Page 20 - Kolkata

Timely asset tracing, crime proceeds identification important: PM Modi

Addressing via video conferencing the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group's third and final ministerial meeting held in Kolkata PM Modi recalled his very first G-20 Summit in 2014

Durand Cup: Mumbai City FC to face Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata

The match kicks off at 4.45 pm local time. In Saturday's first match, Bodoland FC take on Rajasthan United FC in the first-ever Durand Cup game in Kokrajhar

People of Kolkata to witness a 'supermoon' if weather stays clear

People of Kolkata will be able to witness a 'supermoon' on Tuesday if the monsoon sky permits, former director of M P Birla Planetarium Debiprosad Duari said. A supermoon will again be visible by the end of the month on August 30. The full moon, when it is closest to the Earth, is described as a 'supermoon'. The last time two supermoons were seen in the same month was in 2018, and the next such phenomenon will be witnessed in 2037, he said. "It is exciting as this coincides with the time Chandrayaan 3 module will be injected into the lunar transfer trajectory," Duari said. Chandrayaan 3 is scheduled to make a soft landing on the moon on August 23. "The moon goes around the Earth once in 27.3 days in an elliptic orbit. As a result, at some point in its orbit, the moon will be farthest from the Earth, with the distant point being called Apogee, while at some other time it will be closest to the Earth, with this point being called Perigee," he said. "When we have a full moon near .

Aviation Security Culture Week held at Kolkata airport to make flying safer

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security along with other agencies began observing Aviation Security Culture Week in the NSCB International Airport (NSCBI) in Kolkata on Monday. The main objective of security culture week is to inculcate security consciousness among members of the aviation community and passengers, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) statement said. This will make flying safer, it said. Various programmes such as awareness sessions, quiz contests, reward and recognition and walkathon will be organised throughout the week. The Aviation Security Culture Week commenced with an inauguration pledge by the director of NSCBI Airport C Pattabhi, and other top officials of different agencies. All the stakeholders such as the AAI, airlines, CISF and passengers will be participating in the security culture week on the theme 'See it, Say it, Secure it'. During this special week, various activities will be undertaken to educate, engage and create awareness about aviation securi

Man held for trying to enter Mamata Banerjee's home with arms in car

Police on Friday arrested a man, with arms in his car, for allegedly trying to enter West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. The man wearing a black coat and tie identified as Sheikh Noor Alam was arrested after he tried to drive a car with a 'Police' sticker to Banerjee's residence on Harish Chatterjee Street, Kolkata Police Commissioner, Vineet Goyal said. Banerjee was in her home when the incident took place. "The man was carrying firearms, one kukri, ganja and several identity cards of different agencies like BSF and others in the car. He wanted to meet the CM. Our officers intercepted him when he was trying to enter Harish Chatterjee Street. Considering the fact that the CM is a Z-category protectee, this is a serious issue. We are trying to find out what was his actual purpose," Goyal said. The man was talking incoherently, he said. "He is saying that he is from Anandapur, then he is claiming to be from Paschim Medinipur. We are checking what's the .

Why central team not sent to Manipur, says Mamata at Kolkata rally

Continuing her tirade against the Centre over the Manipur crisis, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said the BJP's 'Beti Bachao' scheme has now turned into 'Beti Jalao' (Burn our daughters). The TMC boss wondered why the Centre never bothered to send central teams to Manipur, where ethnic strife has claimed over 160 lives so far. We want to express our solidarity with Manipur. The BJP had sent so many central teams to Bengal (after the panchayat polls), why no central team was sent to the northeastern state? she questioned. Addressing the party's annual Martyrs' Day rally here, Banerjee expressed her solidarity with the newly formed opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A and asserted that their mission is to remove the saffron camp from power. She warned that the return of the BJP government would signal the demise of democracy. The TMC boss gave a clarion call to oust the BJP and refuted claims of personal ambitions by saying, We have no other demand, neither we want an

Rural TMC supporters streaming into Kolkata for Martyrs' Day rally

Tens of thousands of Trinamool Congress workers from villages and towns across the state are streaming into Kolkata for the ruling party's Marty's Day' rally on Friday. Many enthusiast party workers buoyed by a recent victory in rural polls have already arrived and have been staying in camps in Salt Lake and elsewhere. The TMC, which is part of the newly formed non-BJP alliance I.N.D.I.A, is likely to spell out at the rally its strategy for strengthening opposition unity and its design to counter the saffron party in the state. "The July 21 Martyrs' Day Rally holds a special place in our hearts. We have been dedicating this day to our martyrs and party workers," West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has said in a video message. The rally, considered to be a demonstration of TMC's mass support and strength, is being held when several leaders of the party are behind bars in corruption cases. The cases are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the

