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IMD has rainfall warning for these states

The India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall in some places in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand over the next few days. The IMD said that a cyclonic system is located over the western part of Vidarbha, while a trough or disturbance in the wind pattern extends from southern Tamil Nadu to western Vidarbha. Another trough runs from Jharkhand to the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Meanwhile, an anti-cyclonic circulation is situated over the West Central region and the adjacent Northwest Bay of Bengal off the coast of Odisha in the lower troposphere.Due to these weather conditions, scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall is highly probable over Gangetic West Bengal and Odisha from the 19th to the 21st of March. Isolated thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds are likely during this period, with the possibility of hailstorms and squalls with speeds reaching 50-60 kmph on the 19th of March, 2024, IMD said. Telangana is expected to experience scattered to fairly widespread light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms and lightning from the 19th to the 20th of March, with the possibility of hailstorms on the 18th and 19th. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam are also likely to experience similar weather conditions from the 19th to the 21st of March, 2024. Isolated heavy rainfall is also anticipated over these areas on the 20th of March, 2024.Similar weather patterns are anticipated over Jharkhand, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and East Madhya Pradesh till 20th of March, with Bihar experiencing these conditions from the 18th to the 21st of March, 2024. Isolated hailstorms are also expected over Vidarbha, East Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh on the 18th and 19th, and over Jharkhand on the 19th of March, 2024. Thundersqualls with speeds reaching 50-60 kmph are likely over East Madhya Pradesh on the 18th and 19th of March.Weather Forecast for TelanganaExpect light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning, with winds reaching 50-60 kmph at some places on the 18th and 19th of March, according to IMD. On the 20th of March, anticipate gusty winds at a few spots, with speeds reaching up to 40-50 kmph. There's a possibility of heavy rainfall at isolated places on the 20th of March, along with hailstorms at some locations on the 18th and 19th of March.Weather Forecast for Andhra PradeshSimilar to Telangana, there will be light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, with wind speeds reaching 50-60 kmph at isolated places on the 18th and 19th of March. Gusty winds are expected at a few spots on the 20th of March, with speeds reaching up to 40-50 kmph. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places on the 20th of March, IMD said. Weather Forecast for OdishaAnticipate light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places, along with gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph. On the 20th of March, expect gusty winds at many locations with speeds up to 40-50 kmph, according to IMD. There's a chance of light to moderate rainfall at isolated places on the 21st and 22nd of March. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places on the 19th and 20th of March.

The Economic Times 19 Mar 2024 8:33 am

Who's shunted West Bengal top cop Rajeev Kumar, considered 'close' to CM Mamata?

The Election Commission (EC) has taken swift action by removing West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar and six state chief secretaries to ensure a fair electoral process for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This decision was made in light of concerns over potential election-related violence and law and order issues in the state. Rajeev Kumar, known for his close ties to Mamata Banerjee's government, has been relieved of his election-related responsibilities for the third time.

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 8:03 am

West Bengal Building Collapse Updates: Locals Say Two More Victims Trapped In The Building | News18

Breaking News | West Bengal building collapse updates: Locals say two more victims trapped, NDRF to search debris today.

News18 19 Mar 2024 7:36 am

Be ready for a surprise result coming from Bengal: Prashant Kishor

The BJPs target of 400 seats is psychological warfare and the party on its own is highly unlikely to win 370 seats, said ace political strategist Prashant Kishor. Speaking at the Hyderabad Dialogues organised by this newspaper, he nevertheless said that the BJP is currently in pole position and predicted that it will outperdo better than the Trinamool in West Bengal. Kishor highlighted PM Modis frequent visits to Tamil Nadu and noted the party will increase its vote share in the southern state. Excerpts: PM Modi is on campaign mode. Does the BJP look more set for the race than anyone else in the fray? Do you therefore see 2024 as a foregone conclusion? I dont think they have done anything that they have not been doing in the last five years. He (PM Narendra Modi) is in campaign mode forever. So to that extent, I dont see this as an aberration. I dont have a crystal ball to make a prediction about who is going to win, but one can make an informed guess. The BJP-led NDA, for sure have a massive advantage over their opponents. Not necessarily because they are early with their campaign, not necessarily because he (Modi) is hugely popular, not only because they have huge electoral muscle. It is because the Opposition has not been able to put their act together, certainly not well in time to raise a challenge. In a democracy, especially in a country like India, one should never underestimate the size or the opportunity for the Opposition. A majority of Indians are always in opposition. No party gets more than 40% of the vote. It is not a subjective assessment. Just look at data from the last 75 years. Nobody has been able to get 50% or more votes in India. Meaning, whoever went to vote, more than half were not convinced with who you are, your policies, your promises, your ideology. So, the Opposition is never weak in India. When you have close to 700 million people still not making `100 a day, you must not take the Opposition lightly. What we are seeing is Opposition parties, or the formation of Opposition parties, could be weak. The Opposition, per se, is not weak in this country. And that is why a leader like Modi perpetually appears to be in campaign mode. If elections were to happen tomorrow, there is no prize for guessing that the BJP-led NDA would have a huge advantage. Sitting in the Deccan plateau, how realistic does BJPs Mission South look like? Theres a tendency to say the South is terra incognita for the BJP. But in reality, it is emerging as a force in Telangana with a 14% vote share, making deft moves in Andhra Pradesh, and has run governments in Karnataka. Firstly, in a pan-South sense, what do you think of the typology of the whole region having a reflexive anti-BJP politics of seeing them as a northern party? I think it is an oversimplification. I have never subscribed to this idea of North-South from the BJPs politics point of view, because in Karnataka for almost 20 years now, they have been either the ruling party or principal opposition. So this North-South thing does not hold. What does hold is the whole country, you can make a division East and South, and West and North. When I say East and South, I start from Bihar. Then I go to Bengal, Odisha and come down to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. This East and South roughly accounts for 210 seats. For the BJP, even with their great performance in last election in Bengal, Odisha, and in Bihar with 100% strike rate, total count is less than 50 including 17 in Bihar, and 18 in Bengal. A lot of people think that the BJP has swept Bihar. But the BJP fought only 17 out of 40 seats, and they won 17. In Bengal, they won only 18 seats. Out of these around 210 seats, the BJPs total count is less than 50. If you are a BJP supporter, youd like to see whether your graph is increasing in East and South or not. One can safely say that their graph is increasing. It may not immediately translate into a dramatically higher number of seats, but definitely this tally is going to go up. From Bihar, Bengal, Odisha, Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the total tally of BJP vis-a-vis what they got in 2019 is going to go up. How much I dont want to make a guess, but it would be up by a few seats at least. What would be important to understand is their vote share will go up dramatically. I have already said, and I repeat myself, that in Tamil Nadu, I see BJP breaking into double-digit vote share. That would be a massive development politically, like what we have seen in Telangana, 14%. So in a state like Tamil Nadu, if the BJP breaks into double-digit vote share, even if they get no seats, that would be a moment of significance. In Odisha, they are already number one. In Bengal, again, I dont want to make a prediction, but unlike most people, Im predicting that the BJP will do better than the TMC in all likelihood. Be ready for a surprise result coming from Bengal in favour of the BJP. Theyre increasing seats in all other states, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra. I dont know if they would be able to add seats in Tamil Nadu or Kerala, but certainly there will be an increase in vote share. So from that point of view, they are the rising political force. It may take five years, it may take 10 years, but they will gain in this area. They are cognisant of this fact that this is the area where they need to build. Theyre investing time, energy. Look at the number of visits the PM has made to Tamil Nadu alone in the last five years. Tamil Nadu now ranks third, I believe, only after Gujarat and because of the recent visit to Maharashtra, now Tamil Nadu has gone to number three. From the opposition point of view, the problem lies in North and West: The remaining 310, 320 seats, where opposition has a strike rate against the BJP in single digits. When I say the opposition, its not only the Congress, but four parties. The Congress is taking the BJP head on between 220 and 250 seats. In Uttar Pradesh, the SP is taking on the BJP head on in almost 6570 seats. Then the RJD in Bihar, they are supposed to take on the BJP in 40 seats. And then finally, the NCP in Maharashtra. Until and unless these four parties, the Congress, SP, RJD, NCP, and now Shiv Sena Unless they get their strike rate against the BJP to at least 25-30%, there is no way you can defeat it at the India level. But in the same statement is hidden the secret of how you can defeat the BJP. If you get 50% seats in West and North, then 150 MPs would have won either from a platform opposed to the BJP or neutral to any formation, they come into play. Another 150 non-BJP MPs from East and South, club it with [at least] 100 coming from West and North, and you have a game. The PM is making very frequent trips to Tamil Nadu. It could be that he is so confident of the BJPs performance in the North and Gujarat that he can focus on TN, just to increase vote share, which seems to be a certainty. Do you think he sees a collapse of the AIADMK-DMK binary? First, the two Dravidian parties which have been in ruling formations in the last 3040 years, their combined vote share is going down below 70% now. And this has been the case for the last 1015 years. For the first time, I see its going below 65% or 60%. That means more than one-third of Tamil voters are looking for some options. Why would the BJP like to invest so much in Tamil Nadu? Its not because there is a collapse of the DMK or AIADMK, which is not happening by the way. Its simply because, like you cannot dominate the politics of North unless you win UP and Bihar, you cannot dominate the politics of South until and unless you start being a major force in Andhra and Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is the UP of south. So Karnataka, they have been winning for 15, 20 years. Still, you are calling them a North party. Karnataka is very much South. Its because in the minds of people, the nerve centre of the South is Tamil Nadu. So from that point of view, theres a strategic, psychological and political game that a long-term player would like to invest in. And I see the BJP, like any other national party, they are long-term players, so they would invest, even if it means 2% or 4% of incremental vote share. Forget about the seats and all. They have enough seats, but they want to expand. And it also gives them cover in 10 years time. Sooner or later, someday, somebody will defeat them in Bihar or UP. They want a cover. That cover will come only from United Andhra or Tamil Nadu. You cant cover for a possible defeat in UP or Bihar by winning Mizoram or Goa. You have to win a large state somewhere else. Thats why they are investing this much. How do you see the re-emergence of Congress in Telangana? I dont subscribe to this thought process that the Congress was finished in Telangana and all of a sudden they have emerged. Again, when you are looking at data, tell me when the Congress went down below 35% vote share in Telangana ever. Its just that after the victories, most of their MLAs deserted the party and went to the BRS, what used to be the TRS. Even in the last Assembly elections, the Congress did reasonably well. They were the principal opposition. The Congress was a party with a constant 35% vote share, which refused to go down no matter how hard the BRS tried. So the Congress was not a dead political force, as it is in Tamil Nadu or West Bengal or Bihar or UP, where their vote share has gone down to single digits, 5%, 6%, 7%, over 20-30 years and has not moved to double digits. Can BJP emerge as a force in Kerala if either the LDF or the UDF collapses? Again, the question is based on the existing political parties or formations. I would look at Kerala as a society. Why the BJP has found it tough to break into Kerala is because of the huge population of Muslims and Christians. Now if the BJP were to break into Kerala whether its the LDF or UDF, forget about that you have to have substantial support coming from Hindus, OBCs and they have tried that strategy when they played this temple issue in a big way last time. But thats not enough. Unless they break into the Christian vote and a substantial segment of Christian society starts accepting the BJP as an acceptable political ally or a platform, they would find it difficult to win Kerala. So their strategy would be to consolidate or be the dominant player among Hindus and isolate Muslims. Till now it has not happened but they are in that direction. Language is also a major barrier. If you look at this East and South corridor I talked about, what is distinct is the language. So if you are in Bihar, how do you introduce yourself? Okay Im Indian and I belong to so-and-so caste. Im UPite or I am from Madhya Pradesh, but there is no sub-regional identity. But if you are a person from Odisha, youll say Im Indian, Im Odia and then the caste or the class becomes the third layer. So Odisha, Kerala, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, in all these states, the language is one additional barrier which the BJP, or for that matter, any Hindi-speaking party has to overcome in order to become a dominant political force. PM Modi is claiming that his party will win 370 to 400 seats. Your take. Well, this is part of psychological warfare. Just see how the public narrative has been shifted from whether BJP/NDA is winning or losing versus whether they are going to get 370 or not. So the prime minister making that statement on the floor of Parliament has made people, even those who are skeptics, take notice. The BJP appears to be in pole position, they have a massive lead over the opposition formation. But the BJP on its own, going to 370, meaning additional 70 odd seats for them is highly unlikely.

