TMC Leader Shot Dead in West Bengal’s Birbhum, Police Suspect Political Motive
BIRBHUM: A local leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was shot dead in Birbhum district of West Bengal early Saturday, triggering political tension ahead of next year’s state assembly elections, police and party officials said. Piyush Ghosh, 42, the TMC’s zone president in the Labhpur area and an office-bearer in the local panchayat samiti, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head around 500 metres from his home in Komarpur village. Police said he had received a call from an unknown number around 2 a.m. and left home on his motorcycle shortly before he was attacked at point-blank range. Three suspects, including a woman with known political links to the TMC, have been detained for questioning. A murder investigation has been launched, with police examining possible motives including political rivalry, personal enmity, and disputes over the local sand trade, in which Ghosh was reportedly involved. “This is a premeditated murder,” a senior TMC functionary said. “He was an influential figure in the area, both politically and economically. He had received threats during election season. We believe he was targeted to be removed from his organisational role.” Ghosh’s wife said she had repeatedly urged him to step away from politics, fearing for their safety. “Now I just want my children to be secure and get proper employment,” she said. The killing comes just days after two other TMC leaders were shot dead in separate incidents — Rajjak Khan in South 24 Parganas and another party worker in Malda. The spate of violence has raised alarm within the ruling party, with some leaders pointing to rising intra-party tensions and deteriorating law and order. Local MLA Abhijit Sinha called the murder “deeply unfortunate” and said the party would fully cooperate with the police investigation. “We have full faith in the administration. The culprits and the source of the weapon used will be uncovered,” he said. Police have sent the body for postmortem and deployed additional forces in the region to prevent unrest. Birbhum Superintendent of Police Amandeep confirmed that three people were in custody and being interrogated. The TMC, which has ruled West Bengal since 2011, faces state elections in less than a year. Political analysts say the recent killings underscore growing tension at the grassroots level within the party and the volatile political atmosphere in rural Bengal.
Adani Group, Kolkata Port Authority Join Hands to Restore Heritage Kumartuli Ghat
KOLKATA, July 11: The Adani Group has partnered with Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), to restore and beautify the historic Kumartuli Ghat, a significant step in preserving the city’s cultural and artistic heritage, officials said on Friday. The two entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to redevelop the ghat, located along the Hooghly River, under SMPK’s ‘Swachhata’ initiative. The agreement marks a public-private partnership aimed at transforming the cultural landmark through heritage-compliant infrastructure upgrades, environmental sustainability, and civic responsibility. Kumartuli is widely known as Kolkata’s iconic clay modellers’ hub, where generations of artisans have sculpted Durga idols and other traditional figures, sustaining Bengal’s celebrated artistic traditions. The restoration project aims to make the ghat cleaner, safer, and more accessible to artisans, locals, and tourists. “This is not just a restoration project, but a revival of Bengal’s artistic legacy,” said Rathendra Raman, Chairman of SMPK. He emphasised the importance of the ghat in the city’s socio-cultural fabric and said the collaboration would give a new lease of life to the neglected riverfront. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) will oversee the redevelopment, with design architects already engaged to plan the transformation. The development will remain confined to the port’s jurisdiction along the Kolkata riverfront, officials said. Subrat Tripathy, President of Business Development at APSEZ, said the company was honoured to be part of the initiative. “It was an honour to help renovate a place so sentimentally linked to Kolkata’s identity. This spot will be a source of pride for Kolkata as a tourist destination,” he said. Once a vibrant riverfront and artisanal hub, Kumartuli Ghat has suffered from years of neglect, marked by riverbank erosion, poor waste management, and deteriorating infrastructure. Authorities said the redevelopment would address these issues, with a focus on preserving the area’s heritage character. The project is expected to include upgraded public amenities, enhanced waste disposal systems, improved pathways, and lighting—designed to serve both functional and aesthetic purposes while supporting the needs of the artisan community. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to revitalise Kolkata’s historic ghats and riverfronts, many of which are central to the city’s identity but have fallen into disrepair over time.
