Centrotherm To Build 50-MW Thin-film Plant

KOLKATA: Centrotherm photovoltaics AG has received an order to construct a thin-film plant. Illies Renewables GmbH, Hamburg, has ordered a 50-megawatt (MW) production line for thin-film modules based on CIGS technology for its production location at Magdeburg-Rothensee, Germany.

The order value is in excess of €60 million. Delivery of the lines will begin prospectively in the first half of 2010. Illies Renewables is a project development company active in the renewable energies area.

"It gives us great pleasure to support Illies Renewables in their entry into thin-film technology," said Hans Autenrieth, member of the board of centrotherm photovoltaics AG. "This order provides further confirmation that we have backed a pioneering technology in CIGS."

Last year, Renewable Energy World Magazine reported that centrotherm plans to set up a 5000 tonne capacity polysilicon processing factory in the state of West Bengal in eastern India at an investment of US $3.18 billion. The factory is likely to be the first such plant in India and the state government has already allotted a quarter of the land needed for the 790-acre project. The factory will produce both electronic and solar grade silicon and will be equipped with a 100 MW captive power plant.

FDI inflow from NRIs steady despite recession

NEW DELHI: Global recession had no impact on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from Indians abroad as it has registered a rise in the current fiscal, the Lok Sabha was informed. Highlighting investment figures from the states, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said: "There has been no decline in investment due to global recession during 2008 as compared to 2007." Goa and West Bengal figured as the highest investment attracting states with the former receiving Rs 30 crore and the latter Rs 20.3 crore in FDIs.

NRIs, Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Corporate Bodies (OCB) accounted for FDIs and Foreign Technology Cases (FTC) worth Rs 70 crore during January to September 2008 in comparison to Rs 65.8 crore for the period January to December 2007, Ravi told the Lok Sabha.

Paramount Airways to fly to Kolkata by June

Kolkata: After entering the southern and western markets of the country, private carrier Paramount Airways is now planning to launch services to the eastern sector by June. “We are looking at June to begin operations to and from Kolkata,” the Chennai-based company’s managing director M. Thiagarajan told the media here Wednesday. Thiagarajan said initially the airlines will operate two to three flights between Chennai and Kolkata. “Later, we will connect Kolkata with all the southern cities via Chennai.”

He said his company was ready to get into the northeast too. “For instance, we can launch a service to Dibrugarh.” Thiagarajan met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday. “He requested me to operate services from Coochbehar, and promised all support.”
The airline now operates from three destinations in western India - Pune, Goa and Ahmedabad, and is the market leader in the south, with a 26 percent share.

He said by 2010, Paramount will operate flights in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. “Post-2011, we will look at flying on international routes,” Thiagarajan said. The company now has five aircraft, and has plans to buy three more by March-end. By 2009-end, the total number of aircraft will go up to 11.

“We will buy 10 numbers of either Boeing 787 or Airbus 350 once we start operating on the international route,” he said. Thiagarajan claimed that while the other airlines lost 8-10 percent of their passengers last year due to the slowdown, the number of Paramount’s passengers increased 5-6 percent.

Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region (PCPIR) in West Bengal cleared by Union Cabinet

New Delhi : With the union cabinet clearing proposals of the West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat governments for setting up Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs) in their territorial domain, a major hurdle has been removed in the way of investment worth more than Rs 4,50,000 crore in PCPIRs, chemicals minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

“With the cabinet clearing the proposals for three PCPIRs, I believe investment would now start flowing in these regions. Going by their (the states’) estimates, investment worth Rs 4,50,000 crore should start happening there,” Paswan said. The PCPIR policy notified in April 2007 seeks to ensure adoption of a holistic approach to the development of global scale industrial clusters in the petroleum, chemical and petrochemical sectors in an integrated and environment-friendly manner. “They would have high-class infrastructure, and provide a competitive environment conducive for setting up businesses. They would thus result in a boost to manufacturing, augmentation of exports and generation of employment, all needed to counter the effects of the global economic downturn,” the minister said.

As per the policy, 40 per cent of the area would be a processing zone, while the remaining would be the non-processing area consisting of residential, commercial and other social and institutional infrastructure. In terms of the policy, the state government is only required to notify and not acquire the entire area. A PCPIR includes SEZ(s), Free Trade and Warehousing Zones, Industrial Parks and existing industrial clusters. All existing labour laws would be applicable in the PCPIR and SEZs, in the region, if any, would be governed by special laws.

Of the three proposals approved, the Andhra Pradesh government has proposed to set up a PCPIR at Vishakhapatnam-Kakinada-Rajahmundry belt covering an area of 603.58 sq km. The total industrial investment in it is estimated at Rs 343,000 crore including committed investments of Rs 1, 63,890 crore and the envisaged direct and indirect employment in the PCPIR is estimated to be about 5.25 lakh and 6.73 lakh persons respectively. The state has identified HPCL and GMR-led consortia as the two anchor tenants for this project. Similarly, the Narendra Modi administration in Gujarat has proposed to set up a PCPIR at Dahej spread over blocks of Vagra and Bharuch in south Gujarat, covering 453 sq km at an estimated investment of Rs 50,000 crore.

West Bengal had proposed to host a PCPIR in Haldia in Purba Medinipur district covering the existing Haldia Municipal Area and the adjoining areas of Haldia Development Authority (including Nayachar Island), covering an area of 250.19 sq km. The government has estimated a total investment of Rs 93,180 crore in the proposed PCPIR, including a committed investment of Rs 48,180 crore.

West Bengal: Trinamool seeks tie-up with Congress

KOLKATA: A small section of Congress leaders in West Bengal may be more than keen to strike a deal with Trinamool Congress to fight the Lok Sabha elections jointly, but this cross-section has no role to play in finalising the deal with Mamata Banerjee. The Congress high command will finally decide on the issue.

"We can’t decide on fighting the coming Lok Sabha elections jointly with Trinamool Congress. We have already informed our party high command that we want an adjustment with Trinamool Congress. But a final decision in this regard will be taken by our party high command," leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) Manas Bhunia said on Wednesday.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is also aware of the situation which reasons her not attaching too much importance to hold talks with West Bengal Congress leaders. It is learnt that Mamata is holding talks with AICC leaders in Delhi regarding striking the deal with the Congress to take on the CPI(M) in the coming parliamentary elections. Mamata is maintaining silence on the issue and has reportedly assigned some of her trusted leaders to keep a close watch on state Congress leaders to gauge how many of them are serious about the alliance.

The AICC will hold a two-day session in Delhi from March 2 which will be attended by all state Congress presidents, legislative party leaders and party spokespersons. It is expected that the issue of a poll alliance in West Bengal will surface at the meeting and senior AICC leaders will try to ascertain from the West Bengal Congress leaders the electoral gains the Congress could achieve by striking a deal with Mamata Banerjee.

Meanwhile, second-ranking leaders of both the Congress and Trinamool Congress in West Bengal are continuing to run each other down. "Mamata Banerjee may be interested in striking a deal with our party to fight the elections jointly. But, her lieutenants are putting in all efforts to ruin the possibilities of finalising the seat-sharing. I request Mamata to identify her own party leaders who are on a mission to destroy the chances of a deal," Mr Bhunia said on Wednesday.

Mr Bhunia’s target was Partha Chatterjee, the opposition leader and Trinamool Congress MLA, who has made a scathing attack against external affairs minister and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Pranab Mukherjee, holding him responsible for helping out the CPI(M) in getting central funds for various developmental projects in West Bengal.

Maoists attack railway station, kill one RPF personnel

Purulia: A Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel was killed and three others were injured, two of them critically, when Maoists attacked the Biramdih railway station in this West Bengal district, opened fire and fled after snatching their rifles.

S R Majhi (24) was critically injured and died at the Bokaro hospital in Jharkhand, where he was shifted along with the other two from Purulia sadar hospital for treatment, Railway sources said.
About 10 Maoists took the RPF personnel by surprise by suddenly opening fire from sophisticated weapons at the station, 20 km from here in the Adra division of South Eastern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager Om Prakash Choubey said.