The New Indian Express 19 Mar 2024 7:11 am

Lok Sabha polls 2024: Left, Congress talks on in West Bengal to keep BJP, TMC at bay

NEW DELHI: A day after Left leaders skipped the Opposition alliance INDIA blocs rally in Mumbai, leaders of Congress and CPM asserted that the alliance hiccups in Kerala wouldnt cast a shadow on the ongoing seat-sharing talks in West Bengal. The absence of CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja sparked buzz about their cooling of relations with the Congress. CPM and CPI were upset that the Congress fielded top guns Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal in Wayanad and Alappuzha, respectively, against their candidates. On Sunday, in a massive show of strength, the opposition came together in Mumbai at the concluding rally of Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra. Prominent leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, DMK leader MK Stalin, NC chief Farooq Abdullah, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and others attended the rally. However, CPM sources told this newspaper that the differences between the Kerala units of Congress and the CPI will not play a spoilsport in the seat-sharing talks in West Bengal. Last week, the Left Front announced its list of candidates for 16 out of 42 seats. The leader said the 16 seats were decided strategically, and the talks between leaders of parties are on. The CPM is allied with Congress in Tamil Nadu and Bihar. Wherever Congress is in a dominant position, they try to play the big brother, said a CPM leader.

The New Indian Express 19 Mar 2024 6:43 am

Curious case of the missing East-West Metro passengers

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:49 am

Rescue after 10-hr fight for survival

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:48 am

CM visits spot, talks tough on illegal bldgs

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:47 am

Clifford set to strike

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:47 am

Illegal club bldg raze drive starts

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:46 am

Presi hostel girls lift stir

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:46 am

Tilted bldg to be pulled down ASAP

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:46 am

Norwester likely by tomorrow: Met

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:45 am

BJPs names for 23 Bengal seats in next 3 days: Sukanta

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:45 am

Collapse impact: Cracks appear in another bldg

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:45 am

City-based fashion retailer plans IPO to raise 185 crore

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:44 am

EC orders removal of Bengal top cop, TMC slams move

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:44 am

Three in SSKM out of danger, one of them may lose a leg

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 4:44 am

EC orders removal of home secretaries of 6 states, WB top cop

The Election Commission's stringent actions against various officials aim to ensure a level-playing field in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, removing individuals who may pose a risk to the integrity of the electoral process. In West Bengal, the EC shunted out DGP Rajeev Kumar. This is the third time that Kuma is being dropped from poll-related duties.

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 3:10 am

Top cops of Odisha, Bengal, Bihar & Jharkhand discuss security arrangements for polls

Bhubaneswar, March 19 (IANS) A key inter-state meeting of senior police officers of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand was held at the DGP Camp Office here on Monday. Senior police officers of the neighbouring states participated in the meeting through video conference. We held discussions on how to thwart illegal transportation of firearms, drugs, []

bhaskarlive 19 Mar 2024 2:18 am

Top cops of Odisha, Bengal, Bihar & Jharkhand discuss security arrangements during polls

Bhubaneswar, March 19 (IANS) A key inter-state meeting of senior police officers of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand was held at the DGP Camp Office here on Monday. Senior police officers of the neighbouring states participated in the meeting through video conference. We held discussions on how to thwart illegal transportation of firearms, drugs, []

bhaskarlive 19 Mar 2024 1:17 am

Uniform order: Two states, two brothers, both DGPs

In an unusual turn of events, brothers Vikas and Vivek Sahay have both taken up the role of director general of police (DGP) in different states. Vikas Sahay is currently serving as the DGP of Gujarat, while Vivek Sahay was appointed as the DGP of West Bengal by the state government on Monday. Their youngest brother, Vikram Sahay, works as an Indian Revenue Service officer in Delhi.

The Times of India 19 Mar 2024 1:05 am

Shikha Mukerjee | Its a matter of choice: Modi magic versus Modi baggage

The 2024 Lok Sabha schedule has set up the finish line, June 4, when the votes will be counted and the results will be known. Till that final conclusive vote is checked, this election is really a matter of choice. Will the voter succumb to the familiarity of the buzz around the magic touch of Narendra Modi or will the voter take the risk of making a choice by scrutinising the baggage that Mr Modi and his party and government have accumulated in the past 10 years? It could be argued that the choice between scrutiny and unconditional endorsement is what voters routinely do, so there is nothing special about the act in 2024. Not true. There is something, or rather there is more than one thing, that makes the issue of choice or preference a tough call for voters. And, the BJP and its Sangh Parivar apparatus is just as conscious of this dilemma as is the voter. The Opposition and potential alternative to the BJP and its invincible star power is not a challenger of substance; the Congress is as shambolic as it has always been; the parties in alliance in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive bloc have separate strategies that they believe will ensure their future by securing their regional bases. The voter has to decide for or against the BJP amidst this scenario. In 2024, Mr Modi as the unparalleled helmsman and vote catcher, the BJP as a vast and micro-managed organisation and the Sangh Parivar as the nerve centre of the right-wing Hindu Rashtra-Akhand Bharat ideology will all have to work much harder to take on challenges of their own creation. This is an entirely new test for the ruling side and its power base. Having robbed itself of its best mobilisation gambit, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and its baggage of dubious historical veracity by meeting Mr Modis deadline of consecrating the temple before the election, the overarching narrative of Hindutva currently lacks a focus, a purpose and a unifying appeal. The best thing about the Ram Temple story since the 1990s was its value as a switch that could be used to turn on or turn off the emotional mobilisation of the BJPs core constituency and voters swayed by the Hindutva appeal. In 2024, the temple is up and running and its future and fate will be the same as all the other temples that are taken for granted across India. The big test for the voter will be to buy the story the Modi government is marketing that the electoral bonds through which the BJP raised Rs 6,060 crores since 2019 was a noble act aimed at cleaning up money paid to political parties by bringing in transparency. Was the money used as part of a barter or was the money given without strings is the choice that voters will have to make. Till the voters actually decide, there is no way of knowing whether the issue is important in deciding the future of Mr Modi. Money power is something that voters understand very well. If the Election Commission is to be believed, the influence of money is more in some states than in others. A key campaign issue for Mr Modi is the role of money in politics, which he deploys as much against the Congress as he does against the regional and smaller parties by painting them all guilty of securing power and amassing money for the perpetuation of a particular dynasty. Therefore, EBs and why money was handed over by various companies to political beneficiaries will certainly be part of the public discourse. The other issue that Mr Modi, inexplicably, chose to revive may not be as electrifying as he and the BJP had perhaps hoped. Notifying the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act were not welcomed as the answer to the prayers of Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist and Jain non-citizens whose families originally came from Akhand Bharat, or Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. After the mandatory but muted celebrations, there is no rush to submit applications and get certified as citizens; in fact, there is an obvious wariness about doing so. The CAA issue was a last-minute job by the Modi government to keep the controversy contestation on religious identity alive as a key element. It did not take with voters regardless of how the Opposition predictably responded, from Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal to Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala to M.K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu, who for different reasons emphatically rej-ected its implementation. As the campaign kicks off, Mr Modi will have to generate the mania that musters the masses and propels them to the polling booths. Expectations are low from the united Opposition as a national alternative to the BJP, which effectively deprives Mr Modi of a credible target for his sharpest attacks. Instead, he has the hard task of taking on the far better organised and certainly battle-hardened regional and smaller parties by calibrating his campaign to fit the priorities of each state, separately. Having to be accountable for acts of omission and commission, state by state, is a complex matter. What is common to the states from the perspective of regional and smaller parties is the Centres discrimination against the people or outright deprivation of benefits or wasting public money on projects that do not solve peoples problems of joblessness, price rise, unaffordable costs of education, impoverishment due to a health shock, negative savings and the general lack of opportunities that makes taking risks even less attractive than ever before. What is common to the states is also the promise that a double-engine sarkar is the panacea for all ills. What is also common is that the double-engine is backed by Modis guarantees. This particular narrative has been successful in keeping the BJP in power across North India and out of power across the South. The reason is that India looks very different from the South; it is richer for starters, and the BJPs labharthi schemes are mostly inconsequential as the states had delivered these benefits before Mr Modi thought it electorally expedient. All Lok Sabha elections are historic. The 2024 one will also be historic; Indian democracy, or rather the voter, will get to make a choice of chugging along like a blinkered beast of burden or seizing the initiative by calling the political class to account. Opinion polls indicate voters will choose preserving the status quo. In politics, that is a dangerous place to be for those who want to stay in power and those who want to win power.

