Mamata begins 3-day visit to north Bengal today
1
2
Kolkata: CM
Mamata Banerjee
will be in north Bengal for a three-day visit starting Monday, with a packed schedule that includes an
investment summit
, a
public welfare programme
and a high-level administrative review meeting.
From Bagdogra airport, Banerjee will proceed directly to Dinabandhu Mancha in Siliguri, where she will inaugurate
North Bengal Business Meet
— an event hosted by the state govt aimed at attracting investment in key sectors such as MSMEs, tea and tourism.
"The business meet is expected to see participation from leading industrialists and regional entrepreneurs. Banerjee is likely to highlight north Bengal's economic potential and call for collaborative efforts to generate employment and boost local industries," a senior party functionary said.
After the event, Banerjee will go to Uttarkanya, where she will stay the night.
On Tuesday, the CM will travel to Dabgram-Fulbari for a state-sponsored public welfare distribution programme for beneficiaries from Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.
On Wednesday, she will chair a high-level administrative review meeting at Uttarkanya that will be attended by senior officials from all eight north Bengal districts. The agenda includes assessing developmental progress, evaluating inter-departmental coordination, reviewing law and order situations, and potentially addressing security concerns linked to international border tensions.
"The CM has always been talking about far-reaching ideas for development of the tourism industry in north Bengal.
An outline of the new approaches govt is going to take will be discussed," an official said.
Since Trinamool is yet to announce the Darjeeling Plains district president, sources said Banerjee would move the process forward after holding talks with local party functionaries.
Banerjee's visit is aimed at reinforcing state govt's presence and control while listening to local concerns as Trinamool gears up for the 2026 assembly elections, sources said. The CM is scheduled to return to Kolkata on Thursday morning.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
TMC district leaders to meet in Kolkata today, discuss July 21 Martyrs' Day rally
Trinamool Congress (TMC) state president Subrata Bakshi has called a meeting of all district-level leaders on Saturday at his residence to begin preparations for the party's biggest annual event, the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally. According to TMC sources, while Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will not be present in the meeting, all other top leaders are expected to attend it. This year's rally holds special significance, as it will be the last Martyrs' Day gathering before the 2026 State Assembly elections. According to TMC workers, all eyes will be on Mamata Banerjee, who will address the rally and is likely to outline the roadmap for the 2026 elections as well as the party's strategy to take on the BJP. 'The main agenda is the July 21 rally. Like every year, the campaign will begin early and reach every section of society. But yes, the Birbhum situation also needs attention; it's becoming a headache for the party,' a senior TMC leader said. With less than a year to go for the 2026 Assembly elections, the party has already begun overhauling its internal structure. Last month, in a major organisational reshuffle, the TMC appointed 11 new district presidents and 12 new district chairpersons across 18 of its 35 organisational districts. Some posts remain vacant. Saturday's meeting will be the first where the new district heads will interact with the state leadership. The message is clear—TMC plans to fight the elections with a blend of old and new leaders. Meanwhile, sources in the party indicate that Bakshi and state leaders are likely to have a separate meeting with the Birbhum district's core committee to address the recent internal rifts that have surfaced between factions led by Anubrata Mondal and Kajal Sheikh. Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Lord Jagannath windfall for buses on Digha route
Kolkata: There is a rush to visit the Lord Jagannath Temple in Digha, and the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) is enjoying every bit of it. The NBSTC claimed to have sold tickets worth around Rs 20 lakh in its first three weeks of introducing Volvo buses plying from six destinations in north Bengal and Malda to Digha via Kolkata. The service was inaugurated on May 28 by chief minister Mamata Banerjee. From then until June 11, there were 22 bus trips from Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, Raiganj, and Malda. A total of 2,598 passengers boarded the Volvo buses, said NBSTC. "The Kolkata-Digha route is running at full capacity till Rath Yatra. Siliguri-Kolkata route also shows nearly full bookings. We found that NBSTC managed a profit of over Rs 3 lakh," said Dipankar Piplai, managing director, NBSTC. "We are planning ahead for the pujas and will offer discounts. But it will vary from week to week," said Piplai. The senior officers of NBSTC agreed that the success is largely due to tourists wishing to visit the new temple. "There is just one direct train to Digha from north Bengal. Since the hills began to witness the rain earlier than usual — and the state is gearing up for the first-ever Ratha Yatra from the new temple — it seems Digha is now the most preferred destination," said an official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Pulakesh Majumdar from Siliguri said, "I booked tickets for my family last weekend. I found the journey to Digha smooth. On our way back, we are taking the Volvo bus from Kolkata again this Saturday," said Majumdar. "The temple has transformed Digha's tourism landscape," said Sunil Kumar Das, a transporter from Digha, adding, "the NBSTC's timing in launching these services couldn't have been better." Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
Row erupts in Bengal over vandalism at Tagore's ancestral house in Bangladesh
A political row has erupted in West Bengal over the reported vandalism at an ancestral house of Rabindranath Tagore located in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, with both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raising the matter publicly. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on June 12 wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to 'take up the matter very strongly with the neighbouring country's government, so that no stone is left unturned to swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous and mindless act'. Observing that Rabindranath Tagore is renowned not only in West Bengal but across the globe, Ms. Banerjee wrote that what was damaged was not merely a building but a 'towering fountain of creativity' in the subcontinent. Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore is not just Bengal's pride- He is a towering figure of global civilization. The shocking vandalism of Kobiguru's ancestral home in Sirajganj, Bangladesh is an act of sheer barbarism that has deeply wounded the sentiments of millions. This is not… — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 12, 2025 'Although untold damage has already been done, a strong international protest would at least deter in future any attack on monuments of cultural legacies that have withstood steadfastly all tests of time,' the Trinamool Congress chairperson stated. The Chief Minister's letter came a day after the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, raised the issue during an address at a religious event in Kolkata. 'The attack on Kachari Bari is not just an assault on a building; it's an attack on our shared heritage, our identity, and our values. For Hindus in West Bengal, this serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting our cultural heritage, especially in demographically volatile regions,' Mr. Adhikari said. Sharing video footage of the vandalism, the BJP leader used the incident to appeal for 'unity of Hindus' in West Bengal and reiterated that the 'vandalism serves as a reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting our cultural heritage, especially in demographically volatile regions'. Mr. Adhikari further accused the Trinamool Congress of replicating the 'rampage of Radical Islamist Forces' and called for a political course correction in the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP leadership in West Bengal has repeatedly flagged attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, particularly following the change in regime after the fall of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in 2024. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement issued on June 12, 'strongly' condemned the vandalism. The official spokesperson said the incident was part of a 'broad pattern' of assaults on the pluralist culture of Bangladesh. In response, Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the people of Bangladesh hold Rabindranath Tagore in the 'highest esteem' and that the government had acted promptly following the incident at the government-maintained heritage property. The Kachharibari, located in Shahzadpur in the Rajshahi division, served historically as the Tagore family's revenue office and residence. It was purchased by Rabindranath Tagore's grandfather, Dwarakanath Tagore, in 1840.
