Page 44 - West Bengal

Former Bengal CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was crazy for cricket: Sourav

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly recalled that former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who died on Thursday morning, was crazy for the game and always kept himself updated about the performance of players. On arrival from Mumbai at the N S C Bose International Airport here on Friday, the Indian cricket icon told reporters that not only contemporary cricketers, Bhattacharjee loved to discuss former cricket stalwarts like Pankaj Roy, his captaincy and batting during chats. "Buddha babu was a cricket crazy person. He used to talk to me before and after cricket matches and discuss our performance. He had so much grasp over the game and its rules. He was well-versed in the history of the cricket of Bengal and the country. We will miss such a person," Ganguly said. He said Bhattacharjee also loved to discuss films and books and it was a pleasure meeting him always. Ganguly recalled that Bhattacharjee was present at the state-organised felicitation programme

Former West Bengal CM Buddhadeb's mortal remains to embark on final journey

The mortal remains of former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will be kept at the CPI(M) state headquarters here for leaders and members of the public to pay their last respects before embarking on the last journey to NRS Medical College and Hospital on Friday. Bhattacharjee, who died at his south Kolkata residence on Thursday morning after suffering from prolonged illness related to respiratory issues and old age, had pledged his body. The former chief minister's body, kept overnight at a mortuary here, will be taken to the state assembly, where it will be kept for half an hour from 11 am, a CPI(M) official said. His mortal remains will reach CPI(M) state headquarters at Muzaffar Ahmed Bhavan here at 12 pm. It will be kept there till 3.15 pm for leaders, supporters and members of the public to pay their last respects to the departed leader, whose simplicity drew admirers from across party lines and political ideologies. The body will thereafter be taken to the s

From Cossipore to Nandigram: Bengal's last Marxist CM Buddhadeb bids adieu

Former two-time West Bengal Chief Minister and CPI(M) politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee passed away in Kolkata after dealing with health issues for some time

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, a veteran communist who wooed capital for industry

Former West Bengal chief minister and a front-ranking Marxist leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will go down in the country's history as a pragmatic communist who kept aside his ideological convictions to woo capital for the industrialisation of his state. The CPI(M) stalwart - a quintessential Bengali 'bhadralok' with an incorruptible image - will be ironically remembered also for the fall of the 34-year-old Left regime in the state in 2011. He oversaw the end of an era in which he helmed the longest democratically elected communist government but failed to lead the Left Frong to victory for the eighth time in a row in the highly politically polarised state. Bhattacharjee who died on Thursday in his Kolkata home was 80. He left behind his wife and a daughter, who has declared to be undergoing gender change. Bhattacharjee, who was the seventh chief minister of the state, pushed hard to shed his party's anti-industry image and promote industrialisation to breathe new life into Bengal's

Dengue cases rising in West Bengal, govt says situation under control

The number of dengue cases in West Bengal is rising, as around 500 people, mostly in rural areas, were down with the mosquito-borne viral disease in the last week of July, a health department official said on Thursday. The official, however, said that the situation is under control. Since January, at least 2,640 people have been diagnosed with the disease in the state, with North 24 Parganas district topping the chart with 363 cases. Between July 24 and 31, West Bengal reported around 500 dengue cases, with 68 from Murshidabad district and 50 from North 24 Parganas. "There has been a rise in dengue cases since the last week of July. This is mainly due to the monsoon. We see such a spike in dengue cases almost every year at this time. There is nothing to worry about. The situation is under control," the official told PTI. During the final week in July, Malda district reported 53 dengue cases, followed by Hooghly (50), Purba Bardhaman (44) and South 24 Parganas (32). Eighteen cases

BSF foils infiltration attempt by large Bangladeshi group in West Bengal

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday said it thwarted a "significant" infiltration attempt by a large group of Bangladeshis along the International Border (IB) in West Bengal, amid an ongoing "high alert", announced due to a turmoil in the neighbouring country. Officials said the personnel of the force stopped about 120-140 Bangladeshi citizens who were attempting to cross over to the Indian side from multiple locations in the eastern state. The force is on a "high alert" mode since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka earlier this week. The North Bengal Frontier of the force issued a statement to quell "rumours" and clarify that there was "no widespread movement of the minority population from Bangladesh towards the Indian border." "The individuals gathered were primarily motivated by fears of local unrest. The BSF, in coordination with the BGB, and Bangladeshi civil authorities has reassured these individuals of their safety and encouraged them to return to .