Deccan Chronicle 18 Mar 2024 11:52 pm

EC asks WB administration to follow all measures to ensure violence-free polls

EC asks WB administration to follow all measures to ensure violence-free polls The Election Commission on Monday asked the West Bengal Police to make a list of those against whom complaints of booth capturing and false voting had been registered during past polls, officials said. The move is aimed at ensuring violence-free Lok Sabha elections in the state, they said. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ariz Aftab, who held a meeting with district magistrates, district electoral officers and returning officers on Monday, asked them to review the overall poll preparations. ''In Monday's meeting, held virtually, discussions were held on the law and order situation in the state and the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct. The commission wants a report within the next 15 days on the action taken against those who have been accused of breaking the law during previous elections, an official said. The poll panel also directed the state administration to continue operations to recover illegal weapons, he added. The Lok Sabha polls will be held in West Bengal in seven phases between April 19 and June 1.

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 11:34 pm

Mamata Banerjee has many such 'Rajeev Kumars' on her payroll: Sukanta Majumdar after ECI removes West Bengal DGP

ECI removed DGP Rajeev Kumar before polls, sparking criticism of Bengal police. Kolkata IPS Vivek Sahay replaced him. BJP alleged Mamata Banerjee has multiple 'Rajeev Kumars' on her payroll, leading to controversy.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 11:10 pm

9 killed in Kolkata building collapse; opposition fires 'corruption' salvo at Mamata administration

9 killed in Kolkata building collapse; opposition fires 'corruption' salvo at Mamata administration The collapse of an illegal under-construction building in Kolkata's western fringes claiming at least nine lives and injuring 17 more early on Monday provoked a fierce political debate over whether the incident opened up yet another Pandora's box of corruption under the TMC regime in Bengal. Despite some 18 hours having passed since the collapse, several people were still believed to have remained trapped inside the rubble, triggering apprehensions of a further rise in the death toll, which kept mounting through the day. The deceased included two women who lived in the vicinity. In the aftermath of the five-storey building, allegedly being constructed by filling up a water body, crumbling down on neighbourhood shanties occupied by unsuspecting dwellers in the thickly-populated Azhar Mollah Bagan area of Garden Reach, state Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the locality teemed with no less than 800 such unauthorised buildings. Demanding a court-monitored audit by central bodies like the CPWD into constructions in urban areas of the state, Adhikari set a one-month deadline for the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to publish the list of authorised and unathorised structures in its 141 wards. ''I will also file RTIs with the KMC secretary seeking details of such constructions and bring the details out in public domain,'' he declared. While Md Wasim, the promoter of the building, was arrested, the investigation into the collapse was handed over to the homicide department of the city police. IPC sections pertaining to murder, attempt to murder and criminal negligence were slapped on the accused, police said. The building has been under construction since December 2022. It comprised 16 apartments, each of 500 square feet area, all of which were booked for sale, police sources said. ''There are several builders involved in the project. We are on the lookout for the others,'' a senior officer said. Meanwhile, a show-cause notice was issued by the KMC to three officers of the ranks of executive engineer, assistant engineer and sub-assistant engineer for their possible ''oversight'' of the illegal construction, a top civic body official told PTI. ''The officers have been asked to reply within the next 48 hours and stringent actions could be taken against them if their responses were found unsatisfactory,'' he said. Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the collapse site and assured locals of stern action against the promoters of illegal real estate. She also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh each to the injured. ''Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our Mayor, Fire Minister, Secretaries and Commissioner of Police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night for mitigating the disaster,'' the chief minister wrote on X on Monday morning. ''This was an illegal construction. I express my condolences to the family. I urge the administration to take strict action against those responsible for the disaster,'' she said, after visiting the injured at the state-run SSKM Hospital. In her first public appearance since her fall at home and injuries on her forehead last Thursday, Banerjee was seen visiting the collapse site with a bandaged forehead. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, who also happens to be the local MLA besides holding the state urban department portfolio, admitted that the structure was unauthorised, but passed the buck on to the previous regime of the state. ''It has been a trend here and also in some other areas since the Left Front era,'' Hakim said. He also stated that there could have been a ''lapse on the part of the officials'' for failing to monitor whether constructions in the locality were being made in accordance with law. Alleging that the local TMC councillor Shams Iqbal was involved in the real estate scam in the area, Adhikari demanded his arrest. ''The mayor and the chief minister, too, cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility of the deaths of so many innocent people,'' the BJP leader said. Defending the councillor, Hakim said, ''It is not the job of a local councillor but of the civic body officials to inspect whether constructions are taking place according to sanctioned plans from KMC.'' TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, responded, stating this wasn't the time to play politics over a tragedy. ''I tell the opposition leaders raising questions that politics can wait. We will have enough time to do politics later. At the moment, we should focus on rescuing the people who are stuck. We hope that such incidents are not repeated. All institutions should work in tandem,'' he said. Reacting sharply to Hakim's allegation, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member and former Kolkata mayor Bikash Bhattacharya wondered what the TMC was doing during its 12-year rule even if such an accusation was considered true for the sake of argument. ''If anything bad happens in the state, the TMC finds it convenient to blame the erstwhile Left Front government,'' Bhattacharya told PTI, rubbishing the mayor's claim. Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose also visited the accident site and spoke to the locals, rescue workers and police personnel posted there. Later, he visited the hospital and met the injured. Speaking to the media, Bose said, ''The helpless people die of no fault of theirs. This is a human failure. There is a lapse on the part of the builder, but the failure of supervisors is greater. They have failed miserably in their duties.''

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 10:09 pm

CPI hopes to get at least 15 seats in 8 states as part of INDIA

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (CPI) has identified at least 15 constituencies in eight states including Bihar, Assam, Manipur and Jharkhand, where it wants to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections under electoral pact of opposition parties as part of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The general secretary of the CPI, D Raja said that the party might soon announce its nomination for the identified seats subject to its negotiation with INDIA bloc members mainly with the Congress. The Left party has zeroed in one seat each in Manipur, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab, Assam and Jharkhand under the electoral alliance from the Congress. The CPI has already announced its candidate for one of the two seats in Manipur. It has fielded partys senior member and state unit general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Laishram Sotinkumar Singh in the Inner Manipur constituency. Miffed over Wayanad, CPI says Congress must keep coalition dharma In Telangana, it is seeking Warangal Lok Sabha seat. In Maharashtra, it is expecting Shirdi constituency, Bathinda in Punjab and Jharkhands Hazaribagh. Notably, its state leadership in Jharkhand last week announced to go alone and to contest in eight seats in the state. We have decided to contest the Lok Sabha polls on our own, CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak told PTI. In west Bengal, the CPI is staking claim to three seats including Ghatal and Medinipur from which it has been winning in the past. Raja further stated that talks are underway for three constituencies in Bihar too. The probable seats are Banka, Begusarai and Madhubani. Raja said that our state leaders are holding talks with their counterparts of political parties including Congress, which are part of the alliance and he is optimistic about a positive outcome. He added that hopefully the Congress would demonstrate maturity like what Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president MK Stalin showed in the state while sparing seats for coalition partners. Discussions pertaining to the identified seats are being held at state level. In case, something is to be conveyed to the national leadership or my intervention is required, I will talk. Seat sharing in Tamil Nadu has already been finalised and the CPI will be contesting on two seats in the state. Stalins seat-sharing arrangement illustrates maturity and understanding of prevailing political situations. The Congress should also be accommodative to each member of the alliance because the target is to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said Raja. As part of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the CPI got four seats to contest in KeralaWayanad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Mavelikkara.

