Page 5 - Mamata Banerjee

Bengal govt's shift from industry incentives sparks business concern

Incentives - or the lack thereof and outstanding dues - have long been a pet peeve of the industry

Police prevents BJP leaders from visiting violence-hit Bengal's Maheshtala

West Bengal BJP leaders led by state unit president Sukanta Majumdar were prevented by the police from visiting violence-hit Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, a day after the area witnessed group clashes. Union minister Majumdar and other leaders were stopped by police enroute to Maheshtala, following which they held a protest in Kolkata's Kalighat area near the residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when they were detained and released later. In a post on X, Majumdar said, "Just yesterday, the same @WBPolice were forced to wave white cloths in surrender before radical jihadists in Rabindranagar -- spineless, helpless, and humiliated. And today, suddenly, they appear to be warriors -- zealously following Chief Minister @MamataOfficial's orders with blind obedience, immersed in servitude!" "Today, as we moved toward Maheshtala to stand beside the attacked Hindus, the administration blocked our path citing Section 163. And when we later went to Kalighat, to th

Smart meters will be normal, consumers to pay bills every 3 months: WB govt

Days after halting the installation of prepaid smart meters in homes across the state, West Bengal Power Minister Arup Biswas on Wednesday said the gadgets already installed would be treated as normal ones, and consumers would have to pay their electricity bills every three months. Biswas claimed that the decision to install the meters for domestic power consumers was a directive from the central government. He thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for suspending the programme after widespread public protests. "The installation of prepaid smart meters for domestic power consumers was forcefully imposed. I would like to thank the Chief Minister for halting the programme," he said. "All the smart meters that have already been installed will now be treated as normal meters, and consumers will have to pay bills once every three months," he added. On Monday, Banerjee halted the installation of the meters in homes after facing stiff resistance and mass protests in several districts ove

Backwardness only benchmark to decide OBC status, not religion: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday told the state Assembly that backwardness is the only benchmark to decide the OBC status of people. Maintaining that a disinformation campaign is continuing on social media by some quarters, she asserted that there is no connection with religion in deciding the inclusion of any person in the OBC category. Noting that the only benchmark for deciding OBC status in the state is backwardness, Banerjee said that a commission set up by the government is holding a survey on 50 new subsections for inclusion in that category. The chief minister said that 49 subsections have been included under the OBC-A and 91 under OBC-B categories. She said that while more backward sections of people have been included under OBC-A, the less backward people come under OBC-B. The chief minister addressed the House after laying the annual report of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes for the financial year 2024-25. Banerjee said that all ...

Complainant against influencer Sharmistha Panoli arrested in Kolkata

Wajahat Khan, who filed the complaint against Sharmistha Panoli, was arrested in Kolkata after allegedly absconding since 1 June following counter-allegations against him

Visit Bengal to see real democracy under Mamata: Sukanta Majumdar to Rahul

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the Maharashtra Assembly election held in November 2024 was "rigged", and claimed that the same will be repeated in Bihar Assembly polls due later this year

Amit Shah vs TMC: Political showdown heats up ahead of 2026 assembly polls | West Bengal

Ahead of the 2026 West Bengal elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his two-day visit.

Bengal cabinet clears addition of 76 castes to OBC list, new subdivision

The cabinet on Monday approved recommendations of the West Bengal Commission for Backward Classes (WBCBC) to include 76 new castes on the list for OBC, an official said. These 76 new castes would be added to the existing 64 ethnic groups on the Other Backward Class (OBC) list in the state, he said. The cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal to make Farakka a new subdivision in Murshidabad district, he said. It was learned that the new subdivision would be constituted of Farakka, Shamsherganj, Suti-1 and Suti-2 blocks, he said. Earlier, these four blocks were part of the Jangipur subdivision. "Due to the growing population, the Jangipur subdivision authorities were facing difficulties in executing administrative work in the vast area. Hence, the decision was taken," the official told PTI. A source in Nabanna, the state secretariat, said that the council of ministers approved a decision to initiate a tendering process again to invite fresh bids for the proposed Rs 25,000-crore Ta

