PVR sets foot in eastern India, opens multiplex in Howrah
Howrah, Feb 9 : Priya Village Roadshow (PVR) Cinemas, which is now eyeing eastern India, Thursday launched its first multiplex here and Sanjeev Bijli said that the company planned to open 70 more screens and invest Rs.120 crore. Read Full Story

Bengal, centre spar over funds
Kolkata, Feb 9 : The West Bengal government Thursday refuted the Congress' claim that it was "understating" central assistance, and said it did not receive a penny more than what it constitutionally deserved. Read Full Story

Yahoo! expands language base with launch of Bengali service
New Delhi, Feb 8 : Yahoo! India and Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) Wednesday announced a partnership to deliver premium digital content in Bengali to the Indian Internet audience. Read Full Story

Arrested SFI activists move Calcutta High court for bail
Kolkata , Feb 7: Three SFI activists, who had been arrested for assaulting the principal of a college in northern district of the state, moved Calcutta High court for bail today after a lower court refused to hear their plea. Read Full Story

NCPCR asks State Govt to detail steps taken to tackle crib deaths
Kolkata, Feb 7 : Taking serious view of child deaths in different Government hospitals in West Bengal, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the State Government to state in detail steps taken to tackle the situation. Read Full Story

HHI's Tatha salon unveils exotic spa service
Kolkata, Feb 7 : Tatha Signature Salon at the city's Hotel Hindustan International unveiled "Tatha Xperience" with a range of exotic spa services and rituals on Tuesday. Read Full Story

NCPCR seeks infant death report from WB
New Delhi, Feb 7 : The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the state government to spell out in detail the steps taken to tackle the recent neonatal deaths in various hospitals in West Bengal. Read Full Story

Another Maoist couple surrenders in Bengal
West Midnapore (West Bengal), Feb 7 : A Maoist couple Tuesday surrendered before the police in West Bengal, becoming the third pair to do so since the Mamata Banerjee-led government come to power. Read Full Story

Bengal hospital gives cat-bite jab to child instead of mother
Kolkata, Feb 7 : The sorry state of affairs in West Bengal's government hospitals once again came to the fore when a eight-year-old boy was injected a cat-bite antidote instead of his mother at a medical facility here Tuesday. Read Full Story

CPI-M lawmaker given euphoric welcome after bail
Kolkata, Feb 7 : CPI-M lawmaker and former minister Sushanta Ghosh, prime accused in the Midnapore skeletons case freed on conditional bail by the Supreme Court last week, Tuesday walked out of a jail here to a jubilant welcome from party workers who greeted him with 181 roses. Read Full Story

Arrested SFI activists move Calcutta High court for bail
Kolkata , Feb 7: Three SFI activists, who had been arrested for assaulting the principal of a college in northern district of the state, moved Calcutta High court for bail today after a lower court refused to hear their plea. Read Full Story

NCPCR asks State Govt to detail steps taken to tackle child deaths
Kolkata, Feb 7: Taking serious view of child deaths in different Government hospitals in West Bengal, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the State Government to state in detail steps taken to tackle the situation. Read Full Story

If mills refuse, we will procure rice: Mamata
Krishnagar (Nadia), Feb 7 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today riterated that the government would procure the rice if the mills refuse to buy it. Read Full Story

NCPCR asks WB govt to enumerate steps to prevent crib deaths
New Delhi, Feb 7 : The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the West Bengal Government to spell out in detail steps taken to tackle the situation arising out of the neonatal deaths in various hospitals in the state including Kolkata, Malda, Burdwan and Berhampore. Read Full Story

Former CPI(M) minister released
New Delhi, Feb 7 : Former West Bengal Minister and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Susanta Ghosh was released from Kolkata's Alipore Central Jail on Tuesday. Read Full Story

Child rights panel questions Bengal on infant deaths
New Delhi, Feb 7 : Taking cognizance of deaths of new-born babies in various hospitals of West Bengal, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Tuesday said it has asked the state government to spell out, in detail, the steps taken to tackle the situation. Read Full Story

Drugs worth Rs.8 crore seized, two held in Bengal
Murshidabad (West Bengal), Feb 7 : Two people were arrested and drugs worth Rs.8 crore were seized from West Bengal's Murshidabad district Tuesday following questioning of two people earlier taken into custody from a heroin making unit, police said. Read Full Story

CPI(M) leader Sushanto Ghosh released from Kolkata jail
Kolkata, Feb.7 : Jailed Communist Party of India (CPI-M) leader Sushanto Ghosh, was released from the Alipore Central Jail here on Tuesday, six months after he was arrested on a charge of seven skeletons being recovered from near his ancestral house in West Midnapore. Read Full Story

Skeleton case accused Sushanta Gosh released from jail
Kolkata, Feb 7 : Former minister and CPI(M) MLA from Garbeta Sushanta Ghosh, lodged in Alipore Correctional Home after being arrested in connection with the Benachapra skeleton recovery case, was released today. Read Full Story

Bookworms in a new avatar
Who says book reading is in the wane? It's alive and kicking though the reading itself may have morphed into a new format. Ritusmita Biswas takes a look at the changed world of book reading Read Full Story

Left demands probe into farmer suicides
Kolkata, Feb 6: West Bengal opposition leader Surya Kanta Mishra Monday demanded a probe into the farmer suicides in the state and compensation to the families of such farmers. Read Full Story

Calcutta HC stays compensation to hooch victims' families
Kolkata, Feb 6 : The Calcutta High Court Monday stayed the payment of compensation declared by the West Bengal government to the families of victims of last December's hooch tragedy in South 24 Parganas. Read Full Story

Bengal govt. grants second language status to Urdu in some areas
Kolkata, Feb 6 : West Bengal government has granted second language status to Urdu in those areas having ten percent Urdu-speaking population in the state. Read Full Story

Rift emerges between India and Britain over economic aid row
New Delhi/Kolkata, Feb 6 : Leaders of various political parties have condemned the British government's decision to impose conditional economic aid to India. Read Full Story

Government is committed to carve out separate Gorkha state: M.K Narayanan
Siliguri, Feb 6 : West Bengal Governor M.K Narayanan on Monday said that the Government is committed to carve out a separate Gorkha state. Read Full Story

HC stays payment of compensation in hooch tragedy
Kolkata, Feb 6: A two-judge bench of Calcutta High Court today passed an order staying the payment of government compensation to the families of victims of the December 14 hooch tragedy that claimed 173 lives. Read Full Story

Centre to frame new Competiton Policy soon:Dr Veerappa Moily
Kolkata, Feb 6 : The Centre is actively considering to introduce a new Competition Policy in line with those in the USA, UK, Australia and many other countries, by March next to bring in a univarsal parity in price structures of every commodity, Union Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily said here today. Read Full Story

No grant from Centre, Singhvi's comment untrue: Mitra
Kolkata, Feb 6 : Dismissing Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi's claim of Rs 800 crore central grant to West Bengal, Finance Minister Amit Mitra today said the state received no financial aid from the Centre recently. Read Full Story

Pranab praises Mamata for improving food supplies
Kolkata, Feb 6 : Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday praised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for checking inflation by improving foodgrain supplies in the state. Read Full Story

Mishra submits list of 33 farmers to Food Minister
Kolkata, Feb 6 : Alleging that farmers' suicide were continuing in West Bengal, Opposition Left Front today submitted a list of 33 'victims' to Food Minister Jyotipriya Mallick demanding urgent measures to contain the 'tragedies.' Read Full Story

Not got a single paisa in relief from central government: Bengal
Kolkata, Feb 6: Rejecting Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi's claim that the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation has been given about Rs.8,000 crore aid in its first few months in office, the West Bengal government Monday it was yet to get a "single paisa" from New Delhi. Read Full Story

Irritated by wailing, father kills baby girl
Murshidabad (West Bengal), Feb 6 : Enraged by the continuous bawling of his infant daughter, a man allegedly flung the two-month-old baby down a drain resulting in her death in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, police said Monday. Read Full Story

HC stays payment of compensation in hooch tragedy
Kolkata, Feb 6 : A two-judge bench of Calcutta High Court today passed an order staying the payment of government compensation to the families of victims of the December 14 hooch tragedy that claimed 173 lives. Read Full Story

Narayanan on 3-day holiday tour to Darjeeling
Darjeeling, Feb 6 : The West Bengal Government is committed to the issue of GTA, Governor M K Narayanan said here today. Read Full Story

First song from Vidya Balan's 'Kahaani' dedicated to Kolkata
New Delhi, Feb 6 : Director Sujoy Ghosh has revealed that the recently released song of his upcoming film 'Kahaani', which stars Vidya Balan, is a tribute to Kolkata. Read Full Story

Mamata wants Hong Kong style 'financial district' in Goa
Panaji, Feb 6: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may be opposed to special economic zones (SEZ) as well as foreign investment in civil aviation and retail, but her party Trinamool Congress now wants to carve out a "financial district" in faraway Goa. Read Full Story

