Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday imposed a financial penalty on the Superintendent of Presidency Special Correctional Home in south Kolkata for giving special treatment to Vikas Mishra, one of the prime accused in the multi-crore coal smuggling scam .
A division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta directed the correction home Superintendent Debashish Chakraborty to either deposit Rs 10,000 with the office of the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court within the next 48 hours or face seven days imprisonment.
“You are in charge of one of the prime correction homes of the state. If such things happen, then I must say that there is a definite attempt to influence the process of the probe. It is evident that you have done everything in your senses and intentionally. Even after the court ordered Vikas Mishra to be jailed, you have sent him to hospital. You are a government servant and you should have performed your duties according to law. This is not expected for a government servant like you,” Justice Bagchi observed.
Although Chakraborty apologised to the court on this count, the division bench imposed the financial penalty on him.
In September last year, the same division bench issued a contempt of notice against Chakraborty for violating the court’s order for periodical medical examination of Mishra.
Mishra, the first person to be arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the coal smuggling scam in April 2021, was then housed at the Presidency Special Correctional Home.
After the CBI informed the court at that point of time that Mishra had been frequently avoiding interrogation on medical grounds, the division bench ordered that a medical officer designated by the CBI should visit the correctional home at an interval of 48 hours to medically examine Mishra.
Thereafter the CBI again informed the court that despite being found medically fit by the agency designated medical officer, the correctional home Superintendent had been regularly allowing Mishra to get admitted at the correctional home hospital which hampered the interrogation process.
Russia’s year-long war in Ukraine has led to thousands of casualties, millions of refugees and billions of dollars in damages to the country’s economy, environment and infrastructure.
At home, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing the narrative of a just war against the West and crushing dissenting voices, while his country’s economy feels the bite of sanctions — though their effect has been more nuanced than expected. Yet, despite their proclaimed support for Ukraine, some European countries have been reluctant to cut ties with Moscow.
Across the EU, citizens have been hurt by skyrocketing energy prices, and all the while trade flows with Russia have transformed in a matter of months.
Here are 12 months of war summed up, in figures and charts.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Europe is on track to kick its addiction to Russian fossil fuels, but can’t seem to replicate that success with nuclear energy a year into the Ukraine war.
The EU’s economic sanctions on Russian coal and oil permanently reshaped trade and left Moscow in a “much diminished position,” according to the International Energy Agency. Coal imports have dropped to zero, and it is illegal for Russian crude to be imported by ship; only four countries still receive it by pipeline.
That’s compared to the bloc getting 54 percent of its hard coal imports and one-quarter of its oil from Russia in 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to turn off the gas taps while the EU turned increasingly to liquefied natural gas deliveries from elsewhere caused the reliance on Moscow to tumble from 40 percent of the bloc’s gas supply before the war to less than 10 percent now.
But nuclear energy has proved a trickier knot for EU countries to untie — for both historical and practical reasons.
As competition in the global nuclear sector atrophied following the Cold War, Soviet-built reactors in the EU remained locked into tailor-made fuel from Russia, leaving Moscow to play an outsized role.
In 2021, Russia’s state-owned atomic giant Rosatom supplied the bloc’s reactors with 20 percent of their natural uranium, handled a quarter of their conversion services and provided a third of their enrichment services, according to the EU’s Euratom Supply Agency (ESA).
That same year, EU countries paid Russia €210 million for raw uranium exports, compared to the €88 billion the bloc paid Moscow for oil.
The value of imports of Russia-related nuclear technology and fuel worldwide rose to more than $1 billion (€940 billion) last year, according to research from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). In the EU, the value of Russia’s nuclear exports fell in some countries like Bulgaria and the Czech Republic but rose in others, including Slovakia, Hungary and Finland, RUSI data shared with POLITICO showed.
“While it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from what is ultimately a time-limited and incomplete dataset, it does clearly show that there are still dependencies on, and a market for, Russian nuclear fuel,” said Darya Dolzikova, a research fellow at RUSI.
Although uranium from Russia could be replaced by imports from elsewhere within a year — and most nuclear plants have at least one-year extra reserves, according to ESA head Agnieszka Kaźmierczak — countries with Russian-built VVER reactors rely onfuel made by Moscow.
“There are 18 Russian-designed nuclear power plants in [the EU] and all of them would be affected by sanctions,” said Mark Hibbs, a senior fellow at Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program. “This remains a deeply divided issue in the European Union.”
That’s why the bloc has struggled over the past year to target Russia’s nuclear industry — despite repeated calls from Ukraine and some EU countries to hit Rosatom for its role in overseeing the occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and possibly supplying equipment to the Russian arms industry.