Rabindranath Tagore's 83rd Death Anniversary: All about the Bard of Bengal

Today, August 7, 2024, marks Rabindranath Tagore's 83rd Death Anniversary. The world remembers him as a poet, painter, composer, playwright, and social reformer

School jobs row: SC to hear plea of WB govt challenging Calcutta HC order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would hear in September the pleas of the West Bengal government and others challenging a Calcutta High Court order that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state government and aided schools. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud granted time to the parties to file their responses to the petitions by August 16. "Time for filing the written submissions for the petitioners in the West Bengal group of matters will be extended till next Friday," Chief Justice Chandrachud said. The bench, also comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, asked the nodal counsel to prepare a common compilation of the records in electronic form and ensure that the judgments cited by the parties were part of one set of the PDF documents. The top court, which has been hearing 33 petitions on the high court's April 22 judgment on the matter, has now fixed a final hearing in September. On July 16, it granted the la

CM Mamata urges all to maintain peace in Bengal after Bangladesh crisis

Amid the ongoing unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and avoid provocation. Declining to comment on developments in Bangladesh, the chief minister said it is a matter for the Ministry of External Affairs to respond. "I would appeal to all citizens of West Bengal to maintain peace and avoid all forms of provocation," Banerjee told reporters at the West Bengal assembly. "Whatever decision the Centre takes on this issue, we will abide by it," she said. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned and left the country, several news reports said, amid massive protests against her government that claimed more than 106 lives in the last two days.

SC orders Mamata Banerjee-govt to justify OBC status for 77 communities

The Supreme Court has asked the West Bengal government to present verifiable data on the social and economic disadvantages for those in the OBC list, which was cancelled in May

Row on caste inclusion in OBC list: SC seeks data from WB on backwardness

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the West Bengal government to provide quantifiable data on social and economic backwardness and the inadequate representation in public sector jobs of the castes that were included by it in the OBC list for granting quota benefits. The top court also issued notices to the private litigants who had moved Calcutta High Court against the inclusion of 77 castes, mostly Muslims, in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list. The high court on May 22 struck down the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, finding such reservations to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal. "Issue notice, including on the application of stay (of the judement filed by the state government). The state of West Bengal shall file an affidavit before this court explaining the process followed for classification of 77 communities as OBCs : (1) the nature of survey; (2) whether there was a lack of consultation with the Commission (state backward .

West Bengal floods: Mamata points finger at Jharkhand; Assam CM hits back

Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about the sudden and huge release of water from Tenughat, which has already started flooding Bengal

Concept of passive governor is gone, says WB Governor Ananda Bose

The concept of "passive governor" is gone and while the elected chief minister should be the "front face" of government, the nominated governor should be in the background as a "friend, philosopher and guide" to the elected representatives, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said on Sunday. In an interview with PTI, Bose, who was in Delhi to attend the Governors' Conference, said the governor is a custodian of the Constitution, guardian of federalism, and "not a rubber stamp". Bose, who has had frequent run-ins with the Trinamool Congress government in the state, also delved into their strained relations. Without mincing words, he said that he respects Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as an individual and has professional relations with her but the "politician Mamata Banerjee" is not his cup of tea. Talking about the Governors' Conference, Bose called it "transformational" and in line with the vision of the Narendra Modi-led central government. "In keeping with Prime Minister Shri

Incessant rain lashes Kolkata, waterlogging in several parts of city

Incessant rain lashed Kolkata and its neighbouring districts on Saturday as a low-pressure area turned into a deep depression, an official said. As a result of the rains, waterlogging was reported from several parts of Kolkata. Similar was the scene in the neighbouring cities of Howrah, Salt Lake and Barrackpore. The situation would remain the same throughout the day, the weather office said. According to the police, ankle-deep water was reported from parts of central and south Kolkata, but traffic movement was not disrupted. Parts of the city experienced up to 7 cm rainfall since Friday afternoon, a weather official said. "The low pressure over Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal turned into a deep depression. It is gradually shifting towards Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This, accompanied by an active monsoon trough over the southern districts of West Bengal, resulted in the rains," he said. The southern districts of Howrah, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly, Nadia

