The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave
PTI, Bengaluru, 03.05.24 : Citing the ongoing heatwave in the state, Karnataka BJP on Friday petitioned the Election Commission with a request to modify the polling hours to the 6am-7pm period in the 14 parliamentary constituencies in the state that goes to polls on May 7.
Polling is currently scheduled to be held in the second phase in the state in 14 segments in the northern districts between 7am to 6pm on May 7.
“It has become hard to come out and vote between hours 10.00 to 17.00 due to uncontrollable heat. The average heat in those parts (north Karnataka) covering 14 parliamentary constituencies are between 37 and 42 degree (Celsius). The mercury is rising at an alarming level and it would become hard for the electors to come out and vote,” BJP’s petition said.
The petition highlighted the alarming rise in temperatures, which are expected to go beyond 40 degree Celsius, and also stated that the number of voters over the age of 40 is high and that they are vulnerable to the heatwave.
“To keep up the good spirit of voting, necessary action should be taken,” the BJP petition urged the Election Commission, saying, “In this background, it is requested to modify the time of voting in the 14 parliamentary constituencies from 06.00 to 19.00 hours on May 7”.
Polling was held between 7 am and 6 pm during Karnataka’s first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 14 constituencies on April 26.
‘I was unhappy with some things and had to speak,’ says Ghosh who seems even more emboldened now that he no longer holds any party post. ‘The party was unhappy with what I said. I have distanced myself a little’
(L-R) Abhishek Banerjee, Kunal Ghosh and Mamata Banerjee.: TTO Graphics.
Arnab Ganguly, TT, Calcutta, 03.05.24 : The chronicle was foretold but the timing has taken political Bengal by surprise.
It began with minor skirmishes. Abhishek Banerjee, the heir to Didi’s political empire, is known to be impatient. For a while he has been targeting the explosion of movie stars in TMC politics. He has no problem with full-time politicians coming from the entertainment background. But he thought the glamorous TMC brigade in the Lok Sabha were first movie stars and politicians only next.
Also, he has little time for the elderly “has beens” like Sougata Roy, four-time MP from Dum Dum, and Sudip Bandopadhyay, the five-time MP from North Calcutta. They should give way to the next generation, the nephew was believed to have said.
Aunt Mamata Banerjee did not wholly agree. The more glamorous contestants were not given Lok Sabha tickets this time. But others got the ticket and there were fresh entries. But, a whopping one-third of women candidates were from the entertainment sector.
TTO Graphics.
Didi had her own reasons. The TMC is riven by factions in many districts. Giving tickets to an outsider and a movie star will make them less unhappy. Rather an outsider than losing to rivals. But Didi does not tolerate opposition from the party or from her nephew.
Then Gaza like bombing began. Deb, a superstar who has seen better times and has won twice from the south Bengal constituency of Ghatal, was the provocation. Deb himself did not wish to contest, but Didi suspected he was in touch with the BJP. She persuaded him to contest and even forced her nephew to request Deb.
The story took a curious turn here. Mithun Chakraborty, the aging superstar of Bollywood, is a local favourite being the only Bengali national figure after Saurav Ganguly. Mithun was a Didi nominee in the Rajya Sabha but switched sides and joined the BJP. Didi had called him a “gaddar”.
Professional affiliation runs deep in Deb’s vein. I do not like the use of words such as “gaddar”, he had said solemnly. Yet, Didi did not take umbrage and went on to campaign for Deb.
Then the drone attacks began. Abhishek Banerjee used Kunal Ghosh, a spokesman for the party, an unguided missile generally believed to be the public voice of the nephew. Ghosh thus punches above his weight. “We dare not say anything lest it antagonises the nephew,” said a senior Trinamul leader on condition of anonymity.
But Ghosh is irrepressible. He has found his second target: his old nemesis, the BJP MP from Calcutta North. Suitably inspired, Ghosh did himself one better. He attended a social event (blood donation camp) along with the BJP candidate in North Calcutta, Tapas Roy, who was till recently not just a star member of the Trinamul, but also a vocal critic of Ghosh for years. Roy had tried his best to be the Trinamul candidate himself. When that failed he joined the BJP.
At the event, Ghosh spoke a lot, praising Roy and even going on to say, tellingly, that this time Trinamul did not want “false votes” to be cast in Calcutta North, thereby casting aspersions on Bandopadhyay’s record of winning the seat since 2009. Rebuff came immediately. He was handed over a letter from Derek O’Brien telling him he was no longer one of the state secretaries of the party. Ghosh is understood to have made a face before mockingly referring to the party’s Rajya Sabha MP. “Quiz master,” he muttered, loud enough for all to hear.
Undeterred, Ghosh let loose another bombshell soon after, that too on television. “The party was well aware of the fact that large-scale corruption and extortion in lieu of jobs was taking place in the school education department. The party was aware of it even before the 2021 assembly polls,” he said in an interview to Bengali news channel ABP Ananda.
Ghosh did not mention names. But the Trinamul struck back within 24 hours. By Thursday afternoon, Ghosh’s name was struck off the list of the party’s star campaigners. But that further emboldened Ghosh, the proverbial ant which could drive the elephantine Trinamul crazy by his antics. A good writer and speaker, Ghosh is able to unleash all kinds of verbal missiles at will.
But Ghosh continues to hold other plum responsibilities. He runs the party mouthpiece and also looks after ā Bengali daily on Didi’s behalf. Clearly, he has powerful backers.
Since his release from prison in October 2016 (he was arrested in connection with the Saradha scam in 2013) and reinstatement in the party around four years later, Ghosh has cemented his position as a trusted aide of Abhishek.
