Page 2 - Kolkata

LIVE news: Land swap with Nepal consulate clears hurdle for Kolkata Metro's Purple Line work

LIVE news updates, Nov 18: Catch all the latest news developments here

Land swap with Nepal consulate clears hurdle for Kolkata Metro Purple Line

A major hurdle in the construction of the Kolkata Metro's Purple Line (Joka-Park Street) was resolved after the project's implementing agency, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), and the Consulate General of Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to exchange land parcels. Under the agreement, 409.53 sq. metres of land owned by the Consulate General of Nepal will be exchanged with 526.34 sq. metres of adjoining Metro Railway land, facilitating the construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore for the proposed Mominpur-Esplanade underground section. This 409.53 sq. metres of land is urgently required for construction of a ramp between Mominpur and Kidderpore, officials said. He recalled that several meetings took place from 2022 to 2025 between the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, India's Ministry of External Affairs, Metro Railway, and RVNL in Kathmandu, New Delhi, and Kolkata to ensure smooth land exchange. "After multiple rounds of discussions, the Nepal governme

Operators hail plan to allow over 15-yr-old buses to ply with fitness nod

The association of bus operators on Sunday welcomed the West Bengal government draft notification, which stated that over-15-year-old stage carriers registered in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area will be allowed to ply with bi-annual fitness certificates. The state government presented the draft notification before the Calcutta High Court. The court held that there is no scope for further adjudication in a petition filed by a private bus owners' association, as their grievances were mitigated in the draft notification presented before it by the government. Disposing of the petition on Friday, Justice Rai Chattopadhyay gave liberty to the West Bengal government to publish the draft notification as submitted before the court at the earliest point in time. The draft notification said, "Stage carriage buses registered in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) only shall be allowed to ply beyond 15 years of age from the day of initial registration." Welcoming the order, the Secretary of Joint ...

State Bank of India centralises trade finance operations at Kolkata hub

State Bank of India is reinforcing its trade finance operations through a centralised digital hub for the east and northeast, aiming to expedite processing, bolster compliance, and enhance customer experience, the state-owned lender said. During a visit to the Global Trade Finance Centre (GTFC) in Kolkata, Chairman C S Setty said on Saturday stated that it is a strategic move to handle trade finance and international banking transactions for the bank's branches across eastern and northeastern India. "The bank is reimagining its trade finance capabilities to meet the evolving needs of businesses across India and beyond," Setty said in a statement. "Combining cutting-edge technology with deep domain expertise, we aim to set new benchmarks in speed, security and customer experience," he said. The GTFC, which features over 300 skilled professionals, is driving SBI's transition from paper-based to digital processes, officials said. The bank is leveraging technologies like artificial ..

Massive fire breaks out in electronics goods warehouse in Kolkata

A major fire broke out on Saturday morning in a multi-storey building in the central part of the city's Ezra Street area, police said. No one was injured in the fire, the police said. At least 20 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze that originated in an electronics goods warehouse and quickly spread through the congested area, they said. The fire has not yet been brought under control, even six hours after it broke out, they said. "The fire broke out at around 5.30 am, and 20 fire engines were deployed to control the blaze. Our firefighters began operations on arrival, but despite several hours of continuous effort, the fire has not yet been fully contained," a senior official of the state Fire Services department said. "There is no increase in the number of fire tenders. But the fire is yet to be brought under control," the official told PTI. "No casualties were reported, no individuals were trapped inside the building at the time of the incident. Emergency

Respiratory issues, pregnancy complications surge in Kolkata post Diwali

Hospitals across Kolkata have reported a significant rise in respiratory illnesses among people and complications among pregnant women and IVF patients after Diwali and Kali Puja celebrations, with doctors attributing the surge to heightened air and noise pollution caused by bursting of firecrackers. Pulmonologists and gynaecologists observed an uptick in both outpatient and inpatient visits between October 20 and 22, with pollution levels soaring well beyond safe limits. Several medical professionals warned of serious health risks for vulnerable groups, including those with pre-existing respiratory conditions and expecting mothers. Dr Mrinmoy Mitra, senior consultant pulmonologist at ILS Hospital, Dumdum, reported a 10-15 per cent increase in hospital admissions for respiratory illnesses and a 20 per cent rise in OPD visits during the festive period. "Most patients came in with aggravated asthma, AECOPD, chest tightness, wheezing, and nasal blockage. Diwali smoke and firecracker .

