the 'commander' of Dantewada platoon no. 26 of the Naxals, were "rehearsing" for a big attack with about 50 cadres, sources told reporters.
Police apprehended a big attack along Dantewada-Sukma road, Darbha-Katekalyan road, Katekalyan-Kuakonda road or Jagdalpur-Sukma road, and the local police were alerted about the same, they said.
On March 6, the State Intelligence Bureau learnt that about 30 Maoists had assembled near Jeerum, and speculated that they could target the police providing security to the road construction work there. The State Intelligence had also warned of Naxal activities in Tongpal area, sources added.
Similar information about Maoists assembling came on the next couple of days too.
According to the sources, the investigation so far had revealed that Surendra was the mastermind of yesterday's attack. He was involved in several such incidents earlier.
R K Vij, Additional Director General of Police (Naxal operations) conceded that the fact that yesterday's attack could not be averted despite intelligence inputs should cause concern. If there were any lapses, they would come to light during the investigation, he added.
 CRPF had intel inputs about Maoist threat in Sukma: Sources
New Delhi: A day after 15 security personnel and a civilian were killed by over 200 armed Naxals in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, sources say that the CRPF was aware of Maoist threat in the region.
"Specific intelligence was given to the concerned CRPF and state police officers about the movement of a large number of Maoist cadres in the Sukma area. It seems the intelligence was not acted upon by the commanding officer-in-charge," a source said.
"It is possible that the Naxals planned and waited for an opportune moment for over 24 hours before attacking the Indian forces," the sources said.
Officials also said that the civilian who was killed in the cross fire was a motorist who did not hear the gunshots as he was riding with his ear phones on.
 We will avenge Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh: Sushil Kumar Shinde
Raipur: Condemning the deadly Naxal attack in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh a day ago, Home Minister Sushil Kumar on Wednesday said India will avenge it.
"Hum iska badla lenge (We will take revenge)," Shinde told reporters at a press meet.
The government has also decided to hand over the probe to the NIA which is also investigating the similar previous attack here last year that decimated the entire Congress leadership of the area.
"We had reports that there has been a decline in the Naxal movement. So they are afraid," Shinde said with optimism. "This case will also be given to the NIA," he said. He also added that there will be no change in the election dates because of the incident.
Nearly 16 people were killed when over 200 armed Naxals ambushed and attacked them in the Jiram Ghati area of Sukma on Tuesday afternoon.
The dead included 15 security personnel and one civilian.
The state police said the topography favoured the Naxals and the forces were unable to retaliate.
 Chhattisgarh CM, HM pays tribute to Naxal attack martyrs
A day after the Naxal attack in Chhatisgarh killed 15 security personnel and 1 civilian, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde will be visiting Jagdalpur on Wednesday. The Centre has also sent additional forces into the Naxal areas launching a massive combing operation.
Earlier in the day, the state government paid tribute to the security personnel who lost their lives in the attack in Jagdalpur. The martyrs have been laid to rest.
While condemning the attack, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that the Congress should not politicise the attack. His statement comes after Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had blamed the state government for the attack saying that it was the government's responsibility to avert Naxal attacks.
"Congress should not politicise a naxal attack. This is not the time to say such things," Singh said.
The attack on Tuesday comes less than a month before Chhattisgarh goes to vote in the general election. The incident took place close to the area where Naxals had killed top Congress leaders in 2013.
Meanwhile, sources in the Home Ministry have said that the security forces were at fault since they were following standard procedures which could have been observed by the Naxals.
The names of the CRPF personnel who have been killed in the attack are:
Inspector Subhash Chanda, Jind Haryana
ASI Manmohan Singh, Satna, MP
Head constable Pradeep Kumar, Ranchi
Constable Md. Faizul Haque, Nagaon, Assam
Constable Manoj Kumar Brethe Janjgir, Chhattisgarh
Constable Nahar Singh, Morena, UP
Constable Neeraj Kumar
Constable Somnath Rathore, Annupur MP
Constable Kaushal Kishore, Jalaun, UP
Inspector Tilak Raj Singh, Naushera, Punjab
Head Constable Lakhbir Singh, Kangra, HP
 Tribal school superintendent, husband arrested for sexual assault of minor girls
Police on Monday arrested a residential school's superintendent and her husband, who were absconding in connection with alleged sexual abuse of minor girls at the facility in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district.
Neeta Naag, superintendent of the Kanya Ashram (residential school for tribal girls) in Dhanora village of the naxal-affected district, was apprehended from the state while her husband Vinod was arrested from Nabrangpur in neighbouring Odisha, said Kartikey Goyal, Collector (In-charge), Narayanpur district.
The state government has served notice to the NGO which runs the hostel and sought its reply within two days. A case was registered against the couple last week in connection with alleged molestation of two minor girl inmates of the ashram.
The duo were booked on the complaint of district administration. "The victims, both 15 years of age, said that the accused Vinod would usually enter inside their room during night hours and sexually abuse them. This has been going on for past several months," the collector had said, citing the victims' statement.
The residential school belongs to Women and Child Development department but is run by a local NGO Mata Rukhmani Sewa Sansthan. As per the rules, husbands of superintendents of ashram schools are not allowed to even enter the premises of such facilities.
In a separate incident, police arrested a teacher and a superintendent of a residential hostel for tribals at Dugaiguda in Bijapur district in connection with alleged rape of a class VII student.
The accused teacher Sodhi Kista allegedly raped the teenage girl under the pretext of marrying her, said Bijapur Collector Mohammad Kaisar Abdul Haque. He claimed superintendent Lupteshwar turned away the victim. Block education officer K G Ganpat and block resource coordinator Sunder Singh are being questioned in this regard, Haque said.
 Husband of girls' hostel superintendent molests 2 inmates, wife hushes up case
Superintendent of a girls' hostel in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district has been arrested in connection with alleged molestation of two minor inmates, police said on Sunday.
The in-charge collector of the district Kartikeya Goel said that Neeta Nag, who is superintendent of the hostel located at Dhanora village has been detained, while the main accused, who is her husband Vinod Nag, was absconding.
"Two girl students of eighth standard had accused Vinod Nag of molestation and according to their complaint, the superintendent did not take any action after they informed her about the matter and also allegedly tried to hush up the matter. Neeta Nag is being questioned by the police," the collector said.
In another case, the police filed an FIR against a school teacher Sodhi Kista, for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl student of a residential school at Dugaiguda, in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
The police said that Kista allegedly induced the girl to have a relationship with him, by promising to "marry" her. After she got pregnant, he allegedly warned her not to disclose anything to anybody, the police said. Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress has announced that it would appoint committees to examine both these cases.
 Superintendent of Kanya Ashram, her husband booked for sexually assaulting two girls
Two minor girls of a residential school in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district were allegedly subjected to sexual abuse by husband of its superintendent over past few months, police said on Saturday.
Police have booked the superintendent of Kanya Ashram, located in Dhanora village, and her husband in this connection.
"A case was registered on Friday against Neeta Naag, the superintendent of the Kanya Ashram (residential school for tribal girls) in Dhanora village of the naxal-affected district, and her husband Vinod Naag in connection with alleged molestation of two minor inmates," Narayanpur SP Amit Tukaram Kamble told PTI.
The duo were booked on the complaint of district administration, he said.
Soon after the incident came to light, the accused Vinod fled from the spot while his wife moved to Jagdalpur citing some personal work, he said.