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 9:53 pm

Trinamool Congress lashes out at BJP over removal of West Bengal DGP; BJP welcomes ECs move

Trinamool Congress accuses BJP of influencing Election Commissions decision to remove West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar; BJP cites his bias

The Hindu Businessline 18 Mar 2024 9:42 pm

Vivek Sahay appointed DGP West Bengal

Vivek Sahay appointed DGP West Bengal Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Kolkata, Vivek Sahay was appointed as the DGP of West Bengal on Monday, following the removal of the previous DGP, Rajeev Kumar by the Election Commission. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made this decision in anticipation of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, aiming to uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and freedom in the electoral process. Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued orders for the removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal along with some other senior officials from various states. The ECI has also ordered the removal of certain key officials of six states in what it termed a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections. The Governor is pleased to appoint Shri Vivek Sahay, IPS, Director General and Commandant General, Home Guards, West Bengal, to the post of Director General and Inspector of Police, West Bengal with immediate effect until further order. This appointment is made in the interest of public service, the chief secretary of West Bengal wrote in a notice. The DGP had been in the spotlight after the BJP and other opposition parties criticised the Bengal police for alleged inaction in giving justice to the victims of Sandeshkhali. The Sandeshkhali area had been witnessing unrest after women protestors sought justice against alleged atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides. The ECI also issued orders for the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal along with some other senior officials from various states. The poll body ordered the removal of certain key officials from six states in what it termed a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections. Home Secretaries in six states Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been asked to step down. Additionally, the secretaries of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have been removed. Meanwhile, the Election Commission also directed all state governments to transfer officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 9:14 pm

Samir K Modi Embarks on Historic Atoot Bandhan, Rishta Dil Ka Roadshow

Modicare Limited, one of Indias leading direct selling companies, embarks on a grand roadshow Atoot Bandhan, Rishta Dil Ka, flagged off by Mr Samir K Modi. This historic journey in 4 days will cover approximately 600 kilometres and 10 cities in Odisha and West Bengal. First of its kind in the direct selling industry, this [] The post Samir K Modi Embarks on Historic Atoot Bandhan, Rishta Dil Ka Roadshow appeared first on Pragativadi | Odisha News, Breaking News Odisha, Latest Odisha News .

Pragativadi 18 Mar 2024 8:29 pm

TMC govt under scanner over non-submission of Utilisation Certificates. Here is what it means and why the CAG is concerned

CAG noted that pendency in submitting outstanding Utilisation Certificates could risk the possibility of misappropriation of funds sanctioned by the West Bengal government.

OpIndia 18 Mar 2024 8:12 pm

West Bengal BJP Yuva Morcha protests against illegal constructions following fatal building collapse in Kolkata

West Bengal BJP Yuva Morcha protests against illegal constructions following fatal building collapse in Kolkata West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party's Yuva Morcha President, Dr Indranil Khan on Monday led a protest at Kolkata Corporation Headquarters against the innumerable illegal constructions across the city of Kolkata after 4 people were allegedly killed under the debris of the illegal building that collapsed last night in South Kolkata's Garden Reach area. A five-storey under-construction building collapsed in Kolkata's Garden Reach area late on March 17. The death toll in South Kolkata's Metiabruz building collapse incident has reached 4, Kolkata police said. Earlier in the day, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said that 13 people were rescued from the site of the mishap. As many as 13 people have just been rescued. Rs 5 lakh will be given as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh will be given to those injured, Bose said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the site of the incident and also met with the injured at a hospital in South Kolkata. Expressing grief over the incident, Banerjee wrote on the social media platform X, Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our mayor, fire minister, secretaries and Commissioner of Police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night to mitigate the disaster. This is an illegal construction. I express my condolences to the families. I will urge the administration to take strict action against those involved in illegal construction. When this construction was going on, those involved should have been more vigilant, Banerjee said. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 8:07 pm

EC removes West Bengal's acting DGP Rajeev Kumar, appoints Vivek Sahay to post [details]

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Vivek Sahay will be the new Director General of Police in West Bengal, succeeding acting DGP Rajeev Kumar, whose removal was ordered by the Election Commission of India earlier on Monday.

IBTimes 18 Mar 2024 7:36 pm

EC Orders Large-Scale Transfers Of Several Bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP Ahead Of LS Polls

Days after the declaration of the LS elections schedule, the chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar also ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners.

Zee News 18 Mar 2024 5:25 pm

Election Commission Orders Removal of West Bengal's DGP Rajeev Kumar, Trinamool Congress Criticizes BJP

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, accusing them of attempting to manipulate institutions like the Election Commission of India (ECI) for their political gain. He asserted that the BJP's removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar, was part of this agenda. Ghosh emphasized that the BJP's actions were driven by their desire to support their state organizations, particularly in West Bengal where they anticipate electoral defeat. Despite these efforts, Ghosh expressed confidence in the Trinamool Congress and its leader Mamata Banerjee, asserting that they would emerge victorious in the upcoming elections. The Election Commission's decision to remove Rajeev Kumar came amid criticism from the BJP and other opposition parties regarding alleged police inaction in addressing issues in Sandeshkhali. The unrest in the Sandeshkhali area stemmed from demands for justice against purported atrocities by Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and associates. In addition to Kumar's removal, the Election Commission also ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal and other senior officials from various states. This move, aimed at maintaining the integrity of the electoral process, included the removal of Home Secretaries from six states and General Administrative Department secretaries from Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh. Furthermore, the Election Commission directed state governments to transfer officers involved in election-related tasks who have completed three years in their current positions or are serving in their home districts. The removal of officials holding dual charges, particularly those serving as Chief Minister's office-bearers, aims to ensure impartiality and neutrality in matters concerning law and order and deployment of forces during elections. These measures, according to the Commission, uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thereby ensuring a fair and level playing field in the electoral process. Apple in Talks to Integrate Google's Gemini AI into iPhone 16 Kirti Azad Asserts Virat Kohli's Inclusion in T20 World Cup 2024 Squad Fatal Traffic Accident Claims 21 Lives in Southern Afghanistan

News Track 18 Mar 2024 5:11 pm

Congress Stands Behind Rahul Gandhi Amid BJP Criticism on 'Shakti' remark

New Delhi: After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks about 'Shakti' sparked controversy, the Congress has rallied behind him. Congress leader Pawan Khera indirectly criticized the BJP, stating that the country will now be governed by divine power rather than demonic power. In a social media post, Khera questioned the BJP's silence when women were subjected to appalling treatment in Manipur. He also highlighted instances where he alleged the BJP supported perpetrators of heinous crimes against women. Khera emphasized that the upcoming election would be a battle between divine and demonic powers, predicting victory for the former, including Rahul Gandhi, the INDIA bloc, youth, and farmers. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to Rahul Gandhi's remarks on 'Shakti', expressing his reverence for women as embodiments of strength. He rejected claims that the ruling party aimed to suppress 'Shakti', asserting his commitment to empowering women. PM Modi also pledged to defend 'Shakti' and Bharat Mata. Rahul Gandhi's comments, made during an event in Maharashtra, raised concerns about the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines and the alleged dominance of the state. He accused the government of compromising the autonomy of institutions like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department. The exchange underscores the political rhetoric surrounding notions of power and governance ahead of the upcoming elections. Election Commission Orders Removal of West Bengal's DGP Rajeev Kumar, Trinamool Congress Criticizes BJP Apple in Talks to Integrate Google's Gemini AI into iPhone 16 Kirti Azad Asserts Virat Kohli's Inclusion in T20 World Cup 2024 Squad

News Track 18 Mar 2024 5:11 pm

Supreme Court Dismisses Petition of AgustaWestland Scam Accused Christian Michel

New Delhi: The Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by Christian James Michel, an accused in the AgustaWestland chopper scam, seeking release from jail. Michel claimed that he had already served five years in jail, which is the maximum punishment for the offences for which he was extradited in 2018, and that the trial of the case has yet to begin. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud refused to entertain the petition, questioning the filing of a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. Advocate Aljo K Joseph, representing Michel, informed the court that his release application was rejected by the trial court on February 23, based on a Supreme Court judgment of February 7, 2023. The judgment stated that Michel was not entitled to mandatory release as an undertrial upon completion of the maximum sentence, as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed an additional chargesheet accusing him under Section 467 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The bench observed that Michel was aggrieved by this finding and suggested filing a challenge to that order, questioning how the case fell under Article 32. In his petition, Michel claimed that his liberty under the Constitution had been curtailed, and he was illegally detained in custody after completing the maximum sentence. He stated that as of December 5, 2023, he had spent five years in prison for offences related to deception and cheating under sections 415 and 420 of the IPC. He was extradited from Dubai on December 4, 2018, based on these charges. However, the CBI later added Section 467 of the IPC against him through supplementary chargesheets filed in September 2020 and March 2022. The AgustaWestland scam, also being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is estimated to be about 3,700 crore. Michel, a British national, was accused of being the alleged middleman in the deal and was charged along with other accused under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The trial in the case has yet to begin, with both the ED and CBI opposing Michel's bail, claiming him to be a flight risk with deep nexus and influence in the bureaucracy. The CBI has named former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma and four Indian Air Force (IAF) officers for allegedly favouring the firm in the controversial deal signed in 2010. Michel was named by the CBI in its September 2017 chargesheet, while the ED initiated a probe into the money trail following the payment of kickbacks in the deal. Delhi Police Arrests Members of Interstate Illegal Arms Supply Gang Congress Stands Behind Rahul Gandhi Amid BJP Criticism on 'Shakti' remark Election Commission Orders Removal of West Bengal's DGP Rajeev Kumar, Trinamool Congress Criticizes BJP

News Track 18 Mar 2024 5:11 pm

Building collapse: CPI(M) claims TMC blames Left for any ills in Bengal

Building collapse: CPI(M) claims TMC blames Left for any ills in Bengal Claiming that the collapsed under-construction building at Garden Reach was coming up during the last couple of years only, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member and former Kolkata mayor Bikash Bhattacharya on Monday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of blaming the Left for any ills in West Bengal. Responding to city Mayor Firhad Hakim's accusation that illegal construction in Garden Reach and some other areas in Kolkata has been a trend since the Left Front era, he asked what the TMC has been doing during its 12-year rule even if such an accusation was considered to be true for the sake of argument. ''If anything bad happens in the state, the TMC finds it convenient to blame the erstwhile Left Front government,'' Bhattacharya told PTI. The TMC came to power in West Bengal in 2011, defeating the Left Front, which ruled the state for 34 years from 1977. Claiming that the building, which was admitted by Hakim to be illegal, was being constructed over the last couple of years, Bhattacharya said that the local councillor and the MLA are both from the ruling Trinamool Congress. Hakim, who is also the state's Urban Development minister, is the local MLA. ''Were they keeping their eyes closed when this illegal construction work was taking place?'' asked Bhattacharya, who was the mayor of Kolkata from 2005 to 2010. When asked by reporters that several buildings in the area were constructed illegally, Hakim claimed that construction of unauthorised buildings in the area has been a trend in the area for a long time. ''It has been the trend here and also in some other areas since the Left Front era. Now it does not happen so much,'' he said. Hakim said that there was a lapse on the part of the officials for failing to notice the illegal construction and take steps, while asserting that it is not the job of the local elected councillor to see which construction is according to a sanctioned plan from Kolkata Municipal Corporation and which is not.

