Lizard in midday meal, 79 kids fall ill

It appears that the authorities in the state haven't learned any lessons from themidday meal tragedy that claimed the lives of 20 children in a school in Chhapra, Bihar. 

At least 79 kids of a government higher secondary school in Maliyon Ka Mohalla in Baneda town of Bhilwara district fell ill after consuming contaminated midday meal. 

Preliminary investigations indicate that a lizard was found in the cooked meal. Taking cognizance of the incident, the district collector has ordered action against three officials. 

The midday meal incharge of the school, Dinesh Tanwar, who is also the physical training instructor and K C Garg, headmaster, were suspended. Lalu Lal Koli, additional block education officer, was put on awaiting posting order (APO). 

"After having midday meal, they complained of nausea, vomiting and dehydration. All of them were rushed to the government hospital. The condition of children is stable. Most of them were discharged from the hospital by the afternoon," said a senior health officer of Bhilwara. 

The incident came to the notice when a girl, Devi, found a dead lizard in her plate. She immediately rushed to the headmaster Kailash Garg and complained about it. 

The people engaged in midday meal had prepared rice and daal which was served in the verandah of the school. "Preliminary investigations suggested that lizard fell into the daal prepared for the midday meal which went unnoticed. It is utter negligence and hence we have suspended the midday meal incharge and headmaster and removed the additional block education officer," said Onkar Singh, district collector, Bhilwara. 

After taking the contaminated meal the students started vomiting and fainted on the ground. 

Meanwhile, parents gathered outside the school and shouted slogans against the school administration. 

Meanwhile, the district administration has also terminated the services of three women who were engaged in cooking the midday meal for the children. "The contractual employees Asha, Lalita and Kanchan were terminated for their negligence. We have also constituted a three member committee to probe the matter. It comprises sub divisionalmagistrate (SDM), district education officer (DEO), and block development officer (BDO).

Goons “cook up” devilish plan, sells poor woman in Rajasthan for Rs 65,000 ‘only’

A criminal minded woman “cooked up” a devilish plan and sold a woman, badly in need of running her life for day-to-day life, in Rajasthan for Rs 65,000. The woman and her one accomplice have been arrested by the police in this connection.

According to police, the main accused Kamlabai Sukhdeo Savarkar (50), resident of Bharatwada Bhandeshwar Society, Kalamna, and Ranglal Karu Mali (65), native of Ranodiya, Kota in Rajastshan, have been arrested. Kamlabai first introduced the woman to her friend Rakhi. Rakhi enticed the woman with a job of cooking food in Rajashtan. The poor and needy woman was perfectly trapped in their nefarious designs. Rakhi promised the woman of Rs 20,000 salary per month. After noticing the woman totally trapped in their ugly motives, Rakhi called her to a temple in Bhavani Nagar and took her Kamlabai’s house and introduced her with a man Jamnalal. The man took the woman to another woman Durga’s house. Jamnalal and Durga again introduced the woman with a man Ghanshyam. After the introductions and introductions, they all took the woman to Rajasthan.

However, after reaching Rajasthan, the woman was “married” with Ranglal Karu Mali. After the “marriage,” all the gang members Kamlabai Savarkar, Jamnalal, Rakhi and Durga “recovered” their cost of Rs 65,000 after selling the “product” (The woman). However, the woman soon realized, also, developed cold feet, that she had been sold to Ghanshyam and Ranglal at the “cost” of Rs 65,000. The poor woman was warned by Ghanshyam and Ranglal that if she tries to escape from their house, she would be killed. The woman, too, kept cool after the warning from both the men.

However, the destiny had a positive plan. The woman any how manged to escape from their grisly clutches and reached Nagpur. As soon as she arrived in Nagpur, the woman approached Kalamna Police Station and narrated her tragic tale to policemen. Police booked Kamlabai Savarkar, Jamnalal, Rakhi and Durga and also Ghanshyam and Ranglal. The PSI Vaidya after investigation into the episode, arrested Kamlabai and Ranglal Mali.

The sources said, both Kamlabai and Rakhi are pimps and are in the business since past few years. Police are now probing whether their connections are with more and more criminals who are in the women trafficking.

women conductors on Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation buses

The next time you travel in a Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation (RSRTC) bus, chances are a female conductor will ask you to show the ticket.

Breaking into a male bastion, 148 women bus conductors have been selected as conductors for RSRTC-run buses. Joining the league of states like Delhi, Gujarat and Kerala, Rajasthan too will one of the first states to induct women into bus services.

