SUCI activists demand immediate relief for cyclone victims

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) held a demonstration in the national capital, on Wednesday over irregularities in the distribution of Below Poverty Line (BPL) social security cards. Scores of SUCI activists marched to Delhi state secretariat, raising slogans against the government, alleging that Delhi government is laidback in issuing BPL cards.

July 13th, 2009 KOLKATA - The State Bank of India (SBI) Monday donated Rs.1 crore for the victims of Cyclone Aila that tore through West Bengal in May killing 138 people, a bank official said. The amount was handed over to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya by SBI chairman O.P.

July 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - Hundreds of activists of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) staged a demonstration here against the alleged atrocities by security personnel in Lalgarh and also against the recent fuel hike by the Central Government. Shouting slogans against the Congress Party, they demanded roll back of fuel price hike.

June 8th, 2009 PANKHABARI - Families, devastated by landslide triggered by cyclone Aila in Darjeeling hills, have called for immediate relief and rehabilitation. About 100 families of the Pankhabari region in one of the worst affected areas have been staying in relief camp.

June 6th, 2009 KOLKATA - An eleven-member Central team will arrive here today to assess the damage caused by recent cyclone Aila in West Bengal. During their visit, the officials will visit the areas hit by the cyclone in West Bengal's South and North 24 Parganas districts and the Darjeeling hills.

June 6th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Trinamool Congress will not attend an all-party meeting on Sunday to exchange views and seek suggestions for expediting relief in the cyclone-affected areas. Sudip Bandopadhyay, TMC aspirant in Kolkata (North), said, "It is a desperate attempt to put a government seal on the efforts to get Central funds for the cyclone victims when the state has miserably failed to arrange relief and rehabilitation." The meeting has been called by State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

June 5th, 2009 KOLKATA - An eleven-member Central team will arrive here on Saturday to assess the damage caused by recent cyclone Aila in West Bengal. During their visit, the officials will visit the areas hit by the cyclone in West Bengal's South and North 24 Parganas districts and the Darjeeling hills.

June 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Centre would soon send a team to assess the damage caused by recent cyclone "Aila" in West Bengal, state, it has been assured to the State Government, said West Bengal Finance Minister Ashim Das Gupta on Tuesday. Ashim, after meeting the Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram on Tuesday in the national capital, said that Chidambaram has also promised that he would sympathetically consider all the demands for rehabilitation of the cyclone-affected people.

June 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - A seven-member team of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is spearheading a movement for a separate Gorkhaland, Wednesday met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and demanded Rs.10 billion for relief and restoration work in areas of Darjeeling hills devastated by landslides triggered by Cyclone Aila. The team of senior GJM leaders, led by party president Bimal Gurung, met Bhattacharjee at the state secretariat and also put forth their demand for holding three-tier Panchayat polls in Darjeeling hills.

June 2nd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday visited cyclone relief camps at Sarberia in North 24 Parganas district. Assuring that the government will provide money to rebuild their houses, he said, "The government will provide the money to rebuild your houses." Bhattacharjee, who talked to people who have taken shelter in the relief camp, demanded that they be provided permanent shelter so that they do not become refugees after every flood.

May 30th, 2009 KOLKATA - The central government will send relief material for West Bengal's cyclone victims, as also a team to assess the extent of devastation, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said Saturday. Speaking to a Bengali television news channel in New Delhi, Banerjee said the decision was taken at a meeting of the union cabinet Saturday.

May 30th, 2009 KOLKATA - China has donated $30,000 (Rs.1.41 million) to the Indian Red Cross Society for cyclone relief work in West Bengal. China's ambassador to India, Zhang Yan, Thursday handed over a cheque to S.P.

May 27th, 2009 KOLKATA - Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said she will urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give a central grant for those who have suffered property losses in Cyclone Aila. Speaking to media persons at her Kalighat residence here, she said she will also insist for a special master plan for flood control and river erosion.

May 26th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Tuesday visited cyclone relief camps in Nimpith in South 24 Parganas, the area worst hit by 'Cyclone Alia'. Bhattacharjee talked to people who have taken shelter in the relief camp.

March 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) has joined hands with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal but that will not deter it from fielding candidates against the latter's new ally, the Congress, in the Lok Sabha elections. 'We've decided to support the Trinamool but will field candidates against the Congress in nine Lok Sabha seats,' SUCI state secretary Probhas Ghosh told reporters here Friday.