The Annapurna Bhandar scheme is being viewed as the BJP government’s counterpart to the previous TMC government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. (File photo)West Bengal Today News Live Updates: A day after a fire broke out at a leather factory in Tiljala, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said two owners were arrested and the electricity department was asked to stop power supply to the illegal building. Later in the evening, a demolition drive began at the illegal building.
Suvendu Adhikari takes oath as MLA: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took his oath as a member of the state Assembly amid chants of Jai Shri Ram during the first session of the newly formed BJP government in Vidhan Sabha today, followed by five other cabinet ministers, and the rest of the newly-elected MLAs. In the evening, Suvendu Adhikari took out a victory rally in Bhabanipur, a constituency the Chief Minister retained while giving up his home turf Nandigram.
Welfare scheme rollout: In a bid to redesign the state’s social support structure, the newly elected BJP government is now set to implement a series of major welfare schemes — starting with Annapurna Bhandar, the government’s proposed direct-benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for women, and free bus travel for female passengers, coming into effect from June 1.
Summer vacation extended: The West Bengal government on Wednesday extended the summer vacation at government school across the state, expect those in the hills. An official of the education department said the decision has been taken in view of the prevailing heatwave conditions. Schools will now remain closed till May 31 and classes will resume from June 1.
West Bengal minister Agnimitra Paul on Wednesday said the BJP government would focus on women's empowerment and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries continue to receive benefits of welfare schemes.
Speaking to PTI, Paul said, "Everyone will be getting the benefits of welfare schemes." The women and child development minister said applications for the proposed 'Annapurna Bhandar' scheme would be made available through an online portal. — PTI
A notification issued by the Kolkata Police on May 13, 2026, announced major traffic diversions near Chingrighata crossing on the E.M. Bypass due to segment launching work for the Orange Line Metro project being undertaken by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited. The restrictions will be implemented in two phases involving temporary closure of the western and eastern flanks of the E.M. Bypass near Chingrighata Flyover. Traffic will be diverted through newly constructed northbound diversion roads to manage congestion and ensure public safety during the construction work.
Key PointsA resident of the building, Nazia Firdous, says, "This is a complete injustice. I appeal to the CM to give us a stay order of 24 hours. Give us a chance to prove ourselves. Take action if we are proven wrong... After the fire incident yesterday, it's obvious that no one would escape from the building with their important documents... We have all the papers, but they are inside the building... This is not an illegal building.... if the building is demolished, how will we get the papers?..."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Kolkata, West Bengal | A resident of the building, Nazia Firdous, says, "This is a complete injustice. I appeal to the CM to give us a stay order of 24 hours. Give us a chance to prove ourselves. Take action if we are proven wrong... After the fire incident yesterday,… pic.twitter.com/jfLjMv86pT
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
A person, whose daughter lived in the building being razed in Tiljala, says, "... My daughter was married into a house in this building. Yes, there are documents of the house, but they are locked inside, and no one is letting us get them. Our only demand from the government is that the house is now complete, sir. What can we do now?..."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Kolkata, West Bengal | Shakeel Ahmad says, "... My daughter was married into a house in this building. Yes, there are documents of the house, but they are locked inside, and no one is letting us get them. Our only demand from the government is that the house is now… pic.twitter.com/5YBbjn4Knm
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
Kolkata Municipal Corporation demolishes an illegal structure in the state capital's Tiljala area, in which a leather factory was being operated. — ANI
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | West Bengal | Kolkata Municipal Corporation demolishes an illegal structure in the state capital's Tiljala area, in which a leather factory was being operated.
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
After a fire broke out in the structure yesterday, resulting in the death of two people, an inspection by a… pic.twitter.com/6Nki9kXMXy
Mother of the RG Kar victim and BJP MLA from Panihati Assembly constituency Ratna Debnath on Wednesday said her swearing-in as a people's representative marks the first decisive step in her fight for justice for her daughter, who was raped and murdered at her workplace on August 9, 2024.
Speaking to PTI on the Assembly premises, Debnath recalled that a defining moment came when she visited the state secretariat Nabanna a day earlier to attend a meeting of MLAs-elect with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
"It reminded me of the police lathi-charge I faced last August when I was taking part in Nabanna Abhiyan under the earlier regime. Ironically, this time, Kolkata Police personnel manning the Nabanna gates wanted to take selfies with me and escorted me inside," she claimed. — PTI
In a bid to reshape the state’s social support structure, the newly elected government is preparing to implement a series of major welfare schemes, from rolling out the proposed direct cash transfer scheme for women, free bus travel for female passengers, to integrating the Central schemes that had previously been stalled.
According to sources, the welfare implementation begins with Annapurna Bhandar, the government’s proposed direct-benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for women, which is to be implemented from June 1. Under this scheme, eligible women are expected to receive Rs 3,000 per month directly into their bank accounts through DBT. The scheme is being viewed as the BJP government’s counterpart to the previous TMC government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme, which had become one of Bengal’s most politically influential welfare programmes.
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Ritesh Tiwari, the BJP MLA for the Kashipur-Belgachia constituency in Kolkata, said Wednesday that he would not work for Muslims because not a single one of them voted for him in the recent elections.
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Realtors on Wednesday welcomed the West Bengal BJP's stated position in favour of revoking the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act and facilitating land aggregation for industry, stating that the move could help attract large-ticket investments to the state.
Fragmented land holdings and regulatory hurdles have long deterred major projects in the state.
"Industry estimates suggest that repealing the ULC Act could unlock over Rs 20,000 crore in new investments from private equity, institutional funds, and developers for land development, housing, and commercial projects," Nitesh Kumar, MD and CEO of Emami Realty, told PTI. — PTI
The decision to extend the summer vacation at West Bengal government schools, taken by the School Education Department, will be applicable to primary, secondary and higher secondary institutions, except those located in hill areas, the PTI reported.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari takes out BJP’s victory celebration rally in Bhabanipur on Tuesday. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
The work on the long-pending Chingrighata section of Kolkata Metro's Orange Line will commence along the busy Eastern Metropolitan Bypass from May 15, with the authorities announcing extended traffic restrictions over two consecutive weekends this month, a senior Metro official said on Wednesday.
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), the executing agency for the corridor, will undertake segment launching over piers P-317, P-318 and P-319 at Chingrighata as part of the elevated viaduct construction between Kavi Subhas and the airport, he said.
To facilitate the work, a 60-hour continuous closure will be enforced from 8 pm on May 15 to 8 am on May 18 for launching segments between piers P-317 and P-318 across the western flank of the EM Bypass.
A similar 60-hour closure will again be imposed from 8 pm on May 22 to 8 am on May 25 for segment launching between P-318 and P-319 across the eastern flank, he said. — PTI
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari thanks people of Bhabanipur, takes out rally through constituency.
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Earthmovers have reached Tiljala area amidst high security, with central forces and Kolkata Police. According to sources, the illegal factory building where two persons died in a fire yesterday, will be demolished. This after a report was placed with chief minister Suvendu Adkhikari, who said strong steps will be taken.
A CBI team on Wednesday revisited the crime scene as part of its ongoing probe into the death of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's aide Chandranath Rath in North 24 Parganas district, officials said.
This was the second visit by the central agency to the spot after taking over the case.
Following a request from the state government, the CBI on Monday took over the investigation from the state police and registered an FIR in the murder case and formed a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), comprising senior officers, to probe the case. — PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday said his government has granted the CBI sanction to proceed against officials accused in corruption cases linked to recruitments in schools and civic bodies, while asserting the administration would follow a "zero-tolerance" policy towards graft.
At a press conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, he claimed the previous dispensation had for nearly four years withheld permission for CBI to act in four cases involving senior government officials accused of corruption.
"The previous government had blocked four CBI cases for the last four years. Under the law, the CBI or an investigating agency requires sanction from the state government to file charge sheets, prosecutions, or initiate action against government officials accused of corruption," Adhikari said. — PTI
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear in July a plea concerning the alleged killing of three BJP workers in West Bengal after the 2018 local bodies elections in the state.
"What remains in this matter now?" a bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi asked senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, who had filed the plea in 2018 and was also appearing for the brother of one of the deceased.
Bhatia referred to the change in circumstances in the state. — PTI
“Ordered sanction for prosecution of officials of three departments involved in corruption to CBI”, says West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVIDEO | Howrah: “Ordered sanction for prosecution of officials of three departments involved in corruption to CBI”, says West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB).
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/fDic7evURH
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on Wednesday that he will retain the Bhabanipur Assembly segment and give up Nandigram.
