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Tag: West Bengal news

  • EC discover to Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh for ‘there will be Sitalkuchi in several places’ remarks

    The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a discover to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh for his alleged remarks that there could be “Sitalkuchi in several places”, after 4 individuals have been killed when central forces opened hearth throughout polling in Cooch Behar district.
    He has been requested to reply to the discover and make his stand clear on his remarks by Wednesday morning.
    The Trinamool Congress had approached the Commission towards Ghosh.
    The discover cited Ghosh’s alleged remarks that “if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places.”

  • Amid Covid-19 surge, over 20 ballot observers’ assessments return constructive

    More than 20 ballot observers in West Bengal have examined constructive for Covid-19 for the reason that finish of the second section of the Assembly elections on April 1, Election Commission (EC) officers stated on Saturday. The assertion got here even because the state reported over a thousand new Covid instances for the third straight day.
    Sources within the Commission stated among the 20 examined constructive earlier than they joined responsibility whereas most had been a part of the ballot course of and are actually in isolation. The observers will quickly get replaced, they added.
    Like the remainder of the nation, Covid-19 instances are once more rising quickly in West Bengal. On Saturday, the state well being division stated 1,736 new instances had been recorded in 24 hours until 9 am. Five deaths — in Kolkata, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas — pushed up the statewide toll to 10,340. In whole, 26,114 samples had been examined in 24 hours, based on well being officers.
    Doctors have stated the present rise in instances is alarming and the scenario can worsen if correct preventive actions usually are not taken.

    To cease the unfold of the illness, the EC has mandated fundamental steps equivalent to social distancing, thermal scanning, sanitisation, and using masks. Due to the pandemic, the polling physique has introduced down the variety of most electors in a polling station from 1,500 to 1,000 and elevated the variety of polling stations. However, well being officers suspect that Covid instances will rise additional due to common gatherings and political campaigning. They have instructed district administrations and the Election Commission to strictly adhere to security protocols.
    Meanwhile, state well being officers stated 1,562 vaccine periods had been held on Saturday. “Total 73,493 citizens have been vaccinated today [including first and second doses] and cumulatively 55.95 lakh people have been vaccinated so far,” stated Director of Health Services Dr Ajay Chakraborty.

  • Faced unprecedented harassment resulting from PM go to: Adhir letter to EC

    Senior Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Saturday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora saying he was subjected to “unprecedented harassment” on the Kolkata airport as he was “stopped for hours” due to PM Narendra Modi’s arrival on the terminal.
    The Congress chief stated he needed to cancel a political programme due to the delay. He stated the PM’s safety shouldn’t be at “the cost and harassment to another political leader” whereas he’s travelling to attend a political occasion.

  • Gehlot says Centre making states financially weaker

    Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s financial insurance policies, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday charged that the central authorities was making states financially weaker.
    Gehlot on Thursday prolonged assist to Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, days after she wrote to Opposition leaders asking them to unite towards the BJP’s “one-party authoritarian rule” and proposing that they chart a plan of motion after the on-going polls.
    Taking to Twitter, Gehlot mentioned, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta ji has written a letter to all Opposition parties. What she has said about the Centre withholding the funds of the states, I had raised this in the Assembly earlier, on the way Centre is giving a step motherly treatment to the states.”
    “On one hand, the Prime Minister speaks of cooperative federalism, but on the other, the states are being weakened economically. The state is also not getting the full share in GST from the Centre,” the CM mentioned.
    In paperwork shared by way of his Twitter deal with, he mentioned that the NDA authorities has had an inclination to impose cess and surcharge and shrink the divisible pool.
    “Under the 13th Finance Commission, the share of cess and surcharge in Centre’s revenue tax was 12.9 per cent, which has now increased to 18.3 per cent. This has limited the share of central taxes to just 81.7 per cent. The actual share of states in the divisible pool has reduced from 41 per cent to just 34 per cent,” the doc learn.

    He mentioned that concurrently, non-divisible pool has been elevated whereas lowering state’s shares. “For example, additional excise/special excise/cess has been imposed on petrol diesel while basic excise duty has been decreased,” he mentioned.

    The CM mentioned that as per 14th Finance Commission suggestions, states’ share in central tax income was elevated from 32 per to 42 per cent. However, this has been negated by the Union authorities by growing the state’s shares in Centrally Sponsored Schemes far more than the advantages which may outcome from a rise in states’ shares in income taxes. The CM additionally hooked up a listing of schemes exhibiting the change in share of their burden between states and the Centre.
    Additionally, the CM mentioned that the Centre is additional altering the sharing patterns by imposing a cap and placing further monetary burden on the states. As instance, he cited how, underneath Ayushman Bharat-Mahatma Gandhi Rajasthan Swasthya Bima Yojana (AB-MGRSBY) the Centre and state have a 60:40 share. However, Centre has capped premium at Rs 1,052 per household, which has restricted Centre’s share to only 37 per cent, down from 60 per cent, whereas state’s share has elevated from 40 per cent to 63 per cent.

  • Doctors concern political campaigns and rallies might result in extreme outbreak of second wave of Covid-19 in Bengal

    West Bengal is heading in direction of extreme outbreak of the second wave of coronavirus because the individuals are not adhering to the protocol to verify its unfold and enormous numbers of them are collaborating in innumerable rallies and campaigns by political leaders throughout the poll-bound state virtually every day, metropolis docs concern.
    They warned that this violation of the Covid-19 protocol might result in a state of affairs much like the one in 2020 after the outbreak of the pandemic throughout the globe.
    Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, in-charge of the post-Covid follow-up clinic on the Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General (ID&BG) Hospital, which was a delegated Covid-19 hospital, foresees a “severe outbreak” of contagion the state within the close to future.
    Sisir Naskar, the superintendent of M R Bangur Hospital, one other designated coronavirus hospital, blamed the laxity of the frequent individuals for the latest spike of Covid-19 circumstances within the state.
    “In the case of any pandemic, second and third waves are inevitable as per the law of nature. These will eventually go away but there cannot be a careless attitude. In our state, the laxity of the common people in fighting the disease is the primary reason behind the rise in the incidences of the disease,” he stated.

    Bandopadhyay stated the probabilities of extra individuals being affected by the contagion is excessive within the state as increasingly more of them are collaborating in political rallies and conferences with out carrying masks.
    Chances of virus transmission are greater in rallies as a result of extra droplets come out from the mouths of leaders after they deal with rallies and folks surrounding him shout slogans — most of them with out masks. This places individuals close to them to danger, he stated.
    “It is quite a risky situation. We are seeing large number of people participating in rallies and meetings by political parties in West Bengal and not bothering about the norms which should be followed during this pandemic,” he stated.
    We are heading in direction of a extreme outbreak of the illness right here in West Bengal and it might occur even earlier than the elections are over. And if this occurs, there can be one other disaster within the state wherein the hospitals might not be capable to accommodate lots of the affected,” city-based obstetrician- gynecologist Hiralal Konar informed PTI.
    The eighth and the final part of election in West Bengal is slated for April 29.
    According to Konar, the second wave of the dreaded coronavirus, which has already hit the state, may have been delayed by one other two to 3 months had the frequent individuals adopted the precautionary measures.
    He blamed the lackadaisical angle of the frequent individuals like not carrying correct masks and never sustaining bodily distancing norms for the latest spike within the variety of infections.
    Konar additionally blamed the political leaders of irresponsible angle for organising marketing campaign rallies placing to danger the lives of the frequent individuals collaborating in them.
    Doctors stated that the informal angle of the individuals and refusal by many to put on masks might result in a spurt in new circumstances. (Express picture by Shashi Ghosh)
    “The casual attitude of the people is quite dangerous. We have seen this sudden spike in the number of coronavirus over the last fortnight. The situation is aggravated by holding political rallies and meetings where norms are violated by everybody. If the situation deteriorates further and there is only a caretaker government due to the election, the common people will face a very difficult situation,” he cautioned.
    The principal of ID&BG Hospital Anima Halder echoed Konar and blamed the informal method of the individuals for the sudden spike within the variety of Covid-19 circumstances in West Bengal.
    She stated, “You cannot blame the political parties alone. I have seen people doing away with their masks and violating the physical distancing norm since Durga Puja last year. They sit and chat in tea stalls, participate in social gatherings and weddings, celebrate Holi. The rise in coronavirus incidences is therefore inevitable. We cannot shrug off our responsibilities. The situation is grim and will deteriorate.”
    “We cannot take things lightly thinking that there are vaccines now. There are people, who after being vaccinated are randomly violating the safety protocols without understanding the gravity of the situation,” she added.
    Senior doctor Syamasis Bandyopadhyay stated that there is no such thing as a knowledge to help that the latest surge within the state is because of political rallies. “It is the complacency of the people which led to this situation,” he stated when requested.
    “The Covid-19 situation deteriorated in Maharashtra though there was no political rally nor any election there at the time. There is no data to prove that the situation worsened in West Bengal because of the political rallies and campaigning. It is the people who are at fault,” he stated.
    In the previous 30 to 40 days, West Bengal has witnessed a four-fold surge in Covid-19 circumstances.
    On Sunday the state noticed 827 new circumstances of the an infection, the very best to date this 12 months, a bulletin launched by the state well being division stated.
    The most variety of circumstances (292) was registered within the metropolis and one other 193 in adjoining North 24 Parganas district, it stated.
    In October 2020 throughout the Durga Puja competition within the state, the every day Covid-19 an infection charge had risen past 4000. It had dropped to 130 in February this 12 months.
    Incidentally, when the state was witnessing a surge within the Covid-19 circumstances final 12 months, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had blamed political rallies and the protests for it.
    The prevalence of the illness was then highest among the many police who had been deployed to take care of legislation and order and had been among the many frontline warriors in opposition to the illness.  All the medical specialists careworn on enhancing testing amenities and expediting vaccination to manage its unfold.
    “We must increase the number of tests daily which is the only way to ascertain the number of people contaminated. Besides, we need to raise the awareness level of the people to make them wear masks and maintain physical distancing,” Konar stated.
    Mass-scale vaccination can be one of the best ways to deal with the Covid-19 surge, Syamasis Bandyopadhyay stated.

    “Since, we have the vaccines now we must quickly inoculate people. The more the people are vaccinated, the stronger will be our fight against Covid-19. Not only this, we also need to continuously message people to raise their awareness on wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing,” he stated.

  • No proof of deliberate assault in opposition to Mamata Banerjee, no OK looked for occasion: EC observers

    A day after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged a “premeditated” try on Mamata Banerjee’s life, the Election Commission’s Observers in West Bengal have reported again to the ballot panel saying there is no such thing as a proof of that, sources informed The Sunday Express.
    According to those sources primarily based in Kolkata, Special Police Observer Vivek Dube and General Observer Ajay Nayak have knowledgeable the Commission, of their report submitted Saturday, that the incident which led to her harm was a safety lapse.
    Significantly, they’ve additionally identified that no permission was obtained for the Nandigram occasion as per EC norms and that’s the reason there was no official video recording of the marketing campaign by the election equipment.

    Moreover, the 2 Observers are mentioned to have advisable motion in opposition to some officers of the district administration for alleged lapses.
    Their report, it’s realized, doesn’t describe the incident as an accident both, given that there’s little proof to reach at any conclusion.
    “The observations in the report are based on the inputs received from local administration officials and Returning Officer,” mentioned a supply.
    The three Election Commissioners are anticipated to deliberate on the report filed by the Observers and the one by the West Bengal Chief Secretary on Sunday.
    The ballot panel had sought these reviews after the Chief Minister was injured on March 10 throughout her marketing campaign in Nandigram, from the place she additionally filed her nomination for the upcoming meeting elections. Banerjee had alleged that she was focused by a gaggle of “four or five people” who had pushed her outdoors a temple the place she had stopped to supply prayers. She was admitted to hospital with bone accidents in her left ankle and foot and gentle accidents in her proper shoulder, forearm and neck.
    Banerjee’s occasion has alleged that she was attacked, calling it a “premeditated” try on her life and “part of a deep-rooted conspiracy”.
    The BJP had mentioned this was “tactics to gain sympathy.” Several Opposition leaders had condemned the “attack” and state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had referred to as it “siyasi pakhand (political hypocrisy).”
    In a petition submitted by six occasion MPs to the EC in New Delhi on Friday — the second petition in three days; the primary was submitted in Kolkata on Wednesday — the TMC alleged the assault on Mamata was orchestrated via social media feedback by BJP leaders, the elimination of the Director-General of the state police, and the “planting of eyewitnesses”.
    A BJP delegation led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal and occasion basic secretary Bhupender Yadav had additionally met EC officers Friday and demanded an impartial inquiry.

    Yadav mentioned that that they had requested the EC to make the video of the incident public and that the BJP had requested for particular observers to be appointed for the high-profile seat of Nandigram, which can see a contest between Mamata and her lieutenant-turned-BJP-leader Suvendu Adhikari.
    TMC’s earlier declare that the alleged assault was linked to the elimination of the state police chief by the EC had drawn a pointy response from the ballot panel. While the Commission described the Nandigram incident as “unfortunate”, it criticised TMC’s allegation that the Commission had eliminated the police chief on the BJP’s behest. “It looks undignified to even respond to the allegations of all this being done at the behest of a particular political party,” the EC had mentioned in its letter to the occasion on Thursday.

  • Some need to divide Nandigram 70-30, I would like your 100% help: Mamata recordsdata nomination

    “Some people want to divide Nandigram 70-30 (ratio of Hindu, Muslim population), but I need 100 per cent support… No one can divide this place along religious lines,” stated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday after submitting her nomination from the Assembly seat.
    Accompanied by state TMC chief Subrata Bakshi and native social gathering leaders, Banerjee chief reached Haldia Sub-Divisional Officer’s workplace within the afternoon after holding a roadshow that was attended by hundreds of her supporters from Nandigram and different elements of Purba Medinipur district.
    Exuding confidence of profitable the seat, the place she is going to tackle her former protege and BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari, Banerjee stated, “I have never returned empty-handed from here. Nandigram is not just a name, it is the name of a movement. Bhulte pari sobar naam, bhulbo nako Nandigram (I can forget everyone’s name, but can never forget Nandigram).”

    The TMC chief filed the nomination papers at 1.48 pm. Her candidature was proposed by Sushma Maity — spouse of Bhagirath Maity who had gone lacking in the course of the Nandigram agitation, 14 years in the past — and Abdul Sammad, a senior chief of Bhumi Uchchhed Pratirodh Committee that fought in opposition to the land acquisition. The different two proposers had been block TMC presidents of Nandigram-I and Nandigram-II, Swadesh Ranjan Das and Mahadeb Bagh, respectively.

  • West Bengal elections: Denied ticket, 4 TMC MLAs be part of BJP

    Four Trinamool Congress MLAs, who have been denied a ticket for the upcoming meeting elections, joined the BJP on Monday. Among those that joined the saffron celebration have been three-time MLA from Singur Rabindranath Bhattacharya, four-time MLA from Satgachia in South 24 Parganas Sonali Guha, Basirhat Dakshin (North 24 Parganas) MLA Dipendu Biswas, and Shibpur MLA Jatu Lahiri. Besides them, TMC’s candidate from Malda’s Habibpur Sarala Murmu and Bengali movie actress Tanushree Chakraborty additionally joined the BJP.

    West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, nationwide vice-president Mukul Roy, Suvendu Adhikari and Locket Chatterjee welcomed the leaders to the saffron camp.
    Guha had damaged down in entrance of the media minutes after the discharge of TMC’s candidates’ record because it didn’t characteristic her title. TMC has fielded Mohan Chandra Naskar from Satgachia as an alternative of Guha.
    According to sources, she had spoken to BJP chief Mukul Roy after TMC denied her the ticket and since then it was being speculated that she would be part of the saffron celebration. Sonali was thought of as one of many “loyalists” of Mamata Banerjee.

    Jatu Lahiri additionally expressed his displeasure on being denied the TMC ticket. “It’s not about me not getting the ticket. Those who joined the party two or three days ago have got tickets. If the party doesn’t need me, it’s time to move on,” he had advised the media after resigning.
     

  • Another shot within the arm: West Bengal begins Covid jabs for aged

    West Bengal on Monday started vaccinating individuals above 60 years of age and people above 45 years of age with comorbidities within the third part of the nationwide Covid-19 immunisation programme after two precedence teams: well being and frontline staff.
    A complete of 17,079 individuals had been vaccinated on Monday with no case of opposed occasion following immunisation (AEFI) reported, mentioned a well being official including that the brand new CoWIN-2 portal was stricken by glitches.
    “The third phase of the Covid vaccination using the new portal version CoWIN-2 started today throughout the state. Besides health and frontline workers, and election officials, elderly people and those above 45 people with co-morbidities were vaccinated today. The portal issues were there, and the vaccination programme suffered because of that. So far, 17,079 were reported to be vaccinated, and there is no information of any AEFI case,” mentioned the official.
    People within the two age teams got the Covid photographs in at the very least 10 personal and 15 authorities hospitals.
    While individuals can register themselves on the portal and select the Covid vaccination centres (CVCs) as per their comfort, many needed to walk-in for registration attributable to glitches, mentioned one other well being official. Sources mentioned a number of beneficiaries on Monday visited hospitals after reserving their slots on the CoWin 2.0 app.
    At SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, beneficiaries had been principally registering on the spot. Many had been made to attend. As per the official, the poll-bound state should full the vaccination earlier than the elections.
    While vaccination is free at authorities hospitals, personal hospitals will cost Rs 250 a dose for the 2 age teams.
    “AMRI Hospitals started its drive for community vaccination along with the rest of the nation today at two of its CVCs in Dhakuria and Mukundapur,” mentioned an hospital official. AMRI administered 147 photographs to common individuals, together with six to these with illnesses, at its two CVCs.
    “On Day 1, we faced some teething problems, but we are sure these will be sorted out within this week. Since this is the first such drive in India, all of us are learning at every step,” mentioned Rupak Barua, Group CEO of AMRI Hospitals.Barua highlighted the scarcity of specifically designed syringes.
    “The syringe used for inoculation is a specially-designed one, which has a locking mechanism to stop extraction of greater than 0.5 ml of the vaccine. This syringe is offered by a handful of producers, who’re at the moment supplying solely to the federal government. While we’ve got been receiving syringes from the federal government for vaccination of healthcare and different frontline staff since January 16, we’ve got to obtain syringes ourselves for the group vaccination.
    We are engaged on our provide chain. The authorities has assured us of all its assist on this regard,” mentioned Barua.
    Meanwhile, West Bengal reported 198 new Covid-19 circumstances within the final 24 hours, taking the entire to five,75,316. As many as 10,268 have succumbed to the virus with no dying reported since Sunday.
    The state has 3,293 energetic circumstances whereas 5,61,755 Covid sufferers have been declared recovered because the outbreak began a yr in the past. The discharge fee stands at 97.64 per cent.

