Page 2 - West Bengal

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

Bengal Guv to lead search ops at Raj Bhavan for arms after TMC's blame

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose will lead a team of security personnel, who would carry out a search operation at the Raj Bhavan on Monday in the wake of allegations by a TMC MP that arms and ammunition were stacked within its premises, an official said. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee had on Saturday accused Bose of "sheltering BJP criminals" inside the Raj Bhavan and "arming them with bombs and guns". "The entire Raj Bhavan will be searched by a joint team of the Kolkata Police and central forces deputed here on Monday to find out whether there are arms and ammunition stacked inside. The Governor will be leading the search operation," the official told PTI. Members of the civil society and journalists will be allowed to accompany Bose during the exercise, he said. The TMC MP had made the allegations on Saturday, hours after Bose said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was essential to "clean up the election process". Bose on Sunday said he so

Bengal govt's telemedicine consulations surpass 70 mn mark: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the state government's telemedicine services reached a major milestone, with its Swasthya Ingit' initiative crossing 7 crore consultations. Health care in West Bengal achieves yet another milestone. #Swasthyaingit, a unique GoWB initiative to connect remote areas with higher level health facilities through telemedicine, crossed 7 crores consultations landmark today, Banerjee said on X. The programme is playing a crucial role in linking remote and underserved regions with specialised medical care, supported by a vast network of health centres, hubs and doctors across the state, she said. The initiative delivers daily teleconsultations via 11,000+ health and wellness centres and 63 hubs at higher health facilities. It enables 80,000+ consultations daily with 9000+ doctors transforming affordable and accessible healthcare in West Bengal, the CM said.

Operators hail plan to allow over 15-yr-old buses to ply with fitness nod

The association of bus operators on Sunday welcomed the West Bengal government draft notification, which stated that over-15-year-old stage carriers registered in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area will be allowed to ply with bi-annual fitness certificates. The state government presented the draft notification before the Calcutta High Court. The court held that there is no scope for further adjudication in a petition filed by a private bus owners' association, as their grievances were mitigated in the draft notification presented before it by the government. Disposing of the petition on Friday, Justice Rai Chattopadhyay gave liberty to the West Bengal government to publish the draft notification as submitted before the court at the earliest point in time. The draft notification said, "Stage carriage buses registered in Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) only shall be allowed to ply beyond 15 years of age from the day of initial registration." Welcoming the order, the Secretary of Joint ...

WBSSC releases interview list for 20,500 teacher recruitment candidates

The West Bengal School Service Commission on Saturday uploaded the interview list of 20,500 candidates who qualified in the teacher recruitment test for classes 11 and 12 in state-run and state-aided higher secondary schools held on September 14. A senior SSC official said the list, containing the names and roll numbers, has been uploaded on the WBSSC website and a helpline portal. "Around 20,500 candidates have been called for the interview after mandatory verification," he said. "The interview list has been prepared based on three criteria: how a candidate has scored in the written test (60 marks), teaching experience (10 marks) and eligibility (10 marks)," he said. The interviews will follow a 1:1.6 ratio, meaning for 100 posts in each subject, 160 candidates will be called. The September 14 test was held in 478 centres for 35 subjects each having 60 marks. The official said most of the 'untainted' candidates of the 2016 test, among the 26,000 whose jobs were invalidated follo

Massive fire breaks out in electronics goods warehouse in Kolkata

A major fire broke out on Saturday morning in a multi-storey building in the central part of the city's Ezra Street area, police said. No one was injured in the fire, the police said. At least 20 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the blaze that originated in an electronics goods warehouse and quickly spread through the congested area, they said. The fire has not yet been brought under control, even six hours after it broke out, they said. "The fire broke out at around 5.30 am, and 20 fire engines were deployed to control the blaze. Our firefighters began operations on arrival, but despite several hours of continuous effort, the fire has not yet been fully contained," a senior official of the state Fire Services department said. "There is no increase in the number of fire tenders. But the fire is yet to be brought under control," the official told PTI. "No casualties were reported, no individuals were trapped inside the building at the time of the incident. Emergency

Bihar Assembly poll results won't have any bearing on West Bengal: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Friday asserted that the poll results in neighbouring Bihar, where the BJP-led NDA is heading towards a landslide victory to retain power, will not have any impact on next year's assembly elections in West Bengal. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed in a post on X that the Mamata Banerjee-led party will come to power for the fourth time with over 250 seats. He said the Bihar poll results also showed again that the Congress failed in its opposition to BJP. "That is Bihar's equation. It has no connection with Bengal. It will not affect Bengal. In Bengal, the factors are development, unity, harmony, rights, and self-respect. With 250+ seats, Mamata Banerjee will become chief minister again," Ghosh, a former Rajya Sabha MP, said. "It has once again been provenand repeatedly demonstratedthat the Congress has failed in its opposition to the BJP," he said. The TMC leader said there will be curiosity about which direction the BJPJD(U) relationship in Bihar goes.

Assam's new military station to boost security, intelligence: Experts

Amid apprehensions of increased cross-border crimes, activities by fundamentalist groups and alleged attempts by the Bangladesh caretaker government to create pressure on the chicken's neck' corridor that connects the North East with the rest of India, the upcoming army base in Assam has assumed special significance, experts said. Such a facility will boost border security and help the authorities concerned enhance intelligence, they said. Barely 40 km from the international border with Bangladesh, the Lachit Borphukan Military Station is being set up by the Indian Army at Bamunigaon in Assam's Dhubri district the first one in the western sector of the state. Lieutenant General RC Tiwari, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, laid the foundation stone for the facility last week during a visit to forward areas. The decision to set up the camp is a welcome one due to the prevailing situation in Bangladesh, Brigadier (retd) Ranjit Kumar Borthakur told PTI. The closes

SC seeks EC reply on pleas challenging SIR in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal

The Supreme Court asked high courts in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Bihar to pause hearings on voter list pleas till it decides the matter; next hearing is on November 26