There would have been more casualty had the station been crowded, sources said, adding luckily for the passengers there was no train in the station when the Maoists struck. The attackers escaped through the common border with Jharkhand minutes after the operation. The leaflets and hand bills left by them were seized by the police.

WB Govt accepts Fifth Pay Commission recommendations

Kolkata: With Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the West Bengal Government today announced the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission with certain improvements, which will be effective from April 1 this year.

"The state government has accepted, by and large, the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission, constituted by it, with certain improvements," Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said.

Beneficiaries will include ten lakh government employees, teachers and other staff, while the government has to incur an additional expenditure of about Rs 5,700 crore annually, he said.

Dasgupta said that replacing the existing pay scales, a revised pay structure with five Pay Bands and distinct Grade Pay for each of the unrevised pay scales have been introduced.

Giving an example, Dasgupta said a Group-D employee now drawing a basic pay of Rs 2,600 plus dearness pay of Rs 1,300 would get Rs 6,600 as basic pay in the revised pay structure. The highest basic scale in Pay Band-5 will be from Rs 37,400 to Rs 60,000, he said.

Govt announces bank loans for unemployed

KOLKATA, Feb 26, 2009: People who are unemployed have a reason to cheer as the state government of West Bengal has announced bank loans of Rs 50,000 for the unemployed youth. The state government announced the scheme on February 24th with a view to help the unemployed youth who want to start their own ventures. Labour Minister Mrinal Banerjee discussed the loan granting procedure in a meeting with the representatives of RBI, Bank of Baroda, SBI and other banks.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Banerjee said, "We have worked out a new scheme, Udiyaman Swanirbhar Karmasanstan Prakalpa 2008, for unemployed youth who set up small business ventures in the state. We are looking at businesses where the minimum investment will be Rs 50,000 and maximum investment Rs 5 lakh. The state government will provide a 25% subsidy for these business ventures."

He stated that, "Youths, between 18 and 45 years of age, would be given Rs 50,000 each. Of this, the state government will pay Rs 12,000." The minister said that if ten individuals joined together to prepared a scheme, then they would get loan of Rs 5 lakh and the government would pay Rs 1.25 lakh of that amount.

This scheme will be available to those people who have registered with employment exchanges and have not received any job through the exchange in the past one year. "We plan to launch the scheme in the current financial year. A screening committee will be set up with representatives from the labour department, district administration, banks and chambers who will scrutinise the business proposals."

Further the state government is in discussions with the some public sector banks to lend loans for the purpose. "We have spoken to eight nationalised banks today on this issue. We plan to meet these banks next month again," said the labour minister.

THREE NEW JNNURM PROJECTS FOR KOLKATA APPROVED

Press Information Bureau,

Government of India
Thursday, February 26, 2009

Ministry of Urban Development has given approval to three new JNNURM projects in Kolkata, West Bengal. The Central sanctioning and monitoring committee for the sanctioning of projects under submission-1, Urban infrastructure and governance (UIG) has sanctioned Transmunicipal surface water supply scheme for Dum Dum, North Dum Dum and South Dum Dum municipality, Municipal solid waste management project of 13 municipal towns of Kolkata (Halisahar, Kanchrapara, Kayani, Gayeshpur, Nalhati, Bhatpara, Khardah, Barasat, Madhyamgram, Mahestala, Pujali, Baruipur and Uluberia) and construction of flyover from Parks Circus to Parama Island.

The first project will improve the deteriorating ground water supply, both in quality and quantity by augmenting the existing water treatment plant at Kamarhati from 140 MLD to 280 MLD by utilizing the water from existing source. After implementation of the project 24Hrs connectivity will be provided to 100% households. The project will reduce the wastage of water by replacing the leaky pipe and installing water meters to measure the actual consumption. The project will be implemented in 30 months by Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Regarding the solid waste management project for 13 municipal towns, it would cover 251.40sqkms of area and a population 24.90lakhs. The project will address the problem of source segregation of solid waste, street side storage in open masonry vats, open dumping in low lying areas, designing of sanitary landfill site with requiste infrastructure facilities treatment of MSW through Vermi/Mechanical composting. The Construction of flyover from Parama Island will ease traffic congestion at Park Road due to 7 roads meeting at the intersection. The project would be completed by March 2010.

The details of the projects are as under:
Sl. No.
Mission City/State
Project Cost (in Lakhs)
Approved Cost (in Lakhs)
Central Share
ACA Proposed to be released

1
Kolkata, West Bengal
Transmunicipal Surface Water Supply scheme for Dum Dum, North Dum Dum and South Dum Dum Municipalities
31272.08
10945.23(35%)
2616.04 (1st installment)

2
Kolkata, West Bengal
Municipal Solid Waste Management of 13 municipal towns for Kolkata (Halisahar, Kanchrapara, Kayani, Gayeshpur, Nalhati, Bhatpara, Khardah, Barasat, Madhyamgram, Mahestala, Pujali, Baruipur and Uluberia)
11196.52
3918.78(35%)
979.69 (1st installment)

3
Kolkata, West Bengal
Construction of Flyover from Park Circus to Parama Island
29166.14
10208.15(35%)
2552.04 (1st installment)

The CSMC also sanctioned 2nd and 3rd installments in respect of 5 ongoing projects as under:-

4
Kolkata, West Bengal
Construction of Flyover between E.M. Bypass and Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani
3802.00
1330.70(35%)
332.67 (2nd installment)

5
Kolkata, West Bengal
Surface Water Supply scheme within added areas of Howrah Municipal Corporation
9068.91
3174.12(35%)
793.53 (2nd installment)

6
Kolkata, West Bengal
Development and management of water supply and sewerage systems of Sector-V under NDITA at Salt Lakh (Phase-I)
2606.62
912.32(35%)
228.08 (3rd installment)

7
Kolkata, West Bengal
10MGD water treatment plant at Uluberia Municipal Town under KMDA
4558.00
1595.30(35%)
398.83 (3rd installment)

8
Kolkata, West Bengal
Underground water reservoir-cum-booster pumping station at Gandhi Maidan Akra
1066.00
373.10(35%)
93.28 (2nd installment)

BENGAL GOVT. WILL CREATE 10 LAKHS JOB IN TEXTILE SECTOR BY 2012

KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has drafted an ambitious textiles policy with the vision to create ten lakh jobs by 2012. The state government has identified 100 acre land for the textiles park in Howrah district , which will be alloted to Chamber of Textile Trade and Industry (Cotti). The proposed textiles park by the Cotti, will bring in an investment of Rs 500 crore.

The policy also aims to create a "robust textile infrastructure in the state by setting up 20 integrated textile/apparel/hosiery parks, three jute parks, 50 additional handloom clusters, silk parks together with one Integrated Silk Processing and Printing Complex (SPPC) and an ultra-modern integrated textile township in the state, the first of its kind in the country, during the next five years.

The infrastructure will be developed in public-private partnership." The policy also aims to double the existing handloom output and attain an export level of 10 per cent of fabric turnover, enhance the number of active powerlooms in West Bengal to 20,000, thereby increasing the powerloom output by at least 300 per cent to reach 180 million meters by the year 2012. The policy also aims to increase the existing readymade garments output of 400 million pieces of woven wear and 90 million pieces of knitted garments in the state by 300 per cent, and to double the readymade garments export from West Bengal.

The land identified for the park, which, has been stuck due to litigation, said sources. It has been stalled for almost two years in the wake of land related issues. Cotti will not get Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) grant from the Union government, unless it has the land in its possession. If approved, the park will get a maximum of 40 per cent infrastructure cost, or Rs 40 crore, whichever is lower, as grant.

Union Cabinet approves establishment of National Institute of Biomedical Genomics at Kalyani, West Bengal

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet monday gave its approval to the establishment of National Institute of Biomedical Genomics ( (NIBMG) at Kalyani in Nadia District of West Bengal as an autonomous institution under the aegis of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology with the budgetary provision of rs.210 crores. The institute will be a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, and will be governed by the Governing Body.

The Institute has emphasis towards enhancement of knowledge on human health & disease through genomics and translate the knowledge using appropriate technologies for promotion of well being and improvement of genomics-based health-care in India. NIBMG will create necessary physical infrastructure and build capacity to serve as the expert base for the establishment of principles and practice of biomedical genomics and promote cutting-edge research in biomedical genomics for better understanding and reduction of public-health burden in India. The grand vision is to provide personalised, predictive, preventive and therapeutic healthcare through the use of genomic knowledge.

NIBMG will usher in the genomics era explicitly in the areas of medicine and public-health. It will undertake novel research, translational, educational & training programmes, network with relevant institutions through star alliance, and seed biomedical genomics activities in hospitals, medical school and other health-care institutions.(PIB)

14th Leather Goods Intl Fair begins in Kolkata

KOLKATA:There is an urgent need to increase domestic as well as export markets for leather goods, so said the West Bengal Finance Minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta, at the inaugural ceremony of the 14th Leather Goods International Fair, in Kolkata.Exports from the leather goods sector has been registering a steady growth in the last few years, but they have been hit by the global recession caused due to the economic meltdown, he added by saying.

Speaking on the occasion, the President of Indian Leather Products Association, Mr Satyabrata Mukherjee, said, during the last few months there has been a 40 percent drop in leather exports from the country and was likely to dip further.Around 40 exhibitors are show casing their leather products at the fair like handbags, wallets, portfolios, belts and accessories, which will continue till February 24. Visitors from Spain, Bangladesh, Singapore and Netherlands are expected to visit the fair.

MCC restructures PTA business, will shift HQ to Singapore and Haldia

TOKYO (Japan), February 24, 2009: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation( MCC) will shift a part of headquarters operations of its terephthalic acid business from Japan to Singapore and India to reform the business structure in Asia. According to a MCC press release, the details are as follows:

MCC’s terephthalic acid business is developed under a basic policy of locating production sites in customer regions such as Indonesia, India, China, and South Korea, with overall business management based in Japan. In addition to that MCC has decided to shutdown production facilities in Japan, a state-of-the-art terephthalic acid production facility in India, on which construction started January 2006, will be completed at the end of February 2009 and start commercial operation by the end of June 2009.

Therefore, the terephthalic acid business will be developed mainly in Asian countries outside Japan.At that time, MCC plans to move headquarters operations for the business to Singapore in June 2009 and for the technology to India (Haldia, West Bengal) at the end of 2009 , in order to establish a new business model (the final responsibility of the total terephthalic acid business remains in Japan). While ensuring mobility in terms of purchasing raw materials, sales, and technology and localization of human resources, MCC will further promote the reformation of its business structure.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation also announced plans to shut down a terephthalic acid production facility at the Matsuyama Plant and a production facility at the Mizushima Plant that makes paraxylene, a raw material of terephthalic acid. The terephthalic acid production facility at the Matsuyama Plant started operation in July 1987. The terephthalic acid produced at the Matsuyama Plant is supplied to domestic manufacturers of polyester fibers and films as raw materials. The paraxylene production facility at the Mizushima Plant started operation in December 1968, and its entire output is used as raw material for terephthalic acid production at the Matsuyama Plant.MCC has taken various steps toward rationalization from every perspective. However, we concluded that there are no prospects to restoring profitability, and decided to shut down the facilities due to a trend of decreasing domestic demand for terephthalic acid.

The terephthalic acid production facility at the Matsuyama Plant and the paraxylene production facility at the Mizushima Plant are scheduled to be shut down in December 2010 and May 2010 respectively. Production of isophthalic acid will continue at the Matsuyama Plant, based on an operation agreement with AG. International Co., Inc.

