1. CPM Survey On Promises By Modi, Mamata
The CPM’s Durgapur zonal committee has drawn up a questionnaire for voters in parts of the industrial town so that the party can build a campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The red brigade is throwing up questions such as whether the respondent has received Rs 15 lakh in his bank account or whether the price of petrol products has come down.
Sources said there was no doubt that the answers were known to them but the attempt was a “marketing stunt” of the CPM to get first-hand feedback from the electorate.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Visva Official Quits Over Car Directive
The officiating finance officer of Visva-Bharati, Samit Ray, has resigned from the post after he was instructed to give up the hired car and use the varsity’s car pool as part of an austerity drive.
Sources said Ray felt “humiliated” as vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty had given the directive without consulting him through an official.
Ray, a botany professor at the varsity, however, cited ‘academic pressure’ as the reason for the resignation.
Chakraborty is on leave and Kala Bhavana principal Goutam Das is officiating as the VC at the moment.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. CPM Legislator Joins Trinamool to Fight BJP
Two-time CPM MLA from Nabagram in Murshidabad, Kanai Chandra Mondal, joined the Trinamool Congress on Sunday, saying the Left party was not doing enough to combat the BJP’s communal politics.
Transport and environment minister and Trinamool observer for Murshidabad, Suvendu Adhikari, handed over the party flag to Mondal at a public rally at Rosulpur football ground in Nabagram.
“I had been a CPM member since 1978. But I am sorry to say that the CPM has not undertaken any political programme in Murshidabad to fight the communal BJP. This prompted me to join Mamata Banerjee’s party who alone is fighting the saffron brigade in Bengal,” Mondal said after joining Trinamul.
The MLA also said as an elected representative of Nabagram, he wanted to join the development agenda of the Mamata government.
(Source: The Telegraph)
4. Infant’s Court Petition Raises Hope for Change In Breastfeeding Regulations In Public Places
A nine-month-old boy, who through his lawyer parents has moved a PIL in Delhi High Court seeking breast feeding facilities in public places, may finally nudge the Centre to act.
Avyaan’s petition will be taken up by the high court on 13 February after which the Centre is expected to file a detailed reply on the steps taken in this regard.
Speaking to TOI over phone, Avyaan’s mother, Neha Rastogi, an advocate, said, “It was in December 2017, when Avyaan was two months old and I had to fly with him to Bangalore. The Delhi-Bangalore flight takes nearly three hours. On flight, the child needed to be fed. But, neither did I find a space nor any privacy. My pleas for help fell on deaf ears. As a mother, nothing can be more painful.” After that, Neha, along with her advocate husband Animesh, decided to move court to seek redressal. They filed their petition in July 2018. The HC will hear it next on 13 February.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Kite String Slashes Doctor’s Face, Fifth Such Case On Maa Flyover
In the sixth such accident reported in the city since the end of December 2017 – the fifth on the Maa flyover – a young doctor employed with the state-run SSKM Hospital was slashed by a metallic kite string on Sunday. The alloy-coated thread caught the victim, Saikat Chakraborty, offguard and resulted in profuse bleeding from the face. However, doctors said Chakraborty could be released after first aid.
The accident occurred close to bridge No 4 under Karaya police station when Chakraborty was riding his two-wheeler back home to Mukundapur from SSKM Hospital. He was rushed back to the hospital by police after another biker, Noor Amin, stopped to offer help and called the cops. Amin was going the opposite way, towards Park Circus. Both the Tiljala traffic guard and the Karaya police reached the spot after Amin informed them about the accident.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Weekend Rush to Avail Of Traffic Fine-Waiver Offer
The one-time waiver, which the traffic police are offering to motorists to clear their road-rule-violation fines by paying only 35 percent of the amount, has received unprecedented response.
The cops have warned that severe action would be taken if a person fined for violation fails to pay once the waiver period gets over. Not only would they have to pay the fine in full but the cops would also propose to the government and insurance companies to make a police no-objection certificate mandatory for those vehicles for transfer of ownership, renewal of insurance certificate and renewal of pollution certificate.
Over the very first two days, some of the big traffic guards have already settled over 500 pending cases respectively. While some visited the 25 designated traffic guards and Lalbazar to clear their dues, almost double the number paid online through the Kolkata Police website.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Longer Airport Queues Likely as Fliers May Ditch Web Check-in Due to Fee
IndiGo Airlines staff and Kolkata airport management fear queues at check-in desks could get longer as passengers will get discouraged to check in over the internet following the airline’s proposal to charge extra for most of the seats booked online. Queues at IndiGo counters are already disconcerting for passengers taking early morning, afternoon or late evening flights when multiple departures lead to a rush.
While IndiGo makes up half the domestic flights operating from Kolkata, only 30 percent of the check-in counters are at its disposal, leading to a mismatch. Airlines and airport officials are apprehensive that this ratio could get further skewed if the over-10 percent passengers who currently avail of the web check-in facility join the queue at the airport to avoid paying extra.
(Source: The Times of India)
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