Ghaziabad shamed: Crimes against women rise

Acid attacks in Ghaziabad sadly represent only a fraction of the crimes against women. Rapes, molestation and harassment have almost become routine. Even though police say they're doing their best to prevent such incidents, the frequency of crimes against women speaks for themselves.

According to senior cops, a rape takes place every week in the city and many go unreported. While cases of 'molestation' are common, chain snatchers exclusively target women. "The situation is so bad that one fears getting out of the house after it gets dark. The police is barely helpful, and in some cases, they are at fault," said Renu Sharma, a Delhi University student who lives in Indirapuram.

Increasing crime against women sparks fear of chaos in volatile Hyderabad

A staggering 112 rapes have been reported across Hyderabad so far this year, just 38 short of the total number recorded last year, which analysts said are worrying signs at a time when a possible decision on new Telangana state was likely to cause more civil unrest in the city.

Only two CARICOM states ranked for encouraging female entrepreneurs

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are the only Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states ranked among 20 Latin America and Caribbean countries that provide the best environments for female entrepreneurs.

The Women’s Entrepreneurial VentureScope (WEVentureScope) index was released by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, and developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

In its debut edition, the WEVentureScope analyzes the factors that promote or hinder the success of women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It is the first comprehensive and standardized assessment of the region’s enabling environment for women seeking to start and grow businesses.

According to the survey, Jamaica is ranked 12 while Trinidad and Tobago is placed at number 18.

The survey found that Chile, Peru, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay provide the best environments for female entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The WEVentureScope examines and scores 20 countries in the five areas that most affect women’s entrepreneurship: business operating risks, including macroeconomic risks, security, and corruption; the entrepreneurial business environment, including costs and regulatory requirements associated with starting businesses; access to finance, including the availability and use of formal financial products by women; capacity and skills, including educational advancement by women and availability of business skills training.

 “Latin American women are among the most entrepreneurial on the globe, but are still greatly underrepresented as owners of SMEs,” said MIF General Manager Nancy Lee.

 “We at the MIF and the IDB are committed to supporting women entrepreneurs throughout the region. The WEVentureScope will help us better understand what the obstacles are and how they can be addressed.”

Overall, the WEVentureScope finds that Latin America and the Caribbean score relatively well for educational and business training opportunities for women; in nearly all countries, more than 50 percent of post-secondary education graduates are women, and more than half of the countries analyzed offer access to business networks. 

At the same time, women’s access to personal and business finance is relatively poor in the region. In the majority of countries studied, less than a third of women had saved money in a financial institution within the past year, and banks finance only about 20 percent of their business needs, the MIF added.(CMC)

Easy credit access will spur women into business

The complex loan application procedure discourages women to apply for institutional finance, Selima Ahmed, founder president of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said yesterday.
“Different requirements by different banks create difficulty for women entrepreneurs in accessing loans,” she said.
Women-dedicated desks are not active in many banks and some are yet to establish such desks, she said.
The BWCCI chief requested bankers to cooperate more with women to make loan-processing free from hassles.
Selima spoke at a seminar on Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh organised by BWCCI and Asian Development Bank at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
Bangladesh Bank with finance from ADB started a project to support women entrepreneurs in September 2010.
BWCCI was assigned as the implementing agency to enhance capacity of women entrepreneurs and associations to fully access the financial resources and services earmarked for women SME enterprises under the ADB loan programme, Selima said.
The chamber trained 900 women entrepreneurs at micro and SME levels from six districts, including Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Sylhet, Rangamati and Gazipur.
After the training, women are more encouraged and capable of seeking institutional finance, said Sangita Ahmed, president of BWCCI.
“Women are now informed on bank requirements, necessary documents and are able to prepare them better,” Sangita said.
The Bangladesh Bank is giving the utmost emphasis on women empowerment by creating easy access to finance, said Sukamal Sinha Choudhury, general manger SME and special programmes department of the central bank.
“We have set a dedicated desk for taking complaints from women entrepreneurs and to help them,” he said.
Women now constitute over 10 percent of the total business entrepreneurs in the country, compared to negligible numbers of a few years ago, said M Teresa Kho, country director of ABD to Bangladesh Resident Mission.
“We are glad that ADB help BWCCI in ‘Technical Assistance’ project to ensure easy access of finance for women,” Kho said.
Development is not possible without the development of women as half of the total world population is female, she added.
“If we want to develop our country, first we should empower our women,” said AMA Muhith, finance minister. “We are also doing well in human development.”
The bankers should be cordial in dealing with women, said Meher Afroz Chumki, state minister for women and children affairs.
The government has also allocated grants of Tk 100 crore for women entrepreneurs in the new budget.