City’s paralympic athletes felicitated
Kaleidoscope, a city-based firm which serves in the field of event and sports management and film production, felicitated 19 Indian athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics Games. Samiran Das, the founder of Kaleidoscope; cricketer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari, who is minister of state, for youth affairs and sports, Government of West Bengal, were present at the event along with other guests.
The event was organised under the title ‘You Are The WINNER’. The felicitation ceremony was attended by delegates from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI).
IIT panel’s suggestion to decongest Chingrighata
An expert committee of IIT Kharagpur has suggested construction of two flyovers over the busy Chingrighata crossing on EM Bypass.
The existing two-lane flyover from EM Bypass towards Nicco Park will have to be reconstructed and another flyover will have to be built that will bring vehicles coming from Salt Lake and Sector V to EM Bypass, the expert committee recommended to the urban development ministry.
Following a series of accidents in last few years, the state government has engaged experts from IIT Kharagpur to suggest ways to reduce traffic load and bring down accidents in this bustling intersection.
Constructing two flyover are a part of the latest recommendations of the expert committee that has been studying the traffic pattern and future challenges around Chingrighata.
PSU unveils medical oxygen generator plant
Commemorating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav week from December 31 to January 6, the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, a Mini Ratna defence PSU, inaugurated its medical oxygen generator plant (MOGP) at Bharat Sevashram Sangha Hospital at Joka, Kolkata.
The plant was inaugurated by retired commodore P R Hari, Indian Navy, who is director (personnel), GRSE; in presence of Swami Brahmatmanandaji, secretary of the healthcare unit; and other senior officials of the PSU. The new plant at the hospital aims to reduce dependency on local oxygen suppliers and thereby strengthening public health system in any emergency situation.
Covid surges ahead
Bengal on Monday reported 6,078 new Covid-19 infections, including 2,801 or over 46 per cent of such cases from Kolkata alone. Kolkata and its immediate neighbourhood of North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Nadia accounted for 5,245 or 86.29 per cent of new infections reported in 24 hours.
The surge in and around Kolkata is being attributed by sources in the state government to the general disregard for Covid-19 safety protocols among revellers since the run-up to Christmas. Bengal’s recovery rate slid to 97.58 per cent from 97.77 per cent, considerably lower now than the national rate of 98.2. Seventeen of the state’s 23 districts reported zero deaths on Monday.
Pranab Mondal
Our correspondent in West Bengal pranabm@newindianexpress.com