We had submitted a list of the undeserving candidates to the division bench of Calcutta High Court: SSC
Subhankar Chowdhury, TT, Calcutta, 04.05.24 :
School Service Commission, Salt Lake office.: File
The school service commission (SSC) chief on Friday said they would tell the Supreme Court that it was possible to make a distinction between the deserving and the undeserving candidates among the 25,000-odd teachers and other employees at government-aided schools whose services were terminated by Calcutta High Court.
“The commission will definitely stand by those who got their jobs through fair means. We will try to assure the Supreme Court, where a case is being heard, that it is possible to make a distinction between those who are deserving and those who are not from this list (of the 25,700 candidates),” SSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumdar told a news conference.
The briefing was convened hours after a section of the 25,700-odd teaching and non-teaching employees who stand to lose their jobs following a Calcutta High Court order on April 22 held a protest outside the SSC office in Salt Lake.
“We had submitted a list of the undeserving candidates to the division bench of Calcutta High Court. Similarly, we can hand over the list of the disputed candidates to the Supreme Court. The commission will definitely stand by those who are not guilty or those who cannot be identified as tainted. This is the stand of the commission,” Majumdar said
On April 25, Majumdar had said at a news conference that the commission had informed the high court through three affidavits that 5,300 teaching and non-teaching employees had got their jobs allegedly through unfair means.
The SSC chairman had made the comment while countering the court’s
statement that the commission did not cooperate in tracing the candidates who had got their jobs allegedly through unfair means.
On April 29, the Bengal government, SSC and the state secondary education board had submitted before the Supreme Court that the high court’s April 22 order scrapping the jobs of all 25,700 candidates who had been appointed based on their performance in the 2016 selection tests, because of possible irregularities in some appointments, violated the principles of natural justice.
Chief Justice Chandrachud then observed: “You have to demonstrate that… on the basis of material available, it is possible to segregate who all are validly and invalidly appointed; who are the beneficiaries of the frauds.”
The apex court will again hear the case on May 6.
The SSC chairperson on Friday said it was in this context that he said that they would try to assure the Supreme Court that it was possible to make a distinction between the deserving and the undeserving candidates.
“A section of those who stand to lose jobs following the Calcutta High Court order was staging a protest outside the SSC office. I told the media persons who came to the office that it was possible to make a distinction between those who are deserving and those who are not,” Majumdar told Metro later.
When this newspaper sought to know how the commission would make a distinction, an official said: “We could give the apex court a list of the candidates against whom there are no allegations so far.”
The counsel for the Bengal government had submitted in the Supreme Court on Monday that the high court judgment violated the Supreme Court ruling in the Inderpreet Singh Kahlon and Others vs State of Punjab in 2006, which said the entire selection process cannot be cancelled because of irregularities in some appointments.
The high court invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching employees at state-sponsored and aided schools because of irregularities in the State Level Selection Test, 2016
Mamata Banerjee addresses a rally at Memari in East Burdwan on Friday.: Munshi Muklesur Rahaman
Pranesh Sarkar, TT, Calcutta, 04.05.24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pledged that the BJP would stand by those teachers whose appointments had been cancelled by Calcutta High Court recently though they had landed jobs rightfully.
The high court invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching employees at state-sponsored and aided schools because of irregularities in the State Level Selection Test, 2016.
While promising to stand by those whose appointments were not tainted by charges of corruption, Modi said the BJP’s Bengal unit would set up a legal cell and a social media platform to assist them.
“The TMC extortionists cheated lakhs of youths in the recruitment of teachers…. You saw what kind of irregularities took place when it was found that machines got tired of counting bundles of currency notes. Many genuine teachers, who have proper documents, are also suffering because of the sin of others.… I have suggested that the Bengal BJP set up a legal cell and a social media platform to assist genuine teachers who lost their jobs,” Modi said during an election rally in Burdwan on Friday.
While addressing a rally in East Burdwan’s Raina later in the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee tore into Modi and the BJP, holding them responsible for “eating 26,000 jobs”.
“Where were you Modi babu? You have eaten 26,000 jobs. Your party has eaten these jobs. Your party and the CPM have together eaten the jobs…. Your assistance is not required. The Bengal government has already engaged lawyers in the Supreme Court. The education department has also engaged lawyers. We would not let the youths lose their jobs,” said Mamata.