Neeta is told to immediately report to police station even as efforts are on to trace her husband who is currently on run, the SP said.
Meanwhile, Narayanpur Collector (in-charge) Kartikeya Goyal said that acting on the information by villagers on the incident, a team comprising a woman doctor and officials of Women and Child Development Department was rushed to the village following which the case was lodged.
"The victims, both 15 years of age, revealed that the accused Vinod would usually enter inside their room during night hours and sexually abuse them. This has been going on for past several months," the collector said quoting the victims' statement.
However, rape has not been confirmed in their medical examination, he added.
The residential school belongs to Women and Child Development department, but is run by a local NGO Mata Rukhmani Sewa Sansthan.
"Therefore, officials of the NGO are also being interrogated," the collector said.
 BJP to give candidates' list to high command on March 10
The ruling BJP in Chhattisgarh has finalised the list of its candidates for Lok Sabha elections and will submit it to the party's central election committee in New Delhi on March 10.
The panel of the names of contestants from Chhattisgarh will be presented during the national election committee meeting on March 10 and party high command will take a final call on it, Chief Minister Raman Singh said on Friday.
Expressing confidence of victory in all 11 parliamentary constituencies of the state going to polls next month, Singh said, "People of the state ensured win for the party in Assembly elections, which was a semi-final."
"Now, they will help us to register a thumping victory in the final - Lok Sabha polls - to establish Narendra Modi's government at the Centre," he said. "Congress' slogan is Congress ka haath janta ke saath (hand of the Congress is with people), but contrary to this escalating prices are worrying the people," Singh pointed out.
"Looking at the huge support of people across the nation, it is evident that BJP will form government at the Centre with full majority," he claimed. Notably, in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, 10 seats were won by BJP while Congress had managed to secure only one.
This time again, the key contest will be between ruling BJP and Opposition Congress.
 Three teachers suspended over exam paper distribution
Chhattisgarh School Education department has suspended three teachers and issued a show cause notice to Bemetara district education officer for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the ongoing board examination for class X and XII.
“The concerned invigilators opened and distributed among students the question paper of Environment, which is meant for class X, at the examination Centre for class XII students in Bemetara. Due to this the class X paper has to be postponed,” a senior Education Department official said on Thursday.
The department on Wednesday suspended Shushil Choubey, attached to the government higher secondary school Bemetara, Salikram Parasbhadre and Gaus Mohammad Kureshi–both attached to the government HSS, Babamohtara, he said.
A show cause notice was also issued against Bemetara DEO Hemant Upadhyay in this connection.
The department has already directed teachers and school administration to be careful during conducting the examinations and in strengthening the functioning of flying squads to check copying, the official said.
“The district collectors concerned are also issued necessary directives regarding flying squads,” he added.
Around 2.85 lakh students are appearing in class XII state board examinations while 4.60 lakh students for class X examinations, which will conclude by March 28.
 Chhattisgarh sanctions Rs 200 crore to compensate farmers
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday sanctioned a sum of Rs 200 crore to compensate farmers who suffered losses in recent rainfalls and hailstorms in several places of the state.
"Singh chaired a meeting of senior officials to take stock of the situation and took a decision on Tuesday in Raipur at the Mantralaya," an official said.
He reviewed relief works for villagers and farmers affected due to natural calamity, besides issuing directives to ensure proper arrangements at paddy storage depots for the safety of procured paddy, the official said.
Expressing concern over losses incurred by farmers during the current Rabi crop season, the CM said that Chhattisgarh government is committed to provide every kind of assistance to farmers and villagers.
On the CM's direction, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department sanctioned Rs 200 crore to affected farmers, which would be disbursed after conducting a proper survey of the those affected by the disaster, he said.
Affected farmers would also get benefits of the crop insurance scheme, based on the weather, he said.
The scheme is applicable for Rabi crops like wheat and gram in Raipur, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Gariyaband, Surguja, Rajnandgaon, Surajpur, Balrampur, Ramanujganj, Durg, Bemetara, Balod, Kabirdham, Bilaspur and Mungeli districts, he said.
 Magisterial probe ordered in encounter of suspected Naxals
A magisterial probe has been ordered into an encounter between security forces and Naxalites early this year in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, in which two suspected cadres were killed.
Kanker Collector Alarmelmangai D has ordered the magisterial enquiry headed by Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Antagarh to investigate the encounter near Michewada Hills around two months back, an official said.
On January 21, a police patrol party led by Station House Officer Koyalibeda, Rakesh Rathore was on a combing operation near Michewada hills when around 15 armed rebels, including Naxal commander Kamlakar opened indiscriminate firing on them.
However, they fled into dense forests following an intense retaliation from the patrol party. After the gunfight, body of two Naxals were recovered from the spot. Besides, three muzzle loading guns, couple of detonators and empty cartridges were also seized from the encounter site, the official said.
During investigation, the deceased were identified as Somaruram Komra and Tulsingh, natives of Matnar village. The investigation will be based on several points including background of the incident, firing from rebel side and retaliatory action by police personnel, he said.
The probe report will be submitted within a month.
 Vivek Dhand assumes charge as Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary
Senior IAS officer Vivek Dhand assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh in place of incumbent Sunil Kumar who retired on Friday.
Governor Shekhar Dutt, Chief Minister Raman Singh and his cabinet congratulated Dhand on assuming the post this evening.
In his greeting message, the Governor praised Dhand for his work in different capacities in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
 Five PSUs posted Rs 2,100 cr losses in Financial Year 2013: CAG
Five public sector undertakings in Chhattisgarh incurred losses of about Rs 2,100 crore in the 2012-13 fiscal, largely due to deficiencies in financial management and project execution, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has said in a report. The report was tabled in the State Assembly on Friday.
Of the 19 state PSUs (18 government firms and one statutory corporation), 12 earned a total profit of Rs 214.53 crore while five incurred total losses of Rs 2,091.51 crore in the last fiscal, Chhattisgarh Accountant General (Audit) P C Majhi said in a press conference.
Of the remaining two, one PSU posted "no profit no loss", while the other did not finalise its account, he said.
The losses were incurred mainly by Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Ltd and Chhattisgarh State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd to the extent of Rs 2,012.27 crore and Rs 78.88 crore, respectively, the report said.
It added: "The losses incurred by the PSUs are mainly attributable to deficiencies in financial management, planning, implementation of projects, running their operations and monitoring."
The national auditor said "the quality of accounts of PSUs need improvement."
 Ghulam Nabi Azad opens AIIMS campus in Raipur
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad formally inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences campus in Raipur, at a glittering ceremony in Raipur on Thursday.
On the occasion, he also announced setting up of a Cancer Treatment and Research Institute at a cost of Rs 120 crore in Bilaspur district, besides a smaller cancer and research institute at a cost of Rs 45 crore in the Korea district of Chhattisgarh.
In his opening remarks, Union Minister Azad said that the Centre gets equal support from state governments to strengthen and expand medical education and health services.
"The Chief Minister Raman Singh-led Chhattisgarh government made a good effort by ensuring the availability of land, electricity and water on time for the early establishment of the AIIMS in the capital of Raipur. At AIIMS Raipur, a total of 4,089 posts have been sanctioned for doctors, employees and officials," he said.
Speaking about some important initiatives taken for development of medical education and health services, he said that rules were amended to open new medical and nursing colleges, keeping increasing needs in mind.
