Bengal CM celebrates Diwali with BSF near India-B’desh border (Lead)

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kolkata, Nov 8 (IANS) Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari rang in Diwali festivities with the Border Security Force (BSF) jawans at a border outpost in Hingalganj, situated along the India-Bangladesh border.

The Chief Minister reached the BSF camp this morning to celebrate the festival of lights with India’s brave jawans.

The move by the West Bengal CM, seen as a first-of-its-kind initiative, comes along the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s yearly tradition of celebrating Diwali with the jawans.

This also marks a break from the past, given his predecessor and former CM Mamata Banerjee’s strained ties and uncomfortable relationship with the forces over border fencing.

The Bengal Chief Minister wished the jawans on Diwali and Kali Puja, handed them sweets and diyas, and also spent time with them at the camp, apparently discussing their daily lives and challenges.

He also announced that the state will make land available to the force for border fencing.

“The Chief Minister said that the land the BSF needed for fencing, held up under the previous Government, has now been handed over, and that the State will give more land if it is needed to secure the border,” an official government statement said.

The Chief Minister also issued an ‘apology’ to the jawans over alleged derogatory remarks and behaviour of the previous regime towards the BSF and CRPF.

Speaking at the BSF camp, Adhikari said, “The previous government in the state, the way they treated the BSF, the way they used it, for this, I, as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, apologise for this misdeed of the previous government. The bad words that they used against the BSF and the CRPF… The people, the common person, have responded to this in the end. This is the land of Swami Vivekananda. He said, “Leave what has happened behind and move forward.” Now we have to move forward.”

The Chief Minister also announced setting up the ‘Seema Mitra’ award from next year, which will recognise exceptional work in guarding the country’s border.

A selection committee will shortlist the awardees.

“We will give the ‘Seema Mitra’ award from next year for BSF, SSB and West Bengal police personnel,” the Chief Minister said as per the statement.

–IANS

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Shillong, May 21 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday stressed the need for outcome-oriented, technology-driven and citizen-centric policing, saying that the real measure of success for the police force lies not in recruitment numbers or infrastructure expansion, but in improved public safety and reduction in crime.

Addressing the Senior Superintendents of Police and Commandants of Police (SSP–COs) Conference 2026 at the Tree House in West Garo Hills district, Chief Minister Sangma said policing must remain focused on core priorities such as law and order, crime prevention and public safety, while calling for stronger institutional mechanisms, continuous training and greater use of technology within the police system.

“Recruiting 3,900 personnel is not an achievement in itself. The real achievement is whether crime has reduced, lives have been saved, and public safety has improved,” the Chief Minister added during the conference attended by senior officers of the Meghalaya Police.

The conference served as a comprehensive review platform for operational efficiency, administrative reforms, internal security management and infrastructure strengthening within the state police force.

Chief Minister Sangma appreciated the regular conduct of the SSP–COs Conference, describing it as an important institutional improvement.

He thanked the State Director General of Police (DGP) I. Nongrang for ensuring that such conferences are now held consistently.

He said that the absence of regular interactions in earlier years had created communication gaps that affected departmental functioning and decision-making.

“The first step is to create a platform where issues can be openly expressed. That itself is the beginning of finding solutions,” the Chief Minister noted, encouraging police officers to candidly raise concerns faced at the field level.

He also directed that all presentations and issues raised during the conference be compiled and submitted to his office for detailed review.

Chief Minister Sangma has proposed a joint review mechanism involving the Chief Minister’s Office, the Home Department, the DGP and the concerned Minister to facilitate time-bound decisions on key policing and administrative issues.

Referring to concerns raised during deliberations, including issues related to the National Pension System (NPS), the Chief Minister noted that some long-pending matters had not previously reached the government’s attention in a structured manner.

He also highlighted the importance of continuous police training in areas such as behavioural sciences, intelligence gathering, law and order management and technology adoption.

Chief Minister Sangma suggested exposure visits for officers to states like Maharashtra and Delhi to study best policing practices and modern operational systems.

The conference also featured presentations on law and order management, cybercrime response systems, police personnel management reforms, amendment of Meghalaya Police Service rules, anti-narcotics initiatives and infrastructure proposals.

