CU pass out becomes HHMI's vice president

File Pix: Brahmachari Mural Bhai(LEFT), general secretary cum trustee of Dakhineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeath (DRSA) with HHMI’s vice president Nitin Kotak.

Washington: The Trustees of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) have elected Nitin Kotak as vice president and chief financial officer. Kotak(53), joins the Institute from Bethesda-based Technest Holdings, Inc., where he was chief financial officer and treasurer. He succeeds Edward J.Palmerino, who has held the post since 2006, and who will remain with the Institute through April 30. HHMI is a non-profit medical research organization that ranks as one of the largest philanthropies in the United States and in fact is the 4th largest in the whole world. Its medical investigators currently include 13 Nobel Prize winners who join HHMI in advancing biomedical research and science education in the United States. It has an endowment of about $16 billion (about Rs 80,000 crores) and spends about $1 billion each year (about Rs 5,000 crores) in research, grant support, science education and expenses. “Nitin comes to us with great enthusiasm for our mission and significant experience in financial analysis, reporting, and compliance,” said Cheryl Moore, HHMI’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “He is a strong addition to our management team and we’re pleased to welcome him to the Institute.”A native of India, Kotak holds a bachelor of commerce degree and graduated with first class honors in accounting and auditing from the University of Calcutta. He is a senior member of three major professional institutes in India– the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Company Secretaries and the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants. In addition, he has attended management programs at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Kotak started his career in 1981 working as the assistant company secretary for a Tata group enterprise, Tinplate Company of India. He then spent more than 17 years working at ITC Limited, the Indian associate of the Fortune 500 British American Tobacco and one of India’s top 15 companies, where he held a variety of finance-related positions. In 1999 he moved to India-based Mattel Toys, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc., as its chief financial officer.Kotak moved to the U.S. in 2003 to become director of finance and accounting for Able Laboratories, Inc., a publicly traded developer and manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals. A year later, he became Able’s vice president for finance and accounting. At HHMI, Kotak will oversee budget and financial analysis, the controller’soffice, treasury, internal audit, and procurement. “I am very excited at this opportunity to be a part of this outstanding organization and work in a spirit of giving back to the community. I feel honored to be selected for this great responsibility,” said Kotak. Kotak and his wife, Dipti, live in Silver Spring and have two sons: Akshay,24, is pursuing a doctorate in financial economics at the University of Oxfordin England; Anant, 21, is a senior at the University of Maryland and ispursuing a degree in accounting and finance.

"Nitin is our pride and I wish for his more successes," said Brahmachari Mural Bhai, secretary of Dakhineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath (DRSA).

Mamata wins: Trinamul & Congress take West Bengal

The Trinamool Congress-Congress alliance swept the state Assembly poll with more than a two-thirds majority. Red citadel stood firmly for 34 years. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee tendered his resignation to Governor M. K. Narayanan at the Raj Bhavan after the collapse of red bastion.
However Narayannan urged Bhattacharjee ton continue their duties till alternative arrangements are made.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee met Governor in the evening and staked her claim to form the next government.
Banerjee is all set to be the state's first woman Chief Minister. In her address she said the landslide victory for the alliance as a “winning for democracy, a victory for the people, a victory for maa, mati, manush. She promised good governance, good administration.
Bhattacharjee and 25 Ministers, including Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Industries and Power Minister Nirupam Sen, Housing Minister Gautam Deb and Minister for Sundarban Affairs Kanti Ganguly were defeated.
The Trinamool secured a majority on its own, bagging 184 of the total 294 seats. A decision on whether or not the Congress(won 42 seats) will join the new government will be taken soon. Mamata has welcomed Congress and another ally, the Socialist Unity Centre of India (won one seat) to join government.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that the verdict was clearly in favour of Mamata adding that Banerjee had achieved what the Congress could not in the past years.
The Left Front got only 62. The position of other parties in the Left Front are- the CPI (2), AIFB (11), RSP (7), SP (1) and the Democratic Socialist Party (1).
The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha won three seats and Independents two.
CPI-M leader Biman Bose and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee jointly said in a statement that this result was unexpected.

