The new govt is actually looking to relocate Messi statue! It is such a hideous thing. Why don't they dump all these inspired artworks in the compounds of little green wo/men and also complete a forensic audit of how monies got spent. Looks like the same old, same old will happen sooner than later despite the rhetoric.

Feku hisab. When security cover for other honchos were getting rightsized, the MHA upgraded it for Kakoli GD. Rember her comments after the Park Street rape case, just after GreenHouse gas effect began. Since then this MP made it her life's mission to match her Great Leader word for word. And now when she is making overtures to switch, the BJP despite all the talk talk is falling head over heels to reel her in. What next, a Guv position or some fancy sinecure in exchange for salacious tales on Leader and Senapati? Is this why we vote?

Then again if Mahua M had to drink bitter Mahua when Babul Supriyo switched or Kalyan B is allowed to get away or BJP leaders invent juvenile reasons to evict Mahua from the LS, then we shouldn't cry over the bar getting lower everyday.

Demolitions too are for show. Didn't the new govt know that there will be resistance and Courts will step in. Now it's fumbling. The public isn't stupid.

And the icing is the infamous BDO now out on bail because the IO for the murder case was missing and the requisite papes didn't reach the judge who kept waiting till 8pm!

Audit should also be done of the various "artworks" done using state funds such as the eyesores "designed" by the former CM and those she inspired. One got removed recently from the Salt Lake stadium. An inspired Bose installed a Messi which is now swaying to be a further disaster. He also installed several questionable "gates". Salt Lake islands are dotted with "inspired works"

These need proper audits because funds from MLA LAD and state finances were involved. Also like to know which inspired lot were the beneficiaries of this largesse beyond the smokescreen called PWD, WEBEL and ilk

What about initiating a serious investigation into the PSC and College Service Commission scams? And the former CM herself mentioned that there was a massive recruitment scam in the Forest Dept under her own minister Rajib Banerjee but all was forgotten when he the prodigal son returned.

Also what about the Fire and Emergency Dept scam perpetrated ▮▮▮ and later ▮▮▮?

Kamduni files will likely open. Victim family and friends meeting new CM on Monday. Interestingly, one of the suspended IPS officers, Vineet Goel, was CID honcho handling this ghastly incident. Later Phiroze Edulji who was actually the defence counsel in HC named Goel as "the man" who single handedly ensured the deliberate burial of Kamduni case. Prosecution did the rest.

All the regime friendly police officers at all levels and their ilk in the state administration, prosecution and even judiciary should be exposed. No persecution but definitely prosecuted wherever evidence is strong. Departmental proceedings at least to begin with and not the meandering variety.

I don't know how long the state BJP will be able to stonewall the eager beavers. They have municipal and panchayat elections coming up.

Also the eager beavers, chameleons are in talks with Congress. Green may implode and a significant faction may join up or "return" to Congress. That's a headache for BJP

The new govt has directed audit of all cooperative banks in the state. Good move. Would have been better had they got NABARD and RBI involved. WBAS like other state services have been hollowed out by the Greens so not sure whether they will clean the pipes well.

But yes we shouldn't just have a regular audit. But a forensic audit.

I remember that The Statesman then still fighting strong had done a series on how the Left was refused loans by PSBs for purchasing state transport buses. Then a big lot was bought via various WB based cooperative banks, which were led by Left apparatchiks. It was a scam but no one did much because everyone was involved. Greens furthered this trend when they took over

Bulldozers have gone for easy targets. Kolkata has multiple Red zones wherein the KMC has flagged more than 70 percent of houses as illegal. All done bfr the new govt took over.

It is true that a lot of illegal encroachments and constructions happened during the Let regime. But Green just accelerated it. Now we are saddled with an accumulated mess and I suspect that eventually like always, regularisation politics will happen. So the wheel would get reinvented again.

If the new govt is serious then it should just clear out all the concrete jungle built on EKW. Let's see how it goes after Urbana and ilk.

Sanjeev wil do zilch. Maybe he will agree to have CAG audit al the Shree schemes of the TMC govt. But I doubt he will actually rock the boat despite the rhetoric. He will be too busy figuring out how to bring in big ticket investments and managing headline expenses. Ofc optics will be there.

Ideally the new govt should appoint a full time team of expert investigators and lawyers to pursue and dismantle the organised loot that took place.

The new govt should seriously consider roping in former IPS officers, Upen Biswas and Nazrul Islam and such others of similar integrity and experience in its anti corruption crusade. Just putting in big names with overrated performance looks more like playing to the gallery. After all the CBI officers on RGK case were big names but are now being investigated for trying to hush up and mislead the case. Same goes for ED and it's photogenic raids which eventually conclude in nowhere land.

I think TT reported a senior KMC source admitting that Centre gave Rs 800 crores of funding from a World Bank loan for Ganga clean up. But KMC has done very little with it.

We all know how Sovan Chatterjee, the ex Mayor of Kolkata got his moniker Jal Sovan. Former IAS officer and TMC insider, Dipak Ghosh details it all.

I wonder why the new CM hasn't directed an audit of KMC finances, esp ADB, World Bank and GoI funded projects. Too late to do anything about DFID and those bfr 2011.

When Green came in they appointed several retired regime friendly judges to lead commissions of inquiry against the Reds. The charade went on for over a decade. If anything was ever produced the same were never made public. Crores were spent on these worthies. The then LoP would often rail against this arrangement.

But now the new govt is silent about reviewing what happened to these inquiries and how much got spent etc. Why? This is such a low hanging fruit.

Also why isn't the govt doing a forensic review of monies spent on contested matters such as the edu scam etc. Was the govt also passing off personal litigation costs of the chosen as litigation expenses with our tax monies?

The govt doesn't and shouldn't need Delhi to pick up a team to investigate all this. More so when it is scared to even query CBI and ED inactions and sabotage of critical cases.

Absolutely. Makes no sense that the new govt suspends (which in reality is zilch) three IPS officers, accords sanction for prosecution of Dr Sandip G but absolutely nothing against Health Secy and the then top brass of Health Ministry!

Also why isn't a forensic audit of the health dept and RGK getting done? The list of why is long but it appears no one wants to undo the culture of getting away without responding.

Not sure if the charges against Parambrata C and Swastika M will eventually survive the scrutiny of the HC but I am surprised that the FIR was launched by a well known lawyer.

Both these actors are well known chameleons. But this isn't the case to undo them. Played a weak hand.

Why is the new govt going soft on so many others, such as Soham C ( Chinar Park incident among others), Dev (returning money and doing films with Mithun C shouldn't mean forgiveness), Sayoni G, Nusrat, Ankush and the list goes on.

If serious pursuit (as opposed to persecution) is made then Hisab will be done. Otherwise it is just painting pictures on the wall with something similar sounding with P.

Don't understand reasons for downvoting posts that question or scrutinize the role of CBI investigators in the RGK case. The top two investigators have received commendation and promotion for cracking Unnao and Hathras cases, the ones that top the list of Green chatterati to rightly castigate the Saffron lords.

But why do the Greens remain mum that it is the Unnao and Hathras case veterans who have ensured that RGK is likely to remain yet another case of "we know but cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt".

Today the Cal HC DB hearing the RGK matter ordered CBI to constitute a SIT to look into the alleged lapses of the CBI investigation.

I find the silence of the Saffron brigade stunning. No reaction to the points raised in the HC nor the expose by Justice Abhijit Ganguly.

I also find it extremely telling that a certain Green affiliated lawyer confidently taunted Saffron bros to pursue call records etc of CBI investigators Pahuja and Meena.

Why is the media quiet about all this? Just mere reporting no probing?

Great. Two retired judges known for spine will lead the inquiries. The two IPS officers assigned are also much celebrated but are they overrated? Sure both Sen and Jayraman were shunted around but when they got meaty stuff, for example, the HC assigned several serious CAW cases to Sen but they went nowhere despite HC protection. Similarly, Jayraman failed miserably when the judges got ambushed in Malda while doing SIR work assigned by the SCI.

I know for a fact that one of the reasons the HC appointed Bag Committee that was also led by a retired judge could make swift and inconvenient progress was due to the presence of certain senior lawyers in the committee who had both domain expertise and spine thus nullifying the misleading attempts of the govt appointees inside the committee.

I think something similar should have been done here as well. Lawyers or retired investigators who are known for spine and having intimate knowledge of the system should have been brought in.

But why is the new CM holding back on taking action against erring IPS officers for actively sheltering Green apparatchiks and their masters who slandered Justices Mantha, Biswajit Basu and Abhijit Ganguly (separate incidents)?

Speaking of environment etc, why isn't the new CM opening files on forest guards recruitment scam? It was a big issue that was brought up by MB when RB had switched to Saffron camp. RB had countered he too had all details of how instructions were relayed by highest levels to organise the scams. And when Saffron lost in 2021 and RB made a quick return, all was forgiven.

Not just EKW restoration but also rapacity of the erstwhile govt in rural areas across Bengal, esp Darjeeling and North Bengal must be addressed. Pretty soon we will see UTK and HP like man made disasters being passed off as Acts of God

Why isn't the state govt ensuring wide publicity for the inquiry committees so that members of the public etc having info can reach out to the committee. They should publicize mechanisms that assures confidentiality and the reports must be made public instead of nuggets getting shared later via media sources etc.

