Category: West Bengal

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Floods in Bengal displaces over 3L people from their homes

Though the NDRF and the Indian Air Force have been pressed into action, the situation is still grim in the state….reports Asian Lite News

Incessant rains last week coupled with huge volumes of water from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) have led to flood-like situation in seven districts of West Bengal, leaving at least 8 dead and displacing over 3 lakh people from their homes in the last four days.

Though the NDRF and the Indian Air Force have been pressed into action, the situation is still grim in the state.

According to senior state government officials, incessant rains for four days last week have led to flood-like situation in the lower catchment area of Damodar valley, forcing the DVC to release water which led to the rise of water-level in different rivers like Rupnarayan, Gandheshwari, Darakeshwar and Keleghai, flooding several villages in the districts of East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, West Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South and North 24 Parganas.

The situation is such that the state government had to seek the help of Indian Air Force, and from Monday onwards, two IAF helicopters were pressed into action.

The Army and the Air Force on Monday undertook rescue and relief operations in Hooghly district, where many areas have been submerged due to excess rainfall and overflowing of rivers.

Several areas in East Bardhaman, West Bardhaman, West Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas districts are reeling under flood, with people struggling to wade through waist-deep water.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed the ministers to keep a tab on the rescue operations and see that relief materials reach all the affected people.

Over one lakh tarpaulin, 1,000 MT of rice, thousands of drinking water pouches and clean clothes have been sent to the rescue shelters for those affected, an official stated.

“We have not yet estimated the loss incurred due to the floods. As of now, our sole priority is to rescue the affected people,” a senior state government official said.

Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee, who visited the flood-hit areas in Ghatal in West Medinipur district on Monday, said that he would apprise the Chief Minister of the situation, and steps would be taken accordingly to tackle the situation.

“I have witnessed several floods in the past, but the situation is terrible this time. The CM had asked me to look into the matter. After conducting the survey, I will report to her,” Mukherjee said.

“At least one lakh people have been moved to safety in Hooghly district alone after their houses were damaged. There are several others who are still stranded on the roofs of their homes or on elevated structures,” he said, adding that the NDRF personnel are working to rescue them.

Choppers have dropped emergency food supplies in the affected areas.

“Helicopters of the Indian Air Force rescued 31 people from rooftops and brought them to Arambagh,” he added.

One flood-relief column of the Army was deployed at Dhanyaghari in Hooghly, the official said.

Meanwhile, a DVC official said that water was last discharged from its dams on July 31.

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Mamata calls for national front to defeat BJP

Reaching out to the senior opposition leaders of the country, Banerjee said, “We need to build a front and fight for a common cause….reports Asian Lite News

Sounding the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her virtual Martyrs Day speech on Wednesday not only went for an all-out attack against the saffron party, but also indicated that the Trinamool is ready to play an important role in national politics as she urged all the political parties to forget their narrow self-interests and unite on a single platform.

A Trinamool Congress observes July 21 as Martyrs’ Day every year to remember the 13 persons who were killed at a Youth Congress rally in Kolkata in 1993. After a landslide victory in the recent Assembly elections, the Trinamool on Wednesday virtually telecast Banerjee’s speech in various platforms across the country.

Reaching out to the senior opposition leaders of the country, Banerjee said, “We need to build a front and fight for a common cause. So please go and convince your leaders so that we can come together, leaving our narrow self-interests and differences behind, and fight unitedly against the BJP, as only then we can only save this country.”

Warning that it will be too late if time is wasted further on other things, the Chief Minister said, “We have only one interest, which is to save the country and its people. The interest is to save the federal structure and the other states of the country. So go and convince your leaders so that we can start working on the front from now only.”

Making it clear that she would like to function as a common worker in the proposed front, Banerjee said that she would go to Delhi on July 27 and stay there for three days, as she asked senior opposition leaders who were present in the virtual meeting in Delhi to organise a meeting so that the talks can start.

“I always go to Delhi during the Parliament session so that I can meet the leaders. This time I hope to meet some senior leaders,” she added.

