Page 41 - West Bengal

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

WB's revenue expenditure outpaces capital spending in H1 FY25: Report

West Bengal's fiscal performance in the first half of the 2024-25 fiscal reflects a growing imbalance between revenue and capital expenditure, aligning with broader trends observed across major Indian states, according to rating agency CareEdge. While the state recorded a 13.5-per cent year-on-year increase in revenue expenditure, its capital expenditure grew by only 7.7 per cent, significantly falling short of its budgeted targets, the agency's latest report on state and central finances said. Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state's finance department, had recently said Bengal's capital spending had increased from Rs 2,226 crore in 2010-11 to a budgeted amount of Rs 35,865.55 crore in 2024-25. "Revenue expenditure of states remained strong in H1 FY25. In aggregate, the top 20 states in our sample utilised 41.5 per cent of their budgeted revenue expenditure in H1 FY25, slightly higher than the 40 per cent utilisation in H1 FY24," the ...

Bengal, Bihar most impacted by arsenic contamination: Centre to NGT

West Bengal and Bihar are impacted the most by arsenic contamination of groundwater, the Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal is hearing the issue of rice being susceptible to arsenic contamination because it absorbs more of the toxic semi-metallic element from water and soil. Earlier, it sought a reply from the Centre on it. In an order dated December 16, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel noted that the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare had filed its reply after seeking inputs from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). "States of West Bengal and Bihar are reported to be most affected by arsenic contamination of groundwater irrigation by contaminated groundwater is the major route for arsenic entry into agricultural soil which ultimately leads to its entry into the food chain," the Centre said in its reply. There can be a "significant build-up" of the toxic element in r

Amit Shah to attend SSB Raising Day event in Bengal's Siliguri today

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Frontier Headquarters' Raising Day celebrations and hold high-level meetings with officials in West Bengal's Siliguri on Friday. Shah arrived in the state on Thursday night, and Union Minister and West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar received him at the Bagdogra Airport in the northern part of the state. The Union home minister's schedule for Friday begins with his participation in the Raising Day celebrations at the SSB Frontier Headquarters' parade ground in Siliguri at 11 AM, officials said. The event will feature a parade and cultural performances to mark the occasion, they said. Later in the day, Shah will chair a meeting with SSB officials to review the Area Assessment Register. This review meeting, also to be held at the SSB Frontier Headquarters, is expected to focus on border management and security dynamics along the eastern and northeastern border. He will leave for Tripura after the area ...

Parents of RG Kar hospital doctor move Calcutta HC seeking fresh probe

The parents of the doctor who was raped and murdered at the RG Kar hospital moved the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, seeking a fresh investigation into the crime. Expressing a lack of confidence in the ongoing probe into the incident that led to huge protests, they prayed for a direction for a fresh investigation into the rape and murder of their daughter. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh asked their lawyer to add the CBI, which is probing the case, as a party in the petition and mention the matter again before the court on Monday. The on-duty postgraduate trainee doctor's body was found in the seminar room of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. The Sealdah court on December 13 granted bail to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital ex-principal Sandip Ghosh and Tala police station's officer-in-charge Abhijit Mondal in the case. They were granted bail as the CBI failed to file charge sheets against them within the 90-day statutory period, according to their lawyers. While

Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Infosys development centre in Kolkata

IT giant Infosys on Wednesday inaugurated a development centre built at a cost of Rs 426 crore at New Town near here. Inaugurating the development centre, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "This is a New Year gift to West Bengal". "This centre of Infosys will help other IT companies to come to West Bengal. West Bengal is a leading IT state in the country. Nearly 2,200 IT companies have presence in the state, including big ones like TCS, Wipro, IBM and Accenture," she said. The chief minister also said it is a historic day for the state. Banerjee said, "We wanted Infosys in the state and the company fulfilled our dreams." The chief minister said a new Silicon Valley is coming to New Town on 200 acres with the potential to create 75,000 jobs involving an investment of Rs 27,000 crore. "Twenty-eight companies have already started work with 11 data centres coming up," she said. The Infosys campus, built on 50 acres, will have an employment potential of 4,000 IT professionals. Ba

