News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal

  • Cyclone Yaas: Indian Army Rescue and Relief columns on alert in West Bengal

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: The Indian Army on Wednesday said that in coordination with the West Bengal government it has positioned rescue and relief columns across the areas on the Odisha-West Bengal coast expected to be affected by “very severe cyclonic storm”, which made landfall this morning, battering coastal districts of the two states with heavy rain and strong winds.

    “To provide immediate support to people in emerging situation due to #CycloneYaas, briefing, joint recce, liaison & coordination with WB govt has been completed. Rescue and Relief columns are pre-positioned across areas expected to be affected for immediate response”, the Indian Army said.

    According to the India Meterological Department, the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas centred about 50 kilometer south -southeast of Balasore and landfall process commenced at 9 am.

    “Meanwhile, in East Midnapore, one rescue column has been launched to rescue 32 civilians who are stuck due to a surge in water levels”, the Army said.

    The West Bengal state government has set up a round-the-clock control room in the secretariat annexe to monitor the situation. 

  • Narada case: West Bengal Minister Subrata Mukherjee released from hospital, in house arrest

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress heavyweight and senior West Bengal minister Subrata Mukherjee was on Tuesday discharged from a hospital here and returned home where he would be kept under house arrest in the Narada sting tape case till further orders of the Calcutta High Court.

    Mukherjee went to Presidency Correctional Home, where he was lodged before being admitted to the SSKM Hospital, to complete formalities, officials said.

    He then reached his Ballygunge residence in a Kolkata Police vehicle.

    He, minister Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former party leader Sovan Chatterjee were arrested in the case on May 17 and they were taken to the correctional home after the Calcutta High Court stayed their bail granted by a CBI court on the same day.

    Chatterjee, Mukherjee and Mitra were later admitted to the hospital after their health condition deteriorated.

    Hakim had been shifted to a healthcare facility in the correctional home after he developed fever.

    The Calcutta High Court on May 21 ordered their shifting to house arrest from jail incarceration.

    However, they will continue to remain in judicial custody.

    Only Hakim was sent home on that day while others remained in the hospital.

    Chatterjee, who had quit the party to join the BJP only to leave it before the recently concluded assembly election, was discharged from the hospital late on Saturday evening on personal risk bond.

    Mitra is still undergoing treatment in the hospital.

    The sting operation was conducted by journalist Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favours.

    At that time, the four arrested politicians were ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government.

    The sting operation was made public ahead of the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal.

  • Former West Bengal​ CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s health condition deteriorates

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal’s former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who had tested positive for COVID-19 last week, was admitted at a private hospital in south Kolkata on Tuesday after his health condition deteriorated, officials said.

    Later in the afternoon, his wife Mira Bhattacharjee, who was discharged from the facility on Monday after she had recovered from coronavirus, was rushed to the medical establishment following a panic attack, they said.

    “Mr.Bhattacharjee’s oxygen saturation level slipped below 90 per cent this morning, following which doctors advised him to get admitted to a medical facility. He has been kept under observation in the CCU where he has been put on BiPAP. His oxygen saturation is maintaining at 92 per cent,” an official said.

    The 77-year-old politician is a patient of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and needs to go to a hospital for clinical examinations.

    “Bhattacharjee is conscious, alert, and communicating verbally. His blood pressure and pulse are stable, and urine output is satisfactory. The former chief minister has drowsiness and shortness of breath,” the official said.

    Doctors conducted CT scans and necessary blood tests.

    “Doctors are on constant vigil and will take appropriate measures from time to time,” the official of the hospital said.

    The former chief minister, one of the most senior leaders of the CPI(M) was not willing to go to a hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 on May 18.

    His wife had also contracted the disease last week and was admitted at the medical establishment.

    She was discharged from the facility on Monday after she tested negative for the infection.

    “Mrs.Bhattacharjee was alone at home after the former chief minister was admitted to the hospital in the afternoon. She was having a panic attack following which her health condition deteriorated a bit and we took her to the hospital. We cannot take any chances,” the official said.

  • Exempt GST on COVID essentials, West Bengal urges FM Nirmala Sitharaman

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government on Tuesday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for exemption of GST and customs duty on essential drugs, vaccines and equipment required for the treatment of Covid-19.

    In a letter to Sitharaman, state Finance Minister Amit Mitra also thanked her for convening the “much awaited” 43rd meeting of the GST Council on Friday.

    “I propose that the Council in its wisdom, may agree to accept zero-rated tax for all Covid relevant materials, equipment, drugs and vaccines. This will allow manufacturers and their entire supply chain entrepreneurs to avail input tax credit. Therefore, there would be no adverse impact on prices for the consumers,” Mitra said in his letter.

