Page 36 - Mamata Banerjee

Tata Motors wins Rs 766 crore plus interest at 11% for losses in Singur

Arbitral Tribunal also allows it to recover Rs 1 cr towards the cost of proceedings

Jyotipriyo Mallick: From Mamata loyalist to "scam-tainted" minister

Jyotipriyo Mallick, a senior TMC leader, saw his four-decade-long political journey take a severe hit as the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on Friday in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam in the state. Sixty-five-year-old Mallick presently holds the portfolios of Forest Affairs and Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy in the Mamata Banerjee government. He was the West Bengal Food Supplies Minister from 2011 to 2021, a period during which the alleged irregularities in ration distribution reportedly took place. Mallick stepped into politics as a leader of the Congress students' wing Chatra Parishad - in the early eighties during his college years, inspired by then-firebrand mass leaders Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi and Mamata Banerjee. Born into a middle-class family in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district in 1958, he delved into politics while pursuing a career in law. Recognizing his organizational skills, a local

Mahua Moitra questions Hiranandani's affidavit, alleges PMO's involvement

TMC MP Mahua Moitra has raised questions over the credibility of Hiranandani Group CEO Darshan Hiranandani's affidavit, alleging that it was "drafted by the PMO" and he was forced to sign it after being "threatened" with "total shut down" of his family's businesses. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) held a "proverbial gun" to Darshan and his father's heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this "letter", Mahua claimed in a statement issued late on Thursday night. Her statement came shortly after Hiranandani, who allegedly paid Moitra to raise questions in Parliament about the Adani Group, claimed in the signed affidavit that the TMC leader targeted billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani to "malign and embarrass" Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose impeccable reputation gave the opposition no opportunity to attack him. He alleged that she provided him with her Parliament login and password to ask questions targeting Adani after the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation booked capacity at

TMC will launch bigger movement if no response on MGNREGA dues: Abhishek

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said the party will launch a bigger movement, in which West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also participate, if a response from the Centre regarding the state's MGNREGA dues is not received by the end of this month. Addressing a meeting in South 24 Parganas district's Bishnupur, which falls under his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, the TMC national general secretary said, "People of West Bengal have worked for two years but have not received their wages under the scheme. I had asked people to choose between 'Paa Dhoro' (beg them) and 'Delhi Chalo' (march to Delhi) options to get their dues and they chose the latter." "Trains were cancelled at the last moment to prevent West Bengal's poor from reaching Delhi to fight for their rights. Permission for protests was also not granted," he said. Banerjee, while recalling the TMC's stir earlier this month over the issue, alleged that Union Minister of State for

ADB joins hand with Bengal govt to study economic corridors' development

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has joined hands with the West Bengal government to undertake a study for the development of state economic corridors, a government statement said on Friday. The ADB is "keen to support the projects with technical expertise and funding", it said. The government, in the statement, said the study aims at "strategising economic development across the nodes of Andal-Panagarh, Kharagapur-Goaltore-Salboni and growth centres such as Siliguri, Dankuni and Kalyani with urban-industriallogistics-skills-energy-social sector convergence". The ADB has worked on a number of landmark projects, including the East Coast Economic Corridor and the Bangladesh Corridor study, it said. During the day, a stakeholder consultation meeting was held by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi with key industries on the Industrial and Economic Corridor Project. Senior representatives from ADB, consulting firm Deloitte, industry body FICCI and various businesses of the industrial parks alo

Centre discriminating against flood-hit people in north Bengal: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday alleged that the Centre is discriminating against the flood-affected people of north Bengal despite the "gravity" of the disaster in the area and the number of deaths being similar to that in neighbouring Sikkim. She said that the Bengal government has and will continue to help Sikkim at this hour of need. "Bengal is not a beggar", she said demanding "equality in treatment and non-discrimination in matters related to central help". Banerjee mentioned that since the night of the flashflood, her government has sent assistance of Rs 25 crore to Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and teams senior ministers and officials are still in the affected areas monitoring the situation in the flood-hit north Bengal districts. "The disaster that struck our brothers and sisters in Sikkim has also struck my people in Darjeeling hills and Kalimpong also. The strategic chicken's neck area of West Ben

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ED issues fresh summons to Abhishek Banerjee; asks to join investigation

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summon to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. He has been asked to join the ED investigation on October 9, sources said.The ED had earlier summoned Banerjee on October 3. However, Banerjee did not appear at the ED office on that date, owing to the party's MGNREGA protests in Delhi on the same date.Banerjee alleged that it was a tactic used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led central government to squash the protests."The fight against the deprivation of WB and its rightful dues shall persist regardless of the obstacles. No force on Earth can hinder my dedication to fight for the people of WB and their fundamental rights. I'll b in Delhi joining the protest on Oct 2nd & 3rd. STOP ME IF U CAN!" Banerjee said in a post on 'X'.The TMC general secretary had also alleged that the ED was summoning on days when he had pre-announced public programs."Earlier this month, the ED summoned me on a day coinciding with .

