West Bengal to acquire land for railway projects

October 5th, 2009 SILIGURI - The northern West Bengal town of Siliguri will have a new railway recruitment centre, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced here Monday. Flagging off the weekly New Jalpaiguri-Digha Paharia Express connecting North Bengal with the coastal tourist town of Digha in East Midnapore district, Banerjee said the recruitment centre would start functioning within two months.

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 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The railways ministry Wednesday said it would not resort to forceful acquisition of land for railway projects, and that it would review its land acquisition policy. "The ministry of railways has decided that there shall not be any forceful acquisition of land for railway projects," the ministry said in a statement.

September 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - Infosys board member T.V. Mohandas Pai Monday said the West Bengal government's decision to scrap a proposed IT hub project on the state capital's northeastern fringes was a "sad day" for the state.

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.

September 7th, 2009 KOLKATA - The projects proposed by Infosys Technologies and Wipro in a township just outside the state capital has been scrapped, the West Bengal government informed the two IT majors Monday. The projects were to come up in the proposed IT township at Rajarhat near Salt Lake but had become controversial in recent weeks following allegations that land sharks had been involved in acquisition of plots there.

September 6th, 2009 KOLKATA - Railway recruitment examinations will now be conducted in all major Indian languages, including Urdu, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said here Sunday. Speaking to newspersons at an iftar party hosted by union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed, Banerjee said: "Those appearing at Railway Recruitment Board examinations can opt for any regional language, including Urdu." RRB examinations have so far been conducted only in English and Hindi.

September 1st, 2009 KOLKATA - Auto major Tata Motors, which pulled out its small car Nano project from Singur in West Bengal last October amid controversies, Tuesday said it would return the factory land to the state government if it was paid the money it had spent to set up the now-abandoned plant. At the same time, it emphasised it would not stand in the way of any development on the land, the acquisition of which sparked off violent protests by a section of local farmers led by the main opposition party of the state, the Trinamool Congress.

August 5th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government Wednesday requested Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee to hand over the excess railway land to the state government for developing small and medium-scale industries. "We, on behalf of the department for state cottage and small-scale industries, sent a letter to Mamata Banerjee, requesting her to hand over the excess land of the railways to the state government.

July 16th, 2009 KOLKATA - After its land acquisition for industry went wrong twice, and with adverse consequences for it, the West Bengal government Thursday said henceforth the industrialists will have to directly purchase land from farmers. The government will no more acquire land for industries, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told the state assembly.

July 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - Terming it a "mixed' railway budget, West Bengal's ruling Left Front chairman Biman Bose criticised the privatisation schemes introduced in the new budgetary plans by Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday. "It's a mixed budget and the thrust is on more and more privatisation.

March 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - The central government has asked West Bengal to acquire land near the Kolkata port for a new naval base, a senior official said here Monday. 'The central government has asked us for land near the Kolkata port for setting up of a naval base.

February 26th, 2009 KOLKATA - Four Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were injured, one of them seriously, when suspected Maoists fired at them at a railway station in West Bengal's Purulia district, officials said Wednesday. State Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said the Maoists sprayed bullets when the RPF personnel were boarding the Subarnarekha Express at Barbhum railway station in Purulia, about 200 km from here.

February 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - A major train accident was averted in West Bengal Sunday when a railway worker spotted a crack in a rail track fishplate and stopped a train. According to sources, railway gateman Swapan Das made the discovery at Tarakeswar station in Hooghly district.

February 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - A township proposed by realty major DLF in West Bengal is facing uncertainty because of the general economic downturn that has hit the country's real estate market as well as possible backlash over land acquisition. 'DLF has asked for some more time to start its work in the state,' West Bengal Urban Development Minister Asok Bhattacharya said, referring to the project proposed at Dankuni, about 20 km west of the state capital.