Page 16 - West Bengal

EC directs West Bengal DGP to protect poll officials during SIR exercise

The Election Commission wrote to West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, directing him to ensure the security of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the SIR exercise after receiving reports that there is "an apparent threat" to their safety. This is EC's second letter to the state government in three days, expressing concern over the security of poll officials in West Bengal. On Wednesday, the EC wrote to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma over a "serious security breach" at the CEO's office, following an agitation by a section of BLOs against "excessive work pressure". The EC wrote to the DGP on Friday as state BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya urged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to immediately visit the state and personally assess what he alleged was an "atmosphere of fear, coercion and intimidation" of BLOs by the ruling Trinamool Congress. "It has come to the notice of the Election Commission of India from various quarters that there is an apparent threat to the safety a

CEC has blood on his hands, says TMC claiming 40 SIR-related deaths in WB

A Trinamool Congress delegation on Friday met the full bench of the Election Commission of India here and alleged that at least 40 SIR-related deaths had taken place in West Bengal, accusing the poll panel chief of having "blood on his hands". The 10-member delegation, led by TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, met the EC officials amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The delegation consisted of Lok Sabha MPs Mahua Moitra, Satabdi Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Pratima Mondal, Sajda Ahmed, and Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen, Mamata Thakur, Saket Gokhale, and Prakash Chik Barik. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, O'Brien said the party raised five questions, but Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar did not give any answers. "We started the meeting by stating that the CEC has blood on his hands. We raised five questions. After this, Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, and Mamata Bala Thakur spoke and shared whatever they had to in about

TMC delegation meets full bench of EC amid row over SIR in West Bengal

Amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, a 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation led by Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien met the full bench of the Election Commission here on Friday. The delegation included TMC Lok Sabha MPs Satabdi Roy, Kalyan Banerjee, Pratima Mondal, Sajda Ahmed, and Mahua Moitra, and Rajya Sabha MPs Dola Sen, Mamata Thakur, Saket Gokhale, and Prakash Chik Barik. The meeting comes against the backdrop of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, seeking his "immediate intervention" on two recent concerns. Banerjee referred to the state CEO's direction to district election officers not to engage contractual data-entry operators and Bangla Sahayata Kendra staff for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), voters' list cleanup exercise, or other poll-related work, and a proposal to set up polling booths inside private residential complexes. It also follows the T

WB to complete non-teaching staff recruitment by Dec 31: Education Minister

West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu on Thursday said the School Service Commission is working in a transparent manner to complete the fresh recruitment process in the wake of a Supreme Court order that annulled jobs of thousands of teaching and non-teaching staffers. The apex court had earlier this year invalidated jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staffers, who were appointed in state-run and state-aided schools, terming the 2016 SSC teacher recruitment process vitiated and tainted. Noting that the top court had asked the SSC to complete the recruitment process by December 31, conducting fresh tests and interviews, Basu told reporters, "We are confident of addressing the issue in a time-bound and transparent manner." Claiming that the September 7 and September 14 recruitment test process was unique and a first for the country, uploading model answer keys for candidates and providing a carbon copy for every sheet, he said, "Each and every clause and detail was adhered

2.6 mn names in current Bengal voter list do not match with 2002 rolls: EC

The Election Commission has reported that nearly 26 lakh voters' names in West Bengal's current electoral rolls are not matching with the voter list of 2002, an official said on Wednesday. The discrepancy emerged after the state's latest voter list was compared with the lists prepared across different states between 2002 and 2006 during the previous SIR exercise, he said. According to Election Commission sources, more than six crore enumeration forms in West Bengal had been digitised by Wednesday afternoon under the ongoing SIR process. "Once digitised, these forms are brought under the mapping procedure, where they are matched against the previous SIR records. Initial findings show that the names of around 26 lakh voters in West Bengal cannot yet be reconciled with the data from the last SIR cycle," the official told PTI. "Many voters or their families whose names appeared in those earlier lists may have subsequently migrated to West Bengal. Such voters remain Indian citizens, mak

Nearly 1.4 mn SIR forms identified as 'uncollectable' so far in West Bengal

Nearly 14 lakh SIR enumeration forms have so far been identified as "uncollectable" in West Bengal, the Election Commission said on Tuesday. These forms are "uncollectable" since the voters were either absentee, duplicate, dead or permanently shifted, an official said. The figure was 10.33 lakh on Monday. "As of Tuesday noon, the number stood at 13.92 lakh... We expect this figure to continue rising daily as more updates roll in," he said. Booth Level Officers (BLOs), tasked with collecting data from households across the state, have been actively engaged in distributing the forms and gathering necessary details. More than 80,600 BLOs, along with around 8,000 supervisors, 3,000 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and 294 Electoral Registration Officers, have been engaged for the revision exercise in West Bengal, officials said. So far, three BLOs have died in the state amid the ongoing SIR.

TMC challenges EC over delegation cap amid voter roll revision row

The Election Commission (EC) has called Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders for a meeting on Friday, after the party sought time with the poll panel amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in 12 states and Union territories, including West Bengal. In a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, the EC said on Monday that a delegation comprising an authorised representative of the party and four others can meet its top brass at 11 am on Friday. The TMC, however, wrote to the EC again on Tuesday, saying a 10-member delegation would come for the meeting, with a senior party leader saying they will not agree to the upper limit on the number of members set by the poll panel. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also challenged the EC to telecast the proceedings of the meeting live. In its letter, the EC pointed out that TMC leader Derek O'Brien had requested for an appointment with a delegation of party MPs. "The Commis

Mamata questions SIR in BJP states, warns Centre over voter deletions

Mamata said the SIR exercise was creating fear and confusion, alleging the EC had turned into a "BJP Commission" by pushing through a hurried voter list revision ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls

Bengal govt to allocate 1.6 mn houses under state scheme by 2026 mid-Jan

The West Bengal government announced that 16,36,522 more houses would be allocated to beneficiaries under the 'Banglar Bari' housing scheme by the middle of January next year. Announcing this after a cabinet meeting on Monday, senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya accused the central government of depriving the state of funding for the scheme. "To date, 12 lakh houses have already been handed over under the 'Banglar Bari' scheme despite the Centre depriving the state government. We will hand over 16,36,522 houses to those who deserve to get them by mid-January," she said. Meanwhile, the Cabinet gave its nod to a significant expansion of industrial infrastructure under the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Limited (WBIDC) to boost employment opportunities, Bhattacharya said. "New plots will be allocated for seven new industrial parks across the state. They will be set up in Coochbehar (2 plots), Kalyani (1), Uluberia (1), Bishnupur (1) and Falta (2)," the minister ...

ED seizes over Rs 14 cr in cash, gold after raids in Jharkhand, West Bengal

The Enforcement Directorate has seized cash and gold worth more than Rs 14 crore during searches against an alleged coal mafia network operating across Jharkhand and West Bengal, the agency said on Saturday. The raids were launched on Friday at 44 premises in the two states, in connection with "large-scale" illegal mining, theft, transportation, storage and sale of coal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said in a statement. Cash, jewellery and gold amounting to more than Rs 14 crore, various property deeds linked to the coal syndicate and agreements related to sale and purchase of land, several digital devices, account ledgers of entities controlled by the network, etc, have been seized, the statement added. The agency took cognisance of multiple FIRs filed by the police in both states to lodge a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The FIRs indicate that a vast illegal coal supply network is operating across Jharkhand and West Bengal, the agency said in the ..

TMC accuses Election Commission of bias, links SIR to multiple deaths

The Trinamool Congress on Saturday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting to appease a particular political party and linked the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to recent multiple deaths, including those of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and ordinary citizens. The party also claimed that 34 people in the state have died during the ongoing SIR exercise and demanded that the ECI take responsibility for these deaths. Senior TMC leaders Arup Biswas, Chandrima Bhattacharya and Partha Bhowmick visited the CEO's office on Saturday and submitted a memorandum outlining these concerns. "Work that normally takes two years is being compressed into two months. The Commission is being accused of trying to favour a political party. The names of 150 to 200 voters are being deliberately omitted at each booth. The Commission's website is full of errors. These lapses are costing lives," senior West Bengal minister Arup Biswas told reporters. The TMC leaders also alleged that B

Mamata Banerjee to hold SIR protest rally in West Bengal's Matua heartland

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a rally at Trikone Park on November 25 before leading a 3-km march from Chandpara to Thakurnagar, the Matua spiritual headquarters, as part of her campaign against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Banerjee's move marks the latest escalation in her campaign against the SIR of electoral rolls, a drive she has denounced as "coercive" and "chaotic," and which has triggered deep anxiety across the refugee belts of North and South Bengal. Her choice of Bongaon, the symbolic seat of Matua political consciousness, reflects both the scale of unrest and the high-stakes battle for a community that has shaped Bengal's electoral arithmetic for nearly a decade. According to TMC leaders, Banerjee will fly from Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon, with a temporary helipad being prepared at Pratapgarh ground on Chakdah Road. The public meeting at Trikone Park is scheduled for 1 pm, following which she will walk to Thakurnagar, ho

Four dead as 5.7 magnitude earthquake jolts Dhaka, parts of Bangladesh

Tremors were felt in several places of south Bengal, including Kolkata on Friday morning, as an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 jolted Bangladesh's Narsingdi, the IMD said. The quake struck 13 km south-southwest of Narsingdi in the neighbouring country at 10.08 am, and at a depth of 10 km, it said. Several people in Kolkata and other districts were seen coming out on the streets as a precautionary measure. There was no immediate report of any injury or damage.

Suvendu accuses Mamata of undermining EC, shielding 'illicit vote-bank'

Ratcheting up the political temperature around the SIR, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has written to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of trying to undermine the Election Commission and shield an illicit vote-bank her party has nurtured for years. Adhikari's letter to the CEC came hours after Banerjee's communication to the poll panel on Thursday in which she slammed the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as chaotic and coercive. The Leader of the Opposition in the assembly hit back late on Thursday with a four-page counter, calling her missive to the EC misleading, politically motivated and factually distorted. He dubbed the CM's objections as nothing less than a desperate attempt to derail a clean-up drive that threatens her political ecosystem. The Chief Minister's letter is a calculated attempt to sow discord among election officials, discredit the ECI's constitutional mandate and protect a vote-bank of ineligible and .

West Bengal SIR: Mamata Banerjee writes to EC, seeks immediate intervention

The Chief Minister expressed serious concerns about the ongoing SIR, citing inadequate planning, insufficient training, and unrealistic timelines that are "compromising the process's credibility"

ED raids 40 locations in Jharkhand, West Bengal against coal mafia

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches in a coordinated money laundering case action against the coal mafia in Jharkhand and West Bengal, official sources said. More than 40 premises in the two states are being covered as part of the action under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said. In Jharkhand, the agency is covering about 18 locations as part of the investigation related to coal theft and smuggling. According to the sources, locations of entities named Anil Goyal, Sanjay Udhyog, L B Singh, and Amar Mandal are being covered. The collective scale of the case involves significant coal pilferage and theft, resulting in a massive financial loss to the government worth hundreds of crores of rupees, the sources said. In West Bengal, about 24 premises in Durgapur, Purulia, Howrah and Kolkata districts are being covered as part of an investigation into alleged illegal mining, transportation and storage of coal, they said.

Mamata writes to CEC, alleges SIR is 'unplanned, coercive and dangerous'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state is being run in an unplanned and coercive manner, putting citizens and officials at risk. She also claimed that the SIR exercise has reached an "alarming" and "dangerous" stage. Banerjee said she had time and again flagged her concerns over the ongoing SIR process, and told the CEC that she is now compelled to write because the situation has deeply deteriorated. The chief minister alleged that the voters' list revision exercise is being forced upon people "without basic preparedness or adequate planning". The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous. The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning or clear communication has crippled the process from day one, the chief minister wrote. Pointing to .

Calcutta HC grants bail to former WB education board chief in job scam case

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted bail to former West Bengal Board of Secondary Education president Kalyanmoy Ganguly in a school jobs scam case of the CBI. His lawyers prayed for bail before the court as he has been in custody in the case for more than three years and all other accused in the case have already been granted bail by different courts. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh granted bail to Ganguly upon hearing the lawyers of the applicant and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). CBI opposed the bail prayer, arguing that the witness deposition process was nearing completion in the case and that Ganguly should not be released at this stage. All other accused in the case, including former education minister Partha Chatterjee, secured bail in the CBI case pertaining to alleged illegalities in school jobs recruitment in West Bengal government-run and -aided schools. Ganguly has already been granted bail by this high court in a case being investigated by the Enforcement

No 'blanket orders' protecting doctors involved in RG Kar protests: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it cannot pass "blanket orders" protecting doctors involved in protests in the aftermath of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma said any order passed would amount to interference with the authority of the police. Observing that the matter cannot be heard "piecemeal", the apex court said it was inclined to transfer the matter to the Calcutta High Court. "We are grappling with so many things and there is no end to this. It is easier for the Calcutta High Court to monitor protests. Is it possible for us to monitor the protests in Kolkata sitting in Delhi? "How can we pass blanket orders protecting doctors. The police has a right to call you," the bench observed orally. The top court directed senior advocate Karuna Nundy, representing the Association of junior and senior doctors, to submit a table of matters pending before the Calcutt

WB guv sanctions prosecution of ex-education officials in school jobs scam

The approval for prosecution follows a detailed investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the submission of its final report