Page 48 - Mamata Banerjee

Mission Meghalaya: Mamata, Abhishek Banerjee on 3-day tour from today

It is learnt that West Bengal minister, Manas Ranjan Bhunia, will be accompanying the two

Mamata did not get to speak at G20 virtual meet chaired by PM: Official

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday did not get a chance to speak at the virtual meeting of governors, chief ministers and lieutenant governors chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for discussion on various aspects of India's G20 presidency, a senior official here said. Banerjee, who had readied documents detailing Bengal's preparations for the G20 summit, "could not utter a single word" at the virtual meeting, the official, who also attended it, stated. "The CM was not given a chance to speak at the meeting. She had with her a set of documents on the state government's preparation for the G20 programmes, which are to be held in West Bengal," the official told PTI. Modi, during the meeting, emphasised the importance of teamwork and sought the cooperation of states and Union Territories in organising G-20 events, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement. The PM had on December 6 held an all-party meeting on G-20 in New Delhi. Banerjee, who is also the TM

Mamata to chalk out party strategy for winter session of Parliament

Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet party MPs here on Wednesday to decide the party strategy for the winter session of Parliament. Banerjee is likely to direct party leaders to raise pro-people issues on the floor of the House, party sources said. The meeting is expected to be held at 3 pm at the residence of senior party MP Saugata Roy Banerjee was part of the G20 meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and then visited Ajmer Sharif on Tuesday along with nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The winter session of Parliament commenced Wednesday. The session will have 17 sittings over 23 days before it concludes on December 29.

Bengal govt extends social outreach programme 'Duare Sarkar' till Dec 31

The West Bengal government on Friday extended the 'Duare Sarkar' programme, social outreach camps about its various projects, till the end of this year, an official release said. It had earlier announced extension of the programme till December 5. "The state government had notified (on September 28), the schedule and details of the 5th edition of the Duare Sarkar and Paray Samadhan campaign with outreach camps at the habitation levels to be held from November 1 to 30. The same was extended till December 5, 2022 on November 28," the notification said. "Now, after due consideration... the state government is pleased to extend the outreach camps under 'Duare Sarkar' further up to December 31st," it said. The first edition of the campaign started on December 1, 2020.

Suvendu Adhikari dares CM Mamata to stop CAA implementation in West Bengal

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday dared Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stop implementation of the CAA in the state. During a meeting in North 24 Parganas district's Thakurnagar, an area dominated by the Matuas whose roots are in Bangladesh, Adhikari said the "CAA Act does not suggest that the citizenship of anyone will be taken away if one is a bonafide resident with legal documents". "We have talked about the CAA several times. The Citizenship Amendment Act will be rolled out in the state. If you have guts, stop it from being enforced," the Nandigram MLA said in an apparent reference to the chief minister. The CAA facilitates the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. But as the rules under the Act have not been framed by the government yet, no one so far could be granted citizenship under it. "Matua community members will als

'Are names that important?' Mamata as BJP MLAs skip assembly event

Inaugurating the annex building of the West Bengal assembly on Friday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would have been happier if MLAs of the opposition BJP would have attended the function. Banerjee wanted to know from Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay, who was seated near her, if he had extended an invitation to the opposition MLAs. The speaker replied in the affirmative but said the invite did not mention individual names. To this, Banerjee remarked, "Is mentioning of names that important?" "In the House, the speaker is important. If the speaker sends a letter, that is important. Anyways, I don't have any role in this matter, it is up to them," she added. None of the BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, were present at the function, which was attended by TMC MLAs, including chief whip Nirmal Ghosh, and TMC MP Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, among others. Earlier in the day, Banerjee held a "courtesy meeting" with Adhikari at her office in the assembly. The meetin

Bengal CM Mamata meets BJP's Suvendu over tea at her Assembly chamber

In a first since last year's state elections, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held a "courtesy meeting" with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari at her chamber in the state Assembly, raising eyebrows in political circles. Later, during a discussion on 'Constitution Day' in the House, the CM said that she had at one point adored him like a brother. Adhikari and Banerjee had been at loggerheads since the end of 2020 when he switched over to the BJP from the TMC and defeated the TMC supremo in Nandigram in the Assembly polls. The meeting came close on the heels of Adhikari complaining that his name was not included in the invitation letter for the 'Constitution Day' programme in the Assembly. The BJP leader had also said that he would "boycott" the programme. The Nandigram MLA was seen entering Banerjee's chamber accompanied by BJP leaders Manoj Tigga and Agnimitra Paul, shortly after the assembly session broke for recess in the afternoon. "I called Suvend

Ensure your name on voter list to avoid detention under garb of NRC: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked people of the state to ensure that their names are on the electoral roll to avoid getting sent to detention camps under the garb of enforcing NRC. She was addressing a programme organised by the state government to distribute land pattas' (documents) to marginalised families from all districts. Ensure your name is there on the voter list, or else, you will be sent to detention camps in the name of NRC. It's a shame, shame and shame, Banerjee said. Referring to incidents of "forcible takeover of land by the railway and airport authorities", Banerjee said, No eviction will be allowed in Bengal without proper compensation and rehabilitation. At the public function, she asked people to start protests if your land is forcibly taken and the state will be with you. She accused the Centre of not releasing funds for 100-day work. Without naming the BJP, she said the central government is running on the party's instruction. Ba

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks Guv intervention against WB govt power misuse

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Wednesday wrote a letter to the West Bengal Governor seeking his intervention with regard to the misuse of power by the administration

Mamata Banerjee voices anguish over violence on Meghalaya-Assam border

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed anguish over the violence at a disputed Assam-Meghalaya border location that killed six people a day before and prayed for peace there. Six people, including a forest guard, were killed in the violence in the early hours of Tuesday after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest personnel from Assam. "I am gravely anguished by the tragic instance of firing at Mukroh, Meghalaya, that claimed lives of 6 people. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this conflict. I earnestly pray that peace and calm prevails for the greater good," Banerjee said on Twitter. Notably, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the incident showed the 'ineptitude' of the Meghalaya government. Expressing shock over the incident, the TMC MP tweeted, "I am shocked and deeply saddened by the extremely unfortunate firing .

