Page 56 - West Bengal

SC says WB recruitment scam 'systemic fraud', state's duty to keep records

Terming the alleged recruitment scam in West Bengal "systemic fraud", the Supreme Court on Tuesday said authorities were duty-bound to maintain the digitised records pertaining to the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Calcutta High Court's April 22 decision that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and state-aided schools of West Bengal. "The public job is so scarce.... Nothing remains if the faith of the public goes. This is systemic fraud. Public jobs are extremely scarce today and are looked at for social mobility. What remains in the system if their appointments are also maligned? People will lose faith, how do you countenance this?" the CJI asked the lawyers representing the state government. The bench said the state government has nothing to show that the data was ...

LS elections: Incidents of violence mar 3rd phase polling in Bengal

Sporadic incidents of violence marred the third phase of Lok Sabha polls in the four constituencies in West Bengal as TMC, BJP and Congress workers clashed with each other in various parts of Murshidabad and Jangipur seats. The TMC, the BJP, and the Congress-CPI(M) alliance lodged separate complaints related to poll violence, voter intimidation, and assaults on poll agents in the first few hours of polling, sources from the parties said. The EC received 182 complaints by 9 am, most of which were from Murshidabad and Jangipur constituencies. According to officials, around 32.82 per cent polling was reported till 11am, with Jangipur recording the highest turnout of 33.81 per cent, followed by Maldaha Dakshin (33.09), Murshidabad (32.72) and Maldaha Uttar (31.73). Additionally, 29.39 per cent voting was recorded in the assembly bypoll in Murshidabad's Bhagawangola. All the four seats are minority-dominated, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) holding Murshidabad and Jangipur, while the

Lok Sabha polls 2024 Phase 3: Over 25% voter turnout recorded till 11 am

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Voting underway in 93 constituencies in 11 states and Union territories (UTs)

Phase 3 Lok Sabha elections 2024: What was the voter turnout at 9 am?

In the Phase 3 of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, 93 out of 543 constituencies have gone to polls in 11 states and Union Territories. Votes will be counted on June 4

Six die as heavy rain, thunderstorms lash southern districts of West Bengal

Six people died in thunderstorms in south Bengal on Monday, as heavy rain drenched Kolkata and other districts in the region, parched under the scorching sun for several days, officials said. A Disaster Management Department official said six people, including a married couple, died in different districts of south Bengal, including in Nadia, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman district. Suburban train services on the Sealdah-Canning line of Eastern Railway's Sealdah division were affected for over an hour, as plantain leaves fell on an overhead electric traction wire during a thunderstorm, an official said. Train services were affected from 8 pm to 9.15 pm, he said. A few Kolkata-bound flights from other destinations had to be diverted due to bad weather, Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said Inclement weather forced three incoming flights to Kolkata two from Delhi and one from Bagdogra to be diverted to other airports, they said. A Kolkata to Ranchi flight had to return to th

Bomb blast in West Bengal's Hooghly, minor killed & 2 injured

West Bengal: Minor killed & two children critically injured in a mysterious blast in Tinna Netaji Colony at Pandua, Hooghly. The blast occurred at the spot where they were playing. The injured have be

PM Vishwakarma: At 68%, women beneficiaries outshine men in skill training

The initiative has provided training to 350,000 individuals so far, of which 240,000 (68.76%) are women, and 110,000 (31.3%) are men

LS polls: TMC, BJP tread cautiously in Jhargram amid identity politics

The tumultuous days of Maoist violence may now be a thing of the past for residents of Jhargram constituency in western West Bengal but the tribal-dominated seat sits on a powder keg of identity politics which has a direct bearing on the elections. A long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe status by the minority Kurmis, a traditional tiller community listed as OBCs in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, had led to sporadic violence in the recent past and has vertically divided the inhabitants of region with the majority Adivasis, enlisted STs, firmly opposing it. Both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP have chosen to tread cautiously over this "extremely sensitive" issue which, some voices from the ground feel, has the "potential to explode at the slightest provocation". While the ruling party in the state has declared in its poll manifesto that it would "actively work with the Centre" to award the desired status to the Kurmi-Mahato community, the saffron party has officially remain

