Posts Tagged ‘Raipur’
Written by admin on 06 February 2012
Raipur, Feb 6 (IANS) Chhattisgarh will seek an increased rail network for the state’s iron ore and coal belts from Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi this week, official sources here said Monday.
“The Chhattisgarh government has always maintained that the state has been ignored by successive governments at the Centre as far as providing rail connectivity is concerned,” a senior government official told IANS.
He stated that Chief Minister Raman Singh will strongly put the “need for a massive increase in rail connectivity in the state” before Trivedi here when the two leaders meet Wednesday.
“The state has not been given its due in rail connectivity for years. In remote and forested areas, Railways have mostly focused on running trains for transporting iron ore and coal. Locals in these areas are highly upset. That is why we finally saw a people’s movement that stopped the transport of iron ore last month from Bastar, to force the Railways ministry to expand its connectivity into the interiors,” the official remarked.
The official was referring to an anti-Railways protest that erupted last month in Chhattisgarh’s tribal areas. Hundreds of protesters had squatted on the tracks for 10 days from Jan 13 and stopped iron ore transportation from key mines in the Maoist insurgency-hit Bastar region that has roughly 20 percent of India’s iron ore reserves.
The stir was called off only after the central government invited a delegation of protesters to New Delhi where Trivedi agreed to visit the state to personally look into the demands.
Tags: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
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Written by admin on 04 February 2012
Raipur, Feb 4 (IANS) Politicians cutting across party lines in one of the country’s leading cement producing states, Chhattisgarh, Saturday slammed cement companies for raising prices through cartelisation.
Ruling BJP leader Devjibhai Patel and former chief minister Ajit Jogi, who belongs to Congress, made strong statements against the latest rise in cement prices effected by the manufactures Friday night and termed it “unacceptable.”
The per bag cement price in the state was Rs.190 in September last year, which has now gone up to Rs. 250.
“The cement companies have been consistently raising prices for the past six months though there has been no rise in raw materials and labour cost. The most unfortunate thing is that cement manufacturers have formed a cartel to raise prices,” Jogi said in a statement. He advised the state’s BJP regime to take strong action against companies as Chhattisgarh is one of India’s leading cement producing states.
BJP legislator Patel, who led an economic blockade against cement companies last month in Raipur district, said: “A strong public movement is needed to be launched now against cement companies in the state as they (companies) are playing up with consumers’ patience.”
Tags: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
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Written by admin on 30 January 2012
Raipur, Jan 30 (IANS) As many as seven Maoist rebels, including three ‘divisional commanders’, surrendered in Chhattisgarh Monday in restive Bastar region, police said.
The rebels belonged to the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and carried cash rewards on their heads for their role in several attacks on civilians and police in Bastar region, mainly in Kanker district.
The rebels surrendered before Bastar range inspector general of police, T.J. Longkumer, who termed it “a great morale booster for state police engaged in a deadly battle with rebels in a sprawling forested region”.
Tags: Raipur
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Written by admin on 30 January 2012
Raipur, Jan 30 (IANS) Chhattisgarh has halted the anti-Maoist drive in the state despite the rising hold of rebels in new areas, Congress leader and former chief minister Ajit Jogi charged Monday.
“Chhattisgarh has halted its anti-Maoist drive, though rebels have expanded their bases in new areas and villages close to national highways. The rebels continue to kill civilians,” Jogi said in a statement.
Even legislators seek security to enter into their own constituencies in majority of the districts due to fear of Maoists, he added.
But sources here at police headquarters rejected the charges and said that state is presently carrying out a “stepped-up anti-Maoist drive in forested areas”.
“Maoists did not manage to target either civilians or police forces in past four months which is the longest peaceful period in the state since year 2005. The anti-Maoist drive is in top gear in the rebels’ strongholds and they are forced to run for cover,” a senior police official remarked.
Tags: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
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Written by admin on 29 January 2012
Raipur, Jan 29 (IANS) A ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator in Chhattisgarh Sunday threatened to stop the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) from mining iron ore, saying the company was not employing enough locals.
Bhima Mandavi, the legislator from Dantewada, said he along with his supporters would stop NMDC employees from mining Feb 16 in protest against the company’s refusal to absorb locals in various low-grade posts.
“I have given NMDC the deadline of Feb 15 to either make an announcement to recruit locals in various low grade jobs or face protests,” Mandavi told IANS.
“It would be just a daylong protest Feb 16, but it could turn into an indefinite stir if the demand is not addressed,” he said.
NMDC Ltd, India’s largest iron ore miner, has several mines in Dantewada district, 420 km south of capital Raipur at Bailadila hills, which account for two-thirds of its annual output of 25 million tonnes. The company transports more than 40,000 tonnes of iron ore daily from Kirandul and Bacheli locations of Bailadila hills.
“We have to strongly fight now against NMDC that takes out our natural resources in abundance but refuses to even listen to our demand to appoint local people,” said Mandavi.
The company officials based in Chhattisgarh refused to comment on the charges of the Dantewada legislator.
“It’s the job of NMDC officials based at the company’s headquarters in Hyderabad to look into such issues,” said an official.
Tags: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
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Written by admin on 27 January 2012
Raipur, Jan 27 (IANS) GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) Friday launched its ‘Fly Hyderabad’ campaign in Raipur to attract flyers from central India to travel to and from Hyderabad.
The launch of ‘Fly via Hyderabad’ campaign is basically to make the Rajiv Gandhi Hyderabad International Airport an important air traffic hub in India and an alternative to Mumbai airport for flyers from Chhattisgarh.
“After launching the ‘Fly Hyderabad’ programme in many cities, our focus will now be central India,” Vikram R. Jaisinghani, chief executive officer (CEO) of GHIAL, told media persons.
He added that after Raipur, the company would launch the campaign in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Nagpur (Maharashtra) as well.
“At present, 124,000 passengers are flying between Raipur and Hyderabad every year while 26,000 passengers every year land in Hyderabad from Raipur to catch connecting flights,” Jaisinghani said.
The GMR group is also setting up a 1,370 MW coal-fired power plant in Raipur district in Chhattisgarh.
Tags: Chhattisgarh, Raipur
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