Latest news with #AroopBiswas
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Task force proposes ban on rooftop sale for biz gains
1 2 Kolkata: The state task force, which was constituted after the recent Burrabazar fire, on Wednesday recommended that the Bengal govt and civic bodies across the state, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), shouldn't allow the sale of rooftop space for commercial gains. This was discussed at the task force's first meeting held at the KMC headquarters. Mayor and state urban development minister, Firhad Hakim, who attended the meeting, said another meeting on the fire safety issues would be held before a final report in this regard would be submitted to the state Cabinet within a month. The meeting was also attended by state power minister Aroop Biswas, disaster management minister Javed Khan, and panchayat minister Pradeep Majumdar. Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma, municipal commissioner Dhaval Jain, and director general of fire services Ranvir Kumar took note of what the task force members discussed at the meeting. "Rooftop should be treated as a fire refuge, and hence we will need to arrive at a decision not to allow the sale of rooftop space anywhere in the state for commercial gains," Hakim added. The task force members also agreed on conducting a third-party fire audit at the commercial and office buildings, including at the vulnerable ones in the city. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo The disaster management department will be asked to train its manpower to ensure the rescue of trapped persons in case of fire, said a member of the task force. Earlier, the KMC-constituted committee for the hearings on the fate of three rooftop restaurants in the city had said there was no room for leniency on fire safety norms. The KMC building rules specify that every terrace on the topmost storey of any building shall have a common access and not be subdivided, an official said. According to KMC building rules, under no circumstances a promoter is allowed to sell a terrace or give a nod to anyone to set up any infrastructure there without the approval of the civic body.
News18
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
'No Better Stadium Than Eden Gardens': Politics At Play Over IPL Final Venue Shift
Last Updated: West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas criticised the justification given by the BCCI, stating that even the weather department cannot forecast conditions for June 1 to 4 yet. West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas has made strong allegations that the state has been deliberately sidelined in the decision to move the IPL final from Eden Gardens. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, he stated that the move was politically motivated. He also refuted the claim made by Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar that the match was shifted due to law and order concerns, calling it 'completely false and a baseless rumour" — a claim echoed by the Bengal Police Commissioner as well. Aroop Biswas asserted, 'There is no better stadium than Eden Gardens. Even if it rains, matches can resume within half an hour — no other stadium in India offers this facility. Yet, the final has been shifted to Ahmedabad under the guise of weather concerns. This is just an excuse. It seems pre-decided that no final will be held anywhere but Ahmedabad. In the last four years, three finals have taken place at the Narendra Modi Stadium." He further criticised the justification given by the BCCI, stating that even the weather department cannot forecast conditions for June 1 to 4 yet. He presented data supporting his claim. Biswas went on to challenge Sukanta Majumdar's claims of security concerns, saying, 'BCCI and the IPL Governing Council haven't cited security issues. These are just excuses. The real intent is to deprive Bengal." He added, 'As the Sports Minister of Bengal, I protest this decision. Ask the CAB's Secretary and President why they haven't spoken out. The CAB should have protested." Police Commissioner Manoj Verma also addressed the issue, stating, 'There has never been any law and order issue at Eden Gardens. Seven matches were held smoothly this season. Historically, matches in Kolkata have always been conducted peacefully. Any suggestion otherwise is baseless and seems driven by another agenda." During a press conference, Aroop Biswas also highlighted broader issues, claiming that Bengal is being systematically deprived — from sports to central government schemes like Awas Yojana, rural road development, and the 100-day employment program. 'We are owed Rs 1.87 lakh crore by the central government. Despite repeated denials, the people of Bengal will continue to give a fitting response, as they have in the past and will do in the future," he said. Interestingly, following the press conference, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar deleted his earlier post on X (formerly Twitter) where he had mentioned law and order issues as the reason behind the match being moved. First Published: May 23, 2025, 08:31 IST
India Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
West Bengal sports minister alleges politics behind IPL match shift to Gujarat
West Bengal Sports Minister Aroop Biswas has strongly alleged that there is a political conspiracy behind the decision to shift the Indian Premiere League (IPL) playoffs and finals from Kolkata's Eden Gardens to Gujarat. He said that the weather is just an excuse.'Rain is an excuse, but it is a conspiracy. The BCCI and IPL Governing Council have blamed the weather but we have received the weather report. CAB had written a letter earlier to know what kind of weather there would be. The Meteorological Department had already written to CAB with the weather forecast between May 20 and May 30. The rest forecast will be published and will be analysed after May 26 said by Meteorological department. There is no forecast before this. We don't know when the IPL Governing Council became meteorologists,' Biswas a political motive behind the shift, he said, "We were supposed to have the IPL play-offs and finals at Eden Gardens. It is definitely being moved for political reasons. Why did you deprive the cricket lovers of Bengal of my words?" He refuted claims that law and order issues prompted the shift. 'The state BJP president and central minister wrote, the match has been moved from Eden for law and order. The IPL press release on May 20 said that the last four matches were supposed to be held in Hyderabad and Kolkata. But the IPL Governing Council has moved the match due to rainy weather.'Accusing the Centre of a broader political motive, Biswas said, 'On one hand, they are trying to kill the people of Bengal without providing the scheme funds, on the other hand, depriving cricket lovers."advertisementBiswas also emphasised the readiness and reliability of Eden Gardens as a venue. 'There have been 7 games here, nothing bad happened in one. The best system of water drainage is in Eden, it is completely politically motivated. This has not happened in the history of 93 years."Reiterating his claim, he added, "Weather is an excuse. For some reason, the final has to be held in Ahmedabad. In the last 4 years, the final has been held 3 times at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In 2023, the game was not played due to rain. Can any meteorologist say that it will not rain in Ahmedabad on June 3?'Backing the minister's stance, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma also dismissed concerns about law and order. 'Questions have been raised about law and order in the IPL match. There were 9 games here, 7 matches were played, a lot of people, 60,000 people watched the game every day. No one had any problem.''We have had meetings with CAB many times. But no one raised any questions. We only announced the match on April 6 for Ram Navami. We said it thinking about people's safety and people. That match did not go to another state. That match was played on another day. Law and order has always been good in Kolkata, and Kolkata has always been good. But there was some other motive behind it,' the commissioner of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Debjit Saikia, on Wednesday, announced that the IPL playoff phase will begin on May 29, with Qualifier 1 at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh. The second qualifier and the final will be played in Ahmedabad on June 1 and 3, respectively.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
