Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

After meeting with PM, video conference with Sonia Gandhi on Mamata Banerjee’s sked

After the meeting with Modi, Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to return to the state secretariat, where she is scheduled to attend a videoconference of opposition leaders called by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the government’s Covid-19 management and the plight of the migrant workers.

‘Cyclone or Earthquake’: Amphan’s intensity left Kolkata asking as buildings shook

Several parts of Kolkata, including the NSCBI airport, remained flooded with rainwater. The local municipal corporation is yet to come out with the assessment of the damage.

Bengal’s Covid-19 confirmation rate decreases even as testing triples

Over the past fortnight, while Bengal’s average daily testing increased by over 227%, the average number of persons testing positive on day increased by only 33%.

In Bengal, increase in testing but rise in cases the same

West Bengal’s average daily increase in the number of Covid-19 patients has remained almost the same over the past fortnight even though the testing rate has increased by over three folds, according to an analysis of available data.

‘Happy memories’: An 84-year old with comorbidities recalls how he fought off fear and Covid-19

The octogenarian had a close brush with death during the 24 days he spent fighting coronavirus

WB to bear entire cost of migrants returning home to state by special trains: Mamata

On Thursday, Banerjee announced the state has arranged 105 trains over a month, but railway minister Piyush Goyal responded to the announcement by accusing West Bengal of not doing enough.

Mamata approves 105 trains for 1 month for migrants; Piyush Goyal says state needs 105 daily

This controversy took place when migrants from Bengal stranded in other states started taking the long road back home. On Thursday, Tamil Nadu-based writer and social activist Nityanand Jayaraman posted on Twitter a short video of a batch of migrant workers from Bengal starting for their home state on bicycles, embarking on a nearly 1,700 km journey.

Mamata declares 105 trains for migrants, Centre says more needed

1,700 km cycle journey from Chennai underlines limitations of Bengal’s plan to bring migrants home

Mamata Banerjee has received criticism from opposition for her government’s alleged ‘go-slow’ approach to bringing migrant workers home.

Children among biggest victims of Covid-19 lockdown with multiple side-effects: CRY report

According to the survey 88% respondents said their children’s exposure to screens increased during the lockdown, with 45% reporting the increase “to a great extent” and only 43% of the parents/ primary caregivers said they always supervised when the child was online.

Mamata plans more relaxations in red zone areas

After food secretary, West Bengal removes health secretary; BJP targets Mamata Banerjee

Vivek Kumar is the second top bureaucrat to be transferred after food and supplies secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal, who was sent on “compulsory wait” amid allegations of malpractices in the public distribution system.

With Mamata hitting out at Centre during meeting with Modi, TMC-BJP verbal duel intensifies

Mamata Banerjee had hit out at Centre during the video-conference with Modi, alleging it was trying to gain political mileage at the expense of the state government.

‘Don’t bulldoze federal structure,’ Mamata Banerjee tells PM Modi

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the Centre not to charge migrants train fare to return home, sought 6% of national GDP for health and an immediate moratorium on repayment of loans and interest by the state.

Mamata Banerjee’s brother files case against BJP minister Babul Supriyo for sharing ‘fake news’

Supriyo said he only shared a photo that was already viral on social media

‘Mamata is scared’: BJP’s social media campaign after no press meet by Bengal CM in 9 days

BJP’s campaign and the social media posts came on the day that Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress took jibes at Prime Minister Modi for never taking a question at any press conference since taking charge in 2014.

Kolkata registers 276 new Covid-19 cases, 29 deaths in 7 days

Thirteen of Bengal’s 23 districts have reported new cases in the last week and Kolkata has emerged as the state’s greatest challenge. It is mainly because of the sharp increase in the numbers in Kolkata that Bengal’s overall graph is also rising. The state recorded 527 new cases and 38 deaths in the past seven days.

‘Acted after Amit Shah’s letter’: Railways counter Bengal’s claim on migrants’ return

The Trinamool Congress-led state government made these claims after union home minister Amit Shah wrote to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing the state of not supporting the Centre in allowing Bengal’s migrant workers stranded in other states to reach Bengal.

‘Celebrations can wait’: Clerics to CM Mamata on lifting lockdown after Eid

The clerics’ call came at a time when the Covid-19 graph in Bengal is steadily rising, reporting 527 cases over the past five days.

‘Have 7-stage plan to bring back migrants’: Trinamool on Amit Shah’s letter

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and TMC youth wing chief Abhishek Banerjee tweeted that Shah should apologise if he fails to substantiate the charges in his letter with facts.

Bengal Police’s order to play CM’s Covid-19 song on Tagore birth anniversary stirs controversy

On Friday, nearly all police stations in the state took out small tableaus carrying a cut-out of Asia’s first Nobel laureate, Tagore, and played his songs over loudspeakers.

Bengal records 100+ cases of Covid-19 on a single day for first time

Kolkata is emerging as a major concern with 119 cases reported in last three days.

TMC roasts Centre over ‘late’ Covid-19 response

The TMC also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were supervising and controlling “a concerted effort to malign and heckle the Bengal government.

Discrepancies in Bengal’s Covid-19 infection data, toll doubles in 5 days

Bengal, which has now begun publishing cumulative data on Covid-19 infections in the state, has also started taking into account co-morbid conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

Covid-19 deaths in Bengal double in 5 days as govt junks casualty audit panel

West Bengal attributed 33 deaths to Covid-19 between March 23 and April 30 while 35 deaths were reported in the last five days.

Bengal govt finds ‘missing Covid-19 data’ after IMCT letter questions mismatch

A major controversy had erupted after state health secretary Vivek Kumar’s letter to union health secretary Preeti Sudan put the total number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in the state at 931 as of April 30, whereas the state administration’s data shared with journalists till that day added up to 816.

TMC govt says it has retrieved ‘missing’ Covid-19 data, admits to gaps

A major controversy erupted after state health secretary Vivek Kumar’s letter to union health secretary Preeti Sudan put the total number of persons who tested positive for Covid-19 in the state at 931 as of April 30, whereas the data shared with journalists gave the number 816.

‘Bengal becoming a police state’: Governor sharpens attack on CM Mamata

BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, have accused the ruling Trinamool of running “syndicates”, which loosely refer to groups forcing people to buy products from them. The Trinamool has rubbished the charges as “ill-intended political propaganda”.

Bengal allows 2 trains to carry back stranded people; Oppn targets it for going slow

The government has so far given its nod to the entry of two special trains, one from Rajasthan carrying 1,200 pilgrims and the other from Kerala with migrant workers, to enter the state, as of Sunday evening.

Two trains to bring back migrants to West Bengal: CM

One train will ferry 1,200 pilgrims from Rajasthan and another will bring back migrants from Kerala, officials familiar with the matter said.