2 more held in Durgapur rape case, all 5 accused now in custody: Police

The 23-year-old woman hailing from Jaleswar in Odisha's Balasore district was gang-raped on Friday night when she went outside the private medical college with a friend to have dinner

ED raids Bengal minister's property, 5 more Kolkata sites in jobs scam case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted search operations at six locations in Kolkata, including a property belonging to West Bengal minister Sujit Bose, in connection with its probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of a civic organisation, a senior official said. The ED teams raided the minister's residence-cum-office in Salt Lake, and the houses of former officials of the Dum Dum Municipality, he said. "Today's raids are aimed at collecting documents linked to corruption. The office of the minister was not originally on our list," the ED official told PTI. The central agency had earlier conducted a raid at Bose's residence and questioned him for over 12 hours in connection with the same case in January 2024.

Amit Shah to join Durga Puja festivities, inaugurate pandals in Kolkata

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will take part in Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata on Friday. He arrived in the metropolis on Thursday night and was received at the airport by senior state BJP leader Rahul Sinha. Shah will inaugurate the pandal of the Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity in north Kolkata on Friday. Organised by BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh, the Durga Puja pandal has showcased 'Operation Sindoor'. Shah will then visit the Kalighat temple in south Kolkata and offer puja. Later, he will inaugurate the Durga Puja pandal of the BJP-backed Paschim Banga Sanskriti Mancha at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake. He will leave the city in the evening.

Kolkata struggles to return to normal after heavy rains, 11 dead so far

At least 11 people have died in heavy downpour which lashed the city and nearby areas on September 23 morning, even as life limped back to normal in city on Wednesday with improvement in weather, a senior official said on Wednesday. Till filing of this report, several areas, particularly Patuli, Santoshpur, Ballygunje, Salt Lake and pockets of north and central parts of the city, remained waterlogged. The official said while nine people died of electrocution in the city since Tuesday, two deaths were reported in neighbouring districts. As on Tuesday, there were reports of 10 deaths by electrocution, including one from an adjoining district. On Wednesday, news of another casualty came in from South 24 Parganas district's Rajpur-Sonarpur, the official added. While water was pumped out of low-lying areas of Kolkata and adjoining areas through the night, life limped back to normal in majority of the areas barring Patuli, Santoshpur, Ballygunje and Bidhannagar, where waterlogging ...

Moderate rain likely in Kolkata today; check key weather updates here

IMD forecasts light to moderate showers and gusty winds in Kolkata today, with mostly cloudy skies and occasional thundershowers; heavy rain is unlikely over the next 24 hours

Rain paralyses Kolkata: Over 4 dead, flights cancelled after heavy rains

Torrential overnight rain left Kolkata paralysed on Tuesday, killing at least seven people due to electrocution and bringing life in the metropolis to a grinding halt as large swathes were submerged.

Technical snag disrupts Kolkata Metro Green Line services for 30 minutes

Truncated services were run on the Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V corridor of Metro Railway Kolkata for half an hour on Thursday during peak office hours due to a technical snag, an official said. Services along the entire stretch resumed from 11 am after the technical problem was fixed by engineers, the Metro Railway spokesperson said. "Due to a technical problem, trains were run between Howrah Maidan-Esplanade and Sealdah-Salt Lake Sector V from 10:30 am to 11 am. After the glitches were rectified, the services resumed along the entire 16.6 km stretch, called the Green Line," he said. This is the second consecutive day that truncated services were run on the Green Line due to a technical glitch, less than a month after the full stretch was made operational. On Wednesday, a glitch was detected around 10.34 am, following which services were suspended on both lines, and services resumed on the Howrah Maidan-Sealdah section around 11.46 am. The snag was fully repaired, and the enti