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 5:09 pm

Jkhand DGP holds meeting with five states to ensure free, fair LS polls

Jkhand DGP holds meeting with five states to ensure free, fair LS polls Security has been tightened in Jharkhand especially along the state's border with West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, a senior police officer said on Monday. DGP Ajay Kumar Singh chaired an inter-state virtual co-ordination meeting with senior police officials from neighboring states to ensure fair elections. Discussions during the meeting covered various topics, including intelligence sharing, naxal activities, and coordination to address inter-state criminal activities. Additionally, emphasis was placed on activating the checkposts along the borders to curb influx of illegal weapons, arms, ammunition, liquor, and narcotics. The DGP mentioned that a list of interstate criminals has been shared with the respective states to facilitate necessary action. The Lok Sabha polls for 14 seats in the state will be conducted in four phases. The voting schedule is as follows: Singhbhum, Khunti, Lohardaga, and Palamu on May 13; Chatra, Koderma, and Hazaaribag on May 20; Giridih, Dhanbad, Ranchi, and Jamshedpur on May 25; and Rajmahal, Dumka, and Godda on June 1. Among the 14 Lok Sabha seats, five are reserved for STs and one for SCs. The state has over 2.55 crore voters, including 1.29 crore men, 1.25 crore women, and 407 transgenders. There are 22 lakh first-time voters and 3.6 lakh persons with disabilities among them.

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 5:08 pm

IPS officer Vivek Sahay appointed as West Bengal's next DGP

The Election Commission has ordered the removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police (DGP), along with several other senior officials from various states, ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. IPS officer Vivek Sahay has been appointed as the next DGP of West Bengal in place of the removed official. The move aims to uphold the principles of free, fair, and transparent elections.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 4:59 pm

Lok Sabha Election 2024 Bihar Schedule: Know Dates, Seats And Parties

Bihar Lok Sabha Election Dates 2024: The voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1. Besides West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, Bihar is the only state that will be polling in all seven phases.

NDTV 18 Mar 2024 4:44 pm

Kolkata building collapse triggers war of words between TMC and BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls

The tragedy triggered a war of words between the TMC and the opposition BJP with the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accusing the TMC-led Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) of illegally filling up water bodies in collusion with local politicians and police.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 4:32 pm

Rekha Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-Backed Baazar Style Retail Files Draft Papers With Sebi To Mop-Up Funds Via IPO

Bazaar Style Retail is one of the leading players in the value retail market in West Bengal and Odisha.

Zee News 18 Mar 2024 4:22 pm

BJP trying to 'grab' ECI for political purpose: TMC hits out at BJP over removal of WB DGP

BJP trying to 'grab' ECI for political purpose: TMC hits out at BJP over removal of WB DGP Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar and said that the BJP was trying to grab the ECI and other such organisations to fulfill their political purpose. Speaking to ANI over the removal of the West Bengal DGP, Ghosh said, The BJP is trying its best to grab organisations like ECI and others. They are trying their best to grab and monitor their jobs only to fulfil their political purpose. So, according to their program, their planning, and requests from different states, they have done this. The BJP is trying to help their state organisations because they know that in the elections, the BJP will be defeated in most of the seats in West Bengal. We are confident that the BJP may transfer a few of the officers but the public is with the Trinamool Congress and didi (Mamata Banerjee). The TMC will defeat the BJP, said the TMC leader. This comes after the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued orders on Monday for the removal of West Bengal's Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar, ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. The DGP had been in the spotlight after the BJP and other opposition parties criticised the Bengal police for alleged inaction in giving justice to the victims of Sandeshkhali. The Sandeshkhali area had been witnessing unrest after women protestors sought justice against alleged atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his aides. The ECI also issued orders for the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Chahal along with some other senior officials from various states. The poll body ordered the removal of certain key officials from six states in what it termed a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections. Home Secretaries in six states-namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have been asked to step down. Additionally, the secretaries of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have been removed. Meanwhile, the Election Commission also directed all state governments to transfer officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. The officials who have been removed in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister in respective states, which may potentially compromise or be seen to be compromising the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, especially in matters relating to law and order, deployment of forces, etc. Through these measures, the Commission says it has ensured that all stakeholders uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thereby safeguarding a level playing field in the entire electoral process. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 4:18 pm

ECI removes West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar with immediate effect

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday removed West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar, barely 48 hours after the model code conduct came into force following the announcement of 7 phases of polling in the state on Saturday, a report here said. The report said the ECI also waned a panel of three officials []

goachronicle 18 Mar 2024 4:17 pm

Glaring example of BJP's control over EC: TMC on West Bengal DGP's removal

Seeking to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections, the EC ordered the removal of home secretaries of six states and West Bengal's director general of police (DGP), besides the secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 4:13 pm

EC orders transfer of West Bengal DGP, Home Secretaries of 6 states

Home Secretaries removed are from six states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

The Hindu Businessline 18 Mar 2024 4:01 pm

EC orders out West Bengal DGP, Mumbai civic bosses

Seeking to ensure a level-playing field in the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sources said.

Rediff 18 Mar 2024 3:31 pm

Death toll rises to 4 in Kolkata building collapse; 13 rescued

Death toll rises to 4 in Kolkata building collapse; 13 rescued The death toll in the collapse of the under-construction building in South Kolkata has risen to four, city police said on Monday. A five-storey under-construction building collapsed in Kolkata's Garden Reach area late on March 17. The death toll in South Kolkata's Metiabruz building collapse incident has reached 4, Kolkata police said. Earlier in the day, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said that 13 people were rescued from the site of the mishap. As many as 13 people have just been rescued. Rs 5 lakh will be given as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh will be given to those injured, Bose said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the site of the incident and also met with the injured at a hospital in South Kolkata. Expressing grief over the incident, Banerjee wrote on the social media platform X, Sad to learn about the house collapse disaster of an under-construction building in the Garden Reach area of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Our mayor, fire minister, secretaries and Commissioner of police, civic, police, fire and disaster management officers and teams (including NDRF, KMC and KP teams) have been on site throughout the night to mitigate the disaster. This is an illegal construction. I express my condolences to the families. I will urge the administration to take strict action against those involved in illegal construction. When this construction was going on, those involved should have been more vigilant, Banerjee said. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 3:30 pm

2024 Lok Sabha polls: Election Commission orders removal of Home Secretaries in 6 states, West Bengal DGP also removed to ensure free and fair elections

The officials who have been removed by the election commission in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister

OpIndia 18 Mar 2024 3:22 pm

Lok Sabha polls | ECI orders large-scale transfers of bureaucrats

Days after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, the ECI has ordered the removal of Home Secretaries of six States, West Bengal DGP and BMC Commissioners

The Hindu 18 Mar 2024 3:16 pm

Lok Sabha Polls | EC Orders Large-Scale Transfers Of Bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP

New Delhi, Mar 18: Seeking to ensure level-playing field in Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sources said. It also ordered the removal of the West Bengal director general of police, they added. Also, the secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have been removed. Days after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel [] The post Lok Sabha Polls | EC Orders Large-Scale Transfers Of Bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Daily Excelsior 18 Mar 2024 3:15 pm

Election Commisson West Bengal DGP, 6

Election Commission News: Lok Sabha Election (EC) (Gujarat), (Uttar Pradesh), (Bihar), (Jharkhand), (Himachal Pradesh) (Uttarakhand) . () .

NDTV 18 Mar 2024 3:15 pm

Election Commission removes Bengal top cop Rajeev Kumar

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) The Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of Rajeev Kumar from the chair of the acting Director General of West Bengal Police. A communication on this count was sent to the office of the Chief Election Officer (CEO), West Bengal as well as the state secretariat. The ECI has sought []

bhaskarlive 18 Mar 2024 3:13 pm

Lok Sabha Polls: EC Orders Large-Scale Transfers Of Bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP

The commission had directed all the state governments to transfer officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts.

Bloomberg Quint 18 Mar 2024 3:05 pm

Lok Sabha polls | ECI orders removal of West Bengal DGP

The poll panel also sought a list of eligible officers for posting of Director General & Inspector General of Police, West Bengal by 5 pm on March 18.

