Bengaluru Metro: MP Surya says 1st Yellow Line train to be dispatched from Bengal on Jan 6IANS
Bengaluru South MP and BJP National Yuva Morcha President Tejasvi Surya said on Thursday that the first train of the Yellow Line of Namma Metro is ready to be dispatched from West Bengal to Bengaluru on January 6.
“It won’t be long before long-awaited Bengaluru Metro’s Yellow Line starts chugging along. It’s a promise,” he said, indicating that the wait for the commencement of the Yellow Line is going to end soon.
“We now have the first train ready to be dispatched to Bengaluru on January 6. Titagarh Rail Systems has committed to deliver the second train by the end of January or first week of February and the third in April,” Surya announced.
They will deliver one train per month and increase it to two trains per month by September, he added.
Earlier, the MP said, “The main reason for the delay in start of operations is the unavailability of the trains. However, there is some good news finally on this front. Over the last few months, I have been continuously following up with the train manufacturers – Titagarh Rail Systems – to expedite production.”
“The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) will visit the manufacturing plant on January 6, flag off the train to Bengaluru and also inspect the plant to help further expedite things,” Surya stated.
Commercial operation of Yellow Line connects R.V. Road station to Bommasandra.IANS
“I will also be present in Kolkata for the same. Like all of you, I am equally frustrated with the repeated delays in the start of the Yellow Line,” he said.
Bengalureans travelling towards tech hub Electronics City are eagerly waiting for the commercial operation of Yellow Line that connects R.V. Road station to Bommasandra.
This 18.82-kilometer railway line will have 18 stations and promises travelers relief from traffic jams. The Yellow Lane was scheduled to operate in 2024. Earlier, BMRCL had stated that it will launch commercial operations by January-end 2025.
The Yellow Line connects Electronics City — home to IT, BT and tech MNC companies – spread over 800 acres. There are approximately 200 IT/ITES company campuses located in Electronic City, including main campuses of Infosys, Wipro, TCS, HCL, Tech Mahindra and Biocon. It is a major tech hub that has established the city’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of India.
Kolkata, December, 2024:HDFCBank, India’slargestprivatesectorbank,underitsCSRinitiative #Parivartan, has completed five years in the state of West Bengal. During this period, Parivartan has positively reached out to more than 17,000 households.
HDFC Bank Parivartan initiated its interventions in West Bengal back in 2019 with the provision of Scholarships to underprivileged students. The Bank’s Parivartan program focuses on five key focus areas Rural Development, Promotion of Education, Skill Development & Livelihood Enhancement, Healthcare & Hygiene, and Financial Literacy & Inclusion.
HDFC Bank Parivartan’s overall outreach in West Bengal is spread across 11districts – Purulia, Bankura, South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Howrah, Jhargram, Birbhum, Bardhaman, DakshinDinajpur and Nadia.
Key interventions in West Bengal
A few key interventions spread across different districts in West Bengal are:
(i) Livelihood enhancement of farmers
Project STREE (Social and Transformative Rural Economic Empowerment), an initiative to empower farmers and rural communities being implemented across four districts and 17 blocks. Under the project 18 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have been institutionalised bringing together over 10,000 women farmers as shareholders. An additional 24,000 beneficiaries are directly being impacted from interventions like the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices, better inputs, crop advisory, sorting, grading, packing, and storage for assured market linkage. Five Crop Value Chains are being covered through backward and forward linkages. 66,000 additional farmers benefitted through other income improvement support under multiple projects across the State.
(ii) Skilling initiative:
Five state of the art skill centres are running in the vicinity of Kolkata to cater to the employment needs of the urban youths. More than 3000 youths are being trained with full placement guidance at reputed companies.
(iii) Natural Resource Management:
Focussed development projects on Natural Resource Management are being implemented in water stressed areas of Bankura, Purulia, Murshidabad, Jhargram and Birbhum. More than 250 Water Harvesting Structures have been created to increase the irrigation command area by 6000+ acres.This is augmenting water storage capacity resulting in additional livelihood scope through aquaculture and livestock farming.(iv) Rural Development:
Holistic Rural Development project has been implemented in 15 villages of the disaster-prone Sagarisland, in the Sundarbans. More than 4000 households have been benefitted through access to renewable energy, smart school infrastructure, clean drinking water, coastal land restoration and so on.
