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[Suncity]

Land acquistion problems continue...

Police, villagers clash over steel plant expansion

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfee...on/967614.html

Burdwan (WB), Feb 26 (PTI) Thirteen people were injured today after police lathicharged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse stone-pelting villagers protesting the completion of a steel plant's boundary wall here, officials said. The villagers of Purushottampur, from whom land had been acquired in 2007 for IISCO Steel Plant's modernisation and expansion, were demanding jobs while objecting to the completion of the boundary wall. They tried to stop work when a gap in the wall was being covered, Subrata Gangopadhyay, ADCP of Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, said. The clash took place when police personnel present there intervened and the villagers started pelting stones at them, injuring one, he said. A contingent of police and RAF which later arrived was also attacked by them, Gangopadhyay said, adding police then lathicharged and lobbed teargas shells leading to 12 people suffering injuries. Chandrasekhar Roy, one of the injured and a leader of the Purushottampur Jamihara Committee, an organisation of those whose land had been acquired, and six others were arrested in this connection, he said. The villagers later demonstrated in front of Law Minister Malay Ghatak's residence at Purushottampur for sometime.

As per Star Ananda report - this organization was supported by Mamata Banerjee before she became the CM of the state.

Video



class = clash.

[AbhishekDatta]

http://telegraphindia.com/1120227/js...y_15184524.jsp
Do dil mil rehe hai..magar chupke chupke..

Mamata foe is Maoists’ friend

PRONAB MONDAL


Jhargram, Feb. 26: The CPM today took out its first procession in Jungle Mahal since losing power, led by a leader who figured on the Maoist hit-list and apparently facilitated by the adage “the enemy’s enemy is a friend”.

Although the Maoists have suffered reverses, without a “passive understanding” with the rebels, the CPM could not have taken out the 3,000-strong march for three hours in and around Aguiboni, about 15km from Jhargram town and part of West Midnapore’s Jungle Mahal. Maoist sources spoke of the understanding but the CPM denied any such arrangement.

Today’s procession was led by Prashanta Das, a CPM zonal committee member who topped the Maoist hit list in the area with the rebels issuing leaflets and posters in his name saying that he would be killed. Das, who was arrested in connection with the murder of a Trinamul Congress worker, is now out on bail.

Maoist sources, seething at Trinamul after the new government’s crackdown that culminated in the death of Kishan, claimed that the CPM was allowed to resume political activity as it would mean campaigns against the Mamata government.

The CPM workers in today’s procession, apart from asking the people to make Tuesday’s general strike a success, raised slogans against the chief minister’s alleged failure to keep her promise to provide more jobs to villagers.

Ironically, the CPM, when in power, had accused Trinamul, then in Opposition, of being hand in glove with the Maoists. Such alliances of convenience and eventual somersaults, largely dictated by survival instincts, are not uncommon.

The CPM workers had fled the Maoist strongholds in Jungle Mahal during the Lalgarh movement in the face of threats and liquidations. In pockets like Aguiboni and adjoining Chandri village, the CPM had set up armed camps to stave off the Maoist threat.

“We knew that Prashanta Das supervised the armed camps of the CPM. But we now have a passive understanding with the CPM and we are allowing him and others to carry out political activities. The police of the new government are not giving permission to our frontal organisations like Nari Izzat Bachao Committee to hold rallies,” a Maoist leader said.

CPM sources said the party’s workers and leaders who had fled are returning home. “Now the Maoists are not trying to kill us,” a CPM member said.

However, Das said: “We don’t have any kind of pact with the Maoists. In today’s procession, local villagers joined spontaneously and raised their voice against false promises made by Mamata Banerjee,” Das said.

Maoist sources said they would not directly participate in any movement launched by the CPM. But the outfit’s frontal organisations would lend support to any agitation that the Left launches against the state government, especially those related to “police highhandedness”.

[AbhishekDatta]

Bengal seems to be poisoned forever...when bureaucracy starts following gandhi or marx god knows what happens to public... thank god for letting me live in a country which is free from such cancers...

Anti-Left panel wins WBCS officers' association elections
TNN | Feb 27, 2012, 03.41AM IST

KOLKATA: For the first time in three decades, the anti-Left backed group in the WBCS (executive) Officers Association won with an enormous majority in its election. The WBCS association comprises majority of the West Bengal civil service. The anti-Left panel secured 571 votes, while the Left-backed panel secured 198 votes.

Even before coming to power, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had conducted a meeting in an effort to establish contact with the state civil servants by offering them sops. She also promised to elevate maximum number of WBCS officers to the level of IAS thus winning over a huge number of civil servants to her side. Thus, a huge group tilted to the c's side even before she came to power.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/12050139.cms

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

http://telegraphindia.com/1120227/js...y_15184524.jsp
Do dil mil rehe hai..magar chupke chupke..

Mamata foe is Maoists’ friend

So it looks like it is the Maoists who decide who will be allowed or not allowed to live in villages or to take out processions. TMC and CPM just play second fiddle. Someday TMC is in bed and someday CPM is in bed but it is the Maos who are calling the shots. The govt has to push out the maoists asap from the state so that their writ doesn't run anymore

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

Bengal seems to be poisoned forever...when bureaucracy starts following gandhi or marx god knows what happens to public... thank god for letting me live in a country which is free from such cancers...

Anti-Left panel wins WBCS officers' association elections
TNN | Feb 27, 2012, 03.41AM IST

What's wrong with Gandhi?

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by Suncity

What's wrong with Gandhi?

depends on which Gandhi .. ...nothing wrong with Gandhi or Marx... not even when parties use them as the godfather...problem is when IAS/WBCS cadres start following those politics otherwise supposed to be the face of state power free from any prejudice...

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by Suncity

So it looks like it is the Maoists who decide who will be allowed or not allowed to live in villages or to take out processions. TMC and CPM just play second fiddle. Someday TMC is in bed and someday CPM is in bed but it is the Maos who are calling the shots. The govt has to push out the maoists asap from the state so that their writ doesn't run anymore

I guess the iron hand of state govt. has done its job...now for the final push out people should not be betrayed of the promises made...going good so far and Jairam Ramesh seems to be the best man from Central lot ...

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

depends on which Gandhi .. ...nothing wrong with Gandhi or Marx... not even when parties use them as the godfather...problem is when IAS/WBCS cadres start following those politics otherwise supposed to be the face of state power free from any prejudice...

WBCS officers should normally side with the ruling adminstration. They are part of the administration and they need to be on the good books for promotion and perks. Right?

[AbhishekDatta]

is it right? this has become normal for yrs thats true.. being in good books is alright but we have seen how that very bait has ruined the impartiality of state for yrs...though I read news on this where CM has to intervene and rebuke the candidates from both sides as they were crossing their limits and going too far with their lobbying/campaign etc...

[Sumanb]

Originally Posted by Suncity

[I]

I wonder if all the "plotters" and "conspirators" who object to "petty" matters will be subjected to janoraosh by jallads while the police will twiddle their thumbs under the glorious rule of Didi. It used to be harmads and ganorosh in the earlier regime and the police used to twiddle their thumbs during the glorious rule of CPM.

Glorious Rule? People have started talking about 'misrule', at least the 'bhadrolak' in Kolkata. Somehow in last one month the mood of general public has changed drastically and they are discussing about the 'misrule'. Their primary concern is the lawlessness and marked increase in hooliganism in last couple of month.

[Rajarshi77]

Indian Express

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee wants to rope in some of her favourite silver screen stars of Tollywood for the revival of Mother Dairy Calcutta — a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the state Animal Resource Development (ARD) department.

During a meeting she had with state ARD minister Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury, the department’s principal secretary and other senior officials of Mother Dairy Calcutta on February 9 at her chambers at Writers’ Buildings, Banerjee has “advised them” to contact Bengali film director Haranath Chakraborty to “make advertisements” to be shown in some private Bengali news channels.

The minutes of the meeting, a part of which is available with The Indian Express, revealed that Banerjee has further advised ARD department officials to emphasise on publicity of Mother Dairy products to “generate more market share”. To generate mass awareness, “the CM was kind enough to advise the officials to contact film director Haranath Chakraborty for organising small advertisements for Mother Dairy Calcutta,” a senior ARD department official said.


Chakraborty had worked for Trinamool Congress in the run up to the Assembly elections last year and earned Banerjee’s blessings. He attended many election rallies organised by the Trinamool during the elections. Not only Chakraborty, the Chief Minister also wants to rope in some popular Bengali film stars like Dev, Koel and Subhasree to revive the PSU. Koel is the daughter of noted Bengali film star Ranjit Mullick, who is considered to be very close to Banerjee and is the chairman of a cultural committee the chief minister has set up under the information and culture department.


