Sick state of Bengal’s Tea Gardens

CATEGORY : NATION

Anis’ father files objection to SIT report before Cal High Court

An objection to a report by a special investigation team probing the unnatural death of student leader Anis Khan was filed by his father before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday claiming that it was tailor-made to protect the accused police personnel....

State will pay attention to develop carpet industry

For a long time, the carpet industry has almost reached the bottom without government support. It is one of the traditional industries of West Midnapore district. Therefore, the state is going to pay special attention to the development of carpet industry....

Several colleges in city switch to online classes

After schools, several colleges in the city and elsewhere in West Bengal are holding online classes for their students following the state government notice to either advance summer vacation or entirely shift classes to the virtual mode due to the summer heat....

Section of TMC old guard frowns on attempt to project Abhishek as Mamata’s heir apparent

A section of the old guard in Bengal’s ruling TMC has taken exception to the recent attempt made by two leaders to project national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as the heir apparent of party supremo Mamata Banerjee, and stated that the top brass does not approve of such remarks....

Cal HC asks legal services authority to take action for awarding compensation in 5 rape cases

The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority (SALSA) to take necessary action in two weeks on the “communication” sent by the government for awarding compensation in five cases of rape, gangrape and attempt to rape....

CBI files before HC probe progress reports in Birbhum killings

The CBI on Monday submitted before the Calcutta High Court probe progress reports in the Birbhum arson case, which left 10 people dead, and the murder of TMC panchayat deputy chief Bhadu Sheikh that allegedly led to the killings....

Gen Naravane’s tenure will be remembered for resolute reply to northern adversary: Indian Army

Former Army Chief Gen MM Naravane’s tenure would be remembered for a resolute reply to China on northern borders and taking care of the force’s personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Army said on Saturday....

PM called meeting to blame states for high fuel prices: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting on Wednesday was not Covid situation as announced, but blaming state governments for the high prices of petrol and diesel....

Teachers’ association urges CM to reconsider summer vacation decision

An association of primary teachers in West Bengal on Thursday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to reconsider the decision to have a 45-day summer vacation, starting from May 2, due to the prevailing heat wave conditions....

Power crisis adds to heat wave woes in east India

Several parts of eastern India are grappling with a power crisis, as peak demand in states sees a sharp rise amid a sweltering heat wave, officials said....

Mamata slams PM over his statement that state should reduce tax

Trinamool Congress and CPI (M) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he requested the states to reduce state tax on fuel. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the BJP led central government should first reduce tax before imposing the same on the states. ...

Gaza farmer finds 4,500-year-old statue of Canaanite goddess

A stone statue of an ancient goddess of beauty, love and war has been found in the Gaza Strip....

Exhibition to mark Ray’s birth centenary at Kolkata film fest

An exhibition on the birth centenary of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Kolkata International Film Festival....

Calcutta HC directs SEC to send CCTV footage to CFSL

Calcutta High Court hearing a petition alleging serious malpractices during the Contai municipal poll Tuesday directed the State Election Commission to send CCTV footage on it for forensic audit to CFSL, Delhi....

Cal HC asks Speaker to file affidavit on suspended BJP MLAs’ petition

The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the West Bengal Assembly Speaker to file affidavit-in-opposition by May 2 on a petition by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and four other BJP MLAs challenging their suspension from the House for the remaining period of the session for alleged misconduct....

TMC to launch mass outreach campaign next month

The ruling TMC in Bengal, which recently faced criticisms over Birbhum killings and a series of rape cases, has decided to launch a mass outreach programme from May 5, the first anniversary of the the Mamata Banerjee-led government’s third tenure in the state....

TMC’s Anubrata Mandal skips CBI appearance again

The CBI on Saturday formed a four-member medical team to examine TMC heavyweight Anubrata Mandal as he skipped appearance before its sleuths citing health reasons, despite being sent summons for the sixth time in connection with the cattle smuggling scam, an official of the agency said....

