Ravik Bhattacharya
Ravik Bhattacharya works in the Indian Express bureau in Kolkata. He tweets @raviklive
Articles By Ravik Bhattacharya
West Bengal: TMC cornered, BJP takes lead in tracking cut money agents
On June 18, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked her party leaders to return the “cut money”, or illegal commissions, they had allegedly collected from people to “facilitate” various government schemes.
In West Bengal, TMC men’s cut money rate list: Rs 200 for last rites, Rs 25,000 for house
The Indian Express spoke to residents in 12 villages across Hooghly, Bardhaman and Birbhum, to find a deep sense of anger and despair at the “system”, which is so well entrenched that there are “fixed rates” for specific schemes, ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 25,000.
Grassroot TMC leaders face cut-money blowback in West Bengal: ‘Can’t return home’
On June 18, with the BJP rapidly making inroads in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked her party leaders to end the practice of “cut money” and return them to the people.
BJP looks to enter Durga Puja committees to boost ‘Bengali’ image
Durga Puja is scheduled to be held from October 4, and presently organising committees are being formed in various communities and club-based festivities.
Rabindra Bharati University: Five professors quit to protest ‘caste slur’ on woman teacher by students
According to the teacher's complaint, on May 20 a group of students allegedly gheraoed her in a room for nearly four hours and harassed her with verbal abuses.
Hospital strike ends after Mamata blinks, agrees to upgrade doctors’ security
The government decided to boost the security mechanism in hospitals, and create awareness among the masses against assault on doctors.
Bengal doctors withdraw strike after Mamata Banerjee’s assurance on their demands
“I have accepted all your suggestions. I will request you to return to work. We are proud of our doctors. Attacks on doctors will not be tolerated. But not all relatives of patients are bad, only a small section gets agitated after a mishap," Mamata Banerjee said.
Bengal doctors’ strike: Stage set for talks, docs want end to deadlock
The latest decision by the agitating doctors comes a day after they refused to meet the Chief Minister at the state secretariat. The doctors had earlier refused to attend meetings called by Banerjee on Friday and Saturday.
Mamata Banerjee appeals for talks; come to NRS, say agitating doctors
In New Delhi, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory to the West Bengal government to ensure the safety of doctors, and asked for a report on the standoff.
Bengal doctors’ strike: Docs beat us too, let guilty be punished, say kin of deceased
Following Sayeed’s death, clashes broke out between the junior doctors and the relatives of the patient, leaving one doctor critically injured. Soon after the violence, junior doctors at the hospital initiated cease-work which got support from doctors in 13 state-run hospitals across the state.
West Bengal: Doctor-patient, public-govt, lines drawn hard in the ward
This is the state’s showpiece hospital — it houses the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), has a sanctioned bed strength of 1775, several departments, OPDs, special clinics, organ transplant facilities.
Mamata Banerjee calls for talks after Calcutta HC push, doctor protests go national
The standoff snowballed with doctors in several states starting protests in a show of solidarity and the Indian Medical Association calling a nationwide strike on June 17.
West Bengal doctors’ protest: Mamata talks tough, her colleague’s daughter slams inaction
Mamata Banerjee gave an ultimatum to agitating junior doctors saying that strong action would be taken against them if they do not get back to work promptly. But junior doctors and interns vowed to continue their “ceasework” until their demands for security were met.
West Bengal political pot simmers as hospital protests spread
On Wednesday, the “cease-work” agitation by junior doctors and interns snowballed from NRS hospital to all 13 medical college hospitals and at least six district hospitals.
Explained: Why the health care logjam in Bengal was waiting to happen
While doctors and medical staff highlight a lack of security in state hospitals and medical colleges, relatives of patients complain of bad behaviour and lack of proper service.
Bengal violence a planted game, BJP trying to throttle my voice: Mamata Banerjee
"Since I am the only one who is exposing their dangerous game plan, they have started to send advisories. Our chief secretary has replied to that. The BJP is trying to sell democracy," Mamata Banerjee said.
For want of an egg
Served his own egg, a three-year-old pleading an anganwadi worker in Murshidabad for his mother’s share was allegedly scalded with khichdi by her.
Prashant Kishor meets Mamata Banerjee, may work on TMC strategy for polls
According to TMC sources, Kishor will be working for the party from to identify areas where the party needs to improve and help draw up a strategy to combat the BJP before the Assembly polls.
After BJP calls families of killed, Mamata backs out
Mamata Banerjee said the swearing-in ceremony was an “august occasion to celebrate democracy” and not one that should be “devalued” by any political party which uses it as an opportunity to score political points.
TMC ‘weakened’, CPM opens party offices closed since 2011 defeat
The Trinamool, on its part, accused the BJP of grabbing some of its party offices overnight in different parts, and claimed that the saffron party is helping the Marxists reopen their party offices, an allegation denied by both opposition parties in the state.
