Kolkata Mar 21 PTI West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay on Monday said schemes floated by the Mamata Banerjee government have ensured social security of farmersReplying to a debate on budgetary grants of Rs 931089 crore for his department in 2022-23 he claimed that farmers in Bengal are not driven to suicide from debt-burdens unlike some other statesChattopadhyay also pointed out that 10 lakh farmers in Bengal are yet to receive funds under the Centres PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme despite their details having been loaded in the designated portalHe stated that 7795 lakh beneficiaries have received assistance in 2021-22 under the states Krishak Bandhu scheme under which a maximum of Rs 10000 and a minimum amount of Rs 4000 is doled out to the farmers and share-croppersEligible farmers have been provided financial assistance totalling Rs 181899 crore for the last Kharif season and Rs 221610 crore for the ongoing Rabi season the minister saidChattopadhyay said that West Bengal holds the top position in clean rice production having yielded 169 lakh metric tonne in 2020-21The state set a target of producing 211 lakh metric tonne food grain in 2022-23 he maintainedThe minister however noted that production of potato another important crop in West Bengal has most likely dipped to an estimated 127 lakh MT in 2021-22 from 15118 lakh MT in 2020-21 owing to effects of cyclone Jawad and subsequent spells of rain PTI AMR RMS RMS

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 31 (ANI): West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 71.38 per cent till 5 pm in the four Assembly constituencies during the by-elections on Saturday.

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 30 (ANI): West Bengal recorded a voter turnout of 59.68 per cent till 4.30 pm in the four Assembly constituencies during the by-elections on Saturday.

Kolkata Sep 28 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday gave the go-ahead for the September 30 by-poll to Bhabanipur assembly seat from where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting saying it does not want to interfere with the Election Commissions decision at this stage The court however severely berated H K Dwivedi the states chief secretary for projecting himself more as a servant of the political party in power than a public servant by writing to the election panel seeking early by-poll in Bhabanipur to avoid a constitutional crisis Fayan Sinha the petitioner had filed a PIL for quashing the ECs decision to hold the by-poll on account of misleading submissions made by the chief secretary Passing the order a division bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal recorded its strong reservation about the conduct of the chief secretary in writing the letter to the EC As the process of election was initiated with the issuance of press note dated September 04 2021 and the polling has to be held on September 30 2021 we do not find it appropriate to interfere with the decision of the Commission to hold by-election to Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency at this stage the high court said in its order Taking exception to the letter the bench also comprising Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj said the chief secretary is a public servant who has to discharge his duties in terms of provisions of law whosoever may be in power The bench said a perusal of paragraph 6 of the press note issued by the EC shows that the information furnished by the chief secretary to the commission was contrary to facts It said the EC was misled by the letter on the COVID-19 situation in the state being under control as restrictions on account of the pandemic had been extended up to September 30 The EC was also misled about the flood situation as it is known to all that there had been excessive rains in the state the court said Be that as it may the most offensive part is the conduct of the Chief Secretary who projected himself to be more as a servant of the political party in power than a public servant whereby he stated that there would be constitutional crisis in case election to Bhabanipur Constituency is not held from where respondent No 5 Mamata Banerjee wants to contest election it said What constitutional crisis the Government could face with one person losing or winning election was not explained the bench observed and wondered How the Chief Secretary knew that the respondent No 5 was to contest election from Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency He was not a party spokesman or a returning officer The high court said the officer was not there to ensure that a particular person should come to power and in the absence of that person there would be a constitutional crisis The division bench said the petition will now be listed for hearing on November 17 for consideration of a host of larger issues The court had on September 24 said that an elected member TMCs Sovandeb Chattopadhyay from Bhabanipur constituency was made to resign so that the seat becomes available to enable Banerjee to contest the election Noting that it costs crores of rupees to the public exchequer to hold elections the court had said the decisions on such matters should not be left to the whims and fancies of people in power The bench ordered the matter to be listed for hearing on November 17 to decide the larger issue as to who should bear the cost to be recurred by the state exchequer if an elected candidate resigns from his constituency before completion of the term without there being any legal disability to enable another person to contest the election from that constituency PTI AMR RBT SK SK