Seva Setu camps draw over 10 lakh registrations on Day 1 across Bengal
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 3 (IANS) More than 10 lakh people registered on the first day on Saturday of the three-day Seva Setu Abhiyan camps launched by the West Bengal government on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to help people access various welfare schemes of both the Centre and the state. According to state government data, 10,68,033 people had registered at the camps by 8 p.m. on Friday. Of them, 5,47,965 were male applicants, 5,17,546 were female applicants, and 2,522 belonged to other genders. The highest number of registrations was reported from Burdwan, Malda, Cooch Behar and Jhargram districts, according to the state government. The government expects a similar response on Saturday and Sunday, the second and third days of the campaign. A senior state government official said the initiative was designed as a single-window system to help people access welfare schemes without having to make repeated visits to different offices. The state government has taken this initiative to bring various people-oriented schemes of the Central and State governments to the doorsteps of the people. Basically, this camp has been organised in every district of the state to provide benefits of all the schemes under one umbrella, instant enrolment, verification of documents and listening to complaints of people, the official said. The Bengal government has set a target of conducting 3,251 Seva Setu Abhiyan camps during the three-day programme. On Friday, the first day, 1,081 camps were held across the state. The remaining 2,170 camps will be organised over the next two days, the official said. Among the key schemes covered at the camps are Annapurna Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Shiksha Shree, Joy Johar, PM Kisan Credit Card and PM Kisan Svanidhi. New forms for applying for widow allowance, old age allowance and disability allowance are also being distributed from these camps. Apart from this, the status of Annapurna Yojana and Ayushman Card can also be enquired at these camps, the official said. In Kolkata, one Seva Setu Abhiyan camp has been arranged for every two adjacent wards. The state government has also opened a dedicated helpline to guide residents to the camp nearest to their homes.
Dog bites over 40 people in East Burdwan in one day
Primary teacher recruitment to be completed soon: Bengal Education Minister
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Oct 1 (IANS) State School Education Minister Deepak Barman on Thursday said the stalled primary school teacher recruitment process would be completed soon. He made the remarks at a press conference at Bikash Bhaban. The Minister also said the next recruitment process would begin once the current process was completed. He said, The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) will be held every year like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja. The last Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for recruiting primary school teachers was held in 2022. That recruitment process has not yet been completed. Under pressure from several movements, the Trinamool Congress government published the recruitment notification for candidates who passed the TET in 2022 on September 25, 2025. However, even after a year, the recruitment process could not be started. After the notification was published in September 2025, interviews started on December 31. District-wise interviews began in phases from December last year to recruit 13,421 people. The first four rounds of interviews were conducted. Thereafter, on February 27, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) issued a notification, and interviews for Nadia, Purulia, Bankura, Alipurduar, South Dinajpur, Malda, West Burdwan and Birbhum districts started in the fifth to tenth phases. Meanwhile, interviews for Nadia district in the fifth phase ended on March 19. Although interviews for Purulia district in the sixth phase started on March 23, the Assembly election schedule had already been announced. As a result, questions arose over whether interviews could be conducted during that period. Subsequently, in April, the WBBPE said the Election Commission had written to the School Education Department on March 27 seeking information on the interview process for recruiting primary school teachers. That letter reached the board on March 30, and the board provided the details on the same day. It also explained that the interview process continued even after the election had been announced. However, the primary education board suspended the interview process on April 1. Thereafter, the Assembly elections were held, and a new government was formed. However, the interviews have not resumed yet, triggering fresh debate. When asked about the issue, the Minister said the primary recruitment process underway would be completed quickly and that the government would move on to the next recruitment exercise. Once this recruitment is completed, the TET will be held again based on the vacancies that are created. I have said many times, and I am saying again, TET will be held every year like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Saraswati Puja, he said. Meanwhile, the State Minister said mid-day meals should not be discontinued in any school in the state. A few days ago, reports emerged that mid-day meals had been stopped at a school in the Garia area on the outskirts of Kolkata. Allegations suggested the scheme had been halted due to a lack of funds. Thereafter, the administration intervened and immediately arranged mid-day meals through the district administration. However, several schools in the state still face allegations of various problems related to mid-day meals. Deepak Barman said, We have allocated the funds. The West Bengal government is giving great importance to the PM Poshan scheme.