He said that amendments were made in Medical Council of India's (MCI) rules to set up medical colleges in backward states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Due to such steps, around 97 big medical colleges were opened in the last four years across the country, and the number of seats in medical colleges have been increased from 150 to 250, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said the dream of 2.5 crore people of the state has come true and Raipur AIIMS, which has been started with 160 beds, would soon be extended by upto 1,000 beds. Preparation is on to open a new medical college in Surguja too, he said.
 State reshuffles portfolios of 11 IAS officers
In a minor administrative reshuffle, the Chhattisgarh government changed portfolios of 11 IAS officials.
"Fresh posting orders for IAS officers were issued here from the Mantralaya," an official said here today.
Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Finance, Planning, Economic and Statistics, Comercial Tax, Director General, Chhattisgarh Academy of Administration (CAA), DS Mishra has been given additional charge as Director CAA.
 Magisterial probe ordered into top police official's suicide
Chhattisgarh Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the case of a senior police officer allegedly committing suicide after he shot at his wife and two children in Bastar district.
Tabling his statement about the issue in the Assembly in Raipur on Tuesday, Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra said a magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident which took place at Jagdalpur district headquarters during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
Jagdalpur City Superintendent of Police Devnarayan Patel had committed suicide after shooting his wife and children. While Patel's wife was killed in the incident, his children are being treated in a Raipur hospital. After getting a call on his mobile phone from Patel, Station House Officer Vikas Thakur of the Kotwali police station, rushed to the officer's official residence at Saket colony, the state home minister said.
He found Patel and his wife Pratima lying in a pool of blood inside their bedroom, besides a pistol in Patel's hand, with empty bullet shells on the floor. His son Aryan (6) was found severely injured on the bed, beside his mother, while his daughter Poonam (10) was also found lying in a pool of blood, he said.
Later, a doctor declared Patel and his wife dead, while their children were admitted to a Raipur hospital, he said. Doctors at the Ramkrishna Care Hospital said that the condition of both the children was serious.
Poonam has undergone surgery and blood has been continuously oozing from her bullet wounds and her spine has been damaged. Her brother Aryan has sustained injuries on his stomach and thigh, a doctor said.
A team of doctors are trying to stabilise the kids, though it would be too soon to comment on anything, the doctor said.
 Raman Singh announces setting up of new Law Commission in state
A new Law Commission will be set up in Chhattisgarh to suggest changes in laws as per the geographical and social requirements of the State, Chief Minister Raman Singh announced in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Some laws in Chhattisgarh are in force since it was a part of Madhya Pradesh. They became obsolete after Chhattisgarh became a new State in 2000. Some legislations need to be altered according to the geographical and social requirements of the State, he said during reply on the discussion on Appropriation Bill in the House.
With these objectives in mind, the Government will setup a new Law Commission, Singh said. On the initiative of the State Government, a rail corridor project based on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has been sanctioned. Under this, a monorail project has been envisaged in the state capital, the Chief Minister said.
Under another PPP project between School Education Department and Super 30, a private coaching institute, a special programme will be launched to train students qualify for taking admission in reputed technical institutes, he said.
Lauding the development works of his Government in the past ten years, Singh said, "we will fulfil the expectation of the 2.50 crore people of the State who have shown faith in us for a third time.
Every single penny of the budget will be used appropriately." Chhattisgarh has performed well on parameters like providing electricity, education and drinking water to its people, the Chief Minister said. The Government has launched a slew of welfare schemes like the Chhattisgarh State Food and Nutritional Security Act 2013, health insurance for the poor, distribution of free generic medicines in Government hospitals and employment guarantee programme, he said.
After the Chief Minister's reply, the Rs 57,149-crore state budget for the financial year 2014-15 was passed in the Assembly by a voice vote.
AAP stages demonstration outside Chhattisgarh Assembly
Holding brooms and placards, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Monday staged a demonstration outside the Chhattisgarh Assembly in Raipur, demanding among other things arrest of BJP MP Sohan Potai for his alleged links with Maoists supporters.
"Twenty-eight AAP workers, including women, who were protesting outside Vidhan Sabha, have been arrested," Raipur Superintendent of Police OP Pal said.
The AAP activists were disguised as villagers and brought the brooms and posters in their vehicles, he said. Soon after the demonstration started outside the gate number 3, they were arrested, he added.
When asked how they could reach close to the Assembly as the budget session was underway, Pal said AAP, while seeking permission for the protest, had informed that they will take out procession from Dharna Sthal.
They were stopped near the Sapre School ground, but some, managed to reach near the Assembly by pretending that they were ordinary passers-by, which was illegal, he said.
Earlier, as many 125 workers were arrested and released later, he added. Discussion on budget was going on during this time.
AAP district secretary Sandeep Tiwari said that apart from the arrest of Potai, the party wanted support price of Rs 2,100 and bonus of Rs 300 for paddy farmers as per BJP's poll promise, action against the liquor mafias, and release of innocent tribals lodged in jails for alleged Naxal links.
Main opposition Congress had levelled allegations of Naxal links against the BJP MP a few days ago.
Maoist gunned down in a fierce encounter with security forces
A Maoist was gunned down in a fierce encounter with security forces in Naxal-affected Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, police said.
The face off took place in the forests under Dhaudai police station limits of restive Abhujmad region, Narayanpur Additional Superintendent of Police OP Sharma said.
The joint squad of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), a specialised unit of CRPF, Special Task Force and district police was on an anti-Naxal operation in Abhujmad region, about 400 kms from the state capital Raipur, this morning.
On spotting the security personnel in the forests of Dhaudai, armed Maoists launched an attack on them.
As the security personnel retaliated, a fierce exchange of fire took place, following which ultras fled to the core forest, the ASP said.
Later, the body of a Maoist in uniform was found inside the forest during a search following the encounter, he said, adding that some weapons were also recovered from there.
Further details were awaited as the security forces were yet to come out of the forest, he added.
Police destroy Naxal memorials, seize explosives
Police have destroyed 'memorials' built by the Naxals and seized explosives during an operation in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
Bijapur district police on Saturday said that the anti-Naxal campaign was undertaken by police and the CRPF jointly between February 15 to 20.
Police teams started from Awapalli village, and reached Basaguda via Sitapur, Usur, Naibi, Pusugappa, Pamed, Dharawaram, Polampalli, Pisipara and Pakela on February 20.
Along the way, memorials built by Naxals to commemorate their slain leaders were dismantled at Pujarikanker and Bhimaram on February 17, police said.
During the operation, police also seized two hand-grenades, 20 kg of explosives, mobile phones, uniforms, Naxal literature and other things at Narsapur village.
 Man kills wife, two children; commits suicide
A 33-year-old man on Friday committed suicide after murdering his wife and two children in the Taj Nagar area here, police said.
"Altaf Qureshi (33) killed his wife Zahida Qureshi and children Saddam (5) and Anjum (3) and later hanged himself in his house in the early hours of morning," Superintendent of Police Rakesh Bhatt said.
Altaf called the police control room and told them about the murders. Before the police could reach his house, he had hanged himself, Bhatt said.
Though prime facie Altaf appeared to have strangulated his wife and children, post-mortem would reveal further details, he added.
A suicide note recovered from the spot said that Altaf was having an affair with his sister-in-law who was badgering him to leave his family and run away with her, the CSP said. Further probe is on.