Mysterious death of student draws protest in Visva Bharati

The mysterious death of a class XII student sent shockwaves across Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan on Thursday. Family members took to protest in front of Visva Bharati hospital alleging murder of their son. Authorities opposed the protest with all available police forces, special services and the army. The incident has caused a stir in the Visva-Bharati campus....

Bengal received investment proposals of Rs 3.42 lakh cr at biz summit: CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the state received investment proposals worth Rs 3.42 lakh crore during this year’s business summit....

No more man-days lost in Bengal due to strikes: Mamata

The state which was at one time known as the strike capital of the country has brought down man-days lost to industrial action to zero from 75 lakh annually, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday as she wooed investors from across the globe at a big-ticket business summit here....

Shah likely to arrive in Bengal on three-day visit on May 4

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to come to West Bengal, his first since the 2021 state poll, on a three-day visit from May 4, party sources said on Tuesday....

Cal HC asks govt to submit probe progress reports in five rape cases

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to produce before it progress reports and case diaries of five recent cases of rape, gang rape and attempts to rape in different parts of the state The court also asked the government to provide security to the complainants and their families....

JUTA teachers threatened, TMCP leader cries foul

Following Aliah University uproar, the ruling TMC's student wing has been embroiled in a controversy over an audio clip of one of its officials apparently threatening several Jadavpur University lecturers for allegedly working against the TMC's interests, which went viral on Monday....

Host of countries to participate in 5-day trade expo aligned with BGBS – 22

A five-day trade expo has organised a mega trade show between April 20-24 aligned with Bengal Global Business Summit – 2022 in which 22 countries will participate directly or indirectly, the apex trade body of eastern India said on Monday....

Ex-Assam Cong chief Ripun Bora joins TMC

Former Assam Congress president Ripun Bora severed his four-decade-old relationship with the party and joined the Trinamool Congress on Sunday, alleging that several leaders of the grand old party are working in connivance with the BJP in the North-eastern state....

Pradhan attacks WB govt on NEP, asks if opposition is for `political considerations’

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday attacked the West Bengal government for its opposition to the New Education Policy unveiled in 2020, wondering whether the opposition stemmed from “political considerations.” Pradhan who also wondered if the state was against clauses that could raise employability of students, tried to defend the NEP which has been attacked by many non-Hindi speaking state governments by claiming that it gave equal importance to local languages....

Post rescue of wild animals, Assam, Bengal scale up vigilance

After the rescue of kangaroos and chimpanzees from West Bengal and Assam this month, the Forest Departments of the two states have stepped up vigilance to prevent trafficking of rare species of animals....

Not a single violent incident should occur in WB under Mamata Banerjee : Sougata

Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy Thursday said that not a single incident of violence against women should occur in a state helmed by a woman chief minister and there should be zero tolerance against such incidents....

CBI probe into Hanskhali rape case must be completed expeditiously: TMC

The ruling TMC in West Bengal on Wednesday said that the CBI probe instituted into the case of a minor girl’s rape and her subsequent death in Hanskhali area of Nadia district must be completed in an “expeditious manner”, describing the incident as a “ghastly crime that shook the conscience of Bengal”....

Damayanti Sen to probe four rape cases in the state

The Calcutta High Court has ordered a probe into four recent rape cases in Bengal under the supervision of IPS officer Damayanti Sen....

TMC not to shield anyone in Hanskhali ‘gang rape’: party MP Mohua Moitra

Condemning the alleged gang rape of a girl who later died in West Bengal’s Nadia district, Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra on Tuesday said even consensual sex with a minor is considered rape as per law and the ruling party will not shield anyone....

CBI putting in place circumstantial evidence against Mondal before grilling him

As the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the cattle and coal smuggling cases in West Bengal is not quite sure when it will get to question Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal in this matter, the central agency sleuths, in the interim period, are putting together all the circumstantial evidence accumulated by them about Mandal's involvement in the matter....