The chief minister has express her desire to get these silver screen stars involved in making of ad films at minimum or no cost. “Also, she wants these Ad films be shown in what she said some “valued media at either free or minimum cost considering the financial position of the PSU,” the ARD department official informed.

Banerjee has also suggested some slogans for the PSU’s revival, one of which is “Mother Dairy Calcutta Leads Bengal Products”.

According to the meeting’s minutes, the chief minister may also provide 70 acres of land at Kalyani under ARD department to Mother Dairy Calcutta for the construction of its second unit.
“The Chief Minister has appreciated the efforts of the officials to minimise loss without any financial assistance from the government. The unit’s loss has come down to Rs 84 lakh in January 2012 from Rs 6 crore earlier. She advised the ARD department officials to introduce some more products like fat-free herbal items, sugar-free chocolate, cholesterol-free milk.

[Suncity]

Beating the bandh culture

Govt employees planning to stay in offices through the night. They even have stoves ready (no fire hazard?) and have shopped for dinner and next day's food [vegetables, eggs, muttons]. Cooking will be done in office premises. Looks like Didi's anti bandh medicine may work this time. Not sure how much work will get done though. It looks like a picnic atmosphere than work day. Employees will have to wash, cut vegetables and meat and cook too.







TMC is actively campaigning/protesting against the Industrial Strike/Bandh called by all other trade unions.

[Suncity]

We are sorry for calling strikes in past, never again: Mamata Banerjee

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...w/12057835.cms

Apologizing for calling strikes and shutdowns during her days as an opposition leader, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Monday appealed to the masses to foil the industrial strike called on Feb 28 and assured that the government would take stringent action against those who tried to implement the strike forcefully.

"We ( Trinamool Congress) had earlier done the same mistake by calling for strikes and shutdowns. We later realized that a problem cannot be solved by calling a strike. In the last two years, we have not called a single strike," said Banerjee in an interview that was telecast on three Bengali news channels.

Mamata wakes up late, says calling bandhs was a mistake

Resorting to bandhs during her opposition days was a mistake, chief minister Mamata Banerjee admitted on Monday, just a day before the showdown between her government and the CPI(M) plays out on the streets of Bengal centering the February 28 industrial strike.

During Monday’s hour-long interview, Mamata’s comment on her change of stance became significant, though she chose to devote only one sentence to it. However, the brevity notwithstanding, the comment stood out as a formal admission of a mistake and its rectification.

Between 1998 and 2007, as an opposition leader Mamata Banerjee called a string of Bangla bandhs (general strike in West Bengal) that crippled the state. She was frequently criticized by various sections of the civil society – particularly investors and chambers of commerce – for that brand of politics.

Significantly, after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls – often regarded as the watershed elections marking the beginning of the end of the 34-year old Left rule in Bengal – Mamata Banerjee almost metamorphosed as a leader and announced her abhorrence for bandhs.

[Suncity]

Whenever the earlier regime was asked about law and order situation, they would claim it was better than Bihar and Gujarat. With the crime graph rising in the state, when faced with the same question Didi has gone a step ahead!

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/my-statem...266-37-64.html

Amid severe criticism from all sections of society for calling the Park Street rape "a cooked-up case", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed a section of media for distorting her statement and said her initial response was based on the preliminary investigation report.

"A particular channel has distorted my version. I have never said that nothing has happened."

"A channel had earlier slammed the police, later on they tried to create a division within the police force. Everything will come out in the investigation," the chief minister said.

Banerjee also rubbished the opposition allegation that the law and order has gone for a toss in the state.

"Law and order of the state is in its best condition," she said.

[AbhishekDatta]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Beating the bandh culture

Govt employees planning to stay in offices through the night. They even have stoves ready (no fire hazard?) and have shopped for dinner and next day's food [vegetables, eggs, muttons]. Cooking will be done in office premises. Looks like Didi's anti bandh medicine may work this time. Not sure how much work will get done though. It looks like a picnic atmosphere than work day. Employees will have to wash, cut vegetables and meat and cook too.