Ms.NusratPathan, Head of CSR at HDFC Bank, “At HDFC Bank, we focus on fostering socio-economic development by empowering communities and creating positive change at the grassroots level. We have launched portfolio of projects to achieve these goals in the state of West Bengal. We are committed to driving sustainable development with concentrated efforts on livelihood, education, skill development, natural resource management and community wellbeing.”
“We are dedicated to offering a comprehensive range of banking services throughout the state, ensuring accessibility for all. As a socially responsible corporate citizen, HDFC Bank is equally focused on doing its part to bring about meaningful change in the lives of individuals and families. We remain committed to supporting communities with the resources, training, and guidance they need to thrive,” said Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Branch Banking Head, HDFC Bank.
HDFC Bank was among the top CSR spenders in the country for the financial year ending March 2024. As of 31st March 2024, the Bank spent Rs 945.31 crore on CSR initiatives across the country. The Bank also expanded its impact by reaching more than 10.19 crore beneficiaries cumulatively as of March 2024 in the entire nation.
Chandigarh22nd November 2024 Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and the country’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer inaugurated its dealership for Light Commercial Vehicles in Siliguri, West Bengal. This is the 5th Light Commercial Vehicle dealership in West Bengal. The new channel partner Happie Trucking, has a sales facility strategically located at Eastern Bypass Road, SBM Warehouse, Eastern Bypass, Bhaktinagar, Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal 734004. While the main Workshop facility (Service and Spares) is tactically located at Debgram, Ware House, Thakur Nagar, New Jalpaiguri, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal 735135. The facility has advanced tools, quick service bays, and sophisticated infrastructure to ensure superior customer experience. The company currently offers a range of LCV products – BADA DOST, DOST, PARTNER and MiTR.
Mr. Viplav Shah, Head – LCV Business, Ashok Leyland said, “We are excited to further strengthen our presence in this region. West Bengal and Eastern India at large, have been a key market for us. We have always recognized the potential this region has and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in this geography. We have been working on creating a strong foothold in the region, and the new dealership in Siliguri will bolster our presence in this geography. The overwhelming success of our ‘DOST Range’ and now the ‘BADA DOST’ can be attributed to the robustness of our products and the extensive reach of our network. All our products have been receiving great responses from our customers, thanks to their best-in-class mileage and class-leading performance, backed by extensive sales and aftersales support. We are extremely proud that our track record of service retention levels is exemplary with close to 70% of our customers returning to our dealer workshops, even after the warranty period. We, as always, would remain committed to maintaining and even enhancing the level of customer service and satisfaction. This new dealership is being opened to further strengthen our reach, in line with our commitment.”
Ashok Leyland’s products are launched to meet the evolving needs of Indian LCV customers by offering best-in-class technology at competitive costs. Now, there are more than five lakh LCVs across India.
The recently launched BADA DOST is the first product to be built on an all-new robust LCV platform and has four variants, i2, i3+, i4, and i5. It is powered by an 80 hp BS6 engine that delivers best-in-class power & mileage, best-in-class payload, and best-in-class load body length and loading space that helps customers earn more profit per trip. Owing to its low turning radius and best-in-class ground clearance, BADA DOST is the ideal vehicle for inter and intra-city applications and can negotiate all terrains with ease.
DOST range comes in the following avatars – DOST LiTE, DOST STRONG, and DOST+ to cater to different sections of the market and applications.
PARTNER, a modern & highly fuel-efficient load carrier, caters to the 3.5 – 4.8 ton payload segment and is available in both 4 tyre and 6 tyre options. It comes with Load body options of 10ft, 11ft, 14ft and 17ft. PARTNER is based on an internationally acclaimed vehicle platform & carries the renowned ZD30 CRDI engine.
MiTR bus, based on the same platform as PARTNER, comes in both standard bus & school bus options. It provides superior mileage even in stop and go conditions. MiTR School Bus complies with all school bus safety norms & compliance codes and offers unmatched ride comfort.
BADA DOST, DOST, PARTNER, and MiTR are manufactured at Ashok Leyland’s state-of-the-art Hosur plant.
BADA DOST is available at Rs.10,98,000/- i5, Rs.10,44,500/- i4(LNT) & Rs.10,24,500/-i4(SCR) , Rs.10,06,500/-i3+ & Rs.8,59,000/- i2 variant.
DOST LiTE, DOST Strong and DOST+ are available at a competitive price starting from Rs-7, 92,000/-
PARTNER is available at an attractive price starting from Rs. 17,00,000/-
MITR Bus is priced competitively starting from Rs. 22, 39,000 /-
Ashok Leyland has one of the largest and fastest-growing networks in the CV space. Its robust network of more than 1700 exclusive outlets ensures the availability of authorized Service centers at every 75 KMS on major Highways.
by Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose, Hon’ble Governor of WestBengalon the auspicious occasion of Children’s Day.
