Jharkhand HC fines govt Rs 8,000 for seeking more time in ED officers FIR case

Surat, July 31 (IANS) A heart was transported by train for transplantation for the first time in India after the organs of a 36‑year‑old brain‑dead man from Odisha were donated at Surat New Civil Hospital, marking the hospital’s 96th successful organ donation and giving a new lease of life to four patients.

The donor, Mithun Swain, a native of Kalakhadi in Odisha’s Ganjam district who was living at Kim in Surat and working in a weaving unit at Pipodara, donated his heart, liver and two kidneys following consent from his family.

According to hospital authorities, Swain suffered a medical emergency on July 28 after returning to his room following a meal. His mouth became distorted and the left side of his body, including his arm and leg, stopped functioning. He was initially taken to a private hospital before being shifted by a 108 ambulance to Surat New Civil Hospital because of his critical condition. After receiving emergency treatment, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

A medical board comprising RMO Ketan Nayak, plastic surgeon Nilesh Kachhadiya, neurologist Prayag Makwana and neurosurgeon Keyur Prajapati declared him brain dead at 4:01 p.m. on July 30.

Following the declaration, Organ Donation Charitable Trust volunteer Iqbal Kadiwala and counsellor Nirmala Kathude counselled Swain’s wife, brother and other family members about organ donation. The family agreed to donate his organs with the hope of saving other lives and encouraging greater awareness of organ donation in their native village.

A prayer meeting was held at 5 a.m. before the retrieval procedure, attended by in‑charge Medical Superintendent Parul Vadgama, Medical Officer Solanki, Iqbal Kadiwala, the counsellor, doctors and hospital staff, who paid their respects and prayed for the departed soul.

The liver and both kidneys were allocated to the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) in Ahmedabad, while the heart was transported from Surat Railway Station to the U.N. Mehta Hospital in Ahmedabad aboard the Mumbai Central‑Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express.

The journey took about 217 minutes, or three hours and 45 minutes, making it the first reported instance in the country of a heart being transported for transplantation by train.

After the Vande Bharat reached Ahmedabad, the organ was moved to the hospital through a green corridor created by the Railway Protection Force and Gujarat Police to ensure timely delivery for the transplant procedure.

Hospital authorities said the success of the operation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of Surat New Civil Hospital, Indian Railways, the Railway Protection Force, Gujarat Police, transplant teams, the Organ Donation Charitable Trust and volunteers.

–IANS

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Agartala, Sep 18 (IANS) After natural rubber, bamboo and other major forestry crops, Tripura is emerging as a potential hub for agarwood cultivation and processing, with the sector expected to boost the state’s economy and generate employment, officials said here on Friday.

An official of the state’s Industry and Commerce Department said that Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Secretary Srinivas Katikithala visited the Uttar Fulbari agarwood village, plantation and processing unit in North Tripura district on Thursday.

Katikithala urged agarwood growers and workers engaged in the processing unit to make greater efforts to expand agarwood cultivation and processing for their individual prosperity as well as the state’s economic growth.

DoNER Ministry Joint Secretary Angshuman Dey, along with other senior officials, including North Tripura District Magistrate Chandni Chandran and agarwood growers, accompanied the Ministry Secretary during the visit.

An official document said that North Tripura district, which shares inter-state borders with Assam and Mizoram, plays a pivotal role in India’s agarwood industry, with a high concentration of agar trees and accounting for a significant portion of the country’s agarwood production. North Tripura contributes an estimated 90 per cent to 95 per cent of the agarwood industry in Tripura, making it the largest producer of agarwood in the state, the document said.

Kadamtala block is a significant producer, while North Tripura district is particularly well suited for agarwood cultivation due to its soil and climatic conditions. North Tripura has approximately 1.13 crore (11.3 million) agar trees, the highest concentration in the state, while around 15,000 families across the district are engaged in agarwood cultivation and processing, the official document said.

The low input required for management and growth, lack of site specificity, and adaptability to intercropping could make agar a preferred cash crop for farmers.