West Bengal protests move to shift IPL final from Kolkata's Eden Gardens to Ahmedabad
A political row has erupted over the decision to shift the venue of final match of the Indian Premier League 2025, as well as the second qualifier, from Kolkata to Ahmedebad. West Bengal Minister of Sports and Youth Welfare Aroop Biswas alleged on Thursday that politics was behind the cricketing move. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced that the second qualifier and the IPL final, scheduled to take place on June 1 and 3 respectively, will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad instead of at Kolkata's Eden Garden Stadium. 'The IPL play-offs and final have been moved from Eden Gardens due to political reasons. You are doing politics against Mamata Banerjee, but why are the cricket lovers of Bengal being deprived,' the State Minister asked. 'It is the IPL's rule that last year's champions' home ground will host the final,' he pointed out, adding that the West Bengal government is protesting the shifting of the matches. 'No law and order issues' Mr. Biswas refuted claims of law and order problems or adverse weather conditions as justifiable reasons for the shift. 'Seven IPL matches have been held at Eden. No untoward incident has taken place. An average of 60,000 to 65,000 spectators have watched each match. So there is no question of law and order problems,' the Minister said. He was addressing a press conference along with Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, who added that neither the general public nor organisers had raised any concerns about law and order. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar had said that IPL matches were moved out of Kolkata because of 'law and order issues'. Mr. Biswas also questioned the weather-related justification cited by the BCCI, noting that weather forecasts for Kolkata for June 1 to 4 will only be available after May 26, according to the India Meteorological Department. 'No forecast has been issued for the first week of June in 2025 in the public domain. Since when did the BCCI become a weather expert?' the Minister asked. He also cited a letter from the head of the Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore in Kolkata on the weather forecast.
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First Post
22-05-2025
- Climate
- First Post
BCCI moving IPL final to Ahmedabad from Kolkata sparks political battle: 'Bengal's cricket lovers are being deprived'
The BCCI announced Ahmedabad and Mullanpur as the venues for the playoffs in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, citing concerns regarding the possibility of heavy rain in Kolkata and Hyderabad between 29 May and 3 June, the revised dates for the final leg. read more Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium is all set to host Qualifier 2 and the final of the ongoing IPL season, which were originally scheduled to take place at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. Reuters The Board of Control for Cricket in India's decision to shift the final of the 2025 Indian Premier League to Ahmedabad from Kolkata has sparked a political battle between the Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, the parties that are in power in the state of West Bengal and at the Centre respectively. Kolkata's Eden Gardens and Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium were scheduled to host the playoffs in the 18th IPL season , with the former hosting Qualifier 2 and the final. Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad had competed in last year's final with the former winning their third title with an eight-wicket victory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As is the tradition in the IPL, the playoffs are hosted in the cities whose franchises had competed in the final of the previous edition, with the home ground of the winning team hosting the last two matches. The BCCI had cited the onset of southwest monsoon as well as the possibility of heavy showers as the reason for moving the playoffs from Kolkata and Hyderabad to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium and Mullanpur's New PCA Stadium, Punjab Kings' home ground since last year. 'Since when have the BCCI and IPL governing council turned into weathermen?' On Thursday, West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas, one of CM Mamata Banerjee's closest aides questioned how BCCI and the IPL Governing Council had suddenly 'turned into weathermen' when weather forecasts in Kolkata and elsewhere could not be more more than a week in advance. 'It is to inform that city forecast for Kolkata for May 20 to May 30 will be available from May 14 onwards. This office issues the forecast for Kolkata for seven days in advance,' Biswas was quoted by The Telegraph as telling reporters in the presence of Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma. West Bengal sports minister Aroop Biswas is one of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's closest aides. PTI 'The forecast for June 1 will be available from May 26 onwards. The IMD has informed that their office has not issued any forecast for Kolkata city for the first week of June. Since when have the BCCI and IPL governing council turned into weathermen? 'It is evident that Bengal's cricket lovers are being deprived by moving out the match from the hallowed Eden Gardens,' Biswas added. The decision to move the venues for the IPL 2025 playoffs, however, only took place after the season was suspended for a week due to an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that occurred in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last month. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The season was originally scheduled to conclude on Monday. However, the revised schedule after the week-long suspension had the playoffs getting underway from 29 May, with Ahmedabad hosting the final on 3 June. This will be the third IPL final taking place at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium in four years, starting with Gujarat Titans – the team that calls the world's largest cricket stadium its home – winning the tournament on debut in 2022. Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) too had expressed unhappiness over the final being moved to Ahmedabad from Kolkata, stating that it wasn't possibly to predict weather patterns so early and moving the marquee fixture out of the city for that reason wasn't a fair call. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who had served as BCCI president from 2019 to 2022, also to keep the playoff fixtures in Kolkata.
