Tag: Kolkata

One killed, nine injured in blast in Kolkata suburbs

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A seven-year-old boy was killed and nine people, including his mother, were injured in a low-intensity explosion in front of a multi-storey building in the Nagerbazar area in Kolkata’s northern suburbs on Tuesday, police said.

“A child, who was severely injured in the blast, has died in hospital. A total of nine people are injured,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Barrackpore Commissionerate, Ananda Roy said.

As per initial investigation, ammonium nitrate was used in carrying out the low-intensity blast outside the building, which also houses the office of South Dum Dum Municipality chairman Panchu Roy.

“It was a socket bomb explosion. Forensic team and the bomb squad of CID are examining the spot. We have started further investigation,” a police officer said.

The explosion was reported outside a fruit shop on the ground floor of the building in the congested Kazipara area under the jurisdiction of Dum Dum Police Station around 9 am, the officer said.

“Initially, we thought it was a gas cylinder blast. But it is not so. We have found a few iron nails but there is no smell of gunpowder,” another senior police officer said.

Trinamool Congress leader Roy claimed that he was the target of the blast.
Roy, stopping short of naming any political party, said the forces, which are currently attacking the ruling TMC all over Bengal, are behind the attack.
“It was a pre-planned blast… They had planned to kill me and other TMC workers, as it would create panic and help them gain foothold in the area,” he told PTI.

Asked whether the explosion was a result of infighting within the TMC, Roy said there was no such issue in south Bengal.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

7 Kolkata bridges identified as ‘most vulnerable’

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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In the wake of the Majerhat bridge collapse on September 4, the West Bengal public works department (PWD) has identified seven bridges in the city as “most vulnerable” requiring urgent repairs, a senior official of the department said.

The seven bridges are out of the 20, which, the PWD has classified as “distressed” structures. The seven bridges labelled as “most vulnerable” are Bijon setu, Gouribari Aurobindo Setu, Belgachhia bridge, Tollygunge Circular Road bridge, Dhakuria bridge, Tallah bridge and Santragachi bridge, the PWD official told PTI.

“Load-bearing capacities of these bridges were carried out and depending on that report, we have suggested to the police to impose restriction on goods-carrying vehicles to prevent further deterioration of the condition of the distressed structures,” he said.

The Kolkata Police has already banned movement of all goods vehicles on the first four bridges and is exploring the possibility whether a similar decision can be taken for the remaining ones, a senior officer of Kolkata Traffic Police said.

But, overloaded vehicles are still plying on the bridges, especially at night, leading to traffic snarls following which the trucks are stranded on the structures which might lead to another mishap, the PWD official said.

The PWD is preparing a detailed budget and a plan for immediately taking up the repair work of the seven bridges, the official said.

The department is also carrying out inspection of the remaining 13 bridges, including Dhakuria bridge, Tallah bridge, Sukanta Setu and Santragachchi bridge, following which they will either be labelled as “vulnerable or relatively
safe”.

“Inspection is being carried to test the load-bearing capacity of Dhakuria bridge and Tallah bridge so that a decision can be taken on the type of vehicles whose movement may be restricted,” the PWD official said.

A team of officials from the state PWD department has carried out separate surveys at Sukanta Setu connecting Jadavpur with Santoshpur and at the Karunamoyee bridge linking Tollygunge to Haridevpur.

“Sukanta Setu has developed cracks in some places and requires repair work. But there is a need of a survey of the structure to ascertain the extent of damage,” he said.

Talking about the Santragachhi bridge, the PWD official said that “poor condition” of the bridge was a cause of worry.

“Santragachhi bridge is a vital bridge but a recent survey suggests that it requires immediate repair on urgent basis. We think we must have a separate plan for Santragachhi bridge because it is used by several hundreds of trucks bringing in supply to the city and the suburbs,” he said.

Talking about the Sealdah bridge, the PWD official said that the government was working on options for shifting the shopkeepers to some other locations before starting “immediate” restoration work there.

“Sealdah bridge is a crucial one in the city which also immediately requires urgent repairs. But markets and shops need to be shifted first before we start carrying out the renovation and restoration works,” the official pointed out.

Talking about the budget for carrying out the repair works at these bridges, the official hinted that it could run into several crores because the restoration work would differ from bridge to bridge.

After estimating the cost, the state government would float tender and it would be done in “a very short time,” the official added.

On whether the bridges were maintained properly or there were lapses on part of the government, the official said, “People have forgotten that bridges have a shelf life and require regular monitoring apart from auditing and
maintenance.

But these critical parts were ignored and hence bridges have reached such a structurally distressed state.”

Three persons were killed while 24 others injured in the September 4 collapse of a portion of Majerhat bridge, which connects the city centre with the heavily populated Behala, vast areas of the south west suburbs and neighbouring
South 24 Parganas district.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

West Bengal reduces petrol and diesel prices by Re 1 per litre

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A day after the opposition-sponsored Bharat Bandh against rising fuel prices, West Bengal government on Tuesday reduced the prices of petrol and diesel by one rupee per litre. The decision was announced chief minister Mamata Bannerjee and the new prices of petrol and diesel will be implemented from Wednesday.