Banerjee was referring to senior leaders like Sharad Pawar, P. Chidambaram, Jaya Bachchan, Supriya Sule, Digvijaya Singh, Ram Gopal Jadav and representatives from the DMK, TRS, AAP, RJD and Akali Dal who were present at the Constitution Club in New Delhi to hear Banerjee speak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PIB)

Not only in Delhi, but the Chief Minister’s speech was aired in several states including Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Tripura and poll-bound Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Invigorating the popular ‘Khela Hobe’ (The game will happen) slogan that hit the nerves of the people during the recently-concluded Assembly polls in Bengal, the Chief Minister said, “Khela will happen in all states until the BJP is removed from the country. We’ll celebrate a ‘Khela Diwas’ on August 16. We’ll give footballs to poor children”.

Banerjee, who came with the camera of her mobile phone covered as a sign of protest against the Pegasus spyware controversy, also launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre, alleging that the saffron party wants to “turn India into a surveillance state instead of keeping it a democratic country”.

“I cannot talk to anyone. You are paying too much money for spying. I have plastered my phone. We should also plaster the Centre otherwise the country will be destroyed. The BJP has bulldozed the federal structure of the nation,” Banerjee said, adding that the money collected by the Centre through taxes on fuel is being spent on spying.

“Pegasus is dangerous and ferocious. Sometimes I cannot talk to anyone. I can’t even talk to the Chief Ministers of Delhi or Odisha,” she said.

“Spygiri is going on and the BJP has bulldozed our federal structure. Phones of ministers and judges are being tapped. They have finished the democratic structure of the country. Pegasus snooped on the election process, the judiciary, ministers and media houses,” Banerjee said, as she appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the alleged surveillance operation using the Pegasus spyware.

Holding the BJP government responsible for the four lakh Covid deaths in the country, the Chief Minister said that the second wave of the pandemic marked the “monumental failure of the Modi government”.

“When the country was suffering from dearth of vaccines, medicines and oxygen, they (Narendra Modi and Amit Shah) were coming to Bengal as daily passengers during the elections. They had used all their powers — money, muscle, mafia and agencies — but the people of this state have made them realise that they cannot win Bengal. I am thankful to my brothers and sisters, all my booth workers and all those who have supported us in this cause,” she said.

ALSO READ: Mamata links Guv Dhankhar to 1996 hawala case

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West Bengal govt to sell off DPL land to clear debts

According to sources, DPL has its power plant and coke oven plant on around 650 acres….reports Asian Lite News

Though West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been vocal against the disinvestment policy of the central government and has often alleged that the Modi government is selling off major public sector units including in banking, insurance and steel but the state government has decided to go the same way by selling off or leasing out a portion of unused land of Durgapur Projects Limited (DPL), a loss-making power utility that was under a restructuring plan, to clear the firm’s debts.

A few days before in a high-level meeting at ‘Nabanna’ attended by state power minister Aroop Biswas, state law minister Malay Ghatak and chief secretary H.K. Diwedi it was decided that the state government would either sell off or lease out a portion of DPL to meet the debts of the company.

“Though it is not yet clear which portion of the land would be sold or leased off, the process could start with 154 acres spread in three parcels in Durgapur. Two officers of the power department went to Durgapur on Wednesday and visited all three land parcels which could be put up for monetisation in the first phase,” said a senior official of the state finance department.

According to sources, DPL has its power plant and coke oven plant on around 650 acres. Moreover, it has administrative buildings, township and various offices on around 900 acres. About 50 per cent of its 3,559 acres are lying unused these days.

ALSO READ: Mamata links Guv Dhankhar to 1996 hawala case

According to a restructuring plan taken up by the power department in 2019, the DPL was divided into three parts. The transmission was taken over by the West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company, the distribution was handed over to the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company and the West Bengal Power Development Corporation was given the charge of the electricity generation.

“But these were yet to be notified duly and no other restructuring process like staff being laid off was initiated. The DPL has been facing a loss of Rs 200 crore every fiscal for the past one decade. A bold step is needed to clear the burden of at least Rs 2,000 crore at the DPL,” said a source.

