Page 75 - West Bengal

Committee formed to prepare Bengali plaque on Unesco honour to Santiniketan

Visva Bharati University on Monday said a committee has been formed to finalise the new Bengali plaque in place of the earlier one on UNESCO recognition to Santiniketan as a heritage site. The committee will also look through the already prepared Hindi and English texts of the new plaque to see that it is according to the instructions of the union education ministry, spokesperson of the central university, Mahua Banerjee said in an official statement. She said the acting Vice-chancellor Sanjoy Kumar Mallick has been advised that the installation of the official text of the UNESCO statement recognizing Santiniketan as a heritage site is of "immediate priority" and the ministry was assured that the university has no intention for unnecessary delay in carrying out the work. The ministry was informed that soon after the receipt of the draft statement, a committee was formed to finalise the Bengali version of the text of the plaque and to look through the texts for those in Hindi and ...

Over 25 nations' leaders to join Bengal Global Business Summit from Tue

Business leaders from more than 25 countries, a host of prominent figures of corporate India as well as political dignitaries are expected to take part in the seventh edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) that will begin on Tuesday, officials said. The participating countries include the US, UK, Japan, Poland, France, Australia, Germany, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Fiji, they said. Corporate honchos from India's Reliance Industries, ITC, Ambuja Neotia and the Hiranandani Group are also likely to attend the state's marquee business summit. The focus sectors at the two-day BGBS 2023 are MSME, textiles, engineering, energy, transport & urban infrastructure, real estate, agri, tourism and international trade & logistics, officials said. Over 250 international delegates are expected to participate, including senior representatives from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, they said. "Reliance Industries Chairman & MD Mukesh Ambani is expected to attend this

Cyclone 'Midhili' to bring rainfall in coastal West Bengal, Odisha on alert

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal on Friday intensified into a cyclonic storm and will graze past the Sunderbans before making landfall on Bangladesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin. The cyclonic storm named 'Midhili' will cross the Bangladesh coast during November 17 night or early hours of November 18, it said. The system over the Bay of Bengal lay centered at 5.30 am on Friday at about 190 km east of Paradip (Odisha), 200 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal) and 220 km southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), the national weather agency said. "It is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast close to Khepupara with wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph during November 17 night or early hours of November 18," the IMD said. The name 'Midhili' was given by the Maldives. Countries affected by the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal cyclones rotationally give names of cyclon

Centre tells Visva Bharati to replace controversial plaques at Santiniketan

The Centre has asked Visva Bharati University to replace the controversial plaques commemorating UNESCO's award of World Heritage Site to Santiniketan, a varsity source said on Thursday. The Union education ministry has told the university to remove the plaques and replace them with ones having Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore's name, the source added. Visva Bharati spokesperson Mahua Bandyopadhyay told PTI, "We cannot confirm anything about the plaques unless we have a written communique from the Union education ministry." Days after Santiniketan got the UNESCO tag on September 17, three plaques commemorating the honour came up in different parts of the campus having the names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former VB vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty but did not mention Tagore's name, the founder of Santiniketan and Visva Bharati. This triggered an uproar from students, faculty and political parties. On October 26, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked Visva ..

Amid cash-for-query case, Mahua gets organisational responsibilities in TMC

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, currently facing recommendations for expulsion from Lok Sabha in a cash-for-query row, was tasked with strengthening the party's organisation in West Bengal's Nadia district ahead of the 2024 general elections, in a clear message of support from the TMC. On Monday, the TMC announced a revised list of district presidents for the state's 35 organisational districts. Moitra, who was the district president in Krishnanagar a few years ago before being removed in a prior reshuffle, has now been reinstated as the district president of Krishnanagar (Nadia North) organisational district. Expressing her gratitude on social media, Moitra stated, "Thank you @MamataOfficial and @AITCofficial for appointing me District President of Krishnanagar (Nadia North). Will always work with the party for the people of Krishnanagar." The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, headed by Chairman Vinod Kumar Sonkar, submitted its report on the 'cash-for-query' allegation against Moit