As a large number of teachers not tainted by chargesof corruption became the high court order’s collateral damage, Mamata held the Opposition, especially the BJP, responsible for the job losses.
The Prime Minister’s bid to address the concerns of genuine teachers who lost their jobs reflected the BJP’s unease with Mamata’s consistent effort to blame the saffron camp for the high court order.
“Elections have been held only in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal so far and another 36 seats will go to the polls in the remaining five phases. Most of the affected teachers are residents of these 36 constituencies. So, the Prime Minister had to send a message particularly after the chief minister had vowed to stand by the teachers who lost jobs,” said a BJP leader.
Agencies, 3 May 2024, Bardhaman (WB): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he has asked the West Bengal BJP unit to create a separate legal cell to provide help to “genuine teachers and candidates” who have lost jobs due to the School Service Commission (SSC) scam.
While addressing an election rally at Bardhaman-Durgapur, Modi said “Although he wants those involved in corruption by the TMC to be punished but doesn’t want the innocent to suffer.” “The corruption that the TMC has done in Bengal in school recruitment is shameful.
Due to this scam, several genuine candidates have suffered. I have asked the Bengal BJP unit on behalf of the party to create a separate legal cell and social media platform to provide help to the genuine candidates and teachers,” he said.
“BJP will support such honest candidates and will provide them legal help and will fight for them. This is Modi’s guarantee,” he said.
Modi’s remarks came a week after the Calcutta High Court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-20TMC16 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as “null and void,” ordering the cancellation of all appointments made through it.
Around 26,000 people have lost jobs following the court order.
MP, 3 May 2024, JALPAIGURI: A person was fatally attacked by an elephant in the Mahabari Basti area adjacent to Chalsa in the Meteli Block of Jalpaiguri on Thursday night. The incident occurred when a wild elephant emerged from the nearby Panjhora Forest and ventured into the Mahabari Basti area, ultimately targeting victim Mangri Oraon’s (50) house. Despite his attempts to flee, the elephant caught and fatally crushed him on the spot. Upon receiving the news, cops from Meteli Police Station and forest personnel from the Khunia Squad arrived and recovered the victim’s body.
Youth found hanging from terrace
MP, 3 May 2024: Youth found hanging from terrace Siliguri: A youth was found hanging from the terrace of a residence in Shaktigarh area under Ward 31 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation on Friday. The deceased has been identified as Mithun Roy (19), from Haldibari.
He was working in a bar and living at the apartment on rent with his fellow employees. His colleagues said that he was suffering from depression and the night before his body was found, he was arguing with someone on a phone call.
A probe has begun.
About four held with drugs
MP, 3 May 2024, Siliguri: Three people were arrested with 205 grams of morphine on the Indo-Nepal border at Panitanki area on Thursday night by the SSB. Later the SSB jawans handed them over to Kharibari Police.
They were produced at Siliguri Court on Friday. In another incident, a youth was arrested with 17 grams of brown sugar from Matigara on Friday.
Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 4 May 2024, Siliguri: The Bengal Safari Park authorities have introduced their newest members to visitors this summer vacation. After nearly two months, five newborn cubs of Royal Bengal Tigress Sheela were escorted out of the night shelter into the display area.
The cubs made their debut in the ‘kraal’ (enclosure) this week, where visitors will be able to see them. However, they won’t be released for safari in open enclosures at the moment. It will take more time before they can roam freely in the safari area.
Meanwhile, the two lions from Tripura are expected to be ready for safari in July. Vijay Kumar, Director of Bengal Safari Park, stated: “All five cubs, one male and four females, are healthy and in good spirits.
Round-the-clock surveillance is ongoing but they are still too young to be released for the safari. They have been moved from the night shelters to ‘kraals’ or small enclosures for public viewing.” Recently, Sourav Chowdhury,
Member Secretary of the West Bengal Zoo Authority, and Bhaskar J V, Chief Forest Officer (Wildlife), visited the park to inspect the condition of the new cubs and lions. The Member Secretary of the Zoo Authority expressed satisfaction with the cubs’ health condition.
Sheela gave birth to five cubs at the Bengal Safari Park on March 6. With this, Sheela became a mother for the fourth time. Sheela gave birth to seven cubs earlier.