World Food Forum to bring young people together

The World Food Forum (WFF), powered by Global Youth, on Monday announced its 2022 theme "Healthy Diets.Healthy Planet.", to draw attention to, and spark action around the interrelation between climate change and stable access to adequate, safe, sufficient and nutritious food, as well as healthy diets for all....

Diabetes, BP, asthma significantly high in India post Covid

The prevalence and distribution of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, asthma, and obesity is significantly on the rise across the country after the two years of Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report, ahead of the World Health Day....

Australian states see sharp spike in Covid cases

Covid-19 cases have spiked sharply in Australia's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW), with daily caseload up almost to 10,000 in two days....

Govt committed to return land to Kashmiri Pandits: Minister

The government is quite committed and capable of returning the land that has been forcibly taken away from Kashmiri Pandits, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday....

Rape victim's father, activist held in Patna for protesting outside CM's house

Patna police have arrested two persons, including a man whose 8-year-old daughter was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by unknown persons, from outside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence here on Saturday....

WhatsApp bans over 1.4 mn bad accounts in India in Feb

WhatsApp on Friday said that it banned 1,426,000 bad accounts in India in the month of February in compliance with the new IT Rules, 2021....

ISRO likely to launch seven satellites during current year: Govt

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is likely to launch seven satellites during the current year and the expenditure towards the realisation of satellites is nearly Rs 490 crore, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday....

পাঞ্জাব ন্যাশানাল ব্যাঙ্কের বিশ্ব উপভোক্তা অধিকার দিবস

প্রতি বছরের মত এবছরও গত ১৫ মার্চ "বিশ্ব উপভোক্তা অধিকার দিবস" অর্থাৎ ওয়ার্ল্ড কনজিউমার রাইটস ডে" দিনটি পালন করা হয়েছে। উপভোক্তাদের অধিকার ও চাহিদার বিষয় গুলি চিহ্নিত করার জন্য এবং তাদের ন্যায্য প্রাপ্তি ও তাদের দাবি তুলে ধরার জ�...

Cases are settled on National Lok Adalat Day

Women empowerment is one of the objectives in the vision of NALSA. To commemorate the achievements of women in different fields, Sanghamitra Chatterjee, Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Howrah has, under the aegis of State Legal Services Authority, WB and guidance of Shampa Dutt (Paul), Ld. Chairperson, DLSA, Howrah, organized National Lok Adalat on 12.03.22 consisting of 9 benches, especially the one with only Women Judges namely Suparna Bandopadhyay (ADJ, FTC 2nd Court, Howrah), Soma Nandy (Lady Advocate) and Dr. Shelly De (Pandit) (HOD, Commerce, Bijoy Krishna Girls' College, ...

জাতীয় লোক আদালত দিবসে নিস্পত্তি হল মামলাগুলি

গত ৮ মার্চ বিশ্বব্যাপী পালিত হয়েছে আন্তর্জাতিক নারী দিবস । এছাড়াও ইউনাইটেড ন্যাশনস্ (U N) ঘোষিত প্রথম মহিলা বিচারক দিবস। একথা মাথায় রেখে জেলা আইনি পরিষেবা কর্তৃপক্ষ হাওড়ার উদ্যোগে এবার ১২ মার্চ ২০২২ জাতীয় লোক আদালতের নয়টি বেঞ্�...

Flames engulf Kolkata tannery; 2 fire officials injured

A major fire broke out at a tannery cum godown in the congested Tangra area of Kolkata on Saturday evening, a senior official of the fire department said. Altogether 15 fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames that spread to an adjacent building which has been evacuated. Two fire officials were injured while fighting the blaze and they were hospitalised, the official said....

Economic offences threat to financial health of country: Centre

The central government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that economic offences should be taken seriously, since they are a threat to the financial health of the country....