Kolkata, 15th November, 2024: Today, a new chapter in education began as Elite Minds, a premier educational institution, was inaugurated by His Excellency, the Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose. The grand opening ceremony took place on the auspicious occasion of Children’s Day.
Located in the heart of the city, Elite Minds is committed to providing a comprehensive education that not only nurtures academic excellence but also fosters holistic development. The institution offers a range of co-curricular activities, ensuring a well-rounded education for its students.
“I had a tough time finding the right mentors for my children. From there sparked the need to create a safe space where learning could thrive and the children could work towards their academic and holistic development,” said Ms. Shruti Sharma, Director of Elite Minds. “This space is more than just a learning center; it’s a place where dreams take flight,” she added.
The inauguration ceremony was a grand affair, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a celebratory cake-cutting, and a warm welcome address by Ms. Shruti Sharma. The Hon’ble Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose graced the occasion with his insightful address, emphasizing the importance of quality education and holistic development.
One of the unique features of Elite Minds is its personalized career counseling service, which helps students make informed decisions about their future. The institution’s experienced faculty, coupled with cutting-edge teaching methodologies, ensures a rich and engaging learning experience.
By choosing Elite Minds, parents and students can be assured of a partnership that prioritizes academic excellence, holistic development, and future success.
New Delhi, 18 October 2024: Jindal (India) Limited, part of prestigious B.C. Jindal Group and one of the leading downstream steel products manufacturers in India, has emerged as a major player in coated steel products in West Bengal. Over the past few years, Jindal (India)Limited has experienced remarkable 20% growth rate due to increased demand for coated steel products in West Bengal. As a result, currently, 30% share of Jindal (India) Limited’s coated steel business comes from West Bengal, with high demand for its brands JindalSabrang and Jindal NeuColor +.
Jindal (India) Limited, founded in 1952, has been a significant contributor to West Bengal’s economic growth and development for the past seven decades. The company operates two state-of-the-art production facilities in close proximity to Kolkata, situated in Jangalpur and Ranihati. This presence has had a multifaceted positive impact on West Bengal’s economy, including boosting the state’s GDP through manufacturing and exports, fostering the growth of ancillary industries and generating substantial employment opportunities for the local population. Jindal (India) Limited recently announced a capex spend of over INR 1,500 Crore to effect a strategic capacity expansion of 0.6 Million MT.
In recent years, West Bengal has witnessed a thrust in infrastructure development in the areas of transportation, industrial parks and establishment of warehouse. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in West Bengal associated with sectors like rail, ports, oil pipeline, LPG supply etc. This has further led to a surge in demand for durable and corrosion-resistant steel products.
Sharing insights on the business growth, Jindal (India) Limited’s spokesperson said, “West Bengal is a key market for us and the growing demand for our coated steel products in the state reflects the trust and confidence our customers place in Jindal (India) Limited. We are deeply committed to strengthening our presence in the state and contributing to its fast-paced growth. By delivering innovative and high-quality steel solutions, we aim to meet the dynamic needs of our customers while playing a pivotal role in West Bengal’s growth journey. We look forward to building a long-lasting partnership with the region in the years ahead.”
Jindal (India) Limited offers a range of advanced coated steel products, each designed to meet the specific demands of various industries while ensuring high performance and durability. Among these, Jindal Sabrang, redefines the aesthetics of steel by introducing a vibrant array of colour-coated options with exceptional corrosion resistance in outdoor applications. Jindal Sabrang adds a visual appeal that extends the functionality of steel beyond its typical uses.
Jindal NeuColor+ represents the pinnacle of premium coated steel products, offering a combination of advanced technology, aesthetic versatility, and long-lasting durability. This product is engineered with a special coating process that includes the use of SMP, SDF, and PVDF, in addition to RMP, resulting in a steel sheet that is exceptionally resistant to corrosion and colour fading.
Looking ahead, Jindal (India) Limited plans to introduce new coated steel products tailored to the specific needs of West Bengal’s diverse industries. The company’s success in this market serves as a proof to its product excellence and customer-centric approach, positioning Jindal (India) Limited for sustained growth in the region.
A joy that is shared with a twin is a joy made double. The saying only got a new dimension in a West Bengal medical college hospital, where nine pairs of twins were delivered by nine women within a span of 24 hours this week.
