Kolkata, 16 January : CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat Sunday termed the upcoming visit of a team of Election Commission (EC) officials to West Bengal as "unprecedented" and "unusual" and criticized the union home minister for turning a blind eye to the "Maoist-Trinamool Congress nexus"."The election commission of India has taken an unprecedented step of sending a team which consists of the CEO (chief electoral officer) of Bihar and police officials from outside state. We do not think this will contribute to the capacity of the state administration to organise free and fair elections and maintain law and order," Karat said while addressing media persons after the conclusion of the two-day politburo meeting here.
A team consisting of the chief electoral officer of Bihar and senior police officers from other districts has been sent by Election Commission of India to visit the state and its violence prone districts! န Photo : PTI
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Bangla Banchao group's shutdown in Siliguri cripples life
Siliguri, 16 January : Normal life came to a standstill in Siliguri in Darjeeling district Sunday on day one of a 48-hour shutdown called by the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee (BOBBBC) protesting against the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's (GJM) movement for a separate state.
"The shutdown was spontaneous and peaceful in Siliguri sub-division barring some stray incidents. So far we have made preventive arrests of 13 BOBBBC supporters including its secretary Mukunda Mazumder," said Additional Police Superintendent (Siliguri) Gaurav Sharma.
Siliguri, 16 January : Normal life came to a standstill in Siliguri in Darjeeling district Sunday on day one of a 48-hour shutdown called by the Bangla O Bangla Bhasha Banchao Committee (BOBBBC) protesting against the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha's (GJM) movement for a separate state.
"The shutdown was spontaneous and peaceful in Siliguri sub-division barring some stray incidents. So far we have made preventive arrests of 13 BOBBBC supporters including its secretary Mukunda Mazumder," said Additional Police Superintendent (Siliguri) Gaurav Sharma.
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WM district magistrate inspect Netai village for CRPF camp
Netai, 16 January : The District Magistrate today inspected a spot in Netai village under Lalgarh Police Station in West Midnapore district where a CRPF camp would be set up shortly.
'The villagers are demanding that adequate security measures be put in place. Therefore, we have inspected a spot in this regard,'' District Magistrate (West Midnapore) Surindar Gupta told newspersons.
Netai, 16 January : The District Magistrate today inspected a spot in Netai village under Lalgarh Police Station in West Midnapore district where a CRPF camp would be set up shortly.
'The villagers are demanding that adequate security measures be put in place. Therefore, we have inspected a spot in this regard,'' District Magistrate (West Midnapore) Surindar Gupta told newspersons.
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Not consulted on petrol hike, will hold protests : Trinamool
Kolkata, 16 January : Alleging that it was not consulted before the petrol price hike, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner Trinamool Congress Sunday announced protest rallies and meetings across West Bengal to demand a rollback and steps to control the escalating cost of essentials!
It also demanded that meetings of the UPA constituents be held every three months to discuss important issues before they came in the public domain. "The Trinamool has been neither consulted nor has any discussion been held as far as price rise of petrol is concerned," Trinamool's chief whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told media persons here.
Kolkata, 16 January : Alleging that it was not consulted before the petrol price hike, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner Trinamool Congress Sunday announced protest rallies and meetings across West Bengal to demand a rollback and steps to control the escalating cost of essentials!
It also demanded that meetings of the UPA constituents be held every three months to discuss important issues before they came in the public domain. "The Trinamool has been neither consulted nor has any discussion been held as far as price rise of petrol is concerned," Trinamool's chief whip in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay told media persons here.
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Even a year later, Jyoti Basu inspires body donations in WB
IANS, Kolkata, 16 January : It could well be that CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu took the decision to pledge his body for medical research in his customary matter-of-fact manner, with a deadpan face.But his gesture, a rarity among politicians in India, has seen a great leap in body donations in West Bengal in the year since his death. Monday is the former chief minister's first death anniversary. Pledges for body donation have leapfrogged by over 50 percent in the last one year, non-governmental organisations working in the field told IANS. Ganadarpan, the central coordinating NGO on body donation in the state, has received around 75,000 pledges from people of various age groups after Basu's death as against an average of 50,000 in previous years.
Basu, 95, who had a record 23-year stint as chief minister of an Indian state and almost became the country's prime minister in 1996, died 17 Jan last year. His body was donated to state-owned SSKM Hospital for medical science according to his wish. "We have received 75,000 pledges since last year regarding body donation. Before Basu's death we used to receive 50,000 pledges a year," Ganadarpan general secretary Brojo Roy said. န File Photo : Shankar Mondal
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Lalgarh' Netai village carnage toll rises to nine this morning
Kolkata, 16 January : The deaths in the Netai village carnage near the Maoist-affected Lalgarh area in West Bengal's West Midnapore district rose to nine as one of the injured died of her injuries at a state-run hospital here Sunday.
Arati Mondal, 50, died at SSKM Hospital today. Five others were admitted in the same hospital with serious injuries in the incident.
Kolkata, 16 January : The deaths in the Netai village carnage near the Maoist-affected Lalgarh area in West Bengal's West Midnapore district rose to nine as one of the injured died of her injuries at a state-run hospital here Sunday.
Arati Mondal, 50, died at SSKM Hospital today. Five others were admitted in the same hospital with serious injuries in the incident.
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Bangladesh to join 18th Int’l Trade Fair in Guwahati as 'PC'
Dhaka, 16 January : Bangladesh will participate in the 18th International Trade Fair-2011 to be held at Guwahati in Assam from 28 January to 10 February to showcase Bangladeshi products and boost trade with India’s northeastern region.
Bangladesh will participate in the fair as partner country for the first time with some 50 stalls showcasing Bangladeshi products and culture and heritage. Bangladeshi films will also be screened during the 14-day fair in Guwahati. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan informed this to the reporters after a meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter at his Secretariat office today.
Dhaka, 16 January : Bangladesh will participate in the 18th International Trade Fair-2011 to be held at Guwahati in Assam from 28 January to 10 February to showcase Bangladeshi products and boost trade with India’s northeastern region.
Bangladesh will participate in the fair as partner country for the first time with some 50 stalls showcasing Bangladeshi products and culture and heritage. Bangladeshi films will also be screened during the 14-day fair in Guwahati. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan informed this to the reporters after a meeting with Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Rajeet Mitter at his Secretariat office today.
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Pakistani arrested with 1crore Indian rupees in Bangladesh
UNB, Dhaka, 16 January : Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Pakistani citizen along with 1 crore Indian rupees near Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on Monday.
Acting on secret information RAB conducted a drive at the area and held Pakistani citizen Abdullah Ali, 38, along with the Indian currency from a private car beside Golechakkar (Circle) near the airport at about 5:30am(BDST). RAB said the arrestee is an international currency racketeer. He came from Pakistan.
UNB, Dhaka, 16 January : Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Pakistani citizen along with 1 crore Indian rupees near Shahjalal International Airport in the capital on Monday.
Acting on secret information RAB conducted a drive at the area and held Pakistani citizen Abdullah Ali, 38, along with the Indian currency from a private car beside Golechakkar (Circle) near the airport at about 5:30am(BDST). RAB said the arrestee is an international currency racketeer. He came from Pakistan.
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Rare eye surgery performed on arrow-hit Tripura girl skins
Agartala, 16 January : Doctors in Kolkata have performed a rare operation and saved the life of an 18-year-old Tripura girl who was struck in her left eye by an iron arrow which pierced through 4 mm of the rearmost part of her skull.
According to the girl's family members, the 28 cm arrow abruptly hit Itu Rani Jamatia, a Class 12 student, 6 January while she was playing with her younger brother at Bishramganj, some 40 km south of here. "The girl was shifted from two hospitals before being moved to Peerless Hospital in Kolkata 7 January. In a five-hour surgery, neurosurgeons removed the arrow from Rani's eye," Nagendra Jamatia, the girl's relative, told reporters today.
Agartala, 16 January : Doctors in Kolkata have performed a rare operation and saved the life of an 18-year-old Tripura girl who was struck in her left eye by an iron arrow which pierced through 4 mm of the rearmost part of her skull.
According to the girl's family members, the 28 cm arrow abruptly hit Itu Rani Jamatia, a Class 12 student, 6 January while she was playing with her younger brother at Bishramganj, some 40 km south of here. "The girl was shifted from two hospitals before being moved to Peerless Hospital in Kolkata 7 January. In a five-hour surgery, neurosurgeons removed the arrow from Rani's eye," Nagendra Jamatia, the girl's relative, told reporters today.
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A Bangladeshi killed by BSF in Chapainawabganj border
UNB, Chapainawabganj, 16 January : A Bangladeshi cattle trader was killed by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) at Singnagar border in Shibganj upazila early Sunday.The deceased was identified as Shahjahan Ali, 32, son of Younus Ali of Hatatpara village in same upazila.
BGB sources said 7/8 people, including Shahjahan, entered Indian land through the border for bringing cattle at about 5am Saturday.
BSF members of Indian Shobhapur camp chased them and caught Shahjahan while others managed to flee away.
The Indian border guards then hit Shahjahan with sharp weapons, leaving him injured. They later left him at no man’s land.
A BGB team rescued and sent him to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital where he died at about 1am Sunday.
BGB sent a letter to BSF authorities protesting the incident. န File Photo
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