Mamata Banerjee

WB minister receives threat letter, asked to quit TMC

Burdwan: West Bengal Agriculture Minister Malay Ghatak on Saturday said he has received a letter threatening to kill him and his family unless he resigned from the Cabinet and quit Trinamool Congress.

"I saw the letter this evening. It was sent by post from Kharagpur in West Midnapore district on May 13 by N Rama Rao of Indian People's Liberation Army," Ghatak told reporters.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the police have been informed about the matter, he said.

"The letter asked me to quit the party and resign from the Cabinet because of my closeness to Mamata Banerjee who they allege had a key role in the killing of Maoist leader Kishenji," Ghatak said. ...more    

Chit fund scam: Sen remanded to judicial custody

Kolkata: West Bengal chit fund scam accused Sudipta Sen and Arvind Chauhan have been remanded to judicial custody till May 22. The court has reserved order on the third accused Debjani Mukherjee as she is in hospital. Mukherjee was admitted after complaining of stomach ailment. Meanwhile, Congress workers protested in Kolkata against TMC leader Kunal Ghosh, who is alleged to have links in the case. On Friday, the manager and...  

Miscommunication with WB government removed: GJM

Kolkata: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha on Friday said the recent visit of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Darjeeling has removed the "miscommunication" between the West Bengal government and the party. GJM leader Harka Bahadur Chhetri said, "There was a miscommunication with the the state...the problem is over now with her (Mamata) recent visit to the Darjeeling hills for development work for the people there." Blaming a section of the people...  

WB Panchayat polls to be held on July 2, 6 and 10

Kolkata: The West Bengal Election Commission on Friday announced dates for the Panchayat elections in the state. The elections will be held in three phases on July 2, 6 and 10. The results will be announced three days later. The state government's demand for a two-phase polling was earlier shot down by the Calcutta High Court. The state election commission though said that the court order was not clear on...  

West Bengal government achieves 7.6 per cent GDP growth

Kolkata: The West Bengal government achieved 7.6 per cent growth in GDP compared to the national average of 4.96 per cent during the last financial year. In industry, the growth rate was 6.24 per cent against the national average of 3.12 per cent, Finance Minister Amit Mitra claimed while releasing three books on the completion of two years rule of Mamata Banerjee-led government on Thursday. In agriculture, the state recorded...  

WB: Mamata govt releases performance report on 2 years rule

Kolkata: West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee led government on Thursday released a performance report, claiming the state has clocked a growth rate higher than that of the overall country during the nearly two years it has been in power. The performance report showcasing the achievements of the state government was released at the state secretariat, four days before the regime completes two years in office. Making public the report titled "Powering...  

WB panchayat polls: Differences between govt, EC continues

Kolkata: There were differences at a meeting on Thursday between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the West Bengal government over fixing dates for the three-tier panchayat elections after the Calcutta High Court's direction that the two mutually agree on it. "We suggested certain dates and they (state government) also placed some dates for the panchayat election to be held in three phases as per the High Court order," State...  

Chit fund scam: Sudipta Sen opposes CBI probe

Kolkata: Saradha group chairman Sudipta Sen, who has been accused of cheating lakhs of investors of their money running into thousands of crores, on Wednesday opposed a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the complaints against him and his companies in an affidavit filed before the Calcutta High Court. He claimed before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi that the Special Investigation Team...  

WB panchayat polls: Govt, EC likely to meet on Thursday

Kolkata: A day after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission to mutually decide on dates for the panchayat election, a move has been initiated by both to hold a meeting on Thursday. The meeting will take place amidst a deadline set by the High Court to complete the poll process by July 15. SEC secretary Tapas Roy told reporters that the meeting...  

WB govt hails HC order on panchayat elections

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court order on panchayat elections as "historic." "This is a historic order of the hon'ble High Court and we are very happy," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday rejected the State Election Commission (SEC) order for 800 companies of central forces to man the panchayat polls, and directed that...  

Kolkata: Violence breaks out at an anti-chit fund rally

Kolkata: Violence broke out on Tuesday at an anti-chit fund rally, held by Democratic Students Organisation (student wing of Socialist Unity Centre of India) in Kolkata. Police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the participants of the rally, who were trying to hold a law violation programme. There are reports of injuries on both sides. More details are awaited. ...  

Paramilitary forces during WB Panchayat polls not necessary: HC

Kolkata: In a breather for the Mamata Banerjee government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not mandatory to deploy central paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls. The West Bengal government had appealed the higher bench after a single bench upheld the State Election Commission's plea for three-phase polling and deployment of central forces. The State government wanted two-phase polling and security...  

WB govt-owned theatre refuses to screen 'Kagojer Nouka'

Kolkata: A West Bengal government owned film centre in Kolkata has reportedly refused to screen a movie on the chit fund scam. State-owned Nandan film centre says it will not screen the movie 'Kagojer Nouka' (which means Paper boat). The movie's director has alleged that the cinema hall authorities have not previewed the film despite submitting documents well in advance. The film has also not found any takers among multi-plexes...  

WB chit fund scam: What forces people to invest in ponzi schemes?

Kolkata: As the Calcutta High Court begins hearing pleas seeking a CBI probe into the Sharada group chit fund scam on Tuesday, CNN-IBN has found that it is unemployment and stunted industrial and agricultural growth in the state that is forcing people to invest in ponzi schemes. Seventy-year-old Sunil Sarkar recounts how he found his son Jayanta Sarkar's body at the terrace hanging by a rope. Jayanta, who was allegedly...  

WB: Court asks SEC to identify sensitive poll booths

Kolkata: Hearing will continue on Tuesday in the Calcutta High Court on the standoff between West Bengal government and the state Election Commission (EC) over panchayat elections. On Monday, the WB government filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against the old judgement of the Single bench in favour of the EC. The court directed the state poll panel to make a proper assessment over need for security for...  

Double whammy for Mamata Banerjee government in court

Kolkata: Delivering a double blow to West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered CBI probe into a Trinamool Congress worker's death allegedly in police custody and refused to suspend its earlier verdict upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice JM Bagchi took the twin decisions hearing separate cases within a gap of hours in...  

CBI may initiate inquiry in RPF appointments

New Delhi: CBI is likely to register a preliminary inquiry into the appointment of senior officers in the Railway Protection Force as it suspects large scale corruption in these postings. Sources said files related to appointments of senior officers in Railway Protection Force have been sought by CBI in this connection. Under the CBI scanner is the posting of a Director General Of RPF who had reportedly superseded 25 officers...  

WB panchayat polls: High Court defers hearing till Tuesday

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has deferred till Tuesday the hearing related to the tussle between West Bengal and the state election commission over the number of phases in the Panchayat election. West Bengal government on Monday filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this...  

Cash-for-jobs scam: CBI to probe former Railway Board chief's role

New Delhi: The CBI probe on the railway recruitment scam, that toppled Pawan Bansal as the Railways Minister, has widened to reach the doorstep of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Sources say that the CBI will now probe the role of former Railway Board Chairman Vivek Sahai. Sources said that the CBI is investigating why Sahai held additional charge as Member, Traffic, and why another eligible candidate was denied...  

WB panchayat polls: Govt to file appeal against HC verdict

Kolkata: West Bengal government will on Monday file a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this year. In a setback to the state government, the Calcutta High Court had Friday directed that these elections would be held in three phases using central armed forces on dates...