Intellectuals meet S Y Quraishi for early Assembly polls

PIX: Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi

Kolkata: An 11–member delegation, including painter Suvaprasanna, theatre personality Bratya Basu and former bureaucrat Debabrata Bandopadhyay, met Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi requesting him for advance election in the state.Intellectuals submitted a memorandum to the CEC in this regard. We are concerned over the recent spate of violence and deteriorating situation of the law and order in the state so we urged the CEC for early assembly election in the state, said a member of the delegation. CEC however assured them to look into their memorandum.

Law and order situation is worsening in state: Pranab

Pix: The alleged Harmad camp, from where miscreants fired at the villagers (top)

A victim's body (down)

KOLKATA: Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee today said that law and order situation is worsening in West Bengal and asked who was responsible for such a state of affairs.
Around eight people were killed and several others injured after a gang of miscreants allegedly backed by the CPI-M party fired at them at Netai in Lalgarh in West Midnapore district on 7 January.

He said West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) president Manas Bhuina had visited the residence of the victims, who were killed in the firing he also visited the hospital, where injured persons were admitted.
Expressing concern over the murder of a Congress worker at Basanti in South 24 Parganas, he said murder is a regular occurrence in the state,
Union Law and Justice minister Verappa Moily also expressed his concern over the recent killing of eight villagers at Netai in Lalgarh. Chief election commissioner Shahabuddin Yaqoob Qureshi yesterday asked the police to recover illegal arms and destroy the illegal camps, where miscreants are assembling with arms.

8 drowned in Muriganga River

Kolkata: At least eight persons died and 15 others are missing after a motorized boat overturned in Muriganga river near Lot no. 8 in Kakdwip.
Four of the victims came on a pilgrimage from Delhi and they had gone to visit Kapil Muni temple in Sagar Island.
A 226 member team had come from New Delhi to visit the temple today and the incident took place around 3.30 p.m. when the were returning to Kachuberia. They all boarded a vessel and reached the Sagar Island this morning. A senior police official said while they were returning to Lot no. 8 they were stranded in the vessel following low tide. Three motorized boats were arranged to send them to Kachuberia. One of the motorized boats’ suddenly capsized near the Lot no. 8 and at least seven of them were drowned.

Nursing home asked to pay Rs 37 lakhs for medical negligence

Pix: Scenes from ‘Satru.’ The film had been directed by Anjan Chowdhury, who died after ‘medical negligence’.

16 August, Kolkata: The consumer court has asked a nursing home authorities to pay Rs 37 lakh as compensation to the family of Anjan Chowdhury, the Bengali film director who died due to medical negligence three years ago.
The court found that there was a medical negligence by the nursing home. The nursing home authorities conducted a bypass surgery despite his poor health condition.
The film director was admitted to the hospital on 1 February 2007 with chest pain.
After he died his family members lodged a complaint with the police and subsequently moved the consumer court.
Ashok Nath Mukherjee lawyer of the family members of Chowdhury said they will also lodge complaint with the West Bengal Medical Council against the doctors who had conducted the surgery. Earlier nursing home authorities said there was no medical negligence of their part. They will file an appeal challenging the decision.

11 districts declared as drought-hit

Aug 16, Kolkata: The state government today declared 11 districts as drought-hit and allocated Rs 50 crore to distribute among the affected people.
State finance minister Asim Dasgupta, after attending a high-level meeting, said the situation caused by the insufficient rainfall and state would soon communicate with union agricultural minister Sharad Pawar in this regard. State would also appeal
to the Centre to study the situation.
He also apprehend that there are severe damage of the kharif crop in several districts following 30 percent rainfall.
State government however ruled out any food scarcity in the affected districts. The dought-hit districts are Purulia, Bankura, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan (known as the rice-bowl of West Bengal), Hooghly, North and South 24 Parganas, West Midnapore, Nadia and Malda.

Animal skins seized from Kasba

July 26, Kolkata: Police seized eight stuffed animal head and four skins from a residence at Kasba in South 24 Pargans today.
The skins were of a tiger, a lion, a deer and a bear. Forest department official however, said the family from whose house these items were seized had permission to keep them. No one has been arrested in this connection. However, as the items were seized, the department would check documents.
Police handed over those skins and head to forest officials.

6 CPI (Maoist) supporters killed in encounter

26 July, Kolkata: Six CPI-Maoist supporters, including a woman cadre, and a CoBRA jawan were killed today in an encounter with the paramilitary force at Metala forest near Goaltore in West Midnapore.
Acting on a tip off a joint-team of the Cobra jawans went into the forests last night, a police official said.Police recovered 12 fire arms including SLRs and INSAS rifles from the spot. The jawan has been identified as Ashish Tiwari. Police suspect the slain supporters of the CPI-Maoist were the squad members of Sidhu Soren group. Earlier police began a hunt to arrest Soren, a senior Naxal leader. Police are yet to asertain whether Soren was at the spot during the

encounter.

Four killed in MIG crash near Jalpaiguri

25 July, Kolkata: Four persons including a 4-year-old child were killed after a MIG 27 fighter crash near Jalpaiguri district on Sunday. The black box of the fighter jet was recovered by police.
Police said the MiG-27 had taken off from the Hashimara Air Base and crashed within minutes in Bhotputti village. A farmer Bholen Roy was also killed following the crash. Ranjit Roy (25) died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri this evening while teenager Purnima Rai and ten-year old Latika Roy succumbed to their burn injuries last evening. Condition of three of the 12 injured is critical, he said.

Legal awarness seminar at Katwa

21 July, Kolkata: Asian Human Rights Society (AHRS) organised a seminar on “Legal Awareness and Human Rights” at Rabindra Bhawan in Katwa in Burdwan district on 17 July. Abdul Gani, justice of Calcutta High Court was the chief speaker of the seminar.
Abdul Gani, justice of the Calcutta High Court said all the members of the National and State Legal Services Authorities should participate in the legal awareness seminars to aware people about the legal rights. He also emphasized that district judges, SDO, DM should participate in the legal awareness seminars to help people to know more about their legal rights. He also encouraged the NGOs those are organising the legal awareness seminars and asked them to organise such seminars in remote villages.
Atanu Roy, additional district judge and chairman of the Katwa subdivision Legal Services Authorities said that speakers should deliver their speech on human rights also. He explained the human rights and its historical aspects.
Kazi Sadik Hossain, all India general secretary of AHRS said government should set up human rights courts immediately to solve the human right violation cases.
Kundan Halder, human rights activist said State Human Rights Commission should act immediately to help the domestic violence victim for getting justice.
Parimal Das, vice president of the AHRS said they conferred 2010-Sarbottam Manabadhikar Mahajodha award to Debasish Garai, vice president of Katwa branch of AHRS, 2009- Bardhaman Jela Manabadhikar Mahajodha award to Soumitra Pandit and Paschimbanga Sarbottam Manabadhikar Mahajodha award to Dr Ujjal Kanti Sarkar.

63 died in rail accident

19 July, Kolkata: At least 63 people were killed and over 100 passengers injured when Uttarbanga Express, collided with the Ranchi-bound Vananchal Express at the Sainthia station in Birbhum district of West Bengal.
Driver M C Dey and assistant driver N K Mandal of the Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express, which collided with the Ranchi-bound Vananchal Express, were among the dead in the accident for which railways are not ruling out sabotage as the cause.
A Mukherjee , the guard of the Vananchal Express also died in the mishap.
The accident occurred at 2:00 am when the New Coochbehar-Sealdah Uttarbanga Express came on the same track and rammed into the Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express which was to leav platform number four at Sainthia station.
A senior railway official did not rule out sabotage, which Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee hinted this morning when she said "we have doubts about the cause of the accident, the second in West Bengal in two months".

ISKON will take folding rath

5 July, Kolkata: Folding chariot of the ISKON will be taken through the street of Siliguri by the devotees to avoid any obstacle from overhead wire. Rathyatra will be celebrated on 13 July.
Ten feet chariot out of 25 feet is folding so peak of the rath would not hit any overhead wire. The ISKON authorities have also decided not to take three chariots as the road space is very narrow. Lord Jagannatha, Balaram and Subhadra will travel in the same rath, it was learnt. ISKON will also distribute prasad in paper made packet instead of plastic bag in view of the banning of the plastic bag in the Siliguri. ISKON has been celebrating the rathyatra through 20 years and last year the organization distributed 20,000 packets and this year they will distribute 30,000 packets among the devotees.

