No seat-sharing, Congress announces 88 KMC candidates

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA, 1 MAY:
The stalemate over seat-sharing for the forthcoming civic polls between alliance partners -- the Trinamool Congress and the Congress -- is unresolved on Saturday as senior Congress leader and acting state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya announced 88 candidates for Kolkata Municipal Corporation election.
Congress however did not announce the names of the candidates for 53 wards for forthcoming KMC election and left an option open for further discussion over seat-sharing.
Nirbed Roy, a senior Congress leader said that they tried their level best to thrash out their differences on the matter, but failed to reach an understanding on the issue to ensure the defeat of the Left Front in the elections.
Another Congress leader said former mayor and senior Congress leader Subrata Mukherjee will not contest the election.
1 May, 2010

Rakesh Gupta murder accused sentenced to life

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Chandan Basu, Jeet Ghosh and Laxmi Chakraborty, were sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of Rakesh Gupta, a top official of a real estate company by the Barrackpore court today.
Shibu Sharma, the prime accused in this murder case however is absconding.
Parthasarathi Mukherjee, Additional District Session Judge (ADSJ) of Barrackpore Fast Track Third Court announced the punishment against the trio.
Rakesh, a senior official of the real-estate company and a resident of Baguiati was murdered and stuffed inside a gunny bag on 11 February, 2008. The body was found near a pond at Ghoshpara near Ghola in orth 24 Parganas.
Earlier the gang had planned to involve Gupta in homosexual activity with a youth, as well as heterosexual activity with a woman in their gang, and then shoot a video and take still photographs of him. They murdered Gupta after he refused.
30 APRIL, 2010

Strike against price rise peaceful in West Bengal

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: A 12-hour nation-wide bandh called by 13 non-NDA and non-UPA parties today to protest against price rise is peaceful in Kolkata and surrounding areas. Bandh hit normal life and affected air and rail services in city.
Streets in city and its surrounding districts where educational institutions were also closed wore a deserted look.
The 'Bharat Bandh' began at 6 am.
Besides the four Left parties and 13-party including AIADMK, BJD, SP, RJD, TDP, RLD, LJP, JD-S and INLD gave the call for the nation wide strike. grouping to protest against hike in prices of petrol, diesel and fertilizer products.
Rail services were disrupted in Sealdah and Howah section.
A senior leader of the CPM claimed the bandh is successful in large parts of the country.
Two train passengers were injured as a clash broke out between travellers in Ganga Sagar Express and bandh supporters at Pandua station in Hoogly district.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Howrah and Sealdah railway stations and airports.
Airport official said only ten out of 25 domestic and international flights took off this morning from NSCBI Airport.

27 APRIL, 2010

Hailstorm in districts

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: People of the several districts today heaved a sigh of relief following hailstorm in Bankura, Burdwan, North and South 24 Parganas Birbhum and Murshidabad. Most of the districts were reeling under heatwave for over a fortnight.
A senior official of the Regional Meteorological forecasted rain and gusty wind in some areas of south Bengal in the next 48 hours.
The official also added that the rains followed by thunder are likely to lead to a temporary lowering of temperatures in the Kolkata and the surroundings areas.Four flights had to be diverted from Kolkata because of the strong wind coupled with the shower around 7 pm. Tulin Brahma an EFR jawan of the first battalion was injured in a camp in Midnapore West after a tin of a roof hit his head during the storm. Two persons were injured in Burdwan district after a tree fell on them.

Tarakeswar and Talpur rail services started

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a new line between Tarakeswar and Talpur on 25 April. Banerjee also announced that Talpur station would be renamed as “Kathasahithik Saratchandra Chattopadhyay.”
After inaugurating the new railway line she said that she laid the foundation stone for the Tarakeswar-Bishnupur 82.47 kilometre new line project during her five-month tenure as railway minister in 1995, but the Left Front and its friendly ally at the Centre did not do anything to complete the project.
She promised that railway authorities will provide job to one member of each family who will give their land to help railway to lay the tracks for Tarakeswar-Bishnupur railway line.
She highlighted that railway authorities soon connect the major tourist places of Hooghly and Bankura including Kamarpukur, Jayrambati by railway line.
Railway authorities will also lay the 51.95 kilometre railway track between Tarakeswar and Magra station soon. A new line between Bishnupur and Gokulnagar was also inaugurated by the union minister of state for shipping, Mukul Roy in Bishnupur, Bankura on Sunday. Union minister of State for Urban Development, Sougata Roy inaugurated some passengers’ reservation counters in several stations of North 24 Parganas including Birati, Belghoria, Sodepur on Sunday.

26 APRIL, 2010

Durgapur bats succumb to heat

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: A large numbers of bat died in several places of Durgapur in Burdwan district following the high temperature and heat wave.
A forest official said around 100 bats died in past few days. People from various areas informed forest officials regarding the deaths of the bats. Forest official sent a body of a bat for postmortem on Thursday to know the exact cause of the death of those animals. Body of a bat was found in a bush near the national highway at Muchipara-Khatpukur on Thursday. The temperature in the area near the coal mines around 45 degree Celsius.
Though a senior forest official said that those bats were common vampire bats(Desmodus rotundus), and can survive in between 35 degree Celsius to 42 degree Celsius, but body temperature of those bats could increase following the hot winds blowing in the mines areas, could be a reason of their deaths. Bats usually take shelter in the trees, but following the hot winds and high temperature the branches of the trees became hot here, and sunstroke may attack those bats, the forest official added. Kundan Halder, an animal rights activist said the forest department should form a committee to save those bats. He also added that soon the bats fall in the ground, they should provide water to save them else street dogs may devour them.
The deaths of the bats took place in Bokaro few days ago following soaring temperature. “Flying bats are most adversely impacted by the heat. In zoo, animals such as tigers are being given glucose and are being protected from the heat with their cages equipped with water coolers. So forest authorities should do all that is needful to protect their lives, Haldar said.

