Jamshedpur: Journalists from across East Singhbhum have an opportunity to display their willow prowess in the mega Media Cup cricket tournament to be played at the landmark Gopal Maidan in Bistupur between February 12 to 20.

The Press Club of Jamshedpur (PCJ) is organising a learher ball cricket tournament which will be played by eight teams - Dimna XI, Jubilee XI, Domuhani XI, Dalma XI, Kalimati XI, Hudco XI, Kharkai XI and Subarnarekha XI.

Preparations are on in full swing with groundsmen decking up the greens and the pitch under the supervision of L. Nageshwar Rao, a Tata Steel sports wing employee and veteran karateka.

Media persons (both print and electronic) are coming to Gopal to cover the daily practice sessions in the morning and afternoon. KVP Rao, a former Bihar Ranji Trophy captain and an ex-official of BCCI has been made the chairman of technical sub-committee of the tournament.

Tata Steel has provided the venue and also training kit. "We endeavour to organise the event in a grand manner. Banners will come up at different locations across the steel city," said Prashant Singh Putul, president of PCJ.

According to him, chief minister Hemant Soren is likely to attend either the inaugural or closing ceremony . Health minister Banna Gupta and Union tribal affairs minister Arjun Munda have confirmed their presence. We have also invited top officers of Tata Steel, Tata Motors and other corporate houses operating in the city. Bureaucrats and businessmen of the steel city will also grace the opening and closing ceremony of the tournament," he informed.

Names of editors of different city-based dailies have been included in the sub-committees. PCJ general secretary Anjani Pandey said an exhibition match between corporate houses and district administration will be played after the inauguration. Preparations are almost complete, he added.

Shedding light on the tournament, KVP Rao said matches till the league stage wwould be of 15 overs while the semi-finals and final will be of 20 overs. The pitch and ground are in good shape," he added.

Jayesh Thaker

Tension in Hazaribagh Koderma during idol immersion

Agitated people gather outside the sub-divisional hospital in Barhi Gautam Dey

Dhanbad: Tension prevailed in Hazaribagh and Koderma district today due to group clashes that took place during idol immersion at Barhi area of Hazaribagh district and Markachho area of Koderma district on Sunday night.

The internet services have been suspended in both the districts since Sunday night as per precautionary measure by the administration to avoid rumour mongering leading to further deteriorating the situation.

While the tension broke out in Barhi area on Sunday over the death of a 17-year-old youth Rupesh Kumar of Naitand Village of Barhi due to clashes between two groups during a idol procession ceremony, two separate groups clashed in Markachho area of Koderma last night over the issue of use of high sound DJ music during the passage of idol procession.

Local residents and source s in police at Hazaribagh said that Rupesh Kumar, son of Sikandar Pandey sustained injuries when two groups clashed after the idol procession passed after which he was rushed to Sub Divisional Hospital where he died during the course of treatment. The death of the teenager however sparked protest from the local residents who carried out road blockade and along with the dead body and also torched several vehicles.

Praduman Choubey

Language row: JMM, AJSU in war of words

AJSU Gomia MLA, Lambodar Mahto Gautam Dey

Dhanbad: The ongoing language row has acquired political connotations as ruling JMM and opposition AJSU have accused each other of playing politics over the issue.

Talking to media in Bokaro on Monday, Lambodar Mahto, AJSU MLA of Gomia charged the JMM-led alliance of ditching local residents against the pre poll promises by including Bhojpuri and Magahi in regional language list.

“We have a single point of demand of exclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika from the regional language list as these are not the languages spoken by the native residents of the state,” said Mahto adding that they also demanded inclusion of all local and tribal languages in regional language list of all the 24 districts of the state.

He further expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in exclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika from the list of several districts like Dhanbad, Bokaro and Godda.

Tundi JMM MLA and former land revenue minister Mathura Prasad Mahto who was also in Bokaro on Monday, however countered the AJSU allegations and charged the previous BJP Government of the state led by Raghubar Das for generating the controversy over the regional language list and now playing politics over the issue.

“Our government in fact has already started excluding the Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika from the regional language list as we have already excluded these languages from the regional language list from the majority of the districts and will exclude the same from two three remaining districts very soon” said Mahto.

“A delegation of party leaders led by education minister, Jagannath Mahto met Chief Minister, Hemant Soren and he assured exclusion of the Bhojpuri and Magahi from the list,” said Mahto.

Praduman Choubey