PTI, Kolkata, 10 April : West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said the state's 'largest' factory would come up in Singur if the Left Front returns to power in the coming assembly elections and dared Trinamool Congress to resist it.
"I am telling you, I will set up a factory at Singur after the formation of the 8th Left Front government. This will be the largest factory in the state. Let me see if they (TMC) have the courage to resist it," he said at an election rally in his home constituency Jadavpur here. Asserting that his government had made no mistake in initiating industrialisation, Bhattacharjee said the move was essential in the interests of the state. Nearly 27 lakh youngsters were studying in various educational institutions in the state and expected to be employed. This was possible only through industrialisation, he said.
Ridiculing Trinamool's slogan for change during the polls, he said "Change is not child's play." After his grand procession yesterday covering an 8 km distance from Jadavpur University to Kamalgazi, the chief minister spent the first half of the day addressing party workers' rallies and processions in Jadavpur-Santoshpur areas. န File Photos : Bappaditya Dasgupta, Sanjay Bhaduri
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supreme Court to hear Dr Binayak Sen's bail plea tomorrow
New Delhi, 10 April : The Indian Supreme Court will hear on Monday the bail plea of civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen , who has been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Maoists.
New Delhi, 10 April : The Indian Supreme Court will hear on Monday the bail plea of civil rights activist Dr Binayak Sen , who has been sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sedition and links with Maoists.
Sen, 61, has challenged the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had rejected his bail plea on 10 February. A professional doctor and a pass-out of the prestigious Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, Sen has sought bail contending that the trial court has erred in convicting him when there was no substantial evidence.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probe report on share market crash to be published: Muhith
Dhaka, 10 April : Bangladesh finance minister has said the report submitted by the probe panel on the recent share market crash would be made public 'after some editing and corrections, if necessary'.
"Necessary measures will be taken after consultation with the probe committee and further investigation as suggested by the committee," A M A Muhith said in a statement on Sunday. His statement comes amid demand by various quarters, including the ruling allies, that the report be made public.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee termed CPIM a brainless party
IANS, Habibpur, 10 April : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Sunday termed CPI(M) a "brainless party" and said it will "face the music" in the coming assembly polls for its failure to perform in the last 34 years. Addressing her first election meeting in North Bengal, Mamata exuded confidence that the people will usher in political change by installing a government of Ma Mati Manush (Mother land and people - the Trinamool slogan).
"CPI(M) is a brainless party. They have done nothing in the past three decades of their rule," Mamata told the mammoth gathering here in Malda district. "In this district also, they did not make proper dams. Had they done so, erosion could have been avoided," said Mamata. Mamata Banerjee also said that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to the misrule perpetuated by the CPI(M)-led ruling Left Front on the common people.
"The people of Malda, and rest of West Bengal will give a befitting reply to the Left Front's misrule. They will face the music of the people in the coming elections. They will have to go and people will create history by electing the government of Maa Mati Manush," she said. Banerjee also referred to late Malda Congress strongman A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhuruy alias Barkatda. "Barkatda is not alive but he dreamt of change in Bengal and we will fulfill his dream this time."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indo-Bangladesh theatre collaboration as tribute to Tagore
New Delhi, 10 April : Young playwrights from India and Bangladesh will join hands this year in a unique tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, undertaking an ambitious project of dramatising some of the Nobel Laureate's literary works.As the two countries jointly celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore, these playwrights - 10 from Bangladesh and 14 from India, will come together at Shantiniketan to put the project into effect.
The project is part of a series of joint events that are planned for the upcoming year by the two countries that consider Tagore as their 'common legacy'.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biman Bose charges Trinamool, Congress of dividing voters
ANI, Siliguri, 10 April : Left Front Chairman Biman Bose on Sunday charged the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress of trying to create division among the people in West Bengal.
ANI, Siliguri, 10 April : Left Front Chairman Biman Bose on Sunday charged the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress of trying to create division among the people in West Bengal.
Bose, who held a campaign rally ahead of the assembly polls here, said the campaigning of his party is going on very good and that they will crush all the other parties. "The people understand who their real allies are. The campaign is going good and we shall crush the Trinamool Congress, Congress and BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," said Bose.
"There are people from different backgrounds, languages, religion and caste in our state. The Congress and the Trinamool Congress are trying to break up this strong fabric and create divisions among the people," he added.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BB governor asks banks to keep lending rates at low level
UNB, Dhaka, 10 April : Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman on Sunday asked the commercial banks to keep lending rates at more tolerable level for the sake of industrialization in the country.
