ARJUN MUNDA BANKS ON DIVINE INTERVENTION TO SAVE HIS GOVERNMENT

RANCHI: Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda is banking on divine intervention to save his government, as Shibu Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has mounted pressure on him to quit.

Soren on Wednesday insisted that the BJP should abide by an unwritten power-sharing agreement between the two parties that they would run the government on 28-month rotational basis.

Sources in CM's house said Munda and his wife chant Sankat Mochan Hanuman mantras and read Hanuman Chalisa seven times every day. Munda does not even take breakfast before his daily puja.

Acharya Ravi Shastri, who had done vaastu corrections at then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's official residence in 1995, said he did a similar ritual at Munda's house. "The vastu correction was done to avert political crisis," said Shastri. "No political crisis would plague the government. I had told the same to Rao in 1995 when he had taken me for vastu corrections."

Shashtri said Rao's coalition government was in trouble throughout, but managed to complete its term.

Ajay Shastri, chief priest of the CM's in-house temple, said, "Mundaji does a parikrama of the temple every morning after chanting mantras as advised to him."

It is believed that the one who does this where Lord Hanuman's idol is installed in its Sankat Mochan form is saved from all troubles and enemies. "As advised, Munda has started wearing a Sankat Mochan Kavach (cover) in his neck too," said a source.

Munda is known for his religiosity. He arranged an elaborate 'grih pravesh' after ensuring certain vaastu corrections at the CM's official residence when he took over for the first time in 2002.

He installed a Sankat Mochan Hanuman temple at his official residence to ward off evils that could harm his health and political career after surviving a helicopter crash in May. In July, he even invited a group of priests from Ayodhya for vaastu corrections at his official residence again.

GIRL GETS FORMER BOYFRIEND STONED TO DEATH IN JHARKHAND

RANCHI: The Khunti police have arrested one, Renu Kumari, besides three others, for stoning to death her boyfriend Arun Kumar Mahto at Topra block of the district on October 1.

The twenty-two-year-old Arun was stoned to death by Renu current boyfriend - Nelson Aind and his two friends Alexandra Horo and Dipesh Horo -- with her watching from distance. The police on Tuesday recovered Arun's decomposed body from a jungle in Torpa block.

 Khunti SP Amarnath Mishra said Arun's head was crushed with boulders in the jungle by the trio.

Police said Renu had asked Arun to meet her at Kujri village in Torpa block on October 1. When Arun arrived at Kujri village at around noon he was confronted by Nelson, Alexandra and Dipesh. The trio forced him to go along with them to a deep jungle where he was stoned to death even as his girlfriend watched the gory incident from a distance.

The SP said Arun was Neha's first boyfriend. "The two had met at an ITI centre in Koderma a few years ago. The girl is originally from Simdega district, 50km away from Khunti. Arun even used to visit her in Simdega," the SP said.

Though Renu loved him a lot, Arun was not very attractive. In the meantime, Nelson, who was Arun's friend , came into her life she started going around with him. "The girl has confessed that Nelson met her just a couple of months ago," the SP said. After meeting Nelson, Renu started ignoring Arun and he went into depression.

"I had asked Nelson and his friends to finish Arun," Renu said in her confessional statement to the police. Renu had earlier promised to marry Arun after he completed the technical course, said a police officer. Nelson, Alexandra, Dipesh were also students of ITI in Koderma and hail from Khunti district.

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PEOPLE PEE ANYWHERE IN RANCHI, EVEN AT DHONI’S BUNGALOW

Ranchi: In capital town Ranchi every unoccupied place is a lavatory, or so people think. Not only public places are used to ease even private properties are not spared. On Thursday evening this correspondent caught a man peeing at the backyard wall of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni palatial house.

“Now newspapers have stooped to this level (reporting peeing activities)?” the middle-aged man quipped as if proud to have peed on Dhoni’s house. He refused to disclose his name. Dhoni’s house is high-walled. As there is no guard at the back door no one forbade him.

A sanitation inspector with Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) said comic is the sense of sanitation in locals here.

“Certain folk, especially those coming from rural areas, never use urinals. They would urinate beside the urinals but not into it,” said the inspector.

He also said, “The other sort of folk not only urinate into the urinals they also shit. I receive daily complaints from my sweepers.”

Gopalji Tiwary, additional municipal commission RMC, said, “laws have been enacted to punish those indulging in the dirty act at public places. Jharkhand Municipality Act 2011 authorizes its civic officials, including RMC to charge no less than Rs 500 from people found doing the “dirty activity” in public places. No one has however been charged so far.

Gopalji Tiwary, said, “NO has been charged for peeing in public. Actually it is difficult to catch such people.”

