YK MYK MODI GOVT IS ALLOWING SPECULATIVE CAPITAL TO WEAKEN REAL ECONOMY OPINION Rs. 3 KOLKATA SATURDAY, 15 JAN, 2022 PG- 8, YEAR— 8, ISSUE— 235 (RNI NO: WBENG / 2014 / 56803) SOUTH AFRICA BEAT INDIA BY 7 WICKETS IN 3RD TEST, CLINCH SERIES SPORTS Morning India Bengal train accident Death toll reaches 9; Railway Minister visits spot MI NEWS SERVICE KOLKATA: The death count in the Guwahati-Bikaner Express train accident in north Bengal climbed to nine and the officials said tracks have been cleared for traffic. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw arrived at the spot on Friday. Twelve coaches of the GuwahatiBikaner Express derailed in the Domohani area of West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Thursday evening. "This is a tragic incident. It is very unfortunate. A statutory enquiry has already been ordered. The Hon'ble Prime Minister has been concerned about the death and the injured passengers and I am continuously in touch with the Prime Minister. I am also in touch with the ground situation and today I have come to find out the root cause of the accident. Once it is detected we will try to solve it so that there is no such accident for similar reasons," Vaishnaw said after reaching the accident spot. Nine persons died and another 36 persons were injured in the accident. According to sources in the Railways, the condition of 15 persons is serious. "The injured people have been sent to Jalpaiguri Super Speciality Hospital and North Bengal Medical College," a senior official of North Frontier Railways said. Meanwhile, the rescue operation has been concluded and the tracks have been cleared. "The rescue operation was conducted all through the night. Special teams from the BSF and NDRF went on with the rescue operation. The rakes were cleared off from the tracks at night only and the damaged engine was removed in the morning. There was some problem because of the darkness but we finally managed to do it," the official said. Nine trains were diverted through alternative routes following the accident, which include Guwahati-Howrah Saraighat Express, Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Express, New Delhi-Agartala Tejas Rajdhani Express and Trivandrum-Silchar Express and Kanchanjungha Express. According to the Railways, the Guwahati-Bikaner Express 15633 (up) that started from Bikaner in Rajasthan was heading to Guwahati in Assam via Patna when the AT A GLANCE KERALA: BISHOP FRANCO MULAKKAL ACQUITTED IN NUN RAPE CASE T’PURAM: A Kerala court on Friday acquitted Catholic Bishop Franco Mulakkal in the nun rape case. Kottayam Additional district court judge G.Gopakumar's verdict enabled Franco to walk out free. The trial extended over 105 days with 39 witnesses being examined and 122 documents produced before the court. While serving as Bishop of the Jalandhar Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, he was accused of raping a nun, who belonged to the Missionaries of Jesus congregation. During his visits between 2014 and 2016 to Kerala, he was accused of raping a nun. PG 7 Priests perform Sagar Arati at Sagar islands on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Gangasagar on Friday. Police and NSG defuse IED in Delhi NEW DELHI: The National Security Guard and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Friday averted a major terror attack in the Ghazipur Flower Market area of the national capital by defusing a 3-kg Improvised Explosive Device planted in the crowded market. The IED, which was found concealed in an unattended bag at the Ghazipur Flower Market, triggered panic among the residents of the capital less than a fortnight ahead of January 26, Republic Day. But how did the police find it? The bag was first spotted by a local vendor, however, he did not pay any heed to it and left. When he returned after sometime, the bag was still there after which he informed a civil defence volunteer in the area who then made a PCR call around 10.16 a.m. The Delhi Fire Service (DFS) was also informed at the same time. A DFS official confirmed to IANS that they received a call around 10.20 a.m. about an unattended bag at the Ghazipur Flower Market after which one fire engine was rushed to the spot. Cong faces tough battle in Goa as TMC launches attack MI NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI: The Congress is facing a tough battle in Goa while trying to be ahead of the BJP as the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are spoiling the grand old party's game in the state. The Congress is trying to put up a strong face and has denied any alliance talks with the Trinamool despite speculations in the political circles. Jittered by the Congress stance, the Trinamool has launched an offensive against the Congress. "The Trinamool has been saying that they are open to alliances, but Congress is not willing to accept and behaving like an emperor," Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra said, adding: "Need of hour in Goa is to defeat BJP - no one should be on their high horse. AITC will not, repeat not, shy away from walking the last mile." Speculation of an alliance between the two parties was triggered after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar told reporters that his party is in talks with the Congress and the Trinamool Congress for a pre-poll alliance for the upcoming elections in Goa. The Trinamool is alleging that the Congress was not been able to form the government in the state in 2017 and could not even retain its flock of MLAs. But, the Congress has not accepted the open offer and party General Secretary K.C. Venugopal has said that there are no talks with the Trinamool. Congress senior observer P. Chidambaram too has ruled out such a possibility. The Congress' Election plank for Goa will consist of the following central themes -- economy, employment, education, environment, ethos of Goa," Chidambaram has said. The Congress has got some solace with the former Ports Minister in the BJP-led government, Michael Lobo joining the party. The party has released two lists for the polls, but had witnessed defection of MLAs and discontent in the party over the delay in the announcement of tickets as many aspirants are getting restless. accident took place near Mainaguri in Jalpaiguri around 5.15 p.m. on Thursday. Mainaguri was not one of the train's 34 stoppages and the Bikaner Express was merely passing Jalpaiguri at the time of the incident. There were a total of 1,200 passengers on board, including 700 who boarded the train from Bikaner and 98 passengers who boarded the train from Patna junction. The railway authorities have announced a compensation of Rs five lakh for the families of the victims and Rs one lakh for the seriously injured and another Rs 25,000 for the injured. According to the railway authorities the reason for the accident is yet to be determined, but there was no problem regarding signal and it is expected that the derailment took place because of some problems on the track. Railways claims to have disbursed ex gratia payment People take holy dip at Gangasagar on Makar Sankranti to all accident victims The Indian Railways has disbursed the ex gratia payment to all the kin of victims and injured in the BikanerGuwahati train accident which happened in Jalpaiguri district on Thursday. According to the railways, the payment was made in the "least possible time". The railways said that those who sustained minor injuries (26 persons) were paid Rs 26,000 each, people with grievous injuries (10 people) were given Rs 1 lakh each and the kin of those died have received Rs 5 lakh each. According to railways, as many as nine people died in the accident. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that the preliminary inquiry showed a glitch in the locomotive equipment as the reason behind the train accident at Domohani in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. He also stated that the Commission of Rail Safety is conducting an inquiry to find the root cause of the incident.UL Devotees take holy dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Sagar islands in south 24 Parganas on Friday MI NEWS SERVICE GANGASAGAR: Amid the COVID-19 surge, a large number of people on Friday took a holy dip on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Gangasagar in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The West Bengal government has set up air ambulance services to provide emergency treatment to patients and transfer them to hospitals from Gangasagar, where devotees have gathered for a holy bath on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Meanwhile, a two-member committee has been constituted to monitor adherence to COVID-19 protocols during the Gangasagar Mela which began on January 8 this year. Only those having negative RT-PCR report not earlier than 72 hours have been permitted to enter the mela. Held during the winters, this Mela is an annual gathering of pilgrims that see a number of rituals, lit lamps and chanting in and around Sagardwip. Makar Sankranti or Maghi is a festival in the Hindu calendar, in which devotees make offerings to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun's transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.