“Allegations are being received that banks charge interest on loans at over 14-15 percent following the withdrawal of the lending cap. The FBCCI has also formally conveyed such an allegation, he said during a meeting with the bankers at the Bangladesh Bank head office. Dr Atiur requested the bankers to keep the interest on lending at more tolerable level.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trinamool Congress campaign goes hi-tech in West Bengal
PTI, Kolkata, 10 April : Advertisements on TV and FM channels, a web portal, Facebook, and roping in of Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia - the Trinamool Congress has gone hi-tech in its campaign for the West Bengal Assembly polls. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has herself penned a one-minute jingle, 'Bodla noy, Amra bodol chai', (We don't want revenge, we want change) being aired both on TV and FM channels urging the electorate to take a "historic decision" and vote for "paribartan" (change) to end the over three decades of Left Front rule.
The party has also roped in IT wizard and co-founder of Hotmail, Sabeer Bhatia, to take the party campaign to the cyber world.
Bhatia will be working as a consultant to help a 12-member Trinamool cyber team, which includes two IIM students.
"We are trying to use cyber technology as a bridge between the party and the people. Later, in the event of the party coming to power, we will use it as a bridge between the government and the people," TMC Vice-President Derek O'Brien who took the initiative to bring Bhatia, told PTI.
Asked whether it was a process to woo Generation Y, Brian said, "This is not a question of wooing Generation X or Generation Y. Today cyber technology and mobile technology has reached to such an extent that if we cannot take advantage of it then we will be left behind. "We will later try to give better governance using this networking," he said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Election commission relaxes rules for blood donation camps
Kolkata, 10 April : The Election Commission Saturday modified its ban on political parties organising blood donation camps in poll-bound West Bengal, ruling such events can be held voluntarily.
Kolkata, 10 April : The Election Commission Saturday modified its ban on political parties organising blood donation camps in poll-bound West Bengal, ruling such events can be held voluntarily.
‘The commission issued a letter to the state’s additional health secretary to organise blood donation camps voluntarily to overcome the current shortage in the blood banks across the state,’ said Joint Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar. According to Sarkar, any organisation or human rights group other than political parties can now organise such camps.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sikkim's decadal population growth 12.36% from 2001-2011
PTI, Gangtok, 10 April : The decadal population growth in Sikkim from 2001 to 2011 has been 12.36 per cent, a substantial drop from the 33.07 per cent growth recorded in the previous decade 1991-2001.Against a total population growth in the last 10 years of 66,837 people, children under the age of six make up 61,077 or 10.05 per cent, as per the official release of the Provisional Population Census of 2011 for Sikkim.
The report was released by state HRD minister N K Pradhan here today. Of the children under six-years age, 31,418 are boys and 29,659 are girls. Among the districts, East Sikkim recorded the highest population growth between 2001 to 2011 at 14.80 per cent down from 37.32 per cent growth in 1991-2001 and the lowest population growth of 5.67 per cent has been recorded in North Sikkim.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Govt negotiating on import of cotton from India, Uzbekistan
Dhaka, 10 April : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Faruk Khan on Sunday said the government would take expeditious steps to import cotton for meeting the demand in the country.
Dhaka, 10 April : Bangladesh Commerce Minister Faruk Khan on Sunday said the government would take expeditious steps to import cotton for meeting the demand in the country.
“We’re communicating with India and Uzbekistan for the import 4 lakh metric tons of cotton,” he said when a delegation of Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) met with him at his Secretariat office. The Minister assured the BTMA delegation that necessary steps will be taken to quickly resolve their other problems.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GJM’s Gorkhaland movement a failure: GNLF chief Ghising
IANS, Mirik, 10 April : Returning to the Darjeeling hills after a gap of three years, Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supremo Subash Ghising has launched a blistering attack on the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) saying its movement for a separate Gorkhaland has failed. Ghising, a former armyman, led a prolonged violent struggle in the 1980s for a Gorkhaland state before signing an agreement on 22 August, 1988 with the central and West Bengal governments for creation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC) - an autonomous governing body for the hills. He has lived in exile from the hills after his GNLF was sidelined in early 2008 by the GJM that spearheads the movement now.
‘Our movement was for identity of the Gorkhas. We got our identity after the 1986 hill accord was signed and the DGHC was formed,’ Ghising told his first meeting in the hills in over three years here Saturday.
Over 8,000 GNLF supporters, who came in colourful processions, attended the meeting near the Mirik Lake under the Kurseong sub-division of Darjeeling district. Mirik area has remained a strong belt of the GNLF even after the erosion of the party’s base in the hills where the GJM now calls the shots.
Ghising said he launched the agitation for Gorkhaland in the 1980s, but switched over to the demand for grating the sixth schedule status for the hills after he realised that the central and state governments would not yield to the demand for a separate state. ‘Now that the GJM has failed in its movement to grant Gorkhaland, it is clear that my political line was correct. Only the sixth schedule status can solve the problems in the hills,’ he told the gathering. Ghising also released the party manifesto for the coming state assembly polls in which the GNLF has fielded candidates in the three hill seats - Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong. The GNLF had won the three seats in the 2006 assembly polls.
Political circles believe Ghising’s comeback could be a turning point for the hills ahead of the 18 April assembly elections. န File Photo : PTI
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.bengalnewz.com-----
