Page 78 - West Bengal

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Santiniketan chronicles: Unesco heritage status adorns the idyllic haven

A functioning educational institute, it will have to navigate the challenges the heritage label presents

Number of MSMEs in Bengal to have reached 10 mn after Covid: Official

The number of MSME units in West Bengal is estimated to have reached 1 crore with the economy bouncing back after the pandemic, a senior official said. Addressing a programme, West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd (WBSIDCL) executive director V Teja Deepak said there were 90 lakh MSME units in the state before the pandemic. "There were 90 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Bengal before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it must have reached 1 crore after the pandemic," he said. Maintaining that the state government's schemes such as 'Shilper Samadhan' have been a great help to the sector, he said the time taken to give various permissions for setting up businesses has also come down significantly. "Bengal is doing well in the export of textile and leather, and the 'Biswa Bangla' marketing is attracting buyers across the globe," he said. Speaking at the programme organised here by SBI and The Statesman on Saturday, PSU Andrew Yule and Company's CMD

WB Guv gives nod for inclusion of ex-minister's name in charge sheet: CBI

The CBI told a special court that West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has given his approval to the inclusion of the name of arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee in the chargesheet filed by the central investigating agency in the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in government and government-sponsored schools. According to the rule, the governor's approval is necessary to include the name of a state minister in any chargesheet. Chatterjee was first arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 22, 2022, and then by CBI in connection with his alleged involvement in the teachers recruitment scam. The former minister has been in prison since his arrest. On July 28 that year he was removed from the Mamata Banerjee cabinet, in which he held the portfolios of information, commerce and industry. "We informed the court on Thursday that the governor has finally given his approval to include Partha Chatterjee's name in the chargesheet. The court c

ITC Hotels signs management agreement for Welcomhotel Kalimpong in WB

ITC Hotels on Thursday announced that it has signed a management agreement with a construction company for Welcomhotel Kalimpong resort in West Bengal. The 70-key greenfield project will spread over four acres of land and will offer plush rooms with views of the Himalayas and the valley, a company statement said. The company announced the signing of Welcomhotel Kalimpong resort under a management agreement with Pravez Constructions Private Ltd. "With the upcoming property of Welcomhotel Kalimpong, the group will have a strong presence across West Bengal with eight hotels across various segments," ITC Hotels Divisional Chief Executive Anil Chadha said. He also said the 'Welcomhotel' brand trajectory is "growing fast across both business and leisure locations". The upcoming facility in north Bengal will have an all-day dining restaurant, a lounge and a bar among other facilities. The group portfolio currently showcases 25 Welcomhotels across India with more in the pipeline, the com

Bengal allows luxury taxis to be painted in colours other than white, cream

Luxury taxis in West Bengal will be allowed to be painted in any colour other than white or cream for a fee of Rs 20,000 for each vehicle, a notification issued by the state transport department said. The authorities will grant permission for motor cabs (luxury taxis), rendering limousine service, to be painted in any colour other than white or cream, for which an amount of Rs 20,000 will be charged as an application fee from the interested service provider for each vehicle, said the notification, issued by Transport Department secretary Saumitra Mohan on September 19. Necessary amendments in the West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, shall be made in due course, it said. According to the notification, the department has been receiving proposals for granting permission for all Bengal luxury taxi permits for vehicles to be painted in any colour other than white or cream. "As per Rule 270(2) of West Bengal Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the state transport department may, by order, all

Mamata Banerjee reaches Dubai from Spain, to hold meetings with investors

After a "successful" tour of Spain, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday morning reached the UAE where she will attend a series of meetings, including a business summit, a state government official said. Banerjee, who is scheduled to stay in Dubai till her planned return to Kolkata on September 23, will participate in a business summit and also meet a group of NRIs there, he said. "The chief minister reached the UAE early this morning. She will be staying there for the next two days and will attend a series of meetings, including a business summit. She will also meet a group of NRIs," the official said. Banerjee left for Spain on September 12 after a one-night stopover in Dubai, in a bid to attract investments in the state. She visited Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. During her stay in the European country, the chief minister met several investors and held meetings with NRIs, the official said. Among other significant developments, the Bengal government has signed