The Hindu 18 Mar 2024 2:59 pm

LS polls: EC orders large-scale transfers of bureaucrats, West Bengal DGP

New Delhi: Seeking to ensure level-playing field in Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sources said. It also ordered the removal of the West Bengal director general of police, they added. Also, the secretary of the general Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

The Siasat Daily 18 Mar 2024 2:55 pm

Election Commission orders removal of West Bengal police chief, Gujarat and UP home secretaries | Mint - Mint

Election Commission orders removal of West Bengal police chief, Gujarat and UP home secretaries | Mint Mint

Google News 18 Mar 2024 2:44 pm

Lok Sabha Elections: EC orders removal of West Bengal DGP

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 2:42 pm

EC orders removal of West Bengal DGP Rajiv Kumar, BMC's Chahal ahead of Lok Sabha polls: Report

The Election Commission ordered the removal of several top officials, including West Bengal's DGP Rajiv Kumar and BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Additionally, it directed the removal of home secretaries from six states and secretaries of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 2:37 pm

EC orders removal of home secretaries of six states, Bengal police chief, BMC commissioner

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives for the removal of several key officials across multiple states in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The orders include the removal of home secretaries in six states: Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Furthermore, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, who were holding charges in their respective Chief Minister's Offices, have been removed from their positions, according to sources. Additionally, the ECI has also ordered the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) in West Bengal, as per sources familiar with the matter. The poll watchdog has also taken action to remove Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with several additional commissioners and deputy commissioners, according to sources. The removals come as part of the Election Commission's efforts to ensure fair and transparent elections, maintaining the integrity of the electoral process across various states. This is a developing story. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 2:37 pm

2 dead as under-construction bldg collapses in Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the building collapse site at Azan Molla Lane in the city's western periphery and assured local residents of stern action against illegal construction.

Rediff 18 Mar 2024 2:30 pm

EC orders removal of Home Secretaries in six states to ensure fair elections

EC orders removal of Home Secretaries in six states to ensure fair elections By Shailesh Yadav In a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair and transparent elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders for the removal of Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Additionally, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed. The commission has directed all the State Governments to transfer the officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. Maharashtra had not complied with the directions in respect of few Municipal Commissioners and some Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners in Maharashtra. While conveying displeasure to the Chief Secretary, the Commission directed transfer of BMC and the additional / Deputy commissioners with the direction to report by 6pm today. The Chief Secretary was further directed to transfer all the similarly placed Municipal commissioners and Additional / Deputy Municipal Commissioners of other Corporations in Maharashtra. This step comes as part of the Commission's resolve and commitment to maintaining a level playing field and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Rajiv Kumar time and again and recently during the Press Conference for announcement of Schedule for General Elections 2024. The Commission meeting chaired by Shri Rajiv Kumar, comprising of Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was held on Monday at noon. The officials who have been removed in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister in respective states which may potentially compromise or be seen to be compromising the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, especially in matters relating to law and order, deployment of forces, etc. Furthermore, the Election Commission has also taken the necessary action to remove the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal. This decision was taken due to DGP being removed from any active election management related duty earlier, during 2016 Assembly Election in the state and in 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. With this step, the Election Commission of India has shown its commitment to conducting free, fair, and transparent elections. Through these measures, the Commission ensures that all stakeholders uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality, thereby safeguarding the level playing field in the entire electoral process. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 2:29 pm

Khela Hobe 2.0: TMC goons attack BJP workers in West Bengal ahead of Lok Sabha elections, bring back memories of 2021 post-poll violence

Despite filing a complaint with the police, BJP woker Rina Thakur informed that action has not been taken against the culprits. She has accused a local TMC leader Santosh Paswan of harassing her.

OpIndia 18 Mar 2024 2:04 pm

Narendra Modis economy isnt booming for Indias unemployed youth. So, why is his party favoured to win another election?

Ian Hall , Griffith University India will soon hold the biggest election ever conducted , starting on April 19 and running through early June. Almost 950 million registered voters will be able to cast ballots to elect the 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The result is not a foregone conclusion, but most analysts expect Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to win another five years in office. After a decade in power, the opinion polls suggest Modi is still well regarded by many Indians and the main opposition parties do not command wide support. Slow growth, too few jobs This situation might strike some as odd. The Modi governments record is mixed, especially in managing the economy, and has disappointed many voters . To be sure, as the prime minister frequently reminds voters , India has grown faster than many competitors in recent years. But the BJP came to office ten years ago promising double-digit growth rates and it has never achieved that goal . Worse still, it has struggled to generate jobs for the millions of young people who need them. Critics point to errors in BJP economic policy they think have stifled growth and job creation. These include: The shock inflicted in 2016 by the sudden withdrawal of 85% of Indias paper money, ostensibly to combat corruption The bungled introduction of much-needed reforms to the agricultural sector And the ongoing protection of Indias big industrial conglomerates from domestic and foreign competition. Taken together, critics charge , these mistakes have left too many people in precarious work and held back investment in manufacturing, which could offer more people more jobs. Shoring up a Hindu nationalist base Why, then, do so many Indians still support the Modi government? Part of the answer lies in the BJPs ability to appeal to multiple constituencies with targeted messages. Ruling India effectively depends on constructing and maintaining coalitions either coalitions of parties or coalitions of voters. Modis BJP does both. It is supported by several smaller parties in parliament, but more important in terms of winning elections, is the patchwork quilt of different groups of voters it can marshal. At the centre of this quilt sits a group of convinced Hindu nationalists, motivated by an ideology known as Hindutva . They argue that Indias society and government should reflect what they believe is the will of the Hindu majority, numbering about 80% of the population. For decades, they have campaigned to end what they perceive as unreasonable special protections given to religious minorities, including for places of worship and faith-based divorce and child custody laws, as well as the autonomous status of the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir. Step by step, over the past decade, the Modi government has met many of these demands, locking in the Hindu nationalist base for the BJP. In 2019, it revoked the constitutional amendments that limited New Delhis rights to determine how Kashmir is governed. Earlier this year, the prime minister also presided over the opening ceremony of a new Hindu temple at Ayodhya, on the site of mosque demolished by Hindu nationalist activists in 1992. Soon after, the government announced a controversial new law will come into effect that will allow Hindus, Sikhs and others fleeing neighbouring Muslim-majority countries to gain Indian citizenship, but may permit the deportation of Muslims deemed to be illegal immigrants. And many believe a uniform civil code will be next, imposing common marriage, alimony and custody arrangements on all Indian citizens, regardless of religion. Courting women and urban, middle-class voters The Hindu nationalist core is powerful, but it is not large enough to give the BJP all the seats it needs to govern. For that reason, the party has also tried to win over the growing urban middle class . This group is less interested in cultural issues and more concerned with good governance, as well as Indias standing in the world. In the last two elections, the BJP won their support by promising to crack down on corruption, improve the countrys business environment, build better infrastructure and restore national pride. It is promising to push on with this program so it can hold on to this bloc of voters, and it likely will, in the absence of convincing alternatives. At the same time, the BJP will continue to seek the support of the rural poor and women, who might back left-wing parties or not vote at all. To appeal to these groups in recent years, the Modi government has doubled the funding for a rural income guarantee scheme, and launched other programs, including one to provide midday meals to schoolchildren. It has facilitated the opening of bank accounts for tens of millions, including women. This allows them in principle, at least to circumvent corrupt officials and feckless husbands when it comes to receiving welfare payments. The government has also provided millions of rural homes with toilets and cooking gas bottles , arguing both make women safer. These measures have paid off so far, with more of the rural poor and more women voting for the BJP in recent elections. This time around, the party is looking to consolidate support among women, in particular. It has shepherded a new gender quota bill through parliament, which will require one third of Lok Sabha seats to be reserved for women from 2029, among other measures. A divided and weak opposition The Modi governments success in winning over these groups is impressive, but it must be noted the BJP has never gained more than 40% of the popular vote in a national election. If it faced a united and effective opposition, it might struggle to win office. Happily for the BJP, Indias opposition parties are divided and weak. If they could join forces and put their support behind a single, strong candidate to challenge the BJP in individual districts, they might win more seats. However, negotiations to do this have proved tortuous . Worse still, the fragile opposition alliance has not yet named a credible alternative candidate for the prime ministership. Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family that led India after independence, is an obvious choice, but is widely seen as an ineffectual dilettante . Successful regional politicians like West Bengals Mamata Banerjee have limited reach beyond their own states. Meanwhile, Modis personal popularity is high . His modest background and personal charisma still appeal to the young and the aspirational, especially in caste groups historically excluded from power and wealth. Defeating such a dominant figure will be hard, if not impossible. Ian Hall , Professor of International Relations, Griffith University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 2:02 pm

Candidates take cricket, blood donation, shopping routes on day 1 of campaigning

Candidates in Kolkata and Hooghly kick off diverse campaign activities, including blood donation, cricket, shopping, and workers' meets. The focus is on engaging with voters through noble deeds and community interactions.

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 1:47 pm

Rahul Gandhi's Yatras, turned became Congress Todo Yatras says former MP CM Shivraj Chouhan

Rahul Gandhi's Yatras, turned became Congress Todo Yatras says former MP CM Shivraj Chouhan Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday took a potshot at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying his (Rahul Gandhi) yatras turned out to be Congress Todo, Congress Chodo Yatras. He further alleged that wherever the Rahul Gandhi-led yatras passed through, the Congress was badly defeated. Former CM Chouhan made the remark while speaking to reporters in the state capital Bhopal on Monday in view of the Congress' mega rally in Mumbai on Sunday. Yesterday Rahul Gandhi concluded another failed 'Yatra' in Mumbai. Rahul Gandhi did two Yatras, both turned out to be 'Congress Todo, Congress Chodo Yatra' and wherever the yatras passed by, the Congress was badly defeated. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra also did injustice to Congress. Whenever the Yatra passed through, either the Congress faced defeat or senior Congress leaders left the party, Chouhan said. He also asked Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge four questions including why they took the decision to decline the invitation to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya? Today, I want to ask Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge four questions and seek replies on those questions. The country wants to know why they took the decision to decline the invitation to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram in Ayodhya? I believe that they should answer for their historical mistake. Why did Congress not give a single statement in support of women regarding the atrocities committed against women in West Bengal? Is this not your (Congress) appeasement policy? Chouhan asked. He further added, Rahul Gandhi and his party leaders give objectionable statements against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is not in the culture of India. Making objectionable statements against the person holding the post of Prime Minister, is this the culture of Congress and the INDI alliance? The Congress leaders are continuously leaving the party which proves that there is no leadership left in the Congress party, the BJP leader said. He also questioned why Supreme leader of Congress party, Sonia Gandhi did not show courage to contest upcoming Lok Sabha elections and sought response from the party. Congress should also answer why the supreme leader of Congress, Sonia Gandhi did not contest the Lok Sabha elections and why she did not show courage to be elected by the public, Chouhan added. (ANI)

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 1:09 pm

2 dead, 13 rescued in Kolkata bldg collapse; govt to give Rs 5L to kin of dead

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the incident site and met the injured at Unipon Hospital in South Kolkata.

Mid Day 18 Mar 2024 12:50 pm

Labourer crushed to death in Odisha, locals block road

JAJPUR: Tension gripped Rahadpur within Dharmasala police limits of the district after a labourer allegedly died and two others sustained grievous injuries in a mishap at a stone crusher unit on Sunday. The identities of the deceased and the injured are yet to be ascertained though they are reported to be from West Bengal. The incident took place when the trio was opening the wheels of a crusher machine, and one of them apparently came under the wheels and died on the spot, while two others sustained serious injuries. The injured were rushed to Jajpur district headquarters hospital (DHH) and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after their condition deteriorated. Their condition is stated to be critical, police said. As the news of the death spread, locals alleged that the crusher unit was being illegally run without any license and blocked the road near Samparu village. No stone crusher unit in Rahadpur and other areas has no objection certificate (NOC) to operate. Local labourers dont get work at these stone crushing units. The owners of stone crushing units are bringing labourers from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh to work here. As the deceased and injured labourers are outsiders, they are yet to be identified even eight hours after the mishap, said a local , Maheswar Das. He alleged the deceased labourers body was being taken to an unknown place by covering it with a black polythene sheet in the back of a pickup truck. Smelling something fishy we detained the vehicle and staged a road blockade in protest. We demand `50 lakh compensation for the kin of the deceased and adequate compensation for the seriously injured labourers. We want the owner of the crusher unit to be punished heavily as he was operating the unit without any valid document, he added. On being informed, police reached the spot and tried to pacify the enraged locals. The road blockade was withdrawn after police assured stern action against the stone crusher unit owner.

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 12:43 pm

General Election 2024 West Bengal Full Schedule: Know Dates, Seats And Parties

West Bengal Lok Sabha Election Dates 2024: West Bengal, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, will be voting for its candidates in all seven phases.

NDTV 18 Mar 2024 11:54 am

Bengal Raj Bhavan starts new portal to address grievances of voters

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, on Monday, announced the launch of a new portal at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata for directly interacting with the common voters in the state and addressing their grievances ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. According to a statement issued by the office of the []

bhaskarlive 18 Mar 2024 11:53 am

Two dead, several injured after under-construction building collapse in Kolkata

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) Two persons were killed and several others were injured following the collapse of the five-storey under-construction building at Garden Reach area in the southern outskirts of Kolkata on Monday. West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim said that seven persons have []

bhaskarlive 18 Mar 2024 11:08 am

Mamata visits building collapse site in Kolkata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday visited Garden Reach area in the city, where an under-construction building collapsed, leaving two persons dead and at least seven people injured. She directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal to take action against those involved in the illegal construction of the five-storey building which collapsed around Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

The Siasat Daily 18 Mar 2024 11:05 am

Kolkata Diary | Exhibition marks 250 years of postal system

Exhibition marks 250 years of postal system The city witnessed a week-long celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of the General Post Office (GPO) with the inauguration on the Journey of Mail by governor CV Ananda Bose. In the exhibition, history of Indias postal system and the GPO itself was traced through stamps. Chief postmaster general, Bengal circle, Niraj Kumar spoke of the journey since the time of Warren Hastings in 1774. We expand our network through new modes transportation, like the railway mail service in 1853. Postage stamps as tokens of advance payment started in 1854, money order in 1872 and postal life insurance in 1884, he said. There will be a mobile exhibition on a tram and a heritage walk. Hawkers asked not to set up stalls around KMC The town vending committee of the civic body decided that hawkers will not be allowed to set up stalls surrounding Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) headquarters, but those with stalls on the pavements wont have to move. The decision will not impact hawkers occupying pavements but they have to remain within one-third of the width of the sidewalks, said a KMC source. The KMC headquarters has SN Banerjee Road to its north, Charlie Chaplin Square to its south, Bertram Street to its east and Hogg Street to its West. Members of the town vending panel include hawkers, government officials, police, shop owners and NGO representatives. Kolkata hospital to treat rare lung disease Apollo Multispeciality Hospital, Kolkata, announced the launch of a dedicated clinic to treat interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILD is a broad group of uncommon conditions of the lungs . Incessant cough and progressively worsening breathlessness are the most common symptoms. It can be mildly symptomatic and may improve with simple measures like smoking cessation, or it may be progressive with ever-worsening symptoms, said a communication from the healthcare unit. The ILD management programme at the clinic will focus on symptom relief, slowing of the progression of the disease and enhancing the overall quality of life, said an official. pranab mondal Our correspondent in West Bengal pranabm@newindianexpress.com

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 9:56 am

To battle CAA unease, junior Union minister says he will seek citizenship

Spreading unrest in Matua areas over CAA. Shantanu Thakur to apply for citizenship to counter misinformation. Protests in Chakdah, threats by Matua Mahasangha. Agitation threat. Grandfather's migration and illogical claims highlighted.

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 9:38 am

Stand By Distressed Families: Mamata Banerjee As Building Collapses In Kolkata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that she is saddened after a five-storey under-construction building collapsed in South Kolkata's Metiabruz area, adding that the rescue operation is underway.

NDTV 18 Mar 2024 9:34 am

Two killed as building collapses in Kolkata: Mayor

Two killed as building collapses in Kolkata: Mayor Two persons died and seven others were injured as an under-construction five-storeyed building collapsed in the Garden Reach area of Kolkata, city mayor Firhad Hakim said on Monday. Hakim apprehended that some more people might still be trapped under the debris. The rescue operation is going on at the site located at Azan Molla Lane in the city's western periphery. ''In a horrific accident, an under-construction five-storeyed building collapsed around midnight. Two persons were killed and at least seven people were injured,'' Hakim said. At least 10 people were rescued from the site, an official said. The city mayor said there were still a few persons trapped under the debris and efforts were on to rescue them. The injured were admitted to a hospital, Hakim said. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 1 lakh to injured persons. Hakim, who is also West Bengal's urban development minister, said ''I have spoken to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and we will give Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs one lakh to each injured person.'' Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal visited the spot and took stock of the rescue operation. ''The under-construction building collapsed in the Garden Reach area late on Sunday night. We have rescued a few people. The recuse operation is still going on,'' a police official said.