Congress will raise voice against lack of governance in West Bengal: Singhvi
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Sending a forthright message to its partner, the Trinamool Congress, the Congress today said it would continue to raise voice against the administration in West Bengal if there was 'lack of governance'. Read Full Story

36th Kolkata Book Fair ends
Kolkata, Feb 06 : The 36th Kolkata Book Fair that witnessed visits by some of the most famous people from the fields of literature, sports, media, silver screen besides the footfalls of lakhs of common people came to an end on Sunday. Read Full Story

Maoist leader killed in West Bengal encounter
Kolkata, Feb 5 : A Maoist leader was killed in an encounter with the combined forces in West Bengal's West Midnapore district on Sunday. Read Full Story

Constructive criticism of TMC will continue: Congress leader Singhvi
Kolkata, Feb.5 : Congress party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Sunday bluntly sent out a message to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress Government in West Bengal that his party is duty bound to give constructive criticism over the functioning of the state administration. Read Full Story

Congress will raise voice against lack of governance in West Bengal: Singhvi
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Sending a forthright message to its partner, the Trinamool Congress, the Congress today said it would continue to raise voice against the administration in West Bengal if there was 'lack of governance'. Read Full Story

Maoist killed in Junglemahal
West Midnapore, (West Bengal) Feb 5 : A Maoist involved in several acts of violence was killed in a gun battle with security forces here Sunday, police said. Read Full Story

Left Front govt responsible for backwardness of adivasis: Marandi
Purulia, Feb 5 : Left Front government, which ruled West Bengal for 34 years, was responsible for backwardness of the adivasis in the state, Jharkhand's first Chief Minister and MP Babu Lal Marandi said here today. Read Full Story

Congress rubbishes Mamata's claim of financial neglect
Kolkata, Feb 5 : The Congress Sunday dismissed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's claims of not getting enough financial support from the central government. Read Full Story

Another Kolkata man dies near burnt laptop
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Three months after a laptop snag killed an MNC employee, another man in Kolkata was found dead close to his burnt laptop in his bedroom, police said Sunday. Asphyxiation is suspected to be the cause of death. Read Full Story

First Rushdie, now Taslima - end of cultural tolerance?
By Pradipta Tapadar, Kolkata, Feb 4 : The cancellation of the release of controversial author Taslima Nasreen's autobiography at the famed Kolkata Book Fair has thrown the spotlight on the destructive clout of religious fanatics in a city once known for savouring cultural pluralism. Read Full Story

A tryst with Italy at Kolkata Book Fair
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Ramping up this year's international appeal two authors and a musician from Italy charmed the audience at the Kolkata Book Fair on Saturday. Read Full Story

Kabir Suman urges Mamata to expel him from Trinamool
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Responding to party supremo Mamata Banerjee's earlier 'threat', disgruntled Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman has urged the West Bengal Chief Minister to expel him from the party. Read Full Story

India's import-export business with Bangladesh paving way for stronger economic ties
Siliguri, Feb 4 : India's import and export business with Bangladesh is flourishing due to the favourable and strategic geographical location of both the countries, strengthening the process, economic ties between the two countries. Read Full Story

Mamata accuses Left of poor governance in West Bengal
Kolkata, Feb 4 : West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has blamed the previous Communist Party of India (Marxist) administration of misgovernance in the state. Read Full Story

We have generated 5 lakh jobs in just 8 months: Mamata
Howrah, Feb 4: Only eight months into power and we have already been able to generate five lakh vacancies,' Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said. Read Full Story

Pranab refuses to divulge details of his meeting with Army chief
Kolkata, Feb 4: Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today declined to divulge details of his meeting with army chief V K Singh on Thursday. Read Full Story

Pailan face resurgent Lajong
Kolkata, Feb 4 : After having held Goan giant's Salgaocar SC in their last encounter, Pailan Arrows will certainly have their morals high, when they face Shillong Lajong FC in their 19th round I-League match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, on Sunday. Read Full Story

When the south wind blows
Kamalinee Mukherjee and Padmapriya are the two talented actresses from Southern cinema who are making their presence felt in their first Bengali film Aparajita Tumi, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury. TWF correspondent Shoma A. Chatterji was bowled over by their charm and wit during a conversation Read Full Story

Suspected Manipuri militant arrested in Kolkata
Kolkata Feb 4 : A suspected member of a Manipuri extremist organisation, responsible for creating links with the Maoists, was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police Saturday. Read Full Story

Not getting development funds, complains Trinamool MP
Kolkata, Feb 4 : Singer-turned-Trinamool Congress MP Kabir Suman Saturday complained that the developmental work in his Lok Sabha constituency was suffering with his MP Local Area Development funds being blocked. Read Full Story

Medical group opposes leniency to accused AMRI doctor
Kolkata, Feb 4 : The Indian Medical Association Saturday said no leniency should be shown to AMRI Hospital managing director and veteran doctor Mani Chettri, as it would set a bad precedent if one hospital director was shown mercy while others languished in jail. Read Full Story

Special 'Gitanjali' to mark Tagore's 150th birth anniversary
Kolkata, Feb 4 : A special edition of "Gitanjali", the Nobel Prize-winning anthology of Rabindranath Tagore's poems, was Saturday launched by union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as part of the bard's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. Read Full Story

Pailan Arrows face Shillong Lajong FC tomorrow
Kolkata, Feb 4 : High on confidence after sharing a point with title holders with Salgaocar SC in their last encounter, local outfit Pailan Arrows will aim for an outright victory, when they face Shillong Lajong FC in their 19th round I-League match at Yuba Bharati Kriragan here tomorrow. Read Full Story

Veteran sports scribe Atul Mukherjee dies at 86
Kolkata, Feb 4 : Veteran sports scribe and life member of Calcutta Sports Journalists Club Atul Mukherjee died of old age at his south Kolkata residence early today, family sources said. He was 86. Read Full Story

Guilty should be punished in 2G, says Trinamool
Kolkata, Feb 4 : The Trinamool Congress Saturday refused to comment on the special CBI court's order declining to make Home Minister P. Chidambaram an accused in the 2G spectrum case, but added that the guilty should be punished. Read Full Story

Street theatre festival focuses on child rights
Kolkata, Feb 4 : Children's theatre groups from many states are raising their voice against child rights violations in the five-day National Street Theatre Festival "Bol Jamoore" that began in Kolkata. Read Full Story

Govt recognises Urdu as second language in West Bengal
Kolkata, Feb 3 : The West Bengal government today recognised Urdu as the second language in the state. Read Full Story

Taslima's 'Nirbashan' total sellout in Kolkata Book Fair
Kolkata, Feb 3 : 'Nirbashan' (Exile), the latest book of self-exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen was a total sellout in the 36th Kolkata International Book Fair barely a day after organisers cancelled the official launch of the title following protests and threats by religious organisations. Read Full Story

Bengal fishermen, abducted by Bangladeshi pirates, traced
Kolkata, Feb 3 : Eleven Indian fishermen who went missing following an attack by Bangladeshi pirates in West Bengal's Sundarbans area have been located in Bangladesh and efforts are to bring them back, an official said Friday. Read Full Story

Kishenji was killed in fake shootout: Mahasweta Devi
Kolkata, Feb 3: Claiming that top Maoist leader Kishenji was killed in a "fake" shootout by the security forces, Magsaysay awardee author-activist Mahasweta Devi Friday said the government must probe and bring out the truth behind his death. Read Full Story

West Bengal to start golden highway project
Kolkata, Feb 3 : In a bid to attract private sector investment in improvement and maintenance of state highways and major roads, the West Bengal cabinet Friday decided to implement a "golden highway project" by setting up an agency in public-private partnership model with an initial paid-up capital of Rs.50 crore. Read Full Story

19 infants die in two Bengal hospitals
Kolkata, Feb 3 : Highlighting the poor state of health services in West Bengal, 19 infants have died in two district government hospitals in the past two days, a state official said Friday. Read Full Story

NATCONPH 2012 kicks off in Kolkata
Kolkata, Feb 3 : The National Conference on Pharmaceutical Technology (NATCONPH 2012) got underway in Kolkata on Friday. Read Full Story

Cinepolis India CEO gets 'Business Super Achiever' award
Kolkata,Feb 03 : Mr. Milan Saini,Managing Director and Country Head,Cinepolis India,was awarded the country's 'Business Super Achiever' trophy at a function here last night, recognising his allround performance in the growth of Indian corporate Industry. Read Full Story

St Xaviers' School releases new CD on Gurudev Tagore
Kolkata Feb 3 : St. Xavier's Collegiate School became the first school in India to release a compact disc, devoted entirely to Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore and his work, in collaboration with HMV Sa Re Ga Ma at a function here last night. Read Full Story