He won both the Bhabanipur and Nandigram seats in the recently-concluded assembly polls and took oath in the state Assembly as an MLA from Bhabanipur on Wednesday.
"Someone else will be elected as MLA from Nandigram (in a bypoll). But I will not let the people there feel my absence during the next five years.
"I will fulfil all development promises I made to the people of Nandigram alongside the rest of the state," Adhikari told reporters at the Assembly premises. — PTI
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "Mohun Bagan shares a deep, spiritual bond with the football-loving people of Bengal... To convey this message to the entire Mohun Bagan family, I was accompanied by the State Sports Minister, Nisith Pramanik; club officials were present; the head of the All India Football Federation was there. All of us belong to the Mohun Bagan family. We came here to express our deepest condolences to Former Mohun Bagan President Swapan Sadhan Bose, fondly known as Tutu Babu's countless well-wishers. My only prayer for the Mohun Bagan supporters on this day is this: just as Tutu Babu nurtured Mohun Bagan with such profound personal devotion, may you all come together to take the Mohun Bagan club forward in the same spirit; that alone would be the truest tribute to him..."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Kolkata: West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari says, "Mohun Bagan shares a deep, spiritual bond with the football-loving people of Bengal... To convey this message to the entire Mohun Bagan family, I was accompanied by the State Sports Minister, Nisith Pramanik; club officials… pic.twitter.com/ZAajnXdTHH
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday paid his last respects to former Mohun Bagan president Swapan Sadhan Bose, fondly known as "Tutu Babu", at the club tent in the Maidan area here.
Bose, one of the most influential figures in Indian football administration, died at the age of 79 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Adhikari reached the Mohun Bagan club tent shortly after taking oath in the Legislative Assembly and offered floral tributes to Bose.
"I visited the Mohun Bagan club tent to pay respects on behalf of the state government," the chief minister told reporters. — PTI
"We formed a team comprising four departments and sought a report. It found the structure was illegal, there was no sanctioned building plan, and basic norms related to fire safety and electricity were not followed. It was completely illegal." — Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari
Watch full press briefing by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on the Tiljala fire incident.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari says the discom supplying electricity in the Tiljala area has been asked to disconnect the supply to the factory permanently.
Two owners of illegal leather factory, which caught fire in Tiljala area on Tuesday, arrested.
The newly-elected West Bengal government on Wednesday directed the closure of all toll gates, drop gates and barricades operating without government approval.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Agarwal issued the instruction directing the officials of the district administrations across the state to identify the illegal toll collection centres in their areas and take immediate steps to remove them.
At the same time, the Chief Secretary asked to keep an eye on the development of such illegal collection centres in the future. — ANI
West Bengal recently elected a new government under Chief Minister Suvendhu Adhikari, who announced the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) by the Central government. A new policy expansion has turned health security into a universal right for India’s oldest generation. Click here for step-by-step guide to register for Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Dilip Ghosh, Khudiram Tudu, Nishith Pramanik, and Agnimitra Paul took oath as members of state Assembly. Tudu and Parmanik took oath in Santhali and Rajbanshi languages respectively.
All the BJP MLAs wore saffron Uttoriyos (stoles) and chanted slogans of Jai Shri Ram as CM Adhikari made a move to take his oath.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari took his oath as a member of the state Assembly amid chants of Jai Shri Ram during the first session of the newly formed BJP government in Vidhan Sabha today. Five other cabinet ministers were also administered their oaths, followed by the rest of the MLAs who will take theirs today and tomorrow. On reaching the venue, which has been decorated on the occasion, Adhikari bowed down at the entrance before entering the premises.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari arrives at the state legislative assembly. Before entering, he bowed down at the entrance.
Garga Chatterjee, founder of the Bangla Pokkho ethno-linguistic rights organisation, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly making provocative statements in the run-up to the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. The police said Chatterjee was also accused of spreading misinformation about the electoral process and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The day before, the Enforcement Directorate arrested former minister Sujit Bose in connection with the alleged irregularities in municipal recruitment.
In a bid to redesign the state’s social support structure, the newly elected BJP government is now set to implement a series of major welfare schemes — starting with Annapurna Bhandar, the government’s proposed direct-benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for women, and free bus travel for female passengers, coming into effect from June 1.
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