Bandh peaceful, train service affected

5 July, Kolkata: Life in West Bengal was disrupted on Monday with Left Front, BJP and SUCI enforcing a nationwide bandh against the increase in fuel prices.
All the schools, colleges and officers were shut across the state and flights were cancelled. Supporters of bandh squatted on the railway tracks in several places as result train services of Eastern railway and South Eastern Railway was disrupted.
Due to obstructions staged by Bandh supporters at several stations on both Howrah and Sealdah divisions of Eastern Railway since early morning today, both long distance and suburban train services have been disrupted. In a few stations like Rampurhat, Shantipur, Lalgola obstructions were made much earlier than even the actual Bandh call at 6.00 a.m.
Obstructions were made at Rampurhat, Nalhati, Bolpur, Murarai, Ahmedpur, Porabazar, Gobra, Dankuni, Kamarkundu, Jhapandanga, Rishra, Bhadreswar, Baidyabati, Haripal, Bahirkhand, Nalikul, Rasulpur, Khanyan, Pundooah, Barddhaman, Talit, Guptipara, Purbasthali, Katwa, Bhagnapara, Salar, Patuli, Tenya, Azimganj, Bazarsau, Dumurdaha.
Obstructions were made at Shantipur, Lalgola, Palassey, Ranaghat, Payradanga, Kanchrapara, Naihati, Gede, Aranghata, Dum Dum Jn., Bangaon, Guma, Birati, Sonarpur, Nangi, Diamond Harbour, Ballygunj.
Train service also was disrupted in Malda and Asansole division. Long distance trains were stranded in several stations.
Buses, Taxis and auto rickshaws remained off in city.

Chota Rajan gang member shot dead near Nepal border

3 July, Kolkata: A gang of unidentified assailants shot at the members of Rabi Pujari, member of Chota Rajan gang. The incident took place when two of his members Sunil Pandey and Manoj Singh were going on a car at Kakkar Vita near Nepal yesterday evening. It is learnt one of them was severely injured and another died in the incident.
Sunil and Manoj were going in a black colour Scorpio car to meet Sunil’s lover Sandhya Tamang. On the way, the assailants came near Chaarali Camp. Earlier the rival group members of Rabi were following them in a maroon colour Qualis. Soon they overtook the car of Sunil and forced the car to halt. Soon the gang members started firing indiscriminately before Sunil and Manoj came out from the car. Sunil was killed at the spot while his associate Manoj was severely injured. It was learnt the body of the deceased and the injured person were taken away by the assailants.

Fake Castrol 4 T container seized

3 July, Kolkata: A police team and member of Enforces of Intellectual Property Rights (EIPR), a private investigating agency, have recovered huge fake items from a shop on Nil Madhav Sen Lane near Jorasanko today. Police also lodged a FIR against M Sahid in this connection.
Police said Sahid and his associates used to make fake Castrol Active 4 T and CRBplus container, Adhesive tape of Castrol.

Mamata asks civic body to rename roads in Salt Lake

2 July, KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that there is a need to name the road of the Salt Lake as people will find out the place easily. She was addressing a rally in Salt Lake. She said that when anybody to go to any place, the water tanks are given as landmarks which is very ridiculous also. She emphasized that the 52 blocks of the township have to be properly identified and named. She would ask the municipality to seek expert opinion regarding this issue. She pointed out that the civic authorities can work out a plan to install statues of achievers near the water tanks.

Birbhum SP transferred

July 2, KOLKATA: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Thursday ordered the transfer of Birbhum superintendent of police Rabindranath Mukherjee, few day after the Nanoor violence. However home secretary Samar Ghosh said that the SP’s transfer had no connection with the Nanoor incident.
He said that the proposal for transfer of the Birbhum SP was already decided adding that some other transfers are also being made. Humayun Kabir will be the new SP of Birbhum while Mukherjee is being posted as Howrah SRP.
Earlier RSP's Bolpur MLA, Tapan Hore, criticized police for its alleged inaction.
He said the situation in Nanoor had turned very critical and in many parts of Birbhum, anti-socials are trying to create disturbance.

Student arrested by CID for sending threat mail

July 2, KOLKATA: Rakesh Singh, a student of the Heritage School, was held from his residence at Bangur near Lake Town in North 24 Parganas for sending a email two days ago. A CID officer said that Singh send the mail to the principal threatening to blow off the school building. The CID, after being informed by the school authority about the e- mail, conducted an investigation and found that the mail was sent by Singh. The student will be interrogated in presence of his guardian.