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari had been vocal on this issue. Responding to media queries at the Assembly premises he said that the state government is doing the same thing for which they had been critical of the Central government. “They are trying to sell DPL’s land to a private promoter. They are disinvesting state government’s stake in Haldia Petrochemicals Limited. Earlier, the state government sold off Metro Dairy to a private entity. And this same state government and the ruling party are accusing the Centre of its disinvestment policies. This is a complete dichotomy,” Adhikari said.

The Left Front government had also planned to utilise the unused plots of the DPL by setting up townships in a joint venture. But the plan could not materialise because of stiff resistance from the CITU.

This time also, the CITU said it would resist if the state wanted to sell off the plots or gave them on long-term lease. “We will put up stiff resistance if the government takes any step like promoting on the DPL land,” a senior district committee member of CITU said.

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Mamata links Guv Dhankhar to 1996 hawala case

Strongly refuting the charges, Dhankhar said that he did not expect the Chief Minister to engage in “sensation premised on misrepresentation and untruth”….reports Asian Lite News

The war of words between West Bengal CHief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar reached a flash-point on Monday after the CM alleged that the Governor was named in the 1996 Hawala Jain case.

Strongly refuting the charges, Dhankhar said that he did not expect the Chief Minister to engage in “sensation premised on misrepresentation and untruth”.

“This Governor’s name figured in the Jain Hawala case. But they have gone to court and cleared it. There is a PIL which is pending. The Governor is a totally corrupt person. He was named in the Jain Hawala charge-sheet. He had moved the court and got his name removed. But one writ petition is still pending which has his name,” Banerjee said on Monday, adding that she has written three letters to the President seeking the removal of the Governor.

Banerjee was speaking in the backdrop of the Governor’s recent demand for a special audit in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on charges of corruption. He made the demand on the day a BJP delegation met him in Darjeeling and demanded an audit of the GTA’s expenses.

Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar@jdhankhar1

“I am shocked to hear something from a leader of her stature. This is an effort to create sensation and spread misinformation and misrepresentation. The entire world knows that no one has been convicted in the Hawala Jain case. It is in the public domain who are the people who have been charge-sheeted,” Dhankhar said.

“Ajit Panja was charge-sheeted in the Hawala case and he was acquitted. Your Governor was not even charge-sheeted. There is no such document. This is far from the truth. This is plain and simple untruth. This is misinformation. I did not expect this from a seasoned politician,” he added.

Taking a dig at the media, Dhankhar said, “I was surprised to see the media in a shyness mode. Why no questions have been asked about the people who have been charge-sheeted. I have come to know about the pathetic state of affairs of the media,” Dhankhar said.

ALSO READ: WB Chief Secy retires, made Mamata’s Chief Advisor

The Governor went on to say that this allegation has been levelled only because he had objected to some portions of the speech that had been sent to him to be read in the Budget Session.

“I will tell you why this has happened. I came back from North Bengal and found the speech I was supposed to deliver on the first day of the Budget Session. I found some portions which no one will believe. I wrote a letter to the Chief Minister asking her to give some time ‘tomorrow’ so that we can have a deliberation on the speech,” Dhankhar said.

“She called me immediately after that and said that the speech has been approved by the cabinet. It was just 10 minutes before the press conference. I told her as the Governor of the state, it was my duty to have discussion with the state government so that there is no confusion. I asked her for a deliberation. She told me that she would get back to me,” Dhankhar added, hinting that it was only because of this reason that the Chief Minister has made this kind of ‘wild’ allegation.

Banerjee also termed the Governor’s visit to North Bengal as a political stunt, claiming that he had only met MLAs and MPs of the BJP.

“Why did he suddenly tour North Bengal? I can sense a conspiracy to divide North Bengal,” she said, apparently referring to the BJP leaders’ demands for separate statehood for North Bengal and Jangalmahal.

“Why should the Governor dictate a government that won a huge mandate,” Banerjee asked.

