ED raids two locations in Bengal in excise scam case

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kolkata, July 24 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated a full-fledged probe into an excise duty irregularities case by conducting a raid and search operation at two locations in West Bengal on Friday.

The two places where the ED raid and search operations are being conducted are in Kolkata and Purulia town in Purulia district.

In Kolkata, the operation is being conducted at the office of a liquor sales company.

Another team of ED officials is conducting a raid and search operation at the house of a hotel owner in the area adjacent to Parbeliya Bazar of Nituria Police Station in Purulia. Searches are also underway at the restaurant owned by the hotel owner since morning.

Each team of ED officials was escorted by the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel.

Sources aware of the development said the liquor sales company has been accused of evading excise duty.

The investigators have also raided the restaurant where the company sold liquor. The state police had started the investigation by filing an FIR in 2015-16 after allegations of corruption in excise duty were raised. The ED filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) in the matter in 2021 after the investigation revealed massive financial irregularities.

After the regime change in West Bengal, the ED has become active in various corruption cases across the state. Recently, the ED officials conducted raids in various areas, including Howrah and Nadia, in a chit fund-related case.

The ED is also investigating the municipal recruitment corruption case. A few days ago, officials of the ED conducted searches in eight places in the state, including Bangaon and Kolkata, on charges of embezzling crores of rupees by offering government benefits. In this case, huge amounts of money were collected from people on the pretext of getting government benefits. Allegedly, around Rs 165 crore were collected from about 20,000 depositors in this way.

Now an investigation into excise duty irregularities is the latest in the ED’s list of probes in the state.

–IANS

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In addition, the centre will offer early diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, screening and referrals for non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, as well as mental health counseling, de-addiction referrals, laboratory testing, and access to medicines through an in-house pharmacy.

The facility also plans to run Mamta Day and maternal-child welfare programmes in slum and non-slum areas, promote holistic well-being through yoga, and provide tele-medicine services for expert consultations.

The inauguration event was attended by Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibha Jain, Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani, MP Narhari Amin, Municipal Commissioner Banchhanidhi Pani, and other officials.

He also launched the Statewide Dial 112 Integrated Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in Gujarat, bringing all major emergency services — police, fire, ambulance, women’s helpline, and child helpline — under a single helpline number.

As part of the initiative, HM Shah also dedicated 500 Jan Rakshak vehicles, which will be deployed across the state to ensure faster emergency response.

A centralised call centre, staffed with 150 personnel working round the clock, will handle 112 calls and dispatch the nearest Jan Rakshak vehicle, irrespective of police station jurisdiction.

Officials said the pilot project in Surat demonstrated significant improvements, with police response time reduced by nearly two minutes. The state government expects the system to strengthen emergency management and enhance citizen safety across urban and rural areas.

–IANS

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Cong leaders giving oxygen to Pak with anti-India remarks: Sudhanshu Trivedi

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) The series of controversial statements by Congress leaders, in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, is neither a coincidence nor a slip of tongue but rather it is part of a planned and well-coordinated strategy for fanning anti-India sentiments, said BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday.

The BJP national spokesperson, speaking to the media, scoffed at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his depiction of Operation Sindoor as ‘chutput’ (small) war and said that this shows the depraved mentality of the INDIA bloc.

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The BJP leader, pointing to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s on-record acceptance of Indian missiles hitting their Nur Khan airbase and stated, “INDIA bloc leaders continue to live in denial and are only focused on questioning our own forces”.

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–IANS

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Tripura exports organic white sesame to Gujarat; 5.50 cr organic produce shipped since 2023

Agartala, Jan 2 (IANS) Tripura Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Friday flagged off a vehicle carrying 1,000 kg of organic white sesame for Anand in Gujarat, marking another milestone in the state’s growing organic export sector.

After the flag-off ceremony, the Minister said that the consignment had been exported to Media Minds in Anand, Gujarat. He added that an additional 5,000 kg of organic white sesame would be sent to Gujarat soon, citing high demand for the produce.

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He expressed gratitude to the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) and Sheel Biotech for their crucial support in facilitating the export.

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“While farmers produce quality agricultural items, exporting them to states like Gujarat requires institutional support. That is why the government has promoted FPCs and service providers,” the Minister said.

He further informed that from 2023-24 till now, organic products worth Rs 5.50 crore have been exported from Tripura to other states and overseas.

“Next month, three FPCs from Tripura will participate in BioFach, the world’s leading organic food trade fair, in Germany,” Nath added.

Meanwhile, in a major step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and achieving self-sufficiency in food grain production, the Tripura Agriculture Department has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nagpur-based National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP).

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–IANS

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