“The whole question of sanctioning the nuclear sector … was basically killed before there was ever a meaningful discussion,” said a diplomat from one EU country who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The most vocal opponent has been Hungary, one of five countries — along with Slovakia, Bulgaria, Finland and the Czech Republic — to have Russian-built reactors for which there is no alternative fuel so far.
Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have signed contractswith U.S. firm Westinghouse to replace the Russian fuel, according to ESA chief Kaźmierczak, but the process could take “three years” as national regulators also need to analyze and license the new fuel.
The “bigger problem” across the board is enrichment and conversion, she added, due to chronic under-capacity worldwide. It could take “seven to 10 years” to replace Rosatom — and that timeline is conditional on significant investments in the sector.
While Finland last year scrapped a deal to build a Russian-made nuclear plant on the country’s west coast — prompting a lawsuit from Rosatom — others aren’t changing tack.
Slovakia’s new Mochovce-3 Soviet VVER-design reactor came online earlier this month, which Russia will supply with fuel until at least 2026.
Russia’s nuclear energy was not initially included in EU sanctions over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine | Eric Piermont/AFP via Getty Images
Hungary, meanwhile, deepened ties with Moscow by giving the go-ahead to the construction of two more reactors at its Paks plant last summer, underwritten by a €10 billion Russian loan.
“Even if [they] were to come into existence, nuclear sanctions would be filled with exemptions because we are dependent on Russian nuclear fuel,” said a diplomat from a second EU country.
This article has been updated with charts depicting Russia’s nuclear exports.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Coal India Limited Sr Medical Specialist & MO 2022 Provisional Selection List Released
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Digboi: Opposition party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Sunday alleged that the northeastern state is losing nearly Rs 2,000 crore in revenue every month due to rampant illegal rat-hole coal mining in several places, particularly in Tinsukia district.
The party sent a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, NHRC Chairman and National Green Tribunal Chairman highlighting the issue.
“We have been highlighting rampant illegal coal mining, particularly rat-hole mining, in various parts of Assam. It has a direct impact on the environment, public health and the state exchequer,” AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi told PTI here.
He claimed that the government is aware that illegal coal mining, which has continued unabated for decades in Assam, has caused large-scale destruction to Dehing Patkai National Park — the largest rainforest in the Northeast.
The AJP, in its memorandum, pointed out that the NGT had in 2014 banned rat-hole coal mining, while alleging that it is still going on and the Assam government is aware of the illegal activities in the Digboi Forest Division.
“Inquiries in this regard have been ordered frequently at different levels. Commissions have been appointed to probe the illegal activity. These commissions have also submitted voluminous reports only to be shelved with no visible action,” the memorandum alleged.
Highlighting various directives of the Gauhati High Court, it alleged that even PSU firm Coal India carried out illegal mining inside the forest for 16 years from 2003 to 2019, which was admitted by the company in 2020.
“Seizure of trucks laden with coal dug out from the forests around Ledo-Margherita region has become a regular phenomenon despite there being a ban on rat-hole mining, without the kingpins ever being nabbed.
“It has created an impression that the government often displays a total inability, even reluctance, to check the illegal mining of coal in the eastern tip of Assam bordering Arunachal Pradesh,” the memorandum alleged.
The party claimed that there is no effective mechanism to keep a tab on the forested region and only the forest department and the police sometimes conduct drives to check illegal coal mining, but without any result.
“Tikak and Tirap are the two main coal producing collieries in Ledo-Margherita. They lie in close proximity to some villages, which facilitate the illegal miners/traders to hire local residents for digging coal. Locals, including women and children, use sharp tools to extract coal through the rat-hole method,” AJP alleged.
Further, transportation of the illegally mined coal is a bigger issue in terms of money transaction and tax evasion, which goes up to thousands of crores, it claimed.
“It is astonishing to know that daily 500-600 truckloads of coal are being transported, alone in Ledo- Margherita area, and the amount of commission ranges from Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000 per truck,” the memorandum alleged.
The commission for other areas such as Jagun, Tipong Jisubai and Koylajan is even more and ranges from Rs 1.25 lakh to Rs 1.35 lakh per truck, it added.
“These commissions are taken in lieu of the tax challan that otherwise is required for transportation. Thus, the government is losing several crores. The estimated total monthly illegal transaction on account of illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state amounts to nearly Rs 2,000 crore per month,” the AJP claimed.
The opposition party claimed that illegal rat-hole coal mining has resulted in large-scale money laundering, misuse of money for criminalising politics and society, irreplaceable degradation of environment and forest, and huge loss of government revenue.
“We demand that illegal mining be stopped immediately and stern action be initiated against the persons (irrespective of government official and/or politician) involved in patronising illegal mining and transportation of coal,” AJP said in the document.
When contacted, state Mines and Minerals Minister Nandita Gorlosa declined to comment and said her secretary would get back to PTI. But no reaction was received from any government official despite several attempts.
Kolkata: Dibyendu Adhikari, two-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP and younger brother of leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, alleged on Saturday that he is receiving life threats over phone for raising his voice against coal smuggling in the Haldia Dock Complex which comes under his constituency in East Midnapore district.
Adhikari levelled the allegations on the the same day his father and three-time Lok Sabha MP, Sisir Kumar Adhikari, wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about a fictitious bank account opened in his name without his knowledge at a public sector bank in the district.
Although both Sisir Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari continue to be Trinamool Congress MPs as per Lok Sabha records, their connection with the party snapped since Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP from the Trinamool before the 2021 Assembly polls.
On Saturday, Dibyendu Adhikari told mediapersons that late on January 24 night, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) assistant commandant was injured in clashes with coal smugglers operating in the dock area in Haldia.
“As the local Lok Sabha member, I informed the matter to Home Minister Amit Shah. I also raised my voice demanding greater coordination between the CISF and the local police to check the menace of coal smuggling in the dock area. Since then, I have been receiving regular threat calls on my mobile,” he said.
However, Adhikari added that he is not scared by the threat calls.
“I will continue doing my duty as Tamluk MP as long as I continue in that chair,” he said.
However, Adhikari said that he has not filoed an official complaint with the local police on this count.
“I had approached the local police on many issues before, but the problems were not solved. So what is the point in informing the police on this matter,” he asked.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said that levelling such ‘wild’ allegations without informing the police is meaningless.
“He should come clean first on his current political stand. He has maintained liaison with the BJP while continuing as a Trinamool member officially. Why didn’t he resign first as an MP,” Sen asked.
Kolkata: With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) continuing with its search operation till late on Wednesday evening in connection with the multi-crore coal smuggling case in West Bengal, the cash recovery amount by the central agency has increased to Rs 1.25 crore.
Although initially the ED was secretive about the identity of the business house at whose office the raid was conducted, later on Wednesday evening it surfaced that the cash recovery was made from at the registered office of Gajraj Towers Private Limited at 5A, Earle Street in South Kolkata. Raids were also conducted at the residence of the owner of the company at the posh Ballygunge area in South Kolkata.
As per records of the registrar of companies (ROC), the directors of Gajraj Towers Private Limited, Vikram Sikaria and Suchi Sikaria, are directors in many other companies and have diverse business interests starting from real estate, food chain, commodity broking to exports, among others. Vikram Sikaria has already been detained by the ED for questioning in this connection.
Sources said that the central agency has got specific clues that the money recovered from the office Gajraj Towers was part of the coal scam proceeds which the said business was supposed to divert to different channels.
It is learnt that the team conducting the raids on Wednesday at the residence and office of the said businessman was led by three special officers of ED who arrived in Kolkata from Delhi especially for this purpose.
Sources said that the name of the businessman in question came from the examination of different documents and statements given by different businessmen in connection with the coal smuggling case.
Sources said that the names of some other businessmen on this count have also surfaced and similar raid and search operations will be conducted at their premises as well in the days to come.
It is learnt that recently a person named Ratnesh Burma, a close associate of the prime accused in the coal scam, Binay Mishra, surrendered at a special CBI court in Asansol. Burma was reportedly involved in managing the accounts of the coal smuggling proceeds. During the course of interrogation, he gave crucial clues to the investigating officials.
Australia was, until recently, an international pariah on climate change and a punchline in Brussels. But a new government in Canberra coupled with Europe’s energy and economic woes mean a better relationship is now emerging — one that could fuel Europe’s transition to a clean economy, while enriching Australia immensely.
“Europe is energy hungry and capital rich, Australia’s energy rich and capital hungry, and that means that there’s a lot that we can do together,” said Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.
A little over a year ago, relations between Australia and the EU were in a parlous state. The government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison had reneged on a nuclear submarine contract — a decision the current government stands by — incensing the French and by extension the EU. Equally as frustrating for many Europeans was Australia’s climate policy, which was viewed as outstandingly meager even in a lackluster global field.
The election of Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — whose father was Italian — last May brought a change in tone, as well as a new climate target and a trickle of policies designed to cut greenhouse gas pollution that heats up the planet.
Those moves were “the entry ticket” to dealings with Europe, Bowen told POLITICO in Brussels, the second-last stop on a European tour. “Australia’s change of climate positioning, climate policy, has changed our position in the world.”
