Latest news with #Parganas
Time of India
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
EC: No Bengal party appealed against rolls before '24 LS polls
1 2 Kolkata: The Election Commission on Sunday said no political party in Bengal had formally appealed against the final voter list published ahead of the 2024 LS election. In a move with little precedence and coinciding with the buzz on special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Bengal CEO's note headlined "Electoral rolls are prepared transparently; copies shared with recognised political parties" said during the special summary revision (SSR) 2024, copies of the draft and final electoral rolls were provided to all political parties. The commission said it received 34.2 lakh claims and objections between the publication of draft and final electoral rolls. The EC added that as per law, appeals could be filed for wrongful additions and deletions but no appeal was filed. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The statement, coming a week after the publication of electoral rolls of 11 districts following the 2002 SIR, was largely seen as a move to insulate the poll body from political allegations of bias as it tries to purge bogus voters from Bengal's voter rolls. It also indicated that BJP, vocal on Bangladeshis and Rohingya, did not formally appeal against any inclusion or deletion of voters in 2024. The EC also put out a detailed annexure to emphasise its point. The annexure indicated that all eight major political parties in Bengal, including TMC, BJP, Congress and CPM, received a copy of draft electoral rolls on Nov 1, 2023. Some collected them later, but it was completed by Dec 2023. According to EC, North 24 Parganas, with 4.6 lakh claims and objections, topped the list, followed by South 24 Parganas at 4.2 lakh. Among other districts, Hooghly (2.2 lakh) and Nadia (2.1 lakh) followed next. Murshidabad, East Burdwan and East Midnapore also had two-lakh plus additions or deletions. An EC officer said: "It has come to our notice that a lot of allegations are being made on the 2024 LS polls in Bengal. Political parties have a legal option to formally appeal against wrongful addition or deletion. No party filed any appeal on the final electoral rolls based on which the 2024 Lok Sabha polls were conducted." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Rain queers cops' rally day car parking pitch
Kolkata: The Kolkata Traffic Police is facing a new challenge in managing vehicle parking for the upcoming Shahid Diwas rally on Monday, as persistent rainfall threatens to render designated parking fields unusable. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The fresh spell of rain on Friday, with more occasional rain predicted even on Saturday, has left cops worried as they believe the Maidan area can be filled with slush. The traffic department, which initially planned to utilise various fields across the city for parking buses and cars of parade attendees, is now frantically searching for alternative solutions on the main roads, stretching between Strand Road and APC Road. "We are exploring all possible options to accommodate vehicles coming from the districts," said a senior traffic official from Lalbazar, stating that they were fixing specific zones for parking for each separate district, as is always the practice. In response to the crisis, traffic guards are considering utilising empty streets within their jurisdictions. The northern section of APC Road, which typically remains vacant during such events, is being evaluated as a potential parking area. Additionally, parts of Burrabazar-Posta, which are expected to be empty due to restrictions on goods vehicles during the parade, are also being considered. "Even if the weather improves later this week, the waterlogged fields may not dry up sufficiently to be used as parking spaces," said a traffic officer. "We need to instruct the drivers well in advance and guide them so that we can adhere to the high court order and ensure there is no traffic jam during their movement," said an officer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The situation is particularly challenging as several schools and colleges will remain open on the parade day. Updates regarding alternative parking arrangements will be communicated to parade participants and the public in the coming days, said Lalbazar. On Friday, CP Manoj Verma met Howrah and Bidhannagar cops to discuss their rally preparedness. He will meet senior officers from the two 24 Parganas on Saturday.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Time of India
Kin, friends worry about Bengal residents stuck in Iran
1 2 3 4 5 6 Kolkata: A number of residents from Bengal, who were stuck in Iran, started reaching Mashhad after the Indian embassy began evacuating Indians from there. Over the past few days, the Indian embassy officials in Tehran tried to reach every individual stuck in Iran and asked them to move towards Mashhad following the govt's decision to evacuate Indians from there. Barrackpore resident Dipak Adhikary and his wife Soma were stuck in a village near Shiraz in the Fars province, located in the south-central part of Iran. In the past few days, the couple went incommunicado as internet services were largely affected in Iran. On Sunday, they started for Mashhad. "Dipak has been my colleague for long and has been working in the Middle East in the last four-five years. He and his wife were stranded in Iran over the past few days with zero communication with us. I could speak to them only on Sunday morning, and they started moving towards Mashhad. They should reach the city by Sunday evening," said Naresh Senapati. "We have been trying to get them connected with the Indian embassy in Tehran and bring them back to India before the situation in the country goes out of control. Our fears increased further after the US launched attacks on a number of areas in Iran," said Senapati. Meanwhile, 11 tourists from Dhalipara in Chourashia village of Deganga in North 24 Parganas, who travelled to Iran on May 30 to visit various religious sites, have reached Mashhad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Onko sinulla usein vaikeuksia muistaa nimiä, tehtäviä ja kellonaikoja? Apu voi löytyä täältä. Lectinect Aivot Saa tarjous Undo Their families back home had been getting unnerved with each passing day. On Sunday, Hossain Mehdi, son of Syed Ali Gayen, one of the stranded tourists, said, "I managed to speak to my father for a very brief while. On Friday, around 160 people were transported from Qom city to Mashhad in four buses. Initially, they were told that a flight from Mashhad airport was scheduled to depart at 2 pm on Monday. But so far, their names have not appeared on the final passenger list." Three residents of Shantipur, Nadia, got stranded in Iran after Israel launched attacks on the country. Amirul Sheikh, Ashraful Sheikh, and Saber Ali Sheikh, residents of Gopalpur Mel's Street area in Shantipur, Nadia, went to Iran to work in a jewellery store there. As the internet network has been hit hard in Iran, they are unable to contact family members.