WB transport dept to frame guidelines for 2Ws use for commercial purposes

The West Bengal transport department will soon come out with detailed guidelines for better regulation and safe operation of non-transport two-wheelers for commercial purposes in the state, an official said on Tuesday. He said a meeting chaired by West Bengal Transport Secretary Saumitra Mohan with different aggregators such as Ola, Uber, Rapido, InDrive and online delivery agencies such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zomato and Swiggy discussed the unregulated operation of non-transport two-wheelers for commercial purposes. In the meeting held recently, it was decided that all stakeholder aggregators, corporate houses, and agencies using non-transport two-wheelers unauthorisedly for commercial purposes must be brought under an oversight mechanism in accordance with relevant Motor Vehicle Acts and rules. The operators requested the transport department's intervention in obtaining NOCs from financial institutions financing a number of these two-wheelers to ease the process of conversi

Understanding UNESCO World Heritage List, selection and global impact

With the addition of Santiniketan, India now has 41 official world heritage sites. Italy has the highest number of heritage sites at 58

West Bengal's Shantiniketan makes it to UNESCO World Heritage list

Established in 1901 by poet and philosopher Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions

Spainish textile major Zara to start production in Bengal from Dec: Mamata

Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a Spain-based textile major, is expected to start production in West Bengal before Christmas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. The state government would provide 100 acres of concessional land, besides all other support to the company, Banerjee, who is currently in Spain, said. An exciting development is on the horizon! Tempe Grupo Inditex (Zara), a major player in the textile industry, is expanding its operations. They are partnering with private entities to shift manufacturing to West Bengal, with production set to begin before Christmas 2023, Banerjee posted on X on Thursday. The Bengal CM, who is on a 12-day official tour to Spain, held a meeting with the company officials in this regard. Banerjee is hopeful that the venture would help in growth, sustainability, and a prosperous future for West Bengal. During the Bengal Global Business Summit in 2019, a segment titled 'Downstream Polymer and Plastic Industry,' was conceived aligning with our ...

La Liga signs agreement to set up football academy in West Bengal

Spanish football league La Liga signed an agreement with the West Bengal government to set up an academy in the state for nurturing young talents, an official said on Friday. The MoU was signed during a closed-door meeting between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and La Liga president Javier Tebas in Madrid, he said. Banerjee, who is on a 12-day trip to Spain, met Tebas in Madrid on Thursday evening and held a closed-door meeting, which focussed on strengthening relations through linking sports and cultural institutions. "This remarkable MoU intends to promote football to foster sportsmanship, health, and prosperity. La Liga will develop a football training academy in West Bengal," the official said. According to the agreement, coaches and players from the state will be trained by the coaches of La Liga. They will also share their experience and expertise to assist the football clubs of West Bengal and make them self-sustainable, the official said. Banerjee was accompanied by forme

Adhir slams Mamata over ED summons to Abhishek in coal 'scam' case

The summons to the TMC MP came weeks after the central probe agency conducted raids in the office of 'Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd'

Mamata meets Sri Lankan prez at Dubai airport, invites him to WB biz summit

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe at Dubai airport and invited him to the state business summit in November. Banerjee is on a 12-day trip to Dubai and Spain. The chief minister said that Wickremesinghe, seeing her at the airport lounge, called her to join for some discussion. His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe saw me at the Dubai International Airport Lounge and called me to join for some discussion. I have been humbled by his greetings and (have) invited him to the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata, she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Banerjee also said Wickremesinghe has invited her to visit the island country. HE the President of Sri Lanka extended cordial invitation to me to visit Sri Lanka. It was a pleasant interaction with deep implications, she added. Banerjee reached Dubai on Tuesday evening and was at the airport there this morning to board her flight to .