NIA arrests three more in Bengal for suspected terror links, tally rises to four (Ld)
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 29 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested three more persons from West Bengal for suspected terror links in connection with its probe into suspected terror links, taking the total number of arrests during the day to four. Earlier in the day, the central agency had arrested Piar Mohammad Sheikh, an Imam attached to a mosque in Palishgram village under Mangalkot Police Station in East Burdwan district of West Bengal, as a suspect of having terror links. Later, information surfaced about the arrests of three more persons for suspected terror links. The other three arrested persons have been identified as Jumman Sheikh, Shahrul Purrkait and Abdul Rafiq. The NIA sleuths arrested Jumman Sheikh from Mithapukur, Shahrul Purrkait from Balarampur and Abdul Rafiq from Narendrapur in South 24 Parganas district. Jumman Sheikh worked as a tailor. Abdul Rafiq, originally from Barpeta in Assam, is an active member of a Bangladesh-based satellite terror group Purba Akash (Eastern Sky). The arrests followed coordinated raids by different teams of the NIA, which launched simultaneous raids and search operations at different locations in West Bengal on Tuesday morning in connection with its ongoing investigation to crack the sleeper cells of an underground Bangladeshi fundamentalist-cum-militant outfit, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in the state. Tuesdays raid and search operations were related to a case registered in neighboring Assam, and the NIAs actions at five locations in West Bengal were based on specific information secured by the central agency sleuths. Last week, the NIA sleuths arrested a youth in Assam on suspicion of being a militant. The investigators found that the arrested youth was an active member of JMB. During interrogation, he admitted that a module of a Bangladesh-based militant organisation was active in West Bengal. His interrogation also revealed that JMB was working to create sleeper cells in West Bengal, where several youths from a particular community were being brainwashed to join that banned Bangladesh-based outfit. The documents seized by the NIA sleuths from the youth arrested in Assam revealed further details about the active JMB module. Armed with that information, the NIA sleuths conducted raids and search operations at different locations in West Bengal since Tuesday morning.
NIA arrests Imam in Bengal's East Burdwan for suspected terror links
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 29 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on Tuesday, arrested an Imam of a mosque at Palishgram village under Mangalkot Police Station in East Burdwan district of West Bengal on suspicion of having links with terror networks. The arrested individual has been identified as Piar Mohammad Sheikh, who was serving as the Imam of a mosque in Palishgram village under the Mangalkot Police Station limits. He is originally a resident of Kulut village in the Monteswar area of the same district. According to sources, an NIA team, assisted by local police personnel, conducted an operation at the Palishgram Purbapara mosque on Tuesday morning and detained Sheikh from the premises. Investigators subsequently searched the room where he had been staying and seized a diary and a mobile phone. Sources aware of the development said that investigators found the numbers of several Bangladeshis in the diary. He was taken from the mosque to Mangalkot Police Station for interrogation. NIA sleuths are trying to extract as much information from him as possible. Local residents told media persons that Sheikh had been associated with the mosque for the last three years. His arrest took the villagers by surprise. They said they could not even think of his links with terrorist forces based out of Bangladesh. However, the mosque committee member Golam Mustafa and some villagers said that the arrested Imam used to go to Bangladesh frequently. Recently, too, he went to Bangladesh and spent almost six months there. He returned to Palishgram again a few months back, a local villager said. NIA officials are, however, tight-lipped over whether the arrest of the Imam is connected with the parallel raids and search operations conducted by separate teams of the central agency in five locations in different districts of West Bengal since Tuesday morning. NIA is probing alleged sleeper cells of the Bangladesh-based militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Tuesdays raid and search operations were in relation to a case registered in neighbouring Assam, and the NIAs actions in West Bengal were based on specific information secured by the central agency in the matter.
Land allotted for 33 new industrial projects worth Rs 60k crore: Bengal CM
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 25 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said the state government had completed land allotment for 33 industrial projects involving a total investment of Rs 60,000 crore. The Chief Minister announced this while addressing a public rally in Bardhaman, East Burdwan district, following an administrative review meeting held on Thursday. The process of handing over land allotment papers to 33 industrial units has already been completed. According to our estimates, the projects have a proposed investment of about Rs 60,000 crore and the potential for direct and indirect employment of about 62,000 people. The list of projects includes semiconductors, defence, solar power, electric vehicles, pharmaceuticals, steel, food processing, textiles, engineering and MSME, Adhikari said. He added that the state government was ensuring that work on these projects would not stall after land allotment. Conditions require work to begin within a specific time frame. At the review meeting, Adhikari announced a power subsidy of Rs 2 per unit for nearly four lakh farmers. He also said farmers would receive enhanced support of Rs 9,000 under the PM-Kisan Sanman Nidhi scheme, up from Rs 6,000. The Chief Minister further said the government would procure all paddy that farmers wished to sell and ensure the minimum support price of Rs 2,700 per quintal. Issuing a warning against corruption, Adhikari said: Each person involved in such corruption will be tracked, the money will be recovered from them, and they will be sent behind bars.
