Page 86 - West Bengal

WB Governor sends sealed envelope to SEC Sinha over failure to meet him

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and SEC Rajiva Sinha could not meet as Sinha was busy with election work; on Monday, Bose had given Sinha 48 hours to rein in panchayat poll violence

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UK international trade minister to unveil new initiatives in Kolkata

UK Minister for international trade, Nigel Huddleston arrived in the city on Monday on a two-day visit to the metropolis to unveil new initiatives in electric mobility and green construction in West Bengal. The UK minister will launch a center to enhance opportunities in the electric vehicle segment by partnering Indian businesses with academic institutions and industries of that country, a statement by the British Deputy High Commission here said. He will also visit a waste processing company in Kolkata using green technology to recycle construction waste into high quality reusable sand, it said. The UK is aiming to negotiate a trade deal with India with the target to double it by 2030, the statement said. India is its 12th largest trading partner accounting 2.1 per cent of its total trade. UK's bilateral trade with India surged to GBP (British pound sterling) 36 billion in 2022, up 11.2 billion GBP or 45 per cent from 24.8 GBP in 2021. The bilateral trade supports half a millio

Bengal Guv supervises situation in Cooch Behar after fresh clashes reported

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose supervised the situation in poll violence-hit Cooch Behar district, where fresh overnight clashes were reported, officials said. Five people were injured in the clashes that took place in Dinhata area on Saturday night. A TMC candidate's kin was among those injured, police said. Bose monitored the situation throughout the night from Cooch Behar circuit house, where he is staying, and issued instructions to State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, SP and District Magistrate, officials said. "The governor on Sunday morning visited the hospital where the five injured people are undergoing treatment and may also visit the spot where the clashes took place," a senior official of the Raj Bhavan told PTI over the phone. Bose also spoke with the hospital authorities and asked them to ensure best treatment to the injured people. He dialed the DM and SP of Cooch Behar and asked them to maintain law and order and arrest the culprits. Bose, who is on a

Govt spending Rs 20k cr for central vista, but held back Bengal funds: TMC

The BJP-led government at the Centre was spending Rs 20,000 crore for the central vista project, but held back Rs 7,500 crore due to West Bengal which would have provided work to the poor under MGNREGA, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee claimed on Saturday. Addressing a rally at Falakata in Alipurduar, Banerjee said his party will continue to protest against the alleged discrimination of the people of West Bengal by the Centre. "You may continue to deploy central agencies such as CBI and ED against us, but we will not bow our heads in front of outsiders who are least bothered about the living conditions of the people of Bengal," he said. Banerjee said that over the last three years, the CBI and ED have been sending notices to him regularly. "But, they could not break my resolve to stand up for the poor of Bengal." He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was boasting about being the guarantor against corruption, but he never took action against BJP leaders indulging in such .

WB panchayat poll : BJP apprehends attempts by TMC to rig election

Pledging to usher in panchayats "purged of thieves" in the coming rural poll in West Bengal in the event of a win by BJP, the party Saturday expressed apprehensions that there will be attempts at largescale rigging and violence by the ruling TMC on the voting day. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar releasing the BJP's manifesto said the role of the State Election Commission (SEC), which conducts the rural polls, is not above suspicion as it was not found to be vigilant enough to curb incidents of violence in the run up to the July 8 election. BJP, he said, will gift a 'chor mukto panchayat' system (panchayats purged of thieves) which will stop "siphoning off" of cut money in the implementation of central projects like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the PM's project for farmers and MGNREGS and usher in a transparent administration. "Wherever BJP is strong, our workers will play the role of central forces," he said referring to reports that the SEC will not deploy central paramilitary