“If someone says that I am being tutored to say these things, then the issues I am raising will become redundant,” Ghosh told The Telegraph Online. “I was unhappy with some things and had to speak. The party was unhappy with what I said. I have distanced myself a little.”
Bandopadhyay apart, Ghosh has had other Didi favourites in his line of fire, like, for instance, jailed ex-minister Partha Chatterjee, ex-MP Subrata Bakshi, candidate Kalyan Banerjee and mayor and state minister Firhad Hakim. Hence, hiding behind Ghosh’s diatribes is the answer to the question that has bothered the Trinamul rank and file in the last three years. How deep is the chasm between Didi and her nephew?
In the last four years, Ghosh has convinced many that like Abhishek, he too believes Trinamul needs to replace the old guard and some of Mamata’s personal favourites to stay ahead in the game. “Didi runs the party with an emotional connect. Abhishek wants to run it more in the manner of a corporate,” said a Trinamul leader, trying to make sense of the nephew’s line of thinking.
There are those in the Trinamul who believe Abhishek is hungry to take over the reins of the party, though no one is saying he would go the whole hog anytime soon. Side by side, Ghosh’s gradual return to favour has been the stuff of legends.
As the only Trinamul leader who publicly vilified Mamata when he was in jail, Ghosh’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular. Ghosh is also said to have played a key role in the rehabilitation of “renegade” bureaucrats. Nandini Chakravorty, a civil servant with lots of spunk, was shunted to dead posts such as secretary to the Governor. But she bounced back as a senior secretary after she paid obeisance to Ghosh.
All this may or may not be entirely true. But people believe in such stories. An impression is created. Soon that holds ground. And that’s what matters. Now that he’s no longer a star campaigner for Trinamul, Ghosh is making full use of his freedom. He has hit the road. “The issues that I am talking about, like the teachers’ recruitment scam (it was wrongly handled). The party will reap the benefits if it is solved. Trinamul leaders from the heart of the city have quit. They could have been stopped. I am not a policymaker. I am simply drawing the attention of the party,” he said.
Today, Kunal Ghosh is believed to be the “Nabi” to Abhishek’s “Allah”. And as long as Abhishek is all but inaccessible, Ghosh will remain a factor in Bengal politics.
Modi slammed the Opposition bloc INDIA and the Congress for ‘supporting’ the ‘vote jihad’ comments made by a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh
PTI, Bardhaman, 03.05.24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha polls will be an “all-time low”, as the grand old party would struggle to cross even the “half-century” mark in the hustings.
Modi also mocked Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat, and said the Congress leader did so after “sensing defeat” in Kerala’s Wayanad, where he is a sitting MP.
Addressing back-to-back rallies in the Bardhaman-Durgapur, Krishnanagar and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies, the PM said if Congress is voted to power, it would “snatch” quotas meant for the Scheduled Caste, Dalits and OBCs and give those to its “jihadi vote bank” to pursue the party’s “appeasement politics”.
Modi slammed the Opposition bloc INDIA and the Congress for “supporting” the “vote jihad” comments made by a candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), an ally of the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh.
“There is no need for opinion polls or exit polls, as I had talked about their (Congress) defeat long back in Parliament. When their senior leader quit her Lok Sabha seat and entered Parliament through Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, it was evident they sensed defeat,” he said, in an apparent dig at Sonia Gandhi.
“Now, the ‘shehzada’ of Congress, who went to Wayanad after losing the Amethi seat, is also contesting from Rae Bareli. He knows he will lose Wayanad this time,” Modi said.
He said Rahul Gandhi should not be afraid and “keep running away”.
“I had said earlier that the ‘prince’, after the polling in Wayanad, would look for another seat, due to fear of defeat in that constituency. Now, he had to run away from Amethi and choose Rae Bareli. They go around and ask people not to feel afraid. I would tell them the same thing – don’t be afraid and don’t run away,” the prime minister said.
The Congress on Friday ended the suspense over Amethi and Rae Bareli, announcing his candidature from the seat held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades.
Rahul Gandhi had lost from the adjoining Amethi constituency in 2019 but won from Wayanad – a seat he is contesting this time as well.
“The Congress’ tally in the Lok Sabha polls will be an all-time low. Let the Congress try as much as it wants, but the party won’t be able to cross the half-century mark this time. They would struggle to get even 50 seats,” Modi asserted.
The grand old party’s lowest tally in the Lok Sabha polls was in 2014 when it bagged just 44 seats. In 2019, it managed 52 seats.
“Can the TMC by winning 15 seats across the country, the Congress by getting less than 50 seats or the Left Front, which has lost its support base, win the elections and form a stable government? The answer is no. Only the BJP-led NDA can win the polls and form a stable government,” he said.
The prime minister also challenged the Congress to give in writing that it would not amend the constitution to provide reservations based on religion.
“Our constitution explicitly states that the government of India must not provide reservations based on religion. The Congress wants to do the same as they are angry with the OBCs, Dalits and the tribals because they supported Modi,” he said.
Modi said he has been challenging the Congress on three points for the last 10 days, but it has remained silent.
“My first challenge is – Congress and the INDI alliance should give assurance to the country in writing that they will not make any changes in the Constitution or give reservations based on religion. My second challenge is – they should promise the country in writing that they will not snatch the reservations of SC/ST and OBCs and divide those based on religion.
“My third challenge is they should give in writing that wherever their state governments are in power, reservations will not be given to Muslims based on religion by slashing the OBC quota,” he said.
Modi also said the “game of vote jihad” has been silently continuing in the country for decades.
“The royal family of the Congress, the TMC and the Left are silent on this appeal of ‘vote jihad’ against me. This means that every single member of the opposition alliance agrees with it,” he said.
