Page 82 - West Bengal

Was Centre sleeping till now: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during Manipur visit

A team of the opposition bloc INDIA on Saturday visited the riot-hit town of Churachandpur in Manipur where they met Kuki leaders and members of the civil society besides ethnic strife victims in the relief camps where they were lodged. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters after visiting a relief camp, "They are talking of investigation by CBI (into the crimes committed)... I would like to ask were they (central government) sleeping till now?" TMC leader Sushmita Dev said the team will speak with representatives of both the communities. "Everyone's voice must be heard. We will be talking to both Kukis and Meiteis," she said. A delegation of 21 MPs from the opposition bloc INDIA reached Imphal earlier in the day and then teams from the delegation flew to Churachandpur in two helicopter flights. The team led by Chowdhury visited a relief camp set up at the Boys Hostel of Churachandpur College. Another team, comprising Congress' deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gog

Shree Cement's West Bengal plant starts commercial production at Purulia

Shree Cement Ltd on Friday said it has commenced commercial production at its clinker grinding unit in Purulia district of West Bengal having an annual cement capacity of 3 million tonnes. The Kolkata-based company said this factory is its first one in the state which will help meet the growing demand for cement in West Bengal. Shree Cement operates about 10 integrated cement plants and 11 grinding units across India. The Purulia plant is expected to create direct and indirect employment opportunities for over 1,000 people. With this, the company's total cement capacity has risen to 49.90 MTPA. The company had announced the next phase of capacity expansion projects in various units will take the group's cement capacity to 72.4 million tonnes. Shree Cement will invest Rs 7,000 crore in the next phase of capacity augmentation, the company said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has recently ordered an inspection of Shree Cement after taking note of concerns raised

Trying to change WB's perception of being not industry-friendly: Minister

West Bengal Industry and Commerce Minister Shashi Panja on Friday said the government is fighting hard to change the perception that the state is not industry friendly so that more investments can now come to the state. Speaking at the AGM of Merchants' Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) here, Panja said the very notion of ease of doing business (EoDB) is being utilised to kill that perception of the past and the government is giving a major thrust on this area. "The state government and the Industry department is fighting against decades of perception of West Bengal as being not so conducive investment destination. We are trying to kill that perception of the past. The Industry department is giving a major thrust on ease of doing business by introducing facilities like single-window clearance. Of course, there are some other things which need to be streamlined as well", Panja said. She said that this negative perception of West Bengal should not prevail in the minds of ...

First Rupee trade shipment from Bengal's Petrapole border to Bangladesh

The first Rupee trade shipment from West Bengal's Petrapole border to Bangladesh took place on Tuesday, an official said. Petrapole, located in North 24 Parganas, is the major land port for bilateral trade with the neighbouring country. The Indian government has been promoting Rupee trade with several countries to save forex, aiming at reducing dependence on the US Dollar and strengthening regional currency and trade. This will have a similar impact on the neighbouring country. "It was a shipment of vehicle chassis from Tata Motors, and the value of the shipment is Rs 1.23 crore," said Kamlesh Saini, the manager of the Land Ports Authority of India (ICP Petrapole), speaking to PTI. "This shipment is in Indian Rupees, and it will give further fillip to exports," he said. Banks in Bangladesh and India have been given permission to open nostro accounts. It is an account in a bank of another country for the purpose of foreign currency transactions. Earlier this month, at the Rupee t

Vande Bharat sleeper train production at TRSL's Bengal plant from 2025

The commercial production of Vande Bharat sleeper trains will begin at Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd's (TRSL) Uttarpara plant from June 2025, a top company official said on Tuesday. TRSL along with its consortium partner BHEL has been entrusted by Indian Railways to build 80 sets of the semi-high speed trains, he said. At least 50-55 per cent of the train components will be produced in Bengal by the consortium, in which the city-based TRSL holds 52 per cent stake, the official said. TRSL's share of the Vande Bharat sleeper train order is Rs 12,716 crore out of the total Rs 24,000 crore contract bagged by the consortium, he said. The commercial production of Vande Bharat sleeper trains will commence from June 2025 and we are already in the process of installing requisite separate lines and other infrastructure facilities at the Uttarpara plant. A significant portion of the Rs 650 crore capex has also been lined up for this purpose, Titagarh Vice-Chairman & MD Umesh Chowdhary told ...