In Tripura, the critically endangered agar tree is highly adaptable to local conditions. To promote agarwood cultivation, sustainable harvesting and agarwood-based industries, the state government has already formulated an agarwood policy for promoting the tree and its processing in the state.

The policy envisages the sustainable utilisation of agarwood by emphasising all aspects of cultivation, harvesting, processing, transit and trade. The policy also seeks to encourage the planting of agarwood trees to provide farmers with a better source of income and promote agarwood-based industries by ensuring ease of doing business and providing proper market linkages.

Meanwhile, DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia earlier this year laid the foundation stone for an Rs 80-crore Agarwood Cluster Processing Centre at Uttar Fulbari village in North Tripura district. He had said that the initiative aims to advance Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting local industries on a global scale and directly supports the ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) policies.

The Minister had highlighted that nearly 90 per cent of India’s estimated 150 million agarwood trees are found in the Northeast, particularly in Tripura. The initiative is expected to boost Tripura’s agarwood production capacity by 50 per cent and potentially generate an annual sector turnover of Rs 2,000 crore, with direct access to global markets within the next three to four years.

Currently, natural rubber is cultivated on 97,171.93 hectares of land in Tripura. The state is the second-largest natural rubber-producing state in the country after Kerala, producing 1,02,989 tonnes of rubber annually, with an estimated value of Rs 1,620 crore.

According to Forest officials, nearly 44 per cent of Tripura’s geographical area is under bamboo coverage, and the state government is exploring avenues for high-value addition of bamboo, including its use in renewable energy and bio-ethanol production.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday led a scathing attack on Shiv Sena UBT, saying that for them, who were in power for 25 years, Mumbai was a hen that laid golden eggs.

He further took a swipe at the opposition, stating that those involved in the ‘Khichdi’ scam, fake Covid centres, and body bag scams during the pandemic should look within themselves before hurling taunts at others.

Shinde was speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised for the newly elected Municipal Council Presidents of Shiv Sena.

He noted that the Municipal Council results prove Shiv Sena has expanded from ‘Chanda to Banda’ (across the length and breadth of Maharashtra). Thanking the voters for their faith in the ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol, he said,

“Shiv Sena had the highest strike rate in the Lok Sabha elections. Our performance in the Assembly elections was also superior compared to other parties. Now, winning a higher number of seats despite contesting fewer ones is another testament to our excellent strike rate,” he noted.

Shinde highlighted that Shiv Sena Council Presidents were elected even in constituencies where the party does not have an MLA.

“Currently, 62 Shiv Sena Council Presidents have been elected, and we expect this number to reach 70. Notably, 33 of our ‘Ladki Bahins’ (beloved sisters) have been elected to these posts,” he added.

Targeting the opposition, Shinde said that UBT and the MVA had conceded defeat even before the council elections and left their workers in the lurch.

“The people of Maharashtra have ensured that those who stayed home (during their tenure) are now sent home permanently. The number of Shiv Sena Council Presidents alone is higher than the combined strength of all three MVA parties. Our bond with the common man is unbreakable, and it is impossible to defeat Shiv Sena,” he asserted.

He expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance would emerge victorious in the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections as well.

Reflecting on his tenure as Chief Minister, Shinde said, “I answered the opposition’s allegations through my work. The state witnessed two and a half years of relentless service, which resulted in the Mahayuti winning 232 seats in the Assembly. Despite opposition to the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme, I kept my word. Being recognised as the ‘beloved brother’ to crores of sisters is my greatest identity.”

Recalling the success of the ‘Government at Your Doorstep’ (Shasan Aaplya Dari) initiative, which benefited 5.5 crore citizens, Deputy CM Shinde announced a new campaign.

“To mark the birth centenary of Balasaheb Thackeray, the Health Department will launch the ‘Health at Your Doorstep’ (Arogya Aaplya Dari) initiative,” he said.

–IANS

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