Page 71 - West Bengal

Attack on ED officers explosion of public grievance, says Bengal minister

West Bengal minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Tuesday courted controversy with his comments that the recent attack on ED officers during a raid in North 24 Parganas was a result of explosion of public grievance. Chattopadhyay, the state's agriculture minister, also claimed that such attacks will take place in other parts of the country, too, where probe agencies conduct raids. We have seen the explosion of public grievance at one place in the state Such incidents will happen at other places in India as well in future, he said at a programme. Three ED officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised, as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on January 5, when the team went to conduct a raid at his house in Sandeshkhali in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system. Chattopadhyay also claimed that the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has unearthed scams worth several crores of rupees in the present BJP-led regi

ED chief to meet team members in Kolkata today over Sandeshkhali attack

Enforcement Directorate chief Rahul Navin is scheduled to hold a meeting with its officers here on Tuesday over the attack on an ED team during a raid in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district last week. The ED unit in the state has already submitted a report to its headquarters about the incident in which three officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised, as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on January 5 when the team went to conduct the raid. "The head of the ED will chair a meeting regarding the attack. Discussions will also be held on the progress of others investigations, an officer of the probe agency told PTI. Navin, the ED director, arrived in Kolkata on Monday night. The attack took place when the ED team went to Sheikh's house in Sandeshkhali for a raid in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system. The ED has already lodged a complaint at the Nazat police station in connection with the assaul

Suvendu Adhikari seeks probe into Abhishek Banerjee's pension scheme

For your information, the said Member of Parliament has been under investigation of Central Agencies such as CBI & ED for his alleged involvement in Coal Scam and Teacher Recruitment Scam

Those questioning law and order situation trying to malign Bengal: Mamata

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that those questioning West Bengal's law and order situation in the backdrop of the attack on Enforcement Department (ED) officers were trying to malign the state. Banerjee asserted that Kolkata has been adjudged the country's safest city for years as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). "I am not bothered about criticisms against me. But, I will protest if anyone tries to malign the state. Those questioning the law and order situation are trying to malign the state," she said, addressing the 'Students' Week' programme here. Three ED officers were injured and several of their vehicles vandalised as hundreds of supporters of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh attacked them on Friday. The attack happened when the ED team went to Sheikh's house in Sandeshkhali for a raid in connection with alleged irregularities in the state's ration system.

Police complaint against Amit Malviya for social media post on Bengal CM

Senior TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya has filed a police complaint against BJP leader Amit Malviya for allegedly making defamatory remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bhattacharya's complaint was in response to Malviya's post on X where he claimed that absconding TMC leader Sahajahan Sheikh, the main accused in the assault case on Enforcement Directorate sleuths, has managed to escape the clutches of law enforcement agencies because of "patronage of Mamata Banerjee." "Shahjahan, who claimed to be a don of Sandeshkhali, is absconding. This would not have been possible without the patronage of Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Home Minister of West Bengal," read a portion of Malviya's post on X. "We have filed a complaint and urged the police to take immediate action against Malviya for his defamatory remarks against the chief minister," Bhattacharya, also a state minister, told reporters on Sunday. Meanwhile, the West Bengal BJP criticised the TMC for tryin

Situation in Bengal is worse than Manipur, says BJP MP Dilip Ghosh

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday lashed out at the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal and said that the condition of the state is "worse than Manipur."BJP MP Dilip Ghosh said, "The situation in Bengal is worse than Manipur. People voted for this government in the state. People will punish it for what it is doing. Central Government is doing its job of making suggestions and offering help for the upkeep of law & order. We can see that the situation in Bengal and at the Bangladesh border is not good for the security of the country, we had been saying this."This comes after attacks on the ED team in Sandeshkhali village of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal on Friday morning, January 5, when it tried to raid the residence of block-level leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in connection with an alleged ration scam case.Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the attack proves that there is no law and order in the ...

ED assault case: WB Guv demands TMC leader's arrest, probe terrorist links

Expressing concern that TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh, the prime accused in the case of assault on ED officials, may have "crossed the border", West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has instructed authorities to arrest him immediately and investigate his alleged connections with terrorists. His remarks that Sheikh has links with terrorists drew sharp criticism from the ruling TMC on Sunday. The statement issued by Raj Bhavan late Saturday night highlighted that the governor, upon receiving a complaint in the Peace Room, instructed the police chief to promptly arrest the culprit. "On receipt of a complaint in the Peace Room of Raj Bhavan that Shahjahan Sheikh is supported by some political leaders with the connivance of some police officers, Hon'ble Governor instructed the Police chief to arrest the culprit forthwith and report compliance," the statement said. The governor emphasised on the need to ascertain Sheikh's whereabouts and take appropriate action. The complaint alleging that