Greenply Industries record healthy growth in Q-3
Kolkata,Feb 03 : Greenply Industries Limited, a leading player in the country's plywood and laminate industry, has posted over 32 per cent jump in net sales to Rs. 418.10 crores during the third quarter of the current financial year. Read Full Story

Veteran AMRI doctor gets bail till Feb 15
Kolkata, Feb 2 : AMRI Hospital MD and veteran doctor Mani Chettri, held for a fire in the institution that killed 94 people last December, was Thursday given conditional bail till Feb 15 by a Kolkata court. Read Full Story

Fire in Kolkata go-down, no casualty
Kolkata, Feb 2: A fire broke out in a cloth godown in the city Thursday evening which subsequently spread to an adjacent studio where several Bengali actors were shooting. No casualty or injury was reported. Read Full Story

IAS duo sent to police custody
Kolkata, Feb 2 : Two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers arrested for alleged involvement in a multi-crore iron ore export scam were sent to police custody Thursday. Read Full Story

Mamata enjoys relaxing day at Sundarbans
Sonakhali (West Bengal), Feb 2 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee enjoyed a rare relaxing day on cruise, piloting a launch in the tranquil of Sundarbans, the home of the Royal Bengal Tigers and mangrove forests, and surprised local officials by paying for her day's expenses. Read Full Story

Bengal slammed for plans to scrap emloyees' union rights
Kolkata, Feb 2 : The West Bengal government's plans to drop a clause in service rules of its employees that gives them full trade union rights have drawn the ire of a majority of workers' organisations. Read Full Story

Dead tiger to be stuffed, put on display at Honduran zoo
Tegucigalpa, Feb 2 : A Bengal tiger donated by a Mexican circus to the Tegucigalpa zoo last year was put down after sustaining a hip injury. It will now be stuffed and placed on display at the zoo, Honduran media reported Wednesday. Read Full Story

Seoraphuli local under ER derails near Serampur
Kolkata, Feb 1 : A bogie of Howrah-bound 37062 Dn Seoraphuli local got derailed before entering Serampur station under Eastern railway today. Read Full Story

Farmers' suicides not acceptable : Dipankar
Kolkata, Feb 1 : CPI(ML)-Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharyya today expressed sorrow over the series of alleged suicides committed by farmers in the state. Read Full Story

Buddhadeb takes strong exception to 'revenge' politics
Midnapore, Feb 1 : Former Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today took strong exception to 'revenge' politics and said the CPI(M) would stand by all political prisoners and absconders in the present regime. Read Full Story

Book Fair organisers cancel launch of Taslima Nasreen's book
Kolkata, Feb 1 : Close on the heels of the opposition that forced Salman Rushdie to skip the Jaipur Literary Festival, organisers of Kolkata Book Fair today cancelled the official book launch of controversial writer Taslima Nasreen following protests and threats. Read Full Story

HC asks SSKM to file report on health of AMRI director R S Agarwal
Kolkata, Feb 1 : A Calcutta High Court two-judge bench today asked SSKM hospital authorities here to file a report on the health of AMRI director R S Agarwal, now admitted in the state-run facility. Read Full Story

CM visits Aila-affected areas, Marichjhapi, Pakhiralaya
Gosaba, Feb 1 : A day after announcing a slew of developmental schemes for the Sunderbans, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today visited the Aila-affected areas here. Read Full Story

I- League 2nd division kicks off at venues
Kolkata, Feb 1 : The first phase of 2nd division's 23-team I-League begins at Silchar (Assam), Cuttack (Orissa) and New Delhi simultaneously today. Read Full Story

Six-month-old girl abandoned in train
Kolkata, Feb 1 : A six-month-old girl was found abandoned in a train heading to Kolkata, police said Wednesday. Read Full Story

Two IAS officers arrested in Bengal
Kolkata, Feb 1 : Two Indian Administrative Service officers - one retired and another on compulsory waiting - in West Bengal were arrested for their alleged involvement in an iron ore export scam in 2004-05. Read Full Story

UCO Bank's Q3 net jumps 10 percent
Kolkata, Feb 2 : Public sector UCO Bank Wednesday reported a 10 percent jump in its net profit for the quarter ended December 2011 at Rs.3.33 billion from Rs.3.01 billion during the same period of 2010. Read Full Story

Tasleema Nasreen's book launch at Kolkata Book Fair cancelled
Kolkata, Feb.1 : Bangladeshi author Tasleema Nasreen's book launch at the Kolkata Book Fair has been cancelled following objections from some religious extremist groups. Read Full Story