This time, Sheela and Vivaan, the Royal Bengal Tiger couple, gave birth to five cubs. With this, the number of Royal Bengal Tigers at the Safari Park stood at 14. Out of which, six are male and eight are female.
The park authorities are hopeful that these new cubs will attract more tourists to the park.
MP, 4 May 2024, Darjeeling: Luxman Pradhan, veteran politician of the Hills, owing allegiance to the All India Gorkha League (AIGL), passed away on Friday morning in Darjeeling. He was 78 years old.
Though he was suffering from kidney ailment and blood sugar, the condition of his health was not all that bad.
At around 5 am, he woke up and when he got out of bed he became senseless and then passed away, stated family sources.
People from all walks of life paid tribute to the departed leader. Condolences poured in from different political camps.
“I knew him as a Union leader, working relentlessly for the welfare of tea garden workers. He spent his life fighting for their rights. The death of Luxman Pradhan has left a vacuum in the trade union movement in the Hills,” stated Aniit Thapa, Chief Executive, GTA.
Courtesy & source- Millennium Post https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/veteran-leader-luxman-pradhan-passes-away-562420
MP, 4 May 2024, Siliguri: Two people from Cooch Behar were arrested for allegedly duping money in two separate cases. Complaints for both the cases were lodged in 2023 at Panitanki Out Post.
Police arrested both the accused at the same place in Cooch Behar on Thursday. In one case, Moumita Nag, a resident of Hakimpara area of Siliguri, met a 25-year-old youth named Devkant Dey on social media.
A brother-sister relationship developed between the two. After gaining Moumita’s trust, Devkanth took money from her several times by promising her that he would double the money. He took about Rs 10 lakh from Moumita and absconded.
On October 9, 2023, Moumita lodged a complaint. In the second case, another person named Sanat Talukdar from Cooch Behar was arrested by the police of Panitanki Outpost on charges of cheating a resident of Jalpaiguri on the pretext of providing a loan from the bank.
Shyamal Sarkar, a resident of Jalpaiguri, took a loan of Rs 2 lakh from a bank in Siliguri last year. The accused, Sanat Talukder, was an employee of that bank.
There, Shyamal gave Rs 1 lakh to Sanat to submit to the bank, but he deposited the money to his own bank account. Later, on September 22, 2023, Shyamal lodged a complaint. Both the accused were produced in Siliguri Court on Friday.
Amitava Banerjee, MP, 4 May 2024, Darjeeling: The District Magistrate, Kalimpong has issued an order restricting the movement of all types of vehicles from Rabi Jhora to Gail Khola, 29th Mile on the National Highway (NH) 10 from 6 am on May 6 to 6 am on May 9.
Alternative routes and diversions have been specified in the order. This restriction has been clamped to allow repair work on the NH 10.
Incidentally, the NH10 connects the state of Sikkim with the plains of Bengal and is a lifeline for the Himalayan state of Sikkim. The road was badly damaged owing to a flash flood on the Teesta on October 4, 2023.
Since then the condition of NH 10 has been unstable with the need to close down stretches for vehicular traffic, for repairs.
“We had received a request from the executive engineer, NH, Division 9, PW Roads on April 30, to restrict vehicular movement of all types of vehicles to carry out bituminous work on the 2.40 km stretch between Rabi Jhora to Gail Khola along NH 10,” stated Balasubramanian T, District Magistrate, Kalimpong.
The notice states that only small vehicles will move from Rangpoo towards Siliguri via Munsong-17th Mile-Algarah- Lava-Gorubathan and then onto Siliguri and vice versa, round-the-clock. Small vehicles will move from Chitrey-Kalimpong town-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan and Siliguri and vice-versa round-the-clock. Goods vehicles will move from Chitrey-Kalimpong town-Algarah-Lava-Gorubathan and to Siliguri and vice-versa from 9 pm to 6 am.
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 Rangpo checkpost, Chitrey and at the district border on the NH 10 stretch shall be imposed by the police for facilitating the route diversions,” added the DM.
With temperatures soaring in the plains, there is a huge rush of tourists to Sikkim and Kalimpong, accessed through the NH 10. The diversions will result in longer travel time and will be heavy on the purse.