    He also told her that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on May 9 had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to waive all forms of taxes and customs duty on equipment and drugs being used to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I firmly believe that the GST council can play a significant role in easing the pain of millions of our people. You would agree that, this is an extremely difficult time concerning the lives of millions of people and we need to go the extra mile for effectively managing the crisis caused by this pandemic. The third wave too cannot be ruled out,” Mitra’s letter read.

    Mitra sounded hopeful that the Sitharaman, who heads the GST Council, might go beyond technicalities and bureaucratic approaches to rise to the occasion in addressing the current crisis when the entire country is looking up to the Council for relief.

    The GST Council, which also comprises representatives of all states and union territories, is going to meet for the first time in nearly eight months on May 28.

    “I look forward to fruitful deliberations and bold decisions in the ensuing GST Council meeting on Friday,” Mitra added.

    He had on May 12 wrote to Sitharaman requesting her to convene a virtual meeting of the GST Council to discuss the “alarming” shortfall in terms of compensation to states.

  • Himanta Biswa Sarma takes stock of COVID situation in Assam-West Bengal border areas

    By PTI
    DHUBRI/SRIRAMPUR: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday visited the Assam-West Bengal interstate border at Chagolia in Dhubri and Srirampur in Kokrajhar district to review COVID-19 testing and screening of passengers entering the state.

    These two borders are important corridors and the success of the fight against COVID depends on better management of these borders, Sarma told reporters.

    While Cooch Behar in West Bengal shares boundary with Dhubri, Jalpaiguri is on another side of Kokrajhar.

    The chief minister took stock of the COVID-19 testing centre set up at Chagolia and the steps taken to conduct testing on incoming vehicle drivers and passengers.

    He reviewed the vehicle entry data through the border gate with the district administration and directed the authoritiex to increase RT-PCR testing to bring down the high positivity rate in the district.

    The chief minister said that except Guwahati, the COVID scenario is not improving substantially in other parts of the state and though positivity rate is coming down, the number of people getting infected is not decreasing considerably.

    “There is, however, indication of the situation improving in the next ten days”, he said.

    Sarma also directed that micro containment zones be declared in areas with high positivity rate while ramping up vaccination in the vulnerable urban pockets.

    He said that Dhubri Medical College would be made operational within next year.

    Notably, rapid antigen tests have been conducted on 14,306 people entering Assam through the Chagolia gate in 3438 vehicles since April 24 and out of them, 528 people have tested positive.

    Among them 271 were allowed home quarantine while 153 have been provided with institutional quarantine.

    The chief minister during the review at Srirampur directed the Kokrajhar district administration to increase testing and conduct 20 per cent RT-PCR of all COVID tests.

    He said that while coronavirus positivity rate has gone down in the district, still around 60 to 90 positive cases are detected every day.

    Sarma said that the district administration has been directed to gradually decrease home quarantine of positive patients as the chances of COVID outbreak in villages is potentially higher in case of home isolation.

    He also said that the administration has been instructed to intensify RAT and RT-PCR testing.

    The chief minister further mentioned that while 1.20 lakh Covid tests were conducted in the state on Monday, daily COVID cases hovers around six thousand.

    Sarma said that the state government continued its efforts to ramp up health infrastructure including adding more ICU beds, increasing oxygen availability etc.

    He also said that the state government plans to set up oxygen plant in every district hospital to meet future oxygen demand.

    The chief minister said that there is adequate stock of oxygen in the state and Assam is supplying 15 metric tonne of oxygen to several neighbouring NE states.

    Moreover, Assam would receive 160 MT of oxygen every week through Oxygen Express, which would come twice weekly with 80 MT capacity per trip, he added.

    Replying to a query that people from outside the state in the age group from 18-44 were taking COVID vaccine in Assam, the Sarma said that he would immediately take necessary steps on this issue.

    He also informed that with a view to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities and medicines in the state, COVID test of drivers of goods carriers are being conducted at their final destination.

  • Alapan Bandyopadhyay gets extension as West Bengal Chief Secretary

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay was granted an extension for a period of three months, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday.

    Banerjee had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, urging him to grant Bandyopadhyay an extension for at least six months in view of his experience of handling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “Our chief secretary has got an extension for three months. We are happy because he has got the experience of working during last year’s Amphan as well as during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the chief minister said.

    Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer, was to superannuate at the end of this month.

    He took over as the chief secretary of West Bengal after Rajiva Sinha retired in September last year.

  • Mamata Banerjee likely to contest from Bhabanipur constituency, sitting MLA vacates seat

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal agriculture minister and veteran TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay vacated the Bhabanipur assembly seat on Friday, paving way for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest bypoll from her old bastion, party sources said.

    Banerjee, who lost the recently concluded polls from Nandigram, needs to get elected to the assembly within six months to hold on to the chief minister’s chair.

    TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, however, refused to divulge anything on Banerjee’s re-election, and said the party will come up with a statement at an appropriate time.

    Chattopadhyay tendered his resignation to Assembly speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay in the presence of senior party leader and his ministerial colleague Partha Chatterjee.

    Before leaving for the state legislature, he told PTI that he would happily abide by the party’s decision.

    ALSO READ: End the cycle of vendetta politics in West Bengal

    “I am going to resign as the MLA of Bhabanipur seat. This is my decision as well as that of the party.

    I am happily abiding by it,” the agriculture minister said.

    The speaker, on his part, said, “Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has resigned from the Bhabanipur seat voluntarily.

    I have accepted his resignation letter after confirming that he has taken the decision on his own without any pressure or threat.”

    A section of party members speculated that the septuagenarian politician might be fielded from the Khardah seat, where bypoll has been necessitated following the death of party leader Kajal Sinha due to COVID-19.

    There are others who claimed that Chattopadhyay might be nominated to Rajya Sabha.

    The veteran TMC leader said, “We must work to ensure victory of our leader Mamata Banerjee from a seat, as Bengal can prosper and move forward when she is at the helm.

    As there were talks within the party about her election to the assembly, and I was tapped in this regard, I readily agreed.”

    He, however, clarified that he isn’t too keen on Upper House nomination.

    Asked if he would quit as a minister, Chattopadhyay said, “I will follow the party’s instructions.

    However, I am not aware of any such rule, which entails my resignation from the ministerial post.” Chattopadhyay, who had earlier represented the Rashbehari assembly seat, contested from Bhabanipur this year and defeated BJP’s Rudranil Ghosh by a convincing margin.

    Banerjee had won the seat in 2011 and 2016.

  • SC agrees to hear plea for direction to Centre, West Bengal to prevent exodus of people due to violence

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week a plea seeking directions to the Centre and the West Bengal government to prevent alleged exodus of people due to “state-sponsored” violence and constituting of a SIT to fairly investigate and take appropriate action against culprits.

    A vacation bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai was told by senior advocate Pinky Anand that more than one lakh people have been displaced due to the poll-related violence in West Bengal.

    She told the bench that this matter required urgent listing as people are forced to leave their homes and stay in shelter homes and camps.

    “Ok, we will hear the matter next week,” the bench said.

    The PIL filed by social worker Arun Mukherjee and other social workers, victim of the violence and lawyers said that they are aggrieved with the post electoral Violence in West Bengal from May 2 onwards.

    The plea alleged that the police and the state-sponsored goons are in cahoots because of which the police proves to be a mere spectator in the entire episode, discouraging and threatening victims from filing FIRs, non-investigation of cases, inaction in incidents where cognizable offences have been committed in presence of police authorities, non-provision of security to those facing threats to life.

    It said various media platforms including social media, print and electronic media have covered the entire trail of incidents and various government organizations and autonomous institutions like National Human Rights Commission, National Commission of Women have either suo moto or on receiving of complaints from the helpless victims have taken cognizance of the matter and sent out teams to investigate the matter.

    “No support/assistance was offered from the State Government and even their security was compromised at many instances.

    They have reported the inaction of the police in providing protection to the women, who were attacked and threatened by hooligans and no action was taken by the police officials in this regard”, the plea submitted.

    The plea further said that due to the circumstances, people are internally displaced and are forced to stay in shelter homes/camps in and outside West Bengal.

    “The exodus of the people in West Bengal due to state- sponsored violence has posed serious humanitarian issues related to their survival, where they are forced to live in deplorable conditions, in violation of their fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India”, it submitted.

    The plea also sought formation of Commission for rehabilitation of displaced persons, compensation for loss of family members, property, and livelihood, mental and emotional agony.

    The petitioners sought direction to Centre to discharge its duty vested under Article 355 of the Constitution to protect the state from internal disturbance and to ensure that the government in the state is carried on, in accordance with provisions of this Constitution.

    It sought direction to Centre and West Bengal chief secretary to provide immediate relief to the internally displaced persons affected due to post-poll violence by setting up camps, make provision for food, medicines, pandemic resources, and make appropriate medical facilities accessible to them in light of COVID pandemic.

    It said that Centre should also constitute an Inquiry Commission to assess the scale and causes of the exodus as well as direct West Bengal to provide long-term relief to the internally displaced persons affected due to post-poll violence, by making provision for their rehabilitation, compensation for loss of family members, property, livelihood, mental and emotional agony.

    It also sought directions to Centre and West Bengal to set up an alternative helpline number, monitored by central forces to respond to SOS calls and also record complaints and FIRs of internally displaced persons within and outside the state of West Bengal.

    The petitioners said that direction be also issued to Centre for deploying central protection forces, including armed forces, for the restoration of law and order in West Bengal and setting up a fast-track court to adjudicate matters pertaining to the prosecution of any individual or organization involved in the commission of heinous offences.

  • West Bengal govt to set up ‘safe homes’ in schools to isolate COVID-19 patients

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The West Bengal government will set up “safe homes” for COVID-19 patients in schools in several districts which have been witnessing a spurt in coronavirus cases, an education department official said on Tuesday.

    The department has asked administrations of many districts to turn the government-aided schools into “safe homes” with an adequate number of beds, requisite supply of oxygen and other paraphernalia in line with COVID-19 protocols, he said.

    The state government came up with the concept of “safe homes” to isolate mostly asymptomatic coronavirus-positive patients to free up hospital beds.

    “Letters have already been sent to DMs of several districts for creating as many safe homes in school buildings as possible,” the official told PTI.

    Such isolation facilities will be set up in school buildings that have the infrastructure to accommodate basic medical facilities for COVID patients, he said.

    Apart from Kolkata, a few districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah will get these facilities in schools on a priority basis as the spurt in coronavirus cases has been noticed in these areas, he said.

    Paschim Bardhaman, Nadia, Purbo Medinipur and Birbhum are also among the districts where “safe homes” will be set up in the government-aided schools.

    School buildings will have to be sanitised thoroughly before converting them into such isolation facilities as premises of many educational institutes were used as polling booths in the recently-concluded elections in the state, he said.

    Several schools were also used as camps for central forces during the eight-phased polls.

    “The DMs concerned will identify school buildings to set up safe homes,” the official said.

    Amid a raging second wave of COVID-19, schools have been remained closed in the state.

    West Bengal on Monday registered 147 COVID-19 fatalities pushing the death toll to 13,431, a health department bulletin said.

    The state reported 19,003 fresh coronavirus infections, which took the tally to 11,52,433, it added.

    Meanwhile, Para Teachers’ Unity Manch urged the government to engage its members to run the upcoming “safe homes” in schools.

    “We welcome the decision to have safe homes in school buildings. We also request the government to provide training and engage us to run these facilities in educational institutes,” said Bhagirath Ghosh, joint convenor of the organisation.

    Para teachers are contractual staffers in government- aided primary and upper primary schools in the state.

  • SC to hear plea of West Bengal BJP leader Bharati Ghosh on May 28

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Tuesday agreed to hear on May 28 the plea of former IPS officer and BJP leader Bharati Ghosh who was earlier granted protection from arrest in connection with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls violence case till the conclusion of the assembly polls in West Bengal.

    Ghosh unsuccessfully fought assembly polls as a BJP candidate from Debra.

    She lost to Trinamool Congress candidate Humayun Kabir, also a former IPS officer.

    The BJP leader, through senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, sought hearing of her pending case as the protection against the non-bailable warrant issued by a local court of West Bengal has ended on the conclusion of assembly poll process on May 2.

    “We will hear it next Friday,” a vacation bench of justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai said when Jethmalani sought urgent hearing of the plea.

    “I had been a decorated IPS officer. I am now facing 12 cases and was attacked despite having CISF protection,” Jethmalani said.

    The apex court on March 9 had said that the non-bailable arrest warrant be kept at abeyance and no further coercive action be taken against Ghosh.

    The top court had noted that it had already granted interim protection to the petitioner in the writ petition with regard to FIRs which have been filed against her.

    “The interim order was granted on October 1, 2018 which was extended subsequently on February 19, 2019, and July 15, 2019.

    In the meantime, we direct that the warrant of arrest issued to the petitioner shall be kept in abeyance issued in P.S. Case No. and further no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioner till completion of the assembly election,” the apex court had said.

    It had said that after completion of the election, it would be open for Ghosh to appear before the concerned court and make such an application as permissible under law.

    The apex court had been protecting the highly decorated former IPS officer and multiple criminal cases had been filed against her by the state police, she had said.

    Since 2019, she has been called for questioning in connection with various FIRs lodged against her, her lawyer had said, adding that even her husband was made accused in one of the cases in which the top court had granted him relief.

    Ghosh had said she was a BJP candidate from Ghatal Parliamentary constituency in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and alleged that she was attacked by TMC goons at every polling booth and police remained mute spectators.

    On February 19, 2019, the top court had provided her relief by granting her protection from arrest in all the cases registered against her.

    Ghosh, once considered close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claimed the police has registered over dozen FIRs against her, including a case of alleged extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold.

    The West Bengal government had earlier opposed the plea of Ghosh and said she wants a stay of arrest on a writ petition, which cannot be done.

    Ghosh, who was the West Midnapore Superintendent of Police for more than six years, was transferred as commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police on December 26, 2017.

    She resigned from service two days later.