That’s been most notable in progress on talks on a free trade agreement with the EU. Landing that deal would be a “big step forward,” said Bowen. Particularly because when it comes to clean energy, Australia wants to sell and Europe wants to buy.
Using the vast sunny desert in its interior, Australia could be a “renewable energy superpower,” Bowen argued. Solar energy can be tapped to make green hydrogen and shipped to Europe, he said.
European governments are listening closely to the pitch. Bowen was in Rotterdam on Monday, inspecting the potential to use the Netherlands port as an entry for antipodean hydrogen. He signed a provisional deal with the Dutch government to that end. Last week, Bowen announced a series of joint investments with the German government in Australian hydrogen research projects worth €72 million.
It’s not just sun, Australia has tantalum and tungsten and a host of minerals Europe needs for building clean tech, but that it currently imports. In many cases those minerals are refined or otherwise processed in China, a dependency that Brussels is keen to rapidly unwind — not least with its Critical Raw Materials Act, expected in March.
According to a 2022 government report, Australia holds the second-largest global reserves of cobalt and lithium, from which batteries are made, and is No. 1 in zirconium, which is used to line nuclear reactors.
Asked whether Australia can ease Europe’s dependence on China, Bowen said: “We want to be a very strong factor in the supply chains. We’re a trusted, reliable trading partner. We have strong ethical supply chains. We have strong environmental standards.”
But Australia has its own entanglements.
Certain Australian minerals, notably lithium, are largely refined and manufactured in China. Bowen said he was keen on bringing at least some of that resource-intensive, polluting work back to Australia.
While its climate targets are now broadly in line with other rich nations, the rehabilitation of Australia’s climate image jars with its role as one of the biggest fossil fuel sellers on the planet.
Australia’s coal exports, when burned in overseas power plants, generate huge amounts of planet-warming pollution — almost double the amount produced annually by Australians within their borders. Australia is also the third-largest exporter of natural gas, including an increasing flow to the EU. At home, the government is facing calls from the Greens party and centrist climate independents to reject plans formore than 100 coal and gas developments around the country.
But how many of Bowen’s counterparts raised the issue of Australia’s emissions during his travels around Europe? “Nobody,” he said. “We are here to help.”
Antonia Zimmermann contributed reporting.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said that it has attached 51 immovable properties worth Rs 17.48 crore in the illegal coal levy extortion scam in Chhattisgarh.
The attached properties include 8 benami immovable properties worth Rs 7.57 crore which are owned by Saumya Chaurasia, deputy secretary to Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. The remaining 43 benami properties are beneficially controlled by Suryakant Tiwari.
In the same money laundering investigation, the ED had previously issued a Provisional Attachment Order on December 9, 2022 attaching properties worth Rs 152.31 crore belonging to Suryakant Tiwari, Sameer Vishnoi IAS, Saumya Chaurasia, Chhattisgarh civil service officer, Sunil Agarwal and others.
In total, the ED has attached assets to the tune of approximately Rs 170 crore till now.
The ED initiated the money laundering investigation based on the FIR lodged on the complaint of the Income Tax Department. Searches have been conducted and so far 9 accused have been arrested under the PMLA. All of them are in judicial custody.
The ED investigation has established that proceeds of crime of Rs 540 crore were acquired through this extortion racket. The extortion network was set up with the active connivance and participation of a large number of bureaucrats and higher ups.
The ED is investigating the entire gamut of the extortion racket.
Shahdol: Four men who entered an abandoned underground mine in Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh allegedly with the intention to collect coal or scrap have died after inhaling toxic gas, a police official said on Friday.
The incident took place between 10pm and 11pm on Thursday in Dhanpuri, some 28 kilometres from the district headquarters, and the bodies were retrieved from the coal mine in the early hours of Friday, Superintendent of Police Kumar Prateek told PTI.
“The deceased have been identified as Raj Mahto (20), Hazari Kol (30), Rahul Kol (23) and Kapil Vishwakarma (21), all residents of Dhanpuri. The mine was closed for the last couple of years. Four persons entered the site, while one stood outside. The fifth person peeped inside after some time and found his associates unresponsive,” he said.
He alerted others, who called in the police, which put in four hours to retrieve the bodies of the men from inside the mine, the SP said.
“Initial investigations suggest the men died after inhaling toxic gas emanating from the closed mine. A case has been registered and probe is underway,” Prateek informed.
As per residents of the vicinity, the mine’s opening is covered with bricks and cement, but some try to enter with iron rods etc to look for coal or scrap.