TMC to hold simultaneous protest in parts of Bengal over MGNREGA funds

The TMC, which plans to conduct protest programmes in New Delhi against the alleged withholding of state dues by the Centre on Monday, will simultaneously hold similar events in different parts of West Bengal, with live telecasts of the Delhi programme in various parts of the state. TMC MPs and state ministers will peacefully sit in at Rajghat on October 2, followed by a peaceful rally of MGNREGA job card holders in the national capital on the next day. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, and other top leaders arrived in Delhi ahead of the planned protest against the alleged denial of MGNREGA and housing scheme funds to the Bengal government. "Just like the protest programme in New Delhi. We will also hold peaceful protest programmes, including live telecast of the Delhi programmes in various parts of the state," a senior TMC leader said. More than 50 busloads of TMC members and MGNREGA job card holders are expected to reach Delhi on Monday after the party alleged tha

Visva Bharati sends fresh letter to Bengal CM demanding return of road

Visva Bharati Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty has sent another letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to consider the central university's request for the return of a road lined by heritage buildings on the campus to the institution. The three-km road, connecting Post Office More with Sriniketan, was taken over by the Public Works Department of the state government from the university in 2020 "to facilitate better connectivity". The varsity has been demanding the return of the road to protect the heritage structures lined along it. This was the VC's second letter to the CM, after one on September 25, since Santiniketan was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on September 17. The fresh letter sent to the CM on Saturday, a copy of which is available with PTI, read: "The UNESCO tag given to Santiniketan by the International Committee for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is likely to be withdrawn... if steps are not taken to protect the heritage properti

Realtors hail Bengal govt for extending stamp duty rebate till June 2024

The real estate industry in West Bengal on Friday welcomed the state government's decision to extend the stamp duty rebate till June 2024. CREDAI West Bengal president and Merlin Group chairman Sushil Mohta said the stamp duty rebate extension will help the industry achieve a growth trajectory. "The real estate industry has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it managed to survive because of the continuous support from the state government in terms of the two per cent rebate in stamp duty and 10 per cent rebate in circle rate. The extension of the rebate will give a much-needed boost to the industry," Mohta said. The increase in interest rates and the huge rise in the cost of raw materials made it difficult for the industry to pass on the benefits of the rebate to consumers, he said. "However, the state government's support is helping us keep the costs down for consumers. The extension of the rebate will further encourage real estate buyers to close their ...

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Mamata Banerjee reaches Dubai from Spain, to hold meetings with investors

After a "successful" tour of Spain, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday morning reached the UAE where she will attend a series of meetings, including a business summit, a state government official said. Banerjee, who is scheduled to stay in Dubai till her planned return to Kolkata on September 23, will participate in a business summit and also meet a group of NRIs there, he said. "The chief minister reached the UAE early this morning. She will be staying there for the next two days and will attend a series of meetings, including a business summit. She will also meet a group of NRIs," the official said. Banerjee left for Spain on September 12 after a one-night stopover in Dubai, in a bid to attract investments in the state. She visited Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. During her stay in the European country, the chief minister met several investors and held meetings with NRIs, the official said. Among other significant developments, the Bengal government has signed

Spainish textile major Zara to start production in Bengal from Dec: Mamata

Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a Spain-based textile major, is expected to start production in West Bengal before Christmas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. The state government would provide 100 acres of concessional land, besides all other support to the company, Banerjee, who is currently in Spain, said. An exciting development is on the horizon! Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a major player in the textile industry, is expanding its operations. They are partnering with private entities to shift manufacturing to West Bengal, with production set to begin before Christmas 2023, Banerjee posted on X on Thursday. The Bengal CM, who is on a 12-day official tour to Spain, held a meeting with the company officials in this regard. Banerjee is hopeful that the venture would help in growth, sustainability, and a prosperous future for West Bengal. During the Bengal Global Business Summit in 2019, a segment titled 'Downstream Polymer and Plastic Industry,' was conceived aligning with our ...

Adhir slams Mamata over ED summons to Abhishek in coal 'scam' case

The summons to the TMC MP came weeks after the central probe agency conducted raids in the office of 'Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd'

Mamata meets Sri Lankan prez at Dubai airport, invites him to WB biz summit

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at Dubai airport and invited him to the state business summit in November. Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Dubai and Spain. The chief minister said that Wickremesinghe, seeing her at the airport lounge, called her to join for some discussion. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe saw me at the Dubai International Airport Lounge and called me to join for some discussion. I have been humbled by his greetings and (have) invited him to the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata, she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Banerjee also said Wickremesinghe has invited her to visit the island country. HE the President of Sri Lanka extended cordial invitation to me to visit Sri Lanka. It was a pleasant interaction with deep implications, she added. Banerjee reached Dubai on Tuesday evening and was at the airport there this morning to board her flight to .

Mamata to leave for 11-day tour of Spain, Dubai to attend business summits

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will leave for an 11-day tour of Spain and Dubai, during which she will attend business summits to attract investments to the state. Banerjee will leave for Dubai on Tuesday, and spend the night there due to the unavailability of connecting flights, before flying to Spain's capital Madrid the next day. "We will stay in Madrid for three days, during which we will attend a business summit and meet non-resident Bengalis. From there, we will take a train to Barcelona, where we will participate in a two-day meeting for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)," she told reporters at state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday. She said this will be her first foreign tour in five years as the Centre "had not given her necessary permission earlier". Banerjee will be accompanied by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and senior office-bearers of renowned Kolkata football clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. She said former Indian cricket team

Mamata Banerjee reshuffles ministry, shifts Supriyo from tourism to IT, RE

In a ministerial reshuffle on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shifted Babul Supriyo from the tourism department and gave him the charges of Information Technology and renewable energy, a senior official said. Another singer-politician Indranil Sen, who was the minister of state for the technical education, training, and skill development department was given the Independent charge of the tourism department, he added. Forest Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick was given additional charges of the department of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction, the bureaucrat said. Banerjee effected the reshuffle on the eve of embarking on a trip to Dubai and Spain to seek investments.

Mamata Banerjee attending G20 dinner: Matter of courtesy, says TMC leader

Santanu Sen said that Adhir Ranjan Choudhury will not decide when the chief minister of the state will go to attend a dinner on the occasion of G20 as part of the protocol

Nitish Kumar among Oppn CMs to attend G20 dinner, but many to skip

Of the Congress CMs, Himachal Pradesh's Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will likely be present, but Chhattisgarh's Bhupesh Baghel and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah will not attend