 Congress stages walkout from Chattisgarh Assembly over rape of minor tribal girls
Opposition Congress on Thursday staged a walkout from the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly while accusing the state government of its "failure" to ensure security of girl inmates of the state-run residential schools and hostels.
Congress MLA Shankar Dhruva raised the issue of the rape of minor tribal girls in a government-run residential school at Jhaliyamari Village in Kanker district in January 2013, during the Question Hour. He sought to know whether the committee constituted by the state government to probe the incident has submitted its report. "...If yes, then what action is taken against the accused in this connection," Dhruva questioned. He also asked about the compensation paid to the victims.
In his reply, Tribal Development Minister Kedar Kashyap said a committee headed by Kanker district collector was directed to investigate the incident. "The action was taken against the accused in the case and also against the government officials who were found guilty of dereliction of duty," Kashyap said.
He said as part of the compensation, the state has deposited Rs 2 lakh in the fixed deposit of each of the 15 victims, while an amount of Rs 60,000 was given to them under the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1995. "Besides, under the Victim Compensation Scheme, Rs 1.05 crore also allocated to Kanker's collector to disburse it among the victims," Kashyap added.
Senior Congress MLA Satynarayan Sharma questioned why a state-level committee was not formed to probe such a serious incident. "The victims were yet to get the compensation amount of 1.05 core," he alleged.
 Fake currency with face value of Rs 26 lakh seized in last 3 years: Minister
Fake currency with face value of over Rs 29 lakh has been seized in Chhattisgarh in the past three years, state Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra on Wednesday told the Assembly.
In a written reply to a question from Congress MLA Motilal Dewangan, Paikra said: "Counterfeit currency with face value of Rs 29,60,180 was seized between 2011 and 2013 in the state and a total of 66 cases were registered in this connection."
"Besides, as many as 129 people were booked in these cases," he said. The recovery of fake currency witnessed consistent rise during this period as the counterfeit currency with face value of Rs 4,46,930 was recovered in the year 2011, which further increased to 5,51,750 in 2012, and 19,61,500 in 2013, according to the reply.
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The maximum number of cases of fake currency were witnessed in Bilaspur (8), Raigarh (8), Mahasamund (7), Durg (7), Janjgir-Champa (6) and Korba (6) districts during this period, it said.
Five-year-old boy mauled to death by leopard
A five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Ratanpur town of Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said.
Aman Dhruve, a resident of Medrapara area of the town, was playing in the courtyard of his house along with other children when he was dragged away by the big cat on Monday evening, Bilaspur Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) JR Thakur said.
"His parents were not present at the house at that time. On hearing cries of the children, the victim's mother who was at the house of a neighbour rushed to the spot, where other villagers also gathered," he said.
"Villagers immediately launched a search for the child and after around an hour, he was found lying a kilometre away from his house on Ratanpur-Kota road. Aman was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead," the ASP added.
World's oldest living man residing in Korba?
A man from Chhattisgarh's Korba district has claimed he is 117 years old, which makes him the oldest person alive in the world. Premsai Patel, a native of Tilhapatai village under Kartala block, has claimed he was born on on May 11, 1896 and his age is 117 years and 8 months.
If his claims are true, Patel could be the oldest person alive, two years older than the 115-year-old Misao Okawa, the current record holder who lives in Japan. To back his claim, the retired school teacher shows the Aadhaar card, a key government document which mentions his date of birth as May 11, 1896.
He has witnessed four generations of his family, which comprise 50 members, including his three sons, the eldest of them being Itwari (80) followed by Mahesh and Ganeshram. Patel married again after the death of his first wife. According to Mahesh, his father had no particular diet regime and he hardly fell ill. He is still very healthy and does all his work at home on his own, Mahesh said.
According to Statistics Officer of Korba, Madu Sahu, pre-2005 birth and death records are not available in the district. Earlier these records were being maintained at Bilaspur district. However, the records of 1896 would not be available there also, he said.
Meanwhile, Korba Chief Medical Officer PR Kumbhkar said it is possible for human beings to live for 117 or more years. The correct age of a person can be verified through bone test, he added.
 Police arrest two Naxals during combing operation
Two Naxals were arrested during a search operation in Maoist-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Tuesday. The cadres were nabbed while they were trying to flee into the forests under Gangalur police station limits on Tuesday evening, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore said.
"A team of local police was on a combing operation in the Gangalur area, around 450 kms away from Raipur, when it spotted the rebels in Peddapara village. Those nabbed were identified as Punem Aytu (29) and Paiku Punem (35), active members of Gangalur area committee," he said.
"During interrogation, the duo admitted of being involved in several incidents of crime, including arson and murder in the region," he added.
Congress targets Chhattisgarh government over paddy storage facilities
Congress on Monday accused the state government of failing to ensure proper storage facilities at paddy procurement centres, saying that a substantial portion of the crop got damaged in rains as it was kept in the open.
The Opposition also termed it as a "conspiracy" to cover up alleged wrongdoings in the paddy procurement.
"Around 22 lakh tonnes of paddy kept in the open at different procurement centres, got damaged in the recent rains. The state government willingly left the paddy to rot in the rain to cover up its irregularities in procurement," PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel said in a statement on Monday.
 Raman Singh's brother, 3 others injured as car collides with mini-truck
Four persons, including the brother of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, were injured when their car collided head on with a mini truck on Raipur-Balodabazar Road on Sunday, police said.
Chief Minister's elder brother Ashok Singh and his wife Aarti Singh, their assistant Naresh Som and driver S Shivan were injured in the mishap that took place near a petrol pump under Kharora police station limits on way to Shivrinarayan from Raipur, Superintendent of Police OP Pal said.
Ashok received injures on the chest and hand, while his wife sustained injuries on her forehead, he said. Naresh and driver suffered minor injuries, Pal said adding that Ashok Singh's son and daughter-in-law, who were also in the car, escaped unharmed.
Soon after the incident, the injured were rushed to a local hospital from where they were shifted to Ram Krishna Care Hospital in Raipur. They are said to be stable, the SP said.
After the mishap, truck driver - Rizwan escaped from the spot, but was later nabbed, he said.
Chief Minister Raman Singh visited Ramkrishna Hospital to enquire about the health of his brother and others.
After hearing the pump owner, District Magistrate directed to close down pump on Feb 14 and 15, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on M/S S N Gupta, the dealer.
 Naxal killed in shoot-out in Bijapur district
A Naxal was killed by the security forces during a search operation in the Maoist-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place in the forest between Tamodi and Madpal villages under Mirtur police station limits last evening, Bijapur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore said over phone.
A joint team of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), a specialised unit of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and district police force were on a combing operation in the Gangalur, Mirtur and Bhairmagarh region, located around 450 km away from the state capital Raipur, he said.
Naxals started firing on them in the forest of Tamodi-Madpal, and a fierce exchange of fire took place, the DSP said.
The ultras later withdrew to the inner area of forest. Apart from a dead Naxal, a .303 rifle, a muzzle loading gun, live cartridges and some Naxal literature were recovered from the spot.
The deceased Naxal was yet to be identified, Rathore said.
After hearing the pump owner, District Magistrate directed to close down pump on Feb 14 and 15, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on M/S S N Gupta, the dealer.
Rs 5 lakh fine imposed on Mehta petrol pump for defrauding customers
Local authority has imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on a petrol pump and ordered its sealing for two days for defrauding the customers.