There are only 46 public toilets and 13 urinals in town where over 11 lakh people reside. Ranchi is spread over more than 175 square kilometer. In such a large place 55-odd toilets are lost and people find it difficult to locate them and urinate wherever they want to.

Men may not mind, but the dirty act has girls hang their heads in shame at city St Xavier College. Over 10,000 girls pass by a urinal near Sadar hospital adjacent to the prestigious college.

“It is a surprise how people manage to do it in an open place,” said Premlata Rani, of St Xavier College. Another girl Ankita Kujur had a suggestion, “Jhakrhand Mukti Sangh should throw acid on these people.” JMS had recently threatened to throw acid on jeans-clad girls in Ranchi.

Similar is the situation at Jakir Hussain Park and St John School where urinals are situated. “We throw little stones at those indulging in the dirty act outside the urinal,” said Spardha Singh, a class X student.

Swati Singh, a doctor, said almost 90% men don’t have any regard for women let alone for people of their own sex. “Until and unless there would be strict punishment, it will continue,” she added.

Amool Ranjan, director Ranchi Institutte of Neuro Physiatrist and Allied Sciences (RINPAS) said, “It has become a habit of these people. It is because there is a severe lack of toilets in the city. People always do it at roadside and have no qualms about it.”

However, those urinating in public places are not exclusively at fault. “Actually no urinal or toilet in Ranchi is clean. It is deathlike to spend even five minutes into them,” said Srikant Chaubey, an employee at Nepal house, the state’s secretariat.

On contract with the Jharkhand government, toilets are maintained in the state by Sulabh International, a sanitation agency. The toilets were constructed with funds from the state government and handed over to the agency which charges Rs 2 for each use. 

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SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE: LIVE-IN COUPLE KILLED BY NAXALS In JHARKHAND

RANCHI: Peoples' Liberation Front of India (PLFI) rebels on Saturday night killed an unmarried couple for maintaining a live-in relationship in Atheldih village, some 50km from here. The victims, Sanjay Purty and Itwari Oriya, were planning to marry next year. In January, the rebel outfit PLFI had killed seven persons for indulging in "immoral activities".

Khunti SP M Tamil Vanam confirmed that the couple was living together for the last two years even though they were not married. "An FIR was lodged against unknown assailants," said the SP. The police said: "They were keen to live their life as shown in movies. Blind to how the villagers look at their relationship, the couple was living in a separate room at a deserted locality in Atheldih village."

Locals said a group of PLFI guerrillas came to their village around midnight. "They warned of dire consequences and asked us not to venture out of our houses," the police quoted the villagers as saying. After warning the villagers, the men broke open the door of the couple's house and fired several rounds of bullets, killing the duo on the spot.

Purty, a 22-year-old farmer and a resident of the neighbouring Kowa village, had fallen in love with Oriya, 17, who hailed from Daugara, another village the vicinity two years ago. They started dating and their love affair became the talk of the town. Etho Panda Munda, father of Oriya, had initially opposed the advances of Purty but could do nothing.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. An investigation has been launched into the incident. "We are trying to know whether PLFI had given any warning to the couple's parents or not," said Vanam. It might also be that Purty had refused to join their ranks or had done something against PLFI's interests.

The PLFI guerrillas also allegedly killed one of their colleagues who apparently opposed this sort of moral policing. "A body has been recovered from a nearby jungle," said an officer at Murmu police station. "The victim might have opposed the moral act, for which he was killed," said Khunti SP. The body is yet to be identified. "The victim was wearing shoes and that shows he was a militant. "Villagers usually do not go into the forests wearing shoes," said the Khunti SP.

PLFI came into existence in July 2008, when a gang of criminals in rural Ranchi, adjoining Simdega and Gumla districts, adopted Maoist tactics to create terror. Initially, the group was known as Jharkhand Liberation Tigers (JLT) and the members of the group on several occasions were identified by police to have looted and killed innocent people. According to former Ranchi SSP M S Bhatia, who is now IG (Ranchi zone), one Dinesh Gope organised the veteran criminals and ex-Maoists to join his fold under the banner of JLT.


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TOP BUREAUCRATS IN JHARKHAND DON’T RETIRE

Ranchi: For top bureaucrats in Jharkhand, retirement is just the beginning of a new life. Their average age is around 65 but at heart they are 25. Former chief secretaries, development commissioners and other top babus who have got merit postings make up for their sagging skin and receding hairline with their enthusiasm and energy. Even after putting in eight to 10 hours in office daily, they are raring to go after retirement.

The secret behind their energy is perhaps a daily exercise schedule and positive thinking. Push-ups, reverse push-ups, jogging and various forms of exercise ensure there's never a dull moment in their lives. Most of them claim they have brought about a sea-change at their respective organisations. Most of them are also blog warriors, eager cooks and gardeners.