SC rejects West Bengal's challenge against NIA probe in Ram Navami violence

Several vehicles were set on fire and shops were vandalised in parts of Howrah district as Hindus and Muslims clashed during a Ram Navami procession in March

BJP's fact-finding team alleges collapse of law and order in W Bengal

BJP MP Vinod Sonkar, who is heading a five-member fact-finding team of the saffron party to West Bengal in the aftermath of panchayat elections, on Sunday alleged that law and order in the state has "collapsed". He also claimed that post-poll violence in the state is common in every election from parliamentary to rural polls. Alleging that 10 BJP workers have been killed in the aftermath of the panchayat elections held on July 8, he said, "Eight of them belonged to the scheduled classes". "Law and order in Bengal has collapsed," he said at a press conference here before visiting some places where BJP workers were allegedly subjected to assault and intimidation following the rural polls. The five-member team sent by the BJP leadership over post-panchayat poll violence in Bengal, comprises MPs Suresh Kasyap, Vinod Chavda, S Muniswamy and Manoj Rajoria. They spoke to people, who claimed to have been at the receiving end of atrocities by ruling Trinamool Congress activists in the stat

Chidambaram slams BJP for comparing Manipur with Rajasthan, West Bengal

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday hit out at the BJP for comparing the situation in Manipur to that of Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan, alleging that the government in the northeastern state has "collapsed" while the Centre is in a "self-induced coma". The BJP has been raising the incidents of atrocities against women in West Bengal, Rajasthan and Bihar and questioning the "silence" of the opposition, which has termed it as a diversionary tactic to avoid debate on the situation in violence-hit Manipur. More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. In a long Twitter post, Chidambaram said, "Let's admit that there were incidents of violence against women in Bihar, West Bengal and Rajasthan. How does that excuse the continuing and relentless ...

Atrocities on women are at their peak in West Bengal: BJP WB chief

Targeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Malda video, the BJP on Saturday claimed she had failed to provide security to women in her state

Long list of heinous crimes against women in Rajasthan, WB, Bihar: BJP

There is a long list of heinous crimes against women in opposition-ruled states such as Rajasthan, West Bengal and Bihar, but it is playing politics over the Manipur incident, the BJP alleged on Saturday. Tension mounted in the hills of strife-torn Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a group of men from the other side. Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur referred to some cases of crime against women registered in Rajasthan, Bihar and West Bengal to hit out at opposition parties. "Over one lakh cases of crime against women have been registered in Rajasthan in the last four years. A total of 33,000 cases pertain to sexual assault on women in Rajasthan," Thakur alleged. On the sacking of a Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha, he said that on the instructions of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Chief ...

Two tribal women stripped naked, tortured in West Bengal, says BJP

The BJP alleged on Saturday that two tribal women were stripped naked and tortured a few days ago in West Bengal while police remained a "mute spectator". In a Twitter post, BJP's I-T department head Amit Malviya, who is also the party's co-incharge for the state, said the incident took place in Malda on July 19, with a "frenzied mob baying for her blood". He also posted a video with blurred images of the crime. "It had all the making of a tragedy that should have 'broken' Mamata Banerjee's heart and she, instead of merely outraging, could have acted, since she is also the home minister of Bengal," he said, attacking the state's chief minister who has been strident in criticising the Manipur incident. With opposition parties targeting the BJP over the incident of two women being paraded naked in ethnic violence-hit Manipur, where it is in power, the party has been highlighting similar cases of atrocities against women in states ruled by its rivals such as the Congress and the Mamat

Man held for trying to enter Mamata Banerjee's home with arms in car

Police on Friday arrested a man, with arms in his car, for allegedly trying to enter West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. The man wearing a black coat and tie identified as Sheikh Noor Alam was arrested after he tried to drive a car with a 'Police' sticker to Banerjee's residence on Harish Chatterjee Street, Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal said. Banerjee was in her home when the incident took place. "The man was carrying firearms, one kukri, ganja and several identity cards of different agencies like BSF and others in the car. He wanted to meet the CM. Our officers intercepted him when he was trying to enter Harish Chatterjee Street. Considering the fact that the CM is a Z-category protectee, this is a serious issue. We are trying to find out what was his actual purpose," Goyal said. The man was talking incoherently, he said. "He is saying that he is from Anandapur, then he is claiming to be from Paschim Medinipur. We are checking what's the .

Why central team not sent to Manipur, says Mamata at Kolkata rally

Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the Manipur crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the BJP's 'Beti Bachao' scheme has now turned into 'Beti Jalao' (Burn our daughters). The TMC boss wondered why the Centre never bothered to send central teams to Manipur, where ethnic strife has claimed over 160 lives so far. We want to express our solidarity with Manipur. The BJP had sent so many central teams to Bengal (after the panchayat polls), why no central team was sent to the northeastern state? she questioned. Addressing the party's annual Martyrs' Day rally here, Banerjee expressed her solidarity with the newly formed opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A and asserted that their mission is to remove the saffron camp from power. She warned that the return of the BJP government would signal the demise of democracy. The TMC boss gave a clarion call to oust the BJP and refuted claims of personal ambitions by saying, We have no other demand, neither we want an