On Tuesday, petrol prices touched Rs 83.75 per litre in Kolkata, while diesel is at Rs 75.82 per litre.

West Bengal became the third state after Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan reduced the fuel prices to provide relief to people from the continuous increase in prices.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday announced a reduction in petrol and diesel price by Rs 2 each in the state.

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday said the state will reduce Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel and petrol prices by 4 percent.

Since mid-August, petrol price has been marked up by Rs 3.24 a litre and diesel by Rs 3.74 per litre as the rupee hit a record low against the US dollar, making petroleum imports costlier.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

No construction work was on at Kolkata bridge collapse site, says officials

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Amid blame game over the partial collapse of a bridge in south Kolkata’s Majherhat, the Eastern Railway on Wednesday confirmed it was not conducting any maintenance work at the accident site.

“It is stated by a section of press and media that railway’s construction work was going on. It is clarified that no railway work was going on at the affected Majherhat bridge,” a release issued by the Eastern Railway said.

The railway department also clarified that the maintenance of the collapsed portion of the road over bridge is not under their jurisdiction and said none of the railway passengers or employees were injured in the accident.

A youth was killed and at least 19 others were injured after a portion of a 40 year old bridge in Majherhat area, came crashing down at around 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Several vehicles were damaged and many people were feared trapped under the rubble.

Following the clash, state urban development minister Firhad Hakim had stated that the heavy piling work that is going on at the adjacent metro project, could have turned the foundation of the bridge weaker.

The Metro authority, however, said there was no link between the ongoing construction work of the metro project and the bridge collapse.

The Eastern Railway also clarified that the train services through Majherhat railway station had been temporarily suspended following the accident.

“Circular Railway train services are being maintained between Dumdum junction station and BBD Bag station. However, the train services on Budge Budge-Ballygunj section may be restored after ensuring the safety,” it added.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Bridge in busy Kolkata locality collapses, one killed

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A portion of the arterial Majerhat bridge in south Kolkata collapsed Tuesday evening, snuffing out one life, trapping several people and crushing many vehicles, police said.

The 40-year-old bridge in the crowded Alipore area caved in around 4.45 pm during rush hour over rail tracks. It runs over the Majerhat Railway Station and connects the city centre to Behala and other southern suburbs.

While police confirmed the death of one person, fire brigade personnel engaged in the rescue work said 25 injured were pulled out from the rubble. The injured have been admitted to SSKM and CMRI hospitals, the police said.

State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said she has heard about the death of five persons but it is yet to be confirmed.

NDRF DG Sanjay Kumar said earthmovers are being used. “We have to take into account the safety aspect while clearing the debris”, he said.

Another minister Firhad Hakim said efforts are being made to find out any trapped person under the debris. After the rescue work is over “we will undertake technical inquiry”, he said.

An eyewitness said some people in a minibus and private cars have been trapped.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the first priority is to rescue the injured and those who are trapped. She said a probe would be ordered to find out the cause of the collapse.

City mayor Sovan Chatterjee and senior police officers are at the accident site.

Circular Railway services and local train services in Budge Budge-Sealdah line were affected, an Eastern Railway spokesman said in Kolkata. The local train services were suspended from 4.45 pm, he said.

The bridge collapse hit traffic movement to and from vast areas in south-west Kolkata and adjacent South 24 Parganas district.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident as “deeply unfortunate” and hoped for the speedy recovery of the injured.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien tweeted, “Watching scenes of Majerhat bridge #Kolkata collapse . Devastating. Rescue teams, disaster management teams, Police CP,fire fighters already reach spot. Locals join. Rescue operations on.Prayers for those affected. Difficult to gauge enormity of tragedy as yet looking at visuals.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Zipgo to close Rs 300 crore funding in next one week from Essel Infraprojects

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bus aggregator, Zipgo Technologies Private Ltd, is in the last leg of raising Rs 300 crore from Essel’s Group company, Essel Infraprojects Ltd.

Two people in the direct knowledge of the deal confirmed that founders have already signed on the term sheets and the existing investors are in the process of signing papers. The deal is expected to be closed in the next one week.

With the fresh round of funds, the company will look to induct electric buses and e-rickshaws into its fleet and slowly move towards EV heavy fleet or EV only fleet.

The company has raised about $8 million, with the latest being Fund of Funds for Start-ups.

Founded by Jitendra Sharma, Pritesh Gupta, Gaurav Aggarwal and Neeraj Paliwal in 2015, Zipgo is a member’s only private on-demand bus service provider that provide air-conditioned buses for daily commute.

The company currently operates in six metros and also piloted inter- city commute last year.

Zipgo’s latest fund raise comes at a time, when the company has been struggling with regulatory challenges for operations in certain cities and increased cost of fuel.

Essel Infraprojects Ltd, which is likely to be a majority shareholder after the funding, has already announced investment of over Rs 3,000 crore into electric mobility space during Uttar Pradesh Investor Summit earlier this year.

Also, recently under the Essel Green Mobility Ltd initiative, the company launched charging stations and battery swapping technology initiate in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

The company is also planning to launch 250 charging station and 1,000 battery swapping stations in 20 Uttar Pradesh cities.

The story was first reported by news site Entrackr.

Zipgo’s competitor in the space, Shuttl, recently raised $11 million led by Amazon India, Alexa fund and Denstu ventures.

The company will be using funds to expand into two new cities along with strengthening its service in existing cities, Delhi NCR and Jaipur. Shuttl is also running pilots in Pune and Kolkata.

Zipgo refused to comment on the story, while a response from Essel Infraprojects Ltd is awaited.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Vijay Mallya tops list of India’s 28 fugitive economic offenders, says report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya has allegedly swindled the most from banks among 28 fugitive economic offenders on the list made public by the government, reported BloombergQuint.

According to the news report, based on two complaints filed by investigating agencies, Mallya allegedly defrauded banks of about Rs 7,500 crore, according to the list the finance ministry submitted in the Lok Sabha. It includes cases under trial and being investigated.

The promoter of defunct Kingfisher Airlines is followed by jewellers Mehul Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, the report said.

The list also includes names of Chetan Sandesara, Nitin Sandesara and Diptiben Sandesara—promoters of Sterling Biotech Ltd; Jatin Mehta—promoter of Winsome Diamonds; Nillesh Parrekh, Umesh Parekh and Kamlesh Parekh—promoters of Kolkata-based Shree Ganesh Jewellery House; Sabhya Seth—promoter of Dwarka Das Seth International and Rajiv and Alka Goyal—promoters of Surya Pharmaceuticals.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Petrol and diesel prices fall after 10 days

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Petrol prices fell around 10 paise across the four metro cities on Monday after rising nearly a rupee and a half in the the last 10 days. Prices of diesel also were down around 13-15 paise from the levels on Sunday.

Since fuel prices started an upward movement again on June 5, prices were unchanged on July 11 and July 15 (Sunday), according to data from the Indian Oil Corp’s website.

In the national capital, petrol was priced at Rs 76.84 on Monday, 11 paise down from the previous price of Rs 76.95 a litre.

In the other key cities of Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the fuel was sold at Rs 79.51, Rs 84.22 and Rs 79.76 per litre respectively, against the previous levels of Rs 79.61, Rs 84.33 and Rs 79.87 a litre.

Domestic prices of transportation fuel are largely determined by market forces and global crude oil prices and are changed on a daily basis as per the dynamic pricing system.

The Brent crude oil prices have eased in the past one week and are currently around $75 per barrel.

Cost of diesel in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai were at Rs 68.47, Rs 71.03, Rs 72.65, Rs and 72.28 per litre, down from the Sunday’s levels of, Rs 68.61, Rs 71.16, Rs 72.80 and Rs 72.43 per litre.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Housing sales in NCR up by 23% in April-June over previous quarter, says ANAROCK

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Housing demand that was hit by demonetisation seems to be recovering in the national capital region (NCR) with sales rising 23 percent to 11,150 units during April-June 2018 over the previous quarter, according to a study. Property consultant ANAROCK in its latest report said housing sales in Delhi-NCR during March quarter stood at 9,100 units. However, the sales were marginally down from 11,450 units in the corresponding period of the previous year.

“Housing sales across the top 7 cities of India also rose 24 percent compared to January-March 2018, indicating that hitherto abstaining home buyers are back on the market. Developers are working hard on clearing unsold inventory with attractive schemes, freebies and discounts,” ANAROCK Property Consultant Anuj Puri said.

The positive impact of policy reforms including real estate law RERA and GST have begun to bear fruit, he added.

The seven major cities tracked are — NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Around 60,800 units were sold in April-June with NCR, MMR, Bengaluru and Pune together accounting for 81 percent of the overall sales.

“End-user driven Bengaluru led the pack on the back of re-ignited interest from IT/ITeS professionals reacting to the mitigated job risks and overall favourable economic environment,” Puri said.

Bengaluru saw the highest jump in sales in second quarter of 2018 with sales increasing 27 per cent to 14,600 units from 11,500 units in the previous quarter.

In Mumbai region, housing sales rose 26 per cent to 15,200 units from 12,050 units in March quarter.

During the period under review, sales in Hyderabad increased 25 per cent to 4,750 units, while in Pune sales rose 24 per cent to 8,400 units. Kolkata witnessed an increased of 17 per cent to 4,000 units. Sales went up by 16 per cent in Chennai to 2,700 units.

“The overall unsold inventory declined by 2 per cent from 7.11 lakh units in March quarter 2018 to 7 lakh units in June quarter (by 10 per cent from 7.7 lakh units in December quarter 2017),” Puri said.

On property prices, ANAROCK said it increased by 1 per cent barring Chennai and Kolkata where prices remained stagnant. The ample unsold stock is keeping price growth in check.

Puri said it is hard to say whether infrastructure status to affordable housing and sops for MIG-I and MIG-II home buyers under PMAY will fulfil government’s vision of Housing for All by 2022.

“It’s still hard to say, but what is certain is that affordable housing has kept the market’s momentum going for some time now. If developers remain laser-focussed, add only relevant supply and ensure 100 per cent RERA compliance, we may yet see this ?dream project’ become a reality,” Puri said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow