Committed to restoring flood-ravaged Chungthang town, says Sikkim CM
Gangtok (PTI): Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday assured that the state government was doing everything to restore and transform flood-ravaged Chungthang into a model town.
Tamang said the Centre was also closely monitoring the situation and providing aid and support for the town's restoration.
"The state government is committed to restoring and transforming Chungthang into a model town," he said after conducting an aerial survey of the town in an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter.
The flash flood in Teesta river that hit the Himalayan state in the wee hours of October 4 left at least 78 people dead in Sikkim and northern West Bengal.
After the aerial survey, Tamang interacted with the disaster-hit families and distributed cheques of Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to individuals whose houses were damaged in the flash flood. He also gave Rs 20,000 each to people living on rent after their houses were destroyed.
Tamang said more compensation will be given to the affected people on the basis of assessment of the damage by the district administration.
He also handed over Rs 10,000 each to students who had lost books and essential items in the flood.
The chief minister said the state government will pay 10 months' rent to people of Chungthang whose houses were damaged and are currently living on rent.
The CM said work on an alternate road between Mangan with Chungthang was underway on a war-footing. He added efforts are on to restore connectivity between Chungthang and Lachen.
Tamang thanked the Army, NDRF, ITBP, BRO, SDRF, district administration, local panchayats and people for their help in the aftermath of the flood.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army's Trishakti Corps, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration and locals are working on a war-footing to reconnect North Sikkim with the rest of the country, officials said.
While the BRO has deployed its men to reconnect the Mangan-Toong-Chungthang route, troops of Trishakti Corps, BRO, civil administration and locals are trying to open the alternate Mangan-Sankalang-Theng-Chungthang route, they said.
"This requires construction of two bailey bridges over Teesta river at the Mangan-Sanklang crossing. Working round-the-clock, the first bridge has been completed on October 22," a statement by the Indian Army said.
"As an immediate response, foot bridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan crossing. These have enabled movement of people on foot and provision of relief materials through the zip lines established," it said.
"As an immediate relief to restore connectivity up to Chungthang via alternate route Mangan-Sanklang-Theng- Chungthang, troops of Trishakti Corps are undertaking construction of a bailey bridge at Mangan-Sanklang crossing, 200 metres upstream of where a bamboo bridge and zip line was constructed earlier," it added.
The statement said since the width of the river has increased to 600 feet and water running along two channels with a 160-feet island in between, decision was taken to construct two separate bridges.
"The troops of Trishakti Corps finished construction of the 150-feet-long first bridge on October 22. The second bridge is likely to be completed by October 27," the statement added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