District Magistrate Mukesh Bansal took action against the Mehta petrol pump at Station Chowk in Raigarh, which is an outlet of Bharat Petroleum Ltd, for `short delivery'.
The officials of District Administration and Food Department had conducted raid on August 18, 2012 after getting complaints about the pump. The inspection revealed that the petrol dispensing machine delivered 40 ML fuel less per every one litre. There were other irregularities too.
After hearing the pump owner, District Magistrate directed to close down pump on Feb 14 and 15, and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on M/S S N Gupta, the dealer.
Congress MLA's sons booked for withdrawing government funds through fake invoices
Three persons, including two sons of a Congress MLA, have been booked for allegedly withdrawing government funds through fake invoices in Korba district of Chhattisgarh, the police said on Friday.
The case was registered on Wednesday against Rohit Agrawal and Rishu Agrawal - sons of Korba MLA Jaisingh Agrawal – and Naresh Verma (the trio are partners in BB Verma Construction company) for withdrawing Rs 20-25 lakh from the government exchequer through fake bills, Katghora SHO Arun Joshi said.
However, no arrests have been made so far.
According to the officer, the accused have been charged with committing forgery during construction of Katghora-Ambikapur Road, the contract of which their firm had won. They allegedly received payments through counterfeit bills while work was on, he said.
Following court's directives, an FIR was lodged against the trio under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 477 and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the SHO said. An investigation is on and appropriate action would be taken in this connection, he said.
Notably, these three were earlier also booked in another such case of cheating for allegedly borrowing government funds through fake bills for coal tar purchase during construction of a road in the region.
42 industrial units owe Rs 600 crore in water cess
As many as 42 industrial units in Chhattisgarh owe over Rs 600 crore to the state government as water tax, with Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) leading the pack with a dues of Rs 432.87 crore.
Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed the assembly on Thursday while replying to a question raised by BJP MLA Devji Bhai Patel, who sought a reply on water allocation to industries from various resources and subsequent collection of water tax.
In his reply, Agrawal said that 57 industries were being supplied water from different water resources in the state.
"Water cess amounting to around Rs 600 crore is pending against 42 industries. There is a provision of collecting water tax as per the rates fixed by the government from time to time. Efforts were being made to recover the dues from the industries, which include private as well as government entities," the minister added.
The entities that figure on the list are CSEB Korba (East) 440 MW (291.57 cr), CSEB Korba (West) 840 MW (Rs 131.37 cr) and CSEB Power House Korba (Rs 2.04 cr). Also on the list are Wardha Power Company Ltd (KSK Mahanadi) (Rs 26.95 cr), M/s Nova Iron and Steel Ltd (Rs 40.22 cr), Ind Synergy Ltd, Kotmar (Rs 27.42 cr), National Thermal Power Corporation, Darri (Rs 15.60 cr), NTPC Sipat (Rs 9.58 cr), Balco (Rs 6.84 cr) which owe water taxes to the state government.
"Water cess to the tune of Rs 614.78 crore is pending against the industries, which is causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. Despite this the water resources department is not taking the issue seriously," Patel said.
He alleged the Water Allocation department has even failed to collect water tax from Railways which is using huge quantity of water from different resources in the state.
In his reply, Agrawal said that some of the industries had requested to waive off its pending taxes owing to recession. "Efforts are underway to recover taxes from these industries. Necessary action will be taken against these firms if they failed to do so within stipulated period of time, he added.
 Three Naxals killed by security personnel during search operation
Three Naxals were gunned down by a joint team of security personnel during a search operation in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place in the forest of Nelnar in Abujhmad area on Wednesday evening, Additional Superintendent of Police O P Sharma told PTI over phone.
The joint squad of Special Task Force (STF) and district force were on a combing operation in Nelnar region, around 450 km away from here, when the armed Maoists launched an attack on them, he said.
After a fierce exchange of fire, bodies of three Naxals were found at the spot. Muzzle-loading guns, other weapons and commodities of daily use were recovered.
The identity of the killed ultras was yet to be established, the ASP said.
 Raman Singh disappointed with interim rail budget, says UPA government ignored state
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the interim railway budget, saying the Congress-led UPA government has "completely ignored" his state.
"Like previous years, again Chhattisgarh is ignored and neglected in the rail budget", Singh told reporters in Raipur. The Chief Minister said his state was "ignored" despite generating maximum revenue for railways and is left out on counts of ensuring facilities and expanding rail routes.
"This interim budget is disappointing for the people of the state," he added.
43 from Naxal's urban network held in Chhattisgarh in 5 yrs: Government
The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday said that 43 people, who were part of the urban network of the Maoists, were arrested in the state during past five years. In a written reply to a question from senior Congress legislator Bhupesh Baghel in the state Assembly, Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra informed the House that as many as 43 people, including women, were arrested from 2009 till January 20 this year on charges of involvement in urban channel of Naxals.
However, six of them were later exonerated while cases against 37 others were pending in the court of the law. As per the reply, seven alleged Naxal urban conduits were held in 2009 followed by two in 2010, eleven in 2011, six in 2012, eight in 2013 and nine in January this year.
Essar company General Manager DBCS Verma, contractor B K Lala and school teacher Soni Sori were among those arrested in 2011. Last month, nine persons - Mohpal Dhruva, Baliram Usendi, Chaitram Darro, Sukhnath Nareti, Neeraj Chopra, Dharmendra Chopra, Ravi Kadiyam, Badri Gavde - all from Kanker district of north Bastar and Foolsingh Naag of Kondagaon were arrested in this connection, the reply said.
Raman Singh presents Rs.54,710 crore tax-free Chhattisgarh budget
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday presented Rs.54,710 crore tax-free budget for 2014-15 in the state assembly.
Raman Singh who is ruling the state since December 2003 and also holds the finance portfolio, unveiled a series of tax reliefs for industries and cottage sector to revive them from recession.
In a major decision for the farm community, which makes up roughly 80 percent of the state's total population, the chief minister made a budgetary provision of Rs.140 crore for "interest free short-term crop loans".
The key trade bodies and the business personalities in the state have hailed the budget as "balanced and growth-oriented" with the opposition Congress terming it "disappointing, directionless, anti-farmer and anti-poor".
Highlighting the priorities of his government, Raman Singh said he was committed to eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition. He emphasised on "strengthening of human resources, especially the marginalised sections of society and prosperity of farmers, which will lead to better development of the state. This will be achieved through people-oriented, transparent and accountable administration".
The budget has made a provision of Rs.3,900 crore for providing rice at Re.1 per kg to 85 per cent families of the state under "Mukhyamantri Khaddyanna Suraksha Yojana" towards implementation of the The Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act.
A provision of Rs.8,459 crore has been made for the agriculture and allied sectors.
The chief minister announced about providing incentive to farmers at Rs.300 per quintal for paddy procurement of 2013 Kharif and provisioned Rs.2,400 crore for the same in the budget.
The total outlay for the social sector has been pegged at Rs.20,851 crore, which includes 12 percent for school education, eight percent for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes development, five percent for health and three percent for women and child development.
The state government has offered several bonanzas in the education sector and announced free education to girl students of government colleges up to graduation.
Interest rates have also been further reduced to one percent for education loans under the "Mukhyamantri Uchcha Siksha Krinn Anudan Yojana" while giving interest-free education loans under the scheme for students of Naxal-affected districts.
 Chhattisgarh: 5 CRPF personnel injured in a Naxal attack
Sukma: Five CRPF personnel were critically injured in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.
