Suvendu Adhikari

10 dead, 19 injured after under-construction warehouse collapses in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said nine people have died and 20 others were injured when an under-construction warehouse collapsed in Kolkata's Taratala area a day ago. In a statement in the Assembly, he announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of each deceased and Rs one lakh for each injured in the incident. Of the 20 injured, one is in critical condition, and four are in serious condition, the chief minister said. Stating that five people have been arrested in connection with the warehouse collapse at Transport Depot Road in west Kolkata, Adhikari asserted that no one will be spared. He said that former mayor and minister Firhad Hakim's signature appears on the building plan of the collapsed warehouse. A day earlier, the chief minister said that preliminary inputs received from Kolkata Municipal Corporation engineers suggested that there were defects in the building plan approved for the warehouse. He has suspended till July 31 the work of a

BJP's first West Bengal Budget focuses on infrastructure, industry

Swapan Dasgupta presents a Rs 4.38 trillion Budget centred on infrastructure, industrialisation, targeted welfare and closer alignment with central government initiatives

West Bengal govt to re-examine land ceiling Act to attract investments

The West Bengal government on Monday announced that it would 're-examine' the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, with Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta describing the legislation as a major bottleneck to attracting large-scale investments in the state. Presenting the state budget in the Assembly, Dasgupta said West Bengal remains the only major state in the country where the Act's provisions continue to be in force, hampering large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects. "I hereby announce that the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, will be re-examined to unlock the potential of developable land, attract investments and fuel economic growth," the minister said. The announcement assumes significance as industry bodies and investors have long argued that restrictions on urban land holdings limit the availability of large contiguous land parcels required for industrial, commercial and infrastructure projects. The Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act was

Bengal BJP govt's first budget promises 100k jobs, DA hike for employees

The BJP government in West Bengal on Monday presented its maiden budget, announcing the filling of 1 lakh government vacancies, a 20 percentage point hike in DA for its employees, and a Rs 36,000-crore outlay for the financial assistance scheme for women, Annapurna Yojana. Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta said his government has inherited a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore from the previous administration, asserting that restoring fiscal discipline and public confidence in governance would be among his priorities. "Building a corruption-free administrative structure is a cornerstone of our vision. We have to restore people's trust in governance," he said. Dasgupta said DA for state government employees and DR for pensioners would be raised by 20 percentage points from October 1, taking it to 38 per cent. The move narrows the gap between the DA received by state government employees and their central government counterparts by 22 percentage points, a politically significant ...

Unlike past govts, we'll honour Syama Prasad Mookerjee's legacy: Suvendu

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced plans to preserve the legacy of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, while alleging that previous governments had sought to suppress the significance of June 20 and overlook his role in ensuring that West Bengal remained a part of India during Partition. Addressing the Paschimbanga Divas (West Bengal Day) celebration at Tarakeswar in Hooghly district in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor R N Ravi, Adhikari said June 20 marked a defining moment in Bengal's history when legislators from western Bengal voted in favour of remaining with India, paving the way for the formation of West Bengal. "There have been sustained efforts over the years to suppress the significance of June 20 and erase the historic role played by Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Our government is committed to restoring this chapter of Bengal's history to its rightful place," he said. Adhikari said Paschimbanga Divas was being observed to commemorate

Centre allocates ₹8,500 cr for Bengal under VB-G RAM G scheme: CM Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said the Centre has allocated Rs 8,500 crore to the state under the VB G-RAM G scheme. Under the Gram Sadak Yojana, allocations worth Rs 2,400 crore have been approved and Rs 1,000 crore released by the Centre, he said. Adhikari made the announcement while launching the state-wide 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' programme from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district. Adhikari said 1,100 'Jan Kalyan Shivir' camps, being organised from June 15 to June 17, will help people access 54 central and state government schemes. "This is the first such outreach programme of the BJP government in West Bengal. People can visit the camps between 10 am and 5 pm to learn about various welfare schemes and submit applications for enrolment," he said. The chief minister said welfare schemes should not reach illegal immigrants and questioned extending benefits to families that do not send their children to recognised schools, or to institutions where 'Vande Mata