As per the Constitution, I will continue to meet him, talk to him and follow all the courtesies… But the Union government should act based on my letters,” she said.

“There was no election after 2017. Democracy has been stiffened; it has been decimated in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). GTA was reduced to a government department. It was the den of nepotism, den of corruption, den of inefficiency. Everyone asked why there was no audit? Thousands of cores of rupees have come, but why is there no audit? I sought for a report but there was no report,” Dhankhar alleged.

“There shall be an audit by the CAG because it has been proposed by the legislature,” he added.

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Community Lite Blogs West Bengal

Bengal’s Santhals go back to their roots

The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides directly impacted the health of farmers. Some Santalis claimed that their cattle had been falling sick and dying after eating the straw or drinking the water from local rice fields…reports Mani Mahesh Aurora…reports Mani Mahesh Aurora.

Rabindranath Tagore held the Santal tribes in special regard for their unique way of life in which they combined farming with poetry, music and dance. Spread all across rural West Bengal, the Santhals often own tiny pieces of land but largely work as daily wage labourers in rice fields.

With modern practices of rice farming draining their groundwater and making the community ill, this tribe in West Bengal is tapping into tradition to find more ‘peaceful’ ways of growing crops.

In one of their old traditional songs, ‘Har har dharti rima baha bagan; Baha bagan rima hunar Baha’, the Santhalis celebrate the green earth teeming with incredible diversity. But with the widespread adoption of modern agricultural practices, often wasteful and harmful, much of this biodiversity got lost.

In the Birbhum district, many Santhals who still forage their food have observed the disappearance of burrowing animals as well as herbaceous plants, especially in and around the rice field ecosystems. Today the Santals in Bolpur are attempting to turn back the clock; banking on traditional wisdom, with some modern scientific ideas, to reclaim some of what has been lost.

Baha parab is festival of santhal people.

The challenge came in the form of rice cultivation ushered in with the Green Revolution, which accentuated excessive use of groundwater, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and has led to degradation of soil biodiversity over the years. The new varieties of rice, with its shorter and weaker stalks, can’t even be used as thatching or cattle fodder.

The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides directly impacted the health of farmers. Some Santalis claimed that their cattle had been falling sick and dying after eating the straw or drinking the water from local rice fields.

Recognising the perils of conventional rice farming, a women-led group integrated native wisdom with permaculture for a sustainable economic alternative to the way agriculture and forestry are being practised. Permaculture is the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient. The group from Khanjanpur village of Bolpur has transformed a plot of land measuring slightly less than an acre that was rendered dry with cracked soil and transformed it into a lush green ecosystem.

Their success inspired many villagers to shift to natural farming of native rice varieties that not only preserves groundwater but saves them and their future generations from having to wade through chemical-laden water in order to ensure higher yields.

Over-exploitation of groundwater

Agriculture, the way it is practised in India, is one of the major reasons for rapid groundwater depletion according to a 2016 report on groundwater status in West Bengal. Another report on water-intensive Boro rice cultivation also confirms this fact.

Recognising this, Sharmishtha Dattagupta, a former Geobiology professor from the University of Gettingen, introduced permaculture techniques to the Santhali women with the support of an Israeli permaculture consultant.

“Rice planting in the region was previously done in rhythm with nature using rainwater during monsoon. But now even policymakers promote, and governments incentivise groundwater extraction and the use of hybrid varieties of rice that can be planted in the dry winter season,” says Sharmishtha. Since the rice field needs to be flooded with water, villagers sink tube wells that draw water from up to a depth of 80 metres. This groundwater takes several years to recharge.

“Deeper underground water is rich in salts. When used in rice farming, it quickly evaporates and makes the soil salty, damaging it. Overexposure of this topsoil to direct sun as well as ploughing with tractors is devastating as it kills all bacteria, fungus, and earthworms, which play an important role in the soil ecosystem. Basically, we kill the soil ecosystem and then treat it with fertilizers and pesticides to grow food,” she adds.