Hitting out at the coalition, the PM said the INDIA bloc of Congress, TMC and the Left parties “has only one policy – appeasement”.
“First, they divided the country based on religion, and the brunt was borne by communities like the Sikhs, Christians and Parsis, who were left stranded on the other side. To take care of such communities, our government decided to bring the CAA, but these parties, including the TMC, are fighting tooth and nail against it to not upset their vote bank,” he said.
Reaching out to the Matua community of West Bengal, Modi said: “We had hoped that the TMC would support the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as the Matuas would benefit from it. But, the state’s ruling party is opposing it for their vote bank politics.” On Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks over wealth redistribution, the PM said, the Congress and the INDIA bloc are planning to “take the wealth that you have accumulated by working hard and enduring hardships, and distribute it among their vote bank”.
KalimNews, Kalimpong, 3 May 2024 : NNH 10 from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile will remain closed for three complete days of 72 hrs starting from 6am of 6 April to 6am of 9 April. Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate of Kalimpong has notified that the said highway from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile for carrying out bituminous work.
His order states that a prayer has been received from the Executive Engineer II, National Highway, Division IX, P.W (Roads) requesting restriction and diversion of movement of all type of vehicles to carry out bituminous work at the stretch between Rabi bora to Gail Khola along NH 10. Therefore the administration finds it necessary to impose temporary restriction for movement of all type of vehicles to carry out the said bituminous work at the stretch between Rabi bora to Gail Khola along NH 10 to be carried on by PWD, National Highway, Division IX, P.W (Roads).
The restriction of movement of all types of vehicles in the NH 10 stretch from Rabi Jhora to 29th Mile starting from 6 am of 6 May till 6 am of 9 May will be in effect.
Alternative route as traffic diversion will be allowed as follows:
1) Only small vehicles will move from Rangpoo towards Siliguri via Munsong – 17’1′ Mile – Algarah – Lava -Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock
2) Small vehicles will move from Chitrey – Kalimpong town Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock.
3) Goods Vehicle will move from Chitrey – Kalimpong town Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa from 21.00 hrs to 06.00 hrs.
4) Goods vehicle and small vehicles will move from Reshi – Pedong – Algarah – Lava – Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice versa round the clock.
Necessary restrictions at Rangpoo Check post, Chitrey and at District border – NH – 10 stretch shall be imposed by police (Traffic) for facilitating the route diversion, the notice adds.
Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development
Dead fish from Sumendu Lake in Mirik on Thursday: Picture by Passang Yolmo
Bireswar Banerjee, TT, 03.05.24: Shoals of fish were found dead and floating on Sumendu Lake in Mirik over the past few days, much to the concern of residents and the district fisheries department.
Mirik, a popular tourist destination nestled in Darjeeling hills, is known for its lake in the heart of the town. Hundreds of tourists flock to the lakeside or take a walk along the arch-shaped concrete footbridge that connects the two ends of the water body and feed the fish. Boating is yet another attraction for people visiting the town.
Fish like Cyprinus Carpio, commonly known as American Rohu, trout and silver carp, which can survive in cold water, are found in the lake.
Since Wednesday, residents have spotted the dead fish floating on the lake. They have also informed the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the administrative body in the hills, about this development.
“We have retrieved hundreds of dead fish from the lake here since yesterday (Wednesday). It is surprising that the fish are dying in the lake. The fisheries department should engage experts to find out what has led to the incident,” said Aita Rai, an official of the tourism department of the GTA posted in Mirik.
Rai, who also heads the Small Food Cart Association in Mirik, said local civic authorities, along with NGOs, regularly clean the lake and clear debris to keep the water body clean.
“But unplanned dumping of waste in a part of the lake by a section of residents seems to have polluted the water, leading to deaths of the fish. This practice must be stopped now and the municipality should act on it,” he added.
As the news spread, officials of Darjeeling district fisheries department which works under the GTA, has initiated a probe.
“We have instructed our staff to visit the lake and submit a report to us. We will also collect water samples and get those tested in a lab to ascertain what caused the deaths and if the water is contaminated,” said Kaushik Maity, the district fisheries officer of Darjeeling.
Courtesy & source- The Telegraph https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/shoals-of-dead-fish-float-on-miriks-sumendu-lake-raising-serious-concerns-among-residents/cid/2017343
Results of state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography
Subhankar Chowdhury, TT, Calcutta, 03.05.24 : The number of students with scores above 90 per cent has surged in all subjects, except the second language and physical science, in Madhyamik this year, compared with last year’s results.
The results of the state’s Class X board exams, declared on Thursday, show the maximum rise has been in mathematics and geography.
As many as 22,951 students scored above 90 in mathematics in 2024, compared with 12,951 last year.
Students who scored above 90 in geography numbered 49,994, compared with 31,294 last year.
This year witnessed a significant rise in female candidates — 25.95 per cent more girls, compared with last year’s count, wrote the papers.
Of the 9,12,598 candidates, 7,65,252 students have passed the exams. The overall pass percentage is 86.31, a mild improvement from last year’s 86.15.
The number of students with scores above 90 per cent rose in history, life science and first language (vernacular) as well.
But the number of students with “AA” grade (90 per cent or more) — the highest grade — in the second language dipped to 9,922. Last year, the count was 11,229.
The number of AA scorers in physical science was 14,415, compared with 17,357 last year.
This year there was also a drop in the percentage of candidates who got first division, which is 60 per cent or above, in the aggregate.
This year 12.98 per cent of the examinees scored first-division marks, against 13.67 per cent last year.
When asked about the results, Ramanuj Ganguly, the president of the ad-hoc committee of the state secondary education board, said: “We have to study the reasons that led to the rise in the number of high scorers in some subjects and fall in some others. We will make a detailed analysis.”
Swapan Mandal, of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “It is a matter of concern that the number of high scorers has dipped in two subjects despite a rise in the number of total candidates. This year, 9,12,598 appeared for the exams, against 6,82,321 last year. The percentage of first division also dipped.”
The secondary education board asked the school heads to open the URL https://www.wbbsedata.com after noon on May 2 for post-publication scrutiny (PPS) and post-publication review (PPR) of Madhyamik answer scripts.
The applications will be received till midnight of May 18.
The instruction tab for details of the login and application process has been uploaded on the board’s website.
The board also announced that applications for certified copies of answer scripts, under the RTI Act 2005, must reach the respective regional offices of the board within 75 days of the publication of the results (by July 16).
The board said that if such candidates apply for PPS/PPF as well, the RTI application for the certified copy will be processed after the publication of PPS/PPR results.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai
Avijit Sinha, TT, Siliguri, 03.05.24 : The surge in mercury across north Bengal like other parts of the state and the absence of rainfall have badly hit the tea industry, prompting planters to appeal to the labour minister to announce subsidies and financial assistance for the sector.
M.K. Maitra, the secretary of the Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA), wrote to Bengal labour minister Moloy Ghatak on Thursday, saying the drought-like situation had hit the tea gardens across the Terai.
“In April, there was a rainfall shortage of around 50 per cent in the Terai, which has directly affected the production. At a time when the cost of production has increased because of the rise in cost of different components, the decline in production has put several gardens in crisis,” said Maitra.
With no rainfall reported in the Terai in recent weeks, over 40 tea estates in the region are entirely dependent on irrigation to ensure that tea bushes don’t dry up. Also, the absence of rain has led to pest attacks in several gardens. In most gardens of the Terai, picking of tea leaves could be carried out only three to four days a week because of low yield, said a source.
“For irrigation purposes, the gardens had to pay huge power bills. That is why we have brought it to the notice of the state labour minister and have requested him to see that a substantial discount on electricity bills for irrigation is provided by the state from November to May,” said the TIPA secretary.
He said the central and state governments should come forward with other financial assistance, subsidies and additional relief and aid for the tea industry.
“Such assistance would help the industry tide over the current situation and contribute to the socio-economic well-being of the region,” added Maitra.
Those associated with the small tea sector, which contributes over 50 per cent of the total tea produced in Bengal, also articulated their distress.
“We don’t know when the weather conditions will improve. Most of the growers are dependent on the sale proceeds of tea leaves. These days, because of low yield, their earnings have deceased and many of them are finding it tough to pay the workers who pick tea leaves,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations.
Meetings called
Subhagata Gupta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri, has convened meetings in Jalpaiguri on May 6 to expedite the reopening of the Totapara tea estate.
The management of the garden in Banarhat block announced the suspension of work on Wednesday. As a result, 855 permanent workers became jobless.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 2 May 2024, Jalpaiguri: The management of the Totapara Tea Garden in Jalpaiguri abruptly suspended operations, leaving about 850 tea garden workers unemployed. Workers claim this action was illegal, while the owners blame a section of the workers.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Subhrajyoti Sarkar, stationed at the Jalpaiguri District Labor Office, disclosed that the Totapara plantation management has been summoned for a meeting scheduled for Monday to address the unfolding crisis.
Aside from the contentious issue of work suspension, workers at Totapara tea plantation are grappling with outstanding dues, including Provident Fund (PF), gratuity and unpaid wages.
Seeking redress, a cohort of workers converged at Banarhat Police Station on April 27, staging a sit-in protest to expedite the resolution of their dues. Despite efforts, a scheduled tripartite meeting convened at the Banarhat Block Development Officer (BDO) office found none of the management representatives in attendance.
However, the administration received a letter from the owners assuring settlement of one installment of the outstanding wages on Tuesday. Expressing his dismay, Ramesh Mahali, a plantation worker, lamented: “The garden owner pledged to settle the dues by Tuesday, only to abscond and post the notice of suspension overnight, leaving us unaware until Wednesday, a holiday.”
Punita Mahali, another worker, echoed the sentiment, stating: “From basic amenities like access to drinking water to essential medical treatment, the garden fails us.
Adding insult to injury, our PF and gratuity remain unpaid. We hold onto hope that the garden will reopen following administrative intervention, once these issues are addressed.”
The cash was being carried to Chanchal from Gazole for election purposes. The BJP worker could not produce any paper in support of his claim. On April 29 in English Bazar, Rs 2 lakh in cash was also seized from Shantanu Ghosh, general secretary of BJP South Malda organisational district by the flying squad.
Avijit Roy, MP, 2 May 2024, Malda: The flying squad of the Election Commission of India (ECI) seized cash worth Rs 8 lakh from a vehicle on the Bypass Road of Paharpur under the Chanchal Police Station on Wednesday from a worker of BJP.
The cash was being carried to Chanchal from Gazole for election purposes. The BJP worker could not produce any paper in support of his claim. On April 29 in English Bazar, Rs 2 lakh in cash was also seized from Shantanu Ghosh, general secretary of BJP South Malda organisational district by the flying squad.
Ghosh claimed it to be his funds of trade but failed to produce adequate documents so the amount was seized and forwarded to the District Grievance Committee for further verification.
A car was stopped on the Bypass Road of Paharpur on Wednesday carrying flags and logos of BJP by the officials of the flying squad. On further search, cash worth 8 lakh was found from the vehicle.
Tilak Ram, office in-charge of BJP in Chanchal Assembly constituency, said: “I have been carrying the fund for election purposes from Alampur to Chanchal BJP party office to meet several expenses of the election.
