Page 15 - West Bengal

Mamata calls Shah 'dangerous', warns of dharna over SIR voter deletions

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called Union Home Minister Amit Shah "dangerous", and warned that she would sit on a dharna if even a single eligible voter's name was struck off from the list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Launching a blistering attack on Shah, the chief minister said at a rally in Krishnanagar in Nadia district, "The country's home minister is dangerous. You can see it in his eyes it's terrifying. In one eye, you see 'Duryodhan', and in the other, 'Dushasan'." Alleging that the SIR was being used as a political weapon ahead of the 2026 assembly polls, Banerjee said, "If even a single eligible voter's name is struck off, I will sit on a dharna. There will be no detention camps in West Bengal. They are so hungry for votes that they are conducting the SIR just two months before elections." Banerjee said that she herself had not filled out her enumeration form so far. "Do I now need to prove my citizensh

Mamata to launch ₹8,487-cr project for constructing 20,000 km of new roads

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will on Thursday inaugurate one of the state's largest road projects, launching work for the construction of over 20,000 km of new roads across the state under the 'Pathashree' and 'Rastashree' schemes, months ahead of the assembly polls, an official said. The rollout of the project will be the centrepiece of her one-day visit to Nadia during the day. She will also address a political rally. "The chief minister will launch the initiative at an administrative programme at district headquarters Krishnanagar in the afternoon. The project, funded entirely by the state exchequer, is worth Rs 8,487 crore," the bureaucrat said. Over 20,000 km of roads will be constructed across rural and urban West Bengal, with 15,011 km of rural roads to be built in rural areas at a cost of Rs 6,987 crore, he said. A total of 5,019 km of roads will be built in urban areas under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) at a budget of

Key witness in Sandeshkhali Shahjahan case injured in road mishap, son dead

Bholanath Ghosh, one of the prime witnesses in the attack on ED officials in Sandeshkhali and connected CBI cases which implicated the now-jailed TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, was critically injured when a truck collided with his car in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday, a senior officer said. Ghosh's younger son, Satyajit (32), and the driver of his car, Sahanur Molla (27), were killed in the accident that took place on the Basanti Highway near the Boyramari petrol pump under the Nazat Police Station limits in Basirhat, he said. The truck dragged the private vehicle and dumped it in a water body adjacent to the road, the officer said. While the truck was found on the side of the highway, precariously dangling over the water body, the erring driver fled the spot. Basirhat Superintendent of Police Hossain Mehedi Rahaman confirmed that injured Ghosh was first taken to a local hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata. The bodies of the deceased w

Centre resumes MGNREGA works in West Bengal but with stringent riders

Cap of Rs 20 lakh per work; 100% e-KYC and pre-estimation field visits mandatory

Mamata asks PM Modi to apologise for 'Bankim da' remark in Lok Sabha

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he has insulted novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay by calling him "Bankim da". Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said the PM was not even born when the country achieved Independence and yet chose to address one of Bengal's greatest cultural icons casually. "You did not even show him the minimum respect he deserves. You should apologise for this, to the nation," she said. The flashpoint was PM's reference to the author during a discussion in Lok Sabha on Monday to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, written by Chattopadhyay. TMC MP Saugata Roy objected to the use of the suffix 'da' and urged the PM to say 'Bankim babu' instead. Modi immediately accepted the sentiment, saying, "I will say Bankim 'babu'. Thank you, I respect your sentiments," and asked in a lighter vein whether he could still address Roy as ...

Supreme Court warns of 'anarchy' as BLOs face threats during SIR process

The Supreme Court voiced concern over booth-level officers being threatened during the SIR of electoral rolls and asked the Election Commission to flag any non-cooperation by states

TMC claims Centre owes West Bengal around Rs 52,000 cr under MGNREGA

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the Union government on Saturday of "misleading" Parliament and claimed that the Centre owes West Bengal approximately Rs 52,000 crore under the flagship rural employment scheme, MGNREGA. At a press conference here, TMC's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sagarika Ghose, and deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, Satabdi Roy, emphasised that West Bengal was one of the top-performing MGNREGA states before funds were halted in March 2022. They highlighted that around 1.37 crore households are enrolled in the scheme, with about 70 lakh households receiving work each year. In written responses provided in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha this week, the Rural Development Ministry informed that the total pending liability for West Bengal under MGNREGA as of March 8, 2022, when the scheme was suspended, stands at Rs 3,082.52 crore. This includes Rs 1,457.22 crore for wages, Rs 1,607.68 crore for materials, and Rs 17.62 crore for administration. The TMC ...