(The author is a Dehradun-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)

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WB Chief Secy retires, made Mamata’s Chief Advisor

Bandyopadhyay’s decision to opt for normal retirement came after the Centre sent a second letter to him and the state government, asking the senior officer to report to North Block on Tuesday…reports Asian lite News

 In a surprise development on Monday, West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who was given an extension of three months, opted for his normal superannuation scheduled on May 31, apparently putting an end to the Centre-state tussle over his Central deputation.

Alleging that the decision for Central deputation was a fallout of the Centre’s vendetta politics, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appointed Bandyopadhyay as the Chief Political Advisor to the CM.

Bandyopadhyay’s decision to opt for normal retirement came after the Centre sent a second letter to him and the state government, asking the senior officer to report to North Block on Tuesday, clearly indicating that the Centre will not withdraw from its stance.

The communication from the Centre came as a response to a letter shot off by Banerjee, in which she urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to withdraw the “letter of recall” and allow Bandyopadhyay to continue working as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal for the next three months.

Earlier on May 28, the Centre had written to Bandyopadhyay, asking him to report to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) at 10 am on May 31. It also asked the state government to give him the necessary clearance for this purpose.

Unwilling to release the Chief Secretary, Banerjee wrote to the Prime Minister on Monday, saying, “I humbly request you to withdraw, recall, reconsider your decision and rescind the latest so-called order in larger public interest.

The government of West Bengal cannot release, and is not releasing, the Chief Secretary at this critical hour, on the basis of our understanding that the earlier order of extension, issued after lawful consultation in accordance with applicable laws, remains operational and valid.”

Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister said, “I am sorry to say that the purpose of service of the extension was in public interest and they (the central government) agreed to give extension. They have recalled him, but the state government doesn’t even know the reason. Naturally, the state government didn’t agree because the purpose behind giving him extension still persists.

“Perhaps the Central government is not aware that when I received the letter, Bandyopadhyay has been superannuated from his service on the afternoon of May 31, as his normal date of retirement is May 31. Hence his services are no longer available to join the Central government tomorrow, as mentioned in today’s order.”

Banerjee then announced that Bandyopadhyay has been appointed as the Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister and he will start working from Tuesday onwards with a salary commensurate with his age, seniority and designation.

“This will be sanctioned by the finance department,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hare Krishna Diwedi, presently working as the Home Secretary, will handle the responsibilities of the Chief Secretary, while B. Gopalika, who is presently working as the Additional Chief Secretary, will become the new Home Secretary of the state.

Terming the incident to be a one-off case in the country’s 74 years of cooperative federalism, the Chief Minister alleged that the BJP government is destroying the federal structure of the state.

“I have not seen such a heartless and unkind Prime Minister and Home Minister in all my life. You cannot recall the top man in the state bureaucracy in this manner. This is not only shameful, but it also shows their vindictive attitude. They will destroy the morale of the bureaucrats in the country.

“I appeal to all the non-BJP Chief Ministers and bureaucrats of the country to come forward and protest against this unjust move,” she said.

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Lockdown extended in Bengal till June 15

The government will review the situation again on June 15….reports Asian Lite News

Besides announcing a grant of 1,000 crore for relief operations in areas affected by Cyclone Yaas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced that the restrictions imposed in the state in the wake of the pandemic will continue for another 15 days.

The government will review the situation again on June 15.

Congratulating the people for cooperating with the state government that has led to the slow-down of the Covid infection rate, Banerjee said, “Though the infection rate has reduced, the state government has decided to continue on with the restrictions for another 15 days. We are thankful that the people have cooperated with us and we have started getting good results but I urge the people to bear the hardship for a little longer. We will review the situation on June 15 and then decide the next course of action”.

However, the chief minister announced some relaxations for jute and construction workers. “There have been several requests from Punjab and so we have decided to increase the workforce in jute industry from 30 per cent to 40 per cent but they will have to adhere to all the Covid norms. The construction workers can also go to work provided they have proper vaccination. It is the responsibility of the employers to vaccinate their employees from private places. If they are vaccinated then they can join the work,” the chief minister said. “The rest of the conditions, as declared before, will prevail,” she added.