They seized the amount and I shall go to the committee to claim it back.” The officials said that the seized amount would be sent to the authorised committee and hearings will be made for verifying the source of money.
To implement the Model Code of Conduct in Malda, 64 flying squad teams, 42 video surveillance teams and 82 static surveillance teams have been formed. Afsar Ali, Chanchal Block president of TMC, said: “The BJP government has stopped the funds for Bengal in various schemes and is now sending money for their own election expenditure. This party is trying to buy votes on money power.
MP, 2 May 2024, Siliguri: North Bengal districts shone in the Madhyamik examination this year with many of the rank holders emerging from this region. Kalimpong district had the highest pass percentage rate with 96.88 per cent.
About 14 students have clinched the first to tenth rank from North Bengal. South Dinajpur has the highest number with 7 among the 13. Chandrachur Sen of Cooch Behar clinched the top spot in the West Bengal Secondary Examination 2024 with an impressive score of 693 out of 700.
Asif Kamal, a student of Mathabhanga High School in Cooch Behar, secured the seventh rank with 687 marks. Udayan Prosad of South Dinajpur ranked 3rd in the state with an impressive score of 691.
Balurghat High School in South Dinajpur saw four students placed in the state merit list this year, reflecting the institution’s dedication to academic excellence.
In addition to Udayan, Krishanu Saha (688 marks with 98.29 per cent) secured sixth position, Saatwata De (687 marks with 98.14 per cent) secured seventh position and Rounak Ghosh (685 marks with 97.86 per cent) secured ninth position in the state merit list, all from Balurghat High School.
Two students from Balurghat Girls High School, Abritti Ghatak and Arpit Ghosh (687 marks with 98.14 per cent) placed in the seventh position and one from Baul Parameshwar High School Ashmita Chakraborty (685 marks with 97.86 per cent) placed in ninth position in the merit list.
Around 4 students of Mozampur HSSB High School under Kaliachak Police Station, Malda have etched their name in the merit list. Their names are Sahabuddin Ali, who ranked 6th by scoring 688 marks; Bishal Chandra Mandal and Aminul Islam both scored 685 and ranked 9th along with Bishal Mandal who secured the 10th position by getting 684 numbers.
Bhowmi Sarkar, a student of Raiganj Girls’ Higher Secondary School of North Dinajpur, secured the 10th position. She has obtained a total of 684 marks. She is a resident of Purbasa para in Ward 13 of Raiganj Municipality.
In Kalimpong district, the pass rate for male students was 96.79 per cent, while for female students it was 96.97 per cent.
Out of 1375 male students, 1370 were successful and 1617 female students emerged successful out of 1619 students. In Darjeeling district, of 6,713 male students, 6,684 passed. Out of 8,244 female students, 8,207 students passed.
The total pass rate was 82.27 per cent. In Jalpaiguri district, 9824 male students passed out of 9890 students and 12519 female students passed out of 12611 students. The total pass percentage was 73.09 per cent.
In Alipurduar, 6589 male students passed out of 6640, 8029 female students passed out of 8071, the total pass percentage was 76.38 per cent.
In Malda district, 19013 male students qualified out of 19120 students, 23555 female students qualified out of 23765 students. Total pass percentage stood at 81.46 per cent.
In Cooch Behar, 13405 male students became successful out of 13498 students. 15871 female students qualified out of 16018 students.
The total pass percentage was 83.91 per cent. In North Dinajpur, 11392 male students emerged successful out of 11495 students. 17391 female students qualified out of 17690 students.
The total pass percentage was 75.47 per cent. In South Dinajpur, 6718 male students became successful out of 6756 students. 7845 female students became successful out of 7896 students.
Severe heatwave situations will, however, continue in districts like Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Burdwan and West Burdwan on Friday
MP, 3 May 2024, Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Centre in Alipore held out a ray of hope for the heatwave situation to change from Sunday or Monday with the possibility of rains in the coastal districts on Saturday.
Severe heatwave situations will, however, continue in districts like Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Burdwan and West Burdwan on Friday.
The MeT office also predicted that mercury will start sliding down in the next 48 hours. Many of the South Bengal districts will receive rainfall between Sunday and Tuesday. The MeT office said that heatwave conditions are very likely to continue till Sunday over south Bengal, which has been reeling under a scorching sun.
Several districts in the Western parts of Bengal have been consistently registering temperatures over 45 degrees Celsius for the past many days.
The MeT office prediction said severe heatwave is likely to continue in Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, West Midnapore, East Midnapore and West Burdwan. There will not be any large change in maximum temperature during the next two days and thereby it will fall gradually in the subsequent three days in the region.
The severe weather conditions in the southern and western districts of Bengal are being caused by dry westerly winds and strong solar insolation, the MeT office said. Kolkata is also bracing for severe heatwaves.
The city and its adjoining areas like Dum Dum, Salt Lake, Barrackpore, Barasat already witnessed the highest temperature of over 42 degrees in the past couple of days.
The Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha are all reeling under the extreme heatwave conditions, according to reports.
Thunderstorms may hit districts like Nadia, Murshidabad, Birbhum, parts of North and South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore on Sunday. Rainfall may intensify on Monday.
A mild breeze may also sweep through several parts of South Bengal. North Bengal districts like Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri will receive thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds measuring around 30-40 kmph in the next 48 hours.
Kolkata on Thursday registered the highest temperature at around 40 degree Celsius, Salt Lake 39, Dum Dum 39, Diamond Harbour 39, Midnapore 43, Purulia 43, Asansol 42.
