In brief

Mamata attends Matuas’ annual religious fest
Barasat: In a bid to reach out to the Matuas,a Dalit community in West Bengal,Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee this evening went to their annual religious meet at Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district in a special train.
Banerjee,who sought the blessings of its religious head after reaching Thakurnagar locality,earlier had got honorary membership of Sara Bharat Matua Maha Sangha,a forum consisting well-wishers from within the sect as well as outside. The Trinamool Congress chief,who was accompanied by the local MLA,also took prasad after offering prayer at the main temple that houses the idol of the founder of the sect. Banerjee promised every possible help to the members of the sect who had mostly migrated from Bangladesh after partition.

Naxal Ops just beginning: Home Secy
KOLKATA: State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen on Sunday said the operations against Maoists along the West-Bengal Jharkhand border was just beginning of an all-out offensive aimed at “crushing the ultras”. He was speaking at the Silda EFR camp where a Maoist attack on February 15 resulted in the death of 24 jawans. Sen,who heads a committee set up by the government to probe into the attack,was accompanied by committee members Raj Kanojia,ADG,CID and Zulfiqar Hasan,IG,Western range.

ENS