'BJP govt to bring Tatas back': Bengal CM attacks TMC over industry policy

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the BJP government would bring the Tata Group back in the state, and accused the previous Left and TMC regimes of either forcibly acquiring land or merely indulging in "photo sessions" in the name of industrialisation. Addressing a press conference here, Adhikari promised to revive West Bengal's industrial fortunes and said his government would attract investment and create jobs without repeating the mistakes that had triggered the Singur and Nandigram agitations. "We will bring back the Tatas in Bengal," the chief minister asserted, referring to the conglomerate whose small-car project at Singur in Hooghly district was shifted to Gujarat in 2008 following a prolonged land acquisition dispute. In a pointed attack on the opposition TMC, Adhikari alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government spent years making claims about industrial revival without delivering tangible results. "We don't want to indulge in lies and organise pho

West Bengal govt distributes portfolios among newly sworn ministers

Newly sworn-in West Bengal ministers were allocated portfolios on Wednesday, with Swapan Dasgupta given charge of the finance department and Tapas Roy named industries minister. The portfolios were distributed among 13 Cabinet ministers and 22 ministers of state, including three with independent charge. BJP MLA from Bidhannagar, Sharadwat Mukherjee, was named health minister, Dudh Kumar Mondal got the charge of the agriculture department, journalist-turned-politician Jagannath Chattopadhyay was appointed to the higher education minister, and Dipak Barman was awarded the school education department. Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh has been named tourism and parliamentary affairs minister, while Arjun Singh has been given the responsibility of labour and transport departments. Among the ministers of state with independent charge, Indranil Khan has been awarded the sports and youth, and consumer affairs portfolios, while Malati Rava Roy got the charge of the women and child development ...

West Bengal to become 36th state/UT to implement AB-PMJAY scheme

Marking a major milestone in India's journey towards universal health coverage, the West Bengal government is set to join the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the publicly funded health assurance scheme, on Monday. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the AB PM-JAY scheme in the state will be signed between the National Health Authority (NHA), under the aegis of the Union Health Ministry and West Bengal's Department of Health and Family Welfare at Vigyan Bhawan, an official statement said With the signing of the MoU, West Bengal will become the 36th state/Union Territory in the country to implement AB PM-JAY. The MoU signing ceremony will be presided over by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, in the presence of the West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is a centrally sponsored scheme that provides health cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation to eligible .

Bengal launches Annapurna Yojana, 2.8 mn women to receive aid in 1st phase

The West Bengal government on Wednesday launched the Annapurna Yojana for women and announced that 28.25 lakh beneficiaries will receive Rs 3,000 monthly aid in the first phase. Inaugurating the scheme, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that 28,25,769 verified beneficiaries had been enrolled on the dedicated portal over the past three days through a coordinated effort involving state officials, district administrations, block development offices, municipal bodies, elected representatives, and public participation. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee and the double-engine government's commitment have ensured that the promise to provide the aid of Rs 3,000 has been implemented," he said. The chief minister said fresh applications would continue to be accepted and all eligible beneficiaries would be covered under the scheme after verification over the next three months. "As forms are received and verification is completed, Rs 3,000 will be transferred to the beneficiaries' ..

Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari expands his cabinet, 35 more ministers take oath

Governor R N Ravi administered the oath, bringing the total strength of the Council of Ministers to 41 under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's administration

Bengal to implement National Health Mission, receives ₹2,103 cr from Centre

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said the state is set to implement the National Health Mission, and the Centre has sanctioned Rs 2,103 crore for the scheme. Addressing a programme of the health department in Kolkata, Adhikari also said that over 1.36 crore families will be covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Bengal. "This will ensure that a large section of the population in the state receives quality healthcare support," he said. "West Bengal will implement the National Health Mission. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 2,103 crore for the scheme, out of which we have already received Rs 527 crore. These funds will help improve healthcare delivery across the state," Adhikari said. The CM also said control rooms are being set up to oversee and monitor district hospitals across the state.

West Bengal hands over 142.79 acres to BSF, says CM Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday stated that the government has initiated intensified measures to strengthen border security by facilitating the construction of BSF outposts and barbed-wire fencingAdhikari said additional land has now been handed over to the Border Security Force, taking the total tally to 142.79 acres.In a post on X, Adhikari said, "Govt of WB has initiated intensified measures to strengthen Border Security by facilitating construction of BSF Outposts & Barbed-Wire Fencing, further enhancing security in the Border areas. Additional land has now been handed over to BSF, taking the total tally to 142.79 acres."According to the data shared by Adhikari, Murshidabad accounts for the highest allocation at 38.805 acres, followed by Jalpaiguri with 35.165 acres and Cooch Behar with 22.95 acres."As part of this ongoing initiative, a substantial amount of land has already been distributed across nine districts. The breakdown of the land ...