Bengal Guv visits violence-hit Dinhata, meets oppn ahead of rural polls

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the violence-hit areas of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district and met the family members of a man who was killed during an incident of firing on June 27 ahead of the panchayat elections, an official said. The governor also visited a hospital in Cooch Behar where the injured in clashes are undergoing treatment. Bose is on a trip to the northern districts of the state. Earlier in the day, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik met the governor at the circuit house in the district. Bose also talked to candidates and leaders of the CPI(M), Congress and the BJP, who voiced their concern over alleged incidents of violence in Cooch Behar ahead of the July 8 rural polls. One man was killed and four others were injured in the incident of firing during a clash between two groups of people at Dinhata on Tuesday morning. At least four people were detained for their alleged involvement in the killing ahead of the panchayat

Shree Cement completes Rs 550-cr cement plant in Bengal's Purulia

Shree Cement on Friday said it has completed the Rs 550-crore greenfield cement plant in the Purulia district, Bengal. The company said this is its first production facility in Bengal and has begun trial production from Friday. With this plant, the total cement production capacity of the group has increased to around 50 mt per annum across 15 plants. The 3-million-tonne per annum plant set up at an investment of around Rs 550 crore was entirely funded through internal accruals. This new plant will serve the growing cement demand in fast-growing Bengal and Jharkhand markets, helping faster supplies to its customers, Neeraj Akhoury, the managing director, said. He also said the company is determined to reach over 80 mt capacity at an accelerated pace over the next few years.

Death knell of democracy should not ring in hands of custodian: WB governor

In the backdrop of incidents of violence ahead of the Panchayat polls in West Bengal, Governor C V Ananda Bose on Thursday sent out a strong message to the state administration, saying the death knell of democracy should not ring in the hands of its custodian. Bose, who held a meeting with representatives of several parties, at the Siliguri circuit house here, described the current situation in the poll-bound state as "very very disturbing". "The death knell of democracy must not ring in the hands of its custodian. We must take care of that," Bose said at the circuit house here. The governor said he would continue visiting the areas witnessing violence to have first-hand knowledge of what is happening. "What is happening in the field is very very disturbing. That is what the court has reflected in its various pronouncements and observations. We will certainly see that the present trend is reversed and there is peace and harmony in society. "Every citizen will be able to cast his v

No illegality in guv appointing VCs in state-run universities: Calcutta HC

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said that there is no illegality in the orders issued by the West Bengal governor appointing interim vice-chancellors in 11 state-run universities in his capacity as ex-officio chancellor of these institutions. The court held that the chancellor has the power to appoint vice-chancellors as it has been laid down in relevant enactments. It was claimed by the petitioner and also the state government that the orders appointing the vice-chancellors to the universities were illegal as the higher education department was not consulted by Governor C V Ananda Bose before giving such appointments. The petitioner had alleged that contrary to the proposal given by the higher education minister, the chancellor had made a series of appointments of vice-chancellors without any consultation with him. The court said that when the final decision is with the governor, who is the appointing authority of the vice-chancellors, the manner, mode or method of consultati

First objective qualitative improvement of education in Bengal: Governor

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Wednesday said his first objective is the qualitative improvement of university education in the state. Bose, who held a meeting with the vice-chancellors of 10 state-run universities at the North Bengal University in Siliguri, said that they had a resolution for a commitment that their primary duty is to the students and the second and third duty are also to the students. "Our first objective is the qualitative improvement of university education in Bengal. Universities in Bengal should be the best in the nation," Bose told reporters after the meeting. He said that the universities will strive together, holding hands with the government, to see that the new generation of Bengal becomes the best in the world. "We will strive to achieve the goal of Bengal becoming the educational hub of the nation," he said. Stating that the vice-chancellors have the freedom and confidence, the governor said that whatever is to be done in the universities wil

'TMC will organise sit-in in New Delhi to press for demand to clear dues'

Senior Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee said the party will organise a sit-in in New Delhi to press for the demand to clear financial dues of the state. Addressing a panchayat election rally in Nadia district on Tuesday, Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, said the BJP government has stopped giving funds under the MGNREGA scheme which has 11.36 lakh beneficiaries in the state. "The BJP-led Centre has halted funds under Awas Yojana and 100-day work scheme. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request him to release the funds. Following this, the TMC MPs met Union Minister Giriraj Singh to request the same, but nothing moved forward," he said. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA) aims to enhance the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year. Banerjee said the only way left was to go to Delhi and fight for the rights of