23 APRIL, 2010

Businessman killed by suspected Maoist

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: A businessman, who was a supporter of the CPI-M was killed by suspected CPI-Maoist in a forest near Nayagram in West Midnapore today.
Police said Ashok Singh, the businessman, who went to Nigui forest, was found dead. A senior police official said Singh was killed by a gang of armed miscreants. Police suspected he was killed by Maoist. Police contacted with the family members of the victim. Miscreant killed him and later dumped his body in the Nigui forest.
Armed miscreants also killed a trader at Satsimulia near Haringhata in Nadia district last night. A family member said the man went away from his residence last night with a motorbike. His body was found this morning; police also recovered his motorbike from the spot. Some local people saw the man was killed by a gang of miscreants, who came in several motorbikes. His body was sent for an autopsy.
In another development body of a 23-year-old woman was found beside railway track near Malda Sadar Hospital. Police said Tura Singh, who was admitted to the Malda Sadar Hosptia, was found dead beside the railway track. Police are yet to ascertain the death.
23 APRIL, 2010

Royal Bengal Tiger attacks honey collector

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: A big cat attacked a honey collector near Harinbhanga and Goasaba River in Sunderbans in South 24 Parganas district.
A senior forest official said Gour Sardar, the honey collector strayed into the tiger territory in search of honey and fell prey to a Royal Bengal Tiger. The tiger attacked him and drag him away into the deep forest. Forest guards are apprehending the tiger may kill the man. Police said they suspect Sardar was accompanied with other persons, who fled away when the tiger attacked the man. Man set out in a country boat and arrived near the deep jungle to collect the honey.
20 APRIL 2010

Passengers protest water scarcity on special train

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Around 2500 physically challenged persons from West Bengal staged a demonstration at Lucknow station last night in protest against the water scarcity on a special train.
Prabir Saha, joint secretary of Rajya Pratibandhi Samelani, said they booked a special train from West Bengal to New Delhi for the physically challenged persons. They were going to participate in a conference in New Delhi.
Mr Saha alleged there were no water for nine hours on the train even power also went off in some compartments. They urged railway employees to provide them water and restore the power. Railway authorities however provided water at Lucknow station.
Kanti Ganguly, state sports minister was also traveling on the train, said they have paid Rs 21 lakhs to railway authorities to book the train. He alleged train was delayed by up to 11 hours.
20 APRIL 2010

Cancer detection camp for poor people

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Biswasuk Sevasram Sangha, an organisation of Ichapur-Nawabganj in North 24-Parganas in West Bengal, in association with Indian Cancer Society, has begun an awareness campaigning in various parts of West Bengal.
Recently a camp for early detection of the cancer was organsied at Nawabganj near Ichapur and around 100 persons attended the camp.
Sukananda Brahmachari, secretary of this organization said that various noted specialists visited the medical camp organised by the monks and they will set up such camps in several places including Katwa, Debipur near Sunderbans, West Midnapore and other places. Specialists in caner, chest, gynecology, child medicine, cardiologist and even general physicians attended the medical camp.
Bani Saha (54), a domestic help ~ a cancer patient ~ faced a huge difficulties arranging money for her chemotherapy. But like her other helpless individuals were finally relieved of their physical difficulties when a camp organised by some monks got them medical aid.
Monks of Biswasuk Sevasram Sangha, an organisation of Ichapur-Nawabganj in North 24-Parganas beg from door to door to collect money to hold a monthly medical camp for the poor and distressed people.
This sangha set up by Sukdev Brahmachari, who passed away long time back emphasised services to the needy through various social activities. His successors want to follow the path of their guru. The monks of this organisation have also set up educational centre for orphans. "We want to lend our services to the on a wider scale, crisis of funds is the reason why we can hold it only once in a month," said Sukananda Brahmachari, secretary of this organisation.

*Monks run an orphanage and charitable clinic for the poor and distress people if you want to help them please contact Sukananda Brahmachari on his mobile phone-9433562186.

Fake examinee arrested

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Police have arrested a fake examinee appearing in the joint entrance examinations from Birati Mrinalini Devi College in Nimta in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday.
A senior police officer of North 24 Parganas district said the accused came to appear in the joint entrance examination on behalf of one B Kumar from Bihar. He has been detained. Senior police officers interrogated him to know whether the youth was involved in any racket.

Peoples' Watch

This is a dummy run.

A rumour spread that Shiva was drinking water. So people thronged to see it at a temple at Kankinara in North 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

Superstition is a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason, knowledge, or experience. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to folk beliefs deemed irrational. This leads to some superstitions being called "old wives' tales". It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings, particularly the irrational belief that future events can be foretold by specific unrelated prior events.The etymology is from the classical Latin superstitio, literally "a standing over", hence: "amazement, wonder, dread, especially of the divine or supernatural" The word is attested in the 1st century BC, notably in Livy and Ovid, in the meaning of an unreasonable or excessive belief in fear or magic, especially foreign or fantastical ideas. Cicero, however, derives the term from the phrase "...superstites essent, superstitiosi sunt appellati": parents indulging in excessive prayer and sacrifice hoping that their children "would be survivors, are called superstitious". By the 1st century AD, it came to refer to "religious awe, sanctity; a religious rite" more generally.