Senior officers, including Inspector General of Police (CID) A. Goenka, DIG (Administration) J.G. Momin and IGP (Law and Order) D.N.R. Marak made detailed presentations during the conference.

–IANS

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Bihar ministers Sunil Kumar, Krishna Kumar Mantoo take a jibe at Tejashwi; say NDA will again win Assembly polls

Patna, Feb 27 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar allocated departments to the seven new ministers in his cabinet on Thursday. Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Sunil Kumar and Information Technology Minister Krishna Kumar Mantoo met with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The leaders stated that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav is not playing the role of the opposition properly.

Krishna Kumar Mantoo said: “In the 2025 elections, the NDA will win with a two-thirds majority, and Nitish Kumar will form the government again in Bihar.”

Nitish Kumar has the same opinion about the performance of the NDA in the upcoming polls.

After meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Sunil Kumar said there was nothing special during discussion at the meeting. “I went to seek the blessings of the Chief Minister. He is also from Nalanda district,” Kumar said.

He further mentioned, “The department assigned to me has already seen considerable work being done. Many areas of Bihar are impacted and benefitted by forest and environment-related initiatives. We discussed the department, and I also provided several inputs.”

Regarding the Chief Minister’s ambitious ‘Jal Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyan’, Sunil Kumar confirmed that work would be carried out on it. “As of now, I have not yet taken charge of the department. I will formally assume office on Friday,” he added.

On the other hand, after being appointed as a minister, Krishna Kumar Mantoo also met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. After the meeting, he spoke to the press and thanked the Chief Minister for assigning him an important department, adding that the Chief Minister had also previously held this portfolio.

He said: “Whether at the Central government or the state government, work is being done to educate and empower the youth. This department plays a significant role in educating the youth. We will create an environment for the youth where they can find employment in Bihar itself or go out and bring pride to the state.”

Targeting the opposition, Mantoo stated, “They are just talking, but we are working. Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition, is not playing his role properly.” He further asserted, “In the 2025 elections, the NDA will win with a two-thirds majority, and Nitish Kumar will form the government again in Bihar.”

–IANS

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Digital evidence indicates pre-planned nature of crime in Baruipur minor girl’s rape-murder case

Kolkata, July 7 (IANS) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl at Baruipur in South 24 Paragans district of West Bengal earlier this week, has come across some crucial digital evidence that indicates the pre-planned nature of the crime.

An insider from the Baruipur District Police said that the tower locations of the mobile phones of the three arrested in the case were the same between 4.30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on July 4, which coincides with the date and time of the estimated time of crime being committed.

Incidentally, as per the statements given by the family members of the victim, the deceased 12-year-old victim went missing at 6 p.m. on July 4 and her body was recovered from a pond at Baruipur on July 5 morning.

The insider also said that examinations of the call records of the arrested trio also give indications that the entire planning of the crime was done by the prime accused in the case, Ananda Sarkar, while the other two namely Pravas Mondal and Dibakar Sardar operated as per the instructions of Ananda.

Pravas and Dibakar were presented at a district court in Baruipur on Monday and were remanded to police custody for 14 days.

On the other hand, the prime accused Ananda, who was the last to be arrested on Monday afternoon will be presented at the same court on Tuesday and the Public Prosecutor will seek police custody for him as well.

“Once the police get the custody of all the three accused, they will be interrogated together by the investigating officials to get a clear picture of the entire planning and modus operandi of the crime,” said the Baruipur District Police insider.

West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, will go to Baruipur later in the day and interact with the family members of the victim girl.

A team from the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by the state municipal affairs & urban development minister, Agnimitra Paul, is also scheduled to go to Baruipur on Tuesday and meet the victim’s family members.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognizance of the Baruipur mishap and has sought a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Director General of Police, West Bengal, within seven days.

The Commission has sought details regarding the registration of the FIR under the appropriate provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the POCSO Act, the immediate arrest of all persons involved in the alleged rape and murder, and the progress of the investigation.

The Commission has further sought details of the investigation into the subsequent mob lynching, action taken against all those involved, an enquiry into any lapses in policing and preventive measures, the conduct of a comprehensive forensic and post-mortem examination, and the medical, psychological, legal and compensation support extended to the victim’s family.

–IANS

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