Page 4 - West Bengal

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

Online filling up of SIR forms starts in Bengal, response good: Official

The online filling up of the enumeration forms (EFs) for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been enabled on the website of the Election Commission of India voters' service portal, a senior official at the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said on Saturday. The service has been enabled on Friday night and is available for the voters to fill up the EFs, he said. Several operational issues, including website malfunctions, have marred the online form-filling process for the SIR in West Bengal. "The portal has been enabled, and people will be able to 'Fill Enumeration Form' on the portal. They can also look for their names in the 'Search Your Name in Last SIR' option," he told PTI. The service aims to assist voters who are away from their homes or working outside the state during the revision period. "Those whose EPIC cards are not linked with their mobile numbers must first complete the linking process on the same portal before filling the form. Voters unable to

Over 7 mn forms distributed on 1st day of West Bengal voter enumeration

As part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, more than 70 lakh enumeration forms were distributed by over 80,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) on the first day of their house-to-house visits across the state, an official said on Wednesday. The month-long exercise began in the state on Tuesday and will continue till December 4. "On Tuesday, over 70 lakh enumeration forms were distributed by the BLOs," an official of the Election Commission told PTI. BLOs continued visiting the residences of voters across West Bengal on Wednesday to distribute the enumeration forms, he said. "Adequate security personnel are accompanying the BLOs for their safety. Yesterday, there were no untoward incidents reported from anywhere in the state. If any resistance is reported against a BLO, we immediately instruct the district electoral officers (DEOs) to investigate," the official said. As part of the process, 80,681 BLOs have been deployed across the 294 assembly ..

SIR exercise to begin in Bengal, UP today amid charged political climate

The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will begin in West Bengal on Tuesday, amid soaring political temperatures over the routine administrative exercise in the state. The exercise turned into a political battleground, pitting the BJP's clout and the poll body's push for "transparency" against the TMC's grassroots resistance ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. While the BJP has welcomed the SIR as a step towards ensuring greater transparency in the electoral rolls, the ruling TMC has questioned its timing and intent, alleging that the Election Commission (EC) is acting under pressure from the saffron party to manipulate the voter list ahead of the state elections next year. With both parties treating the SIR as a prelude to the 2026 Assembly elections, the contest has morphed into what many in political circles describe as "the battle of two forces, the administrative and the organisational". The BJP, buoyed by the Election Commission's "proacti

Bengal's Swasthya Sathi scheme crosses 10 mn hospitalisations: CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the state's flagship health assurance scheme, 'Swasthya Sathi', has crossed a significant milestone of one crore hospitalisations as of October 31. She said under the scheme, residents have received cashless medical treatment worth Rs 13,156 crore, fully funded from the state budget, she said. "Swasthya Sathi' -- the all-inclusive, unique health assurance scheme of Government of West Bengal has achieved one crore hospitalisations mark on 31st October 2025, where cashless health care benefit of Rs. 13,156 crore has been provided to the citizens of WEST BENGAL entirely from the State Budget," Banerjee posted on X. Highlighting the inclusivity of the initiative, the chief minister said that any resident of the state who is not covered under another state-sponsored health scheme is eligible for Swasthya Sathi benefits. "Any resident of West Bengal is eligible to avail the benefits of 'Swasthya Sathi', if not covered by any other

Election Commission begins training booth-level officers for SIR in Bengal

The Election Commission on Saturday began a training programme for booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The training programme, being held in various districts, would be completed by November 3, with the SIR process scheduled to begin the following day, officials said. In south Kolkata's Nazrul Mancha, training was underway for BLOs of Bhabanipur, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Tollygunge, Kasba, Jadavpur, Metiabruz, Behala Purba and Behala Paschim assembly constituencies, they said. The sessions are being held in batches, they added. The EC has issued a 16-point guideline for BLOs as part of the SIR exercise, and introduced a new mobile app to streamline field operations, officials said. During the training, BLOs are being provided with special kits and detailed instructions on the SIR process, they added. From November 4 to December 4, BLOs will visit households to carry out voter verification and form-filling work. A

Cyclone Montha weakens, IMD warns of heavy rain in parts of Bengal

Cyclone Montha', which has gradually weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area, will bring heavy rain in some districts of West Bengal till Saturday, the IMD said. The weather system, which is situated over south Chhattisgarh, is likely to move northwards towards east Madhya Pradesh and weaken further, the India Meteorological Department said in a bulletin. It is likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) at one or two places in the north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar and 7-11 cm precipitation in Malda, Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur on Friday, it said. Heavy rainfall is also likely in Alipurduar and Coochbehar on Saturday. The IMD warned that landslides may occur in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, owing to the downpour. The south Bengal districts of Birbhum, Murshidabad, Paschim Bardhaman and Purulia are also expected to receive heavy rainfall till Friday. Light to moderate rain is likely over man