Page 43 - West Bengal

Potato traders threaten strike if Bengal doesn't allow selling elsewhere

Potato traders of West Bengal threatened to go on strike on Tuesday if the state government does not lift restrictions on selling to other states. West Bengal recently re-imposed curbs on selling potatoes to neighbouring states in an effort to control the prices in the local markets. Potatoes are retailing at Rs 35-40 per kg in the local markets. Following the decision of the state government, police have intensified surveillance at inter-state borders to prevent the transportation of potatoes out of the state. This has led to several trucks being stranded at border crossings. "We will go on strike from Tuesday if the government does not lift the restrictions," Progressive Potato Traders' Association secretary Lalu Mukherjee told PTI. He criticised the government's decision, stating, "Such abrupt measures disrupt our business and cause huge losses as we fail to fulfil commitments." Traders and cold storage associations blamed the state government for failing to control prices in t

6 killed, 15 hurt as bus plunges into gorge near West Bengal-Sikkim border

Six people were killed and 15 others injured as a bus plunged into a 150-ft-deep gorge near the West Bengal-Sikkim border on Saturday afternoon, police said. The accident happened between Andheri and Atal Setu, about 1 km from the Rangpo border, around 3 pm, they said. The private bus, heading to Gangtok from Siliguri, veered off the NH-10 and crash-landed on the bank of the Teesta river, said SP of West Bengal's Kalimpong district Srihari Pandey. The identities of the deceased and the injured were being ascertained, police said, adding that there was a woman among the deceased. The injured persons were initially taken to a health centre in Rangpo for treatment and later moved to various hospitals in Sikkim, they said. Police said the number of deaths is likely to go up as many injured passengers were very critical. Among the passengers on the bus when the accident happened were some tourists, they said. The bus, named 'Quality', used to operate daily between Siliguri, the large

Potato price shoots up in Jharkhand as West Bengal 'restricts' supply

The price of potato has shot up by Rs 5 a kg in Jharkhand's retail market in the past two days after neighbouring West Bengal reportedly restricted the supply of the tuber, an official said on Saturday. In a bid to maintain the stock and keep the price of potato under control, the West Bengal government has allegedly put a restriction on interstate supply of the tuber, according to a potato traders' association in West Bengal. West Bengal meets 60 per cent of Jharkhand's potato demand round the year, while the rest of the demand is met by Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and local production. "Around 50-55 trucks, each containing 20-22 tonnne of potato, arrive in Jharkhand from West Bengal. We were informed that the trucks were stopped at Bengal check posts from Thursday, which fuelled the prices of potato in wholesale as well as retail markets from Friday in the state," Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Jamshedpur, secretary Abhishek Anand told PTI. He said

CBI files chargesheet in RG Kar case, names Sandip Ghosh as prime accused

The CBI on Friday filed a chargesheet in connection with the RG Kar Hospital financial irregularities in which it has named former principal of the medical establishment Sandip Ghosh as the prime accused, an official said. The Special CBI court at Alipore here, however, did not accept the chargesheet as the official approval required to file a chargesheet against any state government employee was not available, he said. In the 100-odd page chargesheet, the central probe agency has also named four others who were arrested for alleged involvement in the irregularities, he said. "Apart from Ghosh (who has been suspended), the chargesheet includes the names of the other four arrested accused - Biplab Singh, Afsar Ali, Suman Hazra and Ashish Pandey. The CBI has also attached at least 1,000 pages of documents in support of their investigation of the case," the officer told PTI. Another official said: "The West Bengal government needs to approve a chargesheet that has the name of its ...

B'desh claims its flag burnt during protest in WB, demands missions' safety

Bangladesh on Friday expressed deep concern over the violent protest at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and urged New Delhi to ensure safety of all its diplomatic missions in India. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also claimed that the Bangladesh flag and an effigy of the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus were burnt during the protest that turned violent on Thursday. Members of Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch took out a rally to the office of Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata to protest attacks on the Hindu community and arrest of spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh. Das, a former member of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Bangladesh, was arrested in connection with a sedition case on Monday and denied a bail on Tuesday. It triggered protests by Hindu community members in various locations in Bangladesh, including in the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram. Friday's statement from the Ministry o

Waqf Amendment Bill sparks controversy: Key highlights

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticised the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it anti-secular and an attack on the rights of Muslims. Watch the video to know more.

West Bengal: SC grants bail to ex-TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh in CBI case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted regular bail to former Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in a CBI case linked to the West Bengal primary school recruitment scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said it is not likely that the trial will be completed in the foreseeable near future in the case where Ghosh has been in custody for the past 19 months. Advocate MS Khan, appearing for Ghosh, submitted two orders of the trial court to buttress his argument that the trial will not be completed in the near future as the CBI is yet to file the final charge sheet in the case. The bench granted bail to Ghosh and asked him to not leave West Bengal without prior permission of the court or the investigating agency. It said Ghosh will also not hold any public post and will not give any statements in the media related to the merit of the investigation. On November 20, the Calcutta High Court granted conditional bail to Ghosh, one of the prime accused in an Enforcement

ONGC awaits mining lease for new oil field discoveries in WB's Ashokenagar

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made four more discoveries since it first made an oil field near Asokenagar in West Bengal six years back but is still awaiting the state government's nod for a petroleum mining lease to develop them, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. ONGC notified the first Asokenagar discovery in Block WB-ONN-2005/4 on September 24, 2018, Puri said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The discovery, he said was the outcome of continuous exploration efforts of ONGC in the Bengal sedimentary basin over five decades. As per initial laboratory studies, crude oil, which is refined into fuels like petrol and diesel, discovered in the Ashokenagar discovery is a light variety with American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity of 40-41 degrees and is almost similar to Bombay High and Brent Crude. "ONGC, accordingly, applied on September 10, 2020, to the Government of West Bengal for a grant of Petroleum Mining Lease (PML) for an

Promotion effective only after assuming duty, not from date of vacancy: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday underlined that promotion only becomes effective upon assumption of duties and not from the date of the vacancy or recommendation. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Sandeep Mehta said it was a well-settled principle that promotion became effective from the date it was granted and not the date of the vacancy or creation of the post. "While the courts have recognised the right to be considered for promotion as not only a statutory right but also a fundamental right, there is no fundamental right to promotion itself," the bench said. The apex court delivered its verdict on an appeal filed by the West Bengal government and others challenging a February 2023 judgement of the Calcutta High Court. The high court upheld an order of the West Bengal Administrative Tribunal which directed that a man, though not entitled to retrospective promotion after his superannuation, should be awarded notional financial benefits for the promotional post of chief scienti

'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