Out of the total number of candidates, 7,65,252 were successful while the results of two were withheld, 46 candidates’ exams were cancelled and 81 were exonerated
MP, 3 May 2024, Kolkata: Children With Special Needs (CWSN) performed well in the Madhyamik 2024 with a success rate of 86.90 per cent. “This proves that the urge for education is universally present among all school-goers” the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education stated on Thursday.
The result of the Madhyamik was announced on Thursday. A total of 9,12,598 candidates appeared. Exams were conducted in seven compulsory subjects, 12 first languages, three second languages and 47 optional elective subjects.
Out of the total number of candidates, 7,65,252 were successful while the results of two were withheld, 46 candidates’ exams were cancelled and 81 were exonerated.
Out of the total number of candidates, 962 CWSN candidates appeared for the examination. According to the data provided by the Board, 192 visually impaired candidates — 101 male and 91 female — 184 with hearing impairment — 94 male and 90 female — and 586 Orthopedic Physically Handicapped (OPH) candidates — 353 male and 233 female.
Out of 192 visually-impaired candidates, 182 were successful candidates out of which 99 were boys and 83 were girls. Out of 184 candidates with hearing impairment, 141 were successful candidates and out of 586 OPH candidates, 539 candidates were successful.
The visually impaired students were allowed one amanuensis (one substitute when required) during the examination and were allowed 45 minutes extra time.
The examination centres were requested to make provision for examinees suffering from Thalassaemia and those who are wheelchair-bound to take their examination on the ground floor. Orthopaedically handicapped examinees were allotted examination centres with ramps.
The court acknowledged the corruption allegations against the accused and the filed chargesheet, emphasizing the automatic nature of the grant. The court held the delay a “violation of orders” and an attempt to “subvert the criminal prosecution.
PTI, Kolkata, 2 May 2024 : The Calcutta High Court expressed dismay over the delay in granting sanction to prosecute former officials in the 2016 West Bengal school jobs case. Despite directing the decision by May 2, the state requested seven more weeks, which the court deemed “wilful delay.”
The court acknowledged the corruption allegations against the accused and the filed chargesheet, emphasizing the automatic nature of the grant. The court held the delay a “violation of orders” and an attempt to “subvert the criminal prosecution.” The accused were seen as too powerful to allow for a fair trial, raising concerns about institutional support and prosecution viability.
he Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed ”pain” at the prolonged delay by the West Bengal chief secretary in deciding on the grant of sanction to prosecute former public servants arrested by CBI in the 2016 school jobs case.
The high court on April 23 directed the top official to decide on the matter by May 2 in the case. During the day, the state government prayed for seven weeks to decide on granting the sanction. The court termed it a ”wilful delay” and said a sanctioning authority ”cannot hold prosecution to ransom” by dragging its feet on taking a decision on sanction for prosecution.
Stating that it is pained at the delay despite repeated directions by it and setting guidelines on the issue of granting sanction to the chief secretary, a division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that it will hear out the parties and take a decision on bail applications by the accused persons on Friday.
Former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, one of the accused in custody, moved a bail application before the court along with other ex-public servants who were arrested in the case.
The chief secretary, through the state’s advocate general, prayed for seven weeks’ time to take a decision on the application for sanction by the CBI.
Maintaining that the accused persons were public servants and that there is an allegation of corruption against them and a chargesheet has been filed, the court said that it is an automatic course to take a decision on grant of sanction.
The bench said the court is being constrained to take a harsh view of it.
Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that this court should not have gone into the question of sanction as the issue to be decided in this matter is bail applications by the accused persons.
Holding that the matter before it is definitely whether the accused persons are enlarged on bail or not, the court said, ”If it comes to our light that a particular agency is subverting the process of criminal justice, will the court turn a blind eye?” Stating that constitutional democracy moves on trust, the bench said that this is not an expected stance of a constitutional democracy.
”We are constrained to observe that this has been a wilful effort not only to violate our orders, but suffered the administration of criminal justice,” the bench said.
The court said that it will be a relevant consideration for deciding the bail applications that there are roadblocks creating hindrances to trial.
Maintaining that it is an ”institutional conspiracy”, the court said that the accused persons seemed to be too powerful to subvert the criminal prosecution. The court said that it is ”really apprehensive whether the wherewithal and institutional support for a fair trial is possible here.” Stating that it is up to the prosecuting agency to take a call on that, the court said that it feels extremely distressed.
On April 9 also, the bench expressed its displeasure over the delay in grant of sanction and directed the chief secretary to take a decision by April 23.
The CBI had stated before the court during a previous hearing of the matter that the governor of West Bengal had granted sanction to prosecute former minister Partha Chatterjee.
The division bench is jointly hearing the bail prayers of the state’s former Education minister Partha Chatterjee, former secretary of West Bengal School Service Commission Ashok Saha, former SSC chairman Subires Bhattacharyya and former chairman of SSC’s advisory committee Santi Prasad Sinha, who are in custody for about two years in connection with the case.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed “pain” at the prolonged delay by the West Bengal Chief Secretary in deciding on the grant of sanction to prosecute former public servants arrested by CBI in the 2016 school jobs case.
Maintaining that the accused persons were public servants and that there is an allegation of corruption against them and a charge sheet has been filed, the court said that it is an automatic course to take a decision on grant of sanction. The bench said the court is being constrained to take a harsh view of it.
Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that this court should not have gone into the question of sanction as the issue to be decided in this matter is bail applications by the accused persons. Holding that the matter before it is definitely whether the accused persons are enlarged on bail or not, the court said, “If it comes to our light that a particular agency is subverting the process of criminal justice, will the court turn a blind eye?”
