Kolkata, June 22 (IANS) Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta on Monday presented a Rs 4.38 lakh crore budget for 2026-27, outlining a twin focus on social welfare and industry-led infrastructure development in West Bengal.Presenting the maiden budget of the state’s first BJP government since Independence, Dasgupta said all existing welfare schemes will continue, with stricter targeting to ensure benefits reach genuine beneficiaries. He added that the government has inherited an accumulated debt of…
Latest Cooch Behar News & Updates
Kolkata, June 21 (IANS) Four people were killed and 10 were seriously injured after a passenger-laden bus of the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) rammed into the rear of a trailer parked in the Maynaguri area of Jalpaiguri district in north Bengal. The accident took place on National Highway 27 on Sunday.According to the police, at least 57 passengers were injured in the accident. Hospital sources said the condition of 10 of them is critical. Four people died on their way to hosp…
Kolkata, June 18 (IANS) The CBI on Thursday arrested a Proclaimed Offender in a post-poll violence case relating to the murder of Manik Maitra from Siliguri, West Bengal, an official said. Shyamal Barman has been at large since the registration of the FIR in this case and has never joined the investigation/trial, said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a statement.The CBI had announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for his apprehension.After the arrest, the accused was produced before the…
Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) Amid the growing rift in the Trinamool Congress, party MP Saugata Roy on Friday said that some of his fellow lawmakers are claiming they did not sign any document, yet their names are still being used, even as termed whatever is happening is immoral and unethical, as these lawmakers were elected on the party’s symbol and received full support from it, with campaigning led by party President Mamata Banerjee. Speaking to IANS, Saugata Roy said: “Some people are claiming tha…
Kolkata, June 6 (IANS) An FIR has been lodged against former North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha at the Mathabhanga police station in Cooch Behar district.The complainant is Bhawaiya folk singer Manindranath Barman. The singer, a resident of Nayarhat in Mathabhanga, stated in a written complaint to the police that the former MLA from Natabari had threatened to kill him.On Friday night, Manindranath visited Mathabhanga police station with a lawyer to lodge a formal complaint against Uda…
Kolkata, June 6 (IANS) The West Bengal unit of the BJP is planning an initiative to secure Geographical Indication (GI) tags for several traditional Bengali sweets that currently lack formal recognition, the party said on Saturday.The party’s goal is to establish several popular Bengali sweets, which are still without Geographical Indication (GI) recognition, at the national and international levels.According to the party, it will apply through the state government for the traditional sweets tha…
Kolkata, June 1 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) is set to push for the relocation of all zero-line villages in West Bengal to facilitate more effective management of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB).The BSF has been pursuing the issue for several years. However, according to senior officials, the process is expected to gather momentum following the change of government in the state.“The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been pursuing the matter for several years now. Adequate compensat…
Kolkata, May 27 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said that a total of 142.79 acres of land has so far been handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) for the construction of outposts and barbed-wire fencing.In a post on X, Adhikari said: “Govt of WB has initiated intensified measures to strengthen border security by facilitating construction of BSF outposts and barbed-wire fencing, further enhancing security in the border areas. Additional land has now been h…
Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) Rathindra Bose, the first-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Cooch Behar (Dakshin) constituency, on Friday was elected unopposed as the new Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly.Bose’s name was announced as the BJP nominee for the post of Speaker of the House on Thursday by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Since no second name was proposed by any other political party as a contender, Bose was elected unopposed on Friday.Maintaining the true spirit of Parliam…
Kolkata, May 14 (IANS) The Leader of the House in the West Bengal Assembly, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, made a surprise announcement on Thursday, naming first-time party legislator Rathindra Bose as the nominee for the post of Speaker.Initially, it was perceived that the seniormost party MLA in terms of legislative experience, Tapas Roy, who is currently the pro-tem Speaker of the new Assembly administering oaths to all elected legislators, would be named as the permanent Speaker.However, t…