Page 38 - Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee demands Railways give priority to safety of passengers

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday demanded that the railways give more attention to the safety and security of travellers and roll back the dynamic pricing of train tickets. Banerjee, a former Railway minister alleged that train fares were sometimes higher than flight tickets. "Sad to find that railway passenger fares are steeply increasing and even in Suvidha trains the fares are sometimes higher than air fares!! Where will common people go in case of emergencies?!, she posted on X handle. "Fare hike must be curbed and reduced! And attention must be given to safety and security issues," she said. Talking on the number of rising railway accidents in the country, Banerjee also questioned why the anti-collusion devices and other anti-accident measures which she had introduced during her tenure as Railway Minister, were not used to keep a check on mishaps. "During my tenure as Railways Minister, I had introduced anti-collusion devices and other anti-accident measur

India incomplete without saffron colour: BJP leader on cricket jersey row

The row erupts as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of changing the practice jersey of Indian cricket players to "saffron".

BJP leaders defying SC: TMC MP to Delhi police on worsening air quality

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale on Monday wrote to the Delhi police seeking information on cases filed against the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali night.Gokhale has also alleged that several BJP MPs and ministers were bursting firecrackers in his neighbourhood despite a ban by the Supreme Court."Delhi Police needs to answer immediately and own responsibility for us breathing in a gas chamber This morning, Delhi has woken up to a hazardous level of pollution with an AQI of 999+ thanks to bursting of fireworks last night. Despite a ban by the Supreme Court, fireworks have been easily procured & used in the city. Last night, several BJP MPs and ministers were bursting firecrackers in my neighbourhood for hours at their "Diwali party", the TMC MP wrote in a post on 'X'."I've asked Jt CP HQ of Delhi Police to furnish details of how many cases of firecracker use were registered last night and what action has been taken. BJP leaders are openly defying SC orders in the heart of ..

Tata Motors wins Singur land case against WB govt: Here are case details

Tata Motors secured an arbitral award of Rs 766 crore, with 11 per cent interest in the Singur plant case against the West Bengal government

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Bengal recorded Rs 85,000 cr biz during this Durga Puja: CM Mamata

Asserting that the recently-concluded Durga Puja was "peaceful", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the state witnessed business of over Rs 85,000 crore and employment generation for around 3 lakh people during the festivities. Referring to a survey by the British Council which stated that West Bengal recorded a business of Rs 72,000 crore during this year's Durga Puja, a seemingly happy Banerjee said she hoped that the business will grow in the coming years. "Durga Puja has reached a new height this year. In the coming years, we will organise it in a bigger way. A British Council research stated that this year, there was business of around Rs 72,000 crore but I believe that it will be around Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 85,000 crore. Over 3 lakh job opportunities were created, which is a big gain for the poor," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. "Last time, some people moved the court because I had given some funds to clubs. I give money to th

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 ...