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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Electrosteel expects growth with Bengal's new incentive policy
Kolkata: Electrosteel Castings, a water infrastructure and pipeline solutions provider, is optimistic that state govt's new incentive policy will be industry-friendly. The CM Mamata Banerjee-led govt earlier scrapped the previous policy, prompting some companies to move court. The Kolkata-based company is also confident that its recent acquisition of Italian valve-maker TIS Service Spa will boost both its revenue and profitability. Sunil Katial, whole-time director and CEO, said the company's proposed ductile iron project in Odisha, with an estimated investment of Rs 3,000 crore, has already been delayed for 8-9 months due to land issue. "We are hoping for a new incentive scheme in Bengal," he said. Electrosteel currently operates three units in Khardah, Bansberia and Haldia. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata On the Italian acquisition, Ashutosh Agarwal, whole-time director and CEO, said the Rs 150-crore deal was funded with internal accruals. TIS, which now earns 40 million Euros annually, has two manufacturing facilities in Italy and Turkey and logistics facilities in Italy and Poland. Agarwal projected a 13-15% turnover growth for TIS over the next few years. "We aim to deepen Electrosteel's presence in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America," he added.
News18
30-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Close Contests, Big Stakes: BJP Plans Bengal Comeback In 70 Tight Races
Last Updated: These 70 seats fall under different Lok Sabha constituencies where the party trailed by not more than 15,000 votes, according to the 2024 Lok Sabha results With the assembly election barely seven to eight months away in West Bengal, the BJP has agreed on a strategy based on which it will launch its initial groundwork to emerge victorious in the state. The party has zeroed in on 70 crucial seats that it must win if it is serious about ousting Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) from the state in 2026, BJP sources told News18. These 70 seats fall under different Lok Sabha constituencies where the party trailed by not more than 15,000 votes, according to the 2024 Lok Sabha results. The understanding is that these seats, or most of them, can swing the BJP's way if the party puts the right effort. In 49 out of 70 seats, BJP trailed by less than 10,000 votes. These include constituencies like Naba Dwip, Nakashipara, Sonarpur South, Barrackpore, Dum Dum North, Jagatdal, Rajarhat-Gopalpur, Barasat, Asansol North, and Kolkata-based seats like Rashbehari, Bhabanipur, Kashipur-Belgachia, Maniktala and others. In the remaining 21 seats, the BJP was behind by 10,000-15,000 votes. The list includes constituencies such as Hingalganj, Basirhat South, Howrah North, Shibpur, Kalna, Katwa, Suri, Kolkata's Chowringhee among others. According to sources, in a recently held closed-door strategy meeting, BJP leaders agreed that if campaigning starts with immediate effect and all booth committees are made functional in these 70 seats, the party has a real chance to reap the benefits of anti-incumbency. 'Though there are 92 assembly seats where we have data that shows BJP was ahead of its nearest rival political party in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, many of these seats are traditionally BJP's strongholds. So, the primary goal is not to go for retaining the seats but to ensure the party wins the 70 seats where we were marginally behind. That will change the game," said a BJP state executive committee member. In the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, the BJP won 77 seats out of 294, while TMC secured a landslide majority with 213 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, the BJP won 12 out of the 42 parliamentary seats. This was a decrease from the 18 seats it had secured in the 2019 general elections. The TMC won 29. view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 11:55 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
TMC set to launch statewide stir over migrant 'persecution', special intensive revision
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress ( AITC ) has chalked out a multi-pronged strategy to take up the issues of the alleged persecution, detention and deportation of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states and the special intensive revision ( SIR ) of electoral rolls in Parliament and outside in the run-up to the 2026 assembly election Party MPs have raised these issues in Parliament, demanding discussion on the alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking migrants and on the on July 27, the party plans to hold protests in Kolkata and all other districts of West Bengal. led by the CM and involving ministers, MPs, MLAs and party workers down to the grassroot levels.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Polls ahead, Mamata to bring officials to resolve problems at neighbourhood level
After the success of its 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Parai Samadhan' campaigns, the TMC government in West Bengal will launch a two-month campaign, 'Amader Para, Amader Somadhan' (Our Neighbourhood, Our Solution), aimed at resolving issues at the level of 'paras' or neighbourhoods from August 2. Billed as 'one-of-a-kind initiative in the country', the government will spend Rs 8,000 crore on its implementation with Rs 10 lakh allotted to each centre, comprising three booth areas, to resolve local problems. Announcing it at a press conference at Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Tuesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: 'Many a time, we notice that there are small issues – like getting a water tap or an electric pole installed in a para (neighbourhood). Through this new programme, our government will be on the roads for the people… Our officials will be on the ground to listen to people's concerns.' 'Each centre will cover areas of three booths, effectively forming one unit for a particular neighbourhood. Since we have around 80,000 booths, it will take approximately two months to complete the entire programme… People will voice their opinions and mutually decide on the issues they need to get them resolved in their booth using Rs 10 lakh.' The announcement comes ahead of the Assembly elections, which is less than a year away. After the TMC received a setback in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Mamata Banerjee-led government had launched 'Duare Sarkar' (Government at the Doorstep) programme, which received huge success, and, according to political analysts, helped the TMC to retain power in the state for the third consecutive time in 2021. The government followed the Duare Sarkar programme with 'Parai Samadhan' (Solution at Neighbourbood) programme, which too got a huge response. In Duare Sarkar, government officials used to hear problems of the people, but in Parai Samadhan, a more micro-level programme, the administration used to address the local issues along with those of the individuals. 'Many people benefited through Duare Sarkar — from getting their caste certificates, to availing benefits of welfare schemes like Lakshmir Bhandar. We tried to cover many areas. Now, we are launching this programme that will be headed by me, the chief secretary, and the Director General of Police,' the chief minister said. 'Officials will remain at each booth for an entire day. A designated space will be set up where villagers can come and share their concerns specific to the local area. We have sanctioned a special fund for this initiative. An amount of Rs 10 lakh will be allocated for every booth. In total, the government will be spending over Rs 8,000 crore on this programme,' the chief minister added. According to the chief minister, a dedicated task force will monitor the programme. 'Task forces will also be constituted at both the district and state levels. The police will also be involved to ensure smooth coordination and implementation,' she added. 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
Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: INDIA bloc parties to hold strategy meeting ahead of Monsoon Session of Parliament
Ahead of Parliament convening for the Monsoon Session on July 21, constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc will hold an online meeting on Saturday to reach a consensus on issues it will raise to corner the BJP-led NDA government. However, despite looking to project unity, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) only confirmed its participation in the meeting on Friday ahead of its scheduled Martyrs' Day rally on Saturday, while the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to skip the meeting after distancing itself from the INDIA bloc. Ahead of the meeting, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said his party is 'not part of the INDIA bloc'. 'The INDIA bloc was for the (2024) Lok Sabha polls. We fought the Delhi and Haryana Assembly polls on our own. We are going to fight the Bihar election solo. We fought the bypolls in Punjab and Gujarat by ourselves. The AAP is not part of the INDIA bloc,' Singh said. Slamming the Congress, Singh questioned its role in leading the Opposition bloc. 'It is not child's play. Did they hold any meeting after the Lok Sabha polls? Was there any initiative to expand the INDIA bloc? … Did it play a role (in ensuring opposition unity)?' he said. The INDIA bloc's last meeting was on June 5, 2024, a day after the Lok Sabha election results were announced. At that meeting, 21 parties were in attendance – including the AAP and TMC. On Saturday, the INDIA bloc is expected to deliberate on a host of key issues, including the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, the demand for a discussion on the Pahalgam attack, and Operation Sindoor. US President Donald Trump's claims of bringing about a halt in hostilities between India and Pakistan, and the push to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma, embroiled in a row following the discovery of burnt wads of currency at his residence after a fire incident, are also likely to feature in the discussions. As part of a series of protests culminating in a 'Chalo Delhi' campaign on July 21, the Congress is intensifying its push to restore statehood in Jammu and Kashmir with a protest in Kashmir on Saturday. J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra said workers from every block and district of J&K will leave for Delhi on July 21 to hold protests in front of Parliament. 'Our effort will be to hold protests in front of Parliament and gherao it symbolically. The goal is to raise our voice in Delhi so that it reaches all members of Parliament, among whom 233 are members of the INDIA bloc supporting our cause,' Karra said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday to press for legislation in Parliament to grant full statehood to J&K. Kharge and Gandhi, also called on the government to bring legislation to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution. Reacting to the development, J&K CM Omar Abdullah thanked the Congress leaders for raising this issue, saying, 'This is a good thing. I thank Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for raising this issue. We are not demanding anything that has not been promised to us before. We have been told many times that we will be given statehood at the right time… Now, Jammu and Kashmir should be given statehood soon.' On Saturday, the Karnataka Congress is set to hold the 'Sadhana Samavesha' – a convention to showcase the achievements of its state government – in Mysuru. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development works worth Rs 2,658 crore. With the government under pressure over the June 4 Bengaluru stampede, which is set to be probed by a commission headed by retired High Court judge John Michael Cunha, and questions over whether Siddaramaiah would continue as CM amid party factionalism, the convention is being seen as a show of strength by Siddaramaiah, though he has himself dismissed this notion. – With PTI inputs