Services affected in Kolkata as migrants return to villages for rural polls

Services were affected in Kolkata as migrants employed in sectors ranging from domestic work to hospitality and transport went to their homes in villages to cast their vote in the West Bengal panchayat elections, and many are yet to rejoin work. Kolkata, being a fully urban area, is the lone district in the state which did not go to the rural polls. Commuters also faced a harrowing time as many buses and other vehicles were requisitioned for election duty. Restaurants and street food joints were also affected due to the exercise. Shiladitya Choudhury, owner of a chain of restaurants in the city, said, "On the polling day on Saturday (July 8), we barely managed with only around 40 per cent of the staffers. We had kept our menu short on that day." Owner of a roadside eatery in Salt Lake Sector V, the IT hub of the city, said pressure had mounted on his stall not only because some of his workers had left but also because other nearby shacks were shut. "The number of items had to be

Bengal governor takes stock of panchayat polls, meets bomb-attack victim

As part of his assurance to monitor the situation in West Bengal where panchayat polls are being held, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the residence of a person who was injured in a bomb attack in North 24 Parganas' Barasat-I subdivision. After speaking to his family members at Pirgachha, Bose went to the hospital in Barasat where the person is being treated and talked to doctors, an official said. "The Governor then arranged for the shifting of the person to city-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He also took stock of the situation and enquired about polling," he told PTI. Bose, who was supposed to travel to Nadia district, was stopped near Basudebpur on Kalyani Expressway by supporters of the BJP and CPI(M) who complained about "vote looting" and urged him to take action. Bose tried calling officials of the state election commission (SEC) and police but could not because of mobile connectivity issues, the official said. He later stopped at a rest house at

Vistara flight to Kolkata suffers technical snag; returns to Delhi

A Vistara aircraft en route to Kolkata suffered a technical snag and returned to the national capital on Friday evening, according to the airline. A source in the know said the plane operating flight UK 707 had an engine failure and that there were around 160 passengers onboard. "Shortly after take-off, a technical snag was detected on Vistara flight UK 707 operating from Delhi to Kolkata on 7 July 2023. As a precautionary step in accordance with the SOPs, the pilots decided to turn back and landed the flight safely at IGI airport, Delhi," a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement. However, the source said the aircraft had an engine failure and made an emergency landing at Delhi airport. The spokesperson said the aircraft is undergoing necessary checks. "An alternative aircraft was immediately arranged which will depart soon after all the customers are on-boarded. The concerned team is making all efforts to minimise inconvenience to the customers by making necessary arrangements,

ONDC's beta version goes live in 5 more cities including Mumbai, Delhi

The government's initiative ONDC on Wednesday said its beta version has now become live in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It said that along with Bengaluru and Meerut, which were chosen for going beta live in September 2022 and December 2022, respectively, the network is now accessible to buyers (consumers) and sellers in these additional five cities. Consumers will be able to purchase from the sellers on the ONDC network through four active buyer applications -- Paytm, Mystore, Spice Money, and Magicpin, it said. Currently, the network has over 40,000 sellers live in over 200 cities, out of which more than 18,000 sellers operate from these five cities. ONDC had its alpha roll-out in April 2022 in five cities to test live transactions with a closed group of sellers and buyers while gradually expanding its footprint. The main objectiv

Retail tomato prices shoot up to Rs 155/kg; highest in Kolkata among metros

Retail tomato prices have shot up to Rs 155 per kg across major cities in the country due to the supply disruption caused due to rain in the producing region, as per the official data. In metros, retail tomato prices were ruling in the range of Rs 58-148 per kg, with the highest in Kolkata at Rs 148 per kg and lowest in Mumbai at Rs 58 per kg. In Delhi and Chennai, prices were ruling at Rs 110 per kg and 117 per kg, respectively. As per the data maintained by the consumer affairs ministry, the average all-India retail price was Rs 83.29 per kg, with a modal price of Rs 100 per kg. The highest Rs 155 per kg was in Siliguri, West Bengal, the data showed. Meanwhile, in the national capital, the local vendors are selling tomato in the range of Rs 120-140 per kg depending on the quality and locality. "We have purchased best quality tomato at Rs 120 per kg from Azadpur wholesale market and selling at Rs 140 per kg in retail," local vendor Jyotish Kumar Jha in Paschim Vihar said. The s

