New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Capt Avhilash Rawat and crew of the Marlin Luanda, which was attacked in the Red Sea earlier this year, have been selected to receive prestigious 2024 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

Two individuals will receive certificates of commendation for their acts of bravery and 15 letters of commendation will be sent to their recipients.

Capt Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of the INS Visakhapatnam of the Indian Navy will also receive a letter of commendation for their support to the oil tanker Marlin Luanda when in distress.

The IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea is for two sets of nominees: the Captain and crew, for containing a fire after the ship was struck by an anti-ship missile; and the Captain and crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, for their rescue of six shipwrecked persons from four different vessels, during a hurricane.

Nominations were initially reviewed by an assessment panel and their recommendations were considered by a panel of judges, who ultimately selected the recipients of honours. The recommendations of the panel of judges were endorsed by the IMO Council, meeting for its 132nd session from July 8 to 12.

A total of 41 nominations were received from 15 member states and three non-governmental organisations in consultative status with IMO.

Captain Rawat and the crew were nominated by the Marshall Islands for their extraordinary courage, determination and endurance demonstrated while coordinating firefighting and damage control efforts to combat the fire that broke out after an anti-ship ballistic missile struck their vessel.

On the evening of January 26, 2024, the Marlin Luanda, carrying 84,147 tons of Naphtha, was en route from Suez to Incheon when it was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile. The explosion ignited a cargo tank, creating a significant fire hazard with flames exceeding five metres. Despite the damage, Captain Rawat swiftly organised firefighting efforts, ensuring the crew’s safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability amidst the chaos.

With the starboard lifeboat destroyed, the remaining crew mustered at the port lifeboat station, ready for potential evacuation. Despite the extreme danger and the constant threat of further attacks, the crew fought the fire using fixed foam monitors and portable hoses.

The fire continued to spread, particularly affecting an adjacent tank, but the crew managed to contain it using seawater after foam supplies were exhausted.

After four and a half hours fighting the fire on their own, assistance arrived from the merchant tanker Achilles, and later from the French frigate FS Alsace and the US frigate USS Carney, which provided additional firefighting foam and support, followed soon after by the Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam.

Despite efforts by the Marlin Luanda crew, the fire reignited multiple times. The situation remained critical, and expert consultations suggested abandoning the vessel.

However, Captain Rawat and his crew persisted. The turning point came when professionally trained firefighters from the Indian Navy boarded the ship. They managed to get closer to the fire due to their superior equipment and their efforts, combined with those of the Marlin Luanda crew, finally succeeded in extinguishing the fire and sealing a significant hull breach.

Twenty-four hours after the missile strike, the Marlin Luanda sailed to safety under naval escort.

–IANS

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Guwahati, July 11 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the state government has made proficiency in local language mandatory for selection in government jobs, and this would protect the rights and interests of Assamese.

Sarma said that the Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC) cannot protect the rights of the local people, as PRC can be obtained if a person lives in Assam for three years.

The Chief Minister’s comments came on the reactions stemming from the notification of the Higher Education Department regarding exemption of PRC for appointment of Assistant Professor, librarian, Grade III and Grade IV employees in colleges.

He said that the state government has made aptitude of local language mandatory for selection which according to him would protect the rights and interests of the local people.

Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu stated in X, “The Notice pertaining to Permanent Residential Certificate (PRC) was issued by the Director of Higher Education without approval of the government. The DHE has been instructed to withdraw the notice immediately.”

Sarma stated in X, “Enquire further on what authority the Director of Higher Education issued this circular. Such a circular could only have been issued by the Government, not by a directorate”.

The circular issued by the DHE had evoked criticism from several quarters with the All Assam Students Union (AASU) condemning the move and asking the government to be “more responsible towards local people.”

The AASU also demanded that the circular be repealed with immediate effect.

The Assam Higher Education Department in a circular to the Principals of various colleges on July 4 said that the PRC is not mandatory for appointment of Assistant Professor, librarian, Grade III and Grade IV employees in colleges.