Heavy rain likely in south Bengal from Tuesday to Friday, says Met Department
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 21 (IANS) There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in various parts of West Bengal from Tuesday to Friday due to the influence of a low-pressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday. According to a Met Department official, a cyclone strengthened in the north Andaman Sea and turned into a clear depression on Sunday. Its direction is west and northwest. It is likely to turn into a deep depression in the east-central Bay of Bengal on Monday. As a result, there is a possibility of scattered rain and thundershowers in south Bengal, and the possibility of rain will increase from Tuesday, the official said. There is a possibility of heavy rain in most districts of south Bengal from Wednesday to Friday. On the other hand, there is no possibility of heavy rain in north Bengal for now. The possibility of rain will be low until Wednesday. However, heavy rain is predicted again in the northern districts, i.e. Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar on Thursday. Fishermen have been prohibited from going deep into the central and north Bay of Bengal on Monday. There is a ban on going into the central and north Bay of Bengal from Tuesday to Friday, while fishermen have been banned from going to sea off the coast of Bangladesh, Odisha and West Bengal from Wednesday to Friday. According to the forecast, rain will increase in the districts of south Bengal from Tuesday. Thunderstorms with lightning will occur in all districts, along with rain accompanied by gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour. Yellow alert for heavy rain will be in place in East Midnapore, and some parts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. Yellow alert for heavy rain will be in place in South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram districts on Wednesday. Gusty winds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour are likely to occur in coastal districts, i.e., South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore. Light to moderate rains with gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour are expected in some parts of all the remaining districts. The rainfall will increase slightly on Thursday. A Yellow alert for heavy rain will be in place in South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Birbhum and Murshidabad districts today. A Yellow alert for heavy rain will be in place in seven districts - North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Nadia, and East Burdwan - on Friday. Gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph are likely in coastal parts of North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore. Light to moderate rain with gusty winds of 30 to 40 kilometres per hour is expected in some parts of all the remaining districts. Rain will increase in north Bengal from Wednesday. Light to moderate rain with thunderstorms is likely in all districts today. There is a Yellow alert for heavy rain in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts on Thursday. A Yellow alert will be in effect in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and North Dinajpur districts on Friday as well. There are fewer chances of rain in Kolkata on Monday, while the chances will increase from Tuesday. There will be a higher chance from Wednesday to Friday. On Sunday, the maximum temperature in Kolkata and its surrounding areas was 29.02 degrees Celsius, which is 3.06 degrees Celsius below normal. The minimum temperature was 24.06 degrees Celsius, which is 1.07 degrees below normal. The relative humidity was at a maximum of 98 and a minimum of 79 per cent.
Doctors and Nurses Strike After Violent Incident at East Burdwan Hospital
Following a violent incident at Manakar Rural Hospital, doctors and nurses have gone on strike, demanding better security measures. Doctors and Nurses Strike After Violent Incident at East Burdwan Hospital
Bengal: Doctors, nurses strike after attack at East Burdwan hospital
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS) Relatives of a deceased patient vandalised Mankar Rural Hospital in the Budbud police station area of East Burdwan district on Sunday, alleging that improper treatment led to the death. They also allegedly assaulted nurses and health workers, triggering tension across the hospital premises. Doctors, nurses, and health workers have since launched a strike demanding security. According to reports, Budhan Bauri, a resident of Mankar, fell ill on Saturday night and was taken to the hospital. After initial treatment, he was kept under observation. Doctors later advised his family to take him home as his condition appeared better. However, Budhan reportedly fell ill again on the way home and died. His relatives then stormed the hospital, vandalising equipment and furniture in the emergency department. Eyewitnesses said the crowd broke into a room where nurses and health workers had taken shelter and assaulted them, including female staff. Police from Budbud station rushed to the spot, brought the situation under control, and recovered Budhans body, which was sent for autopsy on Sunday morning. Authorities said efforts are underway to identify those involved in the violence. Following the incident, hospital staff expressed concern for their safety. They have been protesting outside the main gate since Sunday morning, demanding written assurances and specific security measures. If our lives are in danger at work, how will we provide services? Until the administration gives us written assurances and security, our protest will continue, a doctor said. Except for the emergency department, all other hospital services have been suspended.