NATO not to send fighter jets to Ukraine

The Centre on Tuesday said that 75 special civilian charter flights under 'Operation Ganga' have brought back 15,521 Indian citizens from Ukraine's neighbouring countries....

Civic polls will be peaceful in Murshidabad: Firhad Hakim

State transport minister and the observer of the TMC for the civic body election in Murshidabad, Firhad Hakim on Tuesday said no trouble will take place in Murshidabad during the poll and the people of this district will cast their vote peacefully in favour of Mamata Banerjee....

Cal HC asks govt to make submission on student leader Anis Khan death case

The Calcutta High Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the alleged murder of student leader Anis Khan and directed the state to make submissions on the matter on February 24. The matter was mentioned by a lawyer expressing extreme urgency and a prayer was made before the court for initiating a suo motu petition....

Decendants of Nawab family are in civic poll battle

Ward 10 of Murshidabad municipality has drawn the attention of political observers as all the mainstream political parties have filed candidates from the descendants of the Nawab family. Here the untouchability for the so- called myth of 'Mir Jafar' has vanished as Trinamool Congress, BJP and Congress have chosen candidates from the Nawab family forgetting the fact that political leaders do not hesitate to brand his rival as 'Mir Jafar' to describe him as a 'Gaddar'....

Scattered-incidents-of-violence-reported-in-Asansol

Scattered incidents of violence were witnessed in different wards of the municipal area on Saturday as the industrial city went for polls. Six rounds of bullets were fired in front of the booth at the railway station in Ward 27. A huge police force went to the area. BJP leader Jitendra Tewari said the ruling party was behind the firing. However, the ruling party has denied the allegations....

Delay in informing of vehicle theft not ground for rejection of insurance claim, says SC

The Supreme Court on Friday held that an insurance company cannot reject a claim on the basis that there was a delay in communicating the theft of a vehicle to it....

India's largest coal mine gets more land givers

Deucha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is the second-largest coal block in the world; it is the largest in India. The block has a thick coal seam trapped between equally thick layers of rocks, mostly basalt. It has a great economic value. The existence of these thick basalt layers, however, makes mining of coal difficult; foreign investment and technology will be hence needed for mining. An estimated 1,198 million tonnes of coal and 1,400 million tonnes of basalt are in the block....

DAE demands over 32k crore; Biotechnology gets Rs 2,581 cr for nasal vax

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has requested a budget of Rs 32,342 crore for fiscal year 2022-23. The DAE has requested a financial allocation of roughly Rs 32,342 crore, up from the revised projections of about Rs 31,301 crore, in a demand for grants submitted to Parliament as part of the budget papers....

“Covid delayed space mission Gaganyaan's timeline”

S. Somanath, the newly-appointed chairman of ISRO, stated on Tuesday that the timeline for space mission Gaganyaan had been delayed due to the Covid and other restraints, but that things have now returned to normal and all the systems required for the first unmanned trip are being realised....

India to host five BRICS S&T events

India will host five international events throughout the year, despite successfully handing over the BRICS Chair to China in January 2022, as decided at the 15th meeting of the BRICS Science Technology Innovation (STI) Steering Committee....

West Bengal to develop bio-shield for protection against cyclonic storms

The West Bengal government wants to build a sturdy and ecologically sustainable 'bio-shield' along the state's coastline and the Sundarbans islands in an effort to develop a natural defence mechanism against cyclonic storms like 'Yaas' or 'Amphan.' The artificially created natural barrier will be the first of its sort in the country....

Best places to visit in March in India

The month of March marks the beginning of summer in most of the regions of India, and this is just the perfect time to witness the blooming flowers, lush green tea estates, and majestic beaches. So, here is the combined list of best places to visit in March in India....

Braille Atlas distributed in 323 schools of India

Visually impaired students from around the country will soon have access to Braille Maps built and developed utilising Digital Embossing Technology, allowing them the convenience of use of these maps that are user friendly, feel better, and are more lasting in terms of quality....