West Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 19 (PTI) The BJP's West Bengal unit Wednesday organised 'law violation programme' in various parts of the state to protest the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's refusal to allow the proposed Rath Yatra programme in the state.

BJP activists clashed with the police in Howrah, South Dinajpur and Hooghly district after the party was denied permission for a protest meeting.

Kolkata, Dec 13 (PTI) The West Bengal government has sanctioned Rs 21 crore for setting up a world-class laboratory in the city for preserving and digitising films that form a part of the state's cultural identity, an official said.

A nine-storeyed laboratory will shortly come up in Tollygunge, where a major chunk of production houses and studios of the Bengali film industry are based, he said.

Kolkata, Dec 7 (PTI) The BJP on Friday moved an appeal

before a division bench of the Calcutta High Court against refusal of permission for its Rath Yatra.

Granting leave to the BJP to file the appeal, a division bench comprising Justices B Somadder and A Mukherjee said it will hear the matter at 12.30 pm.

The bench directed BJP's lawyers to serve copy of the appeal to the West Bengal government and other respondents before the matter is taken up for hearing.

Jalpaiguri (WB), Dec 7 (PTI) The police and BJP workers fought a pitched battle in a forested area of Jalpaguri district on Friday injuring 12 policemen, including an additional SP.

The addtional superintendent of police was seriously injured after a stone hit him in the eye, Jalpaiguri SP Amitabha Maiti said.

The incident occurred near Dhupjhora under Dhupguri police station when the BJP activists were going to a public meeting of senior party leaders in neighbouring Cooch Behar district.

Kolkata, Dec 6 (PTI) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday said it cannot give permission at this stage for the BJP rally in Coochbehar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension.

Jamuria (WB), Nov 29 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday called for bringing a change in the government at the Centre in the Lok Sabha polls and alleged that the BJP dispensation has caused hardships to the people of the country.

Banerjee said her party will contest elections in states neighbouring West Bengal such as Jharkhand and Assam to protect the people from alleged attacks by the BJP.

Kolkata, Nov 30 (PTI) A research team of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur have come up with new data "confirming" that the Antarctic Ozone hole is on a "healing" path, a statement issued by the institute said Friday.

Researchers of the Center of Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Law Science (CORAL) of IIT Kharagpur have collected data from 1979 to 2017, which shows though there was a loss in saturation of Ozone since 1987 over the Antarctic, the saturation of loss at 12-21 km stretch has significantly reduced over the period 20012017, the statement said.

Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the rate of unemployment had come down by 40 per cent in the state, due to various developmental schemes.

Speaking in the Assembly House, Banerjee said there are 300 ITIs and polytechnics, and the state government has undertaken the 'Utkarsh Bangla' project, which aims to skill six lakh people every year.

She said with better implementation of the MNREGA and other similar schemes, "unemployment rate has reduced by 40 per cent".

Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) A 72-year-old man was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment by a city court Thursday for molesting a minor girl who worked as a help at his residence.

The retired engineer was accused of molesting the girl and peeping into the bathroom when she was taking bath at his residence in Phoolbagan area of east Kolkata.

Special judge (POCSO) at Sealdah Court Jimut Bahan Biswas sentenced Tapan Bhattacharyya to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed on him a fine of Rs 20,000 for the offence.

Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim was appointed the new mayor of Kolkata Thursday after Sovan Chatterjee resigned from the post on the directions of Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of KMC councillors, where senior party leaders, including Banerjee, were present.

Hakim will be the first mayor of the city from the minority community since Independence.