No Chemical Hub at Nayachar: Mamata

KOLKATA: There will be no Nuclear plant at Haripur neither any chemical hub will be set up at Nayachar if Trinamul Congress comes to power in West Bengal, Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee said in an interview to a Bengali news channel today.
She said post tsunami disaster in Japan is horrible lesson for us and Trinamul will emphasize on eco friendly industries at Nayachar instead of chemical hub. She said if Trinamul forms the government then it would impose restriction on squatting on the railway track on several issues to keep smooth functioning of the railways. Banerjee said chief minister Buddadeb Bhattacharya will be defeated at Jadavpur Assembly constituency and CPI-M will get only 50 seats in this election as people of West Bengal want to abolish the tyranical rule in the state.

Former MP Anil Basu apologises for lewd remark

KOLKATA: CPI-M leader and former MP Anil Basu today apologised for using abusive language against Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee in an election rally yesterday. He was directed by the CPI-M senior leaders to seek apology. It has been learnt that Basu was asked not to attend any further poll rallies. Mamata Banerjee today said CPI-M party leaders have such culture to pass derogatory comment on opposition leaders.
Chief minister Buddhdeb Bhattacharya today said Basu’s remark was very unfortunate so he has been asked to apologise. Bhattacharya was attending a rally in South 24 Parganas.

Mamata completes fourth padayatra

Pix: aitmc.org

KOLKATA: Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee today took out padayatra for garnering support for upcoming Assembly poll. It was her fourth padayatra. Banerjee accompanied with a large number of Trinmul supporters started from Gariahat constituency and marched through Jadavpur, from where chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is contesting. They also visited several parts of Ballygunj, Kasba and Tollygunj. Manish Gupta, a former state chief secretary, is contesting against Bhattacharjee on a Trinamool Congress ticket from Jadavpur. A large number of people came out from their residence greeted Banerjee and wished for Trinamul’s victory, a senior Trinamul leader said. The six-phase Assembly polls in the state will begin on April 18.

Seminar to popularize ‘Sama Veda’

KOLKATA: Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Samskrita Siksha Samsad organised a two days long seminar on ‘Sama Veda’ at Turiyananda Hall at Golpark Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture on 25 March. Dr Suresh Kumar Bandyopadhyay, registrar of the Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Samskrita Siksha Samsad said erudite and professors, who are experts on the Veda arrived to participate in the ‘national seminar’ and delivered their speech. Dr Bandyopadhyay said a lot of people are interested to learn Veda but the study on Sama Veda is being neglected so the ‘Samsad’ organised the seminar to popularise this subject. Dr Gopal Mitra, president of the Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Samskrita Siksha Samsad, vice chancellor of Sri Venkateswara Vedic University, Tirupati professor S. Sudarsana Sharma, Secretary of Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Veda-Vidya Pratisthan, professor Roop kishor Shastri delivered their speech on Sama Veda and explained why ‘Sama Veda’ should be learned in this era. Dr Bandyopadhyay said Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Samskrita Siksha Samsad first organised such kind of seminar on ‘Sama Veda’ in India and world also.

Congress to finalise candidates for Assembly poll

KOLKATA: Senior Congress leaders held a meeting in New Delhi to prepare a list of the candidates for the assembly election.
Trinmool Congress already announced 228 candidates name (see-http://www.aitmc.org/cand_list.pdf)
and offered 64 seats to Congress.
This however created resentment among the Congress workers and leaders in West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee had said, that they will be happy if Congress fields its candidates in 64 constituencies after seat adjustment. “Else, we will announce our candidates in those seats by Monday, she said.”
The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manas Bhuniya arrived New Delhi last night, has already finalised the candidates for the 90 assembly seats and central leadership of the Congress has to approve it.
A meeting of the Congress’s screening committee for West Bengal chaired by Janardhan Poojari discussed the list of the candidates. Other screening committee members like leaders like P J Kurian and Working Committee Member in-charge for West Bengal Shakeel Ahmad joined the meeting.
Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee had held discussion with them over the issue last night.
Adhir Ranjan Chaudhury, MP, had yesterday said that the Trinamool’s one-sided declaration to the seats was an insult to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. He had also alleged that the Mamata Banerjee’s party wanted to abolish Congress in West Bengal.
MP Deepa Dasmunshi also expressed her resentment over the Trinmool Congress list.
It has been learnt that Sonia Gandhi has been strongly supporting the continuation of the alliance. Sonia Gandhi, who is in London, is expected to be back here today.

LF drops 9 ministers and some MLA for Assembly poll

Left Front today published the list of 292 candidates for upcoming West Bengal Assembly poll. LF dropped nine ministers and some sitting MLA fearing anti incumbency.
LF chairman Biman Bose announced the list in a press conference at CPI-M headquarter on Alimuddin Street.
CPI-M will field 210 Forward Bloc 34, RSP 23, CPI 12, WBSP 5, RCPI, MFB and DSP 2 each and RJD and Biplobi Bangla Congress one. The state has 294-member Assembly.
The nominees for Serampore in Hooghly, Kalimpong will be announced later.
Assembly Speaker H A Halim and deputy speaker Bhaktipada Ghosh as well as LF chief whip Syed Masiha have will not contest on health ground.
Manab Mukherjee, Partha Dey, Nandogopal Bhattacharjee, Bankim Ghosh, Rabin Ghosh, Benoy Krishan Biswas, Rabindranth Hembram, Yogesh Chandra Barman and Tapan Roy have been denied ticket.
Bose said some of them will not contest as they wanted to work for the party.
Chief minsiter Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has been renominated from Jadavpur.
Existing ministers are contesting in this election-Nirupam Sen (Burdwan-South), Surya Kanta Mishra (Narayangar), Ashok Bhattacharya (Siliguri), Kanti Ganguly (Raidighi), Abdul Rezzak Mollah (Canning-East) and Debesh Das (Entally).
Goutam Deb will contest from Dum Dum.
Fuad Halim, son of Speaker H A Halim, will contest from Ballygunge.
Bose said the list also included 46 women candidates, 14 more than in 2006. Besides, 56 Muslims are in the list.Polling in the six-phase elections will be held April 18, 23, 27, May 3, 7 and 10. Counting will take place on May 13.

Tagore 150-birth anniversary observed

KOLKATA: Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Sanskrit Siksha Samsad organised a programme at ‘Baikunta Dham’ near Southern Avenue on 25 February to celebrate 150-birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.
The programme was presided by professor Dr Gopal Mitra. Bramhachari Mural Bhai, the general secretary of Dakhineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath delivered his speech in that occasion.Dr Suresh Kumar Bandhopadhya, register of Sri Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath Sanskrit Siksha Samsad, and professor Ranjana Mukherjee also addressed the gathering.

Human Rights and Law College to be set up in Panskura

KOLKATA: Panskura Brihannala Welfare Society (PBWS) and Asian Human Rights Society (AHRS) will set up a Human Rights and Law College at Kanakpur near Panskura in East Midnapore.
Secretary of Panskura Brihannala Welfare Society (PBWS) and secretary of state women wing of AHRS, Barama (Sova Halder), said the fund would be provided by the Asian Human Rights Society.
Md Mehebub Rahmani, president of AHRS laid the foundation stone for the college on Saturday. He said without legal awareness men can’t fight against the violators of the human rights.
Quazi Sadeque Hossain, general secretary of AHRS said that the requirement to set up human rights and law-college is very much important to help the tortured victims.
Barama said there are a large number of cases of human rights violation taking place in several areas of East and West Midnapore and the brihannala are the worst victims of human rights violation cases.
“Even police hate us and denied to pursue our cases. So legal awareness is much required to organize movement against the human rights violations, she said.
Barama said that a group of miscreants snatched the valuables and money of the brihannala (eunuch) and fled away but police are not arresting the criminals and taking bribes from them. Most of the victims (brihannala) lost their deposits following the stealing of the valuables by the miscreants.
“Even the miscreants group plotted a conspiracy to murder me as I led a movements by the brihannala to protest against the looting and snatching by the miscreants. I lodged a complaint but the culprits are not behind the bars, said Barama.
A meeting was organised and several human rights activists participated in the programme. Manju Mukherjee, Khokan Banik, Ratneswar Kayal, Barun Mahato, Kundan Halder
Madan Mohan Upadhya, secretary of Vivekananda Sishu Mandir (Radhamohanpur), Ganga Pada Maity, vice president of the same organisation, Sudarshan Maity, headmaster delivered their speech in the occasion.
Human rights activist Kundan Halder said more movements should be organised to stop the attack on eunuchs and administration should pursue the criminal cases against the attackers, who are robbing the valuables of the brihannala.
Khokan Banik said there is a long history heritage of the eunuch of India and they have their own separate culture and should be helped to maintain their tradition.

LF proves mass strength by pouring crowd in Brigade rally

KOLKATA: The Trinamul Congress leaders are hampering the development works in West Bengal, Left Front (LF) chairman Biman Bose said today.
He was addressing a big rally at Brigade parade ground. This is the last Left Front rally at Brigade before Assembly poll.
He said the Trinamul is an evil force and people should deject this party as the party is hampering all development works in the state.
Other LF leaders also said in their speech that the Trinamul supporters in connivance with the Maoists terrorizing the people of Junglemahal and instigating violence.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee expressed his satisfaction over the gathering at Brigade said that they are ready to fight at the Assembly election
Chief minister said UPA government at the Centre is solely responsible for the price hike of the essential commodities and the government failed to take action against the corruption and scams.
He said that the Trinamul has hand in glove with the Maoists and is responsible for several murder and violence in Junglemahal areas. He said Trinamul leaders should plead apology for their mistakes. He urged that all the supporters should fight to oust the evil forces from the state.

Parliamentary Standing Committee on railways satisfied over land acquistion process for railway projects

Pix:Bapi Raju Kanumuru, Member of Loksabha (third from left) with Varun Vharthuar, general manager, Eastern Railway and Vinoy Mittal, general manager, South Eastern Railway (second and third from right respectively )

KOLKATA: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways in Kolkata, members of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways under the convenership of Bapi Raju Kanumuru, Member of Loksabha held a meeting with both Eastern and South Eastern Railways today in a city hotel.
During the meeting, members discussed regarding the policy of employment in Railways and also land acquisition. Both the General Managers of Eastern and South Eastern Railways, Varun Bharthuar and Vinay Mittal explained elaborately regarding the policies and present condition in details. Members expressed their satisfaction after the discussion specially for the transparency on this two subjects.
Among the members Khiladi Lal Bairwa, Dr. Ram Chandra Dome, Pralhad Joshi, Bapi Raju Kanumuru, Dr.Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, Somabhai G. Koli Patel and Satabdi Roy from Loksabha and Om Prakash Mathur, Tarini Kanta Roy, T.M. Selvaganapathi and Sushila Tiriya from Rajyasabha and officials from Loksabha Secretariat were present in the meeting. Other than GMs, senior officers of both Eastern and South Eastern Railways also joined the meeting.

Tusker damages Technology market of IIT Kharagpur

KOLKATA: A tusker entered into the campus of the IIT Kharagpur this evening and damaged havoc the Technology market.
The animal earlier destroyed crops and damaged many residences at Jakpur, Thakurnagar and Palasia in rural areas of Kharagpur.
A police officer said the animal damaged the gate of the Tata Stadium and some shops of the market. Shop owners soon fled away after closing their shops. People also stayed inside their residence. Senior divisional forest officials arrived at the spot and supervising elephant driving operation. A large number of crowds gathered at the spot and forest employees facing difficulties to continue the tusker driving operation. Police also arrived at the spot and urging people to vacate the area.