Mamata Banerjee

Speaking on the occasion of a review meeting with the officials related to relief and rescue work, CM Banerjee said that the government has sanctioned a fund of Rs 1,000 crore for the relief measures but she cautioned that the money should go to the right beneficiaries. Detailing out the mechanism which is in line with ‘Duare Sarkar, the chief minister said, “From June 3 to June 18 there will be relief camps in the affected blocks and Gram Panchayats,where the people will come and register themselves giving the details of their damage along with their personal and bank details. Like ‘Duare Sarkar’ it will be ‘Duare Relief’.

“The government will inspect all the applications for the next 15 days – from June 16 to June 30 — and make a list of the beneficiaries. Once the list of beneficiaries is prepared, the state finance department will start disbursing funds according to the damage and the estimation prepared at the block and panchayat level. The entire disbursement process will be complete by July 8. The money will be transferred directly to the account of the beneficiaries. There will be nobody in between. The transaction will be directly done to the beneficiary by the government,” she added.

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Lakhs evacuated in Bengal as Yaas begins landfall

In an effort to minimise casualties, the West Bengal government said it has relocated more than 9 lakh people to different cyclone centres…reports Asian Lite News

The landfall process of very severe cyclonic storm Yaas has commenced and it would cross North Odisha-West Bengal coasts to the south of Balasore within next three hours with wind speed of 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph.

In an effort to minimise casualties, the West Bengal government said it has relocated more than 9 lakh people to different cyclone centres, schools, colleges, and other government places in the last 24 hours.

Cyclone Yaas lay centred at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday over northwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 21.21 degree north and longitude 87.1 degree east, about 45 km north-northeast of Dhamra, 60 km southwest of Digha and 40 km south-southeast of Balasore, said National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

As per the IMD’s 9.15 a.m. report, the current intensity of the near centre of the cyclone was 130-140 kmph wind speed gusting to 155 kmph.

The cyclone moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 17 kmph during past six hours.

“Landfall process has commenced. The system would cross North Odisha-West Bengal coasts to the south of Balasore within next three hours as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph,” the IMD said.

ALSO READ: Cyclone Yaas: Cabinet Secy seeks zero loss

In Odisha,light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhargarh and heavy falls at isolated places in Puri, Khurda, Angul, Deogarh and Sundergarh is expected.

While in West Bengal, the IMD has predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Medinipur and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Jhargram, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and heavy falls at isolated places over Purulia, Nadia, Murshidabad, East Bardhaman, Bowrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Haldia, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts on Wednesday.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places is expected in Jharkhand on Wednesday and Thursday.

The wind speed is expected atb130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph along and off Bhadrak and Balasore districts during landfall of the cyclone and 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph along and off Kendrapara district at the time of landfall is reported.

“Windspeed will decrease gradually after landfall becoming 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph by evening,” said the IMD.

Tidal waves of height two-three meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying areas of Balasore, Bhadrak and about two meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying areas of Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts around the time of landfall.

Wind speed 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is prevailing along and off north Odisha coast and 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is prevailing along and off adjoining West Bengal coast.

ALSO READ: Yaas to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’

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Mamata terrorising over TMC leaders’ arrest: CBI tells SC

Mamata Banerjee comes out from CBI office at Nizam Palace (IANS)

The top court is likely to hear on Tuesday CBI’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court order sending four Trinamool leaders to house arrest after cancelling their judicial custody…reports Asian Lite News

The CBI has moved the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court order allowing the house arrest of four Trinamool Congress heavyweights in the Narada sting operation case.

The investigating agency has also claimed that the Calcutta High Court ignored the disturbing pattern wherein Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee �terrorised’ it by remaining present at the CBI office along with a well-engineered crowd of �thousands of miscreants’ outside the probe agency’s office in Kolkata.

The top court is likely to hear on Tuesday CBI’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court order sending four Trinamool leaders to house arrest after cancelling their judicial custody.