Time of India
16-06-2025
- Time of India
Bengal couple who went to Maha for work pushed into B'desh
Kolkata: A young couple from Bengal's North 24 Parganas who had gone to Maharashtra for work was picked up by police on suspicion of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and handed over to Border Security Force (BSF), who then pushed them into Bangladesh, despite the couple producing documents to prove their identity as Indian citizens, the couple's family claimed. A BSF official said the matter was being handled by the North Bengal Frontier and declined further comment. Sources said Fazer Mondal (in his 20s) and his wife Taslima, from Hariharpur in Bagdah, had moved to Maharashtra after Fazer found a construction job in the state in Jan. Earlier this month, Maharashtra's Naya Nagar police detained the duo during a drive to identify illegal immigrants. The couple had reportedly presented to cops their Aadhaar and voter IDs claiming they were Bengal residents, but their claims were allegedly dismissed. On June 10, Fazer's father Tahajul Mondal received a call from Naya Nagar police asking for more documents. Tahajul said he promptly submitted birth and school certificates to support their Indian citizenships, but the couple was not released. On Saturday, the couple's family members received a call from Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) informing them that the couple had been found in Bangladesh, near the South Dinajpur India-Bangladesh border. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo "This is a nightmare. We have no idea how to bring them back," said Fazer's mother Latifa Mondal. Since receiving the call, the family has been running pillar to post. They have approached the Bagdah police, panchayat authorities and the district administration for help. Bagdah MLA Madhurparna Thakur has stepped up and assured the family of support. "I have collected documents from the family and initiated legal steps. All efforts are being made to bring them back safely," Thakur said. She called the incident a "deliberate move driven by an anti-Bengali mindset." "This was done just because they spoke Bengali. The couple was put in danger despite holding Indian documents. I strongly protest this unethical and inhuman act," she added. She further suggested that the deportation was politically motivated saying, "Why were they deported despite valid papers? This seems to be aimed at discrediting Bengal ahead of elections." Samirul Islam, chairman of the West Bengal Migrant Workers' Welfare Board, said similar incidents have been reported from other districts as well. "On June 10, we were informed that migrant workers from Malda, Murshidabad and East Burdwan were detained in Mumbai. We sent all relevant documents, yet five people were handed over to BSF without informing us," he said. He said that following chief minister Mamata Banerjee's directions, efforts are on to bring deported workers back. "Is speaking Bengali a crime now? This is painful and shameful," he added. Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya, however, defended the BSF. "We believe the BSF does not act in a wrong way. Only BSF authorities can clarify the full details," he said.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Kolkata sizzles on hottest day of season, for second day in a row
Kolkata: The city recorded its hottest day so far this summer, with the maximum temperature rising to 39.1°C on Saturday, three and a half notches above normal. With warm northwesterly winds blowing into the region, the mercury will continue to hover around the 39°C mark, said the Met office. The districts around Kolkata are expected to receive thunderstorms Monday and Tuesday. However, it will not be enough to bring down the mercury significantly until at least May 12.A bulletin issued by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) on Saturday stated: "Mainly dry westerly to northwesterly wind is likely to prevail at lower levels over the region, and consequently, hot and humid conditions are likely over the districts of south Bengal on May 10, with heatwave conditions likely over some districts from May 10. Also, in view of the availability of moisture and heating impact, the possibility of enhanced thunderstorm activity with heavy rainfall over some districts of north Bengal and isolated thunderstorm activity over some districts of south Bengal is likely."On Friday, the city recorded a maximum of 38.6°C, the highest until then. The mercury rose further on Saturday, even as the city continued to reel under sweltering heat. "Dry and hot winds are blowing into the region. We expect the maximum temperature to hover between 37°C-40°C until Tuesday. The wind pattern could change after that, and moisture may start flowing in with southwesterly winds. If that happens, the city and its surroundings will receive thunderstorms," said HR Biswas, a weather scientist at RMC. The minimum temperature stood at 29.1°C on Saturday. North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas may receive thunderstorms between Sunday and Monday. "There will be some impact of the rain and a drop in mercury in Kolkata, which may not last long," said has not received a significant spell of rain since April 30. There were some drizzles, though, that helped to keep the mercury in check until May 6. On Saturday, the real-feel temperature — a measure of how the heat feels on the skin, calculated based on factors like temperature, wind direction, humidity, and sun rays intensity, among others — stayed at 45°C, just like it was on Friday. "It will continue to remain humid and uncomfortable. It is not unusual for the mercury to touch 40°C in Kolkata in May. Last year, it touched 43°C and kept hovering around the 40°C mark for several days, even as the city experienced a heatwave. This year, the mercury touched 39°C for the first time on Saturday," said a weather official.