Rural TMC supporters streaming into Kolkata for Martyrs' Day rally

Tens of thousands of Trinamool Congress workers from villages and towns across the state are streaming into Kolkata for the ruling party's Marty's Day' rally on Friday. Many enthusiast party workers buoyed by a recent victory in rural polls have already arrived and have been staying in camps in Salt Lake and elsewhere. The TMC, which is part of the newly formed non-BJP alliance I.N.D.I.A, is likely to spell out at the rally its strategy for strengthening opposition unity and its design to counter the saffron party in the state. "The July 21 Martyrs' Day Rally holds a special place in our hearts. We have been dedicating this day to our martyrs and party workers," West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has said in a video message. The rally, considered to be a demonstration of TMC's mass support and strength, is being held when several leaders of the party are behind bars in corruption cases. The cases are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the

Massive fire at market in Bengal's Howrah, over 50 shops suffer damage

Local shopkeepers alleged that the fire has led to damages to hundreds of shops. One of the officials said that many shops are located at the place

Mamata Banerjee condemns Manipur incident, calls it 'act of barbarism'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday condemned the incident of women being paraded naked in Manipur and described it as an "act of barbarism". She also said the country must stand united in condemning such inhumane actions by miscreants and bring justice to the victims. "Heartbroken and outraged to witness the horrific video from Manipur showing the brutal treatment of two women by a frenzied mob. No words can express the pain and anguish of witnessing the violence inflicted on marginalised women. This act of barbarism is beyond comprehension and humanity. "We must stand united in condemning such inhumane actions by the miscreants & bring justice to the victims," Banerjee said on Twitter. Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after the May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities in the northeastern state being paraded naked by a mob from the other side. The Manipur Police on Thursday arrested one of the main accused .

W Bengal Guv sanctions prosecution of Partha Chatterjee in school job scam

West Bengal Governor Dr C V Ananda Bose has sanctioned prosecution of former state minister Partha Chatterjee in irregularities in the recruitment for school jobs, a Raj Bhavan official said on Wednesday. Bose accorded his sanction on Tuesday, the official said. According to rules, the governor and speaker's permission is required to initiate any inquiry against a state minister. "Since the Governor reads the oath to the ministers, the CBI sought his permission. Bose approved the prosecution on Tuesday," the official told PTI. Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in July last year in connection with the recruitment scam in government and government-aided schools in the state. Several administrative officials, MLAs, former officials of the Primary Education Board and Board of Secondary Education and some Trinamool Congress leaders have also been arrested for their alleged involvement in the scam.

Bengal govt to build Rs 65 cr greenfield modern dairy project at Haringhata

The West Bengal government will build a greenfield modern dairy project worth Rs 65.48 crore at Haringhata in Nadia district, the first since 1970s. Ice Make Refrigeration Limited has received the turnkey contract from West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation Limited (WBLDCL), which is the executing agency for Banglar Dairy Ltd, owned by the state government's animal resources department. "This will be a modern dairy project with a processing capacity of 1.5 lakh litres of milk, but in the first phase, it will be one lakh litres a day. It will process fresh milk and value-added milk products. This fresh public sector dairy project is coming up after decades, since the 1970s," WBLDCL managing director Gouri Shankar Koner told PTI. "Commercial production is expected by September 2024," he said. Under this contract, Ice Make will be responsible for the project, which includes the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of civil, mechanical, and electrical work for 1.0 LLP

Will meet all groups, communities in violence-hit Manipur: TMC delegation

A five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs, which reached the Manipur capital on Wednesday afternoon, said they would meet all groups and communities of the violence-hit state and listen to their problems. The TMC has been alleging that "divisive" policies of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Manipur have led to the ethnic strife which has claimed over 150 lives. Upon landing in Imphal, Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev told reporters, Our leader Mamata Banerjee has sent a delegation of five MPs to listen to all the sides. Banerjee had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier and wanted to visit the state. But the home minister did not facilitate her visit. Later, she directed us to visit the state for a day or two." "We want to assure the people of Manipur that our leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee want peace. We want to hear and listen to all because we want everyone to coexist. We will take a helicopter to Churachandpur and visit the relief camps

Sealed ballot boxes recovered from high school in West Bengal's Gajol

Three sealed and uncounted ballot boxes were recovered from a high school at Gajol in West Bengal's Malda district on Tuesday morning. Sources said the boxes were kept in a classroom which was converted into a counting centre for the recently concluded rural elections. Reacting to the recovery of the ballot boxes, Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya said it only proves that the panchayat polls have been a farce in the name of democracy. He said the sealed boxes should have been under the supervision of a returning officer, which is ideally the BDO. "I demand strict action against the officer concerned as results have already been declared without counting the votes in those three boxes," Bhattacharya said. Echoing the Congress leader, CPI(M) leader Tanmoy Bhattacharya also said the panchayat polls was a farce. He said it shows the desperation of the ruling Trinamool Congress to wrest power in the rural countryside. The TMC secured a massive victory in the July 8 panchayat ...