In a rare event, nine women delivered twins between 8 am on Tuesday and 8 am on Wednesday at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal, media reports said.
A Bengal hospital welcomes nine twins by nine mothers within 24 hours. Photo courtesy: Unsplash
Interestingly, none of the women conceived through assisted reproductive technology, the Times of India reported.
Among the 18 newborns, seven are boys and 11 are girls, the report said.
Although six of the babies, each weighing around 1.5 kg, have been placed in the Sick Neonatal Care Unit (SNCU) for observation, both the mothers and all the babies are reported to be in stable condition, it added.
Bowing to a spiralling junior doctors’ ceasework protest over the brutal RG Kar Hospital rape and murder and its alleged cover-up, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday night announced to remove Kolkata’s Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and Deputy Commissioner (DC) North Abhishek Gupta besides two other health officials after a marathon meeting with the medics at her residence.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressing media after the meeting with junior doctors. Photo credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS
After days of high drama, the long-awaited meeting between the two sides materialised on Monday evening stretching for nearly five hours till midnight.
Speaking to reporters outside her Kalighat residence, Banerjee said: “Since they are unhappy with the police, we have agreed to remove Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal. He will be entrusted with the role of his choice as he himself wants to recuse himself from this post. He will step down at 4 PM on Tuesday and the new CP will be announced.”
“The DC North will be removed as well,” she said, noting that these removals of senior police officials was one of their 5-point demands.
Banerjee also announced the removal of two health officials
– Director of Health Services (DHS) and Director of Medical Service (DMS).
“Besides this, we will take measures to enhance the safety and security of the hospitals,” the CM announced.
“We accepted three demands and requested them to join the work so that commoners do not suffer amid a spike in dengue cases in Kolkata. I urge them to join work and extend their service to those in need,” she said.
Briefing the media from the agitation site at Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake, the protesting junior doctors thanked the people for joining their movement and said they would continue their ceasework till the demands were implemented.
“The honourable Chief Minister has decided to remove the police commissioner which has been one of our demands. She has also agreed to remove the Director of Health Services (DHS) and the Director of Medical Service (DMS) from the health department. The DC North will be removed as well. This is no doubt a success of our 38-day-long agitation,” one of the protesting junior doctors said.
The meeting between junior doctors and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata was aimed at ending the ongoing impasse that started with the demand for justice over the gruesome rape and murder of a medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
The meeting was held with 42 representatives of the agitating junior doctors. The state government allowed two stenographers from the agitating doctors’ side. The state government had earlier described this as a “fifth and final invitation for talks”. Unlike the last two times, the protesting junior doctors made it past the doorway this time and talks were held.
A crowd of people with banners and shouting slogans had gathered near the CM’s house expecting positive outcomes from the meeting.
The meeting took place on the eve of the next Supreme Court hearing of the case on Tuesday. The crime and its alleged cover-up attempt triggered a tsunami of unprecedented protests in West Bengal. While it spread to other parts of India, protests were also organised in different parts of the world by the Bengali diaspora.
What happened last week?
On Thursday, about 30-35 junior doctors reached the state government headquarters Nabanna but didn’t attend the meeting as their demand for live-streaming of the discussion was turned down by the Chief Minister.
After Mamata reached the doctors’ protest site on Saturday afternoon, the protesters agreed to a meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence but the question of live-streaming played spoilsport again. However, by the time the doctors climbed down and agreed for a meeting without videography, the Chief Minister communicated it had timed out.
Durga Puja, the biggest cultural festival in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal — indeed, the biggest annual occasion for the Bengali diaspora everywhere — is preceded by a very black mood in the state this year. Civil society protests have erupted like never before over the gruesome rape-murder of a trainee doctor on August 9, 2024, at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in the state capital Kolkata, and one of the major fallouts is the refusal of many Durga Puja committees to accept the state grant of INR 85,000 (USD 1,014) from the Mamata Banerjee-led administration.
Representational image. An idol of goddess Durga. Photo courtesy: Unsplash
The religious festival has been placed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The state-government grant is given to boost the Durga Puja economy, which, as per The Times of India report, had reached an estimated INR 50,000 crore (USD 5,961,435,000) in 2023.
As news spread of the rape and murder, which was the administration first tried to hush it up as a “suicide”, protests broke out, first in Kolkata and then in other parts of India. Though a series of allegations and counter allegations have followed the rape-murder of the doctor, one thing has emerged as clear as daylight, the inaction from the state government and the apparent lack of empathy from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who herself is a woman. Angered by this attitude, Durga Puja committees have staged this protest – refusing the grant given by the government.