It is not for the first time that the region witnessed a gun battle between the CRPF and the Maoists.
In 2013, Naxalites had opened fire at CRPF camps in Sukma district, but the attack was repulsed by the security personnel.
 State's GDP to grow at 7.05 per cent in 2013-14: Survey
Chhattisgarh is expected to grow at 7.05 per cent in 2013-14 fiscal, the state economic survey tabled in the assembly on Friday said.
As per the survey, the state's per capita income is likely to attain the level of Rs 56,990 in 2013-14.
Chief Minister Raman Singh, who also hold finance portfolio, tabled the economic survey year 2013-14' of Chhattisgarh in the Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly).
"As per advance estimate, the Gross State Domestic Product at constant price is likely to grow at 7.05 per cent in 2013-14 over the previous year," the report said.
The growth in agriculture sector (agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing), industry sector (secondary sector and mining sector) and service sector are expected to be 2.62 per cent, 6.07 per cent and 10.18 per cent respectively, over the previous year, the report added.
As per the advance estimate, the gross domestic product at current price is likely to increase to Rs 1,75,961 crore in 2013-14 from Rs 1,53,621 crore as estimated for 2012-13.
During the same period, agriculture sector is expected to increase from Rs 34,097 crore to 36,841 crore, industry sector from Rs 57,306 crore to Rs 64,864 crore and service sector from Rs 62,217 crore to Rs 74,256 crore.
As per the first revised estimates (Quick Estimates) for the year 2012-13 at constant price, the GSDP registered a growth of 7.56 per cent over the previous year 2011-12.
Primary Sector (including agriculture, live stock, forestry, fishing and mining), secondary sector (construction, manufacturing and electricity, gas ~~amp;amp; water supply) and tertiary sector (service sector) are estimated to grow at the rate of 5.97 per cent, 7.09 per cent and 9.09 per cent respectively in comparison to 2011-12, the report said.
In the same way, agriculture sector has registered growth of 8.89 per cent, industry sector has grown at 5.38 per cent over 2011-12, it added.
The per capita income in 2011-12, at current prices was Rs 44,505, which has gone up to Rs 50,691 in 2012-13 as per quick estimates. It is further likely to attain the level of Rs 56,990 during 2013-14, the report said.
 Supreme Court grants permanent bail to Chhattisgarh teacher Soni Sori
New Delhi: In a major relief to Chhattisgarh schoolteacher Soni Sori, the Supreme Court on Thursday provided her permanent bail, saying she could visit her hometown Dantewada.
Sori, a middle-aged woman, was arrested in October 2011 on charges of helping the Maoists get 'protection money' from steel giant Essar.
Her case came into the limelight after it was reported that she was raped at the Dantewada police station and had stones inserted into her private parts while in custody.
"Giving electric shocks, stripping me naked, shoving stones inside me - is this going to solve the Naxal problem," she had once asked in a letter to the Supreme Court. In her many letters, Soni complained of bad health and being denied sustenance.
Human rights activists insisted that Sori was jailed for questioning violations of law by the police and security forces in the state.
"Chhattisgarh has an unwritten set of rules about how an adivasi should behave. You don't organise, you don't agitate, you don't protest against human rights violations, you don't protest against the state, and you certainly don't protest against industrial houses that are in Bastar to usher in the industrial revolution," Himanshu Kumar, member of the Chhattisgarh chapter of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said.
Supreme Court grants permanent bail to Chhattisgarh teacher Soni Sori
New Delhi: In a major relief to Chhattisgarh schoolteacher Soni Sori, the Supreme Court on Thursday provided her permanent bail, saying she could visit her hometown Dantewada.
Sori, a middle-aged woman, was arrested in October 2011 on charges of helping the Maoists get 'protection money' from steel giant Essar.
Her case came into the limelight after it was reported that she was raped at the Dantewada police station and had stones inserted into her private parts while in custody.
"Giving electric shocks, stripping me naked, shoving stones inside me - is this going to solve the Naxal problem," she had once asked in a letter to the Supreme Court. In her many letters, Soni complained of bad health and being denied sustenance.
Human rights activists insisted that Sori was jailed for questioning violations of law by the police and security forces in the state.
"Chhattisgarh has an unwritten set of rules about how an adivasi should behave. You don't organise, you don't agitate, you don't protest against human rights violations, you don't protest against the state, and you certainly don't protest against industrial houses that are in Bastar to usher in the industrial revolution," Himanshu Kumar, member of the Chhattisgarh chapter of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) said.
 Minister heckled over admission of EWS students to private schools
Opposition Congress and ruling BJP members on Thursday heckled state Education Minister Kedar Kashyap in the Chhattisgarh Assembly seeking early implementation of reservation for EWS students in private schools.
Congress legislator Amit Jogi and BJP MLA Devajibhai Patel had questioned Kashyap on the issue of 25 per cent reservation for admission of students from economically weaker sections (EWS) to private schools.
Kashyap told the House that state government has ensured admission of 31,743 EWS students in non-government schools under the RTE in academic session 2013-14. St Francis School in Bilaspur district, however, refused to admit such students.
The district authorities were directed to take the view of the school into consideration and initiate necessary action against the school, the Minister said.
Jogi then claimed that a government circular stating that 25 per cent reservation under this category was compulsory, was issued but was not implemented in the state. In response to Patel's question, Kashyap said 564 English medium private schools were operating in Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon districts and 867 children were given admission in these schools in academic session 2011-12, 1,164 student in session 2012-13, and 2,862 student in session 2013-14.
However, Patel claimed that private schools were reluctant to admit EWS category students and most poor people were also unaware of the Right to Education (RTE) act in the state.
 Ajit Jogi opposes Dwivedi's suggestion to end caste-based quotas
Congress leader Ajit Jogi on Thursday strongly opposed party colleague Janardan Dwivedi's controversial suggestion about ending caste-based quotas. Talking to reporters in Raipur, Jogi said that the system of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs had been introduced to end social inequality in the country.
The quota system for government jobs and educational institutes was put in place after a thorough debate by scholars and the architect of the Indian Constitution, BR Ambedkar, said Jogi, the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. It would be wrong to end this decades-long arrangement which benefits the disadvantaged sections of society, he added.
Jogi is the President of the Adivasi Mahasangh, a tribal body. He, meanwhile, added that there was a need to introduce reservation in the private sector as well since the social and economic condition of a vast majority of tribals, Dalits and OBC members had not seen any significant improvement even after 67 years of Independence.
 Eight people die as cave collapses in Surajpur
Eight people, including three girl students, were crushed to death under a giant boulder after a cave collapsed in Surajpur district on Tuesday.
Three people are still feared trapped under the debris, a police official said.
The giant boulder crushed the three girl students from a neighbouring village and sugar mill labourers who were sitting near the cave.
Eleven people were trapped under the debris, the official said adding so far eight bodies have been recovered.
The exact number of casualties could only be ascertained after the rock will be removed, police said.
 2 Naxals arrested during combing operation by CRPF-police joint forces
Two Naxals were arrested after an encounter with the police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Tuesday. The arrested naxals have been identified as Mudkam Joga (30) and Oyam Ayut (28) and a case has been registered in this regard.
According to the police a group of Naxals attacked a police team in Nendra village in Basaguda police station area of Bijapur district, following which the duo were arrested. They said, CRPF and district force had gone for regular combing activity in forests of Nendra village, when armed Naxalites in uniform opened fire at the police contingent.