LS polls: Rift among INDIA bloc triggers three-cornered contests in Bengal

As the final five phases of polls draw closer, rift among INDIA bloc partners, Congress-Left combine and the TMC, who are fighting separately has intensified, triggering a fierce contest across half of the remaining 36 constituencies in West Bengal driven by local issues such as Sandeshkhali and the SSC scam. TMC's decision to contest independently in the state, rather than as part of the bloc, has led to a three-way contest, with the other contenders being the BJP and the Congress-Left alliance. Nevertheless, both TMC and Congress have asserted that they are part of the INDIA bloc at the national level and are authentic representatives of the opposition front in Bengal. Political analysts suggest that without a dominant national narrative like national security after the 2019 Pulwama attacks, local concerns such as corruption allegations, the cancellation of School Service Commission (SSC) jobs, incidents in Sandeshkhali and implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are

RJD's Misa Bharti demands probe into charges against Bengal Governor

RJD leader Misa Bharti on Saturday demanded a thorough inquiry into accusations of sexual harassment against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose. The eldest daughter of RJD president Lalu Prasad also slammed the ruling BJP at the Centre for targeting opposition parties on the issue of dynasty politics, while having in its own ranks many who came from influential political families. "The charge against the honourable governor of West Bengal is a matter of concern. There must be a thorough inquiry and appropriate action in the matter", said Bharti, a Rajya Sabha MP who is trying her luck from Patliputra Lok Sabha seat. A major controversy has erupted in West Bengal where a contractual employee of Raj Bhavan has filed a police complaint against Bose, who has rubbished the allegations as an "absurd drama". Nonetheless, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress, has questioned "silence", in the matter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, despite "say

LS polls 2024: Showbiz personalities galore in Bengal electoral fray

The not-so-old trend among major political parties in West Bengal to throw their weight behind silver screen personalities continues unabated in the current edition of Lok Sabha polls where stars of yesteryears are contesting the elections shoulder to shoulder with contemporary celluloid icons of the industry. In terms of numbers the state's ruling Trinamool Congress, like in the past, is way ahead of its completion this time around as well by fielding six of the nine filmstars in the poll fray. While the opposition BJP has nominated two film personalities, the CPI (M) has settled for one well-known tinsel town figure from the Tollygunge film and TV industry to try and dent the opposition vote bank. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has reposed her faith in Bollywood superstar of the 70s and 80s, Shatrughan Sinha, a repeat candidate from Asansol, and on reigning Tollygunge superstar Dipak Adhikari aka Dev from the Ghatal seat for a third consecutive term in Lok Sabha. She also nominated

WB Madrasah Board 2024: WBBME High Madrasah result to be released soon

Today, May 3, 2024, the West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education will release the WB Madrasah Board Result 2024, which can be accessed at websites wbbme.org and wbresults.nic.in

Bengal BJP to create legal cell to help teachers who lost jobs: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he has asked the West Bengal BJP unit to create a separate legal cell to provide help to "genuine teachers and candidates" who have lost jobs due to the School Service Commission (SSC) scam. While addressing an election rally at Bardhaman-Durgapur, Modi said "Although he wants those involved in corruption by the TMC to be punished but doesn't want the innocent to suffer." "The corruption that the TMC has done in Bengal in school recruitment is shameful. Due to this scam, several genuine candidates have suffered. I have asked the Bengal BJP unit on behalf of the party to create a separate legal cell and social media platform to provide help to the genuine candidates and teachers," he said. "BJP will support such honest candidates and will provide them legal help and will fight for them. This is Modi's guarantee," he said. Modi's remarks came a week after the Calcutta High Court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection

WB's industrial wealth threatened by Modi govt's capitalist policies: Cong

The Congress on Friday alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's "crony capitalist policies" and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a written guarantee that he will not sell public sector steel plants such as Durgapur to his "friends". Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions to the prime minister ahead of his Lok Sabha poll rallies in West Bengal. "Can the PM commit that he won't sell Durgapur Steel Plant to his friends? Why has the BJP failed to increase the MSP for paddy? Does the PM prioritise his PR over vaccines for India's children?" Ramesh said in his post on X. Elaborating on what he said were "jumla" details, Ramesh alleged that West Bengal's industrial wealth is threatened by the Modi government's crony capitalist policies. "Amidst SAIL's privatisation drive and the PM's attempt to sell steel plants in Salem, Vishakhapatnam, Bhadravathi, and Bastar, there is a fear that Durgapur Steel Plant will