BJP Bengal chief seeks RRTS network linking Kolkata with South Bengal towns
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 19 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) West Bengal president and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya has urged Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to consider developing a Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) network connecting Kolkata with important townships across South Bengal. In a letter to Khattar, Bhattacharya said a well-researched preliminary feasibility proposal for a West Bengal Regional Rapid Transit System (VVB-RRTS) had been prepared. He said the proposal merited detailed examination by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, given that connectivity between Kolkata and several industrial and tourism hubs was largely dependent on conventional railway routes and highways. Bhattacharya said these conventional transport routes were often congested and, therefore, ill-suited for high-frequency commuter travel. An RRTS network on the lines of NCRTC's Namo Bharat corridors can address this gap through metro-like, high-speed regional connectivity, Bhattacharya pointed out in his letter. The VVB-RRTS proposal, according to him, envisages connecting Kolkata with important townships including Kalyani, Krishnanagar and Mayapur in Nadia district, Bardhaman in East Burdwan district, Durgapur and Asansol in West Burdwan district, Falta and Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, and Haldia in East Midnapore district, among others. The proposal is designed to minimise land acquisition by aligning corridors along existing highways and railway corridors. It also recommends a special purpose vehicle, the West Bengal Rapid Transit Corporation (WBRTC), on the lines of NCRTC, with joint ownership between the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal, Bhattacharya pointed out in his letter. The proposed network is intended to improve mobility, strengthen links with industrial centres and tourism destinations, and ease pressure on transport infrastructure. He requested Khattar to examine the proposal and, if found suitable, direct a detailed feasibility study covering engineering, demand forecasting and financial analysis in coordination with the West Bengal government. I would be glad to facilitate an interaction with the report's authors, should that be of assistance, and trust this proposal will receive your kind and favourable consideration, Bhattacharya said.
School guard shot while foiling robbery attempt in West Bengal's Asansol
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 13 (IANS) A night guard at a school in West Bengal's Asansol sustained serious injuries when he was shot by robbers as he fought back against them, police said on Sunday. The robbers intercepted the motorcycle-riding guard, identified as Haridas Layek, on a deserted road under the cover of darkness last night. However, he resisted their attempts, leading to a brief scuffle. Unable to overpower him, the robbers fired multiple shots at him before fleeing the scene. Layek has been admitted to a hospital, and his condition is said to be stable. According to the police, Layek works as a night guard at Srihari Global School in Asansol in West Burdwan district. He hails from Dhaguri village under the Alladi Panchayat in Salanpur area and comes to work on a motorcycle every night. He had set out from home as usual on Saturday night, and while he was travelling along National Highway 19, a group of masked robbers intercepted him. After forcing him to stop, the robbers brandished weapons and attempted to take away his valuables. When he resisted, they fired two rounds in quick succession, hitting him in the leg. Despite the injury, the young man continued to fight back against the attackers. Eventually, the robbers abandoned Haridas on the road and fled. Upon receiving the news, officers from Salanpur Police Station arrived at the scene. The guard was rescued in a bloodied state and taken to Asansol District Hospital, where doctors performed surgery on his leg that same night. On Sunday morning, the police recovered an empty cartridge casing from the scene. A search operation is underway to locate the miscreants, and 'naka' checks are being conducted in the area. CCTV footage from the vicinity is also being examined to nab the miscreants. Senior police officials, including Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Pranab Kumar, DC (West) Sana Akhtar, and DC (Central) Dhruba Das, visited the scene. The attempted robbery on a deserted road at night has sparked panic in the area. --IANS
Bengal: CBI arrests ECL worker in West Burdwan on charges of taking bribe
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested an Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) worker from Pandabeswar in West Bengals West Burdwan district on charges of taking a bribe. The arrested man was produced before the special CBI court in Asansol on Thursday. The judge ordered his 14-day jail custody. According to the central investigation agency, the arrested person's name is Shankarlal Harijan. He lives in the South Shyamala Colliery area of the Pandabeswar Assembly constituency. He was actively associated with the Trinamool Congress-affiliated ECL workers' organisation. A three-member CBI team raided the South Shyamala Colliery on Wednesday night. At first, he was not found in his home. He had disappeared. The CBI officers detained his son Pankaj Harijan and questioned him about his father. Later, they caught Shankar red-handed at that time. Allegedly, he was taking a bribe of Rs 20,000 by promising to transfer a worker. The worker was unable to work inside the mine due to illness. The search began immediately after Shankarlal was caught. CBI officials raided everywhere from the colliery office to his house. Sources claimed that the search operation continued throughout the night. Several important documents and files were seized from the house. A section of ECL workers claimed that the leader had been taking money for a long time in the name of providing special benefits at work. It is initially believed that this operation was based on that allegation. CBI officers said that the seized documents are being examined. Investigators are also investigating whether a bigger ring is active behind the scenes. According to the central investigation agency, a colliery worker had applied for light duty due to his physical illness. Allegedly, using that opportunity, Sankarlal Harijan demanded a bribe from the sick worker in the name of arranging work. As soon as the matter came to light, the central intelligence agency launched an investigation. To verify the truth of the complaint and collect evidence, raids were conducted simultaneously at two places - Sankarlal Harijan's residence and the local ECL office. The officers are probing whether there are any other dishonest transactions, like taking bribes in exchange for providing work opportunities and whether any other senior officer of ECL was involved in this illegal practice.
Bengal college tense after student clash over Vishwakarma Puja
An educational institute in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district has been shut indefinitely and its hostel vacated following a violent clash between two student groups over organising Vishwakarma Puja. The incident at the University Institute of Technology, Burdwan University, led to injuries, property damage, and allegations of outsider involvement, prompting police intervention and an ongoing investigation.
CBI raids Eastern Coalfields employees house, office in Bengal; son detained, documents seized
Digital Desk | Kolkata, Sep 10 (IANS) The son of an Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) employee was detained, and several documents were seized during raids conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at his residence and office in West Bengal following complaints of bribery and irregularities against him, agency officials said on Thursday. The CBI sleuths conducted simultaneous searches at the residence and office of the ECL employee, Sankarman Harijan, in Pandabeswar, West Burdwan district, late on Wednesday night. Harijan is an employee of South Shyamala Colliery, which falls under the Pandabeswar police station limits. He was reportedly not present when the CBI team reached his residence. His son, Pankaj Harijan, was detained for questioning during the operation. The CBI recovered several documents from the employees residence and the local ECL office as part of its investigation into alleged bribery and irregularities involving workers at the colliery. According to sources, the case relates to a complaint by a colliery worker who had sought light duty because of a physical illness. Harijan allegedly demanded money from the worker, claiming that he could arrange the change in duty in exchange for a bribe. Following the complaint, the central agency initiated a probe to verify the allegations and collect evidence. The CBI subsequently carried out simultaneous searches at Harijans residence and his office at South Shyamala Colliery. The searches continued for several hours as investigators examined documents and other material available at both locations. However, Harijan was not found during the operation. His son was taken into custody for questioning as investigators sought to gather information about the alleged transactions and the employees activities. A local resident said the CBI team conducted a detailed search of the house and examined various documents. The resident added that since Harijan was absent, his son was taken away by the investigators for questioning. The CBI is now examining the documents seized during the raids to determine whether Harijan was allegedly involved in other instances of accepting bribes in exchange for arranging work-related benefits for employees. Investigators are also looking into whether other ECL officials or employees were involved in the alleged arrangement. The agency is questioning Pankaj Harijan and analysing the recovered documents as part of its ongoing investigation.
Bengal STF recovers huge cache of arms, ammunition from abandoned ECL quarters
Kolkata, Aug 9 (IANS) Following night-long raids and search operations, the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police have recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Andal near the steel-cum-industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district. The raids started on Saturday night and continued till early Sunday morning, said officials. []
Woman Held In Honeytrap Plot Against BJP Leaders
Arpita Sarkar was arrested from Sahebganj in Jharkhand early on Saturday. She is a close associate of Hamim Mondal, who was picked up from a housing complex near Durgapur Expressway in Burdwan on Friday
West Bengal Chief Minister Claims Threat from Jaish-e-Mohammed
Kolkata, July 31: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari stated on Friday that he, along with another member of the West Bengal Cabinet, is under threat from the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). His comments came in response to the arrest of a suspected JeM member, Hamim Mandal, in Burdwan city, located in the East Bardhaman ... Read more West Bengal Chief Minister Claims Threat from Jaish-e-Mohammed
Couple arrested in the murder of Delhi University professor over property dispute
Following a final warning issued by the victim to vacate her property in West Bengals Burdwan, the accused allegedly conspired to eliminate her, travelling to Delhi for it
