Not red, Mamata's beacons could glow blue, green

One step ahead of the Aug 5 directive of the Supreme Court to limit the rampant use of red beacons, the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal plans to change the colour of the beacons to green, blue or even multiple colours at once.

"While there is an urgent need to check the misuse of beacons, the government is working on a proposal to change the red colour to maybe green, blue or even multifarious colours," state Transport Minister Madan Mitra said.

Mitra did not attribute any specific reason to the sudden move, but said: "With the farewell to the red government (Left Front), we should give a farewell to red beacons."

The proposal has been sent to Banerjee for her approval.

The ruling Trinamool Congress's "allergy" to red -- symbolic of her opponents, the Communists -- is well known.

During her tenure as the railway minister, Banerjee had got the brick-red railway buildings painted purple, green, blue and white.

After she came to power in the state in 2011, numerous government buildings, including police stations, park railings, road dividers and flyovers have been daubed in blue and white -- the chief minister's favourite colours, often seen even in the sarees she wears.

Under the new regime, the customary "red carpet welcome" has given way to green carpet welcome, with green carpets and mats used in government and party programmes. The organisers of such programmes also make it a point to use chairs which are green - the colour associated with the ruling party.