Modi govt wants country without dalits, backward communities: WB CM Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to marginalise the SCs, STs, and OBCs. Speaking at a rally in support of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra at Tehatta in Nadia district, Banerjee criticised the BJP government's 'falsehoods' about citizenship benefits for marginalised communities, warning that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) could jeopardise the rights of SCs, STs, and OBCs. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is lying about the benefits of UCC that it will help everybody. Instead, if UCC is implemented, it will put at stake the existence of SCs, STs and OBCs. BJP will destroy the constitution. But rest assured, we will not let it happen," Banerjee said. The TMC chief said for the past 10 years, the BJP has been spreading lies about Matuas and other backward castes getting citizenship through the CAA, which is a ploy to take away one's already existing bona fide citizenship rights and deport them to concentration camps. The ..

86.31% of students clear Bengal class 10 state board exams, says official

An estimated 86.31 per cent of over 9.12 lakh students who appeared for the West Bengal class 10 state board examination this year cleared it, an education official said on Thursday. Among the students who cleared the exam, 4,03,900 are males and 5,08,698 females, 25 per cent more than the boys. West Bengal Board of Secondary Examination president Ramanuj Ganguly said the pass percentage was 86.15 per cent last year. Chandrachur Sen, a student of Rambhola High School in Cooch Behar district, secured the first rank, scoring 693 marks (99 per cent). Samyapriyo Guru of Purulia Zilla School scored 692 marks (98.86 per cent), securing the second rank. The third position was shared by three people -- Udayan Prasad of Balurghat High School, Puspita Basuri of New Integrated Government School (Ilambazar) and Nairit Ranjan Pal of Narendrapur Ramakrishna Mission who scored 691 marks (98.71 per cent) each. Students from Cooch Behar, Purulia, Dakshin Dinajpur, Birbhum, South and North 24 ...

TMC knew about school jobs scam before 2021 assembly polls: Kunal Ghosh

After his removal from the post of the TMC's West Bengal general secretary, Kunal Ghosh claimed that the party was aware of the school recruitment scam even before the 2021 assembly polls. The damaging statement from Ghosh, considered close to TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, came amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as the SSC scam has escalated into a significant issue in the polls. Ghosh was removed from the post hours after he shared a stage with a BJP Lok Sabha candidate and praised him on Wednesday. "The party was well aware of the fact that large-scale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls," he said in an interview with Bengali news channel ABP Ananda. Ghosh, who has been seeking more prominence for next-generation leaders and has been at loggerheads with the old guards in the TMC, said it was due to this "information about large-scale ...

Mamata raises concern over rise in voter turnout, questions EVM credibility

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticised the Election Commission for the "delay" in releasing the final voter turnout figures for the initial two phases of the Lok Sabha polls. She also expressed concern over the sudden increase in polling percentages during those phases. Addressing two back-to-back rallies in minority-dominated Malda and Murshidabad districts, Banerjee accused the Centre of neglecting the state as it has a high percentage of minority and backward communities. The commission made public the voter turnout of the first two phases of polling, which were held on April 19 and April 26, on Tuesday evening. According to the EC, a voter turnout of 66.14 per cent was recorded in the first and 66.71 per cent in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. "The EC gave a figure of polling percentage immediately after the elections. But yesterday, I came to know about the sudden jump in final voter turnout by nearly 5.75 per cent, which is worryi

CPI(M) turns to 'old flavour' in new package for route to revival in Bengal

We have fielded mostly new faces. There are barely three who are above 60 years of age, said Samik Lahiri, a senior leader of the party

SC stays CBI probe into WB govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe into the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said it will hear the matter on May 6. "We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said. Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons involved in the state government approving the creation of supernumerary post to accommodate illegal appointments. If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation