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Kolkata, Oct 2 (PTI) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Arun Prasad as the new Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) and Harishankar Panikkar as the Joint Chief Electoral Officer (JCEO) of West Bengal, an official said on Thursday. The appointments come ahead of the anticipated rollout of the Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal in October. The ECI had requested the West Bengal government to submit a panel of names for these two positions. Prasad and Panikkar were selected from the list provided by the state government, the official added. Prasad is a 2011-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, while Panikkar belongs to the 2013 batch. The Election Commission has also asked for a new list of three candidates for the vacant Deputy Chief Electoral Officer position, with a specific requirement that the nominees must have substantial experience in electoral work. The state government, following the Commission's directive, is preparing to send the new panel of names. "These appointments were essential for ensuring smooth election processes, especially with the next year's Assembly elections," the official told PTI when contacted. PTI SCH RG
New Delhi, Jun 28 (PTI) A male passenger onboard an Air India flight from Amritsar to the national capital on Saturday behaved in an unruly manner, engaged in verbal altercation with a co-passenger and was handed over to the airport security after landing at the Delhi airport. The incident happened in flight AI454. "During cabin preparations for landing, a member of our cabin crew noticed a passenger standing in the aisle, engaged in a verbal altercation with another passenger. "The second passenger reported to the crew that the individual was being abusive," the airline said in a statement ...Read More >
Berhampur (Odisha), Jun 6 (PTI) Environmental activist Medha Patkar on Saturday appealed to the people of Odisha for protection of Rushikulya river. The government planned to construct a dam in the river Pipalapnaka under Sorada block in the district. While participating in the Save Rushikulya river movement in Ganjam district, she said, "Rivers may be small or big, but they are our mother. We have to protect the rivers from attacks." She attended a meeting were organised by the Rushikulya Banchao Kriyaanusthan Committee (RBKC) and the Centre for Climate Justice, spearheading the agitation a ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jun 28 (PTI) Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the Centre is committed to investing in the railway sector in West Bengal and has significantly increased allocations as part of its broader push to boost connectivity, cargo movement and support micro and small enterprises in the state. Speaking at the inauguration of the Udyami Sammelan Mela 2025 at the National Library in Kolkata, Vaishnaw said the railway budget for Bengal has seen a sharp rise from around Rs 3,000 crore under the previous regime to around Rs 14,000 crore now. The minister outlined upcoming projects, ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jun 28 (PTI) The police on Saturday stopped a BJP rally led by its West Bengal unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and detained him along with several other party leaders when they tried to take out the protest march to a law college in the city, where a student was allegedly gang-raped, a senior officer said. The rally was not allowed to proceed towards the South Calcutta Law College, where the 24-year-old student was allegedly gang-raped by three men, including an alumnus of the institute, on June 25. "The protest march was stopped at Gariahat crossing in south Kolkata, and Majumdar and s ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 30 (PTI) Police have arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly posed as an IAS officer, stayed at a Customs' guest house in Mumbai and travelled in a car with the 'Government of India' name plate, an official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Chandramohan Singh, hailing from Bihar, stayed at the Customs' facility by claiming to be an employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said. He used to move around in a car bearing the 'Government of India' name plate, the official said. The man had been stopped by a traffic constable in Dadar for a road rule violation, but he ma ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jul 10 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Thursday submitted a progress report before the Calcutta High Court on the investigation by the Kolkata Police into the alleged gang rape of a student in a law college here. The court also looked into the case diary of the police in the alleged gang rape of a student by an alumnus and two seniors on South Calcutta Law College campus. The progress report on the investigation was submitted in a sealed envelope. A division bench presided by Justice Soumen Sen directed the state government to submit a report on further progress in the investig ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jul 17 (PTI) In a fresh sign of deepening rifts within the West Bengal BJP, former state president Dilip Ghosh on Thursday said he will not attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mega rally in Durgapur, asserting bluntly that he was "not invited." Modi will visit the state on Friday, where he will address a BJP rally in Durgapur, besides unveiling multiple development projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore. The conspicuous exclusion of Ghosh, once the face of the BJP's aggressive Bengal campaign, from a key political event has again put the spotlight on the party's alleged simmering facti ...Read More >
Ludhiana, Jun 8 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday asserted that his party will win the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, scheduled to be held on june 19, with a "record margin". "Congress practically has no competition here", he claimed. Warring, who is also the Ludhiana MP, said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was badly mistaken that the Congress would allow it to abuse power and misuse the official machinery for the elections. "First of all, we will not let any misuse of the official machinery and second, in case any official is found to be misusing ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur, official sources said on Thursday. This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint against 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal case. Sources said the charge sheet has been filed against Vadra and some others before a local court here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was questioned by the federal ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 17 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur, official sources said. This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint naming the 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal case. The federal investigative agency, sources told PTI, has also attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs. 37.64 crore pertaining to Vadra and his linked entities like Sky Light ...Read More >
The Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against businessman Robert Vadra. The case relates to a land deal in Shikhopur. It involves alleged criminal conspiracy, cheating, fraud, and forgery. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Haryana CM, is also named. Vadra's Skylight Hospitality bought land and later sold it to DLF. The chargesheet details alleged irregularities in the land transaction. The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday filed a chargesheet against businessman Robert Vadra in Shikh ...Read More >
Congress MLA Nana Patole on Thursday demanded that the Maharashtra government make a formal statement in the assembly on an alleged "honeytrap" racket targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik and Mantralaya (secretariat) in Mumbai. IMAGE: Congress MLA Nana Patole. Photograph: ANI Photo Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde replied that the government has taken serious note of the allegations in this regard and strict action will be taken against the culprits after a probe. Speaking in the asse ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 28 (PTI) A Chennai-bound Air India flight was forced to return to Mumbai on Saturday due to a "burning smell" in the cabin. The aircraft, however, landed back safely, Air India said in a statement. "Air India flight AI 639, operating from Mumbai to Chennai, on Friday, June 27, made a precautionary air-return to Mumbai due to a burning smell in the cabin," the airline said in a statement. The flight landed "safely" back in Mumbai, and an aircraft change was initiated, Air India said without giving specific details. The airline further said its ground teams in Mumbai provided all ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 13 (PTI) The Odisha government has started working on securing copyright for the rituals of Lord Jagannath temple in Puri to protect its traditional cultural expressions, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of the pilgrim town, said. The statement came amid resentments among the devotees of Lord Jagannath over the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath's rituals by the ISKCON abroad and the West Bengal government's declaration of a temple in Digha as "Jagannath Dham". These are "gross violations" of sacred scriptures and ancient tradition, the Gajapati Mahara ...Read More >
VIJAYAWADA: The State government on Friday accorded approvals to a slew of industries. Among those are Krishnapatnam Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), which is set to establish a 350 MW Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Thamminapatnam and Mommidi villages of SPSR Nellore district with a Rs 1,225 crore investment, creating 575 jobs. Furthermore, the government also waived off a Rs 54 crore extension of time fee, contingent on project completion within two years as per the Andhra Pradesh Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024. The government also allocated 22.80 acres at MPSEZ in N ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 3 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday sought information from public regarding the stampede that took place near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during a ceremony related to ongoing Rath Yatra festivities in which three persons were killed and 50 others injured. The state government through a public notice urged the people to share information, video footage or any other materials related to the stampede which took place early on Sunday for a proper and transparent inquiry into the incident. The public notice issued by the Planning and Convergence department, also mentione ...Read More >
A Kolkata court extended police custody for the accused in the Kasba gangrape case. The accused include Monojit Mishra and two students, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee. A security guard, Pinaki Banerjee, also remains in custody. Defence lawyers requested fair investigation and opposed media trial. The court rejected bail for the security guard.The police custody of the three accused in connection with the alleged gangrape of a first-year student at a law college in Kolkata's Kasba area on Tuesda ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 12 (PTI) The Air India aircraft, which crashed soon after takeoff in Ahmedabad last month, might have suffered mechanical or power supply issues that could have led to the change in the position of the switches that feed fuel into the plane, according to experts. They also opined that the reasons for the change in fuel switch position will be known during further investigations. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report has mentioned that fuel switches of engine 1 and 2 of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft were cut off within a gap of one second and later tur ...Read More >
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], July 15 (ANI): The Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar received another bomb threat on Tuesday. The dog squad has been deployed at the Golden Temple premises as part of a security check. The holy site for Sikhs received a bomb threat via e-mail for the second consecutive day. Also Read | India Raises Pahalgam Terror Attack at SCO Meeting: EAM S Jaishankar Calls for 'Uncompromising Position' on Combatting Terrorism. Pratap Singh, Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), demanded strict action against the miscreants. Pratap Singh told reporte ...Read More >
