Mahasweta Devi protests meet on Maoists
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Magsaysay award winner Mahasweta Devi joined a rally here Tuesday to protest Home Minister P. Chidambaram's meeting to coordinate a crackdown on Maoists in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Slow and steady operation against Maoists: PC
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday said careful, calibrated and controlled operation would continue against the Maoists to re-establish civil administration, ruling out any collateral damage.

Kolkata intellectuals decry Chidambaram's meet
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Magsaysay award winner litterateur Mahasweta Devi was among a few hundred intellectuals, who took out a protest rally and burnt an effigy of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday, decrying his meeting with four eastern states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal for chalking out a coordinated anti-Maoist operation.

PC in Kol to discuss Maoist offensive
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram reached West Bengal state secretariat Writers' Buildings Tuesday morning to hold a crucial meeting with chief ministers and representatives of four eastern states on a joint campaign against the Maoists.

Muslims welcome 10 percent job quota in West Bengal
New Delhi, Feb 9 : The 10 percent quota in government jobs for backward Muslims in West Bengal is being welcomed by leaders of the community who say it's not really enough but add that something is better than nothing.

'Capital dredging proposal from Kolkata Port Trust awaited'
Kolkata, Feb 9 : The central government is awaiting a detailed proposal from the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) to undertake capital dredging of the Haldia channel, union Minister of Shipping G.K. Vasan said here Tuesday.

Trinamool not colluding with Maoists: Chidambaram
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Standing by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Home Minister P. Chidamabaram Tuesday rejected allegations that she was colluding with Maoists and said no party which believed in parliamentary democracy could play ball with the Leftwing radicals.

Peerless launches Mutual Fund, plans to make it 'aam admi'
Kolkata, Feb 09 : Peerless Funds Management Company Ltd (PFMCL), a wholly subsidiary of Rupees 1200 crore Peerless General and Investment Co, today launched Peerless Mutual Fund with initial capital Rupees 50 crore.

Kolkatans have always been fashionable: Monapali
Kolkata, Feb 09 : Describing the city to be a growing fashion hub, ace designer Mona Sachdev, of the Monapali brand, said the people of the city have always been fashionable.

Capital dredging to increase Haldia Port's navigability:Vasan
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Shipping Minister G K Vasan today said capital dredging would be undertaken to increase the navigability of Haldia port at an approximate cost of Rs 995 crore.

Talks with Maoists if they halt violence: Chidambaram
Kolkata, Feb 9 : The central government Tuesday reiterated its offer for talks if Maoists halted violence, but warned the Leftwing guerrillas that 'slow and steady' operations against them would continue if they did not pay heed to the appeal.

Jt op to continue until Maoists eschew violence : Chidambaram
Kolkata, Feb 9 : The joint operation against Maoists would continue in coordination with the affected states until the ultras shun violence, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said today.

Coal India plans to earmark 1 percent share for staff
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Country's largest coal producer Coal India Ltd (CIL), which is planning to come out with its Initial Public Offering (IPO) of shares would be earmarking one percent of the share for its staff, a top company official said Tuesday.

Centre should continue providing stimulus package to industries
Kolkata, Feb 09 : The Centre should continue extending stimulus package to industries following expansion of India's trade with other countries, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya M Scindia said today.

Commerce ministry hopes export stimulus to stay for some more time
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia Tuesday said his ministry has requested the finance ministry to continue the export stimulus for some more time until the export sector recovers completely.

I was not informed in time about Tuesday's meeting: Nitish Kumar
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Clarifying his stand on skipping Tuesday's meeting convened by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to help the four Naxal-affected states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand counter the Naxal problem; Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said that he had prior commitments and was not informed about the meeting in advance.

Slow, steady progress in anti-Maoist operation: Chidambaram
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Reiterating his offer for talks if Maoists halted violence, Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday said the government was forced to continue its operations in Maoist insurgency-hit states as the rebels had spurned previous such appeals.

Halt violence for talks, Chidambaram tells Maoists
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday said the government would be ready to talk to Maoist guerrillas if they called a halt to their violence.

Bihar and Jharkhand chief ministers skip Chidambaram's meeting
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren have decided to skip Tuesday's meeting convened by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram to help the four Naxal-affected states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand to co-ordinate their campaign against Naxals.

High-level meet to approve 'Operation Greenhunt' begins
Kolkata, Feb 9 : To reach a consensus and approve the joint operation against Maoists in four states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal, a high-level meeting under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram began at the State Secretariat today.

Meeting to chalk out plan against Maoists begins in Kolkata
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's meeting with four state governments to chalk out a comprehensive inter-state operation against the Maoists began at the State Secretariat Writers Building Tuesday.

Chidambaram to discuss strategy to battle Maoists threat
Kolkata, Feb 9 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will on Tuesday chair a meeting here that has been called by the Centre to help four Naxal-affected states of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand to co-ordinate their campaign against the Naxals.

Freedom of speech, expression fundamental right: Pranab
Kolkata, Feb 8 : Voicing support to film star Shah Rukh Khan, who earned the wrath of Shiv Sena for his comment on Pakistani cricketers for IPL tournament, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said freedom of speech and expression was a fundamental right and nobody could deny it.

LF to launch stir to protest essentials' price hike
Kolkata, Feb 8 : The ruling Left Front in West Bengal will launch a protest movement throughout the state between February 20 and March 2 against the soaring prices of essential commodities.

Steel Plant and Power Plant at Salboni, Icchapur within 6 months
Kolkata, Feb 8 : Enthused by the 'sobering recession,' Jindal Group would begin construction work for the proposed steel plant at Salboni and a 800 MW Power plant at Icchapur within six months, Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal said today.

Security forces miss Kishanji again
Kolkata, Feb 8 : The joint security forces Monday raided a camp used by banned Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leader Kishanji in West Bengal's West Midnapore district, but the rebel leader yet again managed to escape.

Chidambaram to discuss anti-Maoist steps with chief ministers
Kolkata, Feb 8: Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram will sit with the chief ministers of three eastern Indian states here Tuesday to draw up the details of a joint security operation against the Maoist menace.

West Bengal to accord job quotas for poor Muslims
Kolkata, Feb 8 : West Bengal's Left Front government Monday said it would reserve 10 percent of government jobs to economically, socially and educationally backward Muslims by including them in the OBC (Other Backward Class) category.

Bhattacharjee assures JSW of security for Salboni plant
Kolkata, Feb 8 : JSW Group vice-chairman Sajjan Jindal Monday said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has assured him of adequate security for his company employees constructing a 10-million tonne steel plant in Salboni in Maoist-affected West Midnapore district.

Kolkata family exhibits musical instruments of British Raj era
Kolkata, Feb 8 : An exhibition of a family's collection of heirlooms of ancient musical instruments is proving to be an attraction for students and scholars of history in Kolkata.

Globsyn signs MoU with FBI
Kolkata, Feb 8 : Globsyn, a software, education, training, and infrastructure services firm, Monday announced that it has signed a MoU with Family Business Institute (FBI), North Carolina, USA.

'Increasing trend in keeping cats, dogs'
Kolkata, Feb 8 : There is an increasing trend towards keeping cats and dogs in the northern and eastern part of India, said a top official at Waltham Veterinary Workshop here on Monday.

West Bengal to reserve 10 pc jobs for backward Muslims
Kolkata, Feb 8 : For every 100 government jobs, ten would be for Muslims who are backward in West Bengal, said state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday announcing reservations for the minority.

West Bengal CM promises ten percent quota for Muslims
Kolkata, Feb 8 : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has announced that ten percent reservation in jobs would be given to Muslims socially, educationally and economically backward.

WB govt announces 10 pc reservation for Muslims
Kolkata, Feb 08 : Acting first on the Ranganath Mishra Panel recommendations, the West Bengal government today announced 10 per cent job reservation for Muslims under OBC quota, excluding the creamy layer.

Police lathicharge, RAF deployed to control mob
Barrackpore, Feb 08 : Irate locals went on a rampage, setting fire to a police jeep and threw stones and bricks at the security forces, to protest alleged police inaction after a youth's body was recovered from Ghola area in North 24 Parganas today.

Left Front to launch protest against price rise
Kolkata, Feb 8 : West Bengal's ruling Left Front Monday said that it would launch a protest against the rising prices of essential commodities by taking out rallies and holding street corner meetings across the state between Feb 20 and March 9.

Bengal to adopt Ranganath Mishra Commission recommendations
Kolkata, Feb 8 : West Bengal's Left Front government Monday decided to adopt the Ranganath Mishra Commission's recommendations for the betterment of economically, socially and educationally backward minority Muslims in the state.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee slams Centre for price rise
Kolkata, Feb 8 : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has slammed Central Government for the price rise.

CITU threatens all-India shutdown if cooking gas prices raised
Kolkata, Feb 7 : A prominent left trade union Sunday threatened an all-India shutdown if the central government raised prices of cooking gas and other petro-products following the Kirit Parikh panel recommendations.

Will not surrender to Maoists: Buddhadeb
Kolkata, Feb 7: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday asserted that his government will never surrender to the Maoists and launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress for "backing" the left-wing rebels and other disruptive elements in the state.

Foreign hands behind plot to destabilse Bengal: Bhattacharjee
Kolkata, Feb 7: Alleging that 'foreign powers' were working in a team with the country's vested interest groups to charge up anarchy in West Bengal and oust the Left Front from power, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today urged the people to take up the 'challenge' for a fightback against such forces.

Masks, cutouts, speech...Jyoti Basu everywhere at Left rally
Kolkata, Feb 7: Three weeks after his death, Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu remains the Left's most beloved poster boy in West Bengal. In the form of masks, giant cutouts and banners, his face sprung up at a rally here Sunday organised by the state's ruling Left Front constituents.

Buddhadeb slams Trinamool for 'backing' Maoists
Kolkata, Feb 7: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress for "backing" the Maoists and other disruptive elements in the state.