“The NH 10 is highly fragile but tourism to Kalimpong and Sikkim is heavily dependent on it. We are digging up the area for a new train line, despite the fragile ecosystem. This will further affect the NH 10 and also the villages like Rambi along the road.
The only consolation now is that nearly 70 per cent of construction work of the alternate highway 177A to Sikkim is complete. We hope that this highway is completed at the earliest,” stated Raj Basu, Convenor, Association for Conservation of Tourism (ACT).
MP, 4 May 2024, Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was pulled up by the Calcutta High Court for applying to the Chief Secretary for sanction to prosecute former ministers and public servants in recruitment scam cases instead of the Governor, who was the correct sanctioning authority.
According to a news agency, the Division Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Gaurang Kanth called for a report from CBI on whether the appropriate sanctioning authority has been approached and observed that the issue needs to be sorted at the earliest.
On behalf of CBI, it was submitted that the sanction from the Chief Secretary was sought only for the prosecution of school department officials.
The Court reportedly clarified that in the case of Kalyanmoy Ganguly and other former ministers, it needs to be sought from the Governor itself. The matter is scheduled to be heard on May 7.
Mamata On April 23, the Court had warned that if the Chief Secretary failed to act on the Court’s directions then they would be constrained to initiate proceedings against him.
In earlier two occasions as well, the Chief Secretary was asked to make his position clear. The Division Bench was hearing the bail applications of former minister Partha Chatterjee, Subires Bhattacharjee and Kalyanmoy Ganguly, amongst others.
According to the counsel representing them, they have been in custody for about two years and the case could not progress due to the absence of sanction.
MP, 4 May 2024, Kolkata: Candidates who lost their job following the verdict of Calcutta High Court in the 2016 recruitment staged a demonstration outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) office on Friday.
The Commission chairman Siddharth Majumder met with 10 representatives from the protesters and explained the legal constraints pertaining to the matter. While expressing his sympathy towards legitimate candidates who allegedly lost their jobs in the case, he assured them that the commission will do everything possible within the legal framework to assist them.
The Calcutta High Court had declared around 25,753 appointments–both teaching and non-teaching–granted in the selection process of 2016 as “null and void and cancelled.” It was challenged in the Supreme Court by the state government.
According to a news agency, the state argued that the High Court instead of segregating the valid from invalid appointments has set the 2016 recruitment entirely. It was further pleaded that the special bench had relied upon oral arguments without the support of affidavits.
It was stated that the result of this judgement will create a vacuum in the state unless the new selection process is completed.
Hence, it will impact the students considering the upcoming new academic session. The Supreme Court recently stayed CBI probe with regard to the state government officials involved in approving supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments and to take such persons into custodial interrogation if necessary.
However, the apex court turned down the prayer for stay of High Court’s direction to cancel the appointments of 25,753 candidates, which includes both teaching and non-teaching staff who were appointed in 2016.
Over 400 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces will be there on the day of phase III.
MP, 4 May 2024, Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) is all set to conduct phase III polls on May 7 amidst tight security when Malda South, Malda North, Murshidabad and Jangipur will go to polls.
Over 400 companies of Central Paramilitary Forces will be there on the day of phase III.
EC is going to deploy 64 companies of Central Forces in the Jangipur Lok Sabha constituency while in Malda around 144 companies will be deployed. There will be around 144 companies of Central forces for Murshidabad Lok Sabha constituency while 143 companies.
In the fourth phase of elections, around 596 companies of central forces will be deployed by the EC. In the fifth phase, the state may see a deployment of around 750 companies of central forces.
There will be additional deployment of forces for QRT and confidence-building exercise and on strong room duty. The decision comes in the wake of violence during the panchayat polls of 2023 in Domkal and other parts of Murshidabad, prompting the EC to analyse sensitive booths to finalize force deployment.
EC is concerned for the Murshidabad district as it had past instances of violence. In Malda North, Khagen Murmu, a BJP leader is contesting the elections for his party. He is pitted against Prasun Banerjee from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Mostaque Alam from the Congress.
Sreerupa Mitra Chowdhury is the BJP candidate in Malda South who is contesting against Shanawaz Ali Rehan of the TMC, while Isha Khan Choudhury represents Congress.