Stating that constitutional democracy moves on trust, the bench said that this is not an expected stance of a constitutional democracy. “We are constrained to observe that this has been a wilful effort not only to violate our orders, but suffered the administration of criminal justice,” the bench said. The court said that it will be a relevant consideration for deciding the bail applications that there are roadblocks creating hindrances to trial.
YOWAN MOTHAY, EOI, KALIMPONG, MAY 2, 2024: In this year’s Madhyamik Examination, the Kalimpong district has achieved the highest pass percentage in the state of West Bengal. The Kalimpong district has secured a pass percentage 96.2 in secondary examination this year.
This is considered to be the highest pass percentage in the state. Last year, the Kalimpong district was the second in pass percentage and this year it has reached first place. This year’s Madhyamik examination results have made Kalimpong proud and there is a wave of happiness throughout the district after the results.
Leeom Lenchyao Lepcha of St Philomena School in Kalimpong is the district topper, securing 90.2 percent marks. Leeom is a resident of Chibo under constituency no.33. She has attributed her success to God and Sisters, teachers and parents. She also said that hard work is behind her success.
“The bigger the goal, the harder it is to work and if you work hard, you will surely succeed,” she said. She said that she is planning to prepare for her NEET as her dream was to become a doctor.
Similarly, Norden Lepcha, her father, while expressing his happiness at his daughter’s success, said that instead of scolding the children, one should give advice and encouragement. Principal of St. Philomena School Sister Cricenta Rai, thanked God for the good results of the school in the secondary examination and Leeom Lencho Lepcha from the school for her score and for becoming the Kalimpong district topper.
A total of 3921 students took the exam from Kalimpong district this year.
The forest fire, which started on Thursday morning, was brought under control by the evening with the intervention by the fire operators and officials of the Forest Department, and with the help of local residents.
EOI, DARJEELING, MAY 2, 2024 : The
sudden forest fire at Topkey Dara,
near 3rd Mile, around 19 km from
Darjeeling, has posed an imminent
threat to the breeding center for red
panda and snow leopards at Topkey
Dara, just one km away.
The area
falls under the Senchal Wildlife
Sanctuary and is run by the
Padmaja Naidu Himalayan
Zoological Park (PNHZP).
The forest fire, which started on
Thursday morning, was brought
under control by the evening with
the intervention by the fire
operators and officials of the Forest
Department, and with the help of
local residents.
Ranger Uttam Pradhan of the
Darjeeling Wildlife Division
Sinchel East Range said: “The fire
might have started around 7 a.m. We
came to know about the fire only
after we got a phone call around 7.20
a.m. when a former forest staff
informed us about it, seeing smoke
coming out of the area. He had seen
the smoke from Mall Road in
Darjeeling.
Acting on the
information we went for inspection
and found that fire had started from
3rd Mile and was spreading
towards the Breeding Centre.
Another fire had also started at 6th
Mile on the road towards
Kalimpong. We had to face a lot of
difficulty trying to fight two fires.”
Pradhan said initially fire
extinguishers were utilized to fight
the spreading fire with the Fire
Department from Darjeeling town
also sending one fire tender to help
them.
A fire tender that has been
kept as reserve by the fire
department in the Dispersion Centre
and Receipt Centre (DCRC) set up
at Darjeeling Government College
(DGC) where strong rooms have
been made for the recently
concluded polls though could not
be utilized.
“We also requested
water tanks that sell water from
perennial water sources like
Kalikhola close by to this area to
help us in supplying water. They
helped by bringing water in 10
vehicles,” Pradhan said. Each of the
trucks which supply water to
Darjeeling town can carry 2000 litres
of water at a time. The local police
force, staff of the PNHZP and the
forest department along with locals
from nearby villages located in 3rd
Mile, Dabaipani, Naya Basti among
other places where the Joint Forest
Management Committee also exists
pitched in to fight the forest fire.
Fire lines were also made in places
by cutting grass to ensure that the
fire did not spread. When asked
about how the fire could have
started Pradhan stated, “The exact
reason for the fire starting is not
known but the month of April to
May is a very dry season with the
jungles also very dry. The few days
have also been excessively windy,
and a natural fire could have started
due to friction caused by the wind
and with the forest being dry a
small fire can get out of control.”
Pradhan also said that though more
than 80 percent of the fire had been
brought under control by the
afternoon, the day being windy and
with chances of ground fires still
burning underneath there, the
surface could ignite again. He said
that this fire was hard to detect.
“We
will stay on vigil throughout the
night and there could be the danger
of the fire starting again,” he said
while adding that the extent of area
damage could not be ascertained
right now
Refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives….truth will triumph: Bose
EOI, KOLKATA, MAY 2, 2024 : In a sensational incident that stirred a political furore in the state a female employee of Raj Bhavan today put West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose in the dock for sexual harassment.
She filed a complaint against the Governor at Hare Street police station under Kolkata Police . The woman, who had been working as a temporary employee of Raj Bhavan used to live in the staff quarters of Raj Bhavan.
However the Governor refuted the charges vehemently. “Truth shall triumph. I refuse to be cowed down by engineered narratives If any body wants some election benefits by maligning me God bless them. But they can not stop my fight against corruption and violence in Bengal,’’
Governor Bose said in a statement. In expected fashion the incident triggered a political slugfest in the state. `
`A Governor is being accused of indulging in sexual harassment. What kind of state we are in,’’ fumed state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya.
Retorted Subhendu Adhikary, BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. “It could be an attempt to divert people’s attention from the several scams the ruling TMC is reeling under. However the allegation should be probed. `
If it turns out to be a conspiracy the perpetrators should be punished. But if it comes out to be true action should also be taken,’’ Ashikary said.
However, according to constitutional experts a Governor, while in office enjoys immunity from all criminal proceedings under Article 361 of the Constitution.