Kolkata witnessed high drama last Monday after CBI sleuths arrested two Trinamool Congress ministers — Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee — along with present MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Sovon Chattopadhyay — in connection with the 2016 Narada sting tapes case, in which several politicians and a high-ranked police officer were allegedly found accepting cash for providing unofficial favours to a fictitious company.

While a lower court granted bail to the four Trinamool leaders on Monday evening, the order was stayed by the Calcutta High Court late on the same night.

The CBI said in its plea in the top court that the West Bengal Chief Minister had rushed to its office on May 17 and passed several derogatory and defamatory comments about the probe agency, and even threatened to register cases against the officers under the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act, among others.

She shouted “you also arrest me”, and demanded unconditional release of the arrested accused, said the petition.

The CBI has named Banerjee, Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak and Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee as parties in the petition.

The CBI said that thousands of followers of Trinamool Congress had laid siege on the CBI building at Nizam Palace in Kolkata last Monday, constantly trying to disrupt the process of law by engaging in stone pelting.

The CBI contended that the Chief Minister did not bat an eye and stood in support of it all till the end.

The petition said: “The terror was created by and at the behest of the respondent persons, including the Chief Minister who herself who remained present at the CBI office [in the very room where the arrested accused persons were kept] along with a well-engineered crowd of thousands of miscreants and after ensuring media presence.”

The CBI added that it is most relevant to note that it did not pray for police custody of the accused on May 17 before the competent court due to the terror unleashed by the Trinamool workers and leaders, including the Chief Minister of the state.

The agency claimed that the accused involved in economic offence of grave nature are influential members of the society. Therefore, putting them under house arrest is subject to a constant risk of them tampering with the witnesses or the administration of justice, the CBI said.

“The visit of the CM to the CBI office where the four accused were kept broke all rules and norms and violated the very rule of law which the Chief Minister took the oath to abide by,” argued the CBI.

The probe agency said that the Kolkata Police have even registered a case against CBI officials, who were discharging their lawful duties.

The CBI contended that after the high court order, the accused chose to stay back in the hospital where they continuously met guests and other political workers.

The acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court had on Friday constituted a five-member bench to hear the interim bail plea of the four Trinamool heavyweights.

The matter was referred to the five-judge bench after the two judges of the high court division bench differed with each other.

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Yaas to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’

The maximum sustained wind speed is 55 knots gusting to 65 knots around system centre. Sea condition is rough to very rough…reports Asian Lite News

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted that the cyclonic storm Yaas is going to intensity into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ in the next 12 hours.

“The severe cyclonic storm Yaas over east-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 9 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 9 UTC of May 24 over east-central Bay of Bengal,” IMD said in its bulletin.

“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours. It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach northwest Bay of Bengal near North Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning,” the weather agency said.

It also stated that Cyclone Yaas is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around Balasore, during noon of May 26 as a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’.

The maximum sustained wind speed is 55 knots gusting to 65 knots around system centre. Sea condition is rough to very rough, it stated.

Earlier on Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparations with the chief ministers of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh along with the Lt. Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Island.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the preparedness of States and Central Ministries and Agencies that will deal with the situation arising out of the cyclonic storm.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged the people living in the coastal regions of Odisha to cooperate with the local administration and shift to cyclone shelters. Addressing the people of the state yesterday, the CM also asked them to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and wear two masks.

Meanwhile, in view of latest advisory of the IMD, eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Guwahati were airlifted to Odisha for search and rescue operations. NDRF 1st Battalion Commandant H.P.S. Kandari said that the Odisha government had requisitioned more than 50 teams of the NDRF while West Bengal governemnt requested 35 teams. Teams from NDRF battalions in Assam and Bihar are being airlifted to Odisha and West Bangal in addition to those from the battalions stationed in these states.

The teams consisting 200 personnel including engineers, paramedics, technical experts were airlifted from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar by Indian Air Force transport aircraft. These teams are equipped with flood rescue boats, collapse search and specialist rescue operation equipment. (with inputs from ANI)

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