Red Cross camp in Sunderbans

Pix: Red Cross Camp at Najat

Report by: Kundan Halder

BASIRHAT: Volunteers of the Basirhat Junior and Youth Red Cross Unit (BJYRCU) organised a four days long camp at Najat in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas to promote and encourage the participation of children and young persons in the work of the Red Cross. The camp was inaugurated by a monk of Ramkrishna Seva Sangha on 27 January at Rabindra Siksha Niketan.
Pinaki Ranjan Kshetrapal, counselor and general secretary of the BJYRCU said around 250 persons participated in the camp. Several trainers including doctors attended the camps to develop a sense of social responsibility among the participants.
Most of the youths and school boys came from the Sunderbans areas and got training in first aid including dressing, bandage. Trainers also aware the camp goers on wounds and hemorrhage, respirator system, artificial respiration(practice), burns and scalds, fracture, asphyxia and shock.
Abu Sayed Mandal, one of the organiser said students and youths were much interested to learn those subjects as there were lack of doctors and paramedic staffs at their locality.
Nirmal Satra said students of the camp were asked to help the local people during any emergency situation. “A large number of people died following the snake bite at our locality so I attentively listened and took note how to help a snake bite persons, said Piya Mandal, a camp attendant of Sandeshkhali area.
Pinaki Ranjan Kshetrapal said they have urged the students to aware people for donating blood in summer during the crisis of blood.

70 persons ill 5000 affected following ammonia gas leak in Dum Dum

Pix: People outside their residences after gas leak (top)

People admitted hospital

Seventy people fell ill following the leak of ammonia gas from a cold storage at Nagerbazar in Dum Dum today.
Panic gripped residents and most of them ran away from the locality after the gas leak and most of them developed breathing problem. Around 5000 people were affected and some of them were admitted to a local hospital. A hospital, near the cold storage was evacuated. The disaster management group and BSF personnel arrived at the spot. The fire and emergency service employees initially failed to detect the spot from where the gas emitting since afternoon. Later they wear mask and entered into the cold storage. The cold storage is for preservation of fish, police said.
Seven fire tenders have been pressed into service to detect the source of the leakage and plug it as efforts were being made to contact the owners.
Traffic on the adjacent Jessore road was disrupted. The cold storage was closed as it was a Sunday.

Gita Devi died

Actress Gita De passed away in a hospital last night after a long illness. Celebrated actress was 80. She acted around in 200 Bengali films and dramas. She was admitted to a hospital few days back. She joined in acting when she was 6-year-old. Some of her famous films were Ahuti, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Kabi, Phuleswari and Byapika Biday.
She also acted in Star theatre in several times with theater personality Sisir Bhaduri. She earned the acclamation by her acting when she was only 13-year-old.
Singer Pintu Bhattacharya died today after suffering from cancer for a prolonged period. He was 71-year-old. He was admitted to a cancer hospital in South Kolkata two days back and doctor advised him for a biopsy test. But he died before the result come in.

Baul, Kirtaniya arrive to enjoy Jaydeb fair

KOLKATA: Around 250 akhada (tent) were set up by the baul and kirtaniya (folk and kirtaniya singer) at Kenduli-Jaydeb in Birbhum following the four days long “Jaydeb Mela” this year.
Few thousands baul and kirtaniya arrived on Friday here and singing songs and playing instruments. Few lakhs visitors arrived here and many of them took bath in the River Ajay on the day of Makar Sankranti. Folk singers from foreign countries have reached at Kenduli and staying at the akhada. The fair had been organised more than 100 years ago and the fair was previously recognised as Baul mela. But now-a-days kirtaniyas are thronging to visit the fair and organised their programme in several places.
The mercury dipped down and the temperature was 6 degree centigrade on Saturday. But people ignored the icy chill and dipped in the river.
No tourist lodge or hotels are located here but tourists were being accommodated in the tents. Some organizations were regularly catering free meals (kichdi with alur dum and cabbages curry) to the visitors. The fair brings the memory of the poet Jaydeb, who wrote many poems on communal harmony and love.
Police said they set up eight watchtowers and several drop gates for the safety and security of the visitors and a special control room was opened.

Special EC team arrives to oversee law and order

File Pix :Mob violence

KOLKATA: A four-member special Election Commission team arrived on Sunday to see the law and order situation in West Bengal.
The special EC team, led by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar Sudhir Kumar Rakesh, arrived in Kolkata to oversee law and order in the state ahead of the Assembly elections, West Bengal Joint CEO Dibyendu Sarkar said, two other members would arrive later tonight.
The team may visit the trouble-hit districts where political violence occurred in past few days. The decision to send a fact-finding team was taken by the EC after representatives of various political parties had informed them about the worsening law and order situation and series of political violence.
An official said that maintenance of law and order situation is vitial to the conduct of free and fair and peaceful election.
Three other senior police officers including Zaki Ahmed (DIG National Crime Record Bureau), P R K Naidu (DIG National Crime Record Bureau) and D K Pandey (ADG Jharkhand) arrived today apart from Bihar CEO.Other two senior police officers V S Reddy (DIG Andhra Pradesh) and P S Rampassi (DIG Orissa), would arrive later tonight.

Politicians should follow universal brotherhood ideology: Governor

Pix: (From Top) Orphan girls of DRSA exibiting handicrafts items.
Ambulance donor Babar Ali Biswas and DRSA general secretary Mural Bhai.

Governor inaugurating the DRSA high school and delivering speech(bottom).

Pix by Subal Saha

KOLKATA: All the political parties should follow the ideology of the ‘universal brotherhood’ to maintain law and order situation in the state, said West Bengal governor, M K Narayanan on Saturday.
He was speaking at Adyepeath near Dakshineswar in Belghoria before inaugurating a school building of Dakshineswar Ramkrishna Sangha Adyapeath (DRSA) and three ambulances.
He said DRSA general secretary Brahmachari Mural Bhai has taken a lot of initiative to serve the ailing and distress people and he is a follower of universal brotherhood.
“DRSA provided shelter for a large number of orphan boys and girls at Adyapeath home. A lot of poor, distress and geriatric people also got shelter here, he said.
Union minister and Trinamul Congress leader Sougata Roy also participated in the occasion. He said DRSA monks and general secretary Mural Bhai inspiring the mankind with their selfless services for poor and distress people and they are ultimately serving the nation.
CPI-M leader and MLA Kamarhati Manash Mukherjee and chairman of the Rajarhat-Gopalpur Municipality Tapash Chatterjee shared the same podium with the Trinamul Congress leader Sougata Roy.
Babar Ali Biswas from Jit Charitable Society donated three ambulances to the DRSA. “The poor and orphan boys inspired me a lot for charitable works. I will be glad when one day I know these orphans boys become perfect men, he said.
Brahmachari Mural Bhai said that DRSA distributed 5000 sarees and 3000 blankets among the poor people. “When I visited the door of any people for begging my little children for their education and health, the people irrespective of cast, creed, religion and political party extended their help,” said Brahmachari Mural Bhai. DRSA also celebrated 120 birth anniversary and 90 siddhotsav (attainment of supreme knowledge) of Sri Sri Annada Thakur, the founder of DRSA. The student of the Ariahdah Manikuntaladevi Valikavidalaya organised a seven days long exhibition for the handicrafts items, which was inaugurated by Brhmachari Mural Bhai.

Take immediate steps to prevent violence in WB: Governor

KOLKATA: Governor M K Narayanan today summoned chief secretary Samar Ghosh and asked the state to take immediate steps to prevent violence in West Bengal.
Home secretary G D Gautama and director general of police N Mukherjee were also present at the meeting.
Gautama later said that the governor asked the government to take immediate steps to stop violence and maintain law and order situation in West Bengal.
“No democracy can allow such violence: no civilised society can tolerate such wanton disregard for human lives and no state can accept such mindless discord,” he had said in a statement was released by the Governor’s House.
Governor earlier expressed his deep sorrow over the killing of seven villagers by suspected CPI-M supporters at Netai in Lalgarh on 7 January this years and said it was a day of “sorrow and shame” for the state.Narayanan was briefed about measures by the state to curb growing violence, home secretary said. “The Governor cited no specific issues or incidents and held a general review of the law and order situation in the state,” he added.

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.