For former chief secretary of Jharkhand, Lakshmi Singh, age does not matter either. The 1970-batch Jharkhand cadre IAS is more comfortable working after retirement. Singh is the head of the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC). "I find post retirement assignments more comfortable. I have more freedom of action, thought and speech. I need not wait for the approval of any minister to implement my idea for reforming the council," said Singh, who comes to office at 10 in the morning and leaves after 5 in the evening.

"I cook my own food," Singh, who retired as chief secretary of Jharkhand in August 2005, said. A healthy diet and regular physical activities have kept Singh healthy and hearty. At JAC, Singh, who headed the Jharkhand State Women's Commission after retirement, conducts exams for lakhs of students. She also has to her credit a long list of achievements and reforms at JAC.

Years have added wrinkles to Singh's face, but her soul is as fresh as it was the day she joined the IAS. "I am ready to accept more responsibility after retiring as JAC chairperson," said Singh, whose tenure ends next month.

Mukhtiar Singh, 64, is the big boss of the Jharkhand Electricity Regulatory Commission. "If we forget our goals and principles we become old. The number of years can never make one old," said the 1976 batch Jharkhand cadre IAS officer.

Singh retired as Development Commissioner of Jharkhand in December 2007. Singh is a stickler for rules. "Whatever is the weather; I get up at 5 in the morning and then go for a walk. Rain, sunshine, cold, nothing stops me. I go for a walk in every season," he said.

At JSEC, Singh's achievements are many. "If your purpose of living is clear you will never grow old. Help those in need and your passing years will work as tonic for you,” he also said.

Former chief secretary of Jharkhand, Shiv Basant is another example of youth in middle age. The 1976 batch IAS officer served as chairman of the Jharkhand State Electricity Board and is now chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).

"Age is how you see it. If you think you are ageing, you will feel old," said Basant. Healthy and punctual to office, Basant has initiated many reforms at JPSC.

The 69-year-old Narendra Bhagat, a 1975 batch IAS officer, is working to revive the Jharkhand State Education Tribunal (JSET). A regular blogger, he said, "I never think I am losing my youth." Bhagat practises yoga regularly.

These youthful old babus are guiding a young state as the Jharkhand government has always been keen to provide merit postings to retired babus. Former chief secretary, M K Mandal, and retired IAS officer, BB Lal, have served as commissioner in JSEC. Former secretary in the Revenue Department A C Ranjan has served as member of JSET. IAS officer J L Baishyantri was made consultant in the Income Tax department after she retired. Secretary in the water resources department, she was appointed chairperson of the Public Distribution Grievances Commission.

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Aspiring MBAs, Engineers, CAs play ‘Priests’ At Baidyanath Dham

Deoghar: It may sound strange but it is true. Students pursuing engineering, MBA, MCA, Company Secretary and Chartered Accountancy in Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata have abandoned their studies and descended in Baidyanath Dham shrine to earn money. The sojourn is however month-long when income is huge. These modern day ‘pandas’ derogatorily called “visiting Pandas” perform the rituals in jeans and t-shirts. All of them are sons of the priests at the temple.

Panda Dharma Rakshni Sabha (PDRS), the central body of the priests at Baidyanath Dham shrine, is happy that the new generation is interested in the sacred acts. Durlav Mishra alias Kaliya Panda, PRDS general secretary said more than 700 such students have come this year. On an average these students make Rs 30,000 to 40,000 in one month. The money is used to sponsor studies, he added. Few visiting Pandas however use the bucks to buy bikes, laptops or high-end phones.

Meet Shyamal Kishore Parihasht a 5th semester electronics engineering student of Punjab University. Parihasht, 22, is on a month’s holiday here and is helping his father Nand Kishore Pandit, a member of PDRS. “Our ancestors have been plying priests at the shrine. I have just come to help my father. It feels great,” said Parihasht. This boy, however, is determined to become an engineer and not a panda like his father.

Clad in jeans and T-shirt 22-year-old Kundan Pandit, who was photographed making some kanwariyas do certain rituals inside Baba Baidyanath shrine on Monday has already completed two stages to become a Chartered Accountant. “I am determined like hell to become a successful CA. I cracked Common Proficiency Test in 2009 and Integrated Professional Competence Course in 2011,” said proud Pandit.

Son of Anil Pandit, a member of PDRS, Kundan live in Delhi and takes tuition at a prominent private institute. “I shifted to Delhi in 2009 after I completed my schooling from here. I come home to help my father in every Shravani Mela. I hope to crack CA this year,” Kundan added.