Monk held for molestation

July 2, KOLKATA: A monk was arrested on charges of molesting a minor girl at Pandu near Ghoghat in Hooghly district on Wednesday. Police said Giri Dhari Maharaj alias Balaram Hazra, was arrested from his ashram in the evening. The mother of the girl came to meet the monk for her daughter’s treatment. Mother told the monk that her daughter’s behavior was abnormal for some days and she thought her girl was possessed. Monk told the woman to wait outside and he entered into a room with the girl and locked up the room. After fifteen minutes later the girl screamed and shouted for help. Mother raised an alarm and other people rushed to the spot. Door was broken by the local people and girl was rescued. Girl told her mother that monk tried to rape her. Giri Dhari Maharaj was beaten up and handed to police. He was produced before subdivision court of Arambag, and was remanded in jail custody for 14 days. Police said Giri Dhari few days ago set up his ashram near a jungle and many followers used to staying with him at that place.

Construction near seashore banned

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: The East Midnapore district administration will take stern action against the unauthorized construction near the bank of the sea in the Mandarmoni area near Digha. The district administration organised a meeting yesterday regarding this issue at Mandarmoni, where the owners of hotels, police and local representatives were present in the meeting. The sub divisional officer of Kanthi promulgated 144 CrPc against any new construction and restricted the vehicle movement on the seashore from Sunday.
Local residents alleged some owners of the resort violated the Coastal Regulatory Zone(CRZ) Act and constructed hotel and resort in the bank of the Bay of Bengal. Apprehending that this construction could endanger the environment district administration will strictly monitor any further construction near the bank and will take action.

4 arrested for stealing petrol

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Four persons were arrested on charges of stealing non-refined petrol from the pipe line of the Haldia Petro Chemical. Police said miscreants dug up the petrol pipeline and created a small hole on the pipe and stole petrol from it.
The accused persons were the resident of West Midnapore. Police said the racket members earlier used to steal the petrol from other areas of Haldia and IOC refinery areas. Police are interrogating the accused persons to know the name of the other persons in the racket.

Maoist trigger train crash:100 killed

News Watch News Service
JHARGRAM, 28 MAY: At least 100 persons were killed and more than 150 injured when thirteen coaches of the Mumbai-bound 2102 Up Howrah-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Jnaneswari Express derailed following a suspected sabotage on tracks by Maoists and within minutes, five of its derailed coaches was struck by a speeding goods train near Jhargram in Midnapore West in the early hours today.
The accident occurred in the Maoist-dominated forest areas between Surdiah and Khemasuli halts in Kharagpur-Tatanagar section of South Eastern Railway (SER) around 1.30 a.m. today.
The DGP, Bhupindar Singh who was among the first to arrive at the accident site said, police have found PCPA leaflets claiming responsibility for the attack. The PCPA, however, denied having any hand behind the incident.
Many passengers are still trapped in two mangled coaches of the passenger train while the CRPF personnel, Indian Air Force (IAF) and National Disaster Response Force of Indian Railways are striving hard to pull them out.
The injured passengers have been admitted to the Kharagpur rail hospital, Kharagpur state general hospital and Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. The rest of the passengers who escaped fatal injuries were shifted to Kharagpur and Kolkata.
Railway officials suspect that Maoist supporters may have removed the fishplate that caused the derailment of the passenger train. However, the deaths were mainly caused by the goods train ramming into five passenger coaches S-3, S-4, S-5. S-6 and S-7 derailed.
End

Scuffle in Congress meeting before Pranab Mukherjee

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: A scuffle broke out between the two groups of Congress supporters at Lokosanskriti Bhawan in Panihati, North24 Parganas this afternoon just before Pranab Mukherjee, President of Pradesh Congress Committee was to address a ‘party workers meeting’, was organised by the North 24 Parganas district committee of Congress.
The chaos begun when Mukherjee arrived at the hall to address the party workers. A group of Congress supporters led by Kalidas Dutta, a district Congress leader demanded that Dutta should be invited to address the gathering and he should be allowed to share the podium with Pranab. But another group of Congress supporters, backed by Devi Ghoshal, president of North 24 Pargans district Congress tried to resist Mr Dutta, while he was trying to sit in the podium, soon the scuffle broke out between the two groups.
Meeting was delayed for half an hour following the chaos. Later Mukherjee met the press.
11 MAY, 2010

CPI-ML leader shot dead

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Bahar Ali Sheik(45) secretary of CPI-ML of Nadia district was shot dead by a gang of unidentified miscreants near Dhananjaypur at Nakashipara in Nadia last night.
Police said Bahar was returning to his residence at Dahananjaypur. He was killed just five kilometer away from his home. His body was sent for autopsy. Police are yet to ascertain the death. Police however suspect he was killed following a political rivalry.
Body of a middle aged man was found in a field beside a road today. Police said man was identified as Utpal Roy, a resident of Chandpara. He went missing since last night. Several injury marks were found in his body. Body was sent for an autopsy. Police are yet to ascertain the death.
11 MAY, 2010

Landmine scare disrupts traffic near Jhargram

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Security forces on Tuesday launched a massive search after they suspected a landmine planted near the Highway -9 in Jhargram in West Midnapore district. A senior police officer said that security personnel saw few holes beside the highway while patrolling the highway and it grew their suspicion about the possible planting of a landmine.
A bomb squad, which accompanied the security forces, immediately rushed to the spot to detect the landmine. Traffic was disrupted for about two hours on Jhargram-Lodhasuli Road following the searching operation.
The police have launched a massive combing operation in the area, police said. CRPF jawans surrounded the area.
In another development, police have arrested a suspected CPI (Maoist) activist Rabiul Sardar today from Charmundala near Rangamati in Berhampore in Murshidabad district. Police seized one revolver and a leaflet from him. He will be produced before Berhampore court today.
11 MAY, 2010

'Counter Insurgency Force' in state soon

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: West Bengal government is going to launch a “Counter Insurgency Force” very soon to combat the large-scale subversive activities of the CPI-Maoists and other terrorist outfit groups like KLO in the state.
Bhupinder Singh, director general of police of the state announced this Writers' building today. He said they will set up the headquarters of the force at Garia in South 24 Parganas. He also added that they will set up training centers for the force in several places like Purulia, Salua and North Bengal.
Yesterday a meeting was held between the senior officers of police and railway authorities at Fairlie Place, headquarters of Eastern Railway to implement seven point resolution. Earlier resolution was taken on 20.01.2010 during meeting with the home secretaries of different states at New Delhi.
A senior official of railway said joint strategy are like to visit place of occurrence in case of explosion or sabotage by CPI-Maoist in railways stations especially in night. They also discussed how to initiate an quick relief and rescue work. Others resolution are escorting trains in inter state border areas, to combat offence of drugging in trains and at stations, ways and means to fight increasing terrorist activities,measures to improve passenger’s security in Metro Railway, modernization of forces, with state of the art security gadgets and surveillance as well as access control equipment.
6 MAY,2010

Man killed in accident

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Anjan Roy(35), a resident of Agartala in Tripura was killed after being hit by a Tatasumo on VIP Road at Bangur Avenue in Laketown this morning.
Police said that the accident took place around 10.30 am today when the victim, was returning from Dum Dum Airport where he went to see-off some of his relatives. When he was crossing VIP Road at Bangur, the driver of a Tatasumo, lost control and hit him. The car driver however managed to flee away leaving the vehicle. Local residents rushed to the spot and the Roy was taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead. Traffic was disrupted for about half an hour following the accident.
6 MAY, 2010

Three killed in storm

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Three persons including two kids were killed and eight injured following storm and lightning in the city and its suburban areas.
Rabindranath Sil and his daughter Rubi were killed after coming into contact with a high- tension wire at Ramakantapur near Kabardanaga in Thakurpukur area in South 24 Parganas.
Incident occurred while they were returning home from a dancing school. The girl went to practice dance at the local dancing school. The wire snapped and fell in the ground.
In another case Netai mandal(11) was killed after being struck by lighting at Srinath Palli in Salt Lake. He was declared brought dead at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Eight persons were injured after being struck by lightning at Rabindra Sarovar. They were admitted to a nursing home.
2 MAY, 2010

Mamata announces 141 candidates’ list for KMC election

News Watch News Network
KOLKATA: Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today announced candidates for all 141 seats in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation(KMC)election and she ruled out the seat sharing with Congress.
She said as Congress had announced their candidates’ list for KMC election on Saturday, so they will not share any seat with them.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee announced candidates for 88 seats on Saturday as party high command gave a green signal to announce the list of the candidates for the KMC election. Earlier Trinamool Congress offered Congress only 25 wards against their demand for 51.
Mamata said: There is no question of a friendly contest with Congress.
She also added that Congress refused to give them a single seat in Murshidabad, but Trinamul Congress agreed to give them 25 seats for KMC election.
Meanwhile a BJP leader today said that party was ready to build an alliance with Trinamool Congress after the latter's failure in seat-sharing with Congress for the May 30 polls in the KMC election.
Rahul Sinha, state president of BJP said time has come to forge an anti left alliance to oust CPI-M led Left Front.
2 MAY, 2010

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.