ECI team visits West Bengal, reviews preparedness for Lok Sabha polls

A team of the Election Commission of India (ECI) visited West Bengal and reviewed the preparedness for Lok Sabha polls due next year, a senior official said. ECI deputy election commissioners Dharmendra Sharma and Nitesh Kumar Vyas held a meeting with West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Aariz Aftab on Monday and discussed the special summary revision of electoral rolls, he said. District magistrates, SPs and poll officials were also present at the meeting. "Special focus was laid on the revision of voters' list. The ECI officials also reviewed the panchayat elections and the recently held Dhupguri bypoll," he added.

Mamata to leave for 11-day tour of Spain, Dubai to attend business summits

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will leave for an 11-day tour of Spain and Dubai, during which she will attend business summits to attract investments to the state. Banerjee will leave for Dubai on Tuesday, and spend the night there due to the unavailability of connecting flights, before flying to Spain's capital Madrid the next day. "We will stay in Madrid for three days, during which we will attend a business summit and meet non-resident Bengalis. From there, we will take a train to Barcelona, where we will participate in a two-day meeting for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS)," she told reporters at state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday. She said this will be her first foreign tour in five years as the Centre "had not given her necessary permission earlier". Banerjee will be accompanied by Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and senior office-bearers of renowned Kolkata football clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting. She said former Indian cricket team

Mamata Banerjee reshuffles ministry, shifts Supriyo from tourism to IT, RE

In a ministerial reshuffle on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shifted Babul Supriyo from the tourism department and gave him the charges of Information Technology and renewable energy, a senior official said. Another singer-politician Indranil Sen, who was the minister of state for the technical education, training, and skill development department was given the Independent charge of the tourism department, he added. Forest Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick was given additional charges of the department of public enterprises and industrial reconstruction, the bureaucrat said. Banerjee effected the reshuffle on the eve of embarking on a trip to Dubai and Spain to seek investments.

Governer Bose writes confidential letters to Centre, West Bengal govt

A day after West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu accused him of trying to "destroy" the higher education system in the state and running a "puppet regime" in universities, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday warned of a much bigger action at midnight. As the clock was nearing midnight, a Raj Bhavan official said Bose had "signed two confidential sealed letters", one for the state secretariat, Nabanna, and another for the Centre. On the content of the letters, the official said "it would be disclosed later". "The governor signed two confidential letters tonight, one meant for Nabanna and the other for Delhi," the official added. "You will come to know the content of the letters later," the official told PTI, hinting that the subject could be on the recent war of words between the governor and the state government. Incidentally, Bose signed the letters a couple of hours after holding an elaborate meeting with chief secretary HK Dwivedi at Raj Bhavan. The topic of the meeting,

24 pilgrims from West Bengal wounded in bus accident near Lucknow

Two dozen people were injured when a private tourist bus carrying over 60 pilgrims from Medinipur, West Bengal fell into a roadside ditch on the Bareilly-Lucknow national highway at Jang Bahadur Ganj (JB Ganj) bypass near Allipur village on Saturday morning, police said. Ten of the wounded were transported to the neighbouring Shahjahanpur district for treatment, JB Ganj police outpost in-charge Hemant Katiyar told PTI. All injured were reported to be out of danger barring a woman identified as Madhumita, who got a head injury, Katiyar said. The bus driver and his helper fled after the accident. Pilgrims said they had boarded the bus on August 25 and after visiting Gaya, Bodhgaya, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Vrindavan and Haridwar, were on their way to Ayodhya and Varanasi. In another incident nearby, two brothers were killed and a third got injured after the motorcycle they were travelling on was hit by a bus in the Mirzapur Police Station area of the district. "One Musharraf (30) and

Bypoll results 2023: BJP wins in Tripura, Uttarakhand, Congress in Kerala

The bypolls are seen as a significant test for the Opposition alliance INDIA against the ruling BJP-led NDA, with implications for upcoming state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls