West Bengal

Kolkata, Aug 25; PTI: Stepping up attack on the government over the Rafale fighter jet issue, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today accused the Centre of ignoring the defence procurement procedure and "bypassing" several committees to secure the deal.

The former finance minister also alleged the Cabinet Committee on Security was not taken into confidence by the government before signing the deal.

Kolkata, Jul 26 (PTI); Former President Pranab Mukherjee today said despite the country having high GDP growth and being among the top economic powers, it is "way behind" in the overall happiness ranking.

India occupies the 133rd place (according to a world survey) in overall happiness ranking in 2018, Mukherjee said.

He said this was so in spite of the impressive GDP numbers, high average life expectancy, which went up from 31.4 years (in four years after Independence) to 68 years at present, and a quantum jump in foodgrain production since 1947.

PTI; Kolkata, July 12 : CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury today said that law should be allowed to take its own course in the case of alleged child racket by Missionaries of Charity (MoC).

PTI; Kolkata, July 9 : The West Bengal CID has identified some linkmen in different metro cities, who helped the five Chinese nationals arrested with drugs here last week, a senior official said today.

The Chinese nationals were arrested outside Kolkata railway station on June 30, after the GRP seized 197 kg of 'party drug' amphetamine, worth Rs 40 crore. Mobile phones, a laptop, Chinese currency and train tickets were also seized from them.

PTI; Kolkata, Jul 9 : The West Bengal CID has arrested four alleged members of a new "terrorist outfit" from Naxalbari area in north Bengal for "plotting" to conduct serial blasts in several government buildings and on railway tracks on August 28, a senior police officer said today.

The four arrested persons have been identified as chief Nirmal Roy and members Kandarpa Das, Ratan Adhikary and Dipi Prasad Roy of the newly formed terror outfit Greater Coochbehar Liberation Organisation (GCLO), he said.

PTI; Kolkata, Jun 15 : The West Bengal government is working on a new law to tackle the menace of fake news and posts on social media, a move which comes against the backdrop of such posts stirring trouble and unrest in many parts of the country.

A Home Department official told PTI that the state government intends to bring more clarity on the nature of the offence and punishment for those responsible for spreading fake news and posting morphed photographs with an aim to disrupt peace and communal harmony or spread hatred in society.