Page 26 - West Bengal

Petitioners approach SC after Calcutta HC cancels over 25k WB school jobs

Saying it adversely impacted the lives and livelihoods of untainted candidates, several petitioners moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday against a verdict nullifying the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar heard about 124 petitions challenging the verdict of the Calcutta High Court. The CJI acknowledged the arguments and reiterated the need for a balance between addressing illegalities and protecting untainted appointees and said the segregation of cases, wherever possible, may be prioritised to protect innocent candidates. Referring to the high court's verdict, the bench said, "It only said that when there were so many irregularities, it became impossible to know who were genuinely appointed and who were the ones who manipulated the process." One common point argued was that the majority of untainted selected candidates, who were adversely impac

No decision on suspension of services of East-West Kolkata Metro: Official

The Metro Railway Kolkata said that no decision has been finalised for the shutdown of the entire 16.6 km long East-West Metro corridor for installation of the Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. It said that the implementing agency Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) has recommended a 45-day block for linking the Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of the East-West corridor. "KMRCL has recommended a 45-day block of services from February 8 to March 24 to install a unified Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system across the 16.6 km corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V. This is crucial for seamless direct connectivity between the two busy terminal railway stations of Howrah and Sealdah and the state IT hub in Salt Lake township. But we are yet to take a final call on the matter," the spokesperson said. He said that stopping train operation for such a long period will obviously lead to a situation where thousands of commuters will

Amitav Ghosh slams Silicon Valley's 'extermination' view amid global crises

Celebrated author Amitav Ghosh warned Tuesday that the top brass in Silicon Valley are preparing for "The Event" -- a potential collapse of the global systems -- as various interconnected worldwide crises, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the spread of new pathogens pose a growing threat to the world. Delivering the annual Dr CD Deshmukh Memorial Lecture here at the India International Centre (IIC), the award-winning writer offered a stark view of the interwoven disasters threatening the planet and said it would be "a mistake to think that we are living in a period of just one axis of disaster." "There are various interlinked axes of disasters. That's why I don't even talk about climate change. I think one has to speak of the planetary crisis. "Because there's biodiversity loss, which is perhaps an even greater threat than climate change... the species extinctions and there are the new pathogens that are sort of whirling around the world so we can see that there are al

Court verdict in Kolkata RG Kar hospital rape-murder case on Jan 18

Judgement in the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in August last year will be delivered on January 18 by the designated judge of Sealdah court here. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was handed over the probe into the case from the Kolkata Police by the Calcutta High Court, prayed for awarding of death sentence to Sanjay Roy, who was charged with the gruesome crime. Hearing in the trial was concluded on Thursday, following which the additional district and sessions judge of Sealdah court said that the judgement will be delivered on January 18. Maintaining that other persons were also involved in the crime, the parents of the victim postgraduate trainee said that they expect that they will also be arrested and tried before the court. The victim's body was found in the seminar room of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police the next day. The in-camera trial in the rape and mur

SC to hear pleas against invalidation of Bengal teacher positions on Jan 15

The Supreme Court will hear pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal on January 15. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan said at the outset on Tuesday that there are two options before it -- either a three-judge bench re-hears the case all over again or it be listed it before a two-judge bench that began hearing final arguments on December 19, the last date of hearing. Taking note of the submissions of lawyers, the CJI said the matter will be heard by a two-judge bench comprising him and Justice Kumar at 2 pm on January 15. There are 124 petitions, including the one filed by the state government, pending in the top court. The bench had earlier issued a slew of procedural directions and appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel while asking them to file a common compilation in electronic form after getting ..

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari slams CM Mamata on blaming BSF for infiltration

Adhikari accused Banerjee of indulging in 'low-level politics' by blaming the BSF for infiltration, stating that the security forces serve the nation, not the government

Police arrests five in connection with Malda TMC councillor murder

Police on Saturday said they have so far arrested five persons in connection with the murder of Malda English Bazar Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar. Sarkar, described by West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee as a close associate of hers and a popular leader, was shot dead by miscreants in Malda district on Thursday morning. Two men were arrested on Friday after apprehending three others on the day of the murder, taking the total number of arrests in the case to five, a senior police officer said. The arrested accused persons were identified by the police as Bihar's Katihar district natives Sameer Akhtar, Mohammad Abdul Gani and Malda residents Tinku Ghosh, Abhijeet Ghosh and Amit Raja. Sarkar was shot in the head multiple times from close range after chasing him into a shop in English Bazar town's Jhaljhalia More, when he tried to flee the bike-borne assailants, according to the police. The TMC supremo expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popular by his ...

Around 1500 yellow taxis in WB to be phased out by end of next year

Around 1,500 metered yellow taxis in West Bengal would be phased out by the end of next year as commercial vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to ply in the city, a transport department official said on Saturday. There are around 4,500 Ambassador metered yellow taxis in the state which will come down to 3,000 by the end of 2026, the official said. In 2008 the Calcutta High Court had ordered that commercial vehicles older than 15 vehicles would not be allowed to ply in the city, the official said. The yellow taxis are an integral part of Kolkata's heritage and many taxi unions have urged the Transport department for a viable revival package for the yellow taxis. Taxi drivers union claimed many Ambassador metered yellow taxis are road-worthy and can be allowed to run another five years at least with proper maintenance and change in engine if the transport authorities withdraw the age limit of 15 years. "From 25,000 in 2019-20, the number of yellow taxis witnessed a steady d

Odisha CM blames TMC govt for potato crisis, says Mamata has no 'mamata'

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday targeted Mamata Benerjee, his counterpart in neighbouring West Bengal, and the previous BJD government for the potato crisis in the state. Not self-sufficient in potato production, Odisha depends a lot on West Bengal for its requirement for the tuber and faces problems when the neighbouring state stops supplying the produce to cater to its home demand. While addressing an agricultural event here, Majhi and Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo slammed Benerjee for the potato scarcity in Odisha. Facing potato crisis in Odisha, we have talked to Mamata Didi, but in vain. She settles a score on us at the appropriate time. There is no mamata' (affection) in Mamata Didi for Odisha, Majhi said. The CM, however, did not elaborate on how Banerjee is settling a score. The chief minister also blamed the previous BJD government which he accused of failing to make Odisha self-sufficient in potato and onion production. During the last six month

TMC councillor gunned down in Bengal's Malda, CM Mamata expresses shock

Trinamool Congress councillor Dulal Sarkar was shot dead by unidentified miscreants in West Bengal's Malda district on Thursday morning, police said. Sarkar, the TMC councillor from Malda, was shot in his head multiple times from close range by bike-borne assailants at Jhaljhalia More area, they said. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to injuries. A probe has been initiated and we are trying to identify the culprits, a senior police officer told PTI. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over the killing of Sarkar, who was popularly known as Babla. My close associate and a very popular leader, Babla Sarkar, has been murdered today. From the beginning of the Trinamool Congress, he (and his wife Chaitali Sarkar) worked hard for the party, and Babla was also elected a councillor, she said in a post on X. ... I am so shocked and sad that I do not know how to convey my condolences to the bereaved family. May God give Chaitali strength to sur

Mamata demands crackdown on illegal encroachment by builders on govt land

Alleging that government land was being encroached by builders from outside the state to build flats, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed officials who were sanctioning such illegal constructions. Banerjee, who chaired an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat, directed police to arrest all such builders in accordance with the law and, in a few cases, "attach their properties like the way the CBI and ED do." She proposed forming a policy to impose penalties on those who were living in such flats for years. "I am talking about illegal occupancy of land owned by state government departments such as panchayat, forest, and urban affairs. I do not want further encroachments. The culprits come from outside, construct flats illegally and then leave. Arrest them from wherever you can and impose 100 per cent penalty. Attach their property like the way ED and CBI do," she said. She asserted that police would conduct a probe and all leaders behind su

Mamata accuses BSF of infiltration plot; border guards reject claim

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Border Security Force of facilitating infiltration from Bangladesh as part of a central government "blueprint" to destabilize the state, a charge the BSF denied, asserting it diligently guards the country's boundary. Speaking at an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat, Banerjee alleged that the BSF was allowing infiltrators to enter through areas like Islampur, Sitai, and Chopra. "We have information that the BSF is letting infiltrators enter India through various border areas. This is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the state. There is a deep-rooted conspiracy involving the central government," she said. Banerjee said she could sense a "blueprint of the Centre" behind this attitude of the BSF. "Goons are entering India. I want peace on both sides of the border. We have a good relationship with neighbouring Bangladesh," she said. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo further alleged that women

