A railway track has been blown up in Bhalulata in Sundargarh on the Orissa-Jharkhand border. The explosive was planted under a compartment of a goods train and the blast resulted in its derailment.

Another explosive that was planted on the Up-line tracks was detected and defused by the bomb squad early on Monday morning.

At least eight pairs of express and mail trains, and a large number of freight trains have been cancelled following the accident.

Maoists also blew up a meter of the track in the Kiul-Jamalpur-Bhagalpur section in Bihar, thereby targeting the Howrah-Delhi route for the second consecutive day.

Earlier on Sunday, a railway official was killed and a railway track was blown up near Narganjo in Bihar.

Two other railway tracks on the Delhi-Howrah route were also damaged on Sunday affecting train services between Howrah and Delhi.

There were also reports of a railway supervisor being killed on the Jharkhand-Orissa border.

West Bengal has been put on a state of high alert after Maoists killed a CPM leader near Veerbhum on Sunday.

Several trains were cancelled and a few trains including the Ranchi Rajdhani Express were diverted on Sunday to avoid untoward incidents.

All four states are on high alert ahead of the shutdown and extra vigilance is being maintained by police stations in the Naxal-affected districts.

Additional forces of Special Auxiliary Police, Bihar Military Police and central para-military forces have also been deployed.

The shutdown has been called to protest against joint police operations in the four states.

Source http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Maoists-blow-up-railway-tracks-on-2nd-day-of-shutdown/577066/

“That is the fun part of it,” quipped Irfan Alam, chairman of SammaaN Foundation which works for socio-economic uplift of rickshaw-pullers and their families. Irfan, like 79 others across the globe, has got an invitation from Obama to attend the summit in Washington DC in April this year.

US envoy to India Timothy J Roemer is to visit Irfan’s office at Patna on Friday to have a first-hand feel of his organization’s activities. SammaaN has been active in states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Jharkhand. “The Madhya Pradesh government has made a special task force to implement our special rickshaw project in the state,” said Irfan, a graduate from Bihar’s Begusarai district and MBA from the prestigious IIM-Ahmedabad.

Irfan’s enterprise is not hardcore business. “There are around 10 million rickshaw-pullers across the country. Most of them are illiterate and poor. Over 90% of them are farm workers who migrate to cities for want of employment at home. They hire rickshaws for which they pay owners Rs 30 to Rs 40 per day and end up with a pittance for themselves,” he said.

Irfan, who is in his thirties, got banks to finance rickshaw-pullers. “We designed rickshaws which can shelve newspapers, mineral water bottles and other such small items for sale if the passenger needs them,” he said. These rickshaws also carry advertisements and the pullers get 50% of the ad revenue, the remainder going to SammaaN.

Thus apart from the fare, the rickshaw-puller also earns from the ads and the sales. They end up as owners of the rickshaw after re-paying the bank loan in instalments.

Irfan started off with 100 such rickshaws in 2007. Today, over three lakh rickshaw-pullers from across the country are registered with SammaaN. While 10,000 and odd are pedalling the special rickshaws, the process is underway to benefit others.

Irfan’s organization also provides books to rickshaw-pullers’ children and imparts training in occupational skills to their wives.

“Ambanis and Birlas have visited Bihar, but it is Bihari entrepreneurs on whom Bihar has to bank upon for enterprise in the state,” Irfan said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Obama-invites-Bihari-to-entrepreneur-summit/articleshow/5550408.cms

A day after his meeting with US ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer in Patna, Irfan Alam, who has been invited to the Entrepreneurship Summit called by Obama, told TOI that he would carry a tin of freshly-baked litti with dry chokha, besides a model of his rickshaw, to hand over to the President at the White House this April.

Irfan, chairman of the SammaaN Foundation that works for the upliftment of rickshaw-pullers and their families, said: “I have already conveyed my decision to the US envoy when he asked me what I would like to present the US President during my US visit. I’d like to carry a large tin of littis so that others may also get the taste of this Bihari delicacy,” he added.

The enterprise of Irfan, an IIM-A graduate, is not hardcore business. “There are around 10 million rickshaw-pullers in the country. Most of them are illiterate and poor. Over 90% of them are farm workers who migrate to cities for want of employment at home. They hire rickshaws for which they pay owners Rs 30 to Rs 40 per day and end up with a pittance for themselves,” he said.

Irfan, who in in his early thirties, got banks to finance rickshaw-pullers. “We designed rickshaws, which can shelve newspapers, mineral water bottles and other such small items for sale if the passenger needs them,” he said. These rickshaws also carry ads and the pullers get 50% of the ad revenue, the remainder going to SammaaN. Apart from the fare, the rickshaw-puller earns from the ads and the sales and up as owners of the rickshaw after repaying the bank loan in installments.