Local Trinamool Congress leader shot dead in West Bengal, assailant lynched

A local Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead at Joynagar in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Monday morning, prompting a group of people to lynch an alleged assailant, officials said. Saifuddin Laskar, TMC area president of Bamungachi in Joynagar was shot dead near his house by some miscreants, an official said. Supporters of Laskar, whose wife is a panchayat pradhan, caught one of the alleged assailants and beat him to death, according to locals. Local TMC leaders alleged that CPI(M) supporters were behind the killing of Laskar. CPI(M) supporters in nearby areas claimed that supporters of Laskar ransacked their houses and set fire to some after the incident. Stating that every death is unfortunate, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said that the police must conduct a proper investigation to nab the killers and unravel the conspiracy. "The murder of Saifuddin Laskar is the result of internal strife within the TMC, it is no use blaming the CPI(M)," he

West Bengal to reduce intrastate e-way bill threshold to Rs 50,000

West Bengal will reduce the intrastate e-way bill threshold from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 50,000 from December to bring parity with the rest of the country and prevent GST slippage. A recent West Bengal GST notification said that an e-way bill will be required for the movement of goods valued at over Rs 50,000 within the state. The provision will also apply to job work goods. State GST commissioner Khalid Anwar told PTI that there are two main reasons for tweaking the e-way bill threshold. "One is to bring parity with the rest of the country, which is already Rs 50,000 for interstate movement of goods. The Rs one lakh threshold for the intrastate movement was often misinterpreted as applying to interstate movement of goods and traders were penalised," he said. The second reason is that unscrupulous traders are taking advantage of the higher threshold and as a result there is tax slippage. A reduced threshold will help protect tax revenues, he said. Anwar said that the state had initially k

Markets in Kolkata witness huge crowd on Diwali, festive spirit in air

Customers thronged the Dakshindari Diya Bazar for festive shopping late on Saturday night

Security beefed up across West Bengal in view of Kali Puja, Diwali

Security was tightened across West Bengal on Sunday in view of Kali Puja and Diwali, officials said. In state capital Kolkata, over 5,000 police personnel were deployed to maintain the law and order situation and also keep a vigil on celebrations with illegal firecrackers, they said. Police personnel were deployed at strategic locations in the city, besides shopping malls, markets, religious places, railway stations and jetties, they said. Twenty-one police officers of deputy commissioner rank were on duty, besides 35 assistant commissioners, they added. Security was also beefed up in nearby Barasat and Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas district where thousands of people hit the streets to visit the community Kali Puja pandals, they added. Similar was the security situation in other major cities of the state, including Siliguri, Asansol, Durgapur and Kalyani, officials said. "We have taken all precautionary measures in view of Kali Puja and Diwali celebrations. Our officers will .

Bharti Airtel expands 5G coverage in all 23 districts of West Bengal

Leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel Thursday said it has expanded its 5G network to all 23 districts of West Bengal, which will bring the high-speed technology to its 1.6 million customers. This marks a significant milestone for Airtel as the company has achieved 5G coverage across all districts and union territories in the country within a year of the launch of the service, the company said. Airtel boasts of about 22.5 million total customer base in Kolkata and West Bengal circles out of which 1.6 million is already on 5G. The adoption of 5G network is happening very fast, its officials said. "We were the first telecom operator to deploy high-speed 5G technology in West Bengal and we are committed to connecting lives across the state," Airtel CEO (West Bengal) Ayan Sarkar said. The telecom major's expansive network now covers areas ranging from the tranquil tea gardens of Darjeeling to the colonial town of Chandannagar, the iconic Eden Gardens cricket stadium in the ci

Bidyut Chakraborty retires as Visva-Bharati VC after controversial tenure

Visva-Bharati Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty, whose five-year tenure in the central university was riddled with controversies including the land row with economist Amartya Sen and the UNESCO plaque issue, retired on Wednesday. In a notification, the varsity said that Prof Sanjoy Kumar Mallik, the principal of Kala Bhavana (Institute of Fine Arts), was appointed as the officiating vice-chancellor. Mallik will perform the duties of the vice-chancellor with effect from forenoon of November 9 until a new vice-chancellor assumes office or until further orders of the Ministry of Education, the notification said. The tenure of Chakarborty, who became the university's VC in 2018, was full of controversies that often took political turns and landed in courts. The varsity in April this year directed Amartya Sen to vacate 1.38 acres of land on the Santiniketan campus claiming he is enjoying it unauthorisedly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the side of the Nobel Laureate and personall

Bengal recruitment 'scam': ED summons TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Nov 9

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee to appear before it here on November 9 in connection with the alleged school jobs scam, a TMC leader said on Wednesday. Banerjee will appear before the ED on Thursday, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare Minister and TMC spokesperson Shashi Panja said, alleging that the party national general secretary is a victim of "vendetta politics". She also alleged that the BJP does such vendetta politics to "harass" leaders ahead of crucial election early next year. State BJP spokesperson Shamik Lahiri said the party does not believe in vendetta politics. He stated that summoning by central agencies is happening under the supervision of the court, and if the TMC has any problem, it can approach the court. The ED had earlier summoned Banerjee to appear before it on October 9, after he skipped the October 3 summons to participate in a TMC protest rally in New Delhi, demanding immediate release of central fund

Singur saga: TaMo's arbitration award roils political waters in West Bengal

The SC verdict triggered the compensation clause for Tata Motors

Tata Motors wins Singur land case against WB govt: Here are case details

Tata Motors secured an arbitral award of Rs 766 crore, with 11 per cent interest in the Singur plant case against the West Bengal government

Bengal recorded Rs 85,000 cr biz during this Durga Puja: CM Mamata

Asserting that the recently-concluded Durga Puja was "peaceful", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that the state witnessed business of over Rs 85,000 crore and employment generation for around 3 lakh people during the festivities. Referring to a survey by the British Council which stated that West Bengal recorded a business of Rs 72,000 crore during this year's Durga Puja, a seemingly happy Banerjee said she hoped that the business will grow in the coming years. "Durga Puja has reached a new height this year. In the coming years, we will organise it in a bigger way. A British Council research stated that this year, there was business of around Rs 72,000 crore but I believe that it will be around Rs 80,000 crore to Rs 85,000 crore. Over 3 lakh job opportunities were created, which is a big gain for the poor," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. "Last time, some people moved the court because I had given some funds to clubs. I give money to th

Tagore is an emotion, his memory cannot be obliterated: WB Governor

Maintaining that Rabindranath Tagore was an emotion, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday said that the Nobel laureate's memory cannot be obliterated or ignored. Bose made the comment when asked by reporters about the row over the plaques installed at the Visva-Bharati, founded by Tagore, to mark the UNESCO world heritage tag. The plaques installed at the central varsity's campus in Birbhum district's Santiniketan do not have Tagore's name, but those of PM Narendra Modi, who is the chancellor, and vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty. "Tagore is a feeling, an emotion felt in the blood and heart of Indians. There cannot be any instance where Gurudev's memory is obliterated or ignored. Gurudev enjoys the highest respect in the minds of all Indians," said Bose, who is also the rector of the varsity, on the sidelines of a programme. Santiniketan, where Tagore built Visva-Bharati over a century ago, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in September. The Trinamool ..

Registration for JEMAT 2023 phase 3 to begin today at official website

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT) will start the Joint Entrance Management Aptitude Test (JEMAT) 2023 phase 3 registration procedure today i.e. on November 1

Visva-Bharati V-C accuses protesting TMC leaders of threatening to kill him

Visva-Bharati Vice Chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty has lodged a complaint with the police, alleging that he received life threats from Trinamool Congress leaders who have been protesting outside the central varsity's campus in Santiniketan over the plaque row, a senior officer said on Tuesday. The VC emailed his complaint to the Santiniketan Police Station in West Bengal's Birbhum district on Monday, he said. Since October 27, workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress have been protesting outside the university campus, demanding the removal of the plaques on UNESCO World Heritage site status to Santiniketan for not bearing the name of Visva-Bharati founder Rabindranath Tagore. "The VC has sent a letter to us alleging that he has received life threats from some people who are staging a protest outside the university campus. We are looking into his complaint," the officer told PTI. Chakrabarty, in his complaint, has accused TMC leaders of threatening to kill him and he is scared about h

Tata Motors wins Singur land case, entitled to recover Rs 766 cr from WB

Tata Motors on Monday said an arbitral tribunal has asked the West Bengal Industrial Development Corp to pay the company Rs 766 crore compensation in connection with losses incurred on its manufacturing site in Singur. Tata Motors had to shift its plant to produce small car Nano from Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat in October 2008 due to a land row. Tatas, by then, had already put over Rs 1,000 crore in Singur. In a regulatory filing, the auto major said a three-member Arbitral Tribunal has ruled that the company is entitled to recover from the respondent West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (WBIDC) a sum of Rs 765.78 crore with interest thereon 11 per cent per annum from September 1, 2016, till actual recovery thereof. The compensation is in respect to the auto major's claim of compensation from WBIDC under various heads, including the loss of capital investments with regard to the automobile manufacturing facility at Singur. "This is to inform that the ..

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