Kolkata Metro extension to be completed by 2014

Kolkata February 23: Continuing with his announcements of heavyweight infrastructure projects over the past one week, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today laid the foundation stone of the Rs 4,874.58-crore East-West Kolkata Metro corridor project, the first ever in the country to run under a river.

The central government will invest Rs 1,169 crore for the project through equity and subordinated debt, while the state government will spend around Rs 1,452.58 crore. The remaining Rs 2,253 crore will be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as a senior-term debt loan.The 13.77-km corridor would run from Salt Lake Sector V, the IT hub of the city, up to Howrah Maidan. Of this, around 8 km will be underground with six stations and the balance 5.77 km will be on an elevated track.

The underground corridor starts from Howrah railway station and will cross the river Hooghly at a depth of 60 feet from the water level. The proposal to extend the metro alignment up to Howrah Maidan from Howrah station covering an additional 900 metres at an added cost of Rs 198.58 crore was sanctioned by theCentre’s committee of empowered ministers last Thursday.

“The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) has been registered as a joint venture company with equal equity participtation from the Centre and the state government in July last year,” Bhattacharjee said. “It has already started issuing work orders and tenders,” he added.Tender for the elevated corridor at Salt Lake was awarded to Gammon India Ltd on February 20, informed state Transport Secretary Sumantra Chowdhury, who is also the managing director of KMRC.He added that KMRC aims to make the Salt Lake-Sealdah stretch ready by 2012. The deadline for completion of the entire project is October 2014.

Pranab asks Mamata to keep development out of politics

KOLKATA: Taking a dig at the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said development should be kept above party politics. He was referring to Banerjee’s criticism that he was strengthening the CPI(M) by sharing the dias with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at various occasions.

Mukherjee was speaking at the foundation ceremony of the East West Metro Corridor project near Yubabharati Krirangan at Bidhan Nagar on Sunday. He was the chief guest while Bhattacharjee laid the foundation stone of the project.

“All developmental work should be kept out of narrow political interests. Some people oppose development for their selfish gains. This is most unfortunate,” said Mukherjee. At the Jangipur rally in Murshidabad district on Saturday, Mukherjee had slammed Banerjee that she could face the same opposition for development projects once she became the chief minister. “Kolkata got the first Metro in the country. This 15 km-corridor will also be the first in the country. History does not forgive people who oppose development,” Bhattacharjee said on Sunday.

Later in the day, Partha Chatterjee, the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said Mukherjee was siding up with the CPI(M) against the people of Bengal. Chatterjee was speaking to media at Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, where, incidentally, the Trinamool chief was not present. “Bengal’s hero (Mukherjee) is acting as the votary of the CPI(M). Where was he when people were killed in Nandigram or Tapasi Malik was killed in Singur? He is not with the people of Bengal but with the CPI(M),” said Chatterjee.

Labeling Mukherjee as CPI(M)’s mouthpiece, he said both Mukherjee and the CPI(M) are rushing to lay the foundation of various projects before the elections. “In the 32 years of CPI(M) rule how many projects have materialised? The Bengal’s hero and Bhattacharjee are going on laying the foundation of one project after another,” he added. “Mukherjee did nothing for the revival of Dunlop and Basumati and did not help PTTI students. But he is keen on helping the CPI(M),” Chatterjee added.

He claimed that the East West corridor project will be a disaster and said: “20 lakh people will be displaced in Kolkata and greater Kolkata by the project. Who will take care of their rehabilitation?” Chatterjee added. When asked whether Mukherjee’s actions will hamper the prospects of Trinamool’s alliance with the Congress, he said: “We will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

Interestingly, Congress workers shared the dias with their Trinamool counterparts while campaigning for the Bishnupur West by-elections on Saturday. In Bishnupur West, the Congress has recently withdrawn its candidate in favour of the Trinamool.

Asian brown cloud has robbed West Bengal of winter

KOLKATA: Winter wear hardly got out of cupboards this year in West Bengal, as it never really got cold. Environmental experts feel a blanket of pollutants in the air, called the Asian Brown Cloud, could be responsible for the climate change.