Bengal's role to be crucial in growth; Modi's support to increase: Goyal

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday highlighted the contribution of West Bengal in the upcoming phase of growth as India moves towards becoming a developed nation. He also predicted that the support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi will increase in the next polls. "In the last election, Bengal provided substantial support. Now, with greater backing, we believe that Bengal aspires to foster rapid growth for India and exercise control over inflation," Goyal pointed out at a programme. Over the last 10 years, significant reforms have been implemented transforming a weak economy into one of the top five globally, the union commerce and industry minister said. "Previously, corruption had plagued the nation, eroding confidence and trust," Goyal said. "The GDP, which previously grew at a rate of 4-4.5 per cent, now exceeds 7 per cent, establishing us as the fastest-growing large economy worldwide. International agencies predict that in the coming years, India will become the 3rd larg

B'desh to hold elections on Sunday; PM Hasina poised to win another term

Bangladesh will go to the polls on Sunday in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to win a fourth straight term in the absence of the main Opposition BNP which is boycotting the elections amidst violence and has called for a 48-hour nationwide strike against the "illegal government." A total of 119.6 million registered voters are eligible to vote at Sunday's polls in more than 42,000 polling stations, according to the country's Election Commission. More than 1,500 candidates from 27 political parties are contesting in the election besides 436 independent candidates. Over 100 foreign observers, including three from India, will monitor the 12th general election, which is being held under tight security. The election commission said it expected the results to start flowing from early on January 8. Prime Minister Hasina's ruling Awami League is expected to win for a straight fourth time as the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia,

Four killed after train travelling from town bordering India set on fire

At least four people were killed and many injured after suspected arsonists set on fire a passenger train coming from the port town of Benapole, bordering India, in the country's national capital on Friday, two days ahead of Bangladesh's general elections that have been boycotted by the main opposition BNP, officials said. The incident happened around 9 pm when four carriages of the Benapole Express that runs from Benapole, a town bordering the Indian state of West Bengal, were set on fire as it nearly reached its destination of the capital's Kamalapur Railway Station. "So far we have found four bodies . . . searches are still underway," Shahjahan Shikdar, the spokesman of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told newsmen at the scene. Railway officials said that most of the train's nearly 292 passengers were returning home from India and the train was set on fire at 9 PM as it reached the Gopibagh area near the station. When we tried to bring out a middle-aged man through a window of t

Haldia Petrochemicals breaks ground on Rs 3,000 cr chemical plant in Bengal

Petrochemical major Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd on Wednesday announced that it has carried out the groundbreaking ceremony for India's largest phenol plant in West Bengal's Haldia. The Rs 3,000 crore project is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026. The ceremony marking the beginning of piling work was attended by senior officials of the company. This plant is also the first on-purpose propylene plant in India based on Olefin Conversion Technology (OCT) from Lummus Technology. It will enable the city-based HPL to become India's first integrated player in the phenolics chain. The phenol plant will have a production capacity of 300 kilo tonnes per annum of phenol and 185 KTPA of acetone. The overall chemical business portfolio is expected to increase by an additional Rs 5,000 crore with the commissioning of the plant, as stated by the company earlier.

West Bengal government plans dedicated tea park on Kolkata port land

The land requirement for the project is about 10-12 acres. The SMPK would hand over the lease and the infrastructure would be developed by the state government

BJP removes WB leader Anupam Hazra from party's national secretary post

The BJP's decision came on a day when BJP National President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were in Kolkata for a host of political programmes

Jadavpur University convocation illegal, seeking legal opinion: Bengal guv

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday termed the Jadavpur University convocation as illegal and said he was currently seeking legal advice to ensure that students do not face any issues regarding the validity of their degrees. Stating that Sunday's convocation was unlawful and unauthorised, Bose expressed concern over apprehensions of students and their parents regarding the validity of the degrees issued by JU because they contained the signature of officiating vice-chancellor Buddadeb Sau who was removed by him before the event. Bose, who is also the chancellor of state-run universities, said he was trying to find a legally acceptable solution protecting the interests of students. "In the JU case, my first priority is the future of students. Because of uncalled actions from certain sections, the students should not suffer. There are serious charges and apprehensions raised by the students and their parents that the degrees issued will be invalid. I am getting legal ...

