1. West Bengal Panchayat Elections to Be Held on 14 May, Counting on 17 May
The West Bengal panchayat polls will be held on 14 May and counting will be three days later, the State Election Commission (SEC) notified on Thursday, 26 April.
With this, the poll body cancelled its earlier plans of holding a three-phase poll, accepting the state government’s proposal for a single-phase election — a plan that the Opposition has criticised on grounds of security.
The state government had earlier said that it hoped the SEC would keep in mind Ramzan, which begins 15 May, and possible inclement weather.
Hours before the poll body notified the new polling dates, the state government had suggested that the elections be held on 14 May and counting two days later.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Mamata Banerjee Writes to PM Modi Against Finance Panel’s Population Base Year Shift
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly opposed the shifting of population base from 1971 to 2011 by 15th Finance Commission, while making fresh recommendations. Banerjee is the first chief minister in the country who has taken up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter earlier this week.
In her letter, she argued that the population base shift will penalise those states, which have effectively implemented social and family welfare programmes in the last few years.
Banerjee pointed out that the state, as per calculation, would lose between Rs 22,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore from 2020-2025 only, owing to use of 2011 census population. Southern states have also raised voices against the shift of population base.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. 20 Tonnes Of Carcass Meat Found in Kolkata Factory, Could Be of Dogs & Cats
A night-long raid at an ice factory in Rajabazar starting late on Wednesday, 25 April, yielded as much as 20 tonnes of carcass meat, packed and ready to be sold. The raid, a week after police arrested three people on the charge of carrying carcass meat, proves something that law-enforcement agencies had long suspected: carcass-meat is not a one-off affair; it’s a well organised industry, much bigger than previously thought.
Nine people have been arrested so far, including the three last week. According to the cops, the trio claimed the carcass meat was mostly of stray dogs and cats. KMC has, however, advised caution and scientific tests before drawing any conclusion.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Jadavpur University Teachers Stage Protest Against ‘Attempts to Curb Freedom of Speech’
Jadavpur University (JU) teachers on Thursday, 26 April, staged a sit-in against the draft West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulations) Rules. A government committee recently formulated the 28-page rules, which propose restrictions on teachers. A copy of the draft was leaked recently.
Some sections of the draft rules prevent teachers in service from criticising the state government and its decisions publicly especially in the media. The JU professors have criticised the draft, calling it an attempt to curb the freedom of expression of college and university teachers.
“We demand the scrapping of the draft rules of West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulations) Act. We also want the state government to scrap the act as well,’’ said Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association assistant secretary Partha Pratim Ray.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Teen’s Complaint Opens Tutor Can of Worms
Police on Thursday, 26 April, arrested a teacher in Kasba on the charge of sexually assaulting a teenager last Saturday.
In her complaint with Kasba police station, the 15-year-old girl accused Arup Malakar, 46, who runs a coaching centre on the second floor of his house on Rajdanga Main Road, of making physical contact with her and threatening her with dire consequences if she reported the matter.
Malakar's family lives on the ground floor, the police said.
"According to the complaint, the alleged incident occurred last Saturday," an officer of Kasba police station said.
"The teacher made physical contact with her and warned her against reporting the matter."
Preliminary investigations revealed Malakar had been committing the offence for the past few months, the officer said.
"He would ask girl students to visit the coaching centre individually on the pretext of giving special classes and commit the crime. He would them threaten them with dire consequences if they dared to speak out," he said.
At least two other girls have been sexually harassed in a similar manner, the police claimed.
(Source: The Telegraph)
6. Bar Split, High Court Strike to Continue
The Bar Association of Calcutta High Court on Thursday, 26 April, decided to continue the ceasework till 11 May despite objections from a section of lawyers who wanted to end the protest that has crippled the court for over two months.
The decision was taken at a general body meeting of the bar where the pro-strike group forced the other side to adopt a resolution to continuing with the agitation at least till the four new judges are sworn in.
The Centre has cleared the four names, all advocates of the court, and sent them to the President for their appointment.
The papers have already reached Calcutta.
The ceasework had been called in mid-February to demand filling up of vacant judge posts.
(Source: The Telegraph)
7. Squall and Rain Bring Relief
A squall that clocked 80kmph, and accompanying showers, brought a much-needed reprieve to the city after soaring humidity and temperature had made conditions sultry and uncomfortable during the day.
The storm uprooted two trees in the Hastings area and on Judges Court Road in Alipore, caused flight diversions and stalled trains on the Sealdah-Budge Budge section. No injuries were reported till late on Thursday, 26 April.
The last squall that hit the city - on 17 April - had claimed 11 lives in Calcutta and Howrah. The storm had clocked 98kmph that day.
This was the season's fifth squall in Calcutta. Thunderstorms are on the cards on Friday as well.
The rain started around 7.45pm and continued late into the night. By 8.30pm, many places in Calcutta received over 25mm of rainfall.
(Source: The Telegraph)
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