India likely to receive above normal rainfall in second half of 2024: IMD

IMD monsoon forecast: Southern and central regions recorded more than average rainfall while east and north-east India recorded 23.3 per cent less rainfall in July

WB to consider lifting potato shipment ban post cost stability in local mkt

Shipment of potatoes to other states will be considered after retail prices in West Bengal stabilise at Rs 30 per kg, an official in Kolkata said on Monday. West Bengal, one of the largest producers of potatoes in the country, has restricted shipment of the commodity to other states because of a steep rise in prices in the local market. Neighbouring states such as Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar depend on West Bengal for potatoes. "We have been able to control prices, but our aim is to achieve Rs 30 per kg at the retail level before allowing shipment to neighbouring states," an official of West Bengal's Agriculture Marketing Department said. The situation is being closely monitored, and the next steps would be decided after a thorough review, he said. At present, the Jyoti variety of potatoes is retailing at Rs 36 per kg in Kolkata, while the cold storage price stands at Rs 26 per kg. The state-run Sufal Bangla outlets are selling potatoes at Rs 29 per kg. The Progressive Pota

Bengal in anarchic condition, restore law, order: Adhir writes to President

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, alleging that West Bengal is in an "anarchic condition" and sought her intervention to "restore law and order" in the state. Chowdhury, the president of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, referred to poll-related violence and alleged attacks on party workers during this year's general elections. "I wish to seek your kind intervention in restoring civility and law and order in public life in West Bengal. For me, at a personal level, it is not only disturbing but also deeply anguishing to see the anarchic condition in the state owing to the ruthless approach of the ruling party on the workers, sympathisers, and supporters of the opposition," Chowdhury wrote in the two-page letter. As a result, many innocent persons have lost their lives, and have been jailed or taken into custody, he alleged. "There are also several cases of people not affiliated to the ruling party and inclined favourably

Mamata walks out of NITI Aayog meet, says not given adequate time to speak

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee walked out of a Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday and claimed that she was unfairly stopped midway in her speech, despite being the sole representative of the opposition. Government sources, however, rejected her claim and said her speaking time was over. Banerjee said her microphone was stopped after five minutes, while other chief ministers were allowed to speak for longer durations. "This is insulting. I will not attend any further meeting," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said. "I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The chief ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes," she told reporters after coming out of the meeting of chief ministers chaired by Modi. "This is unfair. From the opposition side, only I am representing here. I attended

Scrap NITI Aayog, bring back Planning Commission: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

In Delhi to attend a NITI Aayog meeting on July 27, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the public policy think tank brought by the Modi government should be scrapped and the Planning Commission should be brought back. Banerjee, who is set to attend the NITI Aayog meeting even as most INDIA bloc chief ministers have decided to give it a miss, said she felt their voices should be raised on a common platform. "They (BJP) have formed the government but they don't have people's mandate. This is the first time after the BJP came in, since 2014, they have not formed the government as a single party. She said that because of their "compulsions", the BJP-ruled NDA has brought a "politically very biased budget" which "deprives" all opposition states. "I thought it is my duty to raise this voice at least on a common platform though I know the NITI Aayog has no financial powers," she said. "Since the NITI Aayog has been planned, I have not seen a single work being done

Potato dispatches from Bengal up 35% day after traders withdraw strike

A day after West Bengal potato traders called off their indefinite strike, dispatch of tubers from cold storages surged by 30-35 per cent to fill the demand vacuum, officials said on Thursday. The traders' body said they would continue to adjust supplies in an effort to stabilise prices. "Since last night, around 8 lakh packets of 50kg each have been dispatched compared to the normal daily average of 6 lakh packets," said Progressive Potato Traders' Association secretary Lalu Mukherjee on Thursday. He assured the state government of adequate supply and asserted that traders would refrain from exporting the produce to other states for now, as the government has pledged to address local concerns first. Rabindranath Kole from the Traders Forum and a state task force member said, "The news of the strike withdrawal has led to some price reduction, but a significant decrease will be seen at the wholesale level, which hovered at Rs 34 per kg, once the produce hits the market in sufficient