"For the past few years we have not been experiencing winter in West Bengal. This environmental change is caused by the formation of the Asian Brown Cloud," environmentalist Pranabesh Sanyal, who is also a member of the World Conservation Union, told IANS. "The cloud has been formed due to increasing automobile pollution in the air, carbon soot (or particulate carbon) and chemicals used in the agriculture sector."

According to Sanyal, the Asian Brown Cloud is the main reason behind the apparent climate change in India. "It's also causing delayed winter and absence of chill factor in West Bengal." "Massive use of inorganic fertilisers and automobile byproducts lead to nitrous oxide emission in the air. This has caused the formation of an atmospheric brownish haze layer over a vast portion of South Asia," he said.

As far as the brown cloud impact is concerned, India ranks first in the entire South and Southeast Asian region with Malaysia and Indonesia in second and third positions respectively, he added. In satellite images, the cloud appears as a giant brown stain hanging in the air over much of Asia and the Indian Ocean every year between January and March.

Sanyal said considering the disastrous environmental impact, many countries in Europe have already stopped using chemical fertilisers in agriculture. "Use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture contributes almost 50 percent of nitrous oxide to the nature while airborne pollutants from combustion and carbon soot have a contribution of 30 and 20 percent respectively."

Other experts on ABC, like V.S. Ramanathan of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in California, have however said soot - caused by burning fuelwood and dung for cooking - is the main culprit in the formation of the brown cloud. Agreeing that the brown cloud affects the laws of nature, South-Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) director Dipayan Dey said: "It's (brown cloud) one of the major reasons behind the erratic climate change syndrome," Dey told IANS.

"This apart, unplanned industrialisation, rapid urbanisation, eroding coastal flood plains and fast dying out of wetlands are reducing the carbon sequestering ability of our nature. "The trend is very prevalent in the developing world. It's randomly casting a negative impact on our environment and affecting the resilience of our ecosystem," Dey pointed out.

He said the use of biomass or organic fuel, especially in the rural belts, significantly adds sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and some amount of methane to the air which ultimately leads to the formation of atmospheric brown cloud and greenhouse impact.

"These components arrest infra-red rays from being reflected back by the earth's surface and helps to increase temperature," he said. Emphasising on the environmental protection strategies, he said the policy makers should always think about the long-term impact before setting up any developmental projects in the country.

"We must focus on community-based awareness campaigning programme and mitigate the use of fossil fuel in our surroundings," Dey said, adding the irregularities in the Indian climate is the fallout of the brown cloud. According to a report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the brown cloud stretches from the Arabian Peninsula to the Yellow Sea. The study also identified 13 cities as brown-cloud hot spots - including Bangkok, Cairo, New Delhi, Seoul and Tehran. "This climate change syndrome - specially the effects of delayed winter, untimely rainfall and abnormal temperature rise - disturbs agricultural productivity, nature and wildlife loss and over all it hampers the ecosystem," the report said. (IANS)

World famous toy train resumes run in West Bengal

Siliguri (WB), Feb 22: The world famous toy train in Darjeeling hills is back on track after it was suspended for 10 days following agitation for a separate Gorkha state.The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) is on a roll to attract as many tourists as possible across the globe. The train, listed among UNESCO’’s World Heritage Sites, passes through a number of picturesque locations including ”Batasia Loop” (the valley of storm), the tea gardens of the Darjeeling Himalayas, the world’’s highest rail station ”Ghoom” and many other locations covering the forest lands of Terai.

The operation of the train has been severely curtailed in the last three years in the wake of the agitation by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).The train chugged again since February 19 after being closed down on February 9. Despite the turmoil, the magnetic charm of the world famous toy train brings back the tourists.“It is a very famous train, and very well known train in England. People know about it,” said Mark James, a tourist from United Kingdom.Ever since the GJM agitation rocked the Darjeeling hills, the tourism industry in the region received a major setback. Last year 16 charters and eight-winter safaris had to be cancelled due to the agitation and strikes in the hills.There has also been a steady drop in the number of tourists.