Police also opened fire in retaliation and after a prolonged operation the Naxals managed to escape. The police team followed them and arrested the duo and recovered some bow and arrows from there.
 Congress stages walkout in the state Assembly over death of 22 deer
The principal opposition Congress on Monday staged a walkout in the Chhattisgarh Assembly demanding a probe into the mysterious death of 22 spotted deer in a zoo of Bilaspur district by a committee of the members of the house.
Raising the issue through a calling attention notice in the assembly, Congress legislator Umesh Patel said, "22 spotted deer, including female, most of whom were pregnant, died on January 15 at Kanan Pendari Zoo at Bilaspur. The forest officials were unaware of the incident and refrained from taking the responsibility of the incident."
He further alleged that some people associated with the ruling BJP had 'partied' at the zoo a night before the deer were found dead.
"Instead of taking care of the wild animal, the forest machinery was engaged in the hospitality of prominent people. The failure of government on the part of ensuring security to the wildlife in zoos and sanctuaries and create a favourable niche for them costing lives of the wild animals," he said.
In the reply Chief Minister Raman Singh claimed that no feast was held in the zoo.
Soon after the incident came to light, Joint Director, Veterinary Services Bilaspur and Dean, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry Anjora Durg were asked to constitute committees to probe the case.
After the analysis of the sample of the body parts of the dead herbivores, both the probe committees indicated that the animals were infected by bacteria called Bacillus.
One of the committees also suspected that the animals could have died of anthrax, Singh said.
 Congress alleges nexus between BJP and Naxals, seeks CBI probe
Alleging a nexus between some BJP leaders and Naxals in Chhattisgarh, the main opposition party Congress on Monday demanded a CBI probe into "urban network" run by rebels, which was unravelled recently.
Congress members raised this issue through an adjournment notice in Chhattisgarh Assembly, which was accepted. Beginning the discussion after lunch hour, senior Congress MLA Satyanarayan Sharma said, "The urban channel of the naxals has been operating from capital Raipur for long time and intelligence wing of police department has failed to crack it."
Citing names of suspected naxal conduits, including two prominent businessmen of Kanker region arrested recently, Sharma alleged a former BJP MP and a former minister were associated with these conduits and state government is trying to shield them. Sharma was joined by Amit Jogi, Brihaspati Singh, Manoj Mandavi, Kawashi Lakhma and Mohan Markam who came down heavily on the state government over its "failure" to check the naxal movement in the state.
"The naxal-helps are seen moving with representatives of people, which is a serious concern to administration. Names of those who are responsible to check this menace are surfacing for helping them", the Leader of Opposition TS Singhdeo said.
Singhdeo also attacked the "failure" of intelligence which he said resulted into incidents like Jiram Valley attack in which Maoist insurgents killed several Congress leaders including the then state unit president last year.
He alleged that politics had been deep-rooted into police administration too and raised demand for a CBI probe, saying there is a naxal nexus with the BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh.
State Home Minister Ramsewak Paikra refused to make any declaration in support of the demands made by Congress legislators but claimed that effective policing has in fact resulted into major setback for naxal movement in the state. "On the contrary, strong intelligence network has checked increase of naxal activities in the region", the minister said.
 Chhattisgarh recovers Rs 3.40 crore as fines on illegal mining
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said in the assembly here on Monday that Rs 3.40 crore were recovered as fines from over 1,700 cases of illegal mining were reported during the last four years.
The state also recovered Rs 13.64 crore as fines from 13,084 cases of illegal transportation of minerals during the same period.
In a written reply tabled on the floor of the House, the Chhattisgarh CM said that from January 2010 to December 2013, 1786 cases of illegal mining activities were registered.
Out of these cases, 1,235 were disposed off and Rs 3,40,51,719 was recovered as fines.
As per the reply, maximum cases of illegal mining (220) were reported in Sarguja district of North Chhattisgarh, followed by Durg (217), Kawardha (214), Koriya (179), Raigargh (149), Janjgir Champa (129), Korba (93), Raipur (76), Dhamtari (75), Mahasamund (62), Bilaspur (56), Jashpur (54),Balod (50), Balrampur (33), Balodabazar (32), Bastar (27), Dantewada (25), Surajpur (25), Rajnandgaon (17), Bemetara (15), Kanker (13), Mungeli (11), Gariaband (4), Kondagaon (3) and Sukma (1).
During the same period 13,084 cases of illegal transportation of minerals were reported of which 12,922 were disposed off and Rs 13,64,55,769 was recovered.
The largest number of illegal mineral transport cases occurred in Durg district, which saw 1,511 cases, while Raipur (1,155), Janjgir-Champa (1,291), Raigarh (1,205) and Sarguja (1,269) were other districts from where large number of such cases were reported.
 Suspected Naxal arrested in Bijapur
Security forces have apprehended a suspected Naxalite along with some arms and ammunition from the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, a squad of CRPF and state police were out for an anti-Naxal operation in the Takilod-Donga area of Bhairamgarh when an alleged Maoist identified as Markam Bomra was apprehended.
Bomra is said to be the commander of a local Naxal group operating in the area, the sources added.
A local gun called 'bharmar' and ammunition of the .303 rifle were seized during the operation.
Suspected Naxal arrested in Bijapur
Security forces have apprehended a suspected Naxalite along with some arms and ammunition from the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, a squad of CRPF and state police were out for an anti-Naxal operation in the Takilod-Donga area of Bhairamgarh when an alleged Maoist identified as Markam Bomra was apprehended.
Bomra is said to be the commander of a local Naxal group operating in the area, the sources added.
A local gun called 'bharmar' and ammunition of the .303 rifle were seized during the operation.
Suspected Naxal arrested in Bijapur
Security forces have apprehended a suspected Naxalite along with some arms and ammunition from the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
According to sources, a squad of CRPF and state police were out for an anti-Naxal operation in the Takilod-Donga area of Bhairamgarh when an alleged Maoist identified as Markam Bomra was apprehended.
Bomra is said to be the commander of a local Naxal group operating in the area, the sources added.
A local gun called 'bharmar' and ammunition of the .303 rifle were seized during the operation.
 Cong slams Raman Singh, says UPA will be back at Centre like movie sequels
Reacting to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh's statement calling the coming Lok Sabha election the "last show" of the Congress, Chhattisgarh Assembly opposition leader TS Singhdeo said that the UPA would continue at the Centre like sequels of popular movies.
He also accused CM Raman Singh of covering up his government's shortcomings through his populist policies.
"There is uncertainty over the outcome (of this Lok Sabha election). Nothing can be predicted. There will be a new picture," Singhdeo told reporters at Raipur Press Club on Sunday.
Calling Raman Singh a "weak" Chief Minister, he criticised him for failing to act sternly against those who were responsible for poor work. Speaking about his party's state unit decision to form a shadow cabinet in Chhattisgarh, he said that the step would enable his party leaders to focus on certain departments and expose alleged corruption.
 5 policemen get 3-year jail for helping 2 murder accused escape from custody
A local court in Raipur on Friday sentenced five policemen to three years of jail for helping two murder accused to escape from their custody three years ago. Gang member Vidyut Choudhary was also sentenced to three years imprisonment for escaping.