Irfan, who has gifted a model of his rickshaw to Roemer, started off with 100 such cycles in 2007. Today, over three lakh rickshaw-pullers from across the country are registered with SammaaN. While 10,000-odd are pedalling the special rickshaws, the process is underway to benefit others. The organization also provides books to rickshaw-pullers’ children and imparts training in occupational skills to their wives.

“Ambanis and Birlas have visited Bihar, but it is Bihari entrepreneurs on whom Bihar has to bank upon for enterprise in the state,” Irfan said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bihars-litti-chokha-on-Obamas-plate-soon/articleshow/5550406.cms

Personnel and Administrative Reforms Department Principal Secretary Dipak Kumar said that government will invite applications for the post of IT managers soon.”The government plans to post an IT manager in districts within two to three months” he said.

Kumar said that IT managers will help district officials to handle IT related works as well as help them for optimal utilisation of IT-based services.

The government had already introduced use of computers in district offices for official work. The district officials were expected to send regular reports to the state headquarters online.

The government also plans to launch portal-based information sharing system .Bihar had formally adopted e-Governance as a state policy in 2006 on the advice of former president APJ Abdul Kalam.

All 37 district headquarters and 470 block headquarters in Bihar can be accessed online through the Bihar State Wide Area Network.
http://biharscoop.com/story/2010/1/6/14231/08196

People used to walk to the lake below Kalipahad on that day even before you could hear the birds wake up in the morning with their dalas (puja offerings to the sun god).Then their used to be the set of ladies who used to do the main puja (offer their prayers) through different hat yogs by even walking a couple of steps on the asphalt and then prostrate themselves to god and again repeat the process for kilometers.
I bet you wont be able to do it unless you have faith in the act with the desired standard of piousness in your hearts.
I used to hear the chhat songs blaring on the loudspeakers as I crossed the golf ground to head towards the lake and stand between the two palm trees where there used to be free tea stalls for people offering prayers.There used to be innumerable volunteers to help you out.

After taking a sip of tea,meeting a friend or two, placing my obeisance I used to start my climb.There are well traveled steps and now they also have electricity to the top of the kali temple on top of the hill.As you climb up with the sun rise in progress ,the august view of Jamalpur comes in it full bloom.The clear sky will make you take a lung full of fresh winter air something that you would give your right arm for in kolkata.
On the right the panorama would extend up to the Pir Pahad where you can see the radio tower ,the railway line surrounding Jamalpur from east to west.,the Ganges river appearing as a white strip on the horizon and the shimering railway shed on the left.Below as you loom where the puja is in progress you can see thousands of lighted lamps floating in the water as you see people standing in the freezing water unaware of the freezing cold in holy bliss offering their prayers.The clear winter sky appears red with the sun just showing on the horizon.
It is at this time God stands beside me and makes me aware of the divine presence .Give me a pause here to just soak in what I have written.I need to close my eyes and take a deep breath before starting again.

As you start climbing the steps you will see lining of low grade quartz like stones on the rocks ,some ferns ,bushes and yes that one berry called bhutkun violet or red in color.At the top of the track there is a banyan tree .Beside which you will see the Kali temple and a small place where they still make the animal sacrifices on the eve of Kali puja.Move ahead and there is a small pond with stagnant water.They still use this water for all temple activities.There is a pucca ghat here.Following which are some winding steps which lead to the temple on the top dedicated to Lord Shiva.

If you go beyond this point there is a dilapidated structure and the vast greenery of the Kali hills calling out to you.If you have a sharp eye you may catch a group of Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) grazing in the distance.And yes hares.You can also hear the call of the peacocks at a distance.Take a round about and head east on the well made tracks and follow the town below over the hills.Dont worry ,you wont need fancy shoes.I used to cover this with my slippers( chappals) .

As you move towards the tunnel ,you will cross the railway diesel shed on the left,a few goods wagons down below loading stone chips from the quarries below .As you come across the tunnel you can see how the railway line goes beyond Ratanpur how the road from Ratanpur takes a curve towards the village.You will also be able to see how the railway line takes a bend after crossing the tunnel towards Jamalpur.

Start climbing down.Nothing stops you from taking a look at when the tunnel was built(1860-61) yet to be declared defunct.
Years back when I was introduced to Bernoulli’s theorem I had tried to experiment that inside the tunnel when the Brahmaputra express passed the tunnel aroud 9.20 AM.I assure you I wont do it ever again!!