Suvendu claims 3 million women under TMC's cash transfer scheme ineligible

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that around 30 lakh beneficiaries of 'Lakshmir Bhadar', a financial assistance scheme for women introduced by the previous TMC government, were ineligible as they were either non-Indians or their names were permanently deleted from the voter list. Adhikari introduced a form for the 'Annapurna Bhandar' scheme, as announced by the BJP government to provide Rs 3,000 per month for eligible women in the state. Addressing a press conference at the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna, Adhikari said "approximately 30 lakh beneficiaries" were receiving Lakshmir Bhandar assistance despite being ineligible as their names had been permanently deleted from the voter list, or they had not applied to a SIR-linked tribunal or for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for inclusion. He said that the CAA applicants and those who have appealed to an SIR-linked tribunal after adjudication for entry on the voter list ..

West Bengal announces free travel for women in state-run buses from June 1

As part of the implementation mechanism, the state government will introduce a Smart Card (digital with QR code) for beneficiaries

Bengal govt notifies free travel for women in state-run buses from June 1

The West Bengal government has notified free bus travel for women in all state government-run buses from June 1 as part of a scheme aimed at enhancing women's empowerment and improving access to public transport. According to a notification issued by the state Transport Department on May 21, women commuters will be eligible for free travel in both short-route and long-route state-run buses operating in West Bengal. The Transport department notification said a smart card with QR code, photograph and beneficiary details will be issued to all eligible women upon application through the BDO or SDO offices concerned. It said that the smart card shall be issued to women of the state on the basis of supporting documents like Aadhaar card, elector's photo identity card (EPIC), VB-G RAMG job card, Ayushman Bharat health card, driving license, Pan card, passport, pension document with photograph, identity card of central/state government/psus, identity cards issues by ...

Bengal govt sanctions prosecution of ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh

The West Bengal government on Monday sanctioned the prosecution of former R G Kar Medical College and Hospital principal Sandip Ghosh in connection with a case of financial irregularities linked to the institution. An order issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare stated the governor, being the competent authority, accorded sanction for Ghosh's prosecution under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It also stated that the sanction was granted after "fully and carefully examining" the case materials and records, including the FIR and related documents. The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in procurement and allied matters at the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital during Ghosh's tenure as principal. The Calcutta High Court, through an August 23, 2024, order in connection with a plea, had directed a probe into the matter, after which the FIR registered at Tal

Bengal approves ₹3,000 monthly aid scheme for women, scraps state OBC list

The West Bengal cabinet on Monday approved the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1, and allowed free travel for them in government-run buses. Addressing a press conference after the meeting, state minister Agnimitra Paul said women, who applied for citizenship under the CAA and approached tribunals for inclusion in voter rolls, will also receive 'Annapurna' scheme benefits. "The cabinet gave a nod to the 'Annapurna' scheme of Rs 3,000 monthly assistance to women from June 1. It also approved a proposal to allow free travel for women in government-run buses from June 1," the minister said. The government also approved the constitution of the 7th state pay commission for its employees, and staffers in allied statutory civic bodies, education boards and those working in state-run education institutions, she said. "The Bengal cabinet decided to discontinue government assistance to groups based on religious categorisation from June. The government also

Bengal govt scraps Police Welfare Board, eyes stricter law and order

The West Bengal government on Saturday dissolved the Police Welfare Board, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said. The chief minister, after chairing an administrative review meeting at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, asserted that attacks on police personnel would not be tolerated under any circumstances and stressed the need for strict enforcement of law and order. "Earlier, there was the law of the rulers; now there is the rule of the law," Adhikari said, underlining his government's stand on policing and administration. "The Police Welfare Board was constituted with a good intention. But eventually, it became a party's frontal organisation. I do not know how that helped in the welfare of the police, but it became a place for getting illegal extension (of employment). There are people who have personally benefited. Today, we are dissolving the Board," Adhikari said. The chief minister also announced that women police personnel would be given priority in postings wit

WB govt suspends 3 IPS officers over negligence in handling of RG Kar case

CM announced strict action against three IPS officers over serious administrative lapses, negligence in FIR registration and investigation, and allegations of offering bribes to the victim's family