Amit Shah and Nadda to visit West Bengal, assess BJP's state organisation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda are scheduled to arrive here on Monday night on a two-day visit to assess the organisational landscape in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls next year, according to a party leader. Shah and Nadda are expected to arrive in the city late tonight and will preside over a series of organisational meetings on Tuesday. However, there are no plans for them to address any public events or meetings. "Both will engage with state leaders late on Monday night. Amit Shah Ji and J P Nadda Ji will visit Gurudwara Bara Sikh Sangat and Kalighat temple on Tuesday morning. In the afternoon, they will conduct a series of meetings with state leaders, and frontal organizations, and assess the organisational strength in preparation for the Lok Sabha polls," stated the state BJP leader. Later in the evening, the leaders will participate in a closed-door programme at the National Library before departing for New Delhi, he added. Accord

Election Commission to release final voters' list of Bengal in January

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will release the final voters' list of West Bengal early next month, a senior official said on Saturday. Once the list is published, the poll panel will send its full bench to the state, he said, adding that communications have been sent to the chief secretary and chief electoral officer (CEO) asking them to start preparations for the Lok Sabha polls. "The final list will be published early next month followed by the visit of the full bench of ECI to the state. We have directed the chief secretary and CEO of West Bengal to start preparations for the 2024 general elections," he told PTI. A top bureaucrat said the poll panel has directed the chief secretary to prepare a list of administrative officials (IAS officers) and police officers (IPS and WBPS) detailing their current postings and the duration of their stay in the particular position. "Preparing lists of IAS and IPS officers mentioning their current postings before any election is routine

Centre issues Rs 5,488 cr additional instalment of tax devolution to Bengal

West Bengal has received Rs 5,488.88 crore as additional instalment of tax devolution by the Centre. On Friday, the Centre had disbursed Rs 72,961.21 crore to all states as tax devolution for funding various social welfare measures and infrastructure development schemes. This comes in addition to the tax devolution instalment due to states on January 10, 2024, the government said. The Centre disburses tax devolution funds in 14 yearly instalments. In the latest allocation, Uttar Pradesh received the largest share at Rs 13,088.51 crore. This was followed by Bihar (Rs 7,338 crore), Madhya Pradesh (Rs 5,727.44 crore), West Bengal (Rs 5,488.88 crore), Maharashtra (Rs 4,608.96 crore), Rajasthan (Rs 4,396.64 crore) and Odisha ( Rs 3,303.69 crore).

ECI to release West Bengal's final voters list in January 2024: Official

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will release West Bengal's final voters list in January, 2024 a senior official said on Saturday. After publishing the list, the ECI will be sending its full bench to West Bengal, he said, adding that the state chief secretary and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) have been sent communications asking to start preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. "The final list of voters will be published early next month (January) and after that, the full bench of the ECI will come to West Bengal. Similar steps are likely to be taken for other states as well. We have directed the chief secretary and CEO of West Bengal to start the preparations for the general election," he told PTI. When contacted, a top bureaucrat said that in the letter the poll panel has directed the West Bengal chief secretary to prepare a list of both administrative officials (IAS officers) and police officers (IPS officers and WBPS officers) detailing their current posting and the ...

WB govt employees protest, demand DA at par with central govt employees

An organisation of West Bengal government employees on Friday commenced a three-day sit-in demonstration near the state secretariat 'Nabanna' demanding release of dearness allowance to them at par with their central government counterparts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced an additional four per cent DA to the state government employees from January next. The members of the Sangrami Joutha Mancha sat on the dharna near the 'Nabanna', where the chief minister's office is located, with placards and posters and shouted slogans in support of their demand for release of DA at par with central government employees. The Sangrami Joutha Mancha members claimed that even after the announcement by the chief minister for an additional four per cent DA to state government employees, there would remain a 36 percentage points difference between the DA of state government and central government employees. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday gave conditional permission to the ..

CM Banerjee announces 4% DA hike for WB govt employees from Jan 1

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that her government would be giving a four per cent raise in dearness allowance (DA) to all its employees from New Year's Day. Banerjee made the announcement while speaking at the inauguration of the Kolkata Christmas Carnival 2023 at Allen Park in Park Street area of the city. "I announce that all 14 lakh state government employees, teaching and non-teaching staff of all schools, colleges and universities, and employees of all statutory undertakings and parastatals and pensioners would be getting another instalment of 4 per cent DA from January 1, 2024," Banerjee said. Stating that the provision of DA is mandatory for the central government whereas it is "optional" for the state, Banerjee said that for the DA hike, her government would have to bear an additional expense of Rs 2,400 crore. "For us, DA is not mandatory but optional. Considering their well-being, we are giving this 4 per cent DA hike," she added. West