Page 2 - West Bengal

Toll hits 21 in Bengal fire, 28 still missing; prohibitory orders imposed

The toll in the fire near Kolkata on January 26 has risen to 21 with more 13 bodies found from gutted buildings, while 28 people are still missing, raising fears that the number of fatalities are likely to increase, the police said on Thursday. The authorities imposed prohibitory orders in the area, restricting public movement ahead of the proposed visit by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders. The devastating fire reduced to ashes two godowns and a manufacturing unit of a momo company at Anandapur in South 24 Parganas district, close to the city. "Given the nature of the incident and the extent of damage, the possibility of the toll going up cannot be ruled out," a senior police officer said. In view of the situation and ahead of a proposed visit by BJP leaders, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were imposed in the area from Wednesday midnight. "A prohibitory order has been imposed to maintain law and order and to ...

Kolkata fire: Factory owner held; ₹10 lakh ex-gratia for victims' families

Police on Tuesday evening arrested the owner of the momo manufacturing unit and godown gutted in a devastating fire in South 24 Parganas district in which eight people were killed, a senior officer said. The owner, Gangadhar Das, was arrested from the Garia area of Kolkata and will be produced before a Baruipur court on Wednesday, police said, adding that he had been evading arrest since the incident. The West Bengal government will give an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of those killed in the blaze, said Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. The compensation will be handed over once the bodies or body parts are identified, Hakim said, adding that permission would be sought from a court on Wednesday to conduct DNA tests. "Gangadhar Das has been arrested and will be produced before the court tomorrow. The investigation is continuing, and all angles are being examined," the officer said. Earlier, an FIR was lodged against Das in connection with the fire that broke

Massive fire at Kolkata warehouses kills 8, rescue ops underway

At least eight people were killed and several others went missing after a fire erupted in two adjoining warehouses in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday, police said. The blaze in the twin units in the Najirabad area within Narendrapur police station limits, on the outskirts of Kolkata, was brought under control after a seven-hour firefight. However, pockets of fire in certain parts still raged, a senior police officer said. While three badly charred bodies were recovered around 5 pm during a search operation in the adjacent godowns, five more bodies were discovered later, the officer said. Baruipur police district SP Shubhendu Kumar said the identity of the eight deceased could not be ascertained as the bodies were charred beyond recognition. "Whether more people were trapped and killed in the blaze will be known only after the debris is completely cleared and the pockets of fire are completely put out by the fire brigade", he said. Initially, six people were repo

Kolkata Metro introduces return ticket facility with QR code for commuters

The Kolkata Metro Railway has introduced return ticket facility with QR code for commuters across all its corridors, an official said on Saturday. Passengers availing this facility won't have to purchase tickets from Metro counters before the return journey, he said. "This will help them save time and the ordeal of queueing before the counter on return from the destination station," the Metro Railway spokesperson said. "The return journey will have to be completed on the date written on the ticket. Passengers are requested to preserve their tickets for the return journey," he said. This facility is being rolled out on an experimental basis. The Kolkata Metro runs trains along the Dakshineswar-Sahid Khudiram, Howrah Maidan-Salt Lake Sector V, Noapara-Jai Hind Bimanbandar, Kavi Subhas-Beleghata and Joka-Majerhat corridors.

SIR in Bengal done in haste, may hurt democratic participation: Amartya Sen

Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has voiced deep unease over the SIR process in West Bengal, warning that the exercise is being conducted with "undue haste" and may jeopardise democratic participation, particularly with the assembly elections approaching in a few months. The 92-year-old economist, speaking to PTI during an interview from Boston, reflected on the democratic value of electoral roll revisions and the circumstances under which they can strengthen voting rights. He stressed that such an exercise must be conducted with care and adequate time, conditions he believes are "missing" in Bengal's case. "A thorough review of electoral rolls done carefully with adequate time can be a good democratic procedure, but this is not what is happening in West Bengal at this time," Sen said. "The SIR is being done in a hurry, with inadequate time for people with voting rights to have sufficient opportunity to submit documents to vindicate their entitlement to vote in the coming assembly ...

