West Bengal Government revives IT hub plans

October 8th, 2009 KOLKATA - Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Thursday described West Bengal as an "university of Maoist activities" where the ultras get training and launch armed strikes in other parts of the country. "West Bengal is a university of Maoist activities.

September 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal is lagging behind in implementing the projects sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) scheme, Union Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy said here Wednesday. "West Bengal and Delhi are lagging behind in (utilising) the fund sanctioned under the schemes of JNURM.

September 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Monday informed IT majors Infosys and Wipro that their projects in a proposed township on the outskirts of this metropolis had been scrapped, according to officials. The proposed IT township at Rajarhat near Salt Lake had become controversial in recent weeks following allegations that land sharks had been involved in acquisition of plots there.

August 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Maoists have called an indefinite shutdown in three tribal-dominated districts of West Bengal from Tuesday, police said here Monday. "An indefinite shutdown has been called by the Maoists in three districts -- Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore from tomorrow (Tuesday)," West Bengal Inspector General (Law and Order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha told IANS.

August 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Minister for Transport, Sports and Youth Affairs Subhas Chakraborty passed away at a private hospital in Salt Lake on Monday. Sixty-eight-year-old Chakraborty is survived by his wife and a son.

July 19th, 2009 KOLKATA - Union Finance Minister and West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday ruled out any possibility of further division of West Bengal. Mukherjee said this while commenting on the indefinite bandh that has been called by Gorkha Janamukti Morcha(GJM) in the Darjeeling Hills, which has been demanding for creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland.

June 23rd, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Tuesday said the central government's decision to extend the ban on the Communist Party of India-Maoists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was also applicable to the state. "This act is applicable in the whole country.

May 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - With the opposition Trinamool Congress, now part of the central government, having said it would oppose the Nayachar chemical hub project, West Bengal's ruling Left Front government Friday said it had not received any notice yet from the central government to scrap it. "The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had given us the green signal to set up the Nayachar project.

May 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is likely to skip the CPI (M) politburo meeting on Monday in Delhi. The reason for the West Bengal Chief Minister skipping the politburo meeting is that he wants to "oversee the law and order situation in the state".

April 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) faces a tough fight in the Lok Sabha elections but would get a majority of seats in West Bengal, the party's general secretary Prakash Karat said here Tuesday. 'We will have a tough battle in the elections, but we have faced situations in the past when the opposition had virtually come together without an alliance,' Karat told reporters in response to the Congress and Trinamool Congress joining hands in the state.

March 18th, 2009 KOLKATA - Activists of Trinamool Congress and Congress party organised a yagna here for the success of the alliance of these two parties in the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha. This was consequent to the finalisation of the tie-up and sharing of seats between the two parties in West Bengal.

March 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government has made it clear to the Indian Premier League (IPL) authorities that cricket matches and the polls 'can't go together as far as security is concerned', an official said Monday. IPL cricket matches can take place in Kolkata during the Lok Sabha elections only if the central government provides additional security forces, said additional chief home secretary of West Bengal Ardhendu Sen.

March 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) senior leader L.K. Advani Friday said the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have an 'unwritten agreement' in West Bengal and in national politics.

March 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal's main opposition party Trinamool Congress Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the state's voting schedule announced by the Election Commission. The poll panel Monday declared that the Lok Sabha election in northern Bengal will be held April 30.

January 12th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal would review bus and taxi fares when the central government reduces fuel prices, Transport Minister Sunbhas Chakraborty said here Tuesday. 'The government of India has not issued any notification so far.