It looks like the govt is in a tearing hurry to tell and show but not actually do the grunge work reqd to permanently demolish an entrenched ecosystem of corruption that involved every layer and level of the system.

Security cover withdrawn or reduced for quite a few TMC honchos. Rightly so. But Kunal Ghosh is going to court citing an earlier court order which directed police security. It was part of Sarada cases wherein he was prosecuted by the Unkind govt, which later allowed him back into the party and now he won as MLA (previously he was sent to RS by Unkind).

I don't understand. Sudipto Sen, the Sarada boss and his ex-gf and Sarada honcho are out on bail without bells and whistles but Kunal G needs to pack in heavy beyond what is potentially available to MLAs! Pray why?

And why has the new govt not called in Kunal G on the edu scam issue after his explosive disclosure in an ABP Ananda interview? Also what is the Bengal govt now doing about Kunal G and Rajiv Kumar in the Sarada case after gently letting him retire?

Why no action on Rajiv Kumar on Sandeshkhali, Sheikh Shah Jahan and Anubrata Mondol issues? Just because he had retired and is in the RS rt now? Or a much deeper setting?

That's exactly the point. The party isn't bothered. But in Bengal they are action all coy and polite. Since they are volunteering to be all nice and responsive, funnel them into initiating things that cannot be stopped without political costs.

It is like RGK and other scans wherein "setting" was definitely involved. But the Genie is now out and cannot be fully buried like Sarada etc.

BJP and the new govt remain mum on the expose by Abhijit Ganguly. Hopefully the new DB of Cal HC which will hear the RGK matter will do something useful.

The new govt tasked the DMs to start salary recoveries from teaching and non teaching staff who were identified by the SSC and CBI as having got appointments via illegal means. But what's the progress and why isn't the govt ensuring that SSC etc publish the names with relevant details. The recoveries if done right will be substantial. And why aren't these 5000 or so individuals being pursued to name those who took cash for jobs?

If the Centre can pull in paramilitary forces from all over the country for security during and after elections, why can't they bring in additional officers including retd officials for surge support?

I can't find the articles on the web rt now. But I can distinctly recall that The Telegraph (Aveek Sarkar was yet to be ousted) did an entire series and came under heavy TMC and govt fire. It involved an elderly couple in Garia with a large land holding that bordered Adi Ganga or one of its canals. They had a small single or double storied building but kept the rest of the land open for gardening, play area etc. The couple were likely child free and did not disallow local children or others from accessing the free space whenever reqd. But they had access control and no adverse possession had taken place for decades. Likely the couple spent years travelling abroad etc for work but would keep returning home. They had already retired when the TMC took over.

Under the camouflage of access given to locals, a local club fronted TMC egress who built permanent structures including gym and various other facilities. When the old couple protested, threats followed including forceful takeover and eventual eviction from their own house. The couple then took refuge with a relative in Park Street. Eventually then won reprieve from the Cal HC because local police did zilch.

The club with tacit TMC support even contended that the old couple had given them access for their own protection and the takeover was in public interest since the old couple had no children nor could they properly exploit the property to full potential.

The HC ordered Surajit K Purkayastha IPS who was likely the CP then or something senior (later the first state security advisor to Unkind) that he must personally restore the full property to the old couple and demolish all unauthorised structures. But that remained unfulfilled citing local law and order problem including threat of suicide by local men and women who later got unmasked as local Unkind goons.

Two prominent ministers, Partha Chatterjee and Arup Biswas were the ringmasters and used their ministerial position to abuse govt finances to forcefully acquire the land using central funds under Ganga Action Plan. The then KMC mayor (likely the now discarded Sovan Chatterjee) enthusiastically got involved as well. Invoking special powers that property was "acquired" for a measly amount that was declined by the old couple.

This was spun by the wretched Unkind that the old couple did all the drama for money. Except it was later revealed that the old couple had previously desired to donate the land during Red admin if that helped the cause of Adi Ganga rejuvenation. That standing offer had remained with Unkind govt as well.

The Cal HC was exasperated. But judiciary has its share of ahem too. So a certain judicial restraint crept in when the state govt through its venerable AG (not the usual suspect KD) made its intent abundantly clear. The case was allowed to meander in the judicial jungles. Surajit kept getting promotions. And the old couple stayed away knowing that they wouldn't survive the local goons.

I don't know what happened eventually. But the state did acquire the land but it was not used for the pumping project. Maybe it came up eons later. But the gym and club remained.