Datanomics: India has highest Nipah case fatality ratio globally

India has the world's highest Nipah case fatality rate, with 78 deaths in 108 cases since 2001, as West Bengal reports new infections after nearly two decades

Nipah virus cases in West Bengal: What you should know to stay safe

With five confirmed Nipah virus cases and dozens quarantined, health authorities are racing to stop the spread of a rare but highly fatal disease

PM Modi to inaugurate projects, address rally in West Bengal's Singur today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resume his two-day visit to West Bengal on Sunday, making a fresh poll pitch from the site of the abandoned Tata Nano car plant in Singur, amid a highly charged political atmosphere in the state ahead of the crucial assembly elections. On his return to the state after an overnight stay in Assam, Modi is scheduled to inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and flag off various development projects worth over Rs 830 crore at Singur in Hooghly district, besides addressing a rally, where he is expected to sharpen the party's narrative on industrialisation in Bengal. The selection of Singur, observers feel, was made on account of its symbolic importance, where a violent anti-land grab movement nearly two decades ago spearheaded by Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, then in the opposition, against the erstwhile Left Front government, had forced Ratan Tata to pull the plug on the project and relocate it to Gujarat. The BJP has promised to "bring

PM flags off India's first Vande Bharat sleeper train from Bengal's Malda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper train between Howrah and Guwahati (Kamakhya) from Malda Town station in north Bengal. He also virtually flagged off the return GuwahatiHowrah Vande Bharat sleeper train from here. Developed to meet the growing transportation needs of modern India, the fully AC Vande Bharat sleeper train would offer passengers an airline-like travel experience at economical fares, a statement issued by the PMO stated. The train will make long-distance journeys faster, safer, and more convenient, it said. "By significantly reducing travel time by around 2.5 hours on the Howrah Guwahati route, the train will also give a major boost to religious travel and tourism, the statement added. Later at a public programme in Malda, the PM is scheduled to dedicate to the nation, and lay the foundation stone of multiple rail and road infrastructure projects, worth Rs 3,250 crore, aimed at strengthening connectivity and

I-PAC raids: SC stays FIR against ED officials, sends notice to Mamata govt

The Supreme Court directed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar and other respondents to file their counter-affidavits within two weeks

L&T wins order worth up to ₹2,500 cr for cable-stayed bridge in West Bengal

L&T will build a 3.2-km 2+2 lane cable-stayed bridge with 177 m span, including 0.9 km and 0.65 km approach roads on Kakdwip and Sagar Island sides

Two suspected Nipah cases detected in Bengal; Centre sends response team

Two suspected cases of Nipah virus disease have been identified at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL), ICMR, AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal.Taking immediate action, the central government has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team to support the State Government in containment and public health response measures, according to official sources.The team comprises experts from the All India Institute of Health and Public Hygiene, Kolkata; the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune; the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai; AIIMS Kalyani; and the Department of Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.The Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, held discussions with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Health), Government of West Bengal, to review the situation and ensure swift and coordinated action.Central Government guidelines on Nipah Virus Disease under the Communicable Disease ...

Centre deploys team after 2 suspected Nipah cases identified in West Bengal

Centre deployed a national outbreak response team and activated emergency protocols after two suspected Nipah virus cases were detected in West Bengal

SC asks EC to respond to TMC MPs' pleas on Bengal voter roll revision

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Election Commission on fresh interim pleas of Trinamool Congress MPs alleging arbitrariness and procedural irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of applications filed by lawmakers Derek O Brien and Dola Sen in their pending petitions challenging the procedural actions taken in the ongoing SIR in the state. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Derek O Brien, said the EC's instructions on the SIR are being issued through social media platforms like WhatsApp and made booth-level officers (BLOs) act without any formal orders. Sibal also said the poll panel has introduced a 'logical discrepancy' category of voters, who may be issued notice for a quasi-judicial hearing on their eligibility over errors or anomalies in the voter details. The counsel representing the poll panel sought two weeks to f

