Page 49 - Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Budget: A rural thrust with focus on social schemes

Among the major departments, the allocation for panchayats and rural development is one of the highest at Rs 26,603.51 crore

Former West Bengal DGP Virendra appointed as state information commissioner

Former West Bengal DGP Virendra was on Wednesday appointed as the State Information Commissioner(SIC), state Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said. The meeting to select the new SIC was held at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's chamber at the state assembly. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP skipped the meeting citing violation of the "advertising guidelines for inviting applications". Banerjee chaired the meeting. "There were 15 applications for the post of which 10 were found valid. The CM proposed Virendra's name and we supported it. Virendra has been appointed as the new state information commissioner," Chattopadhyay said after the meeting. Later speaking to reporters on the appointment of Virendra as the new State Information Commissioner, Adhikari said, "The meeting is illegal, it has met twice before. The Governor did not sign. I hope the Governor will not sign the appointment of Information Commissioner this time as well. All India level

Bantala leather complex will get Rs 10,000 cr additional investment: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Bantala leather complex in Kolkata will get an additional investment of Rs 10,000 crore. In the last one year, 92 new tanneries have been given land lease for setting up units in the complex, she said. "At Bantala, Rs 30,000 crore have been invested that generated employment for three lakh people. Another Rs 10,000 crore will be invested," Banerjee said at a programme here in Howrah district. There are 50 units at Bantala and 50 more are coming up, the CM said. Banerjee on Thursday also laid the foundation stone of several projects and extended government services to six lakh people in five districts - Howrah, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Nadia. She said the Duare Sarkar' (government at doorstep) scheme will be held every three months. Nine crore applications for the scheme were received by the state government, of which seven crore have been considered, the chief minister said. Efforts are unde

Central dues to Bengal under MGNREGA still at Rs 7,000 crore: Mamata

Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the total central dues to the state government under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) currently stands at Rs 7,000 crore

Rajnath, Yogi to hold rallies, Mamata to join road show in Tripura today

Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath will address two election rallies each in Tripura on Tuesday. West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee will also hold a road show in the northeastern state where elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16. During the day, Singh, the country's defence minister, will address two rallies of the ruling BJP at Kailashahar in Unakoti district and at Badarghat in West Tripura. Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, will also hold two rallies at Bagabassa in North Tripura district and at Kalyanpur in Khowai. Banerjee's roadshow is scheduled to begin at noon in the state capital Agartala. Security arrangements have been tightened in the northeastern state in view of the scheduled visit of the political leaders. Notably, Union Home Minister and Senior BJP leader Amit Shah had on Monday held two rallies and a road show in the poll-bound Tripura. Shah had alleged that Tipra Motha has a "sec

HM Amit Shah, Bengal CM Banerjee to arrive in poll-bound Tripura today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to arrive in Tripura on Monday to address two election rallies, and join a roadshow to boost the BJP's campaign in the poll-bound state, a party leader said. Elections to the 60-member assembly will be held on February 16. Counting will take place on March 2. During the visit, Amit Shah ji will address Vijay Sankalp' rallies in South Tripura's Santirbazar and Khowai, and attend a roadshow in Banamalipur constituency of Agartala, he said. Security arrangements have been tightened in the northeastern state in view of the Union minister's visit, a senior police officer said on Monday. Shah had participated in two Rath Yatras in Tripura last month, beginning the saffron party's campaign for the assembly polls. TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also scheduled to arrive in the state on Monday, and attend a roadshow and address a public meeting on Tuesday. She will arrive on Monday evening and visit Udaipur to offer prayer

Mamata sees through her ears: VBU vice chancellor on Amartya Sen land row

An unauthorised possession of land at Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district took murkier turn with university authorities issuing statement accusing chief minister "of seeing through her ears"

From Mamata Banerjee to Pinarayi Vijayan, here're CMs' views on Budget

"There is no relief from inflation in this Budget. On the contrary, this Budget will increase inflation. There is no concrete plan to remove unemployment," says Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

Centre confusing people in name of implementing CAA: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led central government is confusing people in the name of implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Banerjee also claimed that she and her party Trinamool Congress have been taking care of the Matua community people, whose roots are in Bangladesh, and blamed the BJP for trying to approach them as a friend in the name of the CAA. "In the name of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, they (Centre) are confusing people. We have been taking care of the Matuas for a long time, but when polls approach, the BJP goes to them, claiming to be their friends... screaming CAA," Banerjee said at a government programme here. The Matuas, originally hailing from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), started migrating to West Bengal in the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution there. The CAA facilitates the grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanista

Mamata holds meeting of TMC's Birbhum unit, oversees poll preparations

West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday held an organisational meeting of the TMC's Birbhum district unit, and took stock of the party's preparedness ahead of the rural polls. The district unit's president Anubrata Mondal was last year arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in a cattle smuggling scam. Banerjee, who is on a tour of various districts from Monday, held a closed-door meeting in Bolpur, and inducted three new leaders in the district core committee, which was formed after the arrest of Mondal. During the meeting, the party supremo (Banerjee) oversaw the preparedness for the panchayat polls (due this year). She also inducted Kajal Sheikh, MP Satabdi Roy and MP Asit Mal into the district core committee, a TMC leader said. This was Banerjee's first visit to the district after the arrest of Mondal, a staunch loyalist of the party chief. His three-decade-long political career has been marked by controversies and strong-arm tactics. Mondal was arrested in August last y