TMC is actively campaigning/protesting against the Industrial Strike/Bandh called by all other trade unions.

looks like the message is going loud and clear that bandh culture needs to stop.. decades old habit inflicted by all parties into bengalee mind(enjoying a bandh) is not going to go away within a year..and they may not succeed this time as fear of clash may pull employees out of road...and the bandh may be partially successful ... even then the effort so far is good and should be appreciated... going forward they should start the process of service rule amendment...also some benefits should be given like 10% hike in fares in bus/taxis etc on bandh days to encourage vehicle owners...also make sure insurance claim disbursement is convincing to the owners,govt. can be a guarantee.. and above all TMC should never call a bandh during their rule as they are doing for last 4 yrs now ...

[AbhishekDatta]

http://telegraphindia.com/1120228/js...y_15189047.jsp
No vacancy: babus rush to check in

OUR BUREAU
Feb. 27: Offices may or may not be full on Tuesday but south Bengal hotels already are.

A scramble has broken out among government employees in the districts to reserve rooms on the eve of the general strike following the administration’s directive disallowing leave.

“I have never seen such demand for accommodation from government employees before a strike,” said Prosenjit Sarkar, the secretary of Hotel and Lodge Owners’ Association in Nadia. Similar reports came in from hotels and lodges in East Midnapore and Hooghly.

“I could not take the risk of coming to office from so far a place. So, I have booked a hotel room in Ranaghat,” said Uday Basu (name changed), who lives in Belgharia on the northern fringes of Calcutta. Basu works in the land and land reforms department in Ranaghat.

Indrajit Roy, an employee of the youth welfare department in Krishnagar who commutes from Barrackpore, has booked a room in a guesthouse run by the zilla parishad. “I can’t take a risk. I have booked a room,” Roy said.

In East Midnapore towns such as Tamluk, Contai, Haldia and Panskura, all hotel rooms have been booked by state government employees and schoolteachers. Many who did not get hotel rooms are staying in the zilla parishad conference rooms, in their offices or relatives’ houses.

Tapan Maity, owner of a hotel in Tamluk town, contrasted the rush with what used to happen earlier. “We keep our hotel closed during bandhs as there are no customers. But this time it is different. All hotels in Tamluk town are booked. We are feeling bad that we have to turn customers away,” Maity said.

Some are making adjustments. In Chinsurah, five lady teachers of Hooghly Mohsin College, all residents of Salt Lake, wanted to book rooms at Blue Diamond hotel but hotel manager Gouranga Biswas said only two were vacant.

“I could not help it. So, I offered them two rooms and they decided to share the rooms,” Biswas said.

Improvisation is also at play. In Tamluk, engineer Alok Sarkar, who attends office from Belur in Howrah, and 40 other colleagues have hired bedding from a decorator and were preparing to sleep on the floor of the zilla parishad conference hall.

“I have taken permission from the sabhadhipati to use the conference room. We have been instructed to attend office which we can’t ignore,” Sarkar said this evening.

Some teachers are putting up with students. Ashok Hatua, headmaster of Khamarchak High School near Tamluk town, said that nine teachers of the school come from far-off places. “The three lady teachers will stay in houses of students while the remaining male teachers will stay the night in the school,” the headmaster said.

Nearly all rooms in hotels and lodges in Hooghly’s Chinsurah and Arambagh towns have been booked by government employees. So much so that the district information officer, Debiprasad Chatterjee, did not get any room.

“I attend office from Salt Lake and have been trying to manage a room in a hotel in Chinsurah for the past four days. But I could not get one. Rooms in all hotels were booked. Finally, I decided to stay in the house of an acquaintance in Chinsurah town,” said Chatterjee.

[AbhishekDatta]

Fear strikes strike junkies
D-day after decades of disruptive diet

PRANESH SARKAR
Calcutta, Feb. 27: Habit versus fear.

The skills honed across three decades in shutting down life faced unfamiliar hurdles today when leaders of the Left-nurtured Co-ordination Committee tried to assemble supporters at the state secretariat to drum up support for tomorrow’s 24-hour general strike from 6am.

The turnout at the mobilisation drives captured the challenge before the umbrella organisation of 33 government employee unions that used to command the unquestioned allegiance of over 85 per cent of the 15-lakh-strong levers of the executive.

“At such an assembly in front of the library on the ground floor, the headcount of strike supporters was less than 100. I have never seen such a poor turnout at a gathering in support of a strike,” said a senior government officer with 30-plus years of experience at Writers’.

“This is what fear can do to the most vociferous supporters of strike,” he added.

The fear of break in service was palpable as the Co-ordination Committee members went from one department to another to convince employees to take part in tomorrow’s general strike.