Around 76.2 mn enumeration forms digitised in Bengal since SIR launch: EC

An estimated 7.62 crore enumeration forms have so far been digitised in West Bengal, over a month after the launch of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. An Election Commission official said 99.43 per cent of the total number of distributed enumeration forms were digitised till Saturday afternoon. West Bengal now stands eighth among the 12 other states/Union Territories in terms of progress in digitisation of enumeration forms, after Lakshadeep, Rajasthan, Goa, Andaman and Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry, he said. A total of 7,66,16,840 enumeration forms have been distributed since November 4, the beginning of the SIR process, till December 6, the official said.

Centre to review West Bengal's coal demand for 1,600 MW power project

The Centre is reviewing West Bengal's request for coal linkage for a new 1,600 MW unit under the revised SHAKTI Policy as the state looks to add capacity to meet rising demand

Suvendu Adhikari urges EC for stricter monitoring during SIR in West Bengal

Earlier this week, Suvendu wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging a violation of the "neutrality" principle and misuse of police by the TMC government during the SIR exercise

PM Modi asks West Bengal BJP MPs to counter TMC, target 2026 polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked BJP MPs from West Bengal to effectively counter the Trinamool Congress-led government in the state and work towards winning the assembly elections next year. BJP MPs from West Bengal met the prime minister, along with Khagen Murmu -- the Lok Sabha member from Maldah Uttar -- who was attacked by a mob in October. Modi enquired about Murmu's well being and told BJP members from the state to counter the West Bengal government to save democracy in the state. "The prime minister told us to keep fighting the West Bengal government to save democracy. We will remove this government. The prime minister told us that we have to win these elections and we will win the elections," Sukanta Majumdar, president of the West Bengal unit of the BJP, told reporters after the meeting. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said the prime minister praised the dedication and tireless efforts of the BJP workers in West Bengal and highlighted their role in public outreach

Shah behind SIR ploy, BJP dug its own grave by rushing exercise: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the ploy of implementing the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, months before the assembly polls. Banerjee, addressing a rally here, called the SIR a politically-driven exercise aimed at unsettling voters. Amit Shah is behind this ploy of implementing the SIR in Bengal just before the elections, she claimed. He wants to capture Bengal at any cost, but he will get a befitting reply, the chief minister asserted. Claiming that the BJP miscalculated the political impact of the voter revision exercise, Banerjee said, By implementing the SIR in Bengal, the BJP has dug its own grave. Bengal and Bihar are not the same. She, however, said that her party, the TMC, was not opposing the exercise, but you have to give appropriate time to conduct it. You cannot just rush things to serve the political agenda of BJP. Banerjee also announced that from December 12

WB govt offers ₹2 lakh aid to families of 39 dead amid SIR-related panic

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government will provide a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 39 people who, she claimed, have died in the state due to "SIR-induced panic", including cases of suicide. Thirteen others who fell ill during the SIR exercise including three booth-level officers (BLOs) allegedly burdened by "excessive workload" would also be given Rs 1 lakh each, she said. The chief minister, citing government assessments, said the rollout of SIR on November 4 has triggered widespread fear and distress among sections of the public. "Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to the SIR panic, including suicides. Their families will be provided financial assistance," she said after a review of the state's 14-year development record at the state secretariat Nabanna. Banerjee added that 13 others were currently under treatment after collapsing or falling critically ill during ...