As you keep on walking on the tracks or beside it , hunger will build up.Get down at the underpass and take a left towards the fish market,cross chura mill,and you will see jalebis being fried fresh.Try them.
At least buy some good chura (rice flakes of katarni variety).You can just smell them and know you have the genuine thing.
That is Jamalpur for me
Source: http://gaiapriest.blogspot.com/2009/12/walking-to-jamalpur-tunnel.html

Whenever I have debarked at the Jamalpur station from Howrah,I have felt like brushing out the cobweb of memories,somehow playing the tune of “The Swami”(If I guessed right!!) in my mind so a kaleidoscope of images hit my senses and pineal subconsciousness.

Once you are out of the station ,one sees some of the biggest rickshaws (with some seats slipping out) ,an erstwhile product of the the Raj (beckoning at you with those quaint rubber horns) jostling for space with the trekkers going to Monghyr, Buses going to Kiul and other places in a 30 kilometer vicinity and yes probably that one bus (Kumar Bhai).

A rickshaw will charge roughly 10-15 rupees to most of the places but still bargain.It is worth it as in other places across the orient and beyond!!Moving forward you will find the oldest tailoring shop in Jamalpur(Dressco) run by a centurion an easy six footer ,with dark eyes and a mehndi beard extending up to his chest….!!

When I was in school when I did not know about hair dye I thought he got the beard colored by chewing on a lot of betel and it was practically dried betel juice!!No offence but that was me then…
Move forward and you hit the tea shops in a row .If you went inside you could hear snitches of what went on in the darker sides of Jamalpur but they made an excellent glass of lemon tea…!!

The biggest landmark this side of Jamalpur is the Jubilee Well, …Yes!! There is a pucca well in the middle of the road and it is a fork from where the left one went to Monghyr and the other went to the Railway Colony of the sahibs!

Once on the railway bridge you get an idea of the expanse of Jamalpur!!The white building you see at 11 O Clock with a NtD on top is Notre Dame Academy.But that is another epic story I guess!!
If you went to Jamalpur ,you had be pleasantly surprised to see all the roads named after the British Royalty .So now once you are coming down on the other side of the railway bridge(Badi Pool) on the left you will see once of those structures resembling world war II hangars .It is the cinema hall called the National Institute catering to the natives who came for the movies ,some cards,a small library but most of the times just to loiter,chat and stretch after a day;s toil at the Railway workshop.

O ….I do have stories for this place as well…just wait …but that is another generation ,once that came to Jamalpur in the 50s and 60s for season change,love ,a job and not necessarily in that order.

So now you see the Albert Road on the left after the National Institute ,you have the austere Notre Dame School building rising out and then the post office in front and the I.W(Inspector of Works) office in the right.

So now let me take the second longest road in Jamalpur.The ALBERT Road
As you pass the school on the right and the Jamalpur Municipalilty office on the left,what you will love is the defunct steam roller on which some generations of Notre Dame guys have played. Another relic from the Raj days may be….at least I like to romanticize that way.Move forward to find the East Colony Bank.Even though it is now shifted to the first floor the tea shop beside it of Jadav ji is a place you cannot miss. Dark,dingy,old world….that’s it!!His son Raju now has grey stubbles so what.Behind them is an entrance to th Notre Dame schoold dispensary and post that you have a saloon, Priya Studio,a liquor shop(may be it is no longer there) , an old ration shop with stairs winding up to no where and a big banyan tree.

Take a right and you will be on the workshop road but i will stick to my road.The next stop is Hira Mode.There used to be a hira’s hotel which used to supply the brown sahibs with jalebis anmd sweet meats.The last i saw it smelt of dank sweat,burnt wood,two mangy dogs ,a dry tube well and an old man sleeping ….Just beside it you have the star hotel of Jamalpur the erstwhile Madras Coffee House .They used to sell only idli dosas but now they have some accommodation rooms as well .
More to continues…

http://gaiapriest.blogspot.com/2009/09/jewel-of-east-india-railway.html

The most affected districts were Gaya, Aurangabad and Munger in Bihar, the officials said, adding”we have planned to launch an anti-encephalitis vaccination drive from next month to tackle the spread of the disease.”

Special medical teams were also being sent to the area to find out the reason behind the outbreak of the disease and submit a report to the state government, they said.

Principal Secretary, Health department, C K Mishra, said the”situation was not alarming and we have the wherewithal to tackle the disease.

Source: http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/691555/National/1/20/1

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Kastaharni Ghat, Babua Ghat, Jail Ghat and Piparpanti Ghat are the only ones available to the devotees to perform Chhath puja on the occasion.

Incidentally, prices of various commodities and foodstuff have hit the roof. For example, fruits, including banana, coconut, orange and apple, have been selling at exorbitant rates.

Source: http://thejamalpur.com/2009/10/29/river-depth-may-cause-problems-for-chhath-devotees/