Why isn't anyone looking into this? After all now we get to hear wonderful details if how Unkind acquired multiple lucrative plots, organised loot via police, KMC and worthies like Sona Pappu. Why is saffron so quiet about shady deals by Merlin Group and other real estate majors of Kolkata? What about the illegal Wow Momo factory fire? Are we getting warm?

Why just the Cal HC judgment ordering use of central forces to clear all and every encroachment from East Kolkata wetlands? There have been so many orders from the HC and even SC that remained mothballed or sidetracked by the Unkind govt. Both the new govt and BJP in Bengal have access to enough lawyers to distill the court directions for rapid implementation by the state admin. What explains the slow and scripted uptake now?

Bro, the then LoP and now CM would give us concerning nuggets of info (backed with paperwork) of massive irregularities in education, health, fire and emergency services, forest, environment, WCD, police, tourism, info tech, food and agriculture, urban dev and municipal affairs depts. Also PSC. At the very least he can start with those low hanging fruits.

Just three IPS officers getting suspended. For the cited reasons, heads of IAS, WBPS, WBCS,

If the three IPS officers were suspended due to their suspected role in RG Kar case, then why shouldn't the Health Secy (continues even now) also get suspended? After all he did zilch and even lied in an affidavit bfr the SC. As LoP, the new CM had repeatedly railed against the Health Secy in not just RGK but in other instances too. Also so many other health officials were involved in the medical exam scams/cheating, the entire mess at WBMC, WBHUS etc. Makes no sense. Smells setting again

TMC govt gave special security to her husband, which has now been withdrawn. Interestingly, the ED as always loses its way or names or vital details when it comes to Bhaipo and his venerable acolytes.

Ei Samay has an interesting history. It was started by a former ABP editor (who also started Kolkata TV with Aparna Sen et al) with alleged slush funding from Sarada or some other ponzi fund. Later the founder got arrested (alleged persecution by both frenemy Unkind and Saffron Brothers) and abandonment by Reds. Aparna scooter expectedly. Soon Ei Samay gets taken over by TOI and then subsequently becomes a vanity purchase of its present owner.

But the actual case in the court gets lost in the process just like Sarada, Rose Valley, ICore, Pailan, Tower group and other Ponzis

Jai Ho. The Great Indian/Bengal Circus continues and the band plays on.

Why no action, departmental inquiries or suspension of police officers and prosecutors in the Kamduni case? Actually why no action against the Unkind for calling folks Maoists and initiating police action and prosecution?

Unkind and her apparatchiks must face penal action for initiating malicious prosecution against Prof Ambikesh Mahapatra, Kamduni protestors etc.

The new CM is only making sarcastic threats like his predecessor and launching photogenic police action.

I am also stunned by Saffron silence on the bombshell dropped by their own MP, Justice Ganguly concerning RG Kar case. CBI is literally getting a blank cheque to murder the case. Compare that with the conviction it obtained in TN for custodial murder perpetrated by the policemen on father and son.

This clearly shows that RG Kar definitely involved some Princeling and hence sabotage from the highest levels involving all the parties and even questionable action by the DYC Court.

Sucharita Basu of Aquilaw has posted on LinkedIn praising Suvendu Adhikari and written an article in Ei Samay (which her husband now owns) saying Bengal will undergo a revival now. 😄

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sucharita-basu-2a93b8107_𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐥-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬-𝐚-𝐧𝐞𝐰-𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫-activity-7458804003217264640-JJba

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sucharita-basu-2a93b8107_𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗮-activity-7461017162451697665-fNLt

Thanks to personal initiative of a Cal HC judge in 1992, the East Kolkata wetlands received a certain degree of protection. But the Reds kept nibbling and gobbling. Ramsar recognition didn't slow down their appetite. Later they kept accusing (rightly) the Greens for accelerating what they sumptuously started.

Now Saffron has a chance to do Right. Restore the wetlands if not to its original state then at least to what it was when Ramsar recognition came through although I am pretty sure satellite imagery from 1992 onwards is also available.

Also what about restoring water bodies that flanked both sides of the EM Bypass, Kasba and PAS connectors, the route to Airport starting from Ultadanga and inside Topsia, Tangra, Tiljala (the names say it all), Picnic Garden etc.

There is even a recent Cal HC order dt Feb 2026. Do it bfr we suffer the fate of Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. And also be ready to suffer real estate lobby and so called "janta" who complain and sermonize but also profit from these illegal and disastrous encroachments.

Stop cherry picking low hanging fruits. Follow through with your promises.

Agree but CAG has had a chequered record under Rai and later Murmu. Hopefully when CAG audits are done this time, the process and findings will be evidence led.