Bengal govt failed to implement fisheries scheme for two years: Centre

The West Bengal government did not implement the PMMSY central scheme for fisheries for two years and has spent only Rs 58.51 crore of the sanctioned amount, Union Minister for Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) was launched by the Union Ministry of Fisheries to bring about ecologically healthy, economically viable and socially inclusive development of the fisheries sector of India. For two years after the scheme was launched in 2020-21, the West Bengal government did not cooperate with the Central government in implementing it, the minister said. In 2022-23, the West Bengal government accepted it and sent proposals of Rs 221 crore. Of this, Rs 114 crore proposals were approved by the Central government. "Out of the sanctioned amount, just Rs 58.51 crore has been spent by the West Bengal government so far," Singh said. The minister said it is very difficult to implement any programme if a state government

2,208 booths in Bengal under scanner after 0 dead or duplicate voters found

A total of 2,208 booths in West Bengal are under the scanner after all the distributed enumeration forms were returned filled up, indicating that there is not a single dead, duplicate or untraceable voter in these booths, EC sources said. Among such booths, the highest 760 is in South 24 Parganas district, followed by 228 in Purulia and 226 in Murshidabad, they said. Howrah district has 94 such booths and Kolkata one. West Bengal currently has a little over 78,000 booths, spread across 294 assembly constituencies. "We have asked for reports from the officials of these districts and areas. Apart from the absence of any dead voter, these booths don't have any duplicate or untraceable voter... these booths are under the scanner," an EC source said. The EC said 7,65,62,486 forms were distributed till Monday afternoon, the 27th day of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which was launched on November 4. That is 99.90 per cent of the total electorate. The EC said a tot

Mamata to scale up anti-SIR campaign with rallies in Malda, Murshidabad

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will intensify her offensive against the EC's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls with rallies in Malda and Murshidabad this week, followed by a major mobilisation in Cooch Behar next week, TMC sources said. This marks Banerjee's second phase of anti-SIR mobilisation after her Bongaon rally last week in the refugee-dominated Matua belt, where she alleged the revision drive was being misused to intimidate borderland families. The TMC is positioning her district-wise campaign as a counter to the BJP's "infiltrator-cleansing" narrative. The TMC leaders said the decision to hold consecutive rallies in Malda, Murshidabad on December 3, 4 and Cooch Behar on December 9, in three politically sensitive border districts with sizeable minority, migrant and displaced populations, signals a deliberate attempt to reclaim the narrative ahead of 2026, especially as the SIR exercise fuels unease over scrutiny of documents, identity and ...

Interlocutor's Darjeeling visit in limbo as CM objects, demands unresolved

The interlocutor's Darjeeling visit is in limbo amid CM's objections, leaving Gorkha political demands unresolved

Battle of the rolls in Bengal: How SIR is deepening political faultlines

The report looks at how the SIR has widened political faultlines, and triggered anxiety among voters, ahead of Assembly polls next year

Bengal LoP accuses state govt of manipulating electoral rolls during SIR

Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Saturday alleged that the state administration was involved in manipulating the electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR, and that senior officials were personally intervening to retain ineligible names in the voter list. He said the Election Commission (EC) should have acted "a little more swiftly" during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Speaking to reporters in Siliguri in north Bengal, Adhikari said, "The EC depends on the state machinery, which is indulged in fraud." "The state machinery is trying to include the names of Bangladeshi infiltrators in the voter list," he alleged. Adhikari claimed that senior officials were making direct calls to district-level authorities, including the district election officers, electoral registration officers and assistant electoral registration officers to ensure certain names remain on the voter rolls "in a wrong manner". "These allegedly ...

Bengal Governor renames Raj Bhavan to 'Lok Bhavan' after Centre's order

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Saturday implemented a central government directive and renamed the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata to 'Lok Bhavan'. In an official notification, Bose said that on March 27, 2023, President Droupadi Murmu handed over a symbolic key of the then Raj Bhavan to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on the request of the governor, heralding a new era of people's Raj Bhavan -- The Jana Raj Bhavan. "In pursuance of the communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated 25.11.2025, it is hereby notified that the name of the holdings of 'Raj Bhavan' in Kolkata, Flagstaff House and Darjeeling, has hereby been modified and renamed as 'Lok Bhavan'," the notification said. This notification comes into force with immediate effect, it said. In a post on X, Bose said, "The 'Jana Raj Bhavan' conceptualisation by the then Raj Bhavan, Kolkata, was prompted by the urge to make the establishment alive to the needs of the people, their aspirations and hopes, their