Mamata declares her humble assets

August 3rd, 2009 SINGUR - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has said her ministry was ready to set up a rail coach factory at Singur, if the land earlier acquired by the Tatas to set up 'Nano' factory was made available. Banerjee was flagging off the new Singur-Howrah 'Andolan' suburban train in Singur.alking to reporters here on Sunday, Banerjee said she wanted 600 acres of land for the proposed rail coach factory, out of the 1000 acres acquired for the small car project and 400 acres returned to the farmers.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Indian Railways has over 1.7 lakh vacancies for various grades, which will be filled in after reviving the existing recruitment process, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee informed the Rajya Sabha today. Replying to a question, Banerjee said the review of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) would also examine regional aspirations and problems raised during the railway recruitment process in Maharashtra, Assam, and Karnataka.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said her ministry would look at providing infrastructure and land for setting up Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). "We might even look at building IITs in the future," Banerjee told the Lok Sabha in a discussion on the railway budget.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Aware of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's temper, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday gestured her party MPs not to upset her when she presented the railway budget in the Lok Sabha. Banerjee clashed with Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MPs as she began her budget speech.

June 14th, 2009 HOWRAH - Known for being the voice of the voiceless, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday ordered officials to reduce the exorbitant price range of food available on board a new express train. Banerjee, who arrived here to flag off the Kandari Express between Howrah and the tourist resort of Digha in East Midnapore district, expressed annoyance over the price-chart, saying she "didn't agree with it".

May 16th, 2009 KOLKATA - Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee registered her sixth consecutive victory from the Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat, trouncing her nearest rival, Rabin Deb of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) by 219,571 votes. Banerjee, who has been winning from this seat since 1991, had defeated Deb in 2004 also.

April 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, L K Advani, on Wednesday laid the onus on Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to choose between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Talking to reporters at the airport after arriving in the city to campaign for the elections, Advani said, "Mamata has to decide whether she wants to join the NDA or stay with the Congress." Advani clarified that the decision to leave the NDA and join hands with the Congress was solely taken by Banerjee.

April 22nd, 2009 KOLKATA - Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee filed her nomination for the South Kolkata parliamentary constituency on Wednesday. Her main CPI (M) opponent, Rabin Deb also filed his nomination today.

April 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - It was an unusual sight. Residents of South Kolkata were startled to find hundreds of Mamata Banerjees walking in a procession, canvassing for votes for the Trinamool Congress chief.

April 12th, 2009 KOLKATA - Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will share the campaign platform with Congress president Sonia Gandhi April 27 at a rally in West Bengal's Jangipur, from where External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha. This was decided at a late Saturday meeting between Mukherjee and Mamata at the former's south Kolkata residence.

April 2nd, 2009 PATNA - Filmmaker Prakash Jha, contesting from the Bihar's West Champaran constituency, has declared in an affidavit that he has personal assets worth Rs.55 crore (Rs.550 million). Jha, who is a Lok Janshakti Party nominee, said in the affidavit submitted during filing of nominations that he has Rs.2,925,602 (Rs.29 lakh) in cash and bank deposits to the tune of Rs.41,233,548 (Rs.4.1 crore).

March 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday fielded a woman candidate against Mamata Banerjee for the Lok Sabha's Kolkata South seat after Trinamool Congress snapped ties with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to team up with the Congress in West Bengal. BJP sources here said the party's state Mahila Morcha (women's wing) president Jyotsna Banerjee has been nominated for the prestigious constituency.

March 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal state Congress president Pranab Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday night held talks to forge an alliance between the two parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Senior Congress leader K.

January 25th, 2009 KOLKATA - Feeling 'humble', Missionaries of Charity (MoC) superior general Sister Nirmala Monday said she was unable to understand why she was being given Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour. 'I don't know much about this award and can't understand what I have done to receive this honour!' Nirmala told reporters at Mother House, the global headquarters of MoC here.

January 25th, 2009 KOLKATA - Having been conferred the nation's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan, Missionaries of Charity (MoC) Superior General Sister Nirmala Sunday said she felt humble and grateful. 'I am grateful to god.