I-Pac raids row: ED moves SC against interference, Bengal govt files caveat

The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe and search operation at the I-PAC office and premises of its director Pratik Jain in connection with the coal pilferage scam. The West Bengal government has also filed a caveat in the top court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against political consultancy firm I-PAC. A caveat is filed by a litigant in high courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard. The ED has also alleged that the chief minister entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices from the premises of I-PAC and obstructed and interfered with the investigation in the case. The probe agency further claimed in its plea that the chief minister

EC appoints four additional special roll observers for SIR in Bengal

The Election Commission on Saturday appointed four more Special Roll Observers (SROs) for West Bengal to strengthen supervision of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Those named as SROs were Ratan Biswas, Vikas Singh, Sandeep Rewaji Rathod and Dr Shailesh, according to a notification. "The SROs will closely monitor the revision and verification exercises and ensure strict adherence to statutory instructions," an official said. "The SROs were appointed to ensure transparency, accuracy and uniform implementation of instructions related to electoral rolls. They will independently review the process on the ground and flag any deviations for immediate corrective action," he added. Besides SROs, the EC has appointed observers at multiple levels to oversee the SIR exercise. "The focus is on strengthening public confidence in the integrity of the electoral rolls," the official said. The appointments will take effect immediately and remain in force until furt

SIR aimed at voter exclusion, not correction: Mamata writes to CEC

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has been turned into an exercise to exclude voters rather than correct records. In her letter, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of political bias and high-handedness during the exercise. "The hearing process has become largely mechanical, driven purely by technical data and completely devoid of the application of mind, sensitivity and human touch," she said in the three-page letter. She said the exercise's aim seemed "neither of correction nor of inclusion... but solely of deletion and of exclusion". Banerjee claimed minor spelling or age discrepancies were leading to coercive hearings, harassment and loss of wages for ordinary people. She also highlighted the plight of women who changed surnames after marriage, stating that they were being summoned to prove their identity, which she called a grave

I-PAC raids: Kolkata Police begin probe against 'unidentified' ED officials

Kolkata Police on Saturday started the process of identifying Enforcement Directorate officials allegedly involved in the theft of documents from the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain and the consultancy firm's office here, after an FIR was filed, a senior officer said. Police are also trying to identify the central agency personnel present at both locations during the operation, he said. On Saturday morning, officers from Shakespeare Sarani Police Station visited Jain's residence and collected CCTV footage and DVR recordings, he said. "Statements of household staff and security personnel were also recorded. Once identification is complete, notices will be issued to the accused," the officer said. TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Friday lodged two police complaints against the ED in connection with the agency's raids at the office of I-PAC and the residence of Prateek Jain. Based on the complaints, the Kolkata and Bidhannagar Police filed FIRs and initiated an ...

ED raids on I-PAC: Bengal govt files caveat in SC seeking hearing

The West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with Enforcement Directorate raids against political consultancy firm I-PAC. A caveat is filed by a litigant in the high courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam. According to the agency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. Banerjee has accused the central agency of overreach. The ED on Friday approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI probe against Banerjee, alleging that she, with the aid of the police, took away incriminating documents from the

ED searches at I-PAC office aimed at stealing TMC strategy: Mamata

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the role of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, senior police officials and others for allegedly obstructing its raids in Kolkata against political consultancy firm I-PAC and its director. PTI has reviewed the writ petition of the federal probe agency, where it has also sought "immediate seizure, sealing, forensic preservation, and restoration to lawful custody of the ED" all digital devices, electronic records, storage media, and documents "illegally and forcibly" taken away from the search premises. The high court is expected to hear the petition on Friday. The search was mounted on Thursday at the Salt Lake office of I-PAC and its founder and one of the directors Pratik Gandhi as part of an alleged coal scam-linked money laundering case. Some other locations in the state and Delhi were also raided. The ED had alleged in a press statement on Thursday that Banerjee ...