Joydeep Thakur

India-Bangladesh border sees spike in wildlife smuggling, says BSF

Senior officials of the BSF said that this year till date around 14 gecko lizards, 31 cockatoos, 77 parrots and 95 pigeons have been seized. In 2019 only around 64 pigeons and 46 parrots were seized.

BJP to organise business event in West Bengal

Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee’s health deteriorates further

The octogenarian actor, who had tested positive for Covid-19 on October 6, had to be put on the ventilator on Monday afternoon

West Bengal’s Miriti village misses former president Pranab Mukherjee on Durga Puja

No matter where he was, he used to make it a point to come to the village during Durga Puja and hold the puja in his ancestral house, said a resident of Miriti

Covid-19 curbs hit Durga Puja in Bengal, Capital

People would not be allowed within a five-metre distance for small pandals and 10 metre for big pandals, the high court ordered, while expressing concern at the crowd control measures and widely circulated reports of large crowds thronging the city’s major markets and pandals in violation of Covid-19 protocols.

In a narrow Kolkata bylane, a group of poor children play host to city’s smallest Durga Puja

These are children whose parents were once migrant workers and have lost their jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic, children from remote villages of rural Bengal whose families have been hit hard by Cyclone Amphan, children of sex workers from Asia’s biggest red-light area and children from a local slum.

Durga Puja pandals in Bengal highlight the plight of migrant workers

At least 10 million migrant workers left cities -- many lost jobs because of the lockdown -- and returned to their homes in the hinterland. With special trains for them being launched only on May 1, many ended up walking home in April, and even later.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address Bengal BJP on Durga Sasthi

The BJP has decided not to project anyone as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming polls. Instead the party would highlight the achievements of the Modi government to counter the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state

Bengal BJP MP urges Amit Shah to seek report on use of chemicals to disperse protestors

Earlier too the BJP had alleged the Kolkata Police had sprayed water mixed with chemicals during the Nabanna Cholo rally organised by the party to protest against political killings in the state

Covid-19: Calcutta HC rules in favour of guardians, tells 145 schools to slash fees by 20%

The order stated that beginning April 2020, till the month following the one in which the schools reopen in the physical mode, all 145 schools (party to the petition) will offer a minimum of 20% reduction of fees

West Bengal government brings back Kolkata’s iconic double decker buses

While for now these two buses will be used for puja parikrama, they will later be used to boost Kolkata’s tourism

Amid surge in Covid-19 cases, Kolkata Police lowers guard against those without masks

The West Bengal government had made wearing of facemasks mandatory on April 12 to check the disease from spreading. Over the past few months, the Kolkata Police have been arresting people every day for not wearing masks.

Delhi gets its baseline for pollution due to impact of Covid-19 lockdown

The study is based on average pollution levels for the city before and during the Covid-19 lockdown that kicked in pan-India from March 25, halting factories, construction sites, almost all vehicular movement and some other local sources that pollute Delhi’s air

Kolkata Metro to introduce extra trains, run for more hours from October 12

Instead of 122 trains, the Metro will now run 146 trains at an interval of eight minutes. The services will start from 8 am and continue till 9:30 pm from Friday to Saturday

Scientists find dragonfly fossil, 2.5mn years old, in J’khand

In a first, scientists discover 2.5 million-year-old dragonfly fossil in India

Researchers from four universities in West Bengal have been looking for fossils in the sediments of Chotanagpur plateau for almost a year

Bengal logs spike in Covid-19 count as people flock to shops ahead of annual festival

The positivity rate - the proportion of people testing positive to those tested – has shot up from around 6.6% on September 5 to around 8.3% on October 5 in the state.

High viral load Covid patients are part of Bengal’s latest containment plan

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asked officials to divide all Covid-19 patients into categories of high and low CT value patients.

West Bengal to provide home guard jobs to kin of those killed by elephants in state

At least 433 people have been killed by elephants across West Bengal between April 2014 and September 2019

BJP leader murder: Bengal Guv Jagdeep Dhankhar wants to speak to Mamata ‘urgently’

On September 26, Banerjee, in a nine-page letter, had warned Dhankhar of legal consequences for his statements and had accused him of trying to destabilise an elected government

Kolkata Metro introduces extra trains from today

Instead of 116 trains, Kolkata Metro will now run 122 trains. The services will start from 8 am and continue till 9 pm from Friday to Saturday

Govt seeks legal status for elephant reserves

The Union environment ministry has proposed an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to accord legal status to elephant reserves and corridors on the lines of tiger reserves.

Hatchlings of estuarine crocodile rescued from unusual habitat in Bengal

The discovery has sparked off tension among the villagers who said they have not heard of crocodiles being spotted in the area in the recent past.

Environment ministry seeks legal status for elephant reserve, states ask for the draft

A former member of Project Elephant’s steering committee, said they have been fighting for legal status to elephant reserves for over a decade but no state was ready

West Bengal proposes to set up rail fences to rein in elephants

The issue was discussed in a workshop held on September 22 for the preparation of the national elephant action plan.

‘Will put coronavirus in lockdown and hold Durga puja’: Mamata Banerjee

This year more than 37,000 pujas would be organised across the state, including more than 2,500 in Kolkata.

BJP outshines ruling TMC in race for social media advertisement campaigns

The TMC has spent nearly two million on advertisements on Facebook in the last three months; not to be left behind; the Bengal BJP has caught up and in the last one month has spent more than its main rival.

In 2021 polls, TMC prepares to regain its lost ground in ‘Jangalmahal’

The TMC is preparing a three-pronged attack in a bid to take on the BJP, which has made deep inroads into the tribal-dominated areas and also swept all four seats there in 2019 parliamentary polls

Busting fake news is Mamata Banerjee’s key battle strategy for 2021 polls

Fake news and misleading social media posts have emerged as a big challenge.

Maoist posters in Bengal prompt special force reactivation after a decade

Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee says reports of resurgence of Maoist activities in Western districts is staged.