Page 29 - West Bengal

'ED's conviction rate very poor', says SC in Partha Chatterjee bail plea

Earlier in August, the Supreme Court had questioned the 'quality of prosecution and evidence' garnered in cases related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by the Directorate of Enforcement

Cash-for-jobs scam: SC notes trial yet to start, witnesses to be examined

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Chatterjee, informed the top court that his client was in jail for nearly 2.5 years, 183 witnesses are in the case and the trial is yet to start

Low-quality catheters supplied to WB hospitals at high price, probe ordered

The West Bengal health department has launched a probe into the supplies of allegedly low-quality and locally made catheters at a high price to several government hospitals, posing a risk to the lives of patients undergoing treatment in these facilities, officials said on Tuesday. Such central venous catheters (CVCs) were allegedly supplied to at least five medical colleges and hospitals in the state, defying allocation of international standard-compliant CVCs, they said. The distribution company, which has been accused of supplying these catheters to government hospitals, admitted to the fault but placed the blame on its employees. "We started checking stocks some time back and found these locally made CVCs in my hospital store. These catheters are of low quality as compared to those allocated by the state. We have informed the state health department," a senior official of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital told PTI. Low-quality catheters were also found in the stores of .

Raj Bhavan launches probe on report of Bengal Guv unveiling bust of himself

The Raj Bhavan here on Monday said a two-member panel has been formed to find out details of the media reports that West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose unveiled a bust of himself at his official residence on completion of his two years in office. The office of the governor also rejected media reports that the bust was installed on the Raj Bhavan premises, claiming that it was presented to Bose by a sculptor. "The governor did not unveil any bust of himself at the Raj Bhavan nor did he install it anywhere on the premises of the Raj Bhavan. This is absolutely wrong information. The bust was presented to the governor," an official told PTI. "Several artists submit their creations to the governor. Painters made his portraits and presented them to him. Similarly, a sculptor had made the bust and presented it to Bose," he said. This has unfortunately been described as "unveiling his own statue", the official said. "This might be a plot scripted by people from outside the Raj Bhavan to b

Bypolls: BJP edges past SP in UP, TMC consolidates position in West Bengal

The ruling BJP and its ally RLD were leading in six of the nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh while the Trinamool Congress maintained its foothold over West Bengal and the Congress in Karnataka, according to trends available on Saturday for bypolls to 46 assembly seats in 13 states. The AAP and the Congress have won one seat each in Punjab where bypolls were held for four seats. It was a close contest in Rajasthan as the BJP, Congress and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) candidates are leading on two seats each while an Independent was leading in Jhunjhunu. The BJP candidates in Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh were also ahead of their rivals. The ruling NDA alliance in Bihar established lead in all four constituents and in Assam it was leading in four of the five assembly constituencies. The ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalya got a boost as party candidate and chief minister's wife Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma won the Gambegre bypoll by a margin of over 4,500 votes. Bypolls .

Ashok Leyland strengthens retail presence in east with West Bengal outlet

Hinduja Group flagship company Ashok Leyland has set up a light commercial vehicle dealership in West Bengal, as part of plans to expand its footprint in the eastern region. With the setting up of new facility in Siliguri, the light commercial vehicle distribution network grew to more than 800 touch points, Ashok Leyland said. "We are excited to further strengthen our presence in this region. West Bengal and Eastern India at large, have been a key market for us. We have always recognized the potential this region has and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in this geography. We have been working on creating a strong foothold in this region, and the new dealership in Siliguri will bolster our presence," said company Head-Light Commercial Vehicle Business, Viplav Shah in a statement on Thursday. The new channel partner 'Happie Trucking' has a sales facility at Eastern Bypass Road, SBM Warehouse, Siliguri while service and spares facility in Thakur Nagar, New ...

Cal HC delivers split verdict on bail plea to Partha Chatterjee, 4 others

A two-judge division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on a bail petition moved by former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee and four other high-profile accused, indicted by the CBI in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam. While Justice Arijit Banerjee approved the bail of all the 10 accused who appealed before the bench, Justice Apurba Sinha Roy decided against granting bail to Chatterjee and four other former education department officials Subiresh Bhattacharya, Ashok Saha, Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay and Shanti Prasad Sinha. Bhattacharya served as the erstwhile state SSC chairman and, subsequently, as vice-chancellor of North Bengal University, while Saha acted as the former assistant secretary to the commission during the time period of the scam. Gangopadhyay was president of the state secondary education board during the period, and Sinha is the former advisor to the state SSC. The corruption, which has run into .

Separate yardsticks can't be applied to different accused, says SC

The state government cannot be permitted to apply different yardsticks for different accused, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday while granting bail to a man in a criminal case lodged in West Bengal. The apex court noted the state does not propose to challenge the order granting anticipatory bail to four other co-accused in the case, though the court had given suggestions in that regard. "On the other hand, the state government is opposing the application for grant of bail of an accused, who has been incarcerated in jail for a period of about one year and two months," a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan said. "The state government cannot be permitted to apply different yardsticks for different accused," it said. The top court was dealing with a plea filed by a man, who had challenged the Calcutta High Court's July this year order dismissing his application seeking regular bail in the case lodged in October 2023. The bench noted that in its September 19 order passed

WB Guv draws upon grassroots experiences, highlights 'regional imbalances'

Days before completing two years in office, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose drew upon his grassroots experiences to highlight "regional imbalances" between the state's northern and southern districts and claimed that lack of prosperity in the former region has led to a "disconnect" between the state government and its people. Speaking exclusively to PTI about various issues, Bose refrained from evaluating his constitutional colleague, Mamata Banerjee, but made it clear that he was "more concerned" about her performance as Chief Minister than as a politician. Expressing satisfaction with his tenure in office so far, Bose said, "These two years have taught me many positive things. It is a very refined state, which gives a lot of emphasis on art and culture." "But the state has some problems especially in north Bengal, where there are regional imbalances and a disconnect that arises because of that," he added, while explaining that "economic backwardness" in districts north of the

RG Kar case: Bengal Guv asks for report over Kolkata CP's involvement claim

In a post on X, Raj Bhavan Media Cell said that Governor Bose has urged the state government to look into the matter and inform him of the factual position

West Bengal: TMC, BJP set for bypolls on six seats amid RG Kar probe

The by-elections to six assembly constituencies in West Bengal on Wednesday are shaping up to be a test for the ruling TMC, amid a wave of widespread protests across the state surrounding the alleged rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The incident has sparked a months-long agitation by junior doctors demanding justice for their deceased colleague and systemic reforms, significantly impacting the political environment just days before the polls. Both the ruling TMC and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have fielded candidates for all six seats: Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST). Notably, five of these constituencies are in the TMC strongholds of south Bengal, while Madarihat remains a BJP bastion in the northern part of the state. Adding another layer of competition, the CPI (M)-led Left Front and the Congress are contesting separately for the first time since 2021, following a recent change in the Ben

SC junks WB plea against arbitral award in favour of Mauritius-based firm

Observing "citizens cannot be taken for a ride", the Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain an appeal of the West Bengal government against an arbitral award that asked it to pay a Mauritius-based company towards promised tax incentives. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld the July 12 order of the Calcutta High Court that refused to stay the arbitral award asking the state government to deposit Rs 2,063 crore approximately in favour of Essex Development Investments (Mauritius) Limited. The dispute pertained to the payment of assured tax incentive to Essex which had purchased West Bengal government's shares in Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) as per a share purchase agreement (SPA). The bench was hearing the appeal of the state government and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Limited (WBIDC) against the high court judgement dated September 18, 2023. The citizens cannot be taken for a ride. Here is a private ..

Goons from UP, Bihar making bombs in Bengal, says BJP's Dilip Ghosh

Ghosh accused the Mamata Banerjee government of being friends with anti-social people

Restoration underway after 3 coaches of Secunderabad-Shalimar train derail

According to railway officials, three coaches including one parcel van of the 22850 Secundrabad Shalimar SF Express derailed near Nalpur Station

RG Kar case: Deceased doctor's father says Amit Shah called him for meeting

The father of the deceased woman medic of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital said he has spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who has called him for a meeting. He, however, declined to divulge much about his talks with Shah and when and where the meeting would be held. "I have spoken to him (Amit Shah). He has called me (for a meeting). I cannot talk much about it, but the meeting will take place," the father of the deceased woman medic at the RG Kar Hospital told reporters on Wednesday. The parents of the victim had earlier written to Shah on October 22 requesting for an appointment to guide and help them get justice. State BJP leaders had said they would try to arrange a meeting between Shah and the couple during his visit to Kolkata on October 27, but it did not happen. The parents had, however, said they were not upset about not getting an audience with Shah during his visit and expressed hope that they may get the opportunity to meet the Union home minister in future.

Finmin starts phase 4 of RRB consolidation, number to fall from 43 to 28

In a bid to achieve operational efficiency and cost rationalisation, the Finance Ministry has initiated the fourth round of consolidation for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and the number of such banks is likely to come down to 28 from 43 at present. As per the roadmap prepared by the Finance Ministry, 15 RRBs operating in various states would be merged. Among states that will see consolidation of RRBs include Andhra Pradesh, which has the maximum number of RRBs (4), Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal (3 each), and Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan (2 each). In the case of Telangana, the amalgamation of RRBs will be subject to bifurcation of assets and liabilities of Andhra Pradesh Grameena Vikas Bank (APGVB) between APGVB and Telangana Grameena Bank. "Given the rural expansion of RRBs and agro-climatic or geographical ethos and in order to retain the USP of RRBs viz the closeness to communities, it is the felt need to embark on .

'I was framed': RG Kar case accused frantically shouts from jeep. WATCH

Sanjoy Roy, a civic volunteer with the local police, was arrested a day after the body of a junior doctor was found in the seminar hall of the Kolkata-based hospital

Junior doctors call for capital punishment in RG Kar Medical College case

As November 9 marks 90 days since the incident, Dr. Rajdeep affirmed that the protests will continue until justice is served

Central referral system activated in five medical colleges in Kolkata

The West Bengal government has linked five medical colleges in Kolkata with the central referral system and started a digital bed vacancy monitor in one of these facilities, a state health department official said. These mechanisms are some of the demands made by junior doctors who have been agitating following the rape and murder of an on-duty medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The central referral system would allow hospitals in districts to requisition a bed in medical establishments in the city before referring a patient. On the other hand, with the bed vacancy monitor set up at NRS Medical College and Hospital, people will be able to see the number of beds occupied by patients in different departments, as well as those available. "The central referral system was made functional at five medical colleges in the city today. It would take a few more days for complete implementation of the entire process," the health department official told PTI. The five he

TMC creates atmosphere of fear before elections, says BJP's Dilip Ghosh

The BJP leader further claimed that TMC have begun vandalising BJP offices. They try to intimidate opposition voices and influence the election results