Latest news with #AshishPandey
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Time of India
June 30 date for framing RG Kar corruption case charges
Kolkata: Charges will be framed against five defendants in the RG Kar Medical College corruption case on June 30. The Special Court in Alipore has called all accused to appear, including former principal Sandeep Ghosh. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The case emerged after a doctor's rape-murder at the RG Kar hospital in Aug, uncovering financial issues at the institution. The other accused are house staffer Ashish Pandey, contractors Suman Hazra and Biplab Singh, and Absar Ali. All defendants are on bail. Defense lawyers have questioned the timing of charge framing while investigation continues. The court has set Sept 1 as the deadline for completing the second phase of investigation under BNS and BNSS provisions. The June 30 hearing will proceed as scheduled. Sources report investigators have collected evidence about financial wrongdoing at the institution. The upcoming court session marks a key point in the proceedings against the medical college officials.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Medicinal plant project in Almora to curb migration and revive hill agriculture
Bageshwar: In a bid to address migration and land degradation in Uttarakhand's hill regions, a medicinal plant cultivation project has been launched in the Hawalbagh development block of Almora district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The initiative, a joint effort between the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE), seeks to transform abandoned agricultural land while generating rural employment. Under the project, commercially valuable medicinal plants – including rosemary, chamomile, timur (Zanthoxylum), bay leaf, and kapoor kachri – are being cultivated across 5.5 hectares of unused land in Khut-Dhamas and six adjacent gram a budget of Rs 43.22 lakh, the initiative is expected to benefit 400 rural families – 268 of whom are linked to self-help groups – and create around 15,500 person-days of work. Over the past two decades, widespread migration due to unstable employment and reduced farming yields, has left vast tracts of hill farmland uncultivated. Research indicates a direct connection between population exodus and agricultural abandonment. Dr Ashish Pandey of GBPNIHE said, "Scientific assessments show that the region's soil is suitable for medicinal plants. Farmers are being trained, and high-quality planting material is being provided. Technical support will be ongoing throughout the project." In addition to tackling rural unemployment, the programme promotes climate-resilient agriculture. Authorities also noted that a transition from conventional crops, often damaged by wildlife, to market-demanded medicinal plants represents a practical and sustainable approach. "This project is not just about farming. It is about curbing migration, empowering local youth, and reviving village economies through the smart use of natural and human resources," said a development block officer. Local authorities plan to implement this model in other hilly areas across the state, aiming to address migration-related land abandonment and reinvigorate rural hill communities.