  • At grand joint rally, a glimpse of Congress-Siddiqui seat tussle

    On a day the Congress, Left Front and Furfura cleric Abbas Siddiqui-led Indian Secular Front (ISF) kicked off their marketing campaign for the West Bengal Assembly elections with a mammoth joint rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground, pressure over seat sharing was seen between Congress and ISF leaders who’re nonetheless engaged in talks.
    The Sanjukta Morcha or United Front rally was attended by Left leaders Sitaram Yechury, Suryakanta Mishra, Biman Bose, D Raja and Manoj Bhattacharya; Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel; and ISF founder Pirzada Abbas Siddiqui and his brother Naushad Siddiqui.
    Siddiqui, whose entry briefly disrupted the speech of Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, introduced from the stage that he wouldn’t subject candidates towards the AIMIM and pledged to provide his “blood” for the United Front.
    “The Left has given us seats as per our demand… In the coming days, people will overthrow BJP and its B-team Mamata. Wherever the Left Front will field its candidates, we will give our blood, if necessary. If this (seat-sharing) agreement had been arrived at a week earlier, I would have gathered twice as many people because the people of Bengal are angry with the Mamata government.”
    Siddiqui had earlier mentioned that the Left Front had agreed to half with 30 seats for his celebration whereas seat-sharing talks with the Congress had been nonetheless underway.
    At the rally at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata. (Express photograph by Partha Paul)
    Meanwhile, senior leaders of the three events lashed out on the TMC and BJP, accusing them of a “communal agenda”.
    “Even though both (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee have come to power by democratic means, they are now out to destroy democracy and establish an autocratic state. We shall restore democracy after coming to power. We have to fight unitedly against the TMC and BJP. I want to say those who are spreading misinformation, change your mind. We have to stop both parties,” mentioned Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, including “the massive gathering proves that the upcoming elections will not be a two-cornered contest”.
    He mentioned the BJP and the ruling TMC need that aside from these two events, there shouldn’t exist another political pressure within the state. “In future, there will not be any BJP or TMC, only the grand alliance will remain,” added Chowdhury, the chief of the Congress within the Lok Sabha.
    Chhattisgarh CM Baghel accused the BJP and TMC of attempting to divide individuals. “The country has to be saved from one, and Bengal has to be rescued from the other,” he mentioned.
    “We had fought earlier against the Whites and now we have to fight against the thieves,” he mentioned, remembering Bengal’s contribution to the liberty wrestle.
    CPM basic secretary Yechury attacked Modi for his “anti-farmer” insurance policies and expressed confidence that the alliance can put up a courageous combat identical to farmers on the Delhi border. “The farmers at the Singhu border in Delhi are fighting against the (Narendra) Modi government’s anti-people policies. If farmers who provide us with food can put up such a gallant fight, we too can do it here… This grand alliance of the Left and the secular forces will fight to defeat the corrupt TMC government and the BJP… will fight for a better Bengal,” Yechury mentioned
    Taking exception to Modi’s “andolanjeevi” jibe, CPI basic secretary D Raja mentioned, “Our country and its Constitution should be saved from Modi. He called us ‘andolanjeevi’. Yes, I am. I am fighting to save my life and my country. The TMC and BJP are the same. We have to defeat them at any cost. Save Bengal, save country. I am appealing to all to support the Left-Cong-ISF alliance in the election.”

    Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, nevertheless, couldn’t make it to the rally due to his well being, in response to Left leaders.
    Criticising the “communal agenda” of the TMC and the BJP, CPM secretary Suryakanta Mishra burdened the necessity for another and mentioned the Left-Congress grand alliance would combat to supply employment and usher in industrial improvement within the state.
    Mishra mentioned that West Bengal wanted a authorities that will not be a “copycat” of those run by the TMC and the BJP. “The TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin. Their agenda is to divide people on communal lines… We have seen how TMC leaders are joining the BJP lock, stock and barrel,” he mentioned. “We need a government which can fill up all the vacancies in state government jobs and semi-government sectors within a year. Neither the TMC nor the BJP can do it.”