–IANS

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Patna, July 11 (IANS) Bridges and culverts continue to collapse in Bihar as another culvert, built in 2005, collapsed in the Saharsa district after it got submerged due to the floodwaters from the Kosi River.

This marks the 15th such incident in the past 23 days in the state.

The incident took place on Ward Number 17 Road, which connects Kundah Panchayat with Balia Simar Panchayat under Mahishi block.

The culvert, located on the banks of the Kosi River, collapsed due to the pressure of the floodwaters.

As a result, many people from over a dozen villages have been affected, as they remain cut off from the district and block headquarters. The situation is causing significant concern, particularly for those who have scheduled the wedding functions.

“Around 10 weddings are planned in my village. My daughter is also getting married. I don’t understand how the wedding procession will proceed. The administration should pay attention to our sufferings. The culvert had become very weak and couldn’t withstand the pressure of the water,” said Rajiv Kumar, a villager.

Chote Prasad, a Junior Engineer of the Rural Works Department, said: “The culvert was constructed in 2005 under the MLA fund. It collapsed due to the strong flow of floodwaters from the Kosi River. Traffic has been disrupted, but it will be restored soon.”

–IANS

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Chandigarh, July 10 (IANS) Fifty-five per cent of voter turnout was recorded in the Jalandhar West Assembly bypoll in Punjab on Wednesday, a drop from 67 per cent in the 2022 state elections.

Polling for the state’s lone Assembly constituency began with 15 candidates in the fray for a multi-cornered contest.

A total of 1.72 lakh people were eligible to cast vote.

The seat fell vacant after the resignation of Sheetal Angural as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator. He’s again in the fray, now as a BJP nominee.

In a battle among AAP, BJP and Congress in the Jalandhar West (reserved) Assembly constituency, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s prestige is at stake.

The ballots will be counted on July 13.

The Jalandhar West (reserved) Assembly constituency is a hub of Dalits in the Doaba region.

While the ruling AAP has fielded BJP rebel Mohinder Bhagat as its candidate, BJP pitted former AAP MLA Angural as its nominee.

Bhagat, who left BJP and joined the AAP in April 2023, is the son of a three-time MLA from this Assembly constituency of BJP and served as Cabinet Minister from 2007–2017.

The Congress’ nominee is Surinder Kaur, the former senior Deputy Mayor and five-time councillor of Jalandhar.

The party believes that her social work will ensure her resounding victory. She is known for her proximity to the Dera Sachakhand Ballan, a key Ravidassia community sect in the region.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has extended support to Bahujan Samaj Party nominee Binder Kumar.

The caste factor has played a key role in this seat, which is known worldwide for manufacturing sports goods.

Congress’ candidate Surinder Kaur is a prominent Dalit leader of Ravidassia community, while AAP candidate Mohinder Bhagat belongs to the Kabir Bhagat community, which has 30,000 voters. The latter had unsuccessfully contested this seat in the 2017 and 2022 Assembly elections on BJP tickets.

By fielding Bhagat, AAP is looking to woo 30,000 Bhagat community voters.

BJP’s Angural, a young firebrand leader, is banking upon the Sialkotia Ravidassia community, which also has a considerable vote share.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken into custody a local youth in Kolkata for duping individuals and entities on the pretext of getting tenders from the West Bengal Health Department.

The arrested individual has been identified as Budhaditya Chattopadhyay, a resident of Kasba area in South Kolkata. He used to pretend to be a Harvard University research scholar and dupe several people of crores of rupees promising them to get their tender applications with the state Health Department passed.

The ED started the investigation based on a case filed in the matter in 2022. As the investigation proceeded, the investigating agency uncovered that the fraud had been taking place since 2019 and on Wednesday, they finally arrested the ringleader behind the scam.

Besides duping individuals of amounts ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000, the accused allegedly also duped a Bengaluru-based organisation of Rs 26 crore.

As per the estimates of ED officials, he has duped over Rs 35 crore from different individuals and entities since 2019.

–IANS

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