The Additional Session Judge ND Tigala awarded constables Rupesh Marble, Sunil Singh, Shailendra Ekka and Lenus Kerketta, besides head constable Christopher Lakra and murder accused Vidyut Choudhary, three years in jail, Public Prosecutor Yogendra Tamrakar told PTI.
The guilty policemen had helped the accused Choudhary and Vijay Prakash Rai, who were undertrials in a murder case to escape from their custody on January 29, 2011. On the fateful day, Choudhary and his associate, Vijay Prakash Rai, were being taken back to Ambikapur jail, when the accused policemen connived with the former and allowed him to escape, Tamrakar said.
After his escape, Choudhary reached Raipur and contacted his associate Sameer Tiwari. They allegedly looted some people in the city to arrange money, but were arrested by the Raipur police on the same day.
Later five policemen and Vijay Rai were also held from Raipur bus stand while three others namely Brijeevan Rai, Prabhat Singh, Abdul Zaid Khan were also nabbed for supporting the accused, he said. The court convicted all five guilty police personnel and the accused Choudhary and released others for lack of evidence, he said.
 RS polls: Motilal Vora, Ranvijay Pratap Singh Judeo elected unopposed from the state
AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and the nephew of late Dilip Singh Judeo, Ranvijay Pratap Singh Judeo were on Friday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Chhattisgarh.
Vora, a veteran Congressman, was elected to Rajya Sabha for a third consecutive term.
Scion of erstwhile royal family of Jashpur, Ranvijay Pratap Singh Judeo was rewarded with Rajya Sabha nomination for his party's good performance in the three assembly segments in Jashpur district in the recent elections.
With the latest round of elections to the Upper House, of the five Rajya Sabha MPs from the state, three -- Nandkumar Sai, Bhusanlal Jangde, Ranvijay Pratap Singh Judeo -- are from the ruling BJP while two -- Motilal Vora and Mohsina Kidwai -- are from Congress.
 Supply of aid to Naxals blocked after crackdown on conduits, claim police
With its recent crackdown on the urban support network and couriers of Maoists, Chhattisgarh Police has claimed to have choked the main supply chain of weapons, medicines and other kind of aid to Naxals operating from their stronghold in Bastar region of the state.
Police recently arrested nine persons, all residents of Kanker region who they claimed were acting as conduits and were part of the channel providing logistic and financial support to the extremists linked to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the banned CPI(Maoist).
These persons, two of them prominent businessmen from north Bastar, were working under the direction of Prabhakar, a divisional committee rank member, according to a highly-placed intelligence official.
Prabhakar is a very important figure in the outlawed red organisation and was solely handling the entry of all Naxal-related materials through various regions surrounding Bastar and Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), he said.
"The interrogation of Naxal conduits revealed that Prabhakar is the man who looks after the entry and exit of all kinds of material in DKSZC-controlled area which is spread over south Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli," the official said.
"Intelligence Bureau inputs suggest that Prabhakar had shifted to deep forests in Abhujmad area from Kanker after the arrest of couriers as most of them frequented his usual locations and he feared that their grilling may create trouble for him," he added.
During investigation, it also came to light that Prabhakar was a close relative of Ganpathi, "Supreme Commander" and General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Maoist). He hails from the native region of Ganpathi in Karimnangar district, Andhra Pradesh, the official said. "Due to his proximity to Ganpathi, Prabhakar was entrusted with such a big responsibility of handling the supply chain.
"Prabhakar's role is being considered equivalent to that of Gudsa Usendi (who surrendered recently) who was handling the media operations of DKSZC." "Of the nine Naxal conduits, Neeraj Chopra, a business, and Sukhnath Nareti were said to be very close to Prabhakar and major links in this network operating from Kanker in North Bastar."
Two sport officials, coach arrested for molesting kho-kho players
Two officials of Chhattisgarh Kho-Kho Association and a coach were arrested for allegedly molesting female players, including minors, of the association's state team at Bhilai in Durg district, police said on Thursday.
According to the victims, the association's general secretary S Raju, treasurer Jagbandhu Jena and coach Murli Reddy called them to their room and allegedly molested them and made indecent advances, Bhilai City Superintendent of Police Veerendra Sathpathy told.
The trio were nabbed after a case was registered against them based on the complaint of 11 girls, including six minors, on Wednesday night.
The accused on Thursday were produced before a local court which sent them in judicial remand for 15 days, the SP said.
The alleged offence occurred during the national camp for junior and senior kho-kho players which was underway in sector-4 of Bhilai from January 9 when the women players, including the victims, were staying at the Bhilai Steel Plant hostel in the same area.
The victims, all natives of villages from Durg, Rajnandgaon, Balod and Bemetara districts, most of them from SC/ST categories, were earlier reluctant to come forward but later they collectively decided to lodge a complaint in this regard, he said.
The girls alleged that the accused asked them to change their clothes in front of them and also touched them inappropriately, Sathpathy said.
A senior player in the camp told that Jena allegedly tried to show her obscene videos on his phone on the pretext of showing visuals of kho-kho for training purpose.
However, S Raju refuted the charges while speaking to reporters, saying that the complainants were like his children and he cannot indulge in such shameful things.
The association authorities were not available for comments, despite attempts to contact them.
 Amnesty pleads for Soni Sori's release
Chhattisgarh: Amnesty International has submitted a petition to the Chhattisgarh chief minister urging him to drop all charges against tribal activists Soni Sori and her nephew Lingaram Kodopi and release them "immediately and unconditionally".
Amnesty said it considers Sori and Kodopi to be prisoners of conscience who have been arrested on false charges solely because they criticised human rights violations by the security forces in Chhattisgarh.
"People from across India are calling for Soni Sori and Lingaram Kodopi's release," said Shashi Kumar Velath, programme director at Amnesty International India.
Sori and Kodopi have been in detention since October and September 2011 respectively. Sori's husband Anil Futane died Aug 2, 2013, but she was denied bail to perform his last rites.
"Soni Sori and Lingaram Kodopi's continued detention is a matter of shame for India," said Velath.
He added: "Their cases show just how far authorities in Chhattisgarh can go to silence their critics. Government of Chhattisgarh needs to stop filing politically motivated charges against Adivasis and start listening to what they have to say."
Sori, 36, a school teacher and her nephew Kodopi,26, a journalist, were critical of human rights violations committed both by the security forces and the armed Maoists in Chhattisgarh.
The Supreme Court will hear the bail applications moved by both Kodopi and Sori Sep 30. Sori has alleged that she was tortured while she was in police custody on 8 and 9 October 2011. In letters written to the Supreme Court, she said that police officials stripped and sexually assaulted her and gave her electric shocks.
A senior police official who Sori said had ordered and supervised her torture was conferred a gallantry award by the President of India in January 2012.
 Three Naxals arrested in Chhattisgarh
Raipur: Three Naxals, including a woman, were arrested from separate places in Maoist-hit Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Saturday.
"Following a tip-off, two ultras were nabbed from a local market of Tadoki police station area on late last evening," a senior official said.
The arrested were identified as Rajlal Dugga (36) and Dayaram Markam (30).
The duo were rounded up on suspicion and later they admitted of being involved in the movement, he said adding, "they were involved in several incidents of loot, arson and attacks on police party in north Bastar."
In a separate operation, Itwarin (26), a member of Partapur area committee of Communist Party of India (Maoist) was apprehended from a hospital under Bande police station limits of the district.
"After getting information that a woman cadre has reached a hospital in Bande for treatment, the police party was mobilised, which later nabbed her," the official said.
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