Mamata launches housing scheme, transfers funds to 1.2 mn beneficiaries

Accusing the Centre of not sending funds for the 'Awas Yojana' for the last three years to the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched 'Banglar Bari', a scheme funded entirely by her government. She said that over 28 lakh genuine beneficiaries were identified in a survey conducted by the state for the 'Banglar Bari' scheme for which a total of Rs 1.2 lakh would be transferred to them by next December. During the day, funds of Rs 60,000 were transferred to the bank accounts of 12 lakh beneficiaries in the first instalment, the chief minister said. "My life is dedicated to working for people. Today, in the interest of the people of rural Bengal, I launched the 'Banglar Bari' project. The first instalment of Rs 60,000 was transferred directly through the bank to 12 lakh beneficiaries to build houses," Banerjee said. "The Centre had already surveyed around 36 lakh families. We also conducted one survey. A draft list was also published and their claims and

People hold protest rallies in WB after suspects in RG Kar case get bail

A day after two key suspects in the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital got bail, the Left parties and the Congress on Saturday took out protest rallies at various locations in Kolkata, alleging that the CBI has "failed" to deliver justice in the case. They also alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP-led Centre have a "tacit understanding". The Congress took out a procession from Rabindra Sadan area to the CBI office at Nizam Palace in southern Kolkata and criticised the central probe agency for its alleged inability to frame charges against the two accused in the case. During the procession, Congress activists were seen holding the party flags aloft and chanting slogans like 'We demand justice' and 'Bichar chai Tilottoma (Tilottoma wants justice)'. The police stopped the Congress activists from entering the Nizam Palace, which led to a scuffle between the protesters and the police personnel. Hundreds of people took part in a ral

Left, Cong protest in Kolkata after RG Kar case suspects granted bail

A day after two key suspects in the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital got bail, the Left parties and the Congress on Saturday staged protests at various locations in Kolkata, alleging that the CBI has "failed" to deliver justice in the case. They also alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP-led Centre have a "tacit understanding". The Congress took out a procession from Rabindra Sadan area to CBI's office at Nizam Palace in southern Kolkata and criticised the central probe agency for its alleged inability to frame charges against the two accused in the case. During the procession, Congress activists were seen holding the party flags aloft and chanting slogans like 'We demand justice' and 'Bichar chai Tilottoma' (Tilottoma wants justice). The police stopped the Congress activists from entering the Nizam Palace, which led to a scuffle between the protesters and the police personnel. SUCI activists marched from Karunamoyee to the

Nothing less than capital punishment for rape convict, says Mamata

She also recalled the previous instance, where the court handed capital punishment to the convict in Joynagar in 62 days

Minister's post does not entitle someone to special bail consideration: SC

Holding a minister's post does not entitle a person for a special consideration for the grant of bail, the Supreme Court said on Friday, asserting that "official positions, regardless of their stature, lose relevance for the purpose of exercising judicial discretion judiciously". A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, which granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money-laundering case related to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam in the state, said impartiality is a prerequisite to the rule of law, wherein decisions are based on the factual matrix of a case as opposed to an individual's position or influence. It rejected Chatterjee's argument seeking special consideration for the grant of bail on the ground that he was entitled for the relief as he was a minister at the relevant time. "In this context, the argument that the appellant's position as a minister entitles him to any special consideration does not hold merit from either

Cash-for-job scam: SC grants future bail to former WB min Partha Chatterjee

The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025 subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025. The top court said upon his release Chatterjee shall not hold any public office but can continue as MLA. The bench said that a suspect cannot be detained indefinitely and, therefore, it has to balance the rights of the accused and the victims. On December 4, the top court had reserved its verdict on his bail plea and told him that, "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises." The top court in October issued a notice to the ED on the appeal filed by Chatterjee against an April 30 Calcutta High Court order