CAG should also audit all universities and colleges, public, autonomous and private ones. Something is very off about their finances. There is a strong whisper that many serve(d) as laundering fronts. But just like CBI, the ED too looked away.

It is true that the TMC govt withdrew general consent to CBI. But that doesn't explain why the Central govt remained so soft on Rajeev Kumar (Sarada, Sheik Shahjahan etc cases); Kunal Ghosh, Anubrata Mondol and Jyotipriyo Mullick (and his daughter) and a host of other cases where the CBI has not even filed the chargesheet!

Hisab seriously? It sounds more like the man mockingly meant something sounding with P that has been showered on us in the name of Ache Din and Chowkidari

Why isn't the new state govt or Governor roping in the CAG to carry both routine and forensic audits of state finances since 2011? I distinctly remember that CAG would repeatedly complain that the Kindness govt was unkindly stonewalling their request for info and access. It was equally surprising that CAG never approached the SC nor did the Central govt truly intervene. Just some scripted fights in the courts over some some specific funds but never really intending to go for the kill.

Wonder why? Blame Kindness for all drama, optics but what explains the kind treatment by Great Leader and his acolytes? Nor any real action by the raging Reds?

Explosive interview of Justice (Rtd) Abhijit Ganguly, BJP MP (LS) beamed across Bengali TV channels today. He bluntly questioned the role of CBI officer Seema Pahuja and demanded that she should be hauled up. He even undertook a tour of RG Kar to show how certain leads were never explored by CBI not did they explain ever why these leads were dropped.

Pahuja recently got promoted by CBI, which was castigated by parents of the victim of RG Kar case. Interestingly, the BJP panelists were deeply inconvenienced by this expose. TMC ofc kept repeating that they did a good job which was buttressed by CBI.

Pahuja is from Chandigarh and worked closely with a senior IPS from JHK cadre whose dad was a senior IPS from JHK and husband is a senior IAS officer in JHK. Interestingly, this Addl Dir of CBI (Sampat Meena) had previously "solved" Unnao and Hathras cases and Pahuja was her junior then. Sampat is from IPS 1994 and so is Vineet Goyal, who was the CP of Kolkata Police when RG Kar took place. Goyal has recently been suspended by the new WB govt along with two other IPS officers.

I get a feeling that Justice Ganguly is getting inconvenient for BJP and will likely get more isolated and eventually shunted by the next elections.

The role of CBI in RG Kar is deeply suspicious. It is not required to obstinately disagree with city police investigation. But CBI stonewalled at least 38 lines of pursuit that were brought before the Cal HC attention recently. CBI didn't even evade, dodge. Just simply kept silent. Apparently some CBI investigator even received a medal for doing "commendable" work in this case!

Why isn't the Double Engine reviewing the role of CBI officers, their call records etc? Also what explains the intense interest of DYC Court to swoop in and after killing time, return the matter to Cal HC when the main case was literally buried for good? Did CJ TVS pay the price for taking the right but inconvenient call on this case?

Gimmick. When Anubrata Mondal was arrested etc and entire network of illegal toll booths involving local bodies was uncovered by TV9 Bangla. But the new state govt merely issued instructions to shut them down. What about penal action and recoveries? Why isn't the state vigilance going after the complicit govt officials? What happened to the illegal rice mills and tax evasions by Anubrata? If AB can invite FIR for making threatening speeches, then what about Anubrata and his abuse of local police and open trumped up narcotics cases? Why aren't narcotic cases getting reviewed by this govt and action taken against those govt officials who pursued malicious prosecution? What about pursuing the trail to political actors who strung up those cases?

If the govt were truly serious then just these 3 IPS officers wouldn't have been suspended. So many health, forensic, municipal etc officials were involved. CBI was clearly complicit in hushing up the RG Kar case. Why this token, piecemeal (non) action?

RG Kar case file got dusted off today. Messi fiasco files may get reopened. Edu scam files reopened with CBI getting due authorisations to pursue prosecution against state officials. Same with municipal recruitment and cooperative society fin scams.

But is this all hogwash? Remember how the Rizwanur murder case got buried and almost all the IPS officers esp the senior ones not only got off the hook but even got rewarded with plum postings? Kindness even promoted and made Ministers out of IAS and IPS folks who killed off inquiries in the much discussed and weaponized Bantala, IPS Mehta, Singur, Nandigram etc cases.

Go back further. The Left did zilch to police folks who committed atrocious excesses in the name of anti Naxal operations and Marichjhapi massacres.

Hence will the histories of gimmick and hollow promises repeat (esp when the role CBI in RG Kar is not being scrutinized) or is the wheel getting broken this time?