Besides disallowing leave, the state government has warned employees that they would face break in service if they did not show up tomorrow.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today iterated the warning issued by minister Madan Mitra last week. “If anybody does not attend duty tomorrow, he or she will face break in service. This is the rule,” Mamata said while leaving Writers’ this evening.

As a break in service can affect seniority and pension calculations, many were busy through the day discussing whether the government could invoke the clause, mentioned in the West Bengal Service Rules (WBSR) that apply to all government employees.

“If a government employee absents himself abruptly or applies for leave, which is refused in the interest of public service and still remains absent, the entire period of absence can be treated as unauthorised absence entitling loss of pay, thereby resulting in break in service,” according to the WBSR.

Even if an employee is absent for a day, senior officials said, the rule could be applied after issuing a showcause notice and initiating departmental proceedings.

The leaders of the Co-ordination Committee, however, tried to show a brave face, saying the government could not initiate any step against employees for not turning up tomorrow.

“As per the amendment brought in the West Bengal Service Rules in 1980 by the then Left Front government, state government employees enjoy full trade union rights and the employees were also given the right to strike in the amendment,” said Ananta Banerjee, general secretary, Co-ordination Committee.

He tried to explain that the associations had followed the rulebook and informed the government about the strike two weeks ago.

However, the explanations and pleas to stay away from work do not appear to have convinced the employees at Writers’ — at least not till Monday evening. “It comes as a surprise to see the Co-ordination Committee leaders pleading with us to make the strike successful as they have always forced us to join the strike. Although their approach is polite this time, I cannot risk my career and I will surely attend office tomorrow,” said a government employee.

Confronted by hair-splitting questions on the applicability of the break in service clause and its impact on careers, a few Co-ordination Committee leaders conceded in private that they had never faced a situation like this.

The last time the Co-ordination Committee had taken on the government to make a strike successful was in 1974, when the then chief minister, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, had threatened a pay cut for absence during a general strike called on April 9 that year.

“A lot of our supporters can sacrifice a day’s pay or a day’s leave but the threat of break in service is really a potent weapon,” admitted a Co-ordination Committee leader.

The fear factor was evident as more than 500 employees of different departments at Writers’ today sought permission to stay at the state secretariat so that they can join duty tomorrow. In the first such circular issued by the chief secretary, the government granted the permission and arrangements were made for the employees.

“The chief minister is playing a political game using us…. We know that no work will be done tomorrow and most of the employees will leave early after signing the register but we hardly have a choice as we are afraid,” said a supporter of the Co-ordination Committee, who has decided to defy his leaders and turn up at Writers’.

A Left delegation went to the Lalbazar police headquarters to meet commissioner of police Ranjit Pachnanda and submit a memorandum. The delegation could not meet Pachnanda as he was not in office. The CPM team left after meeting a joint commissioner.

Industry has welcomed the chief minister’s stand but it has also pointed out that tackling a strike alone is not enough to attract investment. Many other key issues are still to be sorted out, industrialists said.

http://telegraphindia.com/1120228/js...y_15189045.jsp

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by AbhishekDatta

looks like the message is going loud and clear that bandh culture needs to stop.. decades old habit inflicted by all parties into bengalee mind(enjoying a bandh) is not going to go away within a year..and they may not succeed this time as fear of clash may pull employees out of road...and the bandh may be partially successful ... even then the effort so far is good and should be appreciated... going forward they should start the process of service rule amendment...also some benefits should be given like 10% hike in fares in bus/taxis etc on bandh days to encourage vehicle owners...also make sure insurance claim disbursement is convincing to the owners,govt. can be a guarantee.. and above all TMC should never call a bandh during their rule as they are doing for last 4 yrs now ...

I think Didi will win this round against CPM. She has checkmated them. If the strike is successful CPM loses because people will think that they are disruptive. If the strike is unsuccessful, people will become bolder and assume that CPM is an empty vessel.

The "service break" threat has turned out to be a master stroke by didi.

If she can change a 100% successful bandh to a 80% successful bandh, there is hope that the CPM will not dare to call Bangla bandhs anymore.



Anyway the organized public sector employees are a priviledged lot. There is no reason why employees there should be going on strike in first place.

[BengaliTiger]

Bandh er ki situation???

[mountaincloud]

Originally Posted by BengaliTiger

Bandh er ki situation???

some lazy people are enjoying a holiday. if you want to go to work you can. that's the situation. i will be leaving home soon.