Mamata Banerjee to leave for three-day tour to West Bengal districts

West Bengal Chief Minister West Bengal will leave for a three-day tour of Birbhum, Malda and Purba Bardhaman districts on Monday to review the administrative works there, an official said. She will also speak to Trinamool Congress workers during her tour, he said. Banerjee will inaugurate the 46th Kolkata International Book Fair on Monday and then fly to Bolpur in a chopper. On Tuesday Banerjee will visit Malda, where she is scheduled to hold a public distribution meeting, he said. "The services provided under the 'Duare Sarkar' (government at the doorstep) scheme are supposed to be distributed by Banerjee in Malda. There is also a bicycle distribution programme for students scheduled there. After that the CM will be returning to Bolpur," the official said. On Wednesday, Banerjee is likely to be present at another programme of the state government at Bolpur's Dakbangla Maidan, he said. She will be staying at Bolpur in Birbhum district in all the three days of her tour. Sources

13-member central team starts review of midday meal scheme in West Bengal

A 13-member central team on Monday started review of the midday meal scheme in schools in West Bengal, a senior official said. The joint review mission consisting of Union Education ministry officials, one nutritionist, one representative of the Unicef along with director of PM Poshan Scheme, V Bhaskar held a high-level meeting with state Education department officials, he said. The officials, who are scheduled to conduct their review till February 6, will visit schools in districts starting with North 24 Parganas on Monday. The team, which reached the city on Sunday evening, will check school infrastructure and food quality, served to school children under the mid-day meal scheme. "This is a routine visit. We carry out such reviews in the states every year. We will try to visit as many districts as possible. Today we met the officials of the School Education department. Today is a testing day," an official of the team said after the meeting. She said that they are likely to spea

Bengali is second-largest spoken language in Asia: West Bengal CM

"We must remember that we should learn our mother tongue no matter where we live," she added

Mamata urges people to uphold democratic ideals of equality, fraternity

The 74th Republic Day was celebrated with pomp and gaiety across West Bengal on Thursday amid tight security, with Governor CV Anand Bose presiding over an hour-long parade by the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, policemen and civilians, including school students. Early in the day, a military helicopter showered rose petals on Red Road, the venue of official programme here, to greet the dignitaries, including Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The governor hoisted the Tricolour on the occasion in the presence of Banerjee and a host of her cabinet colleagues, senior officials of the state and the three wings of the Indian Armed Forces. Extending his greetings to the people of the state on the occasion, Banerjee urged people to take a pledge to protect and uphold democratic ideals of justice, liberty equality and fraternity as enshrined in our Constitution". "Together, we shall strive to build a nation our founding fathers envisioned," she also tweeted. After a gap of two years,

Calcutta HC judge faces TMC's ire for criticizing CM's poetry collection

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court, who made headlines for his verdicts in the multi-crore teachers' recruitment irregularity scam in West Bengal, has come under fire from the TMC

Renaming of islands in Andamans done to gain popularity: Mamata alleges PM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the renaming of islands in Andaman and Nicobar was done to merely gain popularity since Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had himself named the islands as Shahid' and Swaraj' Dweep when he had visited the archipelago in 1943. She also accused the Centre of scrapping the Planning Commission envisaged by the legendary freedom fighter. Notably, Neil and Havelock islands in Andamans were, in 2018, renamed as Shahid' Dweep and 'Swaraj' Dweep by the Centre. Ross Island was also rechristened as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep to honour the freedom fighter. Banerjee's reaction came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named 21 islands of the Union Territory after Param Vir Chakra awardees on the occasion of Bose's 126th birth anniversary. "Today only to gain popularity, some are claiming to have given names of Andaman islands Shahid and Swaraj Dweep, but these islands were given such names by Bose when he had gone there to ..

TMC will not join CPM-Cong alliance in Tripura, Mamata to visit on Feb 6

The Trinamool Congress will not join the CPI(M)-Congress alliance in the ensuing Tripura Assembly election, a senior party leader said on Sunday. Tripura Trinamool Congress president Pijush Kanti Biswas said TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister will arrive in Tripura on February 6 to campaign for party candidates. "The TMC is not going to forge any electoral understanding with the CPI(M)-Congress combine in the ensuing Tripura Assembly elections because many Congress leaders and workers who had suffered during Communist regime will not vote for their own party", said Biwas. "Our assessment is that the CPI(M)-Congress initiative will face the similar fate what had happened in West Bengal Assembly election in 2021, that's why we will keep our distance from it", he said. Biswas said "Trinamool Congress will contest the election in the seats where the party has a chance to win and TMC's doors are open for other parties for electoral understanding." He said Trinamool Congress sup

Why arrangements not made earlier?: Mamata attacks Centre on Joshimath

Criticising the Centre for allegedly not making arrangements earlier in landslide-hit Joshimath in Uttarakhand, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said the govt should work on a war footing

Centre seeks to interfere in functioning of courts, alleges Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee objected to the Centre's proposal for the inclusion of govt nominees in the collegium system on appointments to the higher judiciary

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to visit poll-bound Meghalaya on Jan 18

The West Bengal chief minister will hold a public meeting at Mendipathar in Meghalaya's North Garo Hills district on Wednesday