Mamata Banerjee alleges BSF letting 'Bangladeshi terrorists' enter Bengal

Calling it the 'blueprint' of central government, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BSF was allowing 'Bangladeshi terrorists' to cross the border to create instability in West Bengal

Kolkata Metro introduces Rs 10 surcharge for late-night Blue-line service

From January 1, the official confirmed that the Rs 10 surcharge will be applicable uniformly without considering the distance travelled

1.25 lakh hectares of rubber plantation done under project INROAD

Over 1.25 lakh hectares of rubber plantation have been completed in Northeast and West Bengal as part of a project by four leading tyre manufacturers of the country, an industry body said on Wednesday. As part of the project INROAD (Indian Natural Rubber Operations for Assisted Development), the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers' Association (ATMA) had planned to develop two lakh hectares of rubber plantation in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and West Bengal at a cost of Rs 1,100 crore in five years. "In the first four years of the project, an area of 1,25,272 ha has been covered under new natural rubber (NR) plantations across 94 districts in North East and parts of West Bengal," a senior official of ATMA told PTI. This represents one of the highest NR plantations ever achieved in the country in a span of four years, he added. "During the last four years of the project, a record 5.3 crore planting material has been distributed. The project has

Chhattisgarh, West Bengal lead in social welfare expenditure in rural areas

Data showed that the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE), taking into account imputed values, stood at Rs 4,247

CDSCO, WB drugs body seize spurious drugs worth Rs 6.6 Cr in Kolkata

Anti-cancer, anti-diabetic drugs, labelled as manufactured in various countries, among those recovered without any supporting documents

Fake passport scam: Bengal DGP urges MEA to strengthen verification process

West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar on Sunday said that he had written to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) urging a total overhauling of the verification and distribution of new passports to combat misuse. Kolkata Police recently unearthed a fake passport racket and arrested at least eight persons for their alleged involvement in it. Talking to reporters, the IPS officer said in the letter to the MEA, they also pointed out software issues and proposed the idea of superintendents of police personally conducting the verification process. "We have written to the MEA requesting them to strengthen the passport verification system. We have proposed a new system where the district intelligence branch (DIB), local police stations, and senior officers will have a more significant role," Kumar said. "In the letter, we have also expressed our concerns about the distribution of passports through post offices. All the agencies must collaborate to address these ...

Suvendu Adhikari accuses TMC of 'ration scam', urges ED to launch probe

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday targeted the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government, alleging scam in the ration distribution.Launching an attack in a post on X, he said that the multi-crore ration distribution "scam" is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides.He claimed that the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS) is sent to privately owned rice mills and further polished to sell in the open market.He shared a video of a rice mill, which he alleged was polishing the rice meant to be distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS)."This video illustrates how the multi-crore Ration Distribution Scam is still going on in West Bengal despite the arrest of former Food & Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick and his aides," Adikari wrote in his X post."First of all, tonnes of rice meant to .

Filmmaker Shyam Benegal cremated with full state honours in Mumbai

Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal, the pioneer of the parallel cinema movement in Indian cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, was cremated on Tuesday with full state honours and a three-gun salute here. Benegal, known for films such as "Ankur", "Mandi", "Nishant", and "Junoon", died on Monday at a hospital here due to chronic kidney disease. The last rites of the filmmaker, who celebrated his 90th birthday on December 14, were held around 3 pm at Dadar's Shivaji Park crematorium. Benegal's cinema contemporaries, colleagues and younger generations of actors and artists accompanied wife Nira and daughter Pia in paying their last respects to the icon, whose movies captured the many realities of India. Naseeruddin Shah, Rajit Kapoor, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Ila Arun, who starred in many of Benegal's films, were present to bid adieu to the director. Also present were actor Ratna Pathak Shah, her son Vivaan Shah, writer-poet Gulzar, director Hansal Mehta, lyricisit-writer Javed Akhtar, actor