Former bureaucrat Dr CV Ananda Bose takes oath as West Bengal Governor

Former bureaucrat Dr CV Ananda Bose took oath as the Governor of West Bengal in Kolkata

CV Ananda Bose to take oath as new governor of West Bengal on Wednesday

CV Ananda Bose will take oath as the new governor of West Bengal on Wednesday, an official said. Bose, who was named the new governor on November 17, will take oath at the Raj Bhavan, he said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries, including assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay and Leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikary, will be present at the programme, the official said on Tuesday. The governor is administered the oath by the chief justice of the high court. Bose, a retired Kerala cadre IAS officer of the 1977 batch, will replace La Ganesan as the governor. He served as an administrator of the National Museum in Kolkata before superannuating in 2011.

Mamata Banerjee to attend PM-convened meeting in New Delhi on Dec 5

The chief minister might use the opportunity of her visit to New Delhi to have a separate meeting with the Prime Minister on the occasion

Mamata writes to PM, requests to formulate plan to control Ganga erosion

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the continuous erosion of the Ganga River bank in Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia districts. She requested the PM to advise the ministry concerned to conduct a detailed study, involving all stakeholders, and formulate an integrated plan to control the situation. Banerjee said the interventions would have high-cost implications, and also urged the prime minister to ensure that suitable budgetary provisions are made for the same under the Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP). While noting that he had written a similar letter in February this year but nothing had moved forward, the chief minister said anti-erosion efforts had been attempted piecemeal with no holistic approach being taken. "There is a need for permanent restoration works instead of such palliative activities. I would therefore request you to kindly advise the concerned ministry (Jal Shakti Ministr

Amit Mitra asks FM Sitharaman to urgently call GST Council meeting

Points out that under the regulations governing the all-powerful body, a meeting should be held every quarter

Central agencies quick to act against Opposition, but not BJP: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the central agencies are prompt in taking action against Opposition leaders but refrain from doing so when those from the BJP are involved in corruption. Her comments were in an apparent reference to BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh, whose flat deed was recovered from the residence of Prasanna Roy, one of the SSC scam accused. "Partha Chatterjee was arrested after documents in his name were found in the residence of Arpita Mukherjee. That was right. Law will take its course. "But why is the BJP leader, whose flat deed was seized from the residence of one of the accused, not arrested? It seems the central agencies are swift in taking action against Opposition leaders but they are not so prompt when it comes to BJP leaders," she said while leaving for Kolkata after her two-day visit to Jhargram. A copy of the deed of a flat owned by Ghosh was found during a CBI raid on Roy's residence. The BJP, leader, howev

Centre doing nothing to control price rise of essential commodities: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Centre of not doing enough to check the price rise of essential commodities and alleged that the union government is only interested in intimidating the opposition parties by using Central agencies. While chairing a meeting at the state secretariat - Nabanna - with the task force responsible for regulating the prices of commodities in the market, Banerjee said the Centre is not releasing the due funds of the state. "The Centre is doing nothing to check the price rise of essentials. It is only interested in using agencies against the opposition parties. They are summoning senior officials of the state to the Centre and using threats and intimidation tactics. Steps must be taken to tackle the price rise of essentials, or else what the common people will eat," she said at the meeting. Banerjee alleged that the Centre is not releasing the state due of GST tax. "We had agreed on the implementation of the GST. But now the .

Some people are conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said a conspiracy is being hatched against the state and the ruling TMC is being defamed as a part of the exercise. She slammed BJP leaders for engaging in "anti-Bengal act" for urging the Centre to block funds for various welfare funds for the state. Amid the arrests of senior party leaders in graft cases, the TMC supremo said those who have committed mistakes should be given a chance to rectify these. "A conspiracy is being hatched against the state. A malicious campaign has been unleashed against the government and the TMC as a part of it. Those who don't like Bengal keep maligning us (TMC) and hatching conspiracies," she said at a programme for students organized by the state government on Children's Day. The entire system cannot be maligned if "one or two people" have committed any mistake, she said. "If you work, you tend to make mistakes. Don't we get hurt while walking on the road? We need to rectify our errors. If someone

Mamata advises school students to use their brains to identify fake news

She made the remarks at a function here to distribute tabs to class 12 students, which was also attended by the state Education Minister Bratya Basu

Some people conspiring against Bengal, trying to defame us: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said a conspiracy is being hatched against the state, and the ruling TMC is being defamed as a part of the exercise. Amid the arrests of senior party leaders in graft cases, the TMC supremo said those who have committed mistakes should be given a chance to rectify these. "A conspiracy is being hatched against the state. A malicious campaign has been unleashed against the government and the TMC as a part of it," she said at a programme here. "If a person has committed any mistake, one should be given a chance to rectify those mistakes. If someone got involved in any wrongdoing, the law will take its own course. But a media trial is going on," Banerjee said.