Amit Shah to arrive in Kolkata today for West Bengal's two-day visit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in Kolkata on Saturday night for a two-day visit to West Bengal, marking his first trip to the state after the success of 'Operation Sindoor'. Shah is scheduled to attend a series of official and party programmes on Sunday. According to the official itinerary, the Home minister will begin his day with the inauguration of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Rajarhat, on the outskirts of Kolkata. Later in the day, Shah will address BJP leaders and functionaries at a party convention at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Party insiders said the meeting is expected to focus on the BJP's roadmap for West Bengal ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. "Amit Shah Ji will give us a roadmap for the next assembly polls in the state," BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said. Shah will also pay a visit to the ancestral home of Swami Vivekananda at Simla Street in north Kolkata. This is Shah's first visit to West Bengal since

'Vicious' campaign launched at PM's rally for power gains, claims CM Mamata

She further said that this effort aimed to downplay and erase out the significant development works of our government for the people in Alipurduar district

West Bengal govt to recruit 35,726 assistant teachers after SC order

The school service commission will prepare merit panels based on the candidates' performance in the written test, oral interview, and lecture demonstration

Steel & ferro-alloy industry seeks Bengal CM's help over power tariff hike

Trade bodies in West Bengal's steel sector urge CM Mamata Banerjee to intervene as a steep power tariff hike by DVC threatens operations, jobs, and the survival of crucial industrial units in state

'I challenge, go for elections tomorrow': Mamata hits back at PM Modi

Stating that her government stands for compassion, Banerjee accused the BJP of following divisive policies and alleged that the ruling party at the Centre incites riots

PM Modi slams Mamata govt, says Bengal suffering from 'selfish politics'

PM Modi criticised the Trinamool Congress TMC government for showing 'enmity towards poor, Dalits, Adivasis and women'

Bengal CM Mamata skips NITI Aayog meet in Delhi, TMC silent on her absence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday skipped the NITI Aayog's Governing Council meeting in New Delhi, sources in the state secretariat said. The reason for Banerjee's absence remains undisclosed, they added. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that global investors are hugely interested in India and the states should utilise this opportunity to attract investments by removing policy bottlenecks, as he stressed that if the Union government and states work together like Team India, no goal is impossible. It was also the first major interaction between the PM and the CMs following Operation Sindoor. Till Saturday evening, there was no official confirmation on whether the West Bengal government was represented at the meeting. Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh declined to comment on the state's participation. "This is completely a matter of the state government. We will not comment on this. When the CM or the state government fee

NITI Aayog meeting: PM calls for faster development, states back Op Sindoor

At the NITI Aayog meeting, PM Modi urged states to develop future-ready cities and one world-class tourist spot each to help achieve the goal of a developed India (Viksit Bharat) by 2047

Opposition slams CM Mamata Banerjee for skipping NITI Aayog meet

The opposition BJP and the Congress flayed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for skipping the Niti Aayog meeting being chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday. It is the first major meeting of the prime minister with the CMs of states and lieutenant governors of Union Territories after Operation Sindoor. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya said that it is "unfortunate" for the people of West Bengal that the chief minister chose not to attend the meeting of the think tank, where CMs of several other states are attending. "By not attending the meeting, the people of the state got deprived, as the issues of West Bengal will not get raised there. The state government has missed the chance to raise several pressing issues which are important for West Bengal," Bhattacharya said. This move to go against the Centre will "not benefit" the state, the BJP leader said. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "Had she attended the meeting, the chief ...

Mamata urges North Bengal officials to stay alert for cross-border threats

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday directed administrative and police officials in the northern part of the state to remain vigilant for cross-border threats in the strategically sensitive region. She also asked the officials to stay alert in view of potential flooding due to heavy rain. Chairing a high-level administrative meeting during her ongoing three-day visit to northern West Bengal, she said the region, which shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, is "highly sensitive", and directed the police and administration to intensify patrolling to prevent any infiltration bid, especially of anti-national elements. "Even though the BSF is deployed, state administrative officials must also remain vigilant," she said. She also cautioned officials against the spread of misinformation and fake news, stating that updates should only be disseminated through the government during any crisis. The chief minister also raised concerns over alleged

Abhishek Banerjee to represent TMC in India's global anti-terror delegation

The Trinamool Congress will send Abhishek Banerjee instead of MP Yusuf Pathan to represent the party in the all-party delegation

TMC's Yusuf Pathan to opt out of all-party mission on anti-terror stand

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerje asserted that the leadership of a party should decide the names of its representatives for the Centre's multi-party diplomatic mission