New Delhi: The Centre is working out a financial package for West Bengal to tide over the huge problems the new government has inherited from the Left Front administration, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Monday. "We are working out a package through which we can provide necessary support to the state," he told PTI, ahead of his meeting with West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra in New Delhi...
03:02 PM, Aug 01, 2011
Kolkata: The West Bengal cabinet on Wednesday discussed the renaming of the state with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking an initiative in this regard. "Primary discussions were held for change in nomenclature of the state," state commerce and industries minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters after the cabinet meeting. The minister pointed out that due to the state's name beginning with the alphabet W (ie West Bengal), its name slipped to...
10:10 PM, Jul 06, 2011
Kolkata: The Left Front will organise a protest rally and a sit-in against the hike in petrol product prices here on July 12 in which former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose would participate. A Left release on Saturday said Bhattacharjee and other front leaders would join the sit-in and protest demonstration near the Ayakar Bhavan (Income-Tax building) here that day. Bhattacharjee put in a token...
06:51 PM, Jul 02, 2011
![Sumon K Chakrabarti]( "Sumon K Chakrabarti")
It's actually ironic that I am in China! To understand the enormity of the purpose, you have to be born, bred in West Bengal, my ...
12:45 PM, Jun 17, 2011
Kolkata: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's silence on the corruption issue and alleged that as a UPA cabinet minister she 'allowed' corruption. "When she was the cabinet minister in the UPA government she allowed corruption. She didn't say anything against the Centre," Gadkari said. "Knowing everything why did she keep quiet?" he said. The BJP president also claimed that the BJP was...
08:10 PM, Jun 15, 2011
Kolkata: The Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development Bill, 2011 was passed in West Bengal Assembly amid walkout by the Left Front. The Left MLA protested that the questions and the clarifications related to the bill raised by them were not addressed by the state government. They walked out took after Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee and Industry Minister Partho Chatterjee, who moved the Bill, delivered their address. MLAs belonging to the...
02:53 PM, Jun 14, 2011
Kolkata: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday said that the party in West Bengal would have to re-establish connect with the people and to reorganise itself after the drubbing in the state Assembly elections at the hands of Trinamool Congress-Congress combine. The CPM, which had evidently lost touch with the general masses and failed to assess what they wanted, on Sunday decided to "go back to the masses and...
09:24 PM, Jun 05, 2011
Kolkata: West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Tuesday accused the previous Left Front government of gross financial mismanagement putting the state on the brink of insolvency. Addressing his maiden news conference after assuming charge, Mitra said accumulated liabilities from November, 2010, till March, 2011 stood at Rs 3,500 crore as no bills were paid from the treasury. "A liability of Rs 3,500 crore has been thrust on the new...
06:48 PM, May 31, 2011
Kolkata: Six-time CPI(M) legislator and former Rajya Sabha Vice-Chairman Mostafa Bin Quasem, who was suffering from acute depression and other ailments, on Sunday allegedly committed suicide by leaping to death from the fourth floor of the MLA hostel in Kolkata. "The MLA jumped from the fourth floor of Room 411 and fell on a tin shed. He is dead," police said. A suicide note found on the 70-year-old MLA's body...
10:45 PM, May 29, 2011
Kolkata: For the first time in 34 years, the Left Front on Friday elected Suryakanta Mishra as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. Announcing Mishra's name at a press conference here, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said "our MLAs will have to learn to play the role of the Opposition." Mishra, a CPM MLA from Narayangarh in West Midnapore district since 1991, was health minister in the...
03:25 PM, May 27, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday played down the rumblings in ruling UDF over the number of ministerial berths claimed by IUML, the second largest partner in the Front. "The Front is not facing any crisis over the issue. We are moving ahead with specific agenda and programmes. As announced earlier, 13 new ministers were sworn in today," Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday. Asked...
11:02 PM, May 23, 2011
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said police will continue their drive to seize illegal arms in the state as more weapons were today recovered in West Midnapore district. Talking to reporters in Kolkata, she said that although her party had been demanding seizure of illegal arms for the past two years, the erstwhile Left Front government did not pay any heed. "We have now asked the...
08:15 PM, May 23, 2011
Kolkata: Chief Minster Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that "practically no work" had been done during the previous Left Front rule in West Bengal, while taking stock of the situation in the state by consulting various departments, which she kept to herself in the new government. "I called all the departments, particularly health, land and land reforms, power, agriculture and education," Banerjee told reporters. The chief minister will look after...
05:55 PM, May 21, 2011
New Delhi: The Left parties and JD(S) on Thursday demanded the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and Assembly Speaker KG Bopaiah contending that the Supreme Court decision quashing the disqualification of 16 MLAs was a "clear and severe" indictment of both. The Left parties had no objection to BJP continuing in power in Karnataka but wanted Yeddyurappa and Bopaiah to quit forthwith. "If the BJP wants to continue...
01:03 PM, May 19, 2011
Kolkata: Veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Somnath Chatterjee says that the disconnect between the Left Front and the people of West Bengal led to the Assembly poll debacle. Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN's Priyanka Gupta, Chatterjee said that Left leaders should take responsibility for the rout that resulted in the end of 34-year communist rule in West Bengal. "The question is about answering to the people or the party....
11:43 AM, May 18, 2011
Kolkata: Clashes were reported from some parts of West Bengal after the announcement of assembly poll results in which the Trinamool Congress trounced the Left Front with the CPI(M) alleging that three of its activists have been killed. Left leaders met Governor M K Narayanan and sought his intervention in ending what they described as a "reign of terror" unleashed by the Trinamool cadres against Left activists and organisations after...
06:17 PM, May 16, 2011
New Delhi: Describing the drubbing of the Left in West Bengal as a "defining moment", CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan has warned its leaders to "either change or you are out". Bardhan recalled that he had earlier cautioned over the "arrogance" of Left leaders, but refrained from blaming anybody in particular this time. "Remain a Communist but not a dogmatic. Those who cannot change will be out. Either you...
10:57 AM, May 15, 2011
New Delhi: As the winds of change blow in West Bengal, it is time for the Left Front to introspect. CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat who has presided over a one way slide in their electoral fortunes since taking over in 2005, barring the 2006 victories, will face some tough questions. While a silent wave for the call for change or the party's misadventures over land are being largely blamed...
09:45 PM, May 14, 2011
New Delhi: CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan has admitted that the Assembly election results are a warning sign for the leadership to change or perish. Speaking to CNN-IBN's Karan Thapar, Bardhan said that there was nothing wrong with the Left's ideology, but the tactics adopted for dealing with different situations need to be in sync with ground realities. He said that leaders who are not able to adapt to change...
05:36 PM, May 14, 2011
Toronto: Hailing Mamata Banerjee's historic victory over the Left Front in West Bengal on Friday, Bengali NRIs in Canada wanted industrialisation of the state to top her agenda. Toronto-based Molly Banerjei said, "People in West Bengal have voted against decades-old corruption and oppression. They have voted for hope and a brighter future. They have voted for change. Her biggest challenge will be in attracting industry back to West Bengal." However,...
11:31 AM, May 14, 2011