President of PDRS Vinodaat Dwariji said that sons of Pandas are internally religious even though they have a modern outlook. MBAs are also in action. Kuldeep Tiwari who pursues two-year course postgraduate diploma in management at a private college in Delhi is also plying ‘priest’ at the shrine. This boy, who gets Rs 70,000 annual scholarship from the college, is also a visiting priest here.

The Shravani Mela also has the IIT-JEE touch. Chandan Kumar Mishra son of priest Dileep Mishra and Amrit Kashyap son of priest Shiv Shankar Khawade were in KOTA for IIT-JEE few years back. Amrit, a gold medallist in his school R K Mission in Deoghar, has cleared AIEEE this year and will take admission into the prestigious NIT-Jamshedpur in a few weeks from now. “Both the students have also been a helping hand to their fathers during Shravani Mela in past,” said Hari Shankar Panda a member of the PDRS.

According to PDRS there are around 150 professionals who take a month’s leave without pay and come to Deoghar in Shravani Mela to serve the God. Amit Khawade, a postgraduate diploma in finance management from Anna Malai University, who works with a MNC in Delhi, is here to support his father Dhhupad Khawade.

Notwithstanding, there are a few detractors of these “visiting pandas”. A life member of PDRS (requesting anonymity) said, “These boys are only attracted by moolah. Each one of them make huge money some even earn Rs 50,000 in a month.”

PDRS general secretary Kaliya Panda however said nothing was wrong in earning money. “The cost of education is huge these days. They support their studies in costly cities like Delhi, Pune with this money,” he added.

Kaliya Panda informed that there are dozens of sons of Pandas here who are currently settled in America, Hong Kong, Germany, China and earn a huge pay packet. “There was a time when all of them used to support their fathers in doing pujas at Baidyanath Dham shrine,” Kaliya Panda said.

PDRS was founded in 1692. Currently it has 5000 life members (the head of a Panda family) and the number of its total membership is 30,000 (approx).

SNAKES MAY FLY FROM RANCHI WITH FLYERS

Ranchi: Remember the scene of horrified passengers in 2006 Hollywood thriller ‘Snakes on a Plane’. In a virtual replay of reel life in real life in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, passengers were equally horrified when snakes appeared in the terminal building of Ranchi’s Birsa Munda airport.

On Monday evening and then again on Tuesday evening two snakes had appeared at the airport terminal building last week. Airport director Raju Raghavendra Kumar confirmed the sighting of the snakes.

“There was enough room for the snake to sneak into the luggage. There were quite a few luggage lying around near the X-ray machine where the snake was spotted,” said Ranjan Sen, a passenger waiting for Jet Airways Kolkata-Ranchi-Kolkata (9W-2859) scheduled to depart at 7:20pm on Tuesday.

A separate terminal building (apart from the existing one) is being constructed at the airport for which over 20,000 sq meter lands has been concretised. “It has destroyed the habitats of the snakes and they are looking for new habitats,” said wildlife expert D S Srivastava.

Ranchi airport has a runway length of 8,900 sq ft and thick bushes surround the runway that work as a safe habitat for snakes. A large number of rats are found in the bushes too which work as food for the snakes.

According to CISF staff on Monday the venomous snake, possibly ‘harhara’, had appeared near Air India’s cabin. Generally passengers drop in their luggage near the cabin while getting clearances done from the airlines. At this point there were chances of the snake sneaking into the luggage.

“Initially we got an impression that the snake has managed to get into someone’s luggage. It was first sighted around 6:45pm and then suddenly disappeared. Not only passengers standing nearby started searching their baggage for the snake but also AI staff looked underneath the tables,” said a CISF inspector, requesting anonymity.

The Go Air Delhi-Ranchi-Delhi flight (G8-714) was scheduled to take off for Delhi at 8:05pm and over 100 passengers were in the passengers’ lounge when the snake was sighted.

The CISF staff, armed with carbolic acid (a snake repellent), started looking for the snake that was found after one-hour search at 7:55pm barely 10 minutes before the departure of the Go Air flight.

The airport authorities got snake repellent medicines spread in and around the airport after the incident. But on Tuesday evening again a snake, some three feet long, appeared near an X-ray machine. The machine is in service and several baggages are x-rayed in it. This snake was also recovered after CISF staff chased it for over one hour.

“The news has shocked me,” said Shahid Ansari, director at a posh city hospital and frequent flyer. In 2008 when 2.47 lakh flyers used the airport for various destinations across the country, sighting one snake in a week was not an unusual affair, said a source.

Airport director Raju, however, said, “There is no chance of a snake getting into a luggage and thus getting into the cargo hold of the aircraft. Before the luggage get into the cargo hold they are handled and checked at five to six points.”

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