The DHR reports project a drop of 28 per cent in volume with mounting losses of rupees two million.“Last year, I brought 42 people from all over the world. We were unable to run because of the Gorkha strike. One of our people comes back this year. I now know that there was another strike last week. But we better be sure we run for the next two days,” said Andrew Nil, the tour conductor from U.K. The DHR toy train was started in 1896 by the then British Lieutenant Governor Ashley Eden, offering riders an opportunity to enjoy the majestic beauty of nature along the Darjeeling hills.At the beginning, this railway was named as the Darjeeling steam Tramway Co. Later when India gained independence in 1947, the railway was named as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR).DHR was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO on December 5 at their 23rd session. (ANI)

NSG chief holds talks over force hub in West Bengal

KOLKATA: J.K. Dutt, chief of the National Security Guard (NSG), Friday held talks with West Bengal home secretary Ardhendu Sen over selecting land for a proposed hub of the anti-terrorism crack force in the state.“I had a discussion with home secretary Ardhendu Sen regarding land to set up the NSG hub and an anti-hijack squad in West Bengal. I have told him about our land requirements and he has assured all possible help,” Dutt told reporters at the secretariat Writer’s Building here. Dutt, however, declined to give details of the meeting.

“Nothing has been finalised yet, so there is no point in discussing it with the media. I will be having another meeting with Sen on Feb 25. Hopefully, I will be in a position to talk after that,” the NSG chief said. “All I want to say is that no matter where we get the land, the state will get its NSG hub and anti-hijack squad soon,” he added.

According to a source at the secretariat, Dutt has asked for 1,200-1,400 acres of land for the NSG hub and a comparatively smaller land near the city airport for the anti-hijack squad. “There are proposals for three lands - near Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Midnapore district, at Barrackpore town in North 24 Parganas district and at Kaikhali near the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

Sangeet Natak Akademi to set up National centre for Chhau soon

Bhubaneswar, 22th February : The Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) will set up a national centre for Chhau at Jamshedpur soon. Sangeet Natak Akademi secretary and Kathak exponent Jayant Kastuar announced this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the first edition of the ‘Chhau Parva’ (national Chhau dance festival) at the Utkal Mandap here on Friday.

Mr. Kastuar said, and added that the facility for Chhau would give the much needed boost to the Chhau culture of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa. The four-day festival, conceived as an annual affair, was planned for Jamshedpur but the SNA decided to host it in Orissa as a mark of respect to eminent scholar Dhirendra Nath Patnaik of the State who significantly contributed to the performing arts traditions of Orissa – Odissi and Chhau in particular. The festival was dedicated to Patnaik, Mr. Kastuar announced.

Commissioner of Culture B.C. Jena, who inaugurated the festival, revealed that efforts were on to convert the State-owned Odissi Research Centre as a national centre of Odissi. The festival, the first of its kind for the State, would feature 28 troupes from Orissa, Jharkhand, West Bengal and New Delhi representing the three styles of Chhau – Mayurbhaj, Sareikalla and Purulia.

“We have to help small units too” : Buddhadeb

Kolkata,22th February: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said he would seek the help of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who holds additional charge of Finance, to mitigate the sufferings of the small sector in these recessionary times.

“It is not enough to save only Satyam – I will talk to Pranab da when I meet him at the inauguration of the East-West Metro Railway project on Sunday – we have to try to help the small industries too who are suffering badly due to the recession,” he said while inaugurating a project at Durgapur.

Mr. Bhattacharjee kicked off two projects on Saturday, which are being implemented in phases. Together, they entailed an investment of over Rs. 500 crore for the units inaugurated on Saturday. He said that had the Left not blocked the Congress’s proposals on opening up several sectors of the economy, India too would have been in as big an economic mess as the U.S. finds itself in now.

Speaking at the inauguration of an alloy and steel unit by JaiBalaji Steel, he said the State government was committed to providing job opportunities for the youth.