He was addressing a poll gathering at Surendranagar in Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats
PTI, Surendranagar, May 02 2024 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, accusing the opposition party of trying to create divisions among Hindus due to its appeasement politics.
He was addressing a poll gathering at Surendranagar in Gujarat in support of BJP candidates for Surendranagar and Bhavnagar Lok Sabha seats. “Now, Congress is trying to create divisions among Hindus. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has made a very dangerous statement about Lord Ram and Lord Shiva.
This statement has been made with malafide intentions.
They are playing a game to divide the Hindu community,” he said. “They are creating differences among the devotees of Lord Ram and Lord Shiva so that they fight with each other. Even Mughals could not break our thousands of years of traditions.
And now Congress wants to break it? How low will Congress stoop for appeasement?” Modi added. The PM also alleged that Congress, in its manifesto, has proposed a separate quota for minorities in the allocation of all government tenders.
Addressing a rally in Jamnagarin Gujarat, the PM said the Congress government in Karnataka issued a “fatwa” overnight to include Muslims in the Other Backward Classes
segment to give them quota benefits. “The Congress is contesting elections on two strategies. The first is to divide society in the name of caste and the second is unite its vote bank through appeasement,” Modi said.
He further said the Congress planned to change the Constitution to give reservation on the basis of religion. This is why the Congress party spread an “absolute rumour” regarding (curtailing of) reservations to Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs and tried to make it an election agenda, the PM said. The Congress is trying to take away reservations of SCs, STs and OBCs
and give these benefits to Constituent Assembly did not have Muslims.
In Karnataka, 27 per cent OBC quota was “looted overnight” by the Congress to appease its vote bank, whereas those who drafted the Constitution were clear that religion-based quota could not be provided, the PM said.
“The leaders from BJP, RSS. Scholars
like Babasaheb Ambedkar were
present and after detailed
discussions they decided that
reservation cannot be given in the
name of religion as it would create
a grave danger for the country,” he
said.
“The poison sprayed by
Congress has gone very high and I
don’t know to what places it will
spread by end of this election,” the
PM said, adding the opposition
party’s leaders were at the
forefront of supporting “terrorists”
and were now calling for “vote
jihad”. The then prime minster
served as the guest of Kashmiri
separatists and Congress leaders
came forward to save Ajmal Kasab,
the lone gunman arrested after the
26/11 terror attack on Mumbai,
Modi said.
“Books were written to
save jihadis of the Mumbai terror
attack and a Congress leader
released (one such) book. In Delhi,
when terrorists were killed at Batla
House, the ‘madam’ of the Congress
could not stop tears. When Afzal
Guru was sentenced to hang, people
from this ecosystem reached the
Supreme Court and the President,”
the PM said.
These people are now
calling for “vote jihad” (religion
based voting to stop the BJP), he
pointed out. Slamming the
Congress’ manifesto, Modi said it as a sign of danger for the country.
“INDI alliance leaders are asking
Muslim voters to go for vote jihad.
It is not something being uttered by
a child studying in a madrassa but
by Congress leaders who come
from highly educated families,” the
PM said. “
“The kind of language
that the Muslim League used, the
narrative on which the country was
divided are unfortunately the same
on the basis of which they are
seeking votes,” he said.
The
Congress leaves no opportunity to
mock “our faith” but would it dare
to make fun of anything related to
other religions, the PM asked.
“They boycott the Ram Temple,
they call Dwarka a lie. They say we
will make Lord Shiva and Lord
Ram fight and ensure Ram’s defeat.
The ‘shehzada’ of the Congress even
ridiculed my offering prayers in
submerged Dwarka. Therefore, I
say we should be careful of the
Congress,” the PM said.
The
Congress’ politics started with false
propaganda and has now fallen into
despair, Modi said.
“The Congress
has the same frustration and hatred
towards the country’s development
that it once had for Gujarat. While
India’s stature is rising across the
world, the shehzada of the Congress
and his ecosystem go abroad and
defame our country with long
lectures,” the PM said in a swipe at
Rahul Gandhi.
When the Congress-
led UPA was unseated in 2014, the
country’s economy was the 11th
largest in the world, whereas India
was ranked 6th when it gained
Independence, the PM pointed out.
“They were intellectuals. However,
then came a chaiwala who had
Gujarati blood and the economy
rose to 5th rank,” the PM said,
adding he did not seek people’s
blessings for power, prestige and
position but to fulfil the pledge of
making India the third largest
economy.
“You can imagine how
much the world’s attitude will
change towards India when we
achieve third rank. India will be
self-reliant and will not have to
spread its hand before the world for
anything. I need blessings to make
such an India,” Modi asserted.
Slamming the Congress’ “scholars”
for claiming that the country’s
economy would achieve third rank
by itself and for stating that
poverty can be removed in an
instant, Modi said these persons
had never thought about facing and
overcoming challenges and solving
problems. “When the intentions are
clean, the results are grand,” the PM
emphasised.
Modi said he has three
challenges for the Congress, and
these are, firstly, giving in writing
whether it would provide religion-
based quota to Muslims by
changing the Constitution,
secondly, not taking away
reservation benefits of Dalits,
tribals and OBCs, and thirdly, that
its state governments will not run a
hidden agenda of including
Muslims in the OBC segment.
“Will
Modi stay silent when the country
is facing such dangers? Will he
ever allow the country to be
divided? As long as Modi is alive,
he will not allow the country to be
divided again in the name of
religion,” he asserted. The
Congress’ leaders, instead of
responding (to such challenges) are
misleading the public, he added.
Voting on 25 of Gujarat’s 26 Lok
Sabha seats will take place on May
7. The BJP has won the Surat seat
unopposed.