In Murshidabad seat, the contest is between CPI(M’s) Mohammed Salim, Trinamool’s Abu Taher Khan, and BJP’s Gouri Shankar Ghosh. TMC’s Abu Taher Khan, the incumbent, aims for re-election.
The Jangipur Lok Sabha seat has a significant legacy linked to the late President Pranab Mukherjee. Khallilur Rahman of TMC, the incumbent, faces competition from BJP’s Dhanahjay Ghosh and Congress’ Mortazza Hossain in a three-cornered fight.
The EC on Friday issued directives to remove two officers-in-charge — one from Anandapur police station under Kolkata police and another from Diamond Harbour Police Station in South 24-Parganas.
The EC also said that the two officers cannot be deployed in election duties. The office of the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has to submit names of three possible officers to fill up the two posts which will be vacant.
On Thursday, Raj Bhavan banned the entry of Bhattacharya. On Friday, a statement from the Governor’s office read: “The Attorney General for India has been contacted for advice on further legal steps against the Minister for her defamatory and anti-constitutional media statements.”
MP,4 May 2024, Kolkata: A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and minister Chandrima Bhattacharya accused Governor C V Ananda Bose of turning the ‘Peace Room’ in Raj Bhavan into Peace Haven (a city-based mortuary) of women’s respect, the Governor’s office has informed it is consulting the Attorney General for legal action against Bhattacharya.
On Thursday, Raj Bhavan banned the entry of Bhattacharya. On Friday, a statement from the Governor’s office read: “The Attorney General for India has been contacted for advice on further legal steps against the Minister for her defamatory and anti-constitutional media statements.”
Bhattacharya said she cannot be intimidated and that Raj Bhavan has no right to ban her entry. She said she has a sound understanding of law and will take necessary action. TMC leader Shashi Panja said: “Governor is in arrogance mode and banned our Finance minister from entering Raj Bhavan.
Did he ever think that we were willing to go there? After this allegation, are we ready to enter that place? Ask us first.”
Since PM Modi was supposed to stay at Raj Bhavan on Thursday night, she questioned: “I want to know where did the PM stay last night? Why did he not utter a single word on the molestation allegations against the Governor?
Raj Bhavan has also banned the entry of police into its premises “in the guise of conducting unauthorised, illegitimate, sham and motivated investigation to placate political bosses during elections”.
DC Central, Kolkata Police, Indira Mukherjee told the media that a complaint was received at 5 pm at Raj Bhavan outpost on Thursday where a woman who is a Raj Bhavan staff alleged sexual harassment against the Governor.
Mukherjee said the complaint was forwarded to Hare Street police station. “We have initiated an inquiry. Since this kind of complaint is a sensitive matter. We are consulting our law department and constitutional experts.
It is part of our inquiry. We know when the incident happened but we will not share it now,” she said. Asked if she spoke to the officer on special duty (OSD) of the Governor, she said: “Our inquiry has not reached that level yet”.
Meanwhile, Kolkata Police has constituted an eight-member Special Enquiry Team (SET) to conduct an enquiry about the alleged molestation. Cops on Friday reportedly went to Ran Bhavan and talked with some of the employees.
The Governor, in a message said: “Dear members of the Raj Bhavan staff. I welcome all generous allegations and the frequent innuendos passed on me by a political force. I understand there is more in the offing. But one thing is clear.
None of the absurd dramas is going to deter me from a determined effort to expose corruption and curb violence. Character assassination is the last resort of a failing malevolence. Those who engineer these filthy narratives have a totally moribund character…”
The complainant informed the Raj Bhavan OC on Thursday that she resides in the Raj Bhavan quarters and is a contractual staff there. She alleged that on April 19 the Governor asked her to meet him with a resume and on April 24, she met him in the afternoon. It is then that the Governor allegedly made a lewd proposal and even touched her.
She alleged she somehow managed to avoid that. She also alleged she was again called on May 2 when she decided to go along with the supervisor but the Governor asked the supervisor to leave the conference room. He allegedly told the victim he will call her at night but when she refused, he misbehaved with her.
Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 4 May 2024, Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to intimidate IAS and IPS officers. “They (BJP) are so scared that they are calling IPS and IAS officers and threatening them to stand by the side of the BJP.
