1. We Give Gifts But Don’t Publicise It, Says Mamata In Dig At Modi
Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit out at Narendra Modi over the way he has been “marketing courtesy” as part of an image-building effort.
The West Bengal chief minister was responding to the Prime Minister’s television interview in which he revealed how “Mamata didi” sent gifts to him. “It is told that I send kurtas to PM. So what? I send such gifts to everyone,” Banerjee said at a gathering in Suri. “We have a Biswa Bangla outlet where artisans bring their handmade products. I don’t send them to Modi only, but to all who hold important positions. I send them Bengal mangoes as well. But we don’t publicise it.”
(Source: The Times Of India)
2. Bypoll Stage For Madan Mitra Comeback
Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced Madan Mitra, former aide and minister in her first Cabinet, as Trinamul’s candidate for an Assembly bypoll next month.
Mitra had been relegated to the sidelines since his defeat in the 2016 Assembly polls. “This is the biggest honour. I am overwhelmed…. I was, am and will remain a loyal foot soldier of the party. I will give my best in whatever role Didi assigns me,” Mitra said after getting the nomination from Bhatpara.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Mamata Returns Modi’s Development Fire
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying a game-changing coal project in Birbhum with an investment potential of Rs 12,000 crore despite “50” calls from her to the Centre to “sign an MoU”.
Mamata’s reference to the Deocha-Panchami coal block — touted as the world’s second largest with estimated reserves of 2.1 billion tonnes — follows the Prime Minister’s claims that development projects have stopped in Bengal. Modi had repeated the claim last at a rally in Birbhum’s Illambazar on Wednesday.
(Source: The Telegraph)
4. In Industry Zone As PSU ‘Saviour’
Mamata Banerjee on Thursday highlighted her efforts to save central public sector units in Durgapur and Asansol — the twin towns that are home to several such companies.
She pointed out that as railway minister, she had taken over the sick Burn Standard Company, which has two wagon-manufacturing units in Bengal.
“I had taken over Burn Standard when I was railway minister. I always tried to save industries but now, one after another, factories are being closed by the Centre,” she said at a rally in Durgapur, referring to the closures of Hindustan Cables Ltd and Burn Standard during the term of the Narendra Modi government.
(Source: The Telegraph)
5. Chief Justice Seeks Clash Reports
The chief justice of the high court on Thursday sought reports from the state administration and the judiciary on Wednesday’s clash between lawyers and staff of the Howrah district court and employees of the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC).
Chief Justice TB Radhakrishnan told lawyers at the high court, who complained about the role of the police and sought suo motu action by him, that the court would step in “only after receiving the reports”.
The chief justice said he was expecting the reports within seven days.
The clash on Howrah’s Mahatma Gandhi Road, which left at least 20 people injured, broke out over parking of vehicles by lawyers on the Howrah Municipal Corporation premises.
(Source: The Telegraph)
6. Plea In Cal HC Against Observers
After the ruling Trinamool Congress flagged its concerns about the appointment of retired officers as poll observers in West Bengal, a writ petition was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Thursday seeking cancellation of the Election Commission’s (EC) appointments of Ajay V Nayak and Vivek Dubey as special observer and special police observer. The petition is likely to come up for hearing early next week.
Filed by an Independent, Ramu Mandi, who is contesting the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, the petition questions the appointments on the same legal grounds for which Trinamool had moved the poll panel first. An advocate too had flagged similar complaints to EC.
(Source: The Times Of India)
7. Kolkata Sizzles, Met Says No Respite In Sight
The city continued to bake under a scorching sun even as maximum temperature reached 36.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday, a notch above normal. There could be no respite from the stifling heat for next four days since conditions that precipitate thunderstorms remain elusive. The city has been lashed by 15 thunderstorms, including seven squalls, since February but received just one thunderstorm in last 16 days. In contrast, four thunderstorms had lashed Kolkata between 15 and 30 April last year. Mercury could rise to 37 degrees on Friday and is unlikely to slide below 35 unless a thunderstorm strikes, said the Met office.
“The city will remain hot and humid at least till Sunday. There is no system in the region that can trigger a thunderstorm, though local clouds may generate one. But the chances of that happening are low,” said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) director GK Das.
(Source: The Times Of India)
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