Trinamool leader flags unfenced borders, BSF jurisdiction in letter to Par panel chairman
New Delhi, Mar 18 (PTI): A Trinamool Congress leader has written to the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, flagging large, unfenced stretches along key international borders in West Bengal, and raising concerns over the expanded jurisdiction of the Border Security Force in the state, among other issues, a source said.
Two letters have been written to Agrawal, which also expressed concerns about the implementation of schemes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly relating to women's safety, border management, police modernisation, and pending disaster relief dues, the source said.
It has been pointed out that 371.58 km of the India-Bangladesh border remains unfenced, while fencing along the India-Myanmar border covers only 44 km of the approved 1,643 km.
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Concerns have also been raised over a 2021 notification extending the jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) to 50 km inside international borders, bringing large parts of border regions under the Central force's ambit.
Reference has also been made to the Supreme Court's ruling in the Naga People's Movement of Human Rights vs Union of India (1997) case, with it being argued that Central forces should operate in cooperation with the civil administration, and not supplant it.
The underutilisation of funds in key schemes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, particularly those related to women's safety, has also been flagged, the source said.
The letters express concern over the Nirbhaya Fund remaining unspent.
"The underutilisation of funds in these critical schemes raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of measures intended to enhance women's safety and strengthen forensic capabilities," one of the letters said.
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It also flagged that only about 50 per cent of the allocation for modernisation of forensic capacities has been spent, while utilisation under schemes for upgrading Central Forensic Science Laboratories and the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme stands at 18.5 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.
The Trinamool leader also claimed the Union government owes West Bengal Rs 53,696 crore under various disaster management heads, including funds related to cyclones such as Amphan, Yaas and Bulbul, as well as floods, landslides and other calamities.
"Given the frequency and severity of disasters in the region, timely disbursement of these funds is essential to support rehabilitation, infrastructure rebuilding and disaster preparedness," the letter said.
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UP: Petrol pump manager booked for denying fuel to ambulance; causing man's death
Ballia (UP) (PTI): Police on Saturday registered a case against a petrol pump manager in connection with the death of a 50-year-old man who allegedly could not be taken to hospital in time after a private ambulance was denied fuel.
The case has been filed against Ashok Kumar Bharti, manager of M/s Bhushan Service Station in Tengrahi village, under sections of the Essential Commodities Act, officials said.
According to police, the FIR was lodged following a complaint by Supply Inspector Indresh Kumar Tiwari. During the inquiry, the manager admitted that an ambulance had arrived at the petrol pump around 9.20 pm on April 22 seeking fuel, stating that it had run out of petrol. However, fuel was not provided, citing non-availability, officials said.
The ambulance allegedly remained stationed at the pump for about 15 minutes. However, records showed that the petrol pump had sufficient stock on that day, including 4,595 litres of motor spirit, 4,784 litres of high-speed diesel and 3,475 litres of premium petrol, indicating that fuel was available but not supplied, the FIR said.
District Magistrate Mangla Prasad Singh said an inquiry was conducted under the supervision of the Additional District Magistrate by a team comprising the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bairia and the District Supply Officer. Based on the findings, directions were issued to register a case.
Circle Officer (Bairia) Mohammad Fahim Qureshi said police have launched a probe and are searching for the accused manager.
Earlier, District Supply Officer Devmani Mishra had said that Chhatthu Sharma (50), a resident of Pandeypur village in Bairia tehsil, fell critically ill on the night of April 22. His family was taking him to the district hospital in a private ambulance when it ran out of fuel on the way.
The family approached a petrol pump near Tengrahi village for fuel, but the operator allegedly refused, citing a shortage. The family claimed that Sharma died on the way as he could not be taken to the hospital in time due to a lack of petrol.
The district magistrate said that CCTV footage confirmed that the ambulance had reached the petrol pump and sought fuel, which was not provided. He added that the pump operator cited low stock, but inspection revealed sufficient stock of petrol and diesel at the outlet.
Officials said that representatives of Indian Oil have also visited the site, and further action against the petrol pump will be recommended based on the findings.