UK trade minister Huddleston to unveil green partnerships on Kolkata visit

Britain's international trade minister Nigel Huddleston has said that he want to use his first official trip to Kolkata to show the UK's eagerness to work with India and Bangladesh on shared challenges like climate change, using collective expertise to deepen trading relationship, spark economic growth and create jobs. Huddleston arrived in Kolkata on Monday on a two-day visit to the metropolis. In Kolkata, he will unveil a package of partnerships on electric mobility and green construction at a joint session with the government of West Bengal, the UK government said. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said Huddleston is on a three-day visit to South Asia, which covers Kolkata and also Dhaka in Bangladesh, focused on unlocking more opportunities for British companies to grow trade and two-way business flows. It added that while the UK continues to negotiate a free trade agreement (FTA) with India, which has completed 10 rounds of negotiations, the ministerial visit forms pa

Don't want to be labelled villagers: 10K people living on Kolkata outskirts

More than 10,000 residents of high-rises in New Town on Kolkata's northern fringes, who live in panchayat area, have decided not to vote in the July 8 elections in West Bengal. New Town Forum chairman Samaresh Das said there are around 16,000 voters spread across several panchayats and that a majority of them are unwilling to exercise their franchise as they "do not wish to be labelled as villagers". "We have already collected signatures of 12,000 voters who have decided not to exercise their franchise besides demanding that the township be taken out of the jurisdiction of panchayats," Das said. Das said the forum has been campaigning in favour of a poll boycott and started putting up banners and hoardings across the township asking residents not to vote. Though the township is in panchayat areas, all civic services are provided by the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA). "Though we pay higher civic taxes than people staying in Kolkata Municipal Corporation areas, yet th

UK international trade minister to unveil new initiatives in Kolkata

UK Minister for international trade, Nigel Huddleston arrived in the city on Monday on a two-day visit to the metropolis to unveil new initiatives in electric mobility and green construction in West Bengal. The UK minister will launch a center to enhance opportunities in the electric vehicle segment by partnering Indian businesses with academic institutions and industries of that country, a statement by the British Deputy High Commission here said. He will also visit a waste processing company in Kolkata using green technology to recycle construction waste into high quality reusable sand, it said. The UK is aiming to negotiate a trade deal with India with the target to double it by 2030, the statement said. India is its 12th largest trading partner accounting 2.1 per cent of its total trade. UK's bilateral trade with India surged to GBP (British pound sterling) 36 billion in 2022, up 11.2 billion GBP or 45 per cent from 24.8 GBP in 2021. The bilateral trade supports half a millio

Office space leasing falls 22% in Apr-June in 8 cities: Cushman & Wakefield

India's top eight cities have witnessed a 22 per cent decline in gross leasing of office space as global companies remain cautious about their expansion plans, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield data showed that the gross leasing of office leasing declined to 17.42 million square feet in April-June this year from 22.41 million square feet in the year-ago period as corporates are taking longer time in taking decisions especially for large office space requirements. However, the gross leasing rose 11 per cent from the previous quarter which saw absorption of 15.7 million square feet. Anshul Jain, Head of APAC Tenant Representation and Managing Director, India & South East Asia, said, "India's office real estate market continues with its growth momentum. A significant reason for its ability to buck the global recessionary headwinds is the rise in domestic demand." The entry of new GCCs (Global Capability Centres) and the ongoing ...

Erring firms convicted, but it's not mission accomplished for regulators

Majority of prosecutions for various violations successful for the first time in over a decade

Amid India's EV buzz, Kolkata's electric trams struggle to keep rolling

The tram service has shrunk due to work on the metro, reconstruction or maintenance of bridges, traffic, and state policies

No bar to performance of havans at Kolkata's Rabindra Sarobar, says NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said that its earlier order prohibiting puja in and around Rabindra Sarobar in Kolkata did not bar the performance of havans at the lake. The NGT was hearing an application seeking clarification on whether the tribunal's earlier directions in the order dated November 15, 2017, prohibited the performance of havans at Rabindra Sarobar. Noting the NGT's earlier order, a bench of chairperson Justice A K Goel said that the tribunal had dealt with the issue of environmental protection of Rabindra Sarobar lake against the dumping of waste and it did not prohibit a havan, which cannot, in any manner, affect the lake or its water quality. While any activity, including performing of puja, in and around the lake which may adversely affect the environment or water quality stands strictly prohibited in terms of order of the tribunal, there is no bar to performance of a havan which does not cause any damage to the water quality of the lake, the bench, also ..

Iconic Howrah Bridge heads for a health check-up after two decades

Custodian of the bridge is already in talks with an incubation centre at IIT Madras; last major health audit by RITES for British-era bridge spanned from mid-1980s till early 1990s