Bengal Panchayat polls: BJP only gives assurance, says Mamata Banerjee

The Chief Minister said that the state government is focusing on road connectivity so that people can go reach their destinations in a short time

Bengal witnessing 'death of democracy' under Mamata Banerjee: Tejasvi Surya

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of organising street violence to secure electoral victories, saying the eastern state is witnessing the "death of democracy" under her leadership. Surya, who is also the chief of BJP Yuva Morcha, alleged that right after the conclusion of Assembly polls in West Bengal, Banerjee went on a spree of targeted violence against the BJP workers. "The high court took cognizance of this unprecedented violence. Even now, we are seeing in panchayat elections...how the West Bengal government is resisting the deployment of central forces,' he told reporters here after the conclusion of a public meeting organised by the youth wing of Jammu and Kashmir BJP. "What is happening in West Bengal is the death of democracy under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Even the Supreme Court and the high court have taken cognizance of it," Surya said. The BJP leader said that she (Banerjee) only knows how to win elections through

CM Mamata's helicopter makes emergency landing near Siliguri due to weather

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's helicopter made an emergency landing at the Sevoke air base near Siliguri on Tuesday afternoon due to bad weather, officials said. Banerjee was on the way to the Bagdogra airport after addressing an election rally in Jalpaiguri when her helicopter ran into bad weather while flying over the Baikunthapur forest, they said. "It was raining very heavily here, and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing," an official told PTI. After the incident, it was decided that Banerjee will travel by road to the Bagdogra airport, and then fly back to Kolkata, he said. The chief minister was touring parts of northern West Bengal to campaign for the panchayat elections, the polling for which will be held on July 8.

War shadow on Bengal foundries as stocks pile up, economies slow down

Export orders have been slowing down since Jan, impacting SMEs and depriving workers of overtime pay, a crucial wage component

Clash breaks out between 2 groups in West Bengal, 1 killed, 4 injured

Gitaldaha is near Jaridharla, one of the most interior places in the Coochbehar district and is very close to the International Border. The only mode of communication is via boat

BSF trashes Mamata's allegations of scaring voters in border areas

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BSF of intimidating voters in bordering areas on behalf of the BJP, prompting a strong denial from the border-guarding force, which dubbed the allegation as "far from the truth". Banerjee also asked the police to closely watch its activities while criticising the BSF for "shooting innocent villagers". "I have information that in the run-up to the panchayat election, some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening people and forcing them not to vote. I urge the voters to fearlessly participate in the polls," she said at a rally here. Referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the border force had claimed as smugglers, the CM said, "Police will lodge FIRs in such cases, and the law will take its own course. They don't have the right to shoot and kill anyone. It seems killing people in Cooch Behar has become a norm. No one is above the law. In a statement, the BSF Guwahati ...

BSF trying to scare voters in Bengal's bordering areas: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BSF of scaring voters in the bordering areas of the state at the "behest of the saffron camp" and asked police to keep a close watch on their activities. Addressing a panchayat election rally in the bordering district, Banerjee said, Law and order is a state subject and the Centre has no role in it. I have information that some BSF officials are visiting the border areas, threatening voters and asking them not to vote. I will ask people not to be scared and fearlessly participate in the elections, she said. While referring to the alleged shooting of villagers by the BSF last year, whom the force claimed as smugglers, Banerjee said, Police will lodge FIRs in such cases and the law will take its own course. Asserting that the TMC will defeat the BJP in the July 8 rural polls, Banerjee said, We will then defeat the BJP at the Centre and bring a development-oriented government in the country. Banerjee said the party had

Adhir Ranjan requests security for media during Bengal panchayat polls

Choudhury reminded the Governor that in the past, many media persons wore injured and killed in the incidents of violence