devdiscourse 18 Mar 2024 8:57 am

Promised land: Anxieties and hopes of refugees in India

Not a sound in the classroom except the fervent scribbling of pens. Little heads have bent over their answer scripts, writing intently. 14-year-old Pooja was well-prepared; confident that shed score well. But 30 minutes into the test, the ink in her pen is going dry. Anxious, she thinks shell borrow a pen from her classmates. Sheepishly, she whispers to a girl sitting adjacent to her. Rashmi, do you have an extra pen. Rashmi looks at her for a while; her otherwise gentle face contorting in some inexplicable disgust. Yeh le, Pakistani (Here, Pakistani). Pooja is not surprised. She quietly accepts the pen and returns to her test paper. Racial slurs didnt sting anymore; they were mundane, like hunger, the cold, or the stench crawling across her colony. Many of my classmates taunted me, called me a Pakistani. Now, I ignore them, it doesnt affect me anymore. Now I can proudly say that I am an Indian, Pooja, who lives in a settlement of Hindu refugees from Pakistan at Majnu Ka Tila in central Delhi, told us. Pooja was just a toddler when her family migrated to India from Hyderabad in Pakistans Sindh province. She says she does not have any memory of Pakistan. India has always been my home, she asserts. The refugee camp at Majnu Ka Tila is home to roughly 900 refugees, many of whom have been awaiting citizenship for over a decade now. With the issue of refugees once again on the headlines after the Government of India notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, announcing the rules of implementation, those living in these colonies are once again hopeful. The Ministry of Home Affairs on March 5 notified the rules for implementation of the CAA which provides accelerated citizenship for immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, or Christian communities who entered India before 2014, following religious persecutions. Why CAA has polarised the polity Years of misery, ray of hope Slurs and neglect, zero civic amenities; a refugee endures. And when they belong to a nation with whom India never shared friendly relations, the social stigma itself makes the refugee life manifold agonising. Dharmveer Solanki, considered a leader among Pakistani Hindu refugee families in Delhi said the community has been waiting for thirteen years for citizenship. Our joy knows no bounds, he exclaims. After years of pain and oppression we have finally received justice. Solanki says the 160 refugee families living in the Majnu ka Tila settlement have been enduring abject poverty. The community has no access to clean water or electricity with most families earning a living by selling trinkets here and there at roadside stalls. We are forced to live in unhygienic conditions. The municipal corporation (MCD) does not pick up garbage from these areas. Access to healthcare is scant as most are not eligible for government health schemes, said Solanki. We will now be able to access various government schemes and benefits; like citizens. His lips flutter in enthusiasm every time he mentions citizen. Hailing from an agrarian community, Solanki hopes that the government will provide them with a piece of agricultural land to settle down and cultivate. Centre launches mobile app for those seeking citizenship under CAA Among the jubilant refugees in the Majnu ka Tila camp, their numbers over 500, is Kamal, living in a slum without legal sanction for decades. This moment is like a second birth, not just for me and my family but for my entire community and for those who were living here without any authority for decades, he said. Brij Lal, another afflicted, likened the occasion to Holi and Diwali. Lal attributed this milestone to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as no less than an avatar (divine incarnation) for their community. The implementation of the CAA has been a subject to much debate since its inception. However, for refugees like Solanki, Kamal, and Lal, it represents a long-awaited opportunity for a better life in their new-found homeland. When bulldozers loomed And who is a refugee? They are people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or persecution and have sought safety in another country. As per the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, refugees are unable to return to their native countries because of feared persecution as a result of their identity, beliefs, or due to armed conflict, violence or grave public disorder. Many have been forced to flee with little more than the clothes on their back, leaving behind their homes, possessions, jobs and loved ones. They may have suffered human rights violations, injured in conflict, or endured loss of life and property. Arriving in a foreign land, these people are without the rights of a citizen; a constant threat of eviction looms over their heads. Another refugee named Dayalu Kumar, selling mobile covers at Tis Hazari to earn a meager livelihood, narrates the precarious nature of the refugee life. We used to live under a constant threat that our houses would be bulldozed and we would be evicted from here. Now, we are being showered with flowers. We have been assured that we can stay here, he said. On March 4, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had issued notices to illegal settlements in the area, asking residents to vacate. The officials had notified a demolition drive on March 7 and 8 to remove the encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains. The DDA, in a statement, said they were only adhering to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that declared the area to be a part of the Yamuna flood lands. The NGT in its October 2019 order, directed that the floodlands cannot be allowed to be encroached upon as it may have detrimental effects on the ecology of the river. However, on March 13, the Delhi High Court instructed the DDA for an interim halt on the demolition of the camp. The decision came in response to a plea filed by Ravi Ranjan Singh, a refugee, who sought protection for the camp until they were allocated alternative habilitation. Singhs plea, invoking the CAA, underscored the governments pledge to provide shelter to persecuted non-Muslim minorities from neighbouring nations. But are refugees only Hindus and Sikhs? While politics peaks over granting citizenship to persecuted minorities under the CAA, the situation on the ground shows that a life of dignity is as much desired by the Rohingya refugees as it is by the Hindus and Sikhs at Majnu Ka Tila. The elusive life of dignity Notably, the Rohingya refugees, their total numbers in the millions, have populated various parts of the country, living in slums, particularly in Assam, and West Bengal. In the national capital, a cluster of Rohingyas live in the Kalindi Kunj area. They continue to endure reduced rights, without access to basic amenities like water, food, education and medical assistance. A Rohingya settlement on Jaitpur Road in Kalindi Kunj has about 54 families of over 300 individuals. Those living in these dwellings say they have been staying here for more than 10 years. Yet, they struggle everyday for drinking water. However, for electricity, they have been provided metres, a minor relief. Salimullah, resident at the Rohingya camp in Kanchankunj near Kalindi Kunj area says their lives have remained miserable. Apart from a lack of basic facilities, they are subject to demonization in the media. A strong social stigma percolates against the Rohingyas, Salimullah says, leaving them vulnerable to humiliation, and reduced opportunities. There is hardly any access to drinking water. We are deprived of the most basic of facilities. A water tanker comes once a day, that too stations nearly half a kilometre from our JJ (jhuggi jhopdi) cluster, Salimullah tells us. Notably, on Sunday, March 17, the water tanker did not arrive at the refugee camp. Salimullah says that the most distressing part is the way they are projected on the media. We are called names; ghuspetiya (infiltrators). The media marks us as criminals, and terrorists. People avoid employing us for anything, even as labourers, he said. Some NGOs, working for the upliftment of refugee communities, sometimes provide aid to the Rohingya encampments at the Kanchankunj area. However, off-late, Salimullah says the frequency of these visits have drastically reduced. Asked about the implementation of the CAA, Salimullah sighs, then looks away without offering any response. Hopes among Afghan Sikhs The members of the Sikh community who were evacuated by the Indian government from Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban captured the government, have their hopes up after the government notified the implementation of the CAA. Though, their lives are not as miserable as the Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan and the Rohingyas, yet, not being a citizen makes them ineligible for several fundamental rights. A large number of these Sikh refugees settled at Tilak Nagar area. Guljeet Singh, president of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, Manohar Nagar told us that several local Gurudwaras offered aid to them. We gave them shelter, paid their rent and gradually most of them got employment. We bought rickshaws for them so they could earn a living. Yet providing citizenship to them is an issue the government needs to address. One among them, expresses the harsh duality of the refugee-condition. In Afghanistan, they used to say we are Indians. Here, they say we are Afghans. Where do we belong? We dont know where to go, what to do. We have no future. Citizenship is important for us.

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 8:37 am

Odisha tops countrys malaria chart as mosquito nets vanish

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has lost the momentum in malaria reduction and is once again in top of the list of states with high cases of the vector-borne disease in 2023, thanks to disruption in supply of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) considered a global best practice to prevent the disease. As per National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control, malaria cases in the state almost doubled last year as compared to 2022. The state reported 41,971 cases and four deaths in 2023. It had 23,770 cases and five deaths in 2022. Odisha contributed around 18.7 per cent of the countrys malaria tally. The state was followed by Chhattisgarh (31,713), Jharkhand (31,140), West Bengal (26,493), Tripura (22,412), Maharashtra (16,164) and Uttar Pradesh (13,585). At least five districts - Rayagada, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Koraput and Kandhamal have recorded maximum cases fuelling the numbers in the state. The districts are among nine where targeted interventions were made to achieve malaria elimination by 2030. The highest 9,925 cases were reported in Rayagada followed by 7,543 in Kalahandi, 7,007 in Koraput, 5,062 in Kandhamal and 3,888 in Malkangiri. The annual parasite index (API) that had come down to 0.52 in 2022, again shot up to 0.93 and it was more than four in five districts. The API was over 10 in Rayagada, 6.9 in Kandhamal, 6.3 in Malkangiri, 5.07 in Koraput and 4.7 in Kalahandi. Health experts working in malaria-prone areas of the state attributed the alarming rise in cases to drop in guard and behavioural changes of local populace towards routine practices suggested by health teams. The insecticide effect in LLINs lasts up to three years or 20 washes. The nets distributed in the malaria-prone districts in 2019 needed to be replaced by the end of 2022. Though more than a year has lapsed, the nets are yet to be replaced. In many villages, the old nets have been damaged and people in last summer did not use the nets at all citing sweltering weather conditions leading to rise in malaria cases, said a health staff. As many as 1.16 crore nets were distributed in the state four years back. Even as the state government had requested the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to supply 1.56 crore fresh LLINs early last year, the consignment is yet to reach Odisha. Admitting that no or less use of LLINs could have pushed the cases up, director of public health Dr Niranjan Mishra said the nets can be used beyond three years if preserved properly. Besides, the WHO had warned that the cases of zoonotic diseases like malaria would rise due to climate change. We have intensified awareness and stepped up measures in the high caseload districts, he said. Health experts said Odisha, which is spending heavily on health infrastructure and care, could have procured LLINs and distributed them instead of waiting for the Central supply and allowing malaria cases to rise. Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Shalini Pandit said the supply of nets by the Centre is getting delayed as the tender floated last year resulted in a single bid. The MoHFW has re-tendered this year. Odisha could not procure as it also faced litigation on mosquito net tender, she added. Once a high prevalence state with around 3.23 lakh malaria cases in 2017, Odisha had seen an 80 per cent decline since 2018 due to large-scale distribution of LLINs and Durgama Anchalare Malaria Nirakaran (DAMaN), a multi-component malaria intervention in hard-to-reach villages, drawing appreciation from WHO.

The New Indian Express 18 Mar 2024 8:29 am

Kolkata: 10 rescued as under-construction building collapses, search on for survivors

In Garden Reach, an under-construction building collapses, triggering a search operation. Kolkata Police Commissioner monitors rescue efforts. Concerns over trapped individuals. Urgent involvement of West Bengal State Disaster Management Team requested by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.

The Economic Times 18 Mar 2024 8:04 am

2 Dead As Five-storey Under-construction Building Collapses in Kolkata, 14 Rescued

West Bengal BJP president leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, Suvendu Adhikari shared pictures from the collapse site and slammed the ruling TMC government over the incident

News18 18 Mar 2024 7:46 am

Poll body to use AI to sense trouble in 'sensitive' booths

The Election Commission in Kolkata plans to use AI for early detection of irregularities at sensitive booths during the Lok Sabha elections. AI tools will monitor polling processes, analyze data, and ensure election integrity through machine learning algorithms and preventive measures.

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 7:25 am

'Vulgar jibe': TMC slams BJP leader's 'circumcision' post

Tathagata Roy's controversial proposal to use circumcision for CAA verification faces backlash from Trinamool Congress, highlighting concerns over religious discrimination and entitlement to citizenship based on religious persecution.

The Times of India 18 Mar 2024 7:09 am