The first to declare such was Shakti Sangha in Uttarpara. The Durga Puja committee reportedly said no to the INR 85,000 grant in protest against the state government’s approach to the rape-murder case.
RG Kar rape-murder case: Calcutta High Court lawyers protest on August 19. Screenshot courtesy: X/@SudhanidhiB
Soon, the Hiland Park Utsav Committee in South Kolkata followed. Speaking to Connected to India on condition of anonymity, an office bearer from the HPUC said: “We want this [Durga Puja grant] money to be utilised in improving the safety of women in the state. Build more restrooms for women, not just in the medical field, but also in other sectors where women are employed and work night shifts. Instead of giving us the money, use it to ramp up those.”
As per reports, the West Bengal government will spend more than INR 340 crore (USD 40,567,916) in grants to Durga Puja committees in 2024.
An office-bearer of the Durga Puja organised by Neelachal Abasan Co-op society Ltd. in Kasba, Kolkata, told Connected to India on condition of anonymity that refusing the Durga Puja grant of INR 85,000 this year had a dual reason — one, a mark of protest against the RG Kar case; two, a desire to see the state funds utilised for enhanced statewide security for women.
Neelachal Abasan Co-op society Ltd. Photo courtesy: www.justdial.com
The decision to turn down the West Bengal government grant was taken unanimously by the complex residents, after 135 women and men from the housing complex took part in the statewide night march on August 14.
The march saw thousands of people walk the streets in protests in three places in Kolkata — Jadavpur, College Street and Academy.
Speaking to Connected to India, a Kolkata doctor, who wanted to be identified only as SR, said, “My take is: 1) The Durga Puja committees should either refuse the grant of INR 85,000 from the Government of West Bengal, or they should take the grant and give it to the victim’s parents; and 2) let the Durga Pujas follow the earlier format: open the pandals on Sashthi. Newer trends like defying the religious protocol; traffic disruption; and inauguration of various Durga Pujas by VIPs from Mahalaya day should be banned forever.”
Another Kolkata doctor, who wanted to give only the initials AB, told Connected to India that all the Durga Puja committees in the state should not only refuse the West Bengal government grant as a mark of protest, but should also “tell the administration to pool the funds and use it for enhanced women’s welfare and improved safety of women doctors in all hospitals”.
Kolkata witnessed a massive night vigil aginst the rape and murder of a young doctor. Photo courtesy: Avishek Mitra/IBNS
A doctor who gave her initials as SD said that Durga Puja committees in West Bengal could register a symbolic protest by not having a Durga idol in their pandals and could limit the worship to Ghat Puja only without the usual festivities.
OP, who walked in the protest march in Bardhaman, told Connected to India: “Why do you want to celebrate ‘Nari Shakti’ (woman power), when you fail to protect women in the first place?”
OP also called out the lack of empathy from the West Bengal Chief Minister. “It’s baffling that being a woman, she totally mismanaged the situation,” she said.
The RG Kar hospital in Kolkata was vandalised by several miscreants on the intervening night of August 14 and 15, 2024. Photo courtesy: Screengrab from X
The mood is sombre not only in Kolkata, but also across the state of West Bengal. The protests were also not limited to West Bengal. Doctors all over the country took part in the agitation, demanding safety. The ripples of the Kolkata rape and murder horror were also felt 5,000 kilometres away in Singapore.
Speaking to Connected to India, Shirshendu Bhattacharya, an organiser of Singapore Indian Puja Association (SIPA), said, “We were the first ones to call this [the Kolkata rape and murder] out.”
Dirga Puja organised by SIPA in Singapore. Photo courtesy: Shirshendu Bhattacharya
In an official statement, the Singapore-based Durga Puja committee said: “Dear SIPA family,
“As we celebrate the festival that honors the bond between siblings, cousins, and friends, we express our sisterhood with the young doctor at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata, who was tragically and brutally killed. In her memory, we are changing our profile pictures to black for the day.
“We are deeply saddened, angered, and feel a profound sense of helplessness over this tragedy. We pray to Ma Durga, the embodiment of feminine strength, to ensure that justice is served for the victim and her loved ones. We stand with her family, condemn such atrocities, and strive collectively for a safer community and workplace for all.
“At SIPA, we believe in the power of our collective prayers and remain hopeful for justice.”
Bhattacharya, who is the Submarine Product & Service Innovation Lead & Singapore GGN Site Lead, said the organisation is trying to arrange a protest march this weekend (August 24-25). “During Durga Puja we will do something to show the problems,” he said.
The Kolkata rape-murder case has already been taken up by India’s Supreme Court. A three-judge bench presided by the India’s Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has rapped the state government over delay in filing the FIR in the case.
So far, one person has been arrested, while the erstwhile RG Kar principal, Sandip Ghosh, has faced multiple rounds of questioning from the CBI.
Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, whose bold attempts at economic reforms in the decades-long rule of the communists in the state saw the Left’s ouster over farmers’ protests, died on Thursday, at the age of 80 on Thursday.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was a reformist communist. Photo courtesy: Wikipedia Creative Commons
Bhattacharjee passed away at his South Kolkata residence at 8:20 am, party sources confirmed. He is survived by his wife Meera Bhattacharjee and son Suchetan.
“Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s mortal remains will be preserved on Thursday and will be kept at Alimuddin (party headquarters) from 10:30 am on Friday for common people to pay their last respect.
“His last journey will begin from Alimuddin at 4 pm,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Md. Salim.
The former Chief Minister, who was suffering from pancreas related health issues, was admitted to hospital in July 2023 with lower respiratory tract infection and Type II respiratory failure.
The CPI-M stalwart was the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2000 to 2011.
Brief about his political journeyBhattacharjee was compared to China’s Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) who rose to supreme power after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976 and began integrating the Chinese economy with the Western economy with far-reaching market-economy reforms.
The CPI-M veteran, whose uncle (father’s cousin) was revolutionary Bengali poet Sukanta Bhattacharya, was born in 1944 in a family in north Kolkata. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was known for his unconventional stance towards the policies and the economy in contrast to the Left’s ideas.
Under his tenure, Bhattacharjee was proactive in attracting investments besides maintaining the agricultural base of West Bengal, which lacked industries in decades of Left rule marred by militant trade unionism.
However, his bid to attract investments was met with stiff resistance from local people and then opposition parties after Tata went to build a car factory in Singur.
Singur witnessed protests which were led by then opposition leader and now Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, and her Trinamool Congress.
Besides Singur, Bhattacharjee’s aim to build a chemical hub in Nandigram too faced hurdles in 2007. After police firing killed 14 protesters, the CPI-M government came under massive criticism from all corners.
The under-fire Bhattacharjee government eventually collapsed in the 2011 assembly elections with the 34-year Left rule replaced by Mamata Banerjee’s TMC.
CondolencesMourning his demise, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted on X, “Shocked and saddened by the sudden demise of the former Chief Minister Sri Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. I have been knowing him for last several decades, and visited him a few times when he was ill and effectively confined to home in the last few years.
“My very sincere condolences to Meeradi and Suchetan at this hour of grief. I communicate my condolences to the members of the CPI(M) party and all his followers. We have already taken a decision that we shall give him full respect and ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites.”
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari posted on X, “I am deeply saddened to learn that former West Bengal Chief Minister; Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has left for his heavenly abode.
“Condolences to his family members and admirers. I pray that his soul finds eternal peace. Om Shanti.”
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday inaugurated a pre-event breakfast meeting related to the Bengaluru Tech Summit at a private hotel in the city.
Addressing the event, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), the flagship programme of the Government of Karnataka, is a key initiative of our state government for the last 26 years.”
BTS provides an impactful platform to bring together the best minds in technology and innovation. It is Asia’s biggest technology conclave which will be held from November 19 to 21, 2024.
“The theme for the 27th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit is Breaking Boundaries. The theme emphasises on the importance of collaboration between diverse sectors to drive innovation,” senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah stated.
“Let us continue to dream big, work together, and make Karnataka the undisputed leader in technology and innovation. And as part of this mission, I look forward to your suggestions and opinions to take our state to new heights in technology-driven industry and also seek your active participation in BTS 2024 and make it a grand success,” CM Siddaramaiah added.
Dy CM, DK Shivakumar appealed, “The world sees India through Bengaluru. Our government is committed to Bengaluru’s development. Entrepreneurs, employees should not leave Bengaluru and go to neighbouring states.”
“Karnataka welcomes people from around the world and the country without any restrictions. As entrepreneurs prosper, so do job seekers. Economic and national strength is growing,” he stressed.
“About 1.4 crore people from all over the country have settled in Bengaluru and the pressure on the city should be reduced. Therefore, an environment should be created to set up industries in all parts of the state. About Rs 8,000 crore of CSR funds should be used for rural education,” Dy CM Shivakumar suggested.