PM Modi inaugurates 16th Armed Forces Commanders' Conference in Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the three-day Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) of the armed forces at the Eastern Command headquarters here on Monday. The conference is the apex brainstorming forum of the armed forces, bringing together the nation's top civil and military leadership to exchange views at the conceptual and strategic levels, a Defence official said. Coming in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, this year's meet will focus on reforms, transformation, change, and operational preparedness. The theme is 'Year of Reforms Transforming for the Future.' "The focus of the conference reflects the armed forces' commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration and technological modernisation, while sustaining a high level of multi-domain operational readiness," the official added. The PM arrived here on Sunday evening from Assam and will leave the city in the afternoon for Purnea in Bihar. Operation Sindoor, which was conceived as a punitive and targete

MP bags ₹14,600 cr investment proposals at Kolkata business meet: CM Yadav

Yadav said the proposals are expected to create 16,000 new jobs, calling the development a "big milestone" for Madhya Pradesh

Kolkata leather units hit by US tariffs, eye UK and EU markets for relief

With US tariffs on leather products doubled to 50%, exporters in Kolkata face shrinking orders and margin pressure, while betting on UK and EU deals for recovery

Odisha CM Majhi's flight diverted to Kolkata due to inclement weather

A plane carrying Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was diverted to Kolkata on Friday morning, after it failed to land in Bhubaneswar due to inclement weather, a state minister said. Majhi, who was on a five-day tour to Delhi, was scheduled to land at Bhubaneswar airport around 9.45 am. The flight could not land at the airport here, and was diverted to Kolkata due to bad weather, Odisha's Urban Development Minister K C Mohapatra told reporters. Biju Patnaik International Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan said Majhi's flight hovered over the airport for around 21 minutes amid heavy rain, before being diverted to Kolkata. In a statement, the Odisha government said the state-level Teachers' Day function to be attended by Majhi has been postponed to 3 pm from 11.30 am.

PM Modi to flag off metro services on new sections in Kolkata on Aug 22

These metro routes will connect some of Kolkata's busiest areas, bring a notable reduction in travel time, and strengthen multimodal connectivity, benefiting lakhs of daily commuters

PM Modi to unveil ₹5,200 cr metro, road projects in Kolkata on Aug 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation of projects worth Rs 5,200 crore, including three new stretches of the Kolkata Metro, and an elevated corridor in adjacent Howrah, during his visit to the eastern metropolis on August 22, officials said. PM Modi will inaugurate the new Metro stretches around 4.15 pm on Friday and undertake a metro ride from Jessore Road metro station to Jai Hind Bimanbandar station and back, a Kolkata Metro Railway spokesperson said on Wednesday. He will also lay the foundation of 7.2-km elevated Kona Expressway worth over Rs 1,200 crore, which will enhance connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata. The inauguration of the crucial 13.62 km, in all, of metro stretches will provide seamless connectivity between important points in the city, including Howrah and Sealdah stations, IT hub Sector 5 and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. The three new stretches are Sealdah to Esplanade (2.45 km), Noapara to Jaihind Bimanbanda

ABVP protests march to WB Education dept HQ over delay in WBJEE results

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS, on Monday staged a demonstration before Bikash Bhawan, the headquarters of the state Education department, in Salt Lake, protesting the delay in the publication of West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination (WBJEE) results. The WBJEE was held in April this year, but the results have not been published. Carrying placards and shouting slogans against the state government, the protesters accused the Education department of "corruption" and demanded the immediate release of the WBJEE results. The ABVP members also blamed the state Education department for the delay in admission to undergraduate courses in many higher educational institutions. Police stopped the ABVP members from marching towards Bikash Bhawan and cleared the area, detaining several protesters. "We wanted to meet Education Minister Bratya Basu. We also told the police that five of us will go and meet him in a delegation. But the police are not allo