The officers are asked to stay away from the Trinamool Congress. Do you think that this news will not reach us,” Banerjee slammed the BJP. She was addressing two election rallies in East Burdwan — Raina and Purbasthali. Banerjee also alleged that around 1,500 state police who were taken by the Election Commission for conducting polls in other states were not given postal ballots.
“State police can be taken to other states but why they will not be given postal ballots? Why will the permission not be given? Either you (ECI) give them permission to cast their votes or else I will bring them back to the state. You can do whatever you wish to,” Banerjee hit out at the ECI.
Banerjee also hit out at Modi for mocking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over contesting from two Lok Sabha seats, saying PM Modi and many others from the BJP have done the same in the past.
“He (Modi) unnecessarily made a statement this morning. Although CPI(M), Congress and BJP are contesting as partners in Bengal, he referred to the Congress and asked why Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Rai Bareli.
He (Rahul) has done what he wanted. He has every right. How does it concern you? You also fought from two seats in the past. Many in your party did it,” Banerjee trained her guns at the PM from an election rally in Burdwan.
Incidentally, PM Modi held back-to-back election rallies in Bengal on Friday. Also Read – Trinamool ‘fact-checks’ PM Modi, counters his claims at Bengal rally “It seems he (Modi) has no work to do.
A PM doesn’t even know what should be said, and what shouldn’t,” Banerjee said, referring to the barbs that PM Modi threw at Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi from a rally in Burdwan said that he had spoken about the Congress losing the elections in his Parliament speech.
“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, a reference to Sonia Gandhi’s decision not to contest from the Gandhi family pocket borough Rae Bareli due to health reasons.
On Friday, the Congress announced Rahul Gandhi will contest from the constituency. Reacting to Modi’s comment that BJP would open a legal cell for the help of genuine candidates who have been rendered jobless following High Court order, Banerjee said that Modi should not say anything about this as his party BJP in connivance with the CPI(M) snatched jobs of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff.
Police personnel from the RAF and Bidhannagar police commissionerate intervened, halting the demonstrators near the commission’s head office at Karunamoyee
PTI, Calcutta, 03.05.24,: Around 1,000 young teachers, who were rendered jobless following a recent ruling by the Calcutta High Court, staged a demonstration outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) office here on Friday to express their grievances.
The teachers said they were part of the 26,000 candidates who appeared for the SSC 2016 test, a recruitment process deemed null and void by the high court in its recent verdict.
Police personnel from the RAF and Bidhannagar police commissionerate intervened, halting the demonstrators near the commission’s head office at Karunamoyee.
Approximately, 100 protesters were briefly detained for obstructing the road, a police official said.
SSC chairman Siddhartha Majumder told PTI that he met about 10 representatives from the protesters, explaining the legal constraints faced by the commission.
He expressed sympathy towards deserving candidates and assured them that the commission would do whatever possible within the legal framework to assist them.
“I have told them we are sympathetic to the deserving candidates.
The commission will certainly do whatever is possible, as per the legal framework, to help them,” he said.
However, he highlighted that the commission’s actions were restricted as the matter was now sub-judice.
Responding to queries regarding demands for the release of answer sheets in the public domain, Majumder clarified that the commission couldn’t even disclose candidates’ results, as the entire issue was sub-judice.
The SSC had earlier said while results of around 20,000 candidates were not suspicious, there are anomalies in the results of over 5000 and it had been brought to the notice of the court in past submissions.
The accused had established a “brotherly relationship” with a woman on social media to gain her trust before swindling her of lakhs of rupees.
EOI, SILIGURI, MAY 3, 2024 : A man involved in an alleged online scam has been arrested six months after the filing of the complaint.
The accused had established a “brotherly relationship” with a woman on social media to gain her trust before swindling her of lakhs of rupees.
The accused scammer, a resident of Cooch Behar, established contact with the woman, a resident of Hakimpara in Siliguri, by introducing himself on social media.
Gradually he gained the trust of the woman. He persuaded her to provide him with Rs 10,000 and returned Rs 17,000 to build her trust.
Later, he deceived her into handing over around Rs 50,000 on one occasion while returning Rs70,000.
Finally, he disappeared after swindling the woman of lakhs of rupees. Following the complaint of the woman the Panitanki Outpost tracked the man, using his mobile tower location.
‘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.
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.