West Bengal’s Digital Push Achieves Milestone as Bangla Sahayata Kendra Transactions Cross ₹1,000 Crore
KOLKATA, July 11: West Bengal’s flagship public service initiative, Bangla Sahayata Kendra (BSK), has surpassed ₹1,000 crore in e-wallet transactions, marking a significant milestone in the state’s ongoing digital transformation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Banerjee described the achievement as a reflection of the “efficiency, transparency, and public trust” in the state’s digital service delivery mechanism. The initiative is part of the state’s broader ‘Digital Bangla in Action’ programme. “This initiative is empowering citizens, expanding access to government services, and is a major step towards universal, inclusive governance,” Banerjee wrote. She also congratulated the BSK operators and support staff, crediting their dedication for the accomplishment. Launched in 2020, the BSK centres serve as single-window digital service hubs, providing over a thousand government services daily. These include widow pensions, student scholarships, caste and residence certificates, health insurance under Swasthya Sathi, agriculture support, and housing schemes. According to senior state officials, over 3,700 BSK centres across West Bengal currently handle thousands of citizens each day. Transactions conducted via e-wallets at these centres have seen exponential growth, with the ₹1,000 crore mark being crossed in a relatively short time. “This volume of digital transactions demonstrates the public’s increasing reliance on digital platforms for accessing essential services,” Banerjee said. The services offered at BSK centres are typically linked to essential documents and schemes. Citizens pay nominal fees for these services, which are deposited into the state treasury. Officials said this model not only increases convenience for users but also contributes to state revenue. Following the milestone, the state government is planning to expand the BSK network further, with a focus on enhancing outreach in rural areas and increasing the range of services available. The BSK model has also significantly reduced the traditional bottlenecks of public service delivery — long queues, bureaucratic delays, and physical hardship. The digital-first approach is being credited with easing red tape and improving administrative responsiveness. “In today’s Bengal, standing in long queues for certificates is a thing of the past,” said a senior official. “People now trust digital transactions, and BSKs have become their reliable ally.” The Weston Bengal government views the BSK success story as a benchmark for digital governance, with potential replication in other states.
Heavy rains lash South Bengal, IMD issues fresh warning amid low pressure and cyclonic circulation
KOLKATA: Heavy rainfall continued to batter parts of South Bengal for the third consecutive day due to the combined effect of a low-pressure area and an active cyclonic circulation, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue fresh warnings for several districts in the state. The IMD’s Alipore Regional Meteorological Centre on Wednesday forecast heavy rainfall (7–11 cm) in four southern districts — Paschim Bardhaman, Purulia, Jhargram, and Bankura — along with parts of Kolkata, where sporadic thunderstorms accompanied by winds gusting up to 40 km/h are expected. According to the IMD, the low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal has now shifted to Jharkhand and adjoining regions, while the cyclonic circulation is likely to move northwestward toward Jharkhand and northern Chhattisgarh over the next 24 hours. The monsoon trough now extends from Prayagraj to the Bay of Bengal through the low-pressure zone, keeping the monsoon activity robust over the region. The weather department has also warned of turbulent sea conditions along the West Bengal and Odisha coasts due to the system. Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the deep sea. In North Bengal, heavy rainfall is forecast over Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Alipurduar districts on Wednesday. The IMD further projected light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorms across all North Bengal districts through the weekend, with higher intensity expected in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar on Sunday and Monday. Kolkata woke up to overcast skies and intermittent showers on Wednesday, with no signs of sunshine. The continuous rainfall has, however, brought respite from the sweltering heat. The maximum temperature in the city on Tuesday dropped to 27.1°C, 5.4°C below normal, while the minimum on Wednesday stood at 24.8°C, around 2°C below average. Rainfall over the past 24 hours included 11.7 mm in Alipore, 15.7 mm in Dum Dum, 33 mm in Uluberia, 31.2 mm in Krishnanagar, 94.8 mm in Sriniketan, 73.4 mm in Bardhaman, 46.2 mm in Basirhat, and 30.4 mm in Canning. IMD forecasts indicate that unsettled weather conditions will persist across large parts of Bengal through the week, with no significant improvement expected in South Bengal before Monday.