Kolkata: On the 13th day of teachers' protest outside Bikash Bhavan, the protesting teachers split among themselves and formed a new platform. At least 2,500 protesters stood by the chief minister, as stated in a press conference by education minister Bratya Basu on Monday. Reacting to a question from media, Basu said in Titagarh, "I will trust those who have written to me expressing their faith in the chief minister."The new organisation formed was named the West Bengal Untainted Teachers Associ ...Read More >
Kolkata, May 23 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed protesting teachers and other staff of West Bengal government-run and -aided schools, who lost their jobs due to a Supreme Court ruling, to shift their protest venue in the interest of public convenience. The court also limited the number of participants to 200 at any given time. Hearing petitions filed by the Deserving Teachers Rights Forum, under whose banner the protest is being organised, and the state government, Justice Tirthankar Ghosh ordered the protesters to move to Central Park in Salt Lake, located opposite Bikash B ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) A Delhi-bound Air India flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport was diverted to Kolkata on Sunday due to "persistent warm temperature" in the cabin. The aircraft, however, landed safely, Air India said in a statement. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly our passengers to Delhi at the earliest, the airline statement said. "Air India flight AI357 operating from Haneda to Delhi on June 29 made a precautionary diversion to Kolkata due to persistent warm temperature experienced in the cabin," Air India said. The aircraft is currently undergoing checks, it stated, a ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) Senior bureaucrat A P Das Joshi has been appointed as the Food Processing Industries secretary, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Joshi, a 1994 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is currently additional secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for July 03, 2025 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as secretary, Ministry of Foo ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jul 3 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday said it will consider a prayer for 'in-camera' hearing of a petition by monk Kartik Maharaj, seeking quashing of an FIR against him alleging rape. Swami Pradiptananda, who is popular as Kartik Maharaj and a recipient of the Padma Shri award this year, has denied the allegation made by a woman, who claimed in the police complaint that the incident occurred in 2013. Upon a verbal prayer made by the monk's lawyer, Justice Jay Sengupta started taking up the matter 'in camera'. Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the West Bengal g ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) India's largest realty firm DLF Ltd, which has re-entered the Mumbai market with a premium housing project, on Thursday said it is taking its foray in the financial capital "seriously" and the two geographies in the North and the West of India are going to be very important markets going forward. The Delhi-headquartered real estate giant also said that it has up to 20 joint venture proposals on its table from different entities, but it plans to establish its presence in the financial capital in a certain way. In July 2023, DLF announced its re-entry in the Mumbai market ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) With funds under the flagship MGNREGS stalled for West Bengal for more than two years now, Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the Centre is not discriminating against the state, which he blamed for not complying with the Union government's directives. The funds for West Bengal under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been stopped since March 2022 due to non-compliance of directives of the Central government, according to the Ministry of Rural Development. Asked what is the way forward, Chouhan sa ...Read More >
A one-man inquiry commission, led by retired Justice John Michael Cunha, has been formed by the Karnataka government to investigate the stampede at the RCB victory celebration that resulted in 11 deaths. The commission will identify those responsible for any procedural lapses and suggest preventative measures.The one-man inquiry commission constituted by the Karnataka government under retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha to inquire into the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people, has been a ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jun 28 (PTI) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday flagged off the inaugural Purulia-Bankura-Howrah MEMU train via Masagram and said the Centre's focus is to expand railway coverage besides modernising the sector. The minister highlighted that investment in railways in West Bengal increased from around Rs 4,380 crore in 2009-14 to around Rs 14,000 crore currently. He flagged off the train through video conferencing from Santragachi railway station in West Bengal. Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus is to expand railway coverage, modernise railways with t ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jul 3 (PTI) The state Congress on Thursday complained against BJP MLC N Ravikumar to Legislative Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti for allegedly making derogatory remarks on Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh. It also lodged a complaint against him at the Vidhana Soudha police station. The Karnataka IAS Officers' Association also condemned the derogatory remarks made by the MLC. During a protest at Vidhana Soudha recently, Ravikumar, who is the opposition BJP's